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Morning Prayer: First Sunday after Pentecost - Trinity SundayTrinity SundayHoly, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is,and is to come.????Revelation 4:8Confession of SinThe Officiant says to the peopleDearly beloved, we have come together in the presence ofAlmighty God our heavenly Father, to set forth his praise, tohear his holy Word, and to ask, for ourselves and on behalfof others, those things that are necessary for our life and oursalvation. And so that we may prepare ourselves in heart andmind to worship him, let us kneel in silence, and withpenitent and obedient hearts confess our sins, that we mayobtain forgiveness by his infinite goodness and mercy.Silence may be kept.Officiant and People together, all kneelingMost merciful God,we confess that we have sinned against youin thought, word, and deed,by what we have done,and by what we have left undone.We have not loved you with our whole heart;we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,have mercy on us and forgive us;that we may delight in your will,and walk in your ways,to the glory of your Name. Amen.The Priest alone stands and saysAlmighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sinsthrough our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in allgoodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you ineternal life.?Amen.The Invitatory and PsalterAll standOfficiantLord, open our lips.PeopleAnd our mouth shall proclaim your praise.?Officiant and PeopleGlory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: asit was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.Except in Lent, add????Alleluia.On Trinity SundayFather, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God: Come let us adore him.Jubilate??????Psalm 100Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; *????serve the Lord with gladness????and come before his presence with a song.Know this: The Lord himself is God; *????he himself has made us, and we are his;????we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.Enter his gates with thanksgiving;go into his courts with praise; *????give thanks to him and call upon his Name.For the Lord is good;his mercy is everlasting; *????and his faithfulness endures from age to age.The Psalm or Psalms AppointedPsalm 8Domine, Dominus noster1?O?Lord?our Governor, *how exalted is your Name in all the world!2 Out of the mouths of infants and children *your majesty is praised above the heavens.3 You have set up a stronghold against your adversaries, *to quell the enemy and the avenger.4 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, *the moon and the stars you have set in their courses,5 What is man that you should be mindful of him? *the son of man that you should seek him out?6 You have made him but little lower than the angels; *you adorn him with glory and honor;7 You give him mastery over the works of your hands; *you put all things under his feet:8 All sheep and oxen, *even the wild beasts of the field,9 The birds of the air, the fish of the sea, *and whatsoever walks in the paths of the sea.10 O?Lord?our Governor, *how exalted is your Name in all the world!At the end of the Psalms is sung or saidGlory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *????as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.The LessonsGenesis 1:1-2:4aIn the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.And God said, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.And God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.” So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good.Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”So God created humankind in his image,in the image of God he created them;male and female he created them.God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.15????The Song of Mary????Magnificat??????????Luke 1:46-55My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *????for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.From this day all generations will call me blessed: *????the Almighty has done great things for me,????and holy is his Name.He has mercy on those who fear him *????in every generation.He has shown the strength of his arm, *????he has scattered the proud in their conceit.He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *????and has lifted up the lowly.He has filled the hungry with good things, *????and the rich he has sent away empty.He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *????for he has remembered his promise of mercy,The promise he made to our fathers, *????to Abraham and his children for ever.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *????as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.2 Corinthians 13:11-13Finally, 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.19????The Song of the Redeemed????Magna et mirabilia??????????Revelation 15:3-4O ruler of the universe, Lord God,great deeds are they that you have done, *????surpassing human understanding.Your ways are ways of righteousness and truth, *O King of all the ages.Who can fail to do you homage, Lord,and sing the praises of your Name? *????for you only are the Holy One.All nations will draw near and fall down before you, *????because your just and holy works have been revealed.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *????as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.Hymn 362 Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty Nicaea1 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,who 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 theeperfect 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!Matthew 28:16-20The 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.”Sermon – Rev. Thomas NsubugaThoughts on the Doctrine of the Trinity, Matt. 28:16-20God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, as we think about you in the mystery of the Trinity, we ask that we might be instructed to know you as revealed in the scriptures. Amen.For those of you who follow the church calendar, you know that today is the Trinity Sunday. In light of the significance this day, I would like to offer some thoughts on the doctrine of the Trinity. When we think of the Trinity, we have gone wrong if we imagine the apostles or the post apostolic leaders of the church calling a special meeting and first on the agenda is the doctrine of the Trinity. Long before the formulation of the Creeds, long before anyone provided a clearly formatted account of the Trinity it was the practice of the New Testament church to praise God in the three persons: The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The truth that is pointed out by those who are opposed to this doctrine and which we need to acknowledge is that the term Trinity, which simply means threeness, does not appear in the bible. Although a clear statement of the Doctrine of the Trinity is not found in the bible, the bible’s entire story of God’s revelation of Himself cannot be understood without it. The Doctrine of the Trinity summarizes the rich experiences of Christian believers down the ages in the nature of God. It is customary when addressing the subject of the Trinity for some authors and some speakers to go directly to certain texts in the bible which they seek to lay out as proofs of the doctrine. I am referring, for example, to Gen.1:26 “Let us make man in our own image”. Not that I do not believe them, but that I am not certain that these texts are being used in the right way or in the right context. What I have found most helpful is to reflect on those passages in the bible where it is clear in the narration that the writer believes something in relation to the deity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. In reflecting on those passages, it is important to keep in mind that the Shema, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one” (Deut. 6:4) was foundational to the Jewish convictions. This Shema would have been part and parcel of Jesus’ childhood experience in the Jewish home of Mary and Joseph. So, when we read what comes from the lips and pens of the Jewish Christian writers of the New Testament, we must keep in mind how fundamental the unity and oneness of God is in their minds. And any one reading the bible has to wonder why good Jewish men, like Peter and Paul, who knowing from their scriptures that only by calling on the name of the Lord, can one be saved (Joel 2:32), are now urging their listeners and their readers to call on the name of Jesus (Acts 2:22 and Rom. 10:9-10)? Have they come to believe that Jesus is God? Apparently.The change in the convictions of these Jewish disciples means at least two things. First, the Trinity is purely an object of divine revelation. We believe in the Trinity because this is how God reveals Himself to us in His word, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. While Jesus’ disciples had been grounded in Jewish monotheism, something had triggered their theological reflection as they encountered Jesus Christ. They realized that God had done something among them and that the God who had done it was none other than the one with whom they had gone fishing, taken naps and exchanged childhood stories. They had seen Him transfigured, crucified, raised and ascended. It was the reflection on such facts having been challenged at the very core of their monotheistic faith by the intervention of Jesus of Nazareth as revealed to them by God the Father that gave rise to the church’s confession of God as Trinity. In other words, the only way that Peter or Paul could come to the doctrine of the Trinity was by way of God’s divine revelation of Himself. Similarly, as Bruce Milne points out “For us to know God and have any adequate basis for our Christian understanding and experience, divine revelation is indispensable” (Milne; Know the Truth 2009 p. 26). The road from our intellectual perception to our knowledge of God is closed and the only way that you and I may come to a satisfactory knowledge of God is for God to place Himself within range of our perception, as He renews our weakened understanding. For the disciples, it happened on roads with Jesus in His incarnation, and for us it happens in the privacy of our own homes with the bible open before us, wondering about it, considering it and taking it in by faith. Now for our homework, I suggest that rather than going to proof texts, we go to the narratives and there we would discover that which confronts us with the necessity of understanding the oneness of God in His three persons. In Matt. 3:16, 17; the record of Jesus’ baptism, where we have God the Son in the water, God the Father in the voice from heaven and God the Spirit alighting like a dove upon God the Son, we discover that by the time Matthew is writing, he has concluded that the baptism of Jesus is Trinitarian in its expression. He reiterates this fact in chapter 28 as Jesus commissions His disciples. He charges them to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. As we read in 2 Cor. 13:14, Paul ends his letter by saying may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. When Peter writes to the scattered Christians of his day, he addresses them as those who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:1-2). It is clear from each of these passages and many others, that the Son and the Spirit are neither alternative names for the Father nor are they mere representatives of the Father. It is clear that there is distinction of persons within the Godhead and when we think in terms of our salvation, the Father is there in the planning, the Son is there in its procuring, and the Spirit is there in its application. The Trinity is purely an object of divine revelation and second, the Trinity is purely an object of adoration and humble believing. In commenting on the Trinity, Thomas Watson says that “The Trinity is purely an object of faith. Our reasoning capability is too short to fathom this mystery but where reason cannot wade, faith may swim” (Watson; A Body of Practical Divinity 1838, p 110). The Trinity is of divine revelation and must be adored with humble believing. In order that we might have that kind of adoration and belief, I want to remind us of our call to teach the faith as Jesus commands in Matt. 28:16-20. Like the apostles, this Great Commission might seem to be an impossibility but when we trust in the promise that “I am with you always” and faithfully avail ourselves, we can win many souls for Christ. To go out into the world with the truth of the Trinity on our minds is to go back into an environment that is similar to what confronted the apostles in their day. They were dealing with the strict monotheism of the Jews, who disavowed Jesus as son of God and they were dealing with the polytheism of the Greeks and the Romans who were happy to have Jesus included in the pantheon. That is exactly what we are up against; the contemporary polytheism and pluralism of those who are prepared to talk about all kinds of ideas of God, the monotheism of Islam, which is arguably the greatest human threat to Christianity, and of course the unbelievers. The only way to engage in discipleship with every one of them is for us to come to a firm belief in the Triune God, and teach others what we have discovered as a result of living in light of the amazing grace of Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of the Father and the ultimate friendship of the Holy Spirit. We are to declare that a new life is possible through this Triune God and Jesus who holds out this promise and prospect of new life promises to be with us, always, even in the uncertainty unleased by COVID-19 and the unrest that surrounds us.Now, it is not uncommon to meet Christians who are struggling to understand the one God in three persons. Many have invested a lot in the endeavor, and for some it has proved frustrating. I am convinced that it is not the expressed purpose of the Trinity to help us to understand God, but rather to safeguard us against the inadequate ways of thinking about Him. Confronted with the decision between a God of our own imagination who could easily be understood and the Triune God who could not, the church chose the latter option. Therefore, as Alister McGrath concludes, “the Trinity reminds us of the majesty and mystery of the God who gave Himself for us upon the cross. We will still find it easier to talk about God than to talk about the Trinity but when we begin to reflect upon who this God really is, our thoughts will move toward the strong name of the Trinity. It is here that the long process of thinking about God comes to a stop to give way to worship and to adoration as we join Reginald Heber in singing: 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!” (McGrath; Understanding the Trinity 1990 p.151-152). Amen. The Apostles' CreedOfficiant and People together, all standingI believe in God, the Father almighty,????creator of heaven and earth;I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.????He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit????????and born of the Virgin Mary.????He suffered under Pontius Pilate,????????was crucified, died, and was buried.????He descended to the dead.????On the third day he rose again.????He ascended into heaven,????????and is seated at the right hand of the Father.????He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit,????the holy catholic Church,????the communion of saints,????the forgiveness of sins????the resurrection of the body,????and the life everlasting. Amen.The PrayersThe People stand or kneelOfficiantThe Lord be with you.PeopleAnd also with you.OfficiantLet us pray.?Officiant and PeopleOur Father, who art in heaven,?????hallowed be thy Name,?????thy kingdom come,?????thy will be done,?????????on earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread.And forgive us our trespasses,?????as we forgive those?????????who trespass against us.And lead us not into temptation,?????but deliver us from evil.For thine is the kingdom,?????and the power, and the glory,?????for ever and ever. Amen.??AV.????Show us your mercy, O Lord;R.????And grant us your salvation.V.????Clothe your ministers with righteousness;R.????Let your people sing with joy.V.????Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;R.????For only in you can we live in safety.V.????Lord, keep this nation under your care;R.????And guide us in the way of justice and truth.V.????Let your way be known upon earth;R.????Your saving health among all nations.V.????Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;R.????Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.V.????Create in us clean hearts, O God;R.????And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.The Collect of the DayAlmighty 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.A Collect for SundaysO God, you make us glad with the weekly remembrance ofthe glorious resurrection of your Son our Lord: Give us thisday such blessing through our worship of you, that the weekto come may be spent in your favor; through Jesus Christ ourLord.?Amen.A Collect for MissionO God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of theearth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to thosewho are far off and to those who are near: Grant that peopleeverywhere may seek after you and find you; bring thenations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh;and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through JesusChrist our Lord.?Amen.?For Sick PersonsO Father of mercies and God of all comfort, our only help intime of need: We humbly beseech thee to behold, visit, andrelieve all thy sick and ill servants, for whom our prayers are desired.Look upon them with the eyes of thy mercy; comfort them witha sense of thy goodness; preserve them from the temptationsof the enemy; and give them patience under their affliction. Inthy good time, restore them to health, and enable them to leadthe residue of this life in thy fear, and to thy glory; and grantthat finally they may dwell with thee in life everlasting; throughJesus Christ our Lord. Amen.For Doctors and Nurses, Hospital Administrators, and Hospital StaffSanctify, O Lord, those whom you have called to the studyand practice of the arts of healing, and to the prevention ofdisease and pain. Strengthen them by your life-giving Spirit,that by their ministries the health of the community may bepromoted and your creation glorified; through Jesus Christour Lord. Amen.27. For Social JusticeGrant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may somove every human heart [and especially the hearts of thepeople of this land], that barriers which divide us maycrumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that ourdivisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace;through Jesus Christ our Lord.?Amen.We invite your own prayers of Intercession and Thanksgiving at this time.Silence62. A Prayer attributed to St. FrancisLord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there ishatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; wherethere is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; wherethere is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; wherethere is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek tobe consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand;to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it isin pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that weare born to eternal life.?Amen.Hymn 423 Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise St. Denio1 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 abovethy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.3 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!The General ThanksgivingOfficiant and PeopleAlmighty God, Father of all mercies,we your unworthy servants give you humble thanksfor all your goodness and loving-kindnessto us and to all whom you have made.We bless you for our creation, preservation,and all the blessings of this life;but above all for your immeasurable lovein the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies,that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise,not only with our lips, but in our lives,by giving up our selves to your service,and by walking before youin holiness and righteousness all our days;through Jesus Christ our Lord,to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.Let us bless the Lord.Thanks be to God.The Officiant may then conclude with one of the followingThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, andthe fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore.Amen.????2 Corinthians 13:14May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace inbelieving through the power of the Holy Spirit.?Amen.Romans 15:13Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitelymore than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him fromgeneration to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesusfor ever and ever.?Amen.????Ephesians 3:20,21 ................
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