You can watch the sermon here, or scroll down to read the rest of the Sunday prayers and content, and watch the sermon at the point it occurs during worship
CALL TO WORSHIP & OPENING PRAYER
O people of God, is your heart open for love? Do you long for the fullest kind of life?
God is inviting us, drawing us, calling us. Let us open up and respond. Let us worship God!
Let us Pray…
Come to us, O Spirit, Warmer of Hearts, breaker of chains, of prison doors & of self-centredness.
Awaken love in us today, and bind us together as a community of love.
In the Name of Jesus, the Son, we pray. Amen
HYMN Words altered Music – Leanne
Love divine, all loves excelling
Joy of heaven to earth come down
Fix in us your humble dwelling
All your faithful mercies crown;
Jesus, you are all compassion
Pure, unbounded love are you;
Visit us with your salvation
Enter every trembling heart.
Come, Almighty to deliver
Let us all your grace receive
Suddenly return, and never
Never more your temples leave.
You we would be always blessing
Serve you as your host above
Pray, and praise you without ceasing
Glory in your perfect love.
Finish, then, your new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be;
Let us see your great salvation
Perfectly restored in you;
Changed from glory into glory
Till in Heaven we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before you,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise!
Charles Wesley 1707 – 1788 Public Domain
A TIME OF THANKSGIVING
A TIME OF CONFESSION & HEALING HOPE Reader – Ian
REVELATION 22: 12 – 14, 16 – 17, 20 – 21 (NIV) “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.
SONG – Bright Morning Star ‘Bright morning star’ by Jo Doré, Judy Gresham, Carey & Geraldine Luce
Bible Reading (Ian)
ACTS 16: 16 – 34 (NIV) Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her. When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.
The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.
In this we hear the Good News of Christ Jesus. Thanks be to God.
MESSAGE Rev Paul
HYMN Tune AMAZING GRACE
In suffering love the thread of life,Is woven through our care,For God is with us, not alone, Our pain and toil we bear.
There is a rock, a place secure, Within the storm’s cold blast, Concealed within the suffering night, God’s covenant stands fast.
In love’s deep womb our fears are held, There God’s rich tears are sown, And bring to birth, in hope new-born, The strength to journey on.
Lord, to our hearts your joy commit, Into our hands your pain, So send us out to touch the world, With blessings in your name.
Rob W Johns 1941 – 1987 Words © E Johns Used with permission CCLI # 31951
OFFERING PRAYER Kathy
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & LORDS PRAYER Kathy
HOLY COMMUNION Elder – Jan
Gathered in one place with those whom Jesus loved and by His Spirit gathered here with those whom Christ Jesus also loves. Do you know that you are so loved? Then hear again these words
On the night before Jesus died…
Christ has died
Christ has risen
Christ will come again
PRAYER OF INVOCATION
Holy God, we beg for your Spirit:
Enliven this bread, awake this body
Pour us out for each other.
Transfigure our minds, ignite your church;
nourish the life of the earth.
Make us, while many, united; make us though broken, whole;
Make us, despite death, alive.
Written for the UCA National Assembly, Sunshine Coast, May 2022 closing Eucharist.
HYMN
Christ is the world’s Light, Christ and none other;
born in our darkness, he became our Brother.
If we have seen him, we have seen the Father:
Glory to God on high.
Christ is the world’s peace, Christ and none other;
no one can serve him and despise another.
Who else unites us, one in God the Father?
Glory to God on high.
Christ is the world’s life, Christ and none other;
sold once for silver, murdered here, our brother.
he, who redeems us, reigns with God the Father:
Glory to God on high.
Give God the glory, God and none other;
give God the glory, Spirit, Son and Father;
give God the glory, God with us, my brother:
Glory to God on high.
Fred Pratt Green 1993 Words © 1969 Hope Publishing Company. Used with permission CCLI # 31951
BLESSING AND BENEDICTION
May light come in to your eyes, May hope spring up in your heart, May peace guide all of your mind, And keep you in God, and keep you in God.
Words and music © M Dyson Mandy Treagus
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