The Festival of the Holy Trinity
also known as The First Sunday after Pentecost May 30, 2021
The True Christian Faith Is
That We Worship One God In
Trinity and Trinity in Unity
Now, it’s very likely that many people in our society (and inside the visible church) would say that the statement above is not only arrogant, but also insensitive – given the multitude of religions that one can belong to in our world today. In reply to protests like that, the closing words of the Christian Church’s “Athanasian Creed” have this to say about its absolute position on the uniqueness and exclusivity of the Triune God: “which [the truths of this Creed], unless a man believes faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved.” The Athanasian Creed firmly and faithfully cuts no corners (nor should we) on a truth which too many today obscure, ignore, and deny: namely, that there is only one, true God (the Triune God of Scripture), and that there is absolutely no salvation for anyone who does not believe in Him!
We don’t use the Athanasian Creed very often in our worship services, mostly because of its length……but we ought to use it (or at least review it) periodically because of its essential Christian content/message. For while the Apostles and Nicene Creeds (which we regularly use in our worship services) both clearly express the core teachings/doctrines of our Christian faith – including what the Bible teaches about the one, true, Triune God – neither of those key Christian statements of belief presents the doctrine of the Triune God/Holy Trinity with the Biblical depth, emphasis and exclusivity that the Athanasian Creed does.
Some might ask, “Why all this talk about the Trinity?” Because today is Trinity Sunday, the date annually reserved on the traditional “church calendar” when we Christians customarily concentrate our attention on the mysterious, yet marvelous doctrine of our Triune God. Although the Scriptures nowhere contain either the word “Trinity” or the word “Triune,” the teaching that our God is a “three-in-one God” is thoroughly Biblical. What we believe is that our God is one “Essence,” (or Being) Who reveals Himself through three distinct, unique persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This doctrine of the Trinity is clearly set forth in both the Old and New Testaments as we will see throughout today’s service. For, in addition to the Biblically-based, Trinity-emphasis found in today’s hymns, we will include the responsive reading the Athanasian Creed as a centerpiece of today’s worship service. (As you can read in a more detailed explanation of this Creed’s history and content later in this worship flyer, the Athanasian Creed is a comprehensive statement of belief that focuses extensively on the doctrine of the Trinity. And so it is a welcome and valuable part of our Trinity-emphasis service today.) Our Psalm Reading for this Trinity Sunday expresses a believer’s earnest desire that all people might know, believe in, and praise the One true God. In our Children’s Lesson we’ll use words of the blessing with which we usually close our worship service….from Numbers 6:24-26….to talk about the work our Three-in-One God does for us and the blessings this LORD give us: how the Father provides for us; how the Son came to this world to bring God’s grace to us as our Savior; and how the Holy Spirit gives us the faith to believe all this and be at peace with God. In place of our “usual” Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel Lessons, today’s Scripture Lessons are a collection of Bible passages which speak about the responsibilities and functions of the three Persons of the Trinity. The readings are separated into three parts, referring to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, respectively. Following each reading, we will reflect upon (from the Small Catechism) Luther’s Scripture-based explanations to the first, second, and third articles of the Apostles ‘Creed. Finally, our Sermon will emphasize the truth that the God we worship is the only true, Triune God. It will be based on Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 28:19 and II Corinthians 13:14. First, the LORD God introduces Himself as the only true God, and the Giver of the Ten Commandments. Next, we’ll consider the one “Name” of our God….Who is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And last, we’ll talk about the tremendous blessings we receive from the Triune God: the Son’s grace; the Father’s love and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
The History of “Trinity Sunday” and the Pentecost/Trinity
(Non-Festival) portion of the Church Calendar
This morning is the inaugural Sunday of the “Non-Festival Half” of the Church year. It is commonly known as the Festival of the Holy Trinity, or as Trinity Sunday. It might be considered a “new” festival when compared to the other festivals in the first half of the church year, That’s because the Festival of the Holy Trinity did not find its way onto the official Church Calendar until the “recent date” of 1334, although an annual festival in honor of the Holy Trinity had been observed as much as four centuries earlier. Trinity Sunday celebrates the entire teaching of Scripture as a revelation of the one true, three-in-one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The altar color for the Festival is white. One of Trinity Sunday’s “special” customs involves the reading of the longest of the three Christian Creeds, the Athanasian Creed, during the public worship service – as we will do this morning.
The non-festival half of the Church Year spans the summer and fall seasons of the regular, secular calendar. It begins on Trinity Sunday, which is also known as “the First Sunday after the Festival of Pentecost.” It is worth noting that the Trinity season is the only season of the Church year that is named after a specific doctrine of Scripture, and has thus been identified only by the two northern European Christian denominations: namely, the Lutheran Church and the Episcopal Church. The majority of Christian denominations prefer to refer to the non-festival portion of the Church Year as the Pentecost Season, or the Sundays after Pentecost. On our bulletins we typically use both designations. The Trinity/Pentecost Season is from 22 to 27 Sundays in length, depending on when Easter occurs. There is no particular theme which unites these Sundays together, although the emphases of most services and sermons are on the Christian’s life of sanctification. Often Lutheran ministers will use this portion of the church calendar to engage in “series preaching,” covering over a number of Sundays such matters as: The Ten Commandments, the parts of the Lord’s Prayer, or the entirety of a New Testament epistle, among others. There are a few special days that the “church-in-worship” observes during this non-festival part of the church year. They include: Reformation Day (Oct 31); “All Saints Day” (Nov 1); and Thanksgiving Day (in the U.S.A on the fourth Thursday in November; in Canada on the second Monday in October). Many congregations also hold a Mission Festival Sunday during this season, and some churches (particularly in farming communities) choose to observe a Harvest Festival in the late fall.
The Athanasian Creed
The Athanasian Creed is the third, the longest, and the least-used of the three “ecumenical” (accepted church-wide) creeds of the Christian Church. The other two ecumenical Christian creeds (a creed is “a statement of what we believe”) are the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed. While we are not certain of the name of the person(s) who “authored” this creed, we do know that it received the designation “Athanasian” as a tribute to Athanasius, one of the most significant, prominent, orthodox leaders of the early Christian Church. Athanasius lived from 293-373 A.D. Not only was he very influential in supporting and defending the doctrines of the Nicene Creed, he was also prominently and personally involved in the actual development of that statement of belief. (The Nicene Creed was prepared in its initial form for the 1st Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church held at Nicea in 325. The more detailed version that we use today [with the 591 A.D. addition of the “filioque,” (tr, “and the son”) expressing that the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son] is actually known as the Niceno-Constantinopolitan creed, and was produced by the 2nd Ecumenical Church Council, held at Constantinople in 381 AD)
The best information we have today about the date and place of origin of the Athanasian Creed suggests that it was written possibly in North Africa, but more likely in southern France sometime between AD 435 and 570 (the latter date was when Venatius Fortunatus of Poitiers wrote a short commentary on this creed).
The writing of the Athanasian Creed was made necessary because orthodox (true-teaching) Christians were forced to defend the Church’s Biblical doctrine concerning the God it worshiped. The post-Nicean Christian Church felt compelled to develop this written statement of what the Scriptures teach about the true God specifically for this reason: certain false beliefs and teachings (various forms of Unitarianism and tri-theism) about God were being vigorously promoted by particular individuals and groups desiring to operate under the umbrella of the Church. However, while they might have technically been “in” the church, in practice (due to their heretical teachings) those individuals and groups had already departed from the true Christian Church…..and they were confusing and misleading others – even destroying true faith – with their false ideas.
The Athanasian Creed’s primary purpose was to set down in detail what the Scriptures specifically teach about the Triune God and about the incarnation of God (that is to say, the Second Person of the Trinity’s becoming truly human while at the same time remaining entirely divine). The Creed emphasizes the Unity of the Godhead……that we worship ONE God. However, it carefully points out the Plurality of that One divine Essence…..that there are three distinct persons of the Godhead. In so doing, this longest of the three Ecumenical (accepted Church-wide) Creeds meticulously declares the differences and distinctions that the Bible teaches concerning those three persons of that one God….the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is a most complicated doctrine, one not understood by our human reason, but rather one which is simply presented to us in Scripture as fact, and which is to be accepted by us by faith.
Because it focuses on the Triune God, Whom we worship, The Athanasian Creed is traditionally used by many Christian Churches every Trinity Sunday. Following that centuries-old practice, we will make use of this statement of our Christian faith by reading it responsively during this morning’s service.
Please Note: The closing words of the Athanasian Creed say that all people will finally “give an account” before the judgment seat of Christ. This phrase comes from Bible passages such as the following:
Matthew 12:36 But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.
Romans 14:12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. (Cf. Heb 4:13; 13:17; 1 Pet 4:5).
This refers to the fact that on the Last Day all people (those who will rise from the dead, as well as those still living) will appear for judgment before Christ, the Judge of all.
2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
Sometimes Christians who know that the way to heaven is by faith in Jesus Christ alone (and not by works – Ephesians 2:8,9) are troubled by the words of the Creed: “And they that have done good will go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire.” (See John 5:29). These words do not at all mean that we earn heaven by good works. For Romans 3:28, among many other portions of Scripture, teaches: “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.” (See also John 3:16-18).
Since true faith is invisible, Christ will prove that believers had faith by pointing out the “fruits” of that faith (see Matthew 25:31-46). Only believers can produce such real fruits of faith, done out of love for the Lord, which God recognizes as “good works,” for Hebrews 11:6 declares that “without faith it is impossible to please God.”
Furthermore, we know and believe that Christ kept the commandments flawlessly for us all, as our Substitute, and by faith His perfect obedience is credited to us as our own obedience. Scripture says that all of our Savior’s righteous works are credited to the account of believers (2 Cor. 5:21). For Jesus’ sake then, and by God’s grace, our failures have been entirely forgiven; this is exactly what God promises when He says that He will “forget” the sins of His believers (Jeremiah 31:34). On Judgment Day, Christ will not mention the sins of believers, but will recognize their fruits of faith in Him (“good works”). Furthermore, He will reveal the “motive of their own works” (that they were moved by Spirit-given faith and out of love for Him; Matthew 25:40 “Whatever you did…..You did for Me”). On the other hand, Christ will point to the unbelievers’ absence of “Godly,” faith-inspired good works (and not to their secular, and self-serving good deeds which did not flow from faith, in spite of how numerous those good deeds might have been) as the evidence that they did not possess faith in Him and thus, that their eternal condemnation because of their unbelief is entirely warranted. It will be just as Christ said: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16).
Pre-Service Prayer – O Heavenly Father, please guide me in wisdom and truth through Your Holy Spirit, as I spend this hour meditating on Your Word and rejoicing in Your limitless love for me. Assist me in being attentive in heart and mind to Your Word, as well as to the hymns of praise, the various petitions, and the prayers of thanksgiving my voice directs toward You. Use this worship service, O Lord, to deepen my love for You, to strengthen my trust in You, and to renew my commitment to You. All this I ask for the sake of and in the name of Your One and only Son, Jesus Christ, my Savior. Amen.
All Scripture Quotations in this worship flyer have been taken from
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version Copyright 2019,
The Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission
Music and lyrics, as needed, are used with permission via OneLicense.net #A712831
The Order of Service for the Festival of the Holy Trinity
Prayer upon entering the sanctuary Pre-service Music
We Praise Our God
The Introduction and Invitation to Worship
After which the Congregation will rise for
The Invocation
Pastor We begin this service in the name of the Father
Congregation Who gave us our lives through His almighty power.
P: And of the Son
C: Who redeemed our lives with His precious blood.
P: And of the Holy Spirit
C: Who gave us eternal life through faith in Christ Jesus.
P: Amen.
Our Psalm for This Morning Psalm 86:1-12
P: Turn your ear, O Lord. Answer me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my life, for I am favored by You. You are my God. Save Your servant, who trusts in You.
C: Have mercy on me, O Lord, + for I call to You all day long. + Bring joy to the soul of Your servant + for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
P: Indeed, You, Lord, are good and forgiving and abounding in mercy to all who call to You. Give ear to my prayer, O Lord. Pay attention to the sound of my cries for mercy. In the day of my distress I will call to You, because You will answer me.
C: Have mercy on me, O Lord, + for I call to You all day long. + Bring joy to the soul of Your servant + for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
P: There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord. There are no deeds like Your deeds. All the nations You have made will come. They will bow before You, O Lord, and they will give glory to Your name, Because You are great and do marvelous deeds. You alone are God. Teach me Your way, O Lord. I will walk in Your truth. Give me wholehearted commitment to fear Your name.
C: I will thank You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, + and I will glorify Your name forever. + For great is Your mercy toward me, + and You have delivered my soul from the depths of the grave.
after which the Congregation may be seated for
Today’s Opening Hymn Hymn 195 ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty”
1 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 was and is and evermore shall 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 thee, Perfect 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!
After which, the Congregation will rise as
We Make Confession of Our Sins To God
Pastor God, our Heavenly Father, invites us to come into His presence and to worship Him with humble and penitent hearts. Therefore, let us now turn to Him, acknowledging our sinfulness and seeking His forgiveness for all our sins.
Congregation – “Holy and most merciful Father, I confess that I am by nature sinful, and that I have disobeyed You in my thoughts, words, and actions; Each day I turn away from Your Will. I have left
undone those things which You have asked me to do, and I have done those things which You tell me not to do. I do not love You or my neighbor the way I should. Because of these, and all of my other sins, too numerous for me to recall, I acknowledge that I deserve nothing less than Your punishment both now and for eternity. But I am truly sorry for the evil that I have thought, spoken, and done, and trusting in the perfect life, and innocent death of my Savior, Jesus Christ, I pray: Lord, forgive me all my sins, restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and strengthen my weak faith through the promises of Your divine Word that I may obtain Your promised grace.
Pastor – “Find comfort for your souls, then, in these words of our Lord: “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just, and will purify us from all unrighteousness, because we have One Who speaks to the Father
in our defense — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” And now, upon this, your voluntary confession, I, because of my office as a called servant of God’s Word, announce the grace of God to all of you. And, in the place of, and according to the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. May the peace of God be with you. Amen.”
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow Praise Him, all creatures here, below.
Praise Him above, You heav’nly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen
The Prayer For Trinity Sunday
Almighty God and Father, + dwelling in majesty and mystery, + filling and renewing all creation by Your eternal Spirit, + and manifesting Your saving grace through our Lord Jesus Christ: + in mercy cleanse our hearts and lips, + that, free from doubt and fear, + we may ever worship You, + the one, true, immortal God, + together with Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, + and God the Holy Spirit, + living and reigning, now and forever. + Amen.
We Give our Attention to God’s Word
The Children’s Lesson Numbers 6:24-26
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace.
May the LORD….the Three-in-One God….Bless Each One of You
The Biblical Doctrine of the Holy Trinity
We Believe in God the Father Almighty
(Sung by the congregation)…..CW 517
Remember , Child of God, your Lord, Who by the power of His Word
Created and sustains each thing, and all that live. His praises sing….
Our Father, Who in mercy still, Guides everything by His sure will.
The Father Is Our Creator I Corinthians 8:5-6
5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.
The Father Is Our Preserver Psalm 145:13b-16
The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does. 14 The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. 15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. 16 You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
The Father Sent His Son To Be Our Savior Romans 8:31-32
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
The Work that God the Father Does for Us
Luther’s Explanation to the 1st Article of the Apostles’ Creed
I believe that God made me and all that exists, and that He gave me my body and soul, eyes, ears and all my members, my mind and all my abilities. And I believe that God still preserves me by richly and daily providing clothing and shoes, food and drink, property and home, spouse and children, land, cattle and all I own, and all that I need to keep my body and life. God also preserves me by defending me against all danger, and guarding and protecting me from all evil. All this God does only because He is my good and merciful Father in heaven, and not because I have earned or deserved it. For all this I ought to thank and praise, to serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true.
We Believe in God the Son
(Sung by the congregation)
Remember Jesus Christ, God’s Son, by Whom salvation has been won.
For us He lived, and for us died, that we might all be justified,
Raised from the dead, on high to reign. We know that He will come again.
The Second Person of the Trinity is both true God and true Man Philippians 2:5-11
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very natureof a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus is our one and only Savior from sin Titus 3:4-7
4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
The work that God the Son does for us
Luther’s explanation to the 2nd Article of the Apostles’ Creed
I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord. He has redeemed me a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with His holy precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death. All this He did that I should be His own, and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He has risen from death and lives and rules eternally. This is most certainly true.
We Believe in God the Holy Ghost
(Sung by the congregation)
Remember, too, the Spirit sent, active in Word and Sacrament,
He binds the Church, below, above, in faith in Christ’s redeeming love.
And ne’er forget this promise true: with Christ we shall arise anew
The Third Person of the Trinity is our Sanctifier,
bringing us to faith and keeping us in the one true faith II Thessalonians 2:13-15
13 But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
He has enlightened the Church with His Gifts I Corinthians 12:4-11
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the terpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
He enriches us with His Fruits Galatians 5:22-25
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
The work that God the Holy Spirit does for us
Luther’s explanation to the 3rd Article of the Apostles’ Creed
I believe that I cannot by my own thinking or choosing, believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian Church He daily and fully forgives all sins to me and all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.
The Athanasian Creed
P: Whoever will be saved, shall, above all else, hold the true Christian faith.
C: Which faith, except everyone keeps whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish eternally.
- And the true Christian faith is this,
- C: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance.
- P For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost.
- But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.
- Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost.
- C: The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Ghost uncreated.
- P: The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible.
- C: The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost eternal.
- P: And yet they are not three Eternals, but one Eternal.
- C: As there are not three Uncreated nor three Incomprehensibles, but one Uncreated and one Incomprehensible.
- P: So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Ghost almighty.
- C: And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty.
- P: So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God.
- C: And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.
- P: So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord.
- C: And yet they are not three Lords, but one Lord.
- P: For as we are compelled by the Christian truth to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be God and Lord,
- So the true Christian faith forbids us to say that there are three Gods, or three Lords.
- P: The Father is made of none: neither created nor begotten.
- C: The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created, but begotten.
- P: The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son: neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.
- So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.
- P: And in this Trinity none is before or after other; none is greater or less than another;
- But the whole three Persons are coeternal together, and coequal:
- P: So that in all things, as was said before,
- The Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshiped
- He, therefore, that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity.
- C: Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe faithfully the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- P: For the right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man;
- C: God of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man of the substance of His mother, born in the world;
- P: Perfect God and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting.
- C: Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood;
- P: Who, although He is God and Man, yet He is not two but one Christ:
- C: One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking the manhood into God;
- P: One altogether; not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person.
- C: For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ;
- P: Who suffered for our salvation; descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead;
- C: He ascended into heaven; He sits on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty; from there He will come to judge the living and the dead.
- P: At whose coming all men will rise again with their bodies,
- C: And will give an account of their own works.
- P: And they that have done good will go into life everlasting;
- C: And they that have done evil, into everlasting fire.
- P: This is the true Christian faith
C: which, except a man believe faithfully and firmly, He cannot be saved.
The Sermon Hymn God the Father, gracious Lord meter 7777D (CW 613)
to the tune of “Come You Thankful People, Come” ; by cwh
God the Father, gracious Lord, May Your name be e’er adored.
All exists by Your command In the sky or sea or land.
Precious Father, You know all – When each hair and sparrow fall.
Guide and guard me from all harm With Your strong, protecting arm.
Jesus Christ, my Lord, God’s Son, Who, for me, salvation won –
You Who hung on Calvary Bore my sins and set me free!
You, my ever-faithful Friend, Who will love me to the end,
By Your grace in heav’n I’ll live. Heart-felt praise to You I give.
Holy Spirit, Light Divine, Through the Means of Grace, please shine
In my heart again today, Drive sin’s darkness far away.
Keep me in Your Word, so true, Day by day my faith renew.
Use me, Lord, as You know best Serving here – in heav’n to rest.
Blessed Holy Trinity, Glorious in Your majesty,
Father, Spirit and the Son – Savior-God, the Three-in-One –
From sin’s curse You set me free Heaven’s mine – eternally.
All I am, to You I owe, Source from Whom all blessings flow.
after which the Congregation will REMAIN SEATED for
The Blessing To Him Who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy — to the only God, our Savior, be glory, majesty, power, and authority…now and forever.
We Offer Our Gifts to the Lord
Our Offerings of Love to our Lord
Due to some continuing Covid concerns, we won’t be passing an offering plate today during today’s worship service. However, those in attendance may leave their offerings in the offering plates
by the exit doors at the close of our service today.
For those watching today’s service, we offer you the following suggestions for providing God with Your thank-offerings through our ministry:
1) You can send a check (no cash) in the mail to the church address
(415 N. 6th Place, Lowell, AR 72745); OR
2) You can go online to our website (gracelutherannwa.com) to use the giving option there.
after which, the Congregation will rise for
A Special Responsive Prayer for this Trinity Sunday
P: Let us pray to our God: The Holy Trinity and Undivided Unity that is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…… on behalf of all God’s people in Christ Jesus as well as for every person according to his or her needs.
P: O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, You have revealed Yourself to us in Your Word as one God in three Persons so that we may worship You and live in communion with You.
C: Bless and sustain Your Church in heaven and here on earth + so that Your people everywhere may hold to the true Christian faith + without compromise or corruption, + and continue to boldly confess You as both God and Lord.
P: O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, You call us to believe faithfully in the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ who suffered for our salvation, rose again the third day from the dead, and ascended into heaven.
C: Equip and encourage pastors everywhere + to boldly and faithfully proclaim + the riches of Your wisdom and knowledge + so that Your people may hear and believe both the Law and Gospel, + be saved from sin, Satan, and eternal death, + and rejoice in Your mercy both now and forever.
P: O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as You sent the prophets to proclaim Your holiness and goodness to Your people, so also You send missionaries today to proclaim Your glory in all the world.
C: Especially give to our church body the resources, + the opportunities, + and the commitment + to begin new missions around the globe and close to home, + so that many more people will be brought to faith in Jesus Christ + So that they will not perish eternally + but have everlasting life through faith in Him.
P: O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Your name is to be exalted in all the earth and Your glory is above the heavens and extends over all nations and peoples.
C: In Your wisdom uphold and protect our nation and its leaders, + especially our president, + our governor, + and all who make and carry out our laws, + so that we may be a people at peace among ourselves + and a blessing to all the nations of the world.
P: O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, through Your almighty power You created and You sustain the heavens and the earth, the sun and moon and stars, the waters and great sea creatures, the mountains and all trees, the beasts and all cattle that they might serve Your blessed purposes.
C: Use that same power + to bring to repentance and saving faith + those who deny You as the Creator, Sovereign Lord, + and Savior-God of all that exists. + Also, lead us all + to be good stewards of the gifts You have given us + for our good and Your glory.
P: O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we also pray that You would heal and restore all who suffer illness or injury in body and soul. Through Your Word and Sacraments, grant Your companionship and peace to all who are hospitalized and house-bound, and particularly for Eric Higgins, who is recovering from a severe case of pneumonia in Mercy Hospital.
P: Hear us, Lord, as we offer You a prayer of thanksgiving and continued blessing on behalf of…..
Rachel and Peter Strackbein, who will observe their wedding anniversary this Tuesday; and
Debbie and Chuck Huebner who will celebrate their wedding anniversary this Wednesday; and
Debbie and Robert Pulley whose wedding anniversary is this coming Thursday.
C: O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, + You give everlasting life to all who trust in You + and remain in the one, true Christian faith. + We give You our thanks + for bringing us into that same true and saving faith. + Empower us to be good examples + of faithfulness and holy living before others, + as we serve You here + with all that we are and possess. + And finally, + when our last hour comes, + bring us all home to heaven, + where we will worship You forever + as the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity.
P: Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend ourselves and all others for which we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. We offer this prayer in His name, and continue now by praying:
C: 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.
We Leave With The Lord’s Blessing
The Benediction
The LORD bless you and keep you.
The LORD make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
The LORD look with favor upon you, and give you His peace.
The Closing Hymn Hymn 326 “May the Grace of Christ, our Savior”
1 May the grace of Christ our Savior And the Father’s boundless love
With the Holy Spirit’s favor Rest upon us from above.
2 So may we abide in union With each other and the Lord,
Gathered here in blest communion By the power of his Word.
3 Now with all the saints in heaven Thanks and praise to You we sing
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Three in One, our Triune King.
Announcements
This Past Week At Grace Lutheran Sunday Worship Attendance: 82 Online views: 29
Sunday Bible Class: 21 Sunday School: 5 Tues Bible Class: 28
Budgetary Offerings: $1683 Online Offerings: $309.27
This Week’s Birthdays & Anniversaries June 1 – Peter and Rachel Strackbein; June 1 – John Wambold; June 2 Debbie & Chuck Huebner; June 2 Ryan Bratton June 3 Robert and Debbie Pulley; June 4 Ralph Terrian
This Coming Week at Grace Lutheran Church
Today Trinity Sunday Morning Worship 9:30 a.m. Fellowship Period, 10:40 a.m.
Sunday School/Bible Class, 11 a.m. Youth Confirmation Class, noon to 1:15 p.m.
May 31 (Tues) Morning Bible Study, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
June 1 (Wed) Women’s and Men’s Bible Study, 6 p.m.
June 4 (Sat) Outreach Visits, 10 a.m.
June 5 (Sun) Morning Worship 9:30 a.m. with the Lord’s Supper Fellowship Period, 10:45 a.m.
Bible Class/Sunday School, 11:05 a.m Youth Confirmation Class, noon to 1:15 p.m.
Serving Us Next Sunday (6-5) Elders: John Johnson, Tim Pfortmiller
Ushers: Kent Mayer, Chris Roberts, Tom Otto Altar Guild: Harriet Johnson, Tina Neumann
Meditations Reminder Copies of the latest edition (May 30 through August 29) of Meditations, an excellent daily devotional booklet, are available on the entry table. Please take home your copy today.
Fellowship Volunteers Requested (and Needed) We dearly need your help to preparing the after-worship fellowship-time coffee and other drinks, plus furnishing light snack items. A sign-up poster on the fellowship fall bulletin board covers the remainder of the months of this year. Please consider volunteering to serve one or more Sundays. A reimbursement for expenses can be provided of up to $25 per Sunday.
Bible Classes This Week – In Bible class today we’ll be studying 2 John and 3 John. On Tuesday, from 10:30-11:30 am, we’re studying I Kings 17-18, covering the stories of “wicked king” Ahab and the prophet Elijah. Wednesday from 6-7 p.m. our men’s class is studying various Psalms, while our women are studying Philippians. If you can’t attend in person, please consider participating over the phone. For the Tuesday class (and Wednesday men’s class) Call 1-701-802-5405, then dial 7519304#. For the Wednesday women’s class call 1-605-313-5470. Then dial 334077#. We are broadcasting these classes through YouTube.com (Search for them at Grace Lutheran Church & Academy.)
JUNE 13 – “Grand Re-Opening/Rededication Sunday”….. We’ve planned a special Sunday service and fellowship for June 13. On that Sunday we’re not only hoping that YOU will be present for worship, but that you’ll bring as many guests and friends as you can to formally celebrate with us our return to our chapel for worship (after nearly 15 months of not being able to do that). A congregational potluck dinner will follow in lieu of Bible Class and Sunday School that morning. We also hope to use this occasion to collectively “rededicate” ourselves as the Grace Lutheran Church family of believers to resuming and expanding the ministry that God has called us together to carry out in His name and for His glory.