Saturday, June 30, 2007

Sermon by The Rev. Ann Holmes Redding: Revisiting the Trinity

http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/4059/

[Stand Firm] 30 June 2007--Those of us who attended Jamal Rahman's presentations on Rumi and on Islam as part of our formation offerings, have heard him quote the prophet Mohammed who was, in turn, quoting God: "I cannot be contained in the space of the earth. I cannot be contained in the space of the heavens, but I can be contained in the space of the pure loving heart of my servant."

In Islam, which has no concept of original sin, the human heart remains uncorrupted. Allah is said to stand between a person and that person's heart, protecting it from any distortions of wrong actions and sins committed. If we can hear and obey, if we can get back to the wisdom in our heart, the place where God deigns to dwell in us, then we will know what God's will is.

So what if Jesus could be one who always listened to his pure loving heart, who identified wholly with the God who dwelled in his heart? In that sense Jesus can be a model, a window for us, a lesson in listening to God's heart wisdom.

How could we look at the Trinity from that perspective? Could perhaps another rendering of the Trinity be the most high God, the heart of God in Jesus, and the spirit of God working in the world and in us?

Again, I'm not suggesting we throw out our creed; however, as I have often said in Christian initiation and baptismal preparation classes, the creeds do represent historical debates. They answer questions that we do not necessarily have. I for one must confess that I recite the creed as an act of filial piety -- out of respect for our ancestors for the creativity of their theological explorations and struggles...

Modalism

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