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David KalasSomething to Celebrate(FREE ACCESS) Commentary by David Kalas for Trinity Sunday based on Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31, Romans 5:1-5, John 16:12-15, Psalm 8 from Emphasis Preaching Journal (a component of SermonSuite).

Chances are that most of the people in our pews will not know that it’s Trinity Sunday unless we tell them. They are not sending and receiving Trinity Sunday cards these days. They are not buying their friends and loved ones Trinity Sunday presents. And they are not hearing Trinity Sunday carols played in stores and restaurants. This is a holiday that will pass without recognition unless we recognize it.

We should recognize it, and the lectionary will help us to recognize it. In fact, the very contrast between the church’s attention to the holiday and the culture’s neglect of it serves as its own sort of lesson. It will be instructive, you see, for us to ask and explore the question of why any given holiday should be observed and celebrated.

The prevailing commercialism and consumerism of our larger culture may have robbed us of a meaningful rationale for observing holidays. Our celebrations have become utilitarian and self-centered — that is to say, no matter what we say we are celebrating, we let the celebration become more or less about us. That’s easy and natural when the occasion really is about us, as is the case with birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and such. But even such occasions as Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Independence Day have lost sight of their original focal point as the culture has made them about our buying and getting, our menus and eating, our gatherings and festivities. So it is that folks can make a great, expensive to-do about Christmas while giving no thought to Jesus. Thanksgiving can feature dozens of guests and thousands of calories, but not a moment of actually giving thanks. And the cookouts of Independence Day can be devoid of any patriotism beyond the color scheme of our decorations.

Accordingly, there is no cultural momentum toward celebrating Trinity Sunday. It is not, after all, about us. And it is marvelously difficult to pervert into making it about us because it is, so explicitly, about him. And therein lies the import and profound beauty of our observance this Sunday. The celebration of Trinity Sunday becomes for us a catalyst to help us better understand all our worship gatherings, for it marshals our focus to make us not about ourselves but all about him.

Each of our selected passages for this Sunday give us an entree into thinking and talking about the Trinity. The theme is most explicit in the gospel lection, of course, where the son speaks openly about both the Father and the Spirit. The excerpt from Paul’s letter to the Romans, too, gives expression to the work and will of each member of the Trinity, especially with respect to our salvation. And, finally, the picturesque language of Proverbs 8 leaves us with some room for interpretation. God as Creator is clearly present there, but he also has someone at his side. “Wisdom,” in this passage, is sometimes regarded as an allusion to the Holy Spirit. At the same time, however, we recognize Christ as the logos, and we affirm with John that,“All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3 ESV), and with Paul that, “by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16 ESV). ...click here for the rest of the article

 


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Trinity Sunday
John 16:12-15 | Romans 5:1-5 | Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 | Psalm 8

The Immediate Word

Is Paul Crazy?
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In this week's installment:
Is Paul Crazy? by Mary Austin based on Romans 5:1-5.
Second Thoughts: Guided Into the Streets by Chris Keating based on Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31.
Sermon illustrations by Tom Willadsen, Dean Feldmeyer.
Worship resources by George Reed.
Children's sermon: Access Granted by Katy Stenta....read more

SermonStudio

Preferring The Lie To The Truth
by Richard E. Zajac
John 16:12-15
.........
One of the biggest challenges that a priest or minister faces is presiding at the funeral of someone whose life was far from exemplary. You'd like to say some good things about the deceased, but there is little if any good to be found.

A colleague of mine told me recently of a minister who was up against that dilemma. John Smith, who was an adulterer, a liar, a cheat, and a thief, was to be buried and his wife approached the minister about the funeral. She admitted to her husband's reprehensible life but wished the truth not be told. So she asked the minister if he could tell the congregation that her husband was a good man. He said, "I can't do that! I have to speak the truth!" "Look," she said, "I'll pay you $10,000 if you'll say he was a good man." The minister, not wanting to pass on the money, said, "Okay, if you insist." Now realizing his need to speak the truth and realizing his promise to the wife of the deceased, he embarked on an interesting strategy. Rising to the pulpit on the day of the funeral, he told the congregants, "My friends, we all know that John Smith was an adulterer, a liar, a cheat, and a thief, but, compared to his brother, he was a good man."...read more

More sermons, worship material, exegetical helps and much more for Trinity Sunday and all other days can be found on the site.


Emphasis Preaching Journal

Something to Celebrate
by David Kalas
Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31, Romans 5:1-5, John 16:12-15, Psalm 8

Chances are that most of the people in our pews will not know that it’s Trinity Sunday unless we tell them. They are not sending and receiving Trinity Sunday cards these days. They are not buying their friends and loved ones Trinity Sunday presents. And they are not hearing Trinity Sunday carols played in stores and restaurants. This is a holiday that will pass without recognition unless we recognize it.

We should recognize it, and the lectionary will help us to recognize it. In fact, the very contrast between the church’s attention to the holiday and the culture’s neglect of it serves as its own sort of lesson. It will be instructive, you see, for us to ask and explore the question of why any given holiday should be observed and celebrated.

The prevailing commercialism and consumerism of our larger culture may have robbed us of a meaningful rationale for observing holidays. Our celebrations have become utilitarian and self-centered — that is to say, no matter what we say we are celebrating, we let the celebration become more or less about us. That’s easy and natural when the occasion really is about us, as is the case with birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and such. But even such occasions as Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Independence Day have lost sight of their original focal point as the culture has made them about our buying and getting, our menus and eating, our gatherings and festivities. So it is that folks can make a great, expensive to-do about Christmas while giving no thought to Jesus. Thanksgiving can feature dozens of guests and thousands of calories, but not a moment of actually giving thanks. And the cookouts of Independence Day can be devoid of any patriotism beyond the color scheme of our decorations....read more
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Sermon Illustrations for Trinity Sunday (2022)
"Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31", Romans 5:1-5, John 16:12-15
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Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
Early African theologian Caius Marius Victorinus offers an intriguing image for understanding the relation between the Father and wisdom (the logos). Victorinus claims that the logos is the exterior knowing of God (what divine knowledge is revealed to us). The Father is then understood as the interior knowledge of God, what God himself only knows. Thus, Father and Son are identical in substance. As we distinguish between what a person is and what he does (yet know they are the same thing), so it is with Father and Son. The logos is just the activating of God’s creative power (The Fathers of the Church, Vol.69, pp. 266-267, 315). Or as Victorinus puts it in a hymn, the Father is the giver, the logos is the minister, and the Son is the d istributor (The Fathers of the Church, Vol. 69, p. 324). Another helpful image for understanding the Trinity is offered in a paraphrase of St. Augustine:

In eternity, the Son loves the Father and the Father loves Son. The Holy Ghost is the love who makes them one. (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 3, p.100)

As two become one in a Christian marriage, so God loves himself into one. — Mark E....read more

Commentary and illustrations from Emphasis Preachaing Journal for Trinity Sunday and all other days and scriptures can be found on the site.

StoryShare

Exploring the Mystery
by Peter Andrew Smith
John 16:12-15
.........
Tim flopped down on the couch in the youth group room. “I’m not sure if I will ever understand the Trinity.”

“Yeah, it really is confusing.” Sue furrowed her brow. “How can God be three and one at the same time?”

Joseph opened his mouth, thought for a moment, and just shrugged. “Got me. Maybe we should get Pastor John to talk about it tonight.”

“I thought we were going to talk about our camping trip before summer break.” Rose piped up. “Did everyone get their permission forms signed?”...read more

More stories from StoryShare for Trinity Sunday and all other days can be found on the site.

The Village Shepherd

Grandma's Computer
by Janice Scott
John 16:12-15
Children's Liturgy and Story
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Glenda was very thrilled. Her grandma had at last bought a computer, which meant that Glenda could get in touch with her whenever she wanted. Glenda thought happily of the drawings and notes she could email, and the photos from school which she could scan and send to Grandma.

On the day that Grandma's computer was due to be delivered, Glenda sent her a very special email and waited anxiously for Grandma's response. Nothing happened that day, but Glenda's Dad said it was a bit too soon to expect anything....read more

More sermons and stories from The Village Shepherd for Trinity Sunday and all other days can be found on the site.

CSSPlus

Contacts
by John Jamison
John 16:12-15
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Object: A cell phone that you can use to show the phone’s Contact List.

Note: If you do ask the congregation to respond to your request about their Contact List, have some fun with the process.

Hello, everyone! It is great to see you all today! (Let them respond.) I have an easy question for you today (Show the phone.) Who can tell me what I have here? (Let them respond.) It is a phone, isn’t it? Do some of you have phones? (Let them respond.) What are some of the things we use them for? (Let them respond.) Maybe to play games? To read the news or read books? But usually, we use our phones to talk to other people, or send messages to other people, don’t we? (Let them respond.)...read more

More children's sermons and activities from CSSPlus for Trinity Sunday and all other days can be found on the site.


After Pentecost Sale - Save $131!

From Pulpit to Pew is a free weekly newsletter from SermonSuite.com designed to assist clergy with their sermon-writing tasks. Each newsletter includes a sermon or sermon help from SermonSuite, as well as a children's sermon and worship resources relating to the weekly lectionary texts.

 
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