I’m a hopeless dancer - I’ll be honest with you. I cannot put one foot in front of the other with any type of grace or rhythm. But I like to watch good dance. A tango or waltz when performed by experts is an enjoyable experience (watching me is more of an enjoyable comedy routine). I watch the creative, dynamic way in which the partners move with each other, embrace each other, with purpose, and unity – and I wish I could dance better.
There exists, however, a dance that is far more beautiful than a well performed waltz. It is the eternal dance of The Triune God. For an eternity the One God - Father, Son and Spirit have danced on centre stage in perfect rhythm and a selfless loving embrace, all the while, revealing the dance to others and calling them to join.
For many people the eternal dance of the Triune God has been too difficult to describe or understand. So many have either written it off as a ‘mystery’, saying ‘it’s a great dance but of no relevance for my walk with God’. Others have attempted to draw a picture or diagram of the dance resulting only in a static and isolated representation, which hasn’t done it justice. So what does this dance actually look like? In order to understand this dance we need to explore the Christian understanding of God.
The Christian understanding of God is that he is Triune. That is, the one God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is One, God is three, God is Diversity and God is unity.
We understand too that God is a revealing God and is thus known first in our experiencing Jesus, the Son of God, through the work of the spirit. This is the eternal community of Father, Son and Holy Spirit in operation.
We understand God to be relational. When we think of oneness we think of individualism, but when we speak of oneness in relation to God we need to think more in terms of a community of persons who love each other and live in agreement and union. Father, Son and Spirit only live in, with and through each other - the dance would cease if this weren’t the case.
We believe that there is no unequalness or subordination in the persons. Each person lives for the other with selfless love. There is a fancy theological word called perichoris which describes this, but the English word ‘enveloping ’is an equally beneficial way to describe this relationship.
Our understanding of God is that he is love. John tells us that the essence of God is Love. Love only occurs between two persons and it requires a subject and an object. If God wasn’t God in three person, then he wouldn’t have been able to appropriately love. He would have needed to create humanity in order to love. But because the Father loves the Son, and the Son can reciprocate that love, then God in his being is love. Love is what moves the dance internally and externally.
The Trinity is actually the Gospel story – God’s story. It is the story of the Creator, Redeemer and the Sanctifier. The cross of Christ is central in this story of Immanuel, God with us. If there is no Trinity then there is no Revelation, therefore there is no Salvation, as Salvation is being caught up into the life of God - being caught into the dance of God. Only when we understand we are not alone, but have been embraced into the divine dance can we embrace one another.
So how should understanding God as Triune make a difference in the life of our church? Ultimately, it should encourage us to become better dancers; more in step with his rhythm and lead every day. Listed below are 5 dance steps that reflect the relationship between the Triune God that we should learn and apply.
1. Trinitarian doctrine should make a difference relationally and in reaching out. God is relational; our church should reflect this through encouraging the activity of gathering together and avoiding isolating ourselves from others. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit, the Body of Christ, and the people of God and as we live like this we become a revelation of God to others.
2. Trinitarian doctrine should also affect our models of church governance. No member of the church should be seen to rule all the power. A hierarchical structure should be changed in favour of a model that encourages mutual sharing and servant leadership. There should be unity in diversity within leadership.
3. Trinitarian doctrine should affect the way we pray. We can address our prayers dependent upon their purpose to one the Trinitarian members. Ie. God is our source, so we when we lack we can have his provision. We can thank Jesus for his work on the cross and thank him for his work of intercession and that we look forward to his return. We can pray to the Spirit to continue his work in the world.
4. The doctrine of the Trinity should lead to a life of humility. As each person of the trinity lives for the interest of the other, so we too should humble ourselves for others rather than control and coerce.
5. Baptism should take on a strong importance as we are being baptised into the triune life God. This is the foundation of Christian theological identity, that we are a part of the story of the God.
There exists, however, a dance that is far more beautiful than a well performed waltz. It is the eternal dance of The Triune God. For an eternity the One God - Father, Son and Spirit have danced on centre stage in perfect rhythm and a selfless loving embrace, all the while, revealing the dance to others and calling them to join.
For many people the eternal dance of the Triune God has been too difficult to describe or understand. So many have either written it off as a ‘mystery’, saying ‘it’s a great dance but of no relevance for my walk with God’. Others have attempted to draw a picture or diagram of the dance resulting only in a static and isolated representation, which hasn’t done it justice. So what does this dance actually look like? In order to understand this dance we need to explore the Christian understanding of God.
The Christian understanding of God is that he is Triune. That is, the one God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is One, God is three, God is Diversity and God is unity.
We understand too that God is a revealing God and is thus known first in our experiencing Jesus, the Son of God, through the work of the spirit. This is the eternal community of Father, Son and Holy Spirit in operation.
We understand God to be relational. When we think of oneness we think of individualism, but when we speak of oneness in relation to God we need to think more in terms of a community of persons who love each other and live in agreement and union. Father, Son and Spirit only live in, with and through each other - the dance would cease if this weren’t the case.
We believe that there is no unequalness or subordination in the persons. Each person lives for the other with selfless love. There is a fancy theological word called perichoris which describes this, but the English word ‘enveloping ’is an equally beneficial way to describe this relationship.
Our understanding of God is that he is love. John tells us that the essence of God is Love. Love only occurs between two persons and it requires a subject and an object. If God wasn’t God in three person, then he wouldn’t have been able to appropriately love. He would have needed to create humanity in order to love. But because the Father loves the Son, and the Son can reciprocate that love, then God in his being is love. Love is what moves the dance internally and externally.
The Trinity is actually the Gospel story – God’s story. It is the story of the Creator, Redeemer and the Sanctifier. The cross of Christ is central in this story of Immanuel, God with us. If there is no Trinity then there is no Revelation, therefore there is no Salvation, as Salvation is being caught up into the life of God - being caught into the dance of God. Only when we understand we are not alone, but have been embraced into the divine dance can we embrace one another.
So how should understanding God as Triune make a difference in the life of our church? Ultimately, it should encourage us to become better dancers; more in step with his rhythm and lead every day. Listed below are 5 dance steps that reflect the relationship between the Triune God that we should learn and apply.
1. Trinitarian doctrine should make a difference relationally and in reaching out. God is relational; our church should reflect this through encouraging the activity of gathering together and avoiding isolating ourselves from others. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit, the Body of Christ, and the people of God and as we live like this we become a revelation of God to others.
2. Trinitarian doctrine should also affect our models of church governance. No member of the church should be seen to rule all the power. A hierarchical structure should be changed in favour of a model that encourages mutual sharing and servant leadership. There should be unity in diversity within leadership.
3. Trinitarian doctrine should affect the way we pray. We can address our prayers dependent upon their purpose to one the Trinitarian members. Ie. God is our source, so we when we lack we can have his provision. We can thank Jesus for his work on the cross and thank him for his work of intercession and that we look forward to his return. We can pray to the Spirit to continue his work in the world.
4. The doctrine of the Trinity should lead to a life of humility. As each person of the trinity lives for the interest of the other, so we too should humble ourselves for others rather than control and coerce.
5. Baptism should take on a strong importance as we are being baptised into the triune life God. This is the foundation of Christian theological identity, that we are a part of the story of the God.
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