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Henry Morton in his book, In the Steps of the Master, writes of walking along the dusty road from Jerusalem to Bethlehem in the early 1930’s, when Palestine was still a British Protectorate.  In his account he writes:

“The British passion for justice, which to the Arab is one of the many perplexing problems about his new master, is stamped clearly on the ancient face of Bethlehem in the form of a new building: the Bethlehem Police Station.

‘Justice!’ an Arab is reported to have said. ‘In the old days of the Turk we paid money to the Judge and knew the result beforehand, but now we pay much more money to the Solicitor and know nothing till the case is over.  And you call that Justice!’”

  (Henry Morton in In the Steps of the Master P119) 

  We all have our concerns for justice; be it justice for infants who suffer through parental neglect, or for those killed in motor vehicle accidents caused by unlicenced joyriders in stolen cars, or for those who have been fleeced of their life savings in an on-line scam, or justice for the victims of Russia’s military activities in the Ukraine.

  But while a need for justice may seem obvious, often its implementation proves to be an elusive dream.

  God, too, has a concern for justice.  Isaiah, in writing of the “Future King” of Israel states:

“His royal power will continue to grow: his Kingdom will always be at peace.  He will rule as King David’s successor, basing his power on right and justice, from now until the end of Time.  The LORD Almighty is determined to do all this.”  (Isaiah 9: 7) 

  Here is the promise that God will assuredly implement His justice in the World, at the time of His choosing.  We will all be held accountable for our every thought and deed, from the lowest of slaves to those in authority of the mightiest of Nations.  No-one will be able to bribe their way to receive the judgement from God that they prefer. 

  In a World in which the call for justice is blatantly ignored, or where organisations created to implement justice are seemingly impotent, we can rest assured that the LORD Almighty, has determined that His justice will prevail “from now until the end of Time”  (Isaiah 9: 7)  .  Such is the power and the authority of Almighty God. 

  This is but one facet of the God whom we have come together to offer our worship.  Let us gather then, and offer our praise and thanks to the God of justice.

  Prayer of Praise  

(Psalm 147: 1, 3 to 11, & 20c) 

Almighty God, it is good to sing praises to you,

it is pleasant and fitting to praise you.

You heal the broken-hearted,

and bandage their wounds.

You have determined the number of the stars,

and call each one by name.  (Isaiah 40: 26) 

You are great and mighty in power,

your understanding has no limit.

You sustain the humble,

but cast the wicked to the ground.

You spread out the clouds and provide rain for the Earth,

you make grass grow on the hills.

You provide food for the cattle,

and for the young ravens when they call.

You do not take pleasure in strong horses for war chariots,

nor do you delight in brave soldiers.

But you take pleasure in those who honour you,

in those who put their trust in your constant love.

We come before you with thanksgiving,

and offer to you our unending praise.  Amen.

You are invited to listen to or join in singing 2 songs ‘I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever’  {Scripture in Song vol 2 number 404)

James Fillmore

‘All that I can do’ – (Scripture in Song volume 2 number 405)

Verse 1 of 3

When the Father sent His son

to live with us our lives to mend,

Placed His love upon the altar

That with him we might ascend.

Chorus

And all that I can do is thank Him,

All that I can do is pray.

All that I can do is lift my hands

To sing His praise.

Verse 2 of 3

Lord, the blessed life you give me,

And the holy road you choose,

Lead me all the way to Calvary,

And I’ll only follow you.

Chorus

And all that I can do is thank you,

All that I can do is pray.

All that I can do is lift my hands

To sing your praise.

Verse 3 of 3

Lord, I only want your blessing

While I’m sitting at your feet.

Nothing in this World can woo me

From your holy seat.

Chorus

And all that I can do is thank you,

All that I can do is pray.

All that I can do is lift my hands

To sing your praise.

And all that I can do is thank you,

All that I can do is pray.

All that I can do is lift my hands

To sing your praise.

Ted Sandquist

Prayer of Confession 

(in part from Psalm 78: 1, 4, 5, & 8b, and 84: 8a) 

Merciful God, we confess our foolish ways,

we confess our inattention to your voice calling to us.

We should be praising you for your Creative power and great deeds,

and telling of the wonderful things that you have done.

But, instead, we extol the wonders of Science,

and try to explain how Creation created itself.  Forgive us.

We should be instructing our peers how to follow your Commandments,

and teaching our children the benefits from obeying your Laws.

But, instead, we defer to peoples desires to make up their own rules,

and hesitate correcting our children for fear that they will reject us.  Forgive us.

We should be confronting social conditions that breed poverty and unmet need,

and opposing prejudice and oppression that prevent others from obtaining an education and gainful employment.

But, instead, we fear making a stand against those who have greater power and influence,

and prefer a quiet lifestyle rather than create conflict with others.  Forgive us.

We should be revealing the nonsense of worshipping the gods of prosperity and property,

and revealing the shallowness of life lived only for the pursuit of physical comforts.

But, instead, we find it hard to talk with those who refuse to accept that they have an obligation to submit to your Lordship,

we cannot find the words to say to those who demand proof that you are real.  Forgive us.

Listen to our prayer, Lord God Almighty,

release us from that which hinders our close fellowship with you.

Guide us and strengthen us to be witnesses to others of your majesty and power,

use our words and our life to challenge others to consider the sin in their life and of their need for repentance and renewal.

May we not hesitate to put our trust in you, whose concern for us is constant,

May we remain faithful to you, whose lovingkindness is everlasting.  To your glory we pray.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(from 1 Corinthians 2: 23 & 30) 

The Apostle Paul preached Christ crucified, the means by which we are put right with God, by whom we are set free from our sins, to become God’s holy people.  Having confessed our sins, let us hold onto that truth and be assured that our sins are forgiven.

Thanks be to God.

Prayer of illumination 

Almighty, gracious Father, for as much as our whole salvation depends upon our true understanding of your holy Word, grant to all of us that our hearts, being freed from Worldly affairs, may hear and comprehend your holy Word with all diligence and faith, that we may rightly understand your gracious will, cherish it, and live by it with all earnestness, to your praise and honour, through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

(Prayer of Martin Bucer: 1538)

(https://www.reformedworship.org/article/september-1991/pioneer-reformed-worship-celebrating-500th-anniversary-martin-bucer)

Reformed Worship 21 © September 1991 Worship Ministries of the Christian Reformed Church.  Used by permission.

Bible Readings

Isaiah 40:

21  The Prophet Isaiah states:

“Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  Has it not been told to you from the beginning?  Have you not understood since the Earth was founded?  22  He sits enthroned above the Earth and beyond the sky, and its people are like grasshoppers.  He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent in which to live. 

23  He brings down powerful rulers and reduces them to nothing.  24  They are like young plants, scarcely having been planted, and scarcely taken root, when He sends a wind, and they dry up and blow away like straw.”

25  ‘To whom will you compare me?  Or who is my equal?’ says the Holy One.

26  “Lift your eyes and look to the heavens:  Who created all these?  He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name.  Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.  (Psalm 147: 4) 

27  Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel,

‘My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God.’

28  Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the Earth.  He will not grow tired or weary.  No one understands His thoughts.  29He gives strength to the weary and strengthens those who are weak and faint.  30  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young people stumble and fall;

31  but those who trust in the LORD for help will find their strength renewed.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and never grow faint.”

(New International Version, New English Bible, Today’s English Version)

This is the Word of God.

Praise to you Almighty God.

Mark 1:

29  As soon they left the synagogue in Capernaum, they went with James and john to the home of Simon and Andrew.  30  Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her.  31  So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up.  The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

32  That evening, after sunset, the people brought to Jesus al of the sick and demon possessed.  33  The whole town gathered in front of the house,  34  and Jesus healed many who had various diseases.  He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.

35  Very early next morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

36  Simon and his companions went to look for him,  37  and when they found him, they exclaimed,

“Everyone is looking for you.”

38  Jesus replied,

“Let us move on to the country towns in the neighbourhood; I have to proclaim my message there also; that is what I came out to do.”

So he travelled throughout Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and casting out demons.

(New International Version, New English Bible, Today’s English Version)

This is the Gospel of our Lord.

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

You are invited to listen to or join in singing ‘Dear Lord and Father of Mankind’  (AHB519  TiS598)

John Whittier

Sermon

There is the story of a man who went to his Doctor, and told his Doctor that he had broken his leg in two places.  The doctor looked at the man for moment, and then said to him:

“Well, stop going to those places.”  (Bruce Mullan in Daily Mail List for 30^th January 2024) 

  I once watched a show on TV relating to early Australian history.  The Narrator in the show stated that in the lead up to the sailing of the First Fleet in 1787, Law Courts in London sentenced 17 women to death for a variety of crimes, ranging from theft to manslaughter.  Each was given the opportunity to have their sentence commuted to a life sentence if they chose to be transported to Australia to serve out their sentence.  Of these 17 women, 14 chose this option.  3 women chose instead to be executed.  What was it that these 3 women found so appalling about being transported to Australia, to the extent that they would rather die than have at least this option of staying alive?  What did they fear that they would find here, or, perhaps, what they would not find here?  For certain they would be 1000’s of kilometres from family and home, if they had any, with no hope of ever returning to British soil.  They would have had to face a miserable journey of several months cramped in small ships, with a small degree of uncertainty of even reaching the distant shore.  Once they arrived, they would have faced a lengthy period of hardship and deprivation while they served out their sentence, with uncertainty about what sort of life would await them afterwards and for the rest of their life.  But they would have been alive, with the hope of life after their sentence was completed.  Was it that they had given up hope for life, to the extent that they desired death as a comfort or as a finalisation to their misery?  If they had a faith in God, was it that they could not conceive that God could possibly be there on the other side of the globe? 

  When I thought about what these 3 women may have been thinking at the time, I tried to recall recent events where people may have been in a similar situation, and how they reacted to their circumstances.  The closest I could come were those who suffered in the Concentration Camps in German occupied Europe, or in the Japanese run Prisoner of War Camps in South East Asia; the cramped and sordid sleeping quarters, the lice, the poor diet, the beatings and cruelty by the guards, the lack of medical aid or compassion from anyone, and the lack of hope of such things ever finishing. 

  There has been much written about the horrors that the Jews experienced in Europe during WW11, including reflections on their understanding about God.  Their traditional and accepted belief was that there is a God, an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, loving, merciful God, who would surely protect His Chosen People.  Since He hadn’t prevented the Holocaust with the accompanying unimaginable scale of suffering and death, many Jews in the Concentration Camps abandoned this belief for alternative understandings of God.  Some concluded that God never did exist.  Others felt that if He exists, He was inexplicably absent during this period of History, for some unknown reason, refusing to reveal Himself in such circumstances.  Others concluded that God is a distant god who does not interfere in Human History in any tangible, measurable way.  Others reasoned that God is not omnipotent and does not have the power to bring to a halt such horrors and suffering.  While for others, their suffering was proof that God had broken His covenant with them.  Some came to despise God, not so much losing faith in God’s existence but losing faith in His goodness.  One telling quote that I read was that “The faith of many a Jew in the God of (their) Fathers was choked in the smoke of the crematoria”.

  It is against such a background that we read today’s passage from Isaiah 40.  The original peoples to whom the Prophet Isaiah was writing had endured the same things.  They were the descendants of those who, in 587BCE, had been humiliated in defeat by the Babylonian army, who had been expelled from their homes by their conquerors, who had seen their property and their great city of Jerusalem set alight and destroyed, who had been transported hundreds of kilometres to what was then the other side of their known world, a journey on foot over several months being deported to Babylon, who had endured the privations and the harsh treatment from their guards along the way, and who had spent 50 years in exile, treated, if not as slaves, then certainly as third class citizens.  But more importantly, they were separated from the land of their birth, separated from the land promised to them so long ago by their God, separated from the Temple and the pattern of Temple sacrifices that were so central to their religious beliefs and way of life, and despairing of ever returning to the Land of Judah.

  And 50 or so years in the future, they were asking the same questions as did the Jews in the Concentration Camps.  In 701 BCE during the reign in King Hezekiah, they had seen the invading Assyrian army retreat in humiliation, yet in 587BCE the Babylonians succeeded in laying siege to Jerusalem, of breaking through the city walls, of defeating the army of Judah and of enslaving those who survived their onslaught.  How was it that the God who had saved them from the Assyrians under the Emperor Sennacherib, failed to protect them from the Babylonians under their Emperor Nebuchadnezzar?  Can one continue to trust in this God?  Can they continue to depend upon his Word?  Would God still honour the Covenant that He had with them?  Had God finished punishing His people for their disobedience and their sin?  Did God still have love for His people?  Did God want to save His people, and, more significantly, can God save them?

  In response to their questioning God asks His own question.  In verse 27 we read God asking, and I prefer the Good News Bible reading because it makes the feelings so clear, “Israel, why then do you complain that the Lord doesn’t know your troubles or care if you suffer injustices?”  What is it that the people of God had forgotten about their God?  Their perception is that because God hasn’t acted to relieve them of their misery, then either He won’t act or He can’t act.  What is incorrect about this statement?

  In the account of the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem in 701BCE, we read of an Assyrian official coming to the city walls to issue an ultimatum for the people inside the city to surrender or else suffer at the hands of the invading army.  Emissaries from King Hezekiah pleaded with him not to speak in Hebrew lest the people of Jerusalem hear what is being said and panic.  But the emissary takes no notice and shouts to them in Hebrew so that all could hear.  He lists all of the cities and the Nations defeated by the Assyrians, and then continues “The God you are trusting in has told you that you will not fall into my hands, but don’t let that God deceive you.”  The Assyrian official ridiculed the claims by King Hezekiah that the God of the Jews would save them, boasting that recent history had proven that the gods of Assyria were more powerful.  But, instead, we read how God dramatically did save them from the Assyrians.  In Isaiah 40: 21 we read God saying, “Do you not know?  Do you not hear?  In verse 28 we read, “Have you not known?  Have you not heard?”  God uses these words, not just to remind His hearers of what he has done in the past, but also to emphasise what He is capable of doing in the future.

  In the ancient near east, the gods of the Nations were associated with specific Stars or Planets, and given attributes perceived to be associated with these Stars and Planets.  They were viewed as having Human weaknesses and were perceived as often being inattentive or simply unaware of events that were taking place.  It is into this erroneous frame of mind that the Jewish exiles had fallen in their questioning of God.  Chapters 40 to 55 of Isaiah are the record of God saying “the people of Judah will be saved, the purging of the defeat and the exile in Babylon will be followed by the restoration of Jerusalem.”  The salvation will happen before the eyes of the World, as an example to the World that the God of Israel is real, that the God of Israel is incomparable, and that it is inevitable that the God of Israel will accomplish what He has planned.  But what proof is God presenting to his listeners?

  Firstly, God is saying, “I am not like the gods worshipped by other peoples.  I am not associated with any particular Star or Planet, nor are my powers determined by any particular alignment of the Stars and the Planets.  It’s no use looking at the Zodiac to find out how and when I will act.”

  And why not?  What was it that the people of God had forgotten?  They had forgotten that it was their God who created the Stars and the Planets in the first place.  They had forgotten that their Creator God sits on His throne far above all that He had created on Earth or in the Heavens, as we read in verse 22.  He created the sky that stretches like a curtain above them as we also read in verse 22.  He created the Stars, put each one in its place in the night sky, and gave to each its own name.  And He ensures that none is missing and is in its rightful place, as we read in verse 26.  Derek Kidner in his Commentary on Isaiah states that “the true lesson from the majestic progress of the stars is not the absence of God’s control but the precision with which God controls.  God is not too great to care for his people; he is too great to fail, (for) there is no point at which things get on top of him.”  (Derek Kidner in Isaiah in The New Bible Commentary p611)  Artur Weiser in his Commentary on Psalm 147 states that “The comforting trust in God’s mercy is justified by reference to his power and wisdom as the Creator and Lord of the whole Universe.  He who summons the stars to appear, addressing them by their names, has sufficient strength and understanding to rise above all obstacles and effect his purpose of abundant grace and help.”  (Artur Weiser in The Psalms p835)  In the light of God’s majesty, how could God’s people have ever thought that He would forget them?

  Secondly, God demonstrates that He and He alone is God.  He alone has a predetermined plan for the Nations on Earth.  He alone knows in advance the events which He, as Lord of History, will bring about.  In verse 23 He reminds His listeners, “(it is I) who brings “powerful rulers” to nothing.”

  In chapters 41 and 44 and 45 He makes reference to Cyrus who will bring about the downfall of the Babylonian Empire on His behalf and who will allow His people to return to Judah, a claim made many years before Cyrus was a King or before he laid siege to Babylon in 538BCE.  God not only makes the claim that He would lead His people back to the Promised Land, God is also declaring how this process will commence.  And, looking back, we see how wonderfully this promise of God was fulfilled.  God demonstrated that His special regard for His people is backed by the power of the one true God who rules all.

  Thirdly, God demonstrates his capacity to sustain what he has promised.  There is no time or place where God falters nor needs to stop.  There are no limitations on God’s capacity to act.

  In verse 28 we read “The Lord is the everlasting God, he does not faint or grow weary.”  It is on this basis too that God’s people would accept, with certainty, that God would accomplish all that He had set out to do.

  But the passage goes further.  Not only are we told that God has the power to act to save His people.  Not only are we told that God has planned to act to save His people.  We are told that God will act in an extraordinary way.

  Verse 29 tells us “(God will) give strength to the weary and strengthens those who are weak and faint.”.  In effect God is saying “I will give you the physical ability to make the journey home.  I will give you the physical strength to rebuild your homes.  I will give you the physical strength to again become my people.”  And considering the journey they had to face and the difficulties they had to face when the arrived back at Jerusalem, this would indeed have been reassuring news.

  But what has this to do with us in 2024AD?  This all happened nearly 26 centuries ago; it’s old hat surely, ancient history, irrelevant in this time of technological wizardry, instant international telecommunications, and widespread social advancement?  You need look no further than the Refugee Camps in eastern and western Africa, and in Afghanistan and in Palestine; you need look no further than the violence perpetrated in the name of some religious or political or ethnic ideology right across from east to west Africa, and in the Middle East, and in the Ukraine.  Where can God be found amidst all of this suffering?  Where was God when the people of northern Australia suffer the devastation from recent cyclones?  Where was God when so many are killed in the Ukraine from Russian missiles and drones?  I don’t know.  I cannot give you an answer.  I can’t explain why such suffering can possibly be part of God’s plan for Humanity. 

  But what I do know is that the same God who created the Heavens and the Earth, who set the stars in their place and gave a name to each one, is a God of power and authority.  He is the God who is in control of History.  He is a God of compassion and mercy. He is a God who cares for individuals and their specific circumstances and situations.  He is a God who is reliable and dependable.  And He is the God whom we worship.  That is what Isaiah tells us in this passage from chapter 40.  Isaiah tells the Jews in Babylon not to lose their faith in God, but to wait to see how and when God will act to bring relief and restoration.  Isaiah is saying the same thing to us. 

  But wait, there’s more, as the advertisement goes.  The restoration of Jerusalem and the salvation of the people of God did happen, and was an event deserving of our giving praise to God.  But it was the hint of something far greater that was to happen.  This event too would be proof of the power of God, proof of the authority of God over Creation and of Human History, and proof of the compassion and mercy and grace of God.  Isaiah alludes to it in chapter 45 where he writes “I do this so that everyone from one end of the World to the other may know that I am the Lord and that there is no other God, (v6) … turn to me now and be saved, people all over the World, I am the only God (v 22)”.

  Isaiah writes of the coming Messiah.  Where do we also see the compassion of God?  We see it in Jesus Christ.  We see it in his caring for the sick and those oppressed by demons, as we read in Mark 1.  Where do we see the power of God at work?  We see it in the way that Jesus brought healing and complete restoration of health simply by the touch of his hand, as we read in Mark 1.  Where do we see the authority of God?  We see it in the Word of God that Jesus taught in the synagogues and in the Word of God by which Jesus cast out Satan’s demons, as we read in Mark 1.  Where do we see God at work in History?  We see it in the sacrifice and the resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. 

  This is the completion of the work that commenced with the restoration of the remnant of God’s people to Judah.  This is the hope of which we can take hold, in whatever situation in which we may find ourselves.  For the same promise that God gave to the Jews in Babylon is the same promise that he gives to us; “they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint”.  Amen. 

Offering

Offering Prayer    

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, we live in times of trouble and conflict, of suffering and pain.  We hear of groups who use violence and intimidation to push their religious or ethnic ideology to pursue regional or ethnic domination.  We see Governments pursue violence rather than dialogue.  We see Governments demand that their way be followed rather than seek conciliation and reconciliation. 

May they all come to acknowledge that you are the true God, the Creator God of the

Bible; that you are a God of peace and love, who seeks reconciliation with Humanity and among Humanity, and to that end may they seek what is best for all and not for the few.

We bring to you those living in Refugee Camps, displaced from homes and livelihoods, separated from family, distressed about safety and food and a better future.  We bring to you those who are disadvantaged or face discrimination in their homelands and who are driven to seek asylum elsewhere. 

Give to them the hope for a better life in the future.  Convict those in the World who have more than they need, to share their excess with those who have nothing.

We pray for comfort and relief for the families affected by flooding rains across the northern and central parts of Australia. 

Please protect the emergency personnel as they seek to ensure the safety of others.  Equip and enable those who transport food and goods to isolated communities so that they can provide what these communities need in their daily lives.

We bring to you our levels of Government, Federal, State and Local.  May all Parties accept with humility that they are governing under your authority, for the goodwill of all people and not their ideological supporters and financial backers. 

May they seek your guidance so as to know how best to provide services to the needy, to provide efficient and cost-effective facilities and infrastructure, and to make just and righteous decisions for a better future.

We bring to you our Church, its leaders, its decision makers and its people.  May they not lose sight of the Gospel in whatever activity they are involved and in whatever decisions that make. 

May we truly be the light for our society in presenting You as the source of life rather than pleasure or money.  May we truly show the Hope that is in you in the life that we live and in the way that we treat others.

Almighty God, we pray for the Church, that we may be instruments of healing, relieving the suffering of those who are burdened with illness or frailty, and offering support and hope.

We pray for a renewed apostolic spirit, that we may be on fire with zeal to announce the Good News that there is meaning, purpose, and value in every life because of Christ.

We pray for all the preach the Good News, that you will inspire their words to draw people closer to Christ and empower them to live the Gospel each day.

We pray for all who are hopeless or despairing: that the Holy Spirit will bring light to their darkness and hope to their hearts.

We pray for all who feel devalued, that you will heal their self-image and give them a new spirit of purpose and direction in life.

We pray for all who echo Job’s cry, those struggling to survive, fleeing violence, or searching for food, that the Holy Spirit will give them strength and to open our hearts to assist them.

We pray for all young people who are searching, that they may come to know God in a new way and be filled with enthusiasm for life.

We pray for all in health care ministry, that you will work through them to bring healing and strength to all who seek their assistance.

We pray for all who are ill, that the Holy Spirit may renew the gift of life within them and bring healing to their mind, body, and spirit.

We pray for all who are seeking employment, that you will open new opportunities for them and help them recognize their gifts and skills that they have not been using.

We pray for the members of our Governments, that you will guide their deliberations on the budget and immigration, help them develop policies that honour the dignity of each person, and promote the greatest good for our society.

We pray for all who are working to establish peace, that the Holy Spirit will lead their dialogue and inspire new pathways to establish lasting peace and mutual understanding.

Copyright © 2024. Joe Milner. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use. – https://liturgy.slu.edu/5OrdB020424/ideas_other.html

We pray for the peoples of Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Western Sahara, Tunisia.

We are thankful for how the early Christian church developed there, for the biodiversity of plants, animals and the natural terrain within their lands, for how Berber, Arab and European cultures have blended, and for how these Countries have remained and stood against the invasion of cultural and military forces from elsewhere.

We pray for all the people of these Countries: Muslims, the tiny remnant of Christians, those of other faiths who continuing bearing witness to their faiths and for all people of good will, for an end to political violence,  for an end to how dominating powers have fought over these lands and their resources through the years, and for those suffering exploitation and mistreatment as they travel through these countries.

Prayer on the road of life

God of life, there are days
when the burdens we carry are heavy on our shoulders and weigh us down,
when the road seems dreary and endless, the skies grey and threatening,
when our lives have no music in them,
our hearts lonely,
our souls losing their courage.
Flood the path with light.
Turn our eyes to where the skies are full of promise;
tune our hearts to brave music;
give us the sense of comradeship with heroes and saints of every age.
So quicken our spirits
that we may be able to encourage the souls of all,
who journey with us on the road of life,
to your honour and glory.

(attributed to Augustine of Hippo)

Here am I before you, O my God. 
Here am I, rich in misery and poverty,
and a cowardice without name.
Here am I before you, who are nothing but love and mercy.
Before you, but by your grace alone,
I am here, all of me,
with all my spirit,
all my heart,
all my will.  

(Frère Bruno of Tibhirine monastery, assassinated in May 1996)

Affirmation

I want peace –
around the world.
I want peace –
in our neighbourhood (village).
I want peace –
so that everyone can be joyous.
I want peace –
so that everyone can be happy.
I want peace –
so that all are free.
I want peace –
so that all become friends.
I want peace –
so that I can embrace my enemy.
Long live peace!
O God, grant us your peace!

(Yemai, 13 years old, Tunisia, adapted.)
https://www.sternsinger.de/fileadmin/bildung/Dokumente/sonstiges/gottesdienst/gottesdienstbausteine__frieden.pdf

  Almighty God, we pray for the Launceston Northern Suburbs SU Kids Games team as they start up a new series of game afternoons over the course of term 1.  We pray that more Kids Games will start up all across Tasmania.  We pray for that you will bless and use the LEGO Club George Town, a unique holiday club created by the team leader Stephanie Baughman, which will give children and families in this semi-rural community of Tasmania a very special encounter with God’s love for them.  We pray for the Equip team as they prepare to present sessions on self care at the prayer retreats

We pray for the success of the annual ACT start of year fun day. We pray for guidance and wisdom for the Coordinators and Team Leaders of WA holiday camps as they begin the camp wrap up process with debriefs and feedback.  We pray for the many campers wanting to be followed up and to know more about Jesus.  We pray for the school chaplains as they start a new school year.  We pray for a good start to SRE/RI classes and chaplaincy programs in schools across the Nation.  We pray for the first school camp for the year which commences at Camp Coolamatong Victoria today.  We pray for staff, teachers and students that their time will be filled with fun, challenges and faith-building opportunities.

(2024/SU%20SEQ-Prayer-Guide-DEC23-FEB24.pdf)

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 ‘I have a Saviour’  (Alexander’s Hymns No. 3 number 177)

Verse 1 of 3

I have a Saviour, he died for me,

In cruel anguish on Calvary’s tree,

I do not merit such love divine,

Only God’s mercy makes Jesus mine.

Chorus

Jesus, my Saviour, I come to Thee

In full surrender, Thine own to be.

Verse 2 of 3

I have a Keeper, he now prevails,

I fear no evil whate’er assails,

His arms enfold me safe and secure,

In his blest keeping victory is sure.

Chorus

Jesus, my Saviour, I come to Thee

In full surrender, Thine own to be.

Verse 3 of 3

I have a Master, he bids me go

Rescue lost sinners from sin and woe.

I love to serve him, this Master true,

Now I am willing his will to do.

Chorus

Jesus, my Saviour, I come to Thee

In full surrender, Thine own to be.

Robert Harkness

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 ‘Joyful, Joyful we adore you’  TiS 152

Benediction    

We have come and have experienced Christ’s healing presence.  We have come and have experienced God’s unmerited favour and grace.  Let us then go out into the World to love and to serve, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. 

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

‘Now to him who loves us saves us’  TiS771

Now to him who loved us, gave us

Every pledge that love could give,

Freely shed his blood to save us,

Gave his life that we might live,

Be the Kingdom

And dominion

And the glory evermore.

Samuel Miller Waring