Created by Community for Community
A Service of Holy Communion for Trinity Sunday
June 15, 2014

Gathering Ritual

Invite the congregation to join in creating a piece of art.  Provide three clear glass vases.  In this art piece, each vase represents a person of the Trinity, they are each unique but the piece is incomplete without all three.  Into each of the vases, place some small river rock stones to symbolize our common baptism.  Then have baskets with glass “marbles” for flower decorating available in your local craft store, a different color marble in each basket.  Invite the congregation to come forward and grab a handful of marbles, in a color of their choice, and place them in a vase of their choice.  When you are done you will have an art piece reflecting the Trinity and your congregation. 

As people are coming forward to place their stones in the vases you could sing a repetitive chant such as the Trisagion (TNCH  747) or you may want to consider a series of chants or praise choruses (perhaps one each focused upon Creator, Christ and Spirit).

Call to Worship

One:		+In the name of the Creator, the Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Many: 		Amen.
		In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God 
and the Word was God.
		In the beginning the Spirit of God swept over the face of the waters.
		In the beginning God said, “Let us make humankind in our image.”
And so we came into being, created by God who exists in community.
We are here as God’s community to worship the Source of our being.

Opening Hymn – Womb of Life, and Source of Being – TNCH  274

Opening Prayer

Holy Mother you have birthed us into life,
Holy Father you have nurtured us along our way,
In you we have live and move and have our being.
To you we bring our offering of praise and thanksgiving.
We open ourselves to your presence in this time of worship.
Fill us with resolve and purpose, to be your community 
and to expand our boundaries until all of creation is renewed 
and all people are welcomed and blessed.
This we ask through the risen and ascended Christ 
who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Reading Scripture

The Genesis text, (1:1-2:4a) is rather long at roughly 35 verses.  Consider a choral reading of the text.  The week prior, on Pentecost Sunday, why not invite members of your congregation to sign-up to memorize one verse each.  (If you have less than 35 in worship divide the verses accordingly or if memorization makes some nervous, you can let individuals read their verse(s).) Pre-readers can be taught their verse and those in the congregation who speak through American Sign Language should be heard as well.  If you are blessed to have people who speak other languages, let them be heard. Then, when the time comes in the service to recite the scripture on Trinity Sunday, have each person stand and recite their verse in turn.  The speakers can stand where they are, line up at a microphone or circle the congregation.   It would be up to each person to decide how their voice will sound as they recite their verse.  Listen, as they do so, to the unity and diversity of the community God is creating in your midst and when the text is recited celebrate the goodness of God’s handiwork.    

Prayer of Confession 

Let us pray.

Holy God, We were created in your image, 
an image of mutuality and respect for one another; 
an image of a dance ever moving, ever in tune one with others; 
an image of community with shared blessing and mission. 
You have given us dominion over the work of your hands.
You have charged us to be fruitful and multiply, 
to make disciples of all nations. 

Forgive us God; we have denied our purpose.  
We have abused the earth’s resources for our own selfish gain 
and the consequences wreak havoc upon the fish of the sea, 
the birds of the air and every living thing that moves upon the earth. 

Forgive us God; we have defiled your image.  
We have regarded some of your children as “other” 
and therefore beyond the reach of your love and care 
because their professed faith in you, or lack thereof, 
is different from our own. 

Forgive us God; for we have sinned.

Silence for personal reflection and confession

Words of Absolution

God desires to see broken relationships restored 
and has heard our prayer.
In the name of Jesus the Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit, 
we are forgiven.
Thanks be to God.

Offertory Invitation

God has abundantly bestowed upon us the gift of life.  
Our best response is to offer our whole lives 
as channels for God’s mission in the world.  
Give as you are able to build the community of God 
in this place and around the world.

Offertory Dedication

Receive these gifts, 
even our very lives for your service. 
Multiply them and our effort to meet the need.  
We are yours God, use us we pray, Amen.

Holy Communion

		Come gather around the table of our God with a song of praise!

Stand and Sing Praise with Joy the World’s Creator v. 1-3, TNCH  373 or any similarly structured hymn where the first three verses each praise one of the three persons of the Trinity and the fourth verse is a combined praise.  Use the fourth verse in place of a Sanctus.

The congregation may remain standing

God be with you.				
And with your spirit.
	Lift up your hearts				
We them up to God.
Give thanks to God, Blessed Trinity	
It is right to give God thanks and praise.
	
Praise to you Divine Creator.  
Thank you for the gift of life, 
the beauty of nature, 
the structure the law 
and your steadfast loving kindness.
		
Praise to you Divine Redeemer.
Thank you for sharing our human existence, 
from birth through death to everlasting life 
you have shown us a way worth emulating, 
bringing healing and hope to those most in need.
		
Praise to you Divine Sustainer.
Thank you for the vision to see beyond the immediate,
a calm in the midst of storm, 
the strength to build an ever expanding community
and the courage to bring about any change necessary within our lives.

Sing Praise with Joy the World’s Creator v. 4, NCH  373

The congregation may be seated.

The Words of Institution/Remembrance (see BOW p. 47)

Prayer of Consecration

Holy God, descend your Spirit upon these gifts of grain and grape 
that they might be for us the presence of the living Christ 
and pour out your Spirit upon us 
so that we might taken, blessed, broken and distributed 
so that others might know the blessings 
of living in communion with you and one another.  
Through Christ, with Christ and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honor are yours Almighty God, now and forever.  
Amen.

Breaking and Pouring
	
The Prayer of Our Savior

The Distribution

The Blessing

May the presence of Christ, Body and Spirit, keep and preserve you to everlasting life.

Thanksgiving

	Let us pray. 	
	For the beauty of creation, the gift of life and your presence with us now, we give you thanks.  Send us now to be channels of your mission in the world, to build your community on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
Sending

God sends us from this place to engage the world 
with the good news of the community of God in our words and actions.
This is what we were created for.
+ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, 
the love of God, 
and the communion of the Holy Spirit 
will go with you and before you, today and ever more.
Amen.

+ You may make a sign of the cross in remembrance of baptism.

Written by the Rev. Dr. Bob Gross, OCC, designated minister at First Congregational Church of Akron, OH. Rev. Gross is a member of the Order of Corpus Christi, (OCC), which is an ecumenical covenantal community that seeks to be a contemporary expression of the Mercersburg Tradition.

Copyright 2014 Local Church Ministries, Faith Formation Ministry Team, United Church of Christ, 700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH  44115-1100.  Permission granted to reproduce or adapt this material for use in services of worship or church education.  All publishing rights reserved.