Order of Service – 8th September 2024

The Order of Service follows below.

For improved text clarity and easier reading, e.g. change text size, you can use ePub on iPhones, iPads and other devices with an ePub application. If you want to see it exactly as printed, or print your own there is a pdf.

Brougham Place Uniting Church
Kardlayirdi Karnungga
A Light on the Hill

8 September 2024
Preacher: Rev Linda Driver
Season of Creation 2: Humanity Sunday
Liturgical colour: Green / Teal

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)

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

Introit and Lighting of the Candles

Care For Our World (Rose/Conlon)

Call to Worship

Let us praise God for tree, star, and ocean.
God’s good creation!

Let us praise God for child, teen, adult, and elder.
God’s good creation!

Let us praise God for sun, wind, and rain.
God’s good creation!

Let us praise God for creatures finned, winged, hoofed and scaly.
God’s good creation!

Let us praise God for cell, molecule, and atom.
God’s good creation!

Let us praise God for creation in all of its wonder and diversity.
We give thanks for God’s good creation!

We sing: Come One, Come All

Let all the earth come join the song
and join the dance for all belong
creation beats with willing hearts
so come on saints, let’s play our part

Come one, come all
to life that’s whole
come one, come all
to love that’s full

The hills and rivers sound their praise
and we join in for our God reigns
come to the table eat your fill
come rest by living waters still

Come one, come all
to life that’s whole
come one, come all
to love that’s full

So take your place and know you’re loved
and spread the word, for there’s enough
to know our God and truly live
creation was made for this

Come one, come all
to life that’s whole
Come one, come all
to love that’s full (x2)

So take your place and know you’re loved
and spread the word for there’s enough
to know our God and truly live
creation was made for this

Psalm: Psalm 8: 1-2a, 3-9

O Lord, our Sovereign,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars that you have established;
what are humans that you are mindful of them,
    mortals that you care for them?

Yet you have made them a little lower than God
    and crowned them with glory and honor.
You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
    you have put all things under their feet,
all sheep and oxen,
    and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
    whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Sovereign,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Opening Prayer

Holy God,
you have shaped us in your likeness.
You have formed us as part of creation.
Your love lives on through us.
May our living reflect these holy gifts. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

We are joined to every grain of sand and every shining leaf.
We are joined to every drop of rain and every creature’s breath.
We are joined to every beam of light every particle of creation.
We are reminded that Earth does not belong to us – we belong to Earth.

We may know this, and yet –
we confess we have been arrogant, ignorant, and greedy in how we treat Creation.

Words of Assurance

We are joined forever to God’s remarkable love which brings us to a place of healing and action. Through this love, we can live out these words:
We belong to Earth and we can be part of healing Creation.
Amen

Passing of the Peace

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

Community News and Notices

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

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

Look At the World (Rutter)

Scripture Readings

What are humans that you are mindful of them?
What are humans that you care for us?

Genesis 1:26–28
Then God said, “Let us make humans in our image, according to our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over the cattle and over all the wild animals of the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”

So God created humans in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.

God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”

What are humans that you are mindful of them?
What are humans that you care for us?

Philippians 2:1–8
If, then, there is any comfort in Christ, any consolation from love, any partnership in the Spirit, any tender affection and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

who, though he existed in the form of God,
    did not regard equality with God
    as something to be grasped,
but emptied himself,
    taking the form of a slave,
    assuming human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a human,
    he humbled himself
    and became obedient to the point of death–
    even death on a cross.

What are humans that you are mindful of them?
What are humans that you care for us?

Mark 10:41–45
So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; instead, whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.”

What are humans that you are mindful of them?
What are humans that you care for us?

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

Message

Stations

Choose a station:

Action: Fill out a postcard, expressing concern about use of fossil fuels.

Audit: What does your household do to care for creation?

Pray: Choose an image of creation and spend some quiet time in lament and hope for Creation.

Listen: Watch a short video providing First Nations perspectives on how to care for creation.

Create: Trace and cut out your hand to help make the Season of Creation Logo.

We sing: God of Creation

God of Creation, gentle life-giver,
present at birth and all through our days;
author of sunrise, song in the night sky
here in this place, we offer our praise.
Jesus, companion, teacher and healer,
friend of the grieving, suffering, the poor
stand with your people, whisper among us
promise of mercy, goodness for all.
Spirit of comfort, blow through creation,
stir up new life, breathe peace through our world.
Healer of hearts, and hope for tomorrow,
weave all our sorrows into new dawn.
Here we give thanks for life in its fullness,
blessings received, your gifts to us all.
Make us a people filled with compassion,
selflessly giving, serving your world.

Prayers of the People

For the gift of air,
home to dragonfly and sparrow;
made oxygen-rich by tall standing trees;
necessary for breath –
We give thanks, O God.

For the gift of water,
home to plankton and trout;
sculpting valleys and coastlines;
necessary for life –
We give thanks, O God.

For the gift of plants,
home to caterpillar and koala;
recycling into rich soil;
necessary for food –
We give thanks, O God.

Where these gifts are harmed
by debris and pollution,
by climate change,
by destruction of habitat,
by corruption and greed –
We pray for healing, O God.

Where these gifts are harmed and decisions are needed from all with power to make new choices –
We pray for the will to choose wisely, O God.

This gift of interdependence, woven into every part of creation, tells us we cannot stand apart from all we share with Earth.

And so, we give thanks for the people we know who model ways to care for creation. May we be challenged and inspired to take our part.

Holy God, guide us
as we seek to tread gently on Earth,
and live in harmony with all.

In the silence, we lift our prayers before God for people and situations close to our hearts.

A silence is kept

God, in your love and mercy
Hear our prayer. 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 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

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 creatures on planet Earth.
With all creation, we praise our Creator.

We sing: May Our Lives

Chorus:
May our lives and our prayers be one
As our hopes shape the roads we walk on
And when our work and our dreaming’s done
May our lives and our prayers be one.

Within the rhythm of our days
We take the time to muse and pray
The fears we face, the tears we taste
We view in light of holy grace.

May our lives and our prayers be one
As our hopes shape the roads we walk on
And when our work and our dreaming’s done
May our lives and our prayers be one.
We name our deepest hopes and dreams
For those we love and all in need
We picture how the world could be
We live the change we want to see.

May our lives and our prayers be one
As our hopes shape the roads we walk on
And when our work and our dreaming’s done
May our lives and our prayers be one.

Sending Forth and Benediction

May the God who formed the singing cricket bring us peace.
May the God who formed the rushing wave grant us strength.
May the God who formed the graceful eagle grant us wisdom.
May the God whose image we reflect bless and guide us. Amen.

Go as people of peace,
stewards and healers of creation,
consolers of the afflicted,
and midwives of justice.
In the name of Christ. Amen.

Choral Blessing

The Peace of the Earth (Bell)

Extroit

(During an Extroit, it is appropriate to leave the sanctuary if you wish.)

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. All are welcome!

Some of the liturgy in this service is adapted from Seasons of the Spirit, Wood Lake Publishing

Bible Readings are from New Revised Standard Version (Updated Edition)

Season of Creation image is from the Season of Creation Celebration Guide: To Hope and Act with Creation Writers: Season of Creation Ecumenical Steering Committee

Cover Photo by Madara on Unsplash