Scripture: June 12, 2022—Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 (image); Psalm 8 (image) or Canticle 13 (or Canticle 2) (image); Romans 5:1-5 (image); and John 16:12-15 (image). 

Collect: 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.

Reflection: Trinity Sunday is not so much a day for explanations as it is a day for reflection on the majesty and mystery of the fullness of God: God as Creator, Lawgiver, the One who performs mighty acts; God as Messiah and Lord, Savior, Liberator, known to us in Jesus Christ; God as Holy Spirit, Wind and Flame, Advocate, Comforter. How does thinking of God in this Trinitarian way inform, even increase, your understanding of God? Do you experience God, or relate more easily to God, in one of the three “Persons” of God more than the other two? What causes you to relate to God more closely in this way?

Eye Candy: “The Old Testament Trinity” by Andrei Rublev;;;.

Ear Worm: “The Apostles’ Creed” in song; “Holy is the Lord God Almighty” by Chris Tomlin; “Holy, Holy, Holy”, many ways: Hillsong, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Donnie McClurkin.

Brain Food:

Commentary on the Gospel by Thomas G. Long; “Trinity, Mystery, and Mercy” by Don Clendenin;

“Trinity” by Kristen Alexander George

The flesh  desires,
the soul/spirit  convicts,
and the mind  decides.

Parables: “Babette’s Feast” (1987), needs of the flesh versus the gifts of the spirit; “Angela’s Ashes” (1999), soul shattering effects of poverty; “Powder” (1995), a mystic with strange powers, compassionate service to others.

For families: Study guide & activities (former guide), group activity, snacks. kid video.

For children: See family guide/activities (another activity); bulletin games; craft—make a Trinity bracelet (see group activity above)

For middlers: See family guide/activities (another activity); bulletin games; puzzle

Coloring pages: Trinity; Romans; another Trinity

For youth: "The Trinity" is considered a mystery that needs explanation. Our first understanding came from St. Patrick comparing "The Trinity" to a shamrock—three leaves yet one plant. Think a bit about how you might explain "The Trinity". Do you find it difficult to understand how the "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" are three yet one? Your thoughts are welcome.

The first Sunday after Pentecost has been celebrated as a feast in honor of the Holy Trinity since the tenth century. Most festivals of the year celebrate a historical event, and although we celebrate a doctrine today, it is a doctrine based on historical events which revealed the nature of God as the Holy Trinity. 

The first reading is Isaiah’s vision of God. The acclamation by the heavenly hosts, “Holy, holy, holy,” was regarded by early Christians as an Old Testament revelation of the triune nature of God. The vision of the heavenly worship in the second reading again uses the hymn from Isaiah sung before the throne of God. 

In the Gospel reading from John, Jesus describes the work of the Father, the Spirit, and himself as the work of the one God. This is not a developed doctrine of the Trinity—one was not fully developed by the church until the fifth century—but in it God is described as a dynamic relationship into which we are incorporated through the Holy Spirit. 

We come together to celebrate the Eucharist, and, called together by the Spirit, we encounter Christ in Word and Sacrament, revealing the Father, and leading us into that eternal exchange of love which is at the heart of the Blessed Trinity.