The United Godhead

Short Talk (SHT207) The United Godhead © Jane Hulme 2020 Aim of Short talk: Use of Short talk: Main themes: Biblical references: Lectionary: Before the service: SHORT TALK: “The United Godhead” To teach that the phrase Jesus used, of “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”, demonstrates the unity of the Godhead. This is a short All Age talk picking out one issue from the Lectionary Gospel reading of the Sunday main service. The talk stands alone and assumes that the Gospel Bible reading may not yet have been read to the congregation. It could be used for example, for the whole congregation before the children go out to their age specific groups, leaving the adults with a full sermon later. Trinity, Unity, Father, Son, Holy Spirit Matthew 28:16-20 Year A – Trinity Sunday Find 3 people to be your volunteers. Give to each volunteer a piece of paper with one of the ways to “show commitment to the rugby club” as follows: 1) “I expect a member of the club to always wear the club badge on their clothing.” 2) “I expect a member of the club to turn up to every match that the club played, be it at home or away.” 3) “Iexpectamemberoftheclubtogoonarotatobuy chocolate for the players each week.” Explain to them that you will be asking them to argue the case for their way of showing commitment to the club. .................................................................................................................. I wonder how you would expect someone to show commitment to a club or activity you were running. Let me invite my 3 volunteers to come forward now. (3 volunteers join you at the front) • I want you to imagine that you are 3 members of the board of the local rugby club. • Today, you have to decide what commitment you expect to see from a member of the club. Please could you read out what commitment you expect from your piece of paper. (Volunteers read out what is written on their piece of paper) So, board members have a little chat amongst yourselves and tell me what you have agreed. (3 people have a chat together briefly) © Jane Hulme 2020 2 Have you agreed on what commitment you would expect from a member of your club? (The 3 board members say “no” and start to argue for their idea) Oh dear, we don’t seem to have any agreement today amongst our 3 board members. • They all have a different idea about what they would expect from someone who is a member of their club. • Thank you for your help volunteers – would you like to sit down. Unlike our 3 board members today, the 3 persons of the Godhead – the Holy Trinity, are always in complete agreement over everything. • That is shown for example, when Jesus spoke to His disciples for the very last time and commissioned them to make disciples and baptize them. • Listen to what He said to them: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit...” (Matthew 28:19) When Jesus told His disciples (and us) to baptise people in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, He was saying that what one member of the Godhead teaches us to do is what the other members of the Godhead teach us to do. So, although it can be hard to get our heads around the fact that God exists as the three persons of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, • what we can understand is that God speaks as One person to us. • We can be reassured that there is no division between Father, Son and Holy Spirit. • The challenge for us therefore, is to ensure that there is no division between us either! © Jane Hulme 2020 3