Koonung Heights Uniting Church
Service of Worship at Home
Lent 1 – 18 February 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, 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.
Candle Lighting:
In this first week of Lent,
as we begin our journey towards the cross,
we light the Christ candle.
In doing so we acknowledge the journey we are on,
and remember the path Jesus took for our sake.
May our feet walk the path of God’s love.
Acknowledgement of Country:
As we gather,
I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians
of these unceded land and waters,
the Wurundjeri WoiWurrung People of the Kulin Nations.
I pay my respects to Elders past and present
and to all future leaders and generations.
As First and Second Peoples walking together,
we commit ourselves to be people of the covenant,
listening, truth telling and seeking justice for all.
Call to Worship:
Come in.
Feel your feet on the floor.
Settle your worries.
Take a deep breath.
Dust the cobwebs from your ears.
Relax the tension in your jaw,
for Christ is here.
God never stops seeking us.
We have been found.
Let us find God in return.
Let us worship the God of deep waters.
Amen.
Opening Prayer:
God, known as love,
seen in beauty and felt as near;
your wholesome care is like the sun and the rain,
falling on us all alike.
Your inclusive grace stretches out in rainbow diversity
covering your whole creation with promise.
So as light through water refracts into bright colour,
may your love shine through us,
through our worship and our helpful action,
to extend the reach of your rainbow love.
Amen.
We Sing: “Let all creation dance” – (TiS 187)
Let all creation dance in energies sublime,
as order turns with chance , unfolding space and time,
for nature’s art in glory grows,
and newly shows God’s mind and heart.
God’s breath each force unfurls, igniting from a spark,
expanding starry swirls with whirlpools dense and dark.
Though moon and sun seem mindless things,
each orbit sings: ‘Your will be done.’
Our own amazing earth, with sunlight, cloud and storms
and life’s abundant growth in lovely shapes and forms,
is made for praise, a fragile whole,
and from its soul heaven’s music plays.
Lift heart and soul and voice:
in Christ all praises meet
and nature shall rejoice
as all is made complete.
In hope be strong, all life befriend
and kindly tend creation’s song.
Call to Confession:
In our gospel passage for today, we will read about Jesus calling Peter to be a disciple. In the story, Peter is in the presence of the Divine for quite some time before he realises it. Jesus crawls into Peter’s boat and tells him to head toward deep water. Together, they let the nets down. It is only when the boat threatens to sink, due to the extreme abundance of fish, that Peter turns to Jesus and truly sees who’s in his boat.
Sometimes we miss what’s right in front of us. Fortunately for us, Christ keeps crawling into our boats anyhow.
So let us join together in prayer, not out of fear, but out of a desire to finally see who’s right in front of us.
Let us pray.
Prayer of Confession:
I invite you to pray this prayer with me.
Loving God, you call us by name.
You join us in the deep waters of life.
You invite us to drop our nets and follow you,
and yet, more often than we’d like to admit, we are like Peter.
Over and over again, we stand slack jawed and surprised
to find you in our midst.
Forgive us for drowning out your voice with our own.
Forgive us for assuming that we can tackle deep waters by ourselves.
Forgive us for forgetting that you will never stop climbing into our boat.
Turn our hearts, our minds, and our spirits toward you,
for you are the Lord our God, and it is in your name that we pray.
Amen.
Words of Assurance:
Friends,
Peter didn’t exactly make a good first impression when Jesus got into his boat.
He questioned dropping his nets, as they hadn’t caught any fish all night.
He was oblivious to who Christ was for quite some time,
and once he realized the Divinity standing in his boat,
he quickly deemed himself unworthy.
And even still, Jesus called Peter a disciple and a friend.
Church family, hear and believe this good news:
you can make a thousand bad impressions,
you can make every mistake in the book, roll your eyes, and assume you know better.
Despite all of that, Christ will forgive you, claim you, and continue to seek your heart.
That is the good news of the gospel. Rest, celebrate, and trust in that.
Amen.
The Peace
May the Peace of God dwell with you:
and also with you.
A Time for All:
Do you like fishing? It’s not something I have done that often, or I’m very good at, but I have enjoyed it when I’ve had the chance. My fishing success is varied. I’ve caught a not-so-impressive cat-fish in the Richmond River in Ballina, NSW, but I’ve also managed to catch a Halibut in Homer, Alaska. Each experience is memorable for different reasons and it would be true to say that I came home with a catch I didn’t expect.
I’ve only been fishing with Tony and Elizabeth once. It was a memorable experience and one that I have permission to share with you. I can’t remember exactly when it was, but Elizabeth was small and we decided to go fishing because she had been given a fishing rod as a gift. She was so excited to go and Tony felt it would be good to go to a trout farm as she would be likely to catch something that way.
So off we went and the day started well. The farm was filled with quite a few large lakes and so we chose one to sit at. After what seemed too long for Elizabeth, we decided to move to another lake to see if we had more luck there. We stood for a while, Tony and Elizabeth with their lines in the water, before Tony decided to go for a walk. He gave me his rod and, of course, this is when the action happened. Somehow, a trout got caught on both our lines.
Tony got back, and with his help, we managed to haul in the catch, putting a net under the fish and placing it in the bucket we had been given. The bucket wasn’t small, but the fish was so big that as it flopped about it knocked the bucket over and got out. This sent Elizabeth running. We managed to catch the fish and Elizabeth again, and she got her name on the record catch board. The trout was as big as her, and again we came home with something we didn’t expect.
In the gospel story this week Simon Peter is out fishing. He isn’t having much luck, but ends up coming home with a catch that he didn’t expect, one so much bigger than he could have imaged after a long night of fishing which yielded nothing. When the boat comes back to the shore, he has also begun a new journey as one of Jesus’ disciples. Peter’s journey with Jesus will be full of twists and turns. There will be moments of joy and wonder as well as times of fear and disappointment. Meeting Jesus on the boat that day changed Peter’s life and set him on a different path. I wonder how meeting Jesus has changed your path?
Let us pray:
Dear God,
Thank you for seeking us and meeting us in the unexpected places. Help us to journey the way of Jesus, however the path might twist and turn.
In Jesus name we pray,
Amen.
Bible Reading: Psalm 25:1-10
– Prayer for Guidance and for Deliverance
1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in you I trust;
do not let me be put to shame;
do not let my enemies exult over me.
3 Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.
6 Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord,
and of your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!
8 Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9 He leads the humble in what is right
and teaches the humble his way.
10 All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
Bible Reading: Luke 5:1-11
– Jesus Calls the First Disciples
1 Once while Jesus was standing beside the Lake of Gennesaret and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2 he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to burst. 7 So they signalled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’s knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all who were with him were astounded at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” 11 When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
We Sing: “Lord, take my hand” – (TiS 593)
Lord, take my hand and lead me along life’s way;
protect and guide and feed me from day to day.
Without your car and favour I go astray;
so take my hand, O Saviour, and lead the way.
Lord, take my heart and hide it within your grace;
through pain and pleasure guide it to be at peace.
Hold close your child, dear Saviour, and stay with me,
and help me trust whenever I cannot see.
For when it seems you’re hiding your saving might,
still you are safely guide me through the night.
So take my hand and lead me along life’s way;
protect and guide and feed me to endless day.
Reflection:
I put my headphones in.
I walk quickly.
I look toward the ground.
I create one million barriers of independence,
but still God seeks after me.
God leans a rainbow over the sky.
God sends sun after the rain.
God blankets the earth with wildflowers.
God allows music to carry, and laughter to rise,
all so that I might notice.
And when I do notice,
the unfurling that begins in my soul
is slow and holy and burning.
I am not alone.
God has been chasing after me all this time.
Today is the first Sunday in Lent, the time when we journey with Jesus to the despair of the cross, and then on to the rejoicing of resurrection morning. This Lent, we are going to make that journey while focusing on the life and faith of one of Jesus’ most famous disciples, Peter. In Peter we see a person who is both steadfast and unsteady, a dear friend and a betrayer, a follower and a wanderer. In Peter, we can sometimes see ourselves. By following Peter’s journey, we are also able to watch the story of Jesus unfold through the eyes of a very normal human trying to figure it all out – just like us. Faith is a constant journey which ebbs and flows, and as we look at Peter we will see the ways that he keeps searching and yearning and loving even after making mistakes. Peter, like us, is imperfect, but his story reminds us that God loves imperfect people – time and time again.
You might be thinking that I’ve been talking about Peter, but the bible reading uses the names Simon and Simon Peter. So what’s this about? Peter was called Simon when Jesus met him as a fisherman. Jesus was the one that changed his name, naming him Peter which means ‘rock’. Of course the biblical text was written and retells that story so the name is sometimes interchanged. I hope that clears it up.
It’s also worth mentioning that Peter is the disciple we hear most about in the gospels. His name is mentioned 191 times (162 as Peter or Simon Peter, 23 as Simon and 6 as Cephas). Of the other disciples John is next in frequency with only 48 appearances. Peter was with Jesus a lot and is a significant figure. He spent his life telling people about Jesus, performing miracles until he was put to death in Rose, dying on a cross like Jesus.
While Peter is remembered as an extraordinary person, he is also very much like you or I, and when we meet him in this narrative he is just an ordinary person. As Jesus begins his ministry, he doesn’t seek out trained rabbis and priests to be his disciples, but instead he calls a few Galilean fishermen to follow him and join his ministry. Luke’s story of Jesus calling the first disciples is unique among the synoptic Gospels. While Mark and Matthew speak of Jesus walking along the Sea of Galilee, in Luke’s gospel Jesus is in the boat with Simon. This is not actually Simon’s first encounter with Jesus. Jesus has already been to Simon’s home in Capernaum and healed his mother-in-law. (You can always read this story in Luke 4:38-39). Perhaps that explains Simon’s willingness to let Jesus use his fishing boat as a floating pulpit when the crowds are pressing in on him.
In this narrative, Jesus tells Simon Peter to drop his nets one more time. Even though they have been fishing all night long, and have caught nothing, Peter does what Jesus says. Maybe this response comes from his earlier encounter with Jesus and his witness to healing, or maybe he is too exhausted to complain so just follows instructions. Whatever his motivation, he acts and the end up hauling in nets bursting with fish, so much so that they need others to come and help.
You would think this would be cause for rejoicing, after all the business of fishermen is catching fish, it’s what keeps food on the table. But in response to this abundant miracle, Peter says, ‘Go away from me, Lord!’ I wonder why he resists the abundance he has just received? Could it be that he feels unworthy to receive a gift that he has not worked hard for? Could it be that he is afraid there could be repercussions from the Roman government, that his abundant catch may lead to higher taxes and fines for his business? Maybe it’s because as a Galilean fisherman, who likely lived scarcely, this sudden abundance feels jarring and unfamiliar? Maybe Peter considers himself ‘unfaithful’ and so he resists being in Jesus’ presence?
While we can only guess at what Peter is feeling, some of these responses would be familiar to us – feeling unworthy of a gift we received, being afraid of implications arising out of changing circumstances, not knowing what we will do in an unfamiliar situation. Sometimes, like Peter, we can initially resist what God offers us, but God’s invitation is never withdrawn, we just need to accept it.
It can be easy to resist Jesus’ claim on our lives because what we are being called to do can seem crazy or impractical? We can avoid putting out into the deep waters of following and bearing witness to Jesus because we are convinced that it won’t make a difference. I wonder what it would mean for us to go deep fishing with Jesus? Maybe we, too, need to reorient our priorities, in serving others and sharing the good news of Christ through our actions and words.
This call to ‘deep fishing’ is a truly dramatic turning point for Peter. Something happens in this encounter which sees him moving from calling Jesus ‘Master’ to calling him ‘Lord’. In taking the next step, Peter’s life will change completely. He will leave his home, his business, and his way of life as he follows Jesus into a new calling. Jesus needs Peter for his mission, even though Peter might not be ready.
Jesus’ mission does not wait until we think we are ready. The need for the gospel in this broken world is far too urgent. We are called right now – in spite of our frailty and doubt and in the middle of our ordinary, busy, complicated lives. Jesus words to Peter, ‘Do not be afraid’, are also words to us. What are we being called to do this Lent? How might we put our fears aside and invite others to be caught in the deep, wide net of God’s mercy and love.
Amen.
We Sing: “Dear Father, Lord of humankind” – (TiS 598)
Dear Father, Lord of humankind, forgive our foolish ways;
reclothe us in our rightful mind: in purer lives thy service find,
in deeper reverence, praise, in deeper reverence, praise.
In simple trust like theirs who heard, beside the Syrian sea,
the gracious calling of the Lord, let us, like them, without a word
rise up and follow thee, rise up and follow thee.
Drop thy still dews of quietness, till all our strivings cease;
take from our lives the strain and stress, and let our ordered lives confess
the beauty of thy peace, the beauty of thy peace.
Prayer for Others (prepared by Graham and Wendy Ray):
Let us pray.
As we begin our Lenten journey, we bring before You the concerns of your people here at Koonung Heights.
We pray for the suffering in our world. Especially today we remember the war-torn regions of the Middle East, the Ukraine and Russia. May all involved parties, be mindful of the misery and suffering caused by continued conflict, and choose to walk the path of peace.
We also pray for those affected by the devastating floods, fires and cyclones, here and around the world.
Let us remember that we are Your stewards of this fragile earth.
Help us to act responsibly, and may we all strive to lessen the impact of climate change.
Just as Jesus entered the wilderness, there are also many people experiencing a wilderness in their own lives. We pray for those who face the harshness of poverty, not knowing where their next meal may come from. We pray for those whose lives are shattered by physical and mental illness and addictions, which deprive them of a full life. Let us be Your agents, and bring hope to those in need.
Jesus was tempted in those desert days. We as individuals and nations, also face temptations, whether for power over others, or material wealth.
Guide us onto the right paths, and equip us with the resources to conquer harmful impulses.
May we always be reminded that Your path is one of steadfast love and faithfulness.
Lent is a time of reflection and preparation.
In a moment of silence, let us now reflect on those things in our lives, and around the world, which we would like to see changed.
(time of silence)
Bless all of us gathered here this morning. We pray for our minister Heather and for all our leaders as they seek to proclaim and live out the Gospel.
Loving God, as we journey through Lent, we pray for strength and courage to make the changes that are needed in our lives and the world.
Open our hearts and minds, as we take this journey that draws us closer to You.
We continue to pray as Jesus 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: “God gives us a future” – (TiS 687)
God gives us a future, daring us to go,
into dreams and dangers on a path unknown.
We will face tomorrow in the Spirit’s power,
we will let God change us for new life starts now.
We must leave behind us sins of yesterday,
for God’s new beginning is a better way.
Fear and doubt and habit must now hold us back:
God gives hope, and insight, and the strength we lack.
Holy Spirit, teach us how to read the signs,
how the meet the challenge of our troubled times.
Love us into action, stir us into prayer,
till we choose God’s life, and find our future there.
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,
and may you hear God’s voice deep within saying,
‘Take heart, it is I, be not afraid.’
You are called. You are blessed.
You always belong to God
so go in peace, trusting in 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: Working Preacher, Fig Tree Worship and Wandering Heart (Sanctified Art).