Koonung Heights Uniting Church
Service of Worship at Home
Epiphany 4 – 2 February 2025 – 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 may wish 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.
Lighting the Christ Candle:
We light the Christ Candle
as a reminder of Christ’s constant presence with us.
May we carry this light of hope, peace, and justice
into the world around us, each and every day.
Acknowledgement of Country:
As we meet to worship today,
we recognise that this is God’s land.
I acknowledge the Wurundjeri WoiWurrung
People of the Kulin nation,
the first inhabitants and custodians of this place
from time beyond remembering.
I pay my respects to their elders, past and present,
and to all future generations.
I also wish to pay my respects
to those who have faithfully worshipped,
and shared their gifts and lives with us at both
Koonung Heights and Surrey Hills congregations.
I pray that all people
will together work for a justice filled future.
Call to Worship:
Gather us in love,
God who reaches for us,
who puts words in our mouths
and joy in our hearts.
Draw us into your unending circle of love.
May all we do and hear and think and say
be bathed in your loving-kindness,
through this time of worship and always.
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 righteousness;
I came to bring peace, not to condemn.
Each 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.’
Bible Reading: Jeremiah 1:4-10
– Jeremiah’s Call and Commission
4 Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
6 Then I said,
“Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak,
for I am only a boy.”
7 But the Lord said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am only a boy,’
for you shall go to all to whom I send you,
and you shall speak whatever I command you.
8 Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.”
9 Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth,
and the Lord said to me,
“Now I have put my words in your mouth.
10 See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to pull down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.”
Prayer of Praise and Confession:
God of grace,
you knew us before we were born
and have journeyed with us through all times.
Thank you for the constancy of your loving presence,
whether or not we can feel, sense or know it.
You are holy. You are with us,
and we praise and thank you.
Thank you for the gift of each new morning,
sun rising early in the summer sky
bathing oceans and cities, farms and forests,
without preference of exclusion.
You are light. You are with us,
and we praise and thank you.
Thank you for the blessing of breath,
misty in the mouths of cows,
erupting from the blowholes of whales,
moving in and out of our bodies,
unearned and full of life.
You are breath. You are with us,
and we praise and thank you.
Thank you for the courage of youth
and the wisdom of years,
for the ancestors we carry,
and the young ones yet to come;
for the encompassing of trees, horizons,
water and words in the mouths of prophets.
You are life. You are with us,
and we praise and thank you.
Ever loving God,
we also need to acknowledge when we get it wrong,
the times we do not do what you have called us to.
We ask for your guidance and support,
care, compassion, and forgiveness,
and in the certain hope of your grace,
in silence we each bring to you our own prayers.
(Time of silence)
Though there are difficulties in this world,
and we cannot be all things to all people,
your love is eternal and unconditional,
and your welcome is for all.
Thank you that we remain in your care,
this day and every day.
Amen.
Words of Assurance:
Siblings in Christ,
be assured that you are known,
loved, blessed and forgiven.
Thanks be to God.
We pray that the year before us will be filled with wonder
and that even in the simple, ordinary moments,
we will feel your presence with us.
We thank you for all students and teachers
and we pray that the year ahead
will be filled with your life-giving rhythms of grace and light.
Let us go into the beautiful world that God has made,
as the people we are, to play, learn and love others,
sustained by God’s love and the prayers of our church community.
Amen.
We Sing: “Aaronic Blessing” – (TiS 776 (ii))
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you,
and be gracious unto you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
and give you peace, and give you peace.
Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
– The Gift of Love
1 If I speak in the tongues of humans and of angels but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all my possessions and if I hand over my body so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable; it keeps no record of wrongs; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9 For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part, 10 but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. 12 For now we see only a reflection, as in a mirror, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 And now faith, hope, and love remain, these three, and the greatest of these is love.
Bible Reading: Luke 4:21-30
21 Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” 23 He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’ ” 24 And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months and there was a severe famine over all the land, 26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27 There were also many with a skin disease in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. 30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
Reflection:
Crowds are fascinating. Whether it is a flock of birds flying in formation, a school of fish swimming together, or a colony of termites building a mound, crowds are amazing to watch. Crowds of people are no different. They can work together for a common purpose, doing what the individual members are not able to do on their own. Sometimes they are joyful and exuberant, sometimes strident and demanding, and sometimes even threatening and scary. Crowds can change in an instant based on the dynamic of their situation – football fans turning ugly, theatre audiences being swept up in rapture, political rallies becoming overwhelming in fervour – I’m sure that you have witnessed at least one of these. Being part of a crowd is a normal part of our human identity. It is rare that we are not part of a community, and our sense of right and wrong, our ‘common sense’, can be strongly swayed by those around us. You might remember being part of a crowd when you didn’t want to rock the boat, or regretting a movement or action that harmed others, but being so caught up in the moment that there seemed nothing else you could do.
I remember sitting in one of my third year Psychology subjects, Group Processes, and learning about this and about how being part of a group can work for us on some levels. When we are part of something and things go well we can feel good about owning that positive and life-giving experience – we can feel that we have made a difference. On the other hand, we can easily divorce ourselves from an outcome if we are challenged by it, attributing a decision to the crowd and taking no personal responsibility. Yet, the reality is, that as members of communities, we all have a part to play in speaking into the community with our actions and words.
In the three lectionary passages we have read today, from Jeremiah, 1 Corinthians and Luke, we hear a variety of voices. We hear a prophet in dialogue with God, Paul speaking to the Corinthian church community, and Jesus speaking to the crowd gathered for worship in the synagogue. These verses encourage us to think about whether we are called to be one of the crowd, and if so, what that means for us.
In the verses from the beginning of Jeremiah, the prophet is reminded that he has been called to a life of purpose and meaning, something that was bigger than himself, and that he was known and claimed by God even before he was born. Jeremiah is a little reluctant to speak against the crowd, particularly as this will mean bringing words of judgement along with good news. Speaking against the crowd can be a risky thing, yet it seems to me that judgement often comes before restoration. We need to be called to account for our bad behaviour before we can be restored or reconciled. This is the difficultly of truth telling, but what, I think, makes it so necessary. We might think of prophets as those with big voices, but one small voice can be enough to sway a crowd. What good news do you think God might be calling you to share? Is that a risk you are willing to take?
As we witness Paul write to the Corinthian church, we encounter someone who isn’t afraid of speaking out. Paul is called to guide and shepherd a crowd that has formed as a new community and are trying to figure of who they were and how they were to be in the world. Like with most communities, it seems that this community has different factions. Last week we heard Paul encourage the community to respect one another and acknowledge the gifts of each member. In this passage Paul is reminding the community that the basis of their newness in Christ, is love. In fact, for Paul, it’s all about love and he praises the virtues of love much like you might turn a diamond around in your fingers to marvel at the light reflected of each side of it. Love is more important than belief and hope, for love is the lens through which these things make sense.
Later this year, our two communities will become one. Work is being done on this now by various committees and through shared conversations. More will organically grow as we meet more regularly together and commence our life as a new community. As we look forward to this, I wonder what the markers of our new community might be and what we will see as we look at one another? Will our vision be through the lens of love? Just as importantly, I wonder what others see as they look in on us? Will they see closed walls or a hand reaching out in invitation and welcome? I pray that we will demonstrate this ethical behaviour of love which is, after all, an outworking of the command to love God and neighbour, and the responsibility of us all.
The gospel passage continues the story we began last week, where Jesus visits the synagogue in his home town of Nazareth. Jesus goes to this place of power and influence, and reads from the scriptures. He is welcomed when he arrives and the gathered worshippers are initially amazed by the graciousness of his words. But as they think about his words and the challenge in them, the crowd turns. The responsive words of amazement suddenly become calls for murder! As Jesus preaches the truth, that God is sending him beyond the borders of the people of Israel, the crowd are upset. His words remind those gathered for worship of how God has intervened in the lives of the Gentile widow who cared for Elijah (v26) and the healing of the Syrian Naaman from leprosy (v27). Suddenly the point becomes clear to those who are present that God intervenes on behalf of the outsiders, those who could not even call themselves God’s people. This focus on the marginalised, the other, is what I believe upsets the crowd, yet Jesus doesn’t back down from his message of love and inclusiveness. Donald Trump wasn’t impressed with Bishop Mariann Budde asking him to show mercy to those he considers ‘outsiders’, but she didn’t back down her from her message either.
When we gather together in community how do we respond to messages that upset us? Do we react with kindness, humility, compassion and inclusiveness, or do we reject what we find too hard to hear because of the challenge it brings us. May we always, as part of the body of Christ, hold on to the courageous hope that we have been given. May we also look to see how we might move beyond ourselves to participate in the wider context of God’s care for those outside our circles.
Amen.
We Sing: “They Raged at Jesus’ Sermon” – (Tune TiS 592)
They raged at Jesus’ sermon in Jesus’ own hometown,
For in the things he taught them, he turned life upside down;
It wasn’t just their neighbours who knew God’s love and grace:
For Jesus said God favours the ones we don’t embrace.
God saved a foreign widow and rescued her from drought,
For when she helped Elijah, God also helped her out.
In Naaman, God’s own favour to others was revealed;
Though many locals suffered, that Syrian was healed.
In this world’s noise and clatter, too often values shift:
We say Christ’s words don’t matter and throw them off a cliff.
We push aside the stranger, we walk right by the poor,
We disregard the prisoner and say we matter more.
O God, your love is wider than we can comprehend;
You reach to the outsider and call the stranger “friend”.
In Christ you gave a message transcending time and place
May we your church have courage to share your love and grace.
Prayer for Others (prepared by Liz Pace):
God of us all, we come before you this morning with all our weaknesses and faults, our strengths and hopes, and ask you to listen to our prayers.
Sometimes we forget your message of love and grace and slip into pessimism and despair at the state of the wider world. Help us to find ways, however small they seem, to show your love and grace to others. Build our resilience, strengthen our resolve to step into the future with hope and faith.
God, we are often aware of our weaknesses but are loathe to admit our strengths, just as we are mostly unaware of how our words and actions affect those around us. We do not ever contemplate that we can perform miracles, yet our words of encouragement and our lives of service, can change the direction of the lives of others. Open our eyes and ears to understand how we affect each other.
Instil in us the courage to step outside our comfort zone, to reach out and find new ways to show that love for others can be expressed in many ways. Open our minds and hearts to embrace the new and at the same time keep those traditions that are meaningful to us.
God give us patience and kindness,
take away our selfishness,
encourage us to persist in working for justice,
help us to increase our knowledge
in the sure hope that, as children of God we are loved and as such, must love each other.
This we ask through Jesus Christ your son, who showed us by supreme sacrifice, what true love is.
Amen.
Communion:
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.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
It is right that we give you thanks and praise
at all times and in all places
for you have created and sustained us.
We praise you that through your eternal Word
you brought the universe into being and you made each one of us in your own image.
You have given us this earth to care for and delight in.
You love us and have bound yourself to us.
Above all thank you for Jesus, the living Word, the bread of life,
born as one of us, living our common life and walking the path to death,
yet through his actions reconciling us to you and to one another.
Therefore we gladly join our voices to the song of the Church on earth and in heaven,
singing:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of love and light,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
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
Creating, Redeeming, Sustaining God, let your Spirit come upon your people gathered here.
Spirit of compassion, bless us and this bread and wine.
May this meal be food and drink for our journey –
renewing, sustaining and making us whole.
When we eat and drink may we experience again
the presence of the risen Jesus in our midst.
Amen.
Lord’s Prayer
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.
Distribution
The bread we take is a sharing in the body of Christ.
The wine we take is a sharing in the blood of Christ.
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,
and may it remind you that you are loved.
Amen.
(Eat and drink)
Prayer
Send us from here to reveal your love in the world.
Inspire us to use our words to point others to the Word.
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: “Shout for joy!” – (TiS 545)
Shout for joy! The Lord has let us feast;
Heaven’s own fare has fed the last and least;
Christ’s own peace is shared again on earth;
God the Spirit fills us with new worth.
No more doubting, no more senseless dread:
God’s good self has graced our wine and bread;
all the wonder heaven has kept in store,
now is ours to keep for evermore.
Celebrate with saints who dine on high,
witnesses that love can never die.
‘Hallelujah!’ – thus their voices ring:
nothing less in gratitude we bring.
Praise the Maker, praise the Maker’s Son,
praise the Spirit – three yet ever one;
praise the God whose food and friends avow
heaven starts here! The kingdom beckons now!
Blessing:
Send us in love,
God who reaches for us,
who puts words in our mouths
and joy in our hearts.
Keep us in your unending circle of love.
May all we do and hear and think and say
be bathed in your loving-kindness,
this day and always.
And the blessing of the God the Father,
God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
the One who Mother’s us all,
be with you 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:
Fig Tree Worship Resources, WorkingPreacher.com, Illustrated Ministries and Spill the Beans (Issue 41). Song They Raged at Jesus’ Sermon written by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette.