There are some Sundays in the church year when the preacher wakes up with a spring in their step… and then there is Trinity Sunday. This is the day when clergy everywhere quietly wonder whether it’s possible to explain the mystery of God without baffling everyone, boring everyone or accidentally committing heresy before the Peace.
Perhaps the biggest problem might be that we try so hard to explain something that, at its heart, is meant to draw us into wonder. Trinity Sunday isn’t a puzzle to solve, instead, it’s an invitation to step closer to God who is love - love shared, poured out, drawing us in.
And the most important thing to reflect on is that even if the Trinity is hard to explain, it is absolutely central to how Christians understand God. God the Father, the Creator. God the Son, the Saviour. God the Holy Spirit, the Comforter and Guide… Three ways God reaches towards us. Three ways God works in the world. Three ways God invites us into relationship.
And that’s where I want to focus today - not on the theory, but on the invitation. Because the Trinity isn’t just a doctrine; it’s a call. A call to respond. A call to live differently, to let God shape us.
And that’s exactly what Jesus shows us in today’s Gospel reading (Matthew 28:16-20). On the mountain in Galilee, the risen Jesus gathers his friends - some worshipping, some doubting - and he sends them out “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
It’s striking that the very first time the full Trinitarian name appears isn’t in a textbook or a theological debate. It’s in a moment of commissioning. A moment of invitation. A moment where Jesus says, “Come with me. Share what you’ve seen. Live this life with me.”
So let’s look at each “person” of the Trinity, not as a theological puzzle, but as a personal invitation.
First, God the Father - the Creator who entrusts the world to us
Whatever we believe about how creation happened - whether we imagine God speaking galaxies into being or working patiently through the long processes of nature - Christians believe God is at the heart of it. This is God’s world. And God has entrusted it to us.
And in recent years we’ve become more aware of that responsibility. Climate change, global warming, recycling - these weren’t everyday topics a generation ago. Now they’re part of our ordinary vocabulary. And they remind us that caring for creation isn’t optional. It’s part of our calling.
Even small actions matter. A tiny difference is still a difference. And when millions of tiny differences add up, they become a movement of hope.
But God didn’t only create the world. God created people - in all their beauty, complexity, and, yes, occasional ability to drive us mad. And here too we have a responsibility.
The Bible teaches that all people are created equal, loved equally, valued equally. Yet we know that people do not live equally. Some thrive while others struggle. Some have power while others are pushed to the margins.
Jesus consistently stood with the underdog. He lifted up the forgotten. He challenged systems that crushed people. And if we follow him, we cannot ignore the suffering of others.
And when we think of the suffering of others, we are reminded that our responsibility stretches far beyond our own postcode. We’ve all seen the heartbreaking images after natural disasters. We’ve seen the effects of poverty and injustice. We’ve seen the results of war…
These are not just distant events - but a challenge for us to recognise that in order for any one of us to truly thrive, we need to be concerned about those who are not…. We need ways to say (in words and actions), “Your suffering matters. Your life matters. You are not forgotten.”
God the Father invites us to join him in caring for creation and caring for people. He gives us the gift of prayer and the ability to act. He trusts us with his world.
Secondly, God the Son - Jesus, the Saviour who shows us how to live, whose life is our example and whose love is our hope.
Jesus lived a life of selfless love and sacrifice. He showed compassion to the broken, loyalty to the lost, and courage in the face of hostility. He didn’t simply talk about love; he embodied it. He didn’t simply point to justice; he lived it.
Today, in this country, we don’t face the kind of persecution early Christians faced. We do often face something different though and that is apathy. A culture that often shrugs its shoulders at faith. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges. There are countless small erosions of Christian values - subtle shifts that chip away at compassion, dignity, and truth.
Following Jesus means standing up - sometimes in small ways, sometimes in costly ways - for what is right. It means caring for the disadvantaged, challenging injustice, and working for a society where everyone can flourish. It means showing the world the joyful hope we have in him.
Gregory of Nazianzus, writing in AD 381, captured the mystery and beauty of Jesus in these words:
He began His ministry by being hungry, yet He is the Bread of Life.
He ended His earthly ministry by being thirsty, yet He is the Living Water.
He was weary, yet He is our rest.
He paid tribute, yet He is the King.
He was accused of having a demon, yet He cast out demons.
He wept, yet He wipes away our tears.
He was sold for thirty pieces of silver, yet He redeemed the world.
He was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, yet He is the Good Shepherd.
He died, yet by His death He destroyed the power of death.
This is the Jesus we follow. This is the Jesus who calls us. This is the Jesus who offers hope.
Thirdly, God the Holy Spirit - the power who strengthens and guides us, the often forgotten member of the Trinity, yet one whose presence we rely on every day.
There was a story in a Glasgow newspaper some years back about a man who couldn’t start his car. After much frustration he lifted the bonnet and discovered someone had stolen the engine. The Holy Spirit is our engine. Without him, we can look the part, sound the part, even try our best - but we won’t have the power to live the life God calls us to.
The Spirit gives wisdom when we’re unsure, courage when we’re afraid, strength when we’re weary, and guidance when we’re lost. The Spirit nudges us, comforts us, challenges us, and draws us closer to God.
Billy Graham, the American evangelist, understood this deeply and lived it out. His ministry changed lives not because he was impressive, but because he allowed God to lead him. At the end of each sermon he would invite people to come forward - rich or poor, joyful or grieving, confident or uncertain - and allow God to work in them.
I’m not going to make an altar call today. But the invitation is still real. Whether you’ve been a Christian for decades, or you’re just beginning to wonder, or you’re simply curious - God is calling you. The Spirit is nudging you. God longs to work in you and through you.
So what do we take away today? I think three simple invitations
1. From God the Father - Care for creation and care for people.
Ask yourself: Where can I make a small difference this week? Who needs my compassion?
2. From God the Son - Follow his example of love, justice, and courage.
Ask yourself: Where is Jesus calling me to act, to speak, or to stand alongside someone?
3. From God the Holy Spirit - Let God’s power fill you.
Ask yourself: Where do I need God’s strength? What might God do in me if I allowed him to lead?
The Trinity isn’t a puzzle to solve. It’s a relationship to enter. A life to live. A love to receive.
So as you go from here today, through this week and beyond, let God call you. Let God move you. Let God work in you and through you - to change your life, and to bless the lives of those around you. Amen.
Comments