Welcome: –

Call to Worship: –

(from Psalm 125: 1 and 2) 

“Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which can never be shaken, never be moved.  As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people, now and forever.”

 Comment on Psalm 125

Mount Zion, the highest part in the City of Jerusalem on which the Temple was built, is seen as something that is unshakably firm, a sure foundation for the buildings which are sited upon it.  People’s trust in God is being described in the same way, that is, it is a trust that is unshakably firm, a trust that is based on the power and authority of God.  But more than that, on Mount Zion rests the Temple, representing God’s faithfulness in honouring His Covenant agreement with His people, a guarantee of Israel’s salvation and hope. 

  The mountains around the City of Jerusalem are portrayed as the walls of a fortress, surrounding and protecting the City of Jerusalem.  God is being described in the same way.  God’s protecting presence surrounds His people, providing a safe stronghold for His people, ‘from this time forth and for evermore’.  God’s will to protect and to preserve His people is the real ground for their trust in Him.  (Artur Weiser in The Psalms p757 and 758) 

  We too can experience God’s protecting presence surrounding us.  We too hold onto the promise of God to honour His Covenant agreement with us, as the guarantee of our salvation and our eternal hope.  As we gather for worship let us be assured that our trust in God can never be shaken, that it can never be moved.

Prayer of Praise    

  Almighty God, we give to you our adoration because you are the author and giver of all good things; for through your goodness towards us we are nourished; for through your great mercy we are kept safe and secure.  We are blessed because you fill us with your gifts of love and share with us the joys of your Kingdom.  We can rest assured that your love is constant and that you will keep your promises towards us for ever.

  Almighty God, we offer you our thanks, because our lives are graced by your faithfulness and your glory.  You delivered the Israelites of old from enslavement and death simply because you loved them.  You delivered us from enslavement to sin and death through the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ.  As the Passover marked a new stage in the history of the Hebrew people, so the death and resurrection of Jesus marked a new stage of your relationship with Humanity.  Eternal God, your act of reconciliation astounds us, living as we do in a World that seeks to settle its differences by force and the death of opposition.  Yet, Lord, you seek life, our life, to be shared with you in glory.  We come humbly before you with our everlasting thanks for your mercy towards us.

  Almighty God, we experience your continual renewal in our lives as you seek to mould us into something beautiful.  Your Holy Spirit continues to inspire us to seek a deeper understanding of your character and of your will for our lives.  Your everlasting love is the example that we seek to follow in our relationships with others because it is only on that basis that we can acknowledge the dignity that we all share as people, created in your image.  We pray, loving God, that we will not take anything for granted, but will recall with grateful hearts what you have given for us in the past, for your reassuring presence with us right now, and for what you promise to do for us in our future.  We come to you, in adoration and praise, for all that you are and all that you will be.  Amen.

Hymn

“Therefore being justified by faith”  Scripture in Song volume 1 number 29

[there is a short introduction]

Verse 1 of 4

Therefore being justified by grace

We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Because the love of God is shed abroad

In our hearts by the Holy Ghost

Which is given, which is given unto us, to us, unto us.

Verse 2 of 4

God has commended His love toward us

In that while we were sinners Christ died for us,

Because the love of God is shed abroad

In our hearts by the Holy Ghost

Which is given, which is given unto us, to us, unto us.

Verse 3 of 4

Therefore being justified by grace

We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Because the love of God is shed abroad

In our hearts by the Holy Ghost

Which is given, which is given unto us, to us, unto us.

Verse 4 of 4

God has commended His love toward us

In that while we were sinners Christ died for us,

Because the love of God is shed abroad

In our hearts by the Holy Ghost

Which is given, which is given unto us, to us, unto us.

Composer Unknown

“His name is wonderful”  Scripture in Song volume 1 number 37

Prayer of Confession   

Merciful God, we are filled with a sense of wonder and joy that you should care for us so deeply.  But such care for us forces us to examine our response to such an outpouring of love on your behalf. 

Sadly, we confess that there are times when our words and actions, our weak or unconvincing witness, denies the existence of your love.  When our behaviour is patterned more on the values of the world than the values of Jesus, please forgive us.  When we clothe ourselves with habits which reflect our own selfish desires rather than the selfless nature of Jesus, please forgive us.  When the lives of neighbours are unravelling because of poverty, broken relationships, substance abuse, and discrimination, and we fail to love them as Jesus loves us, please forgive us. 

Merciful God, you are always more ready to hear us than we are to pray to you, you are irresolute in purpose, but our will wavers, you endow us with gifts and talents which we are hesitant to use, you are always ready to offer comfort and care while we are quick to criticise and blame.  In these ways we have failed to be the light of the World that you have called us to be.  Please forgive us.

Merciful God, we come before you contrite and repentant.  We come before you as fallen people.  Your Word proves to the World that we are all guilty of letting you down, of going our own way; guilty of offences and of negligence.  We sin in thought, word and action.  We seek to hide them away, as if by being out of sight they are invisible to all, yet nothing is hidden from you.  We seek to brush them away, as if our treating them as unimportant diminishes their significance; yet each and every one is abhorrent to you and causes you so much pain.  You alone judge rightly and search the depths of our hearts to reveal our true nature of disobedience and untrustworthiness.

Merciful God, we come before you dependent upon your grace, which gives us so much more of your love than we deserve.  We come, dependent upon your mercy, which withholds the just judgement that we deserve.  

We come, dependent upon your forgiveness, which removes our guilt and remembers our sins no more.  We come, desiring to know you better and to take on your likeness in our lives.  Please take the frayed strands of our lives and weave them into something beautiful.  To your glory we pray.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness

(from James 2: 1 and 5)  

James, in his letter, states that God has chosen us to be rich in faith and that we will possess the Kingdom which He promised to those who love Him.  As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, let us be assured then that having confessed our sins before God, that God has heard us, that God responded in love by forgiving us, and that God readily welcomes us into a renewed fellowship with Him.

Thanks be to God.

Prayer of illumination 

(from Uniting in Worship Book 1 number 12 p599) 

  Prepare our hearts, O Lord, to receive your Word.  Silence in us any voice but your own.  In hearing these words may we perceive new truths that you seek to teach us, and may we perceive your will that you seek for us to follow, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Bible Readings

Bible verses for Father’s Day

Respect your father and mother, so that all may go well with you.  Exodus 20: 12, Deuteronomy 5: 16

Each of you must revere their mother and their father.  Leviticus 19: 3 

Israel, these commandments which I give you this day are to be kept in your heart; teach them to your children.  Deuteronomy 6: 6

As a father has compassion on his children, so has the Lord compassion on all who honour Him.  Psalm 103: 13 

Children, pay attention to what your father and mother tell you.  Their teaching will improve your character.  Proverbs 1: 8

The Lord corrects those He loves, as a father corrects those of whom he is proud.  Proverbs 3: 12, Deuteronomy 8: 5, Hebrews 12: 5 

Children, listen to what your father teaches you.  Pay attention, and you will have understanding.  Proverbs 4: 1 

A wise child brings joy to his father.  Proverbs 10: 1 

Listen to your father, who gave you life.  Proverbs 23: 22 

A righteous person’s father has good reason to be happy.  You can take pride in a wise child.  Proverbs 23: 24

Parents, do not treat your children in such a way as to make them angry.  Instead, raise them with Christian discipline and instruction.  Ephesians 6: 4 

Husbands, love your wife and do not be harsh to her.  Children, it is your Christian duty to obey your parents always, for that is what pleases God.  Parents, do not exasperate your children, or they will become discouraged.  Colossians 3: 19 to 21 

James 2:

14  My sisters and brothers, what good is it for someone to say that they have faith if their actions do not prove it?  Can that faith save them?  15  Suppose there are sisters and brothers who need clothes and don’t have enough to eat.  16  What good is there in your saying to them, “God bless you!  Keep warm and eat well.”  –  if you don’t give them the necessities of life?  17  So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead.  18  But someone will say, “One person has faith, another has actions.”  My answer is, “Show me how anyone can have faith without actions.  I will show you my faith by my actions.”  19  Do you believe that there is only one God?  Good!  The demons also believe – and tremble with fear.  20  You fool!  Do you want to be shown that faith without actions is useless?  21  How was your ancestor Abraham put right with God?  It was through his actions, when he offered his son Isaac on the alter.  22  Can’t you see?  His faith and his actions worked together, his faith was made perfect through his actions.  26  And the Scripture came true that said, “Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous.”  (Genesis 15: 6)  And so Abraham was called God’s friend.  (2 Chronicles 20: 7, Isaiah 41: 8) 

25  It was the same with Rahab.  She was put right with God through her actions, by welcoming the Israelite spies and helping them escape by a different route.  (Joshua 1: 1 to 21)  26  So then, as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without actions is dead.

[Revised Standard Version, Today’s English Version, New English Bible]

This is the Word of God.

Praise to you Almighty God.

Mark 7:

24  Then Jesus left Gennesaret and went away to the territory near the city of Tyre.  He went into a house and did not want anyone to know he was there, but he could not stay hidden.  25  A woman, whose daughter had an evil spirit in her, heard about Jesus and came to him at once and fell at his feet.  26  The woman was a Gentile, born in the region of Phoenicia in Syria.  She begged Jesus to drive the demon our of her daughter.  27  But Jesus answered, “Let us first feed the children.  It isn’t right to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”  28  “Sir,” she answered, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s leftovers.”  29  So Jesus said to her, “Because of that answer, go back home, where you will find that the demon has gone out of your daughter!”  30  She went home and found her child lying on the bed; the demon had indeed gone out of her.

[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

[Listen to this YouTube recording and scroll through these screens, allowing yourself a brief time with each one, so that you finish screen 17 by the end of the song.  Then watch it later.]

Screen 1

In celebration of Fathers

Screen 2

Australia is one of only four countries where Father’s Day is celebrated on the first Sunday in September. The others are New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

Screen 3

There should be a children’s’ song: “If you’re happy and you know it, keep it to yourself and let your Dad sleep in on Saturday mornings.”.

Screen 4

Q  What does it mean if the Mother laughs at the Father’s jokes?

A  It means that they have guests over for dinner.

Screen 5

Last Father’s Day my son gave me something that I had wanted for a long time; the keys to my car.

Screen 6

“A man’s desire for a son is usually nothing but the wish to duplicate himself in order that such a remarkable pattern may not be lost to the World.”  Helen Rowland

Screen 7

DNA alone doesn’t make a Dad.

Screen 8

Just once on Father’s Day I wish my kids would give me a #1 Dad mug, instead of one with my actual ranking.

Screen 9

For Father’s Day we got our Dad a T-shirt that says, “Do not resuscitate”.  He wears it whenever Mum takes him to the ballet.

Screen 10

I would give my Dad what he really wants on Father’s Day, but I can’t afford to move out yet.

Screen 11

Things a Dad would never say:

“Can you turn up that music?”

“Go ahead and borrow my brand-new car.  Here’s $50 for petrol.”

“I love your tattoo.  We should both get new ones.”

“Here, you take the remote.”

Screen 12

“The most important thing a Father can do for his children is to love their Mother.”  Theodore Hesburgh

Screen 13

My Father didn’t tell me how to live.  He lived, and let me watch him do it.”  Clarence Kelland

Screen 14

“Any fool can become a Father.  It takes a real man to be a Dad.”  Philip Whitmore

Screen 15

“My Father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person.  He believed in me.”  Jim Valvano

Screen 16

“The Father who does not teach his son his duties is equally guilty with the son who neglects them.”  Confucius

Screen 17

“I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a Father’s protection.”  Sigmund Freud

Screen 18

What makes a Dad

God took the strength of a mountain,

The majesty of a tree,

The warmth of a Summer Sun,

The calm of a quiet sea,

The generous soul of Nature,

The comforting arm of night,

The wisdom of the ages,

The power of the eagle’s flight,

The joy of a Springtime morning,

The faith of a mustard seed,

The patience of eternity,

And the depth of a family need.

Then God combined these qualities

When there was nothing more to add,

He mixed them to perfection,

And so, He called it, ‘Dad’!

Anonymous

[If you have the time and want a bit of a laugh, play this YouTube as well

Hymn

“Father, whose everlasting love”  TiS213(ii)  AHB142(ii)  MHB75  Wesley’s Hymns number 39 

[sung to the tune Melcombe – there is no introduction]

[this YouTube is for another hymn, but it is a good one for the selected tune – stop the recording after the fifth verse]

Verse 1 of 5

Father, whose everlasting love

Your only Son to sinners gave,

Whose grace to all did freely move,

And sent him down the World to save.

Verse 2 of 5

Help us your mercy to extol,

Immense, unfathomed, unconfined;

To praise the Lamb who died for all,

The Saviour of all Humankind.

Verse 3 of 5

Your undistinguishing regard

Was cast on Adam’s fallen race;

For all you have in Christ prepared

Sufficient, sovereign, saving grace.

Verse 4 of 5

The World he suffered to redeem;

For all he has the atonement made;

For those who will not come to him

The ransom of his life was paid.

Verse 5 of 5

Arise, O God, maintain your cause!

The fullness of the Nations call;

Lift up the standard of your cross

And all shall own you died for all.

Charles Wesley

Sermon

Screen 1

“Some Pharisees and teachers of the Law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus.”  Mark 7: 1

  We have an interesting story in today’s passage from Mark 7.  In previous chapters in Mark we read of the rejection of Jesus by the people in his hometown of Nazareth, and, later, of his meeting with some Pharisees and Teachers of the Law who had travelled from Jerusalem to confront Jesus about their disagreement with the style and the content of his teaching, and, to them, his failure to abide by the demands of the Jewish Law. 

  In this passage from Mark 7 we read that Jesus had secretly travelled westward to the territory near the city of Tyre on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.  Jesus is seeking a time of rest and recreation, away from the crowds and the conflict.  Mark records for us, “Jesus did not want anyone to know he was there”.  (Mark 7: 24) 

  In this instance we gain a glimpse of the humanness of Jesus, that Jesus was tired, worn out from the constant travel, the lack of sleep, the missed meals, the tension when facing opposition from others, and the ever-present concern for the health and welfare of people.

  Irenaeus, a second century Christian author and Church leader, wrote a rebuttal of a heresy prevalent in his time that sought to claim that Jesus, as a divine being, could not possibly have lived as a mortal being in a ‘corrupt’ physical body.  Irenaeus argued that the Jewish Scriptures and the traditions passed down from the teachings of the Apostles validated the incarnation of Jesus Christ, God’s Messiah,  “conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary”  (The Apostles’ Creed)  .

Screen 2

  Tyre was part of Phoenicia, in the then Roman Province of Syria.  It was situated just above Ptolemais, which is in the upper left on the above map.  It was outside of the borders of Galilee, and, therefore, outside of the country of the Jews.  Writers deduce that Jesus was staying in the house of a Jewish disciple of Jesus who lived in Tyre, possibly a merchant as Tyre had an excellent harbour.  As it was a land predominantly inhabited by Gentiles, that is, non-Jews, it is not surprising then to hear of Jesus encountering a Gentile.

Screen 3

“A woman whose daughter had an evil spirit in her came to Jesus”  Mark 7: 25

  But there are some surprising aspects to the account.  Firstly, it is surprising to hear of a woman personally approaching Jesus.  One writer argues that as there is no mention of a husband, it could be presumed that she was a widow and that there was no-one else who could approach Jesus on her behalf.  We read of her deep concern for the welfare of her daughter who had an evil spirit in her.  We read that she had heard of Jesus, presumably accounts of his miracles and of his compassion for the sick and ill, perhaps stories from people who had recently returned from Galilee and who had seen these miracles for themselves.  We read that having found where Jesus was residing, she immediately hurried to Jesus and humbled herself before him, “falling at his feet” so the passage reads.  And we can perceive her anguished request for Jesus to “drive the demon out of her daughter”.

  What we may find difficult to comprehend is the apparent indifference of Jesus to the plight of this mother and her daughter, if not an outright refusal of Jesus to consider the mother’s plea, something that seems to contradict the compassion of Jesus for the sick that we read at the end of Mark 6.  Jesus replies to the Mother’s plea by saying “Let us first feed the children.  It isn’t right to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”

  By this, Jesus is saying to the Mother, ‘My work is only with God’s children, the Jews’.  In the parallel passage in Matthew 15, Jesus specifically states, “I have been sent only to the lost sheep of the people of Israel.”  (Matthew 15: 24)  In the account in Matthew 10 of Jesus sending out his Disciples with the power to heal sicknesses and to drive our demons, Jesus specifically instructs them, “Do not go to any Gentile territory or any Samaritan towns.  Instead, you are to go to the lost sheep of the people of Israel.”  (Matthew 10; 5 & 6) 

  As well, we have Jesus referring to the mother and her daughter by the apparent use of the derogatory term “dogs”.  Dogs, at this time, were usually held in contempt and disgust.  They were seen as semi-wild scavengers of refuse, filthy in appearance and potential carriers of diseases.  (C Graham Swift in Mark in New Bible Commentary p867)  To compare a person to a dog was a bitterly insulting expression.  (Augustus Buckland and Arthur Lukyn Williams in Dog in Universal Bible Dictionary p130)  However, a closer look at the Greek term Jesus uses, that is translated as dog, “kunarion”  (Strong’s 2952 NT)  indicates that it could be understood to mean a puppy or a small dog, a reference to “a pet dog that is allowed to live about the house”.  (George Cansdale in Dog in New Bible Dictionary p321 & 322)  We can therefore understand the Mother’s reply to Jesus referring to “the dogs under the table eating the children’s leftovers”.

  Rather than being a refusal to assist the Mother, Jesus may have been echoing what would have been in the minds of the Disciples, the typical reaction of a Jew to a non-Jew.  Jesus may have been testing the Mother to see whether she was willing to humble herself before God, acknowledging that, as a Gentile, she was outside of the covenant relationship that God had only with the people of Israel, and, in so doing, acknowledging that her request for Jesus to heal her daughter was a request based on the extra-covenantal mercy of God for all people, regardless of gender or race or creed or culture.

  The Mother replies to Jesus, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s leftovers.”  (Mark 7: 28)  We read that Jesus responds in a positive manner to the Mother following her reply.  Some may see evidence of a quick wit in her reply.  But Jesus does not respond to her because of this.  Jesus responds to her because of what he sees in her response.  In the words and actions of the Mother, Jesus could see several things.

  Jesus sees the Mother acknowledging the supremacy of the God of the Jews, the one true God, the God of the Jewish Scriptures.  (Craig Keener in Mark in The IVP Background Commentary of the New Testament p154)  She has turned her back on the gods that her neighbours may have worshipped and which she may have worshipped in the past.  From her newly acquired understanding of the God of the Jewish Scriptures and of Jesus, she acknowledges that only God is real and it is Him alone that we worship and obey.

  Jesus sees the Mother acknowledging him as the Son of God, capable of healing the sick and driving out demons, something that only someone of a divine nature could achieve.

  Jesus sees in the Mother a patient persistence based on her love for her daughter, a sincere humility before God based on her understanding of her unworthiness to demand anything from God, an awareness of the real compassion of Jesus towards those in need, and a trust in God that He would act through Jesus to grant her request.

  Through the genuine faith in God which he recognises in this Mother, Jesus is able to free her daughter from the evil that possessed her, even though the daughter herself is not present.  Upon hearing the reply of Jesus, and trusting that through Jesus she has been blessed by God and her daughter freed from evil, the mother quietly goes off to her home.

  She did not insist that Jesus come with her to say something over her daughter in person.  She did not insist that Jesus stay where he was just in case he only temporarily drove the demon out of her daughter, meaning that she would then be compelled to come back, find Jesus, and ask Jesus for a second attempt.  She did not insist that Jesus explain to her in detail how he could guarantee that her daughter would be made well.

  She took Jesus at his word, she put her absolute trust in Jesus, and quietly goes off to her home.  There she finds confirmation of her belief in Jesus and the trust that she has placed in him, she finds the answer to her request, she finds her child cured, lying calmly on her bed.  (John Reilly in Mark p87) 

  The power in Jesus is at work where-ever he finds persons of true faith in God. 

  Let us place our trust in this very same power of Jesus to act in our lives.  Jesus is looking for the same attitude in our lives which he saw in the Mother, a persistence in prayer, a belief in the ability of God to act in response to prayer, and a trust that God answers prayer, because it is in His nature to show compassion for those in need.  Like the Mother, may God find in us a person of true faith, a person willing to trust God to see us through our journey in life and beyond.  Amen.

Offering

Offering Prayer    

“For the life that you have given”  TiS774  [to be sung to the tune ‘Austria’ – refer to TiS772]

[disregard the words – only the one verse is needed]

[alternatively, if you have the facility on your computer to play such music, double-click on the Mp3 file below and then select ‘open’ – there is a very small introduction]

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.

Almighty God, we pray for the Church, that you will heal our deafness so that we may hear your invitation to service and recognize the cry of those who are suffering.

We pray for a spirit of listening, that you will free us from the noise that blocks our ability to hear your Word, that you will prepare our hearts to receive your Word, and help us to put your vision for tomorrow into practice today.

We pray for a deepening of compassion for others, that we may feel the pain and the longings of the poor, the physically and mentally challenged, and of the marginalized so that we may accompany them on their life’s journey.

We pray for a spirit of welcome and hospitality in our Congregation, that all who join us for worship, community, or service may experience the love of Christ and a warm welcome.

We pray for all who have experienced abuse, discrimination, or hatred, that you will heal their pain and renew their spirits.

We pray for all who work with the poor and homeless, that they may continually see Christ in all whom they meet.

We pray for all World leaders, that they will recognize the dignity of all people, regardless of status, wealth, or social position, and that they will work together to seek to meet the basic needs of every person.  We pray for an end to prejudices that bring about unequal treatment.  We pray for an end to selfishness and self-centredness that promotes and prolongs the gulf separating rich and poor, the educated and the uneducated, those with opportunities and those who lack them

We pray for all who are fearful and anxious, that they may find hope and courage in your Word and the fellowship of a Church community.

We pray for all recovering from Hurricanes, from floods, from earthquakes, and from fires, that you will protect them from further harm, renew their energy, and speed the assistance which they need.

We pray for those fleeing the violence arising from armed conflict, , that you will protect those in danger, lead them to places of safety, and help them to find a warm welcome in new communities.

We pray for a greater recognition of our call to be stewards of your Creation, that we may experience a new relationship with the created world that you have commended to our care and work to promote the wise use of its resources.  We pray that our hearts would be moved to follow Christ’s leading to develop a just relationship with our World.  Enlighten us with the grace to respond to your covenant and call to care for our common home.  In our tilling and keeping, gladden our hearts to know that we participate with your Holy Spirit to renew the face of your Earth, and safeguard a home for all.

We pray for all healthcare workers, that you will keep them safe, renew their energy, and work through them to bring healing and strength to all who are ill.  Bless those who care for people who cannot care for themselves.

We pray for the sick and ill, that you will bring healing and wholeness to their lives.  Have mercy on those who are afflicted in speech or hearing so that these are restored to them fully.

Copyright © 2021. Joe Milner. All rights reserved.<br> Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use.  https://liturgy.slu.edu/ 

(also from Leading Intercessions by Raymond Chapman p76 & 77, and Prayers for the Seasons of God’s People Year B by David Hostetter p177 & 178)

We pray for those people in many societies in Africa who continue to live in abject poverty that they will find the means to provide homes and livelihoods for themselves and their families. 

We pray 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.

We pray for faith communities witnessing and working together for the common good.

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.

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

O God of mercy and of peace,

We hold before you the peoples of Afghanistan.

Be living bread to those who are hungry each day,

Be healing and wholeness to those who have no access to health care amidst the ravages of pandemic,

Be their true home to all who have been displaced,

Be open arms of loving acceptance to those who fear because of their gender, ethnicity, religious or political views,

Be peace to those enveloped in the armed conflict and those who live within its shadow.

Turn our hearts and minds to your ways of just and gentle peace,

Open our eyes to see you in all acts of compassionate care,

Strengthen our hearts to step out in solidarity with your suffering people and

Hold us all in your unfailing love. 

©  Ramani Leathard (Christian Aid, a fellow ACT Alliance Member)

God our Father, we pray for all fathers:
for new fathers, coming to terms with both the joys and demands of fatherhood;
for those who are uncertain or confused about their role as fathers;
for those whose work keeps them from spending time with their children;
for those who are afraid of the responsibilities of parenting;
for those who are unable to provide for their children through unemployment or sickness;
for those whose children have physical, mental or emotional disabilities;
for those who are violent or unloving towards their children;
for those whose own fathers abused them or failed to love them;
for those who are separated from their children by marriage breakdown, divorce or death;
for those who care for the children of others;
for those whose desire to be a father has not been fulfilled;
and for those whose children have rejected their love.
Bless all fathers, so that their love may be tender and strong,
and that they may lead their children to know and do what is good,
living not for themselves, but for God and for others.

Father God, children all over your creation are crying out for mercy in the face of this COVID pandemic.  We cry out with them. Lord have mercy.  Especially today we ask for your mercy on the heads of nations as they lead their countries through this season of fear and despair. Give them wisdom and peace.  Bless them with capable advisors and administrators. Strengthen them with forbearance – especially in the face of criticism and community unrest.  Lord, have mercy.

Lord, we recognise we are a well blessed nation – despite the financial and health challenges we face.  Please keep us from complacency and apathy as we consider those who are most impacted by the COVID virus – at home and abroad.  Open our hearts to those who struggle.  Continue to prompt your love to overflow in us to them.  For you live and reign over all things.  Lord have mercy.

Where there is grief O Lord, where sadness overwhelms in the face of dying in this COVID season; bring your mercy and love.  Comfort people with your promises and presence.  Use your faithful people as your living and loving presence with those who grieve.  Lord have mercy.

Christ Jesus, you welcomed children and brought healing and hope to their lives.  We pray that as you Church we will create places of welcome, care and safety for all children, reflecting your love and compassion.

God of comfort, we pray for children who have been neglected or abused.  We pray that people will come into their lives who love and nurture them in healing and life-giving ways.  We pray for child safety workers and those working in child protection, thanking you for their dedication and the gifts they bring to their vocation to protect and improve the lives of children.  We pray that you will sustain their vision and uphold them in love and grace.

Christ Jesus, as your Church, you call us to be a faithful embodiment of your care and love.  We lament when we have failed to be communities of safety and care.  Challenge and correct us in our failure, and reform our life.  We commit ourselves as your Church to being places of safety, free of abuse and exploitation.  We commit ourselves as your Church to be communities where people can flourish in ways of trust and love.  We pray that your Spirit will empower us to be advocates for a society in which all children can flourish.

(Deidre Palmer 2017 for UCA National Child Safe Week 2021)

We pray for those students who are undertaking training in Scripture Union courses in chaplaincy and pastoral care.  We thank you for their willingness to serve you in these fields and ask that you will guide and strengthen them as they develop the right skills and understandings.

We pray for the volunteers who assist in the mission of Scripture Union across Queensland, asking that you will protect them in their travels, encourage them as they interact with children and youth, and guide them to be your witnesses in every circumstance and situation in which they may find themselves. 

We pray for the planning and organising for the Scripture Union camps taking place during the coming School holidays.  We pray for the leaders that they are confident with their preparations.  We pray for the leaders that they are enthusiastic about relating to those who will be attending.  We pray for the cooks and helpers that they will know exactly what and how they are to undertake their tasks.

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

Hymn

“Trust and Obey”  Alexander’s Hymns No. 3 number 53

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.’”

  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.

Hymn

“Now let us from this table rise”  TiS530

[sung to the tune Niagara – there is a short introduction]

Verse 1 of 4

Now let us from this table rise

Renewed in body, mind and soul;

With Christ we die and live again,

His selfless love has made us whole.

Verse 2 of 4

With minds alert, upheld by grace,

To spread the Word in speech and deed,

We follow in the steps of Christ,

At one with all in hope and need.

Verse 3 of 4

To fill each Human house with love,

It is the sacrament of care;

The work that Christ began to do

We humbly pledge ourselves to share.

Verse 4 of 4

Then give us grace, Companion God,

To choose again the pilgrim way,

And help us to accept with joy

The challenge of tomorrow’s day.

Frederik Kaan

Benediction    

May we go into the days ahead with the knowledge and reassurance that God’s love is without parallel and cannot fail to provide for us and to protect us, those whom God loves.  May we move forward, putting our faith into words and actions that speak of the love of God and the power of God working in the lives of people.  And may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, rest upon you and remain with you always.  Amen.

Benediction Song

“Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us”  Scripture in Song Volume 2 number 111 / 316

[I have altered the original wording of the song by substituting “children” and “child” for “sons” so as to make the song more ‘inclusive’.]

[there is an introduction – you can choose how many times you repeat the verse]

Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us.

Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us.

That we should be called the children of God,

That I should be called a child of God.

Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us.

Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us.

That we should be called the children of God,

That I should be called a child of God.

Patricia van Tine