If you were asked to assemble a list of “the mysteries of faith,” I believe most people would have a rather long list; and the mystery of “God the Trinity” would be pretty high on most people’s list. The Christian idea of a trinitarian God: “One in Three and Three in One” is an idea that often sits just beyond the grasp of most people’s minds…at least most people I know. The trinitarian understanding of God is a belief that distinguishes the Christian faith tradition from many others; and is a mystery that helps describe some of the most intimate and important characteristics of God’s eternal love. This is the mystery that Mark McIntosh takes up in this week’s chapter of his book, Mysteries of Faith. The mystery of discovering God in our daily lives is often revealed to us as we reflect on the deepest desires of our spirits…it is there we often find resonance with the Spirit of God. McIntosh writes, “The beauty and power we long to possess are only the whispers of One who cannot be possessed but who lives by giving all away freely in love.” The beauty we discover in life is often the reflection of the true and everlasting beauty of God’s love.

While chapter one of McIntosh’s book set the general understanding of divine mysteries, he plunges right into one of the biggest mysteries in chapter two: the trinitarian nature of God. Although McIntosh does not set the context of first century Palestine, he does spend some time discussing the experience of the first disciples of Jesus. I think this is an important point, especially if the context of the times of those first disciples is remembered: first century Palestine was a time when many claimed to be the promised Messiah or someone gifted with special powers from God. So, we might ask, why the enduring commitment to the mission and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth? McIntosh asks, “What exactly happened to those first followers of Jesus? We need to know the answer to this question, because their life with him changed the very way we encounter God.” I think most powerfully, the experience of the first followers of Jesus became unique after his death and resurrection. To follow a charismatic and powerful faith leader throughout Palestine is understandable; however, to continue to spread the Good News of the Gospel, to risk your life (and often to lose it), and to be convinced that the crucified One is also the eternal Son of God is something that came to these first followers in a very unique and mysterious manner. This unique manner of revelation was given to them from the Spirit of God, and compelled them and gave them courage to continue the ministry of Jesus. McIntosh writes, “We have three kinds of evidence that tell us this is what happened: the witness of the scriptures, the earliest patterns of eucharistic worship, and the common life of the church.” McIntosh goes on to say that this earliest community of Christians understood themselves in a new way as they reflected on their relationships with God and with each other. He closes this section by saying, “The patterns and movement of our common life are sacraments of something greater and deeper: that pattern of eternal loving, giving, and receiving that is the only fruitful ground of all our relationships.” The connection here is that pattern of life is exactly the pattern of the triune God.

The next major section of the chapter is a very specific review of the Trinity of God. McIntosh spends some time with this explanation on page 30, which I leave to the reader to review and digest. An important element of McIntosh’s description of God rests in relationship and he continues this theme throughout this section. He expands the explanation of the triune nature of God to all of God’s people as he writes, “For the Apostle Paul, our new personhood is one of relationship: as Christians we become persons whose sense of self emerges out of our common journey with others, our life of mutual giving and receiving.” He grounds his understanding of the early Christian community in relationship by saying, “in a far deeper way, the early Christians discovered that their truest and strongest sense of self grew out of their new relationship with one another, which were the means by which God was inviting them into divine relationship.” This is important because McIntosh is saying that we truly discover ourselves as we become active in our relationships with others…we must turn outward in order to truly understand our inner selves.This is consistent with the Apostle Paul’s teaching to the early church about the nature of Jesus: “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness…and humbled himself.” (Philippians 2:5-8)

The final section of chapter two addresses a question that is often asked: why do we pray? The question points to one of the deepest mysteries (or maybe just curious mysteries) of God: if God knows all, and if God knows me better than I know myself…doesn’t God already know what is on my heart, and what my prayers are filled with? I really appreciate McIntosh’s first answer to this age old question: because Jesus taught us to pray! He writes, “Jesus taught the disciples that the first words to say in prayer are ‘Our Father,’ so our prayer must be something we do in fellowship with Jesus, namely, talking with his Father and ours.” I find it both comforting and powerful that as I sit and offer my humble prayers, I do so alongside Jesus and all my sisters and brothers in Christ. This idea alone elevates my prayers to a sacred offering of my deepest cares in the assembly of God’s people. McIntosh then offers this thought: “Prayer is really God happening in us…or, more accurately, our coming into fuller being as we pray in the divine communion…Prayer is all about letting the loving of the divine Persons deepen in us and stretch our small, feeble desires into a deeper desire, one that sets us free to be truly ourselves, truly persons in communion.” I also believe prayer is the manner in which we draw close to God through that sacred conversation with God. Yes, I do believe God already knows what is on our hearts, but God desires the holy conversation with each of us, which is the way we claim our desires before God and draw closer in relationship. These are all reasons to pray before the all-knowing and ever-loving God. Peace be with you.