 | The Reverend Doctor Cathy Northrup was born in Ft. Meade, MD, and was raised in a variety of places in the United State and Germany, as her father was in Counter Intelligence with the Army. She graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Hamline University in St. Paul, MN, with a double major in English and Religion. She graduated from Georgetown Law Center in Washington, DC, and practiced law with the Federal Reserve Board for a number of years before attending Union Theological Seminaryin Richmond, VA. She graduated from Union, and served several churches in North and South Carolina, at the same time obtaining her Doctor of Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, NJ. Dr. Northrup is currently the Pastor/Head of Staff of First Presbyterian Church, Wichita, KS. She is married and has two black Labrador dogs who were rescued from abusive situations. You can contact Dr. Northrup at cnorthrup@firstpresbywichita.org or by phone at (316) 263-0248, ext. 26. |
Religion
2007-07-30 15:23:00
An attempt to understand the Trinity
Question: I have a difficult time understanding the Trinity. I am bewildered when I think how all three persons in God were present at Jesus’ Baptism and at his Transfiguration. Is there any explanation of the Trinity that can help us, who did not attend theology classes?
Answer: The Trinity is a mystery, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! It cannot be easily explained, but that does not mean it is
not true. We have to allow for mystery in our faith, as we are limited and finite human beings, not God. The Trinity is a doctrine developed from the Bible and supported by the Bible. It was developed in history largely to explain who Jesus is, fully human but also fully God, the only Son of the Father, pre-existent with the Father and the Holy Spirit. One can see this clearly in the Nicene Creed, a creed shared by both Catholics and Protestants. There are ways one can “get at” glimpsing this mystery, however, and one helpful way is by analogy. Just as God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, so can the following situations exist. A man is a husband, a father, and a coach. Water is steam, liquid, and solid. It is the same substance for each, but different “roles” and “functions,” if you will.
Presbyterians find other aspects of the Trinity significant as well. It shows that God is, in Himself, community. Thus we believe each person is an individual but made for community. The Trinity also shows that God is a “self-giver,” one who sacrifices the Son and sends the Holy Spirit. Thus we believe we are to be “self-givers” to others.
