I am with you always

On 31st May, Trinity Sunday, Lee Williams gave this homily, linking together the "waiting time" - after the Ascension but before Pentecost, to the days following the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Readings:

• Genesis 1:1-2:4a

• 2 Corinthians 13:11-13

• Matthew 28:16-20

• Psalm 8

  
  

Three Sundays ago we heard Jesus reassure the disciples that ,” I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you."

The disciples were in the between times, between Ascension and the promised coming of another Advocate. They were experiencing uncertainty.  Jesus had come, Jesus had died, Jesus had risen, Jesus had reappeared, and they wondered. What do we do now? And Jesus says to them, “I will ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.

Last Sunday, Pentecost, Nick told us of the arrival of this gift. The apostles were together, again, in a secure place, wondering, some even doubting, and fearful, when a violent wind and tongues of flame filled the room. They were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they marveled and celebrated. God delivered the Advocate, just as Jesus had promised.

Now, on this Trinity Sunday, we come before the mystery of the living God — not a mystery to be mastered, but a mystery to be received. And perhaps that is especially fitting for a congregation such as ours, where so many lives are being lived in different seasons of change.

The disciples themselves did not yet understand the whole way forward. Their future was a mystery. Our Lord says to them,

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.”

Those are words of honesty. They are also words of mercy. Jesus does not demand from them what they cannot yet give. He promises them the Spirit of Truth, who will guide them into Truth.

And that is how God, guides us.  

·        Some among us are newly arrived from other nations and cultures, carrying the gifts of language, memory, and experience, while trying to learn the rhythms and the challenges of a new place and new customs.

·        Some are young adults stepping into new studies, new careers, and new responsibilities, trying to discern what lies ahead in a world full of uncertainty.

·        Some are parents trying to give their children a good beginning in life.

·        Some are older adults looking toward retirement, wondering what their next chapter will hold.

·        Some are facing the unexpected news of illness, and learning what it means to live with a new diagnosis and a different future than they had anticipated.

To each of these situations, Trinity Sunday speaks with quiet and steady grace.  We would prefer certainty: a part of us would like to see the whole road ahead before we begin the journey. But the Christian life is lived one step at a time, one decision at a time, one prayer at a time. Look back on your life for a moment.  Would you have anticipated how and where your road would take you: to find you here; in this church; in this town; amongst these friends?

The presence of the Holy Spirit is good news for us, for a diverse and changing congregation.

·        For those learning a new culture, the Spirit is present and with you.

·        For those beginning again, the Spirit is present and with you.

·        For those who are anxious about the future, the Spirit is present and with you.

·        For those entering a new season of life, the Spirit is present and with you.

·        For those who feel weary, uncertain, or afraid, the Spirit is present and with you.

The Spirit is often active in ways we do not immediately recognize.

·        The Spirit does not always remove the questions, but the Spirit does meet us in those questions.

·        The Spirit does not always give us the map, but the Spirit does give us guidance to see where we are and where we could go.

·        The Spirit does not always take away the burden, but the Spirit does give us strength to address that burden.  

So wherever we find ourselves today — whether at the beginning of something, in the middle of something, or near the end of something — we are not alone. The Trinity tells us that God is not distant from our human life.

·        The Father creates and sustains.

·        The Son redeems and walks among us in our flesh.

·        The Holy Spirit comforts, strengthens, inspires, and leads us onward with Truth.

Jesus tells the disciples:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. … And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

What wonderful assurance, “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The disciples did not yet understand the whole way forward. Neither do we. Yet the God who loves, Jesus who accompanies, and the Holy Spirit that enlightens, are here for each of us: the immigrant and the newcomer; the student and the worker; the parent and the child; the retiring and the retired; the healthy and the sick. The Trinity are already at work, and in the places we may not yet see. Let us pray:

·        for patience when the way is unclear,

·        for courage when the road is hard, and

·        for hope when the future feels unfamiliar.

And let us give thanks that we are not alone.

To God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, be all praise, honor, and glory, now and forever. Amen.