Trinity Sunday: The God who loves – Matthew 8:31-58
Readings: I encourage you all to read John 8:31-59 before the meeting.
- Spend a few minutes checking on each other and open in prayer.
- Many attempts at describing the Trinity using pictures and symbols have been tried, but none seem to really work, and many teach the wrong things about God. Why do you think this is? (One example is the 3-leaf clover. I think that this teaches one of the wrong ways of thinking, that is that Jesus and the Spirit are simply emanations or different roles that God plays.)
- Abraham plays a critical role in the life of Israel. Why did the Jewish leaders react so strongly to Jesus’s words?
- In the Nicene creed it describes Jesus as “the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not made, of one being with the Father.’ Discuss what these words mean and why they are so important.
- The Eastern church sees the Son as begotten of the Father and the Spirit as proceeding from the Father. The western churches see the Spirit as proceeding from the Father and the Son. Both however see the Spirit as ‘the Holy Spirit, the Lord, and the giver of life.’ What does this mean for you, indeed for us?
- I argued in the reflection that, while the doctrine is hard to understand, it has very important implications for our life and faith. Discuss why it is so important that Jesus was both God and human and then share together what the doctrine of the Trinity means to our everyday lives.
- If you can, end by saying the Nicene Creed together.
Hugh Begbie
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the almighty, maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father;
through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary and became truly human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.