Koonung Heights Uniting Church
Service of Worship at Home
Easter 2 – 7 April 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.
During the service we will share Communion so you might like to have the elements ready.
Introit: “Bless the Lord” – (TiS 706)
Bless the Lord, my soul, and bless God’s holy name.
Bless the Lord, my soul, who leads me into life.
Candle Lighting:
Risen Christ, you live!
In lighting the Christ Candle today
we affirm that Christ is with us.
The light of Christ shines in the darkness
and the darkness is transformed.
Hallelujah!
Acknowledgement of Country:
As we gather to worship,
I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians
of these lands and waters,
the Wurundjeri WoiWurrung
People of the Kulin nations.
I pay my respects to their Elders, past and present,
and to all future leaders and generations.
As First and Second Peoples walking together,
may we commit ourselves to be people of the covenant,
listening, truth telling and seeking justice for all.
Call to Worship:
Jesus said,
“Follow me.”
Jesus said,
“Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Jesus said,
“Forgive seventy times seven.”
Jesus said,
“Feed my sheep.”
In response, we say:
“Here’s my heart.
Take it, hold it and set your seal upon it.”
Let us worship God with all our hearts.
Opening Prayer:
Gracious and loving God,
We thank you for this life;
for the wonder of creation,
for the beauty of the world around us,
for the mystery of love,
and the blessing of family and friends.
We thank you for Jesus;
who walks with wounded hands outstretched,
towards us and amongst us.
Risen Jesus, you come with peace
and trust us enough to send us out to love the world.
Offer us again whatever it is that we need
to hear your voice and see your face,
because your voice is crying out through all creation
and your face shines in every person.
Your wounds are all too present
in the suffering of those who are both near and far.
Call us again,
beyond hearing, seeing and touching,
into faithfully trusting you,
and loving one another in your name.
Amen.
We Sing: “Come as you are” – (TiS 693)
‘Come as you are: that’s how I want you.
Come as you are; feel quite at home,
close to my heart, loved and forgiven.
Come as you are: why stand alone?
‘No need to fear, love sets no limits;
no need to fear, love never ends;
don’t run away shamed and disheartened,
rest in my love, trust me again.
‘I came to call sinners, not just the righteous;
I came to bring peace, not to condemn.
Eace time you fail to live by my promise,
why do you think I’d love you the less?
‘Come as you are; that’s how I love you;
come as you are, trust me again.
Nothing can change the love that I bear you;
all will be well, just come as you are.’
Call to Confession:
For the last seven weeks we have been following the life and faith of Peter.
Despite being one of Jesus’ most loyal disciples, Peter still made mistakes.
He was faithful and messy, humble and afraid, loving and cautious.
Friends, we’re a lot like Peter.
Despite our faith, we make mistakes.
Despite our belief, we carry unbelief.
Despite our love, we can cause hurt.
So like Peter, let us return to God in prayer, confessing the truth of our lives.
God’s grace does not stop with that humble yet fearful disciple.
God’s grace reaches all the way to us.
Prayer of Confession:
I invite you to say these words with me.
Gracious God,
Like Peter, we crawl out of the boat only to sink.
You tell us your truth and we push it away.
We ask about forgiveness and are surprised by abundance.
We profess our faith and deny it three times.
We run to the empty tomb and leave in silence.
Over and over again,
we find ourselves wandering along the journey of faith.
Tether us to your heart.
Forgive our surprise, our denial, and our limited imagination.
Call us out of the boat once more.
We are eager to return to you.
With humble hearts we pray,
Amen.
Words of Assurance:
Friends, the first time that Peter saw Jesus after the crucifixion,
Jesus asked him three times, “Do you love me?”
This repetition was not because Jesus doubted Peter’s word.
This repetition was Jesus offering Peter grace.
You see, the last time Jesus and Peter were together,
Peter said three times, “I do not know that man.”
So when Jesus returned, he asked Peter, “Do you love me?”,
and in that moment, he allowed Peter to turn his denials into love.
Friends, the grace of our God knows no end.
When we stumble, when we fall, when we deny God or cause harm,
Jesus meets us where we are and offers us a second chance.
So rest in this good news.
Does God love you? Yes, yes, yes. God loves you.
We are forgiven.
Thanks be to God for a love that never ends.
A Time for All:
Today I’d like to share a story with you. It’s called ‘Throwaway Bear’ and it’s by Sandy Nightingale. It’s a story about many things, but mostly about a Throwaway Bear who ends up becoming an Own Bear, when he finds someone to love and care for him.
Poor Throwaway Bear finds himself in the rubbish bin after spoilt Sophie gets him as a birthday present and decides she doesn’t want him. After Sophie unwraps him, he ends up with all the wrapping paper and stuffed into the rubbish bin. This is the beginning of an adventure which sees him being put on the front of the garbage truck, before being chased by a dog, pounced upon by rabbits and finally dropped into a deep lake by a raven.
Throwaway Bear is very sad and thinks ‘this is where I’ll stay forever, nobody will ever find me down here.’ In the sleep silence, he suddenly feels a sharp tug on the back of his neck and ends up being pulled out of the water by a fisherman who is disappointed that he has only caught an old bear who is ‘no use to anyone’.
As Throwaway Bear lies in the mud on the bank, he think how it seems a very long time ago that he had been a brand-new birthday bear. Now he is here, of no use to anyone, and he is very sad. But that’s when a little boy and his mother come along. The boy’s name is Paul and he and his mum are on their way to the shops so Paul can buy his little sister, Poppy, a birthday present. Despite his mum’s protests, Paul decides he wants to keep the bear because he has a brilliant idea. They go to the shops and Paul buys a red ribbon, which Mum says will be a lovely present for Poppy. But Paul has something even better in mind, and on the way home from the shops he asks Mum if she will help him mend the teddy so he can give that to Poppy for her birthday.
So Mum puts bear in the washing machine where he gets a little dizzy. Then she hangs him on the clothesline to dry in the breeze and then she starts repairing him. She sews his arm back on, patches his rips and tears, and even gives him some extra stuffing. Finally, she gives him a good brush until his coat shone. When she is finished Paul ties the red ribbon around his neck. Bear looks beautiful, but he is still worried. What if Poppy doesn’t want me? Bear thought anxiously. Will I be thrown away again?
The next day was Poppy’s birthday and everyone gave her presents. There was a tea set from her mum and dad and a picture book from her grandma. She liked everything. Then Paul gave her his present. Poppy clapped her hands with delight. ‘Bear!’ she cried, hugging him. ‘Own Bear’. Bear could hardly believe his fixed-up ears. ‘Own Bear’, he thought happily. ‘Own Bear. O I do like the sound of that!’ And he was never, ever, Throwaway Bear again.
That’s what love can do. That’s what God’s love can do for us – help us know that we are precious and held. Our response to this love should surely mean being like Paul, seeing the beauty in those that society discards, loving them regardless, and helping them discover their worth again.
Let us pray
Dear God,
We love you, and we want you to have our whole hearts.
Sometimes we feel like we don’t have much to offer,
but you don’t ask more of us than what we can give.
You love us, you created us, and you know our limitations and our gifts.
No matter what those are, we can live into your call to care for those around us.
Help us to follow the example you provide in Jesus, in whose name we pray.
Amen.
We Sing: “A new commandment” – (TiS 699)
A new commandment I give unto you
that you love one another as I have loved you,
that you love one another as I have loved you.
By this will others know that you are my disciples
if you have love one for another;
by this will others know that you are my disciples
if you have love one for another.
Bible Reading: Psalm 133
– The Blessedness of Unity
1 How very good and pleasant it is
when kindred live together in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down upon the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down over the collar of his robes.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion.
For there the Lord ordained his blessing,
life forevermore.
Bible Reading: John 21:1-19
– Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples
1 After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he showed himself in this way. 2 Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish.
7 That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he had taken it off, and jumped into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.
9 When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread.
10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them, and though there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
Jesus and Peter
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” 19 (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”
Reflection:
Today we are at the end of our Wandering Heart series, and although Peter’s story does not end with the conclusion of the gospels, this series finishes with Peter’s encounter with the risen Christ. In this final week, we come full circle with Peter. Peter has dropped his nets, walked on water, professed his faith, been rebuked, received foot washing, denied Jesus, and run to the tomb. When our series began, and Jesus first met Peter, he was fishing. Now, after Peter has journeyed with Jesus on the way to Jerusalem, witnessed his crucifixion, death and resurrection, in today’s text we again find Jesus meeting Peter at the shoreline, where Peter is casting his nets. Again we see Jesus offer abundant nourishment, but something else happens too. Jesus voices a new command: ‘Feed my sheep.’
As part of this encounter with Peter, Jesus turns to him and asks three times, ‘Do you love me?’ It’s as if Jesus says, ‘Here’s my heart,’ which washes over Peter’s three denials like a healing balm. No matter how far we wander, we can always entrust our hearts to God. No matter whether our faith is strong or weak, what we can always give is our love.
Always giving our love sounds good in theory, but in practice is not always easy. The psalm for today oozes with generosity and hopefulness even in the face of perceived impossibilities. There is a call for unity, which is a call for all people: for those of different faiths, political parties, nationalities and nations. This type of unity seems impossible, yet the primary proclamation of this psalm is that this type of harmony is possible because the source of it comes not from us, but from God. What’s more, the abundant and extravagant movement of goodness that comes from God does not simply flow within our perceived neat boundaries … God’s abundant blessing is for all. I wonder if Peter and the other disciples felt some of that abundant blessing when they met Jesus on the beach?
In our reading on Easter Day we saw Peter run to the tomb after the women returned with the news that Jesus had been raised. Neither Peter nor the women saw Jesus at that point, but they did hear the good news and Peter is left amazed and wondering. In today’s reading when Jesus visits the disciples at the lake, this is his fourth resurrection appearance according to John’s gospel. I sense that something of that initial amazement and wonder has passed, or at least changed, because Peter has decided to go back to his day job – fishing.
Considering that Peter and the other disciples have already seen the resurrected Jesus more than once, this seems to be a strange choice to make. I can’t help but think that in some ways they are still grieving and agitated and so, in their uncertainty, they go back to the thing that they know – fishing – back to the life they knew before Jesus called them to follow him and changed their lives forever. Let’s not forget that they have just been through a life changing event, and as often happens in situations like this, we go back to the things that once brought us satisfaction and purpose, even though they are not the same when we return to them. They are not the same because we are not the same.
So the disciples have returned to fishing, and catch nothing until a stranger on the shore offers some unsolicited advice. It’s not clear what tips off the disciples to the fact that the stranger is Jesus. It might be that he asks them to do something ridiculous in moving their nets to the other side of the boat. After all, these guys were professional fisherman. They were using nets held under water by weights – nets that would take all of them on the boat to manoeuvre – and the other side was probably no more than a few feet away. Still, they moved the nets and almost immediately caught so many fish that they could barely haul the nets in. Maybe it was this abundance that made them look again and the man on the shore and discover it was Jesus, the light of the world. Once Peter has recognised Jesus, he can’t wait to get to him, and dives into the water and comes ashore leaving the other disciples to haul in the nets.
Coming ashore, the disciples find that Jesus has made breakfast for them, a meal of bread and fish. As they sit around the fire, Jesus gives them food that nourishes their bodies and heals their souls, and I wonder if this would have reminded them of the abundance of Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand. In spite of their abundant catch, the disciples discover that Jesus doesn’t need what they bring, yet he invites them to contribute what they will share together. It is as though Jesus is reminding them that even in the midst of this new way of being, they have something to offer, that what they offer matters, and that what they can offer is what the world needs.
Jesus, the bread of life, has come to his disciples once again, to call them to the work that is theirs to do. This story of call becomes ours as well – it’s the call to us asking how we might offer witness to the world of the love of God in Jesus? It is the call that asks us to think about how the testimony of our living will be different on this side of the empty tomb.
It is in this context that we need to hear the conversation between Jesus and Peter. Jesus asks Peter whether he loves him and each time he answers, gives him a task to perform. It is worth noting that while we use the one word for love, the original Greek of this scripture uses two: agápē and philō. Agápē means unconditional, sacrificial, divine love; it is considered the highest form of love. Philō is ‘brotherly love’ and refers to the love shared between close friends. Jesus uses both words when he asks Peter, ‘Do you love me?’ and Peter responds, ‘You know I philō you.’ In this questioning of Peter there is neither shaming nor blaming, nor does Jesus forgive Peter. Instead, Jesus knows that what he will ask Peter to do is something Peter could not fathom before. Only now, in this renewal of relationship with the resurrected Jesus, is Peter’s trust affirmed and Jesus’ trust in Peter confirmed. Jesus needs Peter to be the good shepherd now – to provide pasture, to protect the sheep from wolves, thieves, and bandits so that the sheep may have abundant life (John 10:10).
This is a tall order for Peter, and for us, but it is one of the ways that God continues to love the world. In fact, how can God love the world without us? We are called not just to do loving things, but to be the very presence of love. We are called to be the ‘I AM’ in the world when Jesus cannot be. Just maybe, when we give our hearts and our whole selves to Jesus, the love that we share will become part of God’s abundant gift to the world.
Amen.
Affirmation of Faith:
We believe in a God who shows up in our lives –
surprising and catching us off-guard in the best of ways.
We believe in a God who cares for God’s people –
a shepherd who longs for her sheep to be fed and tended.
We believe in a God who took on flesh –
a God whose love changed the world as we know it.
We believe that this here-and-now God invites us out of the boat,
calling ordinary people like Peter, like us, into a life of service and community.
And so, we give our hearts –
we give our whole hearts and nothing less.
Amen.
We Sing: “Refresh my heart” – (TiS 744)
Refresh my heart, Lord, renew my love;
pour your Spirit into my soul – refresh my heart.
You set me apart, Lord to make me new;
by your Spirit lift me up Lord; refresh my heart.
And I will worship you, Lord, with all of my heart.
And I will follow you, Lord, refresh my heart.
And I will worship you, Lord, with all of my heart.
And I will follow you, Lord, refresh my heart.
Prayer for Others (prepared by Harriet Ziegler)
We give thanks for the promises of Easter – new hope, love, life. Indeed, we are told that all things are made new. Yet we turn to you with hearts heavy for those situations that are NOT made new, those situations where so much seems so wrong.
To demonstrate his love and loyalty, Simon Peter was told by Jesus, ‘Feed my lambs’. So, too, we are called to nourish the lambs, the young ones. We know not how to feed the lambs – the broken little children of Gaza and of Israel too, the frightened children of Ukraine, the children in our own country targeted for their race, the children here and everywhere who feel their only future is in drink and drugs and violence. We pray for these, your lambs, that there will be people and organisations to help them, parents to tend them, an end to the circumstances that imperil them. We pray too for the lambs known to us – the infants and children and teenagers whom we love and who we hope will grow up in safety and faith and happiness. Loving God, show us how in our attitudes, our giving, our actions, we can help to feed your lambs.
And again Jesus asked Simon Peter to show his love and loyalty by saying, ‘Tend my sheep’. In our 21st century world, adults also need care and tending. We pray for those whose responsibility it is to tend your sheep – leaders at every level of government, and the workers, too, in Centrelink offices and aged care and NDIS facilities, emergency services and hospitals.
We pray for workers at Uniting and Uniting AgeWell and every other care provider. May all these people have at heart the best interests of vulnerable adults, and of the ecosystem in which we all must live. And we pray for the adults known to us who are – in this moment – vulnerable through illness, advancing age, grief and loss, unemployment. Loving God, show us how in our attitudes, our giving, our actions, we can truly help to tend your sheep.
Finally, Jesus said to Simon Peter a third time that he should show his love by saying, ‘Feed my sheep.’ This is the call to the church – to nourish, to feed, to inspire and to care for the flock. And so we pray for the church – our very own congregation here, and our minister, Heather, and the people who sit near us and who used to sit near us. We pray for these people whom we love. We pray for every church – the Uniting Church in all its varieties, for the other Protestants, the Anglicans, the Orthodox, and the Catholics. And we pray for everyone who calls you God – the Jews, the Muslims, the Sikhs, the Hindus, and everyone else who recognises your love, grace and power. May all these people of faith help to nourish and care for your sheep. Loving God, show us how in our attitudes, our giving, our actions, we can truly help to feed your sheep.
May we have the courage to help bring our prayers to action in your name. Amen.
Communion:
Invitation to the Table
One of the first things Jesus did after the resurrection was feed his disciples.
The Gospel of John tells us it was a beach fire – bread and fish, cooked over an open flame.
Immediately the disciples knew it was Jesus because Jesus was always feeding people!
Jesus was always telling the left out and the ignored, the hurting and the hungry,
the sick and the hopeful, “I have a seat saved for you.”
Friends, that is why we come to this table 2,000 years later.
We come to remember. We come to be close.
We come to get a taste of the kingdom of God.
So come hungry. Come seeking.
Come with your wandering heart and know that Christ has a seat saved for you.
Christ always has a seat saved for you, and nothing can ever change that.
For this is the joyful feast for the people of God. Thanks be to God!
The Peace
The peace of the Lord be with you
and also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
God of second chances, God of grace, meet us here.
Just as you met the disciples at the beach, meet us here.
Meet us now. Walk toward us and gather us in.
God, like Peter, we have known storms.
This week, people in this room have grieved.
This week, people in this room have felt overwhelmed by the news
and helpless to make a difference.
This week, people in this room have been lonely, stressed, or uncertain.
You know what our wind and waves look like.
You know the nature of our storms,
so just as you walked toward Peter, walk toward us.
Meet us here. Meet us now. Gather us in.
Fortunately, like Peter, we have also seen you stop the storms.
We have seen your fingerprints in our lives in ways we did not always expect.
So with gratitude in our hearts, we come to you today to say thank you.
Thank you for this church family that feels like a home.
Thank you for the stars in the sky that remind us of your vastness.
Thank you for stories of hope and forgiveness that inspire us to love.
And thank you for the unending grace that encircles our wandering hearts.
God, we have been back and forth, to and from, on this journey of faith.
For every time that you walked the valley with us,
for every time that you have met us on the mountaintop,
and for every time you have stayed still while we ran toward you,
we give you thanks.
Never stop meeting us here, meeting us now, gathering us in.
With wandering but grateful hearts,
we pray the words your son 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.
The Story
Every time we gather at this table, we tell the same story –
the story of a Messiah who gathered his friends together for one last supper,
the story of a Messiah who loves us so much
that he keeps on offering a seat at the table to our wandering hearts.
On the night of Jesus betrayal and arrest, as he shared a meal with his friends,
Jesus took bread; gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to his followers, saying:
“Share this bread among you; this is my body which will be broken for justice.
Do this to remember me.”
When supper was over, he took the cup, gave thanks and gave it to his disciples, saying:
“Share this wine among you; this is my blood which will be shed for liberation.
Do this to remember me.”
Invocation
Holy God, pour out your Spirit on this bread and wine,
and on your people gathered here.
Shape us into one body, sharing in your peace.
Weave us together in laughter and in hope,
sharing with one another in wisdom and joy.
Distribution
When joy felt impossibly out of reach Jesus became one of us
and broke bread with friends and strangers.
When the world was crying out for justice and peace Jesus came near to us
offering friendship through this cup.
These are the gifts of God for the people of God.
The bread of life – the cup of hope.
May this meal nourish and refresh you, strengthen and renew you,
may it remind you that you are loved. Amen.
(eat and drink)
Prayer
God of love,
we give you thanks for the gift of new life
and for satisfying us with this meal.
Send us from here to reveal your love in the world.
Inspire us to use our words
to point others to the Word, your son Jesus.
Inspire in us the resolve and the courage,
the compassion and passion to do justice,
love kindness and walk humbly with you.
Amen.
We Sing: “Community of Christ” – (TiS 473)
Community of Christ, who make the Cross your own,
live out your creed and risk your life for God alone:
the God who wears your face, to whom all worlds belong,
whose children are of every race and every song.
Community of Christ, look past the Church’s door
and see the refugee, the hungry and the poor.
Take hands with the oppressed, the jobless in your street,
take towel and water, that you wash your neighbour’s feet.
Community of Christ, through whom the word must sound –
cry out for justice and for peace the whole world round:
disarm the powers that war and all the can destroy,
turn bombs to bread, and tears of anguish into joy.
When menace melts away, so shall God’s will be done,
the climate of the world be peace and Christ its Sun;
our currency be love and kindliness our law,
our food and faith be shared as one for evermore.
Blessing:
Beloved wanderer,
as you leave this place,
may you carry your curious heart on your sleeve.
May you look for God in every face.
May you find the courage to get out of the boat,
to run to the tomb, and to speak of your faith.
And when the world falls apart,
may you hear God’s voice deep within, saying,
“Take heart, it is I, be not afraid.”
You are called. You are blessed.
In both your ups and your downs, you always belong to God.
Go now in peace.
Go trusting that good news.
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:
Sanctified Art (A Wandering Heart), WorkingPreacher.com, A Sermon For Every Sunday and Fig Tree Worship.