Grades 4-5
Year B
Week 6
Oct 25 – The Trinity is the main mystery in Christianity
BCP 846, 849-850, 852-3, Matthew 3:13-17, Matthew 28:19
Special Note: The Holy Trinity is very difficult to explain. It is hard to grasp even when
explained well. In fact the Trinity is one of the best examples of what Mystery means. No
amount of explanation can fully explain it. No amount of understanding can fully grasp it. But
we work to understand all the same.
Setup: Trinity image printouts.
Welcome students warmly. Invite students to wear nametags.
Opening prayer –
Thank you Father for sending your Son who in turn revealed you and the Holy Spirit to us. Lord
we ask you send your Holy Spirit to us today to open our hearts and minds as we try to
understand the mystery that is the Trinity.
Opening conversation.
What are some things you really want to understand but don’t? Is it because those things are too
hard for you for now (how does lightening happen?) or because no one understands them (what
is going on with the opposite gender?)? Do you think you will understand this difficult thing
someday?
Game: Trinity Tag
Head to the parish hall. This tag game is set so any trio cannot be tagged out but any single or
pair can be tagged out. Pick a person to be it. Then invite the children to run around. When the
“it person” comes near they can form into trios by linking arms. When they are a trio they are
immune, but they can only stay a trio for 3 seconds, then they have to split up again. Anyone
tagged when they are in any configuration other than a trio is out and has to stand still. (Adjust
the game for more fun by having angel adults occasionally tag in the outs so they can keep
playing.)
Game reflection
What was the key element to the game? (3’s) What does the number three always remind
Christians of? (The Holy Trinity.) When we bless ourselves; when we baptize people; when we
pray in church; we often say; “in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Who are
these people we are praying in the name of?
Read: Matthew 28:19
Our church tells us to do what Jesus said here. Baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit. We are on good ground doing this, but why do we do this?
Read : Matthew 3:13-17
When Jesus was baptized, all three persons of the Trinity showed up. Jesus – in the water, The
Father – the voice from above and the Holy Spirit – the descending dove. Each person of the
Trinity is completely God and yet also distinctly themselves.
Lesson
Take a look at the illustration. (The Trinity Handout) On the black and white part of the handout
you see a classic formulation. This can be found going way, way back in Latin. It spells out who
is who and who is not who. Take a moment and figure out all the connections. Seeing all the
relationships involved gives another piece of the puzzle. But only a small piece. At least you can
see what we Christians believe is this relationship.
Look at the other side now. What you see here is an illustration of kind of their symbols and
roles. See what you can figure out about which represents who and why. The hand reaching
from heaven represents the Father. (Our Father who art in heaven) The multicolored clouds
represent heaven and its diverse awesome glory. The A and Ω are symbols in Greek and means
Alpha and Omega- the first and last letters of the alphabet. This tells us that God is the beginning
and the end. We use the symbols of Alpha and Omega for Jesus too.
Below to the left is the Chi Rho. It is a superimposed Capital X and P These are two other letters
in the Greek alphabet. They are the first two letters in the Greek name for Christ and so represent
a monogram. Kind of like if you have the first letter of your name stitched onto a shirt or towel
or put onto luggage. This has been used in Christian art since before 300AD. The X reminds us
of the Cross too. You can see this symbol and the A and Ω on the big white candle near the
baptismal – the Christ Candle.
Finally there is the Holy Spirit. The Dove has stood in for the Holy Spirit since that passage from
the book of Matthew. The dove is a moving thing, much more than a hand or 2 letters. This helps
us remember the Spirit goes where it wills and does what it wills, often with surprising results.
Behind everything is a green triangle, green representing life and the triangle reminding us that
the Holy Trinity is in fact 3 persons of One God.
More Lesson:
That is a lot! So what difference does this make?
We can remember that God created the universe (See Genesis 1) through Jesus (See John 1) and
the Holy Spirit is how God moves in us. The Father is the power, Jesus is the doer and The Spirit
is the movement. Still don’t have it? That is ok. It really is a mystery. But we keep trying to
explain it.
How about a joke? The Bishop came to Confirmation class and asked the kids if they could
explain the Trinity. Johnny immediately said; “Three in One, One in Three.” The Bishop said; “I
don’t understand.” Then Johnny replied: “You are not supposed to, it’s a mystery!”
Snack time: Regular snacks. Invite students to share further where and when they can extend
mercy to others.
Closing prayer:
Dear God, thank you for mysteries. Without them we might just think we could know it all. Bless
us as we continue to try to understand you and seek to be the kind of people you want us to be.