Amen. We invite you to continue the conversation on our Opening the Bible forum. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 1 John 3:23, 16Jesus answered, My teaching is not my own. built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy. Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name; worship the Lord in holy splendor! We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, We desire to hear Your voice above the chatter of the world, to know Your ways and to walk in them. Make yourself known to us new ways through our worship, our prayers and our understanding of your Word today. And be of one soul and one mind Ephesians 5:18b-20*, Other Introductions to Singing to Consider Using, 6Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. Have mercy upon us and forgive us for sinning against you. . (inspired by John 3:14-21 and Ephesians 2:1-10). (If youre not familiar with the lectionary, its a three-year schedule for preaching from Scripture that some pastors follow.). Staff is centered in Nashville, Tennessee, but we also have staff at locations across the United States. 6Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes. Job 42:5-6, 1The fool says in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. Used by permission. Check out our Prayers of Confession on the Trinity. There is a solid world, securely founded and wonderful to behold. Our joy, she writes, springs from the very heart of the universe. In the Holy Spirit, we are gifted, again and again. As we worship, may we gain new insight about the mystery and wonder of your love. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. . . No, this teaching is clearly for everyone, for her cry is to all that live (v. 4). Holy Spirit of God, invisible like the wind,we do not see you moving among us,but the effect we seecome to our hearts:that we may be renewed and reborn. we call You Father, Mother, Author of Life: we call You the Son, the Messiah, the One who Saves: we call You the Advocate, the Inspirer, Breath and Wind of God: that we might journey with You more fully and deeply. 11[W]e constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. Now if we are children, then we are heirsheirs of God and co-heirs with Christ . All: Let us worship a Son who redeems us even from ourselves. have access to the Father by one Spirit. A Call to Worship A selection of prayers for opening and closing acts of worship Here we are Lord; your people, your Church meeting together in your presence. Simply put, a call to worship is the beginning of a worship service that "calls God's people into his presence"1. with "a Scripture or anthem that focuses on God and helps us 'tune in.'" 2. That we may truly share one faith, have one calling, Our purpose is to expand our experience and . Begotten, not made, Our modern world and its horrors are testimony to the uses to which such expertise have been put, and to what happens when Wisdom, with its essential connection with goodness, is not part of the picture. Perhaps the earliest print version appears in the post-Civil War collection. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. Most people know what a proverb is, even if theyve never opened the Bible to the Old Testament book that carries that name. the communion of saints, Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. (Not being on our cell phones, but just being.) Prayers and Acclamations of Praise to God, Assurances of Gods Pardon, Declarations of Gods Forgiveness, and Absolutions, Fellowship, Loving One Another, and Passing Gods Peace, Affirmations, Encouragements, and Promises of God. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. This is your day 9Do not be angry beyond measure, LORD; do not remember our sins forever. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22. A Note about Trinity Sunday and Language about GodOn Trinity Sunday we remember with solemnity and praise the foundation in which we live and worship throughout the year. 14He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Leader: Resurrected Christ guide us all. The same verb mentioned above that was translated as brought forth can be translated, according to Jeff Paschal, as whirl, dance, or writhe. Saying that God created an orderly (and fair) universe does not mean that God did not enjoy Gods work, or was sober and serious in that work. 2 Thessalonians 1:1112*, 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. John 14:13-14, 17I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. Worship The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here. May we give ourselves willingly and joyfully . B1. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. [S]ince we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. When I look at your heavens, thew work of you fingers: the moon and the stars. Here are some indexes that might be helpful: INDEXES: For a complete list of all the indexes on this blog, click here. Night A Monologue for John 3:1-17 If your congregation uses video bumpers, this would make an excellent prelude to a sermon about Nicodemus. Send me. (Isaiah 6:8b). because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. Used by permission. Trinity Sunday is the Sunday after Pentecost. So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. Triune God, we desire to relate to You and to each other more fully, so that we might draw into the depths of Your love, first glimpsed at creation, when Your voice called us and the earth forth out of darkness into Your light. Reposted: https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2012/02/benediction-john-3-16-17.html. Thanks to those of you who took time to answer questions and offer comments about how your congregation navigated worship during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. History of Hymns: 'Jesus Is a Rock in a Weary Land'. Colossians 1:21-23a*. A Traditional Litany for Trinity Sunday Call to Worship & Prayer: Trinity Collect: Baptism of Our Lord Communion Prayer Five Prayers for Trinity Sunda y John 3:16 A Prayer Paraphrase Morning Trinitarian Prayer (John Stott) Opening Prayer: Drawing Near Opening Prayer: Life-Giving Trinity Opening Prayer: Isaiah 6:1-8 Opening Prayer: Psalm 8 John 1:16-18, To the church . For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. We are launching ourselves on the grand Ordinary Time journey. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes. Job 42:5-6, The fool says in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. 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, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. SEE AS WELL: TRANSFIGURATION IN THE SEASON OF LENT? Office of Public Policy & Advocacy in Washington D.C. As Roland Murphy reminds us, our earliest Christian ancestors had no New Testament yet, so the Old Testament was the Bible that nourished the first Christians. . From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. Call to ConfessionAs heirs of God, let us come to lay before God our sin and wrongdoings and lack of faith. Out of his [the Sons] fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Gene Tucker steps back for the big picture here: he claims that this text helps us with the larger question of how an almighty, transcendent (and therefore distant) God can also be present and active and known right here, in the physical creation that we can see and toucha thorny question for theologians in every age. . In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. 19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, Colossians 1:15, 17-19, 3The Son is the radiance of Gods glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. John 7:37-39a*, 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. People: So that justice rolls like water For information about our privacy practices, please read our Privacy Policy page. Isaiah 61:1-3*, 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. John 14:10bc*, I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. John 17:8a*, Other Introductions to Scripture Readings, [T]here is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. Daniel 2:28a*. Philippians 2:5-11. All: Let us worship our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. Trinity Sunday is a good time to stand still, at least for a little while, and perceive Gods grace-full hand at work in creation, to reflect on Gods love made flesh and living among us, and to give thanks for Gods Spirit, whose power sustains us right here and now, in this beautiful but hurting world. because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. Ephesians 1:3, 19Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ' Once this scene is set, the lectionary jumps past some long exhortations and claims to the verses in which, as Jeff Paschal puts it, Lady Wisdom is establishing her credentials by claiming to have been present withand even assisting, as a master worker or architectGod in creation itself. We have not sown the seeds of gospel hope, 1300 E. 9th Street, Suite 1100 Ephesians 5:18b-20*, 37On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christto the glory and praise of God. Dianne Bergant traces the source of our joy as being created by a good God who effortlessly establishes the entire universe as tranquility and order. . 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Lord God Almighty! This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them. John 14:21, 23Jesus replied, Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. Fourth Sunday in Lent, Year A, Home Free to use with attribution to https://fatpastor.wordpress.com. If you haven't previously submitted something but would like to, you can find my email address by clicking on my name in the "About Me" section below. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 5And hope does not put us to shame, because Gods love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Nothing could be simpler or more democraticafter all, everyone has a heart., The spiritual practice of paying attention, We might also read this text as a starting point and inspiration for a spiritual practice that is much neglected in our frantic, overly-electronic, preoccupied world: paying attention to creation in order to deepen our relationship with God. You gather, protect, and care for us, your beloved, through Word and Spirit. These liturgies include ideas for your Trinity Sunday prayer of confession, affirmation of faith, call to worship (or opening sentences), assurance of pardon, prayer for illumination, and music. We look for the resurrection of the dead, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. New to this blog? . Hamilton writes: "Trinity Sunday.not something that needs to be understood, just set alive with the imagination. Call to OfferingGod is the Giver of life, Christ is the Gift sent to share our life, and the Holy Spirit the power that enables us to continue in generosity, justice and joy. to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. Leader: Resurrected Christ guide us all. . Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. WORSHIP WITH RESURRECTION LUTHERAN CHURCH Second Sunday in Lent SUNDAY, MAR. . Please note: If you use material from this blog, please be careful to credit the original author and source. Of course, those last two associations reflect Christian understandings related to the second and third persons in the Trinity (this is, after all, Trinity Sunday). 1 John 4:9, 9Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. People: You declared, O Lord, that our sons and daughters would prophecy; Colossians 3:17, Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God. God, Our Help in Ages Past. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. People: All thy works shall praise Thy name, in earth, and sky, and sea. Place two 6"risers in front of the 10" riser and slightly to the right and the left.