We believe, and we give thanks The Rev. Dan Rondeau St. Margaret's Episcopal Church & School
Isaiah 6:108 | Psalm 29 | Revelation 4:1-11 | John 16:12-15
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. It is "Trinity Sunday" throughout the Anglican Communion. In addition, it is "Youth Recognition Sunday" at St. Margaret's. It is a "God-moment" that on Trinity Sunday we should celebrate and give thanks for our children and youth. In the next few minutes allow me to link our youth and our experience of the Trinity. Every year (since 1334) the Church recalls in reading and prayer that we believe in one God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is clearly set out in our Nicene Creed that dates to Councils of the Church in the 4th and 5th Centuries. Theologians, mystics, scholars, artists and poets have each contributed to our understanding of the Holy Trinity in their writings and art, and will continue to do so. Every year, preachers are asked to work with the texts and invite their hearers into new understandings of this mystery. This Trinity Sunday as we gather in celebration of the mystery of One God in Three Persons I ask you to consider that we are here today not so much because we have a clear and compelling doctrine to celebrate, but because we have in many and varied ways experienced the living God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and we desire to give thanks, and we desire to pass along these experiences to our children. We gather because we have entered into a relationship with God that gives meaning to our lives—enriching and expanding our actions—and we want to share that with our children. We gather because through our children and youth we have encountered the living God, experienced the presence and power of God and we want to give thanks. We gather because in and through our children, we have been invited into a deeper relationship with the living God and we desire to give thanks. We are here not because of a doctrine, but because of our experiences. Think back to your own childhood and teen years. In the beauty of earth and sky and sea, in the rhythm of the days and seasons, in the mysteries of birth, life, and death, through the words and wisdom of parents, teachers, and ministers you were asked to open your eyes to see the hand of God present in creation. With the enthusiasm and passion of youth you encountered God, the creator, in nature. You were a blessing to the adults in your life as you unabashedly shared the joy of each new discovery. Today, I rejoice and give thanks for the presence of the children and youth in our parish who so wonderfully delight in the discovery of God, the creator of all that is, seen and unseen. They refresh my spirit. We are here not because of a doctrine, but because of our experiences. And so often our children and grandchildren, the children and grandchildren of our neighbors and friends, are at the center of our experiences. And we give thanks. Think back, look back, over your life time. You and I have come to know the words and actions of Jesus, and to that extent we have come to know the living God. Jesus' attitudes, his actions, his choices, reveal the Father, reveal the depth of the love of God for you and me. In the valley of the shadow of death, Jesus is there, walking side by side with you and me. We have come to count on it. We have come to support each other in that knowledge and in that belief. Each one of us who have encountered a life-changing event and called out to the Lord (who suffered his own passion and death, and experienced resurrection and new, abundant life), have found the response of Jesus to be life affirming. We have discovered our love and our trust to be well placed. And we want our children and grandchildren to know this love and to develop and rely on this same trust. Conversely, I have come to rely on the innocence and wisdom of children and youth who seem to have a special place in the heart of Jesus (I picture Jesus scooping the children up in his arms to bless them) to renew and refresh my love of the Son. I have come to rely on the questions and hopes expressed by the youth we honor today to keep my faith young and growing. I delight in being in the presence of our children in Kid's Word and in our school classrooms. I delight in the presence and ministry of children and youth in our worship each Sunday. The love of the Lord they give and receive renews my own love of the Lord. Through them, I experience, anew, the ministry of Jesus and understand, anew, that the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I am called by Jesus to live in wonder and love like the children and youth I am called to serve and who so wonderfully serve me. We are here not because of a doctrine, but because of our experiences. And so often our children and grandchildren, the children and grandchildren of our neighbors and friends, are at the center of our experiences. And we give thanks. And then, to the extent we have found ourselves praying when we thought we could not, or acting with courage, or humility, or forgiveness, when we believed we could not; to the extent we have found ourselves offering healing and peace to one broken or defeated or troubled, and to the extent we have found ourselves offering counsel and wisdom that not only surprised us but became a blessing to those around us, to the extent we have experienced any of these grace filled moments, we have experienced the Holy Spirit. As we invite our children and youth forward please recognize the treasure they are. Recognize how often in their words and actions they have revealed a power beyond themselves, a wisdom beyond their years, insight that humbles us, courage that daunts us, faith that inspires us. The more I can be around our children and youth, the more I can work side by side with them, the more I listen to the stories you share of your own experiences with children and grandchildren, the more amazed I am about the renewing and sustaining power of God working in the world around me; the more grateful I am for the renewing and sustaining power of God working in this parish in and through our children and youth. We are here not because of a doctrine, but because of our experiences. And so often our children and grandchildren, the children and grandchildren of our neighbors and friends, are at the center of our experiences. And we give thanks. We are, I suppose, required to use words to express our understanding of our God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But the simple truth of the matter is that we have experienced the living God in creation, in the life and work of Jesus, and in moments of grace. Often our most profound experiences came in our own childhood and youth; often our adult faith is renewed in the presence of and experiences of the children and youth who gather with us for ministry, worship and fellowship. Let us rejoice as we remember our own growing up in the faith; let us rejoice in the presence of the newest generation growing up in the faith. It is a good thing to give thanks for such a gift. It is a good thing to seek the blessing of the God who is three yet one. We are here not because of a doctrine, but because of our experiences. And so often children and youth are at the center of our experiences. And we give thanks. The peace of God be to us, The peace of Christ be to us, The peace of the Spirit be to us, And to our children, To us and to our children.1 Amen.
1 Alexander Carmichael, Celtic Prayers (New York: Image Books Doubleday, 1996) p. 42
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