Welcome

Call to Worship    

  Leslie Weatherhead wrote in his book, “That Immortal Sea”:

“The news I have for you is about the suffering love of God.  That is why we hang a cross above the pulpit, so that Sunday after Sunday, however badly we may preach and whatever you may take in from what is spoken and read and sung, you cannot fail to see that the cross is a symbol of the greatest energy the Universe knows: This divine love that suffers, but never bullies; which knocks, but never burgles; which waits, but never breaks down our resistance; and goes on loving and goes on loving, until, frankly, there is nothing else you can do but surrender to it.  It is overwhelming, never tiring, and utterly convincing.

  Such surrender of the soul does not come at once, but the sooner the better, for it must come some day.  The World was made for God, and, in the end, only His purposes will be fulfilled.  Hold our heads as high as we may, they will be bowed before Him at last, for that love will conquer all hearts, banish evil and end all tyrants.”

(from Leslie Weatherhead in That Immortal Sea p191 & 192)

  So, let us come before God, with surrendered souls, with heads bowed in worship of our Lord, thankful for His everlasting love for us, and praising him for His glory and majesty.

Prayer of Praise  

(Psalm 119: 137, 138, 139 -144) 

You are righteous, LORD, and your laws are just.

The rules that you have given are completely fair and right.

How certain your promise is!  How I love it!

I am unimportant and despised, but I do not neglect your teachings.

Your righteousness will last forever,

And your law is always true.

I am filled with trouble and anxiety,

But your commandments bring me joy.

Your instructions are always just;

Give understanding to me and I shall live.  Amen.

We sing two songs: The first is “I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart”  Scripture in Song vol 1 number 139

Leona Von Brethorst

The second song is:“Father I adore you’  Scripture in Song volume 1 number 174

Terrye Coelho

Prayer of illumination 

(from Uniting in Worship Book 1 number 13 & 14 p599) 

  Prepare our hearts, O Lord, to be guided by your Word and the Holy Spirit, that in your light we may perceive your mercy and grace, that in your truth we may find freedom, and that in your will we may discover peace, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Bible Readings

Jeremiah 31:

31  The LORD says:

“The time is coming when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.  32  It will not be like the old covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt.  Although I was like a husband to them, they did not keep that covenant.

33  The new covenant that I will make with the people of Israel will be this: I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts.  I will be their God, and they will be my people.  34  none of them will have to teach anyone to know the LORD, because all will know me, from the least to the greatest.  I will forgive their sins and I will no longer remember their wrongs.  I, the LORD, have spoken.”

Hebrews 10:

12  Christ offered one sacrifice for sins, an offering that is effective forever, and then he sat down at the right side of God.  13  There he now waits until God puts his enemies as a footstool under his feet.  14  With one sacrifice, then, he has made perfect forever those who are purified from sin.

15  And the Holy Spirit also gives us his witness.  First he says,

16  “This is the covenant that I will make with them in the days to come, says the LORD:

‘I will put my laws in their hearts and write them on their minds.’”  (Jeremiah 31: 33) 

17  And then he says:

“I will not remember their sins and evil deeds any longer.”

18  So, when these have been forgiven, an offering to take away sins is no longer needed.

[Today’s English Version]

This is the Word of God.

Praise to you Almighty God.

Luke 19:

1  Jesus went on into Jericho and was passing through.  2  There was a chief tax collector there named Zacchaeus, who was rich.  3  He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was a little man and could not see Jesus because of the crowd.  4  So he ran ahead of the crowd and climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus, who was going to pass that way.

5  When Jesus came to that place, he looked up and said to Zacchaeus,

“Hurry down, Zacchaeus, because I must stay in your house today.”

6  Zacchaeus hurried down and welcomed him with joy.  All the people who saw it started grumbling,

“This man has gone to the home of a sinner!”

8  Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord,

“Listen, sir!  I will give half my belongings to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will them pay back four times as much.”

9  Jesus said to him,

“Salvation has come to this house today, for this man, also, is a descendant of Abraham.  10  The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

[Revised Standard Version, Today’s English Version, New English Bible]

This is the Gospel of our Lord.

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

Passing the Peace

We are one in fellowship and in worship of our God, whether we gather together in the Church building on Sunday morning or whether we worship in the ‘digital sphere’.  It is important that we recognise that, together, we remain one in Christ Jesus.  With that thought, let us uplift our hands and greet those both here and in their homes: May the peace of God be with you all.

And also with you.

For the Young and the Young at Heart

Screen 1

Marienkirche (St. Mary’s Church) in Prenzlau, Brandenburg, Germany,

  In June 2019, Kerry and I visited the town of Prenzlau in northeast Germany.  In Prenzlau is this magnificent church, Marienkirche, or St. Mary’s Church.  It is a Lutheran church.  This photograph shows the southern view of the church, with its twin towers.

Screen 2

  This is a view of the eastern facade of the church.

Screen 3

Memorial to Martin Luther

This is a close up of the memorial to Martin Luther, erected in 1903.  Below are details about the church obtained from websites.

Screen 4

View of St Mary’s church from Ropersdorf approx. 5km to the southwest

  On one of our drives to visit towns and villages in the vicinity of Prenzlau, we were returning along a road to the southwest of the town, and came upon this view of the church, which you can see in the middle of the photograph.  What surprised us was that it was clearly visible from such a long distance away.

Screen 5

“In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in Heaven.”  Matthew 5: 16 

  People travelling along roads around Prenzlau, or working in their fields, would have seen the church and perhaps have heard the bells being rung.  The church would have been a visible witness to the worship of God and the preaching of the Gospel in and around Prenzlau.

  Matthew, in his Gospel, records Jesus telling a crowd who had gathered to hear him, that they were to be something similar.  “You are like light for the whole World.”, he said.  “Your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in Heaven.”  (Matthew 5: 14 & 16) 

  How have we taken up this challenge to be a “light for the World”?  Have we accepted this responsibility to be a visible witness to the work of God in our lives, such that people can see the love and grace of God in the “good things” that we do and say?  Take care that we do not neglect our role to live our life as a light, in such a way that people are led to give praise to God because of what they see in us.

We sing the Hymn: Glory be to God on high”  Wesley’s hymns  number 257

[This hymn is sung to the tune Monkland.  The music video is for another hymn but is used here for the tune]

Verse 1 of 6

Glory be to God on high,

God whose glory fills the sky;

Peace on Earth to we forgiv’n

We the well belov’d of Heaven

Verse 2 of 6

Sovereign Father, Heavenly King,

You we now presume to sing;

Glad, your attributes confess,

Glorious all and numberless.

Verse 3 of 6

Hail, by all your works adored!

Hail, the everlasting Lord!

Upon you our thanks we shower,

God of love and God of power.

Verse 4 of 6

Christ our Lord, our freedom won,

Christ, the Father’s only Son;

Lamb of God for sinners slain,

Suffered on the cross in pain.

Verse 5 of 6

Bow your ear, for this we plead

Listen, in our time of need;

Jesus, in your name we pray

Take, O take our sins away.

Verse 6 of 6

Powerful advocate with God

Justify us with your blood;

Life for us you guarantee,

One supreme, Eternal Three.

Charles Wesley  (adapted)

Sermon

Screen 1

https://www.istockphoto.com/en/photo/cash-in- envelop-gm598792724-102730415?

There is the story about the Taxation Department receiving an envelope in which was found a quantity of money and the following note:

 “To whom it may concern, my conscience bothered me, so here is the $175.00 which I owe in back taxes.”

  There was a P.S. at the bottom of the note, which read:

 “If my conscience still bothers me, I will send you the rest.”  (Michael Green {ed} in 1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching p79 No. 24) 

  But what if it were the other way around?  What would be your reaction if it was the ‘tax-man’ who was seeking to intentionally cheat you?

  Luke, alone among the Gospel writers, records the occasion of Jesus meeting Zacchaeus.  Jesus was passing through Jericho on his was to Jerusalem  (Luke 19: 1)  .

Screen 2

Jesus was passing through Jericho on his was to Jerusalem  Luke 19: 1

Now Jericho was a moderately sized town located in the fertile valley watered by the Jordan River.  It was a prosperous town because it was near a major crossing of the Jordan River, and, therefore, a centre of trade with Samaria to the north and with the lands to the east of the Jordan River.  It is to be expected then that the Romans would want to exploit this trade and seek to collect customs and excise fees from the goods being exported and imported and from the general trade in the market places of Jericho and the surrounding countryside.  And into the picture steps Zacchaeus.

  Now, what do we know about Zacchaeus? 

Screen 3

“There was a chief tax collector there named Zacchaeus.”  Luke 19: 2 

https://pixabay.com/illustrations/shakedown- -tax-money-1340048/

Firstly, Zacchaeus wasn’t just any tax collector, he was the Chief Tax Collector of Jericho  (Luke 19: 2)  , responsible for the collection of all of the taxes and tributes demanded by the Romans, and for passing them onto the Romans.  Writers tell us that the Romans didn’t collect the taxes themselves.  They farmed out the task to someone of the local population who could guarantee that the taxes would be paid on time.  The Greek word translated as ‘tax collector’, telones  (Strong’s NT5057)  , can be translated as “tax farmer”.  These people weren’t paid a salary to collect the taxes.  Instead they had the power to add on a percentage to what was to be collected or to add on a collection fee.  How much they collected in addition to what the Romans wanted was up to them.  In the case of Zacchaeus, since he may have employed several subordinate tax collectors, he would have charged considerably more from the traders.  This seems to have been the case since we are also told that Zacchaeus was rich.  The Greek word used, plousios  (Strong’s NT4145)  actually reads “abounding in wealth”.  Tax collecting seems to have been a profitable occupation.  Yet, it also meant that the tax collector was also seen as a social outcast by the average Jew, for, in the eyes of the locals, they were not just collecting taxes for the hated Roman overlords, they were also “fleecing their own people for their personal gain”.  (Lions Handbook p614) 

  Next, we are told that Zacchaeus was a little man, small in stature  (mikroteros – Strong’s NT3398).  One writer understands this to mean that he was less than 5 foot in height.  Does this mean that he was subject to ridicule or discrimination due to his small size?  Was this the motivation for becoming Chief Tax Collector, so as to get back at all of those people who had laughed at him in the past, so as to gain power and privilege and wealth at the expense of all of those who thought that they were so much better than he was?

  It must have been big news for the whole community when it was known that Jesus was coming into town, for a large crowd had gathered along the route that he was to take.  Being a small person, it was obviously impossible for Zacchaeus to look over the heads of the crowd or through the crowd.  And it can be assumed that the crowd, on recognising that it was Zacchaeus, would not have allowed him to squeeze his way to the front.  The crowd, intentionally or otherwise, was blocking his vision.  So, Zacchaeus did the next best thing and climbed a nearby tree.

Screen 4

“So he ran ahead of the crowd and climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus”  Luke 19: 4

The Sycamore tree of the Middle East has numerous branches low enough to the ground for Zacchaeus to climb and high enough off the ground for him to find a good vantage point.

  But why was it that Zacchaeus was trying to see Jesus?  Was it just to see who he was, to see what he looked like?  Or had he heard of his friendly attitude towards tax collectors?  Jesus had been known to talk with and to eat with tax collectors.  This was an accusation made against Jesus, as we read in Luke 7: 34.  He had done so recently while he was in Galilee, as we read in Luke chapter 15: 1 & 2.  Jesus had done so when he called Matthew, himself a tax collector, to be a disciple, as we read in Luke chapter 5: 29.  Had Zacchaeus remembered the advice given years before by John the Baptist to tax collectors, as we read in Luke chapter 3: 12, and that it was these tax collectors rather than the Pharisees who had obeyed the call of John the Baptist to repent and be baptised.  (Luke 7: 29 & 30)  Whatever was the reason, Zacchaeus had such an intense desire to see Jesus that he wasn’t going to let the hindrance of the crowd get in his way.  And did Zacchaeus have any idea what he would do if and when he did happen to see Jesus passing by? 

Screen 5

“Hurry down Zacchaeus, because I must stay in your house today.”  Luke 19: 5

We read that when Jesus came to where Zacchaeus was sitting in the tree, he stopped, looked up and called out to him saying , “Hurry down Zacchaeus, because I must stay in your house today.”  (Luke 19: 5)  How could this have taken place?  Could Jesus see Zacchaeus in the tree from afar off?  Had Jesus known of Zacchaeus from a previous visit to the Jericho?  Amidst the noise and movement of the people jostling as they stood on the side of the road and calling out greetings as Jesus passed, how was it possible that Jesus knew to stop underneath a particular tree and call out to a specific person partially hidden in the foliage?  But Jesus did.  And we can understand that Zacchaeus may have seen this as a sign that Jesus was truly sent by God, for only in this way could Jesus have known his name and to have known where he was located at that point in time in that particular place.

  We can hear these words of Jesus spoken not in some harsh condemnatory voice by which Jesus would have criticised the Pharisees, but in a soft soothing voice used in speaking with a friend and companion, a voice that was both authoritative and accepting.  And in seven words Jesus conveyed so much meaning.  Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “I must stay in your house today”.  (Luke 19: 5b)  Now, it was the custom to politely wait to be invited by someone to stay at their house for rest and refreshments, but, here was Jesus doing the complete opposite, telling the house-owner that he was going to stay at their house that very day.  Why was Jesus apparently being so impolite and socially offensive?  Surely Jesus would have realised that Zacchaeus needed prior notice of any such visit so that he had the time to make suitable preparations?  Surely Jesus would have known that his actions could have been seen by Zacchaeus as being rude and inconsiderate, so unlike the Jesus about whom Zacchaeus would have heard?  But, not in this case, as we can see from the response of Zacchaeus.

  There were two aspects to the way Zacchaeus responded to Jesus.  Firstly, he hurried down from his vantage point in the tree and welcomed Jesus with great joy.  (Luke 19: 6)  Here was Zacchaeus recognising and humbly accepting the God given authority of Jesus, something which many Pharisees and Teachers of the Law would and could not do.  They were the ones who had refused to heed the call of John the Baptist to repent and be baptised.  (Luke7: 30)  Here was Zacchaeus receiving the acceptance by God that he was so desperate to find, and responding by joyfully welcoming the friendship and fellowship that was being offered by Jesus, something which many Pharisees and Teachers of the Law would and could not do.

  At this point in the account, we see the crowd who had formed to greet this itinerant preacher from Galilee, responding so negatively to the compassion and acceptance that Jesus had just shown to Zacchaeus.  “All the people who saw (this taking place) started grumbling, “This man (Jesus) has gone as a guest to the home of a sinner.”  (Luke 19: 7) 

Screen 6

“This Jesus has gone as a guest to the home of a sinner.”  Luke 19: 7

Now, in some ways the people acted in a reasonable way, for they had good cause to complain.  Their criticism of Zacchaeus was justified and can be seen to be a righteous action.  The writer of Psalm 119 speaks in the same way.  “My anger burns in me like a fire,” they write, “because my enemies disregard your commands.”  (Psalm 119: 139)  Has not Zacchaeus behaved in exactly the same way, disregarding the commands of God with regard to treating people justly and fairly?  Why then, the crowd is saying, is Jesus treating Zacchaeus with God’s grace and not God’s condemnation?

  The Prophet Habakkuk writes of a time when “evil men get the better of the righteous, and so justice is perverted.”  (Habakkuk 1: 4b)  Surely it is as obvious to Jesus as it is to the crowd that Zacchaeus is just such an evil man, perverting justice and getting the better of those who earnestly seek to live a righteous life?  As such, Zacchaeus deserves God’s condemnation as did the people of whom Habakkuk wrote.  The Prophet Habakkuk records God’s answer, “Those who are evil will not survive.”  (Habakkuk 2: 4a)  Surely then, if Jesus is a Man of God, he would be initiating God’s punishment upon Zacchaeus and not offering God’s friendship and fellowship?  And so, we can identify with the confusion of the crowd regarding this response by Jesus.

  On the other hand, these two passages from Psalm 119 and from Habakkuk relate to unrepentant sinners, to recalcitrant people of Israel who fail to hear and to heed the voice of God.  We see the crowd responding to Jesus in exactly the same way as had the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law.  In Luke 16: 14 we read of some Pharisees making fun of Jesus because they disagreed with his teaching.  In Luke 15: 2 we read of some Pharisees and Teachers of the Law criticising Jesus saying “This man welcomes outcasts and even eats with them”.  In Luke 13: 14 we read of the official of the Synagogue criticising Jesus for healing a crippled woman on the Sabbath.  In Luke 11: 53 we read of some Pharisees and Teachers of the Law criticising Jesus bitterly.  And, so, throughout his ministry, Jesus was subject to such criticism and opposition.  As with the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law, what was it that the crowd in Jericho was failing to see?  What was it about the actions of Jesus that they were failing to recognise and understand?

  It is seen in the second aspect of the way Zacchaeus responded to Jesus.

  “Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ’Listen, sir!  I will give half my belongings to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will pay them back for times as much.’”  (Luke 19: 8)  Here, we hear Zacchaeus promising to make restitution for his sins, seemingly above and beyond what the Jewish Law required, according to Leviticus 6:  4 & 5 and Numbers 5: 7, although it is in line with what is required according to Exodus 22: 1 and 2 Samuel 12: 6.  (Craig Keener in Luke in The IVP Bible Background Commentary to the New Testament p241)  Such a radical response with regard to possessions is understood to be a sure sign of a newly acquired devotion to God.  (Craig Keener in Luke in The IVP Bible Background Commentary to the New Testament p241))  And, did not Zacchaeus’ resolve correspond exactly to the penitence shown by the tax collector in the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee as we read in Luke 18: 9 to 14?  (Howard Marshall in Luke in the New Bible Commentary p916)  And it is crucial to note that Zacchaeus makes this promise of restitution in response to receiving God’s grace, not as a request to receive God’s grace.  (Craig Keener in Luke in The IVP Bible Background Commentary to the New Testament p241) 

  The people in the crowd were expecting to see the Kingdom of God being brought about through social and political change.  What was being changed in front of them was not a human institution but a human heart.  Zacchaeus’ entry into the Kingdom of God is being described by Jesus in terms of his salvation, that is, in terms of spiritual matters.  Here was a person who was universally known as a sinner, but who has just experienced such a radical change of character.  Here was a lost soul who has repented and has received salvation.  The crowd should have realised two things.  Firstly, how powerful is God to be able to work such a miracle in the life of someone whom they had given up as lost.  Secondly, only when his heart has been changed first will there be a change in the way Zacchaeus lives his life, with the corresponding repercussions in the way he relates to others, socially and politically and religiously.  (Michael Wilcock in The Message of Luke p173) 

  Jesus justifies his actions by showing them the proof, the results, “Salvation has come to this house today.”, he states.  (Luke 19: 9a)  (Howard Marshall in Luke in the New Bible Commentary p916) 

Screen 7

“Salvation has come to this house today.”  Luke 19: 9a 

Jesus continues by gently rebuking the attitude of the crowd, for he adds, “for this man, also, is a descendant of Abraham.”  (Luke 19: 9b)  As Jews the crowd held to the notion that, by virtue of their being descendants of Abraham, salvation automatically belonged to them.  They also held the notion that the previous actions of Zacchaeus disqualified him from salvation and therefore any further consideration by God.  What Jesus was saying is that, Zacchaeus, as a Jew, was entitled to hear the Gospel as was any other Jew.  One person was no more nor no less valuable in God’s sight, so why should not God be concerned for them?  (Howard Marshall in Luke in the New Bible Commentary p916) 

  This should have been obvious to the crowd, for the Old Testament indicates that this has always been the way of God: repentance bring forgiveness which brings God’s acceptance and blessing.  God declares this to King Solomon, as is seen from what is recorded in 2 Chronicles 7: 14:

“If they pray to me and repent and turn away from the evil they have been doing, then I will hear them in Heaven, forgive their sins, and make their land prosperous again.”

  The Prophet Ezekiel records similar words of God:

“If an evil person stops sinning and keeps my Law, if they do what is right and good, they will not die, they will certainly live.  All their sins will be forgiven, and they will live, because they did what is right.”  (Ezekiel 18: 21 & 22) 

  Furthermore, Jesus is explaining that Zacchaeus was not simply a Jew, i.e. physically descended from Abraham.  Zacchaeus’ newly found faith shows him to be a true descendant of Abraham, that great man of faith.  (Lions Handbook p614)  The Apostle Paul takes up this notion firstly in his letter to the Church in Rome where he writes “And so the promise was based on faith, in order that the promise should be guaranteed as God’s free gift to all of Abraham’s descendants – not just to those who obey the Law, but also to those who believe as Abraham did.”  (Romans 4: 16)  Paul also talks of this in his letter to the Church in Galatia where he writes, “Consider the experience of Abraham; as the Scripture says, ‘He believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous.’  (Genesis 15: 6)  You should realize then that the real descendants of Abraham are the people who have faith.”  (Galatians 3: 6 & 7) 

  Finally, Jesus explains his actions by saying “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost”  (Luke 19: 10)  He said the same thing in his parables about the lost sheep and the lost coin and the lost son in Luke 15.  He said the same thing earlier in his ministry when he stated that he “had not come to call respectable people to repent, but outcasts”.  (Luke 5: 32)  Jesus was alluding to the words of the Prophet Ezekiel where God declares “I, the Sovereign Lord, tell you that I myself will look for my sheep and take care of them.”  (Ezekiel 34: 11)  And in doing so Jesus was passing judgement upon the Jewish leaders and teachers for they were the ones who had failed to faithfully lead the People of God and to seek to bring those who had lost their faith back to a right relationship with God.  (Craig Keener in Luke in The IVP Bible Background Commentary to the New Testament p241) 

  The Prophet Habakkuk wrote that “those who are righteous will live because they are faithful to God.”  (Habakkuk 2: 4b)  This is what we see in Zacchaeus.  His faith put him right with God and gave him life.  Where the crowd saw that this not being possible, God did.  God saw the potential for a change of heart in Zacchaeus which the crowd could not see and would not contemplate. 

  Was not this about which the Prophet Jeremiah wrote:

“The LORD says, ’I will put my Law within them and write it on their hearts.  I will be their God, and they will be my people. .. I will forgive their sins and I will no longer remember their wrongs.’”  (Jeremiah 31: 33 & 34) 

  The author of the Book of Hebrews refers to this passage from Jeremiah  (Hebrews 10: 16)  , and writes that reconciliation with God cannot be made or completed by any work or offering by us, “it has simply to be received by penitent faith as an already complete and available benefit of the finished work of Christ.”  (Alan Stibbs in Hebrews in the New Bible Commentary p1208) 

  The Apostle Paul made this clear to the Church in Rome when he wrote:

“We rejoice because of  what God has done through our Lord Jesus Christ, who has now made us God’s friend.”  (Romans 5: 11) 

  What does God see in us?  Does he see in us the possibility for reconciliation, the potential for change?  Are we open to the call of welcome from God for Him to come and share in our life?

  Do we go through life like the crowd, ready to judge others without first seeing them through God’s eyes?  Have we regarded others as beyond God’s saving grace, forgetting that we too have a task to seek to save those who are lost?

  Let us learn from Zacchaeus that God is able to work in the lives of those in whom we have given up all hope, that God’s power can change the hardest of human hearts where our own efforts have failed, and that it is God’s will to seek to save those who are lost, and not to condemn them or to give up on them as lost forever.  For that is the nature of the God in whom we have put our faith and hope, on whom we rely for our life, and who has demonstrated so clearly to us His steadfast love and mercy.  Amen.

Prayer of Confession 

(from Moira Laidlaw in Liturgies Online Pentecost 24C) 

Merciful God, you bring our lives in harmony with yours because of your righteousness and justice, your steadfast love, mercy and faithfulness.  Those are the qualities of your life which were clearly imprinted on Jesus’ heart, and which have been written on our hearts not in ink but with your Spirit.  We are to be living testimonies that the Spirit gives life – life in all its fullness.

We confess that while we readily accept the joy of living Spirit-filled lives, we all too often fail to live up to the challenges that this brings.

When we fail to translate the language of our hearts into one that includes all people:

Living God, forgive us and renew our lives with your Spirit.

When we alienate others by our judgmental and heartless attitudes:

Living God, forgive us and renew our lives with your Spirit.

When our witness fails to reveal a heartfelt desire to spread the good news of peace, love, justice and mercy to a World sorely in need of such news:

Living God, forgive us and renew our lives with your Spirit.

Living God, we come to you in penitence and faith, praying that your love – so clearly communicated by Jesus – will be rewritten on our hearts and revealed in our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(Hebrews 10: 12a) 

  The writer to the Hebrews states:

“Christ offered one sacrifice for sins that is effective forever.”

Hold onto these words of assurance, knowing that Christ’s sacrifice dealt with our sins as well.  Let us be confident that God has heard our prayers, that God has forgiven our sins, and that God has welcomed us into fellowship with Him.

Thanks be to God.

We sing the Hymn:  “Lift up your heads, you mighty gates”  MHB890  TiS267

[This hymn is sung to the tune Truro. The music video is for another hymn, but is used here for the tune]

Verse 1 of 4

Lift up your heads, you mighty gates,

Behold the King of glory waits!

The King of kings is drawing near,

The Saviour of the World is here.

Verse 2 of 4

The Lord is just, a helper tried,

With mercy ever at his side;

His Kingly crown is holiness,

His sceptre, pity in distress.

Verse 3 of 4

Lift up the gates; lift up your heart,

Make it a temple set apart

From Earthly use for Heaven’s employ,

Adorned with prayer and love and joy.

Verse 4 of 4

Redeemer come!  With me abide,

My heart to you I open wide.

Let me your inner presence feel,

Your grace and love in me reveal.

Georg Weissel

(translated by Catherine Winkworth)

Offering

Offering Prayer    

“For the life that you have given”  TiS774  

[This hymn is being sung to the tune Austria.]

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

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

Loving God, knowing your love for all of Humanity, especially your compassion for the needy, we come to you with our cares and our concerns.

We pray for the Church, that we may extend your love to all who are on the fringes of society, invite them to come and see Jesus, and find acceptance friendship in the Christian community.

We pray for the grace to risk all for Christ, that, like Zacchaeus, we may risk popularity and pride to connect with Christ in our lives.

We pray for the gift of joy, that we may rejoice as we experience Jesus with us on our life journey.

We pray for the ability to forgive, that we may show ourselves as your children through forgiving those who have wronged us and reaching out to them with concern and kindness.

We pray for the grace of conversion, that we may accept your generous love, return to the path of life and be renewed through your mercy.

We pray for a spirit of stewardship, that we may protect and care for all your Creation which you have made and which reflects your glory.

We pray for one another, that you will bring to fulfillment in us every good purpose and virtue that you have planted deep within us.

We pray for all who are burdened by fear and anxiety, that the Holy Spirit will free them, help them to recognize that you are with them, and fill their hearts with peace.

We pray for all who have lost their way in life, particularly for youth who have run away or who have entered the drug culture, that we may reach out to them and offer them a way home to you, to their families and to their true selves.

We pray for all who have grown wealthy through unjust means, that Christ may visit their hearts and show them opportunities for change and a new path to pursue.

We pray for all who are ill, that you will bring healing to all who are sick, renewal of hope to all who find life difficult and strength to all who serve their needs.

We pray for members of our Governments at all levels, that they may sincerely seek the truth and impartially evaluate it.

We pray for peace throughout the world, that you will protect all who are at risk because of warfare, gang activity, or violence on city streets.

Copyright © 2019. Joe Milner. All rights reserved.<br> Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use.  https://liturgy.slu.edu/31OrdC103022/ideas_other.html

We pray for the peoples of Canada and the United States.

We are thankful for the vast expanse of North America with its resources and varied landscapes; may they be preserved, enjoyed and used wisely; for those who were its original inhabitants – First Nations and Native Americans; for church-related organizations that strongly advocate for justice, and those that provide for new immigrants and refugees today, as well as for others who are poor and vulnerable, and for ecumenical and interfaith engagements which are occurring in many communities that previously were mainly white and Christian.

We pray for churches facing new challenges, that they may continue to witness boldly to the gospel in evolving multicultural, multireligious and secular contexts; for indigenous peoples in their long struggles for survival, land and rights; and for ongoing healing and reconciliation with those who have come after them; for new immigrants, that they will continue to be welcomed in these countries, and that policies will serve the common good, for effectively countering systemic greed that exploits communities and natural resources; and for Government leaders that they would advance justice, human rights, and peace for all within these countries and in the rest of the world.

Prayers

Breath of the Four Winds
Come from the four winds, O Breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. (Ezekiel 37:9)

Come from the South, O Breath, blow your life-giving promise of hope to our sisters in ponchos, Mothers of the Disappeared, political prisoners and exiles.  Come from the South and breathe justice that they may live.

Come from the North, O Breath, blow your Word, in Spirit and truth, to our brothers and sisters who have lost their languages in residential schools.  Come from the North and speak freely, so there may be healing.

Come from the East, O Breath, blow your message of peace to children in countries shattered by war and division.  Come from the East with morning’s promise of a new day.

Come from the West, O Breath, blow in the tongues of fire in the sky at the setting of the sun.  We are your church, kindled in your Spirit, fired in the mystery of your coming.  Come from the West and pray in us, Holy Spirit, our ending and our beginning.

  (Wendy MacLean, United Church of Canada) 

To wake from sleep into this day is gift enough for thanks.

To hear a child’s delight in laughter is gift enough for thanks.

To sip a glass of clean, cold water is gift enough for thanks.

To watch the sunset paint the sky is gift enough for thanks.

To share a moment with a friend is gift enough for thanks.

To smell the fragrance of moist soil is gift enough for thanks.

To feel the comfort of clean clothing is gift enough for thanks.

To form the words that make a prayer is gift enough for thanks.

(Keri K. Wehlander, also published in Wisdom Is Calling, comp. Geoffrey Duncan, Canterbury Press, UK, and United Church Publishing House, Etobicoke, Ont., Canada 1999,pp.126-27,142)

Prayer for life in freedom

God of all hope; hear our prayer.

When money becomes a prison: free us to choose life.

Where wealth turns into addiction: free us to choose life.

When income determines worth: free us to choose life.

Where poverty equals invisibility: free us to choose life.

When economies deepen injustice: free us to choose life.

Where greed invents new oppressions: free us to choose life.

when finance rules every decision: free us to choose life.

where consumption replaces compassion: free us to choose life.

(Keri K. Wehlander; used with permission)

Canada, United States of America | World Council of Churches (oikoumene.org)

We pray for The Leprosy Mission’s involvement with the Ethiopian National Association of Persons Affected by Leprosy (ENAPAL) ,as it has supported them and built capacity through various projects over years so that together they can improve the quality of life for people who have experienced leprosy in Ethiopia.  Please guide and empower the work of The Leprosy Mission Ethiopia as it aligns its efforts with the global TLM strategy of achieving zero transmission, zero leprosy-related disability, and zero discrimination due to leprosy.

We pray that your mercy and peace will be upon this amazingly beautiful but poor country, especially as ethnic conflict is becoming visible in new and unsettling ways, which is becoming a real obstacle for development work.  We pray that leprosy will be top of the agenda among key actors in Ethiopia, and may you open the eyes of the authorities so that they will prioritise leprosy as a national issue.

Leprosy Mission 2022 Prayer Diary.pdf

We pray for end-of-year activities in the Northern Territory schools as we approach Christmas, that they will be safely run and a time of celebration.  We praise you for a great year and for your blessings on all those who volunteered their time and skills to help deliver project and programs.

We praise you for the extra funding that has come through for a few schools in the Sunshine Coast Wide Bay region.

We pray that the government’s NSCP Chaplaincy funding will continue in 2023 and beyond.

  SU Prayer-Guide-October-2022-Brisbane.pdf 

    We ask that you bless the efforts of those leading Religious Instruction classes at Bald Hills State School, that the Holy Spirit is engaging with the children who attend the classes, opening hearts and minds with a clear message of your love for them.

  We pray for the Chaplain at Bald Hills State School, Kylie Conomos, that you are guiding her efforts to care for the children and teachers at the School, that you are encouraging her in her work and supporting her as she gives of herself to those whom she serves there.

    We pray for those whom we have not seen recently, who have been unable to join us in worship and fellowship.  May they experience your closeness with them in their own circumstances and situation.  May they experience your love and care for them.  Please protect and provide for them as they move through their daily lives.

Eternal God, you know our problems, and have promised that you will help us to solve them.  You know what we lack, and have promised to meet our needs.  Help us to depend upon you day by day and to call upon you when life gets hard.  Loving God, we bring these prayers to you, trusting in your compassion and care.  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.

We sing the Hymn:  “Open my eyes that I may see”  Alexander’s Hymnbook no, 3 number 64

Clara Scott

Benediction 

(from Leslie Weatherhead in That Immortal Sea p169) 

We are God’s children in God’s world for God’s purposes.  We are ever in His mind, ever in His planning, ever in His care.  God knows everything, but we know so little.  But what little we do know is enough, that we cannot drift beyond His love and care.

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

Benediction Song

“Now to him who loves us saves us”  TiS771

https://hymnary.org/media/fetch/179720

(only the one verse is needed)

Now to him who loved us, gave us

Every pledge that love could give,

Freely shed his blood to save us,

Gave his life that we might live,

Be the Kingdom

And dominion

And the glory evermore.

Samuel Miller Waring