First Presbyterian Church

05/31/2026

The Trinity
Yates Center
2nd Corinthians 13: 11-14/ Matthew 28: 16-20
June 4, 2023

Prayer of Illumination: Sing into our ears, O Spirit, the Holy Word of Life. Tell us who we are and to whom we belong so that we may live with gratitude for all that you have done. Amen.
We gather today to celebrate Trinity Sunday. And though we celebrate it, we are often challenged to explain what is actually meant by the Trinity! This is one of those topics that are both simplistic and complex. In fact, it is just easier to proclaim it as one of the mysteries of our faith! But as Christianity has grown, so has our understanding of the Trinity; or perhaps, we have simply found a new way of defining it; one that resonates within our communities of faith. But before we look at this understanding, let’s look at the passages themselves.
We begin with the Second Letter to the Corinthians. These sweet verses come at the end of this letter, a letter which has had many ups and downs. After the storm of tears, rebukes, accusations and self-justifications that this letter presents to the readers, these verses appear as something like a rainbow. Certainly the last verse, beloved for its liturgical use, seems to have the power in and of itself to set things straight. Straightness and tidiness seems to be one of the aims of this short passage; “Do better and pay attention to what I have said. Try to get along and live peacefully with one another”. (Chanute: “ Strive for full restoration. Encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace.”) He is certainly concerned that the Corinthians should be reconciled, with each other and with him.
Each of Paul’s letters end with a benediction; a blessing, but the one in today’s passage is the only one to include the Trinity. The traditional blessing includes the grace of Jesus only as in “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you, brothers and sisters.” However, at the end of 2nd Corinthians, Paul stretches his customary benediction to include other references. The question of why Paul makes this shift is an interesting one.
The change is too significant to be considered a rhetorical accident. Paul is making one last push to reach the Corinthians. He seems driven by the need to offer the Corinthians wider and deeper resources for this troubled chapter in their lives. He expands his customary benediction in order to underscore the resources that lie behind the grace of Christ. Paul seems to believe the Corinthians need to be reminded of the love of God that is available to them. And perhaps most of all, they need to be reminded of the Holy Spirit’s power to create communion among them.
As we move to our Gospel passage, we find Matthew ending his Gospel with words from Jesus. Not a report about the disciples or a comment by a narrator, or even an expectation of the coming of the Spirit, but simply Jesus’ voice, his commission and the promise of his presence are what moves this narrative into a future which will be shaped by the Good News of the Kingdom- a future not only for the disciples in the text, but all disciples forevermore.
Matthew’s ending draws together many strands from his Gospel. The scene is set with a reference to the eleven remaining disciples and we are reminded of the betrayal and despair of Judas. The movement to Galilee, away from the Temple, which was the center of the religious establishment in Jerusalem, evokes not only the birth narrative but also Jesus’ move to Galilee after John the Baptist’s arrest. The mountaintop setting brings to mind one of Jesus’ temptations by Satan: the offer of all the splendid kingdoms of the world, which Jesus rejected in favor of the Kingdom of Heaven. In addition to that reminder we are also reminded of the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount, of Jesus’ retreat for prayer, of his healing of the crowds and his transfiguration, all of which took place upon mountains.
When the disciples see Jesus, they worship, but some doubt. This reference to worship points back not only to the story of the Magi in the Birth Narrative, where men from afar came to kneel and worship at the manger and also to the story of the women who have already worshiped Jesus following the revelation of the Resurrection. This verb for doubt occurs or is used only twice in the Gospel of Matthew and in both passages it is used in the context of worship. The other passage follows the story when Peter, after having stepped out in faith to walk on the water with Jesus, becomes frightened by the wind and begins to sink. When he is saved, the disciples worship Jesus. Matthew chooses to make room for doubt along with worship. Like the request by Thomas in John’s resurrection account, this creates space for doubting worshipers now to find themselves in the resurrection story themselves.
In contrast to the apprehension of the disciples, the statement of Jesus is as solid as a rock, with the fourfold repetition of the word “all” underscoring the complete fulfillment of God’s plan for the crucified, resurrected Messiah; all authority, all nations, all that Jesus has commanded, all the days (which is often translated as “always”). (Chanute: Our translation uses the phrase “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded of you.” ) Our translation uses the phrase “teach them to do everything I told you” , but the meaning is still evident; this is an all-encompassing commandment.
On the basis of that authority, Jesus commissions his disciples to go and make more disciples. Now the Gentiles, who had been regarded as the suspicious non-believers ( and any who were not Jews were considered to be Gentiles) are included as recipients of the Good News. The hope for the Gentiles has already been expressed but now their inclusion is undeniable.
The command to make disciples consists of two activities; baptizing and teaching. The baptismal formula points back to the baptism of Jesus himself, in which the Spirit descends on him as the voice from heaven proclaims him the Beloved Son. This is the point at which Trinity Sunday comes into view, as Jesus tells his followers to re-enact his story in the baptism of the new disciples, enfolding them in the life of the Trinitarian God, with the Son as their Immanuel, the Father loving them as God’s own and the Spirit descending like a dove to lead them out into the world.
The teaching is to include all that Jesus has commanded. Jesus’ good news of the Kingdom is not information simply to be memorized; rather, the commission is to teach new disciples to enact what Jesus has taught as a way of living in the world.
The teachings of Jesus are not the last word. The last word is that there is never a last word. The Greek does not literally say “remember” at the opening of the last sentence, as the NRSV suggests, Jesus is not to be a memory only. “Behold!” Jesus says, “I am with you always.” The one who is named Immanuel, “God with us,” will be with his followers all their days until the close of the age, when the Kingdom, which has come near and is like a mustard seed taking root or a treasure buried in a field, will reach glorious fulfillment.
Father, Son, Holy Spirit/ Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer/ Love, Peace, Wisdom, these are only a few ways in which the Trinity is now being expressed. The concept is that there is One God, who is seen in multiple ways, performing, if you will, multiple vocations. You can see how this may be a difficult concept for not only the ancients, but for us this day and time to understand and to share with others
In recent years, some scholars and theologians have had an epiphany; a revelation, concerning this doctrine. To say that God is Triune, they share, is to say that God is Social in nature. God is communal in nature.
Think back on Scripture for a moment; in Genesis, God says “let us create humans in Our image.” God creates two humans; it is not good for humans to be alone. God tells Abraham that he (Abraham) will be the father of a nation; not just one or two good people, but a nation; a community. The nation of Israel became the People of Yahweh. God throughout the history of God’s interaction with God’s people has been focused upon the community as a whole, rather than selecting one or two good people (which if we were honest would have probably been easier to control than a community!)
This understanding is not limited to God; it is also evident that those who have been created in the image of God, everybody, have also been created to live in and flourish in community. We are intrinsically social.
Because we have been created in the image of God, we share in the variety of descriptions of the “God-head” as the Trinity is often called; we are capable of love, of peace, of wisdom, we can create, we can be redeemed and take part in not only our own redemption but in the redemption of others and we can be sustained and help to sustain others. We are not only to be in community, but we are also to be active in the community, to provide the help, the care and the love to, not only the community, but also the entire world.
Today we celebrate the Trinity; we may not completely understand the Trinity, but we celebrate it anyway! As a Doctrine, it is part of our church’s teachings, it is one of the aspects of God that is proclaimed in one way or another in our Creeds and Confessions. As with all aspects of our Spiritual lives, our proclamations, our belief is based upon what we have learned, what we currently understand and is dependent upon our openness to revelation in the future; perhaps that is another grouping of the Trinity: Past, Present, Future/ What Was, What Is, and What Shall Be. Amen

Pastoral Prayer
We give you thanks, O God, for our world, which you made and renewed in the power of Jesus’ resurrection. Make us wise and careful of your gifts as we live on Earth.
We pray that the love which passes ceaselessly between Father and the Son in fellowship of the Holy Spirit may renew and deepen the life of each Christian and draw us all into your unending life.
For our families, our households and our communities, that your life together- Father, Son and Holy Spirit- will remind us of the importance of each person and in doing so strengthen us in your grace and truth.
Into your hands we entrust all that is of concern this day, sure that you hear our pleas, grateful that your will be done on earth as in heaven. We pray this in the name of the Savior, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever.
Hear us as we pray in community the prayer Jesus taught us…Our Father….
Benediction; May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you always. Amen.

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05/24/2026

What Is The Church?
Yates Center
Acts 2: 1-21/ John 7: 37-39
May 24, 2026

Prayer for Illumination: Almighty God, by the power of your Holy Spirit, speak to us in the language of our hearts, that we may hear your Word with understanding and answer your call with confidence. Amen.
Today is Pentecost Sunday, a day of celebration throughout the Christian Church. It is also at times an overlooked day of celebration; it has, in some cases, been reduced to the “birthday” of the Church or its focus is directed at the gift of speaking in tongues. But in reality, there is so much more to celebrate on this day. This is the day that the Holy Spirit, which had been promised by God through Jesus was given to the disciples and to us. The Spirit is the source of much of our faith, our strength and our ability to follow Jesus.
And the Spirit is one of the most overlooked or ignored aspects of our lives as Christians; we tend not to wait on the Spirit to enlighten us, but move forward as we deem necessary. In many denominations, the need for orderliness, for control that will, often, override the need to be Spirit led or Spirit filled. But before we examine how the Spirit of Pentecost can and does change our lives and how it brings the Kingdom of God into being through the Church, let’s look at the passages themselves. Let’s begin with our passage from the Gospel of John.
Our Gospel passage tells us of the events of a Jewish festival. The 7th and 8th chapters of John’s Gospel tell of Jesus’ appearance at the Jewish Festival of Booths or Tabernacles. The celebration was centered in the Temple in Jerusalem. The First century historian Josephus refers to this festival as the most important of the Jewish Festivals. This was a festival that celebrated Solomon dedicating the Temple. Although it was originally a harvest festival, later it came to be associated with an end times hope for that moment when God’s life-giving presence would flow out in rivers from the Temple, like water from the rock in the wilderness. The celebration of the festival included ceremonies involving water and light, both of which figure in Jesus’ identification of himself.
In the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), the adult Jesus travels to only one festival. In John, however, festival scenes are frequent, bringing with them times of revelation and conflict; in fact, John’s Gospel has Jesus attending 3 Passover festivals. On this visit,we learn that the conflict between Jesus and the religious authorities has intensified. In fact, within this chapter alone, there are 4 references concerning threats to kill Jesus and 3 references to the possibility of arrest.
It is in this atmosphere of menace and fear that Jesus, who initially came to the festival in secret, stands and cries out at the climatic moment of the celebration; which was known as “the great day”. He does this at the exact moment a dramatic water tribute would have occurred in the Temple. In the context of this ceremony, he offers himself as the source of living water for anyone who thirsts. His invitation builds on the connection he draws between himself and the giving of manna in the wilderness but with the emphasis on drinking rather than on eating.
We are then told that these words were about the Spirit, which had not, as of then, filled the waiting apostles; Jesus had not yet been glorified.
With Jesus’ bold invitation and promise, this passage calls readers to remember God’s faithful provision in the wilderness places of the past, to trust in God’s assurance of abundant goodness in the future and to celebrate the gift of the life-giving Spirit that is flowing through them like rivers from the throne of God even now.
Our reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles is the traditional reading for this day throughout Christendom. We have been brought up to date on the events following the Resurrection and know, through Luke’s writings, that the disciples have been instructed to remain in Jerusalem to await the coming of the Spirit. The disciples are gathered, not in the Temple, but in an upper room, and they are worshiping. The setting is actually Pentecost, which is also known as the Jewish Feast of Weeks. The word Pentecost is Greek for “fifty” signifying that it had been fifty days or seven weeks since the celebration of Passover. It was originally an agricultural festival celebrating the end of the spring harvest, but by Roman times, the Festival of Weeks had come to be associated by various strands of Judaism with the covenant on Mt. Sinai. Fire signals the presence of the Divine, hence God’s self-revelation, as in the burning bush. The same concept occurs in John the Baptist’s prophecy that one will come who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
The miraculous speech, after the vision of “fiery tongues moving in all directions”, tongues that settled on each individual there, recalls by way of contrast the Tower of Babel and the division of languages that was then imposed on the human race. The gift of the Spirit has now broken down this dividing wall. So much is implied by the response of the international (Jewish) populace in Jerusalem when they heard their native tongues spoken by Galileans, back-country Jews, unlikely to speak foreign language. Although “all were amazed and perplexed”, not all were inclined to accept the phenomenon as Divine in origin. Some reduced the event to intoxication from “new wine”, that is, particularly potent wine. Peter refuted this possibility in his speech and then explained the event as fulfillment of prophecy.
The “Day of Lord YHWH” in biblical prophecy will be the day par excellence of God’s fair judgment and retribution. Here, however, “Day of the Lord” refers to the coming of the Son of Man. Peter remarks toward the end of his speech that “God has made the Son both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus, whom you crucified.” God’s designation of Jesus, the victim of violence, as “Lord” of the Divine judgment, will be a key element of Paul’s writing. Thus the “Name of the Lord” by which people will call upon God to gain repentance for forgiveness is indeed the name of Jesus.
Perhaps it is appropriate for our passages to spring from and be grounded in the celebrations of the Jewish people. It is from their celebrations that we have drawn many of ours; their celebrations have served as the foundations of our own Holy Days. And Pentecost, the coming of the Spirit is one of those Holy Days.
Today is Pentecost,it is the day in which we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of what will become known as the Christian Church. But what exactly is the Church? Before I try to give an answer to that, let’s explore the Spirit; for it was the Spirit that provided the spark that inspired the Church.
So what is the Spirit? This is not an easy question to answer; the Bible dictionary dedicates 19 pages to explaining the Spirit! Both the Hebrew and Greek words have as their base, as their root, the connotation of “wind”. This is how our Pentecost story begins, with the rush of a mighty wind filling the room and bringing the Spirit to the disciples.
But there is another basic understanding of the word “Spirit” in both Hebrew and Greek; and that is “breath”. This brings to mind the Creation story as God breathed life into Adam. This, too, is present in our Acts passage by the fact that the disciples were filled with the Spirit, not just blown about by it, but also filled with it.
How would our lives change if we allowed the Holy Spirit not only to blow us from our comfort zones, but also to fill us with the Spirit of God, the Spirit of love and compassion? For the disciples, it led them to carry God’s Good News to the ends of the earth. Where could we end up? Would be be able to give up our need to control all aspects of our lives; to be open to setting aside our agendas and plans to seek out God’s plans for us, individually and as a community of faith.
The challenge here is to recognize that the Spirit can make our lives a little messy! The Spirit requires us to re-examine our lives and to re-evaluate our personal understandings of the needs of the world. Those nice, neat, organized files that contain all of what goes on in our lives will be scattered, and we may not be able to, or interested in, gathering them and putting things back in order.
In fact, the Spirit not only affects the lives of those who breathe it in; but also the lives of those who come in contact with the ones who are Spirit filled. Just as the Disciples, once they were filled with the Spirit, were able to share and to fill others with the Spirit; we too, are meant to go out into the world and share the Spirit of God with all we come in contact with; either by sharing God’s Word or simply living the Love of God.
And now, what is the Church? Good question! It’s only been a few years since our worlds and our lives were changed by the Pandemic and all of the challenges that it brought- shortages, closures, lockdowns and so much more.
During that time we learned or at least experienced new ways to view and understand the world around us.
One of those new understandings concerned the Church, or better yet, how to “do” Church. What did being a church really mean?
One of the Facebook groups I belong to is called “Happy to be a Presbyterian”. During that time one of the members posted a meme asking a question. The illustration contained some pictures; one of a church building and the others were of groups and individuals of people and the question was: Which of the pictures was “the Church?”
For some reason, that image or images stuck with me. Technically, both could be considered “the church”, but my mind kept wanting to explore the question. I came to the conclusion then, the the picture of the church building was “a Church” and the pictures of the people were “the Church”. And I still agree with that conclusion.
My friends, we are the Church! And the Church is not restricted to just the people in this sanctuary at any time, but to all the people in all sanctuaries, auditoriums and all other places where people gather to worship. We are the people who the Holy Spirit has been poured out on!
Think about it; it was through the Holy Spirit that the concept of the church came into being. And it was not limited or confined to a room; but it flowed, both the Spirit and the concept, out into the world. And it is still flowing today.
It is a bit overwhelming to realize that we, you, I and all believers are in the position to carry on what was begun so many millennia ago. With the power of the Holy Spirit and with the support of one another, we can and will do what we need to bring the Kingdom of God to this earth.
We are the Church! We are the people of God and we are in good company! One caution here, we may be, we are, the people of God, but that does not mean that we are all required to hold the exact same beliefs or to worship in exactly the same manner. Our gifts are many, with each person being blessed by the Spirit, enabled to become who God desires each person to be. Our understandings, individual and communal, are not meant to build a wall and separate us from others. They are meant to encourage us to engage with others, not change, not debate, but to engage and learn from one another.
We are to go out into the world, and show the Love of God! There is a saying that is attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi; Preach the Gospel always; use words when necessary! When we go out into the world, we will be known by our actions, how we live our lives; do our actions match the words we share. In the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, the People of the Way, as early believers were often called, didn’t just speak in the street and disappear, they lived in community, they lived according to the words they had shared with those in the streets. They lived according to The Word, with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Today is Pentecost Sunday. We have heard some of the Scriptures that outline the story for us. But this year, in addition to celebrating Pentecost, let us seek to experience Pentecost! To experience being filled with the Spirit, to experience the freedom of living in the Kingdom, to experience the joy of being in community with all people. Amen.

Pastoral Prayer
Come Holy Spirit, enter our lives, whisper our names and scatter your gifts of grace with wild abandon. Give your silent strength to all imprisoned by the structures of the world and let your raging fire be our sign of liberty.
Come Holy Spirit, help us to find ourselves in vital places, bringing your Word of freedom to the poor and oppressed.
Spirit of energy and change, in whose power Jesus was anointed to be the hope of the nations; pour yourself also upon us without reserve or distinction, that we may have confidence and strength to plant justice and joy on the earth, through Jesus Christ, Our Lord, who taught us to pray saying….Our Father…

Benediction
May the Grace of God the Father, bless you with peace, may the Love of Jesus, God’s Son, sustain you in joy and may the Power of the Holy Spirit fill you with courage, this day and forevermore! Amen.