Trinitarian Soundings - The God of Relationship

#love #trinity #jesus #holyspirit #father #newwine #nwnws #trinitarian #epiphany 

Theology, the Trinity... Where do we even start? The discussion this morning flows from the truth of theology, specifically, Trinitarian theology. How does a Trinitarian, Christ-centered theology play out in how we see the “other”? Where the body of Christ gets it right and where it does not.

As the Christian Scriptures reveal, the human is created in the image of the Trinity – A Godhead that does not remain absent or quiet throughout the course of history. We are not talking about a God hidden behind divine revelation. Rather, God is for us fully revealed and fully concealed in His self-disclosure.

The Christian Scriptures calls the reader into transformation –conversion—which is not a static event, something that happens once in a lifetime, but a continual process of turning toward the Son, who leads us, in union with the Holy Spirit, into an ever-deepening relationship with the Father. Thus, we are brought into the very life of the Trinity, that communion of love without end. 

The Trinity is the paradigm by which we are to live. It is dynamic in relation; thus, God's being is His eternal, intrinsic communion. So what then of today? Are we relationally wired by the God of  creation or have we become machines programmed by our own hands?

 

Recorded live on Fridays at 10am (pst) New Wine UnCorked seeks to step into culture with a heart bent towards engagement, reconciliation, and relationship. 

Where to find New Wine: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newwinenewwineskins Twitter: https://twitter.com/nwnws Instagram: https://instagram.com/newwine_newwineskins Podcast: https://anchor.fm/newwinenewwineskins Clubhouse: https://www.clubhouse.com/club/new-wine-new-wineskins Web: http://www.new-wineskins.org/

New Wine Uncorked: Christmas Cheer Today and Tomorrow? Ask My Neighbor.

Advent marks the time of God’s arrival on the world’s stage. It is a time of pause, reflection, and expectancy. So in light of who New Wine is—bridge builders—we ask the question: What would our neighbor say? That is, what would our neighbor say about the inn of our heart?

The celebration of Christ’s birth is the celebration of love’s entrance into the inn of our soul... the inn of our heart... It is a 2000 year old celebration that makes everyday a joyous celebration. Because we are so loved, Christ came and gave us Himself so that we might have the joy of heaven now. 

In the birth of Christ everything changes. For in the birth of Jesus, the drama of salvation reaches a new height. For Christ’s birth marks the greatest day in history; the one point when everything converged and was transformed through the birth of the world’s Savior. 

This Christmas—for those who love Jesus— is our heart bathing in the hope, joy, peace, and love of heaven. Is this Christmas a time that our hearts become the “inn” where there is room so that we might then become the joy of Christ for the sake of the world? How well do we live the Christmas cheer year round? What would our neighbors say if asked?

New Wine Uncorked: Christmas Cheer: Truth of Christmas Present or Christ...

#love #trinity #jesus #holyspirit #father #newwine #nwnws 

As Christians, when regarding Christmas, are we honest with ourselves before looking at the words and deeds of our neighbors and their Christmas celebrations? And what then of our engagement of “the world?” How are we, as Christians, today bringing joy to the world; or, is the Christmas song we often sing one of judgment?

In this episode of New Wine Uncorked, Matt, Phil, Kayla, and Jim walk into the winter wonderland of Christmas. Is the Christian church today ushering in celebrations of joy because of the birth of their King or is the 21st century Christian nothing more than the great judger—forgetting the joy that was birthed some 2000 years ago? Are we today bringing judgement to one another as well as the world rather than joy?

Recorded live on Fridays at 10am (pst) New Wine UnCorked seeks to step into culture with a heart bent towards engagement, reconciliation, and relationship. Dialogue is the truth of participation as dia via Latin from Greek dia-logos invokes a participatory conversation. It is interactive. From dia "through" + legein "speak." Going through the Word so to engage through our word, New Wine seeks to uncork the impossible possibility of the human and our pursuit of this Uncommon God so to realize our common good. Where to find New Wine: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newwinenewwineskins 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nwnws 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/newwine_newwineskins 

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/newwinenewwineskins 

Clubhouse: https://www.clubhouse.com/club/new-wine-new-wineskins 

Web: http://www.new-wineskins.org/

New Wine Uncorked: Jesus & Thanksgiving - Is anything or anyone worthy o...

The goodness of dialogue is made even sweeter by the company one keeps. In this episode of New Wine Uncorked, Phil, Kayla, and I are joined by the one and only Granny! Yes, my mom and Kayla’s Granny, Lisbeth Farlow joins the New Wine dialogue that takes us into the lush fields of thanks and giving. What does the Jesus follower have to be thankful for? Is it the message? Is it the person?

New Wine Uncorked: Living out the truth of me, you and faith

#love #trinity #jesus #newwine #nwnws 

Following Jesus means that you not only know Him, but are willing to go to the places and people He calls us to. So often the path before the Christian is a path of unknowing - a path of mystery that expects us to let go and give into the crazy, scandalous ways of living and loving as Jesus So how are to navigate the terrain before us? How do we faithfully step into the truth of loving me, you and everyone in between? In this episode of New Wine Uncorked, Phil, Kayla, Jim, and Matt traverse the wonderful terrain of living and loving… How are we to live and love those in our lives, in both word and deed? 

Recorded live on Fridays at 10am (pst) New Wine UnCorked seeks to step into culture with a heart bent towards engagement, reconciliation, and relationship. Dialogue is the truth of participation as dia via Latin from Greek dia-logos invokes a participatory conversation. It is interactive. From dia "through" + legein "speak." Going through the Word so to engage through our word, New Wine seeks to uncork the impossible possibility of the human and our pursuit of this Uncommon God so to realize our common good.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nwnws 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newwine_newwineskins/ 

Clubhouse: https://www.clubhouse.com/club/new-wine-new-wineskins 

Web: http://www.new-wineskins.org/

New Wine Uncorked: Following Jesus: Into the Promise Land or the Polluted Landfill

#love #trinity #jesus #newwine #nwnws 

Following Jesus means that you know Him, or at least have an idea of where He is leading… So what then of the path in front of the Jesus follower? Is it a path of promise or a polluted one drowning in toxic “love.” 

In this episode of New Wine Uncorked, Phil, Kayla, and Matt traverse the wonderful terrain of love… When we follow Jesus on to the path of love, where exactly does this path lead? And am I equipped to walk such a path? 

Recorded live on Fridays at 10am (pst) New Wine UnCorked seeks to step into culture with a heart bent towards engagement, reconciliation, and relationship. 

Dialogue is the truth of participation as dia via Latin from Greek dia-logos invokes a participatory conversation. It is interactive. From dia "through" + legein "speak." Going through the Word so to engage through our word, New Wine seeks to uncork the impossible possibility of the human and our pursuit of this Uncommon God so to realize our common good. 

New Wine Uncorked - Love Beyond Limits: The Impossible Possibility?

#love #trinity #jesus #newwine #nwnws Knowing God’s heart means consistently, radically, and very concretely announcing, through our words and deeds, that God is love. And in this proclamation, we announce that every time fear, isolation, or despair begin to invade our soul we not only know this is not something that comes from God but that in such times our hearts have to cling ferociously to God. In this episode of New Wine Uncorked, Phil, Kayla, Jim, and Matt traverse the wonderful terrain of love… Love of God, Love of self, Love of neighbor. Recorded live on Fridays at 10am (pst) New Wine UnCorked seeks to step into culture with a heart bent towards engagement, reconciliation, and relationship.

The Crux

Through Christ we come to realize that our restless heart understands itself only if it comes to understand true reality. Such reality that is only experienced through the love offered by the divine heart that breaks for us upon the Cross. It is a love that was broken wide open on that rugged cross so as to be poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom 5.5).

Truth is, our hearts are in need of a revival. Each of us needs to be reminded not only who we are, but why were we created - or better yet, the purpose of our personhood. And this is why we need Jesus…

Jesus is the crux of Christianity—He is the core of our faith, the foundation of salvation—He is the Christ. However, many today balk at the aforementioned. Sure we are willing to accept Christ as being a “good teacher,” but as the Son of God, the salvation of humanity, our actions (and our words) hardly support anything other than a belief that to be a Christian is to simply memorize Scripture, follow rules and do good deeds. But being a disciple of Christ is so much more…

Throughout the Bible we witness the truth that God is love. And in this truth we come to know the beauty of His mercy. To know Christ is to know love so as to experience His merciful love. Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes:

The mercy and love of God are at work even in the midst of his enemies.  It is the same Jesus Christ, who of his grace calls us to follow him, and whose grace saves the murderer who mocks him on the cross in his last hour.

Yes Jesus was and is a “great teacher,” but to keep Him only as such is to place Him in a human constructed box. When Jesus took on flesh He became mercy for us. To know Christ is to know mercy. To know mercy is to be mercy, which as Paul writes, is to participate or fellowship in Christ’s sufferings and His death. Being precedes doing.

Christ’s love and mercy know no bounds. He loves friend and foe, and He calls us to do the same. When we know Christ, we know salvation and from such knowing our hearts experience the revival from His love poured out by the Holy Spirit. It is a love that elevates us from being simply observers of His life to the extraordinary place of participants in His truth.

We are called to fellowship in Christ’s sufferings and conform to His death – this is what it means to workout our salvation; this is what it means to participate in Christ’s performance. We are called to be mercy, compassion, and most of all, love. This is what it means to be a player and participant in God’s drama.

Scandal of the Cross

Following Christ, which has become possible through his self-surrender, will not consist in doing some right thing but in fundamentally surrendering everything, and surrendering it to the God who has totally emptied himself, so that he can use [that right thing] for the world, according to his own purposes.

The life of Christ is the center of our participation. Theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar writes "The scandal of the cross cannot be removed by further theoretical discussion but only by praxis, which is twofold: it is a decisive step into the future, beyond the baneful barriers set up by doctrine, and it is also a return to Christianity’s authentic and original meaning: God shows his truth to us through acting.” As the apostle Paul tells us, we should "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;  for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Philippians 2.12-13).

The world is God’s theater of glory; it is the place for humanity’s performance in Christ through the Spirit. Faithfulness to the performance of God recognizes that Christianity is praxis. It tells us how we should act not simply what we should believe.

Lunatic, Liar or Lord?

Jesus. Some people claim he's a great teacher while others think he is nothing more than a great prophet. Some dismiss him as a liar or even a lunatic, (a madman), and yet a countless number hail him as Savior and Lord. The great C.S. Lewis once remarked:

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. (Mere Christianity, 56)

Whatever people think of him, nobody can deny that he stands at the very crux of human history. As Talk-Show host Larry King answered when asked who he would most like to have interviewed from across history, "Jesus Christ—I would like to ask Him if He was indeed virgin born, because the answer to that question would define history." Larry King was absolutely right as in his answer, he identifies the hinge upon which all history turns. The call placed on each one of us today is to identify the claims for the deity of Christ so to then understand the foundation of the faith found in Christ through the Holy Spirit.

Life beckons us to investigate the claims of Christ for in doing so we come to realize what it means to be a player in God's drama - that is, to be a participant in this thing called life. ‘God does not play the world drama all on his own; he makes room for humanity to join in,’ and this joining in is made possible through the performance of Christ. And from His performance, humanity is given insight into our own personhood as Christ is, according to Hans Urs von Balthasar, "the center of the world, he is the key to the interpretation not only of creation, but of God Himself. . . . God wills to maintain his relation to the world only with Jesus Christ as the centre of that relationship, the content and fulfilment of the eternal Covenant." (Theology of History, 20-22)

What are you doing to gain the meaning of life? Who do you say Jesus Christ is?