05/31/2026
Sunday May 31, 2026
“Your Second Home in the heart of Keene”
Trinity Sunday - First Sunday after Pentecost
WE GATHER
LIFE AND WORK OF CHURCH
Mary Jones’ Celebration of Life - Sunday June 14 - timing TBC at Hiawatha’s Gathering Place
Next week - Communion
INTROIT: God, Who Touches Earth with Beauty VU 310
God, who touches earth with beauty, make my heart anew.
With your Spirit recreate me pure, and strong and true.
WELCOME
ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND GRATITUDE FOR THE LAND
Yesterday, I officiated at a graveside service at Keene Upper Cemetery. It was for a man who was born in Otonabee South Monaghan and went off to school and started a business that took him to Toronto. The funeral home director and many of his friends had come from Toronto to be part of the committal service. They commented on their drive where they took in the sights of the fields, the farms, the Lake. I proceeded to tell them about my desire all year round to have the best view in the house here at Hiawatha United when the door is open to watch the sun glisten off the water. Occasionally we, who are immersed in a particular environment, welcome the reminder from visitors of the beauty and reality we experience every day.
We offer thanks for the lands, the water and all who inhabit them.
This season after Pentecost, we pay closer attention to the winds that blow reminding us of the spirit that moves within and between communities, connecting us and challenging us to follow in the ways of truth, justice and peace.
As we acknowledge that, in this area, the lands upon which we gather are the traditional lands of the Michi Saagiig, may we seek ways to work together to care for this land as the First People have done since time immemorial. And may this common quest be a journey of healing for creation, for individuals and for relationships between People.
We are given this day to do with it as we wish, may we use it wisely.
Welcome as we offer thanks for our time of worship.
OPENING MUSIC: This Day God Gives Me VU 410 https://youtu.be/9yigHnCHdQE?si=FTG7XjDTZqPdFdOQ vs 1,2,4
LIGHTING OF THE CHRIST CANDLE
We light the Christ candle, offering thanks to God who in love created the world, who in Jesus shows us how to live and who with the Spirit continues to bring us together in community.
Three components of our faith that share one love, one hope, one joy for our world.
OPENING PRAYER In Bread of Tomorrow, ed. Janet Morley (1992). http://www.christianaid.org.uk/
We have heard about you, God of all power.
You made the world out of kindness,
creating order out of confusion;
You made each one of us in your own image;
Your fingerprint is on every soul.
We praise and worship you.
We have heard about you, Jesus Christ:
the carpenter who left his tools and trade;
the poor man who made others rich;
the healer who let himself be wounded;
the criminal on whom the soldiers spat
not knowing they were fouling the face of God;
the saviour who died and rose again.
So we praise and worship you.
We have heard about you, Holy Spirit.
You broke the bonds of every race and nation,
to let God speak in every tongue;
You made disciples drunk with grace;
You converted souls and emptied pockets;
You showed how love made all things new
and opened the doors to change and freedom.
So we praise and worship you.
TIME FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES - Interesting 3s
On your mark, get set, go
3,2,1, blast off
Rule of thirds in photography - interest in a photo if the image is offset off centre.
What else do we do in threes?
Three amigos
Three stooges - interest dynamic when there are 3 people at play
Best three out of 5 series for certain sporting events
Trinity is less a concept to understand how the three things relate to one another and more an acknowledgment that there is a relationship, a connection that is so interwoven, so embedded in our way of being that it becomes second nature to us.
*HYMN OF ILLUMINATION: Praise Our Maker VU 316
WE LISTEN TO GOD’S WORD
SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 8 VU 732 Responsive Psalm
1O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.
2Out of the mouths of babes and infants you have founded a bulwark because of your foes, to silence the enemy and the avenger.
3When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established;
4what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?
5Yet you have made them a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor.
6You have given them dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet,
7all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,
8the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
9O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE: This brief passage is the last portion of the gospel of Matthew. Throughout his writings, Matthew draws a parallel between Jesus and Moses, portraying Jesus as the new Moses.
Like Moses - Jesus has taught and showed them the way of life and death
Like Moses - he will not enter the promised land with them
Like Moses - he will meet for them one last time on the Mountain
Unlike Moses - Jesus’ message is not only for Israel but emanating forth from the disciples throughout the world
Listen to this brief passage when the disciples returned to Galilee and met Jesus on the mountaintop.
Matthew 28:16-20
16Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
May these sacred words inspire our spiritual journey.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
WORDS OF REFLECTION: Full Circle
By Rev. Nancy Wilson
Sunday May 31, 2026
Based on Matthew 28:16-20
Poet T. S. Eliot penned Little Gidding as the last of his Four Quartets. In it he writes:
We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
This passage from the Gospel of Matthew is a full circle moment.
A time when the disciples followed Jesus’ instruction to the women at the tomb and at the appropriate time, they left the Upper Room, gifted with the spirit or advocate to be with them, they returned to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus started his ministry. Here, they ‘knew the place for the first time.’ They had come full circle back to the mountain in Matthew where Jesus began his ministry by preaching the Sermon on the Mount. At that time he spoke of the beatitudes, a reversal of the current realities of people who were poor in spirit; in mourning; meek would receive the God’s comfort. Those who were merciful; pure in heart; peace makers would find their place in God’s community. He warned them to be ready for those who persecute and speak ill of them, promising them accompaniment and community. On that mountain he, like Moses, gave instructions as to how to live. He spoke of love and then showed it too. When they came down from the mountain he healed the sick; spoke out against injustice and listened to the hurts and the wounds of those in his world.
This time, the mountain seemed different to those who gathered.
It was still the sacred place for worship and connecting with the divine.
Yet, the anticipation of what was to come seemed to have waned.
There was a cloud of doubt that hung over the mountains as some of the disciples tried to make sense of what was happening in their world.
UCC Pastor Eric Fistler has said: “The opposite of faith is not doubt, the opposite of faith is certainty.” When we look around at the world with all of the things going on we might be the doubters - wondering how God’s vision can be attained when there are people who are not aligned with the vision of inclusivity and love for all. We question how to attain peace in the world when we repeatedly hear of actions of violence and destruction. We witness policies, practices, systems that are set up to benefit some and not all. The 11 disciples had been present for the events of Holy Week and Jesus’ death and had encounters with him in a resurrected form but on that mountain some ‘some doubted’. Believe it or not, this is “good news”. It is good news because when we have questions or doubts we leave room for mystery. Certitude locks us in a particular way of thinking which can lead to us imposing our thoughts, opinions, beliefs on others. With faith, we adopt an invitational and curious stance to open ourselves up to possibilities that certitude otherwise does not let us see.
Faith is at work when we grapple with the realities of our world and try to make sense of it. It is like resistance or strength training for our muscles to develop. After breaking my wrist, the physiotherapist had me use weights, resistance bands, sometimes my own body weight to strengthen my wrist and increase mobility again. Like anyone who has had an operation or broken bones, one must work through the discomfort, pain and fatigue in order to heal. The constant exercises force us to address the reality so that transformation and improvement can occur. Spiritually, when we engage in the spiritual practice of doubt, we confront that which is holding us back and intentionally grow our relationship with God. The disciples still showed up and worshiped Jesus, even as they held their questions and their doubts.
Followers who will be the leaders;
doubters who will proclaim the good news;
worshippers of the One who goes with them,
these are the disciples that Jesus commissions to go out and save the world.
The challenge of our understanding as Christians, as Rev. Rob McCoy states is that our call to go out and ‘save the world’ is overshadowed by the hope that “people will come in and save the church.” Far too many occurrences in church history tell the story of the church’s desire to exist and to do that by proclaiming certainty which leaves no room for people to be themselves. We, as the body of Christ, can only save the world by going forth to make disciples in the way that Jesus did - by inviting them to offer their gifts as we participate in God’s amazing community of love.
We call this commissioning - which means being sent together (with each other). On this Trinity Sunday, this is the truest expression of the nature of God. We can go into great historical discussion and theological rationale about the doctrine of the Trinity and God being one in three and three in one. When we boil it right down, the nature of God’s kingdom is doing love together; the very nature of Jesus ministry is doing peace together; the very nature of the church is doing faith together. Our life of faith is one that is in community with creation, God and other people because God is rooted in community with Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
And so we, like the disciples, come full circle, back to the poem by T.S. Eliot:
We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
We are called to continue our spiritual exploration; to leave room for doubt as a means to transformation for ourselves and our world, and to know that as we travel, Jesus is with us on this journey “even to the end of the age.” Thanks be to God. Amen.
WE RESPOND
MINISTRY OF MUSIC: Shine, Jesus Shine
INVITATION TO THE OFFERING
We are grateful for the many hands that pitch in to sit on committees, provide constructive advice, offer support in a variety of different ways within our ministry.
Thank you for the financial contributions that come to our ministry through the PAR program, on the offering plate, etransfers to Ted and other donations that are made. Because you care enough to give, we can reach in and deepen our spiritual practices on Sundays and reach out to others throughout the week. Let us now receive this morning’s offering.
OFFERTORY: VU 541 Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
praise God, all creatures high and low;
give thanks to God in love made known;
Creator, Word and Spirit, One.
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Bless the generosity of people’s hearts.
Bless the gifts that have been given.
Bless the people with your love and joy.
We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE ~ posted on Christine Jerrett. https://christinejerrett.wordpress.com/
(inspired by Matthew 28:16-20)
Out of our ordinary, everyday lives,
you have gathered us here, Holy God,
to this time of worship,
to this time of praise.
We join with angels and archangels
and all the company of the saints
to bless you,
to listen for your Word,
to immerse ourselves in your grace,
in your love.
Open our eyes,
our hearts,
our minds
to your presence with us.
Take the chaos of the world
that has found its way into our hearts —
speak your Word
and give order and form and new creation.
Take the failures and defeats,
the guilt and the shame
that bind our spirits —
speak your Word
and set us free.
Take our longings for your goodness
to shape our lives, this community,
the hurting world —
speak your Word
and infuse us with
your courage and
your hope and
your love.
Then, awaken us to your Holy Spirit
who is making all things new,
even us.
We ask in Jesus’ name
who sends us out to speak
love and mercy and grace
to those who are waiting
longing
hoping
for a sign
that they are not alone,
that you are a God of love,
that you are a Saviour who knows their name,
that the Holy Spirit is leading them home.
Amen.
Rachael Keefe, “A Poem for Trinity Sunday”© Rachael Keefe BeachTheology.com
Holy One,
I contemplate the sacred dance
and wonder when I will learn the steps
steps of peace, healing, hope
not just for a few
for all who yearn for freedom
You created all that is
as the Spirit hovered
and the Word spoke
and Wisdom beaconed
and the whole of You delighted in Creation
now we are tangled up in the limits of our language
trying to make You three and one
when You are always so much more
a Sacred Mystery breathing Life
and stirring visions
our lips have been burned clean
our sins have been blotted out
yet we remain outside your realm
(with guns in hand and fear holding us still)
which is close enough to reach
and too far for us to embody
because we have yet to believe
that which has always been:
Your love for us never ends
we can refuse to see it or claim it
we can deny it and avoid it
yet, we cannot separate ourselves from Love
what if the day is coming when our world is shaken
by the power of your glory
shaken so hard that we fall from doubt and disbelief
fear and hatred
apathy and ambivalence
into the truth of your delight in us?
what if we hover with the Spirit over Creation’s waters
and see only Love reflecting
an invitation to learn the steps of the dance
right now?
what if we hear the Word that sears our lips
and speak only grace, hope, and joy
echoing the song you’ve been singing from Earth’s beginning
longing for us to listen?
what if we follow Wisdom’s way
and create justice and offer mercy
until the world finds its rhythm
without violence
without destruction
without division?
God-in-Community,
may you remain patient with humanity
remain steadfast
until we claim your Love
share your Love
embody your Love
continue to shower us with forgiveness
until we know the truth
of your claim on us
and have the courage
to see you
in ourselves
in each other
in the whole of Creation
teach us to seek justice for all people
to love with your patience and compassion
and rely on You when we encounter the limits
of our bodies
of our minds
of our human ways
during this Pentecost season
blow through our lives
and set our holy heads on fire
that we may be the Church-Made-New
born again
born from above
born anew.
We pray in the name of the one who taught us to pray together saying:
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.
*CLOSING HYMN: Maker, in Whom we live VU 321
Praise with joy the World’s creator VU 312 https://youtu.be/wCX1avA3jRI?si=Z_zbi6dqbSqaisqQ
*BENEDICTION: 2 Corinthians 13:11-13
11Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. 13The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.
*CHORAL COMMISSIONING: Praise with Joy the World’s Creator VU 312
Praise with joy the world’s Creator, God of justice, love and peace,
Source and end of human knowledge, God whose grace shall never cease.
Celebrate the Maker’s glory, power to rescue and release.
Praise the Maker, Christ and Spirit, one God in community,
calling Christians to embody oneness and diversity.
This the world shall see reflected; God is One and One in Three.
Another adaptation of the BUNESSAN melody famously used by Cat Stev...
