Worship Connection: June 12, 2022
Trinity Sunday
COLOR: White
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31; Psalm 8; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15
CALLS TO WORSHIP
Call to Worship #1
L: The name of the Lord is majestic!
P: The mountains tower and the seas roar in praise of God!
L: When we look at the heavens, we rejoice in God!
P: The moons, stars, planets, solar systems are a delight to us!
L: Come, let us shout our praise to God!
P: Lord, thank you for this awesome creation! AMEN.
Call to Worship #2
L: We have great joy in Christ our Lord who calls and heals us.
P: For a while we bemoaned our sufferings,
L: Yet we are reminded that suffering produces endurance.
P: Endurance produces character.
L: Character produces hope.
P: And Hope does not disappoint us. AMEN.
Call to Worship #3
[Using THE FAITH WE SING, p. 2038, "Father, I Adore You", offer the following call to worship as directed]
L: From the very whisper of creation, God poured forth love.
P: Praise be to God for the blessings of God's love.
Soloist singing verse 1of "Father, I Adore You"
L: In the fullness of time, God sent Jesus as a revelation of God's own self.
P: Praise be to Jesus for the many ways in which he revealed God to us.
Duet singing verse 2 of "Father, I Adore You "
L: When we thought all hope was lost, God offered the Holy Spirit to heal and guide us.
P: Praise be to the Holy Spirit for guidance and inspiration!
Choir singing verse 3 of "Father, I Adore You"
L: For the Trinity of understanding, we sing praise!
P: Blessings, honor, power, and majesty to God forevermore! AMEN.
Call to Worship #4
L: How shall we describe the concept of Trinity?
P: In the first "person" we find God the creator
L: In the second "person" we discover Jesus the Redeemer
P: In the third "person" we greet the Holy Spirit, the Guardian and Guide.
L: There are so many ways to describe the work and witness of God.
P: The Trinity helps us to understand the nature of God. AMEN.
PRAYERS, READING, BENEDICTION
Opening Prayer
Spirit of Wisdom and Hope, we witness your glory in the heavens and hear your call to us. We are sometimes overwhelmed by the thought of your compassionate care. Open our hearts this day to hear and respond in joy to your call, that we may serve you faithfully all our days. AMEN.
Prayer of Confession
God of Creation, Jesus Redeemer, Holy Spirit who guides and sustains us, hear our prayers this day. We know the many ways in which we have failed to do the tasks which you have set before us. We have often chosen our comfort over service to you. Our fears and doubts lay claim to our lives and we shrink from the opportunities you give to us. Forgive us for the many failings. Lift and restore us to your grace. Put our feet on the pathways of service, offering justice and peace to all people. Heal us, 0gracious One, for we ask this in the name of Jesus the Christ. AMEN.
Words of Assurance
Rejoice! Do not doubt! God has poured love, hope and forgiveness on you. You are healed and forgiven in Jesus' Name. The Holy Spirit empowers you to ministries of healing and hope. Rejoice! AMEN.
Pastoral Prayer
Lord of mysteries, we admit that sometimes we are confused by the concept of Trinity. We can speak the words of Three-in-One, but our minds are boggled and confused. You are so great and your work is so awesome, that we try to find ways to express your work and witness in our lives. From before the beginning of time, you offered love and creative wisdom as you created all that is. In the person and ministry of Jesus you taught us more clearly about your nature, love, and gave to us ways that we should live peacefully together. The Holy Spirit is offered as our guardian and guide, faithfully with us all our days. Full and complete is your love for us, your creation. Help us, again, to be more faithful to you. Give us opportunities to witness and serve. Heal and restore us. For we ask these things in the name of Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of all. AMEN.
Reading
Reader 1:I don't get this Trinity thing! How can God be one and yet three?
Reader 2: I think that the Trinity is a wonderful way to describe aspects of God's love for us.
Reader 1: I don't get it. Reader 2: Well, God is like a loving Parent. God created and continues to create all things, bringing hope to birth in each one of us.
Reader 1: Well, OK. I think I get it. God kind of brings us into being and helps us to grow in love and faith. God supplies us with a great world and an awesome universe.
Think of it!…all of the beauty of this earth, the majesty of the heavens! Wow! And it is in God's own design that these were fashioned!
Reader 2: That's the idea. Secondly, we are reminded that Jesus is the most perfect example of how God wants us to live, both in relationship to God and to each other. Jesus came to testify to the love of God. He was willing to give all that he had and was to help us to understand God's love.
Reader 1: I love Jesus! What a witness He was, and is still today. I used to have a tag that I wore that had the letters W W J D, you know, what would Jesus do. I still carry that thought in my head…what would Jesus do in this or that circumstance or situation. I remember all the things that he did. The Bible accounts of his ministry and life. I also remember how he kept telling everyone about God's care and forgiving, healing love. He's the one who saves us from our selfishness and greed.
Reader 2: That's an interesting awareness and you are right. Jesus is the Redeemer and our Savior. And then there's the Holy Spirit, God who is present with us for guidance and comfort and strength. It was God's Spirit that hovered over the waters of creation; it was God's spirit that rested on Jesus at his baptism; it was God's spirit that burst forth from the heavens on Pentecost, giving the disciples the ability to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with all people, without fear for their lives. It is through God the Parent, Jesus Christ the Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit the guardian and guide that we understand who we are called to be. We are asked to be people who love and respect each other; who care for others and for creation; who are willing to go beyond our comfort levels in service to others. Does this help a little?
Reader 1: It sure does! Thanks for leading me though that idea into awareness of God's absolute, awesome love for us.
Benediction
Go in peace, dear ones! Go with the knowledge that God, the Father [Parent], Jesus, God's Son, and the Holy Spirit are with you! Bring peace to all you meet. AMEN.
ARTISTIC ELEMENTS
The traditional color for this Sunday is: WHITE
SURFACE: Place a 10" riser at the center back of the worship table. Place two 6"risers in front of the 10" riser and slightly to the right and the left. Place one 2"riser in front of the 10"riser, but near the front of the worship table.
FABRIC: Cover the worship center with white fabric. Place a Dark blue 3" wide ribbon or streamer across the 6" riser that is to the left of the 10" riser as you face the worship table. Place a Medium Blue 3" wide ribbon or streamer across the 6"riser that is to the right of the 10" riser as you face the worship table. Place a Light Blue 3" wide ribbon or streamer across the 2" riser at the center front of the table. These streamers/ribbons should be long enough that they drape over the worship table and onto the floor.
CANDLES: Place a 6" white pillar candle on each of the 3 risers. Place a 10" white pillar candle on the 10" riser, to the front of the riser.
FLOWERS/FOLIAGE: At the base of the worship center, on either side, place a Boston Fern or other lea@ foliage plants. On the main worship center, place ivy or small lea@ foliage plants. ROCKS/WOOD: Not necessary for this setting.
OTHER: Place a brass cross on the 10" riser. Above the cross, place a symbol for the Trinity. You may use a Trefoil, or other such symbol. It should be at least 20" high and 20" wide. It may be cut out of cardboard, and should be covered with white or gold fabric. Suspend it on fishing line or attach it to a dossal drape or curtain.