Koonung Heights Uniting Church
Service of Worship at Home
Epiphany 5 – 8 February, 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 – (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:
As we light the Christ Candle today,
may it shine light on the path we are to walk.
May we be enthused to be salty disciples of Jesus,
those who flavour life and shine the light of love
in all times and all places.
And all the people say: Amen.
Acknowledgement of Country:
This is God’s land and God’s Spirit dwells here.
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.
May we commit ourselves again to working for reconciliation
in this land and in her peoples.
Call to Worship:
We are called to bring a new understanding of God:
that God so loves the world.
Let us be the salt that we already are.
We are the salt of the earth.
We are called to bring a new hope in God:
that God gives us new life.
Let us be the light that we already are.
We are the light of the world.
Come, let us worship
the One who calls us to be salt and light.
We Sing: Lord of Creation – (TiS 626)
Lord of creation, to you be all praise!
Most mighty your working, most wondrous your ways!
Your glory and might are beyond us to tell
and yet in the heart of the humble you dwell.
Lord of all bounty, I give you my heart;
I praise and adore you for all you impart,
your love to inspire me, your counsel to guide,
your presence to shield me, whatever betide.
Lord of all being, I give you my all;
if I ever leave you I stumble and fall;
but, led in your service your word to obey,
I’ll walk in your freedom to the end of the way.
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Confession:
God of all,
we thank you for the gift of life,
for the waking, walking, working, playing,
eating, sleeping life we are given.
You have reached out to us in Jesus,
who continues to call us to follow,
being salt and light as his disciples.
You have sent the Spirit,
as companion and comforter
to make sure we don’t lose our way,
and to bring us back when we wander off.
We take this moment, in silence,
to bring our gratitude for all the blessings we enjoy.
We also bring our confession
for the many times we have chosen to be bland and blend in,
afraid or apathetic, too distracted by things that don’t matter,
unsure about bringing your risky, salty justice
to season the table of plenty in case it spoils the party.
Christ have mercy. Christ have mercy.
Too often we have hidden our light,
failed to shine and illuminate the evil that grows in the darkness.
We have switched off our ears and eyes to the cries of the earth,
to the suffering of people, and to the violence of hatred and greed.
Christ have mercy. Christ have mercy.
We have pretended to be innocent bystanders when suffering screams at us
through our screens and in our presence, because we are afraid.
Christ have mercy. Christ have mercy.
Forgive us, and set us free to be your people.
Season us again with your love.
Light in us the fire of justice.
Bind us together as people of faith,
standing strong, being salty, bringing your light,
wherever it may reach.
Amen.
Words of Assurance:
Siblings in Christ,
be assured you are forgiven.
Now, live as if you believe it!
The Peace:
May the Peace of God dwell with you:
and also with you.
Time for All: Commissioning for Service
Sentences
There are diverse gifts; but it is the same Spirit who gives them.
There are different ways of serving God: but it is the same Lord who is served.
God works through people in different ways:
but it is the same God whose purpose is achieved through them all.
Each one of us is given a gift by the Spirit:
and there is no gift without its corresponding service.
Together we are the body of Christ: and individually members of it.
Blessing of the Backpacks
The Uniting Church provides for the exercise by men and women of the gifts God bestows upon them for the building up of the church. Today, we will recognise that we all are gifted for service, and we will commission some for particular service.
We begin with the recognition that each of us needs guidance and strength from God each and every day to live as followers of Jesus. We are beginning the new school year, which is often a time of renewal for people whether or not they are in school. So we will bless the school bags/backpacks that the students have brought. As well, each of you was invited to bring something today that you carry every day. While this is traditionally called ‘backpack blessing’ what we are actually doing is praying a blessing on those who will carry these backpacks, handbags, keys, throughout the year.
I’d like to invite any who wish to come forward and place your items around the Communion Table or at the foot of the cross. This is symbolic of us offering our lives to God and receiving blessing from God. If you don’t wish to be seen in the live-stream, you might want to stand where you are and hold your item.
Let us pray …
Loving God, bless these backpacks, keys and handbags and all those who carry them as they begin another year. Whether it is in school, or work, or life, bless those who will use these items. Grant them peace when they feel nervous, focus when they feel distracted and energy when they feel tired. Help each one be a good friend, make courageous choices and grow in wisdom. Thank you that your blessing means that we can be a blessing to others.
Amen.
Blessing of educators and mentors
There are diverse gifts; but it is the same Spirit who gives them.
Among us we have people who have been gifted with the ability to work with children and young people. We will now commission those people who will be working in our own Christian education program and those who will be mentors in the Kids Hope program at Mont Albert Primary School. In both these safe places, relationships are formed, and there is care and nurture. What happens here can be foundational for life.
I invite all these people forward: our own Christian educators and helpers – Voon Stokie, Clare Rendall, Annabel McCooke, Jane Kessler, Kat Anderson, Ray Michelle, Pam Gangell and Alice Zhao. And the Kids Hope mentors – Pauline Williams, Philip Carrington, Prue Field, Chris Wells, Pam Gangell and Rosella Flavell.
As we commission these individuals, let us acknowledge that they offer themselves as leaders and friends, working with children and young people in this congregation and the community.
I ask you: Do you believe you are called by God to work with children and young people,
offering them guidance and friendship while sharing God’s love?
I do, God being my helper.
Will you be diligent and prayerful as you prepare and minister to those in your care?
With God’s help, I will.
And now a question for the young people and children –
Will you promise to learn along with your teachers?
With God’s help, I will.
And now some questions for the congregation …
Members of the body of Christ, will you encourage these people in their ministry,
and support them with your prayers?
With God’s help, we will.
As life-long learners, will you be open to the learnings you have this year,
be willing to listen and gracious as you share with one another?
With God’s help, we will.
Commissioning of Church Councillors
Each one of us is given a gift by the Spirit:
and there is no gift without its corresponding service.
Having sought the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we are now to commission as church councillors those we elected to this ministry at the end of 2025.
I present these people to be commissioned as church councillors. Chris Burley, Jenny Chamberlain, Kathryn D’Alessandro, Rose Kentwell, Peta Lowe, Annabel McCooke, Ray Michelle, Rosemary Perry, Heather Prior, Peter Sharples, Voon Stokie, Gillian Tonson, Malcolm Williamson and Harriet Ziegler.
Brothers and sisters, the congregation has elected you to serve as church councillors.
The Uniting Church requires the church council to give priority in its life to building up the Congregation in faith and love, sustaining members in hope, and leading the Congregation to a fuller participation in Christ’s mission in the world.
This ministry is one of spiritual oversight, and may be exercised in many ways
including pastoral care, assisting in worship, decision making and administration.
The Vows
For those being Commissioned:
Do you confess anew Jesus Christ as Lord? I do.
Do you believe that you are called by God through the church to this ministry? I do.
Being guided by the Basis of Union of the Uniting Church in Australia, will you live and work within the faith and unity of the one holy catholic and apostolic church?
With God’s help I will.
Relying on God’s grace, do you promise to carry out the duties of your office? I do.
For the Congregation:
I invite members of the Congregation to stand and answer the following questions.
Will you, the members of this congregation, accept these women and men as your church councillors? We will.
Will you encourage them in love, and support them in their ministry, serving with them the one Lord Jesus Christ? We will.
May God give you strength to fulfil these vows, and to God be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus from generation to generation for ever. Amen.
Act of Commissioning
God of light and love,
we thank you that in every age you have chosen leaders to serve and care for your people.
We thank you that you have called these people to serve you.
May those you have chosen have the same mind which was in Christ Jesus and be faithful disciples, giving example to Christ’s flock and witnessing to the truth of the gospel; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
God of grace, through the Holy Spirit, empower your servants Chris, Jenny, Kathryn, Rose, Peta, Annabel, Ray, Rosemary, Heather, Peter, Voon, Gillian, Malcolm and Harriet for the ministry of church councillor. Amen.
Declaration
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I declare you to be church councillors of the Uniting Church in Australia in the Koonung Heights Congregation.
Let us pray …
God who continues to amaze us, we thank you for the women and men in this community who you raise up to continue the work of your mission in this place and in the community.
Today we pray for the whole Church Council and those who serve as faithful members of this body. We pray for the educators and mentors. May each of these people look to your counsel as they seek to serve you.
Lastly, we pray for your continued guidance for our whole community as we strive to be faithful to your mission.
In Jesus name we pray,
Amen.
We Sing: Sing out a Song – (Silvia Purdie & Barry Brinson)
Sing out a song of warm hospitality, open your door and let Jesus come in.
Sit at the feast, there is more than enough to share, and taste God’s glory.
And the children will dance, the elders rejoice,
and people of God stand up and come alive!
And the heart will sing, and the heart will sing,
and the heart will sing, and the heart will sing.
Sing out a song of love and community, everyone has a part to play.
Celebrate others, no matter how different, and touch God’s glory.
And the children will dance …
Sing out a song of courage and honesty, never content with a life half lived.
Move in the Spirit, the Source of all energy and live God’s glory.
And the children will dance …
Bible Reading: Psalm 112:1-9
– Blessings of the Righteous
1 Praise the Lord!
Happy are those who fear the Lord,
who greatly delight in his commandments.
2 Their descendants will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever.
4 They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright;
they are gracious, merciful, and righteous.
5 It is well with those who deal generously and lend, who conduct their affairs with justice.
6 For the righteous will never be moved; they will be remembered forever.
7 They are not afraid of evil tidings; their hearts are firm, secure in the Lord.
8 Their hearts are steady; they will not be afraid;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
9 They have distributed freely; they have given to the poor;
their righteousness endures forever; their horn is exalted in honour.
Bible Reading: Matthew 5:13-20
– Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything but is thrown out and trampled under foot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15 People do not light a lamp and put it under the bushel basket; rather, they put it on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
– The Law and the Prophets
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Reflection:
If you are describing yourself to someone, what might you say? Whatever it is, I doubt you would say ‘I’m the salt of the earth. I’m the light of the world.’ Yet in the passage we have heard from Matthew that is exactly who Jesus says we are. ‘You are the salt of the earth.’ This is not a command or a suggestion from Jesus, it is a statement of fact. ‘You are the salt of the earth.’ Jesus goes on to say that we can be good salt or bad salt, but either way, we’re it – we, the people of God, are the salt of the earth. If we fail to have the effect that salt is supposed to have, that’s it, there’s no back up plan. We are the salt of the earth. Similarly Jesus says, ‘You are the light of the world.’ Again, we’re it. If the light is under a bucket we’re a wasted light, we’re just burning up fuel for no benefit, but we’re still the only light. We are the light of the world.
‘You are the salt of the earth.’ In The Message, Eugene Peterson translates it like this: ‘Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavours of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste Godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bring out the God-colours in the world.’ We can clearly see that there are implications to being named as salt and light. Salt and light are both things that function in relation to a surrounding environment. Salt seasons food, preserves and heals. Light pushes back darkness and encourages growth.
As salt, we are called to add flavour to the world. We are to season and transform human activity in a way that reveals God to the world. We are to be that which helps people better see God. Of course God is present and active in the world all the time, but God acts through us. The whole world is full of the presence of God, but if there are no groups dancing to God’s song, then the presence of God will go largely undetected. Just as many people can barely taste the flavours in their food unless there is some salt to bring them out, so too the Godliness of life will be almost undetectable unless we are living it out boldly.
We are the salt of the earth, the light of the world. The purpose of our life together is to bring out the flavour, the colour, the zest of life – the godliness of creation. Sometimes our saltiness will enrich the good that is always present. Sometimes it will enable the preservation of the good that might otherwise be lost. But sometimes too it will sting in the open wounds of the world, a healing sting, but painful nevertheless. If we lose our saltiness, how will anyone taste godliness? How is anyone going to see beyond the greyness, the hardness, the paralysing conformity of this society? If we do not mourn the hurts of the world, if we are not humble, merciful and pure of heart, if we do not hunger and thirst for justice and strive for peace, how will anyone see beyond the callous, winner-takes-all culture of competition where profits and politics so easily come before people?
Both images of salt and light are challenges to the existing power structures, and there is blessing from God for those who are willing to rise to the challenge. The psalmist also reminds us of the blessings that come to the righteous, those who know and delight in God, who ‘deal generously [and] conduct their affairs with justice’. The righteous are characterised by a light that shines in the darkness and a heart that trusts in God which is ultimately fulfilled in the generous life of Jesus.
Jesus is quick to point out that he has not come to “abolish the law or prophets” but to fulfil them. Jesus’ new teaching fits within the old faith. What is radically new in the presence of God’s coming rule is a completion of both the promises and demands which have been set out in the law and prophets. To put it another way, Jesus is part of the ongoing story of God’s revelation to a covenant community, but as such he is the final and decisive chapter in the story. He is the culminating piece of the puzzle that gives meaning to all the rest.
Jesus’ teaching is not so much about a list of rules, but about our inner ethics, and how we live them out wherever we are placed. Jesus life was the perfect example of living as salt and light.
We are the salt, the essential flavour. We are the light that we cannot live without and cannot turn out. We are called to live this reality in the community. To live as salt of the earth and light of the world is to know our deepest, truest and most authentic self. It is the life that we long for, the life we were created to have, and the life that God desires for each one of us. It is both who we are and how we are to be.
That’s why it is so important that we don’t lose our saltiness or hide our light. I think that is what Jesus is saying … ‘Behold the salt that you already are. Behold the light that you already are. Become that for the life of the world.’
So … sprinkle your salt and shine your light. In doing these things you will reveal the embodiment of God in humanity, God with us. Let them taste and see, for you are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
Amen.
We Sing: A little bit of salt – (Tune TiS 125)
A little bit of salt will quickly show its worth;
a little bit of faithfulness will change the earth.
God, make us worth our salt — a church that’s glad to be
the change that you desire in each community.
A lamp that’s in a house gives safety, warmth and light;
it’s set upon a table where it shines so bright.
God, make your church a light that bravely takes a stand
to bring your love and justice into all the land.
A garden is a place where so much beauty grows,
where flowers bloom and food is raised and water flows.
When worship leads us out to care for the oppressed,
O God, you say we’re like a garden at its best.
When worship leads us out to love and serve the poor,
to welcome in the refugee at our own door,
O God, then we’ll be called “repairers of the breach,”
and we your church will be “restorers of the streets.”
It’s tempting to remain well-hidden, quiet, bland —
yet, God, you make us salt and light to change this land.
You send us out to love, to build and to repair,
till peace and justice flourish here and everywhere.
Prayer for Others (prepared by Randall Pryor):
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for your church, the communities of your ‘Good News’, whom you have brought into being to be the light of the world, and salt of the earth
…. For this congregation of Koonung Heights …
…. For the Uniting Church …
…. For your church in places of persecution, danger, conflict …
Through your Holy Spirit, renew your church with the light of your overwhelming love and the salt of your Easter victory.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for our loved ones, for families and friends, for those especially on our hearts and minds at this time … (silence) …
Through your Holy Spirit, visit our loved ones with the light of your overwhelming love and the salt of your Easter victory.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for all people in need …
… For those threatened, overwhelmed by the darkness …
… For those who have lost all sense of ‘taste’
In your mercy, renew your people with the light of your overwhelming love and the salt of your Easter victory.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for your creation –
Hasten the day O Lord when the light of your life-giving Gospel, the flavours of your love, will bring an end to all that clouds and poisons your world, when all humankind, the whole of creation, will be taken up into the joy of your kingdom.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose name we pray together …
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: Lord Jesus, we belong to you – (TiS 686)
Lord Jesus, we belong to you, you live in us, we live in you;
we live and work for you – because we bear your name.
Help us receive each other, Lord, for you receive the least of us
and come to us in them – because we bear your name.
Let us acknowledge those as friends who use your name to right a wrong,
but have not joined us yet – because we bear your name.
Keep us from missing out on life; give hands that help; and single sight,
and feet that walk your way – because we bear your name.
You are the salt that cleanses us, so clean us out, and make us fit
for common life with you – because we bear your name.
Blessing:
Be the salt you already are and bring a new flavour to the world.
Be the light you already are and cast the shadows away.
Be the gift you already are and live generously in the name of God.
Be the person God has shaped you to be.
And the blessing of God the Father,
Son and Holy Spirit,
the One who Mothers us all,
remain 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, Spill the Beans and www.LaughingBird.net.au.
A Little Bit of Salt – Words © Carolyn Winfrey Gillette