Worship Guide
June 4, 2023
Trinity Sunday
Creating Disciples of Jesus who Transform the World
ENTRANCE WITH PRAISE
Greetings:
Minister: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!
People: And also with you!
Special Music: “How Far” Stefanie
Centering Words:
What are humans that you are mindful of us, O God? That you care for us? How can you trust us with what you have so lovingly made? How can we realize that creation is not only under our feet, but in our hands?
*Call to Worship:
Leader: O God, our God, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
People: Your glory shines from below and grows from above.
Leader: You bring wisdom from the youngest and most vulnerable of us.
People: You call forth delight in those who live both long and deep.
Leader: We look to your creation and find you everywhere.
People: We see you in the moon and the stars.
Leader: O God, our God, how majestic is your name in all the earth.
Leader: Let us pray.
ALL: Great Creator, who are we that you are mindful of us? Who are we that you care for us? We don’t know what we have done to deserve your love, God; maybe nothing at all. And yet, you give it freely, openly, enthusiastically—asking only that we receive it, hoping only that we share it. Come, and help us receive it. Come, and help us share it. Amen.
Hymn: “For the Beauty of the Earth”
For the beauty of the earth
for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies.
Lord of all, to thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.
For the beauty of each hour,
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale, and tree and flower,
sun and moon, and stars of light.
Lord of all, to thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of ear and eye,
for the heart and mind’s delight,
for the mystic harmony
linking sense to sound and sight.
Lord of all, to thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild.
Lord of all, to thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.
For Thy Church, that evermore
lifteth holy hands above,
offering up on every shore
her pure sacrifice of love.
Lord of all, to thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.
For thy-self, best Gift Divine,
to the world so freely given,
for that great, great love of thine,
peace on earth, and joy in heaven:
Lord of all, to thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.
PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD
Words of Assurance
When we forget our blessings, we have only to look to God to find them again; we have only to remember that God already blesses us, already loves us, already cares for us.
God is with us to the end of the age. God’s presence will be made full again. And so will our hearts.
Thanks be to God. Amen
*Old Testament Reading: Genesis 1:1-2:4
1 In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2 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. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
6 And God said, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 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. 8 God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
9 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. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11 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. 12 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. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
14 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, 15 and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17 God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
20 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.” 21 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. 22 God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
24 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. 25 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.
26 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.”
27 So God created humankind in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
28 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.” 29 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. 30 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. 31 God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
2 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. 2 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. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.
4 These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
WORD AND RESPONSE
Time with Young Friends: “Jesus Loves Me”
Children’s Message: “The Beginning”
Hymn: “Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness”
Spirit, spirit of gentleness,
blow through the wilderness,
calling and free,
Spirit, spirit of restlessness,
stir me from placidness,
wind, wind on the sea.
You moved on the waters,
you called to the deep,
then you coaxed up the mountains
from the valleys of sleep;
and over the eons
you called to each thing;
wake from your slumbers
and rise on your wings.
Spirit, spirit of gentleness,
blow through the wilderness,
calling and free,
Spirit, spirit of restlessness,
stir me from placidness,
wind, wind on the sea.
You swept through the desert,
you stung with the sand
and you goaded your people
with a law and a land;
and when they were blinded
with idols and lies,
then you spoke through your prophets
to open their eyes.
Spirit, spirit of gentleness,
blow through the wilderness,
calling and free,
Spirit, spirit of restlessness,
stir me from placidness,
wind, wind on the sea.
You sang in a stable,
you cried from a hill,
then you whispered in silence
when the whole world was still;
and down in the city
you called once again,
when you blew through your people
on the rush of the wind.
Spirit, spirit of gentleness,
blow through the wilderness,
calling and free,
Spirit, spirit of restlessness,
stir me from placidness,
wind, wind on the sea.
You call from tomorrow,
you break ancient schemes.
From the bondage of sorrow
the captives dream dreams;
our women see visions,
our men clear their eyes.
With bold new decisions
your people arise.
Spirit, spirit of gentleness,
blow through the wilderness,
calling and free,
Spirit, spirit of restlessness,
stir me from placidness,
wind, wind on the sea.
Sermon: “Go Therefore” Matthew 28:16-20
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 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, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
RESPONSE TO THE WORD
Prayers of the People: Joys and concerns
Silent Prayer, Pastoral Prayer
THE SACRAMENTS OF HOLY COMMUNION
Invitation, Prayer of Confession and Pardon:
Christ our Lord invites to his table
all who love him,
who earnestly repent of their sin
and seek to live in peace with one another.
Therefore, let us confess our sin before God
and one another.
Merciful God,
we confess that we have not loved you
with our whole hearts.
We have failed to be an obedient church.
We have not done your will,
we have broken your law,
we have rebelled against your love,
we have not loved our neighbors,
and we have not heard the
cry of the needy.
Forgive us, we pray.
Free us for joyful obedience,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Hear the good news:
Christ died for us while we were yet sinners;
that proves God's love toward us.
In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!
In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.
Glory to God. Amen
The Great Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is right, and a good and joyful thing,
always and everywhere
to give thanks to you,
Father Almighty, creator of
heaven and earth.
You formed us in your image and
breathed into us the breath of life.
When we turned away, and our love failed,
your love remained steadfast.
You delivered us from captivity,
made covenant to be our sovereign God,
and spoke to us through your prophets.
And so,
with your people on earth
and all the company of heaven
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Holy are you, and blessed is your Son
Jesus Christ.
Your Spirit anointed him
to preach good news to the poor,
to proclaim release to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
and to announce that the time had come
when you would save your people.
He healed the sick, fed the hungry,
and ate with sinners.
By the baptism of his suffering,
death, and resurrection,
you gave birth to your church,
delivered us from slavery to sin and death,
and made with us a new covenant
by water and the Spirit.
When the Lord Jesus ascended,
he promised to be with us always,
in the power of your Word and Holy Spirit.
On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said:
"Take, eat; this my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
When the supper was over, he took the cup,
gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said:
"Drink from this all of you;
this is my blood of the new covenant,
poured out for you and for many
for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it
in remembrance of me."
And so,
in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving
as a holy and living sacrifice,
in union with Christ's offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of faith
Christ has died;
Christ is risen;
Christ will come again.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here,
and on these gifts of bread and wine.
Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ,
that we may be for the world the body of Christ,
redeemed by his blood.
By your Spirit make us one with Christ,
one with each other,
and one in ministry to all the world,
until Christ comes in final victory,
and we feast at his heavenly banquet.
Through your Son Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church,
all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father,
now and forever. Amen
And now with the confidence of children of God, let us pray:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
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 forever.
Amen
Sharing of the Cup and Loaf
Moment of Prayer and Meditation
Prayer of Thanks
Eternal God, we give you thanks
for this holy mystery
in which you have given yourself to us.
Grant that we may go into the world
in the strength of your Spirit,
to give ourselves to others,
in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
SENDING FORTH
Hymn: “Shine, Jesus Shine”
Shine, Jesus, shine, fill this land with the Father's glory,
blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire;
flow, river, flow, flood the nations with grace and mercy,
send forth your word, Lord, and let there be light.
Lord, the light of your is shining
in the midst of the darkness shining;
Jesus, Light of the Word, shine upon us,
set us free by the truth you now bring us.
Shine on me, shine on me.
Shine, Jesus, shine, fill this land with the Father's glory,
blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire;
flow, river, flow, flood the nations with grace and mercy,
send forth your word, Lord, and let there be light.
Lord, I come to your awesome presence
from the shadows into your radiance;
by the blood I may enter your brightness,
search me, try me, consume all my darkness.
Shine on me, shine on me.
Shine, Jesus, shine, fill this land with the Father's glory,
blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire;
flow, river, flow, flood the nations with grace and mercy,
send forth your word, Lord, and let there be light.
As we gaze on your kingly brightness,
so our faces display your likeness;
ever changing from glory to glory,
mirrored here may our lives tell your story.
Shine on me, shine on me.
Shine, Jesus, shine, fill this land with the Father's glory,
blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire;
flow, river, flow, flood the nations with grace and mercy,
send forth your word, Lord, and let there be light.
Benediction
