Icon Celtic Trinity by Jim Harris

2 Corinthians 13:13 (NRSV)
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.

God created us so that the joy He has in Himself might be ours. God doesn’t simply think about Himself or talk to Himself. He enjoys Himself! He celebrates with infinite and eternal intensity the beauty of who He is as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And we’ve been created to join the party!
– Sam Storms

All sorts of people are fond of repeating the Christian statement that “God is love.” But they seem not to notice that the words ‘God is love’ have no real meaning unless God contains at least two persons. Love is something that one person has for another person. If God was a single person, then before the world was made, He was not love.
– C.S. Lewis

The Christian response is contained in these two fundamental dogmas: that of the Trinity and that of the Incarnation. In the trinitarian dogma God is one, good, true, and beautiful because he is essentially Love, and Love supposes the one, the other, and their unity. – Hans Urs von Balthasar

Jesus wants to include us in this most intimate communion by giving us the Holy Spirit: “It is good that I go,” says Jesus,” so that I can send you the Spirit” (see John 16:7). In and through the Spirit we become full participants in the communion of love that Jesus shares with his Father. That is the mystery of our redemption and the promise of the spiritual life. – Henri J. M. Nouwen, A Spirituality of Living

In the mutual relationship of the three persons of the Godhead we find the model for a human community. This relationship is characterized by kenosis and “inclusion”. Kenosis connotes the emptying, or total abandonment of oneself for a higher good, as with Jesus emptying himself for the glory of God and for the salvation of humanity (Phil. 2:5-11). “Inclusion” refers to the acceptance of others, joining them with oneself while honouring the diversity among the many, in a unity that does not seek uniformity.
– Thomas J. Scirghi, The Trinity: a model for belonging in contemporary society

Prayer for Unity
Holy God, One yet Three, reach into the abundance of Your companionship and bring forth unity and healing. Bring it forth in our land and all the nations of the world. Bring it forth in places of power and places of great need. Bring it forth in Your people. Pour out peace on violent homes and hearts. Shower compassion on selfish and short sighted motives. Rain down love and understanding so all are covered in Your blessing and harmony and life, forevermore…. forevermore. Amen.

This poem/lyric was born out of a reflection on the nature of God, One God and yet Three living in perfect freedom, love and unity with one another. God’s desire is for the people of God to live in this same type relationship with God and each other. God in Jesus Christ lays down his life so this might be possible for us. The simplicity of the lyric and tune, harkening to a lullaby, attempts to express the reality of God’s love; profound and mysterious, yet beautiful, welcoming, creative and humble. – Lisa <><

Community
God lives in community
One and yet Three
Loving, creating, eternally
We’re called to community
One, yet Many
Loving, creating, one family

All praise to the Trinity
The One who is Three
Who came as a baby
To calm our rough sea
Who died on a lonely tree
And rose on day three
Loving, creating, our victory

God lives in community
With all who believe
Loving, creating,
What we’re to be
We’re called to community
For now we can see
That loving, creating,
Makes us all free

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Prayer for Unity © 2012 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia.
Community © 1998 by Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia
You are welcome to use these works in a worship setting with proper attribution. Please contact Lisa for information and permission to publish these works in any form. Lisa is especially interested in collaborating with someone to set Comunity to music or to have her original tune for this lyric notated.

For more information on use of the scripture, art and this post in other settings, please refer to the copyright information page.