Scriptures and Reflection Questions for Sunday, June 19

Scriptures and Reflection Questions
Trinity Sunday, Year A
June 19, 2011

Episcopal Revised Common Lectionary
Year A
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Collect

Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession
of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power
of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith and
 worship, and bring us at last to see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father;
who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever and ever.
 Amen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How to use this page:

Print this and read a different passage each day and think about it.  Some questions
are offered to help stimulate your reflection.  You'll find your experience of worship
on Sunday will be intensified.

For a method to read and pray with the scriptures you might try to use the ancient
practice of Lectio Divina (Divine Reading).  We've written some instructions on
how to use Lectio with the Sunday Scriptures at the following link:
http://www.stpaulsfay.org/id272.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Lessons

Genesis 1:1-2:4a
Psalm 8
2 Corinthians 13:11-13
Matthew 28:16-20
________________________________________________

Genesis 1:1-2:4a
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless
void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over
 the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening
and there was morning, the first day.

And God said, "Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate
the waters from the waters." So God made the dome and separated the waters that
were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. God
 called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

And God said, "Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place,
 and let the dry land appear." And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and
 the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was
good. Then God said, "Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed,
and fruit trees bearing fruit of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed
in it." And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed
of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God
saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

And God said, "Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from
the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, and
 let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth." And it
 was so. God made the two great lights-- the greater light to rule the day and the
lesser light to rule the night-- and the stars. God set them in the dome of the
sky to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to
separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was
evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

And God said, "Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds
fly above the earth across the dome of the sky." So God created the great sea monsters
and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm,
and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them,
saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds
 multiply on the earth." And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth
day.

And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle
and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind." And it was so.
 God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind,
and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was
good.

Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and
let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air,
and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every
creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."

So God created humankind in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the
earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds
of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." God said, "See,
I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth,
and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every
beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps
on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant
for food." And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was
very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the
seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh
 day from all the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed
it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation. These
are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.

_____________

Why was this story written?  What does it tell us about God and creation?
What would you say to someone who was troubled by the science of evolution and the
telling of this story?
_____________

Canticle 13    Page 90, BCP
A Song of Praise    Benedictus es, DomineSong of the Three Young Men, 29-34

Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers; *
     you are worthy of praise; glory to you.

Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name; *
     we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

Glory to you in the splendor of your temple; *
     on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.

Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim; *
     we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

Glory to you, beholding the depths; *
     in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.

Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; *
     we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

________

This wonderful canticle is used regularly at Morning Prayer.
What images does it evoke in your imagination?
_______________________________________________

2 Corinthians 13:11-13

Finally, 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. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy
Spirit be with all of you.

_________

How does this passage work as the closing of one of Paul's great letters.
What does the final sentence mean?
______________________________________________

Matthew 28:16-20

The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed
them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and
said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore
and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have
commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

________

This passage is sometimes called "The Great Commission."  What stands out to you
 about this passage?

_______________________________________________


The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

Our Rule of Life:
  We aspire to...
     worship weekly
     pray daily
     learn constantly
     serve joyfully
     live generously.

Check our website: www.stpaulsfay.org