This is an adapted version of the sermon I preached Holy Trinity Sunday, June 15, 2025. The Gospel text was John 16:12-15.

Jesus knew that his hour was coming,
That he didn’t have very much time.
He would be leaving soon, going to the Father,
And leaving the disciples behind.

There was so much he wanted to tell them.
So much that he wanted to share.
About God. About himself. About the Holy Spirit.
But he said, “These things you cannot now bear.”

Why not? Why weren’t they ready?

Well, they’d only been with him a very short time,
Perhaps not enough time to learn
About all the intricate details
Of the Trinity, of the salvation they yearned.

Or maybe it’s because Jesus hadn’t yet died.
He didn’t yet rise from the grave.
So how could they know what he was truly about?
Or conceive of the gift that he gave?

Or maybe it’s just such an enigma
That no one could ever quite get
The Trinity is a difficult mystery
No one has worked it out yet

How can God be one God
And at the same time be three
How can Jesus be God’s Son
And also true God – what’s the key
How can God be the Spirit
The Spirit that God sends to me?
It’s such a great mystery,
An m-y-s tree.

So that’s why I said it’s a name
Back in Story Time – did you hear it?
I told the young and young at heart
God’s name is Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

That’s kind of a name, and kind of an image
Or maybe it’s more of a title
And it’s far from the only image for God
We find in the words of the Bible

Let’s go exploring.

Our God is the cloud and the thunder
And the shade of a tree to sit under
Our God is the light
And the glory, the might
And the temple in which we can wonder

Our God is the rain and the bread
And the mother from whom we are fed
The vine that grows up,
And the drink, and the cup
And the refuge where the table is spread

Our God is our keeper and king
A warrior swift on the wing
A shepherd and teacher
Creator of creatures
A composer of praises we sing

Our God is our tower and gate
And the cornerstone solid and straight
Our fortress, our fountain
The wind at the mountain
A stronghold forever and great

Our God is a midwife and healer
The wisdom and wisdom’s revealer
Our deliverer and friend
Our priest till the end
Our planter, our servant, our leader

Our God is an eagle, a dove
A bird who descends from above
A leopard, a lion
A lamb never dying
A bear with her cubs, full of love

Our God is a bush ever blazing
Word of grace ever amazing
Hope night and day
And the truth and the way
The redeemer all cosmos is praising

Our God is our root and our star
Our hiding place never too far
Our advocate and potter
The source of our water
Our shield wherever we are

These images range from abstract to concrete
There were animals and people and things
God is like all of them, but oh so much more
The mystery of God ever sings

But one thing I notice, in all of these words
They all have “relationship” at heart
The burning bush that speaks to a prophet
Or wisdom revealed through art

God is a fortress, to keep us all safe
A priest for us ever praying
God is a midwife, to give us all life
The tower in which we are staying

God can be wisdom, or comfort, or hope
Forgiveness, or mercy, or grace
Whatever your need, whatever your worry
God’s glory shines in your face

And perhaps that’s the secret of the mystery of God
Perhaps that’s the point hidden here
Perhaps the Trinity is about relationship
About God coming close, coming near

Jesus knew that his hour was coming,
That he didn’t have very much time.
He would be leaving soon, going to the Father,
And leaving the disciples behind.

There was so much he wanted to tell them.
So much that he wanted to share.
About God. About himself. About the Holy Spirit.
But he said, “These things you cannot now bear.”

We cannot bear them now either,
But nonetheless we can receive
Bountiful blessings from a manifold God
More blessings than we can conceive

God’s is so vast, and so deep, and so wide
There’s no way we could ever perceive
We can’t comprehend, we can’t understand
But we can always, always receive

The mystery of the Trinity can help us to see
The gifts from the Father and Son
The gifts from the most Holy Spirit
The gifts from the Great Three in One.

The mystery of Trinity remains a mystery
We don’t understand, but we trust
Our God is alive, and our God makes us live
Our God is a mystery for us.