 |
|
|
God of heaven and earth, before the foundation of the universe and the beginning of time you are the triune God: Author of creation, eternal Word of salvation, life-giving Spirit of wisdom. Guide us to all truth by your Spirit, that we may proclaim all that Christ has revealed and rejoice in the glory he shares with us. Glory and praise to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
|
|
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? "Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."
| |
|
Reflection
My mother grew up in a church whose message was "repent and do right or risk certain condemnation." At least that's what she heard. And even if the message never fit her sense of God, it certainly scared her into compliance. Many years later our family moved to Leesburg, Virginia, and began "church shopping" in the local community. We tried every church but Catholic and settled on Holy Trinity Lutheran, LCA. Not even a year since its chartering, Holy Trinity was filled with vigor and families. That's not why we joined. Mom would explain it was the first church in which she had heard "grace." Where grace was, mom had to be.
Grace is the voice of the Triune God. The Spirit guided us into a congregation that proclaimed mercy in the Son and a mother's heart rejoiced in the righteousness, not of fearful compliance, but of the Father's grace. The Son, lifted up, lifted the burden from her shoulders. The Father loved her and the Spirit breathed a new voice within her. The condemning God of childhood was silenced. The Triune voice resounded and rejoiced.
Nicodemus asked, "How can these things be?" They can be because the one voice of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, speaks the one heart of God: speaks grace into being - speaks life into being. Hearts are opened, burdens lifted in a mother, a father, daughter, son, neighbor, stranger... At Holy Trinity, Leesburg; Holy Trinity, Jamestown, Buffalo, Elmira and Skaneateles; Grace, Dunkirk; Grace, Johnstown, Buffalo and Oswego; Trinity, East Amherst, Amsterdam, Akron, Akron, East Rochester, Stone Arabia, Castleton-on-Hudson, Herkimer, Eggertsville and West Sand Lake... and all the houses that proclaim the grace at the heart of the Triune God.
Thanks and glory be to God, One-in-Three, Three-in-One.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
