Koonung Heights Uniting Church
Service of Worship at Home
Wilderness / Outback Sunday – 17 September 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: “Like a Rock” (Seasons of the Spirit – words below)
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 come to worship today
we light the Christ candle,
symbolising that we gather in Christ’s name.
Gathering to worship in this space,
we acknowledge the sanctuary called earth
is filled with Christ’s presence,
vibrating in the land,
and pulsating in the wilderness.
As we worship, Christ,
reveal yourself to us all in this place,
show us your life in all creation.
Acknowledgement of Country:
I acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land,
the Wurundjeri WoiWurrung people of the Kulin nations,
and pay respects to their elders, past and present,
and all future generations.
I acknowledge them for their care of land for thousands of years.
We gather on this land now, aware of past injustices,
with respect for the land and its ancient people.
Open to the Spirit who has ever been present here,
may each one of us resolve to
appreciate its beauty, protect its resources
and honour the connection
First Peoples have always had with land.
Call to Worship:
We invite the Outback to worship with us:
Uluru and the red centre,
deep gorges and mountain ranges.
We invite the flora to sing in the sun:
ghost gums and spinifex,
Mallee trees and Sturt’s desert pea.
We join with the fauna of the Outback in praising God:
roaming dingos and wallabies,
goannas and hovering hawks.
We invite the Dreaming to join us in praise:
songs of ancient custodians deep in the rock,
spirits of life deep in the sand and the hills.
Let us worship as we celebrate with the song of the outback.
We Sing: “All things bright and beautiful” – (TiS 135 – words below)
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 the Almighty, who has made all things well.
All things bright and beautiful …
Call to prayer:
When we gather together
we remember that God wants us to be recreated,
and experience abundant life.
Like the outback flowers that spring forth after rain,
we are invited to spring forth
and experience life in all its fullness.
We are watering our plant every week
to remind ourselves of God’s recreation,
recognising that we are loved as we are
and acknowledging God’s hopes for us.
So, let us come before God in prayer.
Let us pray.
Prayer of Praise and Confession:
God, we worship you as Creator, Word and Holy Spirit,
three in one and one in three.
You are far more than we can understand,
and yet the different ways we experience you
are all a part of the loving relationship
at the heart of all that is.
We were made in love and for love,
and are happiest when our relationships
with one another and the world around us
are marked by respect and kindness.
When we reach out to others,
and care for the wonderful world you have created,
we are living your way of love.
Yet there are times that we fall short of your ideals,
and the example set for us by Christ,
and perhaps we need to remind ourselves
so that we can strive to do better.
We have seen injustice and kept quiet
because we did not want to rock the boat.
We have made assumptions about one another
based on outward things
rather than getting to know the person underneath.
We have destroyed parts of your creation,
scarring the landscape as we take what we need,
and polluting what was once pristine.
Forgive us for our actions
and our inaction at putting things right.
With sighs too deep for words we come before you
knowing that you love us and forgive us.
Help us care and practice peace-making.
Show us the little things we can do
that will make a big difference.
Amen.
Words of Assurance:
As we water our plant,
hear that in God we are a new creation,
and we are called and beloved by God.
This is good news … thanks be to God.
The Peace – A Celtic Prayer:
Deep peace of the shining stars to you,
which stay invisible till darkness falls
and disclose their pure and shining presence
beaming down in compassion on our turning world.
Deep peace of the Creator of the shining stars be with you …
and also with you.
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 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 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.
A Time for All: Share Sunday Appeal
Many of you will have already heard of the Uniting Churches community Services organisation Uniting Vic.Tas. Our congregation has been an active supporter for many years.
This year Uniting Vic.Tas has asked us to think of them especially this Sunday as they celebrate Share Sunday Appeal across Uniting Churches in Victoria and Tasmania. In particular today, we focus on the support given to Uniting’s Asylum Seeker Welcome Centre (ASWC).
While waiting for decisions on their applications to be recognised as refugees, many asylum seekers are isolated in the community with very little or no form of assistance and with few rights or entitlements.
To Quote ASWC’s Community Development Worker ‘just like the diversity of clients who visit the centre, its programs are equally as varied. It’s hard to pin down what we actually do because we do a lot of things. We run a lot of programs aimed at building people’s capacity to enhance their community participation.’ From English programs to digital literacy or piano lessons to employment workshops, the ASWC offers a myriad of programs to better prepare asylum seekers for life in Australia.
The centre supports people at all stages of their settlement journey. The centre provides a dual service in responding to people’s basic needs and empowering people to learn how to navigate the Australian context. And beyond practical support, the centre provides emotional support. The migrant experience is known to be a complex one.
According to Aimee the ASWC, Team Leader. ‘It might be sitting with someone while they cry for ten minutes or smiling at someone and you’re the only person that they have talked to that day. Being reminded of that role we have in people’s lives and that the connection is meaningful to them.’
Aimee added. ‘Congregations have always been behind the work we do. Their commitment to advocating for justice and supporting those seeking asylum is truly inspiring.’
Our Church Council has committed an amount of $2,000 to the work of Uniting. We encourage you also to continue this support and make a donation to this important work.
You can donate online, using the QR code on the screen today or that included with this weeks’ community news email, by using the envelopes that are scattered around the Pews today or contributing to our retiring offering today.
Let us pray …
Loving God,
We thank you for your generosity to us which we see in so many ways.
Today we think of those who are not as fortunate as us,
people who are new arrivals in our land, those who find themselves alone
with little access to the support and services we take for granted.
We thank you for agencies like Uniting Vic Tas, and in particular,
the Asylum Seeker Welcome Centre,
for the care given by their staff through the provision of services and a friendly face.
Bless them as they continue their work,
and the donations that enable them to be your hands and feet in this place.
Amen.
Bible Reading: Romans 8:18-27 – Future Glory
18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. 27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Bible Reading: Mark 1:4-13
4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And the whole Judean region and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him and were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
The Baptism of Jesus
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove upon him. 11 And a voice came from the heavens, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
The Testing of Jesus
12 And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness forty days, tested by Satan, and he was with the wild beasts, and the angels waited on him.
Reflection:
This week is our third in the Season of Creation, and we are thinking through the lens of Wilderness. Wilderness conjures up many different feelings for people. Wilderness can be used to explain a time of sparseness or desperation but a wilderness time can also speak of reclamation and refreshment. Wilderness can also describe the remoteness and isolation of a particular place … a place that seems somehow mysterious and unknown, a place where we believe there is nothing.
Wilderness is that place which lies beyond human control. In the Scriptures it is often called midbar, in Australia we are likely to call it the Outback. For many in this country it is our last frontier. Some of us are challenged to conquer the Outback, to traverse it, which is no small task. Even with sealed roads, driving from Sydney to Perth takes 41 hours non-stop and covers a distance of 3,935 km. Melbourne to Darwin is only a little shorter taking 39 hours non-stop over a distance of 3,755 km. Of course there are those who have never spent any time in the Outback, or even driven through these landscapes, instead exploring through television programs or glossy magazines. As we think of Wilderness / Outback, I wonder how many of us celebrate it for what it is, rather than as territory to be conquered?
In this Season of Creation, we are invited to take time to hear creation’s voice in the biblical text. Where do we hear the voice of Wilderness / Outback and what might it have to say to us about the good things that God has in mind for all creation? Let’s explore this a little as we look at the readings set for today.
It is true to say that the biblical text often uses wilderness (midbar) to portray a time of desperation and testing, yet there is something more that we can glean from what we have read today. In the Romans passage, we are reminded that the whole creation groans while waiting for things to be set right, and in the gospel passage we witness the baptism of Jesus – the God-One who comes to set them right. What we see in Jesus’ relationship with God, and in Paul’s teaching, is that the place we think of as desolate, barren and isolated becomes the place where hope is alive and comfort is a gift from God.
When Paul writes to the church in Rome, his message is a personal one to the community of Jesus’ followers who are suffering. Living under the rule of imperial Rome means going against the government, and this would have made life extremely difficult, a little like living in a wilderness. On top of this there is dissention within the community, so Paul writes this letter as an encouragement before he is able to visit.
Paul writes as a faithful Jew, shaped by traditional Hebrew narratives that his readers would have known – stories like the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden and the curse on the land which results in pain and toil for the humans. Paul links the future of humankind with the future of creation itself: the suffering of the oppressed community is like the suffering of creation. For Paul it follows that all creation waits for release from this imposed bondage just as much as humankind longs for it.
We, too, are now beginning to acknowledge the reality that our suffering is linked with the suffering of our planet. The more we exploit the planet, the more we suffer. You only need to look at the Island of Tuvalu or the city of Venice to see this played out. Both places are impacted by rising sea levels due to global climate change. According to some estimates high tides could regularly flood up to 95% of the country by 2100. I wonder what the prayers of these people might sound like as they wait for their island to go under? I can only imagine their groans and sighs as they cry out to God to be heard, especially when much of the world is not listening.
For Paul there is hope, for even as he hears the groans and cries of the people, he is buoyed by his conviction that God is still at work in all of creation, with ‘sighs too deep for words’. The Spirit of God continues to move in this place in ways that we cannot understand, and while God is with us the wilderness should not frighten us.
In the gospel passage from Mark, the Spirit comes in a specific way as Jesus is baptised. This text opens with an introduction to John, the baptizer. John is in the wilderness, and yet we see that this place, often thought of as desolate and unyeilding, has been able to sustain John, providing him with some of the basic necessities of life – food and clothing. While locusts and honey might not be 5-star cuisine, and camel hair clothes might not be the highest fashion, this wilderness has provided things that have sustained John.
Jesus goes to meet John, walking into the wilderness of the Jordan, insisting on being baptised. As part of this experience the ‘Spirit descended like a dove on him’, and Jesus heard ‘a voice from heaven’ that named and encouraged him. Hearing God call your name is a profound thing … whether we hear it as a loud voice or a gentle nudging. The noise of the world can block out God’s voice, yet in the Jordan, away from the noise, Jesus hears God.
Immediately following his baptism, Jesus is then led further into the wilderness? The text tells us that this is a place where he will be tempted. Why would the beloved Son be sent into such a place? There is something about this experience of the wilderness place which helps Jesus find clarity about his purpose. Yes, he is tempted by Satan, but the wilderness is the special place of the Spirit who has led Jesus there. Satan might try and take advantage of Jesus’ location, but fails because the Spirit sustains Jesus in this place where animals are his companions and ‘the angels waited on him’.
Here we witness the wilderness as a place of divine activity – a place of opportunity, safety and God’s transforming power. I wonder how it would be if we viewed our wilderness areas in this light – as places where we might experience the clarity we desire and the transformation that can only come when we meet God? I wonder if we are open to God’s Spirit leading us to these places.
May our wilderness places help us let go and open us to hear what the Spirit is calling us to. May our sighs and groans exist in harmony with the sighs and groans of Creation, and may we continue to see and feel the wonder of God which is all around us.
Amen.
We Sing: “Come and find the quiet centre” – (Tune TiS 493 – words below)
Come and find the quiet centre in the crowded life we lead,
find the room for hope to enter, find the frame where we are freed:
clear the chaos and the clutter, clear our eyes, that we can see
all the things that really matter, be at peace, and simply be.
Silence is a friend who claims us, cools the heat and slows the pace,
Got it is who speaks and names us, knows our being, touches base,
making space within our thinking, lifting shades to show the sun,
raising courage when we’re shrinking, finding scope for faith begun.
In the Spirit let us travel, open to each other’s pain
let our loves and fears unravel, celebrate the space we gain:
there’s a place for deepest dreaming, there’s a time for hearts to care,
in the Spirit’s lively scheming there is always room to spare.
Prayer for Others (prepared by Rob Fenton):
Let us pray …
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 we have such a caring minister. We pray for the many others in our congregation who carry out the many important tasks and roles that make our church community so healthy and vibrant.
We give thanks for the lovely Spring weather and the blooming gardens which uplift our spirits. We give thanks for the many blessings we have.
We do however pray with concern for the precarious condition of our environment. We have not taken good care of the wonderful planet you have made, and now the future will be uncertain unless we seriously change our ways. With climate experts advising us that the temperature has already increased by 1.5 degrees, much earlier than anticipated, and that the climate is breaking down, we pray that we will finally take it seriously and make the changes necessary. We pray for our children and grandchildren, that the world they inherit from us will be a healthy and environmentally sustainable world.
We pray for the people of Morocco who have experienced a devastating earthquake, with thousands dead, and countless others homeless. We pray for the families of those who have died. We pray for the many involved in the rescue efforts. We also pray for the many others who have been suffering from natural disasters in other parts of the world over recent months.
We pray for the upcoming Referendum on a Voice to Parliament for our indigenous peoples. We pray that the debate between the Yes and No cases will be conducted in a respectful way, and will not be divisive. We pray that if the Yes vote wins, that it will lead to real change for the better, including for those in disadvantaged remote communities.
We pray for our public health system, which is struggling to cope, with ambulances spending endless hours ramping at the busy public hospitals before patients can be received in Emergency Departments. We pray for the medical staff in the Emergency Departments and in the hospitals in general, who are doing their best despite shortages of staff and beds.
We also pray for our GPs and GP practices, who are finding it more and more difficult to cover costs whilst making a reasonable income, and are not able to afford bulk billing except for the very disadvantaged patients. We also pray with concern about the extra pressure this is placing on hospital emergency departments. We pray for those in government who have responsibility for decisions on funding for improvements in the health system.
We continue to pray for all in our church community. We give thanks for the warm and caring fellowship which our church community provides to us, and the focus which it provides to our lives as Christians.
We now join with Christians across the centuries and pray as our Lord taught us:
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: “Let all creation dance” – (TiS 187 – words below)
Let all creation dance in energies sublime,
as order turns with chance,
unfolding space and time,
for natures 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.
Blessing:
May the Spirit of God,
who is above all and in all and through all,
fill you with the knowledge of God’s presence in Earth
and the impulse of Christ within you.
Go in peace,
serving Christ and loving Earth!
We go in peace,
serving Christ and tending Earth!
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 (Intergen 2023), www.pilgrim.org.au, Seasons of the Spirit and water, wind, earth & fire: The Christian Practice of Praying with the Elements (Christine Valters Paintner).