See also Trinity Sunday Year A and Year B.
Readings
Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31: Wisdom sings of being with God at the creation of the world, and of humanity.
Psalm 8: A song of God’s majesty, and the honour God has given to humanity.
Romans 5:1-5: In Christ God has given us peace and a place of privilege, and has also strengthened us by giving us the Spirit.
John 16:12-15: Jesus promises the Spirit who will lead us into truth, and teach us all that belongs to Jesus and the Father.
(Bible readings summary by John van de Laar, Sacredise)
Resources:
Life in Liturgy
Singing from the Lectionary
Textweek
A Trinity Preparation
I bind unto myself this day the strong name of the Trinity.
The Creator’s gifts of earth and sky,
the flowing creeks and fertile land,
the winter sun and summer moon,
the roaring sea and golden sand.
I bind unto myself this day the Christ who wears our human clay.
The Baby sleeping in a stall,
the Healer touching our disease,
the Man of love upon the Cross,
the risen Friend who hears our pleas.
I bind unto myself this day the Spirit who is here to stay.
The Breath that makes the broken whole,
the Truth that flows like liquid light,
the Wind that sweeps my dusty soul,
the Fire that warms the darkest night.
From now unto infinity,
The strong name of the Trinity.
(Source: Bruce Prewer)
Call to worship
We gather in the name of the living Christ to worship God.
Surely, God is in this place and calls us to worship in spirit and in truth.
God’s love is for you and for all people everywhere.
May we be renewed in the refreshing Spirit of the living Christ, that we may share God’s love and life.
The living Christ is with us.
Praise the Lord!
Gift of Faith (a prayer inspired by Romans 5:1–5)
You give us faith
to make us right
with You again.
You give us peace
to bring us home
to You again.
You give us grace
in which we stand,
in Your presence,
in Your love,
in Your honour.
Thus we withstand
our suffering,
and we endure;
we find resilience,
and we grow;
we develop character,
and we hope –
we hope, for Your love,
our faithful Holy One,
is poured into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit that has
been given to us.
You give us Your Spirit,
breath of life,
wind of flight.
You give us Your Wisdom,
welcoming light,
path of right relationship.
You give us Your Love,
source of life,
home each night of sorrow
and day of quite exquisite joy.
We stand in awe,
grateful for such gifts, inspired
to fly, to love, to shine light
in the world.
May it be so. Amen.
(Sarah Agnew)
Collect
God the Father,
God the Son,
God the Holy Spirit,
together one, diverse unity,
creating, redeeming and sanctifying.
By your empowering presence
you enable us to
to have a role as one with you
in your creation, redemption and sanctification
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns in unity
for ever and ever. Amen (Bob Eldan, see also Reflections on Trinity Sunday)
Blessing
May the blessing of God, Creator and Sustainer,
surround you through this day.
May the love of Christ, Redeemer and Saviour,
comfort you through this day.
May the Holy Spirit, in the unity of the three,
support you through this day.
(John Birch, faithandworship.com)
Music
God eternal, timeless moment
1. God eternal, timeless moment,
un-named Name of majesty,
morning star and evening glory,
source of life — its destiny:
you yet chose to shape and name us,
wove us in the deepest earth;
you ordained our days before us,
gave us freedom, gave us worth.
2. Jesus, helper in our sorrow,
Christ, who helpless chose to be:
is it sacrifice to follow
you to Calvary’s cruel tree?
Grant us courage, grant us grace to
die to self and love you still;
counting all things loss to know you,
walk your way and live your will.
3. Holy Spirit, word of wisdom,
dove descending, wind and fire:
sighing deep beyond our knowledge
search our minds, our lives inspire.
Tongues of flame and tongues of language
blaze the Word of God abroad;
may we here translate your wisdom,
guide your world to Christ her Lord.
4. God beyond us, God among us,
ever three, yet ever one:
re-create us, re-confirm us,
re-inspire us, lead us on.
God eternal, go before us;
Christ companion, come beside;
Spirit, be the life within, through
whom our God is glorified.
(Words: © David Lee; Metre: 87.87.D. Written with Blaenwern in mind; a lighter, flowing feel is offered by both Scarlet Ribbons and Saltash. See the Singing the Faith website for more information).
Noble, Yet Mystical Ground…(Tune: ‘Was Lebet’ 11 10 11 10D)
Noble, yet mystical, ground of creation,
star-fire and sun shower, and darkness and dreams;
all that through senses draws forth adoration,
God, we would worship, the love that redeems.
Human, yet awesome, the Christ, our relation,
offers a spirit: we learn to forgive.
Conquering our will this divine annexation
offers a way for us simply to live.
Spirit of living gives hope for our dying,
something transcending this life and its frame,
onward and upward in faith we are flying,
goal of existence, your love is our aim. (Andrew Pratt)
HYMN: God of Creation (Tune: Morning Has Broken; Words: Craig Mitchell)
God of Creation
Gentle life-giver
Present at birth, and
all through our days
Author of sunrise
Song in the night sky
Here in this place, we
offer our praise
Jesus, Companion
teacher and healer
friend of the grieving,
suffering, the poor
Stand with your people
whisper among us
promise of mercy
goodness for all
Spirit of Comfort
blow through Creation
stir up new life, breathe
peace through our world
Healer of hearts, and
hope for tomorrow
weave all our sorrows
into new dawn
Here we give thanks for
life in its fullness
blessings received
your gifts to us all
Make us a people
filled with compassion
selflessly giving
serving your world
We Join in Proclaiming
ASH GROVE (“Let All Things Now Living”)
We join in proclaiming the faith we believe in—
That God is Creator and we are God’s own.
We trust in Christ Jesus and gladly receive him,
For we have been blessed by the love he has shown.
Christ died and is risen and, one with the Father,
He reigns now in heaven, still loving the earth.
The Spirit of God that moved over the waters
Now moves here among us, empowering God’s church.
O God, we have pondered through years of our history
How you can be Father and Spirit and Son.
We’ve prayed and we’ve studied and called it a mystery
That you are three persons and yet you are one.
Creating and saving, your church here renewing,
You still are one God working many good ways.
May we humbly thank you for all you are doing!
O God in three persons, we offer you praise.
Biblical References: Genesis 1-2; Galatians 3:26; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; John 15:13; Matthew 28:6; Acts 1:6-11; Acts 2; John 10:30; 2 Corinthians 13:14
Tune: Welsh folk melody
Text: Copyright © 2015 Carolyn Winfrey Gillette. All rights reserved.
Email: bcgillette@comcast.net New Hymns: www.carolynshymns.com
I Believe (a paraphrase of the Apostles’ Creed)
AUSTRIAN HYMN 8.7.8.7D (MIDI)
I believe in God the Father, the Almighty God above,
Maker of the earth and heaven which were formed in God’s great love.
And in Jesus, loving Jesus, God’s own Son, who makes us new.
This, the creed of generations, is the faith for our church, too.
Jesus, by God’s Holy Spirit, was so wondrously conceived,
Born unto the Virgin Mary, who your promises believed.
Jesus suffering under Pilate, on a cross was crucified.
Soldiers mocked him, friends denied him; he hung there until he died.
So it was, our Lord was buried, in a borrowed tomb he lay.
To the dead he then descended, where was joy on earth that day?
There is more to God’s great story: in three days he rose again.
He ascended into heaven, and he sits at God’s right hand.
I believe what God has promised: Christ will come as he has said.
He will judge the nations’ peoples, both the living and the dead.
I believe God’s Holy Spirit makes the church one family.
We’re surrounded by God’s people, saints who in our Lord believe.
I believe that God forgives us for the times we turn away,
And that God will raise our bodies on that resurrection day.
We rejoice we’ll live forever, singing praise to God’s great name.
This, the creed of generations, is the faith that we proclaim.
Tune: Franz Joseph Haydn, 1797, (“Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken”).
Text: Copyright © 1998 by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette. All rights reserved.
Email: bcgillette@comcast.net New Hymns: www.carolynshymns.com
Reproduced from Gifts of Love: New Hymns for Today’s Worship by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (Geneva Press)
God Made the Heavens and the Earth (Inspired by Psalm 8, the Old Testament reading for Trinity Sunday, a text often mentioned in caring for God’s creation)
SOLID ROCK LM with refrain (“My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less”)
God made the heavens and the earth.
God’s Spirit moved; they came to be.
For when God spoke, there was the light,
And solid ground, and rolling sea.
Refrain:
Lord, all your world’s a precious gift.
You give dominion! Help us share
In your creation’s loving care.
God saw the earth was very good.
God spoke, and life came bursting forth:
The bright green grass, the shaded wood,
And wondrous creatures ‘round the earth.
Refrain
And soon it was, God spoke again:
In God’s good image we were made,
To fill the earth, and tenderly
To tend the land, and love, and pray.
Refrain
When I look up and see the stars,
Creation shouts your praise anew.
I humbly ask, “Lord, who am I?”
Yet, we are called to work with you.
Refrain
Biblical Texts: Genesis 1 and Psalm 8
Tune: William Batchelder Bradbury, 1863
Text: Copyright © 1998 by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette. All rights reserved.
Email: bcgillette@comcast.net New Hymns: www.carolynshymns.com
Copied from Gifts of Love: New Hymns for Today’s Worship by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (Geneva Press)
The Earth is the Lord’s (Inspired by Psalm 8)
ST. DENIO 11.11.11.11 (“Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise”)
“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.”
Creation reminds us, O God, of your love.
By grace we are learning, as year leads to year,
We’re called to be stewards, your caretakers here.
Your rainforests nurture the world that we share.
Your wetlands give animals shelter and care.
Your coral reefs cradle the life of the sea.
You’ve shown us, in love, what your good world can be.
Too often, O God, we abuse your good earth.
We fail to remember its beauty and worth.
We take from creation much more than we need,
We threaten your world through indifference and greed.
May we be good stewards of all that you give,
Protecting creation wherever we live.
May we be a church that renews and restores
And lovingly cares for this earth that is yours.
Biblical References: Genesis 1- 2, Psalms 8 and 24.
Tune: Welsh Folk Hymn, Adapted in Caniadau y Cyssegr, 1839
Email: bcgillette@comcast.net New Hymns: www.carolynshymns.com
Copied from Songs of Grace: New Hymns for God and Neighbor by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (Upper Room Books)
COMMUNION
O God, Loving Father and Mother Eternal, Creator of all time and space,
In this, our own time and place,
we give you thanks and praise for giving us life,
and inviting us to share in the history of a people who are
blessed by your faithfulness,
challenged by your prophets,
forgiven by your mercy,
and ever surprised by your power to do more, working in us,
than we can ask or imagine.
Therefore we join our voices with voices of all you have created
all you have loved
all you sustain
to praise you, saying:
Holy, Holy , Holy, God.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory:
Hosannah in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
Hosannah in the highest.
We thank you for your life manifest in our brother Jesus
– Bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh –
Whose life, death and resurrection reveal you fully:
your love for humanity,
your desire for human freedom,
your passion for justice.
We remember that Jesus,
gathered at table with his friends in a time of struggle and fear,
took bread, blessed it and gave it to them saying
“Take and eat: for this is my body..”
And after supper, Jesus looked forward to your desired day of joy and power; and took the cup of wine, blessed it and said:
“Take this, all of you, and drink. This is the cup of the new covenant in my blood. I will share this meal with you again in the reign of God.
Share this bread and this cup in memory of me.”
Come now, Holy Spirit of God –
As you were present at creation, be present now,
and let these gifts of bread and cup
become for us the Bread of Life and the Cup of Blessing.
As you were sent by Jesus to accompany us on our journey of faith,
be present now, and make this community, in receiving this bread and cup, one body in Christ. Amen.
(Source: Susan A. Blain, Worship Ways, Vol. 6, No.3)
