Welcome: –

Call to Worship: – 

(from Hebrews 11: 29 to 33 and 12: 1 & 2) 

By faith the People of Israel passed through the Red Sea as on dry land.

By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the People of Israel had marched around them for seven days.

By faith the prostitute Rahab welcomed the spies and, therefore, was not killed as were the Canaanites who did not believe.

By faith, the Judges of old, and the Prophets, and King David, conquered Kingdoms and administered justice.

In the same way then let us throw off everything that hinders our faith and the sin that so easily entangles us.

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus,

the author and perfector of our faith.

Comment on Hebrews 11 & 12

The author of the Book of ‘Hebrews’ is careful to highlight that the People of God were blessed only when they listened to the Word of God and acted according to the will of God, for only then could God fulfil His Word and His promises through them.  In the same way we are exhorted, as we gather together here today, to be still in the presence of God, and to be diligent in our listening to what God has to say to us, so that we too can live lives of faith and obedience.

Prayer of Praise    

  Almighty and everlasting God, the giver of life and the source of peace, we thank you for leading us through the past week, for the guidance that you have provided and the grace that you have so freely given.  We thank you that we can so openly come together to offer to you our worship; we thank you for the privilege of meeting in public to offer our praise.

  We see your greatness in what you have created.  We marvel at the intricate ways living things are put together.  We catch a glimpse of your majesty in the rolling storm clouds and the thundering surf.  We can perceive your tenderness in the love that a parent has for their child.

  We praise you that we can confidently declare that you are our God, and that we are your people.  We praise you for your work of redemption in each of our lives, for the sacrifice of your Son for each one of us.  We praise you for the openness by which you welcome us, in spite of our backgrounds and our past.  We come before you, O God, as people who frequently stumble, but we gather here in the wonderful knowledge that you never fail us. 

  Living and loving God, in your great concern for the World, you desire to help us and to keep us safe.  This was most visible when you sent your Son.  That you, Creator of Heaven and Earth, should so care for us is almost beyond our imagination.  How can we come with anything other than praise and adoration for this priceless gift of life to us?  A gift made possible through the sacrificial love of Jesus, your Son, our Lord and our Saviour.

  You have revealed yourself to us, so that we can know what is the truth.  You have given your word to us, so that we can know the way to come to you.  You have blessed us with the life of your Spirit, so you can make us a faithful community living out our faith in you.  In humility and assurance we awaken each day to the knowledge of your providence for us, for our body and for our soul.  We look forward to the time when we will live in communion with Jesus in the mansions in your Kingdom that he has prepared for us.  We are blessed that now we live in communion with your Spirit who unites us and empowers us.

  Redeemer God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you alone are our hope, you alone are our salvation, you alone are our life.  To you belongs all majesty and glory, and to you we offer our praise and our worship, now and always.  Amen.

We sing the Song ‘Therefore being justified by faith’  Scripture in Song volume 1 number 29

Verse 1 of 4

Therefore, being justified by grace,

We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Because the love of God is shed abroad

In our hearts by the Holy Ghost

Which is given, which is given unto us, to us, to us.

Verse 2 of 4

God has commanded His love toward us

In that while we were sinners Christ died for us,

Because the love of God is shed abroad

In our hearts by the Holy Ghost

Which is given, which is given unto us, to us, to us.

Verse 3 of 4

Therefore, being justified by grace,

We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Because the love of God is shed abroad

In our hearts by the Holy Ghost

Which is given, which is given unto us, to us, to us.

Verse 4 of 4

God has commanded His love toward us

In that while we were sinners Christ died for us,

Because the love of God is shed abroad

In our hearts by the Holy Ghost

Which is given, which is given unto us, to us, to us.

Composer Unknown

“His name is wonderful”  Scripture in Song volume 1 number 37

His Name is Wonderful / piano instrumental hymn with lyrics – YouTube

Audrey Mieir

Prayer of Confession   

Merciful Lord, you alone can judge rightly our innermost thoughts.  You alone see whether we observe your laws from the heart or only keep it outwardly. 

We confess that often we have failed to be an obedient Church.  Often, we have not done your will and have rebelled against your love.  We seek your forgiveness.

Merciful Lord, you alone can see whether we are driven by our desires or by our love.  You alone see what motivates our actions. 

We confess that often we do not calm our anger or annoyance.  Often, we have not loved our neighbour or have heard the cry of the needy.  We seek your forgiveness.

 Merciful Lord, you alone know whether we truly seek to be reconciled to you or to be reconciled to those who live around us. 

We confess a stubborn heart that refuses to accept that we can be in error, that we make mistakes and that we can cause sorrow for you and for others.  We seek your forgiveness.

Merciful lord, we confess our readiness to affirm our belief in your guidance, yet we fear to move into the unknown on behalf of the Gospel. 

We find that it is risky enough trying to shape our own future.  We seek your forgiveness.

We want to experience the new life that the Spirit breathes into us so that we too can give shape to that future.  Yet we fear that it may disturb our present condition too much.

Break through our resistance and our fear O God with your perfect and all-reaching love, so that we may hear and respond to your call, to your promises, and to your leadership in our lives, with heightened enthusiasm and deepened faith. 

Gracious and loving God, forgive our lack of trust in you; help us when we hesitate, and strengthen us where we are weak, so that we will have the courage to follow Jesus wherever he leads us.

Forgive us, we pray, cleanse us from all of our sins, and thereby make our worship acceptable to you.  Guide us and strengthen us by your Spirit so that we may give ourselves to your service and live this day and every day in love to one another, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness  

(Colossians 2: 13b)  

The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Colossians states quite clearly, “God has now brought (us) to life with Christ.  God forgave all of our sins”.  Let us then hold onto this promise, that God has listened to our prayers, that God has forgiven us and cleansed us in His sight, and that we are truly reconciled to God.

Thanks be to God.

For the Young and the Young at Heart

Screen 1

A bunch of Lady Fingers

We are all familiar with Lady Finger bananas.  They are small, thin skinned, and sweet.

  And for those with a botanical frame of mind, Lady Finger bananas are diploid cultivars of Musa acuminata.    (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Finger_banana) 

Screen 2

Who would like to hazard a guess as to what this may be?  Looks a bit creepy doesn’t it.

Screen 3

A bunch of ladies’ fingers

  It is a bunch of fingers, and, because they are slender with what appears to be well manicured fingernails, I have deduced that they are a bunch of ‘ladies’ fingers’.  Also, this fits nicely with my talk.

Screen 4

Lady Fingers / ladies’ fingers

  The two phrases sound very similar.  The two are spelt very similarly.  But, just the substitution of a “y” for an “ies’” makes so much difference to the meaning of each phrase.  In spite of the similarities, the one is not the other.    It is the same with our belief in God and in His work to bring salvation to Humankind.

Screen 5

‘In no time at all you are deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ, and are accepting another gospel.’ (Galatians 1: 6) 

  In his letter to the Church in Galatia, the Apostle Paul criticises the believers for being misled by false teaching, teaching that may have, at first, appeared similar to the Gospel that he had preached to them and to which they had responded with faith, but which quickly revealed itself to be “another gospel”, a teaching that led them astray, a teaching that led them away from their faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ.

Screen 6

“If anyone should cause one of these little ones to lose their faith in me, it would be better for that person to have a large millstone tied around their neck and be drowned in the deep sea.”  (Matthew 18: 6, Mark 9: 42) 

  Jesus condemned those who would lead others astray with their false teaching, such teaching that would cause others “to lose their faith in me”, as he stated.

Screen 7

The Uniting Church confidently believes that through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God brings us into right relationship with Him.

  On the Uniting Church of Australia Assembly website is this statement of

Beliefs:

The Uniting Church’s beliefs are drawn from the Bible and our Catholic, Reformed and Evangelical tradition.  The primary statement is the Basis of Union (1971,1992) which continues to guide the life of the Uniting Church.

The Uniting Church confidently believes that through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God brings us into right relationship with Him, whereby in faith we can:

• live in a close, loving, personal, dynamic relationship with the living God;
• participate in the worshipping, caring and serving community of Christians;
• receive God’s gifts so that life can be what God means it to be – loving, purposeful, joyful, eternal; and
• tell others of this good news and live it out in acts of compassion, service and justice in the community.

  (https://resources.uca.org.au/doctrine/item/858-beliefs) 

  We need to beware of any teaching that differs or deviates from this fundamental belief.

  We need to beware of any teaching that differs or deviates from that which is contained in the two Creeds accepted by most Christian Denominations as summarizing our Christian faith, that is, The Apostles’ Creed (  https://www.englishtexts.org/the-apostles-creed   )and The Nicene Creed (  https://www.englishtexts.org/the-nicene-creed   ).

  We need to beware of any teaching that does not promote our faith in Jesus Christ.

  So, next time you are seeking a “bunch of Lady Fingers”, don’t be misled by the claim of a “bunch of ladies’ fingers” that they are the same thing.

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

Isaiah 5:

¹  “Listen,” said Isaiah,” while I sing you this song,

a song of my friend and his vineyard;

my friend had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.

²  He dug the soil and cleared it of stones;

he planted the finest vines.

He built a tower to guard them,

and dug a pit for treading the grapes.

He waited for the grapes to ripen,

but every grape was sour.”

³  “So, now, my friend says, ‘You people who live in Jerusalem and Judah, judge between my vineyard and me.  ⁴  Is there anything I failed to do for it?  Then why did it produce sour grapes and not the good grapes I expected?’

⁵  ‘Here is what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge around it, break down the wall that protects it, and let wild animals eat it and trample it down.  ⁶  I will let it be overgrown with weeds.  I will not trim the vines or hoe the ground; instead, I will let briers and thorns cover it.  I will even forbid the clouds to let rain fall on it.’

⁷  Israel is the vineyard of the LORD Almighty;

the People of Judah are the vines He panted.

He expected them to do what was good,

But, instead, they committed murder.

He expected them to do what was right,

but their victims cried out for justice.

Hebrews 12:

¹  So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us.  ²  Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end.  He did not give up because of the cross!  On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right hand side of God’s throne.

₃  Think of what he went through; how he put up with so much hatred from sinners!  So do not let yourselves be discouraged and give up.

[Today’s English Version]

This is the Word of God.

Praise to you Almighty God.

Luke 12: 49 to 56

₄₉  Jesus said to his Disciples,

“I came to set the Earth on fire, and how I wish it were already kindled!  50  I have a baptism to receive, and how distressed I am until it is over!  51  Do you suppose that I came to bring peace to the World?  No, not peace, but division.”

₅₂  “From now on a family of five will be divided, three against two and two against three.  ₅₃  Fathers will be against their sons, and sons against their fathers; mothers will be against their daughters, and daughters against their mothers; mothers-in-law will be against their daughters-in-law, and daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law.”

⁵⁴  Jesus said also to the people.

“When you see a cloud coming up in the west, at once you say that it is going to rain – and it does.  ⁵⁵  And when you feel the south wind blowing, you say that it is going to get hot – and it does.  ⁵⁶  Hypocrites!  You can look at the Earth and the sky and predict the weather; why, then, don’t you know the meaning of this present time?”

[Today’s English Version]

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.

We sing the hymn ‘How then, O God, shall I draw near’  MHB343  Wesley’s Hymns number 127

[This hymn is sung to the tune Church Triumphant.]

Verse 1 of 5

How then, O God, shall I draw near,

And bow myself before your face,

How in your purer eyes appear?

What shall I bring to gain your grace?

Verse 2 of 5

Guilty I stand before your face,

On me I feel your wrath abide;

‘Tis just the sentence should take place;

‘Tis just – but O your Son has died!

Verse 3 of 5

Jesus, the Lamb of God, has bled,

He bore our sins upon the tree;

Beneath our curse he bowed his head;

“‘Tis finished!”  He has died for me.

Verse 4 of 5

See where before the throne he stands

And prays the all-prevailing prayer,

Points to his side and lifts his hands,

And shows that I am written there.

Verse 5 of 5

He ever lives for me to pray;

He prays that I with him will reign;

Amen to what my Lord does say,

Jesus, you do not pray in vain.

Charles Wesley

Sermon – Listening to God

Slide 1

  We are led to believe that this is a common source of, well, let’s say, ‘discussion’ between a wife and husband.  We have more time at morning tea later if you feel a need to relate your own experiences on this issue.  Suffice it to say that where one person may have thought that the other person was listening to them, in reality, the other person was not even hearing them.

Slide 2

To ‘hear’ is not the same as to ‘listen’.

  We need to get one thing clear, to ‘hear’ is not the same as to ‘listen’.

  To hear is “to exercise the faculty of audition of which the organ is the ear”

[Shorter Oxford English Dictionary third edition with corrections 1977 Vol 1 p939

  To listen is “to hear attentively and with intent”

[Shorter Oxford English Dictionary third edition with corrections 1977 Vol 1 p1222]

  It is this aspect of “attentively and with intent” which not only makes the difference between hearing and listening, but adds an element of ownership and responsibility to the act of listening.

Slide 3

How does a Tour Guide stop a busload of tourists from acting like a mob of sheep?

  A Tour Guide was linked with each of our ‘Port Tours’ during our various cruises.  One of their tasks is to stop a busload of tourists from acting like a mob of sheep.  This is not as silly as it sounds, for, whether it is in the open expanse of a public park or in the crowded and noisy interior of a public museum, how does a Tour Guide exercise some control over the 20 – 40 people under their care, directing them to points of interest and gathering them together so as to progress with the tour or to direct them back to the tour bus?

Slide 4

earpieces

  It is by the use of a micro phone and radio receivers to communicate information, instructions, directions, and times.  Each person on the tour carries a receiver on a lanyard or a shoulder strap, into which is plugged an earpiece.  These earpieces can have either one or two earplugs as you can see by these examples.

  The Tour guide exercises ‘control’ over their group by stressing the need to listen to the words that they are saying, to the information about what it is we are visiting, and to the instructions that each person on the tour must follow if the tour is to be enjoyable, and, most importantly, so that no-one gets lost.  And it is no surprise that those on a tour are willing to be ‘controlled’ in this way, for few would know their way around a foreign town or city, and, let’s face it, who wants to be late for lunch if it is part of the tour.

Slide 5

Can we describe God as being like a Tour Guide?

  Can our understanding of God’s relationship with Humanity, either Corporately as the Church or individually, be clarified in some way if we look at it in terms of God being a Tour Guide?  I believe that, yes, we can gain much of our understanding of our relationship with God in this way.

  We could easily read Psalm 23 by describing God as “my tour guide”.  And, if you are interested, I have attached just such a paraphrase of Psalm 23 at the end of this Order of Service.

  Our understanding of our relationship with God revolves around this aspect of not just hearing the Word of God but of listening to the Word of God, hearing “attentively and with intent”.  From today’s readings I want to clarify three different ways that we can respond to hearing God’s Word.

Slide 6

Hearing and Disbelieving

  The first way is “hearing and disbelieving”, that is, hearing God’s Words and responding by saying, “I refuse to believe that God is real or that He speaks any truths, so I will not believe what it is claimed that He says to me.”. 

  Could we ever conceive of anyone treating God’s Word so contemptuously?

  In Genesis 3 we have the account of Satan, the serpent, asking Eve:

“Did God really tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?”  (Genesis 3: 1) 

  By phrasing the question in this way, Satan was not seeking clarification on the Command of God, but was laying the ground for further discussion.  Upon Eve’s reply that God had instructed her and Adam not to eat the fruit of the tree “in the middle of the garden, Satan then declared, “That’s not true; you will not die!”  (Genesis 3: 4) 

  Here, we have Satan openly declaring to Eve disbelief in the truthfulness of God’s Word, and Eve being tempted to disbelieve the Word of God as well.  And, of course, we are all familiar with what follows.  The very first time Humanity was challenged about listening to God’s Word, they failed the Test, and, instead, listened to the lies of our adversary, Satan.  Let us be careful to ensure that it is to God’s voice that we are hearing and to no-one else.

  In 2 Kings 18 we have the account of the Assyrian Emperor, Sennacherib, attacking the Nation of Judah during the 14^th year of the reign of King Hezekiah, around 702BC, and laying siege to the city of Jerusalem.  Three Assyrian Officials rode up to the city walls and challenged the King and the people of Jerusalem regarding their faith in God.  Several times, these Officials stated to the people looking on from the walls of Jerusalem:

“Don’t think that the LORD will save you and that He will stop our Assyrian army from capturing your city.”  (2 Kings 18: 22, 30, 32, 35) 

  Here, we have the Assyrian Officials declaring their disbelief in God’s authority and power, declaring their disbelief in the declared promise of God to save his People, as the Prophet Isaiah had recorded:

‘This is what the LORD has said, “The Assyrian Emperor will go back by the same road he came, without entering this city.  I, the LORD, have spoken.”’  (Isaiah 37: 34) 

  The account ends with “an angel of God” going to the Assyrian camp and killing all of the soldiers, forcing Sennacherib to withdraw and return to his capital, Nineveh.  (2 Kings 19: 35 & 36) 

  Here was tangible verification for the people of Judah that their God was more than just ‘another god’ as the Assyrian Officials had claimed, but that God was ready, willing and able to counter “the blasphemous arrogance of the Assyrian Emperor.”  (Yeoman Muckle in Isaiah p124) 

Slide 7

Hearing and Disregarding

  The second way is “hearing and disregarding”, that is, hearing God’s word and saying, “I refuse to believe that God has any importance in my life, so I will not put into practice what He says to me.”.

  This can take the shape of ‘hearing God’s Word but not listening to God’s words’, or ‘refusing to hear God’s voice so that you cannot listen to God’s words.

  In today’s passage from Isaiah 5, we read of the great care and the wonderful planning that went into the preparation and planting of the vineyard.  Indeed, as we read in verse 4, the landowners states, “What more could I have done for my vineyard than I have done for it?”  We gain a sense of the great disappointment of the landowner in the failure of the land to produce the fruitful and fruity harvest that was expected, as a result of all of their efforts and labour.

  It is such a strong image of God’s disappointment regarding His People.  God cared for and looked after the People of Israel over centuries of their History, expecting that they would accept and abide by His Law, His words.  But the reality was that while they may have heard God’s Word being read to them, they had disregarded applying God’s Divine Law to their individual and corporate lives.  God sought for justice in legal and commercial transactions, but instead there was oppression of the poor and the powerless by the wealthy and those in positions of power and authority.  God sought for virtue and right living in relationships, but instead there was a cry of distress at the unrighteousness that characterised commercial, cultural and religious aspects of Society.

  Edgar Conrad writes of the moral bankruptcy of Israelite Society, where “empty religious ritual” was performed by those who may heard God’s Word but did not “tremble at His teaching”.  (Edgar Conrad in Reading Isaiah P157)  He also wrote of those who “disregarded God’s plan” and sought o substitute a plan of their own, “misconstruing the role of the potter and the clay”.  (Edgar Conrad in Reading Isaiah p128) 

  In writing about this passage, Derek Kidner states that “this parable brings home … the sheer unreason and indefensibility of sin – we find ourselves searching for some cause of the vine’s failure, but there is none”, for all the blames lies upon us for we have deceived ourselves into believing that we alone can direct our lives and our future.  (Derek Kidner in Isaiah in The New Bible Commentary p594) 

  In his Gospel, Luke records people’s reactions to Jesus during his ministry.

  In chapter 4 we read “(Jesus) taught in the synagogues and was praised by everyone. … (People) marvelled at eloquent words that he spoke.”  (vs15 & 22)  Later in the chapter we read, “The people were amazed and said to one another, .. with authority and power this (Jesus) gives orders to the evil spirits and they come out!”  (v36)

  In chapter 5 we read “the news about Jesus spread all the more widely, and the crowds of people came to hear him and be healed from their diseases.”  (v15)  Later in this chapter we read the reaction of some Pharisees who had just seen Jesus heal a paralysed man, “They were completely amazed!  Full of fear they praised God, saying, “What marvellous things we have seen today!”  (v26)

  Luke records the way Jesus led a pious and righteous life.  Luke records the way Jesus showed deep ‘God-like’ concern for the poor, the social outcasts and the downtrodden.  Luke records the way Jesus silenced his critics by showing how they had failed to grasp the essence of God’s Law and of God’s will.

  But Luke also records how most of the People of Judah, while making a show of identifying connections and relationships in the natural phenomena in the World around them, were hypocrites in pretending that they could make nothing out of the remarkable facts of the life of Jesus.  (Michael Wilcock in The Message of Luke p137) 

  Jesus acknowledges that it is obvious to observers that winds from the west bring rain while winds from the south bring dry heat.  Jesus states that the truth of his message is equally as obvious to those who cared to observe and consider.  (Craig Keener in Luke in The IVP Bible Background Commentary of the New Testament p226) 

  A change in the direction of the wind, Jesus states, indicates a change in the weather.  Just as assuredly, Jesus said, there has been a change in the way God is working in the World.  There has now come a time when all people must decide whether or not to confess Him as Lord.  (Howard Marshall in Luke in The New Bible Commentary p909) 

  Jesus issues a challenge to his listeners as to whether or not they have opened their ears to what God has been telling them about him, and as to whether or not they have opened their eyes to understand the very things that they have seen God showing them about Jesus.  Luke warns his readers that the cost of following Jesus are great.  However, he adds that the costs of not following Jesus are eternal.  (Craig Keener in Luke in The IVP Bible Background Commentary of the New Testament p222)

Slide 8

Hearing and Discerning

  The third way to respond to hearing God’s Word is ‘hearing and discerning’.  This is the only manner by which it can truly be said that we listen to the Word of God. We are to listen to the Word of God and to discern the Truth that it presents to us.

  Jesus patiently endured the rejection of Humanity and willingly endured the suffering of crucifixion.  To both Roman and Greek there was shame associated with being crucified.  But to Jesus, there was triumph, triumph over the curse of sin and death.  For we see Jesus, “sitting on the right-hand side of Jesus” in triumph.  (Hebrews 12: 2).  It is to Jesus that we look and from whom we seek our strength, for it is Jesus “on whom our faith depends from beginning to end”  (Hebrews 12: 2)  . 

  What is it that hinders our relationship with Jesus?  What is it that so entangles our being, our emotions, our thoughts, our attitudes, our relating to others, that it prevents us from communion with God and fellowship with one another?  Whatever it is, we are to confess it before God and ask for God to remove it from our lives.  Only in this way can we “persevere in the race marked out for us” by God.  (Hebrews 12: 1)  Only in this way can we run the race “without growing weary and without losing heart”.  (Hebrews 12: 3)  Only in this way can we be the “good grapes” that God desires.  (Isaiah 5:4) 

Slide 9

Alpha and Omega sign at the village church in Trampe, N E Germany, 29 June 2019

  One of Kerry’s Great Great Great Great Grandmothers, on her Paternal Grandmother’s side of the family, was a Christine Kreidemann.  According to her death certificate, in the early to mid 1800’s she lived in the small village of Trampe, in what was then part of Prussia.  In June 2019, we visited this village along with others in the area around the small town of Prenzlau, a two hour drive north-east of Berlin.  In each village in the area around which we drove you will find a church with a tall steeple.  On the top of the lightning conductor placed on the top of the steeple of the church in Trampe we saw this metal flag displaying the Greek letters “alpha” and “omega”.  A reference, of course, to the words of Jesus recorded by the Apostle John in Revelation 1: 8 and 22: 13:

  “I am the alpha and the omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”.

  It is a visible display of faith, displayed by those who live in the village from the highest point in the village itself and visible from much of the surrounding fields.  Let us fly such a flag of our faith just as clearly to those with whom we meet and interact each day?  Let us fly such a flag of our faith as a clear message that we listen to the Word of God, “attentively and with intent”, seeking to discern the will and purpose of God for us, and seeking to trust God and to obey God throughout our lives?

  I will leave you with this poem that I read in the June to August 199 edition of Our Daily Bread:

“The World’s greatest Book is the Bible,

Its words are inspired and true;

Some may have scorned as they read it

But we found our lives changed and made new.”

  (8 August 1999) 

Amen.

We sing the hymn ‘My Jesus, I love Thee’  MHB437  Alexander’s Hymns No.3 number 69

Offering Prayer    

[This hymn is being sung to the tune Austria – there is no introduction.]

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

For the life that you have given,

For the love in Christ made known,

With these fruits of time and labour,

With these gifts that are your own:

Here we offer, Lord, our praises;

Heart and mind and strength we bring;

Give us grace to love and serve you,

Living what we pray and sing.

Ralph Vaughan Williams

Prayers for Others

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 be transformed by the fire of the Spirit into a dynamic community of faith and give witness to your abiding presence and action in the World.

We pray for this community of faith, that the Spirit will raise a sense of urgency within us to share your love and mercy with all who have no direction in life.

We pray for the grace of perseverance, that you will strengthen us in times of conflict and suffering so that we may remain faithful disciples.

We pray for a renewed inspiration, that as we recall the witness and example of the women and men who have gone before us, we may be inspired to offer witness in our society to your grace and mercy.

We pray for all leaders of the Church, that they may faithfully witness to the truth without succumbing to pride, self-centeredness, or being judgmental.

We pray for all teachers and administrators as they prepare for the remainder of the school year, that you will give them wisdom, patience and understanding for each of the students with whom they will work.

We pray for all who are suffering for their discipleship, that you would give them strength, console them when they are rejected, and help them to respond with love and forgiveness.

We pray for a spirit of gratitude, that we may appreciate all the gifts that you have given us and become rich in those things that foster life and love.

We pray for courage, that the Holy Spirit will empower and sustain us even when the fruits of our pursuit of the truth yield division and confusion.

We pray for families which are divided or in conflict, that you will help them to hear and understand one another and find ways to support each other on life’s journey.

We pray for all who have been impacted by violence or abuse, that you will heal their wounded spirits and memories, help them find places of safety, and help restore a spirit of trust within them.

We pray for greater understanding of your Creation, that you will guide us in understanding the interrelationships of our environment and help us to be good stewards of Creation.

We pray for all recovering from storms or floods, that you will comfort them in their loss, give them strength, and open the hearts of many to be generous to them.

Copyright © 2022. Joe Milner. All rights reserved.<br> Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use.  https://liturgy.slu.edu/

  We pray for the peoples of Cameroon, Central African Republic, and Equatorial Guinea.

  We are thankful for the natural resources and diverse gifts that come from these countries, such as the distinctive music and dance of Cameroon.  We are thankful for those who minister to victims of sexual violence, trafficking and other human rights abuses.  We are thankful for Christians and people of other faiths who courageously have pursued reconciliation and peace among those in conflict.  We are thankful for individuals and organizations who have provided for health clinics and schools in Cameroon and the Central African Republic.

  We pray for just resolutions to the conflicts and violence among diverse groups and their leaders.  We pray for refugees who flee to other countries, and for those who host them.  We pray for economic developments that make it possible for all to rise out of poverty.  We pray for stable democratic governments that effectively serve the common good.

PRAYERS

For our country Cameroon, our regions, our villages, our towns

Heavenly father, we humbly pray: 

Direct the leaders of our country, Cameroon, now in this time when terrorism is overtaking this great nation. Grant them wisdom and understanding, and help them to respond to this crisis, quickly and effectively.  Direct them that they may do what is right in your sight. May they follow your divine will to lead our nation on the paths of peace and safety.

Unite all response agencies in an organized and harmonious fashion to bring quick and

effective resolution to the issues created by the actions of Boko Haram. Empower us as Cameroonian citizens to do our own part, financially, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Give us strength to support all who have been affected by this tragedy.

O Lord, we also pray for effective eradication of corruption that is destroying our beautiful and rich country. Touch our heart and enlighten our thoughts so that we will use our resources for the benefit of the entire nation, for Africa and ultimately the whole world.

Bring peace and comfort to all those who are suffering as a result of these crises.

Surround us with your love and mercy!

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

(Catherine Manga, Cameroon)

Lord Jesus,
you who have marked seventy times seven our falls each day,
and who know the dull frenzy of our eyes, darkened with fever and rancid wind,
you who know the snares of the fowler,
and his net that circles our steps in the bush, and our paths to the villages,
here we are given over to the horn of the rhinoceros,
and here are hovering the vultures and goshawks.
But you, who know the frailty of our two feet of clay,
and the place of our weakness and that of our rousing again,
Lord, let us not yield to temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

(A Procession of Prayers: Meditations and Prayers from around the World, comp. John Carden, WCC, and Cassell, London, UK, 1998, p.210)

Prayer from Cameroon

When we contemplate such beauty,
the immensity before us,
blossoming with colour and scent,
the surprising diversity of all that surrounds us,
the green forests, the animals,
the intelligence which allows us humans
to create with you,
God, the acts of your grace on our behalf,
we can only express our joy at being your children
and gladly sing of the generosity of your love.

(© Rev. Dr Kayoka-Luendu M., Cameroon. English transl. Dr Colette Bouka Coula, adapted by Terry MacArthur.)

Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea | World Council of Churches (oikoumene.org)

  We pray for an end to corruption in Cameroon, for an abiding to moral standards and integrity by the government, the administration, the Police and the judicial system, and by Business leaders.  We pray for a restoration of Bible reading, faithful preaching and holiness among professing Christians in Cameroon.  We pray for Godly leaders to arise in the Church in Cameroon, for the provision of theological training for Church leaders, for greater spiritual unity and cooperation between Denominations, and for the success of Bible translation and literacy projects in Cameroon.

  We pray for an end to ethnic divisions among the church in the Central African Republic, for a healing of past wounds and a deeper appreciation and level of trust among Church leaders and missionaries.  We pray for an increase in staffing, funding and resourcing of Bible Schools and Theological education.  We pray for progress with Bible translation and literacy projects.  We pray for the removal of obstacles to the setting up of Christians radio programs.

  We pray for a Government in Equatorial Guinea that seeks the good of its people and not the holding on to power and privilege.  We pray for strong church leaders who look for the spiritual nurture of their Congregations and not for political influence.  We pray for new and improved facilities for the training of Church leaders.  We pray for the swift completion of Bible translations projects and the distribution of Scriptures.

  (from Operation World by WEC International) 

  Loving God, give courage to those facing temptation, that they will be strengthened to hold onto the blessing and support of your word.  Please comfort those who have recently been bereaved.  Please give comfort to the lonely, that they will experience your closeness and companionship.

  (David Hostetter in Prayers for the Seasons of God’s People Year C P153 & 154) 

  We pray for the work of UnitingWorld in supporting Maha Bhoga Marga Foundation (MBM) to build the confidence and skills of vulnerable groups in Bali to participate in village governance and advocate for their rights.  We pray for the success of projects to equip vulnerable people to monitor the funds allocated to their village through the Village Development Program, and investing it in vocational training, health services and grassroots advocacy.  We pray that this project will succeed in achieving a greater representation of women, people with disabilities and poor families in targeted villages and increased distribution of local government budgets towards their specific needs.

Empowering Voices in Community Decision-Making in Bali (unitingworld.org.au)

  We pray for your continuing presence among those who attended the recent Scripture run Performing Arts Camp in Victoria.  We thank you for the sponsors who enabled children to attend the camp.  We pray for the girl who was given a Bible at the camp that you will speak

to her heart through what she reads and learns from you Word.

  (Scripture Union Queensland Prayer Guide August 2022) 

  We pray for The Leprosy Mission’s Leadership Development Programme (LDP) as through it TLM’s leaders will be strengthened to become strong, coherent and interdependent Members of TLM’s Global Fellowship, able to face the challenges in front of us and take advantage of the opportunities, present and future. 

  We pray for TLM Country Leaders, that they will lead their countries with skill and competence, remembering the material they have learned on LDP.

  (Leprosy Mission 2022 Prayer Diary) 

  We pray for those providing Religious Instruction at Bald Hills State School, that you will encourage them as they lead their weekly classes, and that they will feel supported by the class teachers.  May the Holy Spirit work in the hearts and minds of the children in these classes, that they will come to an understanding of the truths of the Gospel and respond to the message of your love and grace for them.

We pray for the chaplain at Bald Hills state School, Kylie Conomos, that you will continue to guide her and support her as she provides care for the students, teachers and parents of the school.

We pray for those whom we have not been able to worship with us recently.  We ask that they may feel your close presence with them each day, that they will experience your support and encouragement as they journey through life in this time of uncertainty and change.

We ask that you will guide and direct the Congregation and the Church Council as we consider our future as your people in our community at Bald Hills.

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.

Hymn

“Nothing but the blood of Jesus”  Alexander’s Enlarged Hymn book number 171  Alexander’s Hymns No. 3 number 171

Robert Lowry

Benediction    

“Suffer me not O Lord to waste this day in sin or folly,

But let me worship you with much delight;

Teach me to know more of you and to serve you better than ever I have done before;

That I may be fitter to dwell in Heaven where your worship and service are everlasting.  Amen.”

(The Prayer of John Adams – written on Pitcairn Island, in Pitcairn Hymns and Norfolk Favourites p22)

And 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 – there is a short introduction.)

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

Psalm 23

1  The LORD is my tour guide,

I have everything I need.

2  He lets me rest in the soft seats of the bus,

And hands out bottles of fresh spring water.

3  He gives me confidence for the day ahead,

He guides me in the right paths,

As He has promised.

4  Even if I travel through far away towns and along unknown streets,

I will not be afraid,

For you, LORD, are with me.

Your guidebook will enable me to arrive at my destinations on time,

and the tickets that you provide will allow me to enter the museums as you have planned.

5  You prepare a three-course luncheon for me,

In view of other tourists who eat their pre-packed sandwiches bought from the local store.

You welcome me as an honoured guest

And ensure that my time on the tour is filled to the brim.

6  I know that your goodness and concern for me

Will be with me during all of the tour;

And that you will ensure I return to the cruise ship

Before she sails away in the evening.