“Three we name thee, though in essence one, undivided God.”

Hymn: “Holy God, We Bless Thy Name” – Ignase Franz (1719-1790)
Tune: GROSSER GOTT

Though the word “Trinity” never appears in Scripture, we are Trinitarian in our understanding of God as the Father (Parent), God the Son (Child), and God the Holy Spirit (Presence). It seems to be easier to get our minds around the three persons. The idea of the three-in-one God came into being through the teachings of Tertullian in the 2nd Century AD and became an accepted dogma in the 4th Century.

While the theological implications are multi-layered and not always easily understood, this short phrase from a German hymn says it so succinctly and so well: “Three we name thee, though in essence one, undivided God.” Although we call you by three names, when we understand the truth of who you are, you are  undividable – indivisible.

Every writer wishes he/she had written that line – because it brings the Trinitarian idea into a clearer focus. We can look at him and appreciate him from three different angles, but we must not lose sight of his being One.

Irish Philharmonic Chorus