Pentecost and the Trinity (June 22, 2022)

As we come to the end of our Pentecost sojourn, amidst the peculiarities, powers, prophets and ponderings, this week we’ll take a look at the Holy Spirit’s presence and guidance in our individual lives. 

Part of the reason I am an avid Trinitarian is that the three dimensions of the Holy (God, Christ and Holy Spirit) enable us to connect to the Divine in different seasons of our lives and according to our own personalities and experiences. The rich diversity that Pentecost reflects is resident in the very being of the Holy.  

It is this diversity in unity/unity in diversity that enables Christianity to be accessible and valuable to every person throughout all those seasons.

For many whose personalities are oriented toward facts and figures or toward the practicalities of life, Jesus can be a crucial way to come to a depth of understanding God’s intent for us. Those who are drawn to the grand themes of life, the overarching conceptual ideas that move and motivate them, God the Creator is compelling. And for those for whom the Holy is far more attractive as a discernible yet unknowable spiritual presence, a feeling, a sense of being led in one’s life, the Holy Spirit is attractive and powerful. 

Christianity has been through its own culture wars of a sort over the centuries with certain sects and movements emphasizing different doctrines and persons of the Trinity. It sometimes seems that each has its own fundamentalism. Yet, in truth, understanding the way the Triune Holy One creates pathways to the Divine for everyone is crucial. All three persons of the Trinity are important for all of us, yet occasions arise when differing aspects offer us comfort. 

So this weekend we’ll ponder the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Its empowering, comforting, guiding and challenging ways will feature in Saturday’s “Living Legends” as well as Sunday’s worship. I invite you to think about moments when just maybe the Spirit led you, or perhaps coddled you through a tough time, or enabled you to do something that took courage and persistence. I might even tell you about one of those in my life

Davida

A Note from Davida:

Last Saturday, Davida told the story of the Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, an African American and Native American civil rights and feminist icon who late in life became an Episcopal priest. She showed this short film clip celebrating the nomination of the film “My Name is Pauli Murray” for the Peabody Award and believes others of you may wish to see this and learn about her: https://vimeo.com/715820864. The 1.5 hour movie can be streamed for free on various platforms and she encourages you to see it. A copy of a biography of Dr. Murray, Jane Crow, is available in the Palos Verdes Library system.