1st Sunday after Pentecost: Trinity Sunday/June 4, 2023
Genesis 1:1-2:4a; Psalm 8; Matthew 28:16-20
Opening Prayer: written Rev. Dr. Libby Grammer
God in Three Persons, Blessed Trinity,
We know that in self-giving love,
Your very nature teaches us how to love one another.
Father and Creator, Son and Redeemer, Spirit and Advocate,
We call upon you to teach us this hour.
Teach us to pray. Teach us to love.
Teach us to be one, as you are one. Amen.
This past Thursday, June 1st, we not only began a new month on our 2023 personal calendars, but as we gather here today, we are also turning the page on the
2022-2023 church calendar or liturgical calendar as it is sometimes called…Today, in Year A of our liturgical calendar, we begin the longest season of our church year that will take us all the way through to the 1st Sunday in Advent on Dec 3rd…
On that Sunday, our new church year, Year B will begin, and we will continue to cycle through a series of scripture readings, as appointed for each Sunday and Holy Days, according to the Revised Common Lectionary…as we have been doing this year…Scripture readings that teach us about God as: Father and Creator, Son and Redeemer, and Spirit and Advocate.
Scripture readings…that help us to see and experience God’s love and presence all around us…from the beginning of Creation through the end of the ages…
Scripture readings, that remind us of the Good News of God’s Redeeming love made known to us, in the life, death, resurrection of Jesus Christ…
Scripture readings, that remind us of the gift of the Holy Spirit and Advocate that was poured out for ALL of us to open our eyes and ears and hearts and minds to be transformed by the love of God, made known to us in Jesus…and then sent out into the world…wherever we are… to share this love which has the power to transform people’s lives, uniting us in love and community with one another.
We follow this cycle of scripture readings on Sundays for three years…years A, B, C…covering varied old and new testament readings, psalms, and gospel readings….and then we start over at Year A…and begin again…
As I thought about that this week in relation to today’s special observance on the church calendar, Trinity Sunday. …I was struck, anew, by our denomination’s use of this lectionary format (and other denominations that follow the revised common lectionary)…I realized I have never thought too much about the fact that we followed a “3-year” cycle of readings and repeat the year cycle over and over again…
I knew we followed a three -year cycle…but it got me wondering and appreciating more this special day on the church calendar…
What I’m appreciating about today, as we recognize God in Three persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is how we pause and set aside this day, every year, as we end a season and begin a new season in the church year…the longest season in the church year yet to come…
We set aside this day to name and summarize what we have learned together in the hearing of scriptures so far in our lives and summarize what we have come to believe about God: as Father and Creator, Son and Redeemer, Spirit and Advocate…
And we can use that same summary of what we have come to believe to stand firmly upon that foundation of faith, to help us look to the future with a confidence of hope, and peace, and joy and love for all God’s people…and for what is possible for all God’s people…when we abide in God’s love, when we acknowledge the redeeming love of Jesus Christ, and when we go out into the world, being strengthened and empowered by the Holy Spirit and Advocate, to share this life-giving, life-restoring, life-fulfilling love of God that has the power to transform people’s lives, uniting us in love and community with one another.
So, yes…I appreciate that we have this special day to pause and reflect on the summary of our faith…which we also recite together most every week, in the words of the Nicene Creed…
But, if you are anything like me…I need daily reminders, monthly reminders, yearly reminders to help me “keep the faith”…at times…
So, 3-year cycles of readings, daily readings, all the seasons of the church year, special days set apart…I look forward to them all…
And I want others to have this same opportunity for their hopes and spirits to be lifted up, too when they may feel like there is no hope or chance of any new possibilities or a future worth looking forward to…
That’s where each one of us can make a difference in the lives of others…
We are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism, and named as Christ’s own…forever.
Through the power and grace, strength, encouragement, and guidance of the Holy Spirit, each one of us is called to share our gifts, and this love and hope we have come to believe in God: as Father and Creator, Son and Redeemer, Spirit and Advocate…
As a church body, as a community of faith, as the people of God…we are called to join our hearts and hands together…to go forth into the world for God…and for all of God’s beloved children…
(written by The Rev Julie Platson)
Closing prayer/Hymn - Go forth for God (RENEW - #291)
1 Go forth for God; go to the world in peace;
be of good courage, armed with heavenly grace,
in God’s good Spirit daily to increase,
till in his kingdom we behold his face.
2 Go forth for God; go to the world in love;
strengthen the faint, give courage to the weak;
help the afflicted; richly from above
his love supplies the grace and power we seek.
3 Go forth for God; go to the world in strength;
hold fast the good, be urgent for the right;
render to no one evil; Christ at length
shall overcome all darkness with his light.
4 Go forth for God; go to the world in joy,
to serve God’s people every day and hour,
and serving Christ, our every gift employ,
rejoicing in the Holy Spirit’s power.