05/31/2026
Here is the sermon for Holy Trinity Sunday, on Gen. 1:26-28 and 2 Cor. 13:11-13, for May 31, 2026:
We are made in the image of God. One of the many things this means is that we are relational creatures; we are designed to be in relationship. Our God, in whose image we are, is already three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in constant communion and conversation with one another. God is already in relationship with God’s own self, and in relationship with all that God has made. Some theologians have described the Trinity as an eternal dance, a constant movement of mutual delight. And we were created to mirror that divine dance. One way to say this is that we were built for community; we were not meant to be alone. Another way to say this is that we were created to love and to be loved--to find joy in God’s company, in the company of other humans, and in the company of this good creation that God has made. In the words of an old Shaker hymn, 'Tis a gift to be simple, 'tis a gift to be free/'Tis a gift to come down where we ought to be/And when we find ourselves in the place just right/'Twill be in the valley of Love and Delight".
It might feel intimidating to be in relationship with the triune God. Many of us are comfortable praying to our heavenly Father, and many of us know we have a friend in Jesus. But drawing near to the Holy Trinity? We might be good with singing some of the good old Trinitarian hymns, like Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty—but beyond that, communing with the fullness of the Trinity might seem kind of abstract. Here, I think our Celtic ancestors in the faith can give us some encouragement and good examples, such as the opening to the prayer of St. Patrick: “I bind unto myself today the strong name of the Trinity; by invocation of the same, the Three-in- One and One-in-Three.” If that’s still too abstract for you, consider this ancient night prayer from Scotland: “I am lying down to-night, with Father, with Son, with the Spirit of Truth, who shield me from harm. I will not lie with evil, nor shall evil lie with me, but I will lie down with God, and God will lie down with me.” The unselfconscious intimacy of this prayer is both charming and surprising. Can you imagine snuggling in and peacefully falling asleep in the arms of the triune God? Can you imagine praying, I will lie down with God, and God will lie down with me? There are many prayers like this in the Celtic tradition—prayers for rising and sleeping, working and resting—that express a close and everyday friendship with the Holy Trinity.
We are created to be dear friends with the triune God, and also to live in friendship with one another. We heard those verses from the end of Second Corinthians, where St. Paul encourages the believers in Corinth to live in peace and unity, because that is what it should look like when we live together in the image of God. When he tells them to agree and be restored, he’s basically telling them to stop fighting and putting each other down. It’s not that they have to be in perfect agreement about every single little thing, but they are called to love one another. He closes his letter with that familiar blessing that we still use regularly whenever Christians gather in worship: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Living in Christian community means both receiving the love and grace and peace of the Holy Trinity and sharing that love and grace and peace with one another.
Even the Christians who have felt called to live apart from the world knew that they were never really alone. Monastics in the Egyptian desert still came together to celebrate Holy Communion. Hermits like St. Anthony or St. Julian of Norwich chose to live alone in a cave or a cell, but they still received hundreds and thousands of visitors who came seeking spiritual advice and wisdom. Jesus himself modeled a pattern of time together for service and learning and solitary time apart for prayer and contemplation. We don’t all need to be raging extroverts, and we don’t need to be with other people all the time. But we are all created for life in human community.
It is clear from the opening chapter of Genesis that we are also created to be in communion with the earth and all its creatures. God appoints us to be caretakers or stewards of all the rest. When God grants us dominion, it doesn’t mean that we get to be bossy and do whatever we want. We are intended to rule over the rest of creation in the way that God rules, which is to say, with mercy and love and care and delight. Here, I think St. Francis of Assisi is on the right track when he speaks of Brother Sun and Sister Moon, Mother Earth and Sister Water and Brother Fire. What if we thought of all God’s creatures as our friends and relations? Brother Fox and Sister Salamander. Cousin Redwing and Grandmother Mountain. Being made in God’s image also means that we are called to live in communion with trees and water and all living things.
In the words of another fine hymn: “The hills and the mountains, the rivers and fountains/The deeps of the ocean proclaim Him divine/ We, too, should be voicing our love and rejoicing/ With glad adoration a song let us raise/Till all things now living unite in thanksgiving/To God in the highest, hosanna and praise! This, I think, is our best and highest calling: as creatures made in God’s own image, we are meant to reflect God’s glory so that all we do and all we are becomes praise and thanksgiving. With the psalmist, we too can sing, O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. And with all God’s creatures, we can join in the dance and come down right, so we land in the place of love and delight. May it be so. Amen!
Rev. Jean N. Kuebler, May 29, 2026
