With Trinity Sunday coming up, I want to share a portion of a sermon that I came across a few years ago. It was given on Trinity Sunday back in 2002 by Father Al Schifano, a priest in Diocese of Tucson, AZ. It plays off of the classic Abbot and Costello routine, “Who’s On First.” Here’s what Fr. Al wrote:
Lou: Bud, you’re a very smart man, you know many things. I bet you know a lot about religion.
Bud: As a matter of fact, yes Lou—I do. What would you like to know?
Lou: Well, last weekend, I saw a church group having a picnic, and they had a big sign that said, “Holy Trinity Church.”
Bud: And?
Lou: Well, Bud, I’ve seen churches named after saints, but I never heard of this St. Trinity.
Bud: Trinity’s not a saint, Lou. It’s a way that Christians have tried to understand God. The Trinity is One God—Three Persons—God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Lou: That sure sounds like three gods to me.
Bud: No, Lou, one God, three persons. It’s a mystery.
Lou: Well, Bud, come to think of it the world and the universe is pretty big, and there’s lots of things for God to look after. So the Father probably works the day shift, the Son the evening shift, and the Holy Spirit the graveyard shift.
Bud: No, Lou. No shifts. God’s working all of the time.
Lou: Well, if God’s working all the time, maybe God divides it up in thirds—a third for the Father, a third for the Son, and a third for the Holy Spirit.
Bud: No, Lou. No thirds. No divisions. God is undivided.
Lou: Well, Bud, let me ask it to you this way. I think God must be a baseball fan; after all, the first words in the bible are, “In the big inning”.
Bud: No, Lou, it’s “In the beginning,” not “In the big inning.”
Lou: Whatever. Anyway, Bud, you know I like baseball. So let’s say that God’s team was playing a baseball game, and God’s team was up to bat. The Father hits a single. Who’s on first?
Bud: God.
Lou: The Father.
Bud: That’s right, Lou.
Lou: Then the Son comes up and hits a single. The Son goes to first base, and the Father goes to second base. Who’s on first?
Bud: God
Lou: I thought God was on second base.
Bud: That’s right.
Lou: Okay, then, now the Holy Spirit’s up, and lays down a bunt. The Father goes to third base, the Son goes to second base, and the Holy Spirit beats the throw. Safe at first. Who’s on first?
Bud: God.
Lou: I thought God was on second and third.
Bud: That’s right Lou, God’s on second and third. God’s on first too. God’s on all the bases.
Lou: I don’t get it, Bud.
Clear as mud, right? Well, we’ll unpack the idea of the Trinity this coming Sunday morning. I hope to see you then!