Welcome: –
So we greet each other with the love of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour.
Peace be with you!
And also with you!
Call to Worship: –
Rainbows delight and surprise us.
Our breath pausing, we stand under the beauty
of the creator’s promise of unfailing love.
Colours of joy beaming onto us,
recalling us to remember, to turn,
to believe the good news.
God of beautiful rainbows,
mirroring the myriad colours of your marvellous creation,
we are drawn together in the dance of your unfailing love.
Thank you for attracting us with your beauty and goodness.
Inspire us to treasure each day as a fresh start,
in our shared life in you. Amen.
Join in these choruses from Scripture that celebrate His faithfulness and steadfast love.
May our joy and thankfulness flow out to all we meet.
This is the day! That the Lord has made! Let us rejoice as we sing these choruses.
You are invited to listen to or join in singing 3 songs:
SIS 139 ‘I Will Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving’
SIS 46 Surely Goodness and Mercy
SIS 142 From The Rising of the Sun
A Reading from Psalms:
We say together these verses from Psalm 25 which remind us that our help comes from the Lord.
Psalm 25
1 In you, Lord my God,
I put my trust.
4 Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.
5 Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
9 He guides me in what is right
and teaches me his way.
10 I know all the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful
and He helps me keep the demands of his covenant.
Gathering Prayer
Eternal God,
your love draws us in and your promises fill us with hope;
your covenant secures our future and undergirds our faith;
your grace enriches and colours our relationships and our lives.
And so, on this new day, we join our voices to sing your praises.
We open our hearts to hear your word
and celebrate all that you have done for us and for all creation.
God of truth,
we praise you for your covenant with us and all creation and
for all the colours of your blessings:
for the reds and yellows of your unconditional and costly love;
for the pinks and greens of your creativity and compassion;
for the oranges and purples of your grace and understanding;
and for the blue of your faithfulness.
In wonder and joy we praise you.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Message Part 1
Once again, I say to you: “Good morning” and “Welcome” to the time when we meet together to worship at the “Throne of Grace” made possible by the sacrificial death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus who is the Christ.
What privilege!
At this time of year following the Church Calendar, we enter a season of preparation for celebrating all that Easter means to us; the season of Lent.
I often wonder about some of the customs and traditions that have become part of our Christian observance. I also wonder about how some of our Christian observances have fallen by the wayside or have become irrelevant.
Hot Cross buns were traditionally to mark the end of our Christian season of Lent, being eaten on Good Friday. A cross on the top to represent Jesus’ crucifixion spice to signify spices used to embalm his body at burial and sometimes orange peel to reflect the bitterness of his time on the cross.
You may have been able to pick up a pack of six soon after Christmas and every day after.
Go figure.
This week we marked Shrove Tuesday a time of repentance and absolution from sin before entering a longer period of reflection and abstinence from luxuries. Shrove Tuesday was named after the custom of Christians who would confess their sins and clean their soul, and be “shriven” or absolved from sin before the start of Lent.
The making of pancakes using up butter and shortening on Pancake Day before Lent no longer has significance.
On Shrove Tuesday, churches also burn the palms distributed during the previous year’s Palm Sunday to make the ashes used during the services held on the very next day, Ash Wednesday.
A prayer is recited “Lord, let your loving-kindness be upon them; Who put their trust in you. God of Mercy, You fashioned us from the depths of the earth and bid us to follow your gospel call in the company of the Church. We bring you these palms today, brought from our homes the remnants of the past year.”
On Ash Wednesday the priest’s or minister’s finger is dipped in the ashes and the sign of the cross is made on the forehead, symbolic of penance for our sins.
Has Ash Wednesday passed by un-noticed?
Lent will probably pass by un-noticed and the significance of Easter could be swallowed up by all sorts of things that take us away from “the reason for the season.”
Or will it?
Reflection Song
You are invited to listen to this prayerful song and reflect. . It will lead straight into our prayers of confession.
SIS 27 Be Still and Know That I Am God
Prayer of Confession
God of all,
when we abuse your covenant with us and are complacent:
Forgive us and help us to make a fresh start.
when we trash your creation ruthlessly and selfishly:
Forgive us and help us to make a fresh start.
when we reject your call to live well and generously:
Forgive us and help us to make a fresh start.
when we take your love for granted:
Forgive us and help us to make a fresh start.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Assurance of Forgiveness
Faithful God, you raise us up from the ashes of sin and repentance to the joy of forgiveness and acceptance; you flood our hearts with your love, your grace and your beauty; you give us the opportunity to make a fresh start and to seek out that which is lifegiving and creative and fulfilling; you journey with us through the storms and the failures and equip us to stand firm and to flourish.
Just as Jesus said to the woman who anointed His feet with oil, “Your sins are forgiven…. Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Jesus likewise says to us “Your sins are forgiven…your faith has saved you: go in peace.”
Thanks be to God.
If there ever were dreams
That were lofty and noble
They were my dreams at the start
And hope for life’s best were the hopes
That I harbor down deep in my heart
But my dreams turned to ashes
And my castles all crumbled, my fortune turned to loss
So I wrapped it all in the rags of life
And laid it at the cross.
You are invited to listen to or join in singing 2 songs:
‘Something Beautiful’ (SiS 204)
Seek Ye First (SIS 96)
Prayer of Illumination
As we prepare to hear the Scriptures for today, we turn our attention to God to ask that we hear God’s word to better know God’s will for our lives. This time allows us to take a moment to “get settled” and ready to hear God’s written word.
We pray together
Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that as the Scriptures are read and your Word is proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you say to us today. Amen.
Scripture Readings
Genesis 9:8-17 (Good News Translation)
God said to Noah and his sons, “I am now making my covenant with you and with your descendants, and with all living beings—all birds and all animals—everything that came out of the boat with you.With these words I make my covenant with you: I promise that never again will all living beings be destroyed by a flood; never again will a flood destroy the earth. As a sign of this everlasting covenant which I am making with you and with all living beings, I am putting my bow in the clouds. It will be the sign of my covenant with the world. Whenever I cover the sky with clouds and the rainbow appears, I will remember my promise to you and to all the animals that a flood will never again destroy all living beings. When the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between me and all living beings on earth.That is the sign of the promise which I am making to all living beings.”
Your word, O God, is a lamp to our feet
A light to our path
1 Peter 3:18-22 (J.B. Phillips Paraphase)
Remember that Christ the just suffered for us the unjust, to bring us to God. That meant the death of his body, but he came to life again in the spirit. It was in the spirit that he went and preached to the imprisoned souls of those who had been disobedient in the days of Noah—the days of God’s great patience during the period of the building of the ark, in which eventually only eight souls were saved in the flood. And I cannot help pointing out what a perfect illustration this is of the way you have been admitted to the safety of the Christian “ark” by baptism, which means, of course, far more than the mere washing of a dirty body: it means the ability to face God with a clear conscience. For there is in every true baptism the virtue of Christ’s rising from the dead. And he has now entered Heaven and is at God’s right hand, with all angels, authorities and powers subservient to him.
Mark 1:9-15 (J.B. Phillips Paraphrase)
It was in those days that Jesus arrived from the Galilean village of Nazareth and was baptised by John in the Jordan. All at once, as he came up out of the water, he saw the heavens split open, and the Spirit coming down upon him like a dove. A voice came out of Heaven, saying, “You are my dearly-beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”
Then the Spirit sent him out at once into the desert, and there he remained for forty days while Satan tempted him. During this time no one was with him but wild animals, and only the angels were there to care for him.
Then Jesus began to preach the gospel, and call all to follow him.
It was after John’s arrest that Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the Gospel of God, saying, “The time has come at last—the kingdom of God has arrived. You must change your hearts and minds and believe the good news.”
May your word live in us
And bear much fruit to your glory
Message Part 2
The word Lent refers to the lengthening days of Spring and lead to celebrations which signify the new life that warmer seasons bring. Life which has been dormant springs into action. New plants come alive, branches on trees bear new leaves, birds and animals reproduce. (It’s quite understandable that bunnies hop about with baskets of eggs and cards with flowers are on the stands.)
Here in Australia where seasons are back to front or as in the tropics there maybe just two seasons wet and dry, this has no relevance. Somehow, we manage to deal with these minor inconsistencies and go along with the flow.
Liz and my Moslem friends from Pakistan who are deeply faithful find it difficult to understand our cultural practices and how they reflect our Christian faith.
Is there an opportunity here to reflect on what we believe.
The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry.
Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent began as a period of fasting and preparation for baptism by new converts and then became a time of penance by all Christians.
Today, Christians focus on relationship with God, growing as disciples and extending ourselves, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of ourselves for others.
Sundays in Lent are not counted in the forty days because each Sunday represents a “mini-Easter.” This is why you will see the designation “Sunday in Lent” rather than “Sunday of Lent” in the naming of these Sundays. On each Lord’s Day in Lent, while Lenten fasts continue, the reverent spirit of Lent is tempered with joyful anticipation of the Resurrection.
During Holy Week Maundy Thursday highlights the importance of what was to come. The word Maundy comes from the Latin, ‘mandatum‘, or ‘command’ which refers to the instructions Jesus gave his disciples at the Last Supper.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Jesus sets the example by taking the basin of water and towel then washing the feet of his disciples. This was not just foot washing but the real deal which shows us how much God loves us and encourages us to respond.
We often re-enact this ceremony today.
Many people participating in a rehearsal of Passover Meal find it deeply significant. We could say Good Friday is “good” because Christ “showed His great love for man, and purchased for him every blessing“. We could say that the day is “good” in that “it is Holy”, or that the phrase is a corruption of “God’s Friday“.
But what we must not do is just give lip service to the day but rehearse the events that were recorded for us by the eyewitnesses so that we may seek a greater understanding.
Easter Saturday is a day of nothing but fear and anxiety dealing with loss and emotions. Jesus followers were bereft wondering what would come next. We with prior knowledge are in the know but can we really take in the significance of the events.
Easter Sunday bursts forth crying out with shouts of unimaginable joy. Jesus has risen. As we hear once again. The good news that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for our sins and has risen, eternally triumphant over his enemies, so that there is now no condemnation for those who believe, but only everlasting joy.
From our scripture readings today, we are reminded of God’s commitment to His creation.
As a sign of this everlasting covenant which I am making with you and with all living beings, I am putting my bow in the clouds. It will be the sign of my covenant with the world.
‘The focus of the story is not the flood but the change in God which makes possible a new beginning for creation.’ God now promises an unfailing, steadfast love towards us and the whole of creation without conditions. For thousands of years people have sung psalms rejoicing in this love,
It is a sign of hope and one of encouragement.
As we see the rainbow in the skies may we not view it just as something of beauty or a scientific phenomenon but view it though eyes of hope, and perhaps sing the words of that great hymn Great is Thy Faithfulness.
This is a great opportunity to make it personal.
Peter in his third recorded letter points out the fresh start we have in our baptism. “Admittance to the safety of the Christian ‘ark’” granting us “the ability to face God with a clear conscience. For there is in every true baptism the virtue of Christ’s rising from the dead.”
As we journey through our Lenten season, may we come to realise that there is now no condemnation and nothing that will separate us from the love of God and His Grace towards us.
When we read the Mark passage telling of Jesus baptism by John, we are reminded quite simply of Jesus divine relationship with his Heavenly Father and the life-giving Holy Spirit. When “as he came up out of the water a voice came out of Heaven, saying, ‘You are my dearly beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!’”
Immediately Jesus ventured into the wilderness for 40 days in preparation to “preach the gospel, and call all to follow him.” I was a call for a new beginning, saying, “The time has come at last—the kingdom of God has arrived. You must change your hearts and minds and believe the good news.”
Let us encourage one another to see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, letting His light shine into our hearts helping us to know with confidence the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.
May it be a new beginning for each one of us and may we all be able to reflect that light in our everyday lives.
This year, may we properly celebrate “Resurrection Sunday” and truly be able to say,
“He is Risen!” He is Risen indeed!”
As a suggestion this Lent may I suggest we read daily the whole Gospel according to Mark. There are 16 chapters, the shortest of the four gospels.
You may wish to read several chapters at a time pausing between readings with time to reflect, or read each day a small portion which would allow prayerful reflection.
As an alternative a search on the internet will give you audio book readings of the gospel.
Offertory
Let us bring our gifts to the Lord.
You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the Offertory Song:
Sis 269 Father I Thank You (SiS 269)
Prayers for Others
We pray for those exploring faith,
for those preparing for baptism,
and for those around the world
who are persecuted for their religion:
may they know the good news of the kingdom.
We pray for the world that God loves so much,
and for those who have the power
to bring peace to the nations:
may they work with truth and integrity.
We pray for our community and those who are in need,
for the fragile and the vulnerable,
and for those who support and care for them:
may they feel the presence of Jesus walking with them.
We pray for those who are homeless,
for those who are unemployed,
and for those who will go hungry and thirsty today:
may we, in Christ, draw near to bring comfort and support.
We pray for ourselves,
for strength to commit ourselves to follow in your way, Lord,
and the grace to withstand temptation:
may we grow closer to you as we journey through Lent
and prepare to meet Jesus at the cross.
Amen.
We pray for the peoples of Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland.
We give thanks for the quality of life that many in these countries enjoy and their commitment to provide for those in the world who are in need, for the organizations located here that seek to increase ecumenical and interfaith understanding and work together for the common good of all people and creation, for political and economic transparency in these countries, and for those who reach out to migrants and counter attitudes and practices that oppose them.
We pray for environmental practices that preserve the natural environment, especially the Alps’ melting glaciers, for the work for justice, reconciliation and peace pursued by the people and organizations here, seeking to shape globalization so that it benefits all, for religious freedom, also for those from non-Christian traditions, and for overcoming the fear of, and welcoming the embrace of, those who are outsiders to the countries’ historic, ethnic traditions.
Prayers
Praising the Lord (after Psalm 103:1)
‘Praise the Lord, O my soul, all my inmost being, praise his holy name!’
Longing and curiosity, passion and love,
all my inmost being, praise the Lord.
Power and strength boldness and excitement,
all my inmost being, praise the Lord.
Freedom and desire, joy and happiness,
all my inmost being, praise the Lord.
Disappointment and anger, annoyance and resentment,
all my inmost being, praise the Lord.
Sorrow and anxiety, doubt and worry,
all my inmost being, praise the Lord.
Stress and resilience, failure and shame,
all my inmost being, praise the Lord.
Carefulness and patience, hope and trustfulness,
all my inmost being, praise the Lord.
(Karl Veitschegger (Austria))
We pray for the Scripture Union run WA Young Adult Ministry as programs are being planned and placed throughout the year, praying for creativity and flexibility in organising this program.
We pray for support and guidance for Paul Edwards while he completes his Community Missions responsibility in the West, thanking you for his input as he served the volunteers and the community.
We pray for Family Campout on the banks of the Hawkesbury River NSW (Feb 23-25), that families will enjoy the positive Christian community & be drawn closer to Jesus.
(2024/SU%20SEQ-Prayer-Guide-DEC23-FEB24.pdf)
We thank you God for answering prayers for unity and collaboration in Bible Society South Pacific (BSSP) initiatives and capacity building efforts, through the Oceania Alliance. We pray for the success of the ongoing efforts to decentralise BSSP work from Fiji, as the team focus on improving regional cooperation and strengthening National Collaboration Groups.
We pray for the Life & Faith podcast from the Centre for Public Christianity, that it will grow both in its audience, for the positive contribution it makes to CPX’s capacity for meaningful, constructive conversations about Christian things across lines of difference.
We pray for the Samoa translation team working on the contemporary Old Testament, for committed individuals to join the team, and for more support in this Bible mission work from church leaders and communities as they aim for the completion of the books of the 12 Minor prophets in 2024.
We pray for the National Australian Bible Collaboration who are meeting on Monday (19th February) for several days at the Perth YWAM base, for harmony and success as this collaboration group plan and strategize for the future, paying particular attention to key areas like distribution, recruitment and training of translators, and the importance of literacy and Scripture Engagement.
We thank you God for the work done in 2023 to support Bible translation efforts in the South Pacific. Geoffry, BSSP General Secretary reports that, “We had to work with infrastructure; there are a lot of needs around the Pacific, and they had to be taken care of. One was the computers. We are so blessed through the Bible Society Oceania Alliance. Through it, computers were delivered to translators in the South Pacific.”
(biblesociety/ /Prayer_Letter_-_Feb_2024_-_Standard.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 ‘Garment Of Praise’ (SiS 300)
‘God Is Good To Me’ SiS 200
Benediction:
O God, you open your arms wide to all of us.
Help us trust that you really do love us,
the real deep-down us, warts and all.
Nothing we can do can stop you loving us.
If, like the Canaanite woman, we dare to believe,
may your healing love flow through us to the hurting,
so we may hear singing in heaven!
“May the LORD bless you, and keep you;
May the LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
May the LORD lift up His face to you, and give you peace.”
You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the Benediction Song: ‘Shalom To You Now’
You are invited to listen to, or join in singing: