Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Sunday, May 26, 2013.

Icon of the Holy Trinity, Cretan, (17th century) / © University of Liverpool Art Gallery & Collections, UK / The Bridgeman Art Library

First Reading: Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
One of the fascinating threads in the remarkable tapestry of scripture is the idea of God’s divine wisdom personified as a woman. At the moment of creation we see God the Creator, God’s creative Word and God-breath Spirit wind moving over the waters to separate light from darkness and earth from sea. Wisdom is there, the book of Proverbs tells us in these poetic verses, and she cries out joy in the newly made world, delighting in humanity.

Psalm: Psalm 8
Much like our modern hymnal, the 150 ancient hymns in the book of Psalms serve many purposes, from expressions of sadness and lamentation to prayers for help to songs of praise and joy. Today’s psalm is all about praise, lifting our voices in joyful appreciation to the God who created this beautiful world and everything that lives on it. As we sing these verses, let’s be mindful of our call to stewardship as well as pleasure in God’s creation.

Second Reading: Romans 5:1-5
These verses require careful reading, as it is important to understand that Paul is neither telling us that suffering is good nor that God makes us suffer. Rather, writing to a church that has known persecution and that remembers the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross, he points out that we rejoice in God’s grace in spite of our suffering. Moreover, God’s love, through Jesus, poured into us through the Holy Spirit, gives us the strength to stand up to suffering.

Gospel: John 16:12-15
This short passage for today, Trinity Sunday, is the last of several recent readings from John’s account of Jesus’s talk with the disciples at the Last Supper. It concludes that conversation with Jesus’s reminder that there are things about God that we just can’t understand, but also his assurance that the Holy Spirit will be with us, bearing the glory of Creator and Son and guiding us all toward the truth.