Fr. Guillermo A. Arboleda
- Jun 12, 2022
- 20 min read

Sunday Worship for Trinity Sunday (June 12, 2022)

The Holy Eucharist

Trinity Sunday (Year C)

June 12, 2022

Watch the Livestream at www.Facebook.com/StMattSav/Live/

Sunday, June 12, at 9:30 a.m. (or anytime afterward)

The Holy Eucharist: Rite II

The Word of God

Hymn #362: Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!

[Verses 1-4]

1 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.

2 Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,

casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;

cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,

which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.

3 Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,

though the sinful human eye thy glory may not see,

only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,

perfect in power, in love, and purity.

4 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.

The Opening Acclamation

[BCP, p. 355]

Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

And blessed be God's kingdom, now and forever! Amen!

A Collect for Purity

[BCP, p. 355]

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hymn S-280: Glory to God

[See also BCP, p. 356]

Glory to God in the highest,

and peace to his people on earth.

Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father,

we worship you, we give you thanks,

we praise you for your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,

Lord God, Lamb of God,

you take away the sin of the world:

have mercy on us;

you are seated at the right hand of the Father:

receive our prayer.

For you alone are the Holy One,

you alone are the Lord,

you alone are the Most High,

Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,

in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

The Collect of the Day

[BCP, p. 357, 228]

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

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.

A Reading from the Book of Proverbs (8:1-4, 22-31)

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.

Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth.

When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water.

Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth--

when he had not yet made earth and fields, or the world's first bits of soil.

When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,

when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep,

when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command,

when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him, like a master worker;

and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always,

rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the human race."

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Canticle 13

[BCP, p. 90; Song of the Three Young Men 29-34 (Apocryphal addition to Daniel)]

Read responsively by half-verse (at the asterisk).

Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers; * you are worthy of praise; glory to you.

Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name; * we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

Glory to you in the splendor of your temple; * on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.

Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim; * we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

Glory to you, beholding the depths; * in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.

Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; * we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans (5:1-5)

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. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

The People stand, as they are able, for the reading of the Gospel.

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ According to St. John (16:12-15)

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."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Christ.

The Sermon

"Black Trinity" by the Rev. Guillermo A. Arboleda

What’s the first image you think of when you hear the word Trinity? How do you picture the Trinity in your mind? As Christians, this question cuts to the heart of who we believe God is. What do we believe God is like? What does God look like in our mind’s eye?

The Trinity is a great mystery, a way for us to try to explain something about God’s nature that is probably unexplainable. And we often get into trouble when we try to over-explain our Triune God. Western Christianity, that is, Roman Catholics and Protestants, have a long history of making paintings and icons of the Holy Trinity. These are intended to help people understand God as Trinity. But most of them are really bad! I’m not criticizing the artists, as if they can’t draw or paint. I’m criticizing their ideas and imaginations.

Most Western Christian images of the Trinity, especially from medieval Europe, depict the Holy Trinity as an old White man (The Father), a sad, young White man (The Son), and a cute little dove (The Holy Spirit). As I was writing this sermon, I searched “Trinity” on Google Images to find some of the most popular art that’s out there. I took the liberty of posting seven of these images on the blog version of today’s bulletin. I also printed a few copies for people to check out in person if they are less tech-savvy.

These images of the Trinity are all REALLY BAD!

All of these images are problematic. They are heretical. They’re wrong.

First of all, they depict the Three Persons of the Trinity as separate beings, not as one Unity. Remember, we believe that God is “Three in One and One in Three” (The Hymnal 1982, #370). We don’t worship three different Gods. We worship One God, who is known to us in three ways through the “persons” of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

But more troublingly, these images act like God is a hierarchy, just like human hierarchies. They show the Father ruling over the Son, together ruling over the Holy Spirit. Even by depicting the Father and Son as human beings and the Spirit as an animal, it reinforces a relationship of power and control. But we believe that the Three Persons of the Trinity are “co-eternal and co-equal” (Athanasian Creed: BCP, 865). None is above or below the other. They are all equally “God from God” (Nicene Creed: BCP, 356).

And in six out of these seven images for God, the Trinity is just like the human hierarchies in Europe and North America, with old White men at the top. Most of these go out of their way to make everyone in the image White and male, even the angels that surround God. The funniest one of these to me is the fifth one I posted, where the Father has severe male-pattern baldness and Jesus has no shirt so we can see that he is ripped and has 8-pack abs. At least in that one, the Father and the Son are sharing a crown (but the Holy Spirit doesn’t get one).

The final image, which is a far less common one from a church in Ethiopia, isn’t without its problems. In this one, God the Trinity is depicted in the classic style of Ethiopian icons, with coffee-colored brown skin, curly hair, and exaggeratedly large eyes. In this image, all Three Persons look identical, which is better, and of course they look Ethiopian, which is nice, but there are still three of them and they are still all male.

In all of these images, we’re trying to capture a holy mystery in art, which is a difficult task. There will be compromises along the way because God is invisible and we’re trying to make something visible. But the problem for us is that one kind of image has become dominant. People of all colors, races, and cultures have been inundated with images of a White, male God: an old, White man with a beard; a White Jesus; and the Holy Spirit (which at least borrows from the biblical image of a dove - though the Bible never says that it’s a white dove).

In a world in which men are advantaged over women and gender non-conforming people, telling people that God as male is dangerous. It reinforces the idea that our patriarchal societies are supposed to be that way, that God wants it to be that way. And in a White-dominated society, teaching people that God is White is dangerous. It makes it easier to believe the lie that White people are better than people of other races, that they are supposed to have more wealth and be in more positions of power. The way we understand who God is shapes the way we see the world.

But if God isn’t White and God isn’t male, what is God? A lot of Black theologians and other theologians of color have turned to teaching that God is Black. Many feminist theologians teach that God is a woman. There’s a new book that I just bought by a womanist theologian called God Is A Black Woman (by Dr. Christena Cleveland). Now, that’s not literal. But it means that God is with and for Black people, even and especially when Black people face injustice. God is with women, especially when they face hardships. God is with whoever is oppressed, disadvantaged, and marginalized. God is for people at the bottom rungs of society. God is not about helping the rich get richer and the powerful amass more power.

Because God, the Trinity, is not a hierarchy. God the Trinity is co-equal; the Trinity is an equitable community of Persons. And thankfully, this isn’t just my liberal propaganda. It’s based in Scripture and Church Tradition.

In terms of gender, the Bible regularly uses feminine images for God. Our reading from Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 talked about Wisdom (or Sophia in Greek and Latin), a feminine spirit who co-created the world. For generations, Christians have understood that this Old Testament passage is about God the Holy Spirit, the Third Person in the Trinity, who is “the Giver of Life” (Nicene Creed: BCP, 356). That’s why I’ll sometimes refer to God as “She” or “Her” because God is really not male. In terms of race, we know that the people of the ancient Middle East did not generally have pale skin, blue eyes, and blonde hair. They looked a lot more like modern North Africans and Middle Easterners. And we learned just last week in Acts 2 that God’s Holy Spirit blesses people from every tribe, kindred, color, and culture.

The point of challenging the White, Male God is to help expand our imaginations about what is possible. It helps us expand our understanding of who is human and who deserves dignity. That’s why one of my favorite features of St. Matthew’s Church is our set of stained glass windows. At least in this space, we are teaching ourselves and our children that the saints can be Black, that God is Black. We have two windows of the Good Shepherd, Jesus, depicted as a Black man, two images of his mother Mary as a Black woman, and many others. And many of you are to thank for planning, designing, and paying for the installation of these windows. For that we are grateful and blessed.

Through images like these we remind each other that God loves every human being of every color and culture. God honors even those whom the world despises, just as they despised Jesus on the Cross. And God the Holy Spirit is with us as we seek to love our neighbors in Her Name today and always. Amen.

Hymn #512: Come Gracious Spirit, Heavenly Dove

[Verses 1-4]

1 Come, gracious Spirit, heavenly Dove,

with light and comfort from above;

be thou our guardian, thou our guide

o'er every thought and step preside.

2 The light of truth to us display,

and make us know and choose thy way;

plant holy fear in every heart,

that we from thee may ne'er depart.

3 Lead us to Christ, the living way,

nor let us from his precepts stray;

lead us to holiness, the road

that we must take to dwell with God.

4 Lead us to heaven, that we may share

fullness of joy for ever there;

lead us to God, our final rest,

to be with him for ever blest.

The Nicene Creed

[BCP, p. 358]

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: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from 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. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He 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.

The Prayers of the People

[Adapted from http://www.stlukesewing.org/prayers-of-the-people-easter]

Rejoicing in the mighty acts of God who has delivered the people of God from sin and death through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, let us lift our voices and pray,

Risen Lord,

Hear our Prayer.

Let us give thanks to God for the multitude of blessings that God showers upon us: for our lives and for those whom we love, for the beauty of this home God has created for us, for our families and our friendships; for Juray Brown (6/15) and Herbert Scroggins (6/17) on their birthdays; and for all those celebrating wedding anniversaries. Let us give thanks to the God of Life.

Risen Lord,

Hear our Prayer.

Let us pray for the Church, that it may carry forward the redemptive works of God: for our clergy and our bishops, for the many lay people who serve the church and serve the world through the church, and for those gather here in worship and prayer.

Risen Lord,

Hear our Prayer.

Let us pray for the newly baptized, that the joy of Easter may ever grow within them, and that the Spirit may guide them in lives of active faith.

Risen Lord,

Hear our Prayer.

Let us pray for the nations and peoples of the world and for the leaders of our country, state, county, and city, that the powers that oppress and destroy may decline, and that justice, peace, and prosperity be lifted up.

Risen Lord,

Hear our Prayer.

Let us pray for those who are sick, those who suffer, those who struggle, especially those on our Parish Prayer List: Martha Avery, Mary Bonaparte, Christine Brown, Jacqueline Bryant, Tiffany Smith Bryant, Lazola Cope, Aaron Duplechien Jr., Angie Glover, Annie Bell Greer, Loretta Harmond, Marva Harris, Aniyah Hayes, Whitney Kennedy, Sada Maxwell, Bette Milledge, Helen Scroggins, and Chad Stephens; that the hope born of Easter give them peace, acceptance and renewal, and that through their struggles they may come into closer communion with the God who redeems and restores...

Special intentions are offered silently or aloud.

Risen Lord,

Hear our Prayer.

Let us pray for those who have died in the peace of Christ, and those whose faith is known to you alone; bring them by your resurrecting power into the place of eternal joy and light...

Special intentions are offered silently or aloud.

Risen Lord,

Hear our Prayer.

The celebrant adds a concluding collect [BCP, p. 251].

Almighty God, you have revealed to your Church your eternal Being of glorious majesty and perfect love as one God in Trinity of Persons: Give us grace to continue steadfast in the confession of this faith, and constant in our worship of you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; for you live and reign, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Peace

[EOW1, p. 56]

The peace of Christ be always with you.

And also with you.

Parish Announcements

A. Home Repair Service Projects on June 25: The Savannah Convocation of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia is organizing a service project in collaboration with The City of Savannah's Housing and Neighborhood Services Department. The Home Assistance Repair Program For Homeowners provides necessary repairs to low income homeowners to maintain the safety and decency of homes in our City. Materials and supervision are provided by the City, but most of the labor is provided by volunteers like you! Please join us for this way to give back to our City.

We will hold a service day on Saturday, June 25, 2022. The work day will begin at 8:00 AM and end at 4:00 PM. Registration for work volunteers is now closed, but please let us know if you would like to support the project in other ways, such as helping to provide bag lunches.

B. St. Peter's and St. Matthew's Go Bananas on 6/30!: On Thursday, June 30, St. Peter's Episcopal Church has invited St. Matthew's to share a block of tickets available for the Savannah Bananas baseball game. All tickets in this Open Seating section cost $20.00 and include All You Can Eat Concessions! Buy your tickets here: https://bananas.fansfirsttickets.com/order/group/SaintPetersSav/!

They are online tickets and will be sent to your email. More details will follow as we come closer to the date, but purchase tickets soon since they tend to sell out!

C. Coffee Hour Sign Up & New COVID Guidelines: St. Matthew’s Vestry agreed to update its In-Person COVID-19 Safety Guidelines on March 31, 2022. To summarize, when the CDC indicates that Chatham County has a Low or Medium “COVID-19 Community Level,” the Vestry will allow light refreshments to be served at public indoor events, provided that people continue to wear masks whenever they are not eating or drinking. When Chatham County has a High COVID-19 level, food and drink will not be allowed. Chatham County currently has a Low COVID-19 level. You can read the guidance in all its detail here: https://www.stmattsav.org/post/new-covid-19-safety-guidelines-spring-2022.

The Vestry invites individuals and families to serve light refreshments after worship on Sundays in-person. Please sign up for upcoming dates using the poster near the kitchen in Toomer-Walker Hall.

D. T/W/Th Evening Prayer: On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, St. Matthew's invites you to pray Evening Prayer over Zoom. The video will continue to stream to Facebook Live at 5:00 PM. Please join the Zoom call by 4:55 PM. Otherwise, watch the prayer service as you have been on Facebook Live.

For security purposes, below is the Meeting ID only; please check your St. Matthew's e-Newsletter for the password (or email FrGAA@StMattSav.org to request it).

Topic: Zoom Evening Prayer

Time: 05:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday

Join Zoom Meeting: See e-Newsletter

Meeting ID: 991 8577 8541

Passcode: See e-Newsletter

Dial by your location: +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C)

Meeting ID: 991 8577 8541

Passcode: See e-Newsletter

The Offertory

[BCP, p. 377]

Giving to St. Matthew's: We know that many people are feeling the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis. The church is feeling it too. We still need your support to pay our staff, pay our bills, and provide for these online live streams. There are several ways to give, but the simplest are these:

Mail us a check or money order at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 1401 Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd, Savannah, GA 31415; OR
Make a secure online gift to St. Matthew’s and/or automate future gifts at: https://onrealm.org/StMattSav/-/give/now; OR
Text “stmattsav” to 73256 to make a secure online donation through your phone.

NOTE: Donations made online (#2 or #3) through Realm incur a processing fee of about 2.5%. Please consider adding an additional 2.5% to your online gift to cover these costs.

“On this day the Lord has acted; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” [Psalm 118:24]

Give online at: https://onrealm.org/StMattSav/-/give/now

LEV #159: Lift Him Up

[Verses 1-4]

1 How to reach the masses, those of ev’ry birth,

For an answer Jesus gave the key;

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth,

Will draw all men unto Me.”

REFRAIN:

Lift Him up (Lift the precious savior up,)

Still He speaks from eternity:

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth,

Will draw all men unto Me.”

2 Oh! the world is hungry for the living bread,

Lift the Savior up for them to see;

Trust Him and do not doubt the words that He said,

“I’ll draw all men unto Me.” [Refrain]

3 Don’t exalt the preacher, don’t exalt the pew,

Preach the gospel simple, full and free;

Prove Him and you will find that promise is true,

“I’ll draw all men unto Me.” [Refrain]

4 Lift Him up by living as a Christian ought,

Let the world in you the Savior see;

Then all will gladly follow Him who once taught,

“I’ll draw all men unto Me.” [Refrain]

AAHH #651: Doxology

[See also Hymn # 380, v. 3]

Praise God, Praise God, Praise God!

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him, all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, ye heav'nly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer 1

[EOW1, p. 57]

It is truly right, and good and joyful, to give you thanks, all-holy God, source of life and fountain of mercy …

Preface of Trinity Sunday [BCP, p. 380]:

For with your co-eternal Son and Holy Spirit, you are one God, one Lord, in Trinity of Persons and in Unity of Being; and we celebrate the one and equal glory of you, O Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, joining with Angels and Archangels and with the faithful of every generation, we lift our voices with all creation as we sing:

LEV #254:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,

Heaven 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.

The people stand or kneel.

Blessed are you, gracious God, creator of the universe and giver of life. You formed us in your own image and called us to dwell in your infinite love. You gave the world into our care that we might be your faithful stewards and show forth your bountiful grace.

But we failed to honor your image in one another and in ourselves; we would not see your goodness in the world around us; and so we violated your creation, abused one another, and rejected your love. Yet you never ceased to care for us, and prepared the way of salvation for all people.

Through Abraham and Sarah you called us into covenant with you. You delivered us from slavery, sustained us in the wilderness, and raised up prophets to renew your promise of salvation. Then, in the fullness of time, you sent your eternal Word, made mortal flesh in Jesus. Born into the human family, and dwelling among us, he revealed your glory. Giving himself freely to death on the cross, he triumphed over evil, opening the way of freedom and life.

On the night before he died for us, Our Savior Jesus Christ took bread, and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, 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.”

As supper was ending, Jesus took the cup of wine, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said: “Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is poured out for you and for all for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.” Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith:

LEV #258:

Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

Remembering his death and resurrection, we now present to you from your creation this bread and this wine. By your Holy Spirit may they be for us the Body and Blood of our Savior Jesus Christ. Grant that we who share these gifts may be filled with the Holy Spirit and live as Christ’s Body in the world. Bring us into the everlasting heritage of your daughters and sons, that with Blessed Mary, Blessed Matthew, and all your saints, past, present, and yet to come, we may praise your Name for ever.

Through Christ and with Christ and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, to you be honor, glory, and praise, for ever and ever. AMEN.

The Lord’s Prayer

[BCP, p. 364]

And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,

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

The Fraction Anthems

[BCP, p. 364]

Hymn S-152:

Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;

Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia!

Hymn S-167:

The Gifts of God for the people of God.

LEV #113: How Like A Gentle Spirit

[Verses 1-5]

1 How like a gentle spirit deep within

God reins our fervent passions day by day,

and gives us strength to challenge and to win

despite the perils of our chosen way.

2 Let God be God wherever life may be,

let every tongue bear witness to the call;

all humankind is one by God's decreee,

let God be God, let God be God for all

3 God like a mother eagle hovers near

on mighty wings of power manifest;

God like a gentle shepherd stills our fear,

and comforts us against a peaceful breast

4 When in our vain pretension we conspire

to shape God's image as we see our own;

hark to the voice above our base desire,

God is the sculptor, we the broken stone

5 Through all our fretful claims of sex and race

the universal love of God shines through

for God is love transcending style and place,

and all the idle options we pursue

The Post-Communion Prayer

[Enriching our Worship 2 [2000], pp. 56-57]

Let us pray.

For In-Person Worshippers:

Faithful God,

in the wonder of your wisdom and love

you fed your people in the wilderness with the bread of angels,

and you sent Jesus to be the bread of life.

We thank you for feeding us with this bread.

May it strengthen us

that by the power of the Holy Spirit

we may embody your desire

and be renewed for your service

through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

For Online Worshippers and Those Receiving Spiritual Communion:

Faithful God,

in the wonder of your wisdom and love

you fed your people in the wilderness with the bread of angels,

and you sent Jesus to be the bread of life.

Though we cannot consume now these gifts of bread [and wine],

we thank you that we have received the sacrament of Christ’s presence,

the forgiveness of sins, and all other benefits of Christ’s passion.

By the power of the Holy Spirit,

may we embody your desire

and be renewed for your service

through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

The Trinity Sunday Blessing

[Adapted from The Book of Occasional Services 2018, p. 15]

May God the Holy Trinity make you strong in faith and love, defend you on every side, and guide you in truth and peace; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you, and remain with you always. Amen.

The Dismissal

[BCP, p. 366]

Let us go forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit!

Thanks be to God!

The Parish Prayer List

PRAYER LIST: Martha Avery, Mary Bonaparte, Christine Brown, Jacqueline Bryant, Tiffany Smith Bryant, Lazola Cope, Aaron Duplechien Jr., Angie Glover, Annie Bell Greer, Loretta Harmond, Marva Harris, Aniyah Hayes, Whitney Kennedy, Sada Maxwell, Bette Milledge, Helen Scroggins, and Chad Stephens

BIRTHDAYS: Juray Brown (6/15) and Herbert Scroggins (6/17)

WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES: N/A

RECENT DEATHS: N/A

May the souls of all the departed rest in peace; and may light perpetual shine upon them. Amen.

Note: This service is reproduced from The Book of Common Prayer 1979 (BCP), The Hymnal 1982 (Hymn), Lift Every Voice and Sing II: An African American Hymnal (LEV), African American Heritage Hymnal (AAHH), Wonder Love and Praise (WLP), and other sources cited. The Scripture readings are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible.

Image Credits: https://www.scross.co.za/2017/06/holy_trinity/; https://denvercatholic.org/love-revealed-understanding-the-central-mystery-of-the-trinity/; https://www.nationalshrine.org/blog/understanding-the-doctrine-of-the-trinity/; https://dphx.org/the-trinity-great-mystery-of-threefold-love/; https://relevantradio.com/2022/02/explaining-the-trinity-nature-and-person/; https://goodshepherdcampus.org/understanding-the-holy-trinity/; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Andrej_Rublëv_001.jpg; https://sacred-sites.org/debre-berhan-selassie-church-gondar-ethiopia/

Sunday Worship for Trinity Sunday (June 12, 2022)

The Holy Eucharist

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Sunday, June 12, at 9:30 a.m. (or anytime afterward)

The Holy Eucharist: Rite II

The Word of God

Hymn #362: Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!

The Opening Acclamation

A Collect for Purity

Hymn S-280: Glory to God

The Collect of the Day

A Reading from the Book of Proverbs (8:1-4, 22-31)

Canticle 13

A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans (5:1-5)

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ According to St. John (16:12-15)

The Sermon

Hymn #512: Come Gracious Spirit, Heavenly Dove

The Nicene Creed

The Prayers of the People

The Peace

Parish Announcements

The Offertory

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LEV #159: Lift Him Up

AAHH #651: Doxology

Eucharistic Prayer 1

The Lord’s Prayer

The Fraction Anthems

LEV #113: How Like A Gentle Spirit

The Post-Communion Prayer

The Trinity Sunday Blessing

The Dismissal

The Parish Prayer List

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