Spirit in Partnership

Youth Lessons

Genesis 1:1-2, 4a, Matthew 28:16-20 (CEB)

Supplies Needed:

• Blocks or other building materials
• Paper
• Drawing materials
• Art supplies (markers, pens, crayons, etc.)

Note to the Facilitator

Trinity Sunday can be challenging for some students (and facilitators!). It can be challenging to understand that God exists as one, but also as three. This is a mystery, and it is okay for students—especially the more concrete thinkers—to feel frustrated that they cannot fully describe this beautiful mystery. This lesson encourages students to think deeply and imagine, not necessarily arrive at a correct answer. Encourage students and assure them that many of the adults in their lives struggle with this idea! Our goal together is not a perfect definition, but thoughtful exploration and faithful curiosity.

Icebreaker: Our Origin Story (10 min.)

Many good characters become great characters when they have an origin story. The Wicked Witch of the West (The Wizard of Oz) becomes a fully developed character as Elphaba (Wicked). Darth Vader from the original Star Wars trilogy (episodes 4, 5, 6) grows from a child, Anakin Skywalker, in episodes 1, 2, and 3. Nearly every superhero (or villain, for that matter) becomes more interesting when writers tell the story of how they came to be the way they are. Invite students to come up with a list of any other origin stories (for characters or franchises!) they can think of.

Suggest to students that, as individuals, we each have our own origin story. (And yes, God has indeed been with us since the beginning.) Some of the stories are dramatic, like the ones in the movies. Some have calm, simple origin stories. And many of our origin stories overlap. Those common origins, therefore, can provide us, as a group, a collective origin story…how our group came to be, and why.

Encourage the students to work together for five minutes to write a communal origin story. Make sure that each part of the story works for the entire class. If there is an outlier, ask students to rewrite the story to include the whole group. These can be playful stories set in a fantasy world or stories with a movie-like plot.

One group might say the head of the [your church name] branch of the FBI has assembled a group of new recruits to investigate the meaning of the Bible. Here is how our team of recruits came to be here…

Pose the questions, “What about our church? Do you know how our local church came to be? Where do we find our origin story? Who would be considered the hero (or heroes) in our church life?”

Scripture (10 min.)

Read Genesis 1:1-2, 4a out loud.

Remember, the origin story isn’t the whole story. Read the communal origin story the group wrote. What if this were the only part of our story that anyone knew!? We are so much more and do so much more than that!
Invite students to view the Bible as one ongoing story. That story starts with the three verses we just read. Remember how we learned in elementary school, the plot line in a story? “In the beginning” sets the stage for every character and community that follows, including the lives we lead today! (Be prepared here to give a basic description of plot lines in case anyone has forgotten this lesson!) One surprising thing we all share is how God is already present at the beginning; the plot lines and origin stories in scripture rise and fall, peak and (sometimes) find resolution. One of the peaks of the Bible is the Great Commission that Jesus gives in Matthew.

Read Matthew 28:16-20.

Explain to the students that you would like to look at this passage as the peak (or climax of action) in a plotline. Jesus asks us all to do our best each day to keep stepping forward in this ongoing resolution to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Because of this peak, we are part of the continuing story of God and people’s relationship with God. How do we do this? To lead others to this Holy Mystery of the Trinity, first we must consider it ourselves!

Discussion (10 min.)

Explain to students that this piece of our faith, the Trinity, the “Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit,” is a concept a lot of people have a hard time putting into words or even understanding. But today, we are going to dive into it together!

Introduce students to commonly used examples and descriptions of the Trinity. Use as many or as few of these as you think appropriate for your context.

• H₂O — The chemical compound of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom can exist in three separate forms— water, ice, and steam—and remain the same chemical compound. Although they share the same chemical compound, these are three distinctly separate “modes” of the compound, and we experience them differently.
• The sun, light, and heat. The sun is a star that can be perceived as visible light and the warmth it produces. We know we only have one sun, but sometimes we see it in our sky; sometimes we see the light it provides, and sometimes we feel its warmth. These different ways we experience the sun are unique and distinct; they all come from being our sun. They all can exist together, even if we experience only one aspect.
• A shamrock with its three leaves connected to one stem demonstrates three distinct parts forming one whole. This shows that there are three different parts of God, although they all come from one central source of being.
• Which of the symbols helps you understand God most easily? Which do you like the best? Which do you like the least?
• Where do any of these symbols fall short?
• If you took any of the metaphors too literally, what misunderstanding might it create about God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit?
• Is there an analogy you have heard that wasn’t included here? Are you willing to share?

Picture It (20 mins)

Give students paper and drawing materials. Invite them —individually or with partners— to create a symbol for the Trinity. They may use their imagination or use any of the analogies previously discussed. If they are not comfortable drawing, encourage them to write down what they have in mind in as much detail as possible! Give students ten to fifteen minutes to create their symbols. They may need some help thinking deeply. Regular interaction and encouragement to explain further or “say more” may help push them to think deeply and articulate their thoughts.

After the allotted time, invite students to share if they wish.

Closing. Invite three students to collectively close the class in prayer, with one praying to God the Father, one to God the Son, and one to the Holy Spirit. Collectively close with an “Amen!”

Total time: 50 minutes