Home Church, First Sunday after Pentecost Trinity Sunday May 30, 2021, Rev. John Bullas

Hilary Plowright

May 29, 2021

Home Church, First Sunday after Pentecost Trinity Sunday May 30, 2021 Guest Presider: Rev. John Bullas

We acknowledge these lands upon which we worship are the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation.

Preparing the Space Around Us

Whoever you are and wherever you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here! Welcome if you are gathering on zoom or if you are worshipping at home with the bulletin. We are one community and all part of the body of Christ. I invite you to prepare the space around you so that for the next hour you can be fully in this worship experience, not to keep out the realities of the world, rather to focus us in the midst of it all on God. If you need to go and get something or shift something around you, feel free.

Preparing the Space within Us

Let us prepare now the space within us for a time of worship. I invite you to sit quietly, perhaps with feet on the floor, taking a couple of deep breaths and bring yourself into this moment. On this Trinity Sunday, open yourself to the presence of God who is with us and within us… as you intentionally open yourself to God, open yourself also to what you need from this time of worship.

Lighting a Candle

(an open invitation for people to light a candle, tea light, or battery-operated tea light at home)
One: As we bring light to our experience of God…

All: May Christ be with us!

We Celebrate a New Day

One: In the name of Silence

All: Womb of the Word,

One: In the name of Stillness

All: Home of Belonging,

One: In the name of Solitude

All: Of the Soul and the Earth.

One: We arise today
All: Blessed by all things,

One: Wings of breath,

All: Delight of eyes,

One: Wonder of whisper,

All: Intimacy of touch,

One: Eternity of soul,

All: Urgency of thought,

One: Miracle of health,

All: Embrace of God.

One: We live this day!

(adapted from a blessing prayer written by John O’Donohue)

Song: Dance with the Spirit - MV #156

Dance with the Spirit early in the mornin’

walk with the Spirit through-out the long day.

Work and hope for the new life a-borning’,

listen to the Spirit to show you the way.

(video used with permission from Strathdee music)

Greeting
One: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,

and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

All: And also with you

Call to Worship

One: Before the mystery that is God,
and in the sacred presence of one another;

All: we gather in faith and celebrate

the embrace of God’s love.

One: Known and called as Christ’s friends,

and drawn to the vision of a new way for the world;

All: we gather in faith and celebrate

the embrace of God’s love.

One: Filled with the Spirit of peace,

and reborn to share the joy of life;

All: we gather in faith and celebrate

the embrace of God’s love.

Opening Prayer

Read the prayer slowly.

One: Great Spirit, comforting wing, soaring heart:

All: Open us to the wonder of your presence in wind, in rain,

in soil, and in sky.

One: In each ray of sunshine, in each shining star, in each waving branch may we recognize you reaching out to us with your invitation to rejoice in your glory.

All: Christ of changing seasons,

Christ of the revolving earth,

Christ of the cosmos:

Change us, turn us,

One: expand our awareness and bless us,
as you bless all creation with the joy of your heart.

All: Amen.

(from “Gathering,” adapted from a prayer written by Wendy McLean)\

Hymn: Bring Many Names - VU #268

1 Bring many names, beautiful and good,

celebrate, in parable and story,

holiness in glory, living, loving God.

Hail and Hosanna! Bring many names!

2 Strong mother God, working night and da,

planning all the wonders of creation,

setting each equation genius at play:

Hail and Hosanna, strong mother God!

3 Warm father God, hugging every child,

feeling all the strains of human living,

caring and forgiving till we're reconciled:

Hail and Hosanna, warm father God!

4 Old, aching God, gray with endless care,

calmly piercing evil's new disguises,

glad of good surprises, wiser than despair:

Hail and Hosanna, old, aching God!

5 Young, growing God, eager, on the move,

saying no to falsehood and unkindness,

crying out for justice, giving all you have:

Hail and Hosanna, young, growing God!

6 Great, living God, never fully known,

joyful darkness far beyond our seeing,

closer yet than breathing, everlasting home:

Hail and Hosanna, great, living God

Prayer of Confession

One: On this Trinity Sunday when Christian churches across the globe celebrate the mystery of God, we pause to reflect how quick we are to make faith a certainty, and how ready we are to create God in our own particular image.

All: Let us be still in mind and spirit.

Sing: Open My Eyes v1 - VU #371

1 Open my eyes that I may see

glimpses of truth thou hast for me.

Place in my hands the wonderful key

that shall unclasp and set me free.

Silently now I wait for thee,

ready, my God, thy will to see.

Open my eyes, illumine me,

Spirit divine!

One: Heal us, O God, of the need to have all the answers and free us from a religious pride that blinds us to wonderment and new possibility. Teach us to look anew, to listen afresh, and to question with a child-like honesty.

All: Encourage us to approach the mysteries of life and faith with a lightness of touch and a reverence of purpose.

Sing: Open My Eyes v2 - VU #371

2 Open my ears that I may hear

voices of truth thou sendest clear,

and while the wave notes fall on my ear,

ev’rything false will disappear.

Silently now I wait for thee,

ready, my God, thy will to see.

Open my ears, illumine me,

Spirit divine!

Silent prayer of confession

Assurance of Grace

One: Friends in Christ, embraced by a love that has no boundaries

and set free to be its bearers in the world, be assured of God’s love and mercy. And so in hope and peace we sing:

Sing: Open My Eyes v3 - VU #371

3 Open my mouth and let me bear

gladly the warm truth ev’rywhere.

Open my heart and let me prepare

love with thy children thus to share.

Silently now I wait for thee,

ready, my God, thy will to see.

Open my mouth, illumine me,

Spirit divine!

Peace of Christ

One: The Peace of Christ be with you!

All: And also with you!

First Reading: Isaiah 6:1-8 - Reader: Don Moser

Listen to the word of God to you this morning. . .

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

Doxology: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty v1 - VU #315

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!

Psalm 29 - Reader: Susan Brockley

Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,

ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;

worship the Lord in holy splendour.

The voice of the Lord is over the waters;

the God of glory thunders,

the Lord, over mighty waters.

The voice of the Lord is powerful;

the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;

the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.

He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,

and Sirion like a young wild ox.

The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.

The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;

the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl,

and strips the forest bare;

and in his temple all say, ‘Glory!’

The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;

the Lord sits enthroned as king for ever.

May the Lord give strength to his people!

May the Lord bless his people with peace!

Gospel Reading - Reader: Susan Brockley

One: God be with you.

All: And also with you

One: The Good News of Jesus Christ according to John

All: Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

John 3:1-10 - Reader: Susan Brockley

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You must be born from above.” The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?

One: This is the Gospel of Christ;

All: Praise be to Jesus Christ

Reflection: “Circling the Triangle” Rev John Bullas

Silent Reflection

Special Music: Spirit Dancing - VU #388

Spirit dancing on the waters,

sun reflecting song of grace

Calling life to all the creatures,

giving life to human race.

Spirit dancing on the waters,

Naming moment they should part,

Giving freedom to the peoples,

Signed for all in dancer’s art.

Spirit dancing on the waters,

We would come and dance with you,

‘til our world is filled with music

and in Christ all things are new.

(Played and sung by Hiromi Bradshaw with permission of the author, Lori Erhardt.)

A New Creed:
Let us affirm our faith . . .

We are not alone,

we live in God’s world.

We believe in God:

who has created and is creating,

who has come in Jesus,

the Word made flesh,

to reconcile and make new,

who works in us and others

by the Spirit.

We trust in God.

We are called to be the Church:

to celebrate God’s presence,

to live with respect in Creation,

to love and serve others,

to seek justice and resist evil,

to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,

our judge and our hope.

In life, in death, in life beyond death,

God is with us.

We are not alone.

Thanks be to God.

Prayers of the People - Prayers: Susan Brockley

One: Loving God,

All: Hear Our Prayer.

The Prayer of Jesus

Eternal Spirit, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver, Source of all that is and that shall be, Father and Mother of us all, Loving God, in whom is heaven: The hallowing of your name echo through the universe! The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world! Your heavenly will be done by all created beings! Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come one earth. With the bread we need for today, feed us. In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us. In times of temptation and test, strengthen us. From trials too great to endure, spare us. From the grip of all that is evil, free us. For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and for ever. Amen

Offering Reflection - Barbara Harling

Offering Prayer

Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to God from generation to generation, in the Church and in Christ Jesus, for ever and ever. Amen.

Hymn: Travel On, Travel On - VU #647

1 Travel on, travel on, there's a spirit that is flowing

a spirit that is flowing night and day.

Travel on, travel on, with the spirit that is flowing,