(Image: the Canaanite Woman, by Michael Cook)
LIGHTING THE CANDLE
As I light this candle reminding us of God’s presence and love.
We can sit and sing.
Be still for the presence of the Lord, the holy one is here
Come bow before him now with reverence and fear,
In him no sin is found, we stand on holy ground.
Be still for the presence of the Lord the holy one is here.
Be still, for the power of the Lord is moving in this place;
He comes to cleanse and heal, to minister his grace.
No work too hard for him, in faith receive from him,
Be still for the power of the Lord is moving in this place.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
From before recorded time, the First Peoples of the Dharawal community lived and cared for this land. We praise God for the beauty of the surrounding land we live on, and honour those who have offered themselves in tending it.
We acknowledge the Elders and community who have told the sacred stories and nurtured faithfulness to the Creator.
We ask God’s blessing on those who continue to work for the healing and restoration of our homeland.
We all need to belong.
PRAYER OF APPROACH
Christ has broken down all barriers;
we are all as one in Christ Jesus.
How good it is and how lovely it feels
When family and friends can live together in unity.
God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself
and has committed to us the ministry of reconciliation.
How good it is, and how lovely it feels,
when we come into the house of God as one people
Amen
Our small minds, little lives, and scanty understanding, we bring to You, Holy Friend. But what we are we bring to You with the most profound devotion of which we are capable. Yours are the truth we crave, the beauty we worship, and the love we adore. Please bless us as we gather, for with Your blessing we are the poor who have immense riches to celebrate and share. To Your honour and praise.
Through Christ Jesus our Friend and Lord.
Amen!
HYMN
Fold to your heart your sister and your brother,
Where pity dwells, the peace of God is there;
To worship rightly is to love each other,
Each smile and hymn, each kindly deed and prayer.
For he who Jesus loved has truly spoken;
The holier worship which he deigns to bless
Restores the lost, and binds the spirit broken,
And feeds the fallen and the home-less
Follow with rev’rent steps the great example
Of him whose holy work was doing good:
So shall the wide earth seem our Father’s temple
Each loving life a psalm of gratitude
Then shall all shackles fall, the stormy clangour
Of wild war music o’er the earth shall cease:
Love shall tread out the baleful fire of anger,
And in its ashes plant the tree of PEACE
PRAYERS of CONFESSION AND ASSURANCE
Let us bring our concerns before God – Let’s 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 lost,
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 uncomfortable words
look after our wounds or lance our infections,
awaken our conscience and calm our nagging anxiety.
Friend Jesus, 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 Your redeeming love
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen!
FORGIVENESS
Family of God, God knows our need before we ask for help. There is enough mercy to cover all our sins, and not ours only, but those of the whole world. Therefore put the past and its errors behind us. Live as forgiven people, for in Christ, we really truly are!
Thanks be to God!
The peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all!
And also with you!
HYMN This is a day of new beginnings
PSALM 133
What a wonderful happiness it is
when Christians get on together!
It is like precious water from the Font
flowing down across a face;
like the baptismal waters
poured by the hand of God’s servant.
falling from the heights of God.
It is what our Lord has commanded;
the blessing that will last forever
BIBLE READING Romans 11 1-2a and 28-32
Matthew 15 21-28 Genelle and David Nash
Video
Questions
Announcements and Giving Prayer
Lord we bring before you our money our contributions in so many ways to be used for your people not only in Engadine but in our community and the wider work of your church. Bless our gifts we pray, Amen
Prayers of the People Karen Russell
HYMN
1 God of grace and God of glory,
on your people pour your pow’r;
crown your ancient Church’s story,
bring its bud to glorious flow’r.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
for the facing of this hour,
for the facing of this hour.
2 Lo, the hosts of evil round us
scorn the Christ, assail his ways.
From the fears that long have bound us
free our hearts to faith and praise.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
for the living of these days,
for the living of these days.
3 Cure your children’s warring madness;
bend our pride to your control;
shame our wanton, selfish gladness,
rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
lest we miss your kingdom’s goal,
lest we miss your kingdom’s goal.
4 Save us from weak resignation
to the evils we deplore;
let the gift of your salvation
be our glory evermore.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
serving you whom we adore,
serving you whom we adore.
Benediction
The gathering of the people of God is ending,
the scattering of the people of God
to be agents of Christ in many places
is about to begin.
Remember how great are your resources.
Go in peace to love and serve your God.
In the name of Christ.
Amen!
Shalom my Friend, God’s Peace my friend,
Be with you now
And stay with you through all you do Shalom, Shalom
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