Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, May 26, 2024)
This Sunday, the First Sunday after Pentecost, is called in the church calendar of the Western Church “Trinity Sunday.” It celebrates one of the core beliefs of the Christian faith—the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. In an article on the CRU website, “Understanding the Trinity: How Can God Be Three Persons in One?” Matt Pearson summarizes the doctrine of the Trinity:
“The doctrine of the Trinity means that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons — the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Stated differently, God is one in essence and three in person. These definitions express three crucial truths: (1) The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons, (2) each Person is fully God, (3) there is only one God.”
Today’s message is about one of the roles the Holy Spirit plays in our salvation and sanctification.
GATHER IN GOD’S NAME
Open this link in a new tab to hear a piano arrangement of Claude Frayssé‘s JE LOUERAI L’ETERNEL
This is the day that the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it!
Open this link in a new tab to hear Krystin Getty’s “Come, Let Us Sing.”
1 Come, let us sing to the One
To the Father of life,
For His light fills the earth like the sun;
Come, tell of the wonders He's done.
Great is the world He has made,
Are the mysteries untold,
Is His measureless power of old;
Come, come let us sing to our God.
To our God, who is able
To strengthen us in His grace,
Beyond all we imagine,
Be all glory and praise,
Be all praise.
2 Come, let us sing to the One,
To the Saviour of life,
Find the fullness of God in the Son;
Come, tell of the wonders He's done.
Wild is the mercy of Christ,
Is the richness of grace,
Is the unending life we embrace;
Come, come let us sing to our God.
To our God, who is able
To strengthen us in His grace,
Beyond all we imagine,
Be all glory and praise,
Be all praise.
Come, let us sing to the One,
To the Spirit of life,
Leading us in the way of the Son;
Come, tell of the wonders He's done.
Strong is the Spirit within,
Is the boldness to speak,
Is the power to run when we're weak;
Come, come let us sing to our God.
Let us confess our sins to God our Father
Silence
Almighty and merciful God
we have sinned against you,
in thought, word and deed.
We have not loved you with all our heart.
We have not loved others as our Saviour Christ loves us.
We are truly sorry.
In your mercy forgive what we have been,
help us to amend what we are,
and direct what we shall be;
that we may delight in your will
and walk in your ways;
through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
Merciful Lord, grant to your faithful people pardon and peace,
that we may be cleansed from all our sins,
and serve you with a quiet mind;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Christopher Idle’s paraphrase of the Te Deum, “God, We Praise You! God, We Bless You!”
1 God, we praise you! God, we bless you!
God, we name you sovereign Lord!
Mighty King whom angels worship,
Father, by your church adored:
all creation shows your glory,
heaven and earth draw near your throne
singing 'Holy, holy, holy,
Lord of hosts, and God alone!'
2 True apostles, faithful prophets,
saints who set their world ablaze,
martyrs, once unknown, unheeded,
join one growing song of praise,
while your church on earth confesses
one majestic Trinity:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
God, our hope eternally.
3 Jesus Christ, the King of glory,
everlasting Son of God,
humble was your virgin mother,
hard the lonely path you trod:
by your cross is sin defeated,
hell confronted face to face,
heaven opened to believers,
sinners justified by grace.
4 Christ, at God's right hand victorious,
you will judge the world you made;
Lord, in mercy help your servants
for whose freedom you have paid:
raise us up from dust to glory,
guard us from all sin today;
King enthroned above all praises,
save your people, God, we pray.
Let us pray.
Silence
God of unchangeable power,
you have revealed yourself
to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit;
keep us firm in this faith
that we may praise and bless your holy name;
for you are one God
now and for ever.
Amen.
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
A reading from the Book of Isaiah, chapter 6, beginning at verse 1.
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. He was sitting on his throne, high and exalted, and his robe filled the whole Temple. Around him flaming creatures were standing, each of which had six wings. Each creature covered its face with two wings, and its body with two, and used the other two for flying. They were calling out to each other:
“Holy, holy, holy!
The Lord Almighty is holy!
His glory fills the world.”
The sound of their voices made the foundation of the Temple shake, and the Temple itself became filled with smoke.
I said, “There is no hope for me! I am doomed because every word that passes my lips is sinful, and I live among a people whose every word is sinful. And yet, with my own eyes I have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
Then one of the creatures flew down to me, carrying a burning coal that he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with the burning coal and said, “This has touched your lips, and now your guilt is gone, and your sins are forgiven.”
Then I heard the Lord say, “Whom shall I send? Who will be our messenger?”
I answered, “I will go! Send me!”
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy R. Smith’s “Glory and Praise for Ever” (Daniel 3).
Glory and praise, glory and praise,
glory and praise for ever!
Glory and praise, glory and praise,
glory and praise for ever!
Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.
Glory and praise, glory and praise,
glory and praise for ever!
Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
Glory and praise, glory and praise,
glory and praise for ever!
Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
Glory and praise, glory and praise,
glory and praise for ever!
Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
Glory and praise, glory and praise,
glory and praise for ever!
A reading from Paul’s Letter to the Romans, chapter 8, beginning at verse 12.
So then, my friends, we have an obligation, but it is not to live as our human nature wants us to. For if you live according to your human nature, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you put to death your sinful actions, you will live. Those who are led by God's Spirit are God's children. For the Spirit that God has given you does not make you slaves and cause you to be afraid; instead, the Spirit makes you God's children, and by the Spirit's power we cry out to God, “Father! my Father!” God's Spirit joins himself to our spirits to declare that we are God's children. Since we are his children, we will possess the blessings he keeps for his people, and we will also possess with Christ what God has kept for him; for if we share Christ's suffering, we will also share his glory.
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Marty Haugen’s arrangement of “Halle, Halle, Hallelujah.”
Halle, halle, hallelujah.
Halle halle, hallelujah.
Halle halle, hallelujah.
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
Halle halle, hallelujah.
Halle halle, hallelujah.
Halle halle, hallelujah.
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
Oh God, to who shall we go?
You alone have the words of life.
Let your words be our prayer and the song we sing:
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
Halle, halle, hallelujah.
Halle halle, hallelujah.
Halle halle, hallelujah.
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
Almighty and merciful God
we have sinned against you,
in thought, word and deed.
We have not loved you with all our heart.
We have not loved others as our Saviour Christ loves us.
We are truly sorry.
In your mercy forgive what we have been,
help us to amend what we are,
and direct what we shall be;
that we may delight in your will
and walk in your ways;
through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
Merciful Lord, grant to your faithful people pardon and peace,
that we may be cleansed from all our sins,
and serve you with a quiet mind;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Christopher Idle’s paraphrase of the Te Deum, “God, We Praise You! God, We Bless You!”
1 God, we praise you! God, we bless you!
God, we name you sovereign Lord!
Mighty King whom angels worship,
Father, by your church adored:
all creation shows your glory,
heaven and earth draw near your throne
singing 'Holy, holy, holy,
Lord of hosts, and God alone!'
2 True apostles, faithful prophets,
saints who set their world ablaze,
martyrs, once unknown, unheeded,
join one growing song of praise,
while your church on earth confesses
one majestic Trinity:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
God, our hope eternally.
3 Jesus Christ, the King of glory,
everlasting Son of God,
humble was your virgin mother,
hard the lonely path you trod:
by your cross is sin defeated,
hell confronted face to face,
heaven opened to believers,
sinners justified by grace.
4 Christ, at God's right hand victorious,
you will judge the world you made;
Lord, in mercy help your servants
for whose freedom you have paid:
raise us up from dust to glory,
guard us from all sin today;
King enthroned above all praises,
save your people, God, we pray.
Let us pray.
Silence
God of unchangeable power,
you have revealed yourself
to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit;
keep us firm in this faith
that we may praise and bless your holy name;
for you are one God
now and for ever.
Amen.
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
A reading from the Book of Isaiah, chapter 6, beginning at verse 1.
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. He was sitting on his throne, high and exalted, and his robe filled the whole Temple. Around him flaming creatures were standing, each of which had six wings. Each creature covered its face with two wings, and its body with two, and used the other two for flying. They were calling out to each other:
“Holy, holy, holy!
The Lord Almighty is holy!
His glory fills the world.”
The sound of their voices made the foundation of the Temple shake, and the Temple itself became filled with smoke.
I said, “There is no hope for me! I am doomed because every word that passes my lips is sinful, and I live among a people whose every word is sinful. And yet, with my own eyes I have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
Then one of the creatures flew down to me, carrying a burning coal that he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with the burning coal and said, “This has touched your lips, and now your guilt is gone, and your sins are forgiven.”
Then I heard the Lord say, “Whom shall I send? Who will be our messenger?”
I answered, “I will go! Send me!”
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy R. Smith’s “Glory and Praise for Ever” (Daniel 3).
Glory and praise, glory and praise,
glory and praise for ever!
Glory and praise, glory and praise,
glory and praise for ever!
Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.
Glory and praise, glory and praise,
glory and praise for ever!
Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
Glory and praise, glory and praise,
glory and praise for ever!
Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
Glory and praise, glory and praise,
glory and praise for ever!
Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
Glory and praise, glory and praise,
glory and praise for ever!
A reading from Paul’s Letter to the Romans, chapter 8, beginning at verse 12.
So then, my friends, we have an obligation, but it is not to live as our human nature wants us to. For if you live according to your human nature, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you put to death your sinful actions, you will live. Those who are led by God's Spirit are God's children. For the Spirit that God has given you does not make you slaves and cause you to be afraid; instead, the Spirit makes you God's children, and by the Spirit's power we cry out to God, “Father! my Father!” God's Spirit joins himself to our spirits to declare that we are God's children. Since we are his children, we will possess the blessings he keeps for his people, and we will also possess with Christ what God has kept for him; for if we share Christ's suffering, we will also share his glory.
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Marty Haugen’s arrangement of “Halle, Halle, Hallelujah.”
Halle, halle, hallelujah.
Halle halle, hallelujah.
Halle halle, hallelujah.
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
Halle halle, hallelujah.
Halle halle, hallelujah.
Halle halle, hallelujah.
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
Oh God, to who shall we go?
You alone have the words of life.
Let your words be our prayer and the song we sing:
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
Halle, halle, hallelujah.
Halle halle, hallelujah.
Halle halle, hallelujah.
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
Halle, halle, hallelujah.
Halle halle, hallelujah.
Halle halle, hallelujah.
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
Halle, halle, hallelujah.
Halle halle, hallelujah.
Halle halle, hallelujah.
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
A reading from the Gospel according to John, chapter, beginning at verse 1.
There was a Jewish leader named Nicodemus, who belonged to the party of the Pharisees. One night he went to Jesus and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher sent by God. No one could perform the miracles you are doing unless God were with him.”
Jesus answered, “I am telling you the truth: no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born again.”
“How can a grown man be born again?” Nicodemus asked. “He certainly cannot enter his mother's womb and be born a second time!”
“I am telling you the truth,” replied Jesus, “that no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. A person is born physically of human parents, but is born spiritually of the Spirit. Do not be surprised because I tell you that you must all be born again. The wind blows wherever it wishes; you hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
“How can this be?” asked Nicodemus.
Jesus answered, “You are a great teacher in Israel, and you don't know this? I am telling you the truth: we speak of what we know and report what we have seen, yet none of you is willing to accept our message. You do not believe me when I tell you about the things of this world; how will you ever believe me, then, when I tell you about the things of heaven? And no one has ever gone up to heaven except the Son of Man, who came down from heaven.”
As Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the desert, in the same way the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior.
Silence
Have you ever watched clouds scudding across a blue sky? Felt a sudden coolness on your face on a hot day? Heard the rustling of leaves above your head while you stood under a tree and looked up to see the boughs of the tree moving but no bird or squirrel in sight? Watched a field of tall grass ripple like the waves of the sea? Heard piping, only to discover the tuneful melody came from an upright metal pipe with bolt holes where once hung a sign? Heard an eerie moaning outside a window or a lonely howl? Had your front door suddenly fly open and then swung shut with a bang? These are just a few of the ways that we experience the wind. We cannot see the wind itself. It is invisible to our eyes.
So it is with the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity.
The Holy Spirit plays an important part in our spiritual lives. Without the Holy Spirit we would have no spiritual life. As well as being born physically, we also must be born spiritually. The Holy Spirit is the agent of our spiritual birth. The Holy Spirit produces in us the effect or change that Jesus described to Nicodemus as being born again. Nicodemus thought that Jesus was talking about physical birth. Jesus, however, was talking about spiritual birth.
As human beings we generally like things to happen in an orderly sequence. A follows B and C follows B and so on. When it comes to our salvation, the sequence in which the different steps or stages in the salvation of a believer occur, theologians call the ordo salutis, or order of salvation. In some Christian circles there is intense debate over the order in which these steps or stages occur. These stages, however, do not need to be thought of as steps that follow a particular order. Rather they may be viewed as parts of single process which depend in one way or another upon the work of God.
From a point of view based upon experience, what matters most is that we observe in ourselves, and others observe in us an ongoing, discernible movement in the direction of God and away from whatever comes between us and God or draws us away from God. Our Godward movement may at times slow down or speed up, but we continue to move in that direction. We evidence a deepening faith in God. The pattern of our life displays the growing influence of Jesus’ teaching and example, and we exhibit more and more of what the apostle Paul described as the “fruit of the Spirit,” love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control (Galatians 5: 22). We also display an increasing desire for a closer relationship with God and give evidence of this desire in our employment of the means of grace.
As Jesus told Nicodemus, “no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.” Now “of water” may refer to baptism but as the late James Dunn, a British New Testament scholar, noted in his writings, water and Spirit are often used in the Old Testament to refer to the Holy Spirit. Whatever Jesus may have meant by this phrase, he clearly connects our spiritual birth and entrance into the Kingdom of God to the Third Person of the Trinity, to the Holy Spirit.
Years ago, when I worked in New Orleans, my agency leased parking space in a high rise parking garage near its downtown office. At a intersection across the street from the parking garage was a steel pipe with bolt holes like the one I described earlier. Downtown New Orleans has a number of tall buildings and is very windy. The wind often played a tune on this metal pipe, blowing across the bolt holes and open end of the pipe.
Before crossing the street to the garage or upon returning from the garage, I would pause to listen to the melody it played. Some days the tune was louder than others.
Halle halle, hallelujah.
Halle halle, hallelujah.
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
Halle, halle, hallelujah.
Halle halle, hallelujah.
Halle halle, hallelujah.
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
A reading from the Gospel according to John, chapter, beginning at verse 1.
There was a Jewish leader named Nicodemus, who belonged to the party of the Pharisees. One night he went to Jesus and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher sent by God. No one could perform the miracles you are doing unless God were with him.”
Jesus answered, “I am telling you the truth: no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born again.”
“How can a grown man be born again?” Nicodemus asked. “He certainly cannot enter his mother's womb and be born a second time!”
“I am telling you the truth,” replied Jesus, “that no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. A person is born physically of human parents, but is born spiritually of the Spirit. Do not be surprised because I tell you that you must all be born again. The wind blows wherever it wishes; you hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
“How can this be?” asked Nicodemus.
Jesus answered, “You are a great teacher in Israel, and you don't know this? I am telling you the truth: we speak of what we know and report what we have seen, yet none of you is willing to accept our message. You do not believe me when I tell you about the things of this world; how will you ever believe me, then, when I tell you about the things of heaven? And no one has ever gone up to heaven except the Son of Man, who came down from heaven.”
As Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the desert, in the same way the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior.
Silence
Born of the Spirit
Have you ever watched clouds scudding across a blue sky? Felt a sudden coolness on your face on a hot day? Heard the rustling of leaves above your head while you stood under a tree and looked up to see the boughs of the tree moving but no bird or squirrel in sight? Watched a field of tall grass ripple like the waves of the sea? Heard piping, only to discover the tuneful melody came from an upright metal pipe with bolt holes where once hung a sign? Heard an eerie moaning outside a window or a lonely howl? Had your front door suddenly fly open and then swung shut with a bang? These are just a few of the ways that we experience the wind. We cannot see the wind itself. It is invisible to our eyes.
So it is with the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity.
The Holy Spirit plays an important part in our spiritual lives. Without the Holy Spirit we would have no spiritual life. As well as being born physically, we also must be born spiritually. The Holy Spirit is the agent of our spiritual birth. The Holy Spirit produces in us the effect or change that Jesus described to Nicodemus as being born again. Nicodemus thought that Jesus was talking about physical birth. Jesus, however, was talking about spiritual birth.
As human beings we generally like things to happen in an orderly sequence. A follows B and C follows B and so on. When it comes to our salvation, the sequence in which the different steps or stages in the salvation of a believer occur, theologians call the ordo salutis, or order of salvation. In some Christian circles there is intense debate over the order in which these steps or stages occur. These stages, however, do not need to be thought of as steps that follow a particular order. Rather they may be viewed as parts of single process which depend in one way or another upon the work of God.
From a point of view based upon experience, what matters most is that we observe in ourselves, and others observe in us an ongoing, discernible movement in the direction of God and away from whatever comes between us and God or draws us away from God. Our Godward movement may at times slow down or speed up, but we continue to move in that direction. We evidence a deepening faith in God. The pattern of our life displays the growing influence of Jesus’ teaching and example, and we exhibit more and more of what the apostle Paul described as the “fruit of the Spirit,” love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control (Galatians 5: 22). We also display an increasing desire for a closer relationship with God and give evidence of this desire in our employment of the means of grace.
As Jesus told Nicodemus, “no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.” Now “of water” may refer to baptism but as the late James Dunn, a British New Testament scholar, noted in his writings, water and Spirit are often used in the Old Testament to refer to the Holy Spirit. Whatever Jesus may have meant by this phrase, he clearly connects our spiritual birth and entrance into the Kingdom of God to the Third Person of the Trinity, to the Holy Spirit.
Years ago, when I worked in New Orleans, my agency leased parking space in a high rise parking garage near its downtown office. At a intersection across the street from the parking garage was a steel pipe with bolt holes like the one I described earlier. Downtown New Orleans has a number of tall buildings and is very windy. The wind often played a tune on this metal pipe, blowing across the bolt holes and open end of the pipe.
Before crossing the street to the garage or upon returning from the garage, I would pause to listen to the melody it played. Some days the tune was louder than others.
We are in a way like that pipe, a music instrument played by the wind of the Holy Spirit. The difference is that God has enabled us to open and close the holes with our fingers and to change the pitch of the sound. We can play a pleasing melody to God’s glory, a melody inspired by the Holy Spirit. Or we can be flat and tuneless. God gives us the freedom to make that choice.
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Richard Leach’s “Come, Join the Dance of Trinity.”
1 Come, join the dance of Trinity
Before all worlds begun
The interweaving of the Three
The Father, Spirit, Son
The universe of space and time
Did not arise by chance
But as the Three, in love and hope
Made room within their dance
2 Come, see the face of Trinity
Newborn in Bethlehem
Then bloodied by a crown of thorns
Outside Jerusalem
The dance of Trinity is meant
For human flesh and bone
When fear confines the dance in death
God rolls away the stone
3 Come, speak aloud of Trinity
As wind and tongues of flame
Set people free at Pentecost
To tell the Savior′s name
We know the yoke of sin and death
Our necks have worn it smooth
Go tell the world of weight and woe
That we are free to move!
4 Within the dance of Trinity
Before all worlds begun
We sing the praises of the Three
The Father, Spirit, Son
Let voices rise and interweave
By love and hope set free
To shape in song this joy, this life
The dance of Trinity
Let us confess the faith of the Church.
We believe in God the Father,
who made the world.
We believe in Jesus Christ, his Son,
who redeemed humankind.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
who gives life to the people of God.
THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER
Let us pray for all people everywhere
according to their need.
Let us pray
for the Church of Christ throughout the world
for its unity in Christ
for the fulfilment of its mission
for all ministers of the gospel
for all Christians here in . . .
Silence
Strengthen your Church
in the service of Christ;
that we and all who confess your name
may be united in your truth,
live together in your love,
and reveal your glory in the world.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Let us pray
for all the nations and peoples of the world
for all who serve the common good
for our own country and government
for all in authority
for all those involved in . . .
Silence
Give wisdom to all in authority;
direct this and every nation
in the ways of justice and of peace;
that we may honour one another,
and seek the common good.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Let us pray
for those we know and love
for the local community
for our families and friends
for. . .
Silence
Give grace to us,
to our families and friends,
and to all our neighbours,
that we may serve Christ in one another,
and love as he loves us.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Let us pray
for all who suffer
for the sick
for those who mourn
for those without faith
for those who serve the needy
for . . .
Silence
Comfort and heal all those who suffer
in body, mind or spirit;
give them courage and hope in their troubles;
and bring them the joy of your salvation.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Let us remember all who have died,
giving thanks especially
for those who have died in the faith of Christ.
Silence
We commend all people to your unfailing love,
that in them your will may be fulfilled;
and we rejoice at the faithful witness
of your saints in every age,
praying that we may share with them
in your eternal kingdom.
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Richard Leach’s “Come, Join the Dance of Trinity.”
1 Come, join the dance of Trinity
Before all worlds begun
The interweaving of the Three
The Father, Spirit, Son
The universe of space and time
Did not arise by chance
But as the Three, in love and hope
Made room within their dance
2 Come, see the face of Trinity
Newborn in Bethlehem
Then bloodied by a crown of thorns
Outside Jerusalem
The dance of Trinity is meant
For human flesh and bone
When fear confines the dance in death
God rolls away the stone
3 Come, speak aloud of Trinity
As wind and tongues of flame
Set people free at Pentecost
To tell the Savior′s name
We know the yoke of sin and death
Our necks have worn it smooth
Go tell the world of weight and woe
That we are free to move!
4 Within the dance of Trinity
Before all worlds begun
We sing the praises of the Three
The Father, Spirit, Son
Let voices rise and interweave
By love and hope set free
To shape in song this joy, this life
The dance of Trinity
Let us confess the faith of the Church.
We believe in God the Father,
who made the world.
We believe in Jesus Christ, his Son,
who redeemed humankind.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
who gives life to the people of God.
THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER
Let us pray for all people everywhere
according to their need.
Let us pray
for the Church of Christ throughout the world
for its unity in Christ
for the fulfilment of its mission
for all ministers of the gospel
for all Christians here in . . .
Silence
Strengthen your Church
in the service of Christ;
that we and all who confess your name
may be united in your truth,
live together in your love,
and reveal your glory in the world.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Let us pray
for all the nations and peoples of the world
for all who serve the common good
for our own country and government
for all in authority
for all those involved in . . .
Silence
Give wisdom to all in authority;
direct this and every nation
in the ways of justice and of peace;
that we may honour one another,
and seek the common good.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Let us pray
for those we know and love
for the local community
for our families and friends
for. . .
Silence
Give grace to us,
to our families and friends,
and to all our neighbours,
that we may serve Christ in one another,
and love as he loves us.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Let us pray
for all who suffer
for the sick
for those who mourn
for those without faith
for those who serve the needy
for . . .
Silence
Comfort and heal all those who suffer
in body, mind or spirit;
give them courage and hope in their troubles;
and bring them the joy of your salvation.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Let us remember all who have died,
giving thanks especially
for those who have died in the faith of Christ.
Silence
We commend all people to your unfailing love,
that in them your will may be fulfilled;
and we rejoice at the faithful witness
of your saints in every age,
praying that we may share with them
in your eternal kingdom.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Merciful Father,
accept these prayers for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Let us sum up our prayers and praises in the words our Saviour Christ has taught us and say:
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.
THE SENDING FORTH OF GOD’S PEOPLE
Holy and everliving God,
by your power we are created
and by your love we are redeemed;
guide and strengthen us by your Spirit,
that we may give ourselves to your service,
and live each day in love to one another and to you,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Carey Landry’s “Abba Father.”
1 Abba, Abba Father
You are the potter,
we are the clay the work of Your hands.
2 Mold us, mold us and fashion us
Into the image of Jesus Your Son,
of Jesus your Son.
3 Father, may we be one in You,
May we be one in You,
as He is in You and You are in Him.
4 Glory, glory and praise to You,
Glory and praise to You,
forever, amen, forever, amen.
Abba…
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The love of the Father enfold us,
the wisdom of the Son enlighten us,
the fire of the Spirit enflame us;
and the blessing of God, the Three in One,
be upon us and abide with us now and for ever. Amen.
Those present may exchange a gesture of peace with these words:
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
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