Koonung Heights Uniting Church
Service of Worship at Home
Aboriginal Sunday / Day of Mourning – 25 January, 2026 – 10am
or whenever possible
You may like to light a candle during your time of worship.
Feel free to text the Peace to other members of the congregation.
Introit: Bless the Lord, my soul – (TiS 706)
Bless the Lord, my soul, and bless God’s holy name.
Bless the Lord, my soul, who leads me into life.
Lighting the Christ Candle:
We light this candle as a symbol of the light of Christ,
light which cannot be held back by distance,
and light which shines in each one of us,
no matter who or where we are.
Acknowledgement of Country:
The Ancient of Days breathed life
into this land and her peoples.
Today, as we gather to worship,
I acknowledge the Wurundjeri WoiWurrung,
as the first-born peoples of these lands.
I pay my respects to their elders past and present,
and to the leaders and generations to come.
I also acknowledge their continuing care of God’s creation.
Welcome:
More than 85 years ago, Aboriginal Christian Leader William Cooper called on Australian churches to set aside the Sunday before January 26 to stand in solidarity and pray for justice and the flourishing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. His deep faith and vision inspired what we now know as Aboriginal Sunday or Day of Mourning – a day for Christians to join together in support of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the ongoing pursuit of justice.
In 2026, we continue in this legacy with the theme ‘Be Strong and Courageous’. These words in Joshua 1:9 are both God’s command and God’s promise – that we need not be afraid, for God is with us wherever we go. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Christian Elders have long walked this path of strength and courage, urging the Church to stand boldly and advocate for justice, healing, and reconciliation. Their faithful witness continues to inspire and lead us today.
Call to Worship:
Our Lord is alive amongst all things of creation –
the sounds of rivers in motion,
the waves of the seas,
the scents of the gum trees
and native flowers on the winds.
God, you made the earth to give us life
and daily sustenance
and it is on Country that we find a place to retreat
and walk alongside you in whispering conversation.
Today we come together
and we bring our full voices,
to lift them in praise of our triune God.
We come asking for forgiveness for not always
being the givers of love and hospitality.
We look to have our hearts made clean.
We come in repentance and hope.
We come to listen, learn and act with courage.
We come with humble awe and wonder.
We come to worship.
We Sing: Praise the one – (Tune TiS 392)
Praise the one who breaks the darkness with a liberating light.
Praise the one who frees the prisoners, turning blindness into sight.
Praise the one who preached the Gospel, healing every dread disease,
calming storms and feeding thousands with the very bread of peace.
Praise the one who blessed the children with a strong yet gentle word.
Praise the one who drove out demons with a piercing two-edged sword.
Praise the one who brings cool water to the desert’s burning sand.
From this well comes living water, quenching thirst in every land.
Praise the one true love incarnate: Christ who suffered in our place.
Jesus died and rose for many that we may know God by grace.
Let us sing for joy and gladness, seeing what our God has done.
Praise the one redeeming glory, praise the One who makes us one.
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Confession:
Creator Spirit, Lord God, Papa Jesus,
from ocean to ocean, mountain to desert,
and river to lake,
your creation sings your praise.
We thank you for these ancient lands,
now called Australia, nurtured and sustained
by the First Peoples for thousands of years.
We praise you for wisdom, stories and songs
which reflect your beauty and grace,
and for the way this land dances in your glory.
We thank you for Jesus,
the One who showed us how to welcome others,
and live with courage and honesty.
Merciful God,
we acknowledge with sorrow the injustice and abuse that
marks our shared history with the First Peoples of this land.
Forgive us for the times when we continue to contribute
to the suffering and oppression or others.
We have been indifferent when we should have been outranged,
apathetic when we should have been active,
and silent when we should have spoken out.
Gracious God, forgive us for our failures, past and present.
Transform our hearts and minds so that we
may boldly speak your truth and courageously do your will.
Under your Southern Cross in repentance and sorrow
we dare to stand together for peace and justice.
In Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen.
Words of Assurance:
Water for First Peoples is always a sign –
a sign of God’s peace and fulfillment in everything that is good.
God who hovered over the waters, invites us to ‘come to the water’,
to drop in our burdens of lament and confession.
So hear the words of Christ’s forgiveness to all:
your sins are forgiven, you are cleansed and made new again.
Go and live as reconciled people.
Thanks be to God.
The Peace:
May the Peace of God dwell with you: and also with you.
Time for All:
Today I’d like to share a story with you. It’s called Puffing Tilly and the Rainbow Snake, written by Cecilia Egan and illustrated by Elizabeth Alger.
Puffing Tilly was a big red steam engine. Her job was to take cargoes on long journeys through the Australian bush. Her metal wheels on the tracks would make a sound like ‘ka-ka-du, ka-ka-du’. When she came to a tunnel, the engine driver would make the whistle blow. It sounded like ‘noodles-tooo! noodles too! Then, if she came to bridge her wheels would rattle to a different beat which sounded like ‘City of Canberra, City of Canberra!’ And when she really got going, her wheels went ‘’fish-and-chips, fish-and-chips’ as she rattled along.
Now one fine night, out in the bush close to Puffing Tilly’s railway track, something very strange began to happen. First the ground trembled, then the earth seemed to heave itself up as if a volcano were pushing its way up! Something gleamed in the cracks of the earth, and raised a giant head, looking all around.
The ‘something’ was huge, and as dirt slid off its scaly slides it glittered as if it were covered with stars, all the different colours of the rainbow in fact, this was the Rainbow Snake. The Rainbow Snake is a giant snake; the biggest in the world. He is so long his tail can reach right across Australia. He is about forty thousand years old, or even older, and he is a very beautiful creature. He knows many things, including every language that ever has or ever will be spoken by people or animals. He even knows worm language.
The giant snake had just woken up. He had been asleep for two hundred years, dreaming deep under the ground. He looked around to see what had changed since he went to sleep. His rainbow eyes could see cities on the horizon, and his sensitive nose could smell smoke and pollution. He heard the distant hubbub of traffic. Around him the tall gum trees had gone, and all that was left was grass. He looked and looked, but he could see no sign of the kangaroos and kookaburras and emus which used to live there by the hundreds. And the great big Rainbow Snake felt that he was all alone in the night.
Just then another noise came to his ears – a clickety-clack kind of sound he had never heard before. Puffing Tilly came rushing by him on her journey to the city. The smoke billowed out of her red smokestack and sparks flew from her metal wheels. The Rainbow Snake wasn’t at all frightened – if you were the biggest snake in the world, you wouldn’t be frightened either. But he was very interested. He had never seen a steam train before, and he thought it was a giant snake – not as large as himself of course, but bigger than the average snake. So he began to slither along beside her on her journey, to find out more.
‘Well,’ whispered the Rainbow Snake, ‘what’s your favourite food?’ Just then Puffing Tilly started going down a slope. Her wheels when faster and faster and ‘fish-and-chips, fish-and-chips’ they sang. ‘Oh, really? I’m quite fond of fish myself,’ whispered the Rainbow Snake. ‘Anything else?’ The slope ended in a tunnel through a mountain. Tilly’s whistle sounded – ‘noodles-tooo! noodles-tooo!’ ‘Very interesting, I must try them,’ said the Rainbow Snake. They went on together while the Rainbow Snake wondered about all the places the red snake must have visited on its travels.
‘What’s your favourite place?’ he asked as they came to a bridge high over a river and began to cross. Puffing Tilly’s wheels rattled as if to say – ‘City of Canberra, City of Canberra!’ ‘Oh’, whispered the great creature, ‘it sounds very nice, but cities are no place for the Rainbow Snake. I prefer the wilderness, but I think it’s disappeared.’ A rainbow tear dropped from its eye.
They were getting close to the city now. The Rainbow Snake knew he had to turn back, but he asked one last question of the red snake, his new friend. ‘Where is there a place left for me to go and dream in peace, away from the cities?’ As Tilly started to pull the heavy trucks up the steep hill, her wheels slowed right down until they sounded like ‘ka-ka-du, ka-ka-du.’
And she kept saying ‘Kakadu’ all the way to the city, even when she had left the Rainbow Snake far behind. But the Rainbow Snake didn’t feel lonely any more. He said to a passing worm, ‘Where is Kakadu?’ ‘Way up north mate,’ said the worm.
So the Rainbow Snake turned towards the north and slithered silently away. Nobody saw him go except the birds and animals and worms. They saw his huge rainbow coils glittering in the moonlight, and they knew they had seen a legend.
When the Rainbow Snake got to Kakadu he saw that it was just the kind of place he loved best. He burrowed down under some trees and rocks beside a river and went back to sleep, dreaming about fish and chips and noodles. And he’s still there.
We Sing: “Where wide sky rolls down” – (TiS 188)
Where wide sky rolls down and touches red sand
where sun turns to gold the grass of the land,
let spinifex, mulga and waterhole tell
their joy in the One who made everything well.
Where rain-forest calm meets reef, tide and storm,
where green things grow lush and oceans are warm,
let every sea-creature and tropical bird
exult in the light of the life-giving Word.
Where red gum and creek cross hillside and plain,
where cool tree-ferns rise to welcome the rain,
let bushland, farm, mountain-top, all of their days
delight in the Spirit who formed them for praise.
Now, people of faith, come gather around
with songs to be shared, for blessings abound!
Australians, whatever your culture or race,
come, lift up your hearts to the Giver of grace.
Bible Reading: Joshua 1:9
9 I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Bible Reading: Hebrews 12:1-3
– The Example of Jesus
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls or lose heart.
Bible Reading: Matthew 4:12-23
– Jesus Begins His Ministry in Galilee
12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
15 “Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,
on the road by the sea, across the Jordan,
Galilee of the gentiles –
16 the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.”
17 From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Jesus Calls the First Disciples
18 As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea – for they were fishers. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Jesus Ministers to Crowds of People
23 Jesus went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.
Reflection:
In On 26 January, 1938, Aboriginal leaders gathered on Gadigal land in Sydney, including William Cooper, Jack Patten, William Ferguson, Pastor Sir Doug Nicholls, Aunty Pearl Gibbs and Aunty Margaret Tucker, to declare a National Day of Mourning. Some 88 years later, in the Uniting Church in Australia, we are encouraged to reflect on this day as a day of mourning with the First Peoples of Australia. We are asked to maintain a witness of reconciliation by naming, understanding and committing ourselves to the fullness of the history of this country, including its sometimes painful and complex reality. We do this prophetically, knowing that not all people are comfortable in this space, but never-the-less stepping into the space. The turning points into new ways of being do not come without prophetic leadership, yet we move in this space with the hope and believe that God will take all of us and create in us something new and renewed. We do this as a witness and a testament to our faith that all of us are reconciled through Christ. Let’s spend a few moments looking at today’s readings and see how they might inform our response today.
The theme for Aboriginal Sunday 2026, is rooted in God’s powerful word to Joshua: ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go’ (Joshua 1:9) Joshua faced challenges, but God’s presence gave him courage. Today, the Australian Church is called to have that same courage as it steps us for justice and healing for First Nations people. Walking with First Nations people on a path of justice, healing, and truth-telling requires courage. It means confronting hard realities, including children still being taken, deaths in custody, systematic racism, and the long history of denial. First Nations communities continue to plead for our children to be loved and not locked up, yet in the last year some States have lowered the age of criminal responsibility from 14 down to 10 years old. A complaint has been made to the United Nations about Australia’s discriminatory youth justice system and how it seriously violates the human rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. What will the church say to all of this? God’s promise to be with all people remains, and we are all invited to be involved in bringing God’s just kin-dom to the here and now. We are called to this together.
In the passage from Hebrews, we are reminded that we are ‘surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses’ (Hebrews 12:1) Those who have gone before us in faith and courage, so when we run the race that is before us, we are not alone – God goes with us and we are surrounded by Aboriginal Christian leaders who’ve shown us what courageous faith looks like. Among them are Christian leaders of the past, like William Cooper and Doug Nicholls. Yorta Yorta man, William Cooper, challenged the Church to pray and act in solidarity with Aboriginal peoples. He was a devout Christian activist and a unionist who was a leading figure in the fight for Aboriginal rights in Australia. He organised the first Aboriginal protest march to the German Consulate in 1938 against Nazi persecution of Jewish people, and for a petition to King George V in the 1930s, seeking Aboriginal representation in the Federal Parliament.
Pastor Sir Doug Nicholls was born on the Cummeragunja Mission. He was the grandnephew of William Cooper and was known for his outstanding leadership in youth and welfare work and through his unfailing efforts to further the cause of justice of Aboriginal people. He was a passionate advocate and minister, an outstanding Aussie rules footballer, and he became the first Aboriginal governor of a state – South Australia in the 1970s.
There are also Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Christian leaders who continue to lead and inspire us today. Aunty Dr Jean Phillips and Uncle Pastor Dr Ray Minnicon are two. Aunty Dr Jean Phillips has ministered for over 65 years, raising Aboriginal Christian leaders and calling the church to justice, serving indigenous communities and fostering reconciliation across churches. Uncle Pastor Dr Ray Minniecon is the founder of Scarred Tree Ministries based at St John’s Anglican Church in Glebe. He’s a steadfast voice of faith, justice and community, advocating for bold climate action and authentic justice. Their courage and faith remind us that Christ goes before us, and the Spirit strengthens us to walk boldly that path that is ours to tread.
In the gospel reading we have the message of the Good News in Jesus Christ as told by Matthew. ‘Jesus went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.’ (Matthew 4:23)
Those things that we think are broken or wasted or impossible to achieve, are possible when we work together in Christ. The good news Jesus brings is caught up in our shared stories that come from deliberate and intentional connection with one another. There is nothing to fear as we lament, but instead the call to discipleship involves radical repentance, with the promise that in Christ, the best is yet to come.
On this day of mourning, the potential for this new day is glimmering in us. We can live in joy, even when we have conflicting views and disagreement, if we believe the will of God is for us to live in peace with the whole of creation. Peace allows different voices to find a safe space to be heard.
Rev Aunty Roberta Stanley, UCA Minister, is a proud indigenous woman with connections to Hopevale, Coen, Bindal & Great Keppel Island, Queensland. She continually preaches the truth that ‘God did not make junk’, and reminds her beloved sisters and brothers in Christ that all people are made in God’s image, and that through the church we may find our way into the future that God holds for us. If we believe that we are all made in the image of God, then how can the covenantal message of reconciliation with the First Nations people be anything but natural for us. It might not be an easy journey, but it’s one we are called to.
Amen.
We Sing: Creator God – (Tune TiS 375)
Creator God, you make this land and gave to us the gift of life.
You wish that we should live as one, but we acknowledge sin and strife.
Let justice everywhere be found, let discord end and love abound.
Your covenants of old stand firm, you ways are faithful, right and just.
Bind us together in your love to live and word in growing trust.
Strengthen those ties which keep us true to serve each other, serving you.
Our Saviour Christ, you came to earth. You know our joys, our hopes, our pain.
To call us into covenant, you gave your life and rose again.
You make us yours, you give us worth to be your light in all the earth.
Great Spirit in this ancient land, speak in the stillness deep within.
Remove all prejudice and fear, give life to all, new hope begin.
Then help us gently walk as friends, while on this land your peace descends.
Prayer for Others (prepared by Graham and Wendy Ray):
Let us pray …
We come before You today, acknowledging the weight of our shared history in Australia.
We celebrate the strength, survival and resilience of the First Peoples of this land.
May we also reflect upon their dispossession, and ongoing injustices.
We acknowledge that we are all made in Your image, and called to live in harmony with one another. May Your guidance and wisdom enable us to become agents of change. May we also act compassionately, marked by justice and reconciliation.
Just as our First Peoples cared for this land, may we act to sustain its goodness.
Let us always act in responsible, environmentally friendly ways, and encourage individuals and businesses to care for nature.
We pray for those affected by conflict around the world.
We live in a world where greed, self-interest and false pride, are creating tension, instability and loss of life. Our prayer is that peace and good will towards others will prevail.
At this time, we continue to pray for those affected by the tragedy at Bondi, the devastating fires in Victoria and the floods along the Great Ocean Road.
Please hold them tight, in Your loving embrace.
We give thanks for the leadership of Heather Hon, and others in our congregation, who provide leadership. May we all use our talents and gifts to enrich this congregation, and further Your work in the community.
We pray for those in this community, or those whom we know, who may be experiencing loneliness, illness or anxiety about loved ones. Fill them with the hope of Your love.
Let them know that You are with them – they are not alone.
In a moment of silence, we bring before You what is on our minds this morning …
(time of silence)
Confident in Your love and power Lord, may we walk together as first and Second Peoples, building our families, our communities and our nation.
This we ask saying the Lord’s Prayer together …
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name;
Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and 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.
We Sing: Filled with the Spirit’s power – (TiS 411)
Filled with the Spirit’s power, with one accord
the infant church confessed it’s risen Lord:
O Holy Spirit, in the church today
no less your power of fellowship display.
Now with the mind of Christ set us on fire,
that unity may be our great desire:
give joy and peace; give faith to hear your call,
and readiness in each to work for all.
Widen our love, good Spirit, to embrace
in your strong care all those of every race:
like wind and fire with life among us move
till we are known as Christ’s,
and Christians prove.
Blessing:
As we leave this space today,
let us go following Jesus as pilgrims on the way,
announcing the good news of the kin-dom of justice and peace.
Let us go into the world to be the light,
healing the sickness and disease of division along the way.
May the nourishing light of Christ’s perfect love,
and the Spirit’s cloud of witnesses,
remind us of God’s call
to be strong and courageous,
for we are never alone.
Go in peace and love.
Amen.
Thanks to all those who have assisted in preparation for this liturgy with encouragement, prayers and conversation.
I have also utilised the following resources: Fig Tree Worship, UCA Day of Mourning Resources and Common Grace Aboriginal Sunday Resources.
Praise the One © Rusty Edwards, 1987 Hope Publishing Company.
Creator God © Keith Pearson, The Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress.