A Light on the Hill

Order of Service – 1st February 2026

The Order of Service follows below.

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Brougham Place Uniting Church
Kardlayirdi Karnungga
A Light on the Hill

February 1, 2026
Preacher: Rev Linda Driver
Epiphany 4. Green

Welcome to Brougham Place Uniting Church.
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)

Call to Worship

Come. Now is the time we have set aside to worship together.
Let us take a moment to prepare ourselves.

Let us take a deep breath, mindful of the Spirit that breathes through us.
Let us close our eyes and empty our minds of mindless chatter.
Let us open our ears so we are ready to hear God’s message.

Lighting of the Candles

We sing: All is Wonder

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

In this moment, in this place,
All is wonder, all is grace.
In this moment, in this place,
Silence waits.

A time of silence

Opening Prayer

Creator God,
you have bought us here today.
We set aside this time
to join together in worship and praise of you.
Amen.

We sing: Praise with joy the world’s Creator (TiS 179)

  1. Praise with joy the world’s Creator,
    God of justice, love and peace,
    source and end of human knowledge,
    force of greatness without cease.
    Celebrate the Maker’s glory,
    power to rescue and release.

  2. Praise the Son who feeds the hungry,
    frees the captive, finds the lost,
    heals the sick, upsets religion,
    fearless both of fate and cost.
    Celebrate Christ’s constant presence –
    Friend and Stranger, Guest and Host.

  3. Praise the Spirit sent among us,
    liberating truth from pride,
    forging bonds where race or gender,
    age or nation dare divide.
    Celebrate the Spirit’s treasure –
    foolishness none dare deride.

  4. Praise the Maker, Son and Spirit,
    one God in community,
    calling Christians to embody
    oneness and diversity.
    Thus the world shall yet believe, when
    shown Christ’s vibrant unity.

Prayer of Confession

God of justice, love and peace,
we bring our confessions before you:
For all the times we have failed,
we say sorry.
For all the times we have hurt one another and ourselves,
we say sorry.

A time of silence

Words of Grace

Gracious God,
Hear these words of confession.
Thank you for your loving reassurance
of forgiveness through your mercy and love.
Amen.

Passing of the Peace

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

Community News and Notices

You can sign up to receive BP E-news by email and read past issues on our website: www.bpuc.org

Children’s Time (Exploring the Theme)

We sing: For Everyone Born (part 1)

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.

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.

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!

Communion

Invitation

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

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.

God of all life, …

…You made us all, each wonderfully different,
to join with the angels and sing your praise:

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.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
Hosanna in the highest!

We thank you, God of love,..

Words of Institution

…Come Holy Spirit, in this act of eating bread and drinking wine, flow in and around us, open our eyes to the brokenness of the world, fill our hearts with love for our neighbours, inspire us to be salt and light, agents of change and reconciliation in and amongst your good creation.
To the One who gives us life and light,
the One who breathes within us,
the One who poured out life on the cross,
we give our thanks and praise. 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

Children may go downstairs for Sunday School. Youth will stay in the service on Communion Sundays this year. Parents of young children, 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: Where the Spirit is (TiS 421)

Refrain:
Where the Spirit is there’s freedom.
Where the Spirit is, there is life!

  1. Not by the world can our freedom be nourished,
    not by our things, only by Spirit.
    Practise, my children, to live by the Spirit,
    drop all your masks, take freedom’s clothing!

Where the Spirit is there’s freedom.
Where the Spirit is, there is life!

  1. Heaven on earth, here we live, free to
    love and to share, carried by joy,
    Practise, my children, to live by the Spirit,
    daring today to taste God’s future.

Where the Spirit is there’s freedom.
Where the Spirit is, there is life!

  1. Wounds will be healed, eyes will be opened,
    imaging God, reflecting Jesus.
    Practise, my children, to live by the Spirit,
    heaven is here, time made eternal.

Where the Spirit is there’s freedom.
Where the Spirit is, there is life!

Scripture Readings: Matthew 5:1-12; Micah 6:8

Matthew 5:1-12

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he began to speak and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Micah 6:8

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

We sing: For Everyone Born (part 2)

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 —
and all those between, beyond, and besides;
expanding our world, dismantling power,
each valued for what their voice can provide.

For gay, bi, and straight, a place at the table,
Invited to wed, to baptize and preach,
a rainbow of race and gender and color,
for queer, trans, and ace, God’s justice in reach.

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 bodies diverse, a place at the table,
All manner of speech and movement and minds;
Enabled to lead and teach us new language,
For bodies diverse, a church redesigned.

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.

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!

Prayers of the People

Response:
God in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

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

We sing: Community of Christ (TiS 473)

  1. Community of Christ,
    who make the Cross your own,
    live out your creed and risk your life
    for God alone:
    the God who wears your face,
    to whom all worlds belong,
    whose children are of every race
    and every song.

  2. Community of Christ,
    look past the Church’s door
    and see the refugee, the hungry,
    and the poor.
    Take hands with the oppressed,
    the jobless in your street,
    take towel and water, that you wash
    your neighbour’s feet.

  3. Community of Christ,
    through whom the word must sound –
    cry out for justice and for peace
    the whole world round:
    disarm the powers that war
    and all that can destroy,
    turn bombs to bread, and tears of
    anguish into joy.

  4. When menace melts away,
    so shall God’s will be done,
    the climate of the world be peace
    and Christ its Sun;
    our currency be love
    and kindliness our law,
    our food and faith be shared as one
    for evermore.

Sending Forth and Benediction

We sing: Go now in peace (TiS 782)

Go now in peace, go now in peace,
may the love of God surround you
everywhere, everywhere you may go. (Repeat)

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!

Thank you for joining us for worship!
If you would like to get in touch or request a prayer, please make use of the Contact Cards in the pews and next to the Offering Bowl. Alternately, you can email our Minister, Rev Linda Driver: lindad@bpuc.org

This service has been prepared with assistance from


Liturgy, Learning, & (Purposeful) Life (L3)
Dr Michelle Eastwood
© 2025, Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of South Australia

Bible Readings are from New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

Photo by Rev Linda Driver. Down the path to Lake Bled, Slovenia 2025

Congregation Hymns/Songs:

All is Wonder.
Words © Trisha Watts. All rights reserved.

Praise with joy the world’s Creator
Together in Song, 179, John L. Bell 1949- and Graham Maule 1958- Words from Wild Goose Songs 1, Heaven Shall Not Wait.

For Everyone Born (part 1)
Worship in Song 4139. Shirley Erena Murray. Words © 1998 Hope Publishing Co. All rights reserved

Where the Spirit is
Together in Song, 421.
Jonas Jonson 1939- Words by permission the World Council of Churches, Geneva.

For Everyone Born (part 2)
Worship in Song 4139. Shirley Erena Murray. Words © 1998 Hope Publishing Co. All rights reserved
Revised lyrics, Avery Arden:
https://binarybreakingworship.com/2021/06/24/for-everyone-born-revised/

Community of Christ
Together in Song 473
Shirley Erena Murray 1931- Words © 1992 by Hope Publishing Co. Carol Stream, IL60188. All right reserved. Words used with permission

Go now in peace
Together in Song TiS 782
Natalie Sleeth 1930-92. Words © 1976, Hinshaw Music, Inc.
All rights reserved.

www.bpuc.org