Crowned with Glory and Honor

Note to the Teacher

This lesson provides an opportunity for students to see their faith as something to celebrate. Consider decorating the meeting space as you would for a birthday party, with streamers, balloons, and banners. If allergies/food preferences permit, consider providing a birthday cake or cupcakes to underscore the importance of the celebration of Pentecost.

1. Ice Breaker: The Triple Crown (10 minutes)

Option 1: Low Tech

Give each student three 12-inch pieces of narrow white rope and three markers – red, blue, and purple. Ask students to add some color to each rope, one color per rope. Explain that for this exercise, the rope with purple represents God, the blue rope is Jesus, and the red rope is the Holy Spirit. Then, pinning or tying one end, have students braid their ropes (some youth may require help if they don’t know how to braid), and pinning or tying the other end when the braid is complete. Ask youth to share as they are comfortable, including their name, which color is the most visible in their braid, and one way they have experienced God in the past week.

Option 2: High Tech

Ask students if they’ve seen “The Shack,” a 2017 film in which the character Mack Phillips faces a faith crisis after suffering a family tragedy. Volunteers can share what they recall about the movie and then play the 2.5-minute “Meeting the Trinity” clip twice so students have the opportunity to grasp the names and conversation.

2. Read Scripture (5 minutes)

Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31; Psalm 8, Romans 5:1-5 CEB

Explain that Trinity Sunday is a Christian feast day that celebrates our experience of God in three distinct ways – God as the creator and parent figure who loves us unconditionally; Jesus, the son who is our redeemer and human example of how to live; and the Holy Spirit, represented by the wind and flame in last week’s lesson, which nudges us into passionate action in God’s world. When you share the scripture aloud, ask students to consider which part of the Trinity might be represented in each passage. Perhaps “wisdom” in Proverbs 8 indicates the Holy Spirit. In Psalm 8, is David praising God as the creator? Romans 5 underscores the role of Jesus in our faith journey.

3. Discussion (15 minutes)

The prefix “tri” means three and comes from the Latin word trias. Instruct the group to make a list, on a large piece of butcher paper hung in the room, of at least ten everyday items that start with “tri.” The list may include trident, triangle, trigonometry, trillion, triple, tricycle, triceps, triathlon, tripod, trilogy, trilingual, etc. Remind students that the word Trinity encompasses three ways we experience God, even though the word does not appear in the Bible. The concept of the Trinity became accepted through the First Council of Nicaea in 325 C.E. as a way for us to better understand God through scripture.

Ask, and allow time for thought and conversation, questions that may not have clear answers:

• How is it possible for three separate living things to all be one?
• Are God the Father or parent figure, God as Jesus the Son, and God as the Holy Spirit equal parts of the Trinity? Why or why not?
• What is the most important function of each of the three facets?
• If God is love, how is that expressed through the Trinity?
• Which aspect of the Trinity should I address when I pray?
• If we believe in the Trinity, are we really saying we believe in more than one God or in one God with more than one face?
• How can this concept help you understand your life or help you live a more loving life?

4. Activity and Discussion (20 minutes)

Divide the group into two relatively equal teams. Give each team a Bible or a copy of Psalm 8 CEB, a roll of aluminum foil, and a marker. Explain that today’s scripture explores the Trinity as God “crowned with glory and honor.” Each team will create an aluminum foil crown, and on each of the crown’s points (typically called spikes or valleys), write an attribute of God from Psalm 8. As youth read the passage, they may identify words like Lord, ruler, glorious, worthy of praise, caring, creator, honorable, powerful, etc. Conclude in a circle, with each team explaining the words it selected and why. Close with a prayer of Thanksgiving for the concept of the Trinity, which allows each of us to experience God in different and meaningful ways.

NEEDED RESOURCES

• Narrow white rope, three feet per person
• Red, blue, and purple markers, one for each person
• Laptop and screen or smartphone to play a video clip from “The Shack”
• Butcher paper
• Tape
• Bibles, or copies of today’s scripture CEB
• Aluminum foil