Devotion.al

Tag: Trinity

  • Unity of Three

    Unity of Three

    Isaiah 6:1–8; Psalm 29; Romans 8:12–17; John 3:1–17

    In the current age, the concept of the has been attempted to be explained by books such as “The Shack” (which acknowledges itself as an allegory and not as doctrine, a key response to those who decry it), or an egg (shell, white, yolk), water (which, under special circumstances, can exist as solid, liquid, and gas at the same time).

    In older ages, the three-leaf clover, the sun (sun, , heat), and the Triquetra and triples circles (the symbol on the featured image) were used in an attempt to explain the Trinity. All of these are allegorical (whether current or older). While, if used wrongly, they may lead to false theology, there is no adequate way to really describe the Trinity.

    The Athanasian Creed is an attempt to define the Trinity, but honestly is a theologian’s way to describe and cover all the bases and is really (overly) complicated. It is traditional in liturgical churches to read it today, as today is Trinity Sunday. It is long, so I will not include it in the devotion itself (you can read it here). While it is complicated, it is essential. Even in its complication and desire to cover the entirety of the Trinity, it cannot explain the Trinity fully.

    The reality is that the Trinity is indeed one of the hardest things to understand, and on this side of barring perhaps someone at the theoretical physics level and higher plane theological level (there’s an interesting combination), none of us will fully get it. It is truly a matter of faith.

    It is also an important one. If you have been baptized, the baptizer should have said, “I baptize you in the name of the , the Son, and the Spirit.” Though in some churches they may eschew “the Father” for “the Mother” (which is an issue, but probably not one that is salvational, though that is up for discussion), or use “God” (which is definitely an issue, as is God, and the Holy Spirit is God), the Trinitarian form is still followed.

    Much of the theology of the church (and thus orthodox Christianity) is built upon the Trinity. We can see glimpses of the Trinity in the Scriptures, but it is (when we’re honest) threads woven through the tapestry of and the Scriptures that we, as humans, try to codify and define in our constant attempt to understand God, Creation, and ourselves.

    Even devotionals (like today) get stuck in theology when talking about the Trinity, for we just want to understand.

    ※Reflection※

    • How would you explain the Trinity to others?
    • How do you explain to yourself, or understand for yourself, the Trinity?
    • Why do you think it could be an important part of your faith?

    ※Prayer※

    Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the of your divine Majesty to the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. —Book of Common Prayer, 2019

  • Living Speech

    Living Speech

    Psalm 133; Daniel 2:24–49; John 12:44–50

    One of the gifts of being is . One of the curses of being human is speech.

    Perhaps the whole reason for the King of Babylon’s test of all the magi and wise men was that they all talked too much. Perhaps (as many paid consultants today) they were more than happy to share all their words (with some being wise, maybe) with the king. Perhaps the king was done with all the words and just wanted an answer.

    Of course, his demand for the wise men and magi to know the dream without being told it was pretty harsh. Yet, perhaps the desire to no longer having to listen to empty words created the opportunity to hear words of weight. Daniel spoke God’s word to the King of Babylon. By faithfully delivering God’s word to the King of Babylon, Daniel was obedient. Daniel also used the human gift of speech as a vector of grace and . This doesn’t mean that it would be listened to, or that it would be transformative in any long-term way. That wasn’t Daniel’s responsibility.

    Even as the Son of God—part of the —Jesus spoke as God directed. Jesus spoke with , grace, and . Jesus’ summary of his words (no judgment, not his words, people won’t necessarily listen).

    What is interesting is how Jesus says all this is really just a result of God’s commanded speech, which is eternal .

    Eternal life. Jesus’ speaking was eternal life.

    ※Reflection※

    • Is your speech of God? Is your speech produce eternal life?
    • As a follower of Jesus, how do you temper your speech so that is more of God and less of you?
    • What makes human speech of “eternal life”

    ※Prayer※

    Heavenly Father, you have delivered us from the dominion of and death, and brought us into the kingdom of your beloved Son: Grant that, as by his death he has called us to life, so by his love he may raise us to eternal joys; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the , one God, now and for ever. Amen. [ Saturday Collect, Book of Common Prayer 2019]

  • In All Things

    Revelation 2:12–17

    A that I have had many times, and you may, too, is why are there so many denominations? Aren’t we all one? Don’t we all believe the same thing?

    There are some things that are common among Christian denominations: God “the Father”, Jesus Christ (God “the ”), the Spirit, the (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) that is One God, the fallen state of man, Jesus came to pay the penalty, Jesus came to reconcile man to God, Jesus died (penalty paid), Jesus resurrected ( life), by Christ we are adopted into the eternal of God through repentance, Christ will come again, Heaven and Hell (though understandings differ). Not exhaustive basics, but you will find that Christians agree to these. If you want the full list, the Apostle’s Creed and Nicene Creed summarize this well.

    So, again, why all the denominations?

    Well, because we’re human. Some would say pride divided the . Others would say divided the church. Others would say nationalism divided the church. This is not an exhaustive list…not by far. The letter to Pergamum actually helps provide light.

    Pergamum was a city of many gods. The two prominent temples were one to Zeus (with supposedly 24-hour a day sacrifices) and one to Caesar (the emperor). Within the context of Revelation, it would not be surprising that Caesar is the primary focus, however, the regular sacrificing to Zeus is definitely important in this letter to Pergamum.

    Who the Nicolaitans were is unknown (plenty of speculation, though). From what can gather, however, they were a group of “fallen” Christians who were as much in and of the world as they were of the church. As they had not denied Christ, they weren’t too far gone. One can readily conclude that it’s close.

    While we don’t know the end result, recent (the last few hundred years) church history shows us what can happen…denominations. We do not want to dismiss the Nicolaitans, but if we re-read the , we can see wording that is often used the separate ourselves from others.

    In the time of the writing of Revelation, the food sacrificed to idols was a serious issue. While Paul (in  1 Cor 8:1–13) allows for eating such, it is with the expressed requirement that it not be a snare to those weak in the faith. In Pergamum, it was a problem and thus not to be done.

    What happened in Pergamum is the failure of discipleship and . This same charge can be levied at the church universal today.

    The flip side of this is making sure one disciplines (or divides, if necessary) for the correct reasons. There are far fewer reasons to separate than the many denominations provide witness to.

    In addition, there is the failure to disciple. Discipleship is divided into the why (theology, philosophy, information) and how (living life together). One without the other is only half-discipleship, and Pergamum is an example.

    Honestly, discipleship has become a buzzword and discipline…well, nobody likes it. The only problem? God requires them.

    ※Reflection※

    • What does “church” discipline mean to you? What would it mean to you if a friend “disciplined” you?
    • What does discipleship mean to you? What does it mean to disciple another? What does it mean to be discipled?
  • Power to…

    Power to…

    Jeremiah 31:10–14; John 5:19–40

    If you had the power to anything and everything, would you? If you could eliminate war, disease, hatred, bigotry, misogyny…would you?

    If you could judge people perfectly…would you?

    The structure of the (Father, , ) is a conundrum. The Father is God; the Son () is God; the Holy Spirit is God. The Father is neither the Son nor the Holy Spirit. The Son is neither the Father nor the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not the Father nor the Son. Yet, one God, three-in-one.

    It might seem peculiar to bring up the Trinity, as the passage from John is about the Son (Jesus) and the Father. We see that Jesus says that he is not able to do anything apart from the Father, and that the Father gave all judgement to Jesus.

    What Kingdom is that? If a human had all the power to judge (perfectly), why would they that up? At best, a human has the power to judge okay, but with far too many errors. The Father gave it to Jesus.

    The Judge (Jesus) will raise each person, whether good or bad, to answer for their life. How this works, who knows? Will a person watch a movie of their life and condemn or justify it? Is our soul weighed on some sort of scale? Many such questions have been asked; many answers have been given.

    The underlying is that each and every person, even those who think of Jesus as nothing more than a nice guy in history, only want to imagine being accepted by Jesus.

    According to Jeremiah, the Kingdom will redeem, refresh, and water (with the Living Water) people. As a result, they will be strong, joy-filled, and satisfied.

    These verses declare God’s kingdom. However, one verse later foreshadows the that happens after the Messiah, the harbinger of the Kingdom, is born. No great (or even mediocre) kingdom avoids the evil in the hearts of men, unless it is the .

    ※Prayer※

    God, may our hearts love and accept you, that we are your children, and that we have a place with you. Amen.

  • Saintly Ones

    Saintly Ones

    Matthew 5:1–16; Revelation 7:1–17

    ※ Q: What is a Saint? ※

    You would think that this question is easy. However, the meaning of saint depends on the context and even timeframe.

    Chasid (חָסִיד) and Kaddish (קַדִּישׁ) are the Hebrew words that are most often translated as saint (not always, though). Chasid (חָסִיד) means or devout ones (with the implication being toward the ).  Kaddish (קַדִּישׁ) means holy ones or people of the holy ones (yes, we could, but perhaps shouldn’t, infer the there).

    Hagioi (ἅγιος) is first seen in Matthew 27:52 and used to talk about those who rose from the dead upon ‘ death. It is most used by to refer to the (what became) Christians in his letters. It became generally used that way by the other New Testament writers and the . In Revelation, the becomes expressly tied to those who died as martyrs.

    ※ Q: What does it mean to be a saint? ※

    If you’ve been in the church any length of time, saint can be applied to a person of significant patience. It is also applied to many that have been in the faith for a long time and have gray or white hair (the hair color, of course, is important 😉). However, that is probably a bad way of thinking about it.

    If we were to tie both the Hebrew and the Greek together, we would probably get an approximation of people whose relationship is with God through faith in Jesus Christ and for whom this is their primary .

    ※ Q: Are you a saint? ※

    ※Prayer※

    Holy , guide into a relational identity with the , through the Son. Amen.

  • Foundational

    Foundational

    Matthew 19:16–26; Hebrews 9:1–14; Romans 10:8–13

    The story of the rich young ruler, in my experience, has always been presented in one way…he cared too much for his stuff. This is true…to a point. Is the conclusion that we have often been led to actually correct? Or perhaps we, too, are missing which point Jesus was trying to make.

    The opening question by the man was about eternal . Jesus gives the Great Commandments as the response, plus a few ones that had been problematic with the religious elite. We could question the of the man’s statement but note that Jesus didn’t.

    Yes, Jesus could have just been condescending, however, Jesus’ words were not particularly sharp, which tells us that he accepted the man’s words. There was likely a have-been/continue-to-do-so tension, meaning that it was an ongoing practice, not just a past one.

    This is significant as by straight reading the man had lived in such a way as to have eternal life. We who follow Jesus might question that, but that Jesus gave such a response is critical. For those who might conclude that this is a universalist response, the man was still a Jews, and thus one of the chosen.

    However, was eternal life really the question? The man believed that despite the seemingly positive response he still lacked something. Jesus let him have it. Yet was that really the answer? We conclude so because the man walked away. It could be truly a matter of the .

    Our earthly responses often seem to affect our response to the security of our . The writer of Hebrews noted that much had to be done on a regular basis by the priests to keep things “okay” between God and man (this is by the Law, not ). The writer of Hebrews goes on to explain that Jesus is the perfection of restorative relationship. Jesus’ mere presence in Heaven (and as part of the ) is a perpetual “offering” on our behalf.

    In the heart of the man is a question I hear from many people, and in my darker moments, I myself. “How do I (really) know that I am saved?”

    It is through the author of Hebrews and the words of Paul that we get this answer. These words are first laid upon the solid foundation that is Jesus Christ, whose grace, mercy, love, and are truer than we are capable of understanding.

    ※Questions※

    1) What do you understand from our passage in Hebrews that applies to the sureness of (y)our salvation?

    2) What do you understand from our passage in Romans that applies to the sureness of (y)our salvation?

    3) Why do you think it is so hard for us to accept the truth revealed by the Scriptures regarding our salvation?

    ※Prayer※

    Triune God, you created us. You gave us life. You gifted us salvation. You graced us with eternal life. Help us to seek that it is not our works that us, but you alone. Amen.

  • Prayer Filled

    Prayer Filled

    Psalm 19; Matthew 6:7–15; Romans 8:18–27

    We decided to get “weight management” dog food for our dog. She is a little overweight. Strangely (and this should have been a big clue), she got a greater volume of food with the “diet” food than with her normal food. Instead of a cup-and-a-half per meal, she got 2 cups per meal.

    Anyone who understands basic physiology would understand that the more food one eats, the stomach “learns” and expands. Our dog has become accustomed to the larger amount of food and had made it quite clear that she is hungrier than she used to be. Not a real help for losing weight.

    It is, however, why the “diet” food requires more volume than the regular food that is of importance…filler. The manufacturer puts more “filler” into the food, so that the dog is “deceived” into thinking they’re getting enough food. At least in our dog’s case, that trick doesn’t seem to work.

    Often, we fill our prayers to God with filler. We deceive ourselves that the amount of words mean that we are praying better. Sometimes, it’s with the standard speaking filler words such as: uh, um, like, okay, and. Other times it’s filled with: , God, Jesus, , Father God.

    It seems strange to consider God’s names as filler. If we were to speak to people in front of us using their name in every sentence, it would get awkward quickly. When it comes to , specifically public prayer, filler has become the norm.

    The prayer filler, in this case, isn’t automatically bad. It does indicate, however, that we may need to re- lessons from the .

    The Psalms are short and long. The longest, Psalm 119, is a poem using the letters of the Hebrew alphabet as a starting point. Don’t use that as your determiner of prayer length. Psalm 19 isn’t really a prayer yet verses 12–14 summarize what a prayer could contain. It has breadth. It also has limits.

    The words, in many respects, are less important than “the meditation of the heart.” The groanings of our innermost being (Romans 8:26) gets to God. We don’t need to use lots of words, for the Holy is with us.

    However, often this becomes, spew it out, let God sort it out. When it comes to the “groanings”, we seem to operate this way, but ‘s groanings were wordless (or there are no words to say it), not lots of words.

    Perhaps the greatest of the Lord’s Prayer is organization. We have a pattern. As we publicly or privately pray, let’s look to the Lord’s Prayer as our map. The Lord’s Prayer is simple. It is deep and profound. Yet, it is simple. Jesus’ preamble about the many words use gives us some boundaries for our prayers. We get what to pray for and how not to pray.

    ※Questions※

    1) In keeping with “the meditation of the heart”, what is the state of your heart when you pray?

    2) Do you organize your prayers and petitions, or do you just speak? What is the difference between rote and organized prayer?

    3) Is silent prayer ineffective? Why do we seem to judge the worth of our prayers by the number of the words we speak, rather than by the heart with which we speak?

    ※Prayer※

    Holy Spirit, guide the meditations of hearts and the words from our mouths to be holy and sanctified prayers that bring you, the Holy Trinity, glory and . Amen.

  • Dividing Rightly

    Dividing Rightly

    Luke 12:49–56; John 17:20–26 (read online ⧉)

    Jesus’ words are definitely uncomfortable. They are intended to be. The image of warm cuddly Jesus is great in pictures and in our hearts. It also true. However, there is a hardness to Jesus that we try to ignore, for when we see it we often become afraid.

    It is here in these words that some of our fears seem to be right there. Separation from is a big one. In a culture where family was the primary social and survival network, dividing from one’s family was often a death sentence.

    If you were to take Jesus’ words and put them in someone else’s mouth (for the sake of argument, President Trump), there would be many people who would immediately agree that this sounds like Trump. Trump, whether by his own actions and words or by the overwhelming dislike toward him by many seems to have fulfilled this.

    Before you think that this is supporting or defending Trump, it is neither. It is actually a mirror. Our society, and in many ways the whole world, is divided just as these words of Jesus go.

    If we view others as being part of the family of God (whether in our biological family, family, city, state, country, continent, the world), these words had better be distressing! We are divided from our brothers and sisters in Christ, because of skin color, language, nationality. Not much of “be as one” as we ought to be.

    In many respects, this is what makes Christians dangerous to many powers. Loyalties that supersede the state is bad. Authoritarian countries have been known to keep or gather familial “hostages” to assure the return of scientists, teachers, politicians, athletes, and business leaders. Faithful Christianity is more dangerous insofar as keeping things within the state, yet strong ties outside of the state.

    It’s likely you thought of one of those authoritarian nations. It’s not just authoritarian nations. We can look at the United States and see the tensions that go along with Christianity. Certain Christians are challenging the authority of the government around churches being closed for health safety. Many of these same Christians challenge the Patriotism and even the faith of those who question the government or the country in other circumstances.

    This is not to point at a side, nor think that another side doesn’t have as bad or worse issues regarding faith, patriotism, and country.

    Division under the direction and of Jesus Christ isn’t bad. In fact, it is scriptural. However, within the division, there still needs to be unity of . This unity of heart is toward fellow members of the Body of Christ. We love them because God loves them.

    When we question whether another’s motives are , we first need to look in the mirror to make sure we are being Christian.

    , the love of each other (unity) is how the world knows that Jesus is in us and that Jesus was sent by the to the world. Our love for each other, especially in these times, is how the world can see that Jesus is love.

    ※※
    God, you are love. As your children, we are to be love. Help us to be strong in love. Amen.

    ※Questions※
    1) Arguing well and respectfully is a lost skill. Why do you think such a vital skill to a democracy, republic, and faith communities has been so deeply lost?
    2) Why does arguing often devolve into issues of authority and ?