Kingdom Principle: Order and Hierarchy bring Movement and Mystery

What actually makes a game fun is the rules which define the game. Take away the rules and you no longer have a game. When you don’t have to run to first base, before you go to second base, and around third to get to home – then hitting a home run is no longer a reason to celebrate. When you are playing a card game and you have to match the suit played before you – and a person plays a wild card – the game is fun because you established what constitutes a wild card, and then the fact that it is rare and powerful – is what makes the game fun. Relationships require these same rules for life to be fun. When people break the rules or someone imposes rules that you did not agree too or understand – most people simply quit. God has established the rules of relationships in the eternal expression of the Trinity. The Trinity displays order and hierarchy (rules) in order to bring movement and mystery (fun) to the world (game).  The opposite of this is anarchy which leads to lawlessness and chaos. Therefore, let the games begin!

This post is not about explaining the Trinity (God as being 3 “persons” in one)  it is about experiencing the Trinity.  There is a huge difference between taking a bite of a perfectly grilled, seasoned to perfection, mouthwatering cheeseburger AND understanding the slaughtering process of cattle in order to produce ground beef.  One is about experience the other about explaining. Both experience and explaining are important, but I will say – one does not require understanding of an explanation in order to have an enjoyable experience. And– it is very possible to have complete understanding without knowing or having an enjoyable experience.  Most of the efforts of the church in reference to the Trinity are with regards to increasing one’s understanding and trying to explain something which is better left as mystery. This post will attempt to increase your hunger for the experience.

Rather than explaining the what, why or how of the Trinity, I will ask you to simply pause that expectation and embrace how beautiful it is. A perfect unending relationship that is defined by love, expressed through action and demonstrates complete honor and respect for uniqueness and purpose. The Bible does not define or defend the Trinity. It is written as if the relationship between God as Father, God as Son, and God as Spirit is there to be embraced and experienced. The experience is not one of the mind alone, nor is it of the heart alone, rather it is a union of the mind, heart and our body as well. It is a 3 in 1 experience.

I am completely resisting the strong temptation in me to say more about the Trinity – which in reality is just to feed my desire to help you understand… so rather – continue on here to Experience the Trinity.

• Experience the Trinity in your mind.  Invite God to renew your mind as you release all your anxiety and fear to God. Meditate on these Scriptures and picture the exchange and dance of the Father, Son and Spirit.
• Experience the Trinity in your heart. Invite God to circumcise your heart as you boast of your need for God and the cleansing power of forgiveness. Ponder the honor and respect that each “person” of the Trinity has for one another. Think of your most intimate and dear relationships, in what ways does honor and respect fill that space. What will it look like for honor and respect to move beyond and increase in this relationship? Reach out to these people today (not by texting) to connect with them to tell them “the bond of love between us – is important to me”.
• Experience the Trinity in your body. Invite God to resurrect your body as you command darkness away and you enjoy the light of Christ within you. Lay on your back on the floor. Quiet your mind by releasing all thoughts (continually pushing them back out as they come in). Place your hand on your heart and feel it beat.  Now release your heart beat to God and placing our hands by your side and speak “out loud” to your body. Say, “Body, I give voice to you, speak to me” sense and feel what your body “says” to you. Be still and allow your body to communicate to you through tingles, tremors, aches and pains.  Take those feelings to God and seek to hear back from God with regard to what it means. (More than simply that you are getting old)

To further increase your experience of the Trinity.

1. Follow the rules. God’s movement and mystery is not random nor is it chaos. I am not saying be legalistic, or look to doctrine to experience God. But what I am saying is that God has brought order and flows through hierarchy not anarchy.
2. Follow the leader. This is tricky, because really what I am saying is – be a leader. As you lead, others have the opportunity to follow, in this you will look to God more and more to show you where to go. Jesus is the leader, Father is the leader, and Spirit is the leader. In what ways have you experienced the Trinity in leadership. What about in your followership.
3. Follow the Sun. Yes I mean sun as in fiery ball of gas in the sky. Look to creation to demonstrate order and hierarchy. In this you will discover greater movement and mystery happening constantly around you.

Religion is often thought of a way for humans to discover more about God or spirituality – like explaining the Trinity. The call here is to experience and I appreciate how Richard Rohr speaks to the reality that religion can best lead us to discover  and experience our humanity. The fullness of the Trinity is already fully in you, and for many of us it is our humanity that has yet to be discovered.

If you have not read or heard of a book called The Shack, by William P. Young. I suggest you read it. The Shack is not a theological explanation, nor an attempt to solve the ontological aspects of the Trinity… (if you care  about the meaning of ontological then you may not like the book.) The Shack invites us to experience the Trinity. The quest of the Shack (in my opinion) is to answer the question:

• “How do I move in the direction of a God that is already moving in my direction?”

How is the Father moving in your direction? How is the Son moving in your direction? How is the Spirit moving in your direction? Listen to a short interview (7 min) with William P. Young as he explains what is behind the book.  God’s movement toward him was not an explaining key understanding rather it took Williams 38 years to find his Shack and 11 years to fully experience it.  That’s 49 years where suffering produced perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. There is no short-cut to character in this life, and yet without character you will never truly enjoy hope.