Sharing in the glory of God

Sermon preached at St Michael’s Baddesley Clinton at 9.45 Holy Communion on Sunday 30th May 2010 - Trinity Sunday – Year C
A shorter version of this sermon was preached at St Mary’s Lapworth at 8.30am.


Joke for Trinity Sunday – The angel Gabriel asks God, “This creation idea…are you really sure about it?” God replied, “Well I’m kind of in three minds about it.” I liked that one which comes from the Revd Kate Stow, curate at St James the Great in Shirley.
Of course on Trinity Sunday we reflect on the great mystery of one God in three persons, Father Son and Holy Spirit. In theology we think of these three persons as being of the same substance or essence. Every time we say the creed we are reminded of Jesus “Being of one substance with the Father”. We also think of these three people being so perfect and complete in their unity that we can only talk of their being one God.
And this is a deep mystery. We should not worry if, as mere human beings, we struggle to understand the inner workings of the life of God. Do we understand the inner workings of our computer or microwave oven? Probably not, but this does not stop them from being useful and important to us. Well we are certainly not going to understand the inner workings of God, but oh he certainly is important to us.
But our gospel reading does provide some indications about how this perfect unity of three divine persons comes about. It seems that everything they have and think is shared. Jesus says of the Holy Spirit, “He will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears….he will take what is mine and declare it to you…all that the Father has is mine…” So the things that the Spirit declares to us are they from the Father or from the Son or from the Holy Spirit? Well we can’t really answer that question because it seems that they are shared. They are held in common. They are forever being given back and forth between the three persons of the Trinity.
We human beings find sharing things very difficult, but sharing is an extremely important discipline for us to practice. Until recently my two daughters shared a bedroom. They had to have rules about who went to bed when, and who was responsible for different parts of the floor space, and when musical instruments could be practised. But then there had to be flexibility because having a friend round or working on some project might need a change in the rules. There has to be trust. Both must feel that their priorities are being taken seriously by the other. It requires generosity, to take on board the needs and desires of the other; to be ready to let go of our own ideas for the sake of the other.
Certainly we see this generosity is God. Jesus seems to do everything for the father. He accepts the Father’s will even in Gethsemane, where it so obviously costs him everything. Yet the Father also gives everything to Jesus. “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me” Jesus declares in Matt 28: 18. This continual giving of one to the other and back again is an important characteristic of the unity of God. It means that everything is shared.
Then when I read today’s scripture readings I was very struck by St Paul’s words, “We boast in our hope of sharing in the glory of God”. So this sharing within the life of the Trinity is not just about God, it is also about human beings; us!” We hope to share in the glory of God! This could easily seem to be an outrageous claim; as preposterous as it is presumptuous. Who can share in the glory of God, but God alone? And yet the New Testament is quite clear that God wants to share his glory, his unity, his life of mutual self giving with us. Two Sundays ago our gospel was from John 17, and Jesus prayed to the Father for all his followers saying, “…the glory you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one and we are one.” So we are called to share in the glory of God, and to share in the unity of God. And actually this is not a presumption hope because it comes at a cost. What Paul actually says is, “We boast in our hope of sharing in the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings…” because suffering leads to endurance, character and hope. Elsewhere the New Testament is very clear that this full sharing includes both sufferings and glory (e.g. Romans 8: 17, 1 Peter 5: 1)
So let’s learn to trust in the great destiny to which God calls us. Let’s prepare ourselves to share in the glory of God, to share in the mysterious unity of the Trinity. Let’s practice sharing with our brothers and sisters because this is an excellent preparation. When sufferings come, let’s seek to live them as a sharing in the sufferings of Jesus. Let’s pray that God will help us to grow in generosity, so that we can draw closer to this life of God. Amen.