I'm going to skip ahead in the option list because of this morning's gospel reading from Luke. We read from Luke 12 this morning. The line that stood out to me was: "'Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom'" (Luke 12:32 RSV). In the sermon on this passage, the speaker pointed out that the giving of the kingdom was something that had already happened (see the NIV: "'for the Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.'"). We do not have to wait, it has already been given to us, so what are we waiting for? I also like the RSV translation, "'for it is the Father's good pleasure to give...'" Thus, the gift is already given and God is pleased, was pleased, will be pleased (with good pleasure) to give this abundant gift.
This gift giving language reminds me of Kathryn Tanner's theology. The triune God gives good gifts - in the Son and through the Spirit, the Father gives us more than we can ask or even conceive (see Eph. 3:20). This gift giving comes forth from the eternal and internal gift giving love that is the triune God and is revealed to us in the person of work of Jesus Christ, through the Spirit. It is in the light of this gift giving that we are empowered to live the Christian life, for "The Son is sent by the Father in the power of the Spirit to bring us into the gift-giving relations enjoyed among the members of the Trinity; living our lives in Christ according to the mode of the Son, should involve, then, our own service to that mission, spreading the gifts of the Father that are ours in Christ, empowered by the Son's own Spirit" (Tanner, Jesus, Humanity, and The Trinity, T&T Clark, 2001, 68).
In her book, Jesus, Humanity, and The Trinity, Tanner mines the depth and breadth of the Christian tradition, relying especially on the Church Fathers. She assumes that her readers will be familiar with most, if not all, of this theology. Because of this, her work is difficult to dive into. On the other hand, by the end of this book, the reader will be exposed to a rich and beautiful theology. Thus, like a difficult hike in the mountains, the hard work of getting to the top of the ridge is rewarded by an amazing and expansive view.
If you would like to hear a little more, follow this link to see a short video biography of Kathryn Tanner (though she no longer teaches at the University of Chicago, she is now at Yale).
If you are even more intrigued, here is a lecture on the Trinity and Politics (in four parts) given by Tanner at Huron University College in London, Ontario on March 9, 2011:
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