Call to Worship
Dan prayed to our God,
the God of Abraham and Sarah, who sent them on a journey of faith, who also
sent his Son, Jesus, to live among us. Jesus, who died but now lives within us,
opening the way to a new life.
Hymn AHB 3 "All creatures of our God and
King" A song of praise prompting all corners of creation who owe God
thanks, and those who have even the most remote hint of appreciation of all
that flows from him, to praise him for it- not simply politely, but in full
voice.
Prayer of Praise
and Thanksgiving
Dan led us again in a
prayer to our Eternal God, who sent Jesus to show us his true nature, through
whom we came to see a new reality, who mended our broken selves, who set free
those in bondage to sin and who included the previously excluded. Dan prayed
that we would know the touch of God in our lives and see that Jesus showed us
that there is no limit to God's love.
Prayer of
Confession
Dan made the point that
the world's standards are not God's standards and that while we live in this
world, we will constantly fall short of God's standards. For this he asked
forgiveness - for our contributing to the insanity of the world and for
thinking that we can deal with it by ourselves. Dan then prayed that we be kept
holy to be a powerful witness to God's Word.
Assurance of
Forgiveness
As it says in John,
whoever has the Son has life, and those who believe in him are not condemned.
Offering
The offering was taken
up and dedicated to the work of God at Marsden Road Uniting Church and to the
work of God in the wider world, with thanks for God's many blessings.
Hymn AHB 176 "A man there lived in Galilee"
This is Jesus, the one who provided the template for what we should want to be,
but can't be, no matter how hard we try. But if we hand ourselves into his care
and ask for his guidance, we may at least start along the path.
Readings
Elaine brought the
readings from: Genesis 12: 1 - 7 The Lord said the Abraham "Go" and
Abraham "Went" not knowing anything about what was in store for him.
That's faith. If only we could keep it that simple.
John 3: 1 - 17 We must
be born anew. Not just a polish, not just a bit of 'work' done, not just a
change of the rules we follow - born anew.
Sermon Living by faith involves trusting God
and taking risks, but there is an upside -
eternal life.
Dan began by describing
Nicodemus as being used by John as a sort of straight man for Jesus - the man
who asks the questions so the protagonist can deliver the information to the audience.
This whole incident of Nicodemus coming to Jesus by night is written as a
narrative about a man well versed in the Law; someone who knew the Torah by
heart and was used to debating theological matters at length: a man, well
educated as he was, who could still not get his head around Jesus' message, but
could not be seen to be seeking explanations from this itinerant preacher, so
came under the cover of darkness.
The message was
straightforward but still difficult for anyone who has not stepped out in faith
to claim it: you must be born again - not physically but of the spirit.
Then Dan returned to
the Old Testament reading. Abraham and Sarah were told to leave the place where
they were settled, to go to a place they didn't know and to be the beginning of
a great nation. How could that be when they hadn't any family. But they
believed God and went. They took a big risk but it all happened.
So, how do we become
born anew - not by our own effort anymore than being born physically was by our
own effort. Nor by being born to Christian parents or by keeping the rules or
by doing good - but by allowing God to renew us - breathe unto us a new spirit.
"God wants us to
know that there is a new life to be had and a whole new world that is coming
that we can help create, as we live by faith in Christ. As it was with Abraham
and Sarah, there is a whole new land out there for us and all we have to do is
trust in God and keep walking where he wants us to go."
Hymn AHB 56 "Amazing Grace" The song of
someone who believed and is amazed by the difference. Not just an improvement.
New from the inside, out. Safe in the knowledge of being where they should be.
Prayers of the
People
Dan prayed to God on
our behalf, speaking of the many things on our minds today that bring fear: the
conflict in the Middle East and Chechnya; and the conflict in the Ukraine
concerning the Crimea and Russian interference along with the conflict in the
Sudan. For us, he prayed for a peaceful resolution to all of those situations
and for God's will to be done. He then turned to the concerns of the members of
the congregation and prayed for the family and friends experiencing illness and
difficult times along with the homeless and all experiencing any illness,
especially those battling depression and its invisible consequences. For us, he
prayed for the future of Marsden Road Uniting Church and the calling of our new
minister - in Jesus' name. Amen
Hymn TIS 658 "I The Lord of the Sea and Sky" A
question about how will God work his will in the world. And the answer:
"Here I am Lord"
Blessing and
Benediction
May the protection of
God surround you.
May the joy of Jesus
infill you.
May the harmony of the
Holy Spirit resound in and through your life.
Now go to live and
serve the Lord.
Threefold Amen
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