It's all about relationships

From Helen

This week has had a lot of turmoil and confusion with the general election. Well I have to say that this morning is not the easiest morning as it could also be confusing. Because today we celebrate Trinity Sunday, we think of the majesty and glory of God as we think of the fact that God created us, God became one of us and God walks with us now as the Holy Spirit. 

God is bigger than us, that's why we worship Him and why He is God. This means that to understand everything about Him is impossible. We worship God as three in one the ultimate transformer toy almost. A transformer toy was able to be a plane, a car, a robot but all the same toy. God is one God but He is three parts. Or maybe we might think of water it can be running, it can be steam, it can be ice but it is still water. God is three in one, one in three and if that doesn't make you want to scratch your head in wonder then I don't know what else could !!

This morning I want to think about God in terms of a relationship. Talking about relationships I have a confusing relationship story for you. A 76 year old man called Bill Baker married a lady called Edna Harvey. Edna happened to be Bill’s granddaughter's Lynn husband's mother. 

Is you are confused don’t worry, Lyn explained the relationship by saying, "My mother-in-law is now my step-grandmother. My grandfather is now my stepfather-in-law. My mum is my sister-in-law and my brother is my nephew. But even crazier is that I'm now married to my uncle and my own children are my cousins."  

Anyway back to the relationship of God. God is Father, God is Son and God is Holy Spirit. They are all in relationship, a relationship of love. There is a very famous icon of the trinity that has God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit all sat around a table. Around this table they are talking to one another. There is a unity in their appearance but there is something slightly different about each one of them as well. I was thinking that actually it is a painting of a relationship, of a conversation. I love the idea of God and relationship. We can understand the idea of a relationship. 

In our readings today we heard more about the relationship of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In the reading from 2 Corinthians (13;11-13) we heard about the best way to behave in a relationship as we were encouraged to be in peace with one another to show love to each other as God has shown us love and peace just by being the God of love and peace. In the gospel reading (Matthew 28:16-20) we heard of Jesus telling the disciples that they were to go and make more disciples, more people who wanted to be in relationship with God and let Him change their lives. They were to do all that they did in the name of God. God, three in One and One in three the Holy Trinity as they were to baptize in the name of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

We are followers, disciples of Jesus, we follow God. As followers we are to imitate the one whom we follow. This means that in the same way that God is in relationship, a community, this is what we are to do as well. We are to do all things in the name of God as we enjoy relationship with Him but we are to reach out to others so that they too can join in that relationship.

Relationships aren’t always easy, peoples lives can be full of broken relationships, difficulties caused by people not being in peace with others, people not knowing and experiencing love. 

A relationship with God is a relationship with the One who loved us so much that He both would, and did do the most amazing thing for us as God came as Jesus, died for us and rose again. This is the relationship that we celebrate and the relationship that we are invited to join. It is a relationship based on love, love for us. 

Jesus commanded us to go out and offer love to people, to baptize, to bring people to know Him. It always sounds a bit scary the idea of going out to people and telling them about Jesus and the difference that He has made in our lives but it isn’t always as difficult as it seems. 

It’s easy for me to say that, people expect me to talk about God but you can show people to Jesus by the type of person you are and also by being prepared to tell people you believe and why. 

You start a relationship with someone that develops into love and it is through love that a relationship grows. When we love people we can show them about the best relationship ever. God calls us to love as we reach out to people. This is what Paul was telling the people to whom we wrote 2 Corinthians, they were to love each other, to share peace. Can you imagine what love could do for our world right now ?

There is a story that the preacher Moody used to tell of a little boy who would walk for miles to go to Sunday school. As he did this he would pass about 30-40 other Sunday schools. One day someone asked him why he walked so far, he replied, “ Because they know how to love a boy there.”

Wouldn’t it be amazing if in the midst of turmoil and confusion, in times of worry people would see us and say, ‘ They know how to love there.”

As followers, as people in relationship with God we can reach out to people by not just telling them about the love of God and how He wants us to be in relationship with Him but by showing people love and inviting them into relationship. 

A relationship built in the name of God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Trinity – a relationship to which we are all invited to experience what it might mean to have a relationship with God. May we be ready to love and show peace, may we be ready to invite people to know more about God through the way that we live, and may we be ready to work together. AMEN