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“Sharing the Glory of God”
Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31; Psalm 8;
Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15
Rev. Sandy Nuernberg
Oakland-Cambridge Presbyterian Church, Cambridge, WI
Trinity Sunday - Kite Sunday at
OCPC with guest, Craig Wilson
June 3, 2007
Prayer: Our God, be with
us and may your Holy Spirit move among us as we ponder together your Words
for us from scripture. AMEN.
Traditionally,
the week after Pentecost in the church is Trinity Sunday, referring to our
worship of the ‘three-in-one’ God. Perhaps because it gives us all another
opportunity to consider the work of the Holy Spirit. In pondering both of these
texts in all their glory, we realize the activity and function of the triune God
in all of us. For isn’t it through the Holy Spirit given to us in God’s love for
us that is poured upon us and ‘into our hearts’, as Paul relates to the Romans
(Rom. 5:5), and isn’t John’s lesson ( John 16:13)
about the teaching of Jesus Christ to his disciples of the work of the
Spirit ‘that will guide you into all the truth’ in your lives after Jesus’
return to God in heaven? Importantly, the Trinity is all about being boastful in
sharing the glory of God.
It seems that if we are really
honest, most of us don’t feel it’s easy to understand how God can be in three
equal parts and still be one God. Actually, it’s downright baffling! Yet
we celebrate today, the three ways that we know our God; Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit, knowing full well that the word Trinity comes from two Latin words
meaning ‘three’ and ‘unity’ or one, as our God. For many of us it’s truly a
mystery, though, isn’t it? When I try to understand it all, or explain it to our
confirmands, or even write about that word never used in scripture, Trinity,
I keep remembering that for me the most important part of the Trinity is that
each is what it is only in relationship with the others. I try to think of words
explaining each when relating to the Trinity; the Will of God, the
Word of Jesus Christ, and the Work of the Holy Spirit.
The role of the Holy Spirit in us
is to be guided by God’s presence in the things that are to come for us; we are
justified by our faith (being right with God) as we glorify God’s actions in us.
The Spirit in us is in many shapes and forms, isn’t it? Last week we heard of
the Spirit of the tongues of fire; the languages spoken as the early
Christians were filled with the Spirit to be sent out into the world with
Christ’ message of love and peace and joy. Today we are hearing of the wind,
perhaps not so violent, of the Spirit coming upon us and filling our hearts with
God’s grace and love.
I pondered this text months ago
when I contacted my friend Craig, and wondered about a passion of his, in having
a love of things that fly in the wind. In the spirit of kite-flying, could he
bring the sounds, the sights, the current or wind, in Hebrew, ruah, to us
in our sanctuary? Along the way, I’m sure he has experienced a bit of suffering,
endurance, character, and yet hope through God’s love to him of practicing his
sport and sharing it with others. He said he’d like to bring different sizes and
shapes to relate that kind of Spirit that flows in creating up and down motion,
at will; I like to believe that it energizes us in being filled with God’s
presence, the Holy Spirit. (He can fly them now!--Craig brought his three-in-one
kite to fly here).
I was mesmerized as I hope you
have been in hearing that beautiful wind blow the kites in their glorious
fashion, to and fro. What I last experienced at the ‘Kites On Ice’ on Lakes
Monona and Mendota in Madison in the winter, that, incidentally, Craig founded,
involved seeing huge kites of Bert and Ernie, all colors and designs, even
musical rhythms of kites that truly energized me and brought tears to my eyes,
perhaps to others; we watched their beautiful displays in the bright blue sky
above the snow-covered lakes in a cold February .
Since this time a few years ago,
Craig has written a book (last fall) filled with a kite’s view of pictures
(show his book) from Wisconsin, entitled, ‘hanging by a thread’ (2006).
Yes, it’s full of pictures of Wisconsin farms, homes, the top of our state’s
capitol, all weather seasons of the year, concerts, celebrations and carnivals,
BUT from the vantage point of a kite as the photographer. The camera is lifted
by the kite and the treasures that Craig has captured are truly special and
rare; his photo opportunities are spectacular. For me, it was learning from this
‘kite guy’ that the wind in the proper proportions, and not the light, was
something of necessity for these glamorous shots from Craig’s kites. He can tell
you all kinds of stories on getting ‘hooked’, well literally I guess, on kites
since his building and flying them for over 20 years and now around the world
sharing with others their wind-felt beauty and glory. I like to think that
perhaps the Holy Spirit as God’s presence is leading him wherever he goes!
The good news for us is that God,
Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are living and breathing in us; all three are
in mutual workings with one another. The Holy Spirit will lead us, we pray,
wherever we need to be or to go. As Craig’s kites flew with the wind right here
that we never imagined at first, we know that God’s presence will lead us and
guide us. As we come to the communion table to be energized by God’s grace,
Christ’ love, and the power of the Holy Spirit, let us remember that we boast in
our sufferings and in the hope of our peace and joy to come and in sharing in
all of this to the glory of God. Paul gave this ‘very truly yours’ closing to
his letter to the Corinthians; we remember this same benediction before we leave
one another each worship service together, ‘may the grace of our Lord,
Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit
be with us all’ (I Cor. 13:13). It is the
Trinity, isn’t it, as we share with each other the glory of God?
Thanks be to God. AMEN.
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