Churches, including FUMC Plano, say in a lot of ways why it is important to physically “come to church.” I smiled at one church sign I saw while on vacation in southern Colorado over the holiday weekend:
This Sunday, a week after Pentecost, reminds us of the “why.” Trinity Sunday celebrates the concept of the one God experienced in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit – each one distinctive, yet all God. It was a concept so strange that the church did not agree on this understanding until the Council of Nicea (hence, the Nicene Creed – a statement of belief) called into session by the Roman Emperor Constantine in 325 CE – nearly 300 years after Jesus. The concept of the Trinity can be discussed in a myriad of ways but the fundamental nature of God is intrinsically and essentially relational. God does not live far away and is not isolated but in loving relationship with all of God’s creation … and created us to live the same.
From our remote Colorado cabin with virtually no cell service, we were able – through the magic of satellite internet – to listen to our choir sing and Mark Lucke preach on Pentecost Sunday, and we felt a sense of connection with our church family. But we also agreed that the experience falls short of the sense of relational connection we feel when we worship our triune God together with our church family; kind of like God intended it.
So wherever your summer takes you this season and certainly when you are in town, “blah, blah, blah – just come to church.” See you at the communion rail this Sunday!
Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,
