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.
Sue says, “I am indebted to the following organisations for the resources they have provided for World Refugee Sunday: Common Grace, Church of Scotland, The Uniting Church in Australia – Synod of South Australia, and Scottish Faiths Action for Refugees.
GATHERING THE PEOPLE
Welcome and Announcements
Acknowledgement of country
Let us share this acknowledgement of country written for Refugee Sunday by the Uniting Church’s Rev Sandy Boyce in Victoria:
We acknowledge the Dharawal people, traditional custodians of this land on which we gather today, and pay our respects to their elders both past and present for they hold the memories, the traditions, the culture and hopes of the living Dharawal people today.
Ours is the age of the refugee, the displaced person and mass immigration. For decades, Australia has been a place of refuge and welcome for many people who have fled from the unbearable realities of wars and deprivations around the world. They have had to leave a familiar world behind, and move to a new world populated with languages, traditions, skills and ways of living that are foreign to their own.
We recognise that Aboriginal people and refugees share experiences of displacement and dispossession from their lands. The process of reconciliation is incomplete, and we as a nation are not doing enough to progress it. As well, policies in regards to the treatment of refugees have often been cruel, with ongoing uncertainty for too many. Too many lives left in limbo. Too many, living with poverty and deprivation.
So let us remain committed to justice and reconciliation in this land, to meet the tasks to realize and actualize a fair and just Australia, where as a nation we extend – and are able to receive – the gifts of generosity, understanding, compassion, hospitality and respect.
Lighting of the Christ Candle
Let us light the candle of Christ, and share in this litany of justice:
Reader: Jesus said,” I was hungry and you gave me food.”
Made in the Image of God,
All: We see the face of Christ in all.
Reader: Jesus said, “I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.”
Made in the Image of God,
All: We see the face of Christ in all.
Reader: Jesus said, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”
Made in the Image of God,
All: We see the face of Christ in all.
Reader: Jesus said, “I was naked and you gave me clothing.”
Made in the Image of God,
All: We see the face of Christ in all.
Reader: Jesus said, “I was sick and you took care of me.”
Made in the Image of God,
All: We see the face of Christ in all.
Reader: Jesus said, “I was in prison and you visited me.”
Made in the Image of God,
All: We see the face of Christ in all.
Reader: Jesus said, “Inasmuch as you did to one of those considered to be the least important, you did it to me.”
Made in the Image of God,
All: We see the face of Christ in all. We go from here to see and serve Christ in all. Amen.
Hymn/Song: (God of the Poor) Beauty for Brokenness
Beauty for brokenness, Hope for despair. Lord, in the suffering, This is our prayer. Bread for the children, Justice, joy, peace, Sunrise to sunset Your kingdom increase!
Shelter for fragile lives, Cures for their ills; Work for the craftsman, Trade for their skills; Land for the dispossessed, Rights for the weak; Voices to plead the cause Of those who can’t speak.
God of the poor, Friend of the weak: Give us compassion we pray. Melt our cold hearts, Let tears fall like rain, Come, change our love From a spark to a flame
Refuge from cruel wars Havens from fear Cities for sanctuary Freedoms to share. Peace to the killing-fields Scorched earth to green Christ for the bitterness His cross for the pain.
Rest for the ravaged earth, Oceans and streams, Plundered and poisoned, Our future, our dreams. Lord, end our madness, Carelessness, greed, Make us content with The things that we need.
Lighten our darkness, Breathe on this flame Until your justice Burns brightly again Until the nations Learn of your ways, Seek your salvation And bring you their praise. Graham Kendrick Copyright © 1993 Make Way Music, www.grahamkendrick.co.uk
HEARING THE WORD
First reading: This reading is from Hebrews 13:1-3 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. 3 Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
David Bradwell, from Scottish Faiths Action Group for Refugees, comments:
The instruction to show hospitality to strangers is a recurrent theme. It was an expectation in the ancient world that is fairly uncommon in Western societies today. You might catch glimpses of it in stories of the Camino pilgrimage trail or in places such as Taizé or Iona; or, closer to home, in the night shelters or refugee hosting programmes that offer emergency accommodation to desperate people.
The original audience of this letter would of course have been familiar with the Hebrew scriptures. The line about ‘entertaining angels without knowing it’ would be an obvious reference to a story in Genesis about the elderly couple Abraham and Sarah hosting two unknown guests who, when they left, declared that they would soon have a child. Here the moral is very clear – their generosity and observance of the rules of hospitality were repaid with the promise of a son.
The Biblical instructions to ‘love the stranger’, respect the rights of foreigners, ensure the fair treatment of those at risk of oppression, and the reminder ‘that you were once strangers in Egypt’ makes migrant protection the most-repeated commandment in the Bible. I’ll put that another way: the most-repeated direction in the Bible is not about sex or worship or belief, but about migrant protection.
The reason for this is possibly two-fold. The first is that it is important. The second is that human beings are very bad at keeping it and we need to be reminded again and again. The blessing given to those who offer hospitality is well known. And in the Gospels we have read that Christ himself is there, in the place of the stranger. And so by welcoming the stranger, we welcome Christ.
Item: This video (2.52min) from Scottish Faiths Actions for Refugees
Second Reading: This reading is from Psalm 137: 1-4; extra lines have been written by Rev Anne Ross of the Church of Scotland.
Beside the rivers of Babylon we thought about Jerusalem, and we sat down and cried.
Crying because so many loved ones died. Crying because houses and possessions are destroyed. Crying because the future does not look the way it was hoped to look . Crying out of exhaustion. Crying out of homesickness.
We hung our small harps on the willow trees. Our enemies had brought us here as their prisoners, and now they wanted us to sing and entertain them.
The harps are there but they remain silent. There is no song inside. All songs have faded. There is a thick lump in the throat. Singing is not possible. Only crying.
They insulted us and shouted, “Sing about Zion!” Here in a foreign land, how can we sing about the Lord?
How to sing of God in a foreign land? How to sing of God when the former sanctuary is destroyed? How to praise God when circumstances are miserable? Can you sing a song of praise when your captors only want to be entertained? Asking these questions a new song arises. It is a sad song, but it is a song. The harps are still there. Awaiting brighter days.
Third Reading: from Genesis 17
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God; walk before me faithfully and be blameless…No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations…Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come…God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations.”
Rev Laurent Verent, from the Methodist Church in Britain, writes:
Within the Abram/Abraham saga, it is not always clear where Abram and Sarai are on their journey but in chapter 17 of Genesis we can assume they have arrived. There, God asks Abram and Sarai to change their identity; changing their names and making a painful commitment (at least for Abram) to be more acceptable.
Moving to another country can involve many personal and social changes. Sometimes when people arrive in a new country with a different language they give up or adapt their name to the new context. It may be to hide the fact that they are not a “local”, or because people are not familiar with that specific name or can’t pronounce it.
In all cases, whilst changing your name might sometimes be partly a relief as a new start, it can also be a very painful experience not to hear your name again. Often, someone moving country must give up part or parts of their past identity. It may feel like losing a part of self. That change could be giving up a career, a social function, a dream or a passion. Moving country often involves a change of identity and maybe social personality.
Song: For the Healing of the Nations, by Fred Kaan
For the healing of the nations, Lord, we pray with one accord; for a just and equal sharing of the things that earth affords. To a life of love in action help us rise and pledge our word.
Lead your people into freedom, from despair your world release, that, redeemed from war and hatred, all may come and go in peace. Show us how, through care and goodness, fear will die and hope increase.
All that kills abundant living, let it from the earth be banned: pride of status, race or schooling, dogmas that obscure your plan. In our common quest for justice may we hallow life’s brief span.
You, Creator-God, have written your great name on humankind; for our growing in your likeness, bring the life of Christ to mind; that by our response and service, earth its destiny may find.
Words © 1968 Hope Publishing Company
A Celtic rune of hospitality
We saw a stranger yesterday.
We put food in the eating place, Drink in the drinking place, Music in the listening place. And in the sacred name of the triune God, The stranger blessed us and our house, our cattle and our dear ones.
As the lark says in her song: Often, often, often goes Christ in the stranger’s guise.
Washing basket exercise: People were invited to pack a washing basket or other bag with items they might take with them, if fleeing violence and seeking refuge in another country.
Fourth Reading: Rev Nguyễn Hữu Trí is the associate pastor at Springvale Vietnamese Evangelical Church in Melbourne. Originally a refugee, Hữu Trí walked from Melbourne to Canberra in 2014 on a ‘Pilgrimage of Gratitude’ to express his thanks to Australia for the gift of refuge and to help raise awareness for justice for people seeking asylum. Ten years on, Rev Nguyễn Hữu Trí reflects on his journey and heart for justice with the Common Grace movement.
“I walked from Brunswick to Canberra ten years ago with three Asylum Seeker friends. We pulled a replica model boat (of the one my family escaped Vietnam with), hoping to change the negative conversation about Asylum Seekers.
The walk involved visiting all the towns along the way, being welcomed and hosted by local churches and sharing stories and music with communities open to hearing and encountering the personhood of Asylum Seekers and seeing the beauty of their humanity, resilience, and courageous hearts. We arrived as strangers but left as friends, with tears from the encounters.
It took us thirty-three days and 650 km, and every day was beautiful, even in the rain. My three walking companions were like little excited children going on an adventure, discovering the beauty of Australia and its people.
I wanted to give the boat to Parliament as a gift of gratitude for providing generations of refugees with new beginnings and a hope-filled future, but the government of the day did not accept it. However, Andrew Wilkie MP decided to receive and host the boat in his office and assured me it would be passed on and hosted by other MPs. For the last ten years, the boat has been floating among the offices of members of Parliament, currently in Senator Anne Urquhart’s office.
While two of my walking companions, Linda and Daniel, have received permanent visas, Majid was taken back into the detention center shortly after the walk. I visited Majid a few times, but then he suddenly disappeared. Many of my asylum seekers’ friends are still waiting for permanent visas after 11 years or more; some have significantly suffered from physical and mental health issues, others have given up hope, and a few have made applications and were accepted to reside in New Zealand.
I often think back to when my father, sister and I arrived at the refugee camp in Pulau Bidong after being rescued from being held by pirates. We were in the camp for only a few months before the Australian government accepted our application. We flew to Melbourne and stayed at the migrant hostel, which provided us with access to everything we needed to begin a new life.
Local churches welcomed us to Australia, took us to their homes and on family vacations, and helped my dad find work and apply for sponsorship for my mother and two young brothers to be reunited.
The former Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser, was instrumental in establishing Australia’s quick response to support for Vietnamese refugees, ensuring they were quickly processed and well cared for to begin a new life. He said, and I quote, “And I wish you all the best for your future lives in this country, yourselves and your children, that in Australia, your best hopes and aspirations for the future will be realised.”
Asylum Seeker’s humanity and dignity have continued to be eroded by our current political hostility. The trauma of living in liminal spaces will forever form their life. My heart has been broken time and time again as I can only sit silently with my friends, hearing their pain, and I have nothing to say or do to encourage and comfort them.
While we have celebrated with the few who could start over again, many still languish without hope. Like Israel in Malachi’s time, we have continued to ‘deprive the foreigners living among you of justice’.”
The Common Grace people write: “We are deeply grateful to Nguyễn Hữu Trí for his courage and generosity in sharing his story with us. We acknowledge the heaviness of his experience journeying alongside many people seeking refuge and asylum in our country and pray for justice and for hope to break through. We continue to call, pray, act and walk together for justice for people seeking asylum and long for the day when those seeking safety on our shores are met with welcome, compassion, generosity and love.”
A prayer for courage.
In your name, Lord, we pray, To truly accept your calling, we free our hearts from fears and anxieties. May your Grace strengthen our faith in opening our lives, our churches and our homes to migrants, whatever the cost may be. We shall welcome them, and we surrender all to your Spirit. Amen
RESPONDING TO THE WORD
Hymn/Song: Jesus Christ is waiting, waiting in the street
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 raging, Raging in the streets. Where injustice spirals And real hope retreats. Listen Lord Jesus, I am angry too; In the Kingdom’s causes Let me rage with 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. On suspicion’s graveyard, 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; Music: WGRG, c/o Iona Community, Glasgow, Scotland. For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com CCLI License # 31951
Action: You can find action items suggested by the Refugee Council of Australia in this page here. These were spoken through as part of the service, and circulated during morning tea afterwards.
Fifth Reading: “If Parables Mean Nothing”, a poem by Lucy Berry
If parables mean nothing then we could go ahead,
and pass by; offering no room, no medicine, no bed.
If Bible now means nothing, tell Joseph to go home
and tell the pregnant Mary she never should have come.
If all of it all means nothing then we can close the door
on ancient ways of welcome that we believed before,
and write to Abram and his wife and tell them of the danger,
the foolishness, the silliness, of welcoming the stranger;
and email Jesus right away and, gently, tell him how
the hungry and the naked just aren’t our business now.
If what He said means nothing, just throw away the Book,
for it has no authority and we are off the hook.
But if the things He told us still mean good news to you,
then open up your hearts, minds, arms – for there is loads to do!
Offertory prayer
Generous God, we bring our diverse gifts. Let your Holy Spirit breathe life into our serving, so that all that we do may bring glory to your name. Amen
Feature Spot: Church Library
Prayers of the people
Benediction
May you share from the abundance of your Father’s heart,
with those who would seek nothing more than safety, belonging and peace.
May you see the image of God in the face of the refugee,
may the stranger be called sister, brother and friend.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Benediction Song: May the feet of God go with you
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