ENCOUNTERS OF THE MYSTERIOUS KIND !!!!!!!
Heathmont Sunday June 7th 2009.
TRINTY SUNDAY
When John asked me if I was available to lead worship today as it was his Sunday off , I said yes I would , then I
asked him what day in the church year was it TRINITY SUNDAY HE SAID . OH THANKS John was my reply.
Well every Sunday we should come to worship with amazement and awe expecting to Encounter wonder and
mystery.
Encounter with God evokes wonder at God’s presence and ways.
Wonder may stir questions about the mystery of God.
Wonder may lead to celebration and witness.
The wise bring praise and wonderment as they seek God.
TRINITY SUNDAY INVITES US TO CONSIDER THE MYSTERY OF GOD AS REVEALED IN THE GIFT AND SIGN OF THE
SPIRIT AS WE ENTER THE SEASON AFTER PENTECOST.
Nicodemus !!!!
John 3 : 1—17
The scripture identifies Nicodemus as a Pharisee .
The chief Jewish parties at the time of Jesus were the Pharisee’s,
Sadducees, Essenes, Herodians, and Zealots.
The Pharisees taught strict observance of the written and oral Laws of Judahism.
They also believed in resurrection and awaited the coming of a Messiah
The four Gospels often portray Jesus in conflict with the Pharisees.
This is likely to reflect the experience of the communities addressed by the Gospels as much as Jesus’s own
experience.
The story of Nicodemus makes it clear that some of the Pharisees held Jesus in high regard.
To hear the story of the experience of Nicodemus and to listen to what Jesus teaches about Spiritual birth, involves
considering all of the meanings associated with being born anew or being born from above.
Born of the Spirit
In the first part of John’s Gospel is structured around the signs that Jesus performs in pointing to God.
Signs that are not merely the startling acts of feeding the multitudes, or healing , or turning water into wine , but
signs that are transparent, LIKE words that have multiple meanings , signs that point beyond the obvious to reveal
what God is like.
THE INTENTION IS TO LEAD TO FAITH.
John 3;16 is one of the Bibles most familiar verses.
GOD’S LOVE IS UNIVERSAL .IT HAS NO LIMITATIONS!!
God loves the whole world .
NOT MY WORLD . NOT YOUR WORLD . THE WHOLE WORLD.
It is the basis of this inclusive love to every one who believes .
Trevor Hill
7th June 2009
Page 1
It is the affirmation of powerful and empowering love : that the whole world might be saved.
The mystery of TRINITY Sunday ties directly into the mystery of God’s love that holds us all and all creation.
Children of God , this denotes that as part of Creation we are part of God, as demonstrated through the example
and the teaching of Jesus.
In response to the enunciation of GOD . “I WILL SEND MY SON”
So that we might understand what GOD is like.
THIS BRINGS US TO THE QUESTION OF THE TRINITY AND WHERE DO WE FIT IN?
The doctrine of the Trinity – God as Father, Son ,and HOLY SPIRIT.
Developed as a way of putting into words the experience of the early Christians.
They believed in ONE GOD, yet they experienced this God in Jesus as an on going presence in their lives.
At the same time they were going through a change in the way that they understood themselves. After all they
had been brought up with a totally different understanding about God.
Never before had anyone experienced what we now take for granted.
To be an individual, to be human to be different to any other person and as people tried to give voice to their
experience of Jesus as a lively presence still among them and of themselves as beings made in the image of GOD.
But GOD WAS CLEARLY GOD, and yet God came to them in three ways that were distinct but not separate.
They knew God as Father .
Now some may have difficulty with this seeing the word Father as being sexist but let me ask .
IS there anyone of you here today that did not have a father.
We carry the genes of our fathers , as well as those of our mothers.
But in JESUS DAY the father was the dominant party of any human relationship . This was tradition.
OH ! Don’t get me wrong we mere males have since learnt a thing or two.
You know I hear a thing or two about the ladies of Heathmont .
I HEAR ON GOOD AUTHORITY that the ladies at Heathmont control 80 percent of the wealth. It’s true .... and what
is more have direct access to the other 20 percent.
The early Christians had met God in the Flesh in JESUS , as THE SON.
And after He was gone , they encountered the HOLY SPIRIT ON THE DAY OF PENECOST.
It was out of this furnace of experience that there emerged a dynamic and open understanding of GOD and indeed
themselves.
Everyone had a different story to tell . the experiences were different their understanding of GOD WAS DIFFERENT
. Just as each one of us has a different understanding, a different relationship with God, as God REVEALS himself to
us.
This experience is still going on and it has brought new problems for some because it has set Christians on an
adventure that will continue.
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS WIND AND FIRE , elements that cannot be controlled OR SUBDUED.
Trevor Hill
7th June 2009
Page 2
IF WE ARE MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD , there is something about us that cannot be enslaved, subdued or
controlled,.
Who gets to say what’s what. Who’s version of reality is most accurate and what are the consequences of false
choices.
Jesus tells us to believe as little children.
What happens when we are adolescents... QUESTIONS???
WE PUSH THE BOUNDARIES.
When we become adult we become wiser.
But the Spirit blows where it will.
This is nowhere more true than in our talking about GOD as Trinity.
We are not dealing with definitions but with Mystery and a doctrine that isn’t the last word. BUT A BEGINNING.
On the day of Pentecost it was said
“ THESE MEN ARE NOT DRUNK AS YOU SUPPOSE” .
The doctrine of the Trinity consists of three elements.
TRADITION
GOD AS FATHER
REASON
GOD AS SON AS EXPERIENCED IN JESUS
EXPERIENCE.
GOD AS HOLY SPIRIT
It’s not what is written or said That is the important factor.
IT’S HOW WE FEEL THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT AREA OF ANY RELATIONSHIP.
TO THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED LOVE.
How did you know you were in love.
Perhaps you read the book. “ How to know when your in love”??
Has any one read it. ????
Then how did you know.?????
You see some people want everything to be written down. They study all the books and writings and expect to gain
new incite into the way of GOD .
But you see that’s where were all different,sure we can read what other people think and of their experiences,but
none of us are the same. WE are unique, our spirit is unique.
GOD IS SPIRIT AND IT IS OUR SPIRIT THAT COMMUNES WITH GOD.
Can you define that part of you which is Spirit.????
That part of you that is destined to travel beyond the realms of this world into the next.
{ STORY OF TRAVELLERS.}
Yes life is mysterious.
OVER THE PAST WEEKS much reference has been made to vine yards and this morning is no exception .
Jesus said I am the vine. You , that’s us ,are the branches, and if you believe in me and my teaching of what GoD is
like then we will bear much fruit.
For Christians it is our responsibility to show the community in which we live what God is like.
YES. I KNOW YOU KNOW THAT.
WELL we have established that Jesus is the vine.
Where does the vine get it’s strength.
Trevor Hill
7th June 2009
Page 3
THE SOIL of course.
One of the things that is taught in viticulture is the importance of the soil , and the nutrients that are available to
the vine.
You see what is in the soil is in the vine.
The words of Jesus . I and my Father are one.
From here THINGS GET A LITTLE MORE COMPLEX
We are the branches and therefor part of God.
To be trained,to be pruned, to be cut and tied so that the new shoots will give us good fruit.
And the old cuttings are to be tossed out and burnt.
Not just to be left lying about to contaminate the new buds .
How often within the church we contaminate the enthusiasm of others because they see things with a new
perspective and a fresh outlook.
If you ever come across a vine yard that has been neglected and the branches have become so entwine that you
can’t see the vine you will know what I mean.
New SHOOTS will give life to flowers and to fruit that will mature into
Grapes that will be good to eat or make good wine.
END OF STORY ==== WRONG.
What have we left out. ???? What have we overlooked.????
Where is the SPIRIT in our analogy.???
What do you think.???
THE SUN is to the grape vine what the HOLY SPIRIT is to us.
You see without the sun the grapes won’t ripen. And unlike any other fruit that you can pick and leave to ripen on
the shelf in the kitchen.
Grapes won’t mature to their correct sweetness unless they remain on the vine.
You see even on the vine the grapes won’t mature just by the sun shining on the fruit.
It has to be taken in through the leaves of the vine which transposes the sunlight into sugar ,that travels through
the branches and into the grapes to provide the sweetness that will give enrichment to the grape and make good
wine .
The Italians in the Napa Valley in the USA have a saying and it goes like this.
What is in the soil is in the vine.
What is in the vine is in the branches
What is in the canes is in the grapes
What is in the grapes in the wine
What is in the wine is in your heart.
And what is in your heart you will tell others.
May we allow the sunshine of the Spirit to permeate our lives.
AMEN.
Trevor Hill
7th June 2009
Page 4