05/31/2026 ~ Trinity Sunday ~ First Sunday after Pentecost ~ Genesis 1:1-2:4a; Psalm 8; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; Matthew 28:16-20
EKC VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTNktMibjB4
HARPSWELL TV VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbjiTpa6ldI

Trinitarian Monotheism

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, / baptizing them in the name / of Abba, God, / and of the Only Begotten / and of the Holy Spirit.” — Matthew 28:19.

A mentor once told me having a sermon title is a good idea because it helps you focus. Today the title is Trinitarian Monotheism. So I need to explain what that means to me, to me at least. And it being Trinity Sunday I’ll focus on Trinitarianism.

And yes, this sermon has three parts, each with a subtitle— a trinity of sections. Part I: Systematic Theology— boring! Hence, part II: Yeah, but What About My Feelings? Part III— a word you’ve heard me often use: Covenant. (Slight pause.)

First, the term systematic theology is both boring and is an oxymoron as it presents an internal tension, a contradiction, within Christian thinking. A contradiction? Yes. Christianity is an Eastern religion which has been crammed in to a Western philosophy. And that’s a really hard cram.

Eastern thinking assesses the whole and is not particularly concerned with individual parts. Western thinking examines individual parts to try to assess the whole. Neither approach gives a full or complete picture. Further, even the word ‘systematic’ reflects only Western thinking since it’s about particulars. Eastern thinking deflects particulars. (Slight pause.)

I recently saw an ad for a “T” shirt with the slogan, “Follow Jesus,” a common sentiment in our society. But I think that’s a very secular theology.

Don’t get me wrong. I recommend following Jesus. But does that mean the Creator and the Spirit are not worth following? After all, following only Jesus seems like a denial of Abba God, to Whom Jesus prayed and the Holy Spirit Who Jesus told the disciples to expect.

So if there is any identifiable system in Christian thought it’s the Trinity. But Trinity is meant to illustrate only one thing. It’s meant to describe, explain the nomenclature of God. Nomenclature is a $64 word for describing and naming things.

Now, monotheism is a nomenclature. It describes God as One. And that’s God as described by Islam and Judaism. But the classic Christian formula describes God as three Persons yet One— Trinitarian Monotheism.

This Christian description of God as Trinity has source material for that language, that claim. The source material is called the Bible.

Today’s reading from Matthew is one example. Here’s another. The Hebrew word used a number of times to describe God in Genesis is plural. And there’s just no way around it; the word is there and it’s plural. This happens in Genesis 1:26 when God— plural— creates a human, in Genesis 3:22, after the humans eat the forbidden fruit and Genesis 11:7, the Tower of Babel episode. In each of these places the word used for God is plural.

But that actually illustrates a main problem with systematic theology. It simply describes God. It’s like saying Joe Connolly sports a beard and is about five foot seven. That might describe me. It says nothing about who I am. (Slight pause.)

See? Systematic theology— boring. This leads us to Yeah, but What About My Feelings— my feelings? So, what does this have to do with feelings?

Feelings, our feelings, are very important and actually relate to that three Persons concept. God described as Three and One is about God in relationship to God’s own self. And that, by definition, is both personal and emotional about God and it’s also personal and emotional about us.

About us? Yes. You see, if each of us does not have a sense of self, know something about self, does not relate to self, that needs to be worked on. Why? It’s knowledge of self, relationship with self, which empowers us to be in relationship with others.

In short, God is not some figure in far off place, sitting on a mountain contemplating humanity. God feels with us, walks with us, relates to us. God is a God of relationship. (Slight pause.)

So, how is relationship learned, practiced? How often have I said love God and love neighbor? Loving God and neighbor is about relationships. And a relationship with God empowers relationships with others.

I need to emphasize this loving God and loving neighbor stuff is not just lip service, something you say it because it’s the right thing to say. Loving God and neighbor is about emotion and about commitment. Relationships are not possible, commitment is not possible unless the emotions are involved.

Now let’s be real about that: knowing, relating to one’s own self, is hard; loving God and neighbor is hard. The depth of this love, the depth of these emotions, tax every fiber of our being, use our whole soul. (Long pause.)

That brings up part III— Covenant. And this covenant piece is personal because covenant is about me and about you and you and you and you, etc., etc. It’s about all of us. I hope you’re aware that for these four years the covenant we shared was and is about the time we shared, about how we shared, about how much we shared. That sharing is a result of covenant.

And covenant fully practiced embraces two commitments. First, there is a commitment to forgiveness, sometimes called unconditional love. Second, there’s a commitment to growth, sometimes called learning. (Slight pause.)

There’s one other important aspect of a theology of covenant. Secular society talks about justice a lot. But church talks a lot about justice too. Well, there’s a difference.

Very few in secular society address justice and mercy. We in the church know there is no justice without mercy, the mercy God offers to each of us and the mercy we offer to each other.

Also and as I am sure you know, covenant is the basis of Congregationalism. Indeed, that means there is no such thing as an individual who is effective on their own.

The effectiveness of an individual solely on their own is an American myth— myth meaning falsehood. Any individual needs the support of many people. That’s true of any church and in this case I mean this community of faith known as the Kellogg Church.

This church, this community of faith, has amazing, incredible, talented people. And I was supported by amazing, incredible, talented people in this community of faith. If I was effective— and I am not saying I was— it’s not because of me; it’s because of the people of this community of faith. (Slight pause.)

That concept of covenant effectiveness will be true when the Rev. Dr. Bob Ganung is standing in this pulpit in a couple weeks. No one is an island. No one is effective without many hands joined in collaboration. It does take a village. (Pause.)

Covenant, this commitment to unconditional love and growth— never ends. Our proximity will, however, end. But our covenant shall never end if we continue to love unconditionally, continue to grow, continue to understand justice and mercy as intertwined. (Slight pause.)

If I have done anything over these last 4 years I have done my best to offer my love and commitment. As is true with any covenant, I did not always succeed. But as is true with any covenant commitment, I constantly tried to do better. I tried to grow.

And I hope in my own small way what I have just said describes love— covenant love— commitment linked with growth intertwined with love and justice. So what else is there to say at this time of parting except— amen.

05/31/2026
Elijah Kellogg Church, Harpswell, Maine

ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Choral Response and Benediction. This is a précis of what was said: “A great Congregational tradition is called freedom of the pulpit. That freedom stems from the fact that this is the pulpit of the people, your pulpit. All I or any pastor should try to do is share something about their own journey and how that might relate to the Gospel. And sharing the Gospel in the fulness of its love is not something anyone can do in one Sunday or a month of Sundays. Sharing the Gospel cannot be done quickly. I know that because in total I have not yet completely shared the fulness of love found the Gospel and I have been at it for well over 30 years. The fulness of love in the Gospel is so great it cannot be shared just in snippets from the pulpit. And that is what really makes this your pulpit. It is you who have a great opportunity to share the fulness of the love in the Gospel every day not from a pulpit but by your actions beyond these doors.”

BENEDICTION: Hear now this blessing, commonly known as the Irish Blessing: May the road rise up to meet us. May the wind be always at our back. May we have a full moon on a dark night. May the sun shine warm upon our faces. May the rain fall soft upon our fields. And until we meet again may the hand of God hold us, the wing of God offer us shelter and the peace of God be with us, always. Amen.