Order of Service – 25th August 2024

The Order of Service follows below.

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Brougham Place Uniting Church
Kardlayirdi Karnungga
A Light on the Hill

Date: August 25, 2024
Preacher: Rev Linda Driver
14th Sunday after Pentecost. 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)

Let us acknowledge the Kaurna Peoples who have gathered, baked bread, shared food nourished each other in story and song for thousands of years.

We pay our respects to their elders, past and present, who have handed down stories, songs, recipes, and wisdom.

Let us learn from the First Peoples of this land, listening to their innate knowledge of how to live in this land in harmony with all living things.

Introit and Lighting of the Candles

How Lovely is Your Dwelling Place (Together in Song 44)

Call to Worship

Based on Psalm 84:3, 10a (NRSV)

Happy are those, God, who live in your house.
Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young.

Come and sing in the courts of the Lord,
Where a day is better
than a thousand elsewhere.

We sing: Let Us Build a House

Let us build a house where love can dwell
and all can safely live,
a place where saints and children tell
how hearts learn to forgive.
Built of hopes and dreams and visions,
rock of faith and vault of grace;
here the love of Christ shall end divisions:

Refrain:
All are welcome, all are welcome,
all are welcome in this place.
Let us build a house where prophets speak,
and words are strong and true,
where all God’s children dare to seek
to dream God’s reign anew.
Here the cross shall stand as witness
and as symbol of God’s grace;
here as one we claim the faith of Jesus:

Refrain:
All are welcome, all are welcome,
all are welcome in this place.
Let us build a house where all are named,
their songs and visions heard
and loved and treasured, taught and claimed
as words within the Word.
Built of tears and cries and laughter,
prayers of faith and songs of grace,
let this house proclaim from floor to rafter:

Refrain:
All are welcome, all are welcome,
all are welcome in this place.

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.

Prayer of Confession

Gracious God, at times, we have great intentions, but following Jesus’ way can be difficult.

When we would prefer an easier path and avoid the hard work of loving our neighbours.
God, forgive us.

When we would prefer a less demanding teacher and look for simple, uncomplicated answers.
God, forgive us.

When we would prefer an effortless life and ignore the pain and suffering of others.
God, forgive us.

Words of Grace

Our God is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness.
Hear then Christ’s words of grace:
‘Your sins are forgiven!’
Thanks be to God.

Passing of the Peace

The peace of our God be with you.
And also with you.

Community News and Notices

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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.

Anthem

Today I Awake and God is Before Me (Bell/Maule CW211)

Scripture Reading: John 6:56-69

By eating my flesh and drinking my blood you enter into me and I into you. In the same way that the fully alive Father sent me here and I live because of him, so the one who makes a meal of me lives because of me. This is the Bread from heaven. Your ancestors ate bread and later died. Whoever eats this Bread will live always.”

He said these things while teaching in the meeting place in Capernaum.

Many among his disciples heard this and said, “This is tough teaching, too tough to swallow.”

Jesus sensed that his disciples were having a hard time with this and said, “Does this rattle you completely? What would happen if you saw the Son of Man ascending to where he came from? The Spirit can make life. Sheer muscle and willpower don’t make anything happen. Every word I’ve spoken to you is a Spirit-word, and so it is life-making. But some of you are resisting, refusing to have any part in this.” (Jesus knew from the start that some weren’t going to risk themselves with him. He knew also who would betray him.) He went on to say, “This is why I told you earlier that no one is capable of coming to me on his own. You get to me only as a gift from the Father.”

After this, many of his disciples left. They no longer wanted to be associated with him. Then Jesus gave the Twelve their chance: “Do you also want to leave?”

Peter replied, “Master, to whom would we go? You have the words of real life, eternal life. We’ve already committed ourselves, confident that you are the Holy One of God.”

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

Message

Stages of Baking Bread

We sing: Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ

Let us talents and tongues employ,
reaching out with a shout of joy;
bread is broken, the wine is poured,
Christ is spoken and seen and heard.

Jesus lives again, earth can breathe again,
pass the Word around: loaves abound!
Christ is able to make us one,
at the table he sets the tone,
teaching people to live to bless,
love in word and in deed express.

Jesus lives again, earth can breathe again,
pass the Word around: loaves abound!
Jesus call us in, sends us out
bearing fruit in a world of doubt,
gives us love to tell, bread to share:
God-Immanuel everywhere.

Jesus lives again, earth can breathe again,
pass the Word around: loaves abound!

Prayers for Others

… Loving God,
inspire everyone to embrace and work for peace
and inspire us to embrace and work for peace also.

… Loving God,
inspire us to care for the world being of our world
and inspire us to play our part also.

… Loving God,
inspire your world to be generous
and inspire us to continue to be generous too.

… Loving God,
continue to inspire your world to sacrificially live love
and inspire us to do so too.
This we ask and plead in Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

And now with the confidence of the children of God, let us pray the prayer Jesus taught us saying…

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

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: You are Holy

You are holy,
you are whole.
You are always evermore
than we ever understand.
You are always at hand.
Blessèd are you coming near;
blessèd are you coming here
to your church in wine and bread,
raised from soil,
raised from dead.
You are holy,
you are wholeness,
you are present,
let the cosmos praise you, Lord!
Hallelujah, hallelujah,
hallelujah, hallelujah, our Lord!
hallelujah, hallelujah, our Lord!

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.

Choral Blessing

Blessing (Jeremy Burtenshaw. NCYC 2006)

Extroit

The people may leave as the Extroit is being played

Come and share morning tea together in the basement. There are stairs behind the organ and a ramp leading down from the carpark. All are welcome.

This service has been prepared with assistance from:

L3 Liturgical Resource. Writer: Cathie Lambert

Mediacom: Words for Worship

Bible Reading: THE MESSAGE copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Cover Photo by Ales Krivec on Unsplash

Bread making images from Unsplash and WikiMedia Commons