TRINITY SUNDAY

		Trinity Window, Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother Church, Avondale PA, Beyer Studio Trinity Sunday The Mystery Of God Wisdom and the Divine Feminine June 12, 2022 Liturgy For Worship and Meditation
		CENTERING IN PREPARATION When the winds of God are moving breathe. When the voice of God is whispering breathe. When the life of God is giving breathe. When the presence of God invites breathe. OPENING WORDS O God, beyond our ability to imagine; You are a Mystery. O God, beyond our ability to name; You are a Mystery. O God, beyond our ability to understand; You are a Mystery. O God, beyond our ability to explain; You are a Mystery. O Holy Mystery, Sacred Wisdom, God we know as Three-In-One; Blessed Trinity, Diversity in Unity, Creating-Redeeming-Perfecting-One; We come to worship your majesty and experience your Mystery. SONG OF PRAISE Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise (Click Here For Music) Walter Chalmers Smith (1824-1908) ST. DENIO (originally a Welsh ballad tune) Westminster Abbey 1). Immortal, invisible, God only wise, in light inaccessible hid from our eyes, most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days, almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise. 2). Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light, nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might; thy justice like mountains high soaring above thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love. 3). To all life thou givest, to both great and small; in all life thou livest, the true life of all; we blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree, and wither and perish but naught changeth thee. 4). Great Father of glory, pure Father of light, thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight; all praise we would render, O help us to see 'tis only the splendor of light hideth thee. PRAYER FOR THE DAY Holy One, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal God, how are we to pray unto you? When your Spirit within us cries out in words beyond our understanding, lifting from us what we most need to pray: our words seem feeble in compare. Yet, our hearts and minds pine to offer up our prayers as inferior as them might be. Accept the praise of our souls, hear the thanks of our gratitude, add your grace to our offering, for we seek to worship you and to glorify you rightly. We are here for You, O God. We are here for You. Even as we are here because we need to be We are here for You. Amen. FIRST READING—Proverbs 8.1-11 1). Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice? 2). At the highest point along the way, where the paths meet, she takes her stand; 3). beside the gate leading into the city, at the entrance, she cries aloud: 4). “To you, O people, I call out; I raise my voice to all humankind. 5). You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, set your hearts on it. 6). Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right. 7). My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness. 8). All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse. 9). To the discerning all of them are right; they are upright to those who have found knowledge. 10). Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, 11). for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her. SONG OF RESPONSE Creator Of the Stars of Night (Click Here For Music) Words: Anonymous, 7th Century Arr.: Marty Haugen Creator of the stars of night Who shaped the sky's eternal light O Christ redeemer of us all Bend near and hear us when we call. O love that wore our human form O tiny child of lowly birth Let now your love be born in us Till peace and justice fill the earth Give us a love that never dies A vision of the world to come When all oppression finally ends And all the homeless find a home When children teach the strong and proud When all the hungry have their fill When rich no longer use the poor When guns and bombs no longer kill O God who brought all life to birth O Christ who wore a human face O Spirit making life anew Grant us your wisdom love and grace. SECOND READING—Proverbs 8.12-21 12). “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion. 13). To reverence God is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. 14). Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have insight, I have power. 15). By me royals reign and rulers issue decrees that are just; 16). by me leaders govern, and nobles—all who rule on earth. 17). I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. 18). With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity. 19). My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver. 20). I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, 21). bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me and making their treasuries full. SONG OF RESPONSE The Perfect Wisdom Of Our God (Click Here For Music) Words & Music by Keith & Kristyn Getty The perfect wisdom of our God, Revealed in all the universe: All things created by His hand, And held together at His command. He knows the mysteries of the seas, The secrets of the stars are His; He guides the planets on their way, And turns the earth through another day. The matchless wisdom of His ways, That mark the path of righteousness; His word a lamp unto my feet, His Spirit teaching and guiding me. And oh, the mystery of the cross, That God should suffer for the lost So that the fool might shame the wise, And all the glory might go to Christ! Oh grant me wisdom from above, To pray for peace and cling to love, And teach me humbly to receive The sun and rain of Your sovereignty. Each strand of sorrow has a place Within this tapestry of grace; So through the trials I choose to say: "Your perfect will in your perfect way." Each strand of sorrow has a place Within this tapestry of grace; So through the trials I choose to say: "Your perfect will in your perfect way." THIRD READING—Proverbs 8.22-31 22). “God brought me forth as the first of God's works, before the deeds of old; 23). I was formed long ages ago, at the very beginning, when the world came to be. 24). When there were no watery depths, I was given birth, when there were no springs overflowing with water; 25). before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth, 26). before he made the world or its fields or any of the dust of the earth. 27). I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep, 28). when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep, 29). when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth. 30). Then I was constantly at God's side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in God's presence, 31). rejoicing in God's whole world and delighting in humankind. LITANY OF WISDOM You gave birth to all creation. You mothered oceans and they burst from your womb. R: “Now then, my children, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways. You gave them clouds for their garments and thick darkness for their swaddling clothes. When the young ones cried out to you and roved abroad without food, you came to nourish them and hold them and quiet their cry. R: "Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not disregard it. Let wisdom’s seeds grow in us now. We want to parent your climate, oceans, and all the earth. R: "Blessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. We want to nourish all your people: good food, and strength to feed them. R: "For those who find me find life and receive favor from God. PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING Holy, Holy, Holy, O God the Almighty! We sing praises to You, Great God of Mystery, Who Was and Who Is and Who Is to Come. Cloaked in Mystery you gave your name to our ancestors as, “I Am” or “I Will Be Who I Will Be,” and You breathed life into us and all of creation. You, O Blessed Trinity, are the one in whom we live, move, and have our being, and You are the Being that Creates, Redeems, and Makes Whole. We come to You in this time full of wonder and awe , Great Mystery, Holy Wisdom, Divine Presence, Source of Life. All our names for You fall short of who You are in majesty and glory. May we simply take this time to be in awe of You, the works of creation, and the work of your Spirit in our lives. Amen. INVITATION TO HEALING AND RECONCILIATION We hear the voice of Wisdom as she cries out. Yet at the crossroads we sometimes choose to not listen. We are a people who too often think we can do it our way. Wisdom calls us back, reminding us of the life that she offers. Therefore, let us confess our brokenness before God and one another: PRAYER OF BROKENNESS Holy Wisdom, Sacred Truth, Life-Giving Love, we confess that we have not always been faithful followers. We use our freedom for what we think will bring us happiness and the good life. Time and again, we have erred is what we have done and in what we have left undone. We have harmed others and we have harmed ourselves. We are broken beyond our own ability to make things right. Hear our prayer, O God, and come to our help. Heal us, renew us, and guide us in the way we are to go. For we long not only to be whole, but to serve the justice and peace of your Kin-Dom. WORDS OF ASSURANCE AND HOPE Triune God, Holy One, delight in us and in the world of your Creating, Redeeming and Sustaining love. We place our trust in you. As your have promised, in You we find life and are in joyful obedience. Blessed are You, and blessed is your Kin-Dom now and forevermore. Amen. PRAYER OF INTERCESSION In the presence of the Holy One, we pray for needs of the world and all people, saying: O Mystery of Wisdom, may your Spirit make all things new. We pray for the community of your people everywhere, that we may experience the length, breadth, and depth of Your love that has been poured out into our hearts so that we may be transformed and fully live as children of God. O Mystery of Wisdom, may your Spirit make all things new. For a deeper appreciation of the gift of nature, that we may see in the heavens, on the earth, and in the sea Your handiwork and delight in Your gifts to us by caring for nature in faithful stewardship. O Mystery of Wisdom, may your Spirit make all things new. For a greater desire for truth, for the revealing of untruth, that we continually seek the truth so that we may see You in all things and be aware that we are always in Your presence as we own our history and seek to make the world a better place for all. O Mystery of Wisdom, may your Spirit make all things new. For a deepening of virtue in our lives, that 3in times of challenge we would grow in patience, endurance, fortitude, and hope and thus manifest Your life in us. O Mystery of Wisdom, may your Spirit make all things new. For all who need to return to You, that Your generous love will help those trapped by injustice and crime to seek a new way, those who hold others in servitude to free them, and help those who have abused others to change their behavior. O Mystery of Wisdom, may your Spirit make all things new. For renewal of our relationships, that the life and love of the Trinity will inspire us as we and grow in our relationships and learn to share our lives and enrich the lives of those to whom we are committed more fully. O Mystery of Wisdom, may your Spirit make all things new. For all, that in community the Trinity will inspire each to work for the common good, encourage and accept one another, and make room for the gifts of one another. O Mystery of Wisdom, may your Spirit make all things new. For all who are preparing to wed this spring or summer, that You will form them into a community of life, strengthen their commitment to each other, and help them to encounter your Love in their love for each other. O Mystery of Wisdom, may your Spirit make all things new. For all who are facing their addiction, that Your healing Spirit will free them, open them to new sources of strength, and restore their lives. O Mystery of Wisdom, may your Spirit make all things new. For healing, that You will bring an end to the Covid pandemic, bring healing to all who are ill, and give strength to all who are caring for them. O Mystery of Wisdom, may your Spirit make all things new. For all who have had their freedom taken away, particularly missionaries, that You will preserve them from harm and open a pathway for them to return to their communities. O Mystery of Wisdom, may your Spirit make all things new. For leaders of religion, government, and communities, that the your Spirit will inspire them with ways to resolve the issues of injustice, firearms, and immigration so that all may live in peace and safety. O Mystery of Wisdom, may your Spirit make all things new. For all living in violent situations, that You will protect all who are in danger, renew their hope and courage, and strengthen their ties to each other. O Mystery of Wisdom, may your Spirit make all things new. For the gift of peace: that You will bring an end to the violence, give leaders a new understanding of the dignity of each life, and deepen the desire for peace in their hearts. O Mystery of Wisdom, may your Spirit make all things new. For all who have been touched by violence, for the victims of mass shootings, for the children, the women and men who care for them, and the people of color who are so often their target, that You will give eternal life to all who have died by violence recently and console those who are grieving their passing. O Mystery of Wisdom, may your Spirit make all things new. PRAYER OF DEDICATION God of delight, your Wisdom sings your Word at the crossroads where humanity and divinity meet. Invite us into your joyful being where you know and are known in each beginning, in all sustenance, in every redemption, that we may manifest your unity in the diverse ministries you entrust to us, truly reflecting your triune majesty in the faith that acts, in the hope that does not disappoint, and in the love that endures. Amen. —Revised Common Lectionary Prayers. © 2002 Consultation on Common Texts SONG OF DISCIPLESHIP Holy, Holy, Holy (Click Here For Music) Reginald Heber (1826) NICAEA (Dykes) 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 eye of sinful man thy glory may not see, only thou art holy; there is none beside thee, perfect in pow’r, 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! DISMISSAL WITH BLESSING May the God of all creation watch over all your ways. May the Holy Spirt lead you in the paths of righteousness. May the Christ who gave all for you, imbue with you all wisdom, and may we all be bound together in eternal fellowship, as we serve and glorify our God—this day and for ever more. Amen
Please note: As to my original and current aim, what I provide here is both "contemporary" and "inclusive" in language. This aim is to meet the need for worship that frees God and us from male gender bias and the long tradition wherein that has been central. Likewise, during the year, there are so many beloved songs that witness to the theme of this blog. Now, when it comes to hymns and music, I find myself in a quandary. My usual practice has been to simply not include the songs of the church if they were outside the aim of inclusion, knowing full well that most hymns are not contemporary being written earlier when traditional theological terms and expressions were employed. I find, however, that music adds so much beauty and sacred sound to worship. Thus, in some weeks I have included hymns and songs that unfortunately use gender exclusive langauge. I am sorry if this offends anyone. I often take offense with such things myself. Might I suggest that is the music selections do not bring blessing and express the faith of your heart of hearts, simply read past them and avoid the CLICK HERE links.