THE FESTIVAL OF THE TRINITY
We begin as we always do, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Christian worship is by its very nature Trinitarian.
The Lord our God is one God.
The Lord our God comes to us I three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
A Song of Praise
Canticle 13
Song of the Three Young Men, 29-34
Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers; *
you are worthy of praise; glory to you.
Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name; *
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.
Glory to you in the splendor of your temple; *
on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.
Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim; *
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.
Glory to you, beholding the depths;
in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.
Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; *
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.
The Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Old Testament Genesis 1:1-2:4a
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 Response
Psalm 8 Domine, Dominus noster
1 O Lord our Governor, *
how exalted is your Name in all the world!
2 Out of the mouths of infants and children *
your majesty is praised above the heavens.
3 You have set up a stronghold against your adversaries, *
to quell the enemy and the avenger.
4 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, *
the moon and the stars you have set in their courses,
5 What is man that you should be mindful of him? *
the son of man that you should seek him out?
6 You have made him but little lower than the angels; *
you adorn him with glory and honor;
7 You give him mastery over the works of your hands; *
you put all things under his feet:
8 All sheep and oxen, *
even the wild beasts of the field,
9 The birds of the air, the fish of the sea, *
and whatsoever walks in the paths of the sea.
10 O Lord our Governor, *
how exalted is your Name in all the world!
The Epistle
2 Corinthians 13:11-13
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 Gospel
Matthew 28:16-20
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 SERMON The Rev. Nelson W. Gaetz
Here we are at the Sunday when most preachers will do just about anything to avoid preaching. I was really good at this dodge. For most of my ministry at Atonement Church I was blessed to have at least one associate pastor and most years a seminary Intern too. AND, I was the one drawing up the preaching schedule. SO, over almost 30 years the task never fell to me. What a surprise. But God is getting even with me. Our Bishop and my Lutheran Presiding Bishop Have both announced that as a gift to hard working pastor they would provide a sermon for Trinity Sunday this year. What a deal. I was happy. I had dodged the bullet one more year. But there was a hitch, neither one of them preaches from a transcript. If you don’t hear the sermon by electronic media you need to wait till next week to get the text of the sermon. So here I am paying my dues. Writing a Trinity Sunday sermon.
The more I struggled with the assignment the more I realized it was a blessing to be preaching on this topic this particular year.
So, let’s see If I can say something that does not make your eyes glaze over.
For starters, let me direct your attention to the very nature of creation. From top to bottom, from microcosm to the vastness of space, everything has one thing in common. Everything exists in the tension of relationships. But not just any relation. There is built in to that concept a mysterious property causing that relationship to of necessity “communicate” in a very specific way. For simplicity let’s call that property “image making.”
► Even inanimate objects participate in this miracle. See a rock. Any rock. Pick it up after a rain storm and look at the place where it was. You’ll find a crude replica – image – of that rock.
► Move to higher forms. Plants create replicas of themselves. That is what seeds do. Each new generation of plants “replicates” the prior generation.
► Higher yet. Animals do that, too, from generation to generation.
► Finally, look at people – yourself included. Not only does each new generation reproduce a replica of the parent but often does so in exquisite complexity. My granddaughter Sydney has to live with people calling her “Little Kathryn.” Not only does she look like her mother but she acts like her, shares her interests, and on and on. Worse yet. I have a grandson they call “Little Nelson.” He looks like me at his age, and even walks and stands like me. Poor kid!
SO – Is it any wonder that God, in God’s own self, would manifest this majestic character. In the creed we say “God the Father, creator of the world (make that all that exists)” begets a perfect reflection, communication, I mage of Himself in the Son. And in the relationship of white hot love between these two reflections they “beget” yet another generation – the Holy Spirit. That same spirit that “brooded over creation” at it’s very beginning (See our first Lesson today) “breathing’ life into it and especially our first parents. So, down through the generations that creation continues to reflect the very character of God. EXCEPT:
EXCEPT – that we human beings are constantly fracturing the image. Picture a football player making a perfect forward pass dropped by the receiver at the last moment causing the entire team to have to try again. We call that Sin and to deal with that fumbling of the image, the God of Love, the God of infinite longing to communicate perfection sends the Son into the world so that in relating to him all those imperfections, fractures, might be healed. (Check out John 3:16)
I mentioned way back all too many words ago, this is a great year to focus on the Trinity. In the face of the corona virus and all too obvious injustice resulting in nation-wide turmoil, we are more aware of the fractures in creation this year than most years. May that make us more aware of our need for the God of fracture healing. The Triune God who never tires of imprinting his image on creation, especially us. When we are tempted to throw up our hands saying “it’s all hopeless” be of good cheer. We who know God as Trinity have something to hold on to.
So even if your eyes glazed over paragraphs ago – trust me on this one. God’s got this one. All is never lost. Better days are coming. AMEN.
THE NICENE CREED
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
THE PRAYERS
Gathered into the mystery of the Trinity, we pray for the church, the world,
and all of God’s creation.
A brief silence.
God of community, you form us as your church. Guide our bishops, pastors, and deacons as they lead the church in these trying times. With all the baptized, may they be strengthened to share the good news of Jesus Christ, and in prayer and action, strive for peace and justice in all the earth. Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
God of creation, you called everything into being. Sustain this world with your renewing care. Instill in us a deeper wonder for the created world you’ve called good, and a greater humility for our place within it. Kindle in us a creative and resilient spirit as we care for the earth and its creatures. Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
God of counsel, all authority belongs to you. Encourage leaders to seek wisdom and respond with courage and compassion to those most in need. We pray for community leaders in this time of difficulty. Further the work of advocates who pursue justice in often ignored. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
God of care, you created us in your image; we are your beloved children. May we recognize your likeness in one another. We pray for all mourning the death of your child, George Floyd. Hold in your loving embrace all experiencing trauma, fear, uncertainty, and loss. Protect vulnerable children and adults from violence or neglect; provide what is needed for those lacking access to food, shelter, and other services. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
God of healing, you accompany us in sickness and suffering. Bring relief to all afflicted with the corona virus and all those isolated now more than ever, especially those in care facilities. Strengthen caregivers, health workers, and all whose work ensures the safety and well-being of others. Console, heal, and nourish all in need this day. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
God of connection, you call us to make your presence known. Accompany people of faith as they nurture relationships in new ways. Where racism fractures our relationships, bring repentance and reconciliation. Open our hearts for attentive listening so that our places of connection are filled with your Spirit. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
Here other intercessions may be offered.
God of compassion, you comfort us in our grief with the promise of the resurrection. We give you thanks for the saints of all time and in our lives. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
Receive these prayers, O God, and those too deep for words; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
So now we pray with confidence to the Father the words our Lord Jesus taught us.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
Blessing
The holy Three, the holy One
increase our hope,
strengthen our faith,
deepen our love,
and + grant us you peace.
Amen.
God, the Source of glory,
God, the Word of life,
God, the Spirit of truth + bless us all,
now and forever.
Amen.
We go forth into the world to serve God with gladness; to be of good courage;
To hold fast to that which is good; to render to no one evil for evil;
To strengthen the fainthearted; to support the weak;
help the afflicted; to honor all people.
To love and serve God, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Thanks be to God.
Amen.