Worship Elements: June 7, 2020
Trinity Sunday
Color: White
Scripture Readings: Genesis 1:1—2:4a; Psalm 8; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; Matthew 28:16-20
Theme Ideas
Human beings enjoy a special relationship with God and to the rest of the created order. Unlike all other elements of creation, human beings are made in God’s image and are bestowed with authority and stewardship over the earth. Jesus gives his followers an additional responsibility: to make disciples of all nations; and the church gives us another: to baptize new Christians “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” On Trinity Sunday, we remember our responsibilities, delight in the trust that God has given us, and pray for guidance to complete our tasks with faithfulness.
Call to Worship (Genesis 1)
Let us remember what our God has done!
God created the world out of a formless void.
Let us remember what our God has done!
God made every animal and plant, bird and fish.
Let us remember what our God has done!
God created people in the image of God.
Let us remember what our God has done!
God has made us caretakers of the earth.
Let us complete our task in faithfulness.
Call to Worship (Psalm 8)
Who are we, O God, that you draw near when we call?
Your faithful people call your name.
Who are we, O God, that you care for us?
Your faithful people call your name.
Who are we, O God, that you crown us with honor?
Your faithful people call your name.
Who are we, O God, that you make us stewards
of the earth?
Your faithful people call your name.
Who are we, O God, to deserve your faith and trust?
Your faithful people call your name.
Contemporary Gathering Words (Psalm 8)
God is with us, right here and now.
We open our lives to our creator.
God cares for us and gives us glory.
We open our hearts to our creator.
God appoints us keepers of the earth.
We dedicate ourselves to our creator.
Praise Sentences (Genesis 1)
Blessed are you, O God, creator of all that is.
Blessed are you, O God, creator of all that will be.
Blessed are you, O God, who made us in your image.
Praised be your name! Amen.
Praise Sentences (Psalm 8)
How majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
O God, creative Spirit, all things have their beginning
and ending in you. We hold your name on high.
Glory and honor to you! Amen.
Opening Prayer (Genesis 1)
Eternal God,
your Spirit moved on the waters—
and there was light,
your first creation.
your Spirit moved on the water of our baptism—
and again, there was light in our souls and hearts.
Let your holy light shine on us today,
as we remember your creation
and our special part in it. Amen.
Opening Prayer (Psalm 8)
From the time you fashioned the heavens and the earth
from a formless void, O God,
your creative energy has done marvelous works,
all around us.
May your creative Spirit
be at work in our hearts and minds today
as we worship you and, always,
as we strive to live in obedience to your will. Amen.
Prayer of Confession (Genesis 1)
Holy and merciful God, in perfection you created the earth, fixed the course of the sun and seasons, and populated the earth with plants, fish, birds, and animals to live in an intricate, balanced web of life. You created us in your image and gave us the responsibility to care for the world. We confess that we have failed to live up to our responsibilities. Our lust for comfort and money has polluted the water with industrial wastes, sewage, fertilizer, and pesticide runoff. We choke the air with gases that not only poison both plants and animals but also change the earth’s climate, at great peril. We have cut too many trees to sell lumber or build houses. We have drained too many fertile marshes and wetlands to create usable land. We have destroyed too many wildlife habitats in the name of progress. For these sins of commission and omission, we are heartily sorry. We pray your forgiveness and beg that you would create a right heart and mind within us, that we may consume according to our need instead of our want and that we may begin to heal your creation from human injury. Amen.
Prayer of Confession (Genesis 1, Matthew 28)
Holy and eternal God,
you created us in your image
and gave us special responsibilities toward creation
and our fellow human beings.
You set us as caretakers for the earth
and all its plants and animals.
You anointed us as disciples
and told us to make fellow disciples the world over.
Dear God, as we look at our polluted earth,
where we consume resources at an unsustainable rate,
we know that we have failed to be good stewards.
In many ways,
we have failed to live as disciples ourselves,
to say nothing of making disciples of all nations.
We beg your mercy for our sins
and await with expectancy
the renewal of our minds and hearts,
that we may devote the rest of our days
to protecting the earth and making disciples
of all nations in accordance to your will. Amen.
Benediction (Genesis 1, Psalm 8)
May God’s creative Spirit be with us in our hearts
and minds as we leave this place to return home.
May God’s creative Spirit help us to see with new wonder
the splendor of your creation all around us
and inspire us to preserve and protect it.
Benediction (Genesis 1, Psalm 8)
God has accomplished marvelous things!
We are part of creation’s fulfillment.
Let us go in new appreciation
for the works of God’s hands.
We are part of creation’s fulfillment.
Let us work to restore the earth’s perfect balance
and beauty.
We are part of creation’s fulfillment.
Let us live as faithful disciples,
telling all what God has done.
We are part of creation’s fulfillment.
And remember that Jesus is always with us,
to the end of the age.
We are part of creation’s fulfillment.
From The Abingdon Worship Annual, edited by Mary J. Scifres and B.J. Beu, Copyright © Abingdon Press.