St Luke's Uniting Church, Highton
St Luke's is a congregation of the Uniting Church in Australia, located in Highton, Geelong.
Thanks to Mike Currie and a number of contributors, please find this month’s news sheet on the link below. Rev. Paul Stephens shares some great insights on St Luke the evangelist (and healer) after who our congregation is named.
Remember to send your stories and news for next month to Mike at news@stlukesuca.org.au by 27 October.
Grace and peace be with you.
Welcome to this service from St Luke’s Uniting Church, Highton.
I am Paul Stephens the ordained minister in placement.
As you can see, we are in the church building for this video.
Today we will be looking at the implications for us of the account in Mark’s Gospel of the young man who came to Jesus and asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life?
By the way next week, we will be reflecting on our life at St Luke’s as we celebrate the ministry of our namesake, St Luke.
Please go to our website https://stlukesuca.org.au if you want to find out more about the life of the congregation.
Let us start this service well, by reminding ourselves of the good news that Christ calls us … indeed calls all … to life in all its fullness.
As we pray, hear words of Scripture and reflect on our theme let us seek to be open to the prompting of the Spirit so that Christ can enlighten us …
Let us give time during this service to intentionally wait upon the living God who is always with us whether we acknowledge this or not …
O God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
You embrace all time and eternity in your care,
Your way is the way of love and compassion,
You are abundant in grace and truth.
All your works praise you,
And your way is revealed in Jesus Christ our Saviour and brother
Help us to honor you,
Blessed and holy Trinity,
One God, for ever and ever …
As we pause in prayer, Saving God, it is a relief to know that nothing we do or say, or do not do or say, can be hidden from you.
You know our needs even before we name them …
You see how we stumble along the path of life … often because we are weighed down by all the ‘stuff’ which keeps us from following Jesus.
Holy One, empty us of our tendency to cling tightly to unneeded things or unhealthy pretensions … instead fill us with your grace and hope. As we let go of all which might hold us back, give us the trust to follow Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, into that life with which he offers to each of us.
Silence may be kept
Amen.
My friends, Christ has come to loose our bonds
and give us liberty.
In his name I declare the forgiveness of sins
and the life that is eternal.
If Christ sets you free, then you are free indeed.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Friends embrace the life Christ offers. Amen. Amen.
The prayers are based on material from Uniting in Worship 2 an prayers written by Thom Shuman, and posted on Lectionary Liturgies. http://lectionaryliturgies.blogspot.ca/
Introduction to the reading
In the last video we looked at the way Jesus challenged his followers and challenges us by drawing attention to children.
The account of Jesus taking children into his arms and blessing them comes immediately before the passage we are about to here.
And you might remember that Jesus told his disciples that the kingdom of God belongs to children … that the way to the kingdom is not complicated … it is simple … it is about receiving God’s way with the wide-eyed joy and openness that little children display.
Let’s listen now to today’s reading from Mark’s Gospel about a man who found himself challenged about his approach to the things of God.
Mark 10:17-31
A Rich Young Man’s Question
17 Jesus started to leave on a journey, but a man ran to him and fell on his knees before Jesus. The man asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?
18 Jesus answered, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commands: ‘You must not murder anyone. You must not be guilty of adultery. You must not steal. You must not tell lies about your neighbor in court. You must not cheat. Honor your father and mother.’”[a]
20 The man said, “Teacher, I have obeyed all these commands since I was a boy.”
21 Jesus looked straight at the man and loved him. Jesus said, “There is still one more thing you need to do. Go and sell everything you have, and give the money to the poor. You will have a reward in heaven. Then come and follow me.”
22 He was very sad to hear Jesus say this, and he left. The man was sad because he was very rich.
23 Then Jesus looked at his followers and said, “How hard it will be for those who are rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
24 The followers were amazed at what Jesus said. But he said again, “My children, it is very hard[b] to enter the kingdom of God! 25 And it will be very hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. It would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle!”
26 The followers were even more amazed and said to each other, “Then who can be saved?”
27 Jesus looked straight at them and said, “For people this is impossible. But for God all things are possible.”
28 Peter said to Jesus, “We left everything to follow you!”
29 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth. Everyone who has left his home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or fields for me and for the Good News 30 will get a hundred times more than he left. Here in this world he will have more homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields. And with those things, he will also suffer for his belief. But in the age that is coming he will have life forever. 31 Many who are first now will be last in the future. And those who are last now will be first in the future.”
Adapted from The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a division of Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
Sermon: “Things that hold us back from living.”
How do people know who you are?
Well obviously, there is your name. Which in my case is a little complicated because while I am known as Paul, Paul is actually my second name. My first name is William and after years of trying to explain this to banks, companies and government authorities I have given up. So, for example, when I travel and use my passport, I have to remember that when someone calls out, William. Well, that’s me.
But we are more than names …
“Elise is the lady who lives in the house on the corner with all those beautiful roses.”
“Fred is the guy who is into fishing in a big way.”
I remember many years ago hearing a funeral eulogy for a man, who I did not know personally but who had been described to me by his family. A friend of the man gave the eulogy, and he outlined all the important committees and company boards that the man had served on but said nothing about the man’s character … how he cared for is family, his kindness, his sense of humour … that sought of thing. So, I didn’t think the man who gave the eulogy really gave us a true picture of who his friend was. I frankly thought the man’s character spoke far more about who he was than the years he had served on a particular company board.
In todays’ reading it is clear that the identity of the man who came to Jesus and asked him about how he could inherit eternal life was bound up with his wealth.
It is for good reason that this passage is often entitled in Bibles “The rich man” or “The rich ruler.”
Jesus of course diagnosed this straight away. (Pause)
Jesus is about to go on a journey and the man rushes up to Jesus and kneels at his feet.
The man, in the process, almost overdoes the greeting by describing Jesus as “Good teacher,” which Jesus later picks up on.
And after this startling entrance and greeting, the man asks Jesus, what he must do to inherit eternal life.
Now the word inherit is important and we will come back to it in a moment.
But, as you heard, Jesus’ response was to point to the law.
And the man tells Jesus that he has kept the laws since he was a boy … which we have no reason to believe was untrue and which was therefore pretty amazing. No doubt he was thus known as a good man.
But when Jesus challenged the man to give up his riches because they were holding him back from inheriting eternal life, he just couldn’t do it.
Jesus looked straight at the man and loved him. Jesus said, “There is still one more thing you need to do. Go and sell everything you have, and give the money to the poor. You will have a reward in heaven. Then come and follow me.”
He just couldn’t do it. He just couldn’t give up his wealth and all that went with it. And so he went away sad!
It is not that having stuff in itself is wrong … but when wealth … when stuff defines who you are … defines your identity … as it did for this man … then there is a problem … it is a barrier to inheriting eternal life … it is a barrier to being authentic … to being truly alive … alive in God … alive in Christ.
The discomforting word here for us, of course, is that we are being provoked by Jesus to ask ourselves what are the barriers to us inheriting eternal life?
When Jesus looks at us with love, what would he have us let go of?
If not wealth, are there other things … obsessions … anger … an inability to forgive … attitudes or patterns of thinking. What might be acting as barriers for us to inheriting eternal life????
And now back to that word “inherit.”
The point about the life that Jesus offers in this life and the life to come, is that it is inherited!
What normally happens when you inherit money or a house or a box of your grandparent’s stuff? Unless there has been some skulduggery going on, you simply receive it. To inherit something is to receive a gift.
To enter into the way of life that Jesus offers means accepting that we can do nothing to earn it!
Like the wide-eyed joy and openness of a child we are simply to receive the undeserved gift of the life and love of God poured out in Christ Jesus.
Faith means simply being ready to receive and trust Jesus …
And then allow the life and love of Christ to shape the way we live, the way we relate to others, the way we honour God …
In a world where we so often are told we have to work for something, we have to buy, we have to do something to get it, we have to create our own image, this is pretty weird. But it is the Gospel.
Real hope … real life … involves receiving the gift.
The rich man had allowed his wealth to define who he was. His wealth had become something unhealthy and a barrier to living God’s way.
Jesus loved him and challenged him to let go of it and live … to begin living a little of eternal life of God right now.
Jesus wants that for you and me to be free and alive …
So be open to Jesus’ challenge to you about what you might need to let go of … what might act as a barrier to inheriting …to receiving … life in all its fullness … the life of Christ.
A Reflection
To the fisherfolk Jesus said:
“Follow me and I will make you fish for people.
To the tax collector Jesus said:
“Follow me.”
To the rich man Jesus said:
“Go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”
At the last supper Jesus said:
“Follow me.”
To you and to me and to all of us Jesus says:
Follow me!
~ written by Rev. Kathleen Sheets, Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Jesup, IA.
We respond
Great God of Heaven and Earth,
you call us to leave behind our preoccupations
and to follow you into the future.
Sometimes we find your call challenging.
We are comfortable, maybe even complacent, in our present.
May this act of giving be a gesture of our willingness
to follow where you lead.
In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
~ posted on the United Methodist Foundation of Michigan. http://www.umfmichigan.org/offerprayers.html
Prayers of intercession
Holy God,
We give thanks that in many ways we have
known Your love,
and experienced Your care and provision.
You invite us to extend that love to the world around us—
to care for others….
We pray for the many who do not have enough:
enough food to eat, or shelter to keep warm;
enough employment, or money to pay their bills;
enough medicine or medical care.
We also pray for those who have more than enough,
but who still struggle to find meaning and purpose in life;
who indulge in dangerous or self-serving activities
to dull their pain or loneliness.
We pray for those impacted by COVID 19 and for all those … like intensive care nurses … who are serving so self-sacrificially to care of others.
We pray for our planet … teach us to be good stewards of the environment.
We pray for the Church both locally and globally that your Spirit might continue to stir its leaders and members to a faithful and energetic living out and sharing of the good news of Jesus Christ … and we remember particularly the Catholic Church in Australia which has been meeting in recent days to consider its future.
Compassionate God, Your grace reaches out to all of us.
You call us to live as citizens of heaven,
working together with one heart and mind.
Strengthen us to live in a manner worthy
of the Good News we have received,
offering our lives in service of Your kingdom,
where the last are first, and the first are last,
and there is grace enough for all.
In the name of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, Amen.
Based on a prayer by Christine Longhurst, re:Worship
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours
now and forever. Amen.
Word of mission
Blessing
Hymn: “I the Lord of sea and sky…”
Unless otherwise stated prayers are either by the author or based on resources from Uniting in Worship 2 © Uniting Church Press, Sydney, 2005. And images are from Wikimedia Commons and are in the public domain.
When nothing is right,
when we are weary and lost,
when clouds dull the sky,
help us to be still.
When our cries are unheeded,
when no effort bears fruit,
when the sun sets,
help us to be still.
When love is over,
when hope is gone,
when darkness covers the land,
help us to be still.
For in being still,
in refusing to panic or despair,
we shall come to know that God is there,
suffering alongside and with us,
waiting to show us stepping-stones through the swirling waters,
and to help us sing a new song.
~ written by Kate Compston. Posted on the Church of Scotland’s Starters for Sunday website. http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/
Grace and peace be with you.
Welcome to a video from St Luke’s Uniting Church, Highton. I’m Paul Stephens, the ordained minister in placement.
Today we will be hearing two short passages of scripture which involve children, Jesus and Jesus’ followers. And frankly they are quite challenging!
Don’t forget that to contact us or find out what is on at St Luke’s go to our website: “stlukesuca.org.au” for all the information you need. Please let us know what you think of our videos, we value your feedback.
Let us come aside for a few moments in quiet prayer. I will shortly lead a prayer adapted from material from Uniting in Worship 2 and the writings of Bruce Prewer …
Try to put aside anything that might distract you.
Take a moment or two to take stock of how things are for you … maybe a need for encouragement, a need for some words of hope or for strength to face difficult matters … a need for assurance or forgiveness …
Then hold onto the good news that the living God who has come amongst us in Jesus, is close …
God, source and home of all things,
in the beginning you sang creation into being
and formed this rich red land;
you are worthy of all praise.
Lord Jesus, brother and healer,
Word of God and one-with-us,
your love for the world took you to the cross;
you make us whole.
Spirit of God, within and among us,
midwife of a world transformed,
and bringer of new life;
you inspire us to live in hope.
God of grace:
Spirit, Son, Father,
whose love never ends,
whose mercy is beyond telling,
whose faithfulness continues to surprise;
May we place you and your way at the centre of our lives …
May we never take your love for us and all things for granted …
May we be honest with ourselves and with you about our flawed nature and our need for forgiveness …
Have mercy upon us, according to your grace in Christ Jesus: uncover our self-deceits, forgive our sins and deal with the heavy burden of guilt.
Restore us to your way, re invigorate our faith and hope.
Stretch our love so that we may be able to forgive others just as you forgive us.
Through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen!
www.bruceprewer.com/DocB/BSUNDAY27.htm
Both texts you are about to hear involve Jesus trying to shake up the mindset of his followers.
In the first short passage you will hear how those followers were arguing about their ranking … who had the highest status in the group. Who was Jesus’ best friend?
The second passage begins with the followers of Jesus basically treating children as a nuisance; and trying to shoo them away. They think that Jesus has better things to do than spend time with children.
Bible readings
From The International Children’s Bible
Mark 9:33-37
Who Is the Greatest?
33 Jesus and his followers went to Capernaum and went into a house there. Then Jesus said to them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But the followers did not answer, because their argument on the road was about which one of them was the greatest.
35 Jesus sat down and called the 12 apostles to him. He said, “If anyone wants to be the most important, then he must be last of all and servant of all.”
36 Then Jesus took a small child and had him stand among them. He took the child in his arms and said, 37 “If anyone accepts children like these in my name, then he is also accepting me. And if he accepts me, then he is also accepting the One who sent me.”
Mark 10:13-16
Jesus Accepts Children
13 Some people brought their small children to Jesus so he could touch them. But his followers told the people to stop bringing their children to him. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was displeased. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them. The kingdom of God belongs to people who are like these little children. 15 I tell you the truth. You must accept the kingdom of God as a little child accepts things, or you will never enter it.” 16 Then Jesus took the children in his arms. He put his hands on them and blessed them.
Another telling:
Sermon: “Jesus’ blessing of children … a radical act.”
Jesus’ words and actions described in these two short passages would have been quite mind-blowing for those who were present.
And if we can dust away some of our own preconceived ideas about what is going on here, we too might find that Jesus has something a bit challenging to say to us.
In Jesus’ day, children were, of course, considered very precious by their families,[1]but beyond their family children had no social or legal status at all. If a child was Jewish, they also had no place in the life of the local synagogue. It was not until a boy was aged 13 that he could be involved in synagogue after he had had his bar mitzvah. In a sense then a child was a non-entity.[2] Like women, lepers, tax collectors and so many others, children were amongst the least and the lowly.
It was like children were to be neither seen nor heard.
In the first passage that we heard Jesus disciples are arguing about who in their small group was the greatest.
I am not sure how they tried to measure this. As I said earlier, maybe they tried to work out who amongst them Jesus considered his best friend.
In 2021, in terms of measuring who is the greatest, I guess we could talk in terms of the number of followers someone has on a social media site, the amount of money someone has amassed, the fact that someone is called a celebrity …
In the groups or organisations or businesses you are associated with or have been associated with, how does or did the pecking order work?
Jesus undercuts all this by bringing children into the picture … and remember what we have just said about the place of children in Israel in those days.
He tells his follows that God’s way involves not fighting for status but serving others … not shooing children away but bringing them into the centre of things … it involves welcoming the least and the lowly.
And in the second passage Jesus commends the approach of children to matters of faith …
We are to receive the good news that Jesus offers with that kind of wide openness and joy that little children can display …
Jesus knew that children can teach us so much.
So, let me conclude with three take away messages from these two passages about Jesus and children.
The first message is that Jesus challenges all worldly ideas about who is the greatest.
The second message is Jesus’ slightly uncomfortable challenge to us and all concerning who we welcome and who we might be inclined to shoo away.
And the third is the good news, that receiving the blessing of Jesus … knowing you are loved and valued by God … is not complicated … it is not about all the stuff you have or have not done … it is about receiving God’s way with the wide-eyed joy and openness that little children display.
Prayerful Affirmation:
Lord Jesus,
preaching good tidings to the people,
proclaiming release to captives,
setting at liberty those who are bound:
we adore you.
Lord Jesus,
friend of the outcast and the poor,
feeder of the hungry,
healer of the sick:
we adore you.
Lord Jesus,
denouncing the oppressor,
exposing the hypocrite,
overcoming evil with good:
we adore you.
Lord Jesus,
pattern of gentleness,
teacher of holiness,
prophet of the kingdom of heaven:
we adore you.
Lord Jesus,
dying to save us from our sin,
rising to give us eternal life,
ascending to prepare our heavenly home:
we adore you. Amen.
From UIW2
Prayers of intercession
Compassionate God,
Through Jesus, you invite us to bring to you all our concerns and the matters that lie heavy on our hearts …
We remember all those … and especially children … who today have no safe place to call home … who today experience fear, poverty and all sorts of trials …
We remember all those … especially children … who are feeling despairing … who struggle to find hope in the world …
We remember all those … and especially children … who we know who are ill, who are impacted by COVID, who are grieving, who are close to death …
In the quiet of our hearts, we name before you are own needs … our own struggles … our own worries …
We pray for the church and all those who seek to reflect the way of your kingdom of faith, hope and love … all those who seek to walk the way of Jesus and bring good news to the poor and liberty to the oppressed …
We offer these and all our prayers in the name of Jesus who taught us to pray and say:
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours
now and forever. Amen.
Word of mission
Go forth into the world in peace;
be of good courage;
hold fast that which is good;
render to no one evil for evil;
strengthen the faint-hearted;
support the weak;
help the afflicted;
honour all people;
love and serve the Lord,
rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Blessing
Unless otherwise stated prayers are either by the author or based on resources from Uniting in Worship 2 © Uniting Church Press, Sydney, 2005. And images are from Wikimedia Commons and are in the public domain.
[1] Brendan Byrne, A costly freedom: a theological reading of Mark’s Gospel, Strathfield: St Pauls Publications, 2008, pp.151-153, 160-161,
[2] M. Eugene Boring, Mark: a commentary, Louisville: Westminster John Know Press, 2006, pp. 280-281, 289-290
As you may be aware, demand for emergency food supplies are increasing in the Barwon region. Uniting runs emergency food pantries in Norlane and Grovedale, and St Luke’s is a designated drop off location for food items.
Currently the emergency pantries are in need of:
Smaller packets /jars are more useful than large packets/jars.
You can drop items into St Luke’s on Tuesdays and Friday mornings between 10 and 12 noon.
There are many other ways to be involved in the food for families program – see here: https://foodforfamilies.org.au/get-involved-individuals-families/
During this time of COVID-19 many people have benefited from having companion animals at home …or in our case our daughter’s dog, Alfie.
In so many ways animals, great and small, are a blessing.
In this video we thought we celebrate this … the blessing of animals. On the day this is video is released it will be just over a week till the feast day of the Christian leader who is renowned for his connection with the care of all creation, St Francis of Assisi. His feast day is October 4th
Opening Prayer
O God, our God, how great you are.
We praise you for your creation and all that is in it … including we humans.
We are in awe at the complexity and beauty of all that is
Thank you for the light which wakes us
morning by morning,
and for the greater light which shines in Jesus Christ.
You are always more ready to reach out to us than we are to reach out you.
Enable us to search our souls and be honest about our need … our need for the hope you offer through Christ … our need for the forgiveness and healing you offer in Christ …
Enable us to receive your love and grace and empower us by your Spirit to live more fully in the way of Christ … loving you, our neighbours and ourselves … and caring for the good gift of your creation.
We pray in the name of Christ, Amen.
Introduction to the theme and reading
Have you heard the quote attributed to St Francis of Assisi to the effect that Christians should preach the Gospel at all times and only when necessary use words? Well, sorry to be a spoil sport but there is no evidence that he ever said this and besides he was well known for preaching with words … apparently, he danced on one occasion when preaching a sermon to a congregation that included the Pope of the day.[1]
That said Francis (who was born in 1182 and died in 1226), and the community of followers that gathered around his leadership, was all about living out the gospel in deed as well as word. His life was marked by shunning of worldly goods, prayer, humility and service of the poor.[2]
As a young man Francis experienced a conversion: he gave up the prospect of a life of power and riches to share in a radical living out of the way of the cross of Christ.
[1] Did Francis really say, Preach the Gospel at all times and if necessary use words? – FOCUS (focusequip.org)
[2] Michael W. Blastic, “Franciscans” in William H. Willimon and Richard Lischer (eds.) Concise Encyclopedia of Preaching, Louisville Westminster, John Know Press, 1995, p. 158
Bible reading
Matthew 6:25-34
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
“So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
In “Together in Song” there is a brilliant hymn by William Henry Draper based on the Canticle of the Sun which is a prayer attributed directly to Francis.
Prayer of thanksgiving
God, our Creator,
We give thanks for the blessing of companion animals … and we think of those creatures special to us.
Thank you for the joy, playfulness and sometimes the surprising humour they display. Thank you for their company in lonely hours and the healing their presence can bring. Thank you for the pure beauty of every animal…
Blessed are you, Lord God, maker of all living creatures. You called forth fish in the sea, birds in the air and animals on the land. You inspired St. Francis to call them his brothers and sisters. Help us to care for the animals entrusted to us.
In the name of Christ, Amen.[1]
Prayers of intercession
There is a wonderful prayer which comes probably from the 19th century but reflects the spirit of the ministry of Francis and is associated with him. Let’s make this prayer our prayer …
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is discord, union;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
for your mercy and truth’s sake.
O divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours
now and forever. Amen.
Word of mission
Go forth into the world in peace;
be of good courage;
hold fast that which is good;
render to no one evil for evil;
strengthen the faint-hearted;
support the weak;
help the afflicted;
honour all people;
love and serve the Lord,
rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Blessing
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you,
and be gracious unto you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
and give you peace. Amen.
Unless otherwise stated prayers are either by the author or based on resources from Uniting in Worship 2 © Uniting Church Press, Sydney, 2005. And images are from Wikimedia Commons and are in the public domain.
[1] Adapted from prayers found at https://www.humanesociety.org/sites/default/files/archive/assets/pdfs/faith/blessing-of-the-animals.pdf
This week just gone has been Foster Care week.
Barwon Child Youth and Family works with Foster carers in Geelong to ensure that children in need of care find safe and nurturing homes to stay in when life turns upside down.
To celebrate Foster Care Week, BCYF is launching a new video to encourage more people to consider becoming a foster carer. This animation is a creative introduction to foster care that will help not only spread the message about the need for more carers, but also explain more about what foster care is and the process involved.
Find out more information online about becoming a foster carer.
Dear friends, Grace and peace be with you.
These days of COVID 19 are difficult … many are feeling very isolated …
Now I don’t want to try to paper over the reality of how many of us are feeling … but at least we are in the season of Spring … with signs of new life all around us.
If you are like me and suffer from hay fever there can be some negatives about all the pollen in the air … but wow isn’t it amazing to see what a few weeks ago was a bare branch suddenly now covered in bright blossom.
Today we celebrate God’s gift of creation and we will be showcasing some of the ways that local people are going about caring for it.
By the way next week .. September 26th … given it is close to the feast day of St Francis of Assisi … we will be giving thanks to God for the blessing of animals. And we are inviting you to send us pictures of animals that have been a blessing to you. Simply email your pictures to linda.salamy@stlukesuca.org.au and let us know that you’re happy for these to be used in the video and on social media.
Opening Prayer
The prayers for today’s service are adapted from resources on the Church of Scotland website.
Holy Creator God,
Whose knowledge is too wonderful for us,
Who created the world and all that it contains,
Who knows each blade of grass and hair upon our head,
We are grateful for the part we play in Your vision for creation
And we offer You praise for Your infinite love for us and our world.
Merciful God,
we confess that we think we know what is best.
We go our own way instead of Yours.
We fill our needs before the needs of others.
Forgive us for relying on our own wisdom instead of Yours.
Forgive us for the ways in which we place ourselves at the centre of Your creation
instead of part of it.
Amend what we are,
direct what we shall be,
so that we may delight in Your wisdom
and walk in Your ways,
To the glory of Your holy name.
We pray all of this in your name,
One God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
September 19th | The Church of Scotland
Introduction to the reading
Listen now, to some selected verses from a wonderful Psalm which celebrates the creative activity of God, Psalm 104.
The Psalm is quite long and so I would encourage you to get out your Bibles and read it in its entirety. There are so many wonderful images in this Psalm.
What is clear from this Psalm is that the creative activity of God lies behind all the wonders of the world around us.
Francis Collins is currently the head of the National Institute of Health in the USA and has a key role in that country’s response to COVID-19.
Collins is a Christian, actually a member of the United Methodist Church. In a recent interview he spoke humbly about the role of a scientist.
“You get a chance once in a while as a scientist, to discover something that no human knew before, but God knew it. … It’s a little glimpse of God’s mind. In a way that’s what science is doing. It’s glimpsing God’s mind and being in awe of it.” [1]
Psalm 104: 1-4, 10-15, 24-26, 33.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
O Lord my God, you are very great.
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
wrapped in light as with a garment.
You stretch out the heavens like a tent,
you set the beams of your chambers on the waters,
you make the clouds your chariot,
you ride on the wings of the wind,
you make the winds your messengers,
fire and flame your ministers.
You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
they flow between the hills,
giving drink to every wild animal;
the wild asses quench their thirst.
By the streams the birds of the air have their habitation;
they sing among the branches.
From your lofty abode you water the mountains;
the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.
You cause the grass to grow for the cattle,
and plants for people to use,
to bring forth food from the earth,
and wine to gladden the human heart,
oil to make the face shine,
and bread to strengthen the human heart.
O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
Yonder is the sea, great and wide,
creeping things innumerable are there,
living things both small and great.
There go the ships,
and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
Prayers of intercession
God of heaven and earth,
through Jesus Christ You promise to hear us when we pray to You in His name.
Confident in Your love and mercy
we offer our prayer.
Empower the church throughout the world in its life and witness.
Guide the rulers of the nations.
Inspire them to strive for peace and justice,
that all Your children may dwell secure,
free of war and injustice.
May the world’s poor and suffering have their rightful share of food, medical care, and shelter,
and so have the necessities of a life of dignity.
Give us respect and profound care for all you have created, so your whole creation may resound in an anthem of praise to Your glorious name.
Sustain and comfort all you suffer … all who need your healing touch.
Make the sick whole,
Give hope to the dying
Comfort those who mourn
Uphold all who suffer in body or mind,
not only those we know and love
but also those known only to You,
that they may know the peace and joy of Your supporting care.
O God,
in Your loving purpose
answer our prayers and fulfil our hopes.
In all things for which we pray,
give us the will to seek to bring them about,
for the sake of Jesus Christ Amen.
September 19th | The Church of Scotland
The Lord’s Prayer
Thanks to Michelle
Today we want to recognise and thank Michelle Walker for many things … but particularly given our theme … her amazing leadership as part of the St Luke’s environment group and the Repair Café. You can read more about this in a story featured in Humans in Geelong:
Blessings Michelle as you return to Queensland – it was great to have you in the neighbourhood!
Word of mission
Go forth into the world in peace;
be of good courage;
hold fast that which is good;
render to no one evil for evil;
strengthen the faint-hearted;
support the weak;
help the afflicted;
honour all people;
love and serve the Lord,
rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Blessing
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you,
and be gracious unto you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
and give you peace. Amen.
Unless otherwise stated prayers are either by the author or based on resources from Uniting in Worship 2 © Uniting Church Press, Sydney, 2005. And images are from Wikimedia Commons and are in the public domain.
[1] “Francis Collins: Science ‘a glimpse of God’s mind, ’From Faith and leadership, Publication of Duke Divinity School, 30/8/2021 https://faithandleadership.com/francis-collins-science-glimpse-gods-mind?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Read%20more&utm_campaign=fl_newsletter
[2] Joint Statement on the Environment.pdf (archbishopofcanterbury.org)
In recent weeks we have been looking at the resources we can draw on to keep afloat in these times. This week our attention turns to the value of “wisdom.”
Given the maximum number of people who can attend in-person worship is 20 it looks like the next few weeks we will be continuing with online videos like this one.
Next week we will be celebrating local endeavours to care for God’s good gift of creation; and on September 26th … given it is close to the feast day of St Francis of Assisi … we will be giving thanks to God for the blessing of animals. And we are inviting you to send us pictures of animals that have been a blessing to you.
Loving God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
We praise you for the wonders and mystery of your creation of which we are a part.
We praise you for the amazing tapestry of the stars and planets in the clear night sky;
We praise you for the all the unfolding life of this season of spring … fresh green shoots, the joy of the dawn chorus of birdsongs, and the vibrant colour and scents of blossom,
Enable us to be truly thankful for the blessing of this universe in which we have a home.
Help us to discern your presence in the midst of all the things that make up our daily lives.
And enable us, right now, to be open to you … to listen for your word of wisdom for us …
Forgive us when we fail to seek your guidance, when we convince ourselves that our way is always the best way and that we can do it all by ourselves.
Open us to the transformation and renewal that your Spirit can truly make to us and our lives.
May we grasp hold of your forgiveness, your grace and your life poured out in Christ Jesus.
Give us the courage and strength to walk Jesus way … the way of the cross and the empty tomb.
And we pray in the name of Jesus. the way, the truth and the life.
Amen.
Today’s Readings:
For a deeper dive into Proverbs:
If you would like to sing along with the hymn Paul mentioned, here’s a version you can join in with:
Gracious God,
Help us to follow in the way of Jesus, to walk his way of wisdom;
Empower us to be ambassadors of the path of abundant life that he offers.
We pray for our world that is broken and in pain.
For those who are in sorrow and need.
For the hungry, poor, and lonely.
For the sick and bereaved.
Be their rock and constant companion through difficult and dark days.
We pray for all who are struggling to find truth and wisdom in the world…
We hold before you those known to us with deep and often unnamed needs … the anxious, the lonely, the unloved, the sick the dying and the grieving …
We also remember before you those who are genuinely putting themselves at risk for the sake of others … medical staff, emergency service personnel, teachers, children’s workers, carers, public transport drivers …
Draw near to all in need and grant the peace of Your presence,
the healing of Your touch and Your guidance
and assurance of love
so that all who are weak and weary
may walk in hope and faith.
In the name of Christ, Amen
Elements of this prayer are by Rev Chris Blackshaw, Ayr Farming Support Minister, September 12th, 16th Sunday after Pentecost | The Church of Scotland
Go forth into the world in peace;
be of good courage;
hold fast that which is good;
render to no one evil for evil;
strengthen the faint-hearted;
support the weak;
help the afflicted;
honour all people;
love and serve the Lord,
rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Welcome to a video from St Luke’s Uniting Church, Highton. I’m Paul Stephens, the minster in placement.
In the last video we looked at how prayer is literarily a life-giving gift. This week our focus is on the value of finding sanctuary in our lives.
Don’t forget that to contact us or find out what is on at St Luke’s (or in the current situation “not on”), … go to our website: stlukesuca.org.au for all the information you need.
Opening Prayer
Faithful God, you draw near to us
in our joy and in our grief,
in our hope and in our despair.
When we are bowed down, you raise us anew.
We turn to you now in search of your healing touch.
In you is found true sanctuary.
God of compassion and love,
Open our eyes, dispel our fears,
… show us the real life you offer through
the Risen crucified One, Jesus Christ.
Based on a prayer posted on the United Church of Christ’s Worship Ways website. http://www.ucc.org/worship/worship-ways/
Merciful God,
You deal with us,
according to your unwavering love;
according to your abundant mercy
help us to name our need of you …
help us to be honest about the sin and the guilt we have carried for so long…
Write in the deepest recesses of our beings the good news of your forgiveness and grace …
Free us to live the abundant lives you desire for each of us … lives marked by love of you, neighbour and self.
Create in us clean hearts,
Renew your spirit within us.
Restore to us the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in us a willing spirit.
We offer these our prayers in the name of Christ. Amen.
Based on Psalm 51 and a prayer written by Rev. Abi, and posted on Rev. Abi’s Long and Winding Road blog
Scripture reading:
Lamentations 3: 19-24
The thought of my affliction and my homelessness
is wormwood and gall!
My soul continually thinks of it
and is bowed down within me.
But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
Matthew 11: 25-30
At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Prayers of intercession
This prayer is based on a prayer by the late Rev. Bruce Prewer.
Holy God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
You embrace all time and eternity in your love,
but through Jesus we know you are concerned for each one of us, hear our prayers for our brothers and sisters in the human family who this day are enduring hard times.
Bless those near us or far away whose very being is torn by grief. Come to them through the arms and words of others, that they may be embraced with your comfort.
Bless those near to us or far away who are suffering from injury or disease … especially those with COVID-19. May they receive both medical care and the inner resources to regain their health.
Bless those near us or far away who are finding the impact of COVID-19 on their lives and livelihoods just so hard. We pray you might bless leaders, medical authorities and practitioners, scientists … all who seek to bring an end to this pandemic.
Bless those near or far away who are unjustly treated; socially or politically, at work or at home, free or captive. Bring justice and rehabilitation, we pray.
Bless those near us or far away, who flee oppression and violence. We pray that they might find genuine sanctuary … and we think at this time particularly of the people of Afghanistan.
Bless those near us or far away, who are seeking something to put their faith in. May they find the abundant life found in Jesus Christ.
Bless those known to us with needs, whether they be near or far away … Help us to uphold each person in prayer and to offer the appropriate support.
Holy God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
please assist us to turn our good intentions into deeds and to carry our prayers over into all the coming and going of this week ahead of us. Through Christ our model and our enabler.
Amen!
www.bruceprewer.com/DocB/BSUNDAY23.htm
Word of mission
Go in peace, and remember:
goodness is stronger than evil;
love is stronger than hate;
light is stronger than darkness;
life is stronger than death;
victory is ours
through Christ who loved us.
Amen.
Blessing
Unless otherwise stated prayers are either by the author or based on resources from Uniting in Worship 2 © Uniting Church Press, Sydney, 2005. And images are from Wikimedia Commons and are in the public domain.
Call to Worship:
A Place of Sanctuary
From the corners of worry and fear,
from the shadows where we huddle with our doubts,
God calls us to this place of sanctuary
where we can draw from Love’s deep wells.
In every moment where we look for strength to continue,
in every time wonder if faith is worth it,
Jesus calls us to this time
where we can welcome the peace given to us.
In every person who embraces us with acceptance,
in every touch that offers healing and hope,
the Spirit calls us to see those around us
as God’s beloved, our sisters and brothers of grace.
~ written by Thom Schuman, and posted on Lectionary Liturgies. http://lectionaryliturgies.blogspot.ca/
[1] Faith and Theology: Karl Barth: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (faith-theology.com)
Our theme in this video again builds on a theme that I have been following for some weeks: “Staying afloat … in today’s world.” And today our focus will be on something that people of faith deeply value: “the gift that is prayer.”
Scripture reading: Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills—
from where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.He who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time on and forevermore.
Opening Prayer
When Christians gather for worship we begin with acknowledging that we are in the presence of God. The God who is creator the cosmos, yet who has come amongst us in the person of Jesus, and indeed who knows you and me better than we know ourselves.
The following opening prayer includes elements of a prayer by John Harvey from the Church of Scotland.
Be still now … try to put to one side anything that might distract you … to pause and give space for God …
Let us pray:
Holy God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
You embrace all time and eternity in your care,
Yet you are right here with each of us in this present moment …
As we pause in prayer, enable us to still our rushing, swirling thoughts … so we might concentrate on you … our life and our hope.
Open our hearts and souls to your peace and your healing …
Compassionate God who knows us intimately and unconditionally look in mercy on us and deal with those aspects of our living and our thinking that do not equate with or indeed distort the way of Jesus.
Help us to come clean with ourselves and with you about our deep and often hidden needs …
Challenge us and forgive us;
speak your word for us …
Show us how to search for you
in the midst of life;
help us to believe and trust
that no wrong we have done,
and no good we have failed to do,
is too great for you to pardon,
through Jesus Christ the Son, Amen.
Elements of this prayer are by Rev. John Harvey, and posted on the Church of Scotland’s Starters for Sunday website.
http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/16290/29_September_2013.pdf
Prayers of praise and intercession
Let us continue in prayer with a prayer of thanksgiving and intercession with elements from a prayer by Iain MacDonald again from the Church of Scotland.
Prayers of the People
Ever faithful Father,
Ever giving Son,
Ever present Spirit,
Holy Three and Holy One,
For the many gifts you grant us
and the opportunity to enjoy these things;
For your daily provision
and for the constant signs of your healing love;
For hope amidst despair
and the light which always shines;
For all these things we are, however, inadequately “thankful.’
May our thanks and praise, our deep gratitude, flow out into our words, thoughts and actions.
When the opportunities come our way,
may we serve you by serving others,
enable us to be healers,
peacemakers
and ambassadors of the Gospel of hope … the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Compassionate God,
In silence we bring before you those people and issues that are closest to us and that occupy our minds at this time …
God who in Jesus has made clear that you love the whole world and its peoples,
we bring before you people and issues from around our planet …
we think of people impacted by the pandemic,
by despondency and a lack of hope,
by fear,
by hate,
by oppressive and violent regimes,
by disasters (natural or otherwise),
by hunger and thirst,
by grief and the nearness of death …
God of hope and healing,
May we in some way be a part of the answer to these the prayers of our hearts …
We offer these prayers in the name of Jesus Christ the one who is the way, the truth and the life,
Amen.
Elements of this prayer are based on prayer by Rev Iain MacDonald. Posted on the Church of Scotland’s Starters for Sunday website. http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/
A hymn for today:
