These are resources for the First Sunday after Trinity (Second Sunday after Pentecost), June 14, 2020, gathered from a variety of sources and meant mainly for The Anglican Church of St Thomas the Apostle, Kefalas, on the island of Crete in Greece, but others may find them helpful!
The Trinity, by Kelly Latimore. See below in “Reflect” for the artist’s comments on the icon.
Share
There are three ways you can use these resources.
First, you can join us for worship in person. We have resumed worship and will continue this coming Sunday, June 14, 2020 at 11:00 am EEST at the Tabernacle of the Church of St Thomas, Kefalas. It will be a Holy Communion according to Common Worship. People should come only if they are comfortable with being out and about as the pandemic restrictions are being lifted, and are in good health. Those of you were were there last week and are coming again, please remember to return with your hymn book, psalter, and service booklet!
Second, you can join us via ZOOM. We will livestream the service at the Tabernacle at 11:00 am EEST (9:00 am BST for you folk in England, and 1:00 am for those of you in British Columbia). The link is (as last week):
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85044839927?pwd=TkQ1cHEzNUNjSjVCNTNJVUJwSkZaQT09
Meeting ID: 850 4483 9927 Password: 010209. The Order of Service can be downloaded here: Holy Communion 2020 The Sundays after Trinity. The Order of Service will be shared on Zoom, as will the hymns.
Third, you can simply do it all yourself – read the lessons and pray the prayers below, as well as listen to the recorded sermon, and intersperse it all by clicking on the links to the hymns.
Read
Starting this Sunday and continuing until the First Sunday of Advent we will be mostly using the sets of readings that are from the Revised Common Lectionary We will be using the continuous sets of readings for the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, so we begin now with passages from Genesis and make our way through Exodus to Deuteronomy. The New Testament readings will be from Paul’s letters to the Romans and Philippians. The Gospel readings are mostly from Matthew.
The readings appointed for the Sunday between 12 and 18 June inclusive, Year A are:
Genesis 18:1-15, (21:1-7)
Psalm 116:1, 10-17
Romans 5:1-8
Matthew 9:35-10:8(9-23)
We will use the longer version of the Genesis reading, but the shorter version of the Gospel reading.
Reflect
I will put my sermon up as a separate post on Sunday, but only after I preach it.
In the meantime, here are the artist’s comment on the picture above, from here. It references our first reading from Genesis.
God for us, God alongside us, God within us.”
~Richard Rohr
This version of the Trinity was a commissioned work and collaboration with a priest from Trinity Wall Street parish in New York City named Mark Bozzuti-Jones.
As humans we really can only talk about God through metaphor. Speaking and language itself is simply metaphor. The common western notion of God has been Monarchical and God and Jesus sit on thrones. But what the theology of the Trinity did is use scripture to show that God is relationship itself. That through Jesus the metaphor became flesh.
The Icons basic form comes from the original icon of the Trinity by Andrei Rublev (which you have probably seen). The image Rublev used that was the closest metaphor for this Triune relationship was the story of the 3 Angels that visit Abraham and Sarah. The icon shows the three Angels sitting at the table, each angel representing The Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Rublev was simply using the metaphors he had to depict the Trinity in Icon form.
One interesting tidbit about the original Rublev icon is that Scientists having analyzed the centuries old wood discovered that there was old residue in the middle of the table, and they concluded that a small mirror used to be glued there. It is thought this was allowing the viewer to see themselves at the table.
With all of this in mind the version that Mark and I collaborated on was based on this Icon but as with metaphors of God, seeing the Angels as women is not at all problematic, but an important exploration of God as mother/ sister, feminine.
They sit at the table, this time holding hands. The Christ figure is in the center, bridging the Holy Spirit and God. Blue always represents divinity, ( the sea and the sky) red is humanity, (blood). God is on the left in bright heavenly robes, God points toward the viewer, looking at the others seated, acknowledging the viewer’s presence. The Holy Spirit is dressed in green representing growth, wilderness, nature, the earth, she holds out her hand inviting the viewer to the table.
on the table the rainbow table cloth is yet another metaphor, symbolizing that at the Trinity’s table, all people are welcome. Instead of the Eucharist like in Rublev’s version, there is grapes and wheat, which symbolizes the work that is still to be done.
The background we see a Temple, where God dwells, a tree representing Jesus crucified, and a mountain symbolizing the spirit calling us to the wilderness, toward a new way.
Prints available here:
https://www.artpal.com/KLicons
I knew Mark Bozzuti-Jones when we lived in Boston in 2002-2003, and I am not at all surprised that he was the person who commissioned this icon.
As well, here is Fr Leonard Doolan’s of St Paul’s Athens with his pre-recorded sermon for the First Sunday after Advent.
Pray
Collect
O God,
the strength of all those who put their trust in you,
mercifully accept our prayers
and, because through the weakness of our mortal nature
we can do no good thing without you,
grant us the help of your grace,
that in the keeping of your commandments
we may please you both in will and deed;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
(or)
God of truth,
help us to keep your law of love
and to walk in ways of wisdom,
that we may find true life
in Jesus Christ your Son.
Intercession
In the power of the Spirit and in union with Christ,
let us pray to the Father.
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
you promised through your Son Jesus Christ
to hear us when we pray in faith.
Strengthen all your Church in the service of Christ, especially:
- Justin Welby, our Archbishop of Canterbury & Primate of All England, and Stephen Cottrell as he is embarks on a new ministry as Archbishop of York;
- Robert Innes & David Hamid, our Bishops here in the Diocese in Europe;
- the churches and peoples of Malawi and Zambia (World Council of Churches Ecumenical Prayer Cycle);
- the Church of the Province of Myanmar (Burma) and Stephen Than Myint Oo, Archbishop of Myanmar and Bishop of Yangon (Anglican Cycle of Prayer);
- (from the Prayer Diary of the Diocese in Europe)
- the Serbian Orthodox Church, and Robin Fox as Archbishop of Canterbury’s Apokrisiarios to the Patriarch of Serbia. Pray for the autocephalous Orthodox churchesof Eastern Europe and the Baltic.
- Ben Gordon-Taylor (Liturgy Officer); John Newsome (Spirituality Advisor & Area Dean for Germany); and our team of Spiritual Directors;
that those who confess your name may be united in your truth,
live together in your love, and reveal your glory in the world.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bless, guide, and give wisdom to all in authority, especially:
- Αικατερίνη Σακελλαροπούλου, Πρόεδρος, και Κυριάκος Μητσοτάκης, Πρωθυπουργός (Ελλάδα) (Aikaterini Sakellaropoulou, President, and Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Prime Minister (Greece));
- In the European Union
- Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission;
- Charles Michel, President of the European Council; and
- Josep Borrell, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs & Security Policy;
- Elizabeth, Supreme Governor of the Church of England, and
- her government in the United Kingdom led by the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.
- her vice-regal representative in Canada, Julie Payette, the Governor General of Canada, and the national government of Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister.
and direct this and every nation in the ways of justice and of peace;
that we may honour one another, and seek the common good.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give grace to us, our families and friends, and to all our neighbours,
that we may serve Christ in one another, and love as he loves us.
Comfort and heal all those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit;
give them courage and hope in their troubles;
and bring them the joy of your salvation.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Hear us as we remember those who have died in the faith of Christ …;
according to your promises,
grant us with them a share in your eternal kingdom.
Rejoicing in the fellowship of
Abraham and Sarah;
Thomas our patron and the rest of the Twelve Disciples;
Mary of Magdala, the apostle to the apostles;
Mary the mother of God;
and all your saints;
we commend ourselves and the whole creation to your unfailing love.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Island Parson 