I’ve heard it said (though I’ve never seen the statistics!) that Trinity Sunday is the most common Sunday of the year for clergy to be off sick. The reason being, presumably, that teaching on the Trinity is so difficult that many a vicar shies away from the challenge. Whether that’s true or not, it reflects something of how lots of Christians think about the Trinity: fiddly, confusing, practically irrelevant and yet somehow central to Christian teaching.
But as our reading today shows, the Trinity is an idea we get from Jesus himself. He’s the one who sent out his disciples to baptise in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matt 28:19). Jesus’ teaching on the Trinity is an invitation to know who our saving God is, the one we belong to and hope to spend eternity with. Seen from that angle, it’s a teaching that’s worth celebrating, exploring and placing at the heart of our faith.
Ed