大象传媒

This script cannot exactly reflect the transmission, as it was prepared before the service was broadcast. It may include editorial notes prepared by the producer, and minor spelling and other errors that were corrected before the radio broadcast.

It may contain gaps to be filled in at the time so that prayers may reflect the needs of the world, and changes may also be made at the last minute for timing reasons, or to reflect current events.

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THE COMFORT OF THE TRINITY

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OPENING ANNOUNCEMENT

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大象传媒 Radio 4. Sunday Worship from Northern Ireland this morning is led Jonathan Rea, Creative Chief Executive of New Irish Arts.

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Good morning and welcome to Bangor, County Down. The 6th Century monastery in our town was an important centre of learning, which played a significant role in the spread of Christianity across Europe. Pioneering saints of the early centuries like Comgall, Columbanus and Gall faced the challenges of spreading the Good News of Christ however they could.

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In normal circumstances, I might be saying that Christian worship remains vibrant and active in Bangor to this day, with more than 40 church buildings in a town with just over 60000 people. But in the current pandemic, while all our buildings are closed, our challenge is to continue to follow the example of those ancient saints, using any means available for encouraging the worship of God. So even though we are currently still in lockdown,听 you are most welcome, as together we celebrate Trinity Sunday, with the help of some archive recordings from members of the New Irish Choir and Orchestra.听 May the Lord be with us in our worship.

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CHOIR听听 Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty (NICAEA)

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SUSAN

We read the words of Hannah from 1st Samuel chapter 2:

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My heart rejoices in the Lord, for I delight in your deliverance.

There is no-one holy like the Lord

There is no-one besides you.

There is no Rock like our God.

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JONATHAN

Let us pray.

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Lord God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Ultimate standard of goodness, truth and beauty

Unique in every aspect of your Being

Unparalleled in majesty

Unchanging in character

Unfailing in love

You are worthy of all glory, honour and praise

And on this Trinity Sunday, we come with reverence and awe

And in humility we express our gratitude

to the Father of all creation who by His grace sent His only Son,

To the Son who by his life, death and resurrection fulfilled all the Father鈥檚 promises

And to the Holy Spirit, our Comforter who walks beside us in our faltering faith.

Almighty God 鈥� Father, Son and Holy Spirit - unseen, but loved.

Holy Holy Holy,

The whole earth is full of your glory. Amen

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SUSAN

Who has measured the waters听in the hollow of his hand,
听听听听or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
听听听听or weighed the mountains on the scales
听听听听and the hills in a balance?
13听Who can fathom the Spirit[]听of the听Lord,
听听听听or instruct the听Lord听as his counselor?
14听Whom did the听Lord听consult to enlighten him,
听听听听and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge,
听听听听or showed him the path of understanding?

15听Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
听听听听they are regarded as dust on the scales;
听听听听he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.

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Do you not know?
听听听听Have you not heard?
The听Lord听is the everlasting听God,
听听听听the Creator听of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
听听听听and his understanding no one can fathom.
29听He gives strength听to the weary
听听听听and increases the power of the weak.
30听Even youths grow tired and weary,
听听听听and young men听stumble and fall;
31听but those who hope听in the听Lord
听听听听will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
听听听听they will run and not grow weary,
听听听听they will walk and not be faint.

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JONATHAN

Verses from Isaiah 40, read by Susan McKay, a music teacher. 10 years ago, Susan鈥檚 husband Jonny sadly passed away due to a brain tumour. He was 34. When I was preparing this service, I discovered that this passage carries special significance for Susan, so she shares her reflections now.听听听

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SUSAN

After Jonny died, these words in Isaiah became very precious to me. The promises have sustained me over the past 10 years. At times I wondered where I would get the strength to keep going.听

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My state of mind was up and down and unreliable. I felt nothing was within my control.听I was just so sad in the deepest sense, all the time.听I had lost my best friend.

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But in that melee of emotion, God showed me that听he听was in control. I tried to remember the many times that God had proved himself to me over the years.

He was the steady, all powerful one who deserved my trust鈥�even though what I was going through something I would never have chosen for myself. The promises he makes cannot go unfufilled鈥�because he is GOD. So when it says:

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They will听soar听like eagles

They will听run听and not grow weary

They will听walk听and not be faint.

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鈥�.what seems to be impossible actually becomes possible.听

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It was such a relief to start being able to go into the next day鈥�or even the next hour - knowing I could expect God to keep those promises!听

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When we don鈥檛 have the capacity to help ourselves鈥�.which I didn鈥檛鈥� HE gives us the strength we need. And then鈥� comes a sense of peace, because we are leaning into God ,who is more than able to comfort and strengthen us.

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I love the order in which the promises come. 鈥淭hey will soar鈥�.they will run鈥�.they will walk鈥�. I can鈥檛 help seeing this a little like a poem. You might expect the 鈥榳alking鈥� to come first鈥�.and then the 鈥榬unning鈥欌��.and then a build to听 the 鈥榮oaring鈥� finale.

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But鈥�no鈥�it鈥檚 the opposite 鈥搕here may be occasions when we 鈥榮oar鈥� and feel strong and able to take on the day. There may be days when we can 鈥榬un鈥� and manage well with his help鈥︹��but the promise ends with the walking 鈥� the simplest of the verbs. 鈥榯hey will听walk听and not grow faint鈥�.听

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And yet this is not an anticlimax. Because most of my days simply entail 鈥榳alking鈥欌��with God鈥檚 help鈥�.and when we trust in Him鈥�.we will not faint.

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That tender, attentive care from an all-powerful, loving God is available to us. In the joys and in the sorrows鈥� through Jesus who offers us the sure and certain hope of heaven.听

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CHOIR听 Longing听 (based on Psalm 42, Jonathan Rea)

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JONATHAN

Longing, based on the words of Psalm 42. Surrounded by enemies, exiled from his community, and in great physical and mental pain, the writer feels very distant from God. But then he remembers God鈥檚 goodness in the past and prays that the Lord will send truth and light to end his period of adversity. He looks with faith and hope to a future when he will once again be able to return to praise God together with others in a public place.

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I鈥檓 grateful that the writer Sharon Jones has composed听 a short poem specifically for today鈥檚 service, reflecting on the idea of hope in the Trinity.

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SHARON

Morning Light

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When unexpected darkness comes,

and hearts are heavy and worn,

where is hope?`

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Hope is a rainbow through rain:

the Father stands with open arms

to welcome us home again.

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When all our strength has ended,

and all our resources have gone,

where is hope?

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Hope is the love of a friend:

all God鈥檚 promises fulfilled

in Heaven鈥檚 Risen Son.

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When the road ahead is troubled,

and days are uncertain with fears,

where is hope?

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Hope is sunshine through tears:

the Comforter journeys by our side

God with us all our years.

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CHOIR听 There is a Hope (Stuart Townend)

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JONATHAN

It鈥檚 not surprising that so many people are struggling with mental health problems just now. The pandemic has brought so many contributory factors 鈥� bereavement, the fear of dying, loss of daily freedoms, loneliness in lockdown, the relational challenges of sharing small spaces 24/7, worries about national economies and local businesses. Young people have left schools or universities abruptly without the satisfaction of completing final exams. And there鈥檚 no way to predict any kind of timeline for global recovery.

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It鈥檚 easy to understand why some people are feeling an uneasy sense of doom.听听听 And that sense may well be increased by the way in which COVID 19 has had a disproportionate affect on disadvantaged groups. Or by the scenes of unrest in the United States, - and the long tale of a racially polarised society all too often characterised by fear of the other, by disadvantage, mistrust and violence.

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Again we hear the Isaiah鈥檚 words:

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Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength

They will soar on wings like eagles

They will run and not grow weary

They will walk and not be faint

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JONATHAN

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Perhaps the idea that we can place our hope in an invisible being seems too abstract or farfetched. We might question the point of placing our hope in someone we can鈥檛 see or know?

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But Isaiah in this chapter almost seems to be arguing that the mystery of God is not a reason to shy away from trusting Him 鈥� But is in fact a reason to trust Him all the more. There鈥檚 layer upon layer of wonder justice and love in Isaiah鈥檚 God. There are so many facets, so much of depth.

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Isaiah tells us something about God鈥檚 capacity. Recently in home-schooling, we were learning about capacity with our reluctant 7-year-old student. And so he now understands that any 3-dimensional object has a limit to what it can contain.

Isaiah tells us that God has been doing some mathematics too 鈥� but without any limits.

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SUSAN

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand?

Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket or weighed the mountains on the scales?

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JONATHAN

The picture painted is of God鈥檚 infinite capacity, holding the nations with the same level of ease that we might hold the ingredients in a recipe. In God鈥檚 mathematical terms, the nations are just like tiny particles.听

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Isaiah continues, shifting the focus to the scope of God鈥檚 mind:

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Who has understood the mind of the Lord or instructed him as his counsellor?

Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten Him? Who taught Him the right way?

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JONATHAN

This infinite God needs no teacher.听 He is the fount of all knowledge and the source of every creative thought. He made the stars and gives them names.

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And the God Isaiah is writing about isn鈥檛 trapped by the constraints of time, or by tiredness.

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SUSAN

The Lord is the everlasting God. The Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary.

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JONATHAN

Perhaps Isaiah wants us to understand that God is not like us. In fact he is utterly distinct from us. His capacity, intellect, creativity, spatial perspective, strength, energy and His existence outside the realm of time have no equivalent that we can grasp. God is in a totally different paradigm.

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And so on this Trinity Sunday, we consider the mystery of God as three in one and one in three. So many images have been used to try and explain the Trinity in manageable ways. Water becoming ice or steam. The three leaves of the shamrock on the one stalk. I asked one of my teenage sons if he could come up with a better image to help me explain the Trinity, and he began talking about a 3-in one dishwasher tablet, where each colour of the tablet has a distinct role, while being properly interconnected with all the others.. You may find that a rather earthy and uninspiring image, but I didn鈥檛 think that was a bad attempt. But trying to box the Trinity into something we can manage logically kind of misses the point.听 Our frames of reference won鈥檛 explain Him neatly. By definition, hoping in God involves an acceptance that He is infinite and we are not.

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听If we are to hope and trust in God we to realise his uniqueness but we also have to consider His character. Again we find reassurance that He is not like us. We are fickle beings, prone to self-gratification - even our kindest acts often have dodgy motivation. God is different. Because in God the Father we see God鈥檚 incredible capacity, his untouchable holiness and His enduring selfless love. In God the Son, we see Jesus 鈥� God in human flesh, seen by human eyes, honouring every promise the Father ever made. We see His gentleness, His provocative teachings and the display of his glory in the miracles. We see His death and resurrection on which our Christian hope is centred. And in God the Holy Spirit, we have comfort, hidden from sight, yet walking alongside us, reminding us of Jesus, inspiring and enabling us and praying on our behalf in the moments when we feel so hopeless that we can鈥檛 find any words of our own.

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CHOIR听 O thou who camest from above (HEREFORD)

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We could try for a lifetime to express the fulness of God 鈥� but there will still be much to explain when all our vocabulary has run out.听 To fathom His depths will take eternity. But if we are to find our hope in Him, we have to start somewhere, humbling our hearts to accept that God is not like us, admitting our own sins, faults and weaknesses, and receiving His generous grace as our only hope.

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This infinite God promises to give strength to those who are weary and fed up. And not just for the present reality. God鈥檚 promised strength helps us face eternity with confidence, because we trust that He will keep on honouring His promises. That His Kingdom has been proclaimed and inaugurated by Jesus and He will bring us safely into His presence when our days on this earth come to an end.

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Perhaps you are fed up right now. You鈥檝e had enough of the world being in chaos. In the perfect relationship of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we see the outworking of a perfect love which can drive away our fears and help us to find hope.听 We don鈥檛 need to be overwhelmed with a sense of doom. For God promises to heal the broken. To forgive the unforgiveable. To give us a hope that is not rooted in things we can see around us, but in the things that are unseen in the eternal life with Him.听

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So we need to humbly embrace the mysteries which are beyond our comprehension. To admit our failures and depend on the Lord for mercy. To place our hope in Him. To trust Him to renew us in body, mind and soul. For in the glorious Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we have everything we could ever need.

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CHOIR听 The Lord Is My Salvation听 (Getty/ Getty/ Nockles/ Myrin)

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SHARON

Let us pray

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Lord - In this time of pandemic, it can be easy to feel hopeless and to live in fear or anger at the suspension of what we had come to regard as normal life. Lord, in these challenging times, reveal yourself to us when we are tempted to turn our backs on you.. Remind us of Jesus, whose perfect life and work displayed the fullness of God in human flesh. Reassure us that your Word is faithful, and that You are a good Father who cares deeply for humanity. And when our faith is weak and failing, help our unbelief.

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SUSAN

We pray specifically for those whose lives have been made especially difficult by the coronavirus, particularly those from disadvantaged groups. Give peace to those who have mental health issues. Draw near to those who are facing terminal illness. Help families whose relational difficulties have been sharpened by lockdown. Comfort all who have been bereaved and especially families whose bereavements have been harder because they couldn鈥檛 be with loved ones.

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SHARON

We pray for wisdom for all who are in government at this time. May they lead with humility. Help them as they try to make decisions in the best public interest. We pray for those who are on the front line of medical care. Give insight and creativity to the minds who are working hard to develop treatment and a vaccine. Bless their work so that we can resume a life where we are not afraid to hug those we love, or to meet for worship and all the other things that enrich our lives.听

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SUSAN 听

We pray for your world and think especially of people who suffer discrimination, oppression and deprivation, who are denied the opportunities to achieve their full potential in this and other lands.听 We pray for the current crisis in the United States, asking that all involved may show wisdom and sensitivity. May all the people of the world be inspired and guided by the Unity of the Trinity and its relationships of love.

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JONATHAN

Father, Son and Holy Spirit, thank you that in the fulness of the Trinity, we have everything we could ever need. Open our spiritual eyes, so that we focus on your character and your mercy Give us the hope that comes from sins forgiven and the faith to place all our trust in you. Remind us of your power and authority over all things and of the hope and peace that only You can bring.听 Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who taught us to pray

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Our Father who art in Heaven

Hallowed by 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, the power and the glory,

Forever and ever Amen

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Our final hymn this morning shows us how the Trinity can help us with our daily lives, with guidance from the Father, forgiveness through the Son and joy in the Holy Spirit. Lead us, Heavenly Father Lead us.

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CHOIR听 Lead us Heavenly Father Lead us. (Mannheim)

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Thank you for being with us.

And may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

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CLOSING ANNOUNCEMENT

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Today鈥檚 Sunday Worship was led by听 Jonathan Rea, Creative Chief Executive of New Irish Arts with archive music recordings by the New Irish Choir and Orchestra. The producer was Bert Tosh.