Welcome: –

Call to Worship: – 

(from Psalm 22: 25 to 31) 

In the full Assembly of God’s People, I will offer my praise to God for what He has done.

I will offer my tithes and gifts to God in the presence of those who honour and worship Him.

All Nations will remember the Lord,

From every part of the World, they will turn to God and bow down before Him,

All races and tribes will worship Him,

The Lord is King, God rules over the Nations.

All proud people will bow down to God,

All of Humanity will bow down before Him.

Future generations will serve Him,

People will speak of the Lord to the coming generation,

Declaring to the People not yet born,

“The Lord saved His People.”.

Comment on Psalm 22

 These verses are an expression of praise and thanksgiving to God for the way He has answered a cry for help.  The author of this Psalm writes of finding themselves in dire and seemingly hopeless circumstances, but puts their trust in God’s compassion and saving power, which is rewarded when God ultimately delivers them from their suffering.  This expressing of praise and thanksgiving moves from the individual to the Assembly of God’s People and, finally, to all the World, “for so great will be this deliverance that all the Nations of the World will be compelled to turn to this wonderful God and to worship Him”.

  God’s saving power achieved its ultimate fulfillment in “Christ’s suffering to death on the cross and his resurrection three days later”, for the forgiveness of every person’s sins.

  The hold of sin on a person’s life is the dire and seemingly hopeless circumstance that each

person faces, and it is only through our trust in God’s compassion and saving grace that we, individually, are delivered from the power of sin and death that had its hold over us.  It is to this demonstration by God of His inexhaustible and incomparable love and power to which we, individually, express our praise and thanksgiving to God, and for which all Nations will worship Him.

  And it is this great and marvellous act of God’s wonderful and far-reaching love to which we respond as we gather together here for worship, and to which we bear witness as we go out into the world.  May our voices in worship and our words spoken away from Church truly express our praise and thanksgiving of God.

  (Craig Blomberg in Matthew p99 and George Guthrie in Hebrews p948 & 949 in G Beale and D Carson Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament) 

Prayer of Praise

(from Psalm 25) 

  It is to you, Almighty God, that I offer a prayer of praise, for you have shown your kindness through remembering and meeting our needs, for you have shown your goodness through the blessings that you lavish upon us daily.

  It is to you, Almighty God, that I offer a prayer of thanks, for you have shown how you protect us from the deceitfulness of Satan, for you have sustained us in our times of stress.

  It is to you, Almighty God, that I offer a prayer of gratitude, for you have provided solutions for our seemingly insolvable problems, for you have provided the direction that we needed when we were bewildered.

  It is to you, Almighty God, that I offer a prayer of adoration, for through your grace you offer us a pathway to the forgiveness of our sins, for through your mercy you have shown us the way to be reconciled to you.

  It is to you, Almighty God, that I offer a prayer of dedication; may I always have reverence for you because of your faithfulness towards all of Humanity, may I always put my trust in your power to save us and to deliver us from evil and the power of sin, may I put my hope in your constant love for each of us to preserve us in this life and in the life to come with you for eternity.

  To you, Almighty God, be all glory and honour, now and forever.  Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing 2 Songs:

‘It’s no longer I that liveth’

(Scripture in Song Volume 1  number 8)   

Sally Ellis

“He is Lord” 

(Scripture in Song Volume 1  number 49) 

Author unknown

Prayer of Confession 

(from Psalm 25: 9, 13, 16 – 18; 26: 2 – 5; 27: 12 and 28: 3) 

Merciful God, you have examined me and tested me,

You have judged my desires and my thoughts.

Merciful God, you have seen where I have deliberately disobeyed you and have intentionally turned away from you,

You have seen where I have been negligent and careless in my words and actions and decisions.

For those times when I have not been humble in my attitude and have boasted of the blessings that you have graced upon me as if they were the works of my own hands,

Merciful God, forgive me.

For those times when my words were friendly while my heart was full of envy or anger,

Merciful God, forgive me.

For those times when I was silent because that was more convenient than speaking the truth or owning up to an error,

Merciful God, forgive me.

For those times when I was in distress and suffering but, instead of trusting in your care, chose instead to wallow in self-pity and to seek comfort elsewhere,

Merciful God, forgive me.

For those times when I have abandoned my friends and neighbours in times of their need because of the perceived cost to my time and energy,

Merciful God, forgive me.

For those times when I hoarded my prosperity rather than share it with those who were seeking mercy from me,

Merciful God, forgive me.

Because of your constant love and grace please forgive my sins,

Relieve me of the burden of my transgressions and errors,

Turn to me Lord, be merciful to me and forgive me,

Remove from me all that displeases you, save me from all that is worthless and wicked in my life, so that I may again rest in your peace and faithfully follow your guidance.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(1 John 4: 10) 

The Apostle John tells us that God loves us and sent His son Jesus to be the means by which our sins are forgiven.  Let us hold onto that truth, and trust that, having confessed our sins to God, He has indeed forgiven us and reconciled us to Himself.

Thanks be to God.

Prayer of illumination 

(from Holy Communion Two in Uniting Church Worship Services p21) 

O Lord, our God, you have given your Word to us that it may be a lamp for our feet and a light for our path.  Grant us grace to receive your truth in faith and love, that we may be obedient to your Will and live always for your glory, through Jesus Christ our Saviour.  Amen.

Bible Readings

Acts 8:

26  An angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go south to the road that leads down from Jerusalem to the ruined city of Gaza.”  (This is the desert road that is seldom used.)  27  So Philip got ready and set out, and as he was on his way he caught sight of a Nubian.  This man was a eunuch, an important Official of the Candace, or Queen of Nubia, in charge of the Treasury.  He had been to Jerusalem on a pilgrimage to worship God in the Temple, and was returning home.  28  As he sat in his carriage he read aloud from a scroll containing the words of the Prophet Isaiah.  29  The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to the carriage and stay close to it.”  30  Philip ran over and heard the Official reading the words of the Prophet Isaiah.  Philip asked the Official, “Do you understand what you are reading?”  31  The Official replied, “How can I understand, unless someone guides me and explains it to me?”  And he invited Philip to climb up and to sit beside him in the carriage.

32  The passage of Scripture that the Official was reading was this:

“He was led like a sheep to be slaughtered, like a lamb that makes no noise when its wool is cut off.  He does not say a word.

33  He was humiliated, and justice was denied him.  No one will be able to tell about his descendants, because his life on Earth has come to an end.”  [Isaiah 53: 7 & 8] 

34  The Official asked Philip, “Tell me, of whom is the Prophet saying this?  Of himself or of someone else?”  35  Then Philip began to speak, starting from this passage, he told him the Good News of Jesus.  36  As they travelled along the road, they came to a place where there was some water.  “Look,” said the Official, “here is some water.  What is there to prevent me from being baptised?”  37  Philip said to him, “You may be baptised if you wholeheartedly believe.”  The Official replied, “I do.  I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

38  The Official ordered the carriage to stop, and both Philip and the Official went down into the water, and Philip baptised him.  39  When they came up out of the water the Holy Spirit snatched Philip away and the Official did not see him again, but continued on his way, full of joy.

40  Philip found himself in Azotus, 25 miles north of Gaza, and, passing on, he preached the Gospel in every town until he arrived at Caesarea, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, a further 50 miles to the north.  (Acts 21: 8&9) 

1 John 4:

7  Dear friends, let us love one another, because love comes from God.  Whoever loves is a child of God and knows God.  8  Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.  9  And God showed His love for us by sending His only Son into the World, so that we might have life through him.  10  This is what love is: it is not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son to be the means by which our sins are forgiven.  11  Dear friends, if this is how God loved us, then we should love one another.  12  No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in union with us, and His love is made perfect in us.

19  We love because God first loved us.  20  If someone says they love God, but hates their sister or brother, they are a liar.  For they cannot love God, whom they have not seen, if they do not love their sister or brother, whom they have seen.  21  The command that Christ has given us is this: whoever loves God must love their sister and brother also.  (John 13: 34 & 35, 15: 12 – 17) 

[Revised Standard Version, Today’s English Version, New English Bible]

This is the Word of God.

Praise to you Almighty God.

John 15:

1  Jesus said to his Disciples, “I am the real vine, and my Father is the gardener.  2  Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he cuts away, and every fruiting branch he cleans, to make it more fruitful still.  3  You have already been cleansed by the word that I spoke to you.  Dwell in me, as I dwell in you.  4  No branch can bear fruit by itself, but only if it remains united with the vine; no more can you bear fruit unless you remain united with me.

5  I am the vine and you are the branches.  Those who dwell in me, as I dwell in them, bear much fruit; for apart from me you can do nothing.  6  Those who do not dwell in me are thrown away like a withered branch.  The withered branches are heaped together, thrown on the fire, and burnt.

7  If you dwell in me, and my words dwell in you, ask what you will, and you shall have it.  8  By this my Father is glorified, that you may bear fruit in plenty and so prove to be my disciples.  9  As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you.  Dwell in my love.  10  If you heed my commands, you will dwell in my love, as I have heeded my Father’s commands and dwell in his love.”

[Revised Standard Version, Today’s English Version, New English Bible]

This is the Gospel of our Lord.

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the Hymn “Jesus comes with all his grace” 

(This YouTube clip s for another hymn but is used here for the tune)

Verse 1 of 5

Jesus comes with all his grace,

Comes to save a fallen race,

Object of our glorious hope,

Jesus comes to lift us up.

Verse 2 of 5

Let the living stones cry out,

Every child of Abraham shout;

Praise we all our lowly King,

Give him thanks, rejoice and sing.

Verse 3 of 5

He has our salvation wrought,

He our captive souls has bought,

He has reconciled to God,

He has washed us in his blood.

Verse 4 of 5

We are now his lawful right,

Walk as children of the light;

We shall soon obtain the grace,

Pure in heart, to see his face.

Verse 5 of 5

We shall gain our calling’s prize,

After God we all shall rise,

Filled with joy, and love, and peace,

Perfected in holiness.

Charles Wesley

Sermon

The Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron

  Henry Morton, in his book, “In the Steps of the Master”, writes of visiting the town of Hebron during his journeying around Palestine in around 1934.  (Henry Morton in In the Steps of the Master p131)  He desired to visit Hebron because in this town is a building that is claimed to be sited above the Cave of Machpelah, otherwise known as “The Tomb of the Patriarchs”.  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave_of_the_Patriarchs) 

  Moses records for us that when Sarah, the wife of Abraham, died, Abraham bought a field from Ephron, son of Zohar, a Hittite who was living in Canaan  (Genesis 23: 3 – 18)  .  On the edge of this field was a cave.  Abraham buried Sarah within this cave  (Genesis 23: 19)  .  In turn, in the same cave, Isaac and Ishmael buried their father Abraham  (Genesis 25: 9)  , and Jacob and Esau buried their father Isaac  (Genesis 35: 29)  , and the sons of Jacob buried Jacob  (Genesis 50: 13)  .  Moses also records that Rebecca and Leah, the wives of Jacob, were also buried in the same cave  (Genesis 49: 31)  .

  Now, many claims of Old Testament connections to sites in Palestine appear to be based on nothing more than myth or legend.  However, there is substantial evidence to suggest that there is a definite connection between this site and the relevant Old Testament references to the Cave of Machpelah.  It is recorded that between 31BC and 4BC King Herod organised the construction of a building at this cave “to commemorate the site” as the burial place of the Patriarchs and their wives, a building whose foundations appear to be constructed on an earlier building erected 200 years previously for the same purpose.  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave_of_the_Patriarchs) 

  So, there is some justification for accepting the truthfulness of the Genesis account, as written by Moses, of the significance of the Cave of Machpelah as and where it is claimed to be.  As such, it is just one piece of evidence to substantiate our trust in the truthfulness of the Old Testament accounts of God’s interactions with the People of Israel and the neighbouring Nations.  To put it another way, it substantiates the claim that what is recorded for us in Scripture is the ‘infallible and inerrant word of God’.

  With that observation in mind, we come to today’s passage from the Book of Acts concerning Philip and the Ethiopian official.  This Philip was not the Apostle by that name, but one of the seven helpers or deacons, selected in the very early days of the Church in Jerusalem, to relieve the Apostles of the task of the daily distribution of funds and food to the needy widows and their families.  (Acts 6: 1 – 6) 

  At the commencement of Acts 8 we read of Saul commencing his cruel persecution of the Church.  We find Saul trying “to destroy the Church; going from house to house, dragging out the believers and sending them to jail”.  (Acts 8: 3)  We read that, consequently, “All the believers, except the Apostles, were scattered throughout the provinces of Judea and Samaria.  Philip, the Deacon, went to the principal city in Samaria and preached the Messiah to the people there.”  (Acts 8: 5)  It was while Philip the Deacon was in Samaria that the Spirit of God directed him to “get ready and go south to the road that goes from Jerusalem to the Gaza” as we read in Acts 8: 26. 

  Why is this important?  Well, consider the question of how Luke may have heard about this incident.  In Acts 8: 40 we read that Philip, after meeting the official, went on to the north, to Caesarea, on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea.  In Acts 21: 8 we read Luke recording, “On the following day we left and arrived in Caesarea.  There we stayed in the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the seven men who had been chosen as helpers in Jerusalem.”  That is how Luke heard the account that is recorded for us in Acts 8.  He heard it first-hand from the very person who was there.

  We have the context of Philip undertaking an effective ministry in Samaria.  We read in Acts 8: 6 & 8, “The crowds paid close attention to what Philip said, as they listened to him and saw the miracles that he performed.  So there was great joy in that city.”  One wonders what Philip’s initial reaction was to the message from the angel of God to “get ready and go south to the road that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza.”  And the account in Good News Bible is careful to note that “This road is not used nowadays”.  (Acts 8: 26b)  Other translations provide a reason for it not being used when they state “This is desert”  (King James Version, English Standard Version)  or “This is the desert road.”  (New English Bible, Revised Standard Version)  What it meant for Philip was that there were no detailed instructions to preach to anyone nor to meet anyone, for there was no likelihood that there would be anyone there when he arrived as no one lived there.  And, here, we glimpse the trust that Philip had in God’s leading.  He may have been dismayed at the success of Saul’s actions in Jerusalem hindering the work of the Church, but he certainly saw how much God was at work elsewhere.  In this calling from God, he too may have glimpsed the hand of God at work for we read “So Philip got ready and went.”  (Acts 8: 27) 

  This reminds us of the proverb which reads:

“you may make your plans, but God directs your actions.”  (Proverbs 16: 9) 

  David Sper writes:

Sometimes our plan does not unfold the way we thought it would;

but God is always in control to use it for our good.”

(from Our Daily Bread 3 April 2008)

  Such a calling from God is so reminiscent of God ‘s calling to Old Testament Prophets, such as Elijah and Elisha, and it presents a challenge to us.  For is God calling us to undertake some particular work for Him?  And, if so, are we listening?  Do we listen to the compelling small voice calling us somewhere unexpected or to undertake something challenging?  Or do we shut our ears to such a call, giving logical, reasoned answers to justify explaining it away as an unreasonable expectation given our current circumstances or abilities, explaining that ‘it would be a deserted place where no-one would be present’, so why go?  Philip didn’t, and he is an example to us of someone who remained so close to God, that he was able to listen to the quiet call to go and to serve.

  Dennis De Hann wrote this prayer:

“Holy spirit, may we hear your inner promptings, soft and clear,

and help us know your still, small voice so we may make God’s will our choice.”

(from Our Daily Bread 11 April 2008)

  The account in the Book of Acts continues, “Now (it just so happened)”  (Acts 8: 27)  .  Here is divine intervention as work.  Neither Philip nor the Ethiopian Official knew that the other would be there at that exact place at that exact time.  We see the hand of God at work preparing something much larger from a small beginning.

  Luke records that “an Ethiopian eunuch, who was an important official in charge of the treasury of the Queen of Ethiopia, was on his way home.  He had been to Jerusalem to worship God.”  (Acts 8: 28a)  Now, we need to clarify the term “Ethiopian”.  It does not imply someone from the current Nation of Ethiopia or, as it was known in the past, Abyssinia.  The Greek word used is “aithios”, from a root term meaning, to have a black face.  (Strong’s NT128)  One writer states “this term was used in antiquity to mean someone from any of the negroid tribes that dwelt in the lands south of Egypt.”  (Jonathan Hill in Christianity  The First 400 Years p36)  .  Such people were well-known to the people of Israel. 

  It is interesting to read that Jeremiah records how an Ethiopian eunuch by the name of Ebedmelech saved his life by rescuing him from an empty well into which he had been left to die by people who opposed his preaching about the coming destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians.  (Jeremiah 38: 7 to 13)  The Good News Bible, in its attempt to clarify matters, reads “Ebedmelech the Sudanese”.  And, here, we gain a clearer understanding of the person who Philip met.  It is generally accepted that the official was from a Kingdom south of Egypt and north-west of modern-day Ethiopia, a region in modern day Sudan, once known as Kush or Nubia, a Kingdom centred on the Nile River between the current towns of Aswan and Khartoum.  To justify such an explanation, it is known from historical records that it was the Queen Mother, or Candace or Kandake as she was titled, (and this is the term recorded for her other translation), who ruled this land on behalf of her son, who was considered too holy to be involved in such secular activities as running the Nation.  So, the historical references recorded by Luke fit well with the historical details known from the period.

  But, it raises the interesting question of how someone from a Kingdom far to the south of Israel, let alone such a high official of the Royal Court, would be venturing to Jerusalem to worship the God of the Hebrews?  It would surely be the expectation that they would be worshiping their own gods in their own places of worship.

  Why would someone venture so far away from their home to worship a God who was foreign to both their own culture and to the religion of their own land? 

  In the Old Testament account of the visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon, we read that her gifts to King Solomon were primarily gold and spices.  (1 Kings 10: 2)  The land of Sheba was situated on the southern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and was known to be the primary source of spices such as frankincense and myrrh, and was a wealthy land.  It is known that Sheba had cultural and trading ties to the land across the Red Sea, with the peoples who lived in the land of Kush or Nubia.

  It is presumed that among the peoples of Sheba and of Nubia at the time of Jesus, there existed a small number who had retained a faith in the God of the Hebrews, a faith that had been passed down from someone who had accompanied the Queen of Sheba at the time of her visit to Judah to visit King Solomon so many centuries ago.  There is no further information in the Bible nor in Jewish literature to provide any further information on worshippers of God who may have lived in Sheba or in Nubia, yet we see this evidence that some existed.  We see God at work in unexpected ways and in unexpected places, as He wills and with whom He wills, and it would be foolish for us to claim otherwise, even in the World today.

  We see the Nubian official reading from a scroll of a Greek translation of the Old Testament book of Isaiah, one that he obtained either in Alexandria or in Jerusalem.  He was reading one of the “servant passages” found in chapter 53 of Isaiah.  The detail in Luke’s writings that he was reading aloud further verifies that Luke was recording a real happening, because reading aloud was the custom in the Middle East in the 1^stcentury. 

  The official’s perplexity concerning about whom Isaiah is writing is understandable, given that earlier servant passages in the Book of Isaiah refer to the Nation of Israel itself.  However, the passage that he was reading distinguishes the servant from the rest of Israel, in that he is rejected by Israel and bears the sins of Israel, though he himself is not guilty and suffers voluntarily.  (Craig Keener in The IVP Bible Background Commentary on the New Testament p346) 

  Philip’s explanation to the Nubian official  (Acts 8: 35)  that it is a profound vision of the atoning death of Jesus Christ  (Gordon McConville in Exploring the Old Testament  A Guide to the Prophets p28)  was based partly upon Philip’s own recollections of what Jesus had to say about his ministry, such as we read in Mark 8 where Jesus stated “The Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected.  He will be put to death, but three days later he will rise to life.”  (Mark 8: 31)  It would also have been based upon the recollections by the Apostles of the explanations that Jesus offered to them after his resurrection, such as we read in Luke 24, where we read, “Then Jesus opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and he said to them, ‘This is what is written: the Messiah must suffer and must rise from death three days later, and in his name the message about repentance and the forgiveness of sins must be preached to all Nations.”  (Luke 24: 45 to 47) 

  It is here that we, too, gain the understanding that the Old Testament prophesies concerning the Messiah were fulfilled in the New Testament Jesus Christ.  The Old Testament writings were not the ramblings of half-staved seers searching for meaning in events beyond their comprehension, nor the imaginative writings of scholars hoping to make a name for themselves.  The Old Testament writings, such as this one from Isaiah 53, have always been accepted by the Church as the ‘infallible and inerrant word of God’, verifiable in History because they speak of events recorded elsewhere in documents, and verifiable in application because the Church has always identified the servant with the Messiah and thus with Jesus Christ,  (Gordon McConville in Exploring the Old Testament  A Guide to the Prophets p26)  regardless of opinions to the contrary.

  The Nubian official is understood to have been a devout Gentile, someone with a belief in the Hebrew God, who gave general adherence to the Jewish faith worship and practice, without submitting to circumcision and becoming a full convert.  Being a eunuch would have prevented him from being circumcised and, therefore, precluded from becoming a full Jewish convert.  According to Jewish Law, such as we read in Deuteronomy 23: 1, being a eunuch meant that you were excluded from the meeting in the full assembly of God’s people.

  Philip, in contrast, showed no hesitation in demonstrating to the official that all people are equally accepted by God, regardless of their race or physical condition.  The official revealed a ready acceptance of the Good News about Jesus, as he read it in the passage from Isaiah 53 and as it was explained by Philip.  “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” he proclaims.  (Acts 8: 37) 

  Someone once wrote:

“Like a compass, the Bible always points you in the  right direction.”

(from Our Daily Bread 20 April 2008)

  Upon hearing this confession from the Official, Philip baptises him at a nearby water-hole, and we read that the official continued on his way “full of joy” at his new-found faith and understanding.  (Acts 8: 39) 

“the official went down to the water, and Philip baptised him”  Acts 8: 38b 

And, here, we have our last challenge, for have we sought to exclude people from worship or from our fellowship based upon their appearance or their dress or their mannerisms?  Whoever is acceptable to God is not determined by their physical condition nor the absence of imperfection.  What is acceptable to God is a ready acceptance of His offer of the forgiveness of sin and reconciliation through the death and resurrection of his son, Jesus Christ.  It is Philip who demonstrates to us an openness to accept anyone whom God calls into a relationship with Himself.  Who are we to act otherwise. 

  No record exists of the witness of the Nubian official when he arrived back in his homeland.  (Craig Keener in The IVP Bible Background Commentary on the New Testament p346)  It is known that there was a strong Christian presence in Nubia until the 15^th century, supported by the Church in Egypt.  (Philip Jenkins in The Lost History of Christianity p54)  Such information was not available to Luke at the time of his writing of The Acts of the Apostles, nor did he need to write any more on the matter.  What was important was for Luke to record that God was at work in the lives of people and in places that only God could initiate and could see the result.  What God needed was for someone to be His voice and His witness, someone such as Philip, and, it is presumed, someone such as the Nubian official upon his return to his homeland.  Are we willing to follow in their footsteps and be a person who is willing to share the Good News of Jesus Christ to someone searching for an understanding or an explanation?  May we be like Philip and be open to God’s calling to serve.  May we be like the Nubian official and readily respond to God’s call to be loved and to love.  Amen.

Offering

Offering Prayer   

“For the life that you have given”  TiS774 

 [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

Merciful God we hear of much distress in the World, of floods and tornadoes, droughts and famine, and outbreaks of diseases.

Please give comfort to those who have lost members of their family through these events.  Please support those who endeavour to give support to others. 

Merciful God, we pray for the leaders of our Nation,

may they strive to alleviate the needs of people rather than strive to increase the power and profits of Corporations or of Unions. 

May they seek to co-operate to develop solutions to problems rather than contend with each other to find the way to be re-elected back into Government. 

May they strive for the welfare of people rather than to have power and influence and prestige.

We pray for an end to wars and the threat of wars,

we pray that leaders of Nations will remember the lessons of History that wars do not build things up but always tear things down,

that wars do not achieve peace and stability but create only death and destruction, suffering and loss, pain and hardship.

May there be a lasting peace and reconciliation between nations and comfort for families who have been separated by war and tension.

Merciful God, we pray for the needy in our Society.  We pray for those who are ill or sick. 

Please bring healing and wholeness to their lives. 

We pray for those who have lost hope and meaning.

 Please give them purpose and peace of mind. 

We pray for those who struggle to make ends meet and to pay for the next meal. 

Please lead us to find solutions for them to their problems and a way forward.

Merciful God, we pray for those members of our armed forces who are serving overseas to bring peace to troubled parts of the World or who are striving to inhibit the illegal transport of drugs and arms. 

Please give them the resolve to undertake their duties.  Please support the chaplains who endeavour to provide guidance and comfort to them in times of distress.

Merciful God, we pray for your Church that it may be guided to seek and to do your will and purpose in the World. 

May it act with integrity and fairness, and not with prejudice or in judgement. 

May it be the voice calling people to live lives of purity and goodness as you decree and not as Society sees fit. 

May it be a voice calling people to repent and to return to right worship of you. 

  Loving God, we pray for the Church, that we may continually draw life from Christ and bear a rich harvest of virtues and Christian values for your glory.

  We pray for the grace to surrender all to you, that you will help us to let go of those things which need to be pruned so that your life and love may blossom in our lives.

  We pray for all who are experiencing pruning through loss, transition, or change, that you will give them strength, guide them, and help them find courage and support through fellow believers.

  We pray for all who feel cut off from you, from friends, from themselves, or from life itself, that you will show them how they are connected and from whom they can draw life.

  We pray that the Holy Spirit will help us to give witness to the good news of your love in deeds of loving service and justice.

  We pray for all who are ill, that Christ, the source of all life, will ease their pain, heal their illness, and restore them to their loved ones.

  We pray for Christians facing persecution, that you will give them strength, wisdom to overcome obstacles, and the grace to forgive their persecutors.

  We pray for all communities overwhelmed by the Covid-19 virus, particularly in India, that you will slow the spread of the virus, give strength to all caregivers, and open opportunities for the distribution of vaccines.

  We pray for all bound by guilt, that the Holy Spirit will free them and give them strength to trust in God’s love and forgiveness.

  We pray for an end to violence in our communities, that you will turn hearts from destructive deeds, that you will open pathways for dialogue, and that you will protect the innocent from harm.

https://liturgy.slu.edu/  Copyright © 2021. Joe Milner. All rights reserved.<br> Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use. 

We pray for the peoples of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.

We are thankful for the long history of Christianity in these lands, for Christians and Muslims who have witnessed to their faith during long years of repression and persecution, for positive developments these countries have undergone since the end of the Soviet era, and for those who pursue peace and reconciliation in the face of old suspicions and animosities.

We pray for greater respect for the human rights of all the peoples living in these countries, for just changes for those living in situations of poverty and discrimination, for the healing of past wrongs and distorted memories of what has occurred, for a prophetic witness of the churches in relation to new challenges, and for the Georgian Orthodox Church, that it may rediscover a rich relationship with the family of churches worldwide.

Prayer at the Armenian Genocide Memorial

O triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

We cry to you, with deep pain in our hearts and souls for our Armenian brothers and sisters, children, adults, and elders that were persecuted, robbed, exiled and killed during the Armenian genocide.  They suffered because of their ethnic origin and because of their Christian faith, becoming victims of hate, intolerance, abuse and ethnic and religious purge.  As Christians that follow your commandments to forgive our debtors and to love our neighbours, we pray to You to offer peaceful rest to the souls of the victims and to heal the wounds of their descendants.  We are reminded of what Christ has said, “I am the Resurrection and I am the Life.  Whoever believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die”  (John 11:25) 

We pray for the recognition of this genocide by the descendants of those that initiated, planned and committed it and for the establishment of the historical truth regarding the genocide, for You taught us that the truth will make us free.  (John 8:32)  We pray for peace and reconciliation between the descendants of the murderers and victims for You are the God of forgiveness.

God, you created us to be stewards of life and community. Help the Armenian community to continue building their country in peace and contribute to the respect and confidence between peoples and nations.  Amen.

© 2011 WCC

Prayer of Confession

You are not the accuser, but the liberator,
not the destroyer, but the rescuer,
not the executioner, but the saviour,
not the scatterer, but the gatherer,
not the traitor, but the deliverer.
You do not pull down, but lift up.
You do not knock down, but stand upright.
You do not curse, but bless.
You do not take revenge, but give grace.
You do not torment, but comfort.
You do not erase, but write.
You do not shake, but steady.
You do not trample, but console.
You do not invent the causes of death,
but seek the means to preserve life.
You do not forget to help.
You do not abandon the good.
You do not withhold compassion.
You do not bring the sentence of death,
but the legacy of life.
You are not opposed for your generosity.
You are not blasphemed for your grace.
You are not cursed for your bounty.
You are not insulted for your free gifts.
You are not mocked for your patience.
You are not blamed for your pardon.
You are not accused for your goodness.
You are not dishonoured for your sweetness.
You are not despised for your meekness.
For these, we send not complaints,
but gratitude that cannot be silenced.
Take away my sins, Almighty.
Remove the curse from me, blessed.
Pardon my debts, merciful.
Erase my transgressions, compassionate.
Extend your hand of deliverance
and I will instantly be made perfect.
What is easier than this for you Lord,
and what is more important to you?
Thus, providential Lord, revive me,
made in your image and brought to life by your breath,
in order to renew the breath of your pure
enlightening grace, protecting my sinful soul.

© 2001 The Armenian Prayer Book of St Gregory of Narek, English transl. Thomas J. Samuelian, www.stgregoryofnarek.am

Prayer from the Sunrise Office of the Armenian Church

O Light!Divine and one Holy Trinity,we who are born of the earth glorify you always,together with the heavenly hosts.At the rising of the morning light,shine forth upon our souls your intelligible light.

English transl. Archbishop Tiran Nersoya, New York, Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, 1969. Let us Pray to the Lord, ed. George Lemopolos, WCC, 1996, p.2.

We thank you God for the literacy program established by the Pakistan Bible Society teaching women to read and write.  We pray that participants will quickly embrace these teachings and be impacted by God’s word, that partner churches will continue to respond positively to the program, and for the wisdom and safety of the Pakistan Bible Society staff on this project.

We praise you God for women like Shaina* who are learning to read through the Pakistan’s Bible Society Bible-based literacy project.  Shaina shares, “I joined the class just as a fun in the start but as I became involved, I learned that the education changed my lifestyle.  I feel that I have developed self-confidence and now I can speak boldly with other people.”

We pray for the All About Life campaign in Rwanda, aiming to mobilise churches to reach their communities with the gospel, and serving as a healing tool for people suffering trauma.  We thank you God that African Enterprise is helping people experience a personal relationship with Jesus and pray for the effectiveness of the planned workshops and outreach events.

We pray for the Auslan Bible translation project, for your continued guidance as the committee regularly meet and make plans.  We pray too for more team members, especially for more Deaf translators.  We pray for good health for the team, and for your protection over them as they grow this ministry to the Australian Deaf community.

We thank you God for literacy work taking place worldwide through the Bible Society, and for the Global Literacy Coordination project run by the United Bible Societies (UBS) Global Mission team which continues to provide support for the work.  We pray for their plans to develop regional strategies this year, and that they may effectively support French and Spanish-speaking Bible Societies.  We pray also for the Literary Officers as they uphold the work.

We pray that you will work through the Bibles distributed to kids with cancer through the ‘Hope and Smile for Children with Cancer’ project run by the Bible Society of Nicaragua.  We thank you God too for the regular spiritual support provided, and that these families have been given the opportunity to know his word. We pray that they will continue to seek you in prayer and trust you in every situation. (Bible%20Society%20Prayer%20Letter%20April%202024.pdf  Bible%20Society%20Prayer%20Letter%20May%202024.pdf)

We pray for those who undertake Religious Instruction classes at Bald Hills State School in the coming weeks.  Guide them in their preparation for the words to say and the approach to take with the children in their classes. 

We pray for Kylie Conomos, the Scripture Union Chaplain at Bald Hills State School, as she addresses the concerns and needs of children, parents and teachers at the Bald Hills State School.

We pray for those who we have not seen for some time and who are unable to attend worship regularly.  Please guide and comfort them in their particular circumstances.  May they be aware of your care for them as they meet what each new day brings.

Lord God, we bring these prayers to you, trusting in your lovingkindness.  To your glory we pray.  Amen.

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

“Jesus, Thou joy of loving hearts” ( TiS499  AHB420  MHB109)

Bernard of Clairvaux

translated by Ray Palmer

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 hymn “He will hold me fast”

 (Alexander’s Hymns No. 3 number 1)

Ada Habershon

Benediction 

(from Raymond Chapman in Leading Intercession p64) 

God’s grace casts out the fear that destroys fulness of being.  God’s mercy brings hope at times of despair and turmoil.  God’s truth lightens the right way that we should follow.  God’s saving power has given new life to a World withered and fruitless and lost in its sin.  May we go out into our daily lives, expressing our praise and thanksgiving to a wonderful and marvellous God, who has indeed shown us how much He loves us.

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

“May the grace of Christ our Saviour” 

(TiS777)

Verse 1 of 2

May the grace of Christ our Saviour,

And the Father’s boundless love,

With the Holy Spirit’s favour,

Rest upon us from above.

Verse 2 of 2

Thus may we abide in union

With each other and the Lord,

And possess in sweet communion

Joys which Earth cannot afford.

John Newton