Welcome: –

Passing the Peace: –

As we gather for worship let us remember that we are one people in Christ Jesus.  We are all welcomed by God into His presence and graced by His mercy.  Let us, then, be united in our worship of God and in our fellowship together, and uplift our hands to greet those both here and those in their homes with these words:

May the peace of God be with you.

And also with you.

Call to Worship 

(‘All the way the Lord is leading me’ – based on Psalm 40: 3 ) 

All the way my Lord is leading me,

With his Heavenly manna feeding me.

When I faint, His grace upholds me,

When I fear, His arms enfold me.

Cares of life may overtake me

Yet I know He won’t forsake me.

Praise His holy name.

Charles. H. Gabriel

  The emphasis here is not for the writer to present person details of their life experiences, but the fact the God has been present and assisting them throughout these experiences, regardless of time and place and type.  The reassurance of the presence of God at all times, and the comfort in knowing that God supplies all of their needs at all times, leads the writer to express their heartfelt thanks and praise to God.

(Artur Weiser in The Psalms p335 & 336)

  May we, too, experience this closeness of God and this faithful providence of God in our lives, such that we, too, are led to express our praise to God.

Prayer of Praise  

(from Psalm 8: 1 to 4 &9, 93: 5a, 113: 5a, 68: 3, 32, 34, 33b, 20a)  

O Lord, our Lord, your greatness is seen in all the World!

Your praise reaches up to the heavens; it is sung by children and babies.

When I look at the sky, which you have made,

At the moon and the stars, which you set in their places,

What is Humanity that you think of us, that you should care for us?

O Lord, our Lord, your greatness is seen in all the World!

Your Laws are eternal,

There is no one like you.

The righteous are glad and rejoice in your presence,

They are happy and shout for joy.

Sing, all the Kingdoms of the Earth,

Sing praises to the Lord.

Proclaim God’s power and majesty,

Listen to Him when He calls to you.

Our God is a God who saves,

He is the Lord our God.  Praise Him!  Amen.

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

The first song is ‘It’s no longer I that liveth’  (Scripture in Song Vol 1 No 8)   

Sally Ellis

The second song is ‘He is Lord’  (Scripture in Song Vol 1  No 49) 

Author unknown

Prayer of Confession    

Merciful God, Creator of all the wonders which make up this World, when we treat our part of the World as a commodity to be used rather than a gift to be cherished, when we fail to care for and protect this lovely land, with its mountains and oceans, its rivers and lakes; its unique flora and fauna:

Forgive us.

Merciful God, bearer of our humanity in Jesus Christ, when we fail to live out the commandment to love one another as Jesus loves us, when we judge a person by the colour of their skin, by their amount or quality of their possessions or by their achievements or lack of achievements, rather than accepting them as persons loved and accepted by you:

Forgive us.

Merciful God, giver of the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us into all truth, when we betray the truth of the Gospel through our lack of integrity or our abuse of ethical and moral principles, when we fear the changes we may have to make if we allow your power to flow into the places of our greatest weakness:

Forgive us.

Merciful God – Creator, Redeemer, Life-giving Spirit, fill us anew with your creative power that we may be reborn in your image, and glorify you in and through who we are, and what we say and do and think, in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(from Romans 8:10) 

The Apostle Paul tells is that if Christ lives in us, the Spirit is life for us because we have been put right with God.  Therefore we can have the confidence in knowing that having confess our sins, our sins are forgiven.

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:

1 Samuel 10:

9  When Saul turned to leave Samuel, God gave Saul a new nature.  And everything Samuel had told him happened that day.  10  When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a group of Prophets met him.  Suddenly the Spirit of God took control of him, and he joined in their ecstatic dancing and shouting.

1 Samuel 16:

11  Then Samuel asked Jesse,

“Do you have any more sons?”

Jesse answered,

“There is still the youngest, but he is out taking care of the sheep.”

“Tell him to come here,” Samuel said.  “We won’t offer the sacrifice until he comes.”

12  So Jesse sent for him.  He was a handsome, healthy young man, and his eyes sparkled.  The LORD said to Samuel,

“This is the one – anoint him!”

13  Samuel took olive oil and anointed David in front of his brothers.  Immediately the Spirit of the LORD took control of David and was with him from that day on.

Acts 1:

4  Jesus gave his Disciples this order,

“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift I told you about, the gift my Father promised.  (John 14: 15 – 17, 15: 26)  5  John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit. “

(Today’s English Version)

This is the Word of God.

Praise to you Almighty God.

John 1:

1  Before the World was created, the Word already existed; he was with God, and he was the same as God.  2  From the very beginning the Word was with God.  3  Through him God made all things; not one thing in all Creation was made without him.  4  The Word was the source of life, and this life brought light to Humankind.

14  The Word became a Human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us.  We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father’s only Son.

15  John (the Baptist) spoke about him.  He cried out,

“This is the one I was talking about when I said,

‘He comes after me, but he is greater than I am, because he existed before I was born.’”

16  Out of the fulness of his grace he has blessed us all, giving us one blessing after another.  17  God gave the Law through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  18  No one has ever seen God.  The only Son, who is the same as God and is at the Father’s side, he has made Him known.

Matthew 28:

16  The eleven Disciples went to the hill in Galilee where Jesus had told them to go.  17  When they saw him, they worshipped him, even though some of them doubted.  18  Jesus drew near and said to them,

“I have been given all authority in Heaven and on Earth.  19  Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in  the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,  20  and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And I will be with you always, to the end of the age.”

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 ‘Father, Son, and Holy Ghost’ (Wesley’s Hymns No 430  MHB574)

 [This YouTube clip is for another hymn, but is used here for the tune. The words are printed below]

Verse 1 of 4

Father, Son and Holy Ghost,

One in Three, and Three in One,

You are our celestial host,

Let your will on Earth be done.

Praise by all to you be given,

Glorious Lord of Earth and Heaven.

Verse 2 of 4

O the sinner that am I,

Lo, I answer to your call,

All my actions sanctify

By your grace that’s free for all.

Lo!  I come to do your will,

All your counsel to fulfill.

Verse 3 of 4

Take my soul and body’s powers,

Take my memory, mind, and will,

All my goods and all my hours,

All I know, and all I feel.

All I think, or speak, or do,

Take my heart and make it new.

Verse 4 of 4

Now, O God, your own I am,

Now I give you back your own,

Freedom, friends, and health, and fame,

Consecrate to you alone.

Claim me for your service, claim

All I have and all I am.

Charles Wesley  (adapted)

Sermon

Screen 1

The Sun

(https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2017/06/11/02/05/wheat-2391348_640.jpg)

  If we accept recent forecasts by the Bureau of Meteorology, we may see a lot of the Sun over the coming months, which they are suggesting may include a warm Winter. 

  It is interesting, though, how the Sun has been used in symbolism.  We have the French King, Louis XIV, who was referred to as “the Sun King” on account of, so it is said, “the splendour of his Court and his adoption of the rising Sun as his personal emblem”.  (Encyclopedia International volume 11 p91) 

  Chiang Kai-Shek, the first President of the Republic of China, was recorded as having once said that “the sky cannot have two Suns”, a cryptic reference to the conflict in mainland China through-out the 1930s and 1940s that was essentially between himself, who was the leader of the Nationalist forces, and Mao Tse Tung, who led the communist insurgency.  (Chambers Dictionary of Quotations reference 213 – 5) 

Screen 2

And when you go home today, take out your copy of the Authorised Version of the Bible, the King James Version, turn to page 1 of the Introduction addressed to King James and you will read these lines: “the appearance of your Majesty, as of the Sun in his strength, instantly dispelled those supposed and surmised mists, and gave unto all that were well affected exceeding cause for comfort”. 

    It is also interesting how the Sun has played such a major influence in religion in the distant past.  Anyone can easily observe how the Sun plays such an important part in sustaining life.  I didn’t consult Google this time, but instead looked up what was in my Encyclopaedia, in which it is stated “Without the Sun and the precise balance that exists in all elements of its relation to the Earth, life as we know it could not exist.”  (Encyclopedia International Vol 17 p375) 

  Is it any wonder then that in all of the Nations that existed around the ancient State of Israel, among the pantheon of gods in their belief systems, there was the shared concept of a “sun god who provided light and heat” to the peoples.  To the Mesopotamians, it was Utu, while to the Egyptians, it was Amon-Re.

Screen 3

Worshipping Amon – Re, the Egyptian Sin god

(https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/11/14/13/36/egyptian-1823488_640.jpg)

  The Israelites, however, were forbidden to have such a belief.  In Deuteronomy 4:19 we read this command “Do not be tempted to worship and serve what you see in the sky – the Sun, the Moon and the Stars.”  Now, why was this so?

  In Genesis 1 we read the Hebrew Creation account.  It commences with the words “In the beginning when God created”, a clear and unambiguous statement that there is but one true God, who existed before there was either time or space or matter, and who is the Creator of all that can be seen and what cannot be seen.  And in a statement to the peoples of the surrounding Nations, the Hebrew creation account makes it quite clear that the Sun and the Moon and the Stars were created things and certainly not deities in themselves. 

Isn’t that what we find in Psalm 8:3 which reads:

“When I look at the sky, which You have made, at the Moon and the Stars, which You set in their places.”

  How could believers in the one true Creator God ever conceive of worshipping a created object, when it was the Creator of all things that deserved all of their praise and worship?

    However, there was a broader aspect to the Creation account that brings to mind significant aspects of the nature of God.

  Firstly, God is described as giving order and form to what was formless and in chaos.  In Psalm 33: 6 we read:

 “The Lord created the heavens by His command, the Sun, Moon and Stars by His word.  For He spoke and it came to be.”

  Secondly, God is described as breathing life into what was lifeless.  In Psalm 104: 30 we read:

“But when you give them breath, they are created; you give new life to the Earth.”

  And thirdly, it is God who is described as the source of light.  In Genesis 1: 3 we read:

“Then God commanded, ‘Let there be light’ and light appeared.”

  But you need to read the Creation account carefully for the insights that it gives to an understanding of the Trinity.  In Genesis 1: 2, at the beginning of Creation, we read:

 “and the Spirit of God was moving ( or hovering) over the waters.”

  Here is a reference to the Spirit of God, active in the World, empowering and enabling. 

  Throughout the Old Testament we repeatedly read of the activity of the Spirit of God in this way.

  In Judges 6: 34 we read that the Spirit of God came upon Gideon.  In Judges 14: 19 we read that the Spirit of God came upon Samson.  In 1 Samuel 10: 6 we read that the Spirit of God came upon Saul.  In 1 Samuel 16: 13 we read that the Spirit of God came upon David.  In Ezekiel 11: 5 we read that the Spirit of God came upon the Prophet Ezekiel.  In Nehemiah 9: 20 we read Nehemiah acknowledging that the Spirit of God has been active throughout the history of God’s people instructing them in the truth of God.  And in Zechariah7: 12 the Prophet Zechariah talks of the Spirit of God speaking through the Prophets of the past.

   In Genesis 1: 26 we read God saying:

“And now we will make Human beings, in our image, in our likeness.”

  Why is it that God is speaking in the plural?  To whom is He talking?  Some writers suggest that God is addressing angels or other Heavenly hosts.  But how could He be doing this, when angels are themselves created beings and had no part in the creating action.  In Genesis 3: 22, which takes place after God pronounces judgement on Adam and Eve because of their disobedience, we read God saying:

“Now Humanity has become like one of us and has knowledge of what is good and what is evil.”

  On this occasion, we also see God talking in the plural, but how could God be addressing angels when they are elsewhere described as agents of His will and not seen in any context of knowing what is good or evil?

  In Genesis 11: 7, which refers to the time after the Flood when the descendants of Noah refused God’s command to spread out and live all over the Earth, we read God saying:

“Let us go down and mix up their language.”

  In 11: 8 we then read:

“So the Lord scattered them all over the Earth.”.

  Notice that it reads ‘the Lord’ not ‘the Lord and the angels’.

  And in Isaiah 6: 8, that great account of the commissioning of the Prophet Isaiah, we read God saying:

 “Whom shall I send?  Who will be our messenger?”.

  In the Bible we only read of angels as being themselves messengers of God, not those who send out others to be messengers.

  So in all of these passages we read God addressing Himself in the plural.  He was not addressing angels, we can only therefore make sense of the passages as we understand God addressing the plurality of His being, which we understand from New Testament writings as the Trinity.  The Apostle John presents this so clearly in his introduction to his Gospel when he writes:

“Before the World was created, the Word, that is Jesus Christ, already existed; He was with God, and He was the same as God.  From the very beginning the Word was with God.  Through Him God made all things; not one thing in all Creation was made without Him. The Word was the source of life, and this life brought light to Humanity.”  (John 1: 1 to 4) 

    We also need to consider our understanding of the light that God gives.  In the creation account it is obvious that it relates to physical light, since the passage talks of evening and morning.  But Old Testament writers talk of light in a much broader context.  The writer of Psalm 27: 1 joyfully proclaims “The Lord is my light and my salvation”.

  Likewise in Psalm 119: 105 we read:

“Your word (O God) is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path.”

  In these passages, light is used as a symbol of enlightenment or instruction about spiritual matters. 

    In Isaiah 9: 2 we read:

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.  They lived in a land of shadows, but now light is shining on them.”

  But what is the context of these verses?  It is given in Isaiah 9: 6,where it reads:

 “A child is born to us!  A son is given to us!  And he will be our ruler.”

  The context is the coming Messiah, God coming in Human form, coming to reveal to God’s people the way to a right relationship with Him.  Further on, in Isaiah 42:6, we see a reference to God’s Servant, where we read God addressing him, saying:

 “through you I will make a covenant with all peoples, through you I will bring light to the Gentiles”.

  And how does God describe this servant?  Isaiah writes of God saying:

He is “the one I have chosen, with whom I am pleased, I have filled him with my Spirit.”  (Isaiah 42: 1) 

  In this verse Isaiah encapsulates the concept of the Trinity, God the Father addressing His Son, born in Human form and guided by God’s Spirit to reveal to us God’s work of salvation in the World.  Luke writes that the elderly Simeon attested to this very thing when he saw Jesus on the occasion when his parents brought him as a week-old infant to the Temple to be dedicated to God, when Simeon praised God saying:

“With my own eyes I have seen your salvation.”  (Luke 2: 30) 

    We can then understand God’s creative work in a broader way.  Firstly, God, by His word, gave form to matter.  God, by His word, also gave form to the means of redemption from sin, where no such means previously existed.  In John 12: 49 & 50, we read Jesus saying:

“I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has commanded me what I must say and speak.  And I know that His command brings eternal life.”

  Secondly, God breathes life into plants, and animals and humans.  In the same way God empowers the lives of believers.  In Acts 1: 8 we read Jesus instructing His Disciples:

“But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power.”

  Thirdly, God gives physical light to the World, and God also gives light to our souls and our hope for reconciliation.  In 2 Corinthians 4: 6 we read Paul writing:

“The God who said ‘Out of darkness the light shall shine!’  (Genesis 1: 6)  is the same God who made His light shine in our hearts, to bring us the knowledge of God’s glory shining in the face of Jesus.”

    One God in three persons.  Our understanding of the Trinity is made somewhat clearer as we see God at work in the Creation of the heavens and the earth; God the Father, working with God the Son and God the Spirit.  Our understanding is broadened as we consider God’s work of salvation, His work of recreation; God the Father intervening in Human History, sending Jesus His Son who is empowered by the God’s Spirit to undertake His role in the World and to die on Calvary.  It is broadened further as we consider God at work in us.  By God’s grace we are made new through the sacrifice of His Son and given the power that comes from above, the power from the Holy Spirit, to be witnesses of God’s love and mercy.  (Luke 24: 49, Acts 1: 8) 

    In John 8: 12 we read of Jesus talking to some Pharisees saying:

“I am the light of the World, whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness.”

  In Matthew 5: 14 to 16, we read of Christ’s challenge to us; for He says of His followers:

 “You are like light for the whole World, … your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in Heaven.”

  And the good news is that we do not need to depend upon our own strength to accomplish this.  In Psalm 8: 4 we take comfort from knowing that God’s care for us never ceases.  In Matthew 28: 20 Jesus promises to be with us “always to the end of time”.  And in John 14: 16, we hold onto the promise that the Holy Spirit, God’s advocate and comforter and Counsellor, will stay with us forever.  One God in three persons, alive and at work in us, in the Church, and in the World.  May that be the reality for us as you seek to be God’s light in our own small corner of the World.  Amen.

We join in the Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.  Amen.

(English Language Liturgical Consultationtext 1988)

Offering

Offering Prayer    

“For the life that you have given”  TiS774 

 [This YouTube clip is for another hymn, but is used here for the tune so disregard the words – only the one verse is needed, and the words are printed below.]

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, knowing of your love for all of Humanity, especially of 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 the Church,

that the unconditional love of the Trinity may strengthen and inspire each of us, deepen our love for one another, and help us to witness to your love and mercy for others.

We pray for the grace of discernment,

that we may recognize that you are always present in our lives and constantly journeys with us through all the joys, the sorrows, and our everyday responsibilities.

We pray for a new experience of grace and mercy in our lives,

that your love will free us from our past failures, give us courage to make amends, and help us renew and rebuild our relationships.

We pray for our communities,

that the life-giving love of the Trinity may flow through us so that we may be untiring in supporting the lonely, consoling the grieving, encouraging the struggling, and forgiving those who have injured us.

We pray for all who are ill,

that you will renew and restore all who have physical ailments and give strength to their caregivers.

We pray for a healing of the wounds of racism,

that you will heal all who have been impacted by discrimination, open hearts to the dignity of each person, and help all to work together against poverty, disease, and malnutrition.

We pray for refugees,

that you will protect all who have fled their homes from harm, guide them on their journey, and lead them to hospitable communities.

We pray for an end to violence in our cities,

that you will give courage to all who are working for peace in neighbourhoods, help the voices of those who have experienced injustice to be heard, and turn the hearts of those prone to violence toward new ways of working for change.

We recognise that we have not accepted our responsibility to be good stewards of Your Creation.  We have consistently viewed the World around us only as a source of goods to fuel our insatiable appetite for comfort and pleasure. 

Please help us to see our faults.  Please give us a vision of how to use what You have provided for us in a sustainable way.  May the peoples of the World grasp the importance of responsible decision making in terms of their environment so that the decisions that they make do not adversely affect the lives of others, near and far away, today or in the future.

Copyright © 2023. Joe Milner. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use.  https://liturgy.slu.edu/TrinityA060423/ideas_other.html 

We pray for the people of Angola and Mozambique.

We are thankful for the rich natural resources in these countries, which God intends for the good of all, the positive developments experienced since years of civil war, village committees that seek to protect livelihoods and food security of the poor, and how the Lutheran World Federation and partners have pursued land rights in Mozambique.

We pray for better sanitation, health services, and protection of the environment in these lands, for a healing of the lingering scars and memories from colonization and civil wars, for protection of the land rights of the people, and for governments that are transparent and further the good of all the people, rather than being captive to foreign and business interests.

Prayers

  God of love and compassion, we approach you full of grief and shame, because we just cannot understand how it is that you love us so much.  We feel that we are living under the shadow of death.  We find it difficult to understand that you have already brought us out from there and that you hope to see in us signs showing our faith and trust in the eternal life promised us by Jesus.

Do not forsake us.  Rather, guide us in ways of hope that one day Africa will know and live in peace, health and prosperity, through the grace and mercy given us by your Son, Jesus Christ, and by the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

(Felicidade N. Cherinda, Mozambique. In: Africa Praying – A Handbook on HIV/AIDS Sensitive Sermon Guidelines and Liturgy)

We sincerely thank you, O God, for your powerful gift of hope in the face of seemingly hopeless situations.
We thank you for your peace in the hearts and minds of men and women in this part of Africa who believe you are the living God, quick to save in time of danger.
You reign above all, directing the course and destiny of the universe.

(Joao Makondekwa, Bible Society of Angola. WAGP p. 337)

Prayer of an African Christian

God,
enlarge my heart that it may be big enough to receive the greatness of your love.
Stretch my heart that it may take into it all those around the world who, with me, believe in Jesus Christ.
Stretch it that it may take into it all those who are not lovely in my eyes,
and whose hands I do not want to touch; through Jesus Christ, my saviour.

(https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/prayer-cycle/angola-mozambique)

  We pray for the Literacy programs being operated by the Bible Society in Bangladesh, in Cambodia, in Myanmar, in rural China, in Egypt, in Pakistan, in Mozambique, and in South Sudan, that there will be a ready supply of the required literature, that there will be no impediments placed by local or national authorities to hinder the work being undertaken by Bible Society staff, that there will be a ready acceptance by the local peoples to the opportunity to learn to read and write, and that your Holy Spirit may use this opportunity to work in the hearts of those who use the bible Society material to respond to the Gospel message.

(https://www.biblesociety.org.au/our-work/)

  We pray for Rev Dona Spencer who has recently taken on the role of Bush Chaplain for the Roma area.  We pray that she will settle into her new environment, that she will quickly gain an insight into the needs of the people who she is serving, into the resources available to ministry, and where your priorities are for her.  We pray for safe journeying as she travels throughout her ministry area, and for an opening to opportunities for her to minister among the communities with which she will be in contact.

(https://frontierservices.org/services-qld/)

  We pray for the Protestant Christian Church in Bali and the endeavours through their Maha Bhoga Marga Foundation (MBM), whose focus is on community development work to end poverty in rural villages, specifically to grow new businesses and finding money to start them, such as a small chicken-breeding business.  We pray that they will receive the necessary financial aid from international aid partners to finance these new businesses, that they will receive the needed cooperation from local authorities, that there will be  a ready acceptance among local villages for the opportunities that are available, and that it will be your message of hope and grace that is underlying all of the work of the members of the Church in Bali.

(https://www.unitingworld.org.au/)

  . We pray for wisdom and good health for Yvonne, the new Country Leader for The Leprosy Mission in DR Congo.  We pray that you will help and assist her in her leadership.  We pray for the Organisation of People Affected by Leprosy in Congo (OPALCO), that they will become strong and a model in DRC for fighting stigma effectively.  May their work improve the social, physical and spiritual living conditions of those affected by leprosy and other Topical Diseases.  We pray for peace in Eastern DRC, which is afflicted by killings, abductions, rape and looting of natural resources by armed groups, that countries and organisations that are directly involved in this turmoil will have their hearts touched by God.  We pray for the provision of funding for the three provinces that are no longer getting leprosy support: Kongo Central, Kasai Central and Maniema Provinces, for the developing of projects for these endemic provinces in leprosy and Buruli Ulcer.  We pray for church leaders in Congo, as they continue to raise awareness of leprosy and support communities that are affected.

(The%20Leprosy%20Mission%20Prayer%20Diary%202023.pdf)

We pray for those who lead Religious Instruction classes at Bald Hills State School.  Guide them in the words to say and the approach to take with the children in their classes.  May the Holy Spirit challenge the children in the RI classes to come to a closer relationship with you.

We pray for Kylie Conomos, the Scripture Union Chaplain at Bald Hills State School.  Please guide and equip her as she seeks to address the concerns and needs of children, parents and teachers at the school.

We pray for those who are unable to attend worship.  Please guide and comfort them in their particular circumstances.  May they be aware of your care for them as they meet what each new day brings.

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

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the Hymn ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty’  (TiS132)

Reginald Heber

Sacrament of Communion 

(following Uniting in Worship 2 p162 to p222) 

The Peace

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

The Invitation

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

Prayer of Approach

Lord God, we come to your Table, trusting in your mercy and not in any goodness of our

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

Narrative of the Institution of the Lord’s Supper

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

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

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

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

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

Give us today our daily bread.

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

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

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

now and forever.  Amen.

Breaking of the Bread

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

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

The gifts of God for the People of God.

Lamb of God

Jesus, Lamb of God,

Have mercy on us.

Jesus, bearer of our sins,

Have mercy on us.

Jesus, redeemer of the World,

Grant us peace.

The Distribution

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

(after all have received the bread)

The body of Christ keep you in eternal life.

(after all have received the juice)

The blood of Christ keep you in eternal life.

Prayer after Communion

Blessed be God who calls us together.

Praise to God who makes us one People.

Blessed be God who has forgiven our sins.

Praise to God who gives us hope and freedom.

Blessed be God whose Word is proclaimed.

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

Blessed be God who alone has called us.

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

Accept, O God, our sacrifice of praise.

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

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the Hymn ‘Since Jesus came into my heart’  (Alexander’s Hymns No. 3 No 378)

Rufus McDaniel

Benediction 

(from 2 Corinthians 13: 11 & 13) 

And now, sisters and brothers in Christ, strive for what is pure and good, listen to God’s appeals in your life, agree with one another, and live in peace.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you, now and always.  Amen.

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

‘I am His, and He is mine.’  (Alexander’s Hymns No. 3 No 193)

Wade Robinson