Bulletin – May 30, 2021

Sunday, May 30, 2021

Trinity Sunday

Approach

Lighting the Christ Candle

O God, the Three in One, you draw us into your community of love with people across the ages and around the world. By the light of this candle, we come to know your mysterious presence, in our lives, in our community, in the world. By the same Spirit the binds us together speak to us that we may be enlivened by your presence with us today and stretch us to trust and follow you; through Christ our Saviour. Amen.

Call to Worship

One:   The words God speaks
All:     are the life and substance of all that exists.

One:   The life Jesus gives
All:     is the re-creation and renewed birth of all that is broken and worn.

One:   the Spirit’s stirring in our souls
All:     is the inspiration for creativity, compassion, joy, and community.

One:   Life-giving, life-restoring, life-fulfilling God; may our whole lives be worship.
All:     In all things, may we seek to connect with and to reflect your love and your hope.
May we worship you in all that we do.

Hymn – VU #312 – “Praise with Joy the World’s Creator”

Praise with joy the world’s Creator,
God of justice, love, and peace,
Source and end of human knowledge,
God whose grace shall never cease.
Celebrate the Maker’s glory,
Power to rescue and release.

Praise to Christ who feeds the hungry,
Frees the captive, finds the lost,
Heals the sick, upsets religion,
Fearless both of fate and cost.
Celebrate Christ’s constant presence:
Friend and stranger, guest and host.

Praise the Spirit sent among us,
Liberating truth from pride,
Forging bonds where race or gender,
Age or nation dare divide.
Celebrate the Spirit’s treasure:
Foolishness none dare deride.

Praise the Maker, Christ, and Spirit,
One God in community,
Calling Christians to embody
Oneness and diversity.
This the world shall see reflected:
God is One and One in Three.

Prayer of Approach

O Holy God, like Isaiah the prophet, we stand in awe of your glory, feeling tremendously small and unworthy because of our sin, and the sin of our society. Even so, you touch us with your burning presence, and we are made clean and whole. O God, our Creator, continue to build this household of faith into what you want us to be. O Christ, our Saviour, lead us to do as you will. O Spirit, our Power, strengthen us for the work of the Kingdom, for worship and for service which is ours today as well as tomorrow. O Blessed Trinity, fill this place and these people with your presence.

Great God of all creation, who are we that you are mindful of us? You who set the stars in motion, who launched waves crashing against the shore, who knows the heights and depths of the world; why do you bother with us? You count the hairs on our heads and call us each by name. You give us your wisdom and you uphold us by your Spirit. You tend to us and care for us, and we do not understand why.

We cannot grasp your love for us, O god, for it is unlike us to be that loving and forgiving. We become enmeshed by our own needs and wants and desires and we fail to see beyond anything but our own little circles. Turn us around, O God. Help us to see as you see, and to reach out as you reach out. Reminds us once again of the sacredness of our ordinary, day-to-day lives. By your Spirit, teach us to live truly as you ask us to live. In your mercy, O God, forgive who we are and bless who we will be. Amen.
(adapted from Beth Merill Neel)

Words of Assurance

Time for All Ages

Hymn – “Creator, Companion, Comforter” (tune VU #409)

God of Creation,
Gentle life-giver,
Present at birth, and
all through our days;
Author of sunrise,
Song in the night sky,
Here in this place, we
offer our praise.

Jesus, Companion,
teacher and healer,
friend of the grieving,
suffering, the poor;
Stand with your people,
whisper among us,
promise of mercy,
goodness for all.

Spirit of Comfort
blow through Creation,
stir up new life, breathe
peace through our world.
Healer of hearts, and
hope for tomorrow,
weave all our sorrows
into new dawn.

Here we give thanks for
life in its fullness,
blessings received,
your gifts to us all.
Make us a people
filled with compassion
selflessly giving,
serving your world.

((c) Craig Mitchell, 2010)

The Word

Scripture Reading:          Isaiah 6:1-8

¹ In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. ² Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. ³ And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

⁴ The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. ⁵ And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”

⁶ Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. ⁷ The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” ⁸ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”

Scripture Reading:          Psalm 29

¹ Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
² Ascribe to the LORD the glory of his name; worship the LORD in holy splendor.
³ The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over mighty waters.
⁴ The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
⁵ The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
⁶ He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.
⁷ The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire.
⁸ The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
⁹ The voice of the LORD causes the oaks to whirl, and strips the forest bare; and in his temple all say, “Glory!”
¹⁰ The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever.
¹¹ May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!

Scripture Reading:          Romans 8:12-17

¹² So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— ¹³ for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴ For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. ¹⁵ For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” ¹⁶ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
Thanks be to God!

Meditation – “Mystical God!”

Anthem – “The Play of the Godhead”

The Response

Prayer

One:   We are a world that is desperate for you, God. When powers struggle for dominance, and war, oppression and abuse result; when groups of people oppose one another because of ideology, religion or culture; we need a God who is bigger than ourselves, and our personal interests. Come into our lives and our world bringing your peace, love, and mercy, O God.

All:     Come and fill us with your Spirit.

One:   When people are disregarded and devalued because of poverty, geography or disease; when compassion and justice is withheld to some because of sexuality, race, or gender; we need a Saviour who is more compassionate than we are who includes even those we would exclude. Come into our lives and our world bringing your peace, love, and mercy, O God.

All:     Come and fill us with your Spirit.

One:   When people are suffering, in pain, lonely, and afraid because of illness, disease, marginalization; we need a Holy Spirit that brings presence and support and a Holy Spirit comes to us when we don’t have the words, when we don’t know how to ask. A Holy Spirit that slips between the cracks of our lives. We lift up those in this community for whom we pray that the Spirit will be present in their lives right now…Come into our lives and our world bringing your peace, love, and mercy, O God.

All:     Come and fill us with your Spirit.

One:   When resources are mismanaged and abused, and the world and its creatures are destroyed; when motivation is scarce and creativity is in short supply to address the challenges that we face; we need a Spirit who is more powerful and more creative than we could ever be. Come into our lives and our world bringing your peace, love, and mercy, O God.

All:     Come and fill us with your Spirit.

One:   Lord God, Loving Saviour, Empowering Spirit, we offer you these prayers because we need you so desperately. Captivate us, call us and fill us that we may be carriers of your eternal life to this world that you love so dearly, as we continue to pray in the words that Jesus taught us;

All:     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, forever and ever. Amen.

(adapted from John van de Laar)

Hymn – VU #509 – “I, the Lord of Sea and Sky”

I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in deepest sin my hand will save.
I who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?

Here I am, Lord.  Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

I, the Lord of snow and rain,
I have borne my people’s pain.
I have wept for love of them;
They turn away.
I will break their hearts of stone, give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak my word to them.
Whom shall I send?

Here I am, Lord.  Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

I, the Lord of wind and flame,
I will tend the poor and lame.
I well set a feast for them;
My hand will save.
Finest bread I will provide till their hearts be satisfied.
I will give my life to them.
Whom shall I send?

Here I am, Lord.  Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

Benediction

Just as God’s Word was sent into the world to heal and redeem, so God sends you into the world this day to be light and love; healing and hope.

Go now to be light for the world!

And may the grace and peace of God the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Sustainer come upon you this day and remain with you always. Amen.

Sung Response:

Send us out in the power of Your Spirit, Lord,
May our lives bring Jesus to the world.
May each thought and word bring glory to Your name,
Send us out in Your Spirit, Lord, we pray.