2 Corinthians 13:11-13
"Trinity" - Year A
Here is one of those compare and contrast choices between the tone of the NRSV and The Message.
NRSV: "Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless, indeed, you fail to meet the test! I hope you will find out that we have not failed."
The Message: "You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it. I hope the test won't show that we have failed."
In both cases the crux of the matter is Jesus Christ in us. From there things get dicier.
A never-ending argument can be had, both internally and externally, about what an appropriate test is that Jesus Christ within is being revealed without. Paul, evidently, has his litmus testing process. I fall back to Karl Rahner and others who find Jesus Christ to be within each person, "anonymous Christians" if you will. Without magic signs of fishes and crosses and ever-changing code language it becomes next to impossible to be certain about intentions and motivations.
Regardless of any given testing process it will be helpful to focus on verse 10 in the voice of The Message: "The authority the Master (Jesus Christ within) gave me is for putting people together, not taking them apart."
This is a difficult task when folks are not willing to be put together, but it is still a hope held out beyond there any longer being hope, that, even beyond an ending place, we will continue to be put together and find unexpected and undeserved blessings abounding.
So, remember again – Jesus Christ within is before baptismal validation as a starting point, is always in a process of creatively putting together, and will not quit even when beyond some arbitrary ending point. Given this remembrance, how would you evaluate the just stated trinity in light of other trinities you have known?
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2008_05_01_archive.html
Farewell! or is it Rejoice!
As transition specialists look ahead to a successful interim they begin their rejoicing over work well done by recognizing a key mindset -- as soon as they arrive, they are beginning to leave. This is one way of bringing these alternative translations together.
In this context of interim ministry the following order has some sense to it: Shape up by learning encouraging methodologies that decisions by consensus might result in peaceful living. At this point we find the oneness with GOD we have desired and not found because of our cussed independence that models life as a zero-sum game where we need to micromanage every last detail lest it come back to bite us (which it especially will using this fear-based model).
Our fantasy of the Trinity is that the various aspects of it have shaped up over time, having put their strengths and weaknesses in the service of their common desire, and made appeal through encouragement that the differences might be well used in the service of making whatever issue is in the forefront have the best outcome possible. With this focus on making better decisions, the Trinity models for us an achievable state for ourselves in community.
A sign of a successful interim is the exuberance of a Holy Kiss in the midst of the gathered community. Hugs and kisses to you and you and you.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/may2005.html
Sequencing is one way of looking at things.
Here we might read the qualities Paul is looking for come first and they are followed by a blessing.
This is the other way around from Abraham having been blessed, first, to, then, be a blessing.
Likewise we can start with any part of the trinity or more sided symbol and move on around and across such. Starting points are important and we find ours in a number of quite mysterious ways. As with any good journey the starting spot only gets us going to find all manner of interconnections along the way.
We are not looking at a One Way approach to life. For us life comes from all directions and goes in all directions. This interconnecting web brings additional meaning to the smallest of encounters.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/may2005.html
It is easy to see how we can get to a Christian doctrine of Trinity from the Christian scriptures. This does seem to be significant jump from the Jewish scriptures and their focus upon G*D being one.
It is next to impossible to tell whether Trinitarian language rolled trippingly off the tongue of Jesus or was put in his mouth. It is possible to tell that this is a unique doctrine in some Christian communities. As such it has gotten in the way of Christian talking to Christian as well as between someone who is a Christian and someone who is not.
Ultimately this construct, no matter how helpful some think it is, needs to take a back seat to an appeal to live in peace (2 Cor. 13:11). This peace begins to be seen with three key (but not exclusive or exhaustive) descriptions of peace as grace, love, communion.
- - -
heads trip on making patterns
where none is to be found
hearts trip on breaking patterns
where too many are present
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2007_06_01_archive.html
Finally, “Farewell”.
All our provisional understandings of life, the universe, and everything finally come to, “Farewell”.
All our attempts at order finally cease.
All our mutual appeals, agreements, and living arrangements take their place within the presence of a G*D of love and peace larger than its attendant parts.
Finally, all the variants of life find themselves put into perspective by whatever it means for a larger vision containing all saints’ (everyone’s) collective gifts to embrace us and all. It is this sense of universalism that sets a perspective for all the little theories we travel with for a moment and lay down to travel even further.
Finally, faring well comes to grace, love, and communion. And the greatest of these are the others.
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2014/06/2-corinthians-1311-13.html