Jesus sends the Spirit of truth to reveal the Father in the world (John 16.12-15).
Context
- The battle to become the next Tory party leader and therefore Prime Minister officially began this week.
- Warnings about the need for action on climate change grow apocalyptic in nature.
- G20 finance ministers have highlighted the impact on the global economy of relationships between states breaking down: most notably the trade war between China and the US.
- Two years after the fire at Grenfell Tower, a block of flats in Barking is destroyed after action is not taken on residents’ concerns about breaches of fire safety.
Reflection
The UK’s next prime minister is in the process of being selected: first by Conservative MPs and then by members of the Conservative party around the country. In the news this week, we are seeing the differences between colleagues and friends highlighted, and occasionally shouted from the roof-tops, as individuals fight for what is best for themselves and for the UK (in their opinion). We have seen this in other political parties in the past, but it highlights the inherent disunity of humans working together.
Imagine the Holy Trinity as a political party. Who has the highest office? Would the Spirit brief against the Son in order to secure a better job down the line? The very idea is preposterous, but it highlights the example God gives us from the divine Trinitarian nature. The Godhead is equal, each part sharing with the others all that it has. The Godhead is generous and giving, seeking to glorify the others while being celebrated and glorified by the others at the same time.
As God’s church, we are called to imitate and live out the oneness of God’s divine nature in our relationships with each other. Looking at our own church, which example do we resemble most closely?
The ongoing struggle to change the way in which countries relate to each other and to God’s creation has been highlighted this week. The potential damage of the ongoing trade wars between China and the USA and the EU shows how no country is an island, and individuals in one country will be affected by decisions made across the world. Equally, the apocalyptic tone of the climate-change warnings issued this week show that, thirty years from now, the breakdown in our relationship with creation will reap catastrophic results. This will not be averted by individual action, but by all people recognising the link between their own behaviour and the impact on the environment and people living in other parts of the world.
If God’s Spirit is living in us, how is he urging us to live, and to engage with governments and charities on these global issues?
That question is being played out in local communities where any high-rise flats exist or are being developed. The review into what happened at Grenfell Tower and the fire this week in a block of flats in Barking show how the relationship between authorities and communities can be broken, leading to tragic outcomes.
If we are filled with God’s Spirit and are seeking to be united – as the Godhead is united – then we must surely stand together with the vulnerable and look to amplify their voices so that such tragedies are averted.
Prayer
You could use the following prayer after the sermon.
Almighty God, you are unity, truth and love.
Fill us again with your Holy Spirit and guide us into your truth
that we might show your love in all that we say and do.
Lead us to be one as you are one,
and reveal yourself both in us and through us.
Amen.
In your intercessions, you might like to use this bidding and response:
Leader: Holy Spirit,
All: Lead us into truth.
Questions
- Which member of the Trinity do you connect with most naturally as you pray?
- Which member of the Trinity gets mentioned most in your church services?
- Do you find any of ‘Father, Son or Spirit’ challenging as you imagine God? Why?
- If the Trinity was described instead as ‘Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer’, would this help or hinder your understanding of God?
- What other trinitarian descriptions do you know/find helpful?
All-age activity
The Spirit guides into all truth. Work in small groups. Give out a selection of newspapers and invite people to find stories where ‘truth’ is involved. Discuss: What harm is done when the truth is hidden or distorted? Are there places where people argue over what the truth actually is? Finally, pray together that the Holy Spirit would fill each person and help them to know God’s truth in the situations they face in the coming week.
Young people
Invite people to think of, or write down, three facts about themselves: two truths and one (believable) falsehood. Each person shares the three facts as if they were all true, and the others in the group vote on which fact they think is, in fact, false.
Once everyone who wants to has taken a turn, ask how people knew or decided which ‘fact’ was true and which was false. Was it based on personal knowledge? The body language of the person speaking? In life, we need to choose what and who we believe, and it is important to think about how we make those choices. Jesus offers himself as ‘the way, the truth and the life’ and the Holy Spirit as ‘The Spirit of truth’. How can we grow closer to God and draw on his wisdom and truth in our Monday to Saturday lives?
Steve Taylor is joint-vicar of St James, Alperton (C of E) near Wembley. He shares the job with his wife, Ali, and shares his house with their two daughters, two cats and numerous fish.
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