So, Basically: The Trinity

Have you ever tried to explain the Trinity to someone? Have you ever tried to explain the Trinity while that certain someone was looking at you, incredulously, as though you were trying to describe God as a three-headed monster? Because it's actually very difficult to describe the Trinity without touching dangerously on the image of a three-headed monster.
I think Adrian did a great job yesterday of using a kind of deductive reasoning to logically explain the trinity. I took notes.

1. God is 3 persons- Father, Son, Spirit
2. Each person is fully God- Father, Son, Spirit
3. There is one God

Therefore, the Trinity makes up one God.

Although I think deductive reasoning hinges on only two criteria.

So that means you could rearrange the premises to:

a. There is only one God

b. God is 3 persons

Therefore, each person is fully God.

You Philosophy students follow me, right?

In other words, borrowing from Conjuction Inference rules, a and b are true separately, therefore they are true conjointly.

a, b ⊢ (a ∧ b)

See? It makes total sense! How could you not grasp this concept immediately when it's explained so clearly???

Actually, Adrian is probably right. We might not grasp the fullness, the complexity, the simplicity, of the Trinity until we reach Heaven. But we should still try to comprehend the truth of this mystery because God wants to make Himself known to us, and we can know Him.

We don't have to use deductive reasoning to understand the Trinity. We can rest in His Spirit, read His word, and pray for insight. We don't have to go round and round and round trying to pin this conclusion down. Matter fact, I made myself a little dizzy for a second there. I'm going on vacation.

Who wants to write next week's blog?

So, Basically: Part 1

The new series at Genesis, So, Basically, is our chance to get back to the basics of the Christian faith. This is a great opportunity for new believers to come to grips with the fundamentals of following Christ. And let's face it, seasoned believers can always use a refresher.

Such as this week's message about the authority of Scripture.
Usually it's the new believers who lace their Bibles with copious notes in the margins. New believers are sometimes more apt to keep journals on the insights they glean from God's word.
After a while, we become less dependent on God and His word, and we think we've got that wisdom thing down. And we stroll into church, sans Bible, (I do it. Yeah, I admit it) and breathe a sigh of relief that someone had the foresight to print the week's passage in the bulletin. (I challenge the Genesis staff not to print the week's passage in the bulletin just once, just to see someone like me scramble for a loaner Bible in order to keep up with the sermon. I think it would be funny. Probably no one else would, but I would laugh.)

But aside from not bringing a Bible with us to church ('my Nelson Study Bible is, like, so heavy'), sometimes we forget to carry it with us daily, hiding it in our hearts, committing it to memory, or simply opening it once a day.
I think it is important not to make a ritual out of reading the Bible. I don't think we should read it for the sake of crossing it off our to-do list. There can be so much pressure to read and retain a hefty chunk of Scripture each day. I used to think I was more spiritual if I raced through no fewer than 5 chapters a day, no matter who died of indigestion along the way, it was all about quantity. Gradually, the magic number was reduced to 3 chapters a day, then one if I was lucky, then nothing at all. Because I believed if I read only a few verses from one chapter I risked reading out of context.
I really love Charles Spurgeon's quote, referenced in this week's bulletin, along with the Bible passage-of-the-week: "I would rather lay my soul asoak in half a dozen verses all day than rinse my hands in several chapters."
Amen and amen. When I go for broke and power through 3-5 chapters in the interest of finishing a specific quantity of Bible-reading, I rarely absorb anything more than one or two convoluted pieces of trivia that I would choke on if tested later. It's those quiet moments of reflection on even a small section of a chapter, even a couple of verses, that God uses to show me something amazing.
One of the reasons I love Mosaic (Coming soon, Sept. 23) is that I can reflect on a short segment of Scripture long enough to internalize and then reflect the truth through art or writing.
Maybe this week, if you're having trouble motivating yourself to dig into the Bible, think about soaking in a few verses that are meaningful to you, and then respond to it creatively and seek a companion to share it with, or share it with your home group, or comment on this blog. That's what Mosaic and friends and home groups and this blog are meant for.
Everybody experiences dry spells from time to time. Sometimes for a very long time. Psalm 19:7-11 reminds us how refreshing it can be to spend time reading the Word.

Genesis Vision

Now that we've wrapped up the phenomenal Embrace series (my favorite thus far), I'll be making more of an appearance here on Sacred Assembly. I took a brief hiatus during Embrace, because talking about sex is like encountering that hard crust that forms in the nostril of a lotion bottle- you secretly hope someone else deals with it for you.

So, if you weren't present during Vision Sunday, there were two main take-away points that sum up the vision behind Genesis as a faith community.

• To make disciples. We desire to be missional in our approach to the communities around us, and to equip one another to go out and love others intentionally with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Establish Home Groups. Currently there are several small groups with plenty of room for new-comers. Ask Haley or any Genesis team member if you are interested in joining a small group. Home Group leaders are also in demand, so pray about opening your home or facilitating a small group yourself.

Next week we're starting a new series, rated E for Everyone, called "So, basically..." which focuses on the basics of what it means to be a Christian.

Have a great week!