ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY & WELCOME
Holy Spirit, giver and gift of intimacy who sustains the faith made possible by Christ Jesus touch each of our hearts and minds this day as we gather on the ancient land of the Dharawal people.
The Creator spoke to them in their Dreaming, for they too are made in the image of God.
We pay our respects to their elders, past and present and pledge ourselves to work together for reconciliation & justice making. In that spirit of reconciliation we are invited and welcome here.
For the story of God is bigger, wider, more inclusive and welcoming than we can ever imagine.
There is room here for everyone; there is room here for you – God’s love embracing the world.
CHRIST CANDLE
We believe Christ Jesus is the Light of the world. We are drawn to His light lest we lose our way.
This candle reminds us of His promise that light is stronger than darkness. Christ is our Light!
CALL TO WORSHIP PSALM 145: selected verses
I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; God’s greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall extol your works to another and shall declare your mighty acts.
They will recount the glorious splendour of your majesty, and meditate on your works.
The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all, and God’s compassion is over all the LORD has made.
The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.
The Lord is near to all who call on God, to all who call on God in truth.
My mouth will praise the name of the Lord forever.
HYMN TIS 106 Music – Irene
Now thank we all our God
With hearts and hands and voices
Who wondrous things has done
In whom God’s world rejoices
Who from our mother’s arms
Has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love
And still is ours today.
O may this bounteous God
Through all our life be near us
With ever joyful hearts
And blessed peace to cheer us.
Lord, keep us in your grace.
And guide us when perplexed
And free us from all ills
In this world and the next.
All praise and thanks to God
who reigns in highest heaven
Creator and to Son
And Spirit now be given
The one eternal God:
Whom earth and heaven adore
who-ever was is now
And shall be ever more.
CCLI Song # 86638 Catherine Winkworth | Martin Rinkart © Words & Music: Public Domain
For use solely with the SongSelect® All rights reserved. www.ccli.com CCLI Licence # 31951
WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS
A TIME OF THANKSGIVING – share with each other two things you give thanks for this week.
BIBLE READINGS John & Robyn
2Thess 2:1 – 5, 13 – 17 As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here.
Let no one deceive you in any way, for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God. Do you not remember that I told you these things when I was still with you?
But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. For this purpose he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.
A PRAYER OF PETITION
Let us pray. Lord, we all know how a word written or spoken can cause anguish, fear or alarm. We are often quick to react and too quick to jump to conclusions. If such a thing has happened since we last gathered for worship forgive us and centre our spirit in your Spirit where peace and love reign.
Today we are told that some followers of Jesus, waiting amidst persecution for his expected return, fear they may have missed it and are no longer part of His resurrection kingdom. St Paul reminds them that they are not forgotten, they are still brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord. Wait. Have courage. Keep living life. Be fed by His word. If we feel that our lives are no longer valued by God,
that we are not good enough to be His disciples, refresh us in spirit and heart. Hear again these words of inclusion. Stand firm. Hold fast. Receive afresh God’s blessing on your life as you live each day and set us free Lord from overly anxious thoughts and the fear of exclusion. Help us to trust in You. Amen
HYMN
Come, our long expected Jesus
Born to set Your people free
From our fears and sins release us
Let us find our rest in You.
Israel’s strength and consolation
You the hope of all the earth
Dear desire of every nation
Joy of every longing heart.
Born Your people to deliver
Born a child and yet a King
Born to reign in us forever
Now Your gracious Kingdom bring.
By Your own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone
By Your all sufficient merit
Raise us to Your glorious throne.
CCLI Song # 31999 Charles Wesley | © Words & Music: Public Domain
For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com CCLI Licence # 31951
GOSPEL READING John & Robyn
Luke 20:27 – 38 Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question: “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married a woman and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.” Jesus said to them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed, they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead but of the living, for to him all of them are alive.”
In this we hear God’s word of radical new beginnings. Thanks be to God!
MESSAGE: Rev Paul Bartlett
HYMN
Eternal light, shine in my heart
Eternal hope, lift up my eyes
Eternal power, be my support
Eternal wisdom, make me wise.
Eternal life, raise me from death
Eternal brightness, help me see
Eternal Spirit, give me breath
Eternal Saviour, come to me.
Until by Your most costly grace
Invited by Your holy word
At last I come before Your face
To know You, my eternal God.
CCLI Song # 3176270 Christopher Idle | K. Lee Scott © Words: 1982 Christopher Idle – The Jubilate Group (Admin. by Jubilate Hymns Ltd, sub to Hope Publishing for various regions) (Admin. by Hope Publishing Company) Music: 2000 MorningStar Music Publishers For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use.
All rights reserved. www.ccli.com CCLI Licence # 31951
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE Kathy
OFFERING PRAYER
HOLY COMMUNION Elder – Leanne
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.
A PRAYER OF THANKGIVING
With what shall we come before the Lord the maker of heaven and earth?
Who in Christ Jesus became one with us, flesh of our flesh, a person of faith, like us yet is Lord of all.
We come before your table in our poverty, we are beggars looking for crumbs which fall from His table. You feed us extravagantly, you overwhelm us with your provision and we are grateful Lord!
You give us the gift of community in your Name and the gift of humanity in your created world.
Fruit of the vine and work of our hands, the gift of your life through arms out stretched on a cross.
In gratitude and thanksgiving, in humbling awe we bring you our lives that we may be fed and transformed into your likeness as disciples of Jesus. And when words are never enough we join with the choirs of angels and the whole creation in the eternal hymn:
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.
WORDS OF INVOCATION & DISTRIBUTION
HYMN TIS 665
Jesus Christ is waiting, waiting in the streets
No one is His neighbour, all alone He eats.
Listen, Lord Jesus I am lonely too
Make me, friend or stranger, fit to wait on You.
Jesus Christ is healing, healing in the streets
Curing those who suffer, touching those He greets
Listen, Lord Jesus I have pity too.
Let my care be active, healing just like You.
Jesus Christ is dancing, dancing in the streets
Where each sign of hatred, He, with love, defeats.
Listen, Lord Jesus I should triumph too.
Where good conquerors evil, let me dance with You.
Jesus Christ is calling, calling in the streets
‘Who will join my journey? I will guide their feet’.
Listen, Lord Jesus, let my fears be few
Walk one step before me, I will follow You.
CCLI Song # 996498 Graham Maule | John L. Bell © Words: WGRG, c/o Iona Community, Glasgow, Scotland (Admin. by Willow Publishing Pty. Ltd.) Music: WGRG, c/o Iona Community, Glasgow, Scotland (Admin. by Willow Publishing Pty. Ltd.) For use solely with the Song Select. www.ccli.com CCLI Licence # 31951
BLESSING & BENEDICTION
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