Sunday Worship at St. John's Concord

Good morning, St. John's. >> Good morning. >> Good morning, St. John's. >> Good morning. >> Okay. Um, you've got quite a bit in your uh bulletin today. It is Trinity Sunday, but pastor asked me to make sure you take a look and at the service today because we are now going into the summer season of some lightened services and there'll be some things missing that we normally do. Uh, so take a look at that. Today we want to welcome John Bailey as our guest organist today. Thank you very much. Um pastor has asked if you are interested in the Monday night Bible study every Monday night 6 p.m. in Goins Hall. He would like to know. So, if you would please send an RSVP to the office, uh, please stating yes, I am interested because he'd like to know how many people there might be interested in this. Please keep Carolyn Campbell in your prayers as she is in the hospital in Salsbury. On your calendars, please put down June 28th. It is going to be a family fun night at the in the fellowship building with all things kind of things games and all kinds of things and hot dogs and other things and more will be coming on this venture. Uh worship and music committee meets this week. Please keep your our via Dristo in your prayers as we have several members out uh involved in this ministry. Is there anything I'm missing? With that, let's prepare our hearts and minds for the service. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. I invite you to stand as you're able. Blessed be the Holy Trinity whose one God whose compassion endures forever. Amen. Let us confess our sin to God. Compassionate God, we confess to you all our sins. Our burden is heavy and we cannot free ourselves. In your mercy, call us back to you. Your yoke is easy and your burden is light. Restore us to dwell in your peace. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. Jesus says, "Come to me all who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." In the name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Your sins are forgiven. Rest in God's love. Amen. Come ye people come and praise the high. Come people come and praise the most high. Come all you people. Come and praise the most high. Come now and worship the Lord. Come all you people. Come and praise the Savior. Come all you people. Come and praise the Savior. Come all you people. Come and praise the Savior. Come now and worship the Lord. All you people come and praise the spirit. Come all you people come and praise the spirit. Come all you people come and praise the spirit. Come now and worship the >> grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you. >> Let us pray. 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, lifegiving 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. You may be seated. At this time, I invite our youngest disciples to come forward. Well, good morning. >> Morning. >> How you doing this morning? >> Good. >> Good. Beautiful day, right? >> We think so. Yeah. It's Trinity Sunday. It's a great day. A great day to celebrate. So, I got a question for you. Can you explain in perfect detail exactly how your brain works? How about can you explain in perfect detail? Give me a real scientific explanation. How does your heart work? >> Subbeaten. >> Subbeaten. That's pretty good. Yeah. Honestly, that's a that's a very good answer. Yes. You know what? Sometimes people want us to explain in perfect words exactly how God works. But that's that can be a little difficult, can it? But you know what? We get the great gift today of celebrating something maybe a little bit more understandable, the trinity. We get words to use the relationship that we have with God and that God has with with Godself and that is that God is father, God is son and God is the holy spirit. One God. So God the father, God the son and God the holy spirit. And we say at the beginning of the service very often in the name of God who is father, son and holy spirit. Amen. Can you do this with me? In the name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. And when we're baptized, each and every one of us were baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. So though we can't explain maybe like we think we can in perfect details exactly how God works, God gives us words to use to show his very means of grace and love and mercy and forgiveness by just saying those words in the name of God who is father, son and holy spirit. So let us pray. Dear God, >> dear God, >> thank you for the gift of the trinity. Thank you for the gift of eternity >> which gives us words >> which gives us words >> to describe your love. >> In Jesus name we pray. >> In Jesus name we pray. >> Amen. >> Amen. >> Thank you so much. The first reading is from Genesis the first chapter beginning with the first verse. When God began to create the heavens and the earth, the earth was complete chaos 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 gone don 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. And God called the dry land earth. And the waters were gathered together he called seas. And God saw that it was good. And then God said, "Let the earth put forth vegetation. Plants yielding seed from fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it." And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plant shielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind, bearing fruit with 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 day, the day from the night, and let them be signs and for seasons and for ye days and for years, and let them be lights in the dome in the of the sky to give a light upon the earth." And it was so. God made two great lights, the great light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night and the stars. And God sent them into 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 waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth, above the dome of the sky." So God created the great sea monsters, and every living creature that moves of every kind, wi with the waters swam, 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 waters in the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth." And there was evening, and there was morning, the fifth day. And God said, "Let 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. And God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind and the cattle of every kind on every creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let us make humans in our image, according to our likenesses, 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 all the creeping things that creep upon the earth." So God created humans 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 living things that move 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. And 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. On the sixth day, God finished the work that he had done. And he rested on the seventh day from all the work he that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it because on it God rested from all the work he had done in creation. These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created. The word of the Lord. >> Thanks be to God. >> The second reading is from 2 Corinthians the 13th chapter beginning with the 13th verse. Paul writes, "Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Be restored. Listen to my appeal and agree with one another. live in peace and the God of love and the peace be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss and all the saints greet you. The grace of 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. Halleluah. Lord and Savior of the ever saving word. Let my heart receive the good news that you bring. >> The Holy Gospel according to Matthew. >> Glory to you, Lord. Now the 11 disciples went to Galilee to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him, they worshiped him, but they 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 the Lord. >> Praise to you, O Christ. >> May be seated. In the name of God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. Well, believe it or not, I think almost every preacher dreads having to preach Holy Trinity Sunday just a little bit. In fact, there's a lot of jokes that, you know, at a large church, uh, Holy Trinity Sunday is always the one that either like the student pastor, the intern would get because the senior pastor is saying, "Forget it. I'm I'm going to I'm going to take this one off. I've been through this enough." And you know, in fact, in confirmation today, we had uh upstairs a little bit earlier, we we talked a lot about heresies today. We tried to name all the specific heresies of explaining the Holy Trinity. And this is kind of why I think a lot of folks are, you know, maybe a little skeptical, a little uneasy preaching about the Holy Trinity because when you really try to describe the Holy Trinity, when you really try to put certain attributes to each part of the Trinity, likely you're able to step into some sort of heresy. Maybe you want to describe, you know, the Holy Spirit just with wind and leave out the God part. That would be a heresy. There's all sorts of ways that you can be heretical when you're trying to describe the Trinity. And what's interesting about the Holy Trinity Sunday, what's interesting about today is that almost every other festival day in the church, it centers or celebrates something that God has done. It it is about something that is historical, maybe an event or an occurrence in the Bible. But this is a day based on doctrine. Christmas of course celebrates Christ's birth. Easter celebrates Christ's resurrection. Pentecost we just celebrated last week celebrates the gift of the Holy Spirit. And then today, one week after we have this interesting occasion, Trinity Sunday. Today, Trinity Sunday, we celebrate not something God has done, but today we celebrate who God is and the world that God and the words that God gives to the world to describe exactly who God is. Before God does anything for us, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a perfect communion, a relationship of love, giving and receiving, pouring life outward into beings and to creation occurs. The this morning we heard this reading, this long reading from Genesis. And later in our gospel text we hear this morning we find ourselves at the very end of Matthew's gospel where Jesus after the resurrection he gathers his disciples up on the mountain and we read that last paragraph of the whole gospel of Matthew where Jesus tells them that things are going to be a little bit different that he's leaving not forever he's already assured them of what happens there but the relationship that they've known that was of course mightily disrupted by the crucifixion but the relationship that they've known interacting with Jesus for the past three or so years that relationship is going to be very different where they could walk and talk with Jesus where they could eat with him and all the tax collectors and sinners where they could ask him questions and see him perform miracles with their very eyes that is changing Jesus is now sending them out to be Jesus for the world to share God's love for the world and to all the nations and with a name and with a promise and really not too much else. We hear pretty simple words that Jesus uses today. And the name that Jesus gives is this the name of God who is father, son, and holy spirit. Baptize people into that name. Jesus says Jesus says this with with teaching about my love and and my ministry. This is what's most important that will tell them everything they need to know the name of God. Now remember these are fishermen. They're not exactly trained theologians. They're not uh uh you know experts necessarily. They're they're people that had normal lives and that dropped everything to follow Jesus. and they don't maybe have a perfectly carefully orchestrated or understanding of exactly how the trinity works. Much like when I asked how exactly does your brain work or how exactly does your heart work for the disciples, even though they had witnessed so many great things, it took another 300 or so years for the church to really put together its understanding of the trinity. that took place at the council of Nya when the church came together and agreed on certain words and descriptors and that's where we get of course our nying creed and later our apostles creed. So sure the disciples don't have all the theological or ecclesial knowledge to have a perfect speech on what the trinity is but they have something pretty valuable pretty pretty handy that that we don't have right in front of us. They had Jesus right in front of them and Jesus giving them a real job, a commission. Go into the whole world, baptize the nations, proclaim the name of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It's tough work, though. What happens when all that you know that all that you're comfortable with the the routines that you had the way that your relationship was was formed all of that something you could manage and was understandable all of a sudden that changes. It changes suddenly and it changes dramatically. Being your pastor, I know more than one of you that have had this type of experience in your life. Just even this year, I know that these types of things have happened where when all that you were were accustomed to your daily life, it changed because of something in an instance, something so dramatic. Perhaps a loved one who received a life-changing diagnosis. Perhaps uh a parent or another loved one died. Perhaps a a friendship that was so important in your life so formative it fades. The person who held it all together, the person who held all of that together is gone. And you're left trying to figure out figure out what exactly remains. Relationships, they don't always survive distance. they don't always survive certain change whether that's just relation, you know, with each other relationally or whether that's because of some disruptor. The things that sometimes we might think are permanent, they can turn out to be much more fragile than we had ever imagined. And so with this in mind, I think sometimes as human beings, as people who want to maybe prevent hurt, prevent being too vulnerable at times, I think sometimes it's easier. It's just easier to to hold things at a bit of a distance, to hold them a little bit more loosely because we've learned that things end, that that people leave and that seasons change and that grief happens. you know, we kind of sometimes may adopt a bit of a a once burn twice shy type of attitude. And unfortunately, sometimes I think it's not just with relationships or or people here on earth. This happens with our faith. This happens with our relationship with God. Keep God at a certain distance. Believe in a general way, of course, maybe even and ideally, right? still showing up Sunday after sun Sunday. But, you know, don't don't let it get too close. Don't let it get too personal, too much of of who you are. Because what if this faith, this thing that you're so accustomed to, what if it doesn't look like what you had imagined or it doesn't seem to hold up like it once did, doesn't pan out the way that we had in our head. Now, if there's anyone that can resonate with this, with this major disruption in their lives, I think it is fair to say that the disciples can resonate with this. the disciples that we hear about in our gospel text. And they're now up on the mountain at the very end of of this gospel and the one who held everything together for them. The one for whom they dropped their nets and they spent three years witnessing miracles and teachings and healings. That one was about to leave. And that one was asking them to trust that the relationship despite his presence no longer being earthly. That relationship will hold on. And perhaps this is made possible by something Jesus gives them gives those disciples before he goes. It's not a program. It's not some sort of multi-step plan. It is something a little bit different. It's it's a name. And a name in the biblical world, in the Hebrew world, it really it's not just a label. It means something. It describes something. It it tells you who someone is. A name tells you here in this instance exactly what you can count on. On God, who is father, son, and holy spirit. The Holy Trinity, it has no beginning and no end. Before the world existed, before anything was made, as we heard in our first reading this morning from Genesis, there was this love, this relationship moving between Father and Son and Holy Spirit, giving and receiving, delighting in each other from eternity. This is something that pops up in John's gospel in such a beautiful way. And when Jesus says to baptize people into that name, Jesus means to draw them into this truth. This this same truth, the relationship that has always existed from the beginning of time, the love that holds everything together. You, you disciples, you belong to that. Now, this is what baptism actually is all about. God placing God's own name on you, on us, pulling us into this relationship, into this life of the Trinity. You didn't earn it. You didn't have to understand it first. God says it over you, over water, at this font, or in a river, or wherever it may have been. And it's true. before you could speak the name. It's true. It was spoken over you. And then the last thing Jesus says after this sending and this commissioning is perhaps the simplest and most comforting thing. I am with you always to the end of the age. God is with them. God is with us through it all. Even when it looks a little bit different than it once had. Even when what we were comfortable with or we could manage that has changed. Even when we feel like at times because of a certain event or a struggle that we're all alone, the promise remains true. As I said in the bulletin, if you happen to to see the little note there, the same God who gathered people together here 281 years ago is the same God who gathered us here last Sunday. The same God who will gather us together next Sunday. And the same ga God who gathers us together here today. And it's no small thing, no minor occurrence. Think about this. Think about all that has happened just here in this land in the past 281 years. Think about the lives that are affected by things like wars and death. things like plenty of struggle, I imagine, and of course, plenty of abundance at times, pastors who came and went, families who buried their parents just out back and then brought their own children to this very font. The world outside these walls has most certainly changed quite a bit in 280 years. And week after week, those doors or the doors that were over here, they have opened and people have arrived here. And this is what it means, I think, for us on this Trinity Sunday that the Trinity is not really just about some sort of doctrine that's distant or theological or whatever it may be. The Trinity at its core, for us, for you and for me, it is about relationship. In relationships, people they show up. They don't just make a promise once and consider it fulfilled. They come back. They gather again. They say the name again. The name that we begin every single service with every Sunday. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The same name that was spoken over each and every one of you at your baptism. The same name that has been spoken over to everyone over their baptism at the very beginning. The same name that was given to those disciples 2,000 years ago to carry out to every nation. It holds. And it's not because we are the ones that are perfectly holding it or managing it. It's because God does. God holds this. God says, "I am with you always. I'm with you always to the end of the age." And what a gift that is. So, thanks be to God. And amen. Come join the dance of Trinity before all the world's beun. The interweaving of the three. The mother spit song. The universe of space set up did not arise on shove and hope they grow within their come see the face of trity who born Be laid on it by a crown of God. The dance of Trinity is met forever. With ears of dancing, God rolls away. Speak a loud of trance with their songs of grave. Set people free and clear the cost to tell the Savior. We know the love of sin and death. our next one is go tell the world await and that we are free to live within the depths of genes of the great the mother spirit ses with the whole church. We confess our faith. I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontious Pilot, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day, he rose again. He ascended into heaven. He is seated at the right hand of the Father. And he will come 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. Called into unity by the Father, led by the Son, and breathed into life by the Holy Spirit, let us pray for the church, the world, and all those in need. Holy triune God, strengthen your church throughout the world. Where there is division, bring reconciliation. Where there is fear, breathe courage. Where there is weariness, renew your people with the promise of your presence. Lord, in your mercy, here our pray. >> God of creation, you spoke the world into being and called it good. Send rain where it is needed. Protect crops and farmland. calm destructive s storms and teach us to care wisely for the earth that you have entrusted to us. Lord in your mercy here our pray. >> God of wisdom guide leaders of nations, communities and congregations. Give them humility, patience and a desire for peace. Bring comfort and protection to those living amidst violence, war and uncertainty. Lord in your mercy mercy here our pray. >> God of compassion draw near to all who are sick, grieving, lonely or overwhelmed. We pray especially for those awaiting diagnosis, recovering from surgery, facing anxiety or carrying burdens known only to you. Surround them with your healing presence and faithful care. Lord in your mercy, here our pray. >> God of community, bless this congregation as we continue to grow in faith and mission. Deepen our commitment to sharing your love. Open our hearts to the leading of your spirit and help us move forward together in hope. Lord in your mercy, here our pray. >> God of eternity, we thank you for the saints who have gone before us and now rest in your peace. Keep us steadfast in the faith until that day when all creation joins in the eternal song of your glory. Lord in your mercy here our pray. >> Into your hands, O triune God, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy through Jesus Christ our savior and lord. Amen. And now may the peace of Christ be with you always. >> And also with you. >> Please share a sign of God's peace. Peace. I found Christmas. This is right. We go creator of the earth. We praise you God. We praise you for us. We praise you Jesus for all that you have given. We praise you Jesus for all that you have given. We praise you Jesus for all that you have. We praise you for us. We uses us to hol us to hol. We praise you for us. Praise God. his praise him all creatures below. Praise him above the heavenly host. Praise father, son, and holy ghost. Let us pray together. Loving God, we offer at your table the gifts of our hearts. Help us take heart in you and share freely of your love so that all creation can taste your abundance. We ask this in the name of Jesus through the spirit abiding with us now and forever. Amen. The Lord be with you. >> And also with you. >> Lift up your hearts. >> We lift them to the Lord. >> Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise. >> It is indeed right, our duty, and our joy that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God, through our savior Jesus Christ, who on this day overcame death and the grave, and by his glorious resurrection open to us the way of everlasting life. And so with all the choirs of angels, with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn. Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosana. Hosana. Hosana in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosana in the highest. Holy God, our maker, redeemer, and healer. In the harmonious world of your creation, the plants and animals, the seas and stars were whole and well in your praise. When sin had scarred the world, you sent your son to he heal our ills and to form us again into one. In the night in which he was handed over, our Lord Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat. This is my body given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me. And again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people, for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me. Remembering therefore his acts of healing, his body given up, and his victory over death, we await that day when all the peoples of the earth will come to the river to enjoy the tree of life. Send your spirit upon us in this meal. As grain scattered on the hillside become one bread, so let your church be gathered from the ends of the earth, that all may be fed with the bread of life, your son. Through him all glory and honor is yours. Almighty Father, with the Holy Spirit in your holy church, both now and forever. Amen. And now, as our savior Christ taught us, we are bold to say, Our 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 forever and ever. Amen. Heaven has come near. Come share the feast. the sin of all the world away. Have mercy. Oh lamb of God the all the world us the s of all the worldace with God. You made us your we Christ. Christ. Christ. Christ. Christ. Christ. Christ. Christ. body. Christ. Christ. the finest. Come to us the bread of life to eat. When the sh calls his sheep and his voice. So when you call your family body of Christ. Christ Christ. Christ. Christ. Christ. of Christ. Christ And now may the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace. Amen. Let us pray together. Compassionate God, through the gifts of bread and wine, our hearts are filled with the abundance of your love. strengthen us that we through this holy meal may share your love freely as you have shared with us. We ask this in the name of Jesus through the spirit nourishing us now and forever. Amen. And I receive this blessing. May almighty God who is father, son, and holy spirit bless you now and forever. Amen. All the earth to all the Go preach the cross where Christ receives forever. Baptizing as the sign of our return. Hallelu. Go to the world. Go into every place. Go live the word of God's redeem and space. Hallelu. Hallelu. Go to the world from the night of tears. to joleal. Hallelu to the world as the onel of glory praise. Hallelujah. >> Go in peace. Serve the Lord. >> Thanks be to God. Heat. Heat.