A Poem a Sunday
Holy Trinity
May 22, 2016
Commentary: It is hard to make Dogma from John's rendition of the relationship between Father, Son, Holy Spirit. It is mystical and words are oft inadequate. Rather enter and embrace the mystery of the Divine. The two poems that follow are an invitation to do so.
St. John
15:26-16:15 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
26
“When the Advocate[a] comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the
Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. 27 You also are to testify because you have
been with me from the beginning.
16
“I have said these things to you to keep you from stumbling. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues.
Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so
they are offering worship to God. 3 And
they will do this because they have not known the Father or me. 4 But I have said these things to you so that
when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them.
The Work of the
Spirit
“I
did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with
you. 5 But now I am going to him who
sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to
you, sorrow has filled your hearts. 7
Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for
if I do not go away, the Advocate[b] will not come to you; but if I go, I will
send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he
will prove the world wrong about[c] sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because they do not believe in
me; 10 about righteousness, because I am
going to the Father and you will see me no longer; 11 about judgment, because the ruler of this
world has been condemned.
12
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will
guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak
whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take
what is mine and declare it to you. 15
All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what
is mine and declare it to you.
Footnotes:
a.John
15:26 Or Helper
b.John
16:7 Or Helper
c.John
16:8 Or convict the world of
The Holy Trinity -
2016
Define
the Divine?
Domesticate
the Tao?
Holy
Energy is more than Three.
Please
don’t ask me how.
Circling
the cul-de-sac
of
the Theo that we like;
merrily
go round our Icon
in
which we take delight.
Omniscient,
omnipresent;
All
knowing, ever near
are
attributes, dogmatics,
not
making the Godhead clear.
Dare
we delve in language
simply
boxing in the Divine?
When
what we need are metaphors
pointing
to new signs.
Signs
like water flowing,
gifts
of bread and wine,
music
of the ancient spheres,
horizons
undefined.
A
never ending story,
a
yearning and a quest.
Never
a destination
but
a deepening restlessness.
Wrestling
in a mystery,
questions
in the heart.
Making
music evermore,
ever
making art.
Dancing
with the Divine
in
a forest deep.
A
beloved Bride enthralled in arms
of
the Lover who ever seeks.
A Poem a Sunday
May be used with permission.
The Holy Trinity
It
is Holy Trinity Sunday.
Time
to dust off the Dogmatics.
Speak
of God as H-2-0:
water
with three parts -
mist,
liquid, ice.
Or
a three leaf clover will do
to
disclose the Three-In-One.
Why
do we bother with
images,
icons, projections of God
worthy
to be shattered
by
the mystery unsolved?
How
dare we define the Divine,
domesticate
the Godhead?
Go
ahead: Draw your pictures,
color
your triangles,
speak
of the Three-In-One,
and
the One-In-Three.
Use
the Athanasian Creed litmus test
of
Father / Son / Spirit.
But
all the while do not trust
the
limit of language,
the
confinement of metaphor,
the
simplicity of simile.
The
Ancients knew
one
could not be
in
the presence of the living God
and
live.
Moses
beholds God’s backside,
Jeremiah
– God’s fingers in his mouth,
Isaiah
God’s robe and a hot coal.
The
Christ confined in flesh,
Spirit
unmanageable,
Cosmic-Creator.
Expand
do not contract God
for
God is the Great Iconoclast.
And
we at last
with
Job
stand
in the Divine Presence
jaws
dropping
in
muted wonder.
Kenn Storck /
May 25, 2015
Copyright - A Poem a Sunday
May be used with permission.
Contact: kennstorck@gmail.com
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