Welcome:  –

Call to Worship:  – 

(from Leslie Weatherhead in The Immortal Sea p110) 

  Leslie Weatherhead writes in his book “That Immortal Sea”:

“We belong to God.  That is one of the richest truths that the Christian religion offers.  God does not love us because we are good, or clever, or because we serve Him.  He loves us because He is a loving Father and because we belong to Him, because being His, He treats us with respect as worthy of His love.”

  We gather for worship on this basis, that God loves us because He is a loving God.  Let us then express our praise and worship of our Father God.

Prayer of Praise  

(©2005 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net) 

We give you all thanks and praise, Almighty God, for you have always shown us what is good and what you require of us.

You laid the foundations of the Earth, and the mountains and the seas witness to  your power and authority.

You redeemed your people from slavery to sin, and call us to remember your saving acts,

that we might know your ways and live our lives in justice, kindness and humility.

When people’s own wisdom and discernment failed to bring them near to you, you chose what was foolish, weak and despised in the eyes of Humanity to break the grip of human wisdom and strength: Christ Jesus our Lord, who the World crucified.

But, raised to new life, he has made known to us what the wise never guessed, that you honour not what the World seeks, but those who walk with you the way of the cross.

Almighty God, we offer you thanks and praise at all times,

that through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever, we are reconciled to you and experience your love and care.  To your glory we pray, Amen.

You are invited to join in singing along to the following video clips:

‘I will sing I will sing a Song unto the Lord’ – Scripture in Song volume 2 number 254

Verse 1 of 6

I will sing, I will sing a song unto the Lord,

I will sing, I will sing a song unto the Lord,

I will sing, I will sing a song unto the Lord,

Alleluia, glory to the Lord.

Chorus

Allelu, alleluia, glory to the Lord,

Allelu, alleluia, glory to the Lord,

Allelu, alleluia, glory to the Lord,

Alleluia, glory to the Lord.

Verse 2 of 6

We will come, we will come as one before the Lord,

We will come, we will come as one before the Lord,

We will come, we will come as one before the Lord,

Alleluia, glory to the Lord.

Chorus

Allelu, alleluia, glory to the Lord,

Allelu, alleluia, glory to the Lord,

Allelu, alleluia, glory to the Lord,

Alleluia, glory to the Lord.

Verse 3 of 6

If the Son, if the Son shall make you free,

If the Son, if the Son shall make you free,

If the Son, if the Son shall make you free,

You shall be free indeed.

Chorus

Allelu, alleluia, glory to the Lord,

Allelu, alleluia, glory to the Lord,

Allelu, alleluia, glory to the Lord,

Alleluia, glory to the Lord.

Verse 4 of 6

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy,

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy,

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy,

Alleluia, glory to the Lord.

Chorus

Allelu, alleluia, glory to the Lord,

Allelu, alleluia, glory to the Lord,

Allelu, alleluia, glory to the Lord,

Alleluia, glory to the Lord.

Verse 5 of 6

Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess,

Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess,

Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess,

That Jesus Christ is Lord.

Chorus

Allelu, alleluia, glory to the Lord,

Allelu, alleluia, glory to the Lord,

Allelu, alleluia, glory to the Lord,

Alleluia, glory to the Lord.

Verse 6 of 6

In his name, in his name we have the victory,

In his name, in his name we have the victory,

In his name, in his name we have the victory,

Alleluia, glory to the Lord.

Chorus

Allelu, alleluia, glory to the Lord,

Allelu, alleluia, glory to the Lord,

Allelu, alleluia, glory to the Lord,

Alleluia, glory to the Lord.

Alleluia, glory to the Lord.

Max Dyer

This is the second video clip ‘For I’m building a People of Power’ – Scripture in Song volume 2 number 262

Dave Richards

Prayer of Confession 

(from Prayers for the Seasons of God’s People Year A p36 to p48; Invocations & Benedictions p16) 

Merciful God, we come before you contrite and repentant.  We confess that we do not learn to act without pride, we do not learn to act with self-control.  We forget the example of Jesus, who taught without arrogance and who acted without domineering.

Forgive us for our undue regard for Human standards and qualifications.  Forgive us for our proud boasts of our own accomplishments, that discounts what we owe to you or to others, and that disregards the gap between our finiteness and your infinity.

Merciful God, we confess that we stress our differences of opinions and beliefs with others, we emphasise our quarrels and dissensions.  We take pride in our own ‘wisdom’ and ‘knowledge’.  We fail to patiently listen to what others have to say in order to understand their thoughts and attitudes. 

Forgive us for our failure to recognise that we are all equal before you, and that we are all valuable in your eyes.

Merciful God, we confess that we prefer to be served rather than to serve, we prefer to live in comfort and ease rather than to get on our hands and knees as servants. 

Forgive us for our willingness to turn our backs on the uncared for, and to shirk our responsibility towards those who are hurting.

Merciful God, we confess that our own lives are too dear to us.  We do not want for others what we want for ourselves. 

Forgive us for our narrowness of vision and our lack of commitment to give of what you have given to us so as to improve the lives of those in need.

Gracious God, Creator of life, Light of the World, Spirit of justice and right, forgive our foolish and selfish ways,

Open our hearts and our minds and show us the way to walk in humble fellowship with you and with others, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(from Hebrews 2: 17) 

The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews states that Jesus, as our faithful and merciful High Priest, in the service of God, (died) so that (all) people’s sins may be forgiven.  Having confessed our sins before God, let us hold on to this promise that he has died for the sins we have confessed, and have the assurance, that having confessed our sins, they have been forgiven and remembered no more, and that our lives have been cleansed in the sight of God.

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

Psalm 15:

1  LORD, who may enter your Temple?  Who may worship in Zion, your sacred hill?

2  A person who obeys God in everything and always does what is right, whose words are true and sincere,  3  and who does not slander others.  They do no wrong to their friends nor spread rumours about their neighbours.

4  They despise those whom God rejects, but honours those who obey the LORD.  They always do what they promise, no matter how much it may cost.  5  They make loans without charging interest and cannot be bribed to testify against the innocent.

Whoever does these things will always be secure.

Micah 6:

6  What shall I bring to the LORD, the God of Heaven, when I come to worship Him?

7  Shall I bring the best calves to burn as offerings to Him?  7  Will the LORD be pleased if I bring Him thousands of sheep or endless streams of olive oil?  Shall I offer Him my first-born child to pay for my sins?

8  No, the LORD has told us what is good.  What He requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God.

1 Corinthians 1:

21  For God in His wisdom made it impossible for people to know Him by means of their own wisdom.  Instead, by means of the so-called ‘foolish’ message we preach, God decided to save those who believe.  22  Jews want miracles for proof, and Greeks look for wisdom. 

23  As for us, we proclaim the crucified Christ, a message that is offensive to the Jews and nonsense to the Gentiles;  24  but  for those whom God has called, both Jews and Gentiles, this message is Christ, who is the power of God and the wisdom of God.  25  For what seems to be God’s foolishness is wiser than Human wisdom, and what seems to be God’s weakness is stronger than Human strength.

26  Now, remember what you were when God called you.  From the Human point of view few of you were wise or powerful or of high social standing.  27  God purposely chose what the World considers nonsense in order to shame the wise, and He chose what the World considers weak in order to shame the powerful.  28  He chose what the World looks down on and despises and thinks is nothing, in order to destroy what the World thinks is important.

29  This means that no one can boast in God’s presence.  30  But God has brought you into union with Christ Jesus, and God has made Christ to be our wisdom.  By him we are put right with God; we become God’s holy people and are set free.  31  So then, as the Scripture says, “Whoever wants to boast must boast of what the Lord has done.”  (Jeremiah 9: 24) 

[Today’s English Version]

This is the Word of God.

Praise to you Almighty God.

Luke 2:

22  The time came for Joseph and Mary to perform the ceremony of purification, as the Law of Moses commanded.  So they took the child Jesus to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord,  23  as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every first-born male is to be dedicated to the Lord.”  (Exodus 13: 2, 12)  24  They also went to offer a sacrifice of a pair of doves or two young pigeons, as required by the law of the Lord.  (Leviticus 12: 6 – 8) 

25  At that time there was a man named Simeon living in Jerusalem.  He was a good God-fearing man and was waiting for Israel to be saved.  The Holy Spirit was with him  26  and had assured him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s promised Messiah.  27  Led by the Spirit, Simeon went into the Temple.  When the parents brought the child Jesus into the Temple to do for him what the Law required,  28  Simeon took the child in his arms and gave thanks to God:

29  “Now, Lord, you have kept you promise, and you may let your servant go in peace.  30  With my own eyes I have seen your salvation,  31  which you have prepared in the4 presence of all peoples:  32  A light to reveal your will to the Gentiles and bring glory to your people Israel.”  (Isaiah 42: 6, 49: 6 & 52: 10) 

33  The child’s father and mother were amazed at the things Simeon said about him.  34  Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, the mother of Jesus,

“This child is chosen by God for the destruction and the salvation of many in Israel.  He will be a sign from God which many people will speak against  35  and so reveal their secret thoughts.  And sorrow, like a sharp sword, will break your own heart.”

[Today’s English Version]

This is the Gospel of our Lord.

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

Passing the Peace

We are one in fellowship and in worship of our God, whether we gather together in the Church building on Sunday morning or whether we worship in the ‘digital sphere’.  It is important that we recognise that, together, we remain one in Christ Jesus.  With that thought, let us uplift our hands and greet those both here and in their homes: May the peace of God be with you all.

And also with you.

You are invited to sing the Hymn: ‘“Jesus, my Saviour, Brother, Friend’  (Wesley’s Hymns number 312,  MHB478)

[This video clip is for another hymn but is used here for the tune.  The words are printed below the clip)

Verse 1 of 3

Jesus, my Saviour, Brother, Friend,

On whom I cast my every care,

On whom for all things I depend,

Inspire and then accept my prayer.

Verse 2 of 3

When to the right or left I stray,

Your voice behind me may I hear,

“Return and only walk my way,

Fly back to me, for sin is near.”

Verse 3 of 3

Uphold me Saviour, or I fall,

Reach out to me your gracious hand.

Only on you for help I call,

Only my faith in you I stand.

Charles Wesley

Sermon

Screen 1

“Who may enter your house?

It is safe to assume that those upon whom have been thrust the task of keeping a house neat and tidy have strict criteria regarding who may enter their house, and the level of cleanliness that must be met if approval to enter their house is granted; family and pets not excluded.  Such approval cannot be presumed.  “Don’t you dare come into the house looking like that!” is a terse statement that has been spoken on many occasions in a myriad of circumstances.

  It is, therefore, warranted that if you find yourself in a situation where there exists some doubt as to your level of welcome on a premises, you are entitled to ask the simple and straightforward question:

“Who may enter your house?”

  The writer of Psalm 15 asks a similar question of God, where we read them asking:

“LORD, who may enter your Temple?”  (Psalm 15: 1) 

  Behind this question is the unsettling suggestion that not everyone is welcome to come into the House of God.

  In Luke 17 we have the account of Jesus healing 10 people who had what is described as “a dreaded skin disease”.  (Luke 17: 12)  According to that part of the Law of Moses detailed in Leviticus 13 and 14, those who suffered from a “dreaded skin disease” were required to isolate themselves from all contact with other people, needing to live outside of their family home and village or town, precluded from involvement in all of the social, cultural and religious life of the community in which they had lived.  They could only re-enter the life of their community in all of its facets if they presented themselves to a priest, whose task it was to examine them to testify that there were no longer any traces of their former disease.  Certainly, no one suffering from a dreaded skin disease could enter God’s House.

  Psalm 15, however gives no indication that this is the context in this case.  And the original Hebrew wording of the Psalm seems to give the understanding that the author of this Psalm is writing of something different than just simply entering the Temple of God.

Screen 2

“Lord, who may sojourn, visit, abide, dwell, in your tent?”

Psalm 15: 1

The question posed at the commencement of Psalm 15 can be read as:

“Lord, who may sojourn, or visit, or abide, or dwell, in your tent?”

  By ‘tent’ is meant ‘the tent of the Tabernacle’, or ‘the tent of the Lord’s Presence’ as the Good News Bible translates it.  This is the sacred tent originally used during the Exodus journey to house the Ark of the Covenant, a tent which Moses would set up “some distance outside the camp”, and into which he would enter if he sought to consult God.  (Exodus 33: 7)  This was the site where God was worshipped and where God was consulted for guidance, right up till King Solomon’s Temple was completed, at which time the tent and all that it contained was moved into the temple, and the Ark of the Covenant was moved into The Most Holy Place in the Temple.  (1 Kings 8: 1 to 6) 

  This tent, was literally where God was to be found.  And the wording of the question implies not just a brief visit but a prolonged sojourn or stay in the tent, as the guest of God, in the same manner as we read of Joshua “living in the Tent” during the Exodus journey.  (Exodus 33: 11b) 

  During such a time of abiding in the Tent, one would experience the close presence of God, of fellowship with God.  One would share in the hospitality of God, be granted the protection of God, and experience the blessings graciously granted by God.  Such a sojourn in the Tent of the Lord’s presence would be an experience not to be taken lightly and was not granted ‘to all and sundry’.  So, just who would meet the qualities worthy of someone being a guest of God?

Screen 3

Psalm 15: 2 to 5

“the insistence on moral purity, without which no one will see the Lord”  (Hebrews 12: 14) 

  (NIV Study Bible p803)

Artur Weiser, in his Commentary on this Psalm, notes that the writer makes no mention of a need to make the correct sacrifices or offerings, or of correctly following the appropriate rites and rituals, as was the expectation “among the religions of the ancient Near East” if one sought to communicate with  their god.  (Artur Weiser in The Psalms p168, NIV Study Bible Notes p803) 

  Upon the walls and ceilings of ancient Egyptian tombs are written the rites and incantations which the Egyptian priests must proclaim as the body is laid to rest so as to ensure that the gods are placated and to ensure that the deceased would be assisted by  the gods to have a safe journey into the afterlife. 

  Such things are missing in Psalm 15.  Instead, we see, firstly, the author recognising, in awe and wonder, the mystery and the majesty of the living God.  God is not a distant god whom you must call and coerce to be present.  God in all His majesty seeks to be near to those whom He loves, those who come to offer their worship and enjoy fellowship with Him. 

  Secondly, there is the recognition of the need to obey the call of God upon the individual to live a life of moral purity.  True faith, for the writer, means not just ‘keeping the Commandments’, but ‘bearing fruit’, “the fruit that comes from a loving, kindly, generous personality”, which, by its actions, demonstrates that God’s Law has been written upon their hearts, as the Prophet Jeremiah writes.  (George Knight in Psalms p73) 

  Artur Weiser writes that the essence of the Old Testament Covenant Agreement between God and the People of Israel was that “obedience matters more than sacrifices”.  He adds that in their writings, the Old Testament Prophets strove for a “spiritualisation” of Jewish worship of God, as distinct for a “ritualisation” of their worship.  (Artur Weiser in The Psalms p168) 

  Thus, in the words of Psalm 15 we hear echoes of the 10 Commandments, where one’s right relationship with God is lived out, hand in hand, with one’s right relationships with one’s neighbours.  We hear that those who are invited to sojourn in God’s tent are those:

“whose words are true and sincere,

who do not slander others,

who do not spread rumours about their neighbours, and

who cannot be bribed to testify against the innocent.”  (Psalm 15: 2 to 5a) 

  “The perfection of one’s conduct and the righteousness of one’s actions are attributed to the truthfulness of one’s inner convictions of the majesty and awesomeness of the Creator God and of our response as part of His Creation to offer to Him our worship and praise.  We sincerely and honestly acknowledge God’s providential rule by behaving accordingly.”  (Artur Weiser in The Psalms p168) 

  Such a stance is repeated time and time again by Old Testament Prophets.

  Isaiah writes:

“stop doing evil and learn to do right.  See that justice is done, and help those who are oppressed, give orphans their rights, and defend widows.”  (Isaiah 1: 16b & 17) 

  Jeremiah writes:

“Change the way you are living and stop doing the things you are doing.  Be fair in your treatment of one another.  Stop taking advantage of foreigners, orphans and widows.”  (Jeremiah 7: 5 & 6) 

Ezekiel writes:

“a truly good person, righteous and honest, doesn’t cheat or rob anyone, he feeds the hungry and gives clothes to those who need them.  He refuses to do evil and gives an honest decision in any dispute.”  (Ezekiel 18: 5 – 8) 

Hosea writes:

“God says, ‘I want your constant love, not your animal sacrifices.’”  (Hoses 6: 6) 

Amos writes:

“Hate what is evil, love what is right, and see that justice prevails in the Law Courts.”  (Amos 5: 15) 

Micah writes:

“the Lord has told us what is good.  What He requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God.”  (Micah 6: 8) 

Zechariah writes:

“You must see that justice is done, and must show kindness and mercy to one another.  Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners who live among you, or anyone in need.  (Zechariah 7: 9b & 10) 

  The author of the New Testament Letter to the Hebrews supports the Psalmist’s insistence upon a life of moral purity, “without which no one will see the Lord”.  (Hebrews 12: 14) 

  Why was there this need for such a message to be repeated over the centuries by those who were telling God’s messages to His people?  It was because the People of God neglected the essence of their worship.  They focussed on the ritual and not on having a right heart.  And time after time, God had to remind His People of what He sought from them.

  But what of those who refused to listen to God?  What of those who continually did not seek to have the right heart in their relationship with God, and, perhaps, even neglected the rites and rituals of their Jewish faith? 

  According to the author of Psalm 15, those who rejected God, were likewise rejected by those who were welcome into the Tent of the Presence of God.  The righteous person, in like manner, “despises those whom God rejects, but honours those who obey the Lord.”  (Psalm 15: 4a) 

  Such was the understanding of how God relates to the wider World.  The proof of the rule of God in the World was thought to exist in the retribution wrought by God in this world upon sinners and idol worshippers.  Artur Weiser writes of how such an understanding was alike to a barrier being erected between the righteous person and everyone else who wasn’t righteous, between those who were invited to sojourn in the Tent of the Lord’s Presence and, in the eyes of the righteous person, those who weren’t invited to join them.  (Artur Weiser in The Psalms p170) 

  Those who considered themselves righteous, would have no contact nor any interaction with those whom they considered, rightly or wrongly, as unrighteous, and therefore, despised by God.

  Thus, we have the Pharisees complaining to the Disciples of Jesus how inappropriate it was for Jesus to be sharing a meal with “tax collectors and other outcasts” in the House of Matthew.  (Matthew 9: 10 & 11)  And we have those crowded along the streets of Jericho grumbling amongst themselves that Jesus had gone to share a meal in the House of “that sinner Zacchaeus”.  (Luke 19: 7) 

  And it is here that we see that God’s mercy is far greater than that conceived by the author of Psalm 15. 

Screen 4

“Christ who is the power of God and the wisdom of God.”  (1 Corinthians 1: 24)

Paul, in his first Letter to the Church in Corinth, writes of:

“the so-called ‘foolish’ message we preach, by means of which God decided to save those who believe.”,  “the crucified Christ, a message that is offensive to the Jews and nonsense to the Gentiles; but for those whom God has called, both Jews and Gentiles, this message is Christ, who is the power of God and the wisdom of God.”  (1 Corinthians 1: 23 & 24) 

  God, in His wisdom, knows that even a ‘righteous’ person does not act righteously all of the time, and musts need have a means for sins to be forgiven.  God, in His mercy, does not give up on the ‘unrighteous’, but continually offers the opportunity for repentance and renewal.

  God demonstrated His power over Sin and Death in raising Jesus Christ from the grave.  As Paul writes:

“But God has brought you into union with Christ Jesus, and God has made Christ to be our wisdom.  By him we are put right with God; we become God’s holy people and are set free.”  (1 Corinthians 1: 30) 

  We can glimpse what Simeon saw in the infant Jesus as he held him in the Temple on the day Joseph and Mary came to offer their sacrifices.  Of Jesus, Simeon spoke of two matters.

  In Jesus, God was providing the means for “salvation”.  (Luke 2: 30)  Again, we hear no mention of sacrifices or offerings, no mention of rites or rituals.  Salvation was to come through the person of Jesus.

  Secondly, God’s mercy was to be extended to all peoples, throughout the World.  Jesus was to be the means for God’s offer of grace and forgiveness of sins to be revealed to all peoples, regardless of race or culture or status or religiosity. 

Screen 5

“No one can work hard enough to avoid the consequences of sin.”

  (Julie Ackerman Link in Our Daily Bread 24 January 2007) 

We are put right with God through the death and resurrection of Jesus.  No action on our part contributes in any way towards what God grants solely by His grace and mercy.  Thus we have Paul quoting the words of the Prophet Jeremiah:

“Whoever wants to boast must boast of what the Lord has done.”  (1 Corinthians 1: 31, Jeremiah  9: 24a) 

  An author by the name of George Weigel, wrote an article on Cardinal George Pell in last week’s Weekend Australian.  In the article he writes:

“On being nominated Bishop, George Pell took as his Episcopal motto Pope John Paul II’s phrase from the homily at his inaugural mass of October 22 1978: ‘Be not afraid’.  Living that injunction in his own life, George Pell helped many others to live, not so much without fear but beyond fear: to face our challenges in the sure knowledge it is Christ who has triumphed over sin and death, and Christ who is ultimately in charge of the Church.  Our task is to conform our lives, teaching, and action to those fundamental realities of the Christian life.”  (George Weigel in An Exemplar of Courage in The Weekend Australian January 21-22 2023) 

  We, too, should consider that same motto for the same reason.  If Jesus Christ triumphed over sin and death, of what, then, can we fear, in this life or the next.  As well, if Jesus Christ gave his life for us, individually, what, then, should hinder us from conforming our renewed life to his teaching and committing our life to his service?

  Lastly, in an article in a 2007 issue of Our Daily Bread, a Julie Ackerman Link writes of:

“the good works people do to try to save themselves from spiritual death.  But just as leaves cannot keep from falling and people cannot keep from aging, no one can work hard enough to avoid the consequences of sin, which is death.  (Romans 6: 23) 

  At the crucifixion, mockers challenged Jesus to save himself.  Instead, he put his life into the hands of God, and God gave back to him not only his own life but ours as well.  To receive salvation, we too must simply put our lives into the hands of God, for if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in us, He will give life to us as well.  (Romans 8: 11) 

  The forces of sin outside cannot defeat the life of Christ inside.”  (Julie Ackerman Link in Our Daily Bread 24 January 2007) 

  Have we submitted our lives to God, and placed our lives wholly into His hands?  Have we come to realise that no amount of ‘good works’ that we may do will achieve anything in terms of earning God’s favour upon us?  There is no need to earn God’s favour, it is there to be freely accepted.

I will finish with this prayer.

“Thank you, Jesus, for your willingness

To surrender to your Father’s will,

For if you had chosen to save yourself,

You could not have saved me.  Amen.”

(Julie Ackerman Link in Our Daily Bread 24 January 2007)

You are invited to sing the Hymn ‘Forgive our sins as we forgive’ (TiS635  AHB564)

(The video clip is for another hymn, but is used here for the tune.  The words are printed below)

Verse 1 of 4

“Forgive our sins as we forgive.”

You taught us, Lord, to pray,

But you alone can grant us grace

To live the words we say.

Verse 2 of 4

How can your pardon reach and bless

The unforgiving heart

That broods on wrongs and will not let

Old bitterness depart?

Verse 3 of 4

In blazing light your cross reveals

The truth we dimly knew,

How small the debts that are owed to us,

How great our debt to you.

Verse 4 of 4

Lord. Cleanse the depths within our souls

And bin resentment cease,

Then, bound to all in bonds of love,

Our lives will spread your peace.

Rosamond Herklots

Offering

Offering Prayer    

“For the life that you have given”  TiS774  

[This hymn is being sung to the tune Austria ]

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

For the life that you have given,

For the love in Christ made known,

With these fruits of time and labour,

With these gifts that are your own:

Here we offer, Lord, our praises;

Heart and mind and strength we bring;

Give us grace to love and serve you,

Living what we pray and sing.

Ralph Vaughan Williams

Prayers for Others

Loving God, knowing your love for all of Humanity, especially your compassion for the needy, we come to you with our cares and our concerns.

We bring to you our prayers for the World around us and for people individually.

We pray for all who live in darkness:

that the Light of the Gospel may open new insights for them and show them the path to life that Christ offers.

 We pray for the Light of Justice, especially in countries like Ukraine

that the burden and pain of those who suffer unjustly may be lifted and that your saving mercy may free them to live life fully.

We pray for Light for all World leaders:

that you will help them all to see the value and dignity of human life and to work tirelessly for peace and reconciliation.

We pray for parents of young children, especially those starting school:

that you will guide them in caring for and nurturing their children so that each child may grow to their fullest potential and be a blessing for the Human family.

We pray for Chappy Kylie as she serves the children at the Bald Hills school and their parents

that you will continue to provide her with the resources and the wisdom to deal with the issues and needs that arise.

We pray for all who are ill:

that your healing love will restore them, and that you will give strength and inspiration to all who are working to combat the new viruses that are impacting the human family.

We pray for the infirm:

that you will give them health and strength so that they have renewed vigour for the future and a willingness to face each new day.

Loving God, we bring these prayers to you, trusting in your compassion and care.  To your glory we pray.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil,

For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,

Now and forever.  Amen.

We invite you to join in singing along to this video clip

“Living for Jesus”

Thomas Chisholm

Benediction    

Walk with Jesus Christ, follow in His footsteps, and He will give you strength for the journey. 

Listen to Jesus Christ, bend your ears to his voice, and he will give you the directions you require for the journey. 

Trust in Jesus Christ, depend upon no-one and nothing else, and you will find the peace of God that is available no other way.

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

We invite you to sing the Benediction Song

“By gracious powers so wonderfully sheltered”  TiS617

The video is for another hymn, but is used here for the tune.

Verse 1 of 1

By gracious powers so wonderfully sheltered,

And confidently waiting come what may,

We know that God is with us night and morning

And never fails to greet us each new day.

We shall remember, all the days we live through,

All of our life before our God we lay.

Dietrich Bonhoffer

Translated by Frederick Pratt Green  (adapted)