Psalm 8:3-6, New International Reader's Version

3 I think about the heavens.
I think about what your fingers have created.
I think about the moon and stars
that you have set in place.

2 Corinthians 13:14, New International Reader's Version

14 May the grace shown by the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. May the love that God has given us be with you. And may the sharing of life brought about by the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Message:

Have you ever listened to the last words said at the end of a worship service? The last words are what Christian worship services call the benediction. It is a blessing used to bless everyone there. The apostle Paul used a blessing at the end of his letter to the Corinthian Church. Listen to the words from Paul’s letter and see if you have heard these words during our worship services: May the grace shown by the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. May the love that God has given us be with you. And may the sharing of life brought about by the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Did you notice something about this blessing? It has three parts. Let me read it again and see if you can identify the three parts. (Read the passage again, but pause before each of the three parts so the children can identify them.) May the grace shown by the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. May the love that God has given us be with you. And may the sharing of life brought about by the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Can someone tell me one of the three parts? What about the second part? And the third? (Allow children to respond until all three parts are named.) That’s right. The blessing comes from the Lord Jesus Christ, God, and the Holy Spirit. That’s because Christians have experienced God’s blessing in more than one way. We are blessed by Jesus Christ, who is God-with-us in human form. The word Emmanuel means “God is with us.” Remember the Christmas song that we sing, O come, O come, Emmanuel, until the Son of God appear. That’s Emmanuel, God with us.

We are also blessed by God the Creator, who gives everything life. Listen to the words from Psalm 8:3-6, New International Reader's Version:

3 I think about the heavens.
I think about what your fingers have created.
I think about the moon and stars
that you have set in place.

The writer of this psalm reminds us just how big God is and that God’s creation is as big as the stars and the moon in the sky. Wow!

We are also blessed by the Holy Spirit, who makes us one with one another and one with God. The Holy Spirit helps to guide us to be more like Jesus in our actions.

That’s three, but Christians don’t believe in three different gods. No, Christians use the word Trinity to point to the different ways we know God’s blessings. Trinity means three-in-one. Christians use Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as names for the Trinity.

Today is Trinity Sunday. Trinity Sunday celebrates the Christian belief that God is one but exists in three different persons. And who can tell me those three? (Allow children to answer.) That’s right: God the Creator, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit. Trinity Sunday is a special day to remember and thank God for God’s love and blessing for the world.

Christians are baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” That blessing can be found in Matthew 28:19. On Trinity Sunday, Christians all over the world celebrate the many blessings they have received. I wonder how you have been blessed by God on this Trinity Sunday. I wonder how you may bless someone else with the love of God this week.

Prayer:

Let’s close in prayer with the words that Paul gave the church in Corinth as a reminder of God’s blessing upon our lives:

May the grace shown by the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. May the love that God has given us be with you. And may the sharing of life brought about by the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

Between the Sundays: Family Conversation Starters

We have added conversation starters to each children’s message series to help spark conversations within families during the week. We encourage families to use these questions to guide them through conversations and subject matter discussed during the worship service, including the children’s messages on Sundays. These conversations will reinforce learning and nurture faith formation for the entire family.

Read the blessing from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. Discuss what the words of that blessing mean to you.
The prefix “tri” means three and comes from the Latin word trias. This week, place a large piece of poster board or butcher paper somewhere in the home. Encourage your family to make a list of at least ten everyday items that start with “tri.” The list may include trident (gum), triangle, trigonometry, trillion, triple, tricycle, triceps, triathlon, tripod, trilogy, triceratops, etc. Remind each family member that the word Trinity encompasses three ways we experience God.
Wonder together, are God the Creator, God as Jesus the Son, and God as the Holy Spirit equal parts of the Trinity? Why or why not? Are there different responses from different family members? Wonder together why that might be.
Discuss as a family, when each member prays, which aspect of the Trinity should you address when you pray? Do you pray to God the Creator and parent figure who loves you unconditionally? Do you pray to Jesus who is the human example of how to live? Do you pray to the Holy Spirit to help guide you into love and compassion in action in God’s world?
What does each family member believe is the most important function of each part of the Trinity? Why did you answer in the way that you did?
If God is love, how is that love shown through the Trinity?
Explaining the Trinity is very difficult, regardless of age. Discuss as a family how each member, in their own way, understands the Trinity. How can this understanding help your family live a more loving life that reflects the love of God?
Before every meal this week, have a different family member offer prayer using the words from Paul’s letter, then take a moment of silence/self-reflection for how these words might be speaking to each family member.

May the grace shown by the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. May the love that God has given us be with you. And may the sharing of life brought about by the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.