Trinity Sunday

Holy Trinity © Patrick Guidato

Advent Lutheran Church, NYC June 7, 2020

Welcome to worship at Advent! We’re glad you’re here! To love and care for our neighbors, we are not gathering in person for worship. However, we are all together, united by Christ, even when we are separate.

Ways to engage throughout the service:

Space: So much of our living currently happens in one space. Consider designating worship time through the practice of lighting a candle, dimming the rest of the lights in the apartment, placing a cross (it can be homemade) or a Bible on the table – something that is sacred to you that designates we are gathering for sacred worship.

Community: There is a comments section, use it to say hi to one another and check in. Post pictures of you or your household preparing for or engaging in worship. Church is God’s people gathered. So make yourself known and check in with each other in turn.

Music: The hymns are all printed in the bulletin. Sing so loudly your neighbors sing along!

Prayers of the People: During the Prayers of the People, type your prayers into the comments section. And commit to holding the prayer request of at least one other person throughout the week.

Offering: Our ministry continues. Throughout this time, we continue to feed people. We continue to worship together. We continue to provide care for the whole community. Please consider continuing your financial contribution through online giving www.adventnyc.org/give or text to give at 917-994- 8568 and follow the instructions.

Communion: At Advent, when we gather, we celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion. Holy Communion is a cosmic event. There is a collapsing of time and space so that in that singular moment when you receive the body and the blood, you do so with every person who ever was, is and will be, in every time and place.

Rev. Tuhina Rasche says it best, “As a called an ordained minster of the church of Jesus Christ, I took an oath to not only responsibly administer the sacraments, I also took an oath to care for God’s people. In caring for God’s people, if folks at home lift up their elements in the midst of worship, I fully and wholly believe the Holy Spirit to be at work to consecrate these elements. Yes, Jesus is at the right hand of God. And yes, even in elements consecrated in a virtual space, Jesus is in those elements as well. We cannot confine the moves of the Holy Spirit in community, even if that community is virtual.” During the consecration of the elements, you are invited to lift up bread and wine/juice in your home, and to commune when the words are spoken. Scripture tells us nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is the promise.

All the People of God speak the text in Bold (that’s you!) Worship leaders speak the text in regular type. | Italic Text provides explanation or instruction. * denotes an invitation to stand in body or spirit.

WELCOME

*CALL TO WORSHIP

Let us shape a space for The Three: the Spirit as breath of life the Bread as food of heaven the Love in relationship

Let us shape a space that tangles all three through our life and our worship held in relationship and met here

Let us shape a space for the many faces of God woven together and revealed in each of us

On this Trinity Sunday Let us shape a space to be found together in worship.

17 *GATHERING HYMN Holy, Holy, Holy

17 *GREETING

… the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

God of heaven and earth, before the foundation of the universe and the beginning of time you are the triune God: Author of creation, eternal Word of salvation, life-giving Spirit of wisdom. Guide us to all truth by your Spirit, that we may proclaim all that Christ has revealed and rejoice in the glory he shares with us. Glory and praise to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

FIRST READING: Genesis 1:1--2:4a At the beginning of time, God the Creator, God the powerful Word, and God the life-giving Spirit form the earth and all its inhabitants. God sees that all this created work is good and then rests on the seventh day.

As told by James Weldon Johnson, through the poem “The Creation”

And God stepped out on space, And God looked around and said: I'm lonely— I'll make me a world. And far as the eye of God could see Darkness covered everything, Blacker than a hundred midnights Down in a cypress swamp. Then God smiled, And the light broke, And the darkness rolled up on one side, And the light stood shining on the other, And God said: That's good!

Then God reached out and took the light in their hands, And God rolled the light around in their hands Until God made the sun; And God set that sun a-blazing in the heavens. And the light that was left from making the sun God gathered it up in a shining ball And flung it against the darkness, Spangling the night with the moon and stars. Then down between The darkness and the light God hurled the world; And God said: That's good!

17 Then God God’s self stepped down— And the sun was on their right hand, And the moon was on their left; The stars were clustered about their head, And the earth was under their feet. And God walked, and where God trod The footsteps hollowed the valleys out And bulged the mountains up. Then God stopped and looked and saw That the earth was hot and barren. So God stepped over to the edge of the world And God spat out the seven seas— God batted their eyes, and the lightnings flashed— God clapped their hands, and the thunders rolled— And the waters above the earth came down, The cooling waters came down. Then the green grass sprouted, And the little red flowers blossomed, The pine tree pointed its finger to the sky, And the oak spread out its arms, The lakes cuddled down in the hollows of the ground, And the rivers ran down to the sea; And God smiled again, And the rainbow appeared, And curled itself around God’s shoulder. Then God raised their arm and God waved their hand Over the sea and over the land, And God said: Bring forth! Bring forth! And quicker than God could drop God’s hand, Fishes and fowls And beasts and birds Swam the rivers and the seas, Roamed the forests and the woods, And split the air with their wings. And God said: That's good!

Then God walked around, And God looked around On all that God had made. God looked at their sun, And God looked at their moon, And God looked at their little stars; God looked on their world With all its living things, And God said: I'm lonely still.

17 Then God sat down— On the side of a hill where God could think; By a deep, wide river God sat down; With God’s head in their hands, God thought and thought, Till God thought: I'll make me a person! Up from the bed of the river God scooped the clay; And by the bank of the river God kneeled them down; And there the great God Almighty Who lit the sun and fixed it in the sky, Who flung the stars to the most far corner of the night, Who rounded the earth in the middle of their hand; This great God, Like a mammy bending over her baby, Kneeled down in the dust Toiling over a lump of clay Till God shaped it in is their own image; Then into it God blew the breath of life, And the person became a living soul. Amen.

From God's Trombones by James Weldon Johnson. Copyright © 1927 The Viking Press, Inc., renewed 1955 by Grace Nail Johnson. Used by permission of Viking Penguin, a division of Penguin Books USA Inc. Note: language adjusted for inclusivity.

Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.

SECOND READING: 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 Paul closes a challenging letter to the Corinthians with an appeal to Christian fellowship grounded in the triune harmony of Christ’s grace, God’s love, and the Spirit’s partnership.

[Paul writes:] Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.

Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.

17 *GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (2X)

*GOSPEL: Matthew 28:16-20

The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. Glory to you, O Lord.

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The Gospel of our Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.

YOUNG DISCIPLE’S MESSAGE

SERMON Pastor Danielle Miller

17 HYMN OF THE DAY Come Join the Dance of Trinity

*PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

*PEACE

The peace of Christ be with you always. And also with you.

17 OFFERING

The financial gifts you give today are used for God’s ministry here at Advent and around the world. Your offerings enable our community to feed people, accompany immigrants and sojourners, teach and empower youth and children and create opportunities for people to know they are loved. You are invited to give online at www.adventnyc.org/give. Or text the amount you would like to give to our Text + Give number 917-994-8568. If you are a first time giver, follow the link to complete your gift. Let us give thanks to God.

OFFERTORY Ella’s Song Sweet Honey in the Rock Refrain:

We who believe in freedom will not rest. We who believe in freedom will not rest until it comes.

*OFFERTORY PRAYER

God of goodness and growth, all creation is yours, and your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens. Water and word, wine and bread: these are signs of your abundant grace. Nourish us through these gifts, that we might proclaim your steadfast love in our communities and in the world, through Jesus Christ, our strength and our song. Amen.

*THE GREAT THANKSGIVING An Order for Communing in a Pandemic She took a loaf of bread, God is with you. broke it and gave it, And also with you. half to the hungry, the poor, the millions Lift up your hearts. whose gap-toothed pantries We lift our hearts to God. are emptying, Let us give thanks to our Living God! dwindling sand racing It is right to give our thanks and praise. through the widening neck of an hourglass and she felt the weight PREFACE of a sacrament pressing into her soul HOLY HOLY as the body and blood of Christ spilled out of doors, Holy, holy, holy into streets, Lord God of power and might into homes, Heaven and earth are full of your glory. flowing as freely, Hosanna in the highest. as slick and messy, Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord. as uncontrolled, Hosanna in the highest. as it did from his own tortured body, as if God really could be present everywhere and in everything. - Anonymous 17 *THANKSGIVING AT THE TABLE

And so proclaim the mystery of our faith:

Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

*THE LORD'S PRAYER

We are one people who pray in many tongues. We invite you to pray in the language you are most comfortable using when speaking to God (Spanish, German, Chinese, English, Arabic, etc). Like on the day of Pentecost, may our prayers rise like incense, diverse and yet united.

United by Jesus under one faith, but in many languages, let us pray as Jesus taught:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Padre nuestro que estás en el cielo, your name, your kingdom come, your santificado sea tu nombre. Venga tu will be done, on earth as in heaven. reino. Hágase tu voluntad en la tierra Give us today our daily bread. como en el cielo. Danos hoy nuestro pan Forgive us our sins as we forgive de cada día. Perdona nuestras ofensas those who sin against us. Save us como también nosotros perdonamos a from the time of trial and deliver us los que nos ofenden. No nos dejes caer from evil. For the kingdom, the en tentación y líbranos del mal. Porque power, and the glory are yours, now tuyo es el reino, tuyo es el poder y tuya and forever. Amen. es la gloria, ahora y siempre. Amén.

THE DISTRIBUTION

Jesus is the host of this table and all are welcome. No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome at God’s table. Come as you are. These gifts are for you.

*COMMUNION HYMN Trinity Song, written by Sandra McCraken Kevin Bowen, Kelsi Candelaria, Allison Faulkner

Holy Father, Son, and Spirit Holy Communion, three in one

Come with your peace, with your invitation Bind us together in holy love

Padre, Hijo, Espíritu Santo Sagrada comunión, Tres en uno

Ven con tu paz, con tu invitación Unirnos todos en tu amor

17 *POST-COMMUNION BLESSING

*POST-COMMUNION PRAYER

God of the welcome table, in this meal we have feasted on your goodness and have been united by your presence among us. Empower us to go forth sustained by these gifts so that we may share your neighborly love with all, through Jesus Christ, the giver of abundant life. Amen.

*BENEDICTION

A CALL TO MISSION AND MINISTRY Pastor Danielle Miller

Our mission is love. Our mission is to welcome all people to experience and live out God’s love.

Our strategy is community. Following the example of Jesus, our strategy is to practice authentic community that builds an inclusive faith.

Our vision is transformation. Our vision is to be a church where the Holy Spirit transforms peoples’ faith, the community and the world.

17 *SENDING HYMN What Wondrous Love Is This

17 *SENDING

You are the body of Christ raised up for the world. Go in peace. Share the good news. Thanks be to God!

POSTLUDE Toccata on “Veni, Creator, Spiritus” Matthew Bellocchio

• Sign up for small groups and bible studies at: www.adventnyc.org/online-groups

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• Sign up for our newsletter at www.adventnyc.org/e-letter

• Email Pastor Danielle at [email protected] or our office at [email protected]

• Our office is currently closed, but we are daily checking phone and email messages and mail is being forwarded. Because of the increased volume of emails and the topsy-turvy nature of the world, there will be a slight delay in response. We ask your forgiveness and forbearance.

Participants in Today’s Service

The People of God (That’s You!) Preaching: Pastor Danielle Miller Presiding: Vicar Abby Ferjak Assisting: Deanne Walters Lector: Carolyn Riehl Virtual Greeter: Dawn Trautman Minister of Music: Frank Martignetti Musicians: Kevin Bowen, Kelsi Candelaria, Allison Faulkner, Sweet Honey in the Rock Technical Team and Communications: Kevin Bowen