Trinity Sunday, 30th May, 2021
Relationships: Father Son and Holy Spirit
Prepared by Rev. Andrew Sankey
Call to worship Psalm 29:2
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to his name;
worship the Lord in the splendour of his holiness.
Hymn StF 378 Father of everlasting grace by Charles Wesley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAA_hTSCb5Q
Father of everlasting grace,
your goodness and your truth we praise,
your goodness and your truth we prove;
you have, in honour of your Son,
the gift unspeakable sent down,
the Spirit of life, and power, and love.
Send us the Spirit of your Son,
to make the depths of Godhead known,
to make us share the life divine;
send him the sprinkled blood to apply,
send him our souls to sanctify,
to bless and seal us with this sign.
So shall we pray, and never cease,
so shall we thankfully confess
your wisdom, truth, and power, and love,
with joy unspeakable adore,
and bless and praise you evermore,
and serve you as your hosts above:
Till, added to that heavenly choir,
we raise our songs of triumph higher,
and praise you with a bolder voice,
out-soar the first-born seraph’s flight,
and sing, with all our friends in light,
with everlasting love rejoice.
.Prayer
Almighty God, grant us a glimpse of your awesome presence and a sense of your everlasting arms around us. Lord Jesus Christ, grant us to hear your call and help us follow in your footsteps. Holy Spirit, grant us openness of heart mind and spirit and help us to know your peace and power. Amen.
Readings Isaiah 6:1-8; Romans 8:12-17; & John 3:1-17
Reflection
When I was at college training for ministry it was generally feared to be asked to preach on Trinity Sunday. Who really understands the Trinity? It is a difficult concept to get across, but for my simple mind and using the scriptures appointed and Wesley’s hymns, I came to an explanation that is not perfect, nor does it plumb the depth of the Trinity, but has put the concept into non theological language that I have found helpful for over 40 years of ministry. It’s about relationships. I have three key relationships in my life. I am the son of my father, the husband of my wife and the father of my children. Each relationship is quite different and my conversation with each are vastly different, but all special. You could say, I am three people, a son, a husband, and a father, but unless you need to have your eyes tested, you will only ever see one person, relating in different these ways. So the Trinity, God the Father relating to us as creator, provider, God the Son- Jesus relating to us a friend and Saviour, God the Holy Spirit living in us revealing more of God and empowering us for service. And that is just the start of it – as Sandi Toksvig says in the Carte D’or advert “so much more.” We have a lifetime of exploring the depths of the Godhead by the help of the “Spirit of God’s Son” as the Charles Wesley hymn above says.
Our Isaiah reading speaks of the awesomeness of God’s power and his Holiness that makes Isaiah and any of us shrink back in fear, yet in the midst of all that, he hears God’s call upon his life and is wiling to respond. The heart of the Christian message is one of forgiveness rather than judgement; about the God who is ready to accept us as we are, rather than as we should be, but with a willingness to change as prompted by the Spirit. During ministry I have heard many candidates for the ministry share their calling. Most are aware of their own failings and frailty. I remember one in Zimbabwe who thought he deserved it. He was surprisingly accepted, I think hoping that the formation for ministry process would enable this person to change, but he didn’t, and he was removed from ministry.
The Romans reading, helps us see how Father, Son and Spirit are at work in our lives. We are children of God the Father, and the Spirit enables us to deal with sin, the Spirit brings about our adoption as children of God, and gives us assurance, and it is all dependent on what Jesus has done for us on the cross. Our salvation was bought by the suffering of Jesus, the spirit it makes it clear we may share in those sufferings, we are not promised exemption from suffering but are promised his Spirit living within to help us endure.
The Gospel reading of the conversation with Nicodemus, also speaks of the relationship between Father, Son and Spirit and the gift of eternal life through belief in the Son of God. Jesus came to make all that possible. It is a relationship with Jesus the Son, who open the door to adoption as children of God and the gift of eternal life. The gospel reading clearly stating, that God is offering forgiveness rather than judgement. I came across an alternative translation of the very famous John 3 v16, which spoke to me with a freshness “God loved the world so deeply, that he offered his only Son, so that all who believe in him need not die but can enjoy eternal life”. It speaks to me of a God who believes in us, despite our bad record, from Adam, through David, through Peter, Paul to our generation. Despite all that is wrong in our lives, he sees something precious in us, special and worth saving, even worth sending his Son to die for us. His affirmation of our worth. As in the L’Oréal advert, God is saying “Because You’re worth it” – I sent my Son to die for your sin. How amazing is that.
For your reflection.
- Have you been struck by the awesomeness of God’s power and holiness like the young Isaiah?
- Have you been aware of your own failure to overcome some area of sinfulness in your life?.
- Have you asked for the Holy Spirit’s help in overcoming temptation?
- Have you heard God say to you “Because you’re worth it!”
Prayers Father God, your purpose is for all, for you are Lord of heaven and earth. You are always at work, involved in our lives, calling , guiding and speaking – everyone important to you. We pray for all who feel they are drifting, searching for meaning. May they find in Jesus Christ, the way, the truth and the life. In faith we lift them to you: hear our prayer.
Son of God, your love is for all, for you lived and died for others. Nobody is outside you care, no one beyond your grace. We pray for our world, all who long for love and meaningful relationship. May they discover in you a love that will never let them go. In faith we lift them to you: hear our prayer.
Spirit of God, your peace is for all, for you at work in every heart striving to break down barriers that separate. We pray for all in our world who hunger for peace, all tormented by fear, troubled by anxieties or tortured by guilt. May they find through you, peace in body, mind and spirit. In faith we lift them to you: hear our prayer.
Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we bring you our world, thankful it is your world. Redeem, renew it through your sovereign power. May all people come to know your purpose, experience your love and receive your peace. May all know your love for them. In faith we lift them to you: hear our prayer. Amen.
Hymn StF 390 My God I know and feel there mine by Charles Wesley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHcqp2NmqwY
My God! I know, I feel thee mine,
and will not quit my claim,
till all I have is lost in thine
and all renewed I am.
I hold thee with a trembling hand,
but will not let thee go,
till steadfastly by faith I stand
and all thy goodness know.
Jesus, thine all-victorious love
shed in my heart abroad;
then shall my feet no longer rove,
rooted and fixed in God.
O that in me the sacred fire
might now begin to glow,
burn up the dross of base desire,
and make the mountains flow!
O that it now from heaven might fall,
and all my sins consume!
Come, Holy Ghost, for thee I call,
spirit of burning, come!
Refining fire, go through my heart,
illuminate my soul;
scatter thy life through every part,
and sanctify the whole.
Blessing From Psalm 29
The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic.
The Lord is enthroned as King for ever. The Lord gives strength to his people.
The Lord blesses his people with peace. Amen.
Hymns reproduced under CCLI License No. 973