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Today, Trinity Sunday, is a good day to be in church!  I say that, because we should expect to hear and learn something about the character and nature of God. Not that we shouldn’t expect to hear something along those lines every Sunday – but especially on this Trinity Sunday, because the Trinity is the very central belief of our Christian Faith.  But tonight, rather than being purely academic and try and fathom the mystery of the Trinity, I want us instead to reflect on the broader aspects of God’s character and nature, because what we believe is vitally important and it affects how we view our own lives; how we see the world around us, how we relate to others.

If, for example, I believe in a God of love; a God who cares, a God who reaches down to me and upholds me through the hard and the dark times of life – then I will be in a totally different place and have quite a different outlook on life than if I happen to believe that either there is NO god  and that I am alone in this universe, and there is no hope or no future, and no eternal significance to anyone! 

If I believe that God is distant or remote, or uncaring, or disinterested in me, - then I will view myself and the world around me in a totally different light.

So it DOES matter what we believe, and it is important to search out and to discover the truth about God and the truths of God.

Tonight, I want to focus just on the first reading which highlight two important facts about God which have a profound implication for our lives. Those two facts are, quite simply  - that God Call us , and God sends us.

Now that may not sound like anything very special  - and maybe we’ve heard that before, but when we think about it, the fact that God calls us and wants us to know Him, at a personal level, and to be at work in us , – and then God sends us out, and wants to work through us, is a rather mind blowing thought. What is even more mind-blowing is that God would want to do that through you and through me!

In the first reading tonight God gets Moses attention through a burning bush. A rather unusual sight! And then, as Moses goes over to inspect it and figure out what’s going on – God calls to Moses.  He calls him by name! “Moses! Moses!” I would think that Moses would be rather stunned  by that experience. Its not everyday that you hear a voice coming from a burning bush! And it is not only Moses whom God speaks to! There may well be some moment in your life – past, present or future – when God may surprise you by speaking your name. No one else may hear it – but for a few moments you may hear what, to you, is none other than the voice of God calling your name.  If you have heard that voice, - or if you think you would be open to that voice – then I say to you, don’t dismiss it!

God does call!    He will call your  name -it may be while you are doing something very ordinary – while you are at work – (which is where Moses was when God called Him ) – or it may be while you are reading a book, or listening to a song, or walking along a beach – or Wherever! Don’t dismiss the possibility that God knows your name and will call you!  You will hear His voice in a sudden awareness of His presence; or perhaps some audible voice which you may hear directly in your brain which hasn’t had to pass through the mechanics of your ear drum. Perhaps the voice will happen deeper down in your heart and there will suddenly be an awareness of His presence with you and around you..       Those are just some of the different ways in which God calls.     And the reason why God calls us – and often calls us by name, is that He wants us to come closer to Him. A lot of our lives we spend in our own circles – and we don’t allow much room for God to break in – so God has to take some drastic action occasionally.  Tonight I would invite you to widen the circle, in fact, to open the circle so that God can move in.  Be open to hearing God call your name – and when he calls – be ready to respond.  

Now when God calls your name, - you can be sure that He has something important he wants you to do.  In the case of Moses – God had a mission for him which would shake the socks off most of us – and that was to lead the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt. But 1800 years later when Jesus was speaking with Nicodemus about spiritual things – Jesus was inviting Nicodemus to follow Him- to become a Christ follower – and so begin to discover a whole new point and purpose for His life.  The same is still true today.  There is no greater calling for you or for me than that we should be people who have heard God’s call, and responded in faith and obedience – we become Christ followers. And from that moment on we set our sights in seeking to discover and to live out His call and purpose for our lives. God’s call for Moses was a defining moment when his whole life changed direction.  In the circumstances of your life – when you hear God’s call  - respond promptly. There is no time to lose in God’s plan.