Trinity Sunday
Gathering
Though the word trinity is not found in the scriptures,
today’s second reading includes the apostolic greeting that begins the liturgy:
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the
Holy Spirit be with you all. In the gospel Jesus sends his disciples forth to
baptize in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. More than
a doctrine, the Trinity expresses the heart of our faith: we have experienced
the God of creation made known in Jesus Christ and with us always through the
Holy Spirit. We celebrate the mystery of the Holy Trinity in word and
sacrament, as we profess the creed, and as we are sent into the world to bear
witness to our faith.
Confession and Forgiveness
Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God, who forgives all our sin, whose
mercy endures forever. Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
Most merciful God, we confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen.
God, who is rich in mercy, loved us even when we were dead in sin, and
made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved. In the name
of Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven. Almighty God strengthen you with
power through the Holy Spirit, that Christ may live in your hearts through
faith. Amen.
Thanksgiving for Baptism
Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God, the fountain of living water,
the rock who gave us birth, our light and our salvation. Amen.
Joined to Christ in the waters of baptism, we are clothed with God's mercy and forgiveness. Let us give thanks for the gift of baptism.
We give you thanks, O God, for in the beginning your Spirit moved over the waters and by your Word you created the world, calling forth life in which you took delight.
Through the waters of the flood you delivered Noah and his family.
Through the sea you led your people Israel from slavery into freedom.
At the river your Son was baptized by John and anointed with the Holy
Spirit.
By water and your Word you claim us as daughters and sons, making us heirs of your promise and servants of all.
We praise you for the gift of water that sustains life, and above all we praise you for the gift of new life in Jesus Christ.
Shower us with your Spirit, and renew our lives with your forgiveness, grace, and love.
To you be given honor and praise through Jesus Christ our Lord in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
Gathering Song – Come, All You People: Uyaimose (ELW #819)
Greeting
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you.
Kyrie
Kyrie eleison: Lord, have mercy.
Christe eleison: Christ, have mercy.
Kyrie eleison: Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy: Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy: Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have
mercy: Lord, have mercy.
Prayer of the Day
Let us pray.
Almighty Creator and ever-living God: we worship your glory, eternal
Three-in-One, and we praise your power, majestic One-in-Three. Keep us
steadfast in this faith, defend us in all adversity, and bring us at last into
your presence, where you live in endless joy and love, Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
The Readings
A Reading from the book of Genesis 1:1-2:4a
At the beginning of
time, God the Creator, God the powerful Word, and God the life-giving Spirit
form the earth and all its inhabitants. God sees that all this created work is
good and then rests on the seventh day.
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
And God said, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
And God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.” So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
And God said, “Let
the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping
things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.” And it was so. God made the wild
animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and
everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was
good. Then God said, “Let
us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have
dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the
cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping
thing that creeps upon the earth.”
So God created
humankind in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, and
God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it;
and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and
over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” God said, “See, I
have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the
earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for
food. And to every beast of
the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the
earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant
for food.” And it was so. God saw everything that he had made,
and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the
sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.
These are the
generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 8
A reading from the 2nd letter from Paul to the Corinthians 13:11-13
Paul closes a
challenging letter to the Corinthians with an appeal to Christian fellowship
grounded in the triune harmony of Christ’s grace, God’s love, and the Spirit’s
partnership.
[Paul writes:] Finally, brothers and sisters,
farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another,
live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another
with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you.
The grace of the Lord
Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all
of you.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; God’s glory
fills the whole earth. Alleluia. (Isa. 6:3)
The Lord
be with you.
And also with you.
The Holy Gospel according to Matthew. 28:16-20
Glory to you, O Lord.
After his
resurrection, Jesus summons his remaining disciples and commissions them to
baptize and teach all nations in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Now the eleven
disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed
them. When they saw him,
they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All
authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything
that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of
the age.”
The gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon
Jesus has done his teachings, he has shown himself to the disciples, and the Holy Spirit has come upon us. And now, we are being sent out into the world to spread the Good News of God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit.
Trinity Sunday is a time to focus on the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, the teaching that there is one God in three Persons – God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit.
The Triune God is one the fundamental theologies of the Christian faith, and it is the ultimate mystery.
Take a moment and think about how you would explain to someone how the Almighty can both singular and triune?
It’s not easy. Not by a long shot. And trying to separate the entities doesn’t help. God and Jesus might be easy enough to describe, but the Holy Spirit?
One year, I taught a Lenten series and in week two the group discussed the Holy Trinity.
It was quite the discussion as we talked about what the Trinity is, why it is a difficult concept to understand, and to try and define or describe the Holy Spirit.
There were references to God with us versus above us, there was discussion around whether Jesus was human or divine, and a lot of confusion surrounding the essence of the Holy Spirit. Lots of talking and debating was done that day and when there was finally a pause in the conversation, I told the group my vision of the Holy Trinity. It really struck a chord with the group and so I have held it close to me and shared it wherever possible.
My image of the Holy Trinity is thus. God and Jesus stand beside me, one on either side and facing each other, as if they were my walls of solidarity. The Holy Spirit surrounds me in a circle of protection, like a blanket or the arms of a hug. I do not see myself as below the Holy Trinity, as if God and Jesus are somewhere up in the sky looking down on me. I am in the middle of the Trinity; they surround me as I live my life, like my own personal protectors. The Trinity is with me, always.
So how would you describe the Holy Trinity?
Has your image of it changed over time?
The Holy Trinity is not something tangible, that you could draw on a piece of paper and say that it is an exact image.
Everyone will imagine the Trinity, will experience the Trinity, in a different way. It is an extremely personal experience.
But when we trust in our image of the Trinity, things happen.
And because it is God, our experience of the Trinity will never be as we expected it to be.
The Trinity is not something we believe in because it describes God. It is not something to be studied and understood.
The Trinity is something to be experienced, and ultimately it is found in our relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
Particularly as we – ourselves, our congregations, our communities – seek to move into a future that aligns more closely with what we believe deep in our heart God wants for us – a right relationship with not only God, but also one another.
And there is no path forward if we don’t make room for working to create space for intentional and genuine relationships with people who are different from us – culturally, in faith, in gender, in race.
Between the pandemic and the protests, the world is burning today.
We all want it to stop, we are protesting and making statements and demanding systematic changes.
We recognize that harm is being done in the world and we are demanding a better future.
We recognize that there is system racism in our country, in the justice and policing systems.
But nothing, in the end, will change if we are not drawn into genuine, concrete, actual relationships with persons from communities beyond our experience or comfort.
Because just as we know and struggle to name God through our actual experience of God active in our lives, so also we can only know and appreciate and love and be changed by others in and through actual relationships.
This is the long road to not merely social change but a vision and reality of community that more closely matches God’s dreams for us and God’s own existence as a relational being.
Hear the call from our Bishops:
We need to repent — to kneel on one knee — in prayer, in faithfulness, and in compassion.
We need to commit to changing our ways of thinking and our actions that demean and hurt.
We need to listen, learn, hear the stories, stand alongside of, speak up, speak out, and stand up against injustice.
I pray that we all find the strength and courage to do so.
Amen.
Hymn of the Day – The Lorica by Steve Bell
Creed
Prayers of Intercession
We are a
world that is desperate for you, God.
When powers struggle for dominance, and war, oppression and abuse result; When groups of people oppose one another because of ideology, religion or culture; We need a God who is bigger than ourselves, and our personal interests.
Let us pray for all religious wars in the world; that they may come to peaceful ends.
When people are disregarded and devalued because of poverty, geography or disease; When compassion and justice is withheld to some because of sexuality, race or gender; We need a Saviour who is more compassionate than we are who includes even those we would exclude.
Let us pray for the family of George Floyd, for any who have dealt with mistreatment simply because of the colour of their skin, and for the protesters fighting for the rights of their neighbours; that there is an end to the systematic and sociological racism that exists in the world.
When resources are mismanaged and abused, and the world and its creatures are destroyed; When motivation is scarce and creativity is in short supply to address the challenges that we face; We need a Spirit who is more powerful and more creative than we could ever be.
Let us pray that we find the strength to make significant changes in our lives in order to slow the destruction of our climate.
Lord God, Loving Saviour, Empowering Spirit, we offer you these prayers because we need you so desperately. Captivate us, call us and fill us, that we may be carriers of your eternal life to this world that you love so dearly. Amen.
(Written by John van de Laar © 2008 Sacredise.com
with personal interjections from myself)
Offering Song – Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty! (ELW 413)
**Although not physically at our church buildings to share
our offering together I would encourage you to set your offering of money aside
so that it can be dropped off or placed in the church once services resume, to
mail your offering to the church, or to make donations online. Please remember
ministry is still taking place.
Thanksgiving for the Word
Let us pray.
Praise and thanks to you, holy God, for by your Word you made all
things: you spoke light into darkness, called forth beauty from chaos, and
brought life into being. For your Word of life, O God,
we give you thanks and praise.
By your Word you called your people Israel to tell of your wonderful
gifts: freedom from captivity, water on the desert journey, a pathway home from
exile, wisdom for life with you. For your Word of life, O God,
we give you thanks and praise.
Through Jesus, your Word made flesh, you speak to us and call us to
witness: forgiveness through the cross, life to those entombed by death, the way
of your self-giving love. For your Word of life, O God,
we give you thanks and praise.
Send your Spirit of truth, O God; rekindle your gifts within us: renew our faith, increase our hope, and deepen our love, for the sake of a world in need. Faithful to your Word, O God, draw near to all who call on you; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory forever. Amen.
Lord’s Prayer
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
Sending Prayer
So now we leave this space of worship and while so much of the road ahead is uncertain, the path constantly changing, we know some things that are as solid and sure as the ground beneath our feet, and the sky above our heads.
We know God is love. We know Christ’s light endures. We know the Holy Spirit this there, found in the space between all things, closer to us than our next breath, binding us to each other, until we meet we again.
Go in
peace.
(submitted by Rev. Nora Vedress, Calvary United
Church in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada)
Sending Song – Rise, O Church, like Christ Arisen (SURGE ECCLESIA) (ELW 548)
Dismissal
Go forth into the world to serve God with gladness; be of good courage;
hold fast to that which is good; render to no one evil for evil; strengthen the
fainthearted; support the weak; help the afflicted; honor all people; love and
serve God, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Thanks be to God.
Thank you for a beautiful service! I love your image of the Holy Trinity! It is a very beautiful way to describe it!
ReplyDelete