Dear Middletown Reformed Church Family and Friends,

The blessings of Pentecost be with you!

This Sunday we will celebrate the awe and mystery of the Trinity. Truly, the Trinity is a mystery and many Biblical scholars and theologians find this aspect of our faith hard to describe. But, the other day as I was skimming through one of my liturgy books I found a prayer-poem that I believe is a wondrous description of who the Trinity is for us. It’s called “I am Alpha and Omega.” I hope you find it as inspiring, comforting, and, at times, challenging as I did.

I am Alpha and Omega

I am Alpha.

I was here in the beginning; the beginning of all that is.

Before the world was, I was here, waiting, waiting for you.

Before there was sea, or crushing waves;

Before there was sky, or rushing clouds; 

Before there was land, or snow-covered mountains, 

I was here.

I was here in the beginning.

Before fish swam, or insects crawled;
before cockerels crowed, or lions roared;
before the singing of a million feathered life forms
greeted the rising sun, 

I was here.

I am Alpha.

I was here before man or woman came into being.

Before you built your homes;
before you worked the fields, or subdued the land;
before you discovered technology,
or sought to control the world through science,

I was here.

I was here in the beginning,
before you lived or loved;
before you talked or toiled;
before your worried weariness made you doubt my existence,

I was here waiting, waiting for you.

I am Alpha.

There is nothing I have not seen;
there is nowhere I have not been.

There is nothing I do not know, or have not experienced.

There is no situation that I have not encountered,
there is no emotion that I do not have;
no feeling that I cannot understand.

There is no joy too great; no laughter too loud;
no amusement that I cannot enjoy;
no caring touch I cannot feel.

I was here in the beginning.

There is no sorrow I cannot share;
no tears too deep; no pain too great;
no aching loneliness that I have not known;
no hatred or betrayal that I have not suffered.

Nothing is new to me.

Before the world began, I was here waiting,
waiting for you.

I am Alpha. Before the world was, I AM.

I am Omega.

I am the end.

The end of all that was; the end of all that will be.

I am the last, the final curtain.

When the world is no more and all is still,

I’ll be there waiting, waiting for you.

I am Omega,
when the sun no longer shines and the rain ceases;
when mists no longer gather, nor snowflakes fall;
when the wind stops its constant roaming
and rainbows are but a distant memory, 

I’ll be there.

When wheat no longer grows, nor kestrels dive;
when boats no longer sail, nor passengers arrive;
when your loud music ceases and all is hushed, 

I’ll be there waiting, waiting for you.

I am Omega.

When you have done your worst to destroy my world,
pulled down my trees and flattened my forests,
polluted my rivers and plundered the land,
altered the genes and confused the life cycles,

I’ll be there.

When you have exploded your bombs and fought your wars,
race against race; colour against colour;
when you have abused the young and ridiculed the old;
when you have ignored the poor
and disobeyed my teaching,

I’ll be there waiting, waiting for you.

I am Omega.

I am the end.

One day I will return and take you with me. 

You need not fear me, for I love you.

I created you in my image,
made you to live in my world,
to know its joys and its woes.

To work; to play; to love;
to win; to lose and to start again.

To live and breathe and know that I am your God
and that you are my people.

I am the end.

When evil is banished and all creation is at peace again
as it was in the beginning,

I’ll be there.

For I am Alpha and Omega.

The beginning and the end.

The first and the last.

And I am waiting, waiting for you.

— Gill Bailey in Summer: Liturgical resources for May, June and July including Eastertide and Pentecost by Ruth Burgess

Come, let us gather for worship this Trinity Sunday in person or on Facebook live to worship the Alpha and Omega. I am preaching from Proverbs 8.1-4, 22-31 and my sermon title is Wisdom’s Call. We have the added joy this Sunday of confirming Olivia Hertzog and welcoming her into full membership at MRC. Tom Martucci will lead us in our musical offerings, and we will gather around God’s table of grace to celebrate the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.

In gratitude for the privilege of being your pastor and the holy call of loving you,

Pastor Trish