You can watch the bible readings and sermon here, or scroll down to read the rest of the Sunday prayers and content, and watch this video at the point it occurs during worship.
Welcome
We believe all people are made in the image of God and that no matter their experience of life or their gender, sexuality, status or standing in the community they are welcome in this space where Christ Jesus is acknowledged as Lord. His ministry is one of inclusion, teaching, healing and love.
We seek to do and be the same through the inspiration, power and presence of the Holy Spirit.
Acknowledgement of country
As we meet here today in a building on Chipilly Ave, on land that has been cared for for thousands of years by Dharawal peoples, let us now pay respect to those Elders, past present and emerging.
Lighting the Candle
In this place we light the candle to remind us that as we meet, Christ is in our midst, Christ is the light of the world and Christ is our hope. Lighten the dark places of this world and the dark places of our minds with that Hope and reassurance.
Call to worship
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for you, Lord, have looked with favour
on your lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
you, the Almighty, have done great things for me
and holy is your name.
You have mercy on those who fear you,
from generation to generation.
You have shown strength with your arm
and scattered the proud in their conceit,
casting down the mighty from their thrones
and lifting up the lowly.
You have filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty.
You have come to the aid of your servant Israel,
to remember the promise of mercy,
the promise made to our forebears,
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Hymn: Take my life and let it be
Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise.
Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee.
Take my voice and let me sing
always, only, for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from thee.
Take my silver and my gold;
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as thou shalt choose.
Take my will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne.
Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee.
Confession
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.
See if there is any wicked way in me,
and lead me to the way everlasting.
Psalm 139 23-24
Lord we try so hard to do the right thing, say the right thing, think the right thing- but face the fact that either knowingly or unknowingly, we don’t quite get it right every time. All the time. So weekly, and perhaps daily in our own prayers, we humbly come before you and acknowledge we are not perfect. But you in your love and mercy, accept us where we are, and give us strength and courage to try again. Progress, not perfection.
For our foolish or careless use
of the gifts of your creation:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
For our indifference to the needs of others,
our brothers and sisters for whom you died:
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
For our neglect of the means of grace,
for superficial worship, for selfish prayer:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Absolution
This is the best of all:
when we are empty, God fills us;
when we are disheartened, God is compassionate;
when we are wounded, God brings healing;
when we are confess our sin, God forgives.
In Christ, through Christ and because of Christ,
our sins are forgiven.
Thanks be to God.
You refill the cup of life, O God.
In Christ, we find refuge and strength.
Bible reading: Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17
Poem The Christ of the “Never” – Henry Lawson, 1898
With eyes that seem shrunken to pierce
To the awful horizons of land,
Through the haze of hot days, and the fierce
White heat-waves that flow on the sand;
Through the Never Land westward and nor’ward,
Bronzed, bearded and gaunt on the track,
Quiet-voiced and hard-knuckled, rides forward
The Christ of the Outer Out-back.
For the cause that will ne’er be relinquished
Spite of all the great cynics on earth —
In the ranks of the bush undistinguished
By manner or dress — if by birth —
God’s preacher, of churches unheeded —
God’s vineyard, though barren the sod —
Plain spokesman where spokesman is needed —
Rough link ‘twixt the bushman and God.
He works where the hearts of all nations
Are withered in flame from the sky,
Where the sinners work out their salvations
In a hell-upon-earth ere they die.
In the camp or the lonely hut lying
In a waste that seems out of God’s sight,
He’s the doctor — the mate of the dying
Through the smothering heat of the night.
By his work in the hells of the shearers,
Where the drinking is ghastly and grim,
Where the roughest and worst of his hearers
Have listened bareheaded to him.
By his paths through the parched desolation
Hot rides and the terrible tramps;
By the hunger, the thirst, the privation
Of his work in the furthermost camps
By his worth in the light that shall search men
And prove — ay! and justify each —
I place him in front of all churchmen
Who feel not, who know not — but preach!
Bible reading Mark 12:38 – 13:2
Sermon John McK
Hymn: Inspired by love and anger
Inspired by love and anger, disturbed by need and pain,
Informed of God’s own bias, we ask him once again:
“How long must some folk suffer? How long can few folk mind?
How long dare vain self-interest turn prayer and pity blind?”
From those forever victims of heartless human greed,
Their cruel plight composes a litany of need:
“Where are the fruits of justice? Where are the signs of peace?
When is the day when prisoners and dreams find their release?”
From those forever shackled to what their wealth can buy,
The fear of lost advantage provoke the bitter cry:
“Don’t query our position! Don’t criticise our wealth!
Don’t mention those exploited by politics and stealth!”
To God, who through the prophets proclaimed a different age,
We offer earth’s indifference, its agony and rage:
“When will the wronged by righted? When will the kingdom come?
When will the world be generous to all instead of some?”
God asks, “Who will go for me? Who will extend my reach?
And who, when few will listen, will prophesy and preach?
And who, when few bid welcome, will offer all they know?
And who, when few dare follow, will walk the road I show?”
Amused in someone’s kitchen, asleep in someone’s boat,
Attuned to what the ancients exposed, proclaimed and wrote,
A saviour without safety, a tradesman without tools
Has come to tip the balance with fishermen and fools.
(Tune: Sally Gardens (Irish trad.) c. Wild Goose Publications, c/o The Iona Community)
Announcements
Offertory (Mite)
Take my silver and my gold. Not a mite would I withhold.
Well, that’s not the case with me but….God, we thank you for your generosity and our good fortune in this world where many lack so much. You have made us stewards of what we have. Take these tokens and our time and talents, to put towards furthering the work of your Kingdom here on earth.
Hymn: Take my gifts and let me love you,
God who first of all loved me,
gave me light and food and shelter
gave me life and set me free.
Now because your love has touched me,
I have love to give away,
now the bread of love is rising,
loaves of love to multiply!
Take the fruit that I have gathered
from the tree your Spirit sowed,
harvest of your own compassion,
juice that makes the wine of God,
spiced with humor, laced with laughter–
flavor of the Jesus life,
tang of risk and new adventure,
taste and zest beyond belief.
Take whatever I can offer–
gifts that I have yet to find,
skills that I am slow to sharpen,
talents of the hand and mind,
things made beautiful for others
in the place where I must be:
take my gifts and let me love you,
God who first of all loved me.
Prayers of the People
Dismissal
Loving God, thank you for this time together. Send us out with renewed zeal and courage to be the people you want us to be. Send us out with determination and perseverance.
May we accept the things we cannot change, strive to change the things we can, and wisdom and serenity to accept that life is not always easy.
And may the Grace of our lord Jesus Christ, the Love of the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all, evermore, AMEN
Hymn: When God almighty (Christmas in the air)
When God Almighty came to be one of us,
Masking the glory of his golden train,
Dozens of plain things kindled by accident,
And they will never be the same again.
Sing all you midwives, dance all the carpenters,
Sing all the publicans and shepherds too,
God in his mercy uses the commonplace
God on his birthday had a need of you.
Splendour of Rome and Local Authority,
Working on policy with furrowed head,
Joined to locate Messiah’s nativity,
Just where the prophets had already said.
Sing all you tax-men, dance the Commissioners,
Sing civil servants and policemen too,
God to his purpose uses the governments,
God on his birthday had a need of you.
Wise men, they called them, earnest astrologers,
Watching for meaning in the moving stars,
Science or fancy, learned or laughable,
Theirs was a vision that was brought to pass.
Sing all you wise men, dance all the scientists,
Whether your theories are false or true,
God uses knowledge, God uses ignorance,
God on his birthday had a need of you.
Sing, all creation, made for his purposes,
Called by his providence to live and move:
None is unwanted, none insignificant,
Love needs a universe of folk to love,
Old men and maidens, young men and children,
Black ones and coloured ones and white ones too,
God on his birthday, and to eternity,
Took upon himself the need of you.
(Michael Hewlett c. 1969 Galliard) Northumbrian air arr Tom Fettke)
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