You can watch some parts of the service here (mostly bible readings and sermon) or scroll down and read the prayers and songs in the order they happened.
LIGHTING THE CANDLE
The light of Christ Jesus be with us all
Let us delight in the gift of Christ and meditate on his love and teaching,
WELCOME
We at Engadine Uniting are working towards being a more open, diverse and caring community. We welcome everyone joining us today in the church or on zoom , valuing and affirming every person exactly as they are. No matter where you are in your journey, no matter what your story is, you are welcome here. The story of God is bigger, wider, more inclusive and welcoming, and filled with more love than we could ever imagine. There is room here for everyone; there is room here for you. We also acknowledge elders and community members of the Dharawal people who have cared for this land for many years. We ask God’s blessing on those who continue to work for the healing and restoration of our beautiful land.
Welcoming Song: Come in, Come and Sit down.
CHORUS
Come in, come in and sit down, you are a part of this family.
We are lost and we are found, and we are a part of this family
You know the reason why you came, yet no reason can explain;
so share in the laughter and cry in the pain, for we are a part of this family.
God is with us in this place, like a family’s warm embrace.
We’re all forgiven by God’s grace, for we are a part of this family.
Chorus
There’s life to be shared in the bread and the wine, We are the branches, Christ is the vine
This is God’s temple its not yours or mine, But we are a part of this family. Chorus
There’s rest for the weary and health for us all, There’s a yoke that is easy and a burden that’s small
So come in and worship and answer the call For we are part of this family Chorus
PREPARATION
Jesus said: I am the resurrection and the life, all who believe in me, though they die yet shall they live.
Choose this day whom you will serve.
God has set before us life and death,
praising the light or cursing the darkness,
loving others or cultivating selfish indifference.
Therefore choose life,
loving your God,
obeying God’s voice,
and cleaving to God all your days.
By the grace of Christ Jesus
we this day choose life.
Amen
PRAYER OF APPROACH
Loving God, ruler of life and death, please look with compassion on us all as we come before you. As we worship you in the glory of all your love, please multiply the sources of abundant life within us so that we may live boldly.
Amen!
Lent Event: Uniting World presentation by Paul (Zimbabwe)
Hymn: We seek you with our questions, God.
We seek you with our questions, God, with open heart and mind;
we long to live a fresher life and leave our past behind,
for all that we have known before has faded and grown worn.
We seek you with our questions, God, that we might be reborn.
We wonder why things come to pass and how to come alive.
Where do your living waters flow? How can dry bones revive?
Who are you, God, who meets us here with wisdom and with sign?
We seek you with our questions, God, we yearn for truth divine.
We search for you in garden green where once you gave us birth;
We search for you in desert parched and all throughout the earth.
With wonder, worry, doubt, and awe we search through night and day.
We seek you with our questions, God, at home and far away.
You seek us with your questions, God, inviting us to dare
to know you and to love you more, to grow through act and prayer.
“Who will you trust and follow now? My truth is all around.”
You seek us with your questions, God, you seek and we are found.
Children’s item
CONFESSION AND ASSURANCE
God has set before us life and death. The choice is ours. Let us acknowledge our misuse of the liberty of choice. Let us ask to be forgiven for the times when we have chosen badly, opting for the easy way of habit and social convention, rather than the higher ways of Christ.
Let us confess that sometimes our choices have been made from rank selfishness, with not much concern for those around us, even for those who love us dearly.
Let us ask to be forgiven for putting off decisions, for dithering and avoiding choice until opportunity has gone by.
Let us confess that we have at times made outwardly good decisions for the wrong reasons.
Holy God, Saviour and Friend, we thank you that long before we face up to ourselves and frame our confessions, your mercy in Christ Jesus is here waiting for us. We rest our mortal lives in your immortal Life, allowing your grace, mercy and peace to cleanse, refresh and straighten us.
Breathe into our humanity, loving God, that we may fully live.
Breathe your Spirit in our brains, that our decision making may be pure and wise.
Breathe your Spirit on our lips, that our speech may witness to life and light and holy joy.
Breathe your Spirit on our hands, that in their busyness they may serve you before all else.
Breathe your Spirit on our feet, that we may tread this earth with gentleness and respect.
Through Christ Jesus, our Saviour.
Amen!
Family of Christ, it is written: “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set us free from the law of sin and death.”
We had better believe it,
We are a forgiven and liberated people.
Hallelujah Thanks be to God!
BIBLE READINGS Sue and Brad
Mark 8 27 – 33
27 Jesus and his disciples went to the villages near the town of Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, “What do people say about me?”
28 The disciples answered, “Some say you are John the Baptist or maybe Elijah.[d] Others say you are one of the prophets.”
29 Then Jesus asked, “But who do you say I am?”
“You are the Messiah!” Peter replied.
30 Jesus warned the disciples not to tell anyone about him.
Jesus Speaks about His Suffering and Death
31 Jesus began telling his disciples what would happen to him. He said, “The nation’s leaders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law of Moses will make the Son of Man suffer terribly. He will be rejected and killed, but three days later he will rise to life.” 32 Then Jesus explained clearly what he meant.
Peter took Jesus aside and told him to stop talking like that. 33 But when Jesus turned and saw the disciples, he corrected Peter. He said to him, “Satan, get away from me! You are thinking like everyone else and not like God.”
John 11: 17 – 27, Jesus Brings Lazarus to Life
17 When Jesus got to Bethany, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was less than three kilometres from Jerusalem, 19 and many people had come from the city to comfort Martha and Mary because their brother had died.
20 When Martha heard that Jesus had arrived, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 Yet even now I know that God will do anything you ask.”
23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will live again!”
24 Martha answered, “I know he will be raised to life on the last day,[a] when all the dead are raised.”
25 Jesus then said, “I am the one who raises the dead to life! Everyone who has faith in me will live, even if they die. 26 And everyone who lives because of faith in me will never really die. Do you believe this?”
27 “Yes, Lord!” she replied. “I believe you are the Christ, the Son of God. You are the one we hoped would come into the world.”
John 12: 1 – 8
Six days before Passover Jesus went back to Bethany, where he had raised Lazarus from death. 2 A meal had been prepared for Jesus. Martha was doing the serving, and Lazarus himself was there.
3 Mary took a very expensive bottle of perfume[a] and poured it on Jesus’ feet. She wiped them with her hair, and the sweet smell of the perfume filled the house.
4 A disciple named Judas Iscariot[b] was there. He was the one who was going to betray Jesus, and he asked, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for 300 silver coins and the money given to the poor?” 6 Judas did not really care about the poor. He asked this because he carried the moneybag and sometimes would steal from it.
7 Jesus replied, “Leave her alone! She has kept this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor with you, but you won’t always have me.”
May these words give us a greater understanding of the life and love of Jesus.
Sermon: John M
Hymn: God gives us a future
God gives us a future, daring us to go, Into dreams and dangers on a path unknown
We will face tomorrow with the Spirit’s power, We will let God change us for new life starts now.
We must leave behind us sins of yesterday, For God’s new beginning is a better way
Fear and doubt and habit must not hold us back, God gives hope and insight and the strength we lack.
Holy Spirit teach us how to read the signs, How to meet the challenge of our troubled times
Love us into action stir us into prayer,Till we choose God’s life and find our future there
Announcements
Prayers for giving
We thank you Lord for the ability you have given us to share our talents, resources and time. May the givers and receivers be blest by these gifts
Prayers of the People: Karen
SENDING OUT
God has set before us life and death.
That we may not dither or sit on the fence, but choose whom we will serve,
That by the grace of Christ we may continue to choose the life that is boundless,
Amen!
God will bless us and keep us
the Spirit will smile upon us all and be gracious unto us
Christ will send his own light upon us and give us his peace. Amen
Let’s sing our last song which is about peace for all as we live through times of loss of love and peace. After the song we will go out, passing the peace with each other.
Let there be peace on earth And let it begin with me
Let there be peace on earth The peace that was meant to be
With God as our Father Family all are we
Let me walk with my family In perfect harmony
Let peace begin with me Let this be the moment now
With every step I take Let this be my solemn vow
To take each moment And live each moment
In peace eternally Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me
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