You can watch today’s sermon on YouTube here, or scroll down to find the video embedded at its place in Sunday’s liturgy.
The story of God is bigger, wider, more inclusive and welcoming, filled with more love than we could ever imagine.
Wherever you are on your spiritual journey, wherever you’ve come from, wherever you’re going to, whatever you believe, whatever you do not believe, you are welcome.
There is room here for everyone. There is room here for you
WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF COUNTRY
As we gather, we acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land and these waters – the Dharawal people. We pay respect to elders past, present and emerging.
As First and Second Peoples walking together, we commit ourselves to be people of the covenant, listening, truth telling and seeking justice for all.
(A post-referendum prayer from Rev Alex Sangster in Melbourne)
Firstly..from our preamble, we in the UCA recognise the truth that: The First Peoples had already encountered the Creator God before the arrival of the colonizers; and that the Spirit was already in the land revealing God to the people through law, custom and ceremony.
And that the same love and grace that was finally revealed in Jesus Christ sustained the First Peoples and gave them particular insights into God’s ways.
So now we sit together and open our hearts. We who have said yes, we who have said no.
We sit with our division and revision and the confusion and our pain.
We sit.
Shhhhhhhhhhhhh
Now is not the time for speeches.
Now is holy silence.
No more words.
Not yet.
Be still and know that God is God
Be still and know that the “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
Be still.
And then,
when we can,
we will resume the work of love.
SONG: Deep Stillness
For you, deep stillness of the silent inland
For you, deep blue of the desert skies
For you, flame red of the rocks and stones
For you, sweet water from hidden springs
From the edges, seek the heartlands
And when you’re burnt by the journey
May the cool winds of the hovering Spirit – soothe and replenish you
In the name of Christ
Words by Julie Perrin, Music by Robin Mann 1996 Used with permission CCLI Licence # 31951
MOMENT of QUIET REFLECTION
CHRIST CANDLE
In darkness, Christ Jesus came to be light to the world, so that we might follow and not lose our way.
We light the Christ candle acknowledging the One who is the Light, the Truth & the Way.
CALL TO WORSHIP
Creator God, as the sun warms the earth & scatters the mist, so your Son warms our very being & scatters the darkness of regret, failure, disengagement & despair. Come Spirit of God & set on fire every part of our being so that we may worship you with all that we are & with all we can become.
SONG: Christ be our Light
Longing for light, we wait in darkness, Longing for truth, we turn to you
Make us your own, your holy people, Light for the world to see
Christ be our light, Shine in our hearts, Shine through the darkness
Christ be our light, Shine in your church gathered today
Longing for peace, our world is troubled, Longing for hope many despair
Your word alone has pow’r to save us, Make us your living voice
Christ be our light, etc.
Many the gifts, many the people, Many the hearts that yearn to belong
Let us be servants to one another, Making your kingdom come
Christ be our light, etc.
Words & Music by Bernadette Farrell 1993 Published by OCP Publications Used with permission CCLI Licence # 31951
PRAYER OF CONFESSION by Bruce Prewer
Let us pray.
With you, loving God, is the beauty that shows up the defects in us, with you is the goodness which shames the evil in us.
Yet also with you is the love that embraces us, that Christ-love that welcomes common sinners and eats with them.
Many are the times we have turned our back on you, but never has there been a time when you have turned your back on us.
Today we come again, some of us feeling guilty, some feeling frustrated with ourselves, some feeling despondent, and maybe some feeling apathetic.
Enfold us all, we pray, within your saving love.
Please deal with us in the way we most need; speak comfortable words or rebuke us, tend our wounds or lance our infections, awaken our conscience or calm our nagging anxiety.
Holy Friend, give to the timid the courage to accept your mercy, and give the proud the humility to seek your forgiveness. Please touch every person with the redeeming love of Christ Jesus. In whose name we pray. Amen!
FORGIVENESS
Family of God, God knows your need before you ask for help. There is enough mercy to cover all your sins, and not yours only, but those of the whole world.
Therefore put the past and its errors behind you. Live as forgiven people, for in Christ, such you truly are! Thanks be to God!
INTRO to the THEME
(To set the scene of the context for this Exodus reading and for all of my thoughts I do want to acknowledge the content is largely taken from the podcast ‘By the Well’ Rev Robyn Whitaker and Monica Melanchthon)
Chapter 19 – 24
The people are in Sinai, and there they enter into a Covenant with God. God gave them explicit instructions about worship of other gods. The Covenant (agreement between the people and God) includes not only the Ten Commandments (chapter 20) but also various laws on how Israelites were to deal with one another as they entered the Land.
Chapters 25-31 describes the plan for the building of the tabernacle, the dwelling place of God And the command ‘You shall have no other gods before me has been violated, Israel have been disloyal. Disobedience and violation of this established relationship.
BIBLE READINGS
Exodus 32: 1-14
32:1 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”
32:2 Aaron said to them, “Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.”
32:3 So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron.
32:4 He took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”
32:5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a festival to the LORD.”
32:6 They rose early the next day, and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel.
32:7 The LORD said to Moses, “Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely;
32:8 they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!'”
32:9 The LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are.
32:10 Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation.”
32:11 But Moses implored the LORD his God, and said, “O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?
32:12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people.
32:13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'”
32:14 And the LORD changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.
Philippians 4:1-9
4:1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.
4:2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.
4:3 Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.
4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
4:5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.
4:6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
4:8 Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
4:9 Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.
MESSAGE
We will now hear the words of Psalm 106 that makes reference to this moment with Moses.
Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23
106:1 Praise the LORD! O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.
106:2 Who can utter the mighty doings of the LORD, or declare all his praise?
106:3 Happy are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times.
106:4 Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people; help me when you deliver them;
106:5 that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory in your heritage.
106:6 Both we and our ancestors have sinned; we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly.
106:19 They made a calf at Horeb and worshiped a cast image.
106:20 They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass.
106:21 They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt,
106:22 wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
106:23 Therefore he said he would destroy them– had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them.
MUSIC for CONTEMPLATION
Jesus Strong and Kind
Jesus said that if I thirst
I should come to Him
No one else can satisfy
I should come to Him
Jesus said, if I am weak
I should come to Him
No one else can be my strength
I should come to Him
Chorus
For the Lord is good and faithful
He will keep us day and night
We can always run to Jesus
Jesus, strong and kind
Jesus said that if I fear
I should come to Him
No one else can be my shield
I should come to Him
Chorus
Jesus said, if I am lost
He will come to me
And He showed me on that cross
He will come to me
Chorus x2
Jesus, strong and kind
Songwriters: Rich Thompson / Colin Keith Robert Buchanan / Michael Ray Farren / Jonny Robinson
© Universal Music Publishing Pty. Ltd., Farren Love And War Publishing, Integrity’s Alleluia! Music, Cityalight Music
Used with permission CCLI Licence # 31951
GIVING
Offerings and donations enable us to continue the mission and ministry of Engadine.
OFFERING PRAYER
Take these gifts, giver of all, and use them for
your good purpose. Take our lives, lover of all
and use us to invite others into the community of
your loving embrace. In Jesus’ name, Amen
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & LORD’S PRAYER Heather S
SONG God Gives us Future
God gives us a future, daring us to go
into dreams and dangers on a path unknown.
We will face tomorrow in the Spirit’s power,
we will let God change us,
for new life starts now.
We must leave behind us sins of yesterday,
for God’s new beginning is a better way.
Fear and doubt and habit must not hold us back:
God gives hope, and insight,
and the strength we lack.
Holy Spirit, teach us how to read the signs,
how to meet the challenge of our troubled times.
Love us into action, stir us into prayer,
till we choose God’s life,
and find our future there.
© E J Smith
A Franciscan Benediction
May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers,
half -truths, superficial relationships,
so that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger at injustice,
oppression and exploitation,
so that you will work for justice, equity and peace.
May God bless you with tears to shed
for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war,
so that you will reach out your hand to comfort them, and change their pain to joy.
And may God bless you with the foolishness to think
that you can make a difference in the world,
so that you will do the things which others tell you cannot be done.
Amen.
SONG: When I Survey
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
by Isaac Watts
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