Welcome: –

Call to Worship: –

(from Psalm 139: 1,5,7,10,14,17,23 &24) 

Lord, you have examined me and you know me.  You know everything I do;

You are all around me on every side; you protect me with your power.

Where could I go to escape from you?  Where could I get away from your presence?

From way beyond the east or the farthest place in the west, you would be there to lead me, you would be there to help me.

I praise you because I am in awe of you, all you do is wonderful to me,

O God, how precious are your thoughts to me, how inexhaustible are their themes.

Examine me, O God, and know my mind; test me and discover my thoughts.

Find out if there is any evil in me and guide me in the everlasting way.

 The writer of Psalm 139 addresses God not with any abstract philosophical thoughts nor with any ‘dry’ theological definitions.  Their writings reflect their personal experiences of a life lived in obedience and in a close relationship with God.

  Everything about their life is known by God; there is nothing that they do or say or think which they can hide from God.  (Roger Van Harn & Brent Strawn in Psalms for Preaching and Worship p360)  But, this is not a matter of concern nor a source of dread, but, quite the opposite.  It is a source of comfort, that God knows them so intimately and completely, and, as such, can and does relate to them in such a way that God can and does offer to them the wisdom, the comfort and the peace of mind and soul for which they need when the time arises.

  One writer states that in this Psalm, “we have a view of the World with God at the centre and with no limits to His presence.”  (William Jordan in Religion in Song  Studies in the Psalter p230)  May we approach God in the same manner in our worship today, that there is nothing outside of the scope of God’s knowledge and influence, that God earnestly seeks to have an intimate relationship with each one of us, and that God seeks to guide each of us in His “everlasting way”.

Prayer of Praise   

(from An Australian Prayer Book p233, Prayers of the Seasons of God’s People Year B pp41 – 44, Invocations and Denedictions p63) 

Eternal God, you are all powerful compared to what we can see and hear in the World around us; you are unlimited compared to our feeble actions, you are infinite compared to our finite qualities.  Majestic God, you are aware of all things, you are ever-present and everywhere, while we are bound by our mortality and Humanity.  Everlasting God, you know all things and are unrestricted in your understanding, while we often fail to grasp the simple meaning in life’s happenings.  Holy God, you are all sufficient, yet you look upon us with love and compassion.  We offer to you our thanks and praise.

  We are blessed by you with all the good things of life.  We are blessed by the supreme gift of your only Son, offering unmerited salvation.  We are blessed by your Holy Spirit, living within us, empowering us to a life of fellowship.  We offer to you our thanks and praise.

  We are honoured to be called your children, honoured to be called to follow you, honoured to be called to a life of service for you, and honoured to have a share in the blessings that you so richly impart.  You call each of us by name and relate to each of us as individuals.  We offer to you our thanks and praise.

  You grant us your peace in this World of turmoil and unrest.  You grant us your peace when events appear to overwhelm us.  You grant us your peace when others oppose us and ridicule us.  We offer to you our thanks and praise.

  Almighty God, you call us to a life of holy living.  By granting us life and empowering us to love and to serve as you have loved and served us, may we bring praise to you and honour to your name by our words, by our thoughts, and by our actions.  To your glory we offer this prayer.  Amen. 

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing 2 songs:

‘Spirit of the living God’ –(Scripture in Song volume 2 number 303)

Spirit of the living God

fall afresh on me.

Spirit of the living God

fall afresh on me.

Melt me, mould me,

fill me, move me.

Spirit of the living God

fall afresh on me.

Daniel Iverson

‘Let there be love shared among us’  (Scripture in Song volume 2 number 322)

Verse 1 of 4

Let there be love shared among us,

let there be love in our eyes.

May now your love sweep this Nation.

Cause us, O Lord, to arise.

Give us a fresh understanding

of brotherly love that is real.

Let there be love shared among us. 

Let there be love.

Verse 2 of 4

Let there be peace shared among us,

let there be peace in our eyes.

May now your peace sweep this Nation.

Cause us, O Lord, to arise.

Give us a fresh understanding

of brotherly peace that is real.

Let there be peace shared among us. 

Let there be peace.

Verse 3 of 4

Let there be joy shared among us,

let there be joy in our eyes.

May now your joy sweep this Nation.

Cause us, O Lord, to arise.

Give us a fresh understanding

of brotherly joy that is real.

Let there be joy shared among us. 

Let there be joy.

Verse 4 of 4

Let there be hope shared among us,

let there be hope in our eyes.

May now your hope sweep this Nation.

Cause us, O Lord, to arise.

Give us a fresh understanding

of brotherly hope that is real.

Let there be hope shared among us. 

Let there be hope.

Dave Bilbrough

Prayer of Confession   

Merciful God, we compare ourselves with your holiness and your holy standards and find ourselves lacking. 

We think and act and speak in ways that you disapprove and ways that cause you distress. 

We think of our own comforts and pleasures more than we think of our worship of you and our service for you,

more than we think of respect for others and respect for ourselves.  We confess our sin and seek your forgiveness.

We are too ready to listen to gossip and to scandal,

more than our readiness to listen to your soft call to come and to sit beside you.  We confess our sin and seek your forgiveness.

We are too ready to put more value in the words of others or in what is written in daily newspapers and magazines,

more than we put our trust in your Holy Scriptures.  We confess our sin and seek your forgiveness.

We avoid commitment to your will, we are not ready to risk all for your sake, we see service as too costly in time and effort, forgetting that Jesus was willing at all times to meet with the lowest of lepers and to talk with the poorest of paupers. 

We forget that a life of service is a life of blessing as well.  We confess our sin and seek your forgiveness.

Merciful God, please make our ears attentive to your voice and our spirits eager to respond.

Help us to embrace your will and give us strength to follow your call in our lives.  To your glory we pray.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(from 1 Corinthians 6: 14) 

The Apostle Paul writes that God raised Jesus Christ from death to redeem the World, and that the same power also raises us.  Having confessed our sins to God, we can trust in God’s promise and in God’s power to forgive us and to cleanse us in His sight.

Thanks be to God.

Prayer of illumination 

Almighty, gracious Father, for as much as our whole salvation depends upon our true understanding of your holy Word, grant to all of us that our hearts, being freed from Worldly affairs, may hear and comprehend your holy Word with all diligence and faith, that we may rightly understand your gracious will, cherish it, and live by it with all earnestness, to your praise and honour, through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Bible Readings

Isaiah 53:

3  He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering.  Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we ignored him as if he were nothing.

4  But he endured the suffering that we should have borne.  All the while we thought that his suffering was punishment sent by God.  5  But because of our sins he was wounded, beaten because of the evil we did.  We are healed by the punishment he suffered, made whole by the blows he received.  6  All of us were like sheep that were lost, each of us going their own way.  But the LORD made the punishment fall on him, the punishment all of us deserved.

7  He was treated harshly, but endured it humbly; he never said a word.  Like a lamb about to be slaughtered, like a sheep about to be sheared, he never said a word.  8  He was arrested and sentenced and led off to die, and no one cared about his fate.  He was put to death for the sins of our people.

Revelation 5:

6  Then I saw a Lamb standing in the centre of the throne, surrounded by the four living creatures and the Elders.  The Lamb appeared to have been killed.  It had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God that have been sent through the whole Earth.  The Lamb went and took the scroll from the right hand of the One who sits on the throne.  8  As he did so, the four living creatures and the twenty-four Elders fell down before the Lamb.  Each had a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.  9  They sang a new song:

“You are worthy to take the scroll and to break open its seals.  For you were killed, and by your sacrificial death you bought for God people from every tribe, language, Nation, and Race.  10  You have made them a Kingdom of priests to serve our God, and they shall rule on Earth.”

11  Again I looked, and I heard angels, thousands and millions of them!  They stood around the throne, the four living creatures, and the Elders,  12  and sang in a loud voice:

“The Lamb who was killed is worthy to receive power, wealth, wisdom, and strength, honour, glory, and praise!”

13  And I heard every creature in Heaven, on Earth, in the world below, and in the Sea – all living beings in the Universe – and they were singing:

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, be praise and honour, glory and might, forever and ever!”

14  The four living creatures answered, “Amen!”.  And the Elders fell down and worshipped.

This is the Word of God.

Praise to you Almighty God.

John 1:

35  The next day John the Baptist was standing there again with two of his Disciples,  36  when he  saw Jesus walking by.

“There is the Lamb of God!” he said.  (Isaiah 53: 7) 

37  The two Disciples heard him say this and went with Jesus.  38  Jesus turned, saw them following him, and asked,

“What are you looking for?”

They answered,

“Where do you live, Rabbi?”  (This word in Hebrew means Teacher.)

39  “Come and see.” he answered.

(It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.)  So they went with him and saw where he lived, and spent the rest of that day with him.

40  One of them was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.  41  At once he found his brother, Simon, and told him,

“We have found the Messiah.”  (This word means Christ.)

42  Then he took Simon to Jesus.  Jesus looked at him and said,

“Your name is Simon, son of John, but you will be called Cephas.”  (This is the same as Peter, and means ‘rock’.)

43  The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee.  He found Philip and said to him,

“Come with me.”

44  (Philip was from Bethsaida, the town where Andrew and Peter lived)  45  Philip found Nathanael and told him,

“We have found the one whom Moses wrote about in the Book of the Law and whom the Prophets also wrote about.  He is Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”

46  “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathanael asked.

“Come and see.” answered Philip.

47  When Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, he said about him,

“Here is a real Israelite, there is nothing false about him.”

48  Nathanael asked him,

“How do you know me?”

Jesus answered,

“I saw you when you were under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

49  “Teacher,” answered Nathanael, “you are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!”  (Psalm 2: 7, Isaiah 42: 1) 

50  Jesus said,

“Do you believe just because I told you I saw you when you were under the fig tree?  You will see much greater things than this!”

51  And he said to them,

“I am telling you the truth: you will see Heaven open and God’s angels going up and coming down on the Son of Man.”

This is the Gospel of our Lord.

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the Hymn  ‘O Jesus I have promised’ (TiS 595  AHB514  MHB526)

John Ernest Bode

Sermon

 It had been many years since Robin Hood had gathered his Merry Men around him in Sherwood Forest to lead them in the quest for justice and an end to the oppression of the peasants.  He was getting old and weary, and knew that he had to quickly choose a successor who was worthy of inheriting his role as leader of his band of outlaws.  His search took him through all of the local villages, until he found a young man named Lincoln.

  Lincoln was proficient at bushcraft, was an expert bowman, and displayed excellent leadership skills.  Lincoln readily accepted Robin’s offer to take on the role of leading the “Merry Men”.  “You will inherit all of my goods and chattels, and my role as leader of the Merry Men,” said Robin, “but there is one test that you must pass so that I can be convinced that you can provide the food that the Merry Men require daily.  I want you to go and live in the forest, and, from what you can trap or hunt, provide my evening dinners.”

  Lincoln went to live in Sherwood Forest, and, from what he trapped and hunted, cooked the most delicious dinners that Robin had ever eaten.  Now, the Merry Men began to hear stories about these delicious dinners that Robin was eating, and asked themselves who it was who was cooking them.  So, the Merry Men appointed Friar Tuck to be the one to visit Robin Hood and to find the answer.

  Friar Tuck readily agreed and went to visit Robin Hood.  Being the person he was, he came straight to the point.  “Who is cooking these delicious dinners that you have been receiving?” asked Friar Tuck.  “Ahh,” Robin replied, “clearly you don’t have an heir, Friar.”

(adapted from Robin Hood’s Successor – https://upjoke.com/robin-hood-jokes)

  A Carl Wood once wrote:

“The person who knows ‘how’ will always have a job.  But the person who knows ‘why’ will be their boss.”  (Readers Digest  Quotable Quotes P100) 

  This makes sense wherever you go, because the person who can articulate the reason for or the purpose behind a course of action will be the effective and beloved leader of those whose role is to carry out that course of action.  In all of literature, both fact and fiction, we find examples of those who knew the “why’ being effective leaders, be it Robin Hood leading the Merry Men, or Robert Scott leading his small band of Polar Explorers in their tragic quest to be the first to reach the South Pole in 1912, or Sir Ernest Shackelton and the extraordinary tale of how he saved all of those who accompanied him on his failed expedition aboard the ship Endurance in 1917, or Captain Nemo and the crew aboard the vessel Nautilus in Jules Verne’s tale, Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, or James

Bigglesworth and his friends Algy, Bertie and Ginger in the series of books written by Capt. W E Jones. 

  The Apostle Paul, in his Letter to “God’s people in Philippi”  (Philippians 1: 1)  wrote:

“(Jesus), of his own free will, gave up all he had and took the nature of a servant.  He became like Man and appeared in Human likeness.  He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death – his death on the cross.”  (Philippians 2: 7 & 8) 

  Jesus knew the “why” of his incarnation.  Ralph Martin, writes:

“(Jesus) alone, as the obedient Son of his (Heavenly) Father, could choose death as his destiny, and he did so because of his love, a love which was directed both to his Father’s redeeming purpose and, equally, to the World into which he came.”  (Ralph Martin in Philippians  An Introduction and Commentary p102) 

  Jesus, because he had a clear understanding of the “why” of God’s plan for Humanity, was ideally placed to gather to himself those who were to continue his task of calling the World to repentance and of faithful service of God.

  A Dennis Peer once wrote:

“One measure of leadership is the calibre of people who choose to follow you.”  (Dennis Peer in Readers Digest  Quotable Quotes P101)  

  In the light of today’s reading from John’s gospel, we could ask ourselves the question,

‘What was the calibre of those individuals who Jesus called to be his Disciples, and who chose to follow him?’  What was it about them, what did Jesus see in their behaviour and character, that convinced Jesus that they warranted inclusion in the select group of people who would receive his special teaching, who would accompany him always, everywhere, and do everything that he did?

  John 1 gives us some details of the earliest days of the Ministry of Jesus.  We read that he was in the vicinity of a town called Bethany, situated on the east bank of the Jordan River in the vicinity of Jericho.  Bethany was the place where John the Baptist was baptising people and where, presumably, Jesus himself had been baptised just days before.  Note that this is not the Bethany in which Lazarus and Mary and Martha were living, for their village of the same name was located much further to the west, on the west side of the Jordan River and

approximately 5 kilometres from Jerusalem.  (Luke 19: 29) 

  John the Baptist was at Bethany with some of his Disciples, one of whom was Andrew.  John had pointed out Jesus to his Disciples and went into some detail when he described who and what Jesus represented.  John said of Jesus:

    that he was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the World,

    that he was greater than John,

    that it was John’s role to make him known to the people of Israel,

    that John had seen the Spirit of God descending upon him when john baptised him, empowering Jesus for God’s service,

   that he would be the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit, and

    that he is the Son of God.

  This is heavy stuff indeed, theologically speaking, but very significant for his listeners.  So much so that when John the Baptist again said similar things about Jesus to Andrew and to another unnamed Disciple, they both followed after Jesus.  (We can safely presume that this unnamed Disciple of John the Baptist was the Apostle John, in whose Gospel this account appears.)  We read that these two spent some time in discussion with Jesus, discussions that, conceivably, had nothing whatever to do with the latest fish harvest in the Sea of Galilee or with the price of melons in the local markets.  But discussions none-the-less that had such an impact upon Andrew that he quickly sought out his brother, Peter, and took him back so that he could also see Jesus, whom Andrew called, “the Messiah”  (John 1: 41)  .

  Now, remember, that this occurred in Bethany, situated near where the Jordan River entered the Dead Sea, about 15 km south-east of Jericho and approximately 150 km to the south of the villages bordering the northern part of the Sea of Galilee.  And, remember, from the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark and Luke, that it was near Capernaum, 150 km away to the north, where Jesus called Peter and Andrew, and James and John, to follow him and to be his Disciples.  Therefore, Andrew and Peter, and perhaps John, first saw Jesus at this point in time, but were not called to follow Jesus at this point in time.  But, from the words of John the Baptist, they gained an awareness of the specialness of Jesus and of the specialness of his Ministry on Earth, and expressed an eagerness to be involved and to learn more about him.

  These were the attributes that Jesus recognised in them:

    An eagerness to know about him,

    An eagerness to learn more about him,

    An eagerness to understand more about him and the Gospel that he brought.

  Can we understand then why it was that when they were later called to follow Jesus, they eagerly gave up fishing and the livelihood that it represented, to take on a life of Discipleship and to become fishers of people.  (Mark 1: 16 – 20)  And, surely, such eagerness is what Jesus seeks in our lives as well.

    Do we show such eagerness in our daily meditations?

    Do we express such eagerness in our worship of God?

    Do we share such eagerness in our discussions with others?

    Do we live out this eagerness in our daily lives?

  The next thing we read is that Jesus decides to travel the 150 km to Galilee.  And, we read that before he departs, he finds Philip.  The question can be asked, ‘Did Jesus actively seek out Philip to talk with him or did Jesus just happen to meet Philip while he was departing?’  Had they previously met and, like with Andrew, discussed things of God?  We read that Philip was from the town of Bethsaida, just to the east of the town of Capernaum.  Bethsaida was also the home town of Andrew and Peter.  (John 1: 44)  Does this indicate that Jesus had previously met these three people prior to his journeying to Bethany to be baptised?

  No clues to the answers to these questions were recorded.  What we do know though is that, upon finding Philip, Jesus commands him to, “Come with me.”; “leave all that you have, leave all that is precious to you and become my Disciple”.  (John 1: 43)  Philip obeys, and thus becomes the first Disciple of Jesus.  But what was it that Jesus saw in Philip?  What qualities did Philip show that Jesus found endearing?  Unfortunately, nothing is recorded.

  But, we read of the same eagerness as shown by Andrew, because the first thing that Philip does was to find his friend Nathanael, and say to him, ‘Oh, you’ve just got to come and meet this bloke called Jesus, he’s something special’, or, in his own words, “We have found the one whom Moses wrote about in the Book of the Law and whom the Prophets also wrote about.”  (John 1: 45)  How was it that Philip came to this understanding?  We don’t know, only that he had seen in Jesus the fulfilment of what he had read in God’s Word.

  And what do we know of Nathanael?  Not much.  One thing we do understand about him is that in the three other Gospels he is called Bartholomew.  We also find that he has this ‘prejudice’ about people from Nazareth.  When Philip says of Jesus that he was the son of Joseph from Nazareth, Nathanael’s reply was, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”  (John 1: 46)  This is like us saying, “Can anything good come from Woodridge or from Morayfield?”, places from which you would not expect anyone of any significance to come.  Nazareth seems to have been the birthplace of a number of extreme religious zealots, whose actions against the Roman army brought severe repercussions upon the local population, thereby earning criticism from, if not hatred by, the local population.  So, in this way we can understand Nathanael’s comment.  None-the-less he goes with Philip to see Jesus.

  It is the words of Jesus upon seeing Nathanael that give us an insight into the character of Nathanael.  Jesus said of him, “Here is a real Israelite, there is nothing false in him.”  (John 1: 47)  How are we to understand these words?  Firstly, we see that it is a quotation from Psalm 32:2, “Happy is the person whom the Lord does not accuse of doing wrong and who is free from deceit.”, meaning, that Nathanael’s character reflected the qualities of honesty and integrity.  Secondly, some Commentators suggest that this is a play on words.  Jacob was the father of 12 sons who became the forefathers of the 12 tribes of Israel.  Jacob was full of deceit and falsity, having cheated his twin brother Esau out of his birthright, stole their father’s blessing intended for Esau, and was accused by his uncle, Laban, of cheating his out of the best animals in his flocks and rushing them back to Canaan.  But upon his return to his home in Canaan we find that Jacob was a changed person, someone who had struggled with his nature and with his relationship with God and, consequently, found a renewed faith in God, so much so that God renamed him, Israel.  This is what Jesus may have found in Nathanael, a changed person, changed from his old ways with a renewed faith in his God.

  Surely this is what God seeks to see in people:

    Honesty and integrity in our behaviour,

    A renewed trust in their Creator God,

    A renewed faith in the God who offers to us salvation from our sins.

  And what does God see in our own lives?  Honesty and integrity?  A renewed faith?

  Nathanael quite rightly asks of Jesus, “How do you know this of me?”  And Jesus makes a strange reply, saying “I saw you when you were under the fig tree”.  (John 1: 48)  What does this mean?  What significance did this have for Nathanael and Philip?

  Firstly, we understand that while Nathanael had not been acquainted with Jesus prior to this meeting, Jesus had knowledge about Nathanael, knowledge that we understand was not gained from a direct observation of Nathanael, but which was divinely revealed to Jesus by God.  Secondly, we understand that the phrase “sitting under a fig tree” was a common expression describing someone studying the Law and the writings of the Prophets or someone being taught from the Law and the writings of the Prophets.  Jesus therefore had an understanding not just of where Nathanael may have been sitting, but of what Nathanael was reading.  It is against this background that we can understand Nathanael’s reaction to what Jesus had just said, for Nathanael says of Jesus, “you are the Son of God, and the King of Israel”  (John 1: 49)  .

  Here was a person who was familiar with the Old Testament writings, familiar with them to the extent that, when he sees Jesus, he immediately fitted things into place and could see that Jesus was the fulfilment of what he had been studying.  This was the second aspect about Nathanael that Jesus admired:

    A willingness to study Scripture,

    An understanding of the Gospel message,

    A clear insight into the application of God’s Word in the World.

    Do we apply ourselves to such a study of the Bible?

  Are we as diligent in our reading and thinking about God?

  Do we search for such insights from what we read? 

    The response by Nathanael also provides for us a link with what we have been looking at over the past two weeks regarding Jesus being the King of Israel.  This was the phrase used by the visitors from the East in their search for the infant Jesus.  This was the inference in the Words of God uttered at the baptism of Jesus, that he was God’s chosen King to lead his people, and which, too, brings to mind what was written by the Prophet Isaiah concerning God’s suffering servant.

  Right from the beginning of the Ministry of Jesus it was evident to anyone who listened to God through worship or through the study of his Word, that there was something special about Jesus and that, through him, God was going to do something special in the World, as the fulfilment of God’s secret plan, as Paul put it.  (Colossians 1: 25 – 27) 

   The final words of Jesus to Nathanael before they left on their journey back to Galilee were, “Ah, so you’re impressed with what you have just heard and seen, well that’s nothing, because you will see much greater things than this.”  And we understand that his statement was fulfilled in two ways, one seen almost immediately, and one understood only after the death and resurrection of Jesus. 

    In John 21 we read that Nathanael was from the town of Cana in Galilee, the very Cana that we read about in John 2, the very Cana in which Jesus performed the miracle of turning water into wine, something so impressive that John records it as an act that revealed the glory of Jesus and brought belief in Jesus by his Disciples, which would have included Nathanael.

    Jesus said to Nathanael, “You will see Heaven open and God’s angels going up and coming down on the Son of Man.”  This is an allusion to Jacob’s dream at Bethel of a ladder reaching from Earth to Heaven and of angels descending and ascending, as we read in Genesis 28.  It can be understood that Jesus is indicating to Nathanael the very passage that Nathanael had been reading while he was sitting under the fig tree.  But more importantly, Jesus is also telling Nathanael that he would be a witness to the great miracle of God’s gift of redemption to the World.  Jesus was indicating that he would become the intermediary between Heaven and Earth, the mediator to God on our behalf, the link by which the gulf between Heaven and Earth could be bridged.

    Here we have the Gospel message being revealed to Nathanael and to us.  Just as Nathanael would have taken these words of hope on his journey with Jesus, let us, too, take these words of hope and think upon them in our journey through life.  Let us celebrate what Jesus Christ has accomplished as God’s King on Earth and, in the same manner as did Nathanael, worship him as the Son of God.  And let us too, as with the Disciples, heed the call of Jesus to “come with me”, to leave all we are and have, so as to be a faithful follower.  Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the Hymn ‘I surrender all’

Judson W. Van DeVenter

Offering

Offering Prayer    

“For the life that you have given”  TiS774 

 [This YouTube clip is for another hymn so disregard the words – only the one verse is needed.]

For the life that you have given,

For the love in Christ made known,

With these fruits of time and labour,

With these gifts that are your own:

Here we offer, Lord, our praises;

Heart and mind and strength we bring;

Give us grace to love and serve you,

Living what we pray and sing.

Ralph Vaughan Williams

Prayers for Others 

Sovereign God, we look around us at a World full of distrust and hate, a World that separates people of different races and cultures and backgrounds.  We look at a World in which people use power and violence to abuse others or to gain an unfair advantage in the availability of basic needs and health and education and a means to earn a living. 

May your Church worldwide present the Gospel in such a way as to spread your message of love and generosity and bring light to the dark places in society.

God of compassion, we think of those we know who are ill or incapacitated. 

Please comfort and console them at this time of distress for them; please give strength and energy to those providing care for them, so that their recovery may proceed rapidly.

God of wisdom, we bring to you those in positions of authority and governance in our Nation. 

We pray that they will govern with wisdom and foresight, not with prejudice or ideological bigotry, that they will seek to serve and not to rule, that will have the welfare of people as their priority and not their own prosperity.

Caring God we remember those who have experienced disappointment or conflict in their lives,

may you bless them with your peace, may they find the strength and hope that they require to get them through this dark valley.

Loving God, we pray for those facing a great change in their lives, a change of address, a change of school, a turning point in their career or lifestyle, a need to leave home and all that is familiar and go into care. 

We pray for guidance when they are perplexed with choices.  We pray for support when it all seems so difficult.  We pray for clarity when decisions are to be made.  We pray for comfort when the unknown seems so hard.

We pray for the peoples of Iran, Iraq, and Syria.

  We are thankful for the resilience of the people who remain in their homelands even when they face constant threats and ongoing violence, for the relief and assistance that has been provided to so many, for those who have made a new home for refugees fleeing from these countries, and for those who have worked continually for peace, justice and reconciliation.

  We pray for an end to the violence racking these battlefields of global powers, for political leaders emerging in these countries who will pursue peace, the common good, and Human rights of all groups, for the International community to pursue policies that will result in acceptable, just peace for all involved, and for greater openness to welcoming those displaced or fleeing from these lands, desperately seeking safety and wellbeing.

Prayers

Litany for Iraq

For lasting peace in this ancient land –
from you, O Lord.For wisdom and compassion for all in authority –
from you, O Lord.For comfort of families separated or bereaved –
from you, O Lord.For the release of captives –
from you, O Lord.For safety and security for minority communities—
from you, O Lord.For refreshment for the weary and healing for the sick –
from you, O Lord.For continuing faithfulness of the ancient churches of this land –
from you, O Lord.For tenacity of spirit for small Christian groups –
from you, O Lord.For the mutual enrichment and support of those of different Christian traditions –
from you, O Lord.
You, Lord of all, we confess;
You, Lord Jesus, we glorify;
For you are the life of our bodies
And you are the Saviour of our souls.

The response in the litany and this hymn both come from the Chaldean liturgy. The ancient hymn celebrates Christ the source of resurrection in all situations of death and deprivation. (in: With All God’s People, p. 21 + 22)

Prayer of praise

Christ has been revealed among us.
He who is God is here seated.
The voice of peace has sounded.
The command for the Holy greeting has been given.
The church has become one soul.
The kiss has been given as a full bond.
The adversity has been removed,

and love has been spread among us all.

Now, O you ministers, raising your voice,
give praise in unison,
to the united Godhead
to whom the Seraphim give praise.

(From The Sacred Music and the Divine Liturgy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, sent by a member of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Iran)

Prayer of Lament

Our Father in Heaven, holy is your name—
may it be made holy again.
We cry out to you, standing in your presence,
and remembering your promises—
with your own words, Lord God, we declare it:
Syria is your people, Iraq your handiwork.
Yet our hearts have fainted.
We are oppressed.
We need to see your love and forgiveness.

How we need your comfort now—
we need to know your love more than ever.
How long, O Lord?
How long will you leave your people
in this state of weakness, this hole of wickedness?
How long will you leave the work of your hands,
and let the depravities of the evil one flourish?
How long must we be cut off from our loved ones?
How long will we be strangers among the living?
Have mercy on us, O God, have mercy.
Have mercy on your children’s children,
have mercy on those who declare your holy name.

Forgive us every sin, silence our sighing,
and bring the joy of your salvation to our mouths again.
Forgive our complicity with any oppression,
and our years of spiritual famine and faithless fear.
Forgive us, forgive our fathers and mothers,
forgive our friends and leaders, forgive our enemies.
Pour out your Spirit now, O Lord—as it is in heaven,
let your kingdom come.

Give us faith in place of faltering, fuel our hopes,
and let the earth see your glory made new.
Do what we cannot ask for or imagine,
and bring a real and lasting healing to our land.
Open the eyes of the blind, now,
and strike shame and repentance in the hearts of the guilty.
Heal the spirit of your churches,
and let your faithful ones be remembered aright.
Cause the name of Christ to be known,
and let his light bring morning to our night.

Be the same to us, O God, as you were
to the Israelites in the Exodus, and in the wilderness of Sinai.
So that gardens of peace would grow in these wastelands of war,
and that your name be lifted high.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
we pray this—
One God forever and ever praised.  Amen.

(by Naji Umran)

(https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/prayer-cycle/iran-iraq-syria)

We pray for Manaksha, the principal of Vadathorasalur Vocational Training Centre (VTC) in India, as he continues to work at creating long-term sustainability for the Centre, praying that the new initiatives and programs will successfully meet this objective.

We pray for the students of this Vocational Training Centre, that they will work hard to gain qualifications and to find sustainable livelihoods.

We pray for Natalie Smith and her staff in Papua New guinea as they work in often hard-to-reach communities, for the safety of the staff, and for that those affected by leprosy will find ready access to the support they need.

We give thanks for the new UN Special Rapporteur on leprosy Dr. Beatriz Miranda Galarza, as she advocates alongside people affected by leprosy to break down barriers to participation including isolation and violations of their human rights.

We pray for participants in the Improved Leprosy Services (ILS) project in Timor L’este that they will have regular access to treatment and the opportunity to learn appropriate self care to ensure the best possible health outcomes for themselves.

We pray for the wellbeing and safety of ILS staff who support the Timor L’este National Leprosy Control Program to work towards strengthening the health system in leprosy detection, diagnosis, and management.

We give thanks for the Integrated Mobilisation of People for Active Community Transformation (IMPACT) team in Nepal.  We pray that more people will have self-confidence, improved livelihoods, meaningful employment, and increased inclusion in their communities.

  (The%20Leprosy%20Mission%20January%202024%20Prayers.pdf)

We pray for Gospel outcomes and safety for the Teen Ranch Adventure Camp running in mid-January and for the group of young people from SRE/ CRI classes in the central west and New England regions of NSW who will attend, along with their school chaplains and SRE/CRI teachers.

We pray for the prayer retreats happening in Far North Qld on 15 to16 January, and our Reef and Beef Retreat on 15 to 17 January, that our Chappies are well rested as we press into God’s presence, preparing to head back to school.

We pray for more volunteer NSW SRE teachers to teach God’s word in the State’s Primary Schools, praying that every class will have a teacher this year and that no child who has been enrolled for SRE will miss out.

We pray for the NSW team of Chaplains and SRE Teachers as they meet up online to network and pray for God to guide them as they serve our 20 school communities in the year ahead.

(SU%20SEQ-Prayer-Guide-DEC23-FEB24.pdf)

We pray for those who plan to undertake Religious Instruction classes at Bald Hills State School in the new year.  Guide them in their preparation for the words to say and the approach to take with the children in their classes. 

We pray for Kylie Conomos, the Scripture Union Chaplain at Bald Hills State School, as she rests during these holidays before returning in the new school year to address the concerns and needs of children, parents and teachers at the school. We pray for those who we have not seen for some time and who are unable to attend worship. Please guide and comfort them in their particular circumstances.  May they be aware of your care for them as they meet what each new day brings.

Lord God, we bring these prayers to you, trusting in your lovingkindness.  To your glory we pray.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil,

For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,

Now and forever.  Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the Hymn ‘Jesus!  I am resting, resting’  (Alexander’s Hymns No. 3 number 164)

Verse 1 of 4

Jesus!  I am resting, resting in the joy of what you are,

I am finding out the greatness of your loving heart.

You have bid me gaze upon you, and your beauty fills my soul,

for, by your transforming power, you have made me whole.

Chorus

Jesus!  I am resting, resting in the joy of what you are,

I am finding out the greatness of your loving heart.

Verse 2 of 4

Oh, how great your loving kindness, vaster, broader than the sea,

Oh, how marvellous your goodness, lavished all on me.

Yes, I rest in you, beloved, know what wealth of grace is Thine,

know thy certainty of promise, and have made it mine.

Chorus

Jesus!  I am resting, resting in the joy of what you are,

I am finding out the greatness of your loving heart.

Verse 3 of 4

Simply trusting you, Lord Jesus, I behold you are you are,

and your love, so pure, so changeless, satisfies my heart,

satisfies its deepest longings, meets, supplies its every need,

compassing me round with blessings, you are love indeed.

Chorus

Jesus!  I am resting, resting in the joy of what you are,

I am finding out the greatness of your loving heart.

Verse 4 of 4

Ever lift your face upon me, as I work and wait for you,

resting ‘neath your smile, Lord Jesus, Earth’s dark shadows flee.

Brightness of my Father’s glory, Sunshine of my Father’s face,

keep me ever trusting, resting, fill me with your grace.

Chorus

Jesus!  I am resting, resting in the joy of what you are,

I am finding out the greatness of your loving heart.

Jean Pigott

Benediction   

Let us go into the World with the knowledge that we are supported by God’s presence, guided by His counsel, and empowered by his Spirit.

And may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, rest upon you and remain with you always.  Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the Benediction Song

“By gracious powers so wonderfully sheltered”  TiS617

[This hymn is sung to the tune Finlandia

[This YouTube clip is for another hymn, but is used here for the tune]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ciP1_jkPGw&ab_channel=AndrewRemillard

Verse 1 of 1

By gracious powers so wonderfully sheltered,

and confidently waiting come what may,

we know that God is with us night and morning

and never fails to greet us each new day.

We shall remember, all the days we live through,

all of our life before our God we lay.

Dietrich Bonhoffer

Translated by Frederick Pratt Green  (adapted)