Call
to Worship (Responsively between men and women)
Men: Oh come, let us sing to
the LORD!
Women: Let us shout joyfully to
the Rock of our salvation.
Men: Oh come, let us worship
and bow down;
Women: Let us kneel before the
LORD our Maker.
Men: For He is our God,
Women: And we are the people of
His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
All:
Let us come to the Lord with thanksgiving. Amen.
Hymn: "Be still, for the
presence of the Lord, the holy one is here (David Evans)." A hymn with a
gentle command to remember that we are on Holy ground and to alert us to the
possibilities of what we can experience if we open our hearts and minds.
Prayer
of Adoration and Confession
Hugh Park
"Our
God and Heavenly Father, we come before you this morning to praise you and
adore you." Hugh continued praising God for his wisdom and his guidance
through our many experiences of life. He, on our behalf, acknowledged, as far
as we humans can, God's great love for us. He went on with thanks to speak of
God's compassion which despite our many flaws and stumbles, holds us close to
him. "We confess that sometimes we are weak. We confess that sometimes we
are greedy; we want more and more and
more and often neglect other people in need."
"Forgive
us dear Lord, for our sins and our selfishness and our insensitivity.
In
Jesus’ name we pray, Amen."
Offering
A little
of God's bounteous blessings to us returned for his service.
Powerpoint “A creative Calendar of Seniors…” a little lightness to
lift our spirits. Photos from a calendar where seniors dressed as characters
from well known films in iconic poses, reminding us that there is God-given
life in us still - and we can still be of service to God and to our neighbours.
Hymn: TIS 229 Jesus loves me, this I know. As the
children left for Sunday Kids and Mini Kids, a hymn that they can understand
and to which the child in all of us responds.
Bible
Readings:
Joan Sams. Psalm 1: Check it out.
A comparison between the experiences of good and wicked people. A recent
item on the Internet showed that when things are unfair not only do those who
are treated unfairly suffer, so do those who hand out the unfairness. Being
wicked does not bring any rewards but being obedient to God brings security and
peace.
Matthew 22:34-46 The two great
commandments. Love God. Love our neighbour. That includes really irritating
family and relatives. It includes people whose customs and food are different
from ours - even people with different political views!
Reflection Hugh
Hugh
began by directing our attention to all the war, murder, torture and
persecution that has been carried out throughout history in the name of
religion. And it's still happening: fundamentalist Muslim militants, the Middle
East conflict, the hostility between India and Pakistan, the genocide in Africa
and all the other hostility across the world.
Hugh
remembered a photo of President Bush praying for the American soldiers, while
in Iraq Saddam Hussein was praying for his country and soldiers who would be
attacked by the American soldiers. (During WW1, the British soldiers were
fighting for God, King and Country against German soldiers who were fighting
for God, Kaiser and Fatherland.) Hugh spoke about discrimination against
Jews in American Country Clubs and the Existence of our White Australia's
Policy. (While this is no longer in legislation, it doesn't take much to
find that it is still alive and well, even among Christians who would teach
that we are all children of God.) The silly part is that the whole point of
the policy was to keep Australia as a white CHRISTIAN country.
"Well
today, every religion I know of sees itself as a beacon of light for the rest
of the world. Every religion we know of talks about love: love of their god and
love of their people. If ever the world needed to hear the Gospel, I believe it
is now. A lawyer asked Jesus a question in an attempt to test him. ‘Master, which is the great
commandment?’
Jesus
answered him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the
first and great commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor
as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the laws and the prophets.’”
“Would you say that was love for God
or love for neighbor? We know now they cannot be split apart. They cannot be
separated “. I have met Christians who talk
about being sensible and not wasting money on people who are not going to
manage it well, Christians who talk about only associating with Christians in
case they become corrupted. Fortunately for us Jesus didn't take that view.
"If
you do not LOVE your neighbours as yourself, you are not actually responding to
God’s love toward you. Yes.
Our love for God is primary and our love for neighbours is our response to that
Love.
REMEMBER
WHENEVER YOU DO AN ACT OF LOVE TO ANOTHER, YOU DO IT UNTO CHRIST. God loves us through Christ. We love God
through our neighbor. To try it any
other way does not work.
That
is the Gospel of God’s love that Jesus Christ our Lord showed to us and to all the
world. Amen.”
Hymn:
TIS 685 "Lord,
I come to you" Our plea that the power of God's love will change us into
people who will be able to keep the two great commandments. It's hard to sing
that and mean it. We really do like our own way.
Prayers
for the People and Lord’s Prayer Laurel led us in our
prayers for God's people near and far. For people in trouble spots who cannot
be ignored because we now have so many ways of knowing all that happens all
over the world. Laurel directed our thoughts to the situation in Ukraine and to
the Ebola crisis, praying for all those who are in a position to help,
especially political leaders. That they will make wise decisions. We prayed for
the scientific teams developing a vaccine against Ebola and for the medical
staff who have to face traumatic situations.
Laurel
prayed for us to be peace-makers and that here at home our leaders will provide
the financial, medical and other help needed for a peaceful society.
Laurel
directed our thoughts to those young people sitting for exams and considering
their careers.
We
then prayed for the church all over Australia, especially in country areas but
also in our own congregation at Marsden Road. Then we turned our thoughts to
those known to us who are ill or in pain, concluding with The Lord's Prayer.
Have
no fear, whoever you are, wherever you go,
The
Lord is your strength and your comfort.
God the
Creator made you; God the Saviour heals you;
God
the Spirit sends you. Go now, for he is
with you. Amen!
‘Hale, Hale, Hale’. A joyful way to go out to
serve the Lord.
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