Welcome: –
Call to Worship: –
Someone once said,
“There are no degrees of honesty.” (quoted in Our Daily Bread 13 March 2008)
I would agree with such a statement, that there are certain things which are either black or white, there being no shades of grey. There are no shades of grey with honesty, you either speak or act honestly or you don’t.
In a similar manner comes this quote from James Paterson, the Federal Opposition Home Affairs spokesman contained in an article written by Stephen Drill on the global distribution of drugs, contained in the Sunday Mail newspaper dated 9 June 2024. Unlike coffee, or chocolate, or your latest pair of jeans, James Paterson asserts that,
“There is no ethically sourced cocaine.”
(quoted from article by Stephen Drill, “Kingpin is far from an angel”, Sundal Mail 9 June 2024.)
Stephen Drill, in his article, writes that you are deluding yourself if you claim that cocaine is a harmless social drug, because you are denying the harm that taking this drug has on the user and the user’s close family, and the manner in which drug manufacturers, distributors and sellers are corrupting the society in which we live.
But one could argue that you are being judgemental if you make such claims as “There are no degrees of honesty.”, or “There is no ethically sourced cocaine.”, because there is no one set of standards upon which everyone bases their life; that no-one, especially the Church, has any right to make a claim as to what is right or wrong, so long as there is a difference of opinion on the matter.
Yet, in the Lectionary readings for today you will find such verses as,
“Remember what (good things) the LORD has done, and give Him thanks.” (Psalm 30: 4 & 7)
“I wait eagerly for the LORD’s help, and in His Word (I put my) trust.” (Psalm 130: 5)
“The LORD’s unfailing love and mercy are all I have, and so in Him I put my hope.” (Lamentations 3: 22 & 24)
We are to measure all things against the purity and the goodness of God, against the truth and wisdom contained in His Word, for such things as these are our guide in life, not anything composed by flawed Human reasoning.
The author of Psalm 30 writes,
“LORD, you are my God; I will give you thanks forever.” (Psalm 30: 12b)
That is the reason why we have gathered here today, to acclaim Almighty God as our God, to praise Almighty God for who and what He is, to declare our faith in His love and mercy, to profess our trust in His Word to guide us, and to thank Almighty God for the peace and hope that He gives to each of us. So let us gather before God in worship.
Prayer of Praise
Almighty God, we gather together with joy to offer you our thanks and our praise, we gather together in humbleness to acknowledge you as our LORD.
You have shown your supreme power and incomparable abilities through what we see and experience around us, by and through what you have created. The Universe has been set in its place through the Laws of the Cosmos which you have determined. Our World follows patterns and cycles of Nature which you have decreed.
You have expressed your nature of kindness and graciousness by the way you sustain all of us. You have provided for our needs both at the least significant time of our life as well as those times when we face the greatest turmoil. You provide the necessities of life for all people, you provide rain for those who acknowledge you as their God and for those who don’t, but should.
You have expressed your love for us so clearly through the sending of your Son into the World so as to undertake your work of redemption and reconciliation with Humanity. We recognise the brokenness of our lives and the barrenness of our own abilities to rebuild our relationship with you and to repair our relationships with others. We recognise the sacrifice you made in sending Jesus Christ into the World and of his willingness to suffer on the cross on our behalf. We acknowledge your power over sin and death through his resurrection. We praise you for making possible the forgiveness of our sins and for the complete cleansing of our souls from all that is impure and ungodly. We submit to your will and purpose in the World and individually in each of our lives.
May our worship here today be tied to a renewed commitment to serve you daily in thought, word and deed. May each moment of our lives be an expression of our love for you and of our gratitude for what you have done and continue to do for us. To your glory we pray, Amen.
You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the song: ‘Therefore being justified by faith’ (Scripture in Song volume 1 number 29)
You are invited to listen to, or join in singing “His name is wonderful” Scripture in Song volume 1 number 37
Audrey Mieir
Prayer of Confession
Merciful God, we come acknowledging our failures and our faults, our sins and our stumblings.
We come confessing the wrong things we have done and the right things we have not done.
We confess that we have often sought meaning in the trivialities of the attractions of this World, and have been enticed away from your path by this World’s values.
Forgive us, we pray.
We confess that we have often neglected your Word and have sought meaning and understanding from what the World tells us.
Forgive us, we pray.
We confess that we have compromised our witness to your love for the World by uncharitable thoughts and actions.
Forgive us, we pray.
We confess that we have devalued our relationship with you by depending on what we can accomplish by ourselves.
Forgive us, we pray.
We confess that we do not readily welcome into our fellowship those who are different or who challenge our level of comfort.
Forgive us, we pray.
We confess that we tend to act in competition and not by co-operation.
Forgive us, we pray.
Merciful God, cleanse us from the defilement of our sins, deliver us from the evil that leads us astray.
May we be guided daily by your Word of truth and nourished by that which endures to eternal life. In your name we pray, amen.
Assurance of Forgiveness
(from Romans 8: 30)
The Apostle Paul writes that those who have responded to God’s call, He has put right with Himself. We have placed our faith and trust in the everlasting love and mercy of God, and, as such, having confessed our sins before God, we have the assurance that God has listened, that God has forgiven, and that God has cleansed us of all unrighteousness.
Thanks be to God.
Prayer of illumination
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 the grace to listen to your Word and to receive your truth in faith and love, so that we may be obedient to your Will and live always for your glory, through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
Bible Readings
Lamentations 3:
22 The LORD’s unfailing love and mercy still continue,
23 fresh as the morning, as sure as the Sunrise,
24 The LORD is all I have, and so in Him I put my hope.
25 The LORD is good to everyone who trusts in Him.
2 Corinthians 8:
7 We want you to be generous in this service of love. 8 I am not laying down any rules. But by showing how eager others are to help, I am trying to find out how real your own love is. 9 You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; rich as he was, he made himself poor for your sake, in order to make you rich my means of his poverty.
10 My opinion is that it is better for you to finish now what you began last year. You were the first, not only to act, but also to be willing to act. 11 On with it, then, and finish the job! Be eager to finish it as you were to plan it, and do it with what you now have. 12 If you are eager to give, God will accept your gift on the basis of what you have ot give, not on what you don’t have.
This is the Word of God.
Praise to you Almighty God.
Mark 5:
21 Jesus went back across to the other side of the lake. There, at the lakeside, a large crown gathered around him. Jarius, an official of the local Synagogue, arrived, and when he saw Jesus, he threw himself down at his feet, 23 and begged him earnestly,
“My little daughter is very sick. Please come and place your hands on her, so that she will get well and live,”
24 Then Jesus started off with him. So many people were going along with Jesus that they were crowding him on every side.
25 There was a woman who had suffered terribly from severe bleeding for twelve years, even though she had been treated by many doctors. She had spent all of her money, but instead of getting better, she got worse all the time. 27 She had heard about Jesus, so she came in the crowd behind him, 28 saying to herself,
“If I just touch his clothes, I will get well.”
29 She touched his cloak, and her bleeding stopped at once; and she had the feeling inside herself that she was healed of her trouble. 30 At once Jesus knew that power had gone out of him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked,
“Who touched my clothes?”
31 His Disciples answered,
“You see how the people are crowding you: why do you ask who touched you?”
32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 The woman realised what had happened to her, so she came, trembling with fear, knelt at his feet, and told him the whole truth. 34 Jesus said to her,
“My daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your trouble.”
35 While Jesus was saying this, some messengers came from Jarious’s house and told him,
“Your daughter has died. Why bother the Teacher any longer?”
36 Jesus paid no attention to what they said, but told him,
“Don’t be afraid, only believe.”
37 Then he did not let anyone else go on with him except Peter and James and John. 38 They arrived at Jarius’ house, where Jesus saw confusion and heard all the loud crying and wailing. 39 He went in and said to them,
“Why all this confusion? Why are you crying? The child is not dead – she is only sleeping.”
40 They started making fun of him, so he put them all out, took the child’s father and mother and his three Disciples, and went into the room where the child was lying. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her,
“Talitha, koum,” which means, “Little girl, I tell you to get up!”
42 She got up at once and started walking around. (She was twelve years old.) When this happened, they were completely amazed. 43 But Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone, and he said,
“Give her something to eat.”
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
“Come, let us with our Lord arise” TiS375 AHB297 MHB661
(This audio clip is for another hymn, but is used here for the tune).
Verse 1 of 3
Come, let us with our Lord arise,
our Lord, who made both Earth and skies;
who died to save the World he made,
and rose triumphant from the dead;
he rose, the Prince of Life and Peace,
and stamped the day for ever his.
Verse 2 of 3
This is the day the Lord has made,
that all may see his love displayed,
may feel his resurrection’s power,
and rise again to fall no more,
in perfect righteousness renewed,
and filled with all the life of God.
Verse 3 of 3
Then let us render him his own,
with solemn prayer approach the throne,
with meekness hear the Gospel word,
with thanks his dying love record;
our joyful hearts and voices raise,
and fill his courts with songs of praise.
Charles Wesley
Sermon
Slide 1
Accountability.
The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary defines “accountability” as:
“to be liable for, or to be responsible for (what one says and does)” (1944 edition Part 1 p13)
Google defines “accountability as:
“an entity’s actions to take responsibility for their actions”
As we can see, Miss Wilcox’s manager is loath to be held accountable for the consequences of his decisions. However, we do see several positive examples of “accountability” in today’s readings.
Slide 2
Mark 5: 29 “She touched his cloak, and her bleeding stopped at once.”
“There was a woman who had suffered terribly from severe bleeding for twelve years”, so we read. (Mark 5: 25) Now, we must use our imagination to grasp the severity of her circumstances; the stigma of someone who was constantly ill, the constant battle with maintaining hygiene and the need to wash clothes, the enormous financial cost from constantly consulting doctors (Mark 5: 26) ,the frustration at not finding a cure for her seemingly hopeless situation, and the potential for her to be barred from participating in the religious activities of her village because of her medical condition (Leviticus 15: 25) . If she had a family, how did her illness affect her family life? Or did her illness prevent her from being married? She hears of the healings attributed to Jesus, and the visit of Jesus to her town presents an opportunity for her “to get well”, (Mark 5: 28b) which she takes, and she was healed. (Mark 5: 29)
Somehow Jesus senses what the woman has done; “he knew that power had gone out of him” so Mark writes (Mark 5: 30a) , and he calls out to the crowd that was pressing around him, “Who touched my clothes?” (Mark 5: 30b) . Francis Moloney, in his Commentary on the Gospel of Mark, writes that Jesus “senses that God has acted through him.” (Francis Moloney in The Gospel of Mark A Commentary p108)
We can sympathise with the Disciples in their reaction,
“Look Jesus, there are so many people crowding around you, brushing against you and accidently toughing you. Why are you so concerned with identifying any one particular person?” (Mark 5: 31)
But Jesus sensed the deliberateness of the woman’s action, and the faith underlying the act that just touching the clothes of Jesus would bring about healing, and he sought to address this because it was important for Jesus to publicly recognise and to bless this underlying faith.
Eugene Boring, in his Commentary on the Gospel of Mark notes that on this occasion “others were jostling Jesus, but only the woman with faith was healed”. (Eugene Boring in Mark A Commentary p160) Thus we see that the Disciples, unlike Jesus, failed to grasp the significance of the act of someone intentionally touching the clothes of Jesus.
The woman was in a bind. She would surely have been joyfully celebrating “the feeling inside herself that she was healed of her trouble” (Mark 5: 29b) , yet she “trembled with fear” at the potential consequences of her bold move. (Mark 5: 33) Eugene Boring notes that the woman had “violated conventional constraints by appearing in public (despite her medical condition) and especially by touching the garment of a revered holy man”. (Eugene Boring in Mark A Commentary p160)
The woman approached Jesus, accepted accountability for her actions, and expected to be condemned by Jesus. But, instead, she was commended by Jesus for her faith. And we see in his response that God had healed her in several ways.
“My daughter” Jesus greets her. (Mark 5: 34a) Eugene Boring writes that, when Jesus addressed her by using this term, he “includes her in the People of God and the family of believers”. (Eugene Boring in Mark A Commentary p161) Francis Moloney similarly writes that Jesus was “bringing her into the chosen People of God”. (Francis Moloney in The Gospel of Mark A Commentary p108) This is to be understood in three ways. Where once she may have been socially ostracised by others because of her illness, Jesus is stating that there are now no such barriers between her and others in the eyes of God. Where once she may have been excluded from participating in religious worship and activities because of her illness, Jesus is stating that there are now no such barriers in the eyes of God. Mark records Jesus saying to the woman that, because of her faith in him, she has been healed. And we need to understand all that there is about this healing. The New International Version reads, “freed from your suffering”. So, there is a release from the hold that the illness had on her life.
The New English Bible reads, “freed forever from this trouble”, bringing with it the further understanding of a physical renewal of her body and a guarantee that this particular illness will never return. But Commentators also point out that the Greek word translated as “healed” can also be understood as “saved” (NIV Study Bible note p1531) , bringing with it the additional understanding of a spiritual renewal in the life of the woman. In reaching out to Jesus for healing, the woman had, consciously, acknowledged the divinity of Jesus. Where once she had worshipped God only according to the Jewish rites and rituals, now her understanding of God has been broadened, and she worships God anew in the person of His Son, Jesus. It is on this basis that Jesus blesses her with the peace of God. (Mark 5: 34)
Slide 3
Mark 5: 41 “Jesus took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Little girl, I tell you to get up!’”
In the same manner, Jairus and his wife were also acknowledging the divinity of Jesus in their humble and sincere request to Jesus for healing for their very sick daughter. (Mark 5: 22b & 23) Jairus had valid grounds for his plea, for his daughter was very sick, as shown by later events in Mark’s account. Jesus responds to the faith expressed by Jairus upon their meeting and by the sincerity of his plea by immediately starting off with Jairus towards the house of Jairus and his family. (Mark 5: 24a)
But the quick healing that Jairus had hoped for his daughter was not to be, and Jairus and his wife were to face a testing time, both of their patience and of their faith in Jesus.
Mark writes of the “many people (who) were going along with Jesus, (and) crowding him from every side” (Mark 5: 24) , delaying progress towards the home of Jairus. And the unplanned healing of the woman who had suffered from severe bleeding for twelve years added to this delay. So long had Jesus been delayed that “some messengers came from Jairus’s house and told him, ‘Your daughter has died. Why bother the Teacher any longer?’” (Mark 5: 35)
We can but only begin to understand the utter disappointment and the frustration that Jairus had felt at that moment, and we can picture the thoughts that were going around in his mind:
“Why couldn’t the crowd get out of the way?
Didn’t they realise how important it was for Jesus to get to my house as quickly as possible?
Why did Jesus spend so much time with that woman?
She wasn’t dying but my daughter was! Couldn’t Jesus had healed my daughter first?”
Sensing this in Jairus, Jesus reassured him, “Don’t be afraid, only believe.” (Mark 5: 36b) Jesus was in effect saying, ‘You pleaded for me to heal your daughter and I gave to you my guarantee that I would heal her. Hold on to your faith in the promise that I gave to you, and put no faith in the words of people.’
Upon these words of reassurance they continued to the house of Jairus, where more testing awaited Jairus. The “loud crying and the wailing” were part of the mourning process for a newly deceased person. And, surely, this would only commence when it was painfully obvious that someone had actually died. So, when Jesus arrived and questioned the accuracy of their understanding, and claimed that the little girl was not dead but only sleeping, well, we can accept the response of those who were there. They had seen the ailing girl and could claim to have seen her take her last breath. They had seen others take their last breath at the moment of their passing. Jesus was nowhere to be seen when the little girl had passed away. Upon what basis could Jesus make his claim that she had not died? So, it is understandable that “they started making fun of (Jesus)”. (Mark 5: 40a)
How confused would Jairus had felt at this point in time? Jesus had given his reassurance that he would heal Jairus’ daughter. Would he hold on to this promise of Jesus, or would he acknowledge what the crowd in his home was telling him and release Jesus from his promise? And what about the wife of Jairus? Jairus had given her his reassurance that he would hurry back with Jesus as soon as possible. What had taken them so long? If they had not delayed their journey and had arrived sooner, their daughter may have lived.
In what occurred next, we can gain a glimpse of the nature of Jesus. All of those who had ridiculed Jesus, “he put them out”, so Mark records. (Mark 40a) His authority was such that those whom Jesus did not want in the house of Jairus and his wife, obeyed his order to go away. His power and goodness to act in the name of God was such that Jairus and his wife did not waiver in holding on to promise that Jesus had given to them, and they willingly followed Jesus “into the room where the child was lying”. (Mark 5: 40b) They were accountable for the faith that they had placed in Jesus, and were blessed for doing so.
By a simple command, Jesus exercised his divine power to renew life where it was failing. “He took her by the hand and said to her, ’Little girl, I tell you to get up!” (Mark 5: 41) And how do we know that the little girl was completely healed from her illness? Where, a moment before, she was bedridden, “at once she got up and started walking around”. (Mark 5: 42a) Where, a moment before, she had lain in her bed wasting away because she had been unable to eat, Jesus reassured them, “Give her something to eat.” (Mark 5: 43b) Their understanding of God, also, had been broadened, and they too worshipped God anew in the person of His Son, Jesus, which we understand by their being “completely amazed” at what had just taken place. (Mark 5: 42b)
Slide 4
“From Paul, to the Church in Corinth” 2 Corinthians 1: 1
A severe famine took place in Land of Palestine in around 44AD and 45AD, (Thomas Lindsay in The Acts of the Apostles volume 1 p129, Josephus in The Antiquities of the Jews Chapter 2 – 5. Paragraphs 51 & 52) , as foretold to the Apostles by the Prophet Agabus. (Acts 11: 27 – 30) There is mention of Barnabas and Paul being associated with a collection for “relief for distributing to the believers living in Judea”. (Acts 11: 29b) Paul makes reference to this collection in his Letters to the Churches in Rome (Romans 15: 25 – 27) , in Galatia (Galatians 2: 10) , and in Corinth (1 Corinthians 16: 1-4) It appears that by the time Paul wrote his second Letter to the Church in Corinth, the believers there had still not finalised their collection, and Paul was encouraging them to complete the task.
“ My opinion is that it is better for you to finish now what you began last year. You were the first, not only to act, but also to be willing to act. On with it, then, and finish the job! Be eager to finish it as you were to plan it, and do it with what you now have. If you are eager to give, God will accept your gift on the basis of what you have to give, not on what you don’t have.” (2 Corinthians 8: 10 – 12)
They had made their promise to God to gather together a collection, and Paul was gently reminding them that they were accountable to God for what they had promised to give, assuring them that God didn’t hold them accountable for what they didn’t have but on the basis of what (they had) to give. The tone of the passage in Acts 11: 30 indicates that the Church in Corinth did complete their collection, which Paul took back to Jerusalem upon the completion of his third missionary journey as inferred in the passage in Acts 20: 4 – 6.
Slide 5
In the readings for last Sunday was the account of Jesus calming the storm. (Mark 4: 35 – 41) Quite correctly, the main focus of the passage was the divine nature of Jesus, for we read that “even the wind and the waves obey him”, for this was commented on by Matthew, in his account of the incident (Matthew 8: 27) , Mark, in his account of the incident (Mark 4: 41) , and Luke, in his account of the incident (Luke 8: 25) . But, also of importance is the account of the actions of the Disciples, for, at the conclusion of the account, after we read of the panic among them which was driven by their fear at losing their lives, we find Jesus holding them accountable for their lack of faith that God to provide for their needs and bring them to safety back on shore. I prefer the poetic nature of Matthew’s account where Jesus chided the Disciples, saying:
“O ye of little faith.” (Matthew 8: 26a KJV)
As worthy as these incidents are in presenting examples of accountability, one must ask, “Is that all there is to know about ‘accountability’”?
John Leo in U.S. News & World Report
A writer by the name of John Leo is quoted as saying,
“You can’t run a society or cope with its problems is people are not held accountable for what they do.” (from U.S News & World report, contained in Reader’s Digest Quotable Quotes p71)
How true is that statement, given that it is the basis for the teaching of ethics and underlies our criminal justice system. Yet, I would suggest that Humanity, individually and corporately, have a far greater accountability to Almighty God for all that we think and say and do. For each person, individually, and each Culture and Society, corporately, must answer the question,
“How have we responded to God?”
Today’s readings give us three reasons for substantiating this understanding of our being held accountable by God.
Firstly, we read of the goodness of God. The author of Psalm 30 states,
“Remember what (good things) the LORD has done, and give Him thanks.” (Psalm 30: 4 & 7)
The author of Lamentations writes,
“The LORD is good to everyone who trusts in Him.” (Lamentations 3: 25)
Now, this is all well and good, but God’s goodness also extends to those who do not seek to remember what He has done, and also to those who do not place their trust in Him. Matthew quotes Jesus as saying,
“For God makes His Sun to shine on bad and good people alike, and gives rain to those who do good and to those who do evil.” (Matthew 5: 45)
Luke quotes Jesus , saying,
“For God is good to the ungrateful and the wicked.” (Luke 6: 35b)
At some point in Time, God will ask each and every person,
“How have you responded to my goodness?” “Did you listen to me calling to you, did you see me walking beside you, providing for you, sustaining you?”
Secondly, we read of the Word of God. The author of Psalm 130 writes,
“I wait eagerly for the Lord’s help, for in His Word I trust.” (Psalm 130: 5)
A Study Note in the NIV Study Bible makes a reference to “God’s devoted servant who makes God’s word, (that is) His Law and promises, the hope of their life”. (NIV Study Bible p924, see Psalm 119: 25)
At some point in Time, God will ask each and every person,
“How have you placed your hope and trust in my Word, recorded for you in the written Scriptures? How diligent have you been seeking to read my Word so as to gain an understanding of me and my call upon your life?”
Thirdly, the author of the Book of Lamentations writes of God’s “unfailing love and mercy”, (lamentations 3: 22a)
The author of Psalm 130 identifies that God’s love and mercy are exemplified in His willingness “(to) forgive us so that we should stand in awe of Him”. (Psalm 130: 4) For God has a “forgiving nature”. (New RSV Bible Study Note p880)
Paul writes of this to the Church in Corinth. He talks of Jesus making himself “poor for our sake” (2 Corinthians 8: 9b) , that is, giving up the ‘riches’ of his life in Heaven to live a mortal life, so that through is death and resurrection we may gain the ‘riches’ of Heaven, that is, to experience the love and mercy of God in this life and in the life to come. (2 Corinthians 8: 9)
At some point in Time, God will ask each and every person,
“How have you responded to my love and mercy? Have you responded by faith to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins which I freely offer to you?
There can be no evading the call to demonstrate before God our accountability for how we have lived our life.
The author of Psalm 30 writes,
“LORD, you are my God; I will give you thanks forever.” (Psalm 30: 12b)
That is the reason why we have gathered here today, to acclaim Almighty God as our God, to praise Almighty God for who and what He is, to declare our faith in His love and mercy, to profess our trust in His Word to guide us, and to thank Almighty God for the peace and hope that He gives to each of us. That is our motivation to go out into the World, accountable to God in our service for God and to proclaim God’s unfailing love and mercy for Humanity. So, like the woman who was healed, let us take every opportunity to listen to the voice of God that God presents to us; like Jairus and his wife, let us not be discouraged by adversity or ridicule; and, like the Church at Corinth, let us fulfil our obligations to serve God in the World as we are able. Amen.
You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the Hymn “Come let us to the Lord our God” TiS577 AHB490 MHB342
[This hymn is based on Hosea 6: 1-4.]
Verse 1 of 6
Come let us to the Lord our God
with contrite hearts return;
our God is gracious, nor will leave
the desolate to mourn.
Verse 2 of 6
His voice commands the tempest forth,
and stills the stormy waves;
and, though His arm be strong to smite
‘tis also strong to save.
Verse 3 of 6
Long has the night of sorrow reigned;
the dawn shall bring us light;
God shall appear, and we shall rise
with gladness in His sight.
Verse 4 of 6
Our hearts, if God we seek to know,
shall know Him, and rejoice
His coming like the morn shall be,
like morning songs His voice.
Verse 5 of 6
As dew upon the tender herb,
diffusing fragrance round;
as showers that usher in the Spring,
and cheer the thirsty ground.
Verse 6 of 6
So shall His presence bless our souls,
and shed a joyful light;
that hallowed morn shall chase away
the sorrows of the night.
John Morison
Offering
Offering Prayer
“For the life that you have given” TiS774
[This hymn is being sung to the tune Austria – there is no introduction.]
[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
Almighty God, we bring to you our prayers for the World around us,
and for people individually.
We pray for the Nations of the World,
that the false truths and lies of those who seek to manipulate power and position for their own gain will be exposed,
that stealing from the weak by the strong be outlawed,
that killing by suppression, starvation, terrorism, or war be banished forever.
We pray for our Nation, Australia,
that political and cultural idols may be broken and replaced by a sincere reverence for you,
that greed and a desire for material gain lose its power over us,
that there is a genuine desire to listen to and to respond to those who call to us for help.
We pray for comfort and for healing for those who suffer with long-term and wasting diseases,
Give skill and guidance to Doctors and Nurses, and patience to all who care for the invalids.
We pray for your Church,
that it may be released from all adultery with materialist culture and power,
that it be renewed in its call to share the riches of your grace with fallen Humanity,
that it be the visible witness to the World of what is good and praiseworthy, true and noble, right and pure, lovely and honourable. (Philippians 4: 8)
Where people have forgotten to laugh,
touch them with your joy.
Where they have lost the art of mercy,
graft compassion and forgiveness within them.
Where they neglect to share bread and medicine and trust and friendship,
stir new growth of love within them.
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.
You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the Hymn “He lifted me” (Alexander’s Hymns No. 3 song number 21)
Charles Gabriel
Benediction
“Where Jesus reigns there is no fear,
No restless doubt, no hopeless tear,
No raging sea nor tempest dread,
But quietness and calm instead.”
(anonymous, from Our Daily Bread 26 March 2008)
Let us go out into the World knowing that the Creator and Sustainer of the World is upholding us in all we do, every moment of every day. And may the blessing of Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, rest upon you and remain with you always. Amen.
Benediction Song
“I am His, and He is mine.” Alexander’s Hymns No. 3 number 193
Wade Robinson
Service for Sunday 19th July 2020 – Rev Louis van Laar: 
Service for Sunday 26th February 2023, which was conducted by Mr Geoffrey Webber 
Service for Sunday 5th May, which was conducted by Mrs Moana (Ana) Teulilo-Schaaf 