My favorite Seminary professor Warren Quanbeck once quipped that the common person’s view of the Trinity was ‘an old guy, a young guy, and a bird.” If we think instead about the relationship of the Three-in-One/One-in-Three as the best way we know to faithfully speak about this mysterious God whom we have come to know in Jesus the Christ, who gifted us with the Holy Spirit after he was resurrected from the dead, then we have something else to say. Look around at the ways God has entered into your life and the lives of others, and be thankful.

In this part of Jesus' intercessory prayer (John 17:20), Jesus prays for all the believers everywhere, including those of our time, so that God’s light and life reaches into this age. In Holy Communion, Jesus fashioned a meal which would bring to mind God’s real presence among us and reach God’s grace into us. How do you share that wonderful mystery in your neighborhood and work life?

In Acts 11:1-8, Peter is led by the Holy Spirit to discover that God embraces more people than thought imaginable. Before that, Gentiles had been excluded from the early believers due to a traditional understanding of clean and unclean. What new directions of ministry and mission is the Spirit opening in your life?

This coming Sunday is known as Good Shepherd Sunday, referring this year to sheep hearing Jesus' voice and Jesus being the one who knows us. (See John 10:22-30). We rarely have the opportunity in life for others to fully know us and fully love us. Instead, we often settle for a lesser bargain. That is, we divulge only parts of ourselves, in order for people to not reject us. Scriptures say that Jesus knows and loves us fully. What might that look like and feel like in our lives? How can we better know and better love those around us?

Peter would become a major leader in the early church. His beginning was not so grand. He had gone in closest proximity to Jesus' trial only to fall the hardest when confronted with his likely relationship to Jesus. (See the end of the Gospels) Now, in John 21:1-19, Simon Peter shows his leadership by returning to his fishing career with some of the others. Jesus finds them, kingly rewards them with fish and lovingly redirects Peter toward his new calling, as a fisher of people. Can anything separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus? What is God calling you to do? Share this with a friend. Makes plans to effect it.

Every year we spend the second Sunday of Easter ragging on Thomas, even labelling him ‘doubting’ when all that happened was that he was absent when Jesus pulled off the best entry and greeting that any of the rest of Jesus' followers ever had. “Unless I see the nail holes and put my hand in his side, I will not believe!” he first testifies. One week later, when Thomas got his chance to touch, hearing Jesus was enough. (See John 20:19-31) What is it we need in order to believe these days? What will open our eyes and hearts to the splendor of God’s loving grace? Be open to those moments and times.

We enter into Easter joy through Holy Week, one of the most sacred times in all of the Christian calendar. This week in word and worship asks us to envision the journey that Jesus took through suffering and death on our behalf. Some time ago, I wrote a poem describing this. In true Lutheran fashion, even though it is titled Easter, one notes that it is really about the cross.