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Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 – New Revised Standard Edition Updated Version

8 Does not wisdom call and understanding raise her voice?² On the heights, beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand;³ beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries out:⁴ “To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to all who live.^---

²² “The Lord created me at the beginning^[a] of his work,^[b] the first of his acts of long ago.

²³ Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth.

²⁴ When there were no depths I was brought forth,  when there were no springs abounding with water.

²⁵ Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth,

²⁶ when he had not yet made earth and fields^[c] or the world’s first bits of soil.

²⁷ When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,

²⁸ when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep,

²⁹ when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command,when he marked out the foundations of the earth,

³⁰ then I was beside him, like a master worker,^[d] and I was daily his^[e] delight, playing before him always,

³¹ playing in his inhabited world and delighting in the human race.

Footnotes

1. 8.22 Or me as the beginning

2. 8.22 Heb way

3. 8.26 Meaning of Heb uncertain

4. 8.30 Or little child

5. 8.30 Gk: Heb lacks his

John 16:12-15 – New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

¹² “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. ¹³ When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. ¹⁵ All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Trinity Sunday – June 15, 2025

 8:1-4, 22-31 and John 16:12-15 – New Revised Standard Edition Updated Version

Rev. TJ Mack – Union Congregational Church of Hancock

What do you think of the Trinitarian imagery on our bulletin this morning? I thought long and hard about replacing it with another—any other—image. The crown made me uncomfortable. It immediately brought to mind the “No Kings” protests happening all over our country yesterday. I have learned that when something makes me uncomfortable it is likely what I am supposed to confront, ponder, learn from. So if it makes you uncomfortable too, it is intentional. 

This morning we celebrate the church’s statement of belief in a Trinitarian God. Many pastors dread talking about the Trinity. It is confusing. It can be controversial. It took centuries to establish the Doctrine of the Trinity. It created a rift between those who insist on rigid definitions and roles and those who wish simply to leave room for the Mystery that is God. 

Does the Bible support a Triune God? Indirectly, yes. Yet there are no scriptures that explicitly state what the Church has come to declare as truth. There are scriptures that can be interpreted as foreshadowing of our Trinitarian conclusion, such as the words spoken by Woman Wisdom in our Proverbs text and the few verses that we heard from the Gospel of John this morning. And there are others…

What did you hear of Trinitarian foreshadowing in these two passages? From our Proverbs text; Wisdom was there “in the beginning,” which we also hear opening the Gospel of John. 

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.” (John 1:1-3) 

Our specific John text that was read this morning also contains words and imagery that helped to further the Trinitarian argument. All three members of the Trinity are present in these four verses. The Father/God. The Spirit of truth. And Jesus. 

The author of the Gospel of John uses the terms Advocate and Spirit of Truth for the Holy Spirit. The author of Proverbs uses the name Wisdom for the Spirit of Life, present at the beginning with God. 

Our texts foreshadow the church’s Trinitarian doctrine, which again took centuries to develop and hone. This is an excerpt from one of the latter documents, the Athanasian Creed.

We worship one God in trinity and the Trinity in unity, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the divine being. For the Father is one person, the Son is another, and the Spirit is still another. But the deity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one, equal in glory, coeternal in majesty. What the Father is, the Son is, and so is the Holy Spirit. Uncreated is the Father; uncreated is the Son; uncreated is the Spirit. The Father is infinite; the Son is infinite; the Holy Spirit is infinite. Eternal is the Father; eternal is the Son; eternal is the Spirit: And yet there are not three eternal beings, but one who is eternal; as there are not three uncreated and unlimited beings, but one who is uncreated and unlimited. Almighty is the Father; almighty is the Son; almighty is the Spirit: And yet there are not three almighty beings, but one who is almighty. Thus the Father is God; the Son is God; the Holy Spirit is God: And yet there are not three gods, but one God. Thus the Father is Lord; the Son is Lord; the Holy Spirit is Lord: And yet there are not three lords, but one Lord. As Christian truth compels us to acknowledge each distinct person as God and Lord, so catholic religion forbids us to say that there are three gods or lords.

In our country a different document is being read, and re-read, and tested. Our Constitution is based on the balance of power between our three branches of government; the Executive, the Judicial and the Legislative. Together they constitute our one government. The three branches are equal. They constitute our one government. If or when they are out of balance, we cannot achieve justice or righteousness. 

Sometimes the lectionary texts omit a verse or a section. The omitted verses from Proverbs this morning implore us to learn prudence, acquire intelligence, and listen to the words of Wisdom, whom speaks about what is right and true. Wisdom hates pride and arrogance, hates perverted speech, hates evil. Following in the way of Wisdom is more valuable than silver or gold or jewels. Kings that reign by following Wisdom’s advice will create immeasurable wealth for all. Wealth measured not in gold and silver and jewels but wealth in terms of justice and righteousness. 

I believe those sentiments are also words of wisdom that we need guiding us right now, in this time and place. Justice and righteousness are the common themes woven throughout our church documents and our government documents.

Thank you to those who show up for justice, in ways large and small, day in and day out. I encourage us to continue to show up to support our governing principles, keeping in check the legitimate equal powers of the Executive, the Judicial, and the Legislative branches of the United States of America. I encourage us to continue learning from and living out our sacred scriptures.

The Book of Proverbs is a series of didactic teachings grounded in the observations and experiences of the natural world and daily life occurrences. It includes both the voice of Wisdom and the voice of Folly. In our opening scripture, the voice of Wisdom calls out to all who live. Wisdom calls to all people. Not only to those practicing a religion. Not only to Democrats or only to Republicans. Not only to this nation and excluding other nations. Not only to the rich at the expense of the poor. 

Wisdom is with God “from the beginning.” She communicates with God. She collaborates with God. She rejoices in God and rejoices in all of Creation. We are to do the same. 

Be a loving presence. Stand with those whom are outcasts or oppressed. Tune in to the natural world and listen for guidance from the Spirit.

Let us all cultivate justice and righteousness in ourselves and encourage; no insist on, justice and righteousness from each other, so that we may all, as Wisdom does, delight in the human race. 

Amen

Rev. TJ Mack – June 15, 2025