Music and Liturgy for the Trinity

Monday 22nd May 2023 we did a lovely workshop on Music and Liturgy for the Trinity to give you a few fresh ideas. You can view the workshop here. Below you will find some of the text.

Here are the words for the songs we feature:

 

“One is the Body” (Bell)

One is the body and one is the Head,

one is the Spirit by whom we are led;

one God and Father,

one faith and one call for all.

 

Christ who ascended to heaven above

is the same Jesus whose nature is love,

who once descended

to bring to this earth new birth.

 

Gifts have been given well suited to each;

some to be prophets, to pastor or preach,

some, through the Gospel,

to challenge, convert and teach.

 

Called to his service are women and men

so that his body might ever again

witness through worship,

through deed and through word

to Christ our Lord.

 

To Thee Be Glory Lord

To thee be glory, Lord,

Whom heaven and earth adore,

To Father, Son and Holy Ghost,

One God for evermore.

 

To God the Father

To God the Father, Son,

and Spirit ever blest,

eternal Three in One,

all worship be addressed,

as heretofore

it was, is now,

and still shall be

for evermore.

 

Affirm Anew the Threefold Name (Dudley-Smith)

 

Affirm anew the threefold Name

            of Father, Spirit, Son,

our God whose saving acts proclaim

            a world's salvation won.

In him alone we live and move

            and breath and being find,

the wayward children of his love

            who cares for humankind.

 

Declare in all the earth his grace,

            to every heart his call,

the living Lord of time and place

            whose love embraces all.

So shall his endless praise be sung,

            his teaching truly heard,

and every culture, every tongue,

            receive his timeless word.

 

Confirm our faith in this our day

            amid earth's shifting sand,

with Christ as Life and Truth and Way,

            a Rock on which to stand;

the one eternal Son and Lord

            by God the Father given,

the true and life-imparting Word,

            the Way that leads to heaven.

 

Renew once more the ancient fire,

            let love our hearts inflame;

renew, restore, unite, inspire

            the church that bears your Name;

one Name exalted over all,

            one Father, Spirit, Son,

O grant us grace to heed your call

            and in that Name be one.

 

Christ Pours His Grace Upon His Own (Dudley-Smith)

Christ pours his grace upon his own,

and where the word of life is sown

there shall the fruits of grace be grown:

            to him be glory, whose cross and passion

            have bought and saved us; to him be glory.

 

God's changeless love shall never fail.

Though powers of sin and death assail,

his purpose stands and shall prevail:

            to him be glory, our great Creator,

            eternal Father, to him be glory.

 

Come, Spirit, then and make us one.

Fulfil your work of grace begun:

and now as Father, Spirit, Son,

            to God be glory from us his children,

            throughout all ages, to God be glory.

 

Holy, holy, holy one (Alan Gaunt)

Holy, holy, holy One,

Love's eternal Trinity;

we who hear your call, respond:

“Here I am, my God, send me.”

 

Holy Source of all that lives,

through creation's mystery,

your love speaks and we reply,

“Here I am, my God, send me.”

 

Holy Lamb, Love's sacrifice,

mighty in humility,

overawed we humbly say,

“Here I am, my God, send me.”

 

Holy Spirit, Deathless Joy,

though we face Love's agony,

touch our lips and we will cry,

“Here I am, my God, send me.”

 

Three times holy, loving God,

call our name, and we will be

each Love's living sacrifice:

“Here I am, my God, send me.”

 

“Holy, Holy, Holy” (Schubert)

Holy, holy, holy, God almighty, Lord!

Holy, holy, holy, everywhere adored!

 

God without beginning, God, eternal One

reigns and rules forever all beneath the sun.

 

Power and love and wonder circling round God's throne,

praise our God most holy, Lord of Life alone.

 

 

The Pilgrims’ Alleluia (Walsh)

Alleluia, alleluia

Alleluia alleluia

 

Strong is your love. Mighty your word.

Speak to us now, open our hearts, alleluia.

 

Spirit of God, come to our hearts.

Message of truth, here among us, alleluia.

 

All-holy God: Father of light,

Word in our midst, Spirit and life: alleluia.

 

Mighty is God, holy his name.

Be here with us, teach us your way, alleluia.

 

Sing Glory to God the Father (Saward)

Sing glory to God the Father,
the king of the universe, changelessly the same.
Sing praise to the world's creator
and magnify his holy name.
He made all that is round us and all that is beyond,
his hands uphold the planets, to him they all respond.

Sing glory to God the Saviour,

the Lord of the galaxies, bearer of our shame.

Sing praise to the world's redeemer

and magnify his holy name.

He suffered grief and torment, for sin he paid the price,

he rose in glorious triumph, both priest and sacrifice.

Sing glory to God the Spirit,
the power of the elements, setting hearts aflame.
Sing praise to the world's life - giver
and magnify his holy name.
His gifts to all are given, his fruit transforms our hearts,
his fellowship enriches, a grace which he imparts.

Singing glory, the whole creation!
Give thanks to the Trinity, heaven’s love proclaim.
Sing praise to our God, almighty,
And magnify his holy name.

 

God We Praise You (Idle)

God, we praise you! God, we bless you!

God, we name you sov'reign Lord!

Mighty King whom angels worship,

Father, by your Church adored:

All creation shows your glory;

Heav'n and earth draw near your throne,

Singing, "Holy, holy, holy,

Lord of hosts and God alone!"

 

True apostles, faithful prophets,

Saints who set their world ablaze,

Martyrs, once unknown, unheeded,

Join one growing song of praise,

While your Church on earth confesses

One majestic Trinity:

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

God, our hope eternally.

 

Jesus Christ, the King of glory,

Everlasting Son of God,

Humble was your virgin mother,

Hard the lonely path you trod:

By your cross is sin defeated,

Hell confronted face to face,

Heaven opened to believers,

Sinners justified by grace.

 

Christ, at God's right hand victorious,

You will judge the world you made;

Lord, in mercy help your servants

For whose freedom you have paid:

Raise us up from dust to glory;

Guard us from all sin today.

King enthroned above all praises,

Save your people, God, we pray.

 

The Pilgrims’ Alleluia (Walsh)

Alleluia, alleluia

Alleluia alleluia

 

Strong is your love. Mighty your word.

Speak to us now, open our hearts, alleluia.

 

Spirit of God, come to our hearts.

Message of truth, here among us, alleluia.

 

All-holy God: Father of light,

Word in our midst, Spirit and life: alleluia.

 

Mighty is God, holy his name.

Be here with us, teach us your way, alleluia.

 

Evening Prayer from Lindisfarne

Opening

The Three who are over our head,

the Three who are under our tread,

the Three who are over us here,

the Three who are over us there,

the Three who in heaven do dwell,

the Three in the great ocean swell,

pervading Three, O be with us,

pervading Three, O be with us.

 

Song

To God the Father, Son,

and Spirit ever blest,

eternal Three in One,

all worship be addressed,

as heretofore

it was, is now,

and still shall be

for evermore.

 

Faith in the Three

For my shield this day I call:

a mighty power, the Holy Trinity.

Faith in the Three, trust in the One,

creating all through love.

 

In faith I trust in the Father of all:

he’s my refuge, a very strong tower.

 

For my shield this day I call:

Christ’s power in his coming,

Christ’s power in his dying,

Christ’s power in his rising.

 

For my shield this day I call:

the mighty Spirit who breathes through all.

Faith in the Three, trust in the One,

making all through love.

 

Isaiah 6.1-8

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said:
‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.’
The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’

Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: ‘Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!’

 

Forgiveness

The Father is always birthing,

the Saviour is always restoring,

the Spirit is always renewing,

forgive us for failing to reflect them.

A silence, a declaration of forgiveness or music may follow.

 

Alleluia, alleluia

Alleluia alleluia

 

Strong is your love. Mighty your word.

Speak to us now, open our hearts, alleluia.

 

Spirit of God, come to our hearts.

Message of truth, here among us, alleluia.

 

All-holy God: Father of light,

Word in our midst, Spirit and life: alleluia.

 

Mighty is God, holy his name.

Be here with us, teach us your way, alleluia.

 

New Testament John 16.5-15

But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, “Where are you going?” But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgement: about sin, because they do not believe in me; 1about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgement, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.

 ‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

There may be recital of a Creed, teaching, sharing, creative activity, or singing.

 

Intercessions

Birther, who brought worlds into being,

bring to birth what you purpose for us.

If there is guided or free prayer, pray for good things to be brought to birth.

 

Saviour, who reconnected an estranged world to its Source,

reconnect us to the Source of our being.

If there is guided or free prayer, pray for estranged facets of God’s world to be reconnected.

 

Spirit, who breathes through everything that lives,

breathe fullness of life into us.

If there is guided or free prayer, pray for withered people and places to be restored to fullness of life.

 

Triune God, who delights to bring diversity in unity,

bring unity to our diversity.

If there is guided or free prayer, pray for groups and peoples to reflect God’s unity in diversity.

 

Triune God, you call us to reflect your unity in diversity.

We pray for places where community has been destroyed;

may people turn to you, and community grow again.

 

Song

One is the body and one is the Head,

one is the Spirit by whom we are led;

one God and Father,

one faith and one call for all.

 

Christ who ascended to heaven above

is the same Jesus whose nature is love,

who once descended

to bring to this earth new birth.

 

Gifts have been given well suited to each;

some to be prophets, to pastor or preach,

some, through the Gospel,

to challenge, convert and teach.

 

Called to his service are women and men

so that his body might ever again

witness through worship,

through deed and through word

to Christ our Lord.

 

 

Closing

May the love of the Three give birth to new community,

may the life of the Three give birth to new creativity,

may the oneness of the Three give birth to new unity.

Sacred Three our Friendship be

encircling us eternally.