Basics...

Basic Christianity heals and nourishes the soul. This weekend stop and ponder the basics.

Sunday is Trinity Sunday. Reflect on the unfathomable depths of Divinity - a God greater than we are. Realize how magnificent it is that the One who creates both time and space, who has no beginning or ending, an eternal being, is concerned for us. Reflect on the the wonder of one God in Three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. A Trinity that shows us God is a relational being.

Historic Biblical faith is often expressed in faith statements. This Sunday many churches speak the third ecumenical creed of the early Church - The Athanasian Creed. We affirm the thoughts of the early church - knowing that being “new,” “contemporary,” or “modern” does not assure truth or authenticity. People criticize God. They

People criticize God. They make God the defendant. Some claim the roles of both prosecutor and judge - a tragic role reversal. We make a mess and blame the Maker. Is it any wonder the world is in chaos? We reject the living God and the world as He made it. Meaning is sought in ourselves. Spiritual hollowness prevails. We see despair, suicide, murder, fractured families. Is there any alternative?

Reflection on God’s being leads to humility, hope and a realization we matter. God’s greatness stretches the mind, encourages faith, and assures us the world is not out of control. The changeless God - who is far beyond us - is present always. God even chooses to be involved in our lives.

The more we realize God’s grandeur the more we are in awe at the love and humility that leads to the cross. God becomes man in the Second Person of The Trinity. A being greater than the cosmos becomes one with us and for us. Jesus dies and rises for us. He gives us, even our pains and sufferings, significance. In the Father’s plan we are bound to Christ through faith by the Spirit’s work in Baptism.

Speculations fascinate, but do they nourish the soul? Basics endure forever. What the Bible teaches about the Trinity is so foundational that to reject the Trinity - even references to God as “Father” and Jesus as “Son” - is to give up true Christian faith. Yet, how often in our culture we run from basics to seek what we call “relevance.” Basics are the most relevant aspects of Christianity. The Trinity is central to Christian faith, to understanding God’s nature, our eternal hope, a relational God, and our own God-given significance that by God’s plan and purpose endures forever.

(Editor’s Note: This column is written by a different Littlefield pastor for the Leader-News each week. The columns are published on this page on Wednesdays.)