Grace Lutheran Church Sermon Feast of the Holy Trinity, June 3, 2007

The Rev. Evan Gaertner

Feast of the Holy Trinity “A Relationship with God”

June 3, 2007

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Trinity. The nature of God, three persons in one God is a doctrine that can be spoken of with difficult terms with endless effort to bring about understanding. On the other hand the trinity can be presented as something to be believed and never to be understood. I suppose many of the confirmation students saw many of the doctrines they studied in a similar light. At times it seems the decision is either our study becomes a pursuit of filling our heads with an endless amount of words or the matter is something that is blindly believed and not studied.

The challenge for all of us and not just confirmation students is that what we believe does not become simply an intellectual pursuit. I would say that also faith as only an emotional experience is dangerous but historically for German Lutherans that has not been as much of a threat as faith becoming overly academic.

The work of Jesus Christ was not a list to be memorized. In Confirmation, adult or youth, we study the six chief parts of the catechism.

The catechism is structured purposely. It starts with the Ten Commandments. We learn about the Ten Commandments because in the law of God we a mirror placed upon ourselves. We look into that mirror and from the Law of God we learn that we are sinners. St. Paul promised that the wages of sin is death and certainly that is true when I examine my life against what God commands in the Ten Commandments. But consider that I am not a sinner because I learned the Ten Commandments. Nor would I be free and clear as long as I never had learned the Ten Commandments. They are list to be memorized. But memorizing the list of commandments did not change who God is or who I am? But I can trust that as I look at the Ten Commandments that I not getting a rosy colored picture of who I am but an honest mirror of my sins.

The catechism then moves to the Apostles’ Creed, which is a wonderful transition. Because if in the Ten Commandments I learn about who I am, in the Creed I learn who God is. I learn that he has made me and all things, graciously providing for my life. I learn that he has redeemed me, not with gold or silver but with the holy precious blood of Jesus, the only Son of God, and learn that the Holy Spirit has been sent to guide me to the truth of this grace and mercy.

The third part of the Catechism is the Lord’s Prayer. Again just as the Ten Commandments transitioned nicely into the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer makes sense to follow the Creed. If in the creed I find how God cares for me and saves me, in the Lord’s Prayer I discover in what manner I can pray to my savior.

Following these three essentials comes the primary way that I receive all these benefits of God’s grace and mercy. The final three chief parts of the catechism describe the present day relationship that God has with me. I am his child through the sacrament of Holy Baptism. When I do not live as the child of God that I am through promise of baptism, I seek to confess my sins to God. The fifth chief part of the Catechism describes how Christians should be taught to confess.

Confession has two parts. I share with you the first question and its answer: What is confession? First, that we confess our sins, and second, that we receive absolution, that is, forgiveness, from the pastor as from God himself, not doubting, but firmly believing that by it our sins are forgiven before God in heaven. Confession and absolution is a living experience of Jesus invitation, “Come to me all who weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest.” In the Lutheran Church, contrary to rumor, still offer private confession and absolution. While you most often experience the general confession and forgiveness of the Divine Service, there are many who will find that a particular sin is so heavy and deep in their hearts that they need to personally hear the words of forgiveness from the pastor.

The final chief part of the catechism is the Sacrament of the Altar. Martin Luther explains that “This sacrament is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ himself for us Christians to eat and drink.” Baptism, Absolution, and the Lord’s Supper together shape everyday the ways in which we experience who God is.

The confirmation students memorized the six chief parts and meanings of the Catechism. I suppose there were moments that they considered this to be a chore that had to be done so that they would not be grounded by their parents.

I also know though from talking with this six youths that each of them believe and trust in the promise of Jesus Christ being their savior.

Who am I? Who is God? And What is my relationship to God? These are basic questions that we should be prepared to ask ourselves. We do not just do this because it is proper to know the answers. Even the devil knew that Jesus was the son of God. Faith is not defined by knowledge. Faith is personal trust that though I am a sinner, lost, and deserving of condemnation, that my Lord God has saved me through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

When we study the doctrines of our faith we are ultimately going down a pathway to more fully understanding the relationship that our Lord God desires to have with us. This is a relationship that I think all of us would desire to know more about because this is the relationship that ultimately saves us from sin, death and the devil. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life no one comes to the Father except through me.”

We learn about Jesus for the same reason that St. John wrote his Gospel. St. John said, “These things are written so that you may believe and that by believing you may have life in him.”

Today on the Feast of the Holy Trinity we celebrate that we are created by God, redeemed by God, and made holy by the work of God. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

Soli Deo Gloria

Grace Lutheran Church Sermons