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 September, in Australia, is National Biodiversity Month!  News to most of you?  Probably.  But that’s not all that is of interest that is happening in September.  It is also:

Suicide Prevention Month,

Save the Koala Month,

Dementia Awareness Month,

and the Brisbane Festival is on until 21^st September.

  And there are some notable dates in September to remember.

Birdsville Races on 6^th & 7^th,

National Bilby Day on 8^th,

Faulty Towers  The Dining Experience at the Brisbane Golf Club at Yeerongpilly on 13^th,

Talk like a Pirate Day on 19^th, and

AFL Grand Final on 28^th.

  But, at this point in time, we will focus only on September being National Biodiversity Month.

  The website for the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, which appears to be coordinating this ‘event’, states:

“We celebrate National Biodiversity Month every September and promote the importance of connecting with nature and caring for nature in all its diversity – its biodiversity!

Nature is valuable and we need nature.  It provides the building blocks for our survival, such as food, clean air, water, and shelter.  Nature also supports our health and wellbeing, and our economy.  And while we need nature, nature also needs us.”

Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

(https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/biodiversity/biodiversity-month)

  The key phrase from this entry is:

“the importance of connecting with nature and caring for nature”.

  But, depending on your philosophical or spiritual outlook, or lack of any such an outlook, such talk of “connecting with nature and caring for nature” can be interpreted in many differing and various ways.

  A Dave Branon contributed an article on such a topic as this in an edition of the daily bible study, “Our Daily Bread”.  In it he writes:

“(Such a focus is) a commemoration of our Global home and a reminder of our responsibility to be careful stewards of this orb.  But celebrating the greatness of our unique home among the Planets can take on a dangerous slant if we leave out one key element.  Contemplating the grandeur of Earth should remind us that we must worship ‘our Maker’”, or as the passage reads, ‘let us kneel before the LORD our Maker’.  (Psalm 95: 6b) 

  Dave Branon continues by saying,

“The Creation was flung into space to point to God and His greatness, power and majesty.  He, alone, deserves our praise and worship.  (Psalm 148: 5) 

  (Dave Branon in “Happy Earth Day in Our Daily Bread 22 April 2008) 

  And he quotes this poem or verse from a hymn by a “Michael”, (who I could not identify):

“All nature sings her song of praise,

She shows her thanks in many ways;

can I, for all God’s gifts, do less

than sing my hymn of gratefulness?”

  And, as we gather here, let us intentionally offer our praise and worship of our Creator God, our Maker, thank Him for his gifts to us, and sing to Him our ‘hymn of gratefulness’?

Prayer of Praise  

God of power and might, of love and grace and mercy; by whose spoken Word the World came into being. and without whose guidance we are lost;

we stand in awe of you, and in adoration lift our voices to you.

We believe that You are our strength; You are our shield.  In our helplessness, we trust that You are our refuge.  In our vulnerability, you are our shelter.

In the midst of darkness, you give us light and rays of hope.  In our pain and suffering, you give us the ability to live in hope with courage; and the wisdom to overcome all difficulties.

Generous God, giver of all good things, with humility and thankfulness we recognise that all we have comes from you.  

You are the one who looks after us and provides for our needs.

We give you our heartfelt and everlasting praise for your gracious gift of forgiveness of our sins, of the cleansing of our souls, and of a restored relationship with you. 

We give you thanks for the many people who have gone before us as witnesses to your great love through serving those in need.  We give you thanks for present witnesses who continue to join in your mission of compassionate care and loving service. 

Be near to us in this time of worship.  Open our ears to hear your voice, our eyes to behold your glory, our hearts to receive your grace, and our mouths to declare your praise.

To your glory we pray.  Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing 2 songs

“Father, I adore you” 

(Scripture in song volume 1 Number174)

Terry Coelho

“Father I thank you for all that you’ve done” (Scripture in Song volume 2 number 64 / 269)

Steve Stewart

Prayer of Confession 

We come to You, O God, and confess our weakness and vulnerability.

We confess that we have persevered in our sinfulness and negligence.

We confess that we have neglected Your commandments, that we have offended Your love, that we did not show mercy to each other, that we were not able to curb our greed. 

In the midst of the busyness of our daily life, we forget the distinction between good and evil, between truth and falsehood; we neglect the poor, the marginalised and those who we define as different from “us”.

God of mercy, forgive us and remove the taint of sin from our lives. 

God of hope, heal us, restore us, and sustain us by Your divine grace.

We come into the light of your Presence, and open ourselves to the healing power of your Spirit, laying bare our brokenness, our deficiencies, and our pain. 

Almighty God, trusting in your mercy and grace, we humbly and reverently bring this prayer to you.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(from James 1: 1 & 2: 1) 

In his Letter, James states that if we are believers in “our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory”, then we are “God’s people”, that God seeks a close relationship with us when we have placed our trust and faith in Jesus to be our redeemer, to be the means by which our sins are forgiven.  Let us rest assured on this promise and know that God has cleansed us in His sight.

Thanks be to God.

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

Deuteronomy 4:

1  Then Moses said to the people,

5  “I have taught you all the Laws, as the LORD my God told me to do.  Obey them in the Land that you are about to invade and occupy.  6  Obey them faithfully, and this will show the people of other Nations how wise you are.  When they hear of all these Laws, they will say,

‘what wisdom and understanding this great Nation has!’

7  No other Nation, no matter how great, has a god who is so near when they need him as the LORD our God is to us.  He answers us when ever we call for help.”

1 Kings 8:

38  “If any of your People, Israel, out of heartfelt sorrow, stretch out their hands in prayer toward this Temple,  39  hear their prayer.  Listen to them in your Home in Heaven, forgive them, and help them.  You alone know the thoughts of the Human heart.  Deal with each person as they deserve,  40  so that your People may obey you all the time they live in the Land which you gave to our ancestors.

Ephesians 4:

22  Paul writes,

“So get rid of your old self, which made you live as you used to – the old self that was destroyed by its deceitful desires.  23  Your hearts and minds must be made completely new,  24  and you must put on the new self, which is created in God’s likeness and reveals itself in the true life that is upright and holy.”

This is the Word of God.

Praise to you Almighty God.

Mark 7:

5  So the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law asked Jesus, “Why is it that your Disciples do not follow the teaching handed down by our ancestors, but instead eat with ritually unclean hands?”

6  Jesus answered them, “How right Isaiah was when he prophesied about you.  You are hypocrites, just as he wrote:

‘These people, says God, honour me with their words, but their heart is really far away from me.  7  It is no use for them to worship me, because they teach human rules as though they were my Laws.’  (Isaiah 29: 13)  8  You put aside God’s command and obey the teachings of people.”

14  Then Jesus called the crowd to him once more and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand.  15  There is nothing that goes into a person from the outside which can make them ritually unclean.  Rather, it is what comes out of a person that makes them unclean.”

20 And Jesus went on to say,  21  “For from the inside, from a person’s heart, come the evil thoughts which lead them to do immoral things, theft, murder,  22  to commit adultery, ruthless greed, malice, fraud, indecency, jealousy, slander, arrogance and folly;  23  all these evil things come from inside a person, and they defile that person.”

This is the Gospel of our Lord.

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

In celebration of Fathers

[Scroll through these screens as you listen to this YouTube clip, allowing yourself 19 seconds with each one, so that you finish screen 14 by the end of the song, at 4.27 minutes into the YouTube.]

Slide 1

In celebration of Fathers

Slide 2

Australia is one of only four countries where Father’s Day is celebrated on the first Sunday in September.  The others are New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

Slide 3

There should be a children’s’ song:

“If you’re happy and you know it, keep it to yourself and let your Dad sleep in on Saturday mornings.”.

Slide 4

Q  What does it mean if the Mother laughs at the Father’s jokes?

A  It means that they have guests over for dinner.

Slide 5

Last Father’s Day my son gave me something that I had wanted for a long time; the keys to my car.

Slide 6

DNA alone doesn’t make a Dad.

Slide 7

Just once on Father’s Day I wish my kids would give me a #1 Dad mug, instead of one with my actual ranking.

Slide 8

For Father’s Day we got our Dad a T-shirt that says, “Do not resuscitate”.  He wears it whenever Mum takes him to the ballet.

Slide 9

I would give my Dad what he really wants on Father’s Day, but I can’t afford to move out yet.

Slide 10

Things a Dad would never say:

“Can you turn up that music?”

“Go ahead and borrow my brand-new car.  Here’s $50 for petrol.”

“I love your tattoo.  We should both get new ones.”

“Here, you take the remote.”

Slide 11

“Any fool can become a Father.  It takes a real man to be a Dad.”  Philip Whitmore

Slide 12

“My Father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person.  He believed in me.”  Jim Valvano

Slide 13

“The Father who does not teach his son his duties is equally guilty with the son who neglects them.”  Confucius

Slide 14

“I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a Father’s protection.”  Sigmund Freud

Slide 15

What makes a Dad

God took the strength of a mountain,

The majesty of a tree,

The warmth of a Summer Sun,

The calm of a quiet sea,

The generous soul of Nature,

The comforting arm of night,

The wisdom of the ages,

The power of the eagle’s flight,

The joy of a Springtime morning,

The faith of a mustard seed,

The patience of eternity,

And the depth of a family need.

Then God combined these qualities

When there was nothing more to add,

He mixed them to perfection,

And so, He called it, ‘Dad’!

Anonymous

[Play this YouTube clip and have a laugh along with the song.  The song stops at 3.30 minutes into the YouTube clip.]

A Prayer for Fathers

We pray for our fathers who have loved and supported us.

We praise you O Lord and give you thanks today.

For our mothers who have cherished and nurtured us.

We praise you O Lord and give you thanks today.

For the children entrusted to our care as parents.

We praise you Lord and give you thanks today.

For our godfathers and mothers and for all who first spoke to us of Jesus, and who have drawn us into the family of our heavenly Father.

We praise you Lord and give you thanks today.

Lord God, it’s not easy being a father today, and so we pray for fathers in a society that is constantly redefining their role;

for fathers who stay at home and look after children;

for fathers who have been forced out of their families or away from their children;

for fathers with adult children who must relearn what it means to be a parent.

We pray also for families with fathers who are inadequate, violent, lazy or unkind;

for families where there is no father present at home;

for families in which there seems to be a succession of different ‘fathers’,

making it hard for the children to build lasting relationships or know their true identities.

Whatever their circumstances, may every family find wholeness and help as they look to you God, the loving Father of us all.

Help us to live as those who belong to one another and to you, now and always.  Amen.

(https://www.rootsontheweb.com/i-am-looking-for/public-copies/fathers-day-ideas-and-prayers)

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the hymn

“Father of everlasting grace”  (MHB730  AHB313)

[This YouTube clip has piano music only – there is no introduction.]

Verse 1 of 4

Father of eternal grace,

your goodness and your truth we praise,

your goodness and your truth we prove;

you have, in honour of your Son,

the Gift unspeakable sent down,

the spirit of life, and power, and love.

Verse 2 of 4

Send us the spirit of your Son,

to make the great Salvation known,

to make us share the life divine;

and send him the sprinkled blood to apply,

send him our souls to sanctify,

and show and seal us as your own.

Verse 3 of 4

So shall we pray and never cease,

so shall we thankfully confess

your wisdom, truth, and power, and love;

with joy unspeakable adore,

and bless and praise you evermore,

and serve you as your hosts above.

Verse 4 of 4

Till, added to that Heavenly choir,

we raise our songs of triumph higher,

and praise you in a bolder voice,

with joy and glory in my Lord

your name I will in songs record

your everlasting love to us.

Charles Wesley  (amended)

Sermon

Kerry and I recently spent a couple of days at the Bunya Mountains.  We drove up there by the route through Yarraman and Maidenwell.  On the turnoff from the New England Highway onto the Kingaroy – Cooyar Road, beside the sign indicating that Maidenwell was 5 kilometres up this road, was another sign indicating that Coomba Falls was also 5 kilometres up this road.  This was a surprise to us because neither of us had heard about Coomba Falls being a place to visit in south-east Queensland nor that it was in the vicinity of Maidenwell.  It was only later when I was looking at the topographic map for the area that I saw it, situated at the end of a road leading Eastward away from Maidenwell.

from 1:100000 topographic Survey map no. 9244 titled Kingaroy

Here is a Google map of the area, showing that Coomba Falls is on Tanduringie Creek.

Here is a closer image of the turnoff to the Coomba Waterhole Road.

The turnoff is not obvious from either Kingaroy to Cooyar Road nor the turnoff west to the Bunya Mountains.  You need to drive into the local street, Pool Street, to see the sign.

the track down

Once you reach the carpark at the end of the road, you need to descend down about 70 steps on a well-maintained pathway.

Coomba Falls, outside Maidenwell

But once you get down to the creek, it is very picturesque.

  “Coomba Falls, at Maidenwell, is an exceptionally beautiful place, featuring a deep natural swimming hole and striking granite cliffs.”

(https://www.discoversouthburnett.com.au/town/maidenwell/)

  “Coomba Falls is located about 2 kilometres east of the town.  There is a deep cold pool at the base of the falls surrounded by granite cliffs.  It is a popular tourist spot for picnicking, swimming, birdwatching and photography.”

  Coomba Falls is truly an unknown treasure which should be visited.  It has always been there.  To experience it, you need to be told about it, and you need to search for it.

“I have taught you all the Laws, as the LORD my God told me to do.  ..  Obey them faithfully”.”  (Deuteronomy 4: 5a & 6a) 

  Moses referred to just such a ‘treasure’ of the People of Israel, after which they should seek after and which they should constantly value.  And he said to them:

“I have taught you all the Laws, as the LORD my God told me to do.  ..  Obey them faithfully”.”  (Deuteronomy 4: 5a & 6a) 

  The Word of God had always been there with the People of Israel.  Moses was showing them that following the Word of God was the way to go.  It was up to the People of Israel to recall what they had been taught by Moses and to apply it to their lives.

  But why was it imperative that they obey the Laws of God?

  Firstly, it was because that was an integral aspect to the Covenant agreement which they had entered into with God.  God had promised the People of Israel that He would redeem them from slavery in Egypt and lead them to a Land where they could be an independent and great Nation, if they would become His chosen People.  The People of Israel responded by promising to be led by God.  This was not just being led in a physical sense in terms of the direction they were to take in their journey to Canaan, but also in a moral and spiritual sense on a day-to-day basis in terms of their thinking and behaviour as they related to Him and to their neighbours.

  And this is made clear with the 10 Commandments, where God declares to the People of Israel,

“I am the LORD your God who brought you out of Egypt, where you were slaves.  Worship no god but me.”  (Exodus 20: 2 & 3, Deuteronomy 5: 6 & 7) 

  Secondly, it was because of the nature of their Laws.  With the Nations that surrounded the Nation of Israel, it was the role of the King to make the Laws of their Nation, partly in an effort to show their people that they could rule wisely and with justice, but also “to convince their gods that they were wise and just rulers”.  (John Walton, Victor Matthews and Mark Chavalas in The IVP Bible Background Commentary of the Old Testament p175)  In contrast, God was the source of the Laws of the Nation of Israel.  The People of Israel understood that if that were so, then these Laws “emanated from the character of God”  (John Walton, Victor Matthews and Mark Chavalas in The IVP Bible Background Commentary of the Old Testament p175)  , and “embodied the will of God”  (annotated note by Bernard Levinson in The New Oxford Annotated Bible p256)  Thus, in obeying the Laws of God, the People of Israel would not just reveal to the peoples of other Nations how wise and just were their Laws, but also how wise and just was their God who gave these Laws to them.  (John Walton, Victor Matthews and Mark Chavalas in The IVP Bible Background Commentary of the Old Testament p175, annotated note by Bernard Levinson in The New Oxford Annotated Bible p256)  It was in being their Law-giver that God was demonstrating to the People of Israel how near He was to them “when they need Him”, unlike any so-

called God of any other Nation.  (Deuteronomy 4: 7) 

  In his prayer on the occasion of the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem, King Solomon recognises that the “heart“ of a person must be ‘in tune’ with God if they are to “obey God all the time (that) they live in Land which God gave to the People of Israel.  (1 Kings 8: 39 & 40  2 Chronicles 6: 30 & 31) 

  The Hebrew word used that is translated as “heart” in this passage is “lay-bawb”  (Strong’s OT3824)  .  The “heart” is to be understood as not just the “mental life” of a person, their “intellect, their will, and their understanding”  (entry in The Universal Bible Dictionary edited by Augustus Buckland and Arthus Lukyn Williams p196)  , but the inner person, what it is that drives their desires, their emotions, their decision making, their imagination, and their personality.  (entry in Nelson’s Expository Dictionary of the Old Testament edited by Merrill Unger and William White p178) 

  King Solomon recognises that a person cannot hide their “heart” from God.  “You alone know the thoughts of the Human heart.”, he prays.  (1 Kings 8: 39  2 Chronicles 6: 30)  The Prophet Jeremiah records God saying,

“I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind.”  (Jeremiah 17: 10) 

  Gordon McConville writes,

“The relationship between God and Israel (is to be understood as) God’s keeping the Covenant with and showing steadfast love for (Israel).  God’s actions in establishing this relationship must precede any obedience on Israel’s part.  And when obedience (to God’s Laws) does come, it is in the form of a response which is profoundly personal, which cannot be constituted by a series of prescribed acts.”  (Gordon McConville in Chronicles  The Daily Study Bible p132) 

  What he is saying is that obedience to God’s Laws cannot come from a strict observance of the rites and rituals of Temple worship and sacrifice, which is only an outward expression of the person.  Instead, it must come from the inner person, from their desire to obey God’s Laws, their desire for their life to be guided by the character and will of God.    With that thought in mind, we must ask ourselves what it is that Paul means when he states, “Your hearts and minds must be made completely new.”  (Ephesians 4: 23) 

  If the desire of God is for a person’s willing compliance to His will and purpose, that is, that their heart is in tune with God’s will and purpose for them, why, then, is Paul saying that a person cannot achieve this by their own efforts?

  Jesus sought to present the radical teaching that a person’s “uncleanliness” before God has nothing to do with any outward observance of rites or rituals or regulations, but has everything to do the “inward act of choice” of a person, how they are being led by their ‘heart’s’ choices.  (William Barclay in The Gospel of Mark  The Daily Study Bible p176)  And the predisposition for the Human ‘heart’, Jesus states, is for “evil thoughts which lead to immoral things”.  (Mark 7: 21) 

  Paul’s explanation is that the influence of the Human ‘heart’, independent of a seeking after God, is “corrupt and polluted” when compared to the holiness and purity demanded of a person’s life by God.  The actions of the ‘heart’ becomes self-centred, leading to a giving in to the “lusts” of personal pleasure and satisfaction, which deceives the person into concluding that that is the fulfillment of life.  (Francis Foulkes in Ephesians  An Introduction and Commentary p130) 

  William Barclay writes of a “petrifying of a person’s conscience”, a hardening of a person’s ability to choose between right and wrong, such that they gradually lose all sense of shame and decency.  (William Barclay in The Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians  The Daily Study Bible p180 & 181) 

  So, when Paul states that, “Your hearts and minds must be made completely new”, is he talking about a ‘heart transplant’ for the sinner, the swapping of a working heart for a non-working heart?

[Mike Baldwin]

A heart transplant, or a cardiac transplant, is a surgical transplant procedure performed on patients with end-stage heart failure or severe coronary artery disease when other medical or surgical treatments have failed.  Approximately 3,500 heart transplants are performed each year worldwide.^[2] Post-operative survival periods average 15 years.^[3] Heart transplantation is not considered to be a cure for heart disease; rather it is a life-saving treatment intended to improve the quality and duration of life for a recipient.^[4]

  It is interesting to note the definition of “heart transplant” in a Wikipedia entry,

“A Heart transplant is not considered to be a cure for heart disease; rather it is a life-saving treatment intended to improve the quality and duration of life for a recipient. “

  This doesn’t seem to be the intended meaning of Paul’s writing, for Paul talks of a “cure” for the sinfulness of a person’s life.  Paul talks of a leaving of “the old way of life” and a turning to “Christ’s way of life”.  (William Barclay in The Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians  The Daily Study Bible p180)  Paul talks of a “renewal” of the person’s heart, and becoming “a new Creation of God”.  (Francis Foulkes in Ephesians  An Introduction and Commentary p130) 

  The understanding is thus of God ‘renovating’ a person’s heart so that it is in tune with His will and purpose.

  Joe Stowell is the former president of Moody Bible Institute, and currently serves as President of Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  (https://ourdailybreadministries.ca/author/joestowell/) 

  In an article in an edition of the daily Bible study series, Our Daily Bread, he writes,

“Our heart is the place where God meets and relates to us personally. It’s where He allows us to respond to His correction.  Spending time in His Word and in prayer opens the door for Him to interact with us at the deepest levels of our need and gives Him opportunities to comfort and convict.  As we open our hearts to Him, He fans the flame of an intimate, life-changing relationship.  Authentic Christianity is the inside-out expression of this dynamic relationship with Jesus that provides the strength to live for his glory – regardless of what is happening on the outside of our lives.”

  (Joe Stowell in Foundation of the Heart in Our Daily Bread 25^th August 2008) 

  How is your heart?  How are you seeking for our heart to be remoulded in the shape of God?  Do we just listen to the words of God and then forget them, or do we strive to put them into practice?  Do we just follow the ritual of the worship service on Sundays, or do we seek to respond to the character and the will of God in expressions of praise and in a seeking after holiness?

  Philip Yancey writes that “the righteous Pharisees had little historical impact, but Jesus’s Disciples, an undependable and flawed group of men, recognised the power of a Gospel that offered free forgiveness to even the worst of sinners.  These men managed to change the World.”  (Philip Yancey in I was just wondering p 101) 

  How has the Gospel changed us?  How have we sought to be used by God to change the World?  Amen.

Offering

Offering Prayer    

“For the life that you have given”  TiS774 

[

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

{Note: Only the first part of these prayers will be used in the service in the church).

Praise Those Fathers

Let us praise those fathers who have striven to balance the demands of work, marriage, and children with an honest awareness of both joy and sacrifice.

Let us praise those fathers who, lacking a good model for a father, have worked to become a worthy and virtuous father.

Let us praise those fathers who, by their own account, were not always there for their children, but who continue to offer those children, now grown, their love and support. As well, let us pray for those fathers who have been wounded by words and actions of their children.

Let us praise those fathers who, despite marital discord, have remained in their children’s lives.

Let us praise those fathers whose children are adopted, and whose love and support has nurtured a thriving life.

Let us praise those fathers who, as stepfathers, freely choose the obligation of fatherhood and earned their step children’s love and respect.

Let us praise those fathers who have lost a child to death, and continue to hold the child in their heart.

Let us praise those men who have no children, but cherish the next generation as if they were their own.

Let us praise those men who have “fathered” us in their role as mentors and guides.

Let us praise those men who are about to become fathers; may they openly delight in their children.

And let us praise those fathers who have died, but live on in our memory and whose love continues to nurture us.

– Prayer of Kirk Loadman adapted by Debra Mooney, PhD

Bless Our Fathers

Heavenly Father,

Today we ask You to bless our Earthly fathers, for the many times they reflected the love, strength, generosity, wisdom and mercy that You exemplify in Your relationship with us, Your children.

We honour our fathers for putting our needs above their own convenience and comfort;
for teaching us to show courage and determination in the face of adversity;
for challenging us to move beyond self-limiting boundaries;
for modelling the qualities that would turn us into responsible, principled, caring adults.

Not all our fathers lived up to these ideals.
Give them the grace to acknowledge and learn from their mistakes.
Give us the grace to extend to them the same forgiveness that you offer us all.
Help us to resist the urge to stay stuck in past bitterness,
instead, moving forward with humility and peace of heart.

We ask your blessing on those men who served as father figures in our lives when our biological fathers weren’t able to do so.
May the love and selflessness they showed us be returned to them in all their relationships,
and help them to know that their influence has changed us for the better.

Give new and future fathers the guidance they need to raise happy and holy children,
grounded in a love for God and other people –
and remind these fathers that treating their wives with dignity, compassion and respect is
one of the greatest gifts they can give their children.

Tony Rossi

(https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/fathers-day-prayers)

Blue Care

Almighty God, we pray for the work of Blue Care throughout Queensland:

that you will oversee the welfare of the residents in their Residential Aged Care Facilities,

that you will oversee the safe operating of their Retirement Living Facilities,

that you will bless the operating of their Community Care Centres,

that you will guide and support those in leadership positions as they manage staff, finances, procurement and the oversight of programs,

that you will encourage and protect the many volunteers who give of their time and energy to the provision of care and support to those using Blue Care programs and facilities,

that you will encourage and support staff of Blue Care as they provide compassion and care to those in need,

that you will guide those who train and support the staff and volunteers so as to meet their individual context and circumstances,

that you will support Blue Care chaplains as they seek to guide and care for residents of facilities and program users,

that you will guide and bless the work of the Grief and Loss Programs in the various centres and facilities,

that you will guide and bless the work of the Dementia Programs in the various centres and facilities,

that you will guide and bless the Respite Programs in the various centres and facilities,

that you will oversee the commencement of the provision of the Home Care Package Program, that it will meet the care needs and support the wellbeing of people in their homes.

We thank you for the dedication and enthusiasm of the staff, volunteers, and supports of Blue Care and their family members.  Protect and bless them in their involvement in the programs and services of Blue Care.  Direct the delivery of these services so that they provide the very best of care and support for those in need.  Please encourage the Church to do all that is required to continue the work of Blue Care in our communities.

God of all healing, who called the light to shine in the darkness at Creation, and in whose eternal light there is no darkness at all, be a light of hope to those who live in darkness.  Be a support to the fearful, a listener to the lonely, a purpose to those in despair, that amongst the struggles and confusions of the World, they will find the path that leads to the fulness of life, and joy and peace in Jesus Christ our Lord.

(https://www.ncca.org.au/ncca-newsletter/august-2021-1/item/2535-president-s-reflection-2021081)

General Intercessions

Almighty God, we pray for the Church, that we may experience an ever deeper conversion of mind and heart as we allow your Word to instruct and free us.

We pray for a deepening of gratitude, that we may be grateful to you for every blessing and gift, and develop them fully for your glory.

We pray you will liberate us from the defences of legalism and rationalism so that we may serve you wherever you calls us.

We pray for wisdom, that you will teach us how to live the virtues of the Christian life and manifest them in new ways in our contemporary society.

We pray for a greater knowledge of ourselves, that you will help us discern our motivations and make life-giving choices each day.

We pray for all who hand on the faith, particularly preachers, teachers, and parents: that they may share the faith clearly and convincingly, and lead others into an experience of your great love.

We pray for conversion from our hypocrisies, that we may recognize where we say one thing and live by another so that we may come to greater integrity and wholeness.

We pray for all who have experienced the evil of human hearts, that you will heal the pain of those who have experienced abuse, discrimination, or Human trafficking and fill them with hope for the future.

We pray for all who have suffered from cover-ups or neglect by Church leaders, that you will comfort and guide them, help their truth to be heard, and guide us in supporting them.

We pray for all who are suffering from natural disasters and for those assisting them, that you will calm the wildfires, help the people to recover from the efforts of flooding, and sustain all who are helping them.

We pray for refugees and displaced persons, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Sudan, the Middle East: that you will guide them to safety, protect them on their journeys, and help them find welcome in new communities.

We pray for greater respect for and stewardship of Earth’s resources: that we may treasure the natural resources that you have given us and wisely use them for the good of the Human family.

We pray for an end to the renewal of the covid pandemic, the influenza epidemic, the threat of the spread of mpox; that you will curtail the surge of such viruses, send healing to all who are ill, and give strength and insight to all medical personnel who are caring for the ill or who are searching for cures.

We pray for safety in schools: that you will watch over all schools, protect students from violence, and bullying, and help all to grow in knowledge and self-awareness.

We pray for peace, that the Spirit will renew the dedication of those working for peace and help all to work together to defeat the common enemies of disease, ignorance, and poverty.

(Copyright © 2021. Joe Milner. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use. – https://liturgy.slu.edu/22OrdB090124/ideas_other.html)

World Council of Churches

Almighty God, we pray for the peoples of Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and of Senegal.

Intercessions

We are thankful for the many ways in which these countries have moved beyond their colonial histories, especially the scars related to slave trade, for this area’s distinctive music and cultural practices of storytelling (griots), for economic and educational advances that have lifted some out of poverty,  for promising transitions into democracy and changes in government leaders, and for the persistent, faithful witness of churches in the midst of other faiths.

We pray for those people in these societies who continue to live in abject poverty, for an end to policies, systems, and cultural practices that continue to exploit and marginalize some groups, for the fair election of more just government leaders who respect the rights of all people, and for faith communities witnessing and working together for the common good.

Prayer to the Holy Child

Holy child of Bethlehem, born in a stable:
help us to remember all those children living in poverty or even abandoned by their parents.

Holy child of Bethlehem, whom Herod sought to kill:
help us to remember all those holy innocents of our own time who suffer abuse or neglect in so many different ways.

Holy child of Bethlehem, a refugee in Egypt:help us to care for all those children who are forced to live far away from their homes.

May the God of love bless all of you,
your families and our nation with his gift of peace and happiness.
Amen.

(From the Christmas message of the Most Rev. Robert P. Ellison CSSp, Bishop of Banjul.)

Prayers for Cape Verde

We pray the political, social and cultural leaders will provide wise and just decisions to address the issues of ecological and economic problems confronting the Nation.

We pray for greater efforts by the Churches to provide Scripture in the indigenous languages that are spoken by the people.

Prayers for The Gambia

Lord, grant our leaders the qualities of leadership they need to stride securely through our times,

and on the hard-fought path of life give them a generous portion of the grace they need to lead us with a sincere heart and with wisdom.

May the difficult sacrifices we joyfully make for the development of our country reach up to you as a living plea to lavish kindness, faithfulness and power and keep watch over our land.

Lord, let us believe in your power to bring all people together and let no one deprive us of this song of unity.

Let us form the great image of the human person and community among us which fulfils your will.

We pray for peace and unity in our homeland, that we may be able to live as one family working for the betterment of our nation and her people.

We pray for all those who have to witness to their faith in situations where they are ridiculed, threatened and persecuted: that they may find in you, Lord, the courage they need.

(Prayer submitted by the Most Rev. Michael J. Cleary CSSp, Bishop of Banjul.)

We pray for the continued freedom for the Church to witness to their Muslim neighbours, and for an openness of heart for Muslims to receive the Gospel.  We pray for sensitivity and wisdom for Christian missions and ministries as they work among the Muslim majority, for new visas for missionaries seeking to enter the country.

We pray for increased momentum and a zeal for growth within the existing Churches.

We pray for the continued freedom for the Church to provide ministry in prisons, to operate Christian radio, and to produce to promote Christian television.

Prayer for Guinea

We pray for political stability, for political leaders who place national interests above their own, and for wisdom regarding International Monetary Fund development projects.

We pray for the liberty of Christian Churches and ministries to work among Muslim communities.

We pray for the effective training for pastors and lay leaders.

We pray for the effectiveness of ministries working in colleges and universities and youth centres.

We pray for continued support and funding for translation work among the Fulbe, susu, Kissi, Kpelle and Toma peoples.

We pray that you will strengthen those who have responded to the multi-lingual cassette ministry undertaken by Global Records Network in 21 languages.

Prayer for Guinea-Bissau

We pray for the continued freedom for Churches to worship and to minister to the Muslim communities.

We pray for the training and maturing of pastors to lead Churches and to plant new Churches.

We pray for the success of the translating of the whole Bible into Portuguese Creole, and of the New Testament into the Papel, Bijago, Fulbe, and Mandingo languages.

We pray for the effectiveness of Christian radio programs, and of a cassette ministry run by the local Bible Society.

Prayer from Senegal

Lord, hear my prayer of peace and forgiveness!

Lord God, forgive the white slave-traders of Europe and over the seas!They hunted our children like wild elephants. They caught them, tiedthem up, whipped them and soiled their hands with their blood.

Bless my people, Lord, those who seek their own faces under the threatof being recognized. May they continue to seek you in spite of the coldand famine that eats at their very bones, at their very insides. Thewoman who laments her absent husband, the fiancée her lost love, themother her dead son, bless those who have lost loved ones, may we allunite under your love.

With your help, may all the people of Europe, Asia, Africa, and all whohave sweated blood and suffering look beyond and see the haloed headsof my people. Extend a warm handshake to them so that we may allinterlace our fingers to belt the earth in fraternal love.

(Excerpted from “Prayer for Peace and Brotherhood”, Sedar Senghor, president of Senegal, 1960-81. Hallelujah for the Day, ed. Anthony Gittins, Liguori/Triumph, Ligouri MO, USA, 2002, p.103.)

We pray that you would hinder the work of the Muslim Sufi brotherhoods so as to open opportunities for the Gospel to be preached among the Wolof, Fulbe and Mande peoples.

We pray for a strengthening of the Churches among the Serer, Jola and Cape Verdian peoples, so that their witness as Christians is made more real to their Muslim neighbours.

We thank you for the success of the translation projects among the Wolof, Serer, Mandinka. Tukulor, Fulancunda and Bassari peoples, and pray that the holy spirit will work in the hearts of those who are exposed to  your Word in their indigenous language.

We pray for your continued support for the Cassette Tape ministries and for Christian radio programs.

(https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/prayer-cycle/cape-verde-the-gambia-guinea-guinea-bissau-senegal)

(also from Operation World  When we pray God works by Patrick Johnstone and Jason Mandryk p147 & 148, 266, 291 & 292, 294 & 295, and 259 to 261)

Bible Society Australia

Almighty God, we thank you for the successful launch of the new edition of the Christian Surfers Bible, designed to encourage surfers to connect with you and other Christian Surfers.  We pray for the success of the efforts to distribute this new edition, that it will reach more surfing communities around the World, and touch lives with your Word.

We praise you God for the progress of Bible Society South Pacific’s translation work in New Caledonia.  We pray for the successful completion of the Old Testament in Ajië and the New Testament in Nelemwa as well as for people’s meaningful engagement with the Scriptures in New Caledonia.

We pray for all the staff from Bible Societies who participated in last month’s Asia Pacific Literacy Training, that they will be able to implement what they learnt about literary practice principles, program planning, research and implementation in an ongoing way. We pray that the Bible-based literacy projects in these regions would be improved as a result.

We pray for the success of the ‘Rebuilding of the Bible Society’ project in Papua New Guinea, and for the team as they seek to establish sustainable and impactful Bible-based mission work.  We pray that you will open doors, for generous hearts to fund the rebuilding, and for committed, resourceful workers to come forward to join the team.

We thank you God for the report from Papua New Guinea, where, in the aftermath of natural disaster, the team at Living Child said: “Villagers remain keen to have access to the health messages and the Bible in their heart language.  The scale of the disaster and the community needs is overwhelming, but we are trusting the Lord.”  We pray that you will enable resources and people to be available so that the ‘Bibles and Maternal Health’ project can resume.  We pray for the successful rebuilding of the livelihoods of people who have lost their homes and face diseases, and especially children and the elderly.  We pray for your protection for the team as they focus on disaster recovery.

(2024/BibleSocietyAugust2024PrayerLetter.pdf)

Scripture Union Australia

Almighty God, we pray that the final preparations for our Spring Camps will go smoothly and smooth and willing response for registrations.

We pray for the students and teachers from Swan Christian College who will be on school camp in Busselton (WA), led by SU staff & volunteers, that your love and grace will cover them as they experience temporary community and hear of your love.

We pray that the filming of Chaplaincy Core Training Modules for online delivery would go smoothly and that the modules will be a blessing to the students.

We pray for the health of all chaplains, especially for you to heal those who aren’t well, and bring your peace and joy to all as they carry your presence into schools.

We pray for a sense of fun, exciting games and faith exploration on the Epic Beach Break Camp later in September.

We pray for Jesus to be known and faith to grow on SUPA camp.  We pray for your guidance and protection of the team leading and for the young people participating.

We pray for the SUFM teams training and preparing for a summer of beach and river missions, that the team leaders will be seeking God earnestly, that His will would be done.  We pray for innovation and the leading of the Spirit.

(2024/ScriptureUnionPrayer-GuideJulytoSeptember2024.pdf)

Leprosy Mission International

Almighty God, we thank you for the support offered by the American Leprosy Missions and their dedication to breaking down barriers to health and restoring hope for people suffering from the pain and stigma of NTDs like leprosy.  We thank you that, since its founding in 1906, American Leprosy Missions has provided holistic healing to more than four million people around the world, including through medical treatment, health worker training, disease mapping, community development, health system strengthening and research.

We pray for strength and hope for church leaders in Democratic Republic of Congo, who are training to find and support people affected by diseases like leprosy.  Please guide them as they are seeking ways to provide critical emotional and spiritual care, as well as connecting people to medical help.

We pray for your support and guidance for the women leaders of our community projects in India and Nepal, who seek to educate their neighbours about diseases like leprosy, refer them for care, and help communities advocate for government resources to improve water quality, sanitation and hygiene conditions.

We pray for the success for the Phase 1b/2a trial of the first leprosy-specific vaccine, LepVax; especially the clinical trial is beginning in Brazil.  We pray that, for the next two years, our partner, Fiocruz, will successfully implement the trial to determine the vaccine’s effectiveness.

We pray your guidance for the Leprosy Research Initiative’s teams as they review the applications for the 2025 funding call for leprosy research and decide which ones to fund.  We ask for wisdom because they usually receive 70+ applications each year and can fund fewer than 10

We lift in prayer the work of EU-CORD a European network of Christian relief and development organisations.  Grant them the courage and wisdom to fulfil their shared vision as Christian organisations united in the dream of a transformed, just, and equal world. Guide them to be beacons of hope.  

We pray for the place of leprosy within this much wider world of Neglected Tropical Diseases (a group of diseases that affect 1.7bn people globally).  We pray for increasing global and political prominence for these neglected diseases.  Also we seek your guidance for the NTD NGO Network (NNN), which is a network for NGOs that focus on Neglected Tropical Diseases.

We pray for TLM Southern Africa, giving thanks for the progress the team made in 2023 to integrate leprosy work into the National Health system in South Africa, in their effort to defeat leprosy in South Africa.

(2024/TheLeprosyMissionPrayerGuide2024.pdf)

Merciful God, hear our prayers this day and answer them so that your greatness may be known by all.  This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the Hymn “Father, whose everlasting love”

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

Verse 1 of 5

Father, whose everlasting love

your only Son for sinners gave,

whose grace to all did freely move,

and sent him down to Earth to save.

Verse 2 of 5

Help us your mercy to extol,

immense, unfathomed, unconfined;

to praise the Lamb who died for all,

the Saviour of all Humankind.

Verse 3 of 5

Your undistinguishing regard

was cast on Adam’s fallen race,

for all you have in Christ prepared

sufficient, sovereign, saving grace.

Verse 4 of 5

The World he suffered to redeem;

for all he has the atonement made;

for those who will not come to him,

the ransom of their life was paid.

Verse 5 of 5

Arise, O God, maintain your cause!

The fullness of the Nations call;

lift up the standard of your cross,

and all shall own you died for all.

Charles Wesley 

Sacrament of Communion

 (following Uniting in Worship 2 p162 to p222) 

The Peace

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

The Invitation

Christ, our Lord, invites to his Table all who love him, all who earnestly repent of their sin and who seek to live in peace with one another.

Prayer of Approach

Lord God, we come to your Table, trusting in your mercy and not in any goodness of our own.  We are not worthy even to gather up the crumbs under your table, but it is your nature always to have mercy, and on that we depend.  So, feed us with the body and blood of Jesus Christ, your son, that we may for ever live in him and he in us. Amen.

Narrative of the Institution of the Lord’s Supper

Hear the words of the institution of this Sacrament as recorded by the Apostle Paul:

  “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night when he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it and said, ‘This is my body which is for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.’  In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new Covenant in my blood.  Do this, as often as you drink it, for the remembrance of me.  For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.’”  (1 Corinthians 11: 23 to 26) 

  And, so, according to our Saviour’s command, we set this bread and this cup apart for the Holy Supper to which he calls us, and we come to God with our prayers of thanksgiving.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

With all we are, we give you glory, God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the one and holy God, Sovereign of all Time and Space.  We thank you for this wide red land, for its rugged beauty, for its changing seasons, for its diverse people, and for all that lives upon this fragile Planet.  You have called us to be the Church in this place, to give voice to every creature under Heaven.  We rejoice with all that you have made, as we join the company of Heaven in their song:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, Heaven and Earth are full of your glory.  Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed be the One who comes in the name of the Lord.  Hosanna in the highest.

We thank you that you called a covenant people to be the light to the Nations.  Through Moses you taught us to love your Law, and, in the Prophets, you cried out for justice.  In the fullness of your mercy, you became one with us in Jesus Christ, who gave himself up for us on the cross.  You make us alive together with him, that we may rejoice in his presence and share his peace.  By water and the Spirit, you open the Kingdom to all who believe, and welcome us to your Table: for by grace we are saved through faith.  With this bread and this cup we do as our Saviour commands: we celebrate the redemption he has won for us.

Christ has died.  Christ is risen.  Christ will come again.

Pour out the Holy Spirit on us and on these gifts of bread and the cup, that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.  Make us one with him, one with each other, and one in ministry in the World, until at last we feast with him in the Kingdom.  Through your Son, Jesus Christ, in your holy Church, all honour and glory are yours, Father Almighty, now and for ever.

Blessing and honour and glory and power are yours for ever and ever.  Amen.

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.

Breaking of the Bread

The bread we break is a sharing in the body of Christ.

The cup we take is a sharing in the blood of Christ.

The gifts of God for the People of God.

Lamb of God

Jesus, Lamb of God,

Have mercy on us.

Jesus, bearer of our sins,

Have mercy on us.

Jesus, redeemer of the World,

Grant us peace.

The Distribution

Receive this Holy Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, and feed upon him in your hearts by faith with thanksgiving.

(after all have received the bread)

The body of Christ keep you in eternal life.

(after all have received the juice)

The blood of Christ keep you in eternal life.

Prayer after Communion

Blessed be God who calls us together.

Praise to God who makes us one People.

Blessed be God who has forgiven our sins.

Praise to God who gives us hope and freedom.

Blessed be God whose Word is proclaimed.

Praise to God who is revealed as the One who loves.

Blessed be God who alone has called us.

Therefore, we offer to God all that we are and all that we shall become.

Accept, O God, our sacrifice of praise.

Accept our thanks for we have seen the greatness of your love.  Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the song “In Thy Love”  (Alexander’s Hymns no.3 number 210)

[This hymn is being sung to the tune Abbot’s Leigh.]

Verse 1 of 3

Father, I am weak and sinful,

ever prone to go astray;

like a wayward child of error,

I so often lose my way.

Chorus

In Thy love, O God, have mercy;

in Thy grace redeem my soul,

bring me back, O gentle Shepherd,

keep me safe within Thy fold.

Verse 2 of 3

In the billows of temptation,

when its waves are running high,

bear me o’er life’s sea of trouble,

leave me not to sink and die.

Chorus

In Thy love, O God, have mercy;

in Thy grace redeem my soul,

bring me back, O gentle Shepherd,

keep me safe within Thy fold.

Verse 3 of 3

Father, when the shades are falling,

and the night of death is near,

guide me through the gloomy valley,

with Thy Light my journey cheer.

Chorus

Open, then, the pearly portals,

that, unworthy though I be,

I may join the ransomed legions,

there to dwell eternally.

Neal McAuley

Benediction 

Neva Coyle writes that there is nothing we can do to earn God’s acceptance and love.  God has given us everything in Jesus Christ.  (Neva Coyle in What does God want anyway p9) 

  Let us then live a life of gratitude to God for His mercy and grace.  Let us live a life of goodness and purity for which God seeks from us.  Let us live a life showing compassion and care towards all people in the same manner that God shows His love for all.

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

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the Benediction Song

“Father, bless us as we go”  TiS781

[This song is being sung to the tune Kookaburra 766.]

Father, bless us as we go;

Jesus, walk beside us;

Holy Spirit, guide us.

(Repeat)

Robin Mann