Worship for Trinity Sunday, 12 June 2022

by Janet Patmore 12 June 2022

Welcome to worship on Trinity Sunday.

Let us rejoice that God calls us, Jesus welcomes us and the Spirit unites us.  
Come and Worship!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    And we join in praise as we sing  Holy, Holy, Holy

Prayers of Adoration and Confession
Creator God, you are love.  In love you created this world, with all its beauty, all its resources, its energy and power.  In love you created every living thing, each intricate plant and creature, with its unique part to play in the harmony of nature.  In love you created each human person, full of potential, to live and love in your image. And in love you care for each one of us, our loving heavenly Father. 
Father, we bow before you now. Father we love you. We worship and adore you.

Redeeming God, you are love.   In love you entered this world, took on human flesh, born as a baby in Bethlehem.  You lived our life with all its joys and sorrows, pleasures and pains.  In love you reached out to the lonely, the despised and the rejected. In love you died on the cross to bring healing and wholeness to a broken world. And we come now to the foot of that cross.   And in the silence we lay before you all our sins and shortcomings of the past week, the things we have done and said which are contrary to your will, the things which we have failed to do or say which would have shown your love to others, the thoughts and words and actions which have grieved you. We ask for your forgiveness. And we see the arms of Jesus stretched out in love and hear those words of grace and love to us all, “ Your sins are forgiven”.     
Jesus, we bow down before you.  Jesus, we love you. We worship and adore you.

Empowering God, you are love. In love you sustain this world with your Holy Spirit, filling your followers with your strength and power, guiding and inspiring us, comforting and supporting us. 
Holy Spirit, we bow down before you. Spirit, we love you. We worship and adore you.

 The Lord’s prayer.

In our gospel reading we step back to the Last Supper and hear Jesus’ preparing his disciples for the time when he will no longer be with them  …..  but  preparing them for greater  revelations in the future.  John  16.: 12- 15 

The chapter goes on to describe the disciples bewilderment as they struggle to comprehend  this vision of the future.  And we know that as the events of Holy Week move towards the crucifixion  we will see those same  disciples running  away, denying Jesus, despairing.  Even in resurrection light, we remember that relief and hope are mixed with questioning.  And even in the minds of Peter and John, as Jesus walks with them on the beach and entrusts them with the great commission, we see that lack of real comprehension.  Even in the minds of Peter and John.    

 Monologue  The  Beggar’s Story
Peter and John did you say? What a couple of guys!   Mean the world to me.  Listen. Let me tell you my story. You might recognise me  -  or then again may be not  -    you’re probably used to seeing me  down there  --  sprawled on the ground,   with my begging bowl stretched out .   You probably don’t know my name.  I’m just that poor crippled guy,  the one who’s never been able to use his legs.  You’ve probably never even looked at my face.   You might have dropped a few coins for me as you  passed through the gate into the  Temple  -   people want to feel good about themselves  as they go to worship before their God  -  why do you think we beggars choose that spot?  The Beautiful Gate  -   a beautiful opportunity.  Or maybe you were one of the folks who suddenly became deep in conversation with their companions when they got near me.   Or just seemed to veer slightly to one side with your eyes fixed on something in the distance.   

I’d got used to all those reactions over the years –    on the side-lines of life- that was me- ,  an infant  unable to crawl to reach new things,  a child left out and alone because I couldn’t run and jump and  join in the games that the others played, a young man unable  to work, to earn  a living,  nothing to offer a  wife,  no hope of being the father  to a  family of my own.  But you learn to live with things, don’t you?   I became part of that underclass of society,  the street beggar  ,   the only way for us poor unfortunates of  society to get by .   And I have to say I got by pretty well - so well that I was able to give a cut to the folks who carried me backwards and forwards to my prime begging spot each day -  we  had quite  a good a little earner going -  in some respects it was easier than working in the fields or workshop -   but was this all there was to life?   Was there something more?

Yes !  Yes! Yes!  Praise God - there was something more! Abundantly more!   Praise God!  Overflowingly more!    Look at me now!   Not just walking, but running and jumping!  Praise God.  With a new life ahead of me!  Good news to share with you!

So what happened?

Well there I was – in my usual spot – by  the gate Beautiful    -  eyes open  for likely  targets – when I saw  these  two men  approaching -  I half recognised them -  as men  who had  been around the temple in the past with that teacher/ preacher chap from Nazareth,  the friend of the sinners and beggars  – the one they crucified.    I had heard that some strange things had been happening - baptisms, a new  wave of worshippers with these two chaps part of the group at the centre of it all,  Peter and  John,  I thought they were called.   Anyway I thought they might be good for a touch, a few coins, so with my eyes cast pathetically to the ground, I put on my most pleading voice  - “ Spare a little something for a poor cripple”  and waited for the clatter of a coin or two.    Nothing - absolute silence -  then a voice, “ Look at us.”

Well, if they wanted the full pleading, pathetic expression before they parted with their money, that’s what I would give them.   I turned my face towards them, gave them my full attention. The voice rang out again “Silver and Gold have I none, “-   and I was just about to utter a not so nice word and turn away, when the voice went on, “ But what I have I give you.  In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 

  And before I had time to even think about it, Peter bent down and grasped my right hand,  and to my amazement, as he supported me, I felt strength spreading  from my toes, to my feet, to my ankles, to my knees,  to my thighs and there I was standing,  walking and  yes ,  even jumping,  jumping  for pure joy, the joy that was filling my heart with love and praise for my God.   For somehow I knew, knew in my very soul, that though it was Peter who had touched me, it was God who had healed me.

Yes, I’ve got a story to tell - a story of healing but it doesn’t stop there. It’s a story of change -  a change in my heart,  a change in my life, that “something more” that I’d dreamed about,  that life in all its fullness.  That’s what I can’t keep quiet about. That’s why you’ll  find me in the temple praising God,  that’s why I’m telling everyone I meet about what God has done for me.  And about Peter and John who led me to the Lord.

Song: Jesus, we celebrate your victory.

So what had happened to change the confused bunch of disciples we saw earlier into the  confident preachers and healers, who the lame beggar has just described? The answer of course is what we celebrated last Sunday – Pentecost.    Pentecost happened.  The Holy Spirit came upon them in wind and fire. The Holy Spirit came upon them, as Jesus had promised, bringing understanding and authority and power.  With this baptism in the spirit came the desire and the will to centre the whole of life around the worship of God in a deeper fellowship.  And we hear now of this new life among the believers. Acts 2: 43-47.   

A new way of life - signifying a new commitment, springing from a new realisation of God’s presence with them and God’s power within them. A new beginning enabling them to interact with each other each in a new way and to reach out to strangers in a new way.    A new beginning enabling them to spread God’s love in a new way that would transform lives and turn the world upside down.

In the last 2 years or so our world may have seemed to have been turned upside down in a bad way.  Covid has kept some people isolated within their home:  wars have driven many people out of their homes and countries.   Many of us have been struggling:  we have talked about getting back to a “new normal.” But perhaps with little enthusiasm for the future.  And then, in the midst of all this, comes a celebration, a jubilee, The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. And we made plans for parties and pageants - and hoped that the Queen would be in good health - and the weather would be kind - and the bunting would stay up -  but still maybe our hearts weren’t really in it.   And then – something wonderful happened.  The mood brightened, the crowds gathered, flags were waved, people sang and danced, the cathedral was packed, the organ thundered, people seemed full of goodwill and kindness. Miraculously, this jubilee, where so much emphasis has been put on the Queen’s Christian faith, seemed to be giving us the boost we needed.  At Mickleover we had planned a Jubilee tea party in church on Saturday afternoon.  We had no idea what numbers to expect and perhaps in pessimistic mood had assumed people would be too involved in other events.   BUT - come 3.00pm the large hall was overflowing – people of all ages, from all sections and organisations of the church, people who had overcome health problems to get there, people who were just passing by.  We were overwhelmed – overwhelmed by the response and by the obvious love and fellowship being shared. And I know that the same thing happened here at Newmount where you were able to gather outside on the grass.  And somehow it felt like a new beginning - a new spirit of unity.   And, of course, this was the very weekend of Pentecost.  How wonderful if this is our new beginning! How wonderful if the jubilee, itself a very Biblical concept, can open up channels for us to widen our outreach to our communities. How wonderful if we can embrace new ways of interacting with people.   How wonderful if we can be open to the power of the Spirit!     

Hymn: O Breath of Life 

Prayers of intercession.
Collect for Trinity Sunday 
Father God, you have created all things and through Christ revealed your salvation to all the world. Give us a vision of your glory and by your Holy Spirit fill us with life and love that we may praise and serve you:  through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Loving God, We pray for the church, that through the Spirit we may indeed be filled with life and love. May we share the gospel in word and action.  We thank you for the generosity of this fellowship as we offer to you our gifts of money, time and talents, donations made in so many ways for use here within our own city or by worldwide charities, and ask that all may be used in your service and for your  glory. We pray for our circuit and all our churches that they may be places of warmth and welcome and outreach.  Lord, in your mercy, Hear our Prayer                                                     

Loving God, we pray for the world, this broken world, that your Spirit will bring peace and healing to war torn countries, equality and justice to the downtrodden, hope to the  despairing. Fill us with zeal to stand up for truth, to fight for a world governed by your laws.  We remember especially the situation In Ukraine. We remember all refugees and particularly those within our own city and those who share love and laughter at Susanna Wesley House. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our Prayer                                                                                                                                              

Loving God, we pray for those in especial need, that through your Spirit, they will know the comfort of your everlasting arms. We bring to you the sick, the bereaved, the lonely, the homeless. On this Methodist Homes Sunday we remember all those in residential care and pray for the work of MHA.  We think especially of Willowcroft Care Home. We remember those going through difficult times in our own fellowship and in these moments of silence name them in our hearts.  Lord, in your mercy,  Hear our prayer                                                                                                                                                              

Loving God, we pray for ourselves, that by your Spirit this may indeed be a time of new beginnings, new enthusiasm, new energy, new life. 

Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your son, our Savour, Jesus Christ. Amen 

Hymn: All Over the World

We share the Grace
The Grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all evermore. Amen

 Song:  Jubilate Everybody!