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
Leader: From before recorded time the Dharawal People have lived in this place and through their interaction with creation, through ceremony and with song lines they cared for this land.
We honour their elders past & present and commit to our journey together for justice making, inclusion and truth telling.
Candle Lighting…
CAL TO WORSHIP
Leader:
Beloved sisters and brothers in Christ,
Let us unite in the presence of God,
who gathers us as God’s beloved family.
A call is heard: look around you.
Congregation:
I have seen those
whom I did not know before
because they were strangers.
I have observed those
who were once foreigners.
Leader:
Now we have been united
within the family of God.
Today, in our togetherness,
let us experience the power of
God’s love that destroyed all boundaries.
Congregation:
There is no barrier
separating you and me.
Differences in language,
culture, life experiences,
viewpoints, none can
separate us from the love of God.
We are united by Christ who has risen.
Let us stand together in faith, in hope, and in God’s unparalleled love.
SONG: I Sing Praises to Your Name
Fiji Parish
Welcome to UnitingWorld Sunday
Friends, today marks a significant moment as we gather in worship to direct our focus towards the unfolding work of Christ in our interconnected world.
Within the unique context of South East Asia, the Uniting Church in Australia is linked in partnership with churches throughout the region, including Indonesia.
Leader:
Let us begin our worship with joy
and gratitude for God’s abundant love.
Our partners, often belonging to minority communities, exemplify extraordinary dedication and resilience as they navigate the complexities of their contexts. Notably, they engage in remarkable work within inter-faith contexts, fostering understanding, cooperation, and peace in diverse religious landscapes.
These partnerships are characterized by the vibrancy, inspiration, and the unwavering dedication of our fellow believers who serve as instruments of God’s transformative power in their communities.
Many of these relationships span over the decades, leaving an enduring lasting impact on countless lives across generations.
Through these enduring connections, we endeavor to embody the unity of Christ’s body, working collaboratively to nurture hope and fight poverty, injustice and climate change.
UnitingWorld serves as the conduit for managing these partnerships on behalf of the wider Uniting Church. Today, we have the privilege of going deeper into their invaluable work and joining in celebration of our global neighbours.
UnitingWorld Video:
PRAYER
Leader:
Gracious and merciful God,
We give thanks to You, O Lord, for the gift of life, the beauty of your creation, the serenity, and the companionship.
Your presence among us as we gather in worship fills our hearts with gratitude beyond measure.
You, O Lord, understand the depths of our hearts intimately. We come before You to confess our sins, acknowledging those moments when we have fallen short of Your grace.
Forgive us, O Lord, for the times when we hear that we have to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with you, but our ways of living defy your words.
Yet, we take solace in Your boundless mercy, knowing that You are always ready to receive us with open arms, to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and to restore us into fellowship with You.
As we lay bare our shortcomings before You, grant us the strength to walk in Your ways, to love one another as You have loved us, to act justly and to seek reconciliation with those whom we have wronged.
May Your grace continue to abound in our lives, guiding us in the paths of righteousness and leading us into the fullness of Your joy.
In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and friend, we pray.
Amen.
BIBLE READING:
Micah 6:1-8
Hear what the Lord says:
Rise, plead your case before the mountains,
and let the hills hear your voice.
Hear, you mountains, the case of the Lord,
and you enduring foundations of the earth,
for the Lord has a case against his people,
and he will contend with Israel.
“O my people, what have I done to you?
In what have I wearied you? Answer me!
For I brought you up from the land of Egypt
and redeemed you from the house of slavery,
and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised,
what Balaam son of Beor answered him,
and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal,
that you may know the saving acts of the Lord.”
“With what shall I come before the Lord
and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
He has told you, O mortal, what is good,
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice and to love kindness
and to walk humbly with your God?
James 2: 1 – 8, 14 – 17
My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favouritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonoured the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong? If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbour as yourself,” you are doing right.
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
In this we hear God’s word of Life.
HYMN
All go to God when they are sorely placed
They plead to God for help, for peace, for bread
For mercy, for them sinning, sick or dead
We all do so in faith or unbelief.
We go to God when God is sorely placed
Find her poor, scorned, unsheltered, without bread
Whelmed under weight of evil, weak or dead.
We stand by God then, in her hour of grief.
God comes to us when we are sorely placed
Body and spirit feeds us with his bread
For everyone, he as a man hangs dead
Forgiven life he gives all through his death.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer 1909 – 1945 Used with permission CCLI # 31951
MESSAGE
Dr Sureka Goringe
National Director – UnitingWorld
HYMN
Faith will not grow from words alone
From proofs provided, scripture known
Our faIth must feel its way about
And live with question-marks and doubt.
The pattern Jesus showed, we share:
Life comes through death, hope through despair
God is made known in brokenness
And faith feeds on God’s emptiness.
The church still tells how Jesus came
Through death to glorious life again –
The strangest story! Yet, maybe
Our faith will thrive on mystery.
Faith takes the little that we know
And calls for hope, and tells us: Go!
Love and take courage, come what may
Christ will be with us on the way.
Words © E J Smith Used with permission CCLI # 31951
Leader:
God of creation, humbly we pray for all you have created, now facing devastation because of our greed and our indifference.
Guide us, O God, that we may become renewed stewards of the earth, that we may pursue justice and equity amid the culture of oppression and violence, respond to the needs of the poor and the marginalized in our communities, and uphold the dignity of humanity and the whole of creation.
Leader:
Move us, O God, to cry out for the concern of the earth.
Move us to reveal your shalom for the whole creation.
God in your great love and mercy:
Congregation:
God, renew us in Your Spirit
God restore the whole creation.
Leader:
God of justice, humbly we pray for the whole inhabited earth, threatened by division, wars and injustice.
Guide us, O God, that we may become renewed stewards of the earth, that we may work and act for the rights of the poor and oppressed, and amplify the voices of the women, youth and children in our societies.
Speaker:
May we pray and work for God’s love and justice to reign.
Lead, O God, to proclaim your truth to power.
God, in your great love and mercy:
Congregation:
God, renew us in Your Spirit God restore the whole creation.
Leader:
God of wisdom and truth, renew us in your spirit so that we may follow your will and courageously carry out the mission you have entrusted amidst the challenges brought about by the changing times and adversities of today.
God of love, by your love we are united, by your love we find hope, and by your love we are renewed.
We add our own prayers for Engadine UC…Amen.
OFFERING
Every one of us has a role to play alongside our church partners.
Your gifts to UnitingWorld will be used with care, resourcing our partners to transform lives and communities.
DEDICATION OF OFFERING
Leader:
Gracious and compassionate God,
You who call us to pursue justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly, we give thanks for every individual striving to do good in our midst and throughout the world.
We are grateful for the offerings that have been collected, reflecting the generosity of each person who joyfully participates in the ministry of love for others. May these contributions bring about tangible change for those in need.
We give thanks for our unity and commitment to proclaiming the good news through social justice, wholeness, and the well-being of life.
As we present these offerings before You, O Lord, we ask for Your blessing upon them. May they be used wisely and effectively to further Your will on earth, bringing hope, healing and transformation to all who are touched by Your grace.
Empower us, O God, to continue in our mission with courage, compassion and
unwavering dedication.
May our actions be a testament to
Your love, and may they inspire
others to join in the work of
building a world filled with
justice, peace and joy.
In the name of
Jesus Christ,
our Lord and
Redeemer, we pray.
Amen.
HYMN
Great God your Spirit like the wind
Unseen but shaking things we see
Will never leave us undisturbed
Fulfil our dreams or set us free
Until we turn from faithless fear
And prove the promise of your grace
In justice peace and daily bread
With joy for all the human race.
To rouse us from our dreadful sleep
Remove our hearts of stone and give
New hearts of flesh to break and weep
For all your children in distress
And dying for the wealth we keep
Help us prevent while we have time
The blighted harvest greed must reap.
And then in your compassion give
Your Spirit like the gentle rain
Creating fertile ground from which
Your peace and justice spring like grain
Until your love is satisfied
With all creation freed from pain
And all your children live to praise
Your will fulfilled your presence plain.
© Alan Gaunt. Used with permission CCLI #31951
A SENDING BLESSING
May the light of Your justice guide our path as we strive to bring justice to others.
May the love of Your mercy grant us strength as we continue to fight for equity for all.
May Your blessings of humility keep us united with those in need, wherever we may be.
May Your peace shine ever brighter in the midst of our world, offering hope, joy and justice to all.
As we depart from this gathering, may Your presence go before us, empowering us to be agents of Your love and instruments of Your peace.
Go forth in the assurance of God’s grace, mercy and everlasting love.
In the name of Christ:
Congregation:
Amen
For later discussion
‘Their islands are sinking’
LentEvent 2024 video
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