Trinity Sunday
Last Sunday we celebrated the Feast of Pentecost, where the Holy Spirit originally descended on the Apostles of Christ. While we frequently hear from both Father and Son throughout all of scripture, the Holy Spirit makes far fewer appearances. The idea of the Trinity, however, is everywhere: in scripture, hymnody, liturgy, prayer, etc... Some theologians even argue that the Holy Trinity should not be given its dedicated Sunday, since it is so present in so many other elements of worship as well as the triune God being present in the sacraments.
Interestingly enough, the word "Trinity" never appears in the Bible. As I mentioned, it is perpetually present throughout scripture. In our Gospel reading this Sunday, Nicodemus comes to Jesus in the middle of the night and asks him some very important questions. Jesus explains that he was born from above, from water, and the Spirit. He also explains how the Spirit blows like the wind wherever it chooses. Our music this week attempts to clarify and express this energizing unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
HYMNS AND SONGS
Come Join The Dance Of Trinity (Opening Hymn- 9:00 AM)
"Energizing" was a word I used to describe the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is thus rather appropriate for the interweaving of these three elements to be in the form of a dance. The whole idea behind the opening of this hymn is that the joining of the three aspects of the Trinity in a cohesive dance brought form to the universe.
Stanza two makes a quick shift and brings the human aspect to the Trinity. The "face of Trinity" is of course Jesus, and the hymn contrasts his newborn face in Bethlehem with the bloody face at the crucifixion. It also makes the point that the Trinity is meant for the human aspect of us, and when it becomes confined through death, God (the first element) comes and rolls away the metaphorical stone, enabling us to rejoin the dance.
The third stanza references the Holy Spirit aspects of the Trinity. It looks back to Pentecost as a celebration of the Holy Spirit enabling people to tell the story of the Savior's name. The third line is very interesting... "We know the yoke of sin and death, our necks have worn it smooth." I believe this is referring to the entire journey through Lent. But once we are free of this yoke, we are free to move and able to share this good news with the world.
Like most Trinitarian hymns, this one concludes as it started, with a recapitulation of the first stanza, sharing many similar characteristics and messages.
Holy God, We Praise Your Name (Hymn of the Day- 9:00 AM)
Though it isn't directly alluded to in the "by-line" of the hymnal, this text is a translation and paraphrase of the Te Deum chant. The Te Deum laudamus is an ancient hymn of praise for the church, used primarily in the daily offices of the Catholic Church. More specifically, it is used at Matins, which is the service of Morning Prayer from the canonical hours (most Lutherans aren't familiar with those!!). While the text also is associated with a standard plainchant, only the text is used here; the tune is original, coming from the Katholisches Gasangbuch (Catholic songbook), published in Vienna in 1774.
There are two elements of this text that I would like to bring to the forefront. The first is the concluding stanza, where the primary Trinitarian message is contained. It says that though the names come in three parts, they are in essence one element, an "undivided God" that we worship and adore on bended knee, embracing the holy mystery of the Trinity.
The second doesn't necessarily relate to the Trinity itself, but rather to the entire field and future of church music. The conclusion of stanza three states, "And from morn to set of sun, through the church the song goes on." This is a message that I hold very close to my heart, and it gives me hope and motivation to ensure that the words and music of the church will be everlasting and never ending.
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty (Communion Hymn- 9:00 AM)
Unlike the rest of our hymns today, "Holy, Holy, Holy" was specifically written by Reginald Heber for Trinity Sunday. The three "holy"s are a direct reference to the mass ordinary text Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, (which we sing every week during the Communion liturgy). They also reference Isaiah 6: 1-5, where the six-winged seraphim approach and proclaim the first lines of the Sanctus.
About fifty years after its composition, John Dykes wrote the tune now exclusively used for this hymn. It was named NICAEA, after the famed Council of Nicaea in the year 325, which was an ecumenical gathering of Christians arranged by Roman Emperor Constantine I. In addition to coming to a consensus on the Holy Trinity, they also established the first portion of what became to be known as the Nicene Creed, and set the formula for determining the date of Easter.
Mothering God, You Gave Me Birth (Communion Hymn- 9:00 AM)
This is one of the few hymns, especially in mainstream hymnals, that places the Holy Trinity in a female context. These beautiful words by Carolyn Jennings add credence that many of God's acts are in fact motherly in nature. In stanza one, God gives birth to us. In stanza two, Christ gives us his body and blood in the form of bread and wine, nourishing and sustaining us. Finally in stanza three, the Holy spirit holds us close and watches over us that we may grow into a God-loving people. All of these acts are things that a mother would do for their child.
Rise, O Church, Like Christ Arisen (Communion Hymn- 9:00 AM)
This post-Communion themed hymn is kind of in two part theologically. Composed in 1997 by a pair of Twin Cities-based church musicians, the bulk of the hymn consists of being sent out into the world after Communion, where "service (will be) our true vocation." At the conclusion of the hymn, separated by a pair of alleluias, is a Trinitarian statement spread across the first three verses. God is represented as "the wonder of our days," Christ is "our present, past, and goal," and the Spirit is the "grace by whom we live."
Through all of our music today, we see that the Holy Trinity is something that has life and vibrancy. God himself gave birth to life, Jesus was in fact alive, and Holy Spirit is portrayed a moving, living entity, going through the wind, water, and fire. The concluding line of this hymn contributes to this idea of life, with the phrase, "Rise, O church, a living faith."
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Le Mystère de la Sainte Trinité- Olivier Messiaen (Prelude- 9:00 AM)
This piece by Messiaen translates as "The Mystery of the Holy Trinity" and comes from a larger set of pieces titled Les corps Glorieux (The Glorious Bodies). The piece has three voices (naturally), and each voice repeats its own melody three times (again, naturally). Since each phrase is a different length, they overlap with each other and start and stop at different times. For the record, the lowest voice in the pedals represents God, the middle voice (also the most prominent) represents Jesus, and the top voice (the fastest and most agile), represents the Holy Spirit.
Toccata on GROSSER GOTT- Flor Peeters (Postlude- 9:00 AM)
GROSSER GOTT is the German name of the tune that is now associated with the hymn "Holy God, We Praise Your Name." As is typical with many toccatas based on hymn tunes, the tune itself is presented in the pedal while the hands play rapid figurations over the top. In this case, the figuration is sixteenth notes, with the right hand playing the first, second, and fourth chord while the left hand plays the third as a chromatic chord, adding color and brilliance to the texture.
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