How ‘true’ are the walls of your faith?

WELCOME

Friends, you are welcome in this place as I am welcome. Our time together, is God’s gift to each of us. We come with what we know of and have experienced in life, we come seeking to discover what we don’t yet know about ourselves, our God and God’s hopes and dreams for our lives. We declare in Jesus’ name that this is a safe physical, emotional and spiritual environment for all who search for meaning and purpose in life. Together let us seek to be Christ’s light and salt in the world. Welcome.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF COUNTRY

We gather as people of faith on Dharawal land. We acknowledge their continuous link with the land & its Creator. We acknowledge that their land was never sold or ceded. It was taken because our forebears could. We acknowledge their elders past & present & our journey together of justice making & reconciliation as we too long for their Uluru Statement of the Heart to be acknowledged.

CANDLE LIGHTING

Darkness abounds, it can cause death, apathy and despair. No one is immune to its influence. But God’s people seek and search for light. The Light that came in Christ Jesus the Light of the world. Darkness has not overcome His light or our ability to carry His light and discover Him at work in the world. Candle lit.

CALL TO WORSHIP In response to the ABC story on the state of child protection in Australia

How shall we worship God this day and every day?

By doing justice for all children.

How shall we worship God this day and every day?

By loving kindness and caring for all children and teenagers.

How shall we worship God this day and every day?

By walking with God in faith and truly leaving no child, teenager or vulnerable adult behind.

Let us ask what God requires of us in protecting the least, the vulnerable, and left behind of our brothers and sisters. And let us worship God this day and every day with just-filled kindness and faith!

© Interfaith Service for Justice for Children at the Washington National Cathedral (based on)

HYMN Music – Irene

Let justice flow like streams

of sparkling water pure

Enabling growth, refreshing life

abundant, cleansing, sure.

Let righteousness roll on

as others’ cares we heed

An ever flowing stream of faith

translated into deed.

So may God’s plumb line, straight

define our measure true

And justice, right, and peace pervade

this world our whole life through.

© Interfaith Service for Justice for Children at the Washington National Cathedral October 28, 2005

Words by Jane Parker Huber. “Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands at a distance; For truth stumbles in the public square…The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice”. (Isaiah 59)

WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS

PRAYER OF CONFESSION based on the Psalm for today Psalm 25:1-7 (NIV)

In you, Lord my God, we put our trust. I trust in you; We trust in you. Do not let us be put to shame, nor overwhelmed by guilt or grief. No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame. Show us as individuals and as a faith community your ways, Lord, teach us your paths. Forgive us if we can’t find your footsteps or don’t know what they look like. Guide us in your truth and teach us, patiently, quickly, boldly, for you are God my Saviour, and my hope and our hope is in you all day long.
At the end of this life and here now, remember, Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth and our rebellious ways; but according to your love remember each one of us, for you, Lord, are good and upright. Praise be to God. Amen

BIBLE READINGS John & Robyn

Amos 7:7 – 17 (NRSV) This is what he showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel;

I will spare them no longer; the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”

Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to King Jeroboam of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the very centre of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos has said, ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile away from his land.’

”And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, earn your bread there, and prophesy there, but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.” Then Amos answered Amaziah, “I am no prophet nor a prophet’s son, but I am a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore trees, and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’

“Now therefore hear the word of the Lord. You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel, and do not preach against the house of Isaac.’ Therefore thus says the Lord: Your wife shall become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be parcelled out by line; you yourself shall die in an unclean land, and Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land.”

Luke 10:25 – 37 (NRSV) An expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?”

He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbour as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” But wanting to vindicate himself, he asked Jesus,

“And who is my neighbour?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and took off, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came upon him, and when he saw him he was moved with compassion. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, treating them with oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him, and when I come back I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”

He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Here, surprisingly, we find Life. Abundant & Generous. Thanks be to God!

A LAMENT

How long, O God will our leaders mislead, our judges impede justice, our peace-keepers disrupt?

How long, how long, and how long will we stay silent?

How long, O God, will children go hungry, will women remain unsafe, will queer folk be shamed?

How long, how long, and how long will we stay silent?

How long, O God, will fear reign, will ignorance lead, will greed guide?

How long, how long, and how long will we stay silent?

How long, O God, will we turn from you.

How long until we return to you,

How long until we remember again?

MESSAGE How ‘true’ are the walls of your faith? (sermon starts at 6.45)

HYMN

God as with silent hearts we bring to mind
How hate and war diminish humankind
We pause and seek in worship to increase
Our knowledge of the things that make for peace.

Hallow our will as humbly we recall
The lives of those who gave and give their all
We thank You Lord for women children men
Who seek to serve in love today as then.

Give us deep faith to comfort those who mourn
High hope to share with all the newly born
Strong love in our pursuit of human worth
Lest we forget the future of this earth.

So Prince of Peace disarm our trust in power
Teach us to coax the plant of peace to flower
May we impassioned by Your living Word
Remember forward to a world restored.

OFFERING PRAYER

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE Bruce

BLESSING & BENEDICTION – SCRIPTURE IN SONG 419 (sing once each side of church, then all together)

I love You Lord, and I lift my voice; to worship You, O my soul rejoice
Take joy my Lord, in what You hear; may it be a sweet sweet sound, in Your ear.

CCLI Song # 25266 Laurie Klein © 1978, 1980 House Of Mercy Music (Admin. by SHOUT! Music Publishing Australia) For use solely with the SongSelect® All rights reserved. www.ccli.com CCLI Licence # 31951

How ‘true’ are the walls of your faith?

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