Order of Service – 2nd June 2024

The Order of Service follows below.

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Brougham Place Uniting Church
Kardlayirdi Karnungga
A Light on the Hill

2 June 2024
UnitingWorld Sunday
Preacher: Rev Linda Driver
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)

From before recorded time, the Kaurna People cared for this Land.

We praise the Creator for the beauty of this Land and honour those who have offered themselves in tending it.

We acknowledge the Elders and communities who have told the sacred stories and nurtured faithfulness to the Creator.

We pay our respects to the Elders who have gone before, all who carry the stories today, and who are emerging.

We ask God’s blessing on all those who continue to work for the healing and restoration of this Land and Her Communities.

We Sing: All is Wonder

Sing through three times.

In this moment, in this place,
All is wonder, all is grace.
In this moment, in this place,
We are one.

Lighting of the Candles

Call to Worship

Beloved siblings in Christ, Let us unite in the presence of God, who gathers us as God’s beloved family. A call is heard: look around you.
I have seen those whom I did not know before
because they were strangers.
I have observed those who were once foreigners.

Now we have been united within the family of God. Today, in our togetherness, let us experience the power of God’s love that destroyed all boundaries.
There is no barrier separating you and me. Differences in
language,culture, life experiences, viewpoints, none can
separate us from the love of God.

We are united by Christ who has risen.
Let us stand together in faith, in hope, and in God’s
unparalleled love.

Let us begin our worship with joy and gratitude for God’s abundant love.

Introduction

Opening Prayer

Gracious and merciful God,

We give thanks to You, O Lord, for the gift of life, the beauty of the universe, the serenity, and the companionship.
Your presence among us as we gather in worship fills our hearts with gratitude beyond measure.

You, O Lord, understand the depths of our hearts intimately. We come before You to confess our sins, acknowledging those moments when we have fallen short of Your grace.

Forgive us, O Lord, for the times when we hear that we have to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with you, but our ways of living defy your words.

Yet, we take solace in Your boundless mercy, knowing that You are always ready to receive us with open arms, to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and to restore us into fellowship with You.

As we lay bare our shortcomings before You, grant us the strength to walk in Your ways, to love one another as You have loved us, to act justly and to seek reconciliation with those whom we have wronged.

May Your grace continue to abound in our lives, guiding
us in the paths of righteousness and leading us into the
fullness of Your joy.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and friend, we pray.
Amen.

Passing of the Peace

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

We Sing: Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown:
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
pure unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation,
enter every trembling heart.
Come, almighty to deliver,
let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return, and never,
never more thy temples leave:
thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee, without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.
Finish then thy new creation,
pure and spotless let us be,
let us see thy great salvation,
perfectly restored in thee:
changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love and praise.

Together in Song 217(i) Charles Wesley 1707-88 alt. Public Domain.

Community News and Notices

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Children’s Time

Communion

The children are invited to sit with their families.

Invitation

Words of Institution

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

Let us give our thanks to God:

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.

For this land…
and the First Peoples
We give thanks!

For the Second Peoples
We give thanks!

For the culturally and linguistically diverse peoples
We give thanks!

For the seeds and fruits of this Land
We give thanks!

For the work of those who have tended the earth and prepared the feast
We give thanks!

For the One who breathes life into this feast
We give thanks!

So together with all of creation We sing to the one who has provided all we need:
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 …

…May we be united with every corner of your story, united in hope, united in vision, united in purpose, united in ministry in every place.
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

We break this bread and take this cup so that we can all share in the life of Christ.
The gifts of God for the people of God.

The Communion

Prayer After Communion

Let’s pray: God of many faces and names…

…Help us to take the steps you call us to take, to build a more just, inclusive community, where diversity is truly embraced, where difference is respected.
In the Name of the triune God,
Amen, Amen, and again we say:
Amen!

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.

We Sing: For Everyone Born

For everyone born, a place at the table,
for everyone born, clean water and bread;
a shelter, a space, a safe place for growing,
for everyone born, a star overhead.

Refrain:

And God will delight when we are creators of justice
and joy, compassion and peace:
yes God will delight when we are creators of justice,
justice and joy.
For woman and man, a place at the table,
revising the roles, deciding the share;
with wisdom and grace dividing the power,
for woman and man, a system that’s fair.

Refrain:

And God will delight when we are creators of justice
and joy, compassion and peace:
yes God will delight when we are creators of justice,
justice and joy.
For young and for old, a place at the table,
a voice to be heard, a part in the song,
the hands of a child in hands that are wrinkled,
for young and for old, the right to belong.

Refrain:

And God will delight when we are creators of justice
and joy, compassion and peace:
yes God will delight when we are creators of justice,
justice and joy.
For just and unjust a place at the table,
for prisoner and free, with need to forgive,
in anger, in hurt, a mindset of mercy,
for just and unjust, a new way to live.

Refrain:

And God will delight when we are creators of justice
and joy, compassion and peace:
yes God will delight when we are creators of justice,
justice and joy.
For everyone born, a place at the table,
to live without fear, and simply to be,
to work, to speak out to witness and worship,
for everyone born, the right to be free.

Refrain:

And God will delight when we are creators of justice
and joy, compassion and peace:
yes God will delight when we are creators of justice,
justice and joy.

Scripture Reading: Micah 6:1-8

Hear what the Lord says:
    Rise, plead your case before the mountains,
    and let the hills hear your voice.
Hear, you mountains, the case of the Lord,
    and you enduring foundations of the earth,
for the Lord has a case against his people,
    and he will contend with Israel.

“O my people, what have I done to you?
    In what have I wearied you? Answer me!
For I brought you up from the land of Egypt
    and redeemed you from the house of slavery,
and I sent before you Moses,
    Aaron, and Miriam.
O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised,
    what Balaam son of Beor answered him,
and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal,
    that you may know the saving acts of the Lord.”

“With what shall I come before the Lord
    and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
    with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
    with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
He has told you, O mortal, what is good,
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice and to love kindness
    and to walk humbly with your God?

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

Message

Rev Dr Mery Kolimon, Christian Evangelical Church in Timor, Indonesia

We Sing: What a Friend we have in Jesus

What a friend we have in Jesus
all our sins and griefs to bear,
what a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer:
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.
Have we trials and temptations,
is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy-laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Jesus is our only refuge;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you?
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
in his arms he’ll take and shield you,
you will find a solace there.

Together in Song 590. Tune: Converse. Joseph Medlicott Scriven 1819-86alt PD

Prayers of the People

Response:

God, in your great love and mercy:
Renew us in Your Spirit
Restore the whole creation.

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.

To donate money for the work of UnitingWorld, go here:

https://donate.unitingworld.org.au/sunday/sunday-donate

Offering Prayer

We Sing: Make Me A Channel of Your Peace

Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred let me bring your love;
where there is injury, your pardon, Lord;
and where there’s doubt, true faith in you.

Refrain:

O Master, grant that I may never seek
so much to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved, as to love with all my soul.
Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there’s despair in life, let me bring hope;
where there is darkness, let me bring your light;
and where there is sadness, ever joy.

Refrain:

O Master, grant that I may never seek
so much to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved, as to love with all my soul.
Make me a channel of your peace.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
in giving of ourselves that we receive,
and in dying that we’re born to eternal life.

Together in Song 607. Based on an anonymous prayer (?French) c.1900 This version by Johann Sebastian Templehoff (‘Sebastian Temple’) 1928-. Words and Music by permission of Oregon Catholic Press. All rights reserved. One License, License #A‑604444.

Sending Forth and Benediction

May the light of God’s justice guide our path as we strive to bring justice to others.
May the love of God’s mercy grant us strength as we continue to fight for equity for all.
May God’s blessings of humility keep us united with those in need, wherever we may be.
May God’s peace shine ever brighter in the midst of our world, offering hope, joy and justice to all.
As we depart from this gathering,
may God’s presence go before us,
empowering us to be agents of God’s love
and instruments of Your peace.

Go forth in the assurance of God’s grace, mercy and everlasting love.
In the name of Christ:
Amen

We Sing: May the Feet of God Walk with You

May the feet of God walk with you,
and his hand hold you tight.
May the eye of God rest on you,
and his ear hear your cry.
May the smile of God be for you,
and his breath give you life.
May the Child of God grow in you,
and his love bring you home.

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.

Thank you for celebrating with us! To find out more about UnitingWorld and our partners, please visit www.unitingworld.org.au/sunday

This service has been prepared with assistance from

Rev Dr Apwee Ting, International Relationships Manager, UnitingWorld, from the UnitingWorld Sunday 2024 resource

Act2 Project Unit: Uniting in Prayer Worship Resource (Communion Liturgy)

Bible Reading: New Revised Standard Version (Updated Edition)