Today’s Readings:
EX 34: 4b-6, 8-9
3 COR  13:11 – 13
JOHN 3: 16-18
 
 
We haven’t gathered as a community in our church for such a long time – but hopefully that will soon end. As a community we grow in faith, we minister in God’s name, we worship our God.
 
We are called to mirror the presence of God in our world in which we live. The very fact that God became man in the person of Jesus, tells us so much about our God.
 
The gospel for today puts it very plainly, “God so loved the world that he sent his only son” to redeem us, to show us how to live. Our God really cares for his people. Exodus reminds us of that fact with God’s appearance to Moses-God identifies himself as a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity. God directed Moses to lead his people to freedom. Our God seeks freedom, our God gives us freedom.
 
The spirit of God whose coming we remembered last week – tells us of God’s abiding presence until the end of time. Paul, in his second reading, reminded the Corinthians of the Trinity of grace, love and fellowship. God works through people with one relationship with each other, so that in a community of faith– they may also mirror the presence of God. God who is a community of persons; Father, Son and Spirit. The people of Corinth were divided much like people in our world live today. But, Paul reminded them that there are things that united them; the loving concern and respect they have for others, the way they sense others needs and serve those needs, the way they bring God’s presence to others.
 
Our celebration today is not a study in theology - but rather we are with God in three persons, it serves as a reminder that if we say God is in our lives – we need to mirror that loving presence of God who is merciful, self-sacrificing and forgiving.
 
Let us celebrate as one, though separated, and let us in our place of influence make God present to those we meet. God, the God of community, wants us to be community as well.