Welcome: –

Call to Worship: – 

(from Psalm 29: 1,2,3,4,7,8,9,10,11) 

Praise the LORD, praise His glory and power, praise His glorious name,

the voice of the LORD is power, the voice of the LORD is majesty,

the voice of the LORD is upon the waters,

the voice of the LORD breaks the cedars,

the voice of the LORD makes the lightning flash, the voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness.

The LORD’s voice shakes the oaks and strips the leaves from the trees while everyone in His Temple shouts, “Glory to God!”

The LORD is King over the Flood, the LORD sits on His throne as King forever,

may the LORD give strength to His people, may the LORD bless His people with salvation.

  This Psalm writes as a person standing on a lakeside watching a storm develop and come towards them.  They feel the wind as it initially moves across the waters of the lake.  They see the waters of the lake being whipped up into waves by the wind.  They hear the wind howling in the tops of the trees.  They see hear the wind stripping the leaves from trees and breaking limbs from trees which come crashing down to the ground.  They see the rain coming down in sheets onto the ground, raising the water levels of the streams and flowing across the ground as a flood.  (Roger Van Harn & Brent Strawn in Psalms for Preaching and Worship  A Lectionary Commentary p121 & 122) 

  To the writer of the Psalm the storm is an image of the power and majesty of God, for the “voice of the LORD” is seen to be in control of all of the aspects of the storm.  But they acknowledge that “the voice of the LORD” is also to be seen as being in control of the tide of Human History; for they write:

“the LORD gives strength to His people, the LORD blesses His people with salvation” (v11). 

We, too, observe the power and majesty of God in the Nativity account, in the coming of Jesus in Human form to enact God work of Salvation upon the Earth.  It is upon that

understanding that we acknowledge God’s “glory and power”, and offer to God our praise.

Prayer of Praise   

  Almighty and eternal God, the Universe speaks of your greatness beyond our comprehension, the Universe reveals your limitless wisdom and foresight.  At your command Creation listens and obeys.  We are so utterly small and insignificant in comparison, yet you are beside us, caring for us, supporting us.  We give you our thanks and praise.

  When Jesus was baptised and your Holy Spirit descended from Heaven and alighted upon him, you revealed to the World that he was your beloved Son, and that you had blessed him and had empowered him for his ministry on Earth.  Jesus identified himself with our sin and showed us your gracious forgiveness, symbolised in the cleansing waters of baptism.  We give you our thanks and praise.

  You acknowledged Jesus as your only son, but, as well, we acknowledge that you have graciously adopt us as your children, to your honour and glory.  You are the source of our life, given so freely and abundantly.  You are the source of Light for Humanity and for our salvation.  In what and in whom then shall we fear?  You are the source of our courage and our strength, there is nothing then that we can want.  For your grace is sufficient for all of our Human weaknesses.  We give you our thanks and praise.

  Most glorious God, we worship you for who you are, the Creator God.  We worship you because you sustain us and give us life.  We worship you for what you have so powerfully demonstrated to the World, your love and grace and mercy, given to us so richly yet so undeserved, given to us so freely yet so unmerited.  Almighty and eternal God, to you alone we give all of our thanks and our praise, to the glory of your name forever.  Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing two Songs

‘This is my Commandment, that you love one another’  (Scripture in Song vol 2 number 266)

That you joy may be full.

Composer unknown

‘Make me like you’  (Scripture in Song volume 2 number 281)

Lord, make me like you.

Please make me like you.

You are a servant, make me one too.

O Lord, I am willing,

do what you must do

to make me like you Lord.

Just make me like you.

(repeat)

Whatever you do Lord,

just make me like you.

Jimmy and Carol Owens

Prayer of Confession   

Merciful God, we look at ourselves in your light and see all of our faults and our transgressions.  We feel so despondent when we realise how we have disappointed you in so many ways.  We hear the echo of your voice in the majesty of your Creation. 

But we also hear the sound of your grief at how we have despoiled what you have given to us, at the many ways that we have so wantonly used and wasted what you have provided.  We come humbly seeking your forgiveness.

We have experienced your comfort in many ways,

but we have become so inward looking and so involved in our own lives that we neglect to sympathise with those who are going through times of stress and strain, who feel that life has become so difficult that they cannot cope.  We come humbly seeking your forgiveness.

We take pride in what we can accomplish and achieve, and are all too quick to take offence at what someone may say about us, all too ready to reject criticism, all too unwilling to listen to advice. 

We feel that our worth is at stake without understanding that what is of most value is being able to walk humbly with you.  We come humbly seeking your forgiveness.

We confess with sorrow that we abuse your blessings, and fail to meet our obligations to family and friend and neighbour. 

We have not demonstrated the nature of generosity that is your image in which we have been created.  We say that we love outwardly, but in reality only love inwardly.  We come humbly seeking your forgiveness.

Merciful God, strengthen us to acknowledge your Son as our Lord and to walk with him on the path of obedience. 

May we always seek to live as your faithful children, may we always seek to be empowered by you to be the people that you want us to be.  May we be an example for the World that people need no longer live in darkness but can live in the light of your grace and forgiveness.  To your glory we pray.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness

(from Ephesians 2: 13) 

The Apostle Paul writes that God has brought us near to Him through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.  Having confessed our sins before God, let us trust this assurance from God that He has listened to our prayer and has forgiven us.

Thanks be to God.

Prayer of illumination 

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

Bible Readings

Psalm 2:

1  Why do the Nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?  2  The Kings of the Earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against His Anointed One.  3  “Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.”

4  The LORD who sits enthrones in Heaven laughs at them with scorn and scoffs at them.  5  Then He rebukes them in His anger and terrifies them with His wrath, saying,

6  “I have enthroned my King on Zion, my holy mountain.”

7  I will proclaim the decree of the LORD.  He said to me:

“You are my Son, today I have become your Father.  8  Ask of me, and I will make the Nations your inheritance, the ends of the Earth your possession.  9  you will rule them with an iron sceptre, you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”  10  Therefore, you Kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the Earth.  11  Serve the LORD with reverence and rejoice with awe.  Submit to the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment.  Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Isaiah 42:

1  “Here is my servant,” says the LORD, “whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the Nations.  2  He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets.  3  A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out.  In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;  4  he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on Earth.  Distant Lands eagerly wait for his teaching.’

5  This is what God the LORD says – He who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the Earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it:

6  “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand.  I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a Light for the Gentiles,  7  to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.  8  I am the LORD; that is my name!  I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.  9  See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”

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

This is the Word of God.

Praise to you Almighty God.

Mark 1:

9  At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised by John in the Riven Jordan.  10  As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw Heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.  11  And a voice came from Heaven:

“You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”  (Psalm 2: 7, Isaiah 42: 1) 

(New International Version)

This is the Gospel of our Lord.

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

For the young and the Young at Heart

  Here is a bit of history relating to the town of Nazareth in Israel.

Churches of the Annunciation in Nazareth, Israel

  The Annunciation is incorporated into the Church year at Advent.  The Illustrated Bible Dictionary defines the Annunciation as:

“The vision of Mary (Luke 1: 26 to 38), (that) announces the conception of a Messiah – Son and describes with poetic imagery Messiah’s human (Luke 1: 32) and divine (Luke 1: 34) character and the eternal nature of his Kingdom. (Luke 1: 33).”  (Earle Ellis article in The Illustrated Bible Dictionary Part 1 p68)

  Although the Annunciation revolves around an event in the life of Mary nine months prior to the birth of her son Jesus, the practice is to commemorate in the four weeks preceding Christmas.

  Now, should you have the privilege of venturing to the town of Nazareth in Israel at some point in your life, you will get the opportunity to visit, not one, but two churches that have been constructed on the sites of fourth century churches, long since destroyed, that were built to commemorate the Annunciation.

  The above map details the location of these two churches.  The Roman Catholic Church can be seen in the lower left-hand side of the map.  The Greek Orthodox church can be seen in the upper centre right of the map.  Note also the site of Mary’s Well, just to the south of the Greek orthodox church.  More on that later.

Roman Catholic Church of the Annunciation ©Shutterstock 

  The modern-day Roman Catholic Church of Annunciation in Nazareth is established over what Catholic tradition holds to be the site of the house of the Virgin Mary.  Here, it is believed, the archangel Gabriel told the young Mary that she would become the mother of the Son of God.  Christian tradition has held that a structure was commissioned by Emperor Constantine I, whose mother, Saint Helena, helped to found churches commemorating important events in Jesus Christ’s life.

The Greek Orthodox Church of St. Gabriel in Nazareth, Israel,

 also known as the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation

The Greek Orthodox Church of St. Gabriel in Nazareth, Israel,  also known as the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, is located over an underground “spring” (actually the outlet of a 17-metre conduit coming from an uphill spring), which according to Eastern Orthodox belief is where the Virgin Mary was drawing water at the time of the Annunciation.  Water from the spring still runs inside a side chapel of the church and also fed the adjacent site of Mary’s Well, located 150 yards (140m) away.

  In the Protoevangelium of James, a 2nd-century apocryphal text, it is stated that, “She took the jar and went out to fetch water.  Then a voice spoke to her: ‘Greetings, you who have received grace.  The Lord is with you, you blessed among women.'”

  The text continues, stating that, having looked around and seen no one, Mary returned home, placed the jar of water aside, and began to spin, whereupon the angel appeared before her to continue to inform of her appointed role.

  Susan Slyomovics wrote an article on the Annunciation in which she writes:

“Despite the singularity of the miracle of the messianic Annunciation, two churches built in Nazareth each vied to preserve a unique moment in mankind’s history at a precise locale that marks when and where the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary in fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”  For Roman Catholics, the divine-human encounter enacted through Gabriel to Mary occurred within the courtyard confines of the Basilica of the Annunciation.  Built as late as 1730 as a Franciscan church, demolished in 1955, and constructed anew by 1969, the Basilica is a Nazareth landmark labelled the largest house of Christian worship for Roman Catholics in the Middle East.  The Basilica stands in contrast to parallel claims of the Greek Orthodox location of the Annunciation.  As with two Annunciation sites in Nazareth, there are not two, but three, wells associated with the Virgin Mary where Mary, accompanied by the child Jesus, was said to draw water for her everyday needs: one located within the enclosure walls of the Roman Catholic Basilica, a second within the Greek Orthodox St. Gabriel Church in the Chapel of the Spring, both sites renowned as tourist and pilgrimage destinations for centuries, and the third located to the south of the Greek Orthodox St. Gabriel Church as you may recall me pointing out.  This one is located in the open on street level.  I could not incorporate a photograph of this third well because of copyright concerns.  Sectarian differences focus on the geography of the Annunciation, less so sustained by core theological divergences.  Each church claims to possess the actual geographical feature of Mary’s Well, just as each church maintains the association of the Virgin Mary symbolically and mythically with water.”

Slyomovics, Susan (2009). “Edward Said’s Nazareth”. Framework: The Journal of Cinema and Media. [Drake Stutesman, Wayne State University Press]. 50 (1/2): 9–45. ISSN 0306-7661. JSTOR 41552537  P16

  Ecclesiastical jealousy and pride between Catholic and Orthodox traditions has resulted in two churches commemorating the same incident in the life of Mary, but in different location.  So much for a united witness by the church to the World around us.

  Now, you can add one more church to the ‘bucket-list’ of things to do and see at Nazareth, the Roman Catholic Church of St Joseph, located adjacent to and to the north of the Roman Catholic Church of the Annunciation.  A fond tradition asserts that the Church of St Joseph in Nazareth is built over the carpentry workshop of the husband of the Virgin Mary.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the Hymn ‘Spirit divine, attend our prayers’  (TiS406  AHB377  MHB289)

Andrew Reed

Sermon

  We may be familiar with Spam, spiced ham in a can.  But what other unknown and unfamiliar delicacies can be found in a can?

Alligator

Rattlesnake

Reindeer meat© Danny Lawson – PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images

And reindeer.

  “A move that would shock and scar kids around the world, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen can all be eaten straight from a can.  Again, we know reindeer is perfectly acceptable to eat in many regions of the world, but we’ll stick to consuming animals that didn’t dash through the snow to bring us presents as children.”

The 20 weirdest foods ever available in a can (msn.com)

  When a new King ascends the throne, it is commonly a time of unease and discord.  What is unknown and unfamiliar to the new King?  The population was waiting to see if the new King would be able to rule his diverse Kingdom with the same wisdom and authority and power as the previous king, and thereby bring order and prosperity to the Kingdom.  History shows that this was also an ideal time for peoples defeated by the Kingdom and living under bondage or direct rule by the Kingdom to rebel and to fight to regain their freedom and independence.  We read this in Psalm 2: 1 and 3, where it reads:

“Why do the Nations plan rebellion?  Why do people make their useless plots?   ‘Let us free ourselves from their rule’ they say; ‘let us throw off their control.’”

    The religious hierarchy of a Kingdom equated such rebelliousness not just as a plot against the King, but also a plot against the god who had chosen the King to rule.  And we read this too in Psalm 2: 2, “their rulers plot together against the Lord and against the King He chooses”.  Having such an understanding and incorporating such an understanding in religious and Court ritual, was intended to provide order and system to government, to provide a balanced justice system for all, and to provide justification for the King’s actions and decisions.  To not have this understanding meant a risk of chaos, the outbreak of social disorder and political unrest, and leaving the Nation vulnerable to attack by powerful Empires hungry for expansion.

    Ancient Israel was no different.  In the Old Testament we have the accounts of God choosing a King to rule over His chosen people Israel.  In 1 Samuel 10:1 we read how Saul was chosen as King and anointed for the role.  In 1 Samuel 16: 13 we read how David was chosen as King and anointed for the role.  In 1 Chronicles 22: 9 we read how Solomon was chosen as King.  In each of these cases, because the choice was God’s, the Kingship is given legitimacy in the eyes of the people, those who will be ruled.  And so, we read Psalm 2 as part of a ritual that was enacted periodically to remind the Court and the people of Israel that obedience to the King was equated with obedience to God.

  To rebel against the King left one open to the wrath and punishment of God.  And this is

also included in Psalm 2: 4 and 5, where it reads “From His throne in Heaven the Lord laughs and mocks their feeble plans.  Then He warns them in anger and terrifies them with His fury.”

    Nations in the Near-East in the first and second millennium BC sought to give legitimacy to the reign of their Kings by decreeing that they had a divine right to rule, on the basis they had been chosen for that role by their particular god.  We can see this in religious rituals of the time that have survived.  We can read the same thing in Psalm 2: 6, where it reads, “On Zion, my sacred hill” (says the Lord), “I have installed my King.”  And they go a step further, by claiming that the god choosing the King also accepts them as a son, claiming a close or even a family relationship between the god and the King, and thereby affirming the god’s support for the King during his reign.  We can read the same thing in these religious rituals and also in Psalm 2:7, where the King states “(God) has said to me ‘you are my son; today I have become your father.’” 

    And to all intents and purposes, this is a correct understanding of Psalm 2, yet there is a deeper meaning also.  Psalm 2: 8 reads “Ask, and I will give you all the nations; the whole Earth will be yours.”  This is the style in which the Pharaohs of Egypt and the Kings of Assyria and Babylonia would have addressed themselves because of the vastness of their respective empires, so vast that it could be truly described as incorporating the then “known world”, or what was considered to be “the worthwhile world”.  But the problem is that this was never the case with the Kingdom of ancient Israel.  The Nation of Israel always knew the limits of their Kingdom in the north, the east and the south, simply because these were the shared borders with the larger kingdoms of Egypt and Assyria and Babylonia.  The western border was of course the Mediterranean Sea.  And it should not be seen as an arrogant presumption by the King of Israel for territorial expansion because it was not something that was sought by them.  The land promised to the people of God was Canaan and not the whole earth.  So how then is one to understand what we read?

    What this Psalm is saying is that the God of the Israelites, the one true Creator God, is in control, not just of visible History, but also of a universal History of a far wider scale and application.  Artur Weiser writes in his Commentary on Psalm 2 that “the centre of History is no longer the struggle of the great World Powers for existence (or supremacy), but God, whose relationship with the Earthly powers will determine their destiny.”  (Artur Weiser in The Psalms p111) 

God’s relationship with the Earthly powers will determine their destiny

    History is a sad record of Nations and Kingdoms and peoples losing their knowledge of and faith in the one true Creator God.  Genesis 11 records how the people in the city of Babel refused to obey God’s command to spread out over the Earth following the Flood and, instead, chose to build their great tower and to attempt to reach Heaven and therefore attempt to achieve equality with God.  The Old and New Testaments record people’s preference to seek out other gods in which to put their trust and obedience, and to reject the call to repent and return to the worship of the God of Israel.  We see the same thing today, with the call that everyone has the right to worship the god of their choice and to worship this god in their own way.  And, so, we can re-read Psalm 2: 3 as saying “Let us free ourselves from God’s rule,” people say, “let us throw off His control.”

    And what is God’s reaction to this?

  We have it in Psalm 2:

        Verse 4 – God mocks their schemes and their plans, their religious logic and arguments,

        Verse 5 – God warns them of the consequences of their actions and the inevitability that they must account for their actions and decisions,

        Verse 6 – God declares that He has chosen a King to rule, and to rule over them,

        Verse 7 – God declares His close relationship with His chosen King,

        Verse 8 – God decrees that all of the Earth will be under the control of the King.

    There are no ifs and buts.  There is no scope for compromise or alterations.  Earthly powers will have no say in how the King will rule nor in the decisions of God.  God is in complete control over History and the outcomes of History.

    In the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, there are a series of passages called the “Servant Songs”.  The first of these is in chapter 42.  In this passage there are parallels with Psalm 2.  There is an understanding that the Servant has been chosen by God.  Verse 1 reads “Here is my servant whom I have strengthened, the one I have chosen”.  Verse 6 reads “I, the Lord, have called you”.

  There is an understanding that this Servant has been anointed by God for a purpose.  Verse 1 reads “I have filled him with my Spirit”.  Verse 6 reads “I have given you power”.  There is an understanding that the Servant will have a role over the whole Earth.  Verse 1 reads “he will bring justice to every nation”.  Verse 4 reads “distant lands eagerly wait for

his teaching”.  Verse 6 reads, “through you I will bring light to the nations”.

    And it is also these verses that provide for us new details concerning God’s chosen Servant.  For this Servant will not just rule, for we read that he will bring justice for all, that he will bring new and reliable teaching, that he will bring illumination and hope into a World of darkness and despair.  But, most importantly, in verse 6 we read that, through the servant, God will make a covenant with all peoples.  This is so new and different, because up to this point in time, God’s covenant was solely with the Israelites.  Here, God is revealing that He is not some autocratic or dictatorial ruler, seeking power and riches through conquering and subjugating others solely for His own personal benefit.  God is seeking to bring all peoples into His Kingdom.  God’s rule will be one of love and hope and of right living.

    Why then do people oppose His rule?  Why then do people reject the very notion that He is the one true God.  God has chosen a King through whom to exercise the rule over His creation that is due to Him as the Creator.  And it is this control that people refuse to acknowledge, to which they refuse to accede.  People have always refused this, from Adam and Eve right through to the present day.

    Mark records the baptism of Jesus in three verses.  How are we to understand the account of the baptism of Jesus?  We are to read it in the light of Psalm 2.  For here we do not have the King asserting their right to rule, neither do we have this assertion coming from any advisor to the King nor from any Chief Priest.  For in this Gospel account of the baptism of Jesus we hear the very voice of God declaring in effect “Here is my chosen King”. 

Notice the words that are recorded by Mark, for God states “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”.  (Mark 1: 11)  Notice the parallel with Psalm 2 where God in appointing the King declares His close relationship with them.  We also have in the account mention of God’s Spirit coming down upon Jesus, in effect anointing and empowering Jesus for his coming ministry, again mirroring what we read in Psalm 2 and in Isaiah 42. 

    The baptism of Jesus was the time when God declared to the World that Jesus was His chosen King.  And it was an affirmation of what had previously been said on several occasions.  The Angels speaking to the shepherds in the fields, spoke of the birth of “Christ the Lord”.  Simeon, when he saw the baby Jesus on the occasion of his dedication in the Temple spoke about Jesus bringing salvation and being a light to the Gentiles.  The visitors from the east knew that Jesus was born to be the King of the Jews.  John the Baptist said of Jesus when he came to be baptised that he was “the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the World” (John 1:29)

    What is our response?  Are we part of the group in the Temple shouting “glory to God”?  Or are we with those who reject God’s authority and plot to escape from God’s rule?

    There is no fence on which to sit.  Either we listen to the voice of God proclaiming that Jesus is the chosen King, or we close our minds and hearts to God’s will for Humanity.  The coming of Jesus into the World ushered in God’s work of salvation for all Humanity.  Let us fall humbly in worship before God thanking Him for His merciful approach to us, for His gracious offer of salvation, and for the loving way that He has restored our relationship with Him.

verse 1 of a hymn “I surrender all” by Judson DeVenter

All to Jesus I surrender,

all to him I freely give;

I will ever love and trust him,

in his presence daily live.

(https://hymnary.org/text/all_to_jesus_i_surrender)   Amen.

Offering

Offering Prayer   

“For the life that you have given”  TiS774 

 [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

Almighty God, we bring to you our prayers for all those who are exhausted and need rest,

for those suffering from long term illness, for those who are working on the frontline in hospitals or emergency service personnel and who need time to rest and recover.

We pray this New Year for all those who need clean water to live and thrive,

for those who are suffering because their water supplies are polluted by flooding, or are diminishing from the effects of drought.

We pray today for all who need Your guidance and who need to hear Your voice this New Year.

We ask that we might enable us to be the conduits of Your light and wisdom in our communities and churches.  Let us be the ones to plant harmony and reconciliation deeply within the Earth.  Lead us to bear witness to friends and neighbours in this community.  Fill our words and manner of life with the convincing power of your Spirit.

As the prophet Isaiah rang out, “Arise, shine; for your light has come”;

so empower your Church, to ring out the Good News of the Light of your son Jesus, which pierces even the deepest darkness of sin and despair.

As a star rose high into the nighttime sky to draw the nations to the Christ-child; so send your blessing, O God, on every nation, and draw the whole World to your peace and truth.

May peacetime grow in our day, in every nation under heaven.  May people devastated by war find strength from people who understand compassion and love.

As John the Baptist guided throngs of people on the edge of the wilderness, and baptized Jesus in the River Jordan,

we pray that you would guide our country and our leaders to the ways of justice and righteousness.

As Jesus climbed the mountaintop, and proclaimed blessings on the people of the World;

we pray for healing and wholeness for the sick and the distressed, people suffering

physical diminishment, those who are bedridden, those who live in pain, the poor and the lame.  Please bring gifts of calm and comfort in their nighttime restlessness.  May our presence instil courage for all who are alone in darkness and fear.

We pray for truthfulness within our Church.

May false power be replaced with humble love for all people under heaven.  May God’s truth be revealed in our common prayer and tender service toward others.

May those who suffer because they have named you as Lord be strengthened to endure every temptation.

Give courage, insight, and loving patience to those who have left their own people to proclaim the Gospel to those yet unreached.

Just as the Magi came bearing gifts to the Christ Child, so may we offer ourselves to our Lord.

Lead us, Lord, to nurture and share our gifts with the World around us.  Through the tasks laid before us today, may the message of your grace fall on an ear that needs to hear it.

Lord Jesus, Light of the World, hear our prayers, and make us reflections of your Light, that the places of darkness in our world would be pierced by your Light, and that all nations would be drawn to you to repent of their errors, to strive for righteous living, and, thus, to be overwhelmed with joy.

(https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/worship/weekly-worship/monthly/2024-january/7-january)

The Epiphany of the Lord, January 7, 2024, Cycle B, The Prayers of the Faithful

Prayers for the First Week after Epiphany (January 8-14, 2023)

~ written by Rick Morley, and posted on A Garden Path. http://www.rickmorley.com/ – https://re-worship.blogspot.com/search/label/Epiphany%201%20B

The Leprosy Mission Prayer

Almighty Father, the giver of life and health, look mercifully on those who suffer from leprosy.  Stretch out your hand to touch and heal them as Jesus did during his earthly life.  Grant wisdom and insight to those who are seeking the prevention and cure of the disease.  Give skill and sympathy to those who minister to the patients.  Reunite the separated with their family and friends.  And inspire your people with the task set before The Leprosy Mission, that it may never lack the staff nor the means to carry on its healing work, in accordance with your will, and to the glory of your holy name.  We ask this for the sake of Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.

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

We pray for the peoples of Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine.

We are thankful for lands and monuments sacred in the origins of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, for those who unceasingly work for peace and reconciliation in the Holy Land, for the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel, and for those who continue to welcome the multitudes of refugees in their lands.

We pray for ending the violence racking this region, that the people might live together in peace, security and respect for each other, for those who have grown weary and disillusioned in searching for solutions, for an end to religious differences being exploited to perpetuate conflict and further displacement of people, and for political leaders who will courageously bring about justice and reconciliation for the sake of all.

A Prayer for Jerusalem

O God of Sarah and Abraham, our tears are mixed with yours, weeping for the cities in the world.

We weep for the holy cities and especially for Jerusalem:
where brothers and sisters kill each other,
where hatred feeds and nourishes anger,
where animosity blinds mercy,
where religions divide,
as children learn to hate and the elderly nurse old grudges.

We see, and we grieve;
and yet we have not loved the things that make for peace.

We weep for oppressed cities, and in particular for Jerusalem:
where rigid laws imprison freedom,
where thinking is confined and conscience is abated,
where those who question are branded as traitors,
where creativity and righteousness are beaten,
where pluralism is chained.

We weep for all cities, and for Jerusalem.
We see and we grieve;
and yet we have not learned the things that make for peace.

Teach us to walk the way that leads to life.
Transform our grief into determination, our tears into action,
and our acts into a just peace.  Amen.

(From “Jerusalem: The City of Justice and Peace,“ a worship liturgy prepared by Palestinian theologians and laity for World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel 2013, available at www.worldweekforpeace.org; adapted)

An excerpt from the Coptic anaphora

O King of peace, give us your peace,
establish for us your peace, and forgive us our sins.
Bless us all, purify our hearts.
Heal the sickness, of our souls and our bodies.
We worship you, O Christ, with your good Father,
and the Holy Spirit, for you have come to save us.
Have mercy on us.

(Coptic hymn in the form of prayer from the Coptic Anaphora)

A prayer by Christian, Jewish and Muslim clergy

Eternal God, Creator of the universe, there is no God but you.
Great and wonderful are your works, wondrous are your ways.
Thank you for the many splendored variety of your creation.
Thank you for the many ways we affirm your presence and purpose,
Thank you for the freedom to do so.
Forgive our violation of your creation.
Forgive our violence toward each other.
We stand in awe and gratitude at your persistent love
for each and all of your children: Christian, Jew, Muslim,
as well as those with other faiths.
Grant to all our leaders attributes of the strong;
mutual respect in word and deed, restraint in the exercise of power,
and the will for peace with justice for all.
Eternal God, Creator of the Universe, there is no God but you.  Amen.

(Excerpted from Current Dialogue 24/93, p.36)

(https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/prayer-cycle/egypt-israel-jordan-lebanon-palestine)

We pray for the Summer camps Scripture Union will be running in partnership with the Anglican diocese and embracing ministries for the first time.

We pray for St Helens Beach Mission, in Tasmania, run from Jan 8-12, for the new team leaders Paul and Lisa Hobby and their brand new team.

We pray for the Camp Coolamatong Interns who will arrive from around Australia and around the world on Sunday 7^th January, to commence their training on Jan 15-Feb 2.  We pray that they will settle in quickly and be a blessing to each other, staff and campers as the year unfolds.

We pray for the students in Western Sydney feeling disconnected as their usual school support network isn’t available during their summer break.  We pray that Teachers and Chaplains will rest well and prepare for term 1.

We pray for Family Camp North run from Jan 18-22.  We pray for the new team leader, Janine Targett, and a special blessing to all the families who will attend.

We pray for the Ubertweak Summer camp running at Mt Tamborine during Jan 14-19.  We pray for fine weather, that the recent damage will be mended, and that the time will be a blessing for those who attend.

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

We pray for those who plan to undertake Religious Instruction classes at Bald Hills State School in the new year.  Guide them in their preparation for the words to say and the approach to take with the children in their classes. 

We pray for Kylie Conomos, the Scripture Union Chaplain at Bald Hills State School, as she rests during these holidays before returning in the new school year to address the concerns and needs of children, parents and teachers at the school.

We pray for those who we have not seen for some time and who are unable to attend worship.  Please guide and comfort them in their particular circumstances.  May they be aware of your care for them as they meet what each new day brings.

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

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing Hymn ‘O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness’  (TiS454  AHB382  MHB9)

John Monsell

Sacrament of Communion 

(following Uniting in Worship 2 p162 to p222) 

The Peace

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

The Invitation

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

Prayer of Approach

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

Narrative of the Institution of the Lord’s Supper

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

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

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

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

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

Give us today our daily bread.

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

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

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

now and forever.  Amen.

Breaking of the Bread

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

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

The gifts of God for the People of God.

Lamb of God

Jesus, Lamb of God,

Have mercy on us.

Jesus, bearer of our sins,

Have mercy on us.

Jesus, redeemer of the World,

Grant us peace.

The Distribution

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

(after all have received the bread)

The body of Christ keep you in eternal life.

(after all have received the juice)

The blood of Christ keep you in eternal life.

Prayer after Communion

Blessed be God who calls us together.

Praise to God who makes us one People.

Blessed be God who has forgiven our sins.

Praise to God who gives us hope and freedom.

Blessed be God whose Word is proclaimed.

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

Blessed be God who alone has called us.

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

Accept, O God, our sacrifice of praise.

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

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing Hymn ‘Standing on the Promises’  (Alexander’s Hymns no. 3 number 160)

Russell Kelso Carter

Benediction    

  May the Lord bless us with his presence, may we experience his creative Spirit in our lives, giving Light to our path, giving order to the chaos in our lives, and filling our hearts with his everlasting love.

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

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

“By gracious powers so wonderfully sheltered”  TiS617

Verse 1 of 1

By gracious powers so wonderfully sheltered,

and confidently waiting come what may,

we know that God is with us night and morning

and never fails to greet us each new day.

We shall remember, all the days we live through,

all of our life before our God we lay.

Dietrich Bonhoffer  Translated by Frederick Pratt Green  (adapted)