Koonung Heights – Surrey Hills Uniting Church
Service of Worship at Home
Season of Creation 1 – 7 September 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: “Like A Rock” – (Seasons of the Spirit)
Like a rock, like a rock
God is under our feet.
Like the starry night sky
God is over our head.
Like the sun on the horizon
God is ever before.
Like the river runs to ocean,
our home is in God evermore.
Candle Lighting:
As we light the Christ candle today,
we recall the creation story from Genesis,
remembering that God spoke and there was light.
We remember Jesus, the light of the world,
living a life of service and transformation
so that people might see God.
May the light of Christ continue to shine on us,
illuminating the path we are called to walk.
Acknowledgement of Country:
This land is God’s land and God’s Spirit dwells here.
I acknowledge the Wurundjeri WoiWurrung
People of the Kulin Nations
traditional custodians of this land under God.
I pay my respects to their elders and leaders,
past and present,
and to all their descendants.
From the depths of the earth,
flowing in the waters,
moving in the breeze,
stirring in the trees,
the Creator is revealed.
May we move in harmony
with the Creator and with one another.
Call to Worship:
Friends, it is the Season of Creation!
We gather to worship the God of rivers and oceans and waterfalls,
of rainforest and desert place.
We gather to hear the cry of the prophets and the groaning of creation,
and to join that mighty river of justice and peace.
We come to be quenched by living water, giver of life.
We come to plant our feet on the earth, parched for justice.
We come to sing out our praise and gratitude to God.
We Sing: “Let all creation dance” – (TiS 187)
Let all creation dance in energies sublime,
as order turns with chance, unfolding space and time,
for nature’s art in glory grows, and newly shows God’s mind and heart.
God’s breath each force unfurls, igniting from a spark
expanding starry swirls, with whirlpools dense and dark.
Though moon and sun seem mindless things, each orbit sings: ‘Your will be done.’
Our own amazing earth, with sunlight, cloud and storms
and life’s abundant growth in lovely shapes and forms,
is made for praise, a fragile whole, and from its soul heaven’s music plays.
Lift heart and soul and voice: in Christ all praises meet
and nature shall rejoice as all is made complete.
In hope be strong, all life befriend and kindly tend creation’s song.
Invitation to Contemplate:
As we come to a time of prayer,
let’s contemplate how we are being held here
in the presence and love of the great Mystery that is God,
the One whose life, to us, is immeasurable,
extending beyond and embracing
the nearly 13 billion 800 million years
that the Universe, as we know it,
has been evolving in unimaginable complexity and beauty
through God’s creative work.
With a sense of awe before God
and a consciousness of the suffering and injustice
threatening Earth and all who dwell here,
let’s enter into the quiet of our spirits,
praying to hear clearly the wise guidance of God
for us in Creation,
and to accept with courage the challenge and costs of discipleship with Christ.
Prayer of Adoration and Confession:
Loving Creator God,
Mystery beyond our understanding,
you have brought us forth in the midst
of Earth’s vast and wonderful web of life
to receive it gratefully, learn from it,
care for it wisely,
and share it with all who live on it and in it
Christ Jesus,
you invite us to discipleship in our times.
You demand that we be serious about its costs
and courageous in accepting them.
God of all ages,
you call us to keep watch in the world
and to discern the signs of our times.
Yet often we close our eyes and fail to see,
or look the other way so we don’t have to see.
Forgive us.
When we struggle to listen to the Spirit,
to head your wisdom in and through all that is.
Forgive us.
When we fail to care wisely for your Creation,
and close our ears to the groaning of the earth.
Forgive us.
Loving God,
grant us the wisdom which your Spirit offers,
so that we might draw the strength and courage we need
to try again to follow you.
In Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen.
Words of Assurance:
Friends, our loving God, Creator of all time and space,
continues to have mercy on us.
This is, indeed, good news.
Thanks be to God.
A Time for All:
The unassuming violinist, donning a baseball cap and T-shirt, set up near Washington DC’s L’Enfant Plaza subway station. He moved the bow across the strings, making melodious tunes. But commuters rushed past, oblivious. He played an entire music program with only a handful of people stopping to listen.
If the crowd had only known they were rushing past Joshua Bell, one of the greatest virtuosos of our generation, who had played at the Liberty of Congress the night before. Bell played several of the most difficult, mesmerizing violin pieces in the world, all on a 1713 Stradivarius worth roughly $3.5 million.
It is easy to be unaware, to miss the wonders that are right in front of us. God is everywhere, present in the most ordinary places and in the places we might least expect.
The invitation given to us is to keep our eyes and ears open, to watch and to listen. I wonder where you might have been surprised by God’s presence? I invite you to spend a few moments sharing with the person next to you – where were you surprised by God’s presence.
We Sing: “The sounds in God’s world” – (TiS 176)
The sounds in God’s world all agree, God made it up so beautifully,
more there is to hear when we stop still and listen very carefully.
Listen to the surf, listen to the surf.
The breakers crash while the sea swell bends,
some of God’s big things never seem to end.
How great that the maker of the sea wants to be our friend.
The sounds in God’s world …
Listen to the owl, listen to the owl.
Lying in the night thinking, ‘Who’s out there?’
there’s the hoot of an owl in the night somewhere.
It’s good to know we’re safely in God’s care.
The sounds in God’s world …
Listen to the wind, listen to the wind.
It whispers and it rustles, it howls and it whines,
where it goes, who can find?
Let’s listen for the wind of God stirring in our mind.
The sounds in God’s world …
Bible Reading: Philemon 1-21
Salutation
1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To our beloved coworker Philemon, 2 to our sister Apphia, to our fellow soldier Archippus, and to the church in your house: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philemon’s Love and Faith
4 I thank my God always when I mention you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus. 6 I pray that the partnership of your faith may become effective as you comprehend all the good that we share in Christ. 7 I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother.
Paul’s Plea for Onesimus
8 For this reason, though I am more than bold enough in Christ to command you to do the right thing, 9 yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love – and I, Paul, do this as an old man and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. 10 I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. 11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.
12 I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. 13 I wanted to keep him with me so that he might minister to me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel, 14 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced. 15 Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for the long term, 16 no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother – especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
17 So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to me. 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. I say nothing about your owing me even your own self. 20 Yes, brother, let me have this benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
Bible Reading: Luke 14:25-33
– The Cost of Discipleship
25 Now large crowds were traveling with him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he cannot, then while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. 33 So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.
Reflection:
Today marks our first week in the Season of Creation, a celebration which runs throughout the month of September. This annual celebration invites Christians from all around the world to a season of prayer, reflection and celebration of God as Creator. It invites all people of faith and good will to reflect prayerfully on the gifts of Creation and the mission God has given us to care for Creation and respond to its needs and crises today.
The 2025 Season of Creation theme is ‘Peace with Creation’. This theme calls on faith communities to reflect on the interconnectedness of creation and humanity, promoting ecological healing, justice, and a vision of a thriving, harmonious Earth.
The official symbol for the season is the “Garden of Peace,” which illustrates a land transformed from a state of conflict and exploitation into one of fertility and peace.
‘Peace with Creation’ also returns our focus to the injustice, violence, and broken relationships behind the many current forms of devastation of Earth. It could be said that they constitute a war on creation. Without justice, there can be no peace. Without peace, Creation cannot flourish. Our call, then, is to work for the justice and global solidarity that are essential to establishing Peace with Creation.
The readings we have heard this week call us to humility before the complex Web of Life and vast interdependent networks of Creation. They call us to welcome and listen to the voices and wisdom of those in Creation that have long been dismissed, and those who have sometimes even been enslaved. They also present the costly challenge to true discipleship that is before us in this time of urgent global crisis. As we reflect briefly on each reading, there will also be the opportunity to consider some questions together.
In Psalm 139, we see God’s intricate craftsmanship in all Creation, from the human form which is ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’ to the broader creation. The Creator is intimately connected to Creation, where each individual’s unique purpose and identity are part of God’s design. The Psalmist explores the wonder of human birth, the intricate mysteries of human embryos shaped intentionally by the Creator. While delicately created in the womb of our human mother, the psalmist also points out that there is a deeper womb, that of mother Earth where we are ‘intricately woven’. The Spirit of God, the hidden divine presence, reaches into even the most hidden crevices of the cosmos, is present when new life is formed, and birthed.
Question: Those of us educated in the Western world may not feel a close bond with Earth as a parent or more specifically a mother. Does this biblical image help reconnect you with the Earth?
Paul’s letter to Philemon, about his former slave Onesimus, urges Philemon to welcome Onesimus back ‘no long as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother’. The healing and proper care of Creation, our common home, calls for overcoming the colonial attitudes that have enslaved indigenous peoples, ignoring their wisdom gained over thousands of years about the web of life we are part of. Just as Paul calls Philemon to look at Onesimus in a new way, we need to look in new ways at the animals, plants, and other living creatures we share Earth with. Scientific studies are increasingly showing us that these other than human incarnations of life have much to teach us about caring for the amazing gifts of God’s creation.
In recent years, the Church has begun to understand that it must convert from its colonial attitudes of superiority by seeking encounter and respectful dialogue with indigenous peoples around the planet. As we come to understand that we are sisters and brothers, we begin to form communities with perspectives of global solidarity. In doing so, we can also come to realise that other than human Creation is so much more than a pool of resources available to meet our human needs and desires. There is important wisdom to be received from those who see themselves as custodians of the Earth, rather than consumers of it.
Question: If we want to contribute to bringing about more just and universal ways of thinking about human progress and development, what changes might this demand in us?
In the gospel passage, Jesus demands to be the first in the affections and commitments of his disciples. He requires careful calculation of the costs of discipleship and the willingness to pay them, even to the point of renouncing or losing all our possessions. The Season of Creation challenges us to reflect on what the cost of true discipleship is in the complex ecological, social, economic, and cultural crisis facing the Earth community today. In this era which seems to be focused on “selfies”, self-promotion and self-interest, we need to instead take hold of a global vision that takes in the needs and dynamics of the whole web of life, the entire planet.
If the human community is to reverse climate change and overproduction, and learn to care wisely and sustainably for Creation, we might need to stop accumulating goods and wealth, and instead embrace more simple lifestyles that prioritise and support human dignity and just relationships for all. We need to work to overcome the widespread inequality in the global community, where nearly 700 million people live in absolute poverty and where one out of every eleven goes to bed hungry.
Question: If discipleship in today’s world means that we need to take seriously the call to transform the way we live, what is one thing you can do to embrace this?
May we grow into an awareness of the vastness and beauty of God’s creation. May we listen to the voices we have often dismissed. May we have the wisdom and courage to embrace the challenging discipleship that Christ is calling us to in these times.
Amen.
We Sing: “Touch the earth lightly” – (TiS 668)
Touch the earth lightly, use the earth gently, nourish the life of the world in our care:
gift of great wonder, our to surrender, trust for the children tomorrow will bear.
We who endanger, who create hunger, agents of death for all creatures that live,
we who would foster clouds of disaster, God of our planet, forestall and forgive.
Let there be greening, birth from the burning, water that blesses and air that is sweet,
health in God’s garden, hope in God’s children, regeneration that peace will complete.
God of all living, God of all loving, God of the seedling, the snow and the sun,
teach us, deflect us, Christ re-connect us, using us gently and making us one.
Prayer for Others (prepared by Liz Pace):
Let us come before God in prayer with open hearts and minds, understanding that we are not alone, but surrounded by clouds of witnesses, especially in this place. As we be try to become your disciples here give us strength and guidance to live our lives as your followers.
We remember those who have shaped our lives for the better through their faithfulness, love and care of others and we are grateful to have known them. Let us take a moment to name them now in the silence of our prayer …
(time of silence)
We pray that our lives may also become blessings on those that come after us. Guide us in all our decision making so that it truly reflects the way you would have us use this precious gift of life.
Our world is a troubled place as your people lose sight of what really matters, forget to care for others, become frightened or succumb to false promises of an easy life and accept glib answers to difficult questions.
Loosen our minds from the idea that there is only one proper way to do things, so that now we can take a risk to show kindness and generosity to others whenever we see a need.
Bless all those who work tirelessly to keep our society free, safe and healthy, enriched by music, art and literature. Encourage good government that cares for all your people. Help us to find new ways to rid our country of homelessness and poverty, new ways to share our wealth equally, recognising these new beginnings might seem impossible at first.
We have not been promised an easy life, free of disaster, disruption or disease but as believers we know that we are all the children of God, equal as members of his family, loved and cared for and asked to live out our lives in the way Jesus taught us.
Help us to gather strength from this community here , so that we can go out into our community, and into our workplaces, strengthened and full of hope to encourage others.
We know that we will never fully understand your plans for the world or even for ourselves, but our trust in God remains the fabric which holds us together and allows us to shine out into the world.
Hear these our prayers. Amen.
We Sing: “Song of the Wild” – (Tune TiS 569)
You who watch the highest heavens wond’ring where God’s mansions are;
you who hope to spot an angel spinning like a falling star;
Earth is calling, Earth is calling, come back home and rest in me.
Come back home and rest in me.
You who long for bread like manna falling from the hand of God?
Know that Earth provides your water, precious breath and daily food.
Earth is calling, Earth is calling, come back home and dine with me.
Come back home and dine with me.
Communion:
The Peace
The peace of God be with you and also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
They are lifted up in sacred celebration.
Let us give thanks.
It is right and good to offer thanks.
Prayer
Holy is this cosmos,
whirling, expanding, living, dying,
yearning for abundance and freedom,
imperfect holiness, reaching for a promise of wholeness,
yet always, already a perfect reflection of Spirit.
We come to this table, awe-struck creatures,
conscious that as we take a small move to the bread and cup,
the whole cosmos – gathered up in us –
journeys with us and in us into the heart and mind of Christ.
We come to this table of Christ,
the One who was in the beginning with you as sacred creative principle,
and the One who is now the love that fills the Cosmos.
We join in with all creation 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 your Spirit come upon your people gathered here.
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,
may it remind you that you are loved.
Amen.
(eat and drink)
Prayer
God of love, we give you thanks for satisfying us with this meal.
Send us from here to walk gently on the Earth and reveal your love to all creation.
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 from this table take leave.
The supper is ended: may now be extended
the fruits of his service in all who believe.
The seed of God’s teaching, our hungry souls reaching,
shall blossom in action for all humankind.
His grace shall incite us, his love shall unite us
to work for his kingdom, his 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,
unite us as one in his 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 leave this place, may God awaken our praise and thankfulness
for every creature and unite us with them in love.
May Christ bless us with eyes to see him
alive in every creature in his risen glory.
May the Spirit dwell in our hearts inspiring us to do what is good,
to care wisely and with love for Earth, our common home.
The blessing of the Triune God,
One in Three, Three in One, go with you.
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: Seasons of Creation 2025. ‘Song of the Wild’ by Norman Habel.