Exploring the Mystery
Illustration
Stories
Tim flopped down on the couch in the youth group room. “I’m not sure if I will ever understand the Trinity.”
“Yeah, it really is confusing.” Sue furrowed her brow. “How can God be three and one at the same time?”
Joseph opened his mouth, thought for a moment, and just shrugged. “Got me. Maybe we should get Pastor John to talk about it tonight.”
“I thought we were going to talk about our camping trip before summer break.” Rose piped up. “Did everyone get their permission forms signed?”
“I’m more worried about confirming our chaperones,” Tim said. “Do we have enough money to get t-shirts this year?”
Sue nodded. “I think we have enough money. We earned more from the bake sale than we expected, and the men’s club offered to pay for our gas expenses again.”
“Sweet,” Joseph pumped his arm in the air. “I bet that the women’s group will provide lunches like last year if we asked.”
“For the trip?” Kelly looked up from the table. “Sure, Mom said they talked about it last meeting and will give us some snacks and camping food for the weekend.”
Everyone cheered and Tim and Sue high fived.
Pastor John came through the door. “What’s the celebration about?”
“Looks like the camping trip is coming together,” Joseph said. “We’ve got the permission forms signed, are getting some sweet t-shirts, the men’s club and the women’s group are helping and we’re all set!”
“That sounds great.” Pastor John settled at the big table as everyone took their seats. “I know you didn’t think you have enough time to get ready, but you did a great job.”
“So, what’s the story about the Trinity?” Tim asked.
“A bit of a change of subject but...” Pastor John looked thoughtful for a moment. “No, actually it’s not.”
“Okay, now I’m really confused,” Sue said. “What does the Trinity have to do with our camping trip?”
“Yeah.” Joseph frowned. “Isn’t the Trinity some great idea about God?”
“We call it a doctrine but yes, it is a way for us to understand God.” Pastor John took a deep breath. “You all know about God the Father who made everything and loves us and calls us to be people of faith?”
Everyone nodded.
“You all know about Jesus who came to show us the way to God and died on the cross and rose from the grave?”
“God the Son,” Tim said.
“Exactly. The Holy Spirit is the third part and was the story we read about last week at Pentecost with the wind and flames touching the disciples.” Pastor John paused. “God the Father, God the Son, and the God the Holy Spirit are all the same God.”
There was silence in the room. Sue put up her hand. “How?”
“That’s a good question. I’ll be honest with you, greater minds than mine have struggled with that question and not come up with an easy answer. The truth is that it is complicated and much of it we have to accept on faith.” Pastor John smiled. “Which is where I think your camping trip comes in.”
“Now you have really lost me.” Joseph shook his head. “I understand all about the camping trip and don’t find it confusing at all.”
“So how did it all come together? How did the youth group of St. Luke’s Church make it happen when two weeks ago when you talked about it the time was short and nothing had been done?”
“We all did our part,” Tim said. “Sue made sure we had enough money, Joseph spoke to the men’s club, Kelly checked with the women’s groups, and we all got the permission forms signed.”
“What about the chaperones you need?” Pastor John asked.
“Still working on them,” Lou said. “I’ve got a yes from the Pattersons but Mrs. Chan isn’t available this year.”
Joseph frowned. “So we’ve still got a few details but I can’t see how that has anything to do with the Trinity.”
Pastor John took a deep breath. “All of you are the youth group here at St. Luke’s. Yet all of you did different things to make the camping trip happen. You had different roles and working together brought about something that will be good for you and the little kids you’ll be bringing camping.”
Everyone was silent for a few moments. Tim raised his hand. “I can see your point, but I still don’t understand the Trinity.”
“Except maybe that was part of Pastor John’s point.” Sue tilted her head. “We can understand a bit of God and what God is doing by relating it to our own experience but beyond that we really can’t grasp and understand.”
“Which is where faith comes in.” Joseph sat forward. “Just like we had to have faith that we could do this for the little kids when we started. We had to trust and believe to make it happen and when we think about God, we have to trust and believe.”
“Exactly. Sometimes we must accept that we can’t understand and make sense of things in our heads.” Pastor John raised up his hand before the questions could start. “I don’t mean we shouldn’t keep trying to understand God but that sometimes we need to focus more on what we know than the details we can’t figure out.”
Everyone thought about that for a few moments.
“I still have lots of questions.” Tim said.
“So do I,” Pastor John said. “Thankfully God brings us together to explore them as a group.”
“Yeah, it really is confusing.” Sue furrowed her brow. “How can God be three and one at the same time?”
Joseph opened his mouth, thought for a moment, and just shrugged. “Got me. Maybe we should get Pastor John to talk about it tonight.”
“I thought we were going to talk about our camping trip before summer break.” Rose piped up. “Did everyone get their permission forms signed?”
“I’m more worried about confirming our chaperones,” Tim said. “Do we have enough money to get t-shirts this year?”
Sue nodded. “I think we have enough money. We earned more from the bake sale than we expected, and the men’s club offered to pay for our gas expenses again.”
“Sweet,” Joseph pumped his arm in the air. “I bet that the women’s group will provide lunches like last year if we asked.”
“For the trip?” Kelly looked up from the table. “Sure, Mom said they talked about it last meeting and will give us some snacks and camping food for the weekend.”
Everyone cheered and Tim and Sue high fived.
Pastor John came through the door. “What’s the celebration about?”
“Looks like the camping trip is coming together,” Joseph said. “We’ve got the permission forms signed, are getting some sweet t-shirts, the men’s club and the women’s group are helping and we’re all set!”
“That sounds great.” Pastor John settled at the big table as everyone took their seats. “I know you didn’t think you have enough time to get ready, but you did a great job.”
“So, what’s the story about the Trinity?” Tim asked.
“A bit of a change of subject but...” Pastor John looked thoughtful for a moment. “No, actually it’s not.”
“Okay, now I’m really confused,” Sue said. “What does the Trinity have to do with our camping trip?”
“Yeah.” Joseph frowned. “Isn’t the Trinity some great idea about God?”
“We call it a doctrine but yes, it is a way for us to understand God.” Pastor John took a deep breath. “You all know about God the Father who made everything and loves us and calls us to be people of faith?”
Everyone nodded.
“You all know about Jesus who came to show us the way to God and died on the cross and rose from the grave?”
“God the Son,” Tim said.
“Exactly. The Holy Spirit is the third part and was the story we read about last week at Pentecost with the wind and flames touching the disciples.” Pastor John paused. “God the Father, God the Son, and the God the Holy Spirit are all the same God.”
There was silence in the room. Sue put up her hand. “How?”
“That’s a good question. I’ll be honest with you, greater minds than mine have struggled with that question and not come up with an easy answer. The truth is that it is complicated and much of it we have to accept on faith.” Pastor John smiled. “Which is where I think your camping trip comes in.”
“Now you have really lost me.” Joseph shook his head. “I understand all about the camping trip and don’t find it confusing at all.”
“So how did it all come together? How did the youth group of St. Luke’s Church make it happen when two weeks ago when you talked about it the time was short and nothing had been done?”
“We all did our part,” Tim said. “Sue made sure we had enough money, Joseph spoke to the men’s club, Kelly checked with the women’s groups, and we all got the permission forms signed.”
“What about the chaperones you need?” Pastor John asked.
“Still working on them,” Lou said. “I’ve got a yes from the Pattersons but Mrs. Chan isn’t available this year.”
Joseph frowned. “So we’ve still got a few details but I can’t see how that has anything to do with the Trinity.”
Pastor John took a deep breath. “All of you are the youth group here at St. Luke’s. Yet all of you did different things to make the camping trip happen. You had different roles and working together brought about something that will be good for you and the little kids you’ll be bringing camping.”
Everyone was silent for a few moments. Tim raised his hand. “I can see your point, but I still don’t understand the Trinity.”
“Except maybe that was part of Pastor John’s point.” Sue tilted her head. “We can understand a bit of God and what God is doing by relating it to our own experience but beyond that we really can’t grasp and understand.”
“Which is where faith comes in.” Joseph sat forward. “Just like we had to have faith that we could do this for the little kids when we started. We had to trust and believe to make it happen and when we think about God, we have to trust and believe.”
“Exactly. Sometimes we must accept that we can’t understand and make sense of things in our heads.” Pastor John raised up his hand before the questions could start. “I don’t mean we shouldn’t keep trying to understand God but that sometimes we need to focus more on what we know than the details we can’t figure out.”
Everyone thought about that for a few moments.
“I still have lots of questions.” Tim said.
“So do I,” Pastor John said. “Thankfully God brings us together to explore them as a group.”
