Koonung Heights Uniting Church
Service of Worship at Home
Epiphany 2 – 18 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:
The ancient ones saw it this way:
In the beginning,
the Holy One allowed the light, ‘Let there be light,’
and from Spirit’s being, radiance emerged
that lit creation’s path toward its sacred future.
The scientists see it this way:
In the beginning,
from the darkness and emptiness of nothingness,
an unaccountable explosion of radiation
expanded outward in all directions,
which now our measurements can measure.
The first disciples saw it this way:
Jesus, too, allowed the light to brighten
the shadows of death’s reign,
announcing a new creation,
brightened by justice for all.
We might look at it this way:
That same light that shone in Jesus shines now through us,
and whether this becomes real to us – or not – depends
on whether we allow an eternal shining to light our path
into a future that awaits our distinctive stamp.
Let there be light. May it be so.
May it be so in all of us.
Acknowledgement of Country:
This is God’s land and God’s Spirit dwells here.
As we gather for worship today,
I acknowledge the Wurundjeri WoiWurrung
People of the Kulin nations,
traditional custodians of this land under God.
I pay my respects to their elders past and present,
and to the leaders and generations to come.
Call to Worship:
Welcoming God,
on this January morning with others all across this land
and around the world we respond to Your invitation:
Come and see.
Help us to open our imaginations
to hear You say these words to us,
words first spoken to those other curious disciples:
Come and see.
This morning we too chose to follow You,
to seek out the place where You stay,
to simply hang out, to abide, with You
to hear You whisper to our souls:
Come and see.
Let us come and see.
Let us come and be seen.
Let us come now and worship God.
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.
‘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.’
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Confession:
Listening God,
we thank you for the joy, the appreciation and delight,
the laughter and smiles that are part of our conversations.
We thank you for all that you provide,
for your mystery and transcendence,
and your presence close by when we need it.
We know that you do not abandon us
when we are in pain,
and we thank you that you are right there,
even when it is hard to see you through our tears.
For all of this our gratitude is beyond words and we thank you.
Loving God,
we seek the gift of genuine connection as we gather today
with others who long to be your faithful people.
We pray that today we find this through your love which holds us,
your grace which nurtures us, and the hope that we have
that we are part of your redemptive love in the world.
Forgive us for those times when we have treated these gifts
of grace, love and hope as though they belong to us,
our own possessions to be hoarded and kept within our walls.
Let us know that these come from you,
and that we are called to generously share these gifts
with the whole of the world.
Forgive us when our clarity of vision is dulled
by the confusion and busyness of the world.
Let us remember that you have known us through and through
and that we are strengthened in this world through your love for us.
Let us be the people who can show your graciousness in the world.
Amen.
Words of Assurance:
Friends, no matter what we have done or have not done,
we are held in in the continuing grace of God,
and through Christ our sins are forgiven.
Thanks be to God.
The Peace:
May the Peace of God dwell with you: and also with you.
Time for All:
When Tony, Elizabeth and I left for our holiday two weeks ago, we had no idea that some of the area we drove through would be decimated a few days later. The horror people were experiencing unfolded for us through the television screen and news reports. Only a week later we have seen floods in Queensland and Lorne. It seems fitting then, that our psalm for today is Psalm 40. It begins with these words:‘I waited patiently for the Lord:
He inclined to me and heard my cry.’
Whether we have been personally affected by these disasters, or know people who have, we appreciate something of how it must be to cry to God. If we are honest, there have been times that we have all done this. Times when we have cried to God and waited for a response. Yet the psalm reminds us that God will stand by us and ‘set our feet upon a rock, making [our] steps secure’. I invite you to join with me in a moment of prayer for those who are crying out at this time and especially need our prayers.
Let us pray …
Loving God, Holy One,
you are our comfort and strength in times of sudden disaster, crisis, or chaos.
Surround those who most need your care at this time with your grace and peace.
We think of our friends and neighbours who are suffering through fire and flood.
By your Spirit, lift up those who have fallen, sustain those who work to rescue or rebuild,
and fill us with the hope of your new creation; through You, our rock and redeemer.
Amen.
We Sing: My Hiding Place – (TiS 754)
You are my hiding place, you always fill my heart
with songs of deliverance. Whenever I am afraid I will trust in you.
I will trust in you; let the weak say, ‘I am strong in the strength of the Lord.’
Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
– Salutation
1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, 5 for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind – 6 just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you – 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the partnership of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Bible Reading: John 1:29-42
– The Lamb of God
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Chosen One.”
The First Disciples of Jesus
35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and as he watched Jesus walk by he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?”
39 He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed).
42 He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).
Reflection:
On our recent holiday, we spent a couple of days in Corowa, which is situated on the Murray River in NSW. Corowa is just over the river from Wahgunyah where my great-great-Grandfather settled in early 1859. He was born along with his twin sister on 17 December, 1839, a few days out of Sydney on board the sailing vessel ‘Glenbervie’, and was given the same name. His sister was named Maria after the Captain’s wife. Glenbervie planted the first vineyard in Wahgunyah in the early 1860’s on his property Quondong. On the day we were in Corowa I discovered that Quondong is still standing, and is now a luxury retreat. On the off-chance that it might be possible to see it, I phoned the office and explained who I was, and asked whether there was any way that I might be able to visit the property. There was limited time as a new family were about to come in, but still the invitation was issued to ‘come and see’. We did, and the invitation to ‘come and see’ has left me wanting to visit again and to get to know more.
‘Come and see’, is the invitation that Jesus offers the disciples in the gospel reading today. In this call story, the Baptiser points to Jesus and says to his followers, ‘that’s him, he’s the one’. Rather than leaving their nets as the disciples do in other stories, in John’s gospel they leave their teacher, the Baptiser, and move to following Jesus. This movement is orchestrated and directed by John, deliberate and decisive, and a message for the first community of listeners to his gospel. Jesus asks what they are looking for and they answer with a question, “Where are you staying?”, and Jesus invites them ‘come and see’.
Let’s spend a few moments imagining that we are there, witnesses to this event, through the words of Nathan Nettleton.
What are you looking for? It’s a good question.
What are you looking for? That’s what Jesus asks – of me and of you.
John said he was something special- the lamb of God – so it’s worth following at respectful distance to have a look.
Who is he? What is he on about? Where is he coming from?
“We’ll take a look,” you thought.
The lamb of God? What is John talking about? The lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. What did he mean, calling someone that? It’s weird. Normally talk of lambs and God is about us offering some kind of sacrifice to God. But that would be our lamb for God. But John said the lamb of God. That’s God’s lamb. What’s John on about. Does that mean God is offering a sacrifice? To the world? To us? What’s going on? Maybe we better go and have a look at this lamb of God.
So there you are – not exactly minding our own business, for sure, but not getting in his way either, just watching from a respectful distance. Just quietly watching, wondering and trying to suss him out. Who is he? Where is he coming from? What’s he on about? Just watching and wondering, trying to make some sense of it: trying to make some sense of him, this lamb of God.
But now the respectful distance has been broken. You didn’t mean to bother him or catch his attention, but now he has turned and looked you in the eye. It feels like he’s looking right through you into the hidden depths of your soul. The look is not hostile or aggressive, but strong and unnerving, and you can’t hide from it. And then he speaks: ‘What are you looking for?’
It could be a casual question, those words – you look a little lost; can I help? – but somehow it’s not. The question goes deeper, it penetrates, it cuts through, and it’s surprisingly hard to answer. What are you looking for? What do you really want? Beneath all the trivialities and the manufactured appetites, what are you looking for? What is going to make the difference that you yearn for?
And while you are trying to find the answer, you somehow sense that he has the answer, or that he is the answer. You don’t begin to know what to say. Actually It would take a lot of guts to answer that question, to really answer it. You’d have to be really honest, and be happy to be unmasked by your honesty. And, it seems he knows what you yearn for anyway.
But you’ve got to say something – he’s waiting for a reply, so you blurt out the first thing that comes into your head … ‘Rabbi, where are you staying?’ An innocuous question, but it reveals more than you intend – where are you staying, where are you at, where are you coming from, and … do I belong where you belong?
Jesus looks at you and says ‘Come and see’. That’s it. Come and see. Come and find out for yourself. Come along with me and all will be revealed. It’s up to you whether you take up the invitation and follow, whether you risk finding out where you belong.
‘Come and see’, says Jesus.
Where the truth about life is written in acts of love and faithfulness, and the sin of the world is taken away on the wings of mercy.
‘Come and see’.
Where the broken hearted find healing, where the poor and neglected discover good news, and where those who have lived so long in prisons of fear and despair see the doors burst open and hear a voice say: There is freedom here.
Come and see.
Where perfect love breaks the power of hatred and fear, and where God, far from demanding a sacrifice, offers the lamb of God.
Come and see.
And find me abiding in the prayers of my people, in Word and water and bread and wine.
Come and see where I belong and where you belong. Come and see who you are, who you were created to be and who you are destined to become. Come and see.
As the disciples come to Jesus, he sees them for who they are, and who they will become. ‘You are Simon. You will be changed and renewed. You will be Peter. As we continue to move into the new year, may we know the invitation for us to ‘Come and see’, and may we be open to the ways we might be changed and renewed. May we also remember that the invitation to ‘Come and see’ is not an exclusive one. Let’s invite others to come along too.
Amen.
We Sing: Jesus welcomed those around him – (Tune Source#3 1479)
Jesus welcomed those around him to his ministry.
Two men wondered at his teaching; he said, “Come and see!”
Was it faith or curiosity?
Lord, we wonder at what drew them to your ministry.
Jesus, there are many reasons people follow you.
Some are grateful for your welcome; some seek words of truth.
Some are asking what their lives could be.
Lord, you call to all, inviting, saying, “Come and see!”
Christ, we’ve heard your invitation! Here we are — your church!
Guide our humble conversations with the ones who search.
May we listen humbly, lovingly,
May we share the Good News, saying, “Neighbour, come and see!”
Prayer for Others (prepared by Ray Michelle):
Loving God,
We hear today of many examples of destruction and despair, and we know there are countless places in the world living with this reality. Bring your hope, your love, and your care into those situations, especially through those who have the power to help. May those in power make the right decisions.
Bring your presence lord Jesus into the lives of those who have had their homes destroyed. We think especially of the Prior family, and all affected by the recent fires.
We remember those who have lost homes through war,
those who lose their homes to the rising cost of living,
those who have never had a safe place to call home,
and all who, for whatever reason, live on the street.
We lift up those who have lost loved ones and carry the weight of grief.
We pray for all who are nearing the end of life.
Hold their hands, grant them peace, and surround those who love and care for them with comfort.
We pray for the unwell, physically, mentally, or emotionally, and for all who live with pain.
We now invite names to be spoken aloud or held quietly in our hearts …
(names are called)
Lord, we pray for those who know compassion fatigue, who give and give and feel that whatever they do is only a scratch on the surface. Remind us that every small act of kindness matters. If it helps one person, even for one day, it is a blessing.
Infuse your hope into our daily lives. Grant us determination and creativity to make a difference in our community. One person at a time is how the world is changed. Let it start with us.
Thanks be to God.
Let us now join in the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples:
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: Something Beautiful – (SiS 204)
Something beautiful, something good,
all my confusion he understood.
All I had to offer him was brokenness and strive,
but he made something beautiful of my life.
Blessing:
Let us go now,
knowing that we are blessed again and again
with the presence of the living God.
Let us go now,
knowing that whenever we are unsure,
Jesus’ invitation to ‘come and see’
is always on offer.
Let us go now,
with sustained hope and joy,
as dearly loved children.
In the name of the One who invites us to ‘come and see’,
let us 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: Fig Tree Worship, Billabong Worship Resources, Church of Scotland resources and www.laughingbird.net.au (Nathan Nettleton).
Jesus Welcomed Those Around Him © Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, 2023.