Koonung Heights Uniting Church
Service of Worship at Home
Easter 7 – 12 May 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: “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:
We light the Christ candle today,
as a reminder of the light of Christ,
the light that continues to shine in the world.
It is the light that shines on us all.
It is the light that can never be extinguished.
Acknowledgement of Country:
As we gather for worship today,
I acknowledge the Wurundjeri WoiWurrung
People of the Kulin nation,
Traditional Custodians of this land.
I pay my respects to their elders and leaders,
past and present, and to all future 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:
Are you searching for God,
but do not know where to look?
Don’t worry—God knows where you are.
Are you searching for faith,
but do not know what to believe?
Don’t worry—you are not alone.
Would you love to be able to sing,
but do not have the voice for it?
Don’t worry—the angels are giving it clarity!
Would you love to be able to pray,
but cannot find the words?
Don’t worry—Christ is praying for you.
We Sing: “Holy, holy, holy!” – (TiS 132)
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God almighty,
early in the morning
to you our praise shall be:
holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty
God in three persons, blessed Trinity.
Holy, holy, holy! all the saints adore you,
casting down their golden crowns
around the glassy sea;
cherubim and seraphim
falling down before you,
God everlasting through eternity.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God almighty,
all your works shall praise your name in earth and sky and sea;
holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty
God in three persons, blessed Trinity.
Prayer of Praise and Confession:
Generous God,
you have brought this amazing world into existence
with all its diversity and cohesion, resources and mysteries,
all its different forms of life and vitality.
We thank you for the gift of life,
and for each day that dawns bringing with it light and warmth.
Lord Jesus, who prays for us,
may we know ourselves, today, surrounded by prayer.
As we step into line with all who follow you
may we know ourselves as part of that great company of saints
who have kept the Christ light burning all through the ages.
Forgive us, when we allow the light to dim.
Forgive us when we allow the soot to build up
and the lamp to become foggy.
Help us to draw near to you
so that our light may shine brightly again,
and so that we can share your light in the world.
Light of the world,
go before us in all things
and compel us to follow in your wake
so that, in your risen power,
we can light up the world with love.
May our worship remind us of who you are
and confirm your spirit within us
as we serve you in our lives.
Amen.
Words of Assurance:
Followers of the risen Christ,
no matter what you have done or left undone,
know that God’s love and mercy never change
and that you are loved and forgiven.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
The Peace:
May the Peace of God dwell with you …
and also with you.
A Time for All (Peta Lowe):
Mother’s Day is associated with celebrations, family get-togethers, gratitude and love, but for some it is a difficult day. This may be because of grief, illness, separation, difficult relationships or other reasons.
I was surprised to learn, recently, that Mother’s Day was actually born out of grief. It all began with the pain of saying goodbye to a mother.
On 10th May 1908, American writer Anna Jarvis sent 500 white carnations to be displayed in her home town, in honour of her mother, Ann, who had recently died.
The residents of the town were so moved by Anna’s beautiful gesture to memorialise her much-loved mother, that they were inspired to find their own ways to honour their mothers, and to give back to these special women who had sacrificed and worked so hard to care for their families.
This was the very first Mother’s Day, back in 1908. It began in grief, but developed into a celebration.
To this day, some people still wear a white carnation, or a white flower, on Mother’s Day. I remember hearing that it was traditional for people to give their mothers a white gift, such as a white cake of soap or a white handkerchief.
However we feel about Mother’s Day and however we mark it, let’s spare a thought for those who find the day difficult, and let’s say a prayer of thanks for all the wonderful mothers who have given so much to their families.
Let us pray:
Dear God, we pray today for all mothers.
We pray especially for mothers who are going through tough times.
We pray for all those people for whom Mother’s Day is a difficult day,
whether because of grief, illness, separation or difficult relationships.
Give these people strength to get through this day.
Lord, we hold before you those who wanted to be mothers,
but did not have the opportunity.
We also remember those who did not have the opportunity
to grow up with a mother in their lives.
Bless this day, all who are celebrating Mother’s Day.
Bless the love, joy and gratitude of families this day.
Thank you for all the wonderful mothers
who have given so much love,
and done their best for their families.
God who mothers us all, bless this day.
Amen.
We Sing: “Woman in the night” – (TiS 661)
Woman in the night, spent from giving birth,
guard our precious light; peace is on the earth!
Come and join the song, women, children men.
Jesus makes us free to live again!
Woman at the well, question the Messiah;
find your friends and tell: drink your heart’s desire!
Come and join the song …
Woman at the feast, let the righteous stare;
come and go in peace; love him with your hair!
Come and join the song …
Woman on the hill, stand when men have fled;
Christ needs loving still, though your hope is dead.
Come and join the song …
Women in the dawn, care and spices bring,
earliest to mourn, earliest to sing!
Come and join the song …
Bible Reading: Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers and sisters (together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons) and said, 16 “Brothers and sisters,[a] the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus, 17 for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.”
21 “So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.” 23 So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed and said, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was added to the eleven apostles.
Bible Reading: John 17:6-19
6 “I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you, 8 for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I have been glorified in them. 11 And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.
Reflection:
Prayer … we know we need to do it, we try to do it, we hope to do it, and sometimes we even need to schedule it because it can be hard to sit in prayer when there are seemingly more pressing matters. If we are honest prayer can be hard. It is supposed to be a conversation with God, but it is still a different kind of conversation. It can be a great place of connection with God, but sometimes it seems more like a monologue (like I am sitting listening to myself talk) than a dialogue. The answers are delayed, cryptic, uncomfortable, weird or disappointing. Sometimes it seems our prayers are not even answered. Despite all of this, we still recognise something valuable in the practice of prayer.
One time on holidays, our family were given an invitation to visit a nunnery. I don’t really remember that much about it, or even where it was, but I do remember asking the Nun who was showing us around what they did. Her answer was ‘we pray’. ‘But what else do you do?’ I asked. Again she responded, ‘we pray for the world and for each other because it is our calling.’ As a youngster I wasn’t really convinced that this was really enough, but I’ve come to understand that when people know that you are someone who prays, you get asked to do it often. From the time I started studying theology, I became the person who was asked to pray at family events or gatherings, or in moments of particular need. While it can be annoying to be asked to say grace at every event, I have come to understand just how much of a privilege it is to pray for others, having God as the conversation partner.
Prayer is one of the points of connection between the readings we have heard today. In the gospel passage Jesus prays for his disciples, and in the passage from Acts, the disciples are gathered together and discerning who might join their group in place of Judas. They pray and vote, and Matthias is chosen. Even though we don’t hear about Matthias again, it is interesting that at this significant time for the disciples (after the death of Jesus and before the Pentecost experience) they pray as they are trying to decide how to move forward into what God has called them to.
It is really special when people pray for me. I often find it a profound experience which is both humbling and also gives me worth. It reinforces my faith and also gives me the courage to persevere. This is exactly what happens for the disciples in this text. The disciples hear Jesus’ prayer for them, and as Jesus’ disciples in this place, this prayer is one that Jesus makes for all of us. Jesus intercedes on our behalf with God, the One he calls father. Jesus knows that his time on earth is coming to an end, and entrusts the hope for the future of his disciples to God in prayer. Jesus makes promises to them, and entrusts their future to God. As they heard this prayer for them, we are invited to hear it for ourselves now.
What do you do when it’s time to say goodbye? What do you say to someone when they are about to leave your house? Goodbye? See you tomorrow? What about someone who is going away and won’t see them for a while, maybe a brother or sister who lives in a different town? Stay safe? Text me? How about someone who is moving overseas to live, someone you probably won’t see again? I’ll miss you? Please stay?
As Jesus is coming to the end of his time with his disciples, he is saying goodbye to them and he does this in this prayer. He asks God to be with them, to keep them safe, to love them like he has loved them, to protect them and to never let them go. These words are profound, but doubly so because Jesus was also saying these things to us.
Despite what lies ahead for Jesus, in this prayer, we come to realise that Jesus’ care and concern lies not in himself but in those whom he loves. He is not so much anxious about himself, but rather about how his disciples are going to be in the days ahead. Jesus is taking stock of things before the events that were to unfold. He concludes that his disciples, despite the knowledge that he will be leaving them to face the challenges of life on their
own, are where they need to be. They are in the world but not of it.
It is out of love for this world that Jesus does not ask God to take believers out of the world, but instead to send them out into the world. We are reminded that being a follower of Jesus was never supposed to be about joining a select and exclusive club of members. The Jesus movement has room for all and it is our calling, as it was the disciples’, to go into the world to make disciples, trusting that Jesus will be with us.
Jesus prayer is honest, naming that we do not belong to the world. Following Jesus is not always easy. There may be times when we feel vulnerable and fragile.
There will inevitably be times when we would love everyone to just act the same way we do and to believe the exact same things we do, but that is not how it works! To be ‘in the world, but not of it’, means that there will be times of hurt, discomfort and frustration, but let us never lose sight of the fact that God still sent Jesus to bring unity, love, joy and life for us all.
Part of the wonder of this prayer for me, is that it reminds me that no matter what I am facing, Jesus has given my future into God’s care. It is the same for us as a community – no matter what lies before us, what challenges come our way or what joys we might experience, the strength of Jesus’ love is always for us. God’s care is so complete that day to day life in this world is possible. God cares about everything that happens and even when people let us down, we remain in God’s love and care that is complete forever.
May we recognise the gift of Jesus’ prayer for us, and the gift of prayer that we can offer to one another. May the way we live our lives reflect the knowledge that we are always held in the deep and abiding love of God.
Amen.
We Sing: “Hear my prayer for unity” – (Tune TiS 211i)
“Hear my prayer for unity,”
Jesus prayed for all his own.
“May these ones you’ve given me
live the love that I have shown.
Mine are yours and yours are mine;
in them I am glorified!
Now I send them as a sign;
so may they be unified.”
God, we live in great discord,
torn by issues we hold dear;
even as we call you Lord,
we still cling to pride and fear.
Bound together, we’d be free;
we could join in serving you!
For the best theology
starts when love makes all things new.
By your Spirit, make us one; so the world will come to know
all the love of Christ the Son, all your joys that overflow.
Help us put aside our strife; give your church a humble mind!
Christ, the Way, the Truth, the Life, strengthen now the ties that bind.
© Carolyn Winfrey Gillette
Prayer for Others (prepared by Graham and Wendy Ray)
Let us pray,
On this Mother’s Day, we give thanks for all the love shown to us by our mothers.
We thank you God for their care and concern and all the joy that they shared with us.
We pray for those who may not have experienced a mother’s love and care.
Be with them in their struggle, and may they feel Your healing presence.
We pray for our world, with all its possibilities and its problems.
We think of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the Ukraine, Syria, Myanmar, the Sudan, Latin America and in Africa.
May all those involved, the large powers and small nations, put aside their differences and work diligently for peace.
We pray for our own country.
Where there is division and self-promoting point scoring, may our leaders act solely to improve the lives of all citizens.
Give them the courage to make wise decisions.
In our local communities, we pray for our schools and their staff, our hospitals, medical practitioners and ambulance officers, community centres and sports clubs, local councils and businesses, so that we thrive in a safe and productive environment.
We pray for our church community, including those members currently travelling – may they remain safe and well.
We pray for our minister Heather – may she continue to be strengthened by our love and support in her many busy roles.
We pray for those many members of the congregation who do so much for the church and the community – we give grateful thanks.
We pray for those who are unwell, lonely or who have loved ones experiencing difficulties.
In a moment of silence, we bring before You the prayer that is on our hearts this morning …
(time of silence)
Wonderful loving God, thank you for listening to our prayers this morning, and we now join together in saying the prayer that You taught us …
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: “Beauty for brokenness” – (TiS 690)
Beauty for brokenness, hope for despair,
Lord in the suffering, this is our prayer.
Bread for the children, justice, joy, peace,
sunrise to sunset your kingdom increase.
God of the poor, friend of the weak, give us compassion we pray;
melt our cold hearts, let tears fall like rain.
Come change our love from a spark to a flame.
Refuge from cruel wars, havens from fear,
cities for sanctuary, freedoms to share,
peace to the killing fields, scored earth to green;
Christ for the bitterness, his cross for the pain.
Rest for the ravaged earth, oceans and streams,
plundered and poisoned, our future, our dreams,
Lord end our madness, carelessness, greed,
make us content with the things that we need.
God of the poor …
Lighten our darkness, breathe on this flame
until your justice burns brightly again;
until the nations learn of your ways,
seek your salvation and bring you their praise.
God of the poor …
Blessing:
And so we go in joy and in gratitude for the love of God,
the care and compassion of Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Let us go into the world to share that love and joy
with all whom we meet.
And as we do, may the blessing of God
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the One who Mother’s us all,
rest and dwell with us all, today, tomorrow and always.
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: Spill the Beans (issue 38), Prayers of Parade (Allan Shephard), Ministry Matters, A Sermon for Every Sunday and Fig Tree Worship.