Introduction:

Thanks for welcome. It’s good to be with you on this special occasion. Last Sunday was Trinity Sunday, so the Trinity has been on my mind recently. The thing about belief in God the Holy Trinity is that it is an experiential belief. We experience God as Creator, as Saviour in Jesus Christ, and as empowering Spirit. Our first reading this morning from the book of the prophet Isaiah – though not mentioning the Trinity is all about God experienced in these three ways. I’ve got three headings: the vision of God; the grace of God; and the call of God.

1. The vision of God. (vv 1-4)

Isaiah goes into the temple – probably quite unsuspecting – and is confronted with an amazing vision of God. Great economy is used in the way this vision is recorded - as with other visions of the presence of God in scripture, God is not actually described. Incidentals are described but not God. Isaiah says simply says he saw the hem of his robes filling the temple; he heard thunderous sounds and wonderful hymns of praise. Two things stand out from the description, however. The first is:

(a) God’s glory
Isaiah sees something he can’t describe; he hears music being sung he can hardly believe; he trembles as the whole building shakes with the voice of the heavenly host. The glory of God overwhelms him.
Do you know what I mean by a ‘gulp’ moment? The view, like a sunset, that takes your breath away; a special awareness of the presence of God in a church or just as you pray at home. And it surprises you; it’s not something you can manufacture. Our experience of God is surprising - because it’s an experience of God. We can’t put the experience of God in a box to be brought out whenever we fancy it.

(b) God’s holiness
If he’s swept away by God’s glory, he is surely affected by God’s holiness in an equally staggering way. Sometimes we think of holiness as just doing right things all the time - being morally upright - and of course that’s part of holiness of God.
But there’s something more - the original root meaning of the word is ‘separateness’; wholly different; a different quality. Even the seraphim - about whom we know nothing apart from this reference - not mentioned elsewhere - cover their faces so that they can’t see; and cover their bodies so that they can’t be seen. Even the seraphim, who presumably are sinless angelic beings, recognise that God’s holiness is wholly different; their holiness - like any we have in Christ - is just derived; secondary; coming from the source of holiness God himself.
There’s an infinite distance between God and all his creatures - a distance which can only be bridged by God himself. Holiness in us does not come by ‘being holy’, as it were - by ceremonial, by doing the right things - but by the grace of the only Holy Being, God himself. God’s glory & God’s holiness; that’s the overwhelming impression that comes over from this vision. We experience God the Father as awesome in his glory and holiness. You who have come to be baptised and confirmed know something of God as mighty Creator; as Father – that’s the first way we experience God.

2. The grace of God. (vv 4-7)

But what effect does this vision have on Isaiah? He sees himself as he really is. He has encountered the high & holy God and he can only cry out, ‘I am lost...for I have seen the King...’ He was steeped in the tradition that said no human being could see God and live; he was steeped in the tradition of the temple veil separating humans from their God; and he was steeped in the need for sacrifices even to venture into the inner temple behind that veil. All this makes a vision of the glory & holiness of God too much to bear for Isaiah - I am lost, he says.
Maybe the tremendous singing of the praise of God makes him focus on the unworthiness of his lips; or maybe that was symbolic of all that was wrong with him. Either way he is aware of his own uncleanness compared with the holiness of God. He’s aware also of the sin of his people - a nation far from God, a nation of unclean lips. His sin is disclosed by the purity of God. Isaiah cries out that he is lost: but he is not lost - his sin can be forgiven.
Symbolically - the fire touching his lips - Isaiah receives the grace of God - his cleansing; his forgiveness; his salvation. Why? Simply because he acknowledges the righteousness of God’s judgement and throws himself on God’s mercy. That’s the grace of God - God’s unmerited favour and love, which results in forgiveness. In this story it’s the symbol of the cleansing of his lips by fire, but in our terms today, it’s baptism that signifies the cleansing of our sin and wrongdoing. We acknowledge before God our unworthiness, and immediately we receive the grace of his forgiveness. Baptism is the symbol of that wonderful truth.
Many of Isaiah’s contemporaries, though, cavilled at God’s righteous judgement. We’re all right, they said; we do the religious ceremonies faithfully; we lead tolerably good lives; we’re certainly no worse than the next people - better if anything - so what’s all this talk of judgement? Ring any bells with you? Have you heard folk say these sorts of things? ‘God’s a good chap - he’ll do what’s right by me’. God is good; but we are not; we have failed, we have come short of his holiness, short of the sort of glorious holiness we glimpse through the eyes of Isaiah in this passage. If we accept God’s verdict, we can accept his grace - if we fail to accept God’s verdict, we fail to see our need of it.
This is, of course, where the second person of the Trinity is glimpsed in this passage. The grace of God; the forgiveness of God comes to us through the person of God’s Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. It’s Jesus:
· who makes the forgiveness possible;
· who bears away our sin;
· who is the grace of God made flesh.
When we acknowledge our need of God’s forgiveness, we find it through Christ’s death for us on the cross. God the Son brings us God’s forgiveness.
When God’s holiness shines on you, the temptation is to turn away from it, but then all you see is your own black shadow. But if you turn to face God in Christ, and accept his light and his forgiveness, the shadow disappears behind you. Then we experience the grace of God - coming to us through the second person of the Trinity - God’s Son our Lord Jesus Christ.

3. The call of God. (vv 8-13)

Once forgiven, the prophet hears the voice of God speaking clearly asking for someone to obey his call ‘Who will go for us?’ With alacrity, Isaiah replies, ‘Here am I. Send me.’
Isaiah recognises that now his life is forfeit to God - he has received the grace; the unmerited favour of God - the least he can do is to offer unquestioning; unstinting service. His vision, his forgiveness and his commission were the same event.
The same is true for all of us today, but especially those of you who are to be confirmed. Your meeting with God; your commitment this day; is also your commission to go wherever, and to do whatever, he wants.
This brings in the third member of the Trinity - the Holy Spirit - again by implication. It’s the Holy Spirit who speaks to us of the call of God (‘Who will go for us?’); it’s the Holy Spirit who gives us the power to obey and to fulfil that call (‘Here am I send me!’); it’s the Holy Spirit’s presence that gives us our experience of God.

Conclusion:

Our experience of God is Trinitarian; we experience him as holy Father; as forgiving Saviour; and as empowering Spirit.
In a few minutes time I shall pray for each of the candidates ‘Confirm, O Lord, your servant with your Holy Spirit’. That prayer is one that asks the Spirit of God to strengthen you in your faith - to help you to experience God the Father; to bring you the grace of God’s forgiveness through the death and resurrection of Jesus; and to commission and empower you for whatever God has for you as an individual to do and to be for him.
Are you ready to face the glory and holiness of God? Do you embrace his grace and forgiveness? Are you ready to respond to his call - ‘here am I send me’? That’s the huge challenge - and yet the wonderful privilege - of the Christian life. But it’s not just a challenge for those who are baptised and confirmed today. I’ve started saying to everyone at the end of every confirmation I take, that this prayer (‘Confirm, O Lord, this your servant with your Holy Spirit’) should be a continual one. What could be better than when you first wake up in the morning saying to God, ‘Go on confirming, O Lord, this your servant, with your Holy Spirit’. What a difference we would make to our world, if he did!
So, live every day with the help of God - and may God bless each one of you richly today and always. Amen.

Richard Inwood, Bishop of Bedford 18 June 2006