Trinity in the Real World | Fr Shawn McCain Tirres

Show Notes

Fr Shawn McCain Tirres on Trinity Sunday (June 15, 2025) This Trinity Sunday sermon takes an unconventional approach to one of Christianity's most challenging concepts. Rather than attempting to explain the Trinity as abstract doctrine (which Father Shawn admits often leads to heretical explanations anyway), this message invites listeners to understand God through divine actions throughout history. The sermon argues that Scripture isn't primarily a theological textbook but humanity's testimony about what God has actually done in the world - from creation through Christ's incarnation to the Spirit's ongoing work. This perspective transforms Trinity from a confusing concept into good news about a God who actively loves and works on our behalf. Delivered on Father's Day, the message also redefines authentic masculinity through Jesus' example of humble, self-giving love. The sermon culminates with a challenge: if we truly believe in this Trinitarian God who acts in history, how should that shape our response to contemporary issues of justice, poverty, and care for the marginalized? This is both a theological reframing and a call to action, making ancient doctrine relevant to modern life and social responsibility. Todays Readings: Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 | Romans 5:1-5 | John 16:12-15 | Psalm 8 We’re so glad you’re here! Get in touch: https://rezaustin.churchcenter.com/people/forms/85960

What is Resurrection South Austin?

Rez is a community where Jesus welcomes, shapes, and sends disciples for the good of our neighborhood. No matter where you are in life, this is a place for you.

Life Together In The Goodness Of God

Good morning, everybody. I know that many of you woke up this morning eager to celebrate Trinity Sunday. You thought to yourself, happy Trinity Sunday to myself, right, gentlemen? No, happy Father's Day to all of you and you gents, to all the dads, to all the men out there, to all the father figures of so many children even in this community that at that baptismal font, we as men take vows to uphold these children and to teach them the faith of Christ. So to all of you, happy Father's Day. I also hear there's a pretty epic party afterwards for Father's Day. Don't take my word for it. I mean, right, Melissa? It's pretty sick. That's what I heard. Anyway, so stick around. We're going to celebrate you fathers after the service. I received a really beautiful Father's Day card this morning from my family. It was beautiful. It was wonderful. And that's when I realized this morning that they don't make cards for Trinity Sunday. You notice this? A lot of randals or HEB, no cards for Trinity Sunday. And of course, it's one of those lesser known celebrations of the church. And I think honestly, it's because this is one of the less understood concepts about God. How many of you have by children, either you're teaching classes, kids, or really anyone been asked to explain the Holy Trinity to somebody? Yeah, right. It's like, well, and every explanation, by the way, that you attempt to give is heretical in some way, I promise you. I promise you. That's why I say, oh, it's a mystery. I don't, you know, I don't know. This is why I think today is a really hard feast day for us to relate to, to sort of wrap our head around, like what exactly are we celebrating? Are we celebrating doctrine? Is that what today is all about? I don't think so, actually. This morning, I want to take a different approach. I wonder if this is actually a more helpful, at least for me, it's been a much more helpful approach to understanding and relating to God as Trinity. It's a better place to begin. Think of someone you love. Think of someone you know. Those may be the same person, maybe two different people, right? But think of someone you know, and maybe someone you love. Now tell me about them. If I was to ask you that question, how would you answer that? Maybe it's a best friend, maybe it's a kid or a spouse, co-worker. You wouldn't talk about this person in theory, right? Or as a concept, you would describe to me their actions, their character, the things that you have experienced them doing to you throughout history, you might say. Mother Jana is an example. She serves a priest at our church here. She's awesome. She's this, if I was describing you to her, many of you know her, she's this funny, warm, wise Danish woman who has a lot of pride for her soccer team, and I appreciate that. And she loves people really, really well. Everything that I've just described about Jana is things that I have observed her do in my experience with her, my history with her, things that you've experienced her do. Now in the same way, I want to say, tell me about God. Okay, see where I'm going here? Now you can't just talk about God as a concept or a philosophy, but we're going to talk about the actions of God throughout history. This is what Scripture does. Y'all track it with me? Scripture is humanity's testimony about the actions of God throughout history. And it is, I'll be honest, rather confusing at points, super complicated, poetic, historical. I mean, it's one of the most magnificent ancient documents in human history. But more important than all of that is an account of what God has done in history. God's Word, hovering over the, I'm sorry, God's Spirit, hovering over the waters of creation in the beginning of creation. God's Word going out to bring new life, God's Law guiding God's people, giving them direction, God's presence dwelling in a fiery cloud or a burning bush or a tabernacle or a temple. Proverbs that we just heard this morning is this beautiful representation, this personification in the feminine, by the way, of God's wisdom. Shouting from the streets about how God's wisdom was actually part of the fundamental character of how all things began before things began, God's wisdom was present and at work in the world. And now that wisdom is raising her voice on the streets and calling out to the people of God and delighting in all of humanity is what we heard read. Lady wisdom is a part of the genius of God's creative actions throughout history. Lady wisdom is how the cosmos is oriented and ordered. It's not just random, it's not just accidental, it's the way things are arranged in the wisdom of God. And friends, wisdom, lady wisdom is the way in which God is guiding all of history to its perfect end, the history we do not know for ourselves yet, that we know that God is guiding all of history to its perfect end, the history we do not know for ourselves yet, that we know is coming. And then you go to the New Testament, what do we see? The Father sending the Son, Jesus of Nazareth, in whom, in this one person, the fullness of God is pleased to dwell. If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus, you will see exactly what God is like. In the moment, in one moment, at the baptism of Jesus, do you remember the scene in the river Jordan? We see the whole Trinity coming into view for us, the voice of the Father from heaven, the dove descending, the Spirit descending in the form of a dove, and the Son standing in the water being anointed for his ministry. Whatever words we as human beings use to describe how God has revealed God's self throughout history, one of those words, and it's still faulty, it still doesn't quite get it, and it's still a little bit abstract for us, is Trinity. Tri-unity, three persons, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, somehow in unity, one God. But the concept of this, friends, I know, okay, theology done for a second, I know you're like, ugh, give me some coffee, maybe I'll be able to pay attention to this, but this is not the point, the concept isn't the point, the philosophy of this is not the point. The point is human beings coming to know who God is by observing God's loving action to you through history in real life, and then putting your faith and trust in that God who acts toward you in this way historically in real life, this loving God, that's the point. This is what Paul is describing in the letter to the Romans that we just read in chapter five. Now that the Holy Trinity has taken action toward us, Paul says we are no longer condemned because of, listen, because of God's action toward us, despite us, even before we knew about God, even before we understand to pay attention to God, maybe we still don't believe or pay attention to God, doesn't matter, God has taken action toward you in love. Wow, what a picture of a father on a day like this. We're no longer condemned because of those actions, but justified by faith. Not as a result of what we have done or how good we have lived, but through God's doing toward us in history. Friends, if you've never heard the word grace or maybe you have, that is grace. Action toward you that you did not deserve, that is given completely out of love with no strings attached, that is grace. The Holy Trinity has turned toward the world, turned toward us. Just picture this, this blows my mind actually. The mystery of the Holy Trinity, whatever that means, has turned its attention toward us, the world in love and broken open that life of Father, Son, Holy Spirit for us to welcome us into that life. Why do you think we are buried with Christ, raised with him, Christ descends to the heavens, dwelling with the Holy Trinity, and then the Spirit is given to us to fill us. We are now involved in the Holy Trinity. There's a human being sitting at the right hand of the Father in the Holy Trinity. Humanity is represented and the Spirit of God is given to humanity to fill the church. The Holy Trinity is represented in the church on earth as well. We're wrapped up in this mystery, friends. That's kind of creepy, kind of weird, but it's amazing. Now through Christ, we have access to the grace of God. This becomes not a concept, but good news to us because God has acted on our behalf throughout history and God's love, which does not disappoint, let me tell you, is poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. And this goes on and on in our lives today. In Jesus' farewell remarks to his disciples of Spirit, he said would remain with them, speak and guide them continually. He's not abandoning us. He's giving us himself in a way that everyone now has access to. Jesus is describing the coordinated effort of the Holy Trinity at work in the world, at work in us, at work through us for the life of the world. Are you all tracking with me? Holy Trinity is actually really good news for the real world, for real life, for real history. So if that's true, if that's true, the question that you and I have to ask this morning, at least one of them, having witnessed, maybe even come to believe these actions of the Holy Trinity towards us, this wisdom, these promises of a triune God, here's the question I think we might ask. How does this impact my life here, right now? What month is it? June? Yeah, June 2025. I don't, I wasn't going to venture to say because I'm losing track of months now. June 2025. Well, today on Father's Day, I should say maybe that if being a dad or a man means anything, it isn't the machismo, authoritarian, dominating examples that we see from so many insecure males in power in our world today. Not at all. No, that's a disgrace. If being a dad, if being a man means anything today, we will find that example in the humble, self-giving, loving, peaceful, wise, gentle, patient example of Jesus of Nazareth. Amen? That's manhood, if that's a thing. Do we believe in the creed that confesses all of the actions of this Trinitarian God acting in real life towards us? Do I believe, you might ask, if this God who's acted for my good throughout history sees the trouble that I'm in now? What a wonderful, big, amazing, eternal God. Does God see where I am now though? Does God see how lost I feel? The trouble that I'm in, the anxiety, the burdens that I carry, how empty, for some reason, the inside of me feels. God is great, but does God know about that? Do I believe in the creed that confesses all of the actions of this Trinitarian God though? Do I believe this Triune God has wisdom shouting from the streets, really? Really is wisdom shouting from the streets these days, the same streets in which the liturgies of the state unfold in D.C. yesterday, the same streets where the state has turned against the people it's meant to protect? Where's wisdom? When God becomes more than a concept for us, friends, more than a concept, but actually the good news of a God who acts in the streets, in our lives, in this real world that's so broken, we finally begin to relate to God in real life, and then we find that we're relating to the God that really exists and not just a concept. You see what I'm saying? And that's when we get into trouble, but it's good trouble. Can we admit, friends, can we admit, friends, that we are just jaded and broken enough to so often carry on in life pretending like the Holy Trinity doesn't have anything to do with real life? I do. Didn't God anoint the sun to announce good news to the poor, to release the captives, the recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor? Didn't God anoint the sun in real life in this real world to do that work? Doesn't this mean something for us in this society that we have where God cares for the poor, but our government is cutting budget for shifting resources away from the poor and then instead giving it to the wealthy? When due process is denied to immigrants, refugees, people of color, when social services essential to the most needy in our society are being defunded? You tracking with me? Does God have something to say about that? When God says, welcome the stranger in your land and treat them as someone who belongs here, and we do quite the opposite. Who will testify about this Trinitarian God who has opinions about these things in the real world? If not the church, who will? If not the people who believe, who say they believe in the Holy Trinity, who will testify about this Triune God? It may not be the role that we sought as our Presiding Bishop has just recently said, but it is one we are called to, church. We are called to it is one we are called to, church. I appreciate those who, and I genuinely say this, I really appreciate those who feel like what I'm saying now is too political. I really do appreciate that. The reason is because at least those people take seriously that God's actually acting in history and that I'm making a claim about that. So many of us will go, whatever preacher, move on with things because we don't really believe functionally that God exists or is doing anything in the world. But at least those who say, Sean, you're being political. Okay, fair. Let's talk. I would love to talk. I'm not totally right about everything, but at least I'm trying to work out the fact that God is acting in history. And some of my friends here are taking me seriously about that, even if they may disagree. Beloved, in a moment, we will all stand and confess actions that the Holy Trinity has taken throughout history in the creed. God's loving actions toward us in history, what we believe God has actually done in the real world. I hope that that confession of faith isn't just a doctrinal statement for us, but becomes a comfort for us, for those in this moment where we find ourselves and that need to know that God is present, that God is aware of my situation in my life, my wounds, my hurts, my questions, that God is aware of me. We're going to stand and say, God is aware. We're going to stand and announce this creed. And I pray, would it inform your view of the world and what ought to be? And may it all compel us to love our neighbors even more than we did yesterday. Friends, this is what it looks like when we believe in the Holy Trinity. Amen.