Trinity Revisited
A long time ago I posted a piece called "The Incomplete Trinity," in which I argued that Christian theology leaves the Holy Spirit out; if not the theology, the practice. I still believe that; we are afraid of too much talk about the Holy Spirit because of charismatics, I guess.
I was taught, in fundamentalism, not to pray to the Holy Spirit, nor even to Jesus, but only to God the Father. It was a kind of hierarchy in the trinity, I suppose, that we were supposed to follow, but I am not sure about.
The trinity is probably the most difficult subject in Christian theology, and no physical imagery explains it; water, eggs, etc. But making each person permanently subordinate another, and forbidding prayer to one person of the trinity (as if it were a private conversation and the other two are left out!) seems kind of silly if not heretical.
I bring this up because the early Reformation church was trinitarian and prayed to all three persons of the trinity. In the Valley of Vision, prayers are said in these poems to all three. I like that. I need not fear God or overstepping some boundary when I ask the Holy Spirit for something. They are not separate, that I know.
I was taught, in fundamentalism, not to pray to the Holy Spirit, nor even to Jesus, but only to God the Father. It was a kind of hierarchy in the trinity, I suppose, that we were supposed to follow, but I am not sure about.
The trinity is probably the most difficult subject in Christian theology, and no physical imagery explains it; water, eggs, etc. But making each person permanently subordinate another, and forbidding prayer to one person of the trinity (as if it were a private conversation and the other two are left out!) seems kind of silly if not heretical.
I bring this up because the early Reformation church was trinitarian and prayed to all three persons of the trinity. In the Valley of Vision, prayers are said in these poems to all three. I like that. I need not fear God or overstepping some boundary when I ask the Holy Spirit for something. They are not separate, that I know.
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