A Service of Worship for Trinity Sunday, June 7, 2020 —
Old First Church, Philadelphia, PA
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Rev. Michael Caine, pastor; Holly Phares, music director; William Lowden, organist
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Reminder: The Zoom 5 minute grace period that we have been observing is over!
Michael will begin worship with the Welcome at 11 o’clock on the dot.
Welcome
Prelude The Peace (Fireworks Music)
F. Handel
Creating Sacred Space — we will again open worship this week making sacred space as we share naming where we are; what we are feeling fearing, hoping; the prayerful concerns we bring to worship this morning…
Words of Gathering (adapted from a poem by Michael Coffey)
Reader 1: Trinity is a synchronistic dream we and God have nightly, about the interface of human and divine, the matrix of connections between holy and common.
Trinity is a syncopated counterpoint of melody lines referencing each other and making music as sonorous as whales and pulsars and seismic waves all held in tension.
Then someone inscribed the free utterance in indelible ink and someone analyzed the shared dream with Freudian precision and someone forced the messy melodies smooth in straight time.
All: Behold, just when they think they finished the job and brush the dust of such work off their hand and rest… Trinity dances out the door and finds willing partners to twirl!
Confession — (adapted from John van de Laar’s Sacredise)
All: We are a world that is desperate for you, God.
When powers struggle for dominance, hurt and abuse result. When groups of people oppose one another because of ideology, religion or culture, we need a God bigger than ourselves and our personal interests.
All: We are a world that is desperate for you, God.
When people are disrespected, devalued or denied rights because of race, gender, sexuality. When compassion and justice are withheld to some because of poverty, geography or disease.
We need a Savior who is better than we are and who includes even those who we would exclude.
All: We are a world that is desperate for you, God.
When resources are mismanaged or redirected selfishly, and the world and its creatures are destroyed. When motivation is all but eclipsed, and creativity is in short supply, particularly in light of the challenges before. We need a Spirit who is more powerful and resourceful than we could ever be.
Silence — Prayer of confession may be offered in silence for places of conflict and suffering, for issues and problems in our world and in our lives.
All: Lord God, Loving Savior, Empowering Spirit, we confess, these “evils” are not only outside of us or other people’s problems. We ask forgiveness for how we participate in the world’s problems. And we ask your mercy that we might participate in your mercy, grace and justice.
Free us. Fill us. Send us. …That we may be bearers of abundant life to the world you so dearly love. Amen.
Assurance
A Time with the Children The Importance of “With”
The Scripture 2 Corinthians 13 :11-13
The Sermon This Season’s Choreography:
A lot of movement to get everyone in the right places,
And doing the right step for what God means to be a long dance
Sermon 1: We See God when we Look at Jesus
Sermon 2: God in Us
Sermon 3: Missing All That’s Around Us Because We’re Waiting on Heaven
Sermon 4: The Power to Reconceive
Sermon 5: Different Ways of God-Relating
Affirmation of Faith — adapted from the New Zealand Prayerbook
We believe in a loving God, who is life’s breath for all of earth’s creatures, who is the ground on which our lives flourish, who is the mystery toward which we are drawn.
We believe in the risen Christ, whose life is the way we see God made real, whose death and resurrection bear witness to the power of love, whose presence nourishes our spirits each day.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who flows as a refreshing spring of life, who comes as divine fire to energize the faithful, who creates communities of joy and justice.
The Offering
Offertory I Believe
Mark Miller
Singers: Kris Forrest, Richard Kalwaic, Holly Phares,
Adam Sherr, Alexa Sherr, Anna Sherr, Julie Steiner
Dedication
A Prayer for our Graduates
A Blessing to our High School Seniors
The Peace — do you have a sentence / promise about God’s peace to share?
(or a blessing for our graduates and new beginnings)
Communion and Prayers
Invitation
The Lord’s Prayer
The Sharing of the Bread and the Cup
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Community Life
- Next week Summer worship at 10 a.m.
- Children’s Bible Storytime
- Adult Bible Study
- Prayer Group
- Shawl Ministry Team
- Midday Meeting — Friday, Jun 12 @ 1 pm
Benediction
Postlude Finale-Minuet (Fireworks Music)
F. Handel
