Order of Service – 29th September 2024

The Order of Service follows below.

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Brougham Place Uniting Church

Kardlayirdi Karnungga
A Light on the Hill

Date: 29 September 2024
Blessing of the Animals
Season of Creation

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)

We care for Kaurna land,
We care for Kaurna sky.
We care for Kaurna waters,
(touch hearts)
We touch our hearts and say:
Thank you, Kaurna people.

We Sing: Breathe

Soloist sings through once, then Congregation joins in and sings through twice

Breathe into us
the spirit of peace;
breathe us into your world.

Call to Worship

As we gather in this place…
We breathe it all in….
and listen for God here.

We hear the birds and the breeze,
the chatter and the traffic
we see the grass under foot,
the roads and the cars,
We breathe it all in….
and listen for God here.

We notice the rocks and the mulch,
the hospitals and the Colleges,
the view of our Church from out here.
We see the sky and the sun,
the light posts and the apartment homes.
We breathe it all in….
and listen for God here.

This is the day that the Lord has made,
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
We breathe it all in….
and listen for God here.

We Sing: Breathe (reprise)

We all sing together twice

Breathe into us
the spirit of peace;
breathe us into your world.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Creator God, The trees stretch towards the life-giving sun.
In hope, we stretch towards your life giving places.

The leaves bow down with the weight of rain drops, waiting to spring back, renewed.
We bow down to rest,
waiting to spring back renewed in you.

The dead leaves crunch under foot.
We crunch up when life is hard,
to be held in your loving embrace.

The branches sway in the breeze, dancing in the fresh winds.
We dance in the newness of life,
celebrating fresh opportunities of life in you.

All of creation praises you, and we join our voices in praise and thanksgiving.
Amen

We Sing: Cry Out for Love

God breathes life’s mysteries
into all that’s made.
We share life’s frailty
with all that breathes today.

Cry out for love, for the world needs tenderness.
Cry out for love that will never fade.
Cry out for love;
let it take flight like a thousand raucous cockatoos!
Oh, cry out for love.
God holds each one of us
as the dawn holds the sun.
We share such blessedness
and the story’s just begun.

Cry out for love, for the world needs tenderness.
Cry out for love that will never fade.
Cry out for love;
let it take flight like a thousand raucous cockatoos!
Oh, cry out for love. Refrain..

Passing of the Peace

The peace of our extraordinary Creator be with you.
And also with you.

Community News and Notices

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Children’s Time

We sing: The Butterfly Song

If I were a butterfly,
I’d thank you, Lord, for giving me wings.
And if I were a robin in a tree,
I’d thank you, Lord, that I could sing.
And if I were a fish in the sea,
I’d wiggle my tail and I’d giggle with glee, but
I just thank you, Father, for making me ‘me’.

Chorus
For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile.
You gave me Jesus and you made me your child.
And I just thank you, Father, for making me ‘me’
If I were an elephant,
I’d thank you, Lord, by raising my trunk.
If I were a kangaroo,
You know I’d hop right up to you
And if I were an octopus,
I’d thank you, Lord for my fine looks, but
I just thank you, Father, for making me ‘me’.

Chorus
For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile.
You gave me Jesus and you made me your child.
And I just thank you, Father, for making me ‘me’
If I were a wiggly worm,
I’d thank you, Lord, that I could squirm.
And if I were a billy goat,
I’d thank you, Lord, for my strong throat.
And if I were a fuzzy wuzzy bear,
I’d thank you, Lord, for my fuzzy wuzzy hair, but
I just thank you, Father, for making me ‘me’.

Scripture Readings

Genesis 1:20-25 (New Living Translation version)

Then God said, “Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.” So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of bird—each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply. Let the fish fill the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.”
Then God said, “Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind—livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals.” And that is what happened. God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.

Mark 16:15 (New Revised Standard Version)

And [Jesus] said to [the disciples], “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.

Colossians 1:19-20 (New Revised Standard Version)

For in [Jesus] all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

A Reading from a Sermon of St Francis

My brother and sister birds, you should greatly praise your Creator and love him always. He gave you feathers to wear, and wings to fly, and whatever you need. God made you noble among his creatures and gave you a home in the purity of the air, so that, though you do not sow nor reap, he nevertheless protects and governs you without your least care.

May the Spirit of God open our eyes to see, our ears to hear, and our hearts to understand.

Reflection

Offering

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

Alternatively, there is an offering bowl provided.

Offering Prayer

God, our Creator, through your love you have given us these gifts to share. Accept our offerings as an expression of our deep thanks and our concern for those in need, including our fellow animals on planet Earth.
With all creation, we praise our Creator.

Prayers of the People

Dear God,

In the beginning you created all creatures and told us to take care of the animals – great and small.

Thank you that we can have dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, guinea pigs to comfort us and be our “furry friends”.

Thank you for useful animals: chickens for eggs, cows to give us milk, sheep to give us wool to keep us warm and bees to help give us honey and pollinate the flowers and vegetables.

Thank you for guide dogs and assistance dogs and the people who train them.

Thank you that we can be amazed by wild animals like giraffes, elephants, Sumatran tigers, fairy penguins, dusky tamarins and Asian small-clawed otters!

Help us to remember that, if we don’t care for our earth and keep the air and rivers and seas clean, the beautiful fish and turtles and birds will die out.

Thank you that we have caring people like vets to look after our sick animals and volunteers who help rescue native animals when there are bushfires and floods.

Help us to keep our planet clean to make better habitat for all animals (even snakes!)
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.

Blessing of the Animals

We sing: Life to the Brim

Life to the Brim, Life overflowing
Life pouring out in compassion and grace
Spirit of God, Well up within us
Bring us to life in this time and this place.
Life to the brim, Life overflowing
Life flooding in from below and above
Spirit of God, Pour out upon us
Bring us to faith and to hope and to love.

Come Holy Spirit
Lord and giver of life
Make us your people
Make us the body of Christ
Life to the brim, Life overflowing
Foretaste and sign of the healing to come
Spirit of God, Strengthen and guide us
Take us and use us ’til your kingdom’s come.

Sending Forth and Benediction

May the Spirit of God, who is above all, in all and through all, fill you with the knowledge
of God’s presence in Earth and the pulsing of the love of Christ within you.

Go in peace!
Serving Christ and loving all creatures! Amen

We sing: For You Deep Stillness

For you, deep stillness of the silent inland;
for you, deep blue of the desert skies;
for you, flame red of the rocks and stones;
for you, sweet water from hidden springs.

From the edges, seek the heartlands,
and when you’re burnt by the journey,
may the cool winds of the hovering Spirit
soothe and replenish you.
In the name of Christ,
In the name of Christ.

Please bring your animal forward for an individual blessing and stay and enjoy your BYO snack and a cuppa from Roving Café.

Galah
Cacatua roseicapilla

Length 35 cm from tip of beak to tip of tail
Wingspan 75 cm
Weight 330 g

Galahs are seen in large groups, pairs or on their own in towns, paddocks or the bush. They feed mostly on the ground gathering seeds from grasses and other plants, with the odd grub for protein. Galahs like to play, hanging upside down from perches and sliding down railings.

Source: https://www.birdsinbackyards.net/Colouring-Sheets

Roving Café is operated by Stuart Pope, a locally based barista whom we have used previously. He operates an eco-friendly outfit with compostable cups and local produce. His café vehicle is also eco-friendly. We are paying for an hour of his service from 10.50 am. Cash donations are welcome.

Let’s take some time to be with our community.

Reflection adapted from a sermon by David Rhoads published in Season of Creation: A Preaching Commentary, (Habel, Rhoads, Santmire editors)

Cover Photo by Joe Caione on Unsplash