Gathering God’s People
Acknowledgement of First Peoples
From river to
ocean, from campfire to hearth,
May the First People who have cared for
this Land be blessed.
From breath to song, from step to dance,
May those who follow Your Songlines guide
us on the journey of living honourably in this place.
From greeting to Amen, from silence to
chorus.
Call to Worship (Abingdon Worship Annual 2019)
From fishing fleets and busy harbours, God
gathers simple sailors. Through persecution and injustice, God calls brave
prophets. When we least expect it, Christ gathers us in, and calls us to follow
him. Let us gather and answer Christ’s call. Called by God, we have come to
worship. Called by Christ, we have come to follow. Called by the Spirit, we have
come to rejoice. Called together, we will listen and pray.
Hymn TIS 693: “Come as you are.” A hymn of great encouragement. Just as
we are. No matter how badly we think of ourselves, we are invited.
Opening Prayer
Holy God, we gather to sing your praise
and hear your word. Speak to us now, that we may be wise enough to perceive
your call. Strengthen us now, that we may be brave enough to answer when you
call. Guide us now, that we may follow where you would have us go. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Master, we have worked all day and
night, for many months and years. We yearn for a heavy catch, a full church, an
abundant feast. Forgive us God, when we are too tired to cast our nets one
time; when we are too stubborn to do things a little differently. Have mercy on
us, when we are too afraid to dive into deep waters and take a risk. Grant us
grace, that we may proclaim your word, work for your kingdom, and trust your
promises. Amen.
Declaration of
Forgiveness
Do not be afraid!
Christ has called. Christ has redeemed us. Christ will save us all.
Thanks be to God!
The Peace
Those who place their faith in the Lord
are blessed. Let us share this blessing with those around us as we pass the
peace of Christ.
Peace be with you!
And also, with you!
Offering
Whom should God send? Who will go for God’s
people? Here we are, God is
counting on us. Let us share our gifts and
our offerings in answer to God’s call.
Increase the strength of these gifts, and
the strength of our ministries, O God. Expand the nets of our love, that we may
reach deeply and share abundantly. In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen
Hymn TIS 658: “I the Lord of Sea and Sky” Send me. I'll step up. So often
we think that the message means someone else. Someone more talented, someone
with more time, someone more confident. No it means me.
The Service of the Word
Bible readings (delivered by Laurel)
The
First Reading: Isaiah 6:1-8, (9-13)
The Gospel Reading: Luke 5: 1-11
Isaiah
6:1-8, (9-13)This needs to be read in its entirety to appreciate how
challenging and even frightening it can be to hear the call of God. But God
doesn't ask us to do anything for which we will not receive strength and
support.
Luke 5: 1-11. An example of how we can get it so wrong.
The fishermen were experienced and were so sure that Jesus couldn't be serious.
However, the results proved their expertise out and they were forced to rethink
their whole lives.
Preaching of the Word - Call to Transforming Love
Rev. John’s message
was about trusting God’s voice. We may not think ourselves good enough for the
task but then, apart from not trusting God to support us and guide us, so often
we at mistaken about the nature of the task. Trust!
Once we listen and
follow, Rev. John said:
“For we are never the same once we have
listened to what Christ has commanded! We are never the same once we have
acknowledged our true condition. We are never the same once we place our lives
in Christ’s hands.
It is a truth that sustains us in
our journeys, and it is a truth that will keep and protect us during the rough
seas of our lives.
It is a truth that will take us beyond the religious
trappings of our world and into the loving
arms of our Master, the One who
calls us to follow him into the deep places and catch people for him. Amen.”
Rev. John went on to say:
“We are called to be a people who
have experienced
that same transforming generosity and love. That same Jesus has invaded our "space" and affected our day-to-day lives. There's been a moment, perhaps a
whole lot of moments when God in Jesus has touched us even in the parts of our lives we have foolishly thought to be "nothing to do with religion".
that same transforming generosity and love. That same Jesus has invaded our "space" and affected our day-to-day lives. There's been a moment, perhaps a
whole lot of moments when God in Jesus has touched us even in the parts of our lives we have foolishly thought to be "nothing to do with religion".
Hymn TIS 132: “Holy, Holy, Holy.” And when all turns out well, the praise
goes, not to us with our new found mission but to God.
Music to lead us to prayer
During this time we
prayed our private prayers after which Rev. John led us in the Prayers of the
People, followed by The Lord’s Prayer.
Hymn TIS 387: (Tune: Turo) “Christ is alive Let Christians sing” And sing we did, Rev.
John’s message had touched hearts and minds.
Benediction
Listen for God’s word. Answer Christ’s call. Go into the deep and love
courageously. Rejoice in the harvest of grace! And may Almighty God, Creator,
Redeemer and Giver of Life bless you and keep always Amen.
HymnTIS779: “May the feet of God
walk with you”: Our prayer for each other.
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