Koonung Heights Uniting Church
Service of Worship at Home
Pentecost 23 – Commitment Sunday – 16 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.
Introit: “Halle, halle, hallelujah!” – (TiS 720)
Halle, halle, hallelujah! Halle, halle, hallelulah!
Halle, halle, hallelujah! Hallelujah, hallelujah!
Lighting the Christ Candle:
You assure us, Jesus,
that wherever two or three are gathered in your name,
you are there.
We light this candle to remind ourselves of that promise
and to celebrate your constant presence.
May we always seek your guiding light in our lives.
Acknowledgement of Country:
We come in peace to this place:
created in God and cared for by the Wurundjeri WoiWurrung
Peoples of the Kulin nation through many generations.
I come with respect for the elders: past and present,
affirming sovereignty that has never been lost.
Following Christ, we commit to walking together
as First and Second People,
seeking community, compassion and justice for all creation.
Call to Worship:
Come to worship;
like Abraham, Sarah and Hannah,
people of tested faith.
Come like Job, Thomas,
and the Samaritan woman,
people wrestling with questions.
Come like Moses, Jeremiah and Mary,
people honest about their self-doubt.
Come like Peter, Mary Magdalene and Paul,
people with deep regrets.
Come, like Ruth, Simeon, Mark and Priscilla,
people of courage,
ready to take a role by faith.
We come in openness, to play our part,
and to worship you with joy.
Opening Prayer:
Gracious God,
you provide the foundations and the spring of all life.
You confront us with the openness of your grace
and take our breath away with the generosity of your love.
You warmly invite us to join you,
included as part of your family, held close and loved dearly.
So we ask, bless this time of worship and us in it.
Enrich us by the mystery of your Spirit,
so we might be generous too, with all you have given us; through Christ.
Amen.
We Sing: “Love Divine” – (TiS 217i)
Love divine, all loves excelling, joy of heaven, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling, all thy faithful mercies crown:
Jesus, thou art all compassion, pure unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation, enter every trembling heart.
Come, almighty to deliver, let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return, and never, never more thy temples leave:
thee we would be always blessing, serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee, without ceasing, glory in thy perfect love.
Finish then thy new creation, pure and spotless let us be,
let us see thy great salvation, perfectly restored in thee:
changed from glory into glory, till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love and praise.
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Confession:
Gracious God,
you are generous and wise beyond our grasp.
We thank you for our inheritance in faith;
and for the guidance, teaching and examples your provide.
In the brightness of your love we bask,
but are also aware of our shadows.
In our understanding and practice there are gaping holes,
we have space for growth, often with good intentions,
but also we can be scared to change.
Help us to prepare for your newness, to look at the signs around us,
and know what they mean for our way ahead with you.
There are many things that divert us, God;
and we often follow lines of least resistance
rather than your good news.
We take the easy path,
not wanting to stray from what is comfortable.
In the wrong we have done,
and in the good we have not done,
knowingly or unknowingly, forgive us.
Give us a vibrancy of spirit that always looks for your way
and gets over the obstacles of our habits.
For the wrong that we have done, and in the good we have not done,
whether intentionally or unknowingly, we are sorry,
and we ask you to forgiveness.
Compassionate God, wherever we are,
help us to see the needs clearly, embrace healthy change gladly,
and with support, to rebuilt, renew and reform.
Give our faith solid structure,
understanding to support us and a framework to hold us.
Reinforce our faith by your Spirit, and give it the shape to fit this time.
In Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen.
Words of Assurance:
Friends, hear the good news of grace:
In Christ, we are forgiven.
Thanks be to God!
The Peace:
May the Peace of God dwell with you:
and also with you.
Time for All: A New Thing
Koonung Heights
Once upon a time, a bit more than 70 years ago, a group of Christians decided God wanted them to do a new thing. They were from the Canterbury Circuit of the Methodist church – six churches, Canterbury, Surrey Hills, Benson St, Hotham St, Highfield Rd and Coolangatta Rd.
There was still vacant land in Belmore Rd and the churches in the circuit donated money, the land was purchased for £865.7.3 and Koonung Heights Methodist church was born. The first building erected was a small, pale green portable church leased from the Home Mission department at a rent of £28 per year.
The numbers grew – after 3 months the membership was 37 and there were 61 children enrolled in the Sunday School.
Soon another new thing was planned – a permanent church building. Over the first ten years membership grew to 180. The Sunday School roll totalled 465 students.
God’s prompting led to another new thing in the late 60s when the Presbyterian church in Rostrevor Pde voted to join Koonung Heights Methodist, which became Koonung Heights United Community Church in 1970.
New ways of following Christ kept coming. 1977 was the inauguration of the Uniting Church in Australia. Koonung Heights, Benson St and St Columba’s became a Parish, with a common Church Council and a common purse. The Balwyn Heights Parish Players and the monthly publication Parish Life, helped to cement the relationships formed.
Growing and changing, old things becoming new things – people involved in projects like the Monthly Mart, the Easter Dawn service, the annual Quiet Day, building the pipe organ, the Balwyn Heights Parish Players, the choir and music groups, the 21 plus group, the Fossickers group, and many others.
New things were afoot at St Columba’s and Benson St too. Sometimes new things can be painful. The congregation at Benson St had some difficult choices. Moving to St Columba’s led one small group to take on worship preparation for an alternative service, a new and growing thing for them.
Members of that same small group brought a new thing to Koonung Heights in 2014, when St Columba’s closed – a new choir and music group after several years without one.
New things from old – new things building on the old.
A Hotham Street Perspective
The first Methodist Church building in Mont Albert was a modest wooden structure in Hotham St., built in 1918. Ministry was shared with the Surrey Hills Methodist Church.
Over the years, the congregation grew steadily, thanks to the hard work, enthusiasm and vision of its members, plus a boost from the post war baby boom and the church- going habits of the parents of those babies! Hotham St. was a hive of activity, all designed to support and inspire the spiritual and community life of its members, eventually leading to a flourishing Sunday School and Youth Group and an overflowing Church.
The overcrowding problem was addressed with the opening of new Church and Hall buildings in the mid 1950s.
Then it was time for another new venture– seeking to have a minister “of our own”! That finally happened with the arrival of the Rev Elzo Vandermark, who with his wife Jo, were the first inhabitants of the newly built Manse at 4 Malvern Rd in Mont Albert.
During this flourishing period, as Rose has mentioned, the Hotham St Church was also involved with the other Methodist Churches of the Canterbury Circuit, in supporting the start of the Koonung Heights Methodist Church. Support was given organisationally and financially and by several families who moved their place of worship from Hotham St to Koonung Heights – a trend that the whole congregation was to follow 45 years later!
After the Uniting Church was formed, the Mont Albert Congregation became part of the group of Uniting Churches in the Box Hill Area which included St Andrews, Wesley and Woodhouse Grove. For some years before and after Union, Mont Albert and Woodhouse Grove shared their Minister.
A good deal of time within that Box Hill group was spent exploring possibilities of how to do church together differently. Some interesting initiatives got off the ground, but other grand plans dwindled and eventually Mont Albert operated as a single church Parish.
In 1997, after much soul – searching it was decided that the Mont Albert congregation was not viable into the future and that we should amalgamate with another congregation – our choice was Koonung Heights, which at that time, along with St Columba’s, was part of the Parish of Balwyn Heights.
We received a very positive response and made the move in early 1998. As would be expected it was a very difficult time of change for some people. But we were so well welcomed and integrated into Koonung Heights, that after about 12months I don’t think anyone would have said that it was not a good move! We all gradually blended in together, creating something new!
A couple of things have particularly struck me in writing these notes:
- The connected histories of the various Congregations that have joined over the years to worship on this site.
- The constant moving on to find new ways or better ways of doing things – change has been a constant!
Surrey Hills Uniting Church
SHUC – 140 year history
1885 – land purchased Alexander Ave near Station;
1887 – first service of the SH Wesleyan Church.
You can imagine over 140 years – many prominent individuals and families.
Mention just one: Robert Beckett joined SH Church in 1887. Donated the land for the relocation to Canterbury Rd in 1908 (photo of draught horses). Also donated land for other Methodist churches in the area; one of 13 children all of whom made major contributions to the church and local community over many decades.
Member of Victorian Parliament; Camberwell Councillor; also donated land for Beckett Park (our connection) Responsible for establishing Wattle Park.
Through all of this – SS Superintendent/Secretary/Treasurer – list goes on.
Few other key dates:
1908 Canterbury Church opened
1924 Pipe organ
1946 Large service welcoming home troops from WWII – David window
1983 Renewed church buildings after amalgamation with Wyclif Congregational Church (windows in KH foyer).
Over 140 years: countless events and stories – tennis, cricket and football teams; church camps; so many organizations under the umbrella of the church; So many individuals who have been great witnesses to their faith.
One other significant event – our arrival at KHUC.
Long planned exciting new venture with KW College never been attempted in the Uniting Church before – nine years – shattered!
How blessed we have been with KHUC partnership – so welcoming, so inclusive, so pastoral.
We see this as a unique opportunity to continue as a new faith community embedded in a changing world.
“Now we are all part of a new thing God is doing in this place.”
We Sing: ”This is a day of new beginnings” – (TiS 653)
This is a day of new beginnings, time to remember and move on,
time to believe what love is bringing, laying to rest the pain that’s gone.
For by the life and death of Jesus, God’s mighty Spirit, now as then,
can make for us a world of difference as faith and hope are born again.
Then let us, with the Spirit’s daring, step from the past, and leave behind
our disappointment, guilt and grieving, seeking new paths, and sure to find.
Christ is alive and goes before us to show and share what love can do.
This is a day of new beginnings; our God is making all things new.
Bible Reading: Isaiah 65:17-25
– The Glorious New Creation
17 For I am about to create new heavens
and a new earth;
the former things shall not be remembered
or come to mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating,
for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy
and its people as a delight.
19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem and delight in my people;
no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it
or the cry of distress.
20 No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days
or an old person who does not live out a lifetime,
for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth,
and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed.
21 They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat,
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
23 They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity,
for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord – and their descendants as well.
24 Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together;
the lion shall eat straw like the ox, but the serpent – its food shall be dust!
They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord.
Bible Reading: Luke 21:5-19
– The Destruction of the Temple Foretold
5 When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, 6 “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”
Signs and Persecutions
7 They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” 8 And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray, for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them.
9 “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified, for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” 10 Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; 11 there will be great earthquakes and in various places famines and plagues, and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.
12 “But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. 13 This will give you an opportunity to testify. 14 So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance, 15 for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents and siblings, by relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 You will be hated by all because of my name. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your souls.
Reflection:
Help me finish this sentence … If at first you don’t succeed … That’s right … try and try again. Somewhere deep in my memory I am learning to play guitar, to knit, to type, to do many things and this is what I hear. If at first you don’t succeed, then try and try again. It’s a word of encouragement to persevere even though things are difficult.
Being a disciple of Jesus can be difficult and requires perseverance. The reading from the gospel of Luke was written after the fall of Jerusalem, the destruction of the second temple, and within the context of conflict. In this reality, and knowing the journey that lies ahead, Jesus prepares the disciples, encouraging them to be discerning, have courage and persevere. The road of discipleship will not be easy for them, and neither is it easy for us.
Be discerning: ‘beware that you are not led astray.’ Sometimes it’s hard to find the quiet word of truth amongst the many voices shouting to be heard and be believed, not just in the village square these days, but everywhere. It is easy to put your trust in the wrong thing but institutions, just like temples, are prone to fail. We are called to put our trust in God. What voices are you listening to? Which voices have helped you grow and discern God’s calling? Are there new voices that you need to consider and learn from?
Have courage: ‘do not be terrified.’ In the context of the disciples, and in our own context, it can be hard not to be terrified. It is easy to be scared when nations rise against nations, and where kingdom building at the expense of the poor and marginal, seems to be the theme of the day. Yet Jesus calls us to have courage – something that is easy to say and harder to do. Yet as Christians, we are called to do just that. Fear is immobilising, but courage allows us to act and to testify. We are called to testify to the power of loving-kindness in action and words. Jesus tells the disciples he will give him words and wisdom, even when they are facing harsh opposition. Do we have that sort of courage?
Persevere: ‘by your endurance you will gain your souls.’ Rather than a posture of panic when things become overwhelming, Jesus reminds the disciples to trust in God in the face of all that is going on. This is persisting for the right thing, not following that which might seem easy at the outset, but in the end causes harm to ourselves or others. We persevere because we have a goal, and for the disciples it was to ‘gain your souls’. What might that mean for us?
Of course we live in different times to the disciples, and the struggles we endure for the sake of our faith are different now depending on who we are and where we live. What is the goal of our perseverance in the faith? Maybe it’s living a life of love, inclusion, acceptance, hospitality and humility – a life that invites others to share in God’s abundance.
Earlier in the service today Rose, Margaret and Bryan have reflected on who we have been and who we are becoming as we step into the new thing that God is doing in this place. The prophet Isaiah, speaking to those who have returned from exile, reminds them of God’s promise of a renewal of things as they are intended to be. While Isaiah doesn’t discount the past, he reminds the people that the past does not determine the future. God’s future which overcomes injustice and oppression is something the people are invited to live into now. That invitation is also for us.
On this Commitment Sunday, we bring our paper forms as a visible sign of our commitment to sharing our gifts and graces in the new Koonung Heights Congregation. While these forms help us fill rosters, they represent so much more. Every gift that is offered within this community is a gift to God, and a gift which blesses us all. Every gift that is shared helps this community fulfil our calling as part of the church of Christ within this community. Each gift helps us live into the new thing that God is doing in this place … and this is part of living out our discipleship.
As we continue to grow as a congregation, may we be discerning and courageous, and may we persevere in our endeavours to reach into the community beyond our doors with the hands and feet of Jesus.
Amen.
We Sing: “O Jesus, I have promised” – (TiS 595)
O Jesus, I have promised to serve you to the end;
Lord, be for ever near me, my master and my friend:
I shall not fear the battle if you are by my side,
nor wander from the pathway if you will be my guide.
Still let me feel you near me: the world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle, and tempting sounds I hear;
my foes are ever near me, around me and within;
but, Jesus, draw me nearer, and shield my soul from sin.
Lord, let me see your footmarks and in them plant my own;
that I may follow boldly and in your strength alone;
O guide me, call me, draw me, uphold me to the end;
and then in heaven receive me, my Saviour and my friend.
Prayer for Others (prepared by Harriet Ziegler):
There will be a response in this prayer.
When I say, Lord, we lift our hearts to you, please respond Create us anew. Let us pray.
Loving God, we lift up ourselves to you with thanksgiving that you can create of us something new. On this commitment Sunday, we commit ourselves afresh to being people of faith in this world of hardship and beauty, terror and delight. We pray that we may have the courage to withstand the challenges that may come, and to delight in the good and the beautiful. May we be in your service for the new things you are doing, the new things that are about to be born.
Lord, we lift our hearts to you. Create us anew.
Loving God, in our readings today we have heard of persecutions, famine and all manner of adversity. Everywhere we look, we see such things happening in our world today. We long to turn our eyes away from the news, away from the radio, away from our screens. Yet we know that behind each of those stories there are people you love who are in need of peace, in need of food, in need of a safe place. We trust that you are doing a new thing in the world and ask that we may be servants of that new thing that will see an end to the world’s calamities and sufferings.
Lord, we lift our hearts to you. Create us anew.
We pray for our nation where a new spirit of hatred and intolerance seems on the rise. We ask that you would show us how to be agents of a different spirit – one of justice, of love for all, of tolerance and of peace. We pray especially for all who feel frightened or oppressed in today’s climate and pray that we may speak a healing word or be an ally in a moment of fear. We pray, too, for those who are in leadership in every field – whether it is government, commerce, education or care. May they have a strong will within them to resist hatred and ignorance.
Lord, we lift our hearts to you. Create us anew.
We pray for this our own congregation, our family of faith, and for our families at home. We pray for our members who are ill or grieving. We give thanks for your love for them. We give thanks also for what you are doing here at the new Koonung Heights. We pray that we may be faithful, cheerful, and helpful in building up this congregation. We pray for our minister Heather, for all who have offered themselves on this our commitment Sunday, and for all who will be elected as church council members next week. There is much to be done and we give thanks for all those who offer themselves in ways seen and unseen, small and large. May each one find strength and purpose and joy in your service through this congregation and in the world.
Lord, we lift our hearts to you. Create us anew.
In a few moments of silence, we lift before you those who are dearest to us and all that is heaviest on our hearts. (Hold silence)
We pray all this in the name of your son who taught us to 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: “We are marching in the light of God” – (TiS 666)
We are marching in the light of God, we are marching in the light of God.
We are marching in the light of God, we are marching in the light of God.
We are marching, oo, we are marching in the light of God.
We are marching, oo, we are marching in the light of God.
We are living in the love of God, we are living in the love of God.
We are living in the love of God, we are living in the love of God.
We are living, oo, we are living in the love of God.
We are living, oo, we are living in the love of God.
We are moving in the power of God, we are moving in the power of God.
We are moving in the power of God, we are moving in the power of God.
We are moving, oo, we are moving in the power of God.
We are moving, oo, we are moving in the power of God.
Blessing and Sending:
Let us give thanks for the past,
but not live pining for it.
Let us seize our day and the hope of the new,
living by love and faith,
but not only for the moment.
Let us look forward with vision and hope,
for a world transformed
And the blessing of the loving Father,
the blessing of Jesus, who calls us together,
and the blessing of the empowering Spirit
be with us as we go, now & 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 and By The Well Podcast.