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Trinity Sunday
Preparation for Worship
Songs: Ask yourself and the people who will be worshipping with you (kids included), “What are some of the songs we sing that talk about the triune God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit)?”
Play them on Spotify, sing them acapella, or create your own instrumental arrangement.
Bible: You will need a Bible to read from the scriptures. You can use this doc or your phone as well, but I’d recommend using an actual Bible.
This week’s liturgy is based on the following texts:
Genesis 1:1-2:4a, Psalm 8, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13, Matthew 28:16-20.
You can decide who will lead the different movements of this gathering. It would be great for every person to have a part.
Gathering
Call to Worship
Leader: As followers of Christ, we are called to live into a new kingdom.
We bring a hopeful understanding of our world
declaring that God called all of creation “good.”
All: With hopeful hearts we gather.
Leader: We are called to bring this hope
with us wherever we go
knowing that God makes all things new again.
All: With hopeful hearts we gather.
Leader: We are called to love God and to love one another.
So with hopeful hearts and renewed vision we gather
to worship and give thanks!
All: Let us worship our great God!
Song of Praise
Sing one or two songs that focus on the risen Savior and God’s saving grace.
Some suggestions:
All Creatures of our God and King
For other song ideas click here.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: If we say we are without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
All: But if we confess our sins,
God will meet us and renew us.
Before God and God’s people, I confess that I have
been reluctant to speak words of peace, love, kindness,
I have been slow to name the injustice I see and to declare God’s vision.
Before God and one another,
we confess that we have not readily
received our calling as God’s people.
We have hesitated. We have wavered. We have said no.
Remind me, O God,
that you have made me for your service
and, by your word, empower me to live as you have called me.
Renew us, O God.
Give us courage to live our lives as a reflection of your grace, your love, your beauty, your creation.
We pray in Christ’s name.
Amen.
Words of Assurance
Leader: Hear the good news.
The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He does not punish us for all our sins;
he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
Sisters and Brothers, be at peace.
Your sins are forgiven.
Psalm Meditation
Listening
Hear the creation story from the book of Genesis.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day.
Then God said, “Let there be a space between the waters, to separate the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth.” And that is what happened. God made this space to separate the waters of the earth from the waters of the heavens. God called the space “sky.”
And evening passed and morning came, marking the second day.
Then God said, “Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear.” And that is what happened. God called the dry ground “land” and the waters “seas.” And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.” And that is what happened. The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. And evening passed and morning came, marking the third day.
Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years. Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth.” And that is what happened. God made two great lights—the larger one to govern the day, and the smaller one to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set these lights in the sky to light the earth, to govern the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And evening passed and morning came, marking the fourth day.
Then God said, “Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.” So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of bird—each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply. Let the fish fill the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.” And evening passed and morning came, marking the fifth day.
Then God said, “Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind—livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals.” And that is what happened. God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened. Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.
So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.
This is the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth.
Re-Telling
Let’s tell the story that we just heard. How did the story begin? What happened next? (go around the circle and tell the story again)
Paying Attention
What do you wonder about as you hear the story of creation? What grabs your attention?
What do you think God was up to as God created things?
Where do we see God’s artistic work in creation?
What will we carry into this week from this text?
What can we pray for this week?
Responding
Prayers of the People
Prayer is a conversation with God. We join our hearts and voices to offer our prayers to God.
Holy God,
whose Spirit moved over the waters at the dawn of creation,
hear our prayers for all who thirst today.
We pray for those who are spiritually thirsty,
who long to know Your presence, but don’t know where to find You.
We pray for those who are alone and those who have lost hope,
those who long to feel needed and loved,
those who are searching for meaning and purpose.
Heal your people, we pray. (pause)
We pray for all who are in need,
Those who don’t have enough water to drink or food to eat.
Those who are worried about their job and their future.
Provide for your people, we pray. (pause)
We pray for those who are thirsty for justice,
who long for an equal sharing of resources among peoples and nations;
those who put their lives at risk to protect others;
those who are working to find cures to diseases, and
those who are leading our world and making decisions that impact people.
Pour down your Spirit on your people, we pray. (pause)
God, we ask that you would open our hearts to the needs of all who thirst.
Give us courage to work together for justice,
to stand alongside those who are thirsty,
so that all people, may discover the abundant life You promise to each one.
In the name of Jesus Christ—the source of living water.
And now we pray together the prayer you taught us to pray saying,
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 sins,
as we forgive those who sin 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.
Sending
Benediction
As people of faith we have gathered for worship.
As people of faith we now return to the world.
Go out to share the story of faith,
the story of life, with the world around you.
We share the faith in word and in deed,
in speech and in action.
As you go out to give a living witness,
as you go out to testify to God’s love active in the world,
go knowing that God goes with you,
sharing the laughter and the hope, the fears and the tears.
Thanks be to God! Amen.[1]
Closing Song
[1] posted by Rev Gord on his blog, Worship Offerings.
Living Room Liturgist 