An online presence for St Francis Anglican Church, Tairua, NZ
At the end of the day, it is not the doctrine or mystery of the Holy Trinity that is important. What is important is how we experience God in our lives and how we share that with other people so that they can experience God for themselves.
Trinity Sunday is a day to celebrate our experience of God in our everyday lives: God the lover, God the forgiver, God the empowerer.
The culmination of the Christian season of Easter was originally a Jewish festival, which is why the Jewish followers of Jesus were gathered together in Jerusalem for this religious observance. Still recovering from their grief at the crucifixion, joy at the resurrection, and confusion at Jesus’s brief stay with them prior to the Ascension.
Pentecost!
The disciples had to wait between Jesus’s ascension and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we wait in happy expectation, such as waiting for Christmas; at other times, waiting can be a very precious time, such as when we share the journey with some one dying. I wonder how the disciples felt while they waited.
When my mother was dying of breast cancer, I spent the whole time grieving: I didn’t talk to her about how she was feeling. But my regret for doing that was the spur to me, to later say to children dying from leukaemia …
This Gospel passage about fruit-bearing set me a-searching – not for the first time, I might say – for evidence of fruit in my own life. This passage clearly says, if you abide in me, Jesus, you will bear much fruit. Ok, son … where is the fruit?
My first stocktake wasn’t promising. Presumably ‘fruit’ means healings and miracles and souls saved, right? Well, if right, my life is pretty well fruitless. In fact, I’ve had some big fails ,,,
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