Gods, like people, are often best revealed by what they do, because what they do reveals who they are, what's important to them, what makes them tick, what makes them delighted, happy, loving, amorous, regretful, remorseful, angry, vengeful…  Ancient religions and contemporary religions all have elements of worship to please or placate or influence the gods. 

       So, I wonder, how is our our understanding of what our god does and how we might manipulate or placate that god reflected in what we do, who we are?   

       Two of the readings for this Holy Trinity Sunday, the Genesis reading of the first creation story, and Jesus' "Great Commission" at the end of Matthew's gospel reveal something of what God is, and thus, who God is. 

       In the opening chapter of Genesis, God takes incredible delight in bringing creation into being, creating with a word.  By the sixth day- after God has created galaxies and solar systems, planets and orbs, oceans and continents, mountains, lakes and rivers, flora and fauna- at the very end of this marvelous liturgical poem, God creates humankind, and God gives the humans a special place in the created order of the cosmos.  God makes them God's partners, stewards of God's good creation.  And at the very end of the story, God looks over everything God has lovingly made, everything God has done, and God says, Wow!  It's all very good!  God takes high and great delight- God's tickled with Godself and what's turned out!

       In the Matthew commission, the resurrected Christ is about to ascend to the one he calls Father, but befre he goes he gathers the eleven and gives them his final instructions: "GO! -make disciples, baptizing, teaching, promising Christ's presence to the end (completion, trajectory) of the age.  Christ send them and us out to be the agents of peace and reconciliation, to finish what Christ himself has begun.

        The Holy Trinity isn't so much about correct dogma as it's about relationship.  It's about who God is, what God does, and what God desires.  The God of Shalom desires and wills to bring peace and health, wholeness and healthy, good, truthful, and right relationships.  And God intends to use us in the doing, too.