Order of Service – 4th August 2024

The Order of Service follows below.

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Brougham Place Uniting Church
Kardlayirdi Karnungga
A Light on the Hill

4 August 2024
Communion
Preacher: Rev Linda Driver
11^th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 13)
Liturgical colour: Green

We acknowledge the Kaurna people as the traditional carers of the land on which our church is built.

As you wait for worship to begin, please turn your phone to silent.

Prelude

Welcome and Acknowledgment of Country

Naa marni?
(Are you all good?)
Marni Ai!
(Good I am)

Lighting of the Candles

We sing: Gather Us In

Here in this place new light is streaming,
now is the darkness vanished away,
see, in this space, our fears and our dreamings,
brought here to you in the light of this day.

Gather us in, the lost and forsaken;
gather us in, the blind and the lame;
call to us now, and we shall awaken,
we shall arise at the sound of our name.
We are the young, our lives are a mystery;
we are the old, who yearn for your face;
we have been sung throughout all of history,
called to be light to the whole human race.

Gather us in, the rich and the haughty;
gather us in, the proud and the strong;
give us a heart so meek and so lowly,
give us the courage to enter the song.
Not in the dark of buildings confining,
not in some heaven light years away,
but here in this space, the new light is shining,
now is the kingdom, now is the day.

Gather us in, and hold us forever;
gather us in, and make us your own;
gather us in, all peoples together,
fire of love in our flesh and our bone.

Opening Prayer

Jesus said: I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me will never be hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
You, O God, create our lives.
You provide our bread;
you quench our thirst.
Create this day in us
to walk in your love.

O Christ, join us in our quest,
O Christ, we share the bread together,
O Christ, be food for our minds.
Eternal God,
creator of time,
sustainer of soul,
liberator of the oppressed,
feed us the bread of Christ,
bringing true communion with you,
making our joy complete. Amen.

We Sing: Now Thank We All Our God

Now thank we all our God
with hearts and hands and voices,
who wondrous things has done,
in whom the world rejoices;
who from our mothers’ arms
has blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still is ours today.
O may this bounteous God
through all our life be near us,
with ever joyful hearts
and blessèd peace to cheer us.
Lord, keep us in your grace,
and guide us when perplexed,
and free us from all harm
in this world and the next.
All praise and thanks to God
who reigns in highest heaven,
to Father and to Son
and Spirit now be given:
the one eternal God,
whom heaven and earth adore,
who ever was, is now,
and shall be ever more.

Together in Song 106 (i) Martin Rinkart 1586-1649 tr. Catherine Winkworth 1827-78 alt. Public Domain.

Prayer of Confession

Loving God, we come before you knowing that, at times, we limit the extent of your love and life.

Sometimes, we act like your love is only available for those who look and behave like us.
Christ, you are the bread of life for all people.
Open our eyes to see the breadth of your grace.

Sometimes, we forget about your presence and try to do life alone, working in our limited strength.
Christ, you are the bread of life for all people.
Open our eyes to see the breadth of your grace.

At times, we are so caught up in our own needs in life, we forget that others are suffering, too.
Christ, you are the bread of life for all people.
Open our eyes to see the breadth of your grace.

Words of Assurance

Jesus said: ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will no longer be hungry or thirsty.’
May we know the abundance of Christ’s love and grace.
Thanks be to God, Amen.

Passing of the Peace

May the peace of God be with you.
And also with you.

Community News and Notices

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Threads of Love (We hear about the 17^th Assembly)

Children’s Time

Children may go downstairs for Sunday School. Parents, you are welcome to join your child in Sunday School if you feel your child may need your assistance. Alternatively, you may wish for your child to remain with you for the duration of worship. Activity packs are available at the entrances.

Scripture Reading: John 6:22-35

The next day the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there. They also saw that Jesus had not gotten into the boat with his disciples but that his disciples had gone away alone. But some boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us, then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Then Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

The Gospel of Christ, Light of the world.
Thanks be to God.

Message

We Sing: Christ be our Light

Longing for light, we wait in darkness.
Longing for truth, we turn to you.
Make us your own, your holy people,
light for the world to see.

Christ, be our light! Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in your church gathered today.
Longing for peace, our world is troubled.
Longing for hope, many despair.
Your word alone has power to save us.
Make us your living voice.

Christ, be our light! Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in your church gathered today.
Longing for food, many are hungry.
Longing for water, many still thirst.
Make us your bread, broken for others,
shared until all are fed.

Christ, be our light! Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in your church gathered today.
Longing for shelter, many are homeless.
Longing for warmth, many are cold.
Make us your building, sheltering others
walls made of living stone.

Christ, be our light! Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in your church gathered today.
Many the gifts, many the people,
many the hearts that yearn to belong.
Let us be servants to one another,
making your kingdom come.

Christ, be our light! Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in your church gathered today.

Prayers of the People

Offering

To give electronically towards the ministry of Brougham Place, please go to bpuc.org/give

Alternatively, there is an offering bowl near the lectern on the left-hand side as you exit the church.

Offering Prayer

Generous God, we give thanks to you for the gift of life each day. You are the Bread of Life, sustaining and filling with goodness.
We bring these, our gifts, and our lives to you.

May they be used to feed others, both physically and spiritually, that the abundance of your love maybe known in our world.
Amen.

We Sing: Feed us Now

Feed us now Bread of life,
in this holy meal;
let us know your love anew:
we hunger for you.
Feed us now, Bread of life,
come and live within;
let your peace be ours today,
Lord Jesus, we pray.
Piece of bread, cup of wine:
Lord, this food is good:
love and mercy come to us –
your promise we trust.
Piece of bread, cup of wine:
who can understand
how his mercy works in these?
Yet, Lord, we believe.
God is here, O so near,
nearer than our thoughts.
Stay with us where’er we go;
Lord, help us to grow.
God is here, O so near,
in this heaven’s meal.
May we always feed on you –
on the bread that is true.

Communion

Invitation

Words of Institution

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

… we come to God with our prayers of thanksgiving.

May God be with you.
And also with you.

Lift up your hearts!
We lift them up to our God.

Let us give thanks to God our Creator.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Loving God, you made this world …

…in this joyful hymn of praise:
Holy, holy, holy God of all that is,
All that was and all that will be.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory,
Hosanna in the highest.

For your kindness …

… and be his faithful followers, showing your love for the world.
Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all honour and glory is yours, God of Love,
for ever and ever, Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Let us pray together in the words that Jesus taught us:

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be Your name,

your Kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in Heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

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.

The Breaking of the Bread

The gifts of God for the people of God.
The gifts of God for us, the people of God.

The Communion

Prayer After Communion

We Sing: Praise with Joy the World’s Creator

Praise with joy the world’s Creator,
God of justice, love and peace,
source and end of human knowledge,
force of greatness without cease.
Celebrate the Maker’s glory,
power to rescue and release.
Praise the Son who feeds the hungry,
frees the captive, finds the lost,
heals the sick, upsets religion,
fearless both of fate and cost.
Celebrate Christ’s constant presence –
Friend and Stranger, Guest and Host.
Praise the Spirit sent among us,
liberating truth from pride,
forging bonds where race or gender,
age or nation dare divide.
Celebrate the Spirit’s treasure –
foolishness none dare deride.
Praise the Maker, Son and Spirit,
one God in community,
calling Christians to embody
oneness and diversity.
Thus the world shall yet believe, when
shown Christ’s vibrant unity.

Together in Song, 179, John L. Bell 1949- and Graham Maule 1958- Words from Wild Goose Songs 1, Heaven Shall Not Wait. Words used with permission under copyright CCLI Licence No 37219. Copyright cleared music for churches.

Sending Forth and Benediction

Bread of Life, we have been fed by your word, filled with your Spirit, and encouraged by each other’s presence. As we leave this place to return to the world where people hunger, let us take the manna of your abundant love to share. Give us eyes to see the hungry, ears to hear their stories, hands to give, receive and hold and hearts to love without judgment.
We go with the blessing
of our compassionate God,
giver and sustainer of life.
Amen

Postlude

Come and share morning tea together, in the basement. There are stairs behind the organ and a ramp between the church and the car park. You are welcome.

This service has been prepared with assistance from:

L3 Liturgy and Learning for Life © MediaCom Education, writer: Cathie Lambert

Bible Reading: New Revised Standard Version (Updated Edition)

Cover image: Photo by Kate Remmer on Unsplash