Last Sunday, the Sunday after the feast of Pentecost, is known as “Trinity Sunday” and in many churches the Sundays for the rest of the year will be counted off as “Sundays after Trinity”. The passage of time in the church year is set in motion by the event of the descent of the Holy Spirit at the feast of Pentecost. That’s pretty straightforward: the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples in Jerusalem was, after all, the beginning of the Church. Many people describe it as the birthday of the Church.
But why then go on to celebrate the Holy Trinity? Why in fact make celebrating the Trinity almost synonymous with celebrating Pentecost? Many commentators have said that it is because the descent of the Holy Spirit completed what Christians understand about God, most specifically they talk about God as three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, eternally united in a bond of love.
The central idea is that God, as three persons who eternally love each other, is essentially love in his most basic nature. Christians believe that God didn’t need to create the world or people in order to love them – to have something or someone to love. He was already actively loving in his nature. So, the act of creation was extra, it was an overflowing or outpouring of something he was already doing by nature.
There is a very ancient way of depicting this relationship between the persons of the Trinity. You can see a copy of it on the Communion Table in the Chaplaincy. It’s there all the time. You can just walk in and have a look.
This icon shows three angels sitting round a table. They represent the three angels who appeared to Abraham and Sarah, described in Genesis 18. In the Genesis story this is clearly an appearance of God to Abraham and Sarah, who received the all-important promise that Sarah would have a child and that their descendants become more numerous than the stars in the sky. The icon painter, who lived in the fifteenth century, painted the angels to represent the persons of the Holy Trinity.
All the angels are clothed in blue, indicating their divinity. The angel in the middle represents Christ. He is also clothed in brown, representing the earth and his presence on earth. The angel on the right is clothed in green, showing the life-giving quality of the Holy Spirit. The angel on the left is clothed in gold, showing the sovereignty of the Father.
All the angels are slightly inclined towards each other, each is looking towards the others. It is possible to draw a perfect circle around the outside of their figures – the circle being a symbol of eternity. The message of the icon is unity in diversity, love between persons who are distinct from each other but united – and united in their love.
In the centre of the icon is a table, and on the table is a cup, or chalice. Many commentators have said that the table is open. There is an empty fourth place. It’s the place that we are invited to share. So, the icon has a second message – that we are invited to share the love of the Holy Trinity.
And this is the message of Pentecost. God sends his spirit into our hearts today – the Spirit who cries out “Abba – Father” in our hearts[1], communicating God’s love to us, and enabling us to share it with others. That’s certainly a birthday to celebrate!
Mother Sarah
[1] Romans 8:15
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