Welcome: –

Call to Worship: – 

(Psalm 139: 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 10, 14, 16, 17a, 23 and 24)  

LORD, you have examined me and you know me.

You know everything I do; from far away you understand all my thoughts.

You are all around me on every side;

You protect me with your power.

Where could I go to escape from you?

Where could I get away from your presence?

If I flew away beyond the East

Or lived in the farthest place in the west,

You would be there to lead me,

You would be there to help me.

I praise you because you fill me with awe;

All you do is wonderful.  That I know full well.

You saw me before I was born.

The days allotted to me had all been recorded in your Book

Before any of them ever began.

O God, how precious are your thoughts to me.

Examine me, O God, and know my mind;

test me, and discover my thoughts.

Find out if there is any evil in me

and guide me in the everlasting way.

  Comment on Psalm 139:

The writer of this Psalm, though clearly describing the majesty and authority of God, writes about their intensely personal relationship with God.  The writer is not merely making objective statements about God, nor do they indulge in abstract philosophical thinking, but,

rather, writes of their own experience of God’s closeness to them and of God’s concern for and active involvement in their personal wellbeing and care.

  (Artur Weiser in The Psalms p801 & 802 and Derek Kidner in Psalms 73 – 150 p464)

  This is the God to whom we have come to offer our worship and praise.  Let us gather, then, in the knowledge that we experience God’s personal care, and that God seeks to be personally involved in each of our lives as well.

Prayer of Praise  

(from Invocations and Benedictions p 141, opening Prayers p 103, Uniting in Worship Red Book p335, Moira Laidlaw, Leading Intercessions p 116, Prayers for the Seasons of God’s People p168 and 169)  

  Almighty God, you do not change, for you are the same, yesterday, today and forever.  You do not change, for you continue to love the lost and the wandering.  You come to us with your mercy and care.  You touch our hearts with your tenderness and forbearance.  Gracious God, you come to us in Jesus Christ, granting us forgiveness, not because we have earned it or merit it, but solely because that is your will and that is your plea for Humanity.

  Almighty God, we give you thanks for the many blessings that you have given to us; the freedom to meet for worship, the freedom from want and neglect, for stable Government, for an uncompromised justice system, for safety when we walk the street or go to the local park.  We give you thanks for the way you have enriched and enhanced our lives, through accessible education, through participation in sport, through friendship and family, through work or through opportunities for volunteering our time and energy.

  Almighty God, we praise you for your comfort in our times of stress, for your peace in our times of trouble, for your restoration when we lose hope, for your company when we are lonely or in grief.  You discern our needs and provide for us so richly.  You guide our lives and direct us on the path that is in tune with your will and purpose for us.

  Almighty God, we are in awe of your power and authority over what you have created and set in place, in Heaven and upon Earth.  We are in awe of your majesty as the LORD, our God, who rules over Time and Space, who has directed History from the beginning in the Garden of Eden.  We are in awe of your incomparable grace and mercy for a fallen Humanity.  We are in awe of your eternal and everlasting love for each individual who has ever lived, who is living and who is yet to live.

  Almighty God, we worship you and give you our unending praise, now and always.  Amen.

We sing two songs: the first is: ‘Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me’  from Scripture in Song volume 1 number 46

John Peterson and Alfred Smith

The second song is: ‘Praise the name of Jesus’from Scripture in Song volume 1 number 111

Praise the name of Jesus,

Praise the name of Jesus,

He’s my rock, he’s my fortress,

He’s my deliverer, in him will I trust.

Praise the name of Jesus.

[repeat]

Roy Hicks

Prayer of Confession 

(from Invocations and Benedictions p 141, opening Prayers p 103, Uniting in Worship Red Book p335, Moira Laidlaw, Leading Intercessions p 116, Prayers for the Seasons of God’s People p168 and 169) 

Merciful God, we bow before you in humility and penitence, for we know that we have behaved in ways that are shameful in your sight and have made decisions that disappoint you.

We neglect the contemplation of the infinite for the pursuit of the finite.  We worship things of less value than ourselves, much less than you.  Merciful God, forgive us.

Merciful God, we bow before you knowing that we have contributed to the despair in the lives of others by our unwillingness to reach out and touch those who are hurting or have lost hope.

We hold judgemental attitudes towards people who we consider do not measure up to our standards.  Our apathy allows people to remain in the clutches of evil.  Merciful God, forgive us.

Merciful God, we bow before you, knowing that we falter in our support those who are weakened by poverty or illness.

We fail to welcome the stranger or the refugee, the homeless or the friendless.  Merciful God, forgive us.

Merciful God, redeem us from our lostness, rescue us from our wandering, restore us from our brokenness.

Remove our stubbornness and intractability.  Fill our minds with your wisdom and our hearts with sincerity so that our lives and our worship are acceptable to you.

Strengthen us with your Spirit to reflect the same mercy that you show to all who are lost.

Fill us with the same unconditional love that Jesus showed, so that we too can bring healing and wholeness to the lives of others.  For this we pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness  

(from Colossians 2: 20 & 3: 1)  

The Apostle Paul writes to the Church in Colossae, reminding the believers there that they have died with Christ and have been raised to life with Christ.  Having confessed our sins before God, let us, too, hold onto this same promise, that our sins have been forgiven, and our lives renewed and made whole with Jesus Christ.

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

Jeremiah 18:

¹  The LORD said to me,

²  “Go down to the potter’s house, where I will give you my message.”

³  So I went there and saw the potter working at their wheel.  ⁴  Whenever a piece of pottery turned out imperfect, they would take the clay and make it into something else.

⁵  Then the LORD said to me,

⁶  “Don’t I have the right to do with you people of Israel what the potter did with the clay?  You are in my hands just like clay in the potter’s hands.  ⁷  If at any time I say that I am going to uproot, break down, or destroy any Nation or Kingdom, but then that Nation turns from its evil, I will not do what I said I would.  ⁹  On the other hands, if I say that I am going to plant or build up any Nation or Kingdom,  ¹⁰0 but then that Nation disobeys me and does evil, I will not do what I said I would. 

¹¹  Now then, tell the people of Judah and of Jerusalem that I am making plans against them and getting ready to punish them.  Tell them to stop living sinful lives – to change their ways and the things they are doing.

Isaiah 29:

¹⁵  Those who try to hide their plans from the LORD are doomed!  They carry out their schemes in secret and think no one will see them or know what they are doing.  ¹⁶  They turn everything upside down.  Whish is more important, the potter or the clay?  Can something a person has made tell them,

“You didn’t make me.”?

Or can it say to them,

“You don’t know what you are doing.”?

Isaiah 45:

⁹  Does a clay pot dare argue with its maker, a pot that is like all the others?  Does the clay ask the potter what he is doing?  Does the pot complain that its maker has no skill?

¹⁰  Does anyone say to their parents,

“Why did you make me like this?”

¹¹  The LORD, the holy God of Israel, the one who shapes the future, says,

“You have no right to question me about my children or to tell me what I ought to do!

¹²  I am the one who made the Earth and created Humankind to live there.  By my power I stretched out the heavens; I control the Sun, the Moon, and the stars.

¹⁸  The LORD created the heavens – He is the one who is God!  He formed and made the Earth – He made it firm and lasting.  He did not make it a desolate waste, but a place for people to live.  It is He who says,

“I am the LORD, and there is no other god.  ¹⁹  I have not spoken in secret or kept my purpose hidden.  I did not require the people of Israel to look for me in a desolate waste.  I am the LORD, and I speak the truth; I make known what is right.”

Isaiah 64:

⁸  But you are our Father, LORD.  We are like clay, and you are like the potter.  You created us.

Romans 9:

¹⁹  Who are you to answer God back?  ²⁰  Can the pot speak to the potter and say,

“Why did you make me like this?”

²¹  Surely the potter can do what they like with the clay.  Are they not free to make out of the same lump of clay two vessels, one to be treasured, and the other for ordinary use?

²²  And the same is true of what God has done.  He wanted to show His anger and to make his power known.  But He was very patient in enduring those who were the objects of his anger, who doomed to destruction.  ²³  And He also wanted to reveal his abundant glory, which was poured out on us who are the objects of His mercy, those of us whom He has prepared to receive His glory.  ²⁴  For we are the people He has called, not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles.

[Today’s English Version]

This is the Word of God.

Praise to you Almighty God.

Luke 14:

¹⁶  Jesus said,

“There was once a man who was giving a great feast to which he invited many people.  ¹⁷  When it was time for the feast, he sent his servant to tell his guests,

‘Come, everything is ready!’

¹⁸  But they all began, one after another, to make excuses.  The first one told the servant,

‘I have bought a field and must go and look at it; please accept my apologies.”

¹⁹  Another one said,

‘I have bought five pairs of oxen and am on my way to try them out; please accept my apologies.’

²⁰  Another one said,

‘I have just gotten married, and for that reason I cannot come.’

²¹  The servant went back and told all this to his Master.  The Master was furious and said to his servant,

‘Hurry out to the streets and alleys of the Town, and bring back the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’

²²  Soon the servant said,

“Your order has been carried out, sit, but there is room for more.’

²³  So the Master said to the servant,

“Go out into the country roads and lanes and make people come in, so thar my house will be full.  ²⁴  I tell you all that none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner!’”

[Today’s English Version]

This is the Gospel of our Lord.

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

For the Young and the Young at Heart

Screen 1

Sons and Fathers

  As it is Father’s Day, I thought that we could do a short quiz about sons and their fathers.  During the week I forward to you a list of nine sons whose fathers are listed by their name in one or more of the Gospels.  The task that I had set for you was to find the father’s name for each son, from the associated New Testament passage or passages.  As there are three sets of brothers, you had six fathers to identify.

Screen 2

John the Baptist  [Luke 1: 13, 23 & 24, and 57 to 63]

  The first father to be sought is that of John the Baptist.

Screen 3

John the Baptist’s father is Zechariah.

  We find that the father of John the Baptist is Zechariah.  Now, if we read Luke 1: 36 to be understood to mean that Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Elizabeth, the wife of Zechariah and mother of John the Baptist, were cousins, (as the Greek word used in this passage seems to imply {soong ghen ace – Strong’s NT4773}), then this would mean that John was a distant cousin of Jesus, and that Zechariah was also a distant cousin of Jesus but by marriage only (if there was an understanding of such a relationship at the time of Jesus).

Screen 4

James (The Great) and John  [Matthew 10: 2, Mark 3: 17]

 Next, we are seeking the father of the two fishermen, James (The Great), [to distinguish him from the other Disciple whose name also was James, called (The Less)], and John.

Screen 5

The father of James (The Great) and John is Zebedee.

  James and John are well-known from the Gospel accounts as being “the sons of Zebedee”.  Three Gospels make mention of three women who were present at the death and burial of Jesus.  Now, if we accept that the “wife of Zebedee” mentioned in Matthew 27: 36, is the “Salome” mentioned in Mark 15: 40, and the “sister of Mary the mother of Jesus” mentioned in John 19: 25, then this would mean that Jesus was the cousin of James and John, and, therefore, the nephew of their father, Zebedee.

Screen 6

Simon Peter and Andrew  [Matthew 10: 2, 16: 17]

  Next, we are seeking the father of the second pair of fishing brothers, Simon Peter and Andrew.

Screen 7

The father of Simon Peter and Andrew is John.

  The father of Simon Peter and Andrew is John, or Jonas or Jonah, depending on which translation of the New Testament you are reading.  (Strong’s NT920) 

Screen 8

James (The Less)  [Matthew 10: 2, Mark 3: 18, Luke 6: 15, and Acts 1: 13]

Next, we are seeking the father of the second Disciple whose name was James, called (The Less).

Screen 9

The father of James (The Less) is Alphaeus.

  The father of James (The Less) is Alphaeus.

Screen 10

Bartimaeus  [Mark 10: 46]

Next, we are seeking the father of Bartimaeus, from Jericho, who blindness was healed by Jesus.

Screen 11

The father of Bartimaeus is Timaeus.

  The father of Bartimaeus is Timaeus.

Screen 12

Alexander and Rufus  [Mark 15: 21]

  Lastly, we are seeking the father of Alexander and Rufus.

Screen 13

The father of Alexander and Rufus is Simon from Cyrene.

  The father of Alexander and Rufus is Simon from Cyrene.  Simon was compelled by the Roman soldiers to aid Jesus to carry the cross on his walk to Golgotha as we read in Mark 15.  Now, if we accept that the Rufus, mentioned in Mark 15: 21, is the Rufus mentioned by Paul in his letter to the Church in Rome in Romans 16: 13, we gain an insight into why Mark mentioned him by name in his Gospel, since Rufus, and perhaps his brother Alexander and his father Simon, were well-known to those in the Church in Rome.

  Why go through this exercise?  It is because those who are named were real people who lived in a real place at a real time in History.  We can accept that each of these people were known by various members of the very early Christian Church, whether in Judea or in Samaria or in another part of the Roman Empire.  If questioned while they were still alive, these people who were named could testify to the truthfulness of the events to which they were directly associated in the Gospel accounts.  These people could testify that Jesus Christ was a real person who lived in Galilee and Judea in the early part of the first century AD as it is written in the Gospel accounts, that he died on the cross as it is written in the Gospel accounts, that he rose again and appeared to the believers for a period of 40 days after his resurrection as it is written in the Gospel accounts, and that he ascended to Heaven as it is written in the Gospel accounts. 

  As first-hand witnesses to the life and words of Jesus, their testimony would or should have been accepted in a Court of Law.  Their testimony, therefore, supports our trust in the truthfulness of the Gospel accounts as they have been preserved and passed on to us.

We sing the Hymn: ‘O Lamb of God, for sinners slain’  Wesley’s Hymns number 167

[This hymn is to be sung to the tune ‘The day of resurrection’ – Ellacombe.]

Verse 1 of 3

O Lamb of God for sinners slain,

To you I feebly pray;

Heal me of all my grief and pain,

O take my sins away!

From this bondage, Lord, release,

No longer be oppressed;

Jesus, my Master, seal my peace

And grant to me your rest.

Verse 2 of 3

O will you cast a sinner out

Who humbly comes to thee?

Oh, no, my God, I cannot doubt

Your mercy is for me.

Let me then obtain your grace,

And of your love possessed;

Jesus, my Master, seal my peace

And grant to me your rest.

Verse 3 of 3

All Worldly goods I don’t desire,

Be that to others given;

Only your love do I aspire,

My all in Earth and Heaven.

This the crown I’d gladly seize,

Wherewith I would be blessed.

Jesus, my Master, seal my peace

And grant to me your rest.

Charles Wesley

Sermon

Eric Marshall and Stuart Hample compiled a number of letters to God written by children, which they published in a book titled, well, “Children’s Letters to God”.

  Some are quite forthright, such as this one from Bert:

“Dear God, OK I kept my half of the deal.  Where’s the bike?”

  Some reveal a high degree of philosophical perception, such as this one from Charlene:

“How did you know you were God?”

  Or this one from Mark:

“Dear God, what is the use of being good if nobody knows it?”

  Others reveal a questioning mind, such as this one from Neil:

“Dear Mr God, how do you feel about people who don’t believe in you?”

  But this one from Norman raises a serious question, which is of interest to us in the light of today’s readings:

“Dear God, I have pictures of all the leaders except you.”

  The question Norman raises is:

“How are we to perceive a visual image of God?  Classical painters tended to depict God as an elderly grandfather type of person.  But, is that warranted?

  Last week we briefly looked at a warning Moses gave to the People of Israel:

“For your own good, then,” said Moses, “make certain that you do not sin by making for yourselves an idol in any form at all – whether man or woman, animal or bird, reptile or fish.  Do not be tempted to worship and serve what you see in the sky – the sun, the moon, and the stars.”  (Deuteronomy 4: 15b to 19a) 

  Moses is telling the People of Israel not to consider as ‘infinite’ some that is ‘finite’ and clearly visible to them in the World around them.  A true God, who deserves our worship, surely must transcend that which forms part of the material world around us.

  In the Weekend Australian newspaper for the weekend 13 & 14 August 2022, was an obituary notice for David Barnett, a noted Australian journalist.  There is this telling sentence about David Barnett:

“He had a fierce sense of social justice, dying an atheist unable to believe any god would allow the Holocaust.”

  In a way, David Barnett sought to confine God into his own perception of what God should be, rather than seek for God to reveal Himself through the Words of God Himself in the bible.  But, in what manner does God reveal Himself to us?

  Can I encourage you to search among the books in our own library in the adjacent room, for you will certainly find a number of books of interest.  I will make mention of two, both of them autobiographies.

  The first, titled “Death of a Guru”, was written by a former Hindu holy man, Rabindranath Maharaj.  He writes:

“My religion, my training, my experience in meditation – all taught me that only by looking within myself could I find Truth.  The search within, however, proved futile.  Instead of finding God, I only stirred up a nest of evil that made me even more aware of my heart’s corruption.  I had discovered that each step closer to the Hindu gods was a step farther from the true God I sought.”

  He writes that he found the answer to his questions by talking to a visitor who shared with him, that “God is a God of love, .. who wants us to draw close to Himself, and that we can know God and draw very close to Him through Jesus Christ.”  (Rabindranath Maharaj in Death of a Guru p117 & 118 and 120) 

  The second, titled “The Unexpected Enemy”, was written by Ghulam Masih Naaman.  I have previously read excerpts from it.  The author was a former Muslim freedom fighter in Kashmir following the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947.  He writes of becoming disillusioned by his life of violence against non-Muslims, since, if God is a God of all people, then He must be the God of non-Muslims as well.  In despair he prayed to God, saying in part:

“I am conscious that by imitating worthless religious leaders and by acting on their destructive counsel, I have oppressed those created by you.  My evil deeds convince me that Hell is my portion, for you, O Master, will judge sinners.”

  It was then, he writes, that he was “suddenly conscious that someone had come up behind me, put a loving hand on my shoulder and said, ‘My grace is sufficient for you!’”  He goes on to describe how he was guided to contact a Christian pastor in a village who lead him to make his commitment to God.  (Ghulam Masih Naaman in The Unexpected Enemy p86) 

  These two books describe how God had separately revealed Himself to two different people in two very different circumstances, both of whom were searching for a closer relationship with a God who they knew must exist, but whom they could not find through the belief system in which they had been raised from childhood, namely Hindu and Islam.

  God reveals Himself to them as a God of love, responding to those who are aware of their inadequacy in the light of God’s holiness and of God’s call to holiness in our lives, responding to those who seek forgiveness for past and present sins, responding to those who are seeking an intimate relationship with their Creator and Lord.

  The author of Psalm 139 writes of the manner in which God has revealed Himself to them.

  Derek Kidner, in his Commentary on this Psalm, writes of four aspects to the nature and character of God about which the author of Psalm 139 writes.  (Derek Kidner in Psalms p464 to 468) 

  The first aspect is that God is “all seeing”.  God’s divine knowledge is “not merely comprehensive, (it) misses nothing, capturing everything alike”, discerns and understands everything there is to know about us and the World around us.  Hence the writer states:

“you know me”  (verse 1b),

“you know everything I do”  (verse 2a),

“You understand all my thoughts”  (verse 2b),

“You are all around me on every side”  (verse 5a).

  And yet, this section ends on a note of hope and reassurance, for the author writes:

“you (God) protect me with your power”  (verse 5b)  .

  The second aspect is that God is “all present”.  If one should seek to escape from the pervading perception and presence of God, as described in the preceding verses, to where could one hope to flee?  “God is able to be present anywhere in His Creation that He chooses, and so to be present anywhere with (us) that (we) may choose to be.  (George Knight in The Psalms p322)  As the author of Psalm 139 writes:

“Where could I go to escape from you?”  (verse 7a)

“Where could I get away from your presence?”  (verse 7b)

“If I flew away beyond the East or lived in the farthest place in the west, you would be there”  (verse 9 & 10a)  .

  And yet, this section also ends on a note of hope and reassurance, for the author writes:

“you would be there to lead me, you would be there to help me.”  (verse 10) 

  The third aspect is that God is “all creative”.  “God not only sees the invisible and penetrates the inaccessible, but (operates in) every detail of (our) being.” 

  “We (as Human beings) may be but “part of created matter”, yet “every ligament, every tissue, every blood-vessel in (our) body, the hundred billion neurons inside our skull, its chemical reactions that take as little time as on-millionth of a second to act, all these marvels are listed in the master plan on the drawing board that God had set before Him, and on which He design the various components He needed to create (us).  (George Knight in The Psalms p324) 

  In addition, God’s control over Space is now added to God’s control over Time.  From before our existence, God has known of every aspect of our being, throughout our whole life.  Hence the author of Psalm 139 writes: You saw me before I was born.  The days allotted to me had all been recorded in your Book before any of them ever began.  (verse 16) 

  It is this aspect of God that leads the writer to praise God saying:

I praise you because you fill me with awe;

All you do is wonderful.  That I know full well.  (verse 14),

O God, how precious are your thoughts to me.  (verse 17a).

  The fourth aspect is that God is “all holy”.  The glory and majesty and holiness of God have been revealed so clearly to the author that they are compelled to worship God and to kneel before God in reverence and submission.  And, yet, in looking around them, they are suddenly and sadly faced with “the reality of the here and now”.  For the reality is that “everything in God’s Creation (has been) spoiled by sin”.  Everywhere there are those:

“who deny the mystery of God’s creative activity”,

“who destroy God’s Creation and hinder His creative activities”,

“who disrupt the harmony of (people’s) social life, for it was God’s plan for Humanity that they should live together in harmony and peace”.  (George Knight in The Psalms p326) 

  This then leads to the sudden and sad awareness that the writer, also, is a sinner.  They are led to confess that their thoughts and their ways, their actions and the consequences of their actions mean that they too are under the judgement of God.  but, in the light of the hope and reassurance offered by God, because that is His nature and the nature of God does not change, the author of Psalm 139 seeks to be changed by God to that which would bring pleasure to God and praise from God.  Thus they write:

Examine me, O God, and know my mind; test me, and discover my thoughts.

Find out if there is any evil in me and guide me in the everlasting way.  (verses 23 & 24) 

  Any small thoughts that we may have of God are magnificently transcended by this Psalm.  (Derek Kidner in Psalms p463) 

Screen 1

“God is at the centre of the World, and there are no limits to His presence.”  (William Jordan) 

  William Jordan in his Commentary on Psalm 139 writes:

“Nowhere in the wide World is there escape from the Divine presence. 

We have a view of the World with God at the centre and with no limits to His presence.

We meet a living God controlling the World, guiding History, hearing prayers, granting blessings.

The writer does not seek to argue that there is a God, for they find themselves encompassed by His presence.

And if we experience a sense of loneliness or distance from God, it is because we have distracted from that closeness by our pursuit of things.

The understanding that the God who shaped the structure of our bodies, and imparted to us something of his own knowledge, leads to the consequent understanding that He seeks to guide our life to have a creative living faith.

  (William Jordan in Religion in Song  Studies in the Psalter p229 to 234) 

  There is the story that Clint Eastwood once attended a pottery class.  After completing the moulding of a vase, he walked over to the person tending the furnace, handed his vase over to them, and said, “Go ahead, bake my clay.”

  It is in the role of a potter that God reveals Himself to the Prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah.  Why is this so?

Screen 2

“So I went there and saw the potter working at their wheel.”  Jeremiah 18: 3

  All that the author of Psalm 139 writes of God reveals His incomparable and unlimited and unchallenged authority and power.  God demonstrates this as the Creator of all things in the Universe around us and within us, by His control over Space and Time and History, and because of His holiness and majesty.

  As William Jordan has said, “God is at the centre of the World, and there are no limits to His presence.”  (William Jordan in Religion in Song  Studies in the Psalter p229 to 234) 

  God is saying in effect, ‘I have the power and authority to make and create, to ruin and destroy and remake.’  “As the potter controls what they do with the clay, so the Lord is sovereign over the People of Israel.”  (Study Notes NIV Study Bible p1165) 

  That is why we find the Prophet Isaiah saying:

“The LORD, the holy God of Israel, the one who shapes the future, says,

‘You have no right to question me about my children or to tell me what I ought to do!  I am the one who made the Earth and created Humankind to live there.  By my power I stretched out the heavens; I control the Sun, the Moon, and the stars.’”

“The LORD created the heavens – He is the one who is God!  He formed and made the Earth – He made it firm and lasting.  He did not make it a desolate waste, but a place for people to live.  It is He who says,

“I am the LORD, and there is no other god.  (Isaiah 45: 11, 12 & 18) 

  That is why we find the Prophet Jeremiah recording God saying to the People of Israel:

“Don’t I have the right to do with you People of Israel what the potter did with the clay?  You are in my hands just like clay in the potter’s hands.”  (Jeremiah 18: 6) 

  That is why we find the Prophet Isaiah recording the People of Israel saying to God:

“But you are our Father, LORD.  We are like clay, and you are like the potter.  You created us.”  (Isaiah 64: 8) 

  But what is the message that God seeks to bring to the People of Israel in the image of being a potter?

  The first part of God’s message is that, as the Controller of their destiny on the basis of His authority as their Lord and God as per their covenant agreement with Him, He is reshaping their future, their History, as judgement upon them because of their sins, because, by their sinful thoughts and actions, their worship of idols and false gods, “they have acted contrary to the Laws of Nature in forgetting their God.”  (Study notes in The New Oxford Annotated Bible P1090)

  Thus we have God saying:

“Now then, tell the people of Judah and of Jerusalem that I am making plans against them and getting ready to punish them.”  (Jeremiah 18: 11a) 

  The second part of God’s message is one of hope, that, because of His grace and mercy as their Lord and god, He is seeking for them to allow him to reshape their lives into that aligned to His own image and aligned to his will and purpose for them.

  Thus we have God saying:

“Tell them to stop living sinful lives – to change their ways and the things they are doing.”  (Jeremiah 18: 11b) 

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“For we are the people He has called.”  Romans 9: 24

  God’s message of hope has not changed over the millennia.  The truth is that, in and through Jesus Christ, God’s plan to change people’s lives has reached its completion and fulfillment.

  We have the Apostle Paul telling the Church in Rome:

“And (God) also wanted to reveal His abundant glory, which was poured out on us who are the objects of His mercy, those of us whom He has prepared to receive His glory.  For we are the people He has called, not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles.”  (Romans 9: 23&24) 

  God, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is revealing His righteousness by granting His peace and joy to those who believe in His offer of forgiveness and cleansing, those who place their faith in His saving power.  As Paul says, by the infinite mercy of God we are “called by God” to be shaped into His People.

  It is this message of being called that lies at the heart of the parable of the Great Banquet that we find in today’s passage from Luke 14. 

  In the parable, we see several people to have been invited to the banquet but who resist the actual call to attend, or who feel that they have another personal interest that took priority, such as inspecting a new field or a new set of oxen, or because they are celebrating their new marriage.  In response to their refusal to come to his banquet, the Master of the house passed the judgement upon them that:

“none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner”  (Luke 14: 24)  .

  Stuart Briscoe makes it clear that, however feasible their excuses may appear, “The change of mind by the guests was inexcusable.  (Upon receiving their invitation), they had indicated their glad acceptance, and on this basis their host had prepared the meal which now would be totally wasted.”  (Stuart Briscoe in Parables of Luke  Patterns for Power p118) 

  The Master then demonstrates the utmost kindness and compassion by inviting those who, because of their lack of social standing and prestige, no person of social standing would consider inviting to any such banquet, nor would it be within their resources or capabilities to repay the kindness shown to them by the Master by his invitation to his banquet, that is, ‘the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame”.  (Luke 14: 21) 

  Jesus is telling his listeners that the invitation to share in the feast in God’s Kingdom is not based upon belonging to a particular race or religion, but is for those who respond to God’s call to “Come!”.

Michael Wilcock writes:

“So, a (person) may approach the doorway to the Kingdom bringing (their) own religious ideas, (their) own status and reputation, (their) own calculated advantage, or (their) own scale of values.  But (they) will have to shed every one of these things if (they) are to pass through the door.  There is no room for such things.  It is through the door of humility by which a person reaches salvation.”  (Michael Wilcock in The Message of Luke p146 & 147) 

  “Without explicitly mentioning them, Jesus warned the Jewish religious leaders that those who refuse the invitation to His Messianic banquet would not get one taste of it, but that others would.”, those in all the World who would accept such an invitation.  (Study Notes NIV Study Bible p1596) 

  Have you accepted the invitation from God to come to His banquet and have set it as your highest priority in life.  Have you humbled yourself before God, letting God reshape you into His image, for your lives to be remoulded according to His will and purpose for you?

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“Come to the Saviour, make no delay”  (George Root) 

  I will leave you with this verse from a hymn by George Root:

“Come to the Saviour, make no delay,

Here in His Word He’s shown us the way;

Here in our midst He’s standing today,

Tenderly saying, “Come!”   (Alexander’s Hymns No. 3 number 157 verse 1)

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 clip is for another hymn so disregard the words – only the one verse is needed.]

For the life that you have given,

For the love in Christ made known,

With these fruits of time and labour,

With these gifts that are your own:

Here we offer, Lord, our praises;

Heart and mind and strength we bring;

Give us grace to love and serve you,

Living what we pray and sing.

Ralph Vaughan Williams

Prayers for Others

Let us come before God with our cares and our concerns.

We pray for the Church, that we may strive to open our hearts to you each day and be vigilant against allowing anyone or anything to displace you as the centre of our life.

We pray for the gift of Wisdom, that your Spirit will enlighten our minds and guide us in making loving and life-giving decisions each day.

We pray for courage, that you will strengthen us as we encounter our daily crosses so that we may give witness to Christ.

We pray for a renewal of creativity, that your Spirit will inspire us to use the many gifts that you have given us to bring forth new blessings and undreamed-of possibilities for our faith community.

We pray for freedom of spirit, that you will unbind us from past hurts and failures so that we may be free to love, serve and be in relationship.

We pray for all who are suffering for their discipleship or who are imprisoned or persecuted for their faith, that you will heal their pain, strengthen their spirit, and make strong and effective their witness to Christ.

We pray for a deeper connection with all the people who are in our life, that we may see them with the love that you have for each of them and encourage them to live their life fully.

We pray for a true appreciation of all of our possessions, that we may accept them as gifts from you, use them to serve you and others, and never be possessed by them.

We pray for an end to terrorism, that all who feel trapped and burdened by life may seek new ways to address their pain and come to a new understanding of the dignity of Human life.

We pray for all who have no food, that you will touch the hearts of those with abundance to share their bounty so that all may experience your reign as God.

We pray for all who are recovering from wildfires, hurricanes or other disasters, that you will ease their suffering, give them hope, and strengthen all who working to assist them.

We pray for all who are held in slavery or human trafficking, that you will break their bonds, heal them, and reconnect them with their loved ones.

We pray for refugees and those who have fled violence, particularly children, that you will open the hearts of many to recognize them as sisters and brothers, help them find places of safety, and be welcomed into communities of faith.

We pray for all living in the midst of violence and civil discord, that you will open opportunities for peaceful resolution to these conflicts, protect each person from harm, and bring forth justice in these communities.

Copyright © 2022. Joe Milner. All rights reserved.<br> Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use.  https://liturgy.slu.edu/

We pray for the Church, that it will remain steadfast in faith and discipleship.  May all Christians honour and respect one another.

We pray that you will give wisdom to those in power, that they will seek to settle differences with dialogue and not conflict.

We pray for those who have fled from abuse in their homes, that they will find a place of refuge and support, and that there will be a way of reconciliation.

  (Raymond Chapman in Leading Intercessions P115) 

We pray for the troubled in mind and spirit, for the misunderstood, for the abandoned, for the lonely, and for the bereaved, that you will guide them to people who can offer comfort and consolation, and encouragement and courage to face the future.

  (David Hosteller in Prayers for the Seasons of God’s People Year C P167) 

We pray for the peoples of Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Senegal.

We are thankful for the many ways in which these countries have moved beyond their colonial histories, especially the scars related to slave trade, for this area’s distinctive music and cultural practices of storytelling (griots), for economic and educational advances that have lifted some out of poverty, for promising transitions into democracy and changes in government leaders, and for the persistent, faithful witness of churches in the midst of other faiths.

We pray for those people in these societies who continue to live in abject poverty, for an end to policies, systems, and cultural practices that continue to exploit and marginalize some groups, for the fair election of more just government leaders who respect the rights of all people, and for faith communities witnessing and working together for the common good.

Prayer to the Holy Child

Holy child of Bethlehem, born in a stable:
help us to remember all those children living in poverty or even abandoned by their parents.

Holy child of Bethlehem, whom Herod sought to kill:
help us to remember all those holy innocents of our own time who suffer abuse or neglect in so many different ways.

Holy child of Bethlehem, a refugee in Egypt:
help us to care for all those children who are forced to live far away from their homes.

May the God of love bless all of you,
your families and our nation with his gift of peace and happiness.
Amen.

(From the Christmas message of the Most Rev. Robert P. Ellison CSSp, Bishop of Banjul.)

Prayer for The Gambia

Lord, grant our leaders the qualities of leadership they need

to stride securely through our times,

and on the hard-fought path of life

give them a generous portion of the grace they need

to lead us with a sincere heart and with wisdom.

May the difficult sacrifices

we joyfully make for the development of our country

reach up to you as a living plea

to lavish kindness, faithfulness and power

and keep watch over our land.

Lord, let us believe in your power

to bring all people together

and let no one deprive us of this song of unity.

Let us form the great image of the human person and community

among us which fulfils your will.

We pray for peace and unity in our homeland,

that we may be able to live as one family

working for the betterment of our nation and her people.

We pray for all those who have to witness to their faith

in situations where they are ridiculed, threatened and persecuted:

that they may find in you, Lord, the courage they need.

(Prayer submitted by the Most Rev. Michael J. Cleary CSSp, Bishop of Banjul.)

Prayer from Senegal

Lord, hear my prayer of peace and forgiveness!

Lord God, forgive the white slave-traders of Europe and over the seas!They hunted our children like wild elephants. They caught them, tiedthem up, whipped them and soiled their hands with their blood.

Bless my people, Lord, those who seek their own faces under the threatof being recognized. May they continue to seek you in spite of the coldand famine that eats at their very bones, at their very insides. Thewoman who laments her absent husband, the fiancée her lost love, themother her dead son, bless those who have lost loved ones, may we allunite under your love.

With your help, may all the people of Europe, Asia, Africa, and all whohave sweated blood and suffering look beyond and see the haloed headsof my people. Extend a warm handshake to them so that we may allinterlace our fingers to belt the earth in fraternal love.

(Excerpted from “Prayer for Peace and Brotherhood”, Sedar Senghor, president of Senegal, 1960-81. Hallelujah for the Day, ed. Anthony Gittins, Liguori/Triumph, Ligouri MO, USA, 2002, p.103.)

Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal | World Council of Churches (oikoumene.org)

We pray that political leaders of Cape Verde will address the ecological and economic problems confronting the Nation, to develop wise government promoting sustainable farming practices, social betterment and greater employment opportunities.

We pray that those professing to be part of the Christian Church in Cape Verde will forgo the superstitions and fetishism predominant in their culture

We pray that the Church in Gambia will take advantage of the religious freedom of the Nation to reach out to Muslim communities.  We pray for the effectiveness of Christian ministries in prisons, Christian Radio and Christian television programs.

We pray for progress with Bible translation in The Guinea, so that it can be read in more tribal languages.  We pray for the effectiveness of the Cassette ministry in The Guinea, that up-to-date cassettes will be produced and distributed across the country.

We pray for maturity among the leadership of the Church in Guinea-Bissau, as they plan for finding leaders for smaller congregations, the training of pastors and translation work of the New Testament into more national languages.  We pray for the vision to reach out to the Muslim communities among the Fulbe and Mandingo tribal areas in Guinea-Bissau.

We pray for an awareness among the Church in Senegal that their lives are to reflect holiness and right living, such that, in this way, they can truly live out their faith and present an effective witness to Muslims in Senegal.  We pray for the successful development of leadership training within the Church and an increase in the number of pastors who can minister to the many small congregations throughout Senegal.

  (Patrick Johnstone and Jason Mandryk in Operation World p147, 266, 291, 295 and 559) 

We thank you, God, for the recent meeting of the Pacific Church Partnership Advisory Network (PCPAN) meeting in Canberra.   We pray that the decisions made and projects proposed will be effective in promoting strong social and political leadership, and the alleviating of health and educations needs among Pacific Islanders. 

We thank you for the success of the Pacific Conference of Churches, for the level of co-operation among the participating Churches and the awareness of opportunities for the future to develop Church leadership and the promoting of social and economic development among the peoples of the Pacific islands.

… the tree is growing | UnitingWorld Update Q2 2022 – UnitingWorld

We pray for The Leprosy Mission in Timor-Leste.

We pray for good health and commitment for our Chairperson, Ms Dulce da Cunha to lead our Board Members as she guides the organisation towards our vision of leprosy defeated and lives transformed in Timor-Leste.  We pray for the implementation of the country strategy in Timor-Leste, that everyone will understand and follow the new strategic direction.  We pray for improved support to people affected by leprosy, who are hoping to have their own association  We thank you God that LMTL has attained a piece of land where it is hoped to build an office building.  We pray for this office building process, that a permanent office premises will be op and operating by the end of 2022.

Leprosy Mission 2022 Prayer Diary.pdf

We pray for the effective planning and preparation for Scripture Union camps during the upcoming school holiday period.  We pray for your support and guidance for the leaders and helpers, that they will be enthusiastic about the potential for personal and spiritual growth among the children and youth who will be attending the camps.

We pray for Jane Huggins as she heads up a team to develop national team member training for volunteers to Scripture Union. We pray that this training will bless the volunteers and multiply effective ministry.  We pray for the AMPLIFY Conference team shaping and developing the decentralised conference across Australia – for local Hubs to register, and for the leadership meeting this month.

SU Prayer-Guide-Sep-2022-Brisbane.pdf

We pray for those providing Religious Instruction at Bald Hills State School, that you will encourage them as they lead their weekly classes, and that they will feel supported by the class teachers.  May the Holy Spirit work in the hearts and minds of the children in these classes, that they will come to an understanding of the truths of the Gospel and respond to the message of your love and grace for them.

We pray for the chaplain at Bald Hills state School, Kylie Conomos, that you will continue to guide her and support her as she provides care for the students, teachers and parents of the school.

We pray for those whom we have not been able to worship with us recently.  We ask that they may feel your close presence with them each day, that they will experience your support and encouragement as they journey through life in this time of uncertainty and change.

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

We sing the hymn ‘Jesus I will trust Thee’  MHB171

Mary Jane Walker

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 wine, 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.

We sing the Hymn:  ‘He lifted me’ Alexander’s Hymns No. 3 song number 21

Charles Gabriel

Benediction 

(in part from Companion to the Revised Common Lectionary Volume 5 by Norman Wallwork p61) 

Let us go out into the World assured that where once we were lost, now we have been found, where once we had wandered away from His presence, God has sought us and has brought us home, where once we were troubled and restless, now we can rest assured, confident of the presence of God beside us.

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

Benediction Song

“Now to him who loves us saves us”  TiS771

(only the one verse is needed)

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