Koonung Heights Uniting Church
Service of Worship at Home
Season of Creation 4 – 22 September 2024 – 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: “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:
We come to worship this day,
and as we do, we light this candle
as a sign of God’s Spirit at work in the world.
May it’s light brighten our spirits,
and may the light of God,
shining through us,
brighten the world.
Acknowledgement of Country:
As we come to worship,
I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians
of the land where we meet,
Wurundjeri WoiWurrung People of the Kulin Nation.
I pay my respects to their Elders, past and present,
and to 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:
If you come
knowing that you are flawed and in need,
then you are in the right place.
We all have a place in God’s grace.
If you come
feeling small in the presence of God,
then you are in the right place.
In God, the small find welcome and a true home.
If you have come
full of gratitude for all that God has done,
then you are in the right place.
We come to give our wholehearted thanks and praise.
We Sing: “Come as you are” – (TiS 693)
‘Come as you are: that’s how I want you. Come as you are; feel quite at home,
close to my heart, loved and forgiven. Come as you are: why stand alone?
‘No need to fear, love sets no limits; no need to fear, love never ends;
don’t run away shamed and disheartened, rest in my love, trust me again.
‘Come as you are; that’s how I love you; come as you are, trust me again.
Nothing can change the love that I bear you; all will be well, just come as you are.’
Prayer of Adoration and Confession:
Creator God,
you are the beginning and home of everything,
you weave creation into being and craft the tapestry of humanity;
you make us one people and are worthy of our praise.
Lord Jesus,
teacher and healer, Word of God and one-with-us,
your love for us all took you into the darkest of places and beyond;
you are our light and our hope.
Spirit of God, within us and among us,
mystery and energy,
disturber of bringer of new life;
you inspire us to live beyond our small horizons.
God of grace:
your love never ends,
your mercy blows our minds,
your faithfulness continues to surprise;
we praise you and worship you.
Here, in your presence, we are known,
we are secure and we are loved.
So in confidence we come with our prayers of confession:
God of mercy,
we confess that we too often let anger, apathy and our routines
come between us and those we love.
We draw near to you now, O God.
Draw near to us.
We know that we make mistakes in our life together as your church.
We have not extended ourselves in welcome
to all who need your love and mercy.
We draw near to you now, O God.
Draw near to us.
We recognise our need, seek your forgiveness
and long for your words of grace.
We draw near to you now, O God.
Draw near to us.
Amen.
Words of Assurance:
Friends, hear this good news:
the grace of God, given freely,
is our healing, our wholeness and our hope.
Thanks be to God.
The Peace:
May the Peace of God dwell with you
and also with you.
A Time for All:
If I asked you to describe yourself as a tree, what type of tree would you choose? Would you be a tall gum, a bright wattle or a squat plum? Maybe you’d choose a lemon-scented myrtle or a straight pine? I wonder why might you pick one particular tree to represent you? What about this type of tree appeals to you?
In the psalm set for today, Psalm 1, the psalmist says that people who delight in God are like trees planted by streams of water. They are productive, fruitful, alive and growing. These people are contrasted with those who do not follow God’s ways and, like chaff, are easily carried blown from here to there.
Let us look at the psalm as presented by Rev Ian Brown. Click on the link below to watch:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ff4gfnb8jhy6cjn6indkk/Ps1.m4v?rlkey=alx60pgi1lcmg0x9gnkrqs9e1&e=2&dl=0
May we be like trees planted by streams of water, blessed, nourished and full of life.
Amen.
We Sing: “All things bright and beautiful” – (TiS 135)
All things bright and beautiful,
all creatures great and small,
all things wise and wonderful –
the Lord God made them all.
The wildflowers in their beauty,
the mountain ranges tall,
the billabongs and rivers,
and friendly birds that call.
All things bright and beautiful …
The coloured walls of gorges,
the gum trees green and tall,
the rocks, and pools, and palm trees,
the sparkling waterfall.
All things bright and beautiful …
God gave us eyes to see them,
and lips that we might tell
how great is God Almighty
who has made all things well.
All things bright and beautiful …
Bible Reading: Jeremiah 11:18-20
– Jeremiah’s Life Threatened
18 It was the Lord who made it known to me,
and I knew;
then you showed me their deeds.
19 But I was like a gentle lamb
led to the slaughter.
And I did not know it was against me
that they devised schemes, saying,
“Let us destroy the tree with its fruit;
let us cut him off from the land of the living,
so that his name will no longer be remembered!”
20 But you, O Lord of hosts, who judge righteously,
who try the heart and the mind,
let me see your retribution upon them,
for to you I have committed my cause.
Bible Reading: Mark 9:30-27
– Jesus Again Foretells His Death and Resurrection
30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it, 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” 32 But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.
Who Is the Greatest?
33 Then they came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” 34 But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. 35 He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 Then he took a little child and put it among them, and taking it in his arms he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”
Reflection:
‘Praise be to you, my Lord.’ In the words of this beautiful canticle, Saint Francis of Assisi reminds us that our common home is a like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us. ‘Praise be to you, My Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruit with coloured flowers and herbs.’
These are the opening words of Laudato Si’, the second encyclical of Pope Francis, subtitled ‘on care of our common home’. In it, the Pope criticizes consumerism and irresponsible economic development, laments environmental degradation and global warming, and calls all people of the world to take ‘swift and unified global action’. It is not difficult to see why many people consider Laudato Si’ to be the most significant mainstream Christian document of our time, for it calls for our commitment and a change of heart and mind as we relate to, and live with, our common home. It also challenges us about the legacy that we will leave as we pass this precious gift onto the generations that will come after us.
With the increased exploitation of the Created order, it can be a beautiful act of spiritual defiance when we call out destructive practices through our words and actions. Last week we hung a banner outside our church, sharing with the wider community how many of us feel about public money being spent on coal and gas exploration and development. Many other churches were also part of this movement, and there are different banners being displayed at churches around the country, all sharing a similar message. As well as this larger statement, some off us looked at ways that we can make a difference by participating in small actions within our own homes. All of this is acting in hope with Creation, and is part of our witness, mission and encouragement to others.
You might remember that last week I wondered whether part of our calling might be to invite people into spaces where they can experience nature so that they can learn to love it, and work to protect it, for all of Creation needs care. Some of us know what it is to plant a sapling and watch as a tree grows, carefully tending it so that it might produce fruit. It is maybe only when we come to love trees, and appreciate them that the sheer brutality of Jeremiah’s enemies sinks in as we hear their words, ‘let us destroy the tree with its fruit.’
The prophet Jeremiah proclaimed a message with implications for all of Judah and for everyone in Jerusalem. Active during the last part of the seventh and early part of the sixth century BCE, Jeremiah was witness to the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem. He proclaimed the coming Babylonian invasion of Judah as God’s judgment and encouraged the people to submit to it. As you can imagine, he paid a high price for such preaching, including personal threats. Yet despite this, Jeremiah’s defiant faithfulness was sustained, based on his believe that messengers of justice have value in God’s eyes, whether or not they achieve their potential in fruitfulness.
While not a reality for most of us, in the same way that Jeremiah was threatened, some scientists and campaigners for climate action have suffered death threats. Yet they, too, persist in sharing the message that they need to share, a message of justice for Creation. When Jeremiah’s enemies threatened to destroy the tree and it’s fruit, they missed the reality that ridding themselves of the messenger wouldn’t change the reality that was to come. You do not escape a threat by destroying, disregarding, trivialising, indefinitely delaying or ridiculing the messenger, particularly a messenger who is bearing the truth.
No matter how difficult things are, Jeremiah is not distracted from his purpose of speaking the truth. The disciples, on the other hand, are distracted from their purpose when we witness them in today’s gospel reading. As Jesus speaks about his death for the second time, the disciples squabble among themselves as they wonder who might be the greatest among them and the next leader of the group. Jesus famously tells them that anyone wishing to be a leader should first be the servant of all, and through his actions reminds them that humility and love are more desirable in the kingdom of God than status and power. Jesus welcomes a child, and reminds his disciples that in doing this they are welcoming God.
I’m not sure if we really grasp how significant this action of Jesus is. Today we recognise that children have the same rights as adults to care, nurture and protection, but this is a relatively modern concept. In Jesus’ day things were different, so Jesus welcoming one when there was a whole group of adults present, was so disruptive. The reality of the time was that children had no status, no say and no protection at all. In times of famine, for example, children would often be the last to be fed. Even much later in the 13th century, Thomas Aquinas taught that in a raging fire a husband was obliged to save his father first, then his mother, next his wife, and last of all his young children. So when Jesus takes a small child into the midst of a gathering, we witness something of God’s openness to, and care for, all that is vulnerable.
Creation is certainly vulnerable if we continue to live the way we are and see the Earth as something that has no status in its own right. We need to stop interacting with Creation as though it is just a resource for us to use as we wish, for the longer that Creation continues to struggle, the deeper our struggles will also be. Whatever we are able to do for Creation, we are also doing for ourselves. This should provide the extra impetus we need to take whatever positive action we can, as soon as we can. Today many children and young people suffer from the reality of climate change and the impact this has on their communities. In first world countries children and young people suffer climate anxiety and despair about the future. Not only do we need to do something for these, but we also need to listen to them. We need to hear their voices and see climate change as an intergenerational justice issue.
Rather than seeking our own status, we are called to acts of service. The integrity of small kindnesses and acts of justice reach beyond the immediate gesture, right to God. Even when we worry that our actions are small and don’t make a difference, when we act in solidarity and community with one another, we become part of the larger currents of history. Responsible public activism can flow from the habits of our lives. Even though it might be hard to change the world, doing what we can every day will bear fruit in our own lives through resilience; in the encouragement of our family, neighbours, churches, other groups we are part of, and more.
Caring for creation is a task for all of us, no matter at what stage we find ourselves. While it is true that young trees may be fruitful, ancient trees are habitats, stores of carbon and carers for life in many and various ways.
May we all realise that we have a vital role to play in sustaining God’s green web of life.
Amen.
We Sing: “What does the Lord require” – (TiS 618)
What does the Lord require for praise and offering?
What sacrifice desire or tribute bid you bring?
Do justly; love mercy; walk humbly with your God.
Rulers of earth, give ear! should you not justice show?
Will God your pleading hear, while crime and cruelty grow?
Do justly; love mercy; walk humbly with your God.
Leaders in wealth and trade, for whom the worker toils,
think not to win God’s aid if greed your commerce soils.
Do justly; love mercy; walk humbly with your God.
Still down the ages ring the prophet’s stern commands:
to merchant, worker, king, he brings God’s high demands.
Do justly; love mercy; walk humbly with your God.
How shall our life fulfil God’s law so hard and high?
Let Christ endure our will with grace to fortify.
Then ustly, in mercy, we’ll humbly walk with God.
Prayer for Others (prepared by Harriet Ziegler):
There will be several moments in this prayer when I will invite you to bring to mind individuals and groups for whom you may have special concern.
Let us come before God in an attitude of prayer.
God who is love – we empty our hearts before you this morning, for they are full of our own needs and troubles, burdened with our concerns for those we love most dearly. As we settle into this moment of prayer for others, we bring to mind first our own needs and those of our closest family and friends. Jesus, too, prayed for himself and for those he loved. And so we seek courage, hope and healing. In this moment of silence, hear these most intimate prayers.
(Hold silence)
God of all creation – in this season of creation, our hearts turn to all those for whom the created world is vital.
We remember indigenous people here in Australia, and around the world, who have cared for your creation for millennia and whose ways of life are intricately bound up in the natural world. May the depth of their understandings reach into governments and policies – and into our hearts.
Let us hold a moment of silence for indigenous people.
We remember all for whom the changing climate brings fear and anguish. Those who fear losing everything as rising ocean levels threaten their way of life, even their very nations. Those who fear losing work as the industries that have employed them are closed down. Those who fear for their health in overheated cities and scorched rural areas.
Let us hold a moment of silence for those who are fearful.
We remember all for whom the changing climate brings sorrow. Those who grieve deaths of people in ferocious floods and fires and storms accelerated by global warming. Those who grieve the towns where they have always lived and the work that they have always done. Those who grieve the decimation of species of birds, mammals, insects and plants.
Let us hold a moment of silence for those who are sorrowful.
We think too of all who are hopeful. Those who are working with others to bring about change. The leaders of our own denomination, of our own congregation, and those of all other faiths who teach about the sacredness of creation – and all who heed their message. Those leaders of government and industry who are attempting to turn the tide, often against great opposition. The children, teens and their families who believe that there can be a better world for them to inhabit.
Let us hold a moment of silence for those who are hopeful.
We gather 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: “This day God gives me” – (TiS 642)
This day God gives me strength of high heaven,
sun and moon shining, flame in my hearth,
flashing of lightning, wind in its swiftness,
deeps of the ocean, firmness of earth.
This day God sends me strength to sustain me,
might to uphold me, wisdom as guide.
Your eyes are watchful, your ears are listening,
your lips are speaking, friend at my side.
Rising, I thank you, mighty and strong One,
king of creation, giver of rest,
firmly confessing threeness of persons,
oneness of Godhead, trinity blest.
Blessing:
The peace of God,
ever living and always active,
be your guide and comfort.
The peace of God,
that makes the impossible happen,
be your strength and your enabler.
The peace of God,
generously available to all,
be your inspiration.
The blessing of God,
One in Three, Three in One, be with you now,
that you may be always nourished,
like trees planted by living waters.
Go in peace
to love and serve God and one another.
In the name of Christ,
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:- Fig Tree Worship, Seasons of Creation and By The Well Podcast.