A Prayer
God of the covenant,
in the glory of the cross
your Son embraced the power of death
and broke its hold over your people.
In this time of repentance,
draw all people to yourself,
that we who confess Jesus as Lord
may put aside the deeds of death
and accept the life of your kingdom. Amen.
Moltmann: Trinity and Freedom
Jürgen Moltmann
Some remarks on the significance of the doctrine of the Trinity, from theologian Jürgen Moltmann:
The notion of a divine monarchy in heaven and on earth, for its part, generally provides the justification for earthly domination — religious, moral, patriarchal or political domination — and makes it hierarchy, a ‘holy rule.’ The idea of the almighty ruler of the universe everywhere requires abject servitude, because it points to complete dependency in all spheres of life.
The doctrine of the Trinity which evolves out of the surmounting of monotheism for Christ’s sake, must therefore also overcome this monarchism, which legitimates dependency, helplessness and servitude. The doctrine of the Trinity must be developed as the true theological doctrine of freedom. Religiously motivated political monotheism has always been used in order to legitimate domination, from the emperor cults of the ancient world, Byzantium and the absolute ideologies of the seventeenth century, down to the dictatorships of the twentieth. The doctrine of the Trinity which, on the contrary, is developed as a theological doctrine of freedom must for its part point towards a community of men and women without supremacy and without subjection.
— Jürgen Moltmann (tr. Margaret Kohl), The Trinity and the Kingdom (Harper & Row. German: 1980, English: 1981 ) pp.191, 192.
John Wesley: The Original Design of the Church
John Wesley (1703 –1791)
This is the original design of the Church of Christ. It is a body of men compacted together, in order, first, to save each his own soul; then to assist each other in working out their salvation; and, afterwards, as far as in them lies, to save all men from present and future misery, to overturn the kingdom of Satan, and set up the kingdom of Christ. And this ought to be the continued care and endeavour of every member of his Church; otherwise he is not worthy to be called a member thereof, as he is not a living member of Christ.
— John Wesley, Sermon #52: The Reformation of Manners.