With the Church through the ages,
we speak of God as one and triune:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We also speak of God as
Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer
God, Christ, and Spirit
Mother, Friend, and Comforter
Source of Life, Living Word, and Bond of Love,
and in other ways that speak faithfully of
the One on whom our hearts rely,
the fully shared life at the heart of the universe.
We witness to Holy Mystery that is Wholly Love….
from A Song of Faith, United Church of Canada Statement of Faith
Refrain
Go make a diff’rence. We can make a diff’rence. Go make a diff’rence in the world.
Go make a diff’rence. We can make a diff’rence.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.
Verse 1 We are the salt of the earth,
called to let the people see the love of God for you and me.
We are the light of the world, not to be hidden but be seen.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.
Words and Music: Steve Angrisano and Tom Tomaszek, 1997
This is Trinity Sunday in liturgical denominations, the opportunity to explore what is both a core tenet and profound mystery of our Christian faith. We worship "God in three persons, blessed Trinity" as the traditional hymn says, a theological decision made by Councils of the early Christian church which was a contentious process, to say the least.
The word "trinity" to describe God, Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer was never used by Jesus, nor can it be found anywhere in the New Testament. This means that certain passages are employed to point us toward the Trinity, including the gospel passage for today. After the Resurrection the disciples returned to Galilee and the life they knew before Jesus called them away from their nets. In the final verses of Matthew's gospel the Risen Christ appears to them and they both worship him and are filled with doubt. Jesus tells them to skedaddle, to get out in the world and baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit. This "Trinitarian formula" for baptism has been a constant and a source of contention for two thousand years. Sadly, through the centuries this imperative has been twisted to justify forced baptisms and even the murder of those who will not accept conversion from other faiths.
It's my opinion that the United Church hasn't been great at encouraging this Good News for much of its history, at least not in terms of sharing our own stories of encounter with Christ. The general response from UCC folk is that we witness through our actions, which is true, to a degree. Yet in the early days we figured evangelism and social action were intertwined, and we seemed to lie down until the former went away. We've never been big on handing out tracts or participating in revivals and crusades but has keeping our light under a bushel been a factor in our Incredible Disappearing Denomination? To be fair, there have been initiatives to revive healthy, balanced evangelism as respectfully sharing the gospel in dialogue with individuals and other faiths but they don't seem to have gained much traction in local congregations.
Not long ago we spent time with family members who are leaders as part of an evangelical denomination from the States which places a big emphasis on personal witness. They look for every opportunity to do so and we saw them in action. They even have an app where they track contacts, follow-ups, and conversions.I have no doubt about their sincerity or conviction. Honestly though, it seemed somewhat aggressive and that this was the be all and end all of many conversations. While I appreciate their desire to share their faith, this would never work for me.
I want to ponder this today because I am a Trinitarian Christian and I've always felt that the message of Christ transformed my life and I've seen how it has changed the lives of others, including those I've welcomed into congregations along the way.
Verse 2 We are the hands of Christ reaching out to those in need,
the face of God for all to see.
We are the spirit of hope; we are the voice of peace.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.
Verse 3 So let your love shine on, let it shine for all to see.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.
And the sprit of Christ will be with us as we go.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.
2 comments:
I am wondering what the Aramaic word for "skedaddle" was ...."Git" works, too...
I have found it increasingly challenging to figure out how to "witness" in today's world.
I often end up just stating that the life and witness and teachings of Jesus are enough for me, and would make the world a better place if we all paid attention to that (if I happen to get into any conversations about belief and faith - those are rarer now, too). I also have to admit that the teachings of some other religious figures are pretty useful!
At this stage in my life the "proof in the pudding" has to be in my actions ... and even those are becoming scarcer, thanks to Covid - and smoke in the air - and aging !
How do you know that "skedaddle" isn't an Aramaic word, Judy? (well, it isn't) The theological swear word for "proof in the pudding" is orthopraxy, but I do prefer pudding to praxy.
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