Order of Service – 13th April 2025

The Order of Service follows below.

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Brougham Place Uniting Church
Kardlayirdi Karnungga
A Light on the Hill

Sunday 13 April, 2025
Palm Sunday
Preacher: Rev Linda Driver

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.

Welcome and Acknowledgment of Country

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

Call to Worship 1

If you listen carefully, there is a beat, a rhythm, a melody.
Creation is singing!
The stones cry out,
the mountains dance.
The sun and the moon both praise.
The stars shine
while the trees sway and clap their hands in time.
Do you hear creation sing, singing the song of Jubilee?
This is the music of Creator that sets all the captives free.

We Sing: God is Here Today

God is here today;
as certain as the air I breathe,
as certain as the morning sun that rises,
as certain when I sing you’ll hear my song. (repeat)

Children’s Time 1

Call to Worship 2

On this day, Jesus marched
in between the city walls and the Temple,
in between joyful Hosannas and doubtful whispers,
in between oppressive poverty and greedy power,
in between rampant fear and hope unfurled.
On this day, Jesus marched in between
what had been and what could be.
So may we meet Christ in that liminal space.
May we lay down our coats in that messy middle.
Hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna in between!

Procession of Palms

(we sing as the palms are processed)

We Sing: Hosanna

Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!
Lord, we lift up your name
With hearts full of praise.
Be exalted, O Lord, my God!
Hosanna in the highest!
Glory, glory, glory to the King of kings!
Glory, glory, glory to the King of kings!
Lord, we lift up your name
With hearts full of praise.
Be exalted, O Lord, my God!
Glory to the King of kings!
Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!
Lord, we lift up your name
With hearts full of praise.
Be exalted, O Lord, my God!
Hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna in the highest!

Together in Song 724 – Carl Tuttle (1985) Words and music by permission CMC Australasia. Words used with permission under copyright CCLI Licence No 137219. Copyright cleared music for churches.

Prayer of Thanksgiving and Confession

God of kindness and mercy, we bring you our praise and thanks, just as excited crowds waved palm branches and spread out their cloaks when Jesus entered the city.
We are grateful for your presence on our life’s journey
and for times of celebration – thank you!

We also bring you our struggles and troubles:
Like paths with loose stones and rough patches,
life is not always easy.

Sometimes, we have stumbled or felt like giving up and turning back;
often, we travel with hurts and scars.

Sometimes, it has been lonely;
at other times, we find other people hard to travel with through life. (Silence)

Words of Grace

Friends, the God of kindness and mercy
knows us and understands us.
God lifts us up and points us in the right direction again.
God gives us courage and renews our lives.

So hear and believe the good news of the gospel:
We are seen. We are heard. We are loved. We are forgiven.
Not a day goes by that we ever walk alone.
Hosanna in the highest! Amen.

Passing of the Peace

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

Community News and Notices

LentEvent

We stand with the poor and vulnerable on the frontlines of climate change through LentEvent: 40 days of faith-filled action for God’s Creation.

Pick up a brochure or go to: www.lentevent.com.au

Go to our website to view current or previous issues of BP E-news and to sign up to receive BP E-news by email.

Children’s Time 2

We Listen: Breathe, Listen and Notice

Gospel Reading: Luke 19:28-40

After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’” So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They said, “The Lord needs it.” Then they brought it to Jesus, and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. Now as he was approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying,

“Blessed is the king
who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
and glory in the highest heaven!”

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.”

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

Sermon: Shouting and Silence

Poem: If You Really Listen…

In the city you’ll hear horns,
the buzzing of motor scooters,
mothers calling to their children, saying,
“Take my hand before we cross the street.”

You’ll hear church bells,
people asking for spare change,
while others ask for directions.

You’ll hear the whistle from the traffic cop,
the exhaust from the bus,
the announcement of a train arriving in two minutes.

You’ll hear spruikers announcing doonas on sale,
buskers playing for coins,
and religious nuts selling ideas.

But even with all that shouting,
even with all that noise,
the birds still sing.

Against all odds,
thanks be to God,
the birds still sing.

Affirmation of Faith

We believe that many years ago
a peaceful parade wove its way
through the streets of Jerusalem.

We believe that on that day
the people cried out,
longing and praying for a better world.

We believe that these longings
came from a place of deep hope,
and we believe
that hope cannot be silenced.

So we listen for the Spirit.
We sing Hosanna.
We pay attention.
For in between the silence and the song,
we believe the Spirit is speaking.
Amen.

We Sing: The King of Glory Comes

The King of glory comes
the nation rejoices,
open the gates before him,
lift up your voices.

Who is the King of glory, how shall we call him?
He is Immanuel, the promised of ages.

    The King of glory comes
    the nation rejoices,
    open the gates before him,
    lift up your voices.
In all of Galilee, in city or village,
he goes among his people curing their illness.

    The King of glory comes
    the nation rejoices,
    open the gates before him,
    lift up your voices.
Sing then of David’s son, our Saviour and brother;
in all of Galilee was never another.

    The King of glory comes
    the nation rejoices,
    open the gates before him,
    lift up your voices.
He gave his life for us, the pledge of salvation;
he took upon himself the sins of the nation.

    The King of glory comes
    the nation rejoices,
    open the gates before him,
    lift up your voices.
He conquered sin and death; he truly has risen,
and he will share with us his heavenly vision.

    The King of glory comes,
    the nation rejoices;
    open the gates before him,
    lift up your voices.
    The King of glory comes,
    the nation rejoices.

Together in Song 279 Words © W. F. Jabusch. Music by permission Celebration, Nightlight Music, Aliquippa, PA, 15001 USA. Words used with permission under copyright LicenSing Licence No 604444. Copyright cleared music for churches.

Prayers of the People

…We need help, Jesus, in the midst of the challenges in our lives and relationships.
Help us to find you, Jesus.
Bring your healing and comforting presence to our lives.

We need help, Jesus, to listen to creation—
creation praising, creation groaning,
creation buckling at the weight of our consumption and extraction.
Help us to remember that our own wellbeing
is tied up with the flourishing of all things.

We need help, Jesus, to lay down our ways of domination.
Be with those caught in the crossfire of conflict,
the innocent victims, those hoping for another day
beyond survival, beyond despair.
Help us to relearn the ways of peace.

Help us, O God, to take our place in the anthem,
to raise our voices, to dance for justice,
to be caught up in the freedom journey
that brings new life and marches towards peace for all. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

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.

Offering

To give electronically please go to bpuc.org/give You can place your offering in the bowl at the end of the service.

Offering Prayer

We Sing: The Summons

Will you come and follow me
if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know
and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown,
will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown
In you and you in me?
Will you let the blinded see
if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free
and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean,
and do such as this unseen,
and admit to what I mean
in you and you in me?
Will you love the ‘you’ you hide
if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside
and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you’ve found
to reshape the world around
through my sight and touch and sound
in you and you in me?
Lord, your summons echoes true
when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you
and never be the same.
In your company I’ll go
where your love and footsteps show.
Thus I’ll move and live and grow
in you and you in me.

Sending Forth and Benediction

Go in the strength of God, who is found in our praises,
in the courage of Jesus who walked the stony paths of earth,
and in the loving presence of the Spirit who gives us life.
We go in the name of this God.
The blessing of God goes with you today and always.
Amen.

We Sing: Peace and Goodwill

Peace and goodwill be with us ev’ry morning.
Peace and goodwill be with us in the afternoon.
Peace and goodwill be with us through the evening
and at night God’s peace be in us through and through.

Shalom, God’s peace be with us ev’ry morning.
Salām, God’s peace be with us in the afternoon.
Tali na nun be with us through the evening
and at night God’s peace be in us through and through.

Shalom (Hebrew), Salām (Arabic) and Tali na nun (Bari)

Please stay and enjoy each other’s company in the park.Toilets are available in the Church basement, via the carpark.

This service has been prepared with assistance from

SANCTIFIED ART EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN WORDS FOR WORSHIP @sanctifiedart | sanctifiedart.org | contact@sanctifiedart.org

Poem “If You Really Listen”: based on a poem by Rev Sarah Speed.

The Bible Reading is from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE). Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

L3: Liturgy, Learning, and (purposeful) Life. Writer: Viv Whimster

Words for Worship, 13 April 2025 © 2025, Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of South Australia

Photo by Syd Sujuaan on Unsplash