Trinity B John Calvin March 30, 2021 (1509 - 1564)

Isaiah 6:1-8 Romans 8:12-17 Theologian John 3:1-17

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Centreville VA Adult Lectionary Forum 2021 John Calvin (Jean Cauvin) was born at Noyon, France on 10 July 1509. At 14, he went to Paris to study theology & developed an interest in the writings of Augustine. He received an MA at 19. His father then insisted he take up law, which he did for three years, returning to theology when his father died. In 1534, he experienced an epiphany & became an ardent Protestant. He went to Basel, a Swiss Protestant (Zwinglian) city, where he wrote and published the first edition of his Institutes of the Christian Religion, a work of systematic theology. Some philosophers are system- builders & some aren’t--Calvin was. Others were content to testify to their experience of God's grace, but Calvin sought a detailed logical account of grace. His detractors say some things, like a good joke, or a living organism, are destroyed

when you take them apart to see what makes them work. His admirers say he faced Calvin John the hard questions others preferred to avoid. In his writings on predestination, he seems to portray God as arbitrarily withholding salvation from many. His doctrine is rooted in the experience of God's grace at work in his own heart & an unwillingness to attribute its presence to anything but the mercy of God, a determination never to claim that he has done anything more or better than Judas Iscariot to deserve a better destiny. In 1536, he became a preacher in Geneva; by 1538 he was banished; and in 1541 returned in triumph to establish a church government format associated ever since with Reformed or Presbyterian churches. It provides for a boards (consistories) to maintain discipline in local congregations & in district-wide congregations, boards consisting partly of clergy & partly of elected congregational representatives. His major achievements are: (1) Institutes, which present an organized statement & defense of Reformed theology; (2) Commentaries on Scripture; (3) His Church government system; (4) Contributions to dialogue on election, grace, free will, predestination, Divine sovereignty, etc. Luther & Calvin were contemporaries but there were important differences between them. Calvinist churches differ from Lutheran ones on the mode of Christ's presence in the Lord's Supper; on the nature of the Sacraments, and on style of worship. Collect for Trinity B Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer for Trinity B [John Calvin] Sovereign and holy God, you brought John Calvin from a study of legal systems to understand the godliness of your divine laws as revealed in Scripture: Fill us with a like zeal to teach and preach your Word, that the whole world may come to know your Son Jesus Christ, the true Word and Wisdom; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, ever one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. St. John’s Episcopal Church, Centreville VA -- Adult Lectionary Forum 2021 come is come - to - Isaiah is forgiven is Isaiah -- A reluctant Isaiah accepts Isaiah reluctant A : In Isaiah’s vision, carved creatures carved vision, Isaiah’s In very God’s in he’s aware is Isaiah him, humbles God meeting Although doesn’t w/God, experience direct This king good the Isaiah, In Isaiah lives “among a people of people a “among lives Isaiah to tradition, by but Lord,” the “saw He his by struckis Isaiah wonder No stand to other, totally to be is Holiness “the in place takes experience Isaiah’s The altar fire the Seraphs convey is convey Seraphs the fire altar The -- any & life to come ark the adorning & temple earthly an between distinction blurred becomes home heavenly God’s -- council heavenly& God of presence -- fear to nothing has Isaiah -- sacrifice require – enough cleansing -- read Churchmen early but Hezekiah; ultimate their receivingas texts these ministry,life, birth, in the fulfillment Jesus. of resurrection and death, Synopsis his purifies angel an when call God’s me!” Send I am! “Here lips: Signing the Covenant -- so. also is confesses lips” unclean -- die to is God see -- God before unworthiness & inadequacy -- unclean& sinful is what from apart -- as known portion innermost the temple, & ark,the housing Holies,” of “Holy the throne earthly God’s as viewed thus Adult Lectionary 2021 Forum Lectionary Adult PENTECOST 1B: SERAPHS SAY! [ISAIAH 6:1-8]

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Centreville VA VA Church, Centreville Episcopal St. John’s

ask, “Whom shall I send & who will go for us?” I said, “Here am I; sendme!” “Here am I; I said,for us?”go will & who send shallask, I “Whom guilt has departed & your sin is blotted out.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord voiceof the the heard I Then out.” is & yourblotted sin departedhas guilt touched my mouth with it & said: “Now that this has touched your lips, yourlips, yourtouched this has& “Now that said:with it my mouthtouched coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraphThe tongs.pair of with a altar the from taken been that had coal the King, the Lord of hosts!” Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live holding me, to flew seraphs the of one Then hosts!” of the Lord King, the unclean lips & I live among a people of unclean lips; yetseenlips; my eyes haveof unclean a peopleamong I livelips & unclean house filled with smoke. I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of a man am I for lost, I am me! is “Woe I said:with smoke. filled house The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called & the calledwhovoicesthose shook at the of the thresholdson pivots The

holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” is of full earth the wholeof hosts; Lordis holythe their feet, & with two they flew. And one called to another & said: “Holy, holy, holy, said:& “Holy, to another calledoneAnd they & with two flew. feet, their each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, they& with two their six covered with two they coveredwings:eachhad the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; him; above in attendanceSeraphswere temple. the filled his robeof hem the In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high & lofty; & & lofty; high a throne, on sitting saw Lord the I died, Uzziah yearKing the In Context: In Jesus we become So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to God’s heirs, Spirit-inspired, aware the flesh-- for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you our suffering with Jesus opens us put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of up to being glorified in Him.. God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into Glorified in Him --We are God’s adopted children. fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. Trinity B: Debtors All! Debtors [Romans 8:12 All! B: Trinity While “adopted” might seem to suggest a 2nd-rate status, that is not so when God is the adoptive Father --Israel thought of itself as God’s heir & Promised Land as its inheritance --Now God extends family privileges to all those who live according to the Spirit—expands inheritance from small patch of real estate in the Middle East to the kingdom of God --Christ’s suffering/death set the stage for his exaltation in heaven --Paul & many other Christians of his day experienced persecution—even martyrdom --In today’s world, Christians are still being persecuted--Even nations that pride themselves on tolerance are increasingly hostile to Christians --While there is no virtue in seeking persecution, we must be ready to face it bravely it if it comes

--We can be sure that our faithfulness -

17 in the face of persecution will not go

unrewarded. ] When we cry, "Abba! Father!" it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ-- if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. St. John’s Episcopal Church, Centreville VA Adult Lectionary Forum 2021 understand answer understand - to -

his rebirth his — Martin Luther calls John 3:16 “the 3:16 John calls Luther Martin

Jesus said one can’t see the kingdom the see can’t one said Jesus & Nicodemus from initiative takes This Nicodemus carefully how matter No water: of understandings possible 3 speaks he that it clear makes Jesus A pattern common to this Gospel: to this common pattern A with darkness& night associates Text “we saying by begins Nicodemus he clarification, for asks Nicodemus doesn’t ask about being sired again by again sired being about ask doesn’t “a entering about rather but father his womb” mother’s the into time second -- above. from born is he/she unless -- hands God’sit in places -- is more something law, Torah obeys required -- baptism Christian rebirth, purification, -- things heavenlyabout authority with -- miniature.” in gospel Nicodemus, aNicodemus, Phariseewho is getcan’t just with Jesus,impressed the aroundmind of ideabeing his “born again.” Impossible! ..But that’s -- question a asks Nicodemus• a hard gives J • misunderstands Nicodemus• cryptically more even answers J • follows discourse A • -- God from separation& evil -- clue. a have doesn’t he but know,” -- Adult Lectionary 2021 Forum Lectionary Adult Trinity B: You Should Know! [John 3:1-17] St John’s Episcopal Church, Centreville VA Centreville Church, VA Episcopal St John’s

may not perish but may have eternal life. “Indeed, God did not send the Son “Indeed,God have notSon perish may eternal may butdid send thenotintolife.the condemn in world butthe world world,be through might order thatsaved to him. the loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone everyone gave his believes onlyso thatin loved he who world Son,the him that a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?... “For God do understand “For notso and yet you things?...teacher Israel,theseofa Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” thingscan these answered Nicodemus him, “How toJesus you said him, “Are comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” witheveryone is born who theof where is it from goes. So or comes it blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do know where notyou it buthear chooses, and blows you where sound ofittheit, Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind The be born must from above.’ you, ‘You said to be notIastonished Do that

born of water and born water Spirit… of answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one God kingdom being can enterthetell without of I truly, answered, “Very old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s theintoborn?” second and time Jesus a be old? womb Can one enter from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone anyone above.” “How can him, Nicodemus from having be said born toafter grown him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom God being kingdom you, no one thewithout can see tellof born I truly, him, “Very can do these signs that you do apart from the presence presence answered you do Jesus God.”of from apart thethat do these can signs him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no are you God;for one who a from has come that teacher we “Rabbi,him, know There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus [who] came to Jesus by night a and TherePharisee said by was to Jesus named came [who]toNicodemus