St John the Evangelist

OPENING SENTENCE
How excellent is your name in all the world

HYMN

GREETING

Grace and peace to you from God our Father

and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

COLLECT FOR PURITY

Almighty God

to whom all hearts be open

all desires known

and from whom no secrets are hidden;

Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts

by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,

that we may perfectly love you

and worthily magnify your holy name

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

SUMMARY OF THE LAW

Our Lord Jesus Christ said: The first commandment is this: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is the only Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.”

The second is this: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.

Amen. Lord, have mercy.

CONFESSION

God is love and we are God’s children.

There is no room for fear in love.

We love because God loved us first.

Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith.

God our Father, we confess to you

and to our fellow members in the Body of Christ

that we have sinned in thought, word and deed,

and in what we have failed to do.

We are truly sorry.

Forgive us our sins,

and deliver us from the power of evil,

for the sake of your Son who died for us, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

ABSOLUTION

May the God of love and power

forgive you and free you from your sins,

heal and strengthen you by his Spirit

and raise you to new life in Christ our Lord. Amen.

GLORIA
sung by Sue St Joseph

COLLECT

Almighty and Everlasting God,

you have given us grace in the profession of true faith

to recognise the glory of the eternal Trinity:

keep us steadfast in this faith

and bring us to see you in your perfect and eternal unity;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, world without end.

Amen

FIRST READING
Genesis 1: 1-2:4a read by Margaret Morton

Six Days of Creation and the Sabbath

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 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 humans 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 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 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. On the sixth 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.

SECOND READING
2 Corinthians 13: 11-13 read by Kay Solaja

Final Greetings and Benediction

Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Be restored; 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.

HYMN

GOSPEL READING
Matthew 28: 16-20 read by Rev Ann Wren

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St Matthew chapter 28 beginning at verse 16

Glory to Christ our Saviour.

The Commissioning of the Disciples

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 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 Commissioning of the Disciples

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 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.”

Give thanks to the Lord for his glorious Gospel.

Praise to Christ our Lord.

SERMON

A little girl went to school for the first time and after just a few weeks she informed her mother that she was not going back again. Surprised by this, her mother asked her why. The little girl said: Well on Monday the teacher said that 4+4=8, on Tuesday she said 5+3=8, on Wednesday she said 6+2 =8, and on Thursday she said 7 + 1 = 8 and on Friday 0 + 8 =8. So, I am not going back until the teacher makes up her mind.

Maths can be confusing, and the mathematics, if you like of the Trinity is equally puzzling, how can three be one. There is no logical explanation. Throughout history, the number three had a unique significance but why? The Ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras postulated that the meaning behind numbers was deeply significant. In their eyes the number three was considered the perfect number, the number of harmony, wisdom, and understanding. The Trinity holds this perfect number of three. The Trinity is about three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit but one Godhead. As we look at the Trinity we see these three attributes of harmony, wisdom and understanding.

Firstly, let’s explore the attribute of harmony. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit work in wonderful harmony. This harmony comes from the mutual indwelling of love that they have for each other. The Trinity is all to do with relationship. Love flows from the Father to the Son, the Son to the Father and the Son to the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit to the Father and the Son. The persons of the Godhead are equal in standing and essence. No one is superior to the other. No one is more important or precious than the other. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one harmonious community.

I believe they work so well in harmony because they have distinctive roles, and these roles are clearly defined. The Father is the Architect of the divine plan, Jesus is the contractor who ensures the plan comes in being, and the Holy Spirit is, if you like the subcontractor, who helps out, where required.

There is no desire in Jesus or the Holy Spirit to be the Architect, although Jesus and the Holy Spirit, as we read in Genesis, are involved in the creation of the universe. Jesus and the Holy Spirit have their own distinctive roles and they recognise the significance and importance of the Father’s role and submit to his power and authority. Power and authority are words that our present society and culture do not like to hear. People nowadays do not respect easily the power or authority of another. Rather it is their own personal decisions, views and principles that dictate what happens, not those of someone in a position over them. This lack of respect for those in power and authority leads inevitably to power struggles in communities and indeed in nations.

In a sense we see that happening in different parts of the world, the civil war in Sudan is all about a power struggle. Power and control are at the heart of the Russian- Ukrainian War. What we see in Jesus and the Holy Spirit is a willingness to submit to the authority and power of the Father. Jesus declares time after time that he submits to the will of the Father and is willing to accept his leadership. The Father’s power and authority is not oppressive but rather is one of leadership and guidance with a willingness and desire to serve well his people.

For a community to thrive there needs to be no power struggles but a willingness to work as one. People need in different situations to accept the authority of the person in charge, be it a referee or football manager, a headteacher, or CEO, or a president of a particular club or organisation, or of a Bishop or Superintendent. That does not mean that people’s voices cannot be heard, nor that their views or concerns cannot be raised but ultimately, they need to respect the leadership of the one in charge. In turn the one in charge needs to listen well to the heartbeat of others to ensure that as far as possible that all that is done is in the best interests of the people they serve. When like the Trinity leadership is accepted and respected, others are then freed up to do their own God given task and responsibility, and together the community will work harmoniously and thrive.

So, the Trinity offers us a harmonious example of working in harmony and unity. The second attribute is that of understanding. God, who made us in his image, understands us completely. He knows every thought and word before we utter them. We see this remarkable understanding or pastoral insight in the life of Jesus. Jesus and the Father are one and so we see the Father in Jesus. We see how God empathises with people from all walks of life. In the gospels we see Jesus reaching out to those on the margins. He understands their predicament and is ready to offer healing and renewal. This great pastoral understanding is evident in his dealings with the woman who suffered haemorrhaging for twelve years. He listened to her predicament, despite the pressing need to go with Jairus. He gave himself completely to this woman and offered her healing and restoration in the community.

On the other side of the spectrum Jesus understood the predicament of Jairus and his sick daughter and met them at their point of need. Equally Jesus reached out with understanding to those like Nicodemus who came to see him under the cover of night. Jesus could appreciate and understand the complexities of people’s emotions and the thought patterns of their hearts and minds and would respond appropriately with understanding and grace to all, in the hope of increasing their faith and trust in him.

This second attribute of understanding in the Trinity flows from their love for the people they serve and their willingness to support and help wherever, whenever, and however they can. So, this harmonious community allows love to flow amongst them and then this love flows out to others, thereby offering them understanding and compassion.

The Trinity models for us a harmonious unified community that reaches out in love, understanding and compassion to others. This is a model that we are to emulate in our various communities. We are to love one another in our communities and respect people’s roles, so that love flows from us to them and we in turn can offer, understanding and compassion to others.

The final attribute of the perfect three is wisdom. God’s wisdom is different from our wisdom, and his ways and thoughts differ from our ways and thoughts. Who would have thought that God coming to earth as a tiny baby born of a virgin would demonstrate wisdom, but it did. Who would have thought that God dying on the cross was wisdom, but it is. Who would have thought that Jesus returning to his Father and sending the Holy Spirit was wisdom, but it is. Who would have thought that the disciples Jesus choose revealed wisdom, but it did, for they transformed the world and gave birth to the church. God is not looking for great intellect; nor is he looking for models of beauty; nor is he looking for people with riches, nor is he looking for wonderful orators and prophets, all God is looking for is a heart that is open to him so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, he can fill them with wisdom and truth.

Whilst three in one is a mathematical impossibility, the three persons of the Trinity speak to us today of a mystery that holds great truth and guidance for us. The guidance is for us to emulate the respect of power and authority of another and to seek to create a harmonious community where love flows from the one to the other, and where we offer understanding and compassion to all. As we seek to emulate the life of the Trinity in our communities, we will see wisdom shine through which in turn will inspire our dealings with others. Amen

NICENE CREED

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty maker of heaven and earth,

of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only Son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father,

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

of one substance with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation

he came down from heaven;

by the power of the Holy Spirit

he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary,

and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;

he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again

in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory

to judge the living and the dead,

and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,

the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father.

With the Father and the Son,

he is worshipped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism

for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead,

and the life of the world to come. Amen.

PRAYERS

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God Almighty

Hear us and help us.

Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit

with awe and reverence we come to you.

We rejoice in your unity

and in your relationship of mutual love.

Unite your church together as one,

fill her with your Spirit,

that we might serve and work in harmony and love.

We lift to you the nations of the world,

asking that your rule of justice and peace might reign.

Guide all those in authority to act justly, with compassion for all.

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God Almighty

Hear us and help us.

God the Father,

we praise you for your sovereignty

and for the knowledge that you are in control.

We thank you that you are in the business

of restoring, renewing

and working all things for good

for those who love you.

We thank you that you are beyond us,

that you are transcendent

and that your ways are not our ways

and your thoughts not our thoughts.

We lift to you those who are stressed just now,

feeling that everything is spiralling out of control,

and ask that you will draw near to them

and give them your peace and calm.

Bring into their lives the right people

who can offer the support and help they need.

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God Almighty

Hear us and help us.

God the Father

you love us with an extravagant love,

caring enough to call us your children,

providing each day our every need,

and protecting us throughout our lives.

We pray for those in poverty,

those who lack life’s basic necessities,

the homeless and the unloved.

May we share your compassion for all your children

and reach out to them with love.

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God Almighty

Hear us and help us.

God the Son,

you graciously shared our humanity,

and experienced both our joys and sorrows.

In gentleness you reached out to all in need,

and brought your wholeness and love.

We pray for all your disciples,

that we may be faithful in service,

bold in proclaiming the Gospel

and gentle in helping others.

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God Almighty

Hear us and help us.

God the Son,

thank you that you walk

through our lives beside us.

We are grateful that we are never alone.

You are ever present to us

in times of need and trouble

and also in times of joy and delight.

Reach out to those today

who feel hurt, lonely and depressed.

Shed your light into their darkness

and fill them hope and strength in these days.

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God Almighty

Hear us and help us.

God the Spirit,

you are with us each and every day,

constantly by our side, working in us and through us,

teaching, guiding, encouraging, and leading us.

We marvel but do not comprehend

how you are within us,

in a sense built into us.

We draw courage, hope and strength

from the knowledge

that you are dwelling within us,

working in us and through us

with God’s love, joy and peace.

We pray for all who are facing important decisions,

those who are seeking employment,

those who are grappling with family problems

and those who are living with uncertainty.

Help them to know your guiding hand

and lead them in the right path.

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God Almighty

Hear us and help us.

God the Spirit of new life,

we thank you for the precious gift of children.

We praise you for their individuality and uniqueness,

for their sense of wonder and discovery,

and for their vitality and energy.

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God Almighty

Hear us and help us.

God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit

we hold before you in prayer

those who are sick at this time at home or in hospital.

We remember to you

those awaiting results of tests,

and those recovering from surgery.

We think of those caring for loved ones at home or in hospital

and pray for their wisdom, patience and gentleness.

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God Almighty

Hear us and help us.

God you are love

as Father your love reaches out to us.

Jesus, as Saviour, your love dwells within us.

Holy Spirit as Guide, your love works in and through us

We thank you for the wonder and mystery

of a Triune God who is ever with us,

caring and loving us.

We lift to you with thanksgiving our loved ones

who are now in your nearer presence.

Grant that we may share with them

the joy of worshipping you for all eternity.

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God Almighty

Hear us and help us.

God the Trinity,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit

work in and through us

that we might reflect,

your harmony, understanding and wisdom.

Merciful Father

accept these our prayers

for the sake of your Son,

our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins

as we forgive those

who sin against us.

Do not bring us to the time of trial

but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.

HYMN

BLESSING

God the Holy Trinity

make you strong in faith and love,

defend you on every side,

and guide you in truth and peace;

and the blessing of God almighty,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

be among you

and remain with you always. Amen

DISMISSAL

Go or stay in peace to love and serve the Lord.

In the name of Christ.