Made In the Image of the Triune God


Blessed be our Triune God who animates our lives and creates, redeems and sanctifies. AMEN

The reading from Genesis this morning, the Creation story, grounds Trinity Sunday in the creative power and imagination of our Triune God. We go on to remember the Incarnation and the culmination before our Saviour’s death in the great commission which makes disciples of all of us and sends us into the world assured of eternal union with the Redeemer, part two of the One God three in one. Though I use the word “part” loosely! Last week at Pentecost and today in Paul’s letter we surround the creation and incarnational mission of the Church with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, inspiring us to carry out our Kingdom work that all may be sanctified in the end. Creator Redeemer Sanctifier One God Three in One...that is what we remember today. That is what re-members us!

Yet knowing all this magnitude of the Trinitarian God remains theological and philosophical until we focus on us. I am because you are. Or to change Ubuntu slightly We are because of the Trinity. The focus today might be best placed on the beginning: Genesis, another commission if you will when we were created in the image of God. Let us consider that that means in today’s world:

Events in our world right now are so horrific and important that my message today needs to be clear, Gospel related or mandated, and compassionate.

We who are made in the image of God are to make this power of Love manifest in the World.
We who are made in the image of God are to respond to hate and racism and oppression and disease as witnesses to that Love within each and every one of us.
We who are made in the image of God are to speak truth to power.

The Trinity, Father Son and Holy Spirit, Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier are the Very Relationship of Divinity in whom we live and move and have our being.

We who are made in the image of God are to live in relationship with ALL neighbors, black white yellow and beige, old young and everything in the middle, abled and disabled, challenged and seemingly not, Our Baptismal Covenant offers no caveats to dignity. 

So this is quite simple really: Thou shalt not kill, doesn’t matter whether you wear a uniform or not, thou shalt not kill 

The Bible is the sacred text which informs our image and shapes our identity. To desecrate it is to desecrate God’s image and hence ours.

And in that Bible with Hebrew Scriptures as well as The Newer Testament we learn about our identity. We learn about our identity to keep the two great commandments both of which call us to love and we learn about our call to discipleship. It doesn’t really matter which section we turn to or where we are in the lectionary the sermon is the same: Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind; the second is like unto it: thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

And if that creates any confusion we can turn to Micah for a different voice which is after all just another reframing like all of us with prophetic voices might use: And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and walk humbly with your God" --Micah 6:8

Make no mistake about it. Trinity Sunday calls us to claim our identity made in the image of God and to go out into the world as disciples who bear the burdens and responsibilities of the Kingdom as well as the joys and hopes. We are to speak truth to power. 

The truth is love always. And love always abides in and with each and every one of us.

The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of our Creator, and the Communion of the Holy Spirit be with you and remain with you always. AMEN


Sherry plays Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, please meditate on this most blessed hymn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_HU1160Qeo

image The Holy Trinity by Mishou Sanchez

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