Sunday School, May 22, 2016 Trinity Sunday, C
Today is Trinity Sunday
What does Trinity mean?
It means that we believe God is three persons, Father, Son
and Holy Spirit
But if God is three persons, how can God be One God? Do we believe in three Gods?
No, we believe in One God, in three Persons who are all equally
God
Why do we believe in God as a Trinity?
Even though we believe God is much greater than us, we
believe that God wants us to know about God. We as human being believe we are persons. A person is someone who knows oneself in
relationship with each other. I am a son
because I have a father. I am a father
because I have a son. I am a brother
because I have brothers and sisters. I
am a husband because I have a wife. So I
have many expressions of my personality depending upon what relationship I have
with other people.
We believe that God wants to be related to us as
persons. So we believe that God can best
be known to us in being known as Persons of the Trinity.
When we relate to God as our creator, we speak of God as our
Father. When we relate to God as someone
who became human to show us how to live the best human life, we know God as
Jesus the Son. And when we know that God
surrounds us like water surrounding a fish and when we know that God is close
inside of us, we know God as the invisible Holy Spirit.
So in our relationship with God we know God in different
kinds of relationships and yet each of these kinds of relationship are with a
single one, kind and loving God.
The Trinity is our confession about a great God who wants to
be in relationship with us and we wants us to be in relationship with God, in
different ways, sometimes as our Father, sometimes as our big brother Jesus and
sometimes like the invisible breath or wind when we know God is with us because
we feel the closeness of God.
Exercise: What is your name?
How many persons are you? Son?
Daughter? Brother? Sister? Boy? Girl? Student? Soccer Player? Dancer?
Puppet Show for Trinity Sunday
Characters:
Officer George
Father Phil
Sign on the Puppet Theatre
Security Agent, Security Systems and Driving Instruction
Fr. Phil: (knocks on the puppet theatre) Is anyone in? I need some help.
Officer George: (pops up) Hello, I’m Officer George here. Can I help you?
Fr. Phil: Yes, I need some one to teach a friend of mine how to drive.
Officer George: Happy to help you. Just have them come and sign up and I will be do the driving instruction. I have never had a ticket but I wrote lots of tickets for speeders when I was a traffic cop.
Fr. Phil: Great, I’ll have my friend come by to see you and sign up for the class.
(Officer George leaves)
Fr. Phil: Oops, I forgot that I needed something else. (Fr. Phil knocks on the theatre again) Hello, is anyone still in the office?
Officer George: (pops up) Yes, I’m still here. Do you need another driving lesson?
Fr. Phil: No, I want to talk to your security person. I need to have an alarm installed at my home.
Officer George: Well, you’ve come to the right place. I’ll be happy to help you.
Fr. Phil: But aren’t you the Driving Instructor?
Officer George: Yes, but I also install alarm systems. Is that a problem?
Fr. Phil: Well, no but you must be a busy person. I will give you my address. When can you come by and give me a bid.
Officer George: I’ll come by tomorrow and help you decide what kind of alarm system that you need. Good bye…..(Officer George disappears)
Fr. Phil: Oops. I forgot I still need something. I need a security guard to come by each night and check our property. Knock! Knock! Is anyone still there?
Officer George: Oh, hello. I see you are still here. How can I help you?
Fr. Phil: I want to talk with your security agent. I need a watchman to check out the church each night. Can I hire one of your night watchmen?
Officer George: Yes, you can. I am the night watchman.
Fr. Phil: How can you be the Driver Instructor, the alarm installer and the night watchman?
Officer George: Well, I could ask you how you, the one and same person, could need a driver instructor, an alarm installed and a watchman.
Fr. Phil: Well, as a person I have many needs.
Officer George: So you can be just one person and have many needs? Don’t you think that I can be one person and have many jobs and titles? I am a Driving Instructor, an alarm installer and a watchman. Fr. Phil as a priest you should be able to understand that?
Fr. Phil: Why do you say that?
Officer George: Well, today is Trinity Sunday. God is One, but we know God in different ways in God’s different Persons. We know God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Fr. Phil: Officer George, thank you for your instruction about the Trinity. Do you think this will help the children at St. John’s understand the Trinity?
Officer George: Maybe a little…but now you’ve given me a fourth job, a teacher. I think that I’ll stick to my three jobs. Good bye, as you see I’m a very busy person having three different jobs.
Fr. Phil: Good bye Officer George and thank you. God must be a very busy God since there are so many people who have so many needs. It’s a good thing that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Don’t you think so?
A Sermon for Trinity Sunday.
Can you be a brother or sister, and a son or daughter, and
student all at one time? Can your father
be a father, brother and husband all at one time? Can your mother be a mother, sister and wife
all at one time?
So one person can be
many different personal roles at one time.
I am a father, a brother, a son, a cousin, a priest, and yet I am still
just one human being. I am a father
person, a brother person and a son person, but still just one human being.
Today is called
Trinity Sunday. Does anyone know what
Trinity means. Whenever you see the
three letters TRI at the start of a word, what number are we talking
about? The number three. So Trinity refers to three persons.
As Christians we say
that God is One God but in trinity of persons.
And what are the three persons?
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
If you are talking
to your Dad, then you know him as your father.
But if your uncle is talking to your dad, he will know your dad as a
brother. And if your mother is talking
her your dad, she will know your dad as her husband.
So whether we know
God as Father, Son or Holy Spirit, it all depends on how we are knowing God.
If we are talking
about God as the great creator, we will be speaking about God as our
Father.
But if we are
talking about God as God became known to us as a human being, then we will talk
about Jesus Christ, God’s Son.
And if we talking
about how God can be present everywhere at one time, then we will talk about
God as the Holy Spirit.
So God can be one
God and be also known as three different persons, depending upon what we need
to know about God.
And that is the
wonderful thing about the Trinity. God
can be known to us in different ways.
Because sometimes we need to know God in different ways.
Today let us be
thankful that God can be known to us in different ways, as God the Father, God
the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. This
is the Trinity that we celebrate today.
Amen.
St. John the Divine Episcopal Church
17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
Family Service with Holy Eucharist
May 22, 2016 Trinity Sunday
Gathering Songs: The King of Glory, Glorify Thy Name, Eat
This Bread, Peace Like a River
Liturgist: Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
People: And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and forever. Amen.
Liturgist: Oh God,
Our hearts are open to you.
And you know us and we can hide nothing from you.
Prepare our hearts and our minds to love you and worship
you.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Song: The King of Glory Comes, (Renew! # 267)
Chorus: The King of glory comes, the nation rejoices. Open the gates before him, lift up your
voices.
1-Who is the King of Glory; how shall we call him? He is
Emmanuel, the promised of ages.
2-In all of Galilee, in city or village, he goes among his
people curing their illness.
3-Sing then of David’s son, our savior and brother: in all
of Galilee was never another
Liturgist: The
Lord be with you.
People: And
also with you.
Liturgist: Let us
pray
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.
First Litany of Praise: Chant: Alleluia
O God, you are Great!
Alleluia
O God, you have made us! Alleluia
O God, you have made yourself known to us! Alleluia
O God, you have provided us with us a Savior! Alleluia
O God, you have given us a Christian family! Alleluia
O God, you have forgiven our sins! Alleluia
O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead! Alleluia
A reading from the Book of Proverbs
Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her
voice? On the heights, beside the way,
at the crossroads she takes her stand; beside the gates in front of the town,
at the entrance of the portals she cries out: "To you, O people, I call,
and my cry is to all that live. The LORD
created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of long ago.
Liturgist: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 8
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, *
the moon and the stars you have set in their courses,
What are men and women that you should be mindful of them? *
and their children that you should seek them out?
You have made them but little lower than the angels; * you
adorn them with glory and honor;
Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)
Litanist:
For the good earth, for our food and clothing. Thanks be to
God!
For our families and friends. Thanks be to God!
For the talents and gifts that you have given to us. Thanks
be to God!
For this day of worship. Thanks be to God!
For health and for a good night’s sleep. Thanks be to God!
For work and for play. Thanks be to God!
For teaching and for learning. Thanks be to God!
For the happy events of our lives. Thanks be to God!
For the celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries of
our friends and parish family.
Thanks be to God!
Liturgist: The
Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John
People: Glory
to you, Lord Christ.
Jesus said to the disciples, "I still have many things
to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he
will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will
speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to
come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to
you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take
what is mine and declare it to you."
Liturgist: The
Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise
to you, Lord Christ.
Sermon – Father Phil
Children’s Creed
We did not make ourselves, so we believe that God the Father
is the maker of the world.
Since God is so great and we are so small,
We believe God came into our world and was born as Jesus,
son of the Virgin Mary.
We need God’s help and we believe that God saved us by the
life, death and
resurrection of
Jesus Christ.
We believe that God is present with us now as the Holy
Spirit.
We believe that we are baptized into God’s family the Church
where everyone is
welcome.
We believe that Christ is kind and fair.
We believe that we have a future in knowing Jesus Christ.
And since we all must die, we believe that God will preserve
us forever. Amen.
Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy.
For fighting and war to cease in our world. Christ, have
mercy.
For peace on earth and good will towards all. Christ, have
mercy.
For the safety of all who travel. Christ, have mercy.
For jobs for all who need them. Christ, have mercy.
For care of those who are growing old. Christ, have mercy.
For the safety, health and nutrition of all the children in
our world. Christ, have mercy.
For the well-being of our families and friends. Christ, have
mercy.
For the good health of those we know to be ill. Christ, have
mercy.
For the remembrance of those who have died. Christ, have
mercy.
For the forgiveness of all of our sins. Christ, have mercy.
Youth Liturgist: The
Peace of the Lord be always with you.
People: And also with you.
Song during the preparation of the Altar and the receiving
of an offering
Offertory Song: Glorify Your Name, (Renew!, # 37)
Father we love you we worship and adore you. Glorify your
Name in all of the world. Glorify your
name, glorify your name, glorify your name in all the world.
Jesus we love you we worship and adore you. Glorify your
Name in all of the world. Glorify your
name, glorify your name, glorify your name in all the world.
Spirit we love you we
worship and adore you. Glorify your Name in all of the world. Glorify your name, glorify your name, glorify
your name in all the world.
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all
creatures here below.
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost.
Prologue to the Eucharist
Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, for to them belong
the kingdom of heaven.”
All become members of a family by birth or adoption.
Baptism is a celebration of birth into the family of God.
A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.
The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to
his friends to keep us together as the family of Christ.
The Lord be with you
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to God.
It is right to give God thanks and praise.
It is very good and right to give thanks, because God made
us, Jesus redeemed us and the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts. Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all
of the world that we see and don’t see, we forever sing this hymn of praise:
Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might. Heav’n 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. Hosanna in the Highest.
(All may gather around the altar)
Our grateful praise we offer to you God, our Creator;
You have made us in your image
And you gave us many men and women of faith to help us to
live by faith:
Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob
and Rachael.
And then you gave us your Son, Jesus, born of Mary, nurtured
by Joseph
And he called us to be sons and daughters of God.
Your Son called us to live better lives and he gave us this
Holy Meal so that when we eat
the bread and drink
the wine, we can know that the Presence
of Christ is as near to us as
this food and
drink that becomes a part of us.
And so, Father, we bring you these gifts of bread and wine.
Bless and sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and
Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord. Bless
and sanctify us by your Holy Spirit so that we may love God and our neighbor.
On the night when Jesus was betrayed he took bread, said the
blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his friends, and said, "Take,
eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of
me."
After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and
said, "Drink this, all of you. This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which
is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink
it, do this for the remembrance of me."
Father, we now celebrate the memorial of your Son. When we
eat this holy Meal of Bread and Wine, we are telling the entire world about the
life, death and resurrection of Christ and that his presence will be with us in
our future.
Let this holy meal keep us together as friends who share a
special relationship because of your Son Jesus Christ. May we forever live with praise to God to
whom we belong as sons and daughters.
By Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of
the Holy Spirit all honor and glory
is yours, Almighty
Father, now and for ever. AMEN.
And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we now sing,
(Children rejoin their parents and take up their
instruments)
Our Father: (Renew # 180, West Indian Lord’s Prayer)
Our Father who art in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done: Hallowed be thy name.
Done on earth as it is in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.
Give us this day our daily bread: Hallowed be thy name.
And forgive us all our debts: Hallowed be thy name.
As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.
Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.
But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.
Thine is the kingdom, power, and glory: Hallowed be thy
name.
Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.
Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.
Amen, amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.
Breaking of the Bread
Celebrant: Christ
our Passover is sacrificed for us.
People: Therefore
let us keep the feast.
Words of Administration
Communion Song: Eat This Bread, (Renew! # 228)
Eat this bread, drink this cup, come to me and never be
hungry.
Eat this bread, drink this cup, trust in me and you will not
thirst.
Post-Communion Prayer
Everlasting God, we have gathered for the meal that Jesus
asked us to keep;
We have remembered his words of blessing on the bread and
the wine.
And His Presence has been known to us.
We have remembered that we are sons and daughters of God and
brothers
and sisters in
Christ.
Send us forth now into our everyday lives remembering that
the blessing in the
bread and wine
spreads into each time, place and person in our lives,
As we are ever blessed by you, O Father, Son and Holy
Spirit. Amen.
Closing Song: I’ve Got Peace Like a River (Christian
Children’s Songbook, # 122)
I’ve got peace like a river, I’ve got peace like a river,
I’ve got peace like a river in my soul.
I’ve got peace like a
river; I’ve got peace like a river. I’ve
got peace like a river in my soul.
I’ve got love….
I’ve got joy…
Dismissal:
Liturgist: Let us go forth in the Name of Christ.
People: Thanks be to God!