Father's Day?

Last week John and I were looking for Father's Day cards for the men in our lives.  The display was large.  There were cards of every design.  You could buy cards for not just your father or grandfather but for your uncle, stepfather, husband, or brother.  There were even Father's Day cards from the cat.  But when it came to themes the variety stopped.

You can buy Father's Day Cards about golf.  Or grilling.  Or lawn care.  You can by cards about how you bought too much clothing as a young woman or drove the car too much as a young man.  There are cards about remote controls.  And there are lots of cards about bodily functions.  But that's about it.

And none of these really suit my father or John's.

This Father's Day just so happens to be Trinity Sunday.  This Sunday we celebrate God in all God's fullness.  Theologians over time have developed specific vocabulary - three persons, one substance, beings that are the same and not merely similar, etc, but basically Trinity Sunday boils down to celebrating the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and the mystery of their connection.

Mystery and fancy theological language may be all well and good for a lot of things, but it doesn't preach very well.  A lot of pastors I know dislike Trinity Sunday almost as much as their parishioners.  I know that aside from singing "Holy, Holy, Holy" I certainly could let it slide.  But this year it struck me this week that perhaps we need Trinity Sunday.  Perhaps our own vision of God is as limited as Hallmark's vision of fathers.

Case in point:  John and I were once driving when he asked me a theological question.  (I think there is something about sitting in the backseat that brings up theological questions - perhaps it is the modern version of a confessional? But I digress) John asked me, "Mama, is God a boy or a girl?"

As a well-rounded, open-minded, religious leader, I gave John the whole story.  "In Genesis it says that humankind is created in God's image, both male and female...Jesus calls God "Father" but there are also female images of God in the Bible, as a woman who nurses her children or as a woman who kneads bread...Jesus even compares himself to a mother hen...The Holy Spirit doesn't have a gender, but in Hebrew..."

John cut me off.  In a voice as authoritative as any 5 year old can pull off he said, "Mama, I think God is a man.  With a white beard.  Like Santa Claus."

Keep in mind that John had, at this point, not only never had another pastor but me but had also lived his whole life in Berkeley, California.  This image of God, as an old man and traditional father must be in the air.

And God as Father isn't the worst vision of God, far from it.  A vision of a loving father can help us come close to God.  To be invited into an intimacy with God like that Jesus shared is an awesome privilege.  I pray to the Father as often as not.  But it's important to remember, this isn't the end of the story.

Hallmark doesn't have the whole story when it comes to dads.  I know there are lots of dads who golf, and mow, and grill and the like.  I know that dads like this are often exemplary men who love their children and care for them.  But they aren't the men in my life.

My dad builds scenery and cooks and draws funny pictures.  And my husband, John's father, follows politics; watches costume dramas, and goes to church.  And they are excellent dads too.

God is Father, yes.  But God is also Jesus, the Word incarnate who walked among us sharing our common life and dying (and rising) for the sake of us all.  God is Father, yes, but also the Holy Spirit, who give us faith, enlivens the church, and sends us into the world.  Just as we need to acknowledge different kinds of dads, we need to acknowledge the fullness of God too.

Happy Father's Day..And Son Day..And Holy Spirit Day too!