Koonung Heights Uniting Church
Service of Worship at Home
Pentecost 22 – 29 October 2023 – 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: “By the waters” (TiS 708 –words below)
By the waters, the waters of Babylon,
we sat down and wept, and wept for Zion.
We remember, we remember, we remember Zion.
Candle Lighting:
As we come to worship this day,
we light the Christ candle,
reminding us of the light of Christ
which shines and lights the path we are to follow.
May the light of Christ continue to shine before us
and all people seeking safety on the journey.
May the light of Christ continue to shine within us,
so that we can share Christ’s light
and Christ’s welcome with others.
Acknowledgement of Country:
As we gather, I would like to acknowledge the
Wurundjeri WoiWurrung People of the Kulin nations,
traditional custodians of this land.
I pay my respects to elders past and present,
and to all future generations.
As First and Second Peoples walking together,
may we commit ourselves to be people of the covenant;
listening, truth telling and seeking justice for all.
Recognition of Refugees:
Ours is the age of the refugee,
the displaced person and mass immigration.
For decades, Australia has been a place
of refuge and welcome
for many who have fled the unbearable realities
of wars and deprivations around the world.
Yet our policies in regards to treatment of refugees
have often been cruel,
with ongoing uncertainty for many.
There are too many lives left in limbo,
too many living with poverty and deprivation.
We acknowledge that we often receive the benefits of citizenship,
without stopping to consider those who don’t receive all this.
Let us remain committed to realise a fair and just Australia,
where as a nation we extend, and are able to receive,
gifts of generosity, understanding, compassion, hospitality and respect.
Call to Worship:
We come, God of the journey,
as people from different places, histories and cultures.
We come hoping to find companionship for the journey,
solidarity for the struggle.
We gather, God of hospitality,
around your ‘welcome table’.
We gather seeking to become ‘round-table people’,
welcoming of all, with no preferred seating,
no firsts and no lasts, and no corners for the ‘least of these’.
We yearn, God of diversity,
for a new way of living and relating as neighbours not strangers,
as brothers and sisters, not ‘them’ and ‘us’.
We yearn to live fully
celebrating both the diversity of our human family,
and the unity of our call to peace, love and justice.
Amen.
We Sing: “Praise to our God” – (TiS 111 – amended words below)
Praise to our God, the Almighty, the King of creation;
O my soul, praising, for God is my health and salvation.
Come all who hear, brothers and sisters draw near,
praising with glad adoration.
Praise to our God who in all things is wondrously reigning
and, as on wings of an eagle, uplifting, sustaining:
have you not seen all that is needed has been
sent by God’s gracious ordaining.
Praise to our God! O let all that is in me adore him!
All that has life and breath, come now with praise and rejoicing.
Let the Amen, sound from God’s people again:
gladly for ever adoring.
Prayer of Adoration and Confession:
Amazing God,
we praise you for all that you are:
Creator, Son & Spirit,
words we use to describe who you are,
but that do not fully reflect your being.
Yet despite your greatness,
you call us beloved,
and pledge yourself to us.
God of all creation,
we offer thanks for the fruitfulness of all we see around us:
for the sweet fragrance of blossom,
for the budding of apricots and olives
and the tender shoots of new tomatoes.
We thank you for this season of growth
and the promises you offer through the cycle of the seasons.
Truth-telling and truth-giving God,
we confess that very often we hide from truth.
You call us to stand straight and tall in the sunlight,
when we would prefer to crouch and stumble in the dark.
You call us to open our eyes wide
and to see your world as it truly is,
in all its complexity and confusion,
all its shades of good and bad,
when we, all too often,
prefer black and white categories and simple explanations.
We confess that we often know you are calling us
in the big and small moments of our day
and yet we live as if this were not true,
as if you were not offering us abundant life in every moment.
Forgive us God for preferring a quiet life to a full life,
a half-truth to the full truth of your love for us and all creation.
Amen.
Words of Assurance:
Sisters and brother, friends of God.
Do not despair, you are precious to God.
God never tires of calling and inviting you into the full life God has in store for us all.
Rejoice! You are called!
Rejoice! You are loved!
The Peace:
May the peace of God dwell with you
… and also with you.
A Time for All:
I wonder if you know someone who has had to flee their country of birth because it wasn’t safe to stay there? We see these people on our television screens and hear what is said about them, but have you ever had the privilege of meeting one and hearing their story? When Elizabeth was in Prep a new boy joined her class and she was asked to help look after him. He and his parents had fled from Iran due to religious persecution. They practised the Baha’i faith. It had taken them a very long time to get to Australia. When I got to know the family, I heard the story of a dangerous and arduous journey so their child could have a better life and get an education. We often think that refugees are not like us … but this family was a lot like mine.
Let’s hear another refugee story. I invite you to click on the link below and listen:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEEq5VTfmic
We know the Christmas story – the star, shepherds, manger and wise men. But there is one chapter in the story of Jesus’ birth that is often neglected, possibly because of its horrific nature.
After the Magi from the East visited Mary and Joseph, King Herod requested they disclose where young Jesus resided. But being warned in a dream, the wise men departed a different way without telling the king of Jesus’ whereabouts. Enraged and threatened by a new potential ruler, Herod orders that all male children, two years old or younger, be killed.
As Herod’s henchmen bear down on Bethlehem, Joseph and Mary fled with their young child to Egypt. Imagine the circumstances. Two young parents grab their toddler and whatever they can carry on their backs and flee the country. There was no safety for them in their homeland, so the only option was to seek foreign soil.
We don’t know much about their time in Egypt, but one can only imagine that they probably ran from their home and tried to stay hidden as long as possible. Being young, poor, and Jewish, it’s unlikely Mary or Joseph spoke Egyptian. It’s possible the young family sought shelter and help from other Jewish communities scattered throughout Egypt. They might have even found and stayed in one of the synagogues that we know were in Egypt at the time.
After King Herod’s death, Joseph and Mary returned to Israel. But the impact of being displaced always stuck with Jesus. We can see it in his compassion toward others who were labelled outsiders — the Samaritans, the lepers, the tax collectors, and those named as sinners.
Let us pray:
Jesus, you are our friend and brother.
You know how it feels to leave your home,
to carry nothing with you and travel as a stranger.
Help all refugees far from home,
driven out by war and hunger.
Travel with them and lead them safely
for they are our brothers and sisters.
Inspire us to show our love and a true welcome.
Amen.
We Sing: “Child in the Manger” – (TiS 319 – words below)
Child in the manger, infant of Mary; outcast and stranger, Lord of all!
Child who inherits all our transgressions, all our demerits on him fall.
Once the most holy child of salvation gentle and lowly lived below;
now, as our glorious mighty Redeemer, see him victorious over each foe.
Prophets foretold him, infant of wonder; angels behold him on his throne;
worthy our Saviour of all their praises; happy for ever are his own.
Bible Reading: Zechariah 7:8-10
– Punishment for Rejecting God’s Demands
8 The word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying: 9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; 10 do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.
Bible Reading: Matthew 25:31-36
– The Judgement of the Nations
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,
33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’
Bible Reading: Hebrews 13:1-2
– Service Well-Pleasing to God
1 Let mutual affection continue. 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.
Reflection:
Our nation is one with a history of immigration. Apart from our First Nations People, those who live in Australia have links to almost every other country and culture. We are an immigrant people: we, or our ancestors, have come to this land from somewhere else. Some arrived as convicts, others as ten-pound poms, some came to search for gold, and yet others have come as refugees or seeking asylum. People have come, and continue to come, for many reasons and by many different means, and we have a responsibility to welcome them and generously live lives of justice with one another. Of course conversations around new arrivals can open a can of worms which includes things like border protection, refugees, asylum seekers, business migration, social inclusion and cohesion, multiculturalism, racism, xenophobia, and debates on population and resources. But if Jesus was here this morning, what might he say? I think Jesus would ignore the political rhetoric and be concerned with how we are loving one another, showing hospitality and living in community.
According to the latest data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, there are 103 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. Of these, approximately 32.5 million are refugees and 4.9 million are asylum seekers. There are many others who are internally displaced or in need of international protection. These numbers seem hard to get your head around. We are, in fact, witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record. The scale and global impact of this crisis cannot be ignored and it is important that we consider our response on both a personal and global level.
When we are faced with a crisis of such enormity, it can be difficult to think we have any power to change things for the better, yet we can all make a difference. When we do something that impacts one person, what might seem like a small act of kindness to us, can end up being huge for the recipient.
The short passages that we have read this morning remind us not only how we are called to live, but also envisage the blessings that come when we show love, welcome and hospitality. Zechariah shares the message he receives from the Lord – a message which clearly states that people are to judge truly and show kindness and mercy. The widow, orphan, alien (displaced person) and poor are all specifically mentioned suggesting that these are the ones who we need to look out for, as their need is great. This is not an option as part of our faith, but a requirement that God demands.
In the passage from Matthew 25, Jesus is telling a parable about judgement day. This story is sometimes called the parable of the sheep and the goats. As Jesus speaks, he says that all the nations and peoples of the earth are assembled before the king. To those who have clothed others who were naked, fed those who were hungry, welcomed those who were strangers, visited those in prison or in hospital or alone, he says, enter into the joys of the kingdom. The righteous ones who are welcomed into heaven respond in the parable by saying, well, wait a minute, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or naked and clothe you, or alone and visit you? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you? And Jesus says, when you did it to the least of these, you have done it for me. When we care for one another, respond to one another’s needs or do what is just and kind and merciful and loving, we have done it for God.
This passage challenges each one of us to be bearers of God’s love, welcome and hospitality, yet it is the nations who are also being held to account. I wonder how we stack up as a nation. We like to think we are a nation of humanitarians, yet our policies allow people to languish in off-shore detention. We keep people in limbo for years as they wait for applications to be processed, and then we release them into the community with none of the supports that those of us who are born here take for granted. I wonder on what side of the dividing line our nation would fall?
The verses from Hebrews again remind us of the importance of showing hospitality to the stranger, yet with this comes the possibility that we might entertain angels without even knowing it.
This is depicted beautifully in Angels Unawares, a sculpture by Canadian artist Timothy Schmaltz. The life-size bronze and clay sculpture commemorates migrants and refugees. It is life-size and depicts a group of migrants and refugees from different cultural and racial backgrounds and from diverse historic periods in time. The figures stand together, shoulder to shoulder, huddled on a raft. Within this diverse crowd of people, angel wings emerge from the centre, suggesting the presence of something sacred among them. The work interprets the belief that the sacred is to be found in the stranger, in this case, in refugees and migrants.
There is much that we can do to show welcome and hospitality to those who are displaced. We are invited to do this as part of our commitment to Jesus, the God-one, who along with Mary and Joseph, was once a refugee. Just as people helped Jesus’ family to flee persecution and find safety, we know that when we do things for others, we are doing them for the God-one.
Amen.
Climate Change Refugees:
In more recent times we have seen a rise in the number of Climate Change Refugees. So what can we do in this space? Can we help prevent people becoming climate change refugees?
Climate Change is producing Climate Refugees as people leave the land that has been their home. Sometimes this is because Climate Change has so severely reduced its capacity to grow crops or support livestock, that it is impossible to maintain a livelihood. Sometimes it is because increasingly frequent, extreme weather events have made the area they called home unliveable.
In response to these situations, work is being undertaken in some parts of the world to try to avoid people becoming Climate Refugees. Here are three stories of projects being run by Act for Peace and their partner organizations.
Vanuatu: The Vanuatu Christian Council are helping communities prepare for natural disasters, which are becoming more frequent and more severe as a result of Climate Change. In March this year, Vanuatu was hit by the rare event of twin cyclones, which caused widespread destruction and a state of emergency. 80% of Vanuatu’s population was affected, with their homes destroyed or flooded, and the gardens where they grow their crops destroyed also. Thousands of families were in urgent need of electricity, shelter, food and clean water. The Vanuatu Christian Council were ready to respond, setting up evacuation centres and distributing food, shelter kits, hygiene kits and jerry cans.
They also carried out community assessments to determine how many people would need equipment and training to repair their homes and plant climate-resistant crops to future-proof their livelihoods.
In response to Climate Change, Vanuatu Christian Council has helped communities to prepare for disasters, by providing evacuation training, establishing disaster response plans and setting up disaster response committees.
Zimbabwe: In Zimbabwe, Christian Care is training communities in climate resistant agriculture, to reduce the chance of climate-induced displacement. Without this work, more and more people would be forced to flee their homes, as the drought-ravaged land cannot support farming and livestock.
Particular attention is given to accommodating the needs of families who include a person with a disability.
Indonesia: Indonesia is one of the most disaster-prone countries on Earth, and this is becoming more pronounced as a result of Climate Change.
As well as an increase in natural disasters, Climate Change is making farming more difficult in Indonesia. Changes in the amount and predictably of rainfall make it harder to grow food, while the unpredictable and extreme weather events, like flash flooding, can decimate crops and destroy businesses. This leads to displacement of people whose land has become unusable.
Church World Service are educating communities about resilient farming practices, and empowering women to set up future-proof businesses.
They also help communities to design disaster preparedness and emergency response plans, with a focus on disability inclusion, to ensure that no one is left behind when disasters strike.
We can be part of this work by donating to Act for Peace. You can make a donation into the Christmas Bowl at the back of the church or you can donate online. We can assist people who already are refugees and asylum seekers by putting money in the Asylum Seekers tin, which goes to Uniting’s Asylum Seeker Welcome Centre here in Melbourne.
We Sing: “Beauty for brokenness” – (TiS 657 – words below)
Beauty for brokenness, hope for despair,
Lord, in the suffering, this is our prayer.
Bread for the children, justice, joy, peace,
sunrise to sunset your kingdom increase.
Shelter for fragile lives, cures for their ills,
work for the craftsmen, trade for their skills;
land for the dispossessed; rights for the weak;
voices to plead the cause of those who can’t speak.
God of the poor, friend of the weak, give us compassion we pray;
melt our cold hearts, let tears fall like rain.
Come change our love from a spark to a flame.
Refuge from cruel wars, havens from fear,
cities for sanctuary, freedoms to share,
peace to the killing-fields, scored earth to green;
Christ for the bitterness, his cross for the pain.
Rest for the ravaged earth, oceans and streams,
plundered and poisoned, our future, our dreams.
Lord, end our madness, carelessness, greed,
make us content with the things that we need.
God of the poor …
Lighten our darkness, breathe on this flame
until your justice burns brightly again;
until the nations learn of your ways,
seek your salvation and bring you their praise.
God of the poor …
Prayer for Others (prepared by Harriet Ziegler):
When I say God, hear our prayer,
please respond, if you wish, with And move us to action.
Loving God, Creator of all people and sustainer of all nations
We come before you this morning grateful that we can gather with our friends in this peaceful place, in the certain belief that you hear our prayers. As we gather, our hearts are heavy and our prayers are many, for the world is full of pain.
God of all peoples, we pray for this world of sorrows. War and violence, climate change and dispossession are everywhere we look, causing people to flee their homes. We hold before you today the people of the Middle East, and especially the people of Israel and Gaza. The suffering there is intense and millions may well become homeless.
We think of the refugees from war and famine in Africa, making the perilous sea crossing to Europe; of the refugees escaping drug violence in South America, trekking through inhospitable terrain to the United States. We think of climate refugees, many our near neighbours, displaced and hoping to find new homes within their own nations.
God of all peoples, hear our prayer … and move us to action.
God of all nations, we pray for our own nation, and for all the peoples who make their home here, those of us who have come in the last 235 years and those who have been here more than 60,000 years. May we find ways to live together that honour all people. We pray that leaders at every level of government may seek justice and reconciliation, and may be truthful in their communications.
Within our beloved Australia are people seeking asylum, people who are refugees, people who are homeless here, in their own country, and people whose housing is insecure. We know that everyone needs a home and lift before you all who long for home.
God of all nations, hear our prayer … and move us to action.
God of love, we pray for the Uniting Church and for this congregation, which we love. We give thanks for our minister, Rev. Heather, and for all who lead and worship here. We pray that we may be light and salt for the world, pointing toward justice, without which there can be no peace.
God of love, hear our prayer … and move us to action.
We pray finally for ourselves and for those we love, and those we know who need to feel your loving care. In these few moments of silence, we bring them before you in our hearts.
(a time of silence)
We gather all these prayers before you now in a prayer by Margaret Rolfe, modelled on the prayer Jesus taught his disciples.
Loving God, within and around us, we revere you.
We seek to live life as you would want us to do,
With love and respect for all people and all things in the universe.
May we find each day sufficient for our needs,
and find forgiveness when we do wrong, just as we forgive those who do wrong to us.
In times of trouble, may we centre our lives in you,
For your being is love, which comes with strength and beauty throughout eternity.
Amen.
We Sing: “Lord let me see” – (TiS 681 –words below)
Lord let me see, see more and more,
see the beauty of a person, not the colour of the skin,
see the faces of the homeless with no-one to take them in,
see discouragement because she’ll never win:
see the face of our Lord in the pain: Lord let me see.
Lord let me hear, hear more and more,
hear the sounds of great rejoicing, hear a person barely sigh;
hear the ring of truth, and hollowness of those who live a lie;
hear the wail of starving people who will die;
hear the voice of the Lord in the cry: Lord let me hear.
Lord let me care, care more and more,
care for those who feel the loneliness, for those who have no say,
care for friends who have no job and find it hard to face the day,
care for those with whom we sing and work and pray:
and in care Jesus Christ will be found: Lord let me care.
Lord let me learn, learn more and more,
learn that what I know is just a speck of what there is to know;
learn from listening to my neighbour when I’d rather speak and go;
learn that as we live in faith and trust we grow;
learn to see, hear and care, with our Lord: Lord let me learn.
Lord let me love, love more and more,
love the loveless and the fragile, help them be what they can be,
love the way that I would like them to be looking after me;
for to know you is to love them and be free,
and in love Jesus Christ will be found: Lord let me love.
Blessing:
God bless our eyes,
that we may recognise injustice.
God bless our ears,
that we may hear the cry of the stranger.
God bless our mouths,
that we may speak words of welcome to newcomers.
God bless our shoulders,
that we may bear the weight of struggling for justice.
God bless our hands,
that we may work together with all people to establish peace.
God bless our hearts,
that we may be transformed into witnesses of truth, justice and love.
And may the blessing of God the Father,
God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
the One who Mothers us all,
be with you now 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:- www.pilgrim.org.au, www.ADRA.org, Act for Peace and Fig Tree Worship.