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.
Acknowledgement of Country
For thousands of years First Peoples have been caring for this land. They watched for the seasons, knowing when to harvest and when to plant, knowing when to stay and when to move, knowing how to read the signs of the time. As we gather today, we acknowledge the wisdom of the traditional owners of this land, the Dharawal People and pay our respects to their elders, past and present
We commit to listening to Indigenous wisdom, and walking together for truth, reconciliation and justice for all.
A warm welcome is extended to all.
Especially those who are here visiting or with us for the first time. Welcome to our friends online.
God loves and accepts us just as we are. Engadine Uniting is a safe place for all people to gather regardless of age, ability, sexuality, or culture. We gather today accepting each other in our diversity to seek love and joy in the presence of God. Know that you are loved and that your presence here this morning both enriches each one of us and our worship time together.
Introduction to Advent
Today the first Sunday in Advent, the first Sunday of the church year. The turning from one year to the next is often a time of reflection, both on what has been and what is anticipated in the future.
Advent is a time of waiting. It is a time when we intentionally prepare and look with anticipation to the celebration of Christmas.
It doesn’t matter whether you are hope-filled or hope-less: whether or not you are cynical or despairing, what matters to God is simply that you are here.
We are entering the time of Advent,
in preparation for Christmas.
We need to make the space in our lives where love might be born and flourish
The season of Advent challenges us
to see God’s vision of what is yet to be,
to hear God’s voice calling anew,
to smell the scent of God in our world
THE ADVENT WREATH
Our advent candle wreath this year is deliberately not perfect. It is not symmetrical or straight or coordinating. The colours don’t match, and the candles are not new. Why? Each Advent we think about the 4 messages of Hope, Joy, Peace and Love. But as we looked at our lives, our community and the World, a perfect wreath or perfect candles seemed out of place and insincere. So this year we have a crooked, mismatched, imperfect Advent candle wreath representing the reality of our world and the reality of our lives that we bring to Christ this Christmas.
Advent 1
LEADER: Summer is in the air: we look for the joys ahead;
for holy-days and recreation, waiting and discerning.
All Come, companion Jesus, and walk with us.
LEADER: Let us prepare a manger in our hearts
for the birth of the sacred.
Today we light one candle – This candle reminds us of the light of hope.
A candle is lit.
LEADER: We give thanks that throughout this season of hope
Hope that still lives on through the strife
of personal griefs and a war-torn world.
we are warmed by the signs of hope
we see in our world and in our own lives
ALL We Gather in hope, as people of God to welcome the Christ Child.
Let our will for justice, as strong as the River Gum Tree,
prepare the way and welcome Christ
Let our thirst for hope, like the dry, parched earth,
prepare the way and welcome Christ AMEN
Call to Worship
In this time of Advent,
in this time of waiting,
in this time of preparation,
may we listen for the signs,
may we be ready to hear from prophets,
may we prepare our hearts with hope and love,
Creator God,
As we gather here today in worship, may we be thankful for all the good things that have happened in the last year, may we remember the hurts with grace and the griefs with gentleness.
May we use this time to move into a new beginning intentionally.
Amen.
SONG GOD OF CREATION
Craig Mitchell ( Morning Has Broken Tune)
God of Creation
Gentle life-giver
Present at birth, and
all through our days
Author of sunrise
Song in the night sky
Here in this place, we
offer our praise.
Jesus, Companion
teacher and healer
friend of the grieving,
suffering, the poor
Stand with your people.
whisper among us
promise of mercy
goodness for all.
Spirit of Comfort
blow through Creation
stir up new life, breathe.
peace through our world.
Healer of hearts, and
hope for tomorrow.
weave all our sorrows.
into new dawn
Here we give thanks for
life in its fullness
blessings received.
your gifts to us all
Make us a people.
filled with compassion.
selflessly giving
serving your world
Craig Mitchell, 2010 May be used in worship with acknowledgement
Prayer of Confession
Let us take a moment to leave behind all those things that are no longer serving us, which we choose to leave in the last year so we can look forward to the new year.
(A time of silence)
Merciful God,
you know our struggles and our concerns.
May we leave them in your hands,
only taking what will serve us into the future.
Words of Grace
Adapted from Psalm 25
Let us hear the words of the psalmist, who says:
Lead me in your truth – teach it to me
because you are the God who saves me.
God, remember your compassion and faithful love – they are forever.
Amen.
ADVENT HOPE REFLECTION
On this first Sunday of Advent, we talk about of hope. In a commentary I read this week –
“The word for Hope in Hebrew, Tikvah, is commonly translated as “to wait.” Other translations include “to gather together” or “to bind together (perhaps by twisting)” or “to look.” God’s presence in defiant hope, then, is rooted in our gathering or binding or even braiding ourselves together, not in some enmeshed way that erases our unique personhood, but more like a tapestry. A tapestry is made of individual threads gathered and bound together into something more than themselves. This is where hope dwells- defiant of the systems that want to tear us apart.” Rev Ashley Harness
I found this beautiful woven tapestry and I love this image of hope which involves binding ourselves to one another; it is difficult to be hopeful alone, but if we lift up hope together, we may be strengthened and encouraged.
When things are going well, we don’t tend to seek out hope or need it desperately. More often, Hope emerges from times of hardship and struggle, the depths of grief and despair
The Gospel today describes life as calamity. Jesus reminds his disciples to make sure they pay attention and don’t get distracted by all the bad news. Be on the watch he says. Watch for the signs of a new day. We too may find ourselves distracted by so much bad news unfolding in our world and distressed by the struggles of our own lives that it overwhelms us and prevents us from seeing the visible signs of hope in the world.
So in the coming week, I invite us all to be alert to signs of Hope in our lives and to God moving in our lives and in our Church. May we bring hope in some way to those who may be feeling hopeless or are struggling to feel hopeful about their lives. Maybe someone offers us a word of hope and let us have ears to hear it.
We are woven together in a beautiful tapestry of life and God calls us to weave the beautiful colours of Hope into our lives and into the world. As we are bound to one another with our God who loves us, may choose to be Hope for one another.
READINGS:
Jeremiah 33:14-16
14 “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.
15 “‘In those days and at that time
I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line;
he will do what is just and right in the land.
16 In those days Judah will be saved
and Jerusalem will live in safety.
This is the name by which it[a] will be called:
3 The Lord Our Righteous Savior.’
1Thessalonians 3 9-13
9 How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? 10 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.
11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. 12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13 May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
Luke 21: 25-36
25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
29 He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
32 “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
Our sermon today comes from Brian Mowbray a lay preacher at Bathurst UC. He is part of the Bathurst Church Council and Chair of the Bathurst Refugee Support Group. It is titled Living Out commitment to creating the Kingdom of God
SERMON – Project Reconnect – Brian Mowbray from Bathurst UC
One thing that stood out for me in that reflection was that we, I , am called to be the signs of peace and justice that all creation waits for. Not some great sign we are all waiting for or a cosmic shift in the universe. During this advent time of waiting it is active waiting being love for others, making room for compassion and space for flourishing for all. What does that mean for us here at Engadine? How can we be signs of peace and justice for those in the community and the world around us? Let’s sit with that for a few minutes before we sing our reflection song.
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.
Refrain
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 power to save us.
Make us your living voice.
Refrain
Longing for food, many are hungry.
Longing for water, many still thirst.
Make us your bread, broken for others,
shared until all are fed.
Refrain
Longing for shelter, many are homeless.
Longing for warmth, many are cold.
Make us your building, sheltering others,
walls made of living stone.
Refrain
Many the gifts, many the people,
many the hearts that yearn to belong.
Let us be servants to one another,
making your kingdom come.
Bernadette Farell
ANNOUNCEMENTS
OFFERING
Creator God,
every good gift we have comes from you.
May these humble offerings be used for your work within this community.
Amen.
PRAYERS FOR OTHERS
Gracious God,
as we enter this time of waiting and watching,
may we be alert to the signs of the times.
The signs that someone needs our care,
the signs that someone needs support,
the signs that someone needs support,
The signs that something is not right.
Please help us to read the signs and be willing to help.
Loving God,
as we enter this time of preparation,
as we enter this time of preparation,
may we be thoughtful about what we are preparing for.
May we be open to your guidance
May we be open to your grace.
May we be open to your love.
Please help us to share your grace
and love with those around us.
Merciful God,
at this time when life is often so busy,
may we be conscious of taking time to breathe in your peace.
May we give ourselves and others permission to rest.
May we resist the temptation to get caught in the rush.
May we let go of demands that are not important.
Please help us to have clarity about the signs we are seeing,
and put our faith in your righteousness.
In Jesus’ name, we pray,
Amen.
COMMUNION
This is the joyful feast of Jesus: bread for beloved children; a meal for those expecting scraps; and a banquet for last-minute guests! Come, your place is at the table. Here Christ meets you and calls you God’s own.
As God’s loved and forgiven children,
Peace be with you
And also with you
PRAYER OF APPROACH
Be present, risen Lord Jesus, as you were with your disciples, and make yourself known to us in the breaking of the bread; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
GREAT PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
God be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
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, Trinity of love, one and holy God, sovereign of all time and space.
We bless you for this wide, red land, for its rugged beauty, its changing seasons, its diverse peoples, and for all that lives upon this fragile earth.
You have called us to be the church in this place, to love abundantly and to give voice to every creature under heaven. We rejoice with all you have made, as we join the company of heaven in their song saying :
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory
Hosanna in the highest
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord
Hosanna in the highest.
To Adam and Eve, children of dust, you gave the world and its wonders, but we misused your gift of freedom: we reached out rebel hands to be like you. We bless you for your mercy, for you never cease to call our restless hearts until they find their rest in you.
Holy God, we offer our thanks and praise.
Again and again, you raised up men and women to speak your word, to guide, to challenge and convert.
At the last, Father, you sent Jesus Christ, child of your love, God with us. Born as one of us, he lived our life and died our death, offering us, both now and forever, eternal life with you.
Through him, in him and because of him, we affirm the Church’s faith:
Christ has died,
Christ is risen,
Christ will come again
NARRATIVE OF THE INSTITUTION OF THE LORD’S SUPPER
Hear the words of institution of this sacrament as recorded by the apostle Paul in Corinthians
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,
he broke it and said:
This is my body which is for you.
Do this for the 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, in remembrance of all you have done for us, we take this bread and this cup, and offer ourselves as a holy and living sacrifice, made worthy by the perfect offering of Christ
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us and on these gifts of the bread and the cup that they may be for us the body and blood of Jesus ,that we may truly share Christ’s body and blood, and become, by grace, his body given for the sake of the world.
For through your Spirit, the whole earth makes its prayer in sighs too deep for words, longing for the day of freedom: for in hope and by faith we were saved.
Accept our thanks and praise, good God, through your Son, Jesus Christ, with whom and in whom, and by the Spirit who dwells in us, we worship you joyfully saying:
Blessing and honour and glory and power
are yours for ever and ever. Amen.
THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD
Christ is the bread of joy who shares food with sinners.
Christ is the cup of life who revives the weary.
Let us receive what we are; let us become what we receive.
The body of Christ.
Jesus, Lamb of God, have mercy on us.
Jesus, bearer of our sins, have mercy on us.
Jesus, redeemer of the world, show compassion grant us peace.
The gifts of God that make you God’s people.
DISTRIBUTION
Christ’s body broken for you.
Amen.
Christ’s life poured out for you.
Amen.
Prayer after communion
God with us
Invited and fed at your table we are remade, repurposed. May this meal empower us to cherish all of your world who we also are. And whether our cares be heavy or light, our song be strong or weak, keep our hearts warm, our hands open and our lives ever embracing and embraced by your Love. Amen
SONG – Let Us talents and Tongues Employ
Let us talents and tongues employ,
reaching out with a shout of joy:
bread is broken; the wine is poured;
Christ is spoken and seen and heard.
Refrain:
Jesus lives again; earth can breathe again;
pass the Word around: loaves abound!
Jesus lives again; earth can breathe again;
pass the Word around: loaves abound!
Christ is able to make us one;
at the table he sets the tone,
teaching people to live to bless,
love in word and in deed express.[Refrain]
Jesus calls us in, sends us out
bearing fruit in a world of doubt,
gives us love to tell, bread to share:
God [Immanuel] everywhere![Refrain]
© Words: 1975 Stainer & Bell Ltd; Music: 1975 Hope Publishing Company
My prayer is that as you go into this week that you look for signs of the Hope of God, Looking for opportunities to be signs and hope for others.
Our Blessing song today is two verses of O Come Emmanuel with some new words by Sue Wickham.
Blessing/Benediction
As we leave this place and in the upcoming week,
may we be blessed with signs of love, kindness, and truth.
May we find companions on the way to help us see clearly.
And may hope of Christ and the peace that passes understanding be ours, today and always.
Amen.
SONG – O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (adapted by Sue Wickham)
O come, O light of Christ, so bright and clear
and lift our spirits by your advent here.
In all who gather, show us your face,
that we may know the warmth of your embrace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to us and in our hearts will dwell.
O Advent God of hope, joy, love and peace,
in you we pray our sad divisions cease.
Bind us as one, a people of grace,
for at your table each one has a place.
Words © Sue Wickham 2010
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