WELCOME: –

Tomorrow, 11 November, is the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice of 1918 that ended fighting in World War I.  We remember all who have died or suffered in wars, conflicts and peace operations.

There will be people here, too, affected by the casualty of war and we share that loss together as we wear our Flanders poppies and Stop and Remember.

CALL TO WORSHIP: –

We are gathered to meet one another.
Come, let us meet.
We are gathered to remember and reflect.
Come, let us remember.
We are gathered to pray and worship.
Come, let us worship.
We are gathered to give.
Come, let us give of ourselves.

OPENING  PRAYER

And as we come together with open hearts and hands we pray together.

Eternal God,
we bring to you today our best and that which we know is not;
we bring you our confidence and our insecurity;
we bring all that we are and all that we long to be,
to be nourished by your Word,
to be uplifted by your Spirit and to be inspired by your Son,
Jesus Christ, our friend and Saviour,
by whose example we learn and in whose name we pray.
Amen.

Generous God,
you give beyond what we deserve and can fully comprehend;
and invite us to receive with grace and to share with joy.
So we praise you for the blessings of faith
and for the gifts of the Spirit;
for the redeeming love of your Son
and the promise of your kingdom;
for the opportunity to give in your name
and to grow in the likeness of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Christ is our light. Christ shines in our hearts. Christ gives light in our dark times.

Christ gives us hope which we can share. Let us stand and sing.                         

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing  ‘CHRIST BE OUR LIGHT’ (Altogether OK 313)

© Bernadette Farrell 1993.                                                                                            

Psalm 100

A psalm for giving grateful praise.

I will shout for joy to the Lord, with all the earth.
I will Worship the Lord with gladness;
 I will come before him with joyful songs.
 Because I Know that the Lord is God.
 It is he who made me, and I am his
 I, with countless others am part of His family

 And He takes care of me.           

  So, I will enter his gates with thanksgiving
 And his courts with praise;
   And I will give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
Yes! His faithfulness continues through all generations.

INTRODUCTION

Our Old Testament reading comes from the Book of Ruth which is found straight after the Book of Judges, where in the final verse says that:

“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what is right in their own eyes.”  (Judges 21: 25) 

The Book of Ruth introduces what is to come, as the era of Kingship is established in the first Book of Samuel.

Through Boaz, Ruth gave birth to a son, Obed, who became a father of Jesse, the father of David.  (Ruth 4: 17) 

The writer could have left it simply as that but chose to relate the beautiful story of love and faithfulness for us to enjoy, that we may be encouraged along our life’s journey.

The story is told in four short chapters, and I would encourage all of us to read the whole book to gain an appreciation of the cultures of the day and marvel at the way God works setbacks for his purposes, and people go beyond those cultural expectations.

The New Testament reading comes from the Book of Mark and we become a fly on the wall as Jesus teaches his Disciples that true giving come from the heart and goes beyond what is expected.

We will remain seated and reflect on the presence of the Lord in our lives.

 You are invited to listen to, or join in singing  ‘Be still for the presence of the Lord’ (Source 47)  

And we continue in quiet prayer  

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Gracious God,

We confess that we have sinned against you

In thought word and deed.

You have given us love,

But we have returned apathy.

You have provided us with neighbours,

Yet we have become self-centred.

You have given us the world to enjoy,

But we have spoiled our home

Forgive us for the wrong things we have done.

Forgive us for the things we failed to do.

Grant us time to change,

With the desire and the will to do so.

Amen.

DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS

This is the best of all:

When we are empty,

God fills us.

When we are disheartened,

God is compassionate.

When we are wounded,

God brings healing.

When we confess our sin,

God forgives.

In Christ, through Christ and because of Christ

Our sins are forgiven.

Thanks be to God.

For you refill the cup of life, O God.

And In Christ, we find refuge and strength.

Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing a song of reflection   ‘10 000 REASONS’  (Matt Redmond) 

This song is based on Psalm 103:1-5, briefly describing five reasons why we should praise and worship God, morning and evening, until the day we die. 

These include His holiness, lovingkindness, slowness to anger, great name, kind heart, and goodness.

Knowing that our Lord is faithful and dependable, we can always enjoy his goodness.

Let us sing.

 PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION

We pray together as we prepare to hear God’s word for us today.

Eternal God,

Who caused all the scriptures

To be written for our learning:

Help us to hear them,

Read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them,

That by patience, and the comfort of your holy word,

We may embrace and hold fast

The blessed hope of eternal life,

Which you have given us

In our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen                   (Book of Common Prayer 1549)

BIBLE READINGS 

Ruth Chapter 1 vv (the Message Paraphrase)

Once upon a time—it was back in the days when judges led Israel—there was a famine in the land. A man from Bethlehem in Judah left home to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The man’s name was Elimelech; his wife’s name was Naomi; his sons were named Mahlon and Kilion from Bethlehem in Judah. They all went to the country of Moab and settled there.

Elimelech died and Naomi was left, she and her two sons. The sons took Moabite wives; the name of the first was Orpah, the second Ruth. They lived there in Moab for the next ten years. But then the two brothers, Mahlon and Kilion, died. Now the woman was left without either her young men or her husband.

 One day she got herself together, she and her two daughters-in-law, to leave the country of Moab and set out for home; she had heard that God had been pleased to visit his people and give them food. And so she started out from the place she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law with her, on the road back to the land of Judah.                                                  

After a short while on the road, Naomi told her two daughters-in-law, “Go back. Go home and live with your mothers. And may God treat you as graciously as you treated your deceased husbands and me. May God give each of you a new home and a new husband!” She kissed them and they cried openly.

They said, “No, we’re going on with you to your people.”

                But Naomi was firm: “Go back, my dear daughters. Why would you come with me? Do you suppose I still have sons in my womb who can become your future husbands? Go back, dear daughters—on your way, please! I’m too old to get a husband. Why, even if I said, ‘There’s still hope!’ and this very night got a man and had sons, can you imagine being satisfied to wait until they were grown? Would you wait that long to get married again? No, dear daughters; this is a bitter pill for me to swallow—more bitter for me than for you. God has dealt me a hard blow.”

Again they cried openly. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye; but Ruth embraced her and held on.

Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law is going back home to live with her own people and gods; go with her.”

But Ruth said, “Don’t force me to leave you; don’t make me go home. Where you go, I go; and where you live, I’ll live. Your people are my people, your God is my god; where you die, I’ll die, and that’s where I’ll be buried, so help me God—not even death itself is going to come between us!”

 When Naomi saw that Ruth had her heart set on going with her, she gave in. And so the two of them travelled on together to Bethlehem.

                And so Naomi was back, and Ruth the foreigner with her, back from the country of Moab. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.

Ruth Chapter 4vv (The Message)

Boaz married Ruth. She became his wife. By God’s gracious gift she conceived and had a son.

The town women said to Naomi, “Blessed be God! He didn’t leave you without family to carry on your life. May this baby grow up to be famous in Israel! He’ll make you young again! He’ll take care of you in old age. And this daughter-in-law who has brought him into the world and loves you so much, why, she’s worth more to you than seven sons!”                                                

 Naomi took the baby and held him in her arms, cuddling him, cooing over him, waiting on him hand and foot.

 The neighbourhood women started calling him “Naomi’s baby boy!” But his real name was Obed. Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.

Your word, O God, is a lamp to our feet.

A light to our path

Mark 12:38-44  (J.B. Phillips New Testament Paraphrase)

The vast crowd heard this with great delight and Jesus continued in his teaching, “Be on your guard against these scribes who love to walk about in long robes and to be greeted respectfully in public and to have the front seats in the synagogue and the best places at dinner-parties! These are the men who grow fat on widow’s property and cover up what they are doing by making lengthy prayers. They are only adding to their own punishment!”

Then Jesus sat down opposite the Temple alms box and watched the people putting their money into it. A great many rich people put in large sums. Then a poor widow came up and dropped in two little coins, worth together just a few coins. Jesus called his disciples to his side and said to them, “Believe me, this poor widow has put in more than all the others. For they have all put in what they can easily afford, but she in her poverty who needs so much, has given away everything, her whole living!”

May your word live in us

And bear much fruit to your glory

MESSAGE

If we truly believe as we prayed,

“Your word, O God, is a lamp to our feet.

A light to our path”

and

“May your word live in us

And bear much fruit to your glory”,

In what way do these words light our way and live in us?  Writings from long ago that may be so familiar to us that subconsciously, we can dismiss them or think of them as simply wise words.

Naomi took her sons to Moab to survive the famine, where they settled. 

Not what I expected as Moab always had a rocky relationship with Israel.

Naomi’s husband, Elimelech, died.  The sons, Mahlon and Kilion took Moabite wives; Orpah, and Ruth.  Ten years later Mahlon and Kilion died.  Naomi was left without menfolk to care for her and her daughters-in-law.  A difficult situation in a foreign land.

Same again, not what I would have expected.

Now, Naomi without either her young men or her husband decided to return to Israel.

Naomi pleaded with her two daughters-in-law to remain in their own land.  Orpah decided to return but Ruth came out with this statement. 

            “Where you go, I go; and where you live, I’ll live.  Your people are my people, your God is my god; where you die, I’ll die, and that’s where I’ll be buried, so help me God—not even death itself is going to come between us!”  (Ruth 1: 16 & 17) 

            Now that was not what I expected!  As a statement of commitment and faith in God’s provision, nothing could be better.  This going beyond my wildest expectations and against what would be cultural acceptance,                            

And, what is more, Ruth becomes part of the lineage that leads to Jesus himself.  In fact, it quite outrageous.

             The Book of Ruth is an amazing read.  If you can get past all the rules of property ownership and customs of kinship, you will be able to read the most amazing story of devotion and faith.

Good material for a movie.

 (There are 3 available to watch on YouTube.)

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxcav9Gi9Us ]

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kW5WyJ1QNpM ]

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZkwACli_T0&ab_channel=IBelieveinJesus ] 

So, coming back to the questions, are we ready to answer, “Lord God, how much are you speaking to me?”  “Are you making me sit up and listen?”  “Am I honouring decisions and commitments that I have made?”.

Jesus challenges his Disciples, and, likewise, us, to review our motives for giving.  It is easy to understand what Jesus is on about.  His Kingdom economy turns our understanding upside down. 

Are we able to love with all our hearts, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbour as ourselves?

Are we able to give our whole selves that will go beyond our expectations and have the strength and wisdom to do it?  The answer is, “Yes!”, for the Spirit of God dwells in us and through His amazing love and grace the Light of Christ will shine. 

It will be

“Your word, O God, is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path” and God’s Word will live in us and bear much fruit to His glory”

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing ‘Great is thy faithfulness’ TIS 154

OFFERTORY

Our freewill offering.

DEDICATION PRAYER

Lord God, we give thanks for your presence in our lives. Bless these offerings, that they may be used to advance your kingdom and glorify your name. And may our faith continue to grow stronger each day, bringing us closer to you.

Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing ‘Teach Me To Dance’ (Source 469)

The first line; “Teach me to dance to the beat of your heart” sets in motion what is effectively a sung prayer to live in a way that is consistent with God’s heart of compassion, love and justice.

Let’s sing together this song which expresses the many reasons that we can enjoy the special relationship with our Lord God, our creator.

   

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

O Lord, open my eyes
that I may see the need of others,

Lord, hear our prayer
Open my ears that I may hear their cries,
open my heart so that they need not be without succour.

Lord, hear our prayer

Let me not be afraid to defend the weak
because of the anger of the strong,
nor afraid to defend the poor,
because of the arrogance of the rich.

Lord, hear our prayer

Show me where love and hope and faith are needed,
and use me to bring them to these places.

Lord, hear our prayer

Open my eyes and ears that I may, this coming day,
be able to do some work of peace for you.

Lord, hear our prayer

ADDITIONAL PRAYERS FOR OTHERS

(These are not included in the service in the church)

Almighty God, we pray for the Church, that we may grow in our reliance upon your providence and confidently entrust all our needs to you who loves us.

We pray for all who exercise authority, that they may use their power in the service of others and surrender any desire to profit from their positions.

We pray for healing of racial divisions, that you will help us recognize all people as our sisters and brothers before the one Father who gives life to all.

We pray for widows and single mothers, that they may find encouragement in the Christian Community and receive the support they need for the daily needs. 

We pray for refugees, outcasts, and the forgotten of society, that hearts may be opened to their struggles and our communities motivated to work to ease their suffering.

We pray for all who are facing starvation: that you will open the hearts of many to assist the people in South Sudan, Yemen, Haiti, and Gaza, and break the bureaucratic structures that impede food delivery.

We pray for all who are sick, particularly those with chronic illnesses or memory loss, that your healing love will give them strength, relieve their suffering, and renew their spirits.

We pray for a spirit of gratitude, that we may be thankful for all the resources and blessings of the Earth and strive to preserve them for future generations.

We pray for all in public service, that the Holy Spirit will help them to serve with honesty, faithfully use their skills to address the pressing issues of the day, and protect them from danger and threats.

We pray for all who are discerning their vocation, that the Holy Spirit will help them hear your loving invitation and give them the courage to respond generously.

(Copyright © 2021. Joe Milner. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use. – https://liturgy.slu.edu/32OrdB111024/ideas_other.html)

Almighty God, we pray for t he peoples of Oceania: American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia (Maohi Nui), Kanaky, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

We are thankful for the amazing diversity of people and cultures living on the islands of Oceania for the magnificent natural scenery and sea life, for the strong, faithful presence of churches in these lands, and for the stories and bold witness to the impact of climate change, reminding the rest of the world that we are all in the same ‘boat’ on this planet, 70 percent of which is covered by the ocean.

We pray for efforts to preserve these island Nations in the midst of rising seas, for those adversely affected by earthquakes, volcanoes and cyclones, for those dealing with the legacy of past nuclear weapons testing and with garbage dumping today, and for good governance,                                                                       

 especially in preserving indigenous  cultures –which effectively serves those who are impoverished, hungry, lacking education or unable to make a living.

Prayer of confession and intercession

Creator God, God of the oceans, God of the land and all that is within it: You created this world with the power of your word.  You formed humankind with your own hands, and breathed your own breath into us.  You gave us these lands as a gift– a source of our identity and sustenance.  You empowered us to be the stewards of what you have made.

Loving God, we have failed you and abused the gift you have given us.
We have offended you and defiled what you have made.
Forgive us for betraying your trust.
Forgive us for our greed and arrogance.
Forgive us for what we have done to your earth.
Forgive us for what we have done to your oceans.
Forgive us for what we have done to your creatures,
on the land, in the sky and in the depths.

Hear, O God of Compassion:
The cries of the land have become a desert; land laid barren through corrupt
agricultural practices, pollution, mining and deforestation.
The cries of islands are drowning in the rising seas,
oceans that rise with the melting of the ice.
The cries of distress from Mother Earth- storm and drought.

God of Life, heal your wounded earth. Empower us to choose the road that leads to life.
Guide us in the paths of righteousness for your name’s sake
So that we may experience once again your Shalom in the land and in the sea.
This we ask in the name of the one who came that we way have life in
abundance, your Son, our Saviour Jesus the Christ.  Amen.

(©2012 Rev. James Bhagwan, Fiji)

Loving God, provide a voice for our struggles.
Provide extra paddles to bring us together.
Grant peace to our hearts, our ears and our eyes
to forgive and to love our neighbours and our enemies.
O Lord, give us a chance to redeem the Fonua*
and to reclaim paradise.

* “land and people” in Tongan language

(© Rev. Valamotu Palu, general secretary, Pacific Council of Churches, Suva, Fiji)               

O God, save our shores from the weapons of death,
our lands from the things that deny our young ones love and freedom.
Let the seas of the Pacific Ocean carry messages of peace and goodwill.
Turn away from our midst any unkind and brutal practices.
Let each child swim and breathe the fresh air
that is filled by the Holy Spirit.
O Lord Jesus, bless all who are makers of that inner peace
that breaks down the barriers of hatred,
and unite us with the open arms of your cross,
that all the peoples of the world may live happily together.

(Prayer by Amanuka Havea, Tonga, published in Your Will Be Done © Christian Conference of Asia Youth, Hong Kong, 1984.)

(https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/prayer-cycle/oceania)

Almighty God, we pray for your guidance and leading regarding the appointment of the right people into the roles of Ministry Coordinator and Field Development Manager for Darwin in 2025.  Please bless these new leaders with a vision to enhance local ministries in the region, and hearts that seek to glorify Jesus in all they do.

We pray for guidance and insight for the new Camp Coolamatong 2025 interns,  for smooth visa processes for international interns, for them to be emotionally and spiritually prepare them for a year of hard work as they serve school children and their teachers.

We pray that you would grant the SU Institute of Training students with strength, focus and peace as they near the completion of their qualification and making preparations for their graduation.

We give you praise, God, for the volunteers who have given their precious time to work with us and for the many opportunities that you have allowed to spread the Good News of the Gospel.

We pray for Leavers Ningaloo in WA which commences on Saturday 16^th November with 130 Year 12 students and 50 volunteers, that the students enjoy unwinding after 13 years of schooling, make deep connections with one another and for the Gospel Tent to answer many of the questions these young people have about life.

We pray that you will guide the SU Australia Annual General Meeting, meeting on Saturday 16^th November as they on how SU Australia has touched and transformed hundreds of lives over this past year.

(SU%20Prayer-Guide-October%20to%20December%202024.pdf)                                      

We give you praise, God, for the launch of Godaku Tjukurpa (God’s Story): A Pitjantjatjara Children’s Art Bible on 2nd November at Emmaus College in Adelaide, a publication which features over fifty paintings by Anangu artists and was envisioned by Pitjantjatjara Bible translator Nami Kulyuru to enable Anangu children to share Bible stories together in their families, in the ‘Anangu-way’.  We pray that this book would bless families and help many connect with the stories of the Bible.

We thank you, God, for Bible Society China Partnership’s work to meet the desperate need for Bibles in China, making Bibles affordable by subsidising paper, as well as distributing Bibles free of charge.  We praise you for the 2024 approval of a new print permit to produce Bibles for China’s Protestant Church and affordable large-print Bibles for the Catholic Church, and pray that as these Bibles are distributed, they would reach and bless many.  We pray too that China Partnership’s connection with its church partners continue to flourish.

We pray for Bible Society’s literacy project for underprivileged women in Bangladesh, that new literacy skills would help them improve their livelihood and empower them to engage with the Bible, and for the Holy Spirit’s help to overcome life’s challenges.  We pray for their safety against cyclones and natural disasters, for the literacy staff, and that the project would flourish, reaching even more women in Bangladesh.

We praise you, God, for the release of the Acorn Press title, Every Moment, Everywhere: Australian faith stories to fill up your soul by Naomi Reed. that these Faith Stories encourage Australian Christians, as they witness what God is doing in so many lives, drawing people closer to him.  We pray for Naomi as she travels around Australia spreading this message.

We pray for the Bible Society of Jordan as they care for the needs of refugees and underprivileged Jordanian families and offer them the Bible.  We thank you that so far this year Bible Society, with their church partners, have assisted 3,113 families with food and basic needs as well as distributing over a thousand Bibles.  We pray for the team as they show your love and hope to those who need it most, through their actions and your holy Word.  As one beneficiary, and Syrian refugee, shares, “The impact of this relief was immense, both spiritually and materially. Our faith was strengthened, and our physical needs were met. The love and support we received from our church community allowed us to start rebuilding our lives after the trauma we endured.”

(Bible%20Society%20November%202024%20Prayer%20Letter.pdf)

Almighty God, we pray for The Leprosy Mission Australia Shop which sources many products from artisans affected by leprosy and disability.                  

  We praise you, God, that these artisans can support themselves and their families through this income.  May they be blessed.  We pray for holy inspiration for those creating the products and for the wholesale buyers selecting the products.  May they be guided by the Holy Spirit to make and buy quality items.  We pray these will have wide appeal for shoppers to maximise sales and proceeds.

The Shop is in partnership with many Australian producers, and we pray that these partnerships will continue to be fruitful for all parties.

As the Shop supports The Leprosy Mission Trust India’s Vocational Training Centre in Vadathorasular, we pray for students and teachers as they work to create sustainable and environmentally friendly products, practices, and livelihoods.

We pray for guidance and good health for Supa Thejan – The Shop’s Social Enterprise Manager, for Louise Egan – the Buyer/Product Developer, for Jocelyn Lee –  the Inventory and Logistics Coordinator,  for Crystal Nguyen – the Marketing Co-ordinator Social Enterprise, and for Shristi Tandukar – the Supply Chain Assistant.

(The%20Leprosy%20Mission%20Prayer%20Guide%202024.pdf)

Almighty God, we pray for the continued success of the Far East Broadcasting Corporation’s shortwave programs in 19 ethnic languages being broadcasted from the Philippines.  We thank you that there were 11,582 listening hubs, 8,625 radios distributed, and many more listeners responded to the broadcasts!

We thank you, God, for 738,893 unique website visitors and over two million online streaming listeners in 2023.  We pray for listeners to grow as disciples.  As some ethnic listeners are beaten and chased out of their villages for their faith, we pray for provision so that FEBC can continue to support these believers.  We pray for good attendance from those who have not heard the Gospel and for decisions for Christ at Christmas outreaches in remote villages.

(FEBC Praise-Prayer-Dec-Oct-2024-digital-FINAL.pdf)

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  ‘Sing of the Lord’s Goodness (TIS 183)   

BENEDICTION

Lord, Boaz gave from his wealth and opportunity;
Help us to give ourselves to you.
The woman gave out of her devotion;
Help us to give ourselves to you.
Lord, you gave your all for us;
Help us to give ourselves to you.

And may the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us and remain with us ALWAYS!
Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the going out song/music  “Rescuer” – Rend Collective

This is a going out song. Taking the good news to those beyond and even further. It is not to be squandered. May our lives tell the story.