Sunday Service Marsden Road Uniting Church 4 August 2013

 

Helen welcomed us and the notices were announced including one about the Musical Society holding its church service at Marsden Road next Sunday, August 11 at 7pm. As they say, "All Welcome". Also the Church Council meeting has been moved to August 20.

Call to Worship Psalm 107

O give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever...

For God satisfies the thirsty and the hungry he fills with good things.

Hymn TIS 134 "Praise my soul the king of heaven" The same line grabs me every time - "ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven"... If that isn't enough, what is!

Prayers of Praise and Confession In groups, and with reference to the Call to Worship we shared how we have experienced those things mentioned in Psalm 107.

Helen closed with: God of love and steadfastness, God who is good. God who longs to immerse us in your love and warmth.  Thank You.

We both know it is undeserved, for we take things for granted, focus on our own plans, and forget your presence.  Forgive us, we pray.  Amen

Words of Assurance  Every day the sun rises - a new day and a new start, from the God of grace.

We then sang together: The steadfast love of The Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning, new every morning,

Great is Thy faithfulness, O Lord, Great is Thy faithfulness.

Scripture Reading.  Hosea 11: 1 - 11 read by Jan, we are told of God's voice poignantly recalling His care for Israel and Israel's lack of awareness of what they had been given, showing no appreciation or loyalty. He speaks of the consequences to follow but also, in His great love,says he will not destroy them and that they will return to Him.

Hymn TIS 121 v. 1,4 "God Himself is present" These verses remind us that we are in the presence of God. It is the time to worship in deepest reverence and renew our surrender.

To offer ourselves as a temple to Him that Is; to Him that brings Light to our being.

Reflection "Love to the Loveless"

Helen set the scene of the Northern Kingdom run amok. They were doing very well, thank you very much...Baal. They had incorporated Baal worship into their traditional worship, including magic in an attempt to make God do what they wanted. But in this passage it is made clear that God is a God of relationships. He is not interested in their sacrifices or performances. Neither does he want mixed feelings towards Him. God, your God wants your heart. But Israel didn't want to know. The images in the bible passage are of a nurturing, caring God, but the more God called, the more Israel rebelled.

God is part of our lives; He aches with us; He remembers the loving care He has given us and which He gave Israel. God longs to reach out but Israel's rebellion angered Him. And consequences followed but God, in His great love, could not desert them and promised to take them back.

We forget. We don't see God's presence. We have a God who loves us so much that He died so nothing would stand between us. If we have fallen away, God is there, God is gracious. God's grace is there for us each new morning.

It is so easy to take what we have for granted, and feel proud of our achievements, forgetting the enduring strength, hope and guidance we have received from God.

So let us give thanks.

Hymn TIS 717 "Give thanks with a grateful heart" A song of thanks, for all we have been given and all that as been done for us.

Freewill Offering Lord, for all of your blessings we thank you. Take and use these gifts to bring glory to your name.

 Affirmation of Faith

Most of the time

A declaration of our belief - in a most human way - We believe, well, most of the time: in an imminent Friend who will never forsake us; who, while one with us, is Divine. Thanks be to God.

Prayer for others and the Lord's Prayer. Jack gave thanks for Helen; her imagination; her innovative approach and indeed, her unpredictability. He reminded us of the newspaper articles she had shown us in a previous service of the many things going very wrong around us. At the time he had wondered why people can go so badly astray. He had come to the conclusion that is was because of bad choices, lack of respect, irresponsibility and of people not having the faintest idea about valuing relationships. And so he prayed for people everywhere, that they will avoid such disasters. He then prayed for the particular needs of the congregation and then we all joined together in the Lord's Prayer

Communion Helen welcomed all to share in communion and then we sang

Hymn TIS 511 v. 1,2 "Let us break bread together"..."As we travel through this land, all God's children hand in hand, Lord, fill all our living with your life."

Communion - We remember the bread of life (Joyce Rupp, Out of the Ordinary)

A Responsive Reading (paraphrased)

Our acknowledgement of the reality of God as the source of everything that sustains us and enriches our lives; the One who meets our deepest need with His love. The One who offers us life from the depths of our despair. The One who is our spiritual energy and wakens in us a need for truth. This bread reminds us. Sharing this bread, which must be broken, gives us strength and transforms us. This bread binds us together in community and proclaims that the ordinary is a mask of the holy. This bread asks us to be aware of our journey and be patient with it, giving ourselves up to the nourishment offered, so that  we will become deeply wedded to compassion. To remember we are waiting here for our true home.

"And finally, we remember: That our hearts are filled with gratitude for this good gift. Within us all that is holy cries out. Come, Bread of Life, Come!"

Distribution

 

Hymn TIS 511 v 3,4 "Let us sing songs together"..." As we travel through this land, all God's children hand in hand. Lord, fill all our living with your life"

Blessing

The Lord bless you and keep you

The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you.

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.

Amen. Amen. Amen.