Printed Service – Sunday 15th June 2025
Prepared by Rev. Paulson Devasahayam.
God in Trinity: United in Love,
Working through Love, Sustained in Love

Song of Preparation

Father, we adore you.
Lay our lives before you
How we love you

Jesus, we adore you
Lay our lives before you
How we love you

Spirit, we adore you
Lay our lives before you
How we love you

Call to worship; 
The Mighty One, God, the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets. Psalm 50:1  Triune God, help us to worship you in Spirit and Truth 

Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind! Psalm 66:5 Triune God, help us to worship you in Spirit and Truth

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Psalm 105:4 Triune God, help us to worship you in Spirit and Truth

Hymn StF 11 Holy Holy Holy       
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Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! all the saints adore thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea.
Cherubim and seraphim, falling down before thee,
Who was and is and evermore shall be.

Holy, Holy, Holy! though the darkness hide thee,
Though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see,
Only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity.

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION — ADAPTED FROM JOHN WESLEY’S SUNDAY SERVICE, 1784

Holy, Holy, Holy, Merciful, Eternal, and Mighty, by your grace you have shown us who you are, One in Three, and Three in One.  We glorify you as Trinity, even as we worship you in your Unity. Open our hearts to receive your word to us today, that not only in our worship but in our lives we may serve and reflect your Triune Love all our days. Amen.

Confession of Sins

Creator God we called us to serve your creation, but we acknowledge that sometimes we fall short of doing everything we can to protect the environment. Mercifully pardon us.   Father Have mercy on us.Redeeming God, You came to Earth and taught us how to live and You offered love to everyone. We admit that we don’t always act as You did and overlook those who are in need.   Christ, Have mercy on us.
Comforting God, You encouraged those early disciples and to proclaim the good news of God’s love to everyone. We confess that we have failed to abide in You, not followed Your teachings and not shared your Truth our fellow beings.  Spirit, Have mercy on us

May the God of love and power forgive us, free us from our sins, heal and strengthen us by His Spirit, and raise us to new life in Christ our Lord, Amen.

Hymn StF 490 Being of beings, God of love   
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Being of beings, God of Love!
To Thee our hearts we raise;
Thine all-sustaining power we prove,
And gladly sing Thy praise.

Thine, only Thine, we pant to be;
Our sacrifice receive;
Made, and preserved, and saved by Thee,
To Thee ourselves we give.

Heavenward our every wish aspires:
For all Thy mercies’ store,
The sole return Thy love requires
Is that we ask for more.

For more we ask; we open then
Our hearts to embrace Thy will;
Turn, and revive us, Lord, again,
With all Thy fulness fill.

Come, Holy Ghost, the Saviour’s love
Shed in our hearts abroad!
So shall we ever live, and move,
And be, with Christ in God.

Readings

Romans 5:1–5 : Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

John 16:12-15 : “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.  All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

Nicene Creed : We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Hymn StF 157 God has spoken by his prophets. 
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God has spoken by his prophets,
spoken his unchanging Word;
each from age to age proclaiming
God the one, the righteous Lord!

In the world’s despair and turmoil
one firm anchor still holds fast,
God is on his throne eternal,
he alone the first and last.

God has spoken by Christ Jesus,
Christ the everlasting Son,
brightness of the Father’s glory,
with the Father, ever one:
spoken by the Word incarnate,
God, before all time began,
light of light, to Earth descending,
Man, revealing God to man.

God is speaking by his Spirit
speaking to the hearts of men;
in the age-long Word declaring
God’s own message, now as then.
Through the rise and fall of nations
one sure faith is standing fast:
God abides, his Word unchanging,
God the first and God the last.

Sermon : God in Trinity: United in Love, Working through Love, Sustained in Love

Many of us have asked the question, “How is God born?” Answering this by speaking of the Trinity, a central yet deeply mysterious truth of the Christian faith, is challenging and exciting.

The question is not about God’s origin in the way creatures have origins. Instead, it invites us into a more profound sense of wonder, not about creation but revelation. God is not born as we are; instead, God is revealed in love, through love, and for love.

Origen of Alexandria, a prominent early Christian theologian, described that the three persons of the Trinity are one, not by substance alone, but through their perfect unity in love.

At the heart of this mystery is love that is the eternal breath and binding force within God’s very being. The Trinity, then, is not a puzzle to be solved but a mystery to be lived.

Firstly, we see that God in the Trinity is united in Love : In John 16, Jesus is preparing his disciples for his departure. He says: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth… He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

Here we see a beautiful movement within the Trinity. The Father gives all things to the Son. The Son speaks not on his own, but declares the will of the Father. The Spirit comes not with a separate agenda, but to glorify the Son and reveal truth. This is not hierarchy, but harmony, perfect communion and perfect relationship. Therefore, the trinitarian God is not a solitary being, but a community of love.

Perichoresis is a classical term in Trinitarian theology that describes the dynamic interrelation between the distinct persons of the Trinity while affirming their mutual indwelling. It is made by a combination of two words. chora, meaning “space,” and chorein, meaning “to make space,” along with the prefix peri, meaning “around.” Thus, perichoresis can be roughly translated as “to make space around.” More precisely, it describes how someone or something creates room for others within its own circle.

Therefore, Trinity is a way of life marked by openness, hospitality, and self-giving love. Just as the divine persons make space for one another, we too are called to “make space around” ourselves for others. The consumer mindset that asks, “What do I get?” God in the Trinity leads us to ask, “Who do I make space for?” Are our worship spaces, small groups, and leadership teams places where people of different backgrounds, abilities, and ages can truly belong? The Trinity is not a logical formula; it is a living dance of love, a divine choreography where each person gives, receives, and glorifies the other.

Secondly, we see that God in the Trinity  works through Love and is sustained in Love : Paul writes in Romans: “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”(5:5)

This is God’s love in action. It is not a static love but an overflowing love. It is poured out, flowing, moving and shaping. It is not held back or reserved. This is the very heart of the Trinity: an overflowing, relational love that is dynamic and creative. The Holy Spirit is the personal presence of this love, moving from God’s inner life into ours.

But the question is, What does this love do?     Paul names three things:

Firstly, this love justifies us – “We are justified by faith… we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1)

This is good news in a society where many wrestle with self-worth, shame, or the pressure to perform. In Christ, we are enough. We are loved before we succeed, and loved still when we fail.

Therefore, we speak and model this peace in places and people burdened by anxiety, fragmentation, and isolation.

Secondly, this love sustains us in suffering. Paul says, “We also boast in our sufferings… suffering produces endurance… hope” (Romans 5:3-4). Even in suffering, we are not abandoned. The same Spirit hovered over creation, filled the prophets, and descended at Pentecost, that Spirit is in us, reminding us that we are not alone. The Spirit doesn’t erase suffering but walks with us through it, transforming it from something that crushes into something that can form character.

God in Trinity encourages us to be a church community that acknowledges pain, accompanies the hurting, and offers hope that does not disappoint.

Finally, Paul says this love dwells in us – “The Holy Spirit has been given to us.” (Romans 5:5). So our heart is a place of reception of God’s love. 

We don’t just learn about God’s love. We live in it. The Spirit resides in us, bringing us into communion with the Triune God. Through Christ, by the Spirit, we are invited into the life of God. If the Spirit dwells in each of us, this radically shifts how we treat one another. Are we recognising the Spirit in the other? Are we building communities of honour, listening, and reconciliation?

You may have heard the story of a young boy who decided to write a bill for his mum after doing jobs around the house. He had made his bed every day, removed the rubbish, helped set the table, and even fed the dog, without being asked. By the end of the week, he felt he had earned a reward. So he sat down with a pencil and paper and carefully wrote out a price list: Making my bed all week: £1.50, Taking out the rubbish: £1.50, Feeding the dog: £1.50, Setting the table: £1.00 Subtotal: £5.50 …   Discount: £0.50 … Final total: £5.00

He proudly handed the list to his mum, expecting appreciation and perhaps payment. That evening, he found an envelope on his pillow. Inside was the list he wrote, but now something was written on the back. It was a note from his mum: Carrying you for nine months: £0, Staying up all night when you were sick: £0, Making your favourite meals: £0, Washing your clothes and helping with homework: £0, Loving you every day, no matter what: £0,  Total: £0

The boy read it quietly. His eyes widened, then softened. Without a word, he picked up a crayon, turned his original list over, and wrote in big, bold letters: “PAID IN FULL.”

Then he walked into the kitchen, wrapped his arms around his mum, and whispered, “Thank you, Mum.”

This simple story reminds us of a deeper truth in a world where everything seems to come with a price tag.

This is the kind of love we see in God the Trinity. A love that welcomes us through the Father, a love that saves us through the Son, and a love that sustains us through the Spirit. So, let us live in the Trinity of Love. Because in this love, we are born, we are called, and we are held. Amen.

Hymn StF 615 Let love be real   
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Let love be real, in giving and receiving,
without the need to manage and to own;
a haven free from posing and pretending,
where every weakness may be safely known.
Give me your hand, along the desert pathway,
give me your love wherever we may go:
as God loves us, so let us love each other,
with no demands, just open hands and space to grow. 

Let love be real, not grasping or confining,
that strange embrace that holds yet sets us free;
that helps us face the risk of truly living,
and makes us brave to be what we might be.
Give me your strength when all my words are weakness,
give me your love in spite of all you know:
as God loves us, so let us love each other,
with no demands, just open hands and space to grow. 

Let love be real, with no manipulation,
no secret wish to harness or control;
let us accept each other’s incompleteness,
and share the joy of learning to be whole.
Give me your hope through dreams and disappointments,
give me your trust when all my failings show:
as God loves us, so let us love each other,
with no demands, just open hands and space to grow.  

Intercessory Prayer

Creator God,  may your outrageous justice, which offers forgiveness and reconciliation to everyone, be the choice of our governments and nations:

That all may dance in your kingdom together.

Jesus, our brother, you welcomed the poor and the despised: help us to live by your values, however foolish they seem to those around us.

That all may dance in your kingdom together.

Holy Spirit, you comfort and disturb us: may we dance your wild dance across the boundaries our culture erects between peoples.

That all may dance in your kingdom together.

God the Holy Trinity, you call us into community: in our churches, may we be willing to put aside any traditions and customs that stop us from listening to and loving each other:

Help us to live by your wisdom.

Set us free from all that prevents us from choosing your kingdom. And help us to recognise where you are at work in our lives. So may your will be done, and your kingdom come.

The Lord’s Prayer

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, the power, and the glory,  Forever and ever. Amen. 

Hymn StF 472 May the Sending One sing in you 
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May the Sending One sing in you,
May the Seeking One walk with you,
May the Greeting One stand by you,
in your gladness and in your grieving.

May the Gifted One relieve you,
May the Given One retrieve you,
May the Giving One receive you,
in your falling and your restoring.

May the Binding One unite you,
May the One Belov’d invite you,
May the Loving One delight you,
Three-in-One, joy in life unending.

Closing Response:

In your world, living God: We will sing your song of justice.
In your world, living God: We will dance your dance of peace.
In your world, living God: We will live your way of love.

Blessing:

The song of creation restore you, the song of justice infuse you, the song of heaven enlighten you, and the blessing of the living God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with us now and always. Amen.

Acknowledgement:

The Prayer of Intercession, Closing Response and Blessing is adapted from Wild Goose Big Book of Liturgies (2017)by Iona Community, Wild Goose Publications.