Koonung Heights Uniting Church
Service of Worship at Home
Pentecost 21 – 2 November 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 might like to have the elements ready.
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:
As we begin our worship this morning,
we light this candle
as a sign of God’s Spirit at work in the world.
May its light brighten our spirits,
may the light of God
shining through us
brighten the world.
Acknowledgement of Country:
As we gather in this place, we give thanks
for the Wurundjeri WoiWurrung People of the Kulin Nations.
We acknowledge the commitment their ancestors made,
across the generations, to nurturing this Land.
Together, may we walk into the future,
recognising the sacred footsteps
that continue to lead us to the promise of Heaven.
Call to Worship:
Jesus calls us over the noise,
the tumult of our busy lives.
Come, like Zaccheus in our reading today,
to see Jesus as he passes through this place.
Today you are not being asked
to climb the sycamore tree,
but perhaps to rise above
the ebbs and flows of your daily life,
to stand tall and be alert to the presence
and invitation of God in your life.
Jesus is coming to share tea with us,
and all are welcome.
We Sing: “Jesus calls us here to meet him” – (TiS 477)
Jesus calls us here to meet him as, through word and song and prayer,
we affirm God’s promised presence where his people live and care.
Praise the God who keeps his promise; praise the Son who calls us friends;
praise the Spirit who, among us, to our hopes and fears attends.
Jesus calls us to confess him Word of Life and Lord of All,
sharer of our flesh and frailness saving all who fail or fall.
Tell his holy human story; tell his tales that all may hear;
tell the world that Christ in glory came to earth to meet us here.
Jesus calls us to each other: found in him are no divides.
Race and class and sex and language such are barriers he derides.
Join the hand of friend and stranger; join the hands of age and youth;
join the faithful and the doubter in their common search for truth.
Prayer of Adoration and Confession:
Loving God,
Creator of all, Sustainer of all, Saviour of all,
your glory and majesty are beyond our understanding.
You are too awesome for us to understand,
yet your love enfolds us as a gentle breeze.
We come before you now
asking that you open our hearts today
that we might receive the invitation of Jesus
to come and be present in our lives.
We thank you
that there is nowhere we can hide from you;
that we are all visible to you, simply because we matter.
Your love is beyond our imagining
your generosity is overwhelming,
and your grace is immense.
In this place, may we know ourselves to be
seen, loved and forgiven.
Forgive us –
for the times we have not heard the cries of those in need,
or when we have, and we have looked the other way.
Forgive us –
for the times when we have put up barriers that exclude and limit,
barriers that have stopped others from seeing you.
Forgive us –
for the times we have turned our back on your offered opportunities
and decided, instead, to serve ourselves.
Forgive us –
for the times we have forgotten the depth of your love for us.
In the light of your love and forgiveness,
may our lives and the lives of those around us be changed.
Help us to walk tall, carrying the light of your love for others,
so that they, too, may know that they are known and loved
by the God of all creation.
Amen.
Words of Assurance:
Friends, hear this good news:
You have always been loved by God
so know that you are healed and forgiven.
Rejoice for God is with you!
Thanks be to God!
Time for All:
If I asked you what was special about Friday, I wonder if anyone can tell me? If I mentioned pumpkins and treats and visits from children in costume would that help? That’s right, it was Halloween. Halloween, All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day fall between 31 October to 2 November and their names are all Christian in origin.
While Halloween has taken on a cultural and commercial life all of its own in recent times, originally it had a much deeper meaning. Halloween, or All Hallows’ Eve, takes its name from the Feast of All Saints’ Day, which later became known as All Hallows. All Hallows’ Eve was quite literally the evening before the holy day. Halloween was a time when it was acceptable for poorer members of the community to visit their richer neighbours and ask for charity. First recorded in the 15th century, though already an old custom by that time, was soul-caking. Poor people were given an oat cake and sometimes cash as well, in return for performing the service of praying for the souls of people that had died.
All Saint’s Day was originally a Christian day of commemoration of martyrs, those people who died for their faith, but later came to include all saints, as the name suggests. In the 8th century Pope Gregory III moved All Saint’s Day to 1 November to mark the papal dedication of a chapel built to honour all saints in St Peter’s Basilica, Rome. The most recent addition to these days was All Souls’ Day, first celebrated in 11th century France, but removed from the Protestant calendar after the Reformation.
Today, All Saints is a time when we remember those who have gone before us. In our community we traditionally recognise those we have loved and lost at our Blue Christmas Remembrance Service. Still, I invite you to a few moments of remembering today.
We remember, O God …
the countless saints of history who have blazed a trail of courage through time.
We remember, Loving God,
the tender touch of loved ones, the example of heroes,
the healing words of comforters, the remarkable acts of brave ones.
We remember, Fearless God,
the gentle strength of grandmothers,
the loyalty of friends, the kindness of strangers,
the joy of children, the sacrifice of parents.
We remember, Abundant God,
the supreme love of Jesus, the blessing of his Spirit, the reminder of his words,
the sharing of his suffering, the glory of his resurrection:
shown forth in the lives of his disciples,
young and old, dead and living,
articulate and silent, strange and familiar, brilliant and ordinary.
We remember in every time and place the saints
who have shown us the generosity of God’s invitation.
We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses,
let us thank God with joy.
Amen.
We Sing: “For all the saints” – (TiS 455)
For all the saints, who from their labours rest,
who to the world their faith in God confessed,
your name, O Jesus, be forever blessed, hallelujah, hallelujah!
You were their leader, true unfailing light,
column of cloud by day and fire by night,
known in the dark by faith, though lost from sight, hallelujah, hallelujah!
So may your people still their footsteps trace,
fired by their triumphs in the well-run race,
longing with them to see your glorious face, hallelujah, hallelujah!
Soon dawns the promised day of Christ our Lord
when all creation rises up restored,
and all our song, from heart and soul outpoured: “Hallelujah, hallelujah!”
From every age, from dawn to setting sun,
home come the saints to God the Three-in-One,
bringing eternal praise on earth begun, hallelujah, hallelujah!
Bible Reading: Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4
1:1The oracle that the prophet Habakkuk saw.
The Prophet’s Complaint2 O Lord, how long shall I cry for help,
and you will not listen?
Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save?
3 Why do you make me see wrongdoing
and look at trouble?
Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.
4 So the law becomes slack, and justice never prevails.
The wicked surround the righteous; therefore judgment comes forth perverted.
God’s Reply to the Prophet’s Complaint
2:1 I will stand at my watchpost and station myself on the rampart;
I will keep watch to see what he will say to me
and what he will answer concerning my complaint.
2 Then the Lord answered me and said:
Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it.
3 For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end and does not lie.
If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.
4 Look at the proud! Their spirit is not right in them,
but the righteous live by their faithfulness.
Bible Reading: Luke 19:1-10
– Jesus and Zacchaeus
1 He entered Jericho and was passing through it. 2 A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. 5 When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. 7 All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” 8 Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” 9 Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”
Reflection:
The story of Zacchaeus and his encounter with Jesus is one of the most well-known stories in the gospel. If we went to Sunday School we probably heard it there, the story of a short man who climbs a tree so he can see Jesus, before ending up having Jesus as a guest in his home. Yet there is a lot more within this story if we are prepared to dive a little deeper into the text, and look afresh at the nuances: suddenly this feel-good story is a little more complex that we might image. I’m hoping that we might do that today … look a little deeper and see what we can discover.
If someone was asked to retell the story of Zacchaeus we might hear that he is another disadvantaged person who Jesus reaches out to with a message of salvation and reconciliation. While he is wealthy, he is disadvantaged because he is very short and very unpopular. But once Jesus meets him everything changes for the better. My question is … does it? At the end of the story Zacchaeus doesn’t seem any more popular than he was at the beginning, and Jesus is distinctly less popular. The crowd are also grumbling because of what they have witnessed.
Jesus shares a lot of meals in Luke’s gospel and it seems that whenever he eats with outcasts there is grumbling. It’s often the scribes or the pharisees who claim, the religious people, but the ordinary people rejoice and praise God for what they see. But here it’s different. This time the crowd objects, maybe not everyone, but there are mutterings of complaint from those who don’t welcome Jesus’ message of inclusion for a new member of the family. This dissatisfaction with Jesus and his message, foreshadows what will happen at the end of his life as he tries to include the marginalised, and the grumbling voices change to murderous calls for crucifixion.
But back to Zacchaeus: he’s not just a bit unpopular, as a tax collector he is regarded as the lowest of the low, for he has turned on his own people to collaborate with the occupying forces. As such, he has quite possibly become the target of all the anger in the community. Everything people are worked up about is taken out on Zacchaeus, almost as if he was removed from their community all would be well. Religious communities are particularly good at this, often seeing the ‘sinner’ as the one who makes God angry and hold back blessing from whole community. This might sound far-fetched, but just ask members of the LGBTIQ community what it’s like, and it won’t take long to find someone who’s been treated this way in a worshipping community.
No-one was going to let Zacchaeus through to see, and he might not have wanted to be in the crowd anyway as it might not have been a safe space for him, so he climbs a tree to get a good vantage point. Jesus calls him down, treats him a little like a long lost brother, and the complaining starts. The crowd have labelled Zacchaeus as a sinner, and Jesus basically says “he’s one of us”, welcoming him to the family. It is as if the crowd are threatened for it will cost something for them to name this outcast as one of their own.
As Jesus breaks the consensus of anti-Zacchaeus sentiment, he then becomes the target of their discontent. The crowd has a common purpose in their shared feelings towards Zacchaeus, it is part of the glue that holds them together, and Jesus challenges that. Even today there are laws against offering comfort and support to enemies of the society, and our anger can easily turn towards those who support them. Jesus breaks rank and reaches out a hand of friendship even though it will cost him personally.
The community has decided who should be kept out, and Jesus actions call the community to conversion. The text doesn’t tell us what the grumblers will decide, but this is a call to the community to convert, to change their ways, to open their doors and let others in. Zacchaeus, on the other hand, receives restoration as he is named as one of the community. This is his salvation. It is not his promise to continue the actions of giving to the poor that brings him salvation, it is Jesus’ stating ‘he too is a son of Abraham’.
As the prophet Habakkuk dialogues with God, trying to understand the injustice he sees and why the institutions of justice aren’t working, he remains on watch for God for the message to come. ‘Write the vision, make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it.’ The vision of God’s justice should be visible to those who are moving past, even at pace. I wonder if people can catch the vision we have even when they pass by. This is what Jesus does as he passes through Jerico on his way to Jerusalem, shares God’s vision of justice and inclusion in a powerful way with the community, even though it is going to cost him.
Just like Zacchaeus, Jesus saves us from the hatred and hostility of the world by taking that hatred and hostility on himself. Jesus sets us free to begin our lives over again, by breaking free of death’s stronghold and showing us that there is a way to live and form strong healthy communities which don’t need to keep people out.
Passing through … Jesus made a difference.
Passing through … Jesus stopped long enough to change a life.
Passing through … Jesus looked up, saw Zacchaeus, engaged him, broke bread with him,
showed him his place in the kingdom of God.
Passing through … Jesus upset others, challenging their sense of entitlement,
thwarting their notion of justice, upending their picture of decency.
Passing through … Jesus brought into focus the marginalised, the overlooked, the rejected.
Passing through … Jesus uncovered the hidden, called forth truth, pronounced forgiveness,
proclaimed salvation, brought reconciliation, restored community.
All while passing through…
What might we be called to as we pass through?
Amen.
We Sing: “God of freedom, God of justice” – (TiS 657)
God of freedom, God of justice, God whose love is strong as death,
God who saw the dark of prison, God who knew the price of faith:
touch our world of sad oppression with your Spirit’s healing breath.
Rid the earth of torture’s terror, God whose hands were nailed to wood;
hear the cries of pain and protest, God who shed the tears and blood;
move in us the power of pity, restless for the common good.
Make in us a captive conscience quick to hear, to act, to plead;
make us truly sisters, brothers of whatever race or creed:
teach us to be fully human, open to each other’s need.
Prayer for Others (prepared by Ray Michelle):
Loving God,
Though we take time to pray,
you already know our thoughts before we speak,
and you treasure every heart that turns
toward another in loving care.
So, hear our prayers for your world today.
Today, on All Souls’ Day,
we remember the souls of those who have gone before us,
those with whom we have shared our lives,
those who have guided us,
those who have loved us unconditionally,
and those who have scattered seeds of kindness,
even when we may not have deserved it.
Today, as we celebrate the communion,
we remember the souls with whom we have shared our faith,
those with whom we have taken communion with
in this building and in other places,
sometimes strangers in name but not in faith.
We remember those whose lives we have celebrated here,
and those remembered celebrated in other sacred spaces.
We think of those who lead nations,
decision-makers balancing power and peace.
Guide them with your wisdom, Lord,
and cultivate in them a spirit of justice.
We remember those in these positions who have gone before us
in the pursuit of peace.
We think of families with too little food, struggling to get by,
their hopes worn thin, and their despair deep.
We think of those facing war, whose dreams are shattered by sirens.
Bring them peace beyond politics, Lord, and remember the souls lost to war.
We think of those who are lonely,
the elderly neighbour, the bullied teen, the grieving relative.
And we think of our communities,
of all the places where kindness might grow anew.
Living God, when we have no words of our own,
when we don’t know what else to ask for,
remind us that you already know what is needed.
And may we strive always to be the best soul we can be.
Amen.
We Sing: “Feed us now” – (TiS 538)
Feed us now, bread of life, in this holy meal;
let us know your love anew: we hunger for you.
Feed us now, bread of life, come and live within;
let your peace be ours today, Lord Jesus, we pray.
Piece of bread, cup of wine: Lord, this food is good:
love and mercy come to us your promise we trust.
Piece of bread, cup of wine: who can understand
how your mercy works in these? Yet, Lord, we believe.
God is here, O so near, nearer than our thoughts.
Stay with us where’er we go; Lord, help us to grow.
God is here, O so near, in this heaven’s meal.
May we always feed on you – on the bread that is true.
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.
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,
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 justice roll down like waters on all of creation,
and goodness like an ever-flowing stream.
As we celebrate this meal together,
may your Spirit come upon those gathered here and in their homes.
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.
Prayer:
God of love, we give you thanks for satisfying us with this meal.
Send us from here to reveal your love in the world,
and to be agents of justice and righteousness.
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: “Sent forth by God’s blessing” – (TiS 531)
Sent forth by God’s blessing, our true faith confessing,
the people of God for this table take leave.
The supper is ended: may now be extended
the fruits of his service in all who believe.
The seed of his teaching, our hungry souls reaching,
shall blossom in action for all humankind.
God’s grace shall incite us, God’s love shall unite us
to work for the kingdom, God’s purpose to find.
With praise and thanksgiving to God ever-living
the tasks of our everyday life we will face,
our faith ever sharing, in love ever caring,
embracing as neighbours all those of each race.
One feast that has fed us, one light that has led us,
uniting us as one in the life that we share.
Then may all the living, with praise and thanksgiving,
give honour to Christ and his name that we bear.
Blessing and Sending:
As we go from this time together,
may we imitate Christ
with all our heart, soul and mind.
May we open our doors and our tables
to all who need or want to encounter Jesus.
May we open our hearts
to those excluded or shunned by others.
May we show the grace and love of God
this day and always.
And may the blessing of the Three in One, One in Three,
be with all people, this day and 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: The Fig Tree Worship, Billabong Worship Resources, www.laughingbird.net and UCA Assembly Resources.
For all the Saints updated words © Marnie Barrell, 1992.