Koonung Heights Uniting Church – Service of Worship at Home
21st July – 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:
Introit: Jesus hands were kind hands
Jesus’ hands were kind hands, doing good to all,
healing pain and sickness, blessing children small,
washing tired feet and saving those who fall;
Jesus’ hands were kind hands, doing good to all.
Take my hands, Lord Jesus, let them work for you;
make them strong and gentle, kind in all I do;
let me watch you, Jesus, till I’m gentle too,
till my hands are kind hands, quick to work for you.
Acknowledgement of Country:
As we joyfully gather today,
I acknowledge the Wurundjeri WoiWurrung People of the Kulin nations,
Traditional Custodians of this unceded land.
I pay my respects to Elders past and present, and all future leaders and 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.
Call to Worship:
We are called here this morning to learn of Christ’s healing love,
Help us, O Lord, to learn your lessons of compassion.
Every day there are many ways in which we can offer help to others.
Help us, O Lord, to be ready to reach out to all in need.
Come, let us worship the One who prepares us for service.
Let us sing our songs of praise to the One who has healed us. AMEN.
We Sing “Seek ye first the kingdom of God ” TIS 745
Seek ye first the kingdom of God
and his righteousness,
and all these things
shall be added unto you.
Allelu, alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia,
Alleluia, allelu, alleluia.
Ask and it shall be given unto you,
Seek and you shall find,
Knock and it shall
be opened unto you.
Allelu, alleluia.
Refrain
We shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word
that proceeds
from the mouth of the Lord.
Allelu, alleluia.
Refrain.
Prayer of Adoration and Confession:
Patient Lord, you know us so well.
We are fascinated by healing and can talk all day about the miracles,
but we do not understand the compassion of Christ.
We often say, “Just heal us; or Just make me rich;
or Just make things go better at work”
or other such deals and then we promise our faithfulness and witness.
But in our hearts, we just don’t get it.
Please forgive us, Lord, when our greed and fear get in the way of understanding.
Help us to know the transformational power of your love.
Get us ready to be faithful witnesses to you in all that we say and do.
It is in Jesus’ Name that we pray.
AMEN.
Words of Assurance:
In the Name of Jesus Christ,
you have been healed.
Praise be to God who has given you new life.
AMEN.
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.
Community Notices
A time for all:
Man using his feet as Hands
Readings
Genesis 3:14-20
Our hands have to work
So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,
“Cursed are you above all livestock
and all wild animals!
You will crawl on your belly
and you will eat dust
all the days of your life.
15 And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring[a] and hers;
he will crush[b] your head,
and you will strike his heel.”
16 To the woman he said,
“I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
with painful labour you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you.”
17 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife
and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you,
‘You must not eat from it,’
“Cursed is the ground because of you;
through painful toil you will eat food from it
all the days of your life.
18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return.”
20 Adam[c] named his wife Eve,[d]
because she would become the mother of all the living.
Luke 24 36 -53 Jesus raised his hands
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”
40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence.
44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
The Ascension of Jesus
50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
Reflection:
Many of you will know for 29 years now I have been a Marriage Celebrant, and in my pack of suggestions for couples is the reading blessing of the Hands.
It goes like this.
Blessing of the Hands
“These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you,
that are holding yours on your wedding day,
as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever.
These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future.
These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years,
And with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other.
These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind.
These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes;
tears of sorrow, and as in today, tears of joy.
These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children,
The hands that will help you to hold your family as one.
These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it.
And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged,
Will still be reaching for yours, Still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.”
It’s a realness. As a couple embarks on their future they will do it with their hands, helping each other work each day to build their future life. Hold and comfort when needed and clap for joy also.
Today, let us reflect on the profound significance of our hands. In the book of Genesis, we are reminded that we are created in the image of God, and part of that reflection is the gift of hands. Our hands are incredible instruments of creation, connection, and compassion. They are tools through which we express love, kindness, and generosity.
Touch, the first touch of a newborn baby, the last touch of person who has just passed and the introduction touch connection, with a shake of a hand, hug or even a kiss. Since Covid there has been much grief for many from not experiencing touch. Of course, there are those who have appreciated the space also.
During the Royal Commission into sexual abuse and the ‘Me too’ movement, it has rightly held people to account for inappropriate touch. Through the misuse of touch and the long-term impacts on mental health, nothing has eroded the reputation of the churches more than what has been uncovered by this report. The long-term damage feels unrepairable for many and rightly so.
As a Chaplain there are moments when a patient has shared so much or so little of themselves as part of their life / health story. The hand of comfort and support for the moment gives the message, “It’s okay and I am with you, you are in a safe place”.
However, we cannot ignore the sobering reality that they can also be used to inflict pain, harm, and destruction.
We must acknowledge a darker truth. Too often, our hands are stained with the blood of violence. Domestic violence is a scourge that afflicts far too many households. It shatters lives, destroys families, and wounds communities. And tragically, the hands that are meant to be instruments of love and protection become weapons of fear and oppression.
A recent report tells us that every six minutes a domestic violence incident is being reported to the Police and one third has children observing.
As followers of Christ, we are called to confront this reality with courage and compassion. We must not turn a blind eye to the suffering of those who are victims of domestic violence. We must extend a hand of support and solidarity to those who are trapped in abusive relationships, offering them refuge, resources, and hope.
Furthermore, we must examine our own hearts and lives. Are we using our hands to build up or to tear down? Are we contributing to a culture of violence through our words, actions, or inaction? Let us remember the words of the apostle Paul, who exhorted the Ephesians to “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29).
However, today’s Reading in Genesis, due to Gods anger towards Adam and Eve, he declared they and subsequently us would now need to work for our survival. Not wanting to confuse the matter, it does concern us why so many have to work so hard with their hands in poverty-stricken parts of the world while we don’t here in Australia.
- Take a moment now to look at your hands.
- Perhaps close your eyes and feel them,
- What is unique about your hands, cuts, wrinkles, scars, temperature?
- Think of those you touched in love with them, parents, children, partners, friends.
- People you have shared with and reached out to by touch
- Those hands that worked for income, to raise a family, care for others
- The times you have used your hands to stand up for others.
- Those who have passed, that you have held the hands of.
Let us honour all these people and situations for a moment.
We stay seated as we reflect to the song, Take my hands Precious Lord
Finally, today let us commit ourselves to being agents of healing and reconciliation in our homes, our churches, and our communities. Let us use our hands to lift up the brokenhearted, to bind up the wounds of the injured, and to advocate for justice on behalf of the oppressed.
Take my life and let it be. 599 TiS
Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart; it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.
Prayer of Dedication:
Lord,
we bring to you our offerings:
our money, our time and ourselves,
not as payment for something given
but out of adoration and thanksgiving
for all we have received.
Take what we offer and who we are,
bless them to the work of this church
and your kingdom.
Amen.
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.
We pray for our wonderful minister Heather, and give thanks that Heather, Tony and Elizabeth are having the opportunity to share a wonderful family holiday. We give thanks that we have been lead in worship in an inspiring way by Jenny Preston and Ray Michelle during Heather’s absence.
We pray for peace in the world. We think of the poor people of Gaza who continue to be subjected to endless missile attacks, with no end in sight. We pray for the courageous people of Ukraine, as they continue to bravely fight off the Russian attacks which have now been going on for almost 2 ½ years.
Here in our own communities, we pray for the many women who have suffered and are suffering from domestic violence, living each day in fear. We give thanks for the women’s refuges and the other organizations which provide safe shelter and support for women and children who have fled from violent homes.
We pray with concern at the loss of Christian values in many areas of society, where the example provided by Jesus on how we should lead our lives is no longer followed. We pray with concern at the increasing incidences of frightening youth crime, by younger and younger youths and children, carrying out violent home invasions, stealing cars and driving recklessly, and threatening users of public transport.
We also give thanks for the many kind and caring people in our community, who make our world a better place. This includes the many inspiring teachers for our young people, the many compassionate and hardworking healthcare and emergency workers, and also the many kind and friendly people who brighten the days of those around them with their smile and a kind word.
We pray for our families and our friends, and for all those in our church community here at Koonung Heights. We look forward to being joined by the congregation of Surrey Hills Uniting Church, as they amalgamate with us over the coming months. We keenly anticipate that this will provide a boost to what we can do as a congregation, and provide increased opportunities for us to have a positive impact on the community.
We continue to pray for those in our congregation who are unwell, and for those who are unable to attend church. We give thanks that those unable to attend in person now have the opportunity to our services online.
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
We Sing:
Give Thanks TiS 717
Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One,
Give thanks because he’s given
Jesus Christ His Son.
And now let the weak say, “I am strong”
Let the poor say, “I am rich
Because of what the Lord has done for us”
Give thanks.
Sending
Lord, you know how great our needs are.
In these difficult times when jobs are threatened, homes are being lost, families are experiencing great stress, come and bring your healing love to us.
Help us to place our trust in you.
Remind us again of how you transform lives, not just with healing,
but with a spirit of hope and compassion.
Keep us hopeful. Teach us not to give up when things are going wrong.
Give us faith that can move mountains.
Give us hearts that are ready to be of service to others in all times and in all places.
As we have lifted up people and situations which concern us
and have asked for your hand of healing, remind us
that that same healing hand rests on us also.
Enable us to be people of compassion and trust
for we ask these things in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.
Shalom to you now. TiS 778
Shalom to you now, shalom my friends.
May God’s full mercies bless you, my friends.
In all your living and through your loving,
Christ be your shalom, Christ be your shalom.
(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 35)