The Wheatland Mission

Trinity Sunday...this week!

Icon of the Holy Trinity by Andrei Rublev


The Christian Calendar is divided into two seasons or "times". The first season, which begins with Advent and proceeds until Pentecost, is described as extraordinary time. It is called such because the focus of this season is on the life of Christ. We anticipate his birth and arrival through Advent, celebrate his arrival during Christmas, witness and imitate the beginning of his ministry during Epiphany, journey with him to the cross through Lent, mourn his crucifixion and celebrate his resurrection during the Easter season and witness the gift of his Spirit during Pentecost. For one half of the year we are fixated on the life of Christ and seek to form ourselves around the model of his life lived for us.

The second season or "time" is called ordinary time. It begins right after Pentecost and extends through to the beginning of Advent at the end of November. There are fewer special days during ordinary time but it begins with what has become known as Trinity Sunday. This is a special day to commemorate and reflect upon the Triune nature of God.

This weekend we will be reminded of the importance of the Trinity in our daily lives. Too often we think of the Trinity as some theological abstraction and fail to appreciate all that it means for our daily lives. We noted last week that the Trinity can be seen in the first chapter of Genesis and the intimate community within God. The verse below offers us one of the more explicit references to the Trinity in the Bible. They are Paul's closing words to the members of the Corinthian church.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. II Corinthians 13:14

posted by The Wheatland Mission @ 7:58 AM