Koonung Heights Uniting Church – Service of Worship at Home
19th March 2023 – 10am or whenever possible
You may like to light a candle as you prepare for this service
Today’s service is led by Ray Michelle – member of Koonung Heights Church Council
Worship Preparation:
Acknowledgement of Country:
As we meet to worship today,
I acknowledge the Wurundjeri 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, present and emerging.
I also remember and pay my respects
to those who have faithfully worshipped,
and shared their gifts and lives with us at Koonung Heights.
I pray the God of love will continue to speak to us all.
Call to Worship:
We gather in holy wonder in a mystery that is not our own,
yet we are part of it.
We bring our hearts into it, our minds and our questions also.
We bring a longing for beauty and the urge for surprise.
We bring the gifts we are into this time of worship
and open ourselves to the wisdom of God.
In word, in truth, in presence, in possibility,
in being together, in listening to each other,
we gather in holy wonder
and seek the wisdom of God.
We Sing: “Immortal Invisible”(Tis 143)
Prayer of Adoration and Confession:
Eternal God, in us and far beyond us,
present in every atom of creation
but not contained by it as we are,
your ways are beyond us;
try as we might, we cannot fully fathom what you are about
and what you expect from us.
How could it be otherwise, when we are creatures and you the creator,
when we are mortal, and you are eternal (whatever that may mean)?
And yet, we are not wholly time and earth-bound.
Somewhere deep within us is a spark of the divine,
and a deep yearning to find or to be found by you.
We give thanks for those who have spent their lives searching for wisdom,
and some who have achieved it.
We are grateful for poets and artists, dancers and musicians, who find ways
of expressing the inexpressible; for old souls at peace with themselves,
for young children gasping with awe and jumping for joy at each new discovery.
Loving God, we do not ask forgiveness for our limitations—
they are part of who we are—
but we sometimes pretend to know more than we do,
or close our minds to uncomfortable questions,
or give up far too soon in the quest for ever deeper
wisdom and understanding.
Particularly in the realms of faith, we sell ourselves and other people short
by settling for easy answers, mistaking childish for childlike faith,
grabbing at the sparkly gems instead of delving ever more deeply to find the
real treasures buried far below.
God, whose love is as deep as the mystery of your being,
forgive us our failures of the past and lead us into the truth
that alone can set us free.
Amen.
Words of Assurance:
Where does wisdom come from?
Where do we learn how to be wise?
God’s creation is awesome;
full of wonder and beauty,
full of surprises.
Out of the earth grows food
and under the earth there is deep darkness.
Thanks be to God.
Passing the Peace:
The peace of Christ has been given to us,
not as a gift of the world which will pass away
but as a gift from heaven which is eternal.
The peace of Christ be with you …
and also with you.
A time for all: Caving (Rhonwen Pierce)
Caves, caving and speleology. My brother and I started when we were young to explore holes in the limestone hills near our farm. From there grew a passion for the wonderful things we found. Learning techniques to explore, map and photograph what we found. Taking others and new friends. Many other rock types form caves and I have had the privilege to see many around the world. Just as God created the universe for humans to learn about and explore so he created caves for knowledge, exploration and pleasure. A very different sacred place.
We Sing: “The wise man built his house”
Bible Reading: Job 28: 1-20
Where Wisdom Is Found
28 There is a mine for silver
and a place where gold is refined.2 Iron is taken from the earth,
and copper is smelted from ore.3 Mortals put an end to the darkness;
they search out the farthest recesses for ore in the blackest darkness.
4 Far from human dwellings they cut a shaft, in places untouched by human feet;
far from other people they dangle and sway.
5 The earth, from which food comes, is transformed below as by fire;
6 lapis lazuli comes from its rocks, and its dust contains nuggets of gold.
7 No bird of prey knows that hidden path, no falcon’s eye has seen it.
8 Proud beasts do not set foot on it, and no lion prowls there.
9 People assault the flinty rock with their hands and lay bare the roots of the mountains.
10 They tunnel through the rock; their eyes see all its treasures.
11 They search[a] the sources of the rivers and bring hidden things to light.
12 But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell?
13 No mortal comprehends its worth; it cannot be found in the land of the living.
14 The deep says, “It is not in me”; the sea says, “It is not with me.”
15 It cannot be bought with the finest gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver.
16 It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir, with precious onyx or lapis lazuli.
17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it, nor can it be had for jewels of gold.
18 Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
19 The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it; it cannot be bought with pure gold.
20 Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing, concealed even from the birds in the sky.
22 Destruction[b] and Death say, “Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.”
23 God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells,
24 for he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.
25 When he established the force of the wind and measured out the waters,
26 when he made a decree for the rain and a path for the thunderstorm,
27 then he looked at wisdom and appraised it; he confirmed it and tested it.
28 And he said to the human race, “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
and to shun evil is understanding.”
Bible Reading: John 11: 17-35
Jesus Comforts the Sisters of Lazarus
17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was less than two miles[a] from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
28 After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.
“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
35 Jesus wept.
Reflection:
Wisdom or Knowledge, the difference, and does it matter…
Job has three friends, and it was only in later years I understood that they were three people in their own way saying that his predicament was due to something he had done.
Eliphaz, Bidad and Zophar were Job’s friends, and they felt the ineradicable inflictions were caused by some sin job had committed.
Some people, and there will be people here that say things happen because of some action, or for a reason, but as humans, it helps us to pause and rationalise things…. rationalising things of course is not wisdom, in fact it could be called ignorance, but it helps all of us accept.
This reading though takes us underground to find the wisdom. Like Rhonwen has taken us on today. When I first considered the reading I really did give it just a cursory thought, of yes silver and gold, and storing riches etc. It was not till I really stopped and reflected on the journey “underground” and where these verses take us, like where the gold and silver were found, and the other many minerals etc. that were there, and the original wisdom/ knowledge of how they could enhance lives through the use of them.
Similar to today, the wisdom and knowledge we now know that the mining of these minerals impacts our environment. The change from minerals being found, being used, and now being respected is the wisdom.
Events of wisdom have occurred that has brought about this change. However, it has always taken people to stand up and be counted for this change, and standing up against the current reign of thinking, systems etc., and this takes real courage.
Similarly, in the reading from John the bringing of Lazarus back to life was the last straw for the Chief Priests. Over the last three years, this Jesus bloke has been upsetting the status quo, and their nice order, rule-based, power-based system is being challenged.
There are various accounts but apparently there were 120 Chief Priest and Caiaphas was chief for 21 years. 21 years was a long time in those days, and his son in law was the successor.
As the people starting saying, “well this Jesus has something about him, and he is giving us the proof and performing the many miracles” and the followers consequently added to their numbers. Lazarus rising back to life was one of those moments that people, who were perhaps skeptical, said now I’ve got proof and I am now convinced.
Caiaphas the leader amongst the priests of 21 years and so they said to him “hey sort this out, our status and lifestyle is at risk” and then we know what happens next with the arrest. Problem was Caiaphas had no authority to put Jesus to death and then let things get back to normal.
Each of you here today, will know of people that have status and power over others and have chosen to exploit it. Then the fall, the apatite change in South Africa, slavery years ago in the USA, Lord Mayor Robert Doyle, Rolf Harris, and of course many church attendee’s and leaders.
We all know or have known people, in the corporate workforce, those in clubs and committee’s and of course the Church who wants things their way and they manipulate to ensure their way of thinking occurs.
It can sometimes come about from the use of referent power and is an interesting key driver. What are two features of referent power?
There are many qualities that encompass a great leader, but referent power—the ability to cultivate admiration, trust and respect from others—is perhaps the hardest to acquire. Having referent power can help foster open communication and a more positive work environment, used wisely.
There are many people within our world today who have got things very confused when considering their priorities in life. Silver and gold and things of monetary value are placed in far higher esteem than what provides social value within a community.
A hedge fund manager is paid a ludicrous salary for moving money around, whereas a care worker is paid a pittance while bringing dignity to the lives of people with dementia. Yet this seems to be accepted wisdom…
- What other examples can you think of that reveal the distorted wisdom of our current times?
- What can the Church do to help people find Wisdom?
- Where is Wisdom for you?
The abuse comes when the admiration trust and respect is challenged and the person holding it feels threatened. Put them in this position and then various behaviours and manipulation come out.
The Priest and Chief priests had this authority, and when they were losing it they had to do something.
2000 years on or slightly less, where Priests and church people were afforded the same status and this covered up many years of abuse that many of us struggle to believe could of occurred.
So we have lots of things we need to stand up for, and this is balanced with the changing world.
- Did we stand up for our faith enough when RE was removed from Schools?
- Did / Do we stand up enough for the Refugees?
- Did /do we stand up for those that do not have a voice?
In September this year there is a chance for you to stand up, is that right for you? You have to know what you stand for. The challenge is that there are many like the chief priests who are determined to let things just go on and not challenge the system.
As Christians we are called to challenge the system, speak up for the oppressed, those that don’t have a voice or don’t know how to use it.
Using your voice can be a lonely spot, phone a friend and there are not many, the one supporter of you is God. And by having him on your team, you will know you are doing the right thing. To not do this is to sell yourself short.
The overall theme of today is wisdom. It’s to have the wisdom to work out what you use your voice for. Its takes time, research, speaking to others, and then include it in prayer. You then hopefully are able to work out – is this the thing for you to use your voice? Remember to not use it is not wrong, but it can be if you don’t when you can the for sake of others.
This week I encourage you to use your Christian wisdom and then your voice and with God’s help speak for those that can’t. Thank goodness Jesus raised Lazauers to convince others to have the wisdom to follow, and allow us to know the reward.
Amen.
We Sing: “Shine Jesus Shine”
Prayers for others (Prepared by Rob Fenton)
Dear Lord, We thank you for hearing the prayers of your people. We pray for our congregation, and that it continues to grow in its understanding of your ways for us. 10
We pray for our minister Heather while she is interstate on family commitments. We give thanks for Ray, who as the ambulance chaplain is providing wonderful support to the ambulance workforce, and who is also able to step in and lead us in an inspiring worship service. We give thanks for our fabulous musicians and choir, who, under Phillip’s leadership, never fail to inspire and uplift us.
We pray for peace in our region, and in the world as a whole. We pray that the AUKUS submarine deal with the United States and the United Kingdom will indeed lead to a safer region due to its effect as a deterrent. However, dear Lord, we cannot help but think of all the many other ways in which the projected over $350 billion long term expenditure for the submarines could be used to improve the lives of Australians, especially those who are doing it tough. However unfortunately it seems that the long-term threats to security in our region are real, and becoming ever more real, so it seems that unfortunately we need to spend big on defence to protect our way of life. Dear Lord, we pray for wisdom, especially among world leaders, as they are only fellow human beings, with the weaknesses which all human beings have, but some have accumulated enormous power over the lives of their people, and use it to suppress them. Just think of China and Russia.
We continue to pray for Ukraine, as the people doggedly fight on and on, against a Russia that will never relent whilst Putin is there. As a Christian, if only Putin could gain some wisdom to see the war for what it is, and how unnecessary it is, and how much hardship and heartache it is causing his own people, and not just those in Ukraine.
We continue to pray for our indigenous people. We are relieved that there has been some improvement in Alice Springs since limited bans on alcohol have been reintroduced. However we pray with sadness for the young children who have been running havoc, when we hear that the behaviour of many of them is partly due to foetal alcohol syndrome disorder, due to their mothers drinking heavily during pregnancy. We pray with sadness for these children, as they may never be able to achieve the potential they may otherwise have had.
We pray for our many teachers and educators, at all levels, from Child Care to Kindergarten, to Primary and Secondary School, through to TAFE and University. We give thanks for their wisdom, and for the essential but often underappreciated role they play in the development of our young people, who will be the future of our country.
We continue to pray for all in our church community. We give thanks for the warm and caring fellowship which our church community provides to us, and the focus which it provides to our lives as Christians.
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 in Heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
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 for ever. Amen
Prayer of Dedication:
Wise God,
what you offer us in Christ is worth far more than money,
and we have warnings a-plenty that money is more likely to hinder
than to help us in our search for what really matters.
Yet here we are with gifts of money which the church undoubtedly needs,
but what about the Kingdom of God, that hidden, mysterious life-force
that works away unseen, like seed, or salt or yeast,
disrupting the plans of the powerful and lifting up the poor?
So much that we do not understand; so hard to know if we are getting it right.
One promise we make here and now is that we will never stop searching,
never stop learning and growing, open always to being surprised
by your wisdom and your grace.
Amen.
We Sing: “ Majesty”
Sending
Step out into the world this week,
with eyes open to the wonder of creation,
the joy of love
and the stirring of wisdom.
May God, your mother and father,
God the Son
and God the Spirit
bless each waking moment
today, tomorrow and always.
We Sing: “This little light of mine” –
(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 46,