Welcome: –
Call to Worship: –
Psalm 150 (NIV)
Christ is Risen!
He is risen indeed!
Praise the Lord.
Praise God in His sanctuary;
praise Him in His mighty Heavens.
Praise Him for His acts of power;
praise Him for His surpassing greatness.
Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise Him with the harp and lyre,
praise Him with timbrel and dancing,
praise Him with the strings and pipe,
praise Him with the clash of cymbals,
praise Him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.
Songs:
Praise the Lord Who Reigns Above –
It’s No Longer I That Liveth – Scripture in Song volume 1 number 8 –
Prayer of Thanksgiving
We raise our prayers to the One
who shares our wounds
who shares our lives
who shares in our past and present and future.
We give You thanks for the simple things of life:
for nourishing food which is readily available,
for roofs over our heads, to keep us safe,
for easy access to healthcare,
for committed educators, widening horizons and encouraging imaginations,
for families and support, and a faith community, to share in our lives and support us in love.
Help us, Eternal Spirit of Love,
never to take for granted all that we have.
We thank You for the inspiration of the disciples,
who emerged from behind hidden doors
and walked and acted in faith, sharing in all the possibilities
in which You, Jesus Christ, called them to engage.
We thank You for the people of faith,
down through the centuries
who similarly have shared their faith
and showed it in practical ways
that so many could be touched and affected by faith.
We thank You for the people around us,
who share in worship and work:
that this place and people
will continue to walk and act in faith,
as Christ has called us to.
These prayers we make in the name of Jesus Christ,
The One who stood in the upper room and changed the lives
of Thomas and the disciples, and now, even us.
Amen.
Prayer of Confession & Absolution
Love Incarnate,
Creator of the bluebells and larks
Sustainer of the stars and galaxies
Redeemer of everything that has life and breath,
we confess that we are far from perfect
and we lack the subtle word of encouragement,
the vision to be the solution to hurt.
We speak too much
and rarely listen as we ought.
We move when we should be still,
and we come before You today without focus.
We lay our lives into the palm of Your hand,
You, who holds us, carries us and pushes us when we need it.
Forgive us through the hands
which reached out for His mother from the manger.
Forgive us through the hands
once stretched out on the cross.
Forgive us through the hands
held out for Thomas to touch.
Receive the confessions of our hearts
In this time of silence
(Silence is kept)
In Christ we are offered hands,
leading us into a future
surrounded by His love.
Receive His promise of forgiveness
and be released from the burdens which bind you,
so that you may open the doors of your hearts
and, with confidence, walk into the future
surrounded by Resurrection Hope.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
We sing the Song: Breath on me, Breath of God (TiS407)
Prayer of Illumination
As we prepare to hear the Bible readings today, let us pray together these words inspired by John 20:19-31:
Resurrected God,
though we have hidden ourselves in a locked room
and huddled together as ones who build barriers,
send your Living Word through our locked doors
and into our guarded hearts,
that we might be witnesses of your grace
and couriers of your goodness.
By the power of your Holy Spirit,
grant us the trust to believe the Gospel,
not because we see it
but because we have been seen by it
and have been transformed through it. Amen.
Bible Readings
Acts 5:27-32 (NIV)
27 The Apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the High Priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
29 Peter and the other Apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Saviour that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
This is the Word of God.
Praise to you Almighty God.
John 20:19-31 (NIV)
19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
24 Now, Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
This is the Gospel of our Lord
Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ
Passing the Peace
“Hi”, “Hello”, “G’day”, “How are you?” These are all common ways by which we greet each other here in Australia today. A few years ago, when my son was about 15 or 16, we used to pass the peace regularly in church. One morning at home he greeted me with “Peace be with you”. It had become a common greeting for him. “Peace be with you” was the common form for a Hebrew greeting and we hear it used in the Gospel reading today. The word here is used to mean the completeness that comes from God alone, and we’ll explore this word more in the message.
Let’s pass the peace now:
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
And also with you.
We sing the Song: Listen to the words (Peace be with you) –
Message
Slide 1
Every year, on the second Sunday of Easter, this is the Gospel reading that is read. We hear about Jesus appearing to the disciples behind locked doors and we hear about Thomas who wasn’t with them and couldn’t believe until he too saw the nail marks in Jesus’ hands.
We see fearful disciples hiding behind locked doors and just a few months later when the Apostles are brought before the Sanhedrin (in the Acts reading), we see confident disciples who boldly proclaim “We must obey God rather than human beings!” So, what’s happened? We can see the cause of this change starting to happen in today’s Gospel reading.
As I said before we passed the peace, the phrase “Peace be with you” was the normal form for a Hebrew greeting. So, what does this phrase and in particular what does ‘peace’ in this context mean? In the Old Testament, the word for peace is shalom which means completeness, wholeness or well-being (physical & spiritual). According to The Illustrated Bible Dictionary, the Messianic hope was for an age of peace (Isaiah:2: 2-4). In the New Testament we see the fulfilment of this hope through Jesus. The Greek word for peace ‘eirēnē’ (pronounced i-ray’-nay), used in the New Testament, is used with the full content of the Old Testament shalom and it is linked with grace, life and righteousness. Blue Letter Bible defines eirēnē as “the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so, fearing nothing from God, is content with its earthly lot”, whatever that lot is.
When Jesus says “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”, the disciples were being sent as messengers of peace to share the good news of Jesus; so that others may have that peace or the complete wholeness of well-being; so that all may have that tranquil state of soul and contentment. They were sent like God had sent Jesus. Jesus was sent so that they might believe and have wholeness of life. We too are sent so that others may believe and have a complete or whole life.
However, the disciples were not sent in their own power. Jesus breathed on them and said “Receive the Holy Spirit.” The Greek word for “breathed” used here is used nowhere else in the New Testament but is the same word used in Genesis 2:7, “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” ((https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1720/niv/mgnt/0-1/) In Genesis, man’s original creation was complete with this act from God, and here in John, we see the new creation or new life in Christ. Just like Genesis 2 describes how God breathed life into humankind, here we see Jesus breathing new life into the disciples. This new life comes in the form of the Holy Spirit. They fully received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. In Acts 5 we see how the Holy Spirit has brought new life to the disciples. The fear has gone. The belief they now have in Jesus and the Holy Spirit replaced the fear with courage and life.
This new life is also echoed, in that Jesus appears to Thomas on the 8th day after the Resurrection. Easter is about new life through Christ. We are made in the image of God and remade in Christ and, with the power of the Holy Spirit, we can go out in His name to share the good news and the life that Jesus brings.
Now, Thomas wasn’t present when Jesus appeared to the disciples at this time. When the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”, Thomas replies “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (v25). Jesus offers no rebuke to Thomas, but meets him in this need to see the scars and touch him. Thomas was also the disciple who responded with devotion and courage when Jesus was headed to Jerusalem towards his enemies. (John 11:16). And Thomas also cared enough to interrupt Jesus when he did not understand what Jesus was saying when he talking about going away (John 14:5). Thomas’ questioning and doubt came from and led to great faith and belief. “My Lord and my God!” is Thomas’ declaration of faith.
Slide 2
At the end of this passage, we can also see why this Gospel (the Gospel of John) was written “… that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20: 31). The text notes say that it could also say “may continue to believe”. So, it could be read “that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah …” or “that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah …”. Therefore, this Gospel was potentially written to build up the existing believers as well as to bring new believers, so that all who read this Gospel may believe or continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah and through this belief may have life in Jesus.
The verb “believe” appears 98 times in the Gospel of John, including a number of times in this passage. To “believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God and by believing you may have life” is more than just believing that Jesus is the Son of God, it’s about acting on that belief. In acting on that belief we will have life in Jesus’ name and share that life with others. Belief in this sense is about placing confidence in or relying upon Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the promises that have been made to us in God’s word. Belief or faith is an attitude of complete trust in Christ or reliance on him alone for all that salvation means. The person who really believes God will act on that faith. Faith is not a passing phase but a continuing attitude by which we live out our faith as we live out our life. Belief changes who we are and enables us to live fully.
Kerry Wyatt Kent notes in Deeper into the Word: New Testament that John often links Pisteuō (pronounced pist-yoo’-o) (believe) and zōē (pronounced dzo-ay’) (life). For example, in John 3:16 “whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”, or in John 6:40 “everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life.” So, belief leading to life is threaded throughout the Gospel of John, and is summed up in John chapter 20 verse 31: “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
Slide 3
In Acts we see the disciples living out this belief, through the power of the Holy Spirit, so that others may have life in his name. They had been arrested and put into jail. During the night an angel of the Lord let them out and told them to “Go, stand in the temple courts, and tell the people all about this new life.” (Act 5:20). So, this is what they did. The next day, the Sanhedrin send for the Apostles, but those who are sent say that they find the jail locked, with the guards there, but the Apostles weren’t inside. They find the Apostles in the Temple courts teaching the people, as they had been told to do. When they were brought before the Sanhedrin and questioned, they replied “we must obey God rather than human beings”, (v29) and testified to who Jesus was and that the Holy Spirit was given to those who obey him. To believe is to act on that belief and obey God.
In Acts 4:13 the rulers, elders and teachers of the Law saw the courage in these unschooled, ordinary men and noted that they had been with Jesus. These disciples got their courage through their belief in the risen Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit. We, too, can get courage by believing in Jesus and acting with the Holy Spirit. Did the disciples feel qualified when they were called? It doesn’t appear so, given they were still in the locked room a week after Jesus appeared to them the first time and sent them. They were called and then enabled or qualified by receiving the Spirit at Pentecost. As Mark Batterson says in The Circle Maker, “God doesn’t call the qualified. God qualifies the called.”, (p76). We, like the disciples, are called or sent and we too have the Holy Spirit to enable us.
We, too, if we believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of God, will have life in his name. We, too, are sent just as God the Father sent Jesus. We, too, with the help of the Holy Spirit can boldly live out our faith in our community. Our lives should show Jesus to others. Do we act as Jesus would?
Many organisations & institutions which exist today were started by Christian people who were living out their faith and obeying what they felt God had called them to do, from hospitals, to universities and so much more. Many people have also had an impact on others just by living out their faith in their daily lives. Many of these everyday faith-lived out stories are lost to us, but we also know of many. Let’s have a look at how a few others have lived out their belief in Jesus and have followed what they felt called to do:
The Blue Nursing Service, which is called Blue Care now, was started when one nurse, Olive Crombie, took a tram to visit a patient in their own home. This was an initiative of the West End Methodist Church, led by Reverend Arthur Preston. The people who started this ministry were living out their belief to bring life, literally & figuratively. Blue Care’s mission is still to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals, families and communities, as they reach out to people in need.
I’ve been involved in a non-denominational organisation called MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) for 20 years. MOPS started in America almost 50 years ago by a small group of mothers who saw the need for a group to support mothers of young children. This small group of women met for two hours in a church in Colorado. Whilst their children received care in another part of the building, these Mums or ‘Moms’ talked, laughed, ate, had a craft demonstration, and ended the meeting with a short devotional. MOPS still operates in a similar format to the original meeting in local churches around America, around Australia, and around the world. MOPS continues to live up to its mission to encourage and equip mums of young children to realize their potential (or bring life) as mothers, women and leaders, in relationship with Jesus.
I first heard about MOPS when I was the pregnant mother of a toddler and in real need of support and connection with other mothers. We began our MOPS group over 2 years later, and have had a MOPS or MUMSnext group in some form at St Paul’s UC ever since. I could tell you many stories of how MOPS has impacted the lives of Mums in our community alone. One of the reasons I’m still involved in MOPS is that I can see how we are impacting Mums, who impact their families, who impact the World. At the end of last year, one of the Mums shared that MOPS was the only time in the fortnight that she gets a real break. This ministry, started by a small group of women nearly half a decade ago, continues to bring life to Mums around the World.
Merry Maids is a group for women who are single for whatever reason, and is a ministry of my home church (St Paul’s UC, Stafford). This ministry was started by a lady who had never married and a lady who had been recently widowed, at the time. They saw a need for social connection & support for single women, no matter their circumstances. They meet monthly for social gatherings or to hear talks from various people. Women of all ages have been invited into this group over many years, and they are a great support for each other.
These are just a few stories of how ministries have started by people who believed in Jesus and saw a situation where they could share life in Jesus’ name. You would have stories that you know of people who have seen a need and heard the call of God and stepped out in faith, to bring life to a situation.
Maybe you are not called to start a new program or organisation, but we are all sent to be Jesus in the World for others to see. “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (John 20:21). Whatever you do this week you are showing Jesus to someone. Whether that is someone you live with, someone you work with or see socially, someone who serves you, someone you serve or someone you pray for. How is Jesus sending you into the World this week? How will others see Jesus through your words, your loving touch and your actions?
Here’s a couple more examples of how individuals have lived out their belief to share life in Jesus’ name.
Slide 4
Many years ago, when I was on a church camp, I was upset about something and had been crying. When I walked back into the main room a friend handed me a Mintie & said “It’s moments like these”. Now this friend had no idea what I was upset about but just acted to show care. I bet this person does not even remember this incident but all these years later I still do. You never know what impact a small act of kindness can have. An encouraging word or a kind gesture you do may impact and bring life in ways that you would not have imagined.
My sister-in-law recently had COVID. As an extrovert she was struggling with isolating from her family and just spending time alone in one room. Friends from her church organised to have coffee “with her”. She was in her room with the window open and they chatted with her from a safe distance in the front yard. A small but powerful way of living out belief in Jesus to help others have life in his name.
Let me finish with a quote from Emily P. Freeman in A Million Little Ways, “There is no formula to living life with Christ. There is only showing up as we are, trusting he is not only with us but within us, and believing he wants to come out.” (p129)
The world needs Jesus’ peace – the completeness and wholeness that comes by acting on the belief in Jesus that brings life in His name. So, I say again … We, too, if we believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of God will have life in his name. We, too, are sent just as God the Father sent Jesus. We, too, with the help of the Holy Spirit can boldly live out our faith as we go about our daily lives. So, let’s really believe in & follow Jesus, the Messiah, the son of God, and see where he leads us.
We sing the Song: ‘Freely, Freely, You Have Received‘ (Scripture in Song volume 1 number 41)
Offering
Offertory Prayer
Generous and surprising God,
when we thought that death
had claimed your only Son,
you amazed us with the resurrection.
Surprise us again
with your ability to turn these humble offerings
into gifts that will transform the World
through our witness to your love.
We lay our very lives at your feet, O God,
knowing that you will use us
to proclaim and embody the Gospel.
Amen.
Prayers of the People
Gracious God, as we move forward as a people of the resurrection you bless us with your wonderous gift of forgiveness. A gift given out of your great love for the world. A gift given out of the costly sacrifice of one man.
May we, your forgiven people, never take this gift for granted but reflect with wonder that you, our God, should love us so much that you would continue to forgive us over and over again.
May we, your forgiven people, constantly live out of this gift and offer this gift of forgiveness to those people whom we come into contact with, in our families, our friends and our communities.
May we, your forgiven people, remind our fractured world that your costly gift of forgiveness is so that the whole World may find peace and work out ways to be reconciled to each other, as we are first reconciled to you through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Rev Andrew Gunton, Moderator.
(Uniting News – 19 April 2022)
Prayer for a World Where Hope Seems Dim
Dear God, the World seems so dark and foreboding.
Where are the signs of hope? What are you calling us to do?
Wars, uprisings, displacements, hunger, poverty, and disease continue to claim victims by the millions around the World each year.
Our ears do not want to hear their stories and our eyes do not want to see their plight because the suffering and destruction is so massive and cruel.
In our hearts and minds there is a desire to help somehow, but the crisis seem so overwhelming that we shake our heads in dismay and we wonder what the point is for us even to attempt to be witnesses for healing and hope in this hellish morass.
We beg you to open our eyes that we may see glimpses of truth you have for us.
Help us to follow the path of Jesus, the Suffering Servant. Give us the courage to be willing to walk the path of depression and pain with the victims of injustice here at home as well as abroad.
Help us to seek ways to light candles of hope, however small, through our words, our deeds, and our prayers, to encourage our sisters and brothers to hold onto the faith in spite of the pain and suffering they are facing.
And help those of us who are among the fortunate ones, who have enough bread to eat, good health, and who live in relative peace, to open our heart to learn from our sisters and brothers who are living lives of grace and forgiveness in the horrid circumstances which surround them. O God, help us to light one candle rather than to curse the darkness.
We pray this in the name of Jesus, who knows what being a light in this dark world is all about.
– Larry Kehler, Mennonite Central Committee, Canada, 2009
A Prayer for World Peace, 1978
We pray for the power to be gentle;
the strength to be forgiving;
the patience to be understanding;
and the endurance to accept the consequences
of holding on to what we believe to be right.
May we put our trust in the power of good to overcome evil
and the power of love to overcome hatred.
We pray for the vision to see and the faith to believe
in a World emancipated from violence,
a new world where fear shall no longer lead men or women to commit injustice,
nor selfishness make them bring suffering to others.
Help us to devote our whole life and thought and energy
to the task of making peace,
praying always for the inspiration and the power
to fulfill the destiny for which we and all men and women were created.
Prayer for Peace—Pope Francis
Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!
We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… But our efforts have been in vain.
Now, Lord, come to our aid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: “Never again war!”; “With war everything is lost”. Instil in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace.
Lord, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarrelling into forgiveness.
Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that, with patience and perseverance, we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words “division”, “hatred” and “war” be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be “brother”, and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace!
(https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayers-for-peace/)
A Daily Prayer for Joy and Strength
Dear God, at the start of each day, help us to recognize you above all else. Enlighten the eyes of our heart that we might see you, and notice how you’re at work through our lives. Give us wisdom to make the best choices, fill us with a desire to seek after you more than anything else in this World. Let your Spirit and power breathe in us, through us, again, fresh and new. Thank you that you are greater than anything we may face in our day. Thank you that your presence goes with us, and that your joy is never dependent on our circumstances, but it is our true and lasting strength, no matter what we’re up against. We ask that your peace lead us, that it would guard our hearts and minds in you. We ask for your grace to cover our lives this day. In Jesus’ Name. (Debbie McDaniel)
For the Peace of Christ to Rule
Dear Lord, help me remember you are indeed Lord of my life. You have the right to rule all that I think, believe and do. When I allow my mind to run to places that destroy my peace, remind me these are unauthorized thoughts. You do not want me to dwell on thoughts and emotions that contribute to unreasonable fears.
I know my mind will remain in perfect peace as I fix my thoughts on you; so Lord Jesus, let your peace rule in my heart. Remind me of the peace I have in your family, and teach me how to be thankful for those circumstances that cause me to run to you, focus on you, and abide in you. I never need live with fearful, anxious thoughts. The truth is, you are in control! ~ (Dawn Wilson)
(https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/a-prayer-for-inner-peace.html)
Gracious Lord,
we dream of a World free of poverty and oppression,
and we yearn for a World free of vengeance and violence.
we pray for your peace.
When our hearts ache for the victims of war and oppression,
help us to remember that you healed people simply by touching them…,
and give us faith in our ability to comfort and heal bodies and minds and spirits
that have been broken by violence.
When the injustice of this World seems too much for us to handle,
help us to remember that you fed five thousand people
with only five loaves of bread and two fish…,
and give us hope that what we have to offer will turn out to be enough, too.
When fear of the power and opinions of others
tempts us not to speak up for the least among us,
help us to remember that you dared to turn over the tables of money changers…,
and give us the courage to risk following you without counting the cost.
When we feel ourselves fill with anger at those who are violent and oppressive,
help us remember that you prayed for those who killed you…,
and give us compassion for our enemies, too.
When we tell ourselves that we have given all we can to bring peace to this World,
help us to remember your sacrifice… ,
and give us the miracle of losing a little more of ourselves
in serving you and our neighbours.
Walk with us, Lord, as we answer your call to be peacemakers.
Increase our compassion, our generosity and our hospitality for the least of your children.
Give us the courage, the patience, the serenity, the self-honesty
and the gentleness of spirit that are needed in a World filled with turmoil and terror.
~ written by Jack Knox, pastor of Salem (Oregon) Mennonite Church
Posted on Global Christianity: the blog of Matt Stone
(https://ploughshares.ca/publications/worship-resources/prayers-for-peace/)
Gracious God, as we prepare for this coming Anzac Day,
we bring before you all those who have and continue to serve in our Defence Forces.
We remember and give thanks for their service to our country.
We pray for all those who suffer in war and continue to suffer from the trauma of war.
We pray for comfort in their grief.
We pray for supportive communities to journey with them in their struggles, healing and recovery.
We give thanks for all our Defence Force chaplains.
We thank you for their response to your call to offer spiritual leadership and pastoral care to Defence Force personnel and their families.
We pray for all those who are negotiating for peace in situations of war and conflict throughout our world. Bless them with wisdom, strength and resolve to find ways we can live together in harmony and respect for one another.
We pray that we might be bearers of your peace.
Through Christ, who is our Peace, we pray.
(Dr Deidre Palmer, President of the Uniting Church in Australia, 2021)
Lord of Peace,
Let us remember.
Let us remember the human cost of war.
Let us remember the sacrifice of those who fight because their country calls them to.
Let us remember the death and destruction that results when people take up arms against one another.
Let us remember those who have lost their life as a result of hostilities, both soldiers and civilians.
Let us remember the wounds and scarring that so many carry having been involved or caught up in conflict, whether they be physical, emotional or psychological.
Let us remember the lasting impact upon people, families, regions, countries and cultures in the aftermath of war.
Let us remember the reasons that have led to war.
Let us remember the peace-makers who have worked, and still work, to prevent war and conflict.
Let us remember the joy of peace and the power of reconciliation.
Let us remember the way of the Christ which leads to peace.
Let us remember all these things, that we might yet learn
And that we, as Humanity, may yet find a way to end conflict that leads to fighting and war.
Let us remember. Lest we forget.
(Jon Humphries)
O merciful God, fill our hearts with the graces of the Holy Spirit, with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Teach us to love those who hate us, to bless those who curse us,
and to pray for those who abuse us,
that we may be the children of our Father: who makes the Sun shine on the evil and the good, and send rain on the just and the unjust.
In adversity grant us grace to be patient; in prosperity keep us humble;
may we guard the door of our lips; may we lightly regard the pleasures of this World,
and thirst only after Heavenly things; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
St. Anselm, 1033-1109
Deliver us, O God, from a lazy mind, all lukewarmness of heart and all depression of spirit.
We know that these must deaden our love for you; mercifully free our hearts from them all.
And give us such a lively, fervent and cheerful spirit that we may vigorously perform whatever you command, thankfully suffer whatever you chose for us, and always be eager to obey your holy love in all things; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
John Wesley, 1703-1791
(https://www.defenceanglicans.org.au/prayer/prayers-for-various-occassions/)
Uniting Church in Australia ANZAC Day 2022 Video Resource – https://vimeo.com/701075654
(Featuring a reflection from Rev John Dansie, Regional Support Chaplain Lavarack Barracks, alongside a prayer from Rev Robyn Kidd, Chaplain 26 SQN (City of Newcastle Squadron) RAAF Williamtown.)
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 Song: Trust and Obey (When We Walk with the Lord) – AHB531
We Believe
We believe and know
that Jesus is the Holy One of God.
We believe that he is the Christ,
the Son of God,
who was to come into the World.
We believe that he is in the Father
and the Father is in him.
We believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God,
and that by believing
we have life in his name.
Amen.
(~ written by Michael Perry. Posted on The Jubilate Group website. http://www.jubilate.co.uk/liturgy/ )
Benediction
Go from here as witnesses of what you have seen and heard.
Share God’s love with those you meet.
Bring hope to those who are in despair.
Live lives of gratitude and praise.
And may the love of God,
the peace of Jesus Christ,
and the ongoing presence of the Holy Spirit
be within you and among you until we meet again.
Amen.
Doxology
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow – AHB573 TiS768
Service for Sunday 20th June 2021 – Geoffrey Webber 
Service for Sunday 20th February 2022, prepared by Mr Geoffrey Webber 
Service for Easter Sunday 31st March, which was conducted by Mr Geoffrey Webber 
Service for Sunday 1st August 2021 – Geoffrey Webber 