Trinity in the Creed

OBJECTIVE

In this module we will be using the Creed to highlight important faith concepts. One of the main authors of the Creed was Saint Athanasius, the twentieth Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church. It was written to specifically address any questions about our faith.

In the first lesson, we will discuss the titles of God the Trinity as mentioned in the Creed. We will be defining the Father as the Creator, the Son as the Logos, and the Holy Spirit as the Life-Giver. The children will begin to understand the attributes of the Holy Trinity as Three in One God.

INTRODUCTION & HOOK - 5 Minutes

Ask the fourth graders: "Has anyone ever looked closely at a fire? Fireplace? Bonfire? Or even at a candle? What do you observe about the fire? What attributes do all fires have, no matter its size or location?"

Encourage the students to answer, giving lots of positive feedback. Some answers could include: light, heat, colors or shape of the flame

Direct the children to think about how one fire can have all these attributes at the same time. The same attributes can be compared with the Holy Trinity: Three in One.

Today we'll discuss the Holy Trinity in the Creed. The Creed is a beautiful prayer that explains what we believe as Orthdodox Christians.

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 5 Minutes

Memory Verse: "For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one." 1 John 5:7

Have the children read the Creed together in one voice. Before you begin, direct them to pay attention to the Names that we use for God.

We believe in one God, God the Father the Pantocrator who created heaven and earth, and all things seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten not created, of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were made;

Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy spirit and the Virgin Mary and became Man. And He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried. And on the third day He rose from the dead, according to the scriptures, ascended to the heavens; He sits at the right hand of his Father, and He is coming again in His glory to judge the living and the dead, Whose kingdom shall have no end.

Yes, we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giver, Who proceeds from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets.

And in one holy, catholic and apostolic church. We confess one baptism for the remission of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the coming age. Amen.

CONTENT (KEY POINTS) - 20 Minutes

Ask the fourth graders to list the names of our God that they found in the Creed. Write the names on the board or a poster, so that they can observe them all in one place.

Remind the students how we observed multiple elements about fire, God reveals Himself to us as a Triune God, meaning three Persons in one God.

"It is essential to believe in the Living Rational Being, of a simple, single, eternal essence. The three Persons are eternally inseparable and none of them ever existed without the others. They are like fire that has a flame and emits light and heat at the same time. Thus we understand that the Oneness of God is not partitionable into a trinity, instead all three Persons of the Trinity unite without a loss in Each's identity." St. Dionysius of Alexandria

The first Person of the Holy Trinity in the Creed is God the Father. He is described as the Pantocrator, which means He sustains all things at all times. In other words, things "work" because God makes them work. . He is the Creator of Heaven and Earth and all things visible and invisible. A visible thing is something we can see, like the sky, trees, oceans, our bodies etc. An invisible thing is something we cannot see, like the angels or our human souls.

God the Father is omniscient, meaning all knowing, omnipresent, meaning He is everywhere at all times, and omnipotent, meaning all powerful. He is the Lord of the universe, because He is the Creator of the universe.

The next Person of the Holy Trinity in the Creed is God the Son. He is our Lord Jesus Christ, who is begotten of the Father before all ages. We call our Lord the Logos, meaning the Word of God.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it." John 1: 1-5.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is "by Whom all things were made" and the Logos. God spoke and it was made. For example, on the first day of creation, "God said let there be light; and there was light" (Genesis 1:3). The Word that God the Father spoke was God the Son and through Him everything was made. It's impossible to separate them, but we can attribute certain characteristics to each Person.

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

The last Person of the Holy Trinity in the Creed is God the Holy Spirit. He is the Life-Giver, the Comforter, the Paraclete, and the Helper.

"But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me" (John 15:26).

"O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of truth who is present in all places and fills all, the treasury of good things and the Life-Giver, graciously come, and dwell in us and purify us from all defilement, O Good One, and save our souls" (The Agpeya -- Third Hour).

Looking at the story of creation again, we can see God the Holy Spirit very clearly two times. In Genesis 1:2, "The Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the water." Also in the creation of Adam, "Then God formed man out of dust from the ground and breathed in his face the breath of life; and man became a living soul" (Genesis 2:7). How amazing is that What a beautiful gift that God has given each of us, the Holy Spirit, literally the Giver of Life. We also see God in Genesis 1:26ff where He created human beings with the words, "Let Us create man in our Image and according to our Likeness." Notice the plural. The Fathers teach us that when God created us, all the Divine Persons of the Holy Trinity were involved.

In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit would inspire and speak to the prophets to write the Scripture. In the Creed, it explains that the Holy Spirit was the One "Who spoke by the prophets".

However, in the New Testament, when the time was finally right for us to receive the Holy Spirit, He came and dwelt in us all the time Through Baptism and Chrismation, the Holy Spirit is sealed in our hearts. After the Resurrection, our Lord Jesus Christ told His disciples, "Receive the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22). See how much God loves us He has made His home in each of us, because He wishes for us to be One with Him, just as the Holy Trinity is One.

DISCUSSION (Challenge) - 5 Minutes

Show the icon of the Theophany to the fourth graders. Discuss how we see all three Persons of the Holy Trinity at the same time in this blessed event. We call the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ the Theophany, because it means "manifestation of God."

Some observations to draw out of the students could include:

• Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Jordan River (Mark 1:9)
• The Holy Spirit as the dove that flew down from Heaven (Mark 1:10)
• The light or lines that represent the Voice of God the Father saying, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Mark 1:11)

LIFE APPLICATION - 3 Minutes

Encourage the fourth graders to speak to God in all aspects of His Trinity in their prayers. We thank Him for His all knowing, all present, all powerful Being in our life. We thank Him for being the Creator of the universe, including ourselves and our families. We thank our Lord Jesus Christ for suffering on our behalf and opening the doors of Heaven for us. We thank the Holy Spirit for making a home inside our hearts and never leaving us. We ask Him to continue to fill us with His Presence and to guide us every day to follow His commandments.

Practice finding God in everything and at all times. For example, seeing Him in nature, talking to Him throughout the day, and knowing that He is with you in every part of the day. Encourage the children to brainstorm ideas that we can bring God with us throughout our daily life.

ACTIVITY - 10 Minutes

Option One: The History of the Pretzel

Around the year 610, a monk decided to make a treat for the children who memorized their prayers. He took extra bread scraps and tried to imitate the shape of their arms crossed across their bodies as they prayed. The shape he created had three spaces that seemed to him, a reminder of the Holy Trinity. He gave this treat the name pretiola, which became pretzel, which in Latin means "little reward."

Give each child one tub of play-dough to try to recreate the pretzel shape. Discuss how there are three spaces in the shape, but only one pretzel.

Option Two: Word Search

Print and distribute the word search from the attachments. Have the fourth graders take it home to review the memory verse during the week.

SERVANT RESOURCES

• Article on LACopts, An Introduction to the Orthodox Conception of the Holy Trinity, by Fr. Kyrillos Ibrahim
• Article on LACopts, How Can Three be One?, by Fr. Tadros Y. Malaty
• 3 in 1, by Joanne Marxhausen, 6 min video

PARENTS CORNER/HOMEWORK

Encourage your fourth graders to pray the Creed during their prayer routines this week. Focus on the three Persons of the Holy Trinity and how God is working in their lives. Offer praise or rewards for memorizing the Creed.

LESSON ATTACHMENTS