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
We pay respect to the Dharawal people on whose land we meet today. We think of the many meals they shared, and the abundance of the food and water which was found and organised on their land. Imagine their dancing and meetings. Think of their dream time stories about a creator god. We pay respect to elders past and present and to any sharing with us today.
All are welcome here today, whether you believe or doubt, whether you feel comfortable or ill at ease, this is a safe space. We welcome you whatever your race, age, ability, sexuality or gender. Everyone here is an encouragement to each other. We gather to share the Lord’s supper together.
Candle lighting
Lord Jesus, you were born among us, an amazing birth day. You show that the weak are powerful. Everyday like Christmas, God with us. Emmanuel. Christ present in our gathering this morning and always.
Call to worship and Opening prayer
Worship is one of the most awesome things
of which the human mind and spirit are capable,
God is Spirit, and those who want to worship
must worship in spirit and in truth.
It is time for us to start focussing;
not on our personal needs but on God’s beauty,
Not on the things we want,
but on what we can offer to God.
Your realm, O God of Christ, endures forever!
Your sceptre is the shepherd’s rod of equity.
My heart overflows with holy melody,
I will praise you with the most sincere words I can find.
Hymn: Joyful, joyful
Joyful, joyful, we adore you,
God of glory, Lord of love;
hearts unfold like flowers before you
opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness,
drive the dark of doubt away;
giver of immortal gladness,
fill us with the light of day.
All your works with joy surround you,
earth and heav’n reflect your rays,
stars and angels sing around you,
center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
flowery meadow, flashing sea,
singing bird and flowing fountain
call to praise you joyfully.
You are giving and forgiving,
ever blessing, ever blest,
well-spring of the joy of living,
ocean-depth of happy rest.
You our Father, Christ our brother,
all are yours who live in love;
teach us how to love each other,
lift us to your joy above.
Bible Readings Song of Songs 2 8-13 The time of singing has come
Sister Act: I will follow him
I danced in the morning
When the world was begun,
And I danced in the moon
And the stars and the sun,
And I came down from heaven
And I danced on the earth,
At Bethlehem
I had my birth.
Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the Dance, said he.
I danced for the scribe
And the pharisee,
But they would not dance
And they wouldn’t follow me.
I danced for the fishermen,
For James and John –
They came with me
And the Dance went on.
Chorus
I danced on the Sabbath
And I cured the lame;
The holy people
Said it was a shame.
They whipped and they stripped
And they hung me on high,
And they left me there
On a Cross to die.
Chorus
I danced on a Friday
When the sky turned black –
It’s hard to dance
With the devil on your back.
They buried my body
And they thought I’d gone,
But I am the Dance,
And I still go on.
Chorus
They cut me down
And I leapt up high;
I am the life
That’ll never, never die;
I’ll live in you
If you’ll live in me –
I am the Lord
Of the Dance, said he.
Copyright 1963 Stainer & Bell Ltd. London, England
James 1: 17-27 Doers, not hearers
Hymn: May the mind of Christ my saviour
May the mind of Christ, my Savior,
live in me from day to day,
by His love and pow’r controlling
all I do and say.
May the word of God dwell richly
in my heart from hour to hour,
so that all may see I triumph
only through His pow’r.
May the peace of God my Father
rule my life in everything,
that I may be calm to comfort
sick and sorrowing.
May the love of Jesus fill me
as the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing:
this is victory.
May I run the race before me,
strong and brave to face the foe,
looking only unto Jesus
as I onward go.
May His beauty rest upon me
as I seek the lost to win,
and may they forget the channel,
seeing only Him.
Offertory prayers
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as 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 for ever.
Amen.
Share the Peace
The peace of the Lord be always with you
And also with you
Communion
All are welcome to take communion here. I am quoting Benjamin Perry: “Do not deny anyone communion. Ever. Communion is not a reward. It is not a privilege for the righteous. It is an invitation to step towards God’s table where everyone has enough and everyone a place. Remember: Jesus fed Judas.”
So Lord, 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.
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.
Thanks and praise, glory and honour are rightly yours,
our Lord and God,
for you alone are worthy.
In time beyond our dreaming
you brought forth life out of darkness,
and in the love of Christ your Son
you set man and woman at the heart of your creation.
We rejoice with all that you have made, as we join the company of heaven in their eternal song.
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
We bless you, Sovereign God, ruler of the universe, through our Lord Jesus Christ, who on the night of his betrayal took bread, gave you thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take this and eat it. This is my body given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.
In the same way, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying:
Drink from this, all of you. This is my blood of the new covenant poured out for you and for everyone for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, whenever you drink it, for the remembrance of me.
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 wine,
That they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Accept our thanks and praise, good Father, through your Son, our Redeemer, Jesus Christ,
with whom and in whom, and by the Spirit who dwells in us, we worship you in the words
Blessing and honour and glory and power are yours for ever and ever. Amen.
We greet the one who comes in your name,
your true light, your true love,
the bread of compassion,
the wine of renewal.
As he broke bread before the brokenness of his death,
as he poured out wine before his blood was poured out on the cross,
as he gave his life in acts of goodness,
as he invited all to the feast of new hope,
so come to us, God of Jesus, in your love.
Come to us, Spirit of our Lord of love,
and let the bread and wine before us
bear your life to our life,
nourish us with his vision of hope,
and unite us in one body of peace.
The minister takes the bread and breaks it in full view of the people, in silence or saying:
Christ is the bread of joy, who shares food with sinners
The minister lifts the cup in full view of the people, in silence or saying:
Christ is the cup of life, who revives the faint-hearted.
The minister holds out the bread and the cup to the people and says:
Let us receive what we are; let us become what we receive.
The body of Christ.
During communion we listen to:
John Rutter
Look at the world, everything all around us:
Look at the world, and marvel every day.
Look at the world: so many joys and wonders,
So many miracles along our way.
Praise to thee, O Lord, for all creation,
Give us thankful hearts, that we may see:
All the gifts we share, and every blessing,
All things come of thee.
Look at the earth bringing forth fruit and flower;
Look at the sky, the sunshine and the rain;
Look at the hills, look at the trees and mountains,
Valley and flowing river, field and plain:
Think of the spring, think of the warmth of summer
Bringing the harvest before the winter’s cold.
Everything grows, everything has a season,
Till it is gathered to the Father’s fold:
Every good gift, all that we need and cherish
Comes from the Lord in token of his love;
We are his hands, stewards of all his bounty;
His is the earth, and his the heavens above:
(John Rutter)
Distribution
Christ’s body broken for you
Christ’s life poured out for you
Prayer after Communion
Father of all, we give you thanks and praise, that when we were still far off you met us in your Son and brought us home. Dying and living, he declared your love, gave us grace, and opened the gate of glory. May we who share Christ’s body live his risen life; we who drink his cup bring life to others; we whom the Spirit lights give light to the world. Keep us firm in the hope you have set before us, so we and all your children shall be free, and the whole earth live to praise your name; through Christ our Lord. Amen. (ASB 1980)
Dismissal blessing
Faithful Lord,
whose steadfast love never ceases
and whose mercies never come to an end:
grant us the grace to trust you
and to receive the gifts of your love,
new every morning,
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
And now may the blessing of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the fellowship of the Hoy Spirit be with us now as we leave this place singing an dancing in our hearts to your glory.
Amen
Hymn
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
Chorus
Jesus lives again
Earth can breathe again
Pass the Word around
Loaves abound
(REPEAT)
Christ is able to make us one
At the table He set the tone
Teaching people to live to bless
Love in word and in deed express
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
Olympic village
Recent Comments