The Trinity mini-series (part one)
“Why the Trinity Matters”
Small group devotion
The purpose of this discussion is to discuss why it matters for our daily lives that we worship a Trinitarian God.
Here are some frequently used analogies of the Trinity:
- Water, ice, steam
- Light-bulb, the light, and the heat
- A three-leafed clover
- An egg with shell, white, and yolk
What other analogies can you think of, and what are the strengths and weaknesses of each analogy?
Read Matthew 3:13-17
How is the Trinity described in this story of Jesus’ baptism?
Why does Jesus come to John (and why is John so surprised)?
Read Genesis 1:26-28
What is the image of God in us?
Compare and contrast the Genesis passage with the Matthew passage. What similarities and differences do you notice about the “image of God”?
Jordan used this quote on Sunday from the book, Mister God, this is Anna:
“It isn’t the Devil in humanity that makes man a lonely creature,
it’s his Godlikeness.
It’s the fullness of the Good that can’t get out
or can’t find its proper ‘other place’
that makes for loneliness.”
How do you react to this quote? Do you agree/disagree?
Given our discussion, what difference does it make to our day-to-day lives that we worship (and are imaged by) a Trinitarian God and not just a Unitarian (one) God?
For further discussion you may want to give this hand-out to each of the group members. It lists 21 “grammatical rules” when talking about the Trinity. Work your way through it with the group. What do you they struggle with? What needs unpacking?
Leader’s notes:
- The water analogy has the strength that each of the three states share the same substance (H2O), but it implies that God is only one at a time, not all three states at the same time.
- The light analogy has the weakness that the light-bulb is the true substance while the light and the heat and lesser consequences or products of the one, true substance.
- The three-leafed clover over-emphasises the oneness of God (there is only one clover), which is displayed in three parts.
- The egg analogy has three-different substances altogether (shell, yolk, white).
- The Matthew reading presents a God who is inherently relational. But God’s relational love is so expansive and wide that it stretches into the farthest and darkest places. Jesus comes to John to baptised. He is the sent one of God going into the far country to bring us home. As beloved sons and daughters with Christ, we are welcomed into the loving relationship of the Trinity.