Koonung Heights Uniting Church
Service of Worship at Home
Words for the Beginning
Do the good that is yours to do
Advent 3 – 15 December 2024 – 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: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” – (Words © Susan Wickham 2021 – Tune TiS 265)
O come, O Wisdom, mind and heart divine,
help us restore a world we’ve let decline.
Enlighten us; your way we would know
and show us where new seeds of hope to sow.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to us and in our hearts will dwell.
Acknowledgement of Country:
For this Land – I give thanks!
For the First Peoples – I give thanks!
I pay my respects to the Wurundjeri WoiWurrung People,
and honour their ancestors and leaders, past and present,
and those who will lead them into their future.
I honour the custodians of sacred stories, of dreamings
and the connections with the deep earth and oceans.
May we all work together
for the restoration of the Land and Sea and Her Peoples.
Call to Worship:
“Teacher,” the crowd asked, “What should we do?”
If you have two shirts, give one away.
Hold onto hope.
Live like we belong to one another.
Speak the truth.
Look for God.
Do the good that is yours to do.
It’s all that easy, and it’s all that hard.
Let us worship our present and active God.
Advent Candle:
In a weary and worn world, how do we begin again?
Where do we start?
Let us start small.
Let us begin with what is right in front of us.
Let us do the good that is ours to do,
and let us do it with joy!
Yes, let us begin with joy.
Today we light the candles of hope, peace, and joy.
May these lights remind us of what could be.
May these lights inspire action.
May the warmth of these lights fill us with joy.
May it be so! Amen.
We Sing: “Joyful, joyful” – (TiS 152)
Joyful, joyful, we adore you,
God of glory, God of love;
hearts unfold like flowers before you
opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness,
drive the doubt of dark away;
giver of immortal gladness,
fill us with the light of day.
All your works with joy surround you, earth and heav’n reflect your rays,
stars and angels sing around you, centre of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea,
singing bird and flowing fountain, call to praise you joyfully.
You are giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blest,
well-spring of the joy of living, ocean-depth of happy rest.
You our Father, Christ our brother, all are yours who live in love;
teach us how to love each other, lift us to your joy above.
Call to Prayer:
Friends, there are times when we can do nothing but lift our voices in praise
to the One who has created the beauty in all we see around us.
Yet there are also times when the weight of the world can feel so heavy on us.
Fortunately, we can come before God at any time, not matter how we are.
When we come before God with praise, our Spirits are lifted,
and we open ourselves to feeling God’s presence.
When we come before God in confession,
God removes the weight that lies heavy, and offers us grace.
So I invite you to share this prayer with me.
Come and allow yourself to begin again.
Come, let us pray …
Prayer of Praise and Confession:
Loving God,
you made us with muscles to laugh and to cry,
sometimes simultaneously,
and we bring our praise to you
for the awesome gift of this life.
Mountains tower above us, trees reach for the sky
and grasses sway in tune with the breezes.
Seas roar and tides roll in and out,
rivers cascade and water plays down falls
or rests in quite billabongs.
Creatures delight in your world and we take our place
in the order of things, bringing you praise
with the voice and life you have given us.
Liberating God,
There are days when the world can feel like it’s crumbling,
and days when we doubt that we can make a difference.
We ask ourselves: What can these two hands do?,
What can this one voice say?
Shake us free of our own self-doubt, and remind us
that we are not called to fix everything.
We are simply called to do the good that is ours to do.
So, with hope in our hearts and fire in our bones, we pray.
Amen.
Words of Assurance:
Friends, no matter how many times
we lose momentum, doubt our own ability,
or tell ourselves the world’s problems are simply too big,
God sees what we cannot.
God calls us by name, surrounds us in grace,
and invites us to begin again.
Trusting in this good news, I invite you to join me
in proclaiming these words of forgiveness:
We are loved. We are forgiven.
We are invited to do the good that is ours to do.
Thanks be to God for this new beginning.
Amen.
The Peace:
The peace of Christ be with you … and also with you.
Amen.
A Time for All:
The time for Christmas Carols is upon us and, earlier this week, I googled like I do every year so that I could watch one of my favourite carols again. It’s Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy sung by David Bowie and Bing Crosby. If you’ve never heard it then have a listen. It mixes the Little Drummer Boy words with others that compliment and call for peace on earth.
When I was listening it got me thinking about the story of the Little Drummer Boy and how it seemed to fit with the theme of today … do the good that is yours to do. If you don’t know the story, it goes something like this.
A poor young drummer boy is summoned by the Magi to the Nativity of Jesus. As he travels with them, he realises that they all have wonderful gifts to present to this newborn king. Once they arrive at the place of Jesus’ birth, the Magi present their gifts and the boy wonders what gift he can give, as he believes he has nothing to offer. Yet with encouragement and approval from Jesus’ mother, Mary, the little drummer boy plays for Jesus. The final verse of the song is beautiful …
I played my drum for Him, I played my best for Him,
Then He smiled at me, me and my drum
While there is no historical or biblical evidence of a drummer boy at the nativity scene, I think this story reminds us that we don’t need to worry if we aren’t able to do what others do, we just need to do what is ours to do. The little boy thought that he had nothing to offer, but he could play the drum and so that’s what he did, in the best way he could. Then he smiled at me, me and my drum – I’m not sure how much smiling went on, but I can imagine the God-one smiling when we offer what we can. In fact, I’m quite sure God delights in it!
Let us pray:
Dear Jesus,
in the same way that the little drummer boy offered what he could,
help us to offer what we have.
We all have gifts
things we can do and say and ways we can help and encourage others.
Help us remember that while the things we do might seem little,
nothing we do in your name is ever insignificant.
In your name we pray,
Amen.
We Sing: “Take my life, and let it be” – (TiS 599ii)
Take my life, and let it be, consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from thee.
Take my silver and my gold, nothing, Lord, would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use every power as you would choose.
Take my will and make it thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is your own; it shall be your royal throne.
Take my love: my Lord, I pour at your feet it’s treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for thee.
Bible Reading: Isaiah 58:9b-12
9b If you remove the yoke from among you,
the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
10 if you offer your food to the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
and your gloom be like the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you continually
and satisfy your needs in parched places
and make your bones strong,
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water
whose waters never fail.
12 Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations
of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to live in.
Bible Reading: Luke 3:7-16
7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 9 Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 And the crowds asked him, “What, then, should we do?” 11 In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none, and whoever has food must do likewise.” 12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13 He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”
15 As the people were filled with expectation and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16 John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Reflection:
Once upon a time there was an old man who used to go to the ocean to write, and he would often walk on the beach in the morning before he began. Early one morning, following a big storm, as he was walking he noticed that the beach was covered starfish who had been brought in on the tide. The man also noticed that someone else was on the beach. It was a young girl who was walking toward him, bending down every now and then to pick up something and throw it into the sea. As the girl got closer the man called out, “Good morning! May I ask what you are doing?”
The girl paused, looked up, and said, “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them into the beach and they can’t get back to the sea by themselves. When the sun gets higher in the sky, they will die, unless I throw them back into water.” The man replied, “But there must be thousands of starfish on this beach. I’m afraid you won’t really be able to make much of a difference.” The girl bent down again, picked up another starfish and threw it, as hard and as afar as she could, back into the ocean. Then she turned, smiled and said to the man, “It has made a difference to that one!”
You may have heard a variation of that story before. It’s a heart-warming story where, despite the enormity of the task in front of her, the girl decides that she will do what she can, knowing that even the little bit she does can make a difference. The fact that she can’t throw all the starfish back doesn’t stop her from doing what she can and making a difference, even if it is only to ‘that one’ and ‘that one’ and ‘that one’.
Headline after headline, creation groans. The pain of the world seems to be compounding and never ending, and in the overwhelm of daily responsibilities and global crises it’s easy to feel like anything we do or say is simply a drop in the ocean. Yet, in this season when we are called to hope, we need to remember that the good we do in the world has ripple effects beyond what we see. We cannot save the world, but we can move towards the One who invites us to work in the world. Christ came into a world fraught with issues of injustice and inequality but he did not turn away, he showed us a way forward by engaging in action grounded in compassion.
Do the good that is yours to do, the theme for this week, reminds us that we are each uniquely gifted, called, and equipped for the good that is ours to do in the world. In the centre of our quilt square this week we see the cross, symbolising Christ’s impact, and surrounding it are individuals reaching out and shining their particular light in the world.
Let’s spend a few moments looking at the readings we have heard today and see how they might speak into this idea that while we can’t do it all, we can each do something that matters.
The passage from Isaiah is written at the time when the Israelites have returned from their exile in Babylon, yet their return was not as they had imagined and they are facing many challenges as a community. Other biblical texts tell us of these hardships including famine, failed crops, drought, injustice and internal strife between the people. The prophet reminds the people that in this time they need to do the things they can … to stop accusing others, to offer food to the hungry, to satisfy the needs of the troubled. In doing this life is born in the community for those who act in this way will be like a spring of water which never fails. They are the ‘repairers of the breach’. In doing these small acts, a fabric of communal flourishing is created. The prophet also promises that those who act in this way will be continually guided by God, that as they do the good that is theirs to do, God will be with them.
In the gospel passage from Luke, various community members are approaching John the Baptist and each is grappling with their role in a society which is also marked by inequality and injustice. John gives practical advice to these people. To the crowds, he says, ‘Share what you have’, to the tax collectors, ‘Take no more than what you are owed’ and to the soldiers ‘do no harm in pursuit of personal gain’. While his answers differ, the core message is the same … ‘do the good that is yours to do.’
This message is no less real today. We are called to serve where we are, to take a stand for our neighbours, to do good right where we are, in the positions we hold, whether they be teacher, consultant, lawyer, parent, caregiver, librarian, doctor, administrator, accountant, voter, minister, small business owner, retiree, custodian, student, manager, Uber driver, nurse, grandparent, and the list goes on.
John also points people toward Jesus, the One who will come after him. He knows that the people cannot continue to do things relying only on their own strength. We need God’s help if we are to do the good that is ours to do. Each good work, no matter how small, is a thread in the fabric of God’s ongoing creation story – a story we are called to participate in, a story of restoration set in plan from the creation of the stars.
This Advent, remember that your efforts, though they might seem modest, are part of a larger, divine tapestry. We do not need to be daunted by the enormity of the task that lies before us … a task that is summed up in Micah 8:6: Do justice now. Love mercy now. Walk humbly now. And if it seems too hard, remember that from even the smallest seed abundant fruit can grow. With God’s help, may our acts of love and works of justice lead to the flourishing of all people.
Amen.
We Sing: “Do the Good that’s Yours to do” – (Tune Tempus Adest Floridum)
People came from all around just to see the teacher
living in the wilderness, speaking to the seekers.
He had no pretentiousness; he would tell you bluntly.
So they should out his advice on how to live justly.
“Tell me, John, what should I do as a tax collector?”
“Take only what’s yours to take; don’t abuse you debtors.”
Soldiers, shepherds, fishermen asked him the same question.
John responded all the same, “Share all your possessions.”
Some are called to offer care, some to exhortation,
some to hospitality, some to education.
All these gifts collectively work to bring salvation –
Do the good that’s yours to do with determination.
Prayer for Others
(prepared by Graham and Wendy Ray):
Let us pray:
At this Advent season, we joyfully await the celebration of the coming of the Christ into the world. And in this time of waiting, hope and preparation for God taking human form as a baby, we share God’s concern for his creation. Inspire us to do all that we can, to care for the natural world.
Let us pray for the needs of the church, our community and the world.
Where there is conflict, terrorism and war, come and be with all those who work for peace and reconciliation.
Where there is exploitation of the weak and poor, hunger, disease and despair bless those who work tirelessly to improve their quality of life
Where there are refugee camps and ethnic discrimination, come and be with those who work for justice and liberty.
And we pray for tolerance and respect for all religions.
Where there is addiction to drugs, alcohol and gambling, come and be with those who provide programs of hope for rehabilitation.
We pray for those who suffer, the sick, the depressed, the lonely and those who grieve.
We pray also for those who are happy and fulfilled.
May their sense of fulfilment and joy, enable them to share Your message of love.
In a moment of silence, we bring before you, all those whom we know who are grieving,
or suffering at this time …
(time of silence)
Bless our Minister Heather and her family, and all those who have committed their time and talent, to furthering our worship and the message of the Gospel.
Finally, as we start this week, let us be inspired by John the Baptist’s words of hope, which occur just before today’s reading, … be prepared, be lifted up, make straight the crooked, make smooth the rough: so that our hearts and homes will be filled with the joy and love of the real meaning of Christmas – the birth of Jesus; who taught us to pray, saying …
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: “Great God, your Spirit, like the wind” – (TiS 416)
Great God, your Spirit, like the wind – unseen but shaking things we see –
will never leave us undisturbed fulfil our dreams, or set us free,
until we turn from faithless fear and prove the promise of your grace
in justice, peace and daily bread with joy for all the human race.
Lord, shake us with the force of love, to rouse us from our dreadful sleep;
remove our hearts of stone, and give new hearts of flesh, to break and weep
for all your children in distress and dying for the wealth we keep.
Help us prevent, while we have time, the blighted harvest greed must reap.
And then, in your compassion give your Spirit like the gentle rain,
creating fertile ground from which your peace and justice spring like grain;
until your love is satisfied, with all creation freed from pain,
and all your children live to praise your will fulfilled, your presence plain.
Blessing:
As you leave this place,
may you have the wisdom to lean on one other.
May you have the courage to hold onto hope,
the compassion to do the good that is yours to do,
and the confidence to trust
that God sees you as a blessing.
For in a world full of dead ends,
Advent invites us to begin again.
So start here. Start now.
Start with love and begin again.
In the name of Christ, our new beginning,
go in peace.
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:
A Sanctified Art (Words for the Beginning), WorkingPreacher.com, The Fig Tree Worship and MinistryMatters.com.
The Starfish Story is adapted from The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley (1907 – 1977).