Welcome: –

Call to Worship: – 

(from Mark 3: 31 to 35) 

  Luke records for us an occasion when the family of Jesus became concerned about his welfare, because of the gossip that they had heard concerning the way he went about his teaching and of his open criticism of the Jewish religious leaders.  They were concerned about his state of mind, to the extent that they journeyed from Nazareth to Capernaum to speak to him in person. 

  When Jesus was told that his mother and his brothers were outside wanting to speak to him, his reply was that those who obey and carry out the will of God were his brothers and sisters and mother.  (Mark 3: 35)

  It was not that Jesus had rejected his family, nor that he was ignoring or refusing to talk with his family, nor that he did not have an intimate relationship with his family.  The message that Jesus was seeking to portray to those who had gathered there in his home, as well as to his family waiting outside, was that, at this point in his life, during his ministry on Earth, his highest priority was towards those who eagerly listened to his teaching and to whom he could reveal the secrets of the Kingdom of God, that he had just as intimate a relationship with those whose knowledge of God was not on an abstract or intellectual level, but was one of a personal, moral and spiritual commitment to trust and obey God.

  (John Reilly in Praying Mark p51, and Alan Cole in Mark p86 & 87) 

  We, too, as we gather here, gather together as did those who gathered around the feet of Jesus.  We, too, eagerly listen to the words of Jesus, to learn of the secrets of the Kingdom of God, and to revel in the intimate relationship that is ours with Jesus Christ.  May our worship here today reflect our individual commitments to trust and obey God.

Prayer of Praise  

(from Psalm 138: 1 to 8) 

I thank you, God, with all my heart,

I sing praises of your greatness and glory to all the World.

I worship you, God, and bow down before you,

I sing praises of your constant love and faithfulness.

You answered me when I called to you,

You give new strength to my soul.

The Kings and Leaders of the Nations on Earth must acknowledge your authority and call you Lord,

For they recognise the wisdom of your words and the justice of your decisions.

Though you are God Almighty, yet you care for the lowly,

And the proud are humbled before you.

You preserve me amidst all of my troubles,

You deliver me by your power.

You will accomplish all that you set out to do,

You will not leave any of your tasks unfinished.

O Lord, your love for us is steadfast,

And it endures forever.  Amen.

Hymn

“Stand up and bless the Lord”  TiS449  AHB383  MHB685

[This hymn is sung to the tune Carlisle.  There is an introduction.  This YouTube recording has the six verses that are listed in the Methodist Hymn Book.

Verse 1 of 6

Stand up and bless the Lord,

Ye people of His choice;

Stand up and bless the Lord your God,

With heart and soul and voice.

Verse 2 of 6

Though high above all praise,

Above all blessing high,

Who would not fear His holy name,

And laud and magnify?

Verse 3 of 6

O for the living flame

From His own alter brought,

To touch our lips, our minds inspire,

And wing to Heaven our thought!

Verse 4 of 6

There, with benign regard,

Our hymns He deigns to hear;

Though unrevealed to mortal sense,

The Spirit feels Him near.

Verse 5 of 6

God is our strength and song,

And His salvation ours;

Then be His love in Christ proclaimed

With all our ransomed powers.

Verse 6 of 6

Stand up and bless the Lord,

The Lord your God adore;

Stand up and bless His glorious name

Henceforth for evermore.

James Montgomery

Prayer of Confession 

(from Liturgies On-Line Year B Pentecost 2) 

Merciful God, you continually challenge us to become the people you seek for us to be, through the life of your Spirit within us.  You continually challenge us to look at ourselves in the light of your instructions and guidelines, yet often we do not listen to you and choose to look the other way.

For those times when our conduct does not live up to your standards for us,

Merciful God, forgives us.

For those times when we do not speak loudly enough against the gods of sport and shopping, that attract people away from gathering for a time of worship of you,

Merciful God, forgives us.

For those habits of ours that are destructive of our relationship with you and of our relationships with others,

Merciful God, forgives us.

For our lack of involvement in easing the troubles and discomfort of the needy,

Merciful God, forgives us.

For our wantonness in leaving others to do all of the work you seek for the Church to do,

Merciful God, forgives us.

For our willingness to criticise others unjustly and to question their abilities,

Merciful God, forgives us.

God of mercy and grace, we confess our sins and our shortcomings.

We confess our wanting to follow our will and not to seek for your Will to be done, in our lives and in the life of the Church.

God of mercy and grace, cleanse our lives from sin,

Restore us to a right relationship with you.  Strengthen us to be your People and to be a light for the World.  To your glory we pray, amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(from Mark 3: 28) 

Jesus said to his disciples, “I assure you that people can be forgiven of all of their sins and of all of the evil things they may say.”  Having confessed our sins before God, let us take comfort in these words of Jesus, knowing that having confessed our sins before God, we are forgiven and our souls are cleansed in His sight.

Thanks be to God.

Prayer of illumination  (from Holy Communion Two in Uniting Church Worship Services p21)  

O Lord, our God, you have given your Word to us that it may be a lamp for our feet and a light for our path.  Grant us grace to receive your truth in faith and love, so that we may be obedient to your Will and live always for your glory, through Jesus Christ our Saviour.  Amen.

Bible Readings

1 Samuel 8:

1  When Samuel grew old, he made his sons Judges in Israel.  2  The older son was named Joel and the younger one Abijah; they were Judges in Beersheba.  3  But they did not follow their father’s example; they were interested only in making money, so they accepted bribes and did not decide cases honestly.

4  Then all the leaders of Israel met together, went to Samuel in Ramah,  5  and said to him, “Look, you are getting old and your sons don’t follow your example.  So, then, appoint a King to rule over us, so that we will have a King as other countries have.”  6  Samuel was displeased with their request for a King; so he prayed to the Lord,  7  and the Lord said, “Listen to everything the people say to you.  You are not the one they have rejected; I am the one they have rejected as King.  8  Ever since I brought them out of Egypt, they have turned away from me and worshipped others gods; and now they are doing to you what they have always done to me.  9  So then, listen to them, but give them strict warnings and explain how their Kings will treat them.“

10  Samuel told the people who were asking him for a King everything that the Lord had said to him.

2 Corinthians 4:

13  The Scripture says, “I spoke because I believed.”  (Psalm 116: 10)  In the same spirit of faith we also speak because we believe.  14  We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus to life, will also raise us up with Jesus and take us, together with you, into His presence.  15  All this is for your sake; and as God’s grace reaches more and more people, they will offer to the glory of God more prayers of thanksgiving.

16  For this reason we never become discouraged.  Even though our physical being is gradually decaying, yet our spiritual being is renewed day after day.  17  And this small and temporary trouble we suffer will bring us a tremendous and eternal glory, much greater than the trouble.  18  For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen.  What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever.

5: 1  For we know that when this tent we live in – our body here on Earth – is torn down, God will have a house in Heaven for us to live in, a home he himself has made, which will last forever.

[Today’s English Version]

This is the Word of God.

Praise to you Almighty God.

Mark 3:

20  Then Jesus went home to Capernaum.  Again, such a large crowd gathered that Jesus and his Disciples had no time to eat.  21  When his family heard about it, they set out to take charge of him, because people were saying, “He’s gone mad!”

22  Some Teachers of the Law who had come up from Jerusalem were saying, “He has Beelzebul in him!  It is the chief of the demons who gives him the power to drive them out.”

23  So Jesus called them to him and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan?  24  If a country divides itself into groups which fight each other, that country will fall apart.  25  If a family divides itself into groups which fight each other, that family will fall apart.  26  So if Satan’s kingdom divides into groups, it cannot last, but will fall apart and come to an end.

27  No one can break into a strong man’s house and take away his belongings unless he first ties up the strong man; then he can plunder his house.  28  I assure you that people can be forgiven all their sins and all the evil things they may say.

[Today’s English Version]

This is the Gospel of our Lord.

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

Passing the Peace

Whether we gather in person in our Church building or whether we gather in spirit in our homes, we remain one body, one people of God, one in fellowship and one in worship.  With that in mind, let us uplift our hands and greet those both here and those who cannot be here: The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

For the Young at Heart

Screen 1

  Who has seen one of these before?  Who can deduce what is it’s purpose?

  It is the mouthpiece from a Breathalyzer test unit.  The current process, taking into consideration Covid-19 precautions, is that now, after you have been tested, you are requested to remove the mouthpiece into which you have just blown air from your lungs, and to dispose of it in an appropriate manner.

  Why have I kept it?  Because I thought that it would make an apt subject for a ‘For the Young at Heart’ talk.

  Now, why do the Police use a Breathalyzer test on someone?  It is to measure something that can’t be accurately gauged by looking at the outside of someone, that is, someone’s blood alcohol level.  There may be external indicators of a high blood alcohol, but it can only be measured from what is inside the person, the air inside their lungs. 

Screen 2

‘Samuel’s sons did not follow their father’s example; they were interested only in making money, so they accepted bribes and did not decide cases honestly.’  1 Samuel 8: 3

  In today’s passage from 1 Samuel 8, we read that that Samuel appointed his two sons as Judges of the People of Israel, presumably to carry on the task to which God had appointed him when, because he was aware that, as he aged, he would increasingly become unable to journey throughout the land to hear and settle disputes between people.  (see 1 Samuel 7: 16) 

  Now, we know that his sons knew the Laws which they were to uphold, because their crime was not of ineptitude, that is, of not knowing the Laws, but of dishonesty, of making decisions not in line with the Laws.  They may have had ‘head knowledge’ of the Laws, but they did not have ‘heart knowledge’ of the Laws. 

  What is the difference between ‘head knowledge’ and ‘heart knowledge’?

Screen 3

head knowledge – knowing what is right

heart knowledge – seeking to put into practice what you know is right

  Head knowledge is only knowing the information or details about something; a knowing what is right.  Heart knowledge, in contrast, is knowing how to apply the information or details about something; a seeking to put into practice what you know is right.  The two sons knew the Laws but were not willing to apply the Laws as God had intended.

  In the Parable of the Sower, we read that “The seeds that fell in good soil stand for those who hear the message and retain it in a good and obedient heart, and they persist until they bear fruit.”  (Luke 8: 15)  The essence of such people is this “good and obedient heart”.

  Returning to the example of Breathalyzers, all drivers are aware of the ‘letter of the Law’, so to speak, relating to ensuring that you have a legal blood alcohol level when driving a car, that is, ‘head knowledge’ of the Law.  But, obviously, not all drivers have the appropriate ‘heart knowledge’, that is, a willingness to personally ensure that you do have a legal blood alcohol level before you commence to drive your car.

Screen 4

The heart is seen as essentially the whole of a person, all of their attributes; their character, their personality, their mind and their will. 

  The heart is seen as essentially the whole of a person, all of their attributes; their character, their personality, their mind and their will.  The Heart is conceived as being at the centre of these attributes, as governing their emotions, their attitudes, their thoughts, and their actions; their capacity to comprehend, to understand, and to reflect; their ability to learn and to apply skills.  (B Banwell in Heart in New Bible Dictionary p509) 

Screen 5

‘I thank you Lord, with all my heart’  Psalm 138: 1

  And, so when we read the words of the first half of verse 1 of Psalm 138, “I thank you Lord, with all my heart”, we understand that the writer is writing about a deep and meaningful perception of the majesty and grace of God, an expression of gratitude towards God for answered prayer or for an assurance of salvation that goes beyond mere ‘head knowledge’, a response to a personal experience of God that provides clarity about who He is not just what He has said or has done, and an acknowledgement of their confidence in God that He will walk with them in life and to fulfill His will and purpose for them in their life..  (Artur Weiser in The Psalms p798, Leslie McCaw and Alec Motyer in Psalms in New Bible Commentary p537) 

  When we pray “I thank you God”, or when we sing our praises to God, let us pray and sing from the heart and not from the head, let our prayers and our singing reflect our will and our intent to love and to serve God with all of our heart. 

Hymn

“Jesus! the name high over all”  TiS218  AHB150  MHB92

[This hymn is sung to the tune Lydia.  There is an introduction.  This YouTube recording has the six verses that are listed in the Methodist Hymn Book.

Verse 1 of 6

Jesus! The name high over all,

In Hell or Earth or sky,

Angels and men before it fall,

And devils fear and fly.

And devils fear and fly.

Verse 2 of 6

Jesus! The name to sinners dear,

The name to sinners given;

It scatters all their guilty fear,

It turns their hell to Heaven.

It turns their hell to Heaven.

Verse 3 of 6

Jesus! The prisoner’s fetters breaks,

And bruises Satan’s head;

Power into strengthless souls it speaks,

And life into the dead.

And life into the dead.

Verse 4 of 6

O that the World might taste and see

The riches of His grace;

The arms of love that compass me

Would all Mankind embrace.

Would all Mankind embrace.

Verse 5 of 6

His only righteousness I show,

His saving grace proclaim;

‘Tis all my business here below

To cry: ‘Behold the Lamb!’

To cry: ‘Behold the Lamb!’

Verse 6 of 6

Happy, if with my latest breath

I might but gasp his name;

Preach Him to all, and cry in death,

‘Behold, behold the Lamb!’

‘Behold, behold the Lamb!’

Charles Wesley

Sermon

Screen 1

Akhenaten, Pharoah of Egypt in the New Kingdom, reigned from 1353BCE to 1336BCE. 

  Akhenaten, Pharoah of Egypt during that part of the History of Egypt that is termed the New Kingdom, reigned from 1353BCE to 1336BCE.  He is described either as a visionary of a new understanding of the gods of Egypt, or as a tyrant, fighting against an established religion and against thousands of years of tradition.  He insisted on the belief of one supreme god – “an all powerful creator who manifested himself in the sunlight”.  Amun was the god who created the universe.  Ra was the god of the sun and light, who travelled across the sky every day in a burning ship.  In Akhenaten’s revised theology, these two gods were combined into the one god, Amun-Ra.

National Geographic  Vol199 No.4 April 2001 p40 & 42  Amun Ra Egyptian God | Amun Ra Facts | DK Find Out

Screen 2

‘Experts continue to argue whether he was the world’s first monotheist.’

“Some scholars have suggested that Akhenaten’s vision of one god somehow inspired Moses, who lived a century later.”

National Geographic  Vol.199 No.4 April 2001 p40 & 42

  An article in the April 2001 issue of National Geographic magazine mentions that some experts in Egyptology and in the history religious beliefs suggest that Akhenaten was the “World’s first monotheist”, that is, the first person to believe in the existence of one god.

  This article then mentions an understanding of some scholars of the Old Testament that Akhenaten’s vision of one god somehow inspired Moses, who lived in Egypt a century later, in his beliefs, which he expounded in the first five books of the Old Testament and which tells of the long-held belief by God’s people in the one God interacting with Humanity.

Screen 3

In 1998, Walter Pitman and William Ryan, American geologists, co-authored a book titled Noah’s Flood.

National Geographic Vol.199 No.5 May 2001

  In 1998, Walter Pitman and William Ryan, American geologists, co-authored a book titled Noah’s Flood.  In this book they propose the theory that, around 7500 years ago, the area now called the Black Sea was a lake that was separated from the Mediterranean Sea by a narrow strip of land at what is now the Bosporus Straight, and that it was at a lower level than the waters of Mediterranean Sea.  By investigating core samples of sediments taken at various places around the Black Sea, and dating shells found in these sediments, they concluded that a cataclysmic event, such as an earthquake, took place 7500 years ago, that allowed water from the Mediterranean Sea to break through this narrow earthen barrier between these two waters.  Such a sudden breakthrough resulted in a violent flood that rapidly raised the waters of the Black Sea, inundating populated areas, and forcing many to relocate away to higher ground.

  (National Geographic Vol.198 No.1 July 2000 and Vol.199 No.5 May 2001) 

Screen 4

‘stories of a great deluge recorded in the Bible and other ancient literature may have grown out of this cataclysmic event and the resultant violent flood’

(National Geographic Vol.198 No.1 July 2000 and Vol.199 No.5 May 2001)

  These authors surmise that, over the years, the story of this violent flooding was passed on to children and to grandchildren and to their families, as well as to travellers and merchants passing through the area, such that stories of a great deluge became widespread over a considerable area of the then populated World.  They propose that variations of these stories of a great deluge that had occurred at some point in the very distant past, were the ones recorded in the Old Testament and in other ancient literature of Mesopotamia and the Middle East.  (National Geographic Vol.198 No.1 July 2000 and Vol.199 No.5 May 2001) 

Screen 5

Avoiding a belief in God and of one’s responsibilities to God.

  But we are not here today for a lesson in ancient history.  We are here to look at what message is being conveyed to us as a result of people’s deductions from investigating these two topics; of Akhenaton and his monotheistic beliefs and of the sudden violent flooding of the Black Sea basin.  On both of these topics, the approach shown by the authors of the respective articles from the National Geographic magazine is that it is acceptable to draw conclusions that are contrary to traditional understandings of how God chooses to relate to Humanity, as held by mainstream Churches, and that it is acceptable to raise questions about the historicity of Biblical accounts, suggesting that Biblical accounts are but myths or someone’s biased and prejudiced view of History.

  The documented accounts of the religious beliefs of ancient societies, such as in Egypt, Greece, Rome, Mesopotamia, Babylon, Assyria, Phoenicia, Crete and Canaan, are of ones centred around polytheism, the belief in many gods.  The People of Israel stood out as the only people at the time who worshipped the one and only God.  Their beliefs, as we know, are recorded in the Books of the Old Testament.  But nothing of the Old Testament has been recorded on clay tablets or papyrus paper, as has the religious beliefs and practices of other ancient peoples.  We only have the relatively recent reproductions of the Old Testament books.  Consequently, the beliefs of the People of Israel cannot be determined from source documents dated to the time eluded to in the Old Testament.

  To argue in such a way as to show that the author of the first books of the Old Testament, which purport to document the History of the People of Israel and of their long-standing belief in one God, based his thoughts upon the deviant beliefs of a blasphemous Egyptian Pharoah, would mean that they doubt the validity of the claim made by Moses that what he has written is to be taken as a truthful account of God’s dealings with Humanity from the Creation of the world and from the time of the first persons on Earth, Adam and Eve.

  If it is seen, then, that there is no substantiation to the claims of Moses, as presented to us in the Bible, then no reason is seen to put one’s belief in the God about whom Moses is writing.

  In a similar manner, there are several ‘flood stories’ in ancient writings.  Does the ‘flood story’ in Genesis read as a reliable account of such an event, against which all other ‘flood stories’ can be seen as but pale imitations?  If so, then there is substantiation to the claims made by Moses of the need for Humanity to submit to God as Lord and Master of all that He has made, and to acknowledge the grace and mercy of God evidenced in His saving of

 the eight faithful people along with the animals who accompanied them on the ark.

  However, to argue that all of the ancient accounts of a sudden violent deluge are but variations of a much older story, relating to a completely natural event involving no supernatural intervention by a god, that occurred within a limited physical area and not over the whole world, would indicate that the writer doubts the validity of the claim that the Biblical account of a World-wide Flood brought about by God’s command, as written by Moses, is to be taken as a truthful account of God’s dealings with Humanity.  The writer is saying that we must understood the Genesis account as Moses’ biased and prejudiced rewriting of an ancient story, rewritten in such a way so as to suit his particular theology.

  If it is seen, then, that there is no substantiation to the claims of Moses, as presented to us in the Bible, then no reason is seen to put one’s belief in the God about whom Moses is writing.

  In both cases, there is a turning away from God, an avoidance of the need to believe in the God of the Bible, and of the consequent avoidance of one’s responsibilities towards the God of the Bible.  We see such an attitude as this in today’s readings.

  The sons of Samuel would have heard stories from their father of God at work in the World, they would have heard personal accounts from those with whom they mixed on a day-to-day basis of how God saved the People of Israel from the Philistines in the recent past, they would have had the writings of Moses and his accounts of God’s graciousness towards His chosen People.  Yet, inconceivably, we read that “they did not follow their father’s example”.  (1 Samuel 8: 3a)  They made a conscious decision to turn away from God, to avoid the call of God to submit to His Will and purpose for their lives and for the Life of His People.  They made a conscious decision to misuse their authority as Judges of Israel.

  We can understand, then, the attitude of the leaders of Israel, in their complaint to Samuel that his sons did not follow his example.  (1 Samuel 8: 5)  But, instead of asking Samuel to appoint other judges who would follow his example, they then go on to ask, “appoint a King to rule over us, as other countries have”.  (1 Samuel 8: 5)  In so asking, they are avoiding the call by God for Him to be their King, who would lead them with justice and fairness and defend them from their enemies.  They are seeking to turn away from God and to replace God with a fallible Human figurehead, copying the practice of the Nations and Peoples inhabiting the lands around them, in spite of being aware of the potential consequences of corruption by the King and of being led astray by the King.  Is it any wonder that we read that Samuel was “displeased with their request”.  (1 Samuel 8: 6)  And we hear the consolation given by God to Samuel, “You are not the one they have rejected; I am the one they have rejected as King.”  (1 Samuel 8: 7)  The subsequent record of the sad History of the Kings of Israel and Judah is evidence of the tragic consequences of their decision, because most of the Kings of Israel and Judah rejected God’s authority and led the People of God away from worship of Him as the one true God.

  Mark records for us an occasion when some ‘Teachers of the Law’ came up from Jerusalem to Capernaum where Jesus had made his home.  (Mark 4: 22)  Their purpose would have been to observe Jesus in action, so as to find fault with what he was doing.  Because Jesus was seen by the religious elite in Jerusalem as a threat to their religious status, their position of authority and their level of social influence over the population, they would have sought to criticise Jesus and to belittle him in the eyes of the townsfolk of Capernaum.

  They would have observed Jesus expelling demons from the lives of people, releasing people from the bondage held upon them by Satan’s agents.  This was obvious to them and to the people of Capernaum.  But, in their zeal to find something about which they could criticise Jesus, and, blinded by their refusal to acknowledge that God was at work in Jesus, exercising His power over the forces of darkness, and seeking to bring about good in the lives of people, they accused Jesus of using the power of evil to drive out the power of evil.  “It is the chief of the demons who gives him the power to drive them out.”, so they claimed.  (Mark 3: 22) 

  Jesus responds with illustrations of civil war within a country, and of divisions within a family, both of which would result in the country falling apart or the family disintegrating.  As such, what these Teachers of the Law were proposing was “not only a practical impossibility but also a theological absurdity in which no Jew could believe”.  Alan Cole writes that “prejudice, in the full sense of a prior conceived judgement, had blinded their eyes to what was at once obvious to simple souls.”  (Alan Cole in Mark p84) 

  These Teachers of the Law had turned away from God in their refusal to contemplate God working in and through the life of Jesus Christ.  They, too, sought to avoid the call of God to submit to His Will and purpose for their lives and for the Life of His People.

Screen 6

“we also speak because we believe”

“For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen.”

2 Corinthians 4: 13, 18

In contrast, Paul speaks of those who turn towards God, who seek to be in God’s presence, who have submitted to God’s will and purpose for their lives.

  “We speak because we believe”, Paul writes.  Such people, Paul is saying, naturally speak to all about God out of their faith in God.  Randolph Tasker writes that “all true servants of God give spontaneous expression to their belief in God, to express their confidence in His goodness, to offer prayers of thanksgiving.”  (Randolph Tasker in 2 Corinthians p75) 

  Paul explains that we speak of our freedom from the cares of our sin, of our release from the hold of sin, just as those whom Jesus released from the hold that demons had over them rejoiced in what God had done in their lives through Jesus. 

  Paul explains that “we do not fix our attention on the things that are seen”, “the temporary troubles we suffer”  (2 Corinthians 4: 17 & 18)  , that is, those things in life that we must face daily, our work or home responsibilities, our hardships, the tensions and stress that we all face as we go through life.  This is because the love and grace of God triumphs over all of this.

  Our relationship with God cannot suffer though we may face suffering in our physical life, but, in fact, it grows and we are continually being renewed, because we are depending on the power of God to strengthen us and not on our own abilities.  (2 Corinthians 4: 16 &  18)

  Lastly, Paul explains that our vision of God’s involvement in our life does not end with the end of our physical being, “we fix our attention on things that are unseen, what lasts forever”, he writes.  (2 Corinthians 4: 18).  Paul assures his readers that “God will have a house in Heaven for us to live in.”  (2 Corinthians 5: 1)  God’s love for us doesn’t end at our physical death, but is fulfilled at our physical death, when God “will raise us up with Jesus and take us into His presence.”  (2 Corinthians 4: 14)  The resurrection of Jesus is God’s pledge of our resurrection.  Because Christ lives now with God, we will also live with God.  (Randolph Tasker in 2 Corinthians p75) 

  A young child goes to sleep at night at peace, assured of the constant presence of their parents, assured of the continual care for them by their parents, and assured of the inexhaustible love that their parents have for them.  So too do we rest at peace, assured of God’s constant presence by us, of His continual care for us, and of His inexhaustible love for us who believe.  Amen.

Offering

Offering Prayer    

“For the life that you have given”  TiS774 

[This song is sung to the tune Austria.  There is no introduction.  This YouTube recording 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.

Almighty God, we pray for the Church, of many members but yet the one body, that we may grow in unity and love as we manifest Christ’s saving love in the world.

We pray for grateful hearts, that we may grow in our awareness of all your blessings and make use of all the opportunities that we have to use them.

We pray for strength of spirit, that we may embrace the sufferings and challenges of life with courage and allow you to lead us through them to new life.

We pray for all who are being persecuted for the faith, that your Word and the love of fellow Christians may bring them strength and support.

We pray for all who are hungry, particularly refugees and those displaced by violence, that God will move others to provide them with food for their bodies and friendship for their spirits.

We pray for your guidance in keeping the waters of the World free from chemicals and other pollutants, so that the Human family and all your creatures may have safe water for drinking.

We pray for all who are suffering, that you will help the unemployed to find work, open resources to the homeless, protect run away children, and free those experiencing abuse.

We pray for Christian Unity, that you will heal the wounds and mistrust between Christians, and help them work together for your glory.

We pray that you will curtail the spread of the Covid-19 virus, that people will implement measures to hinder the spread of infections, and that the provision of vaccinations will be widespread around the world.  We pray for a ready supply of oxygen where it is needed, of a ready supply of personal protective equipment for medical and nursing staff, and of the availability of equipment and facilities for the treatment of seriously ill patients.

We pray for healing for those who are ill, and for the restoring of health for those who are injured.  Please give guidance and insight to those providing medical and nursing care.

We pray that you will remove the divisions in the Human family, that tensions between Nations will be replaced by cooperation, that differences between neighbours will be replaced by a sense of community, and that conflicts within families will be replaced by humility and forgiveness.

Copyright © 2021. 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 Religious Instruction classes at Bald Hills State School, that your Holy Spirit may be at work in the minds and hearts of the children who attend.

We pray for Kylie Conomos, the Chaplain at Bald Hills State School, that you will guide her as her interacts with the pupils and children at the School, that she will be aware of needs and of how to respond, that she is refreshed physically and spiritually so as to cope with what each day presents.

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

Hymn

“Leave God to order all your ways”  MHB504

[This hymn is sung to the tune Worsley.  This is the only YouTube that I could find for this tune.  It is for another hymn but there are no words shown so it can be easily sung for this hymn.  It continues for four verses, and as there are only three verses to this hymn, use the first verse as an introduction.]

My heart is full of Christ, and longs – St Mary Magdalene Church, Bleddfa, Knighton (Compton organ) – YouTube

Verse 1 of 3

Leave God to order all they ways,

And hope in Him whate’er betide;

You’ll find Him in the evil days

Thy all-sufficient strength and guide;

Who trusts in God’s unchanging love

Builds on the rock that nought can move.

Verse 2 of 3

Only the restless heart keep still,

And wait in cheerful hope content

To take whate’er His gracious will,

His all-discerning love, hath sent;

Nor doubt our inmost wants are known

To Him who chose us for His own.

Verse 3 of 3

Sing, pray, and swerve not from His ways,

But do thine own part faithfully;

Trust His rich promises of grace,

So shall they be filled in thee:

God never yet forsook at need

The soul that trusted Him indeed.

Georg Neumark

translated by Catherine Winkworth

Sacrament of Holy Communion 

(following Uniting in Worship 2 p162 to p222) 

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

“Praise with joy the World’s Creator”  TiS179

[This hymn is sung to the tune Praise my Soul.  There is no introduction.]

Verse 1 of 4

Praise with joy the World’s Creator,

God of justice, love and peace,

Source and end of Human knowledge,

Force of greatness without cease,

Celebrate the Maker’s glory,

Power to rescue and release.

Verse 2 of 4

Praise the Son who feeds the hungry,

Frees the captive, finds the lost,

Heals the sick, upsets religion,

Fearless both of fate and cost.

Celebrate Christ’s constant presence,

Friend and Stranger, Guest and Host.

Verse 3 of 4

Praise the Spirit sent among us,

Liberating truth from pride,

Forging bonds where race or gender,

Age or Nation dare divide.

Celebrate the Spirit’s treasure,

Foolishness none dare deride.

Verse 4 of 4

Praise the Maker, Son and Spirit,

One God in community,

Calling Christians to embody

Oneness and diversity.

Thus the World shall yet believe when

Shown Christ’s vibrant unity.

John Bell and Graham Maule

Benediction    

May we indeed rest at peace, despite what happens to us or around us, because we are assured of God’s constant presence by us, of His continual care for us, and of His inexhaustible love for us. 

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

Benediction Song

“For from Him, and through Him”  Scripture in Song volume 1 number 15

[I could not find a YouTube recording of this song nor of the tune]

For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things,

To God be the glory for ever, Amen.

For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things,

To God be the glory for ever, Amen.

Ena Thompson