Marsden Road Uniting Church
Carlingford
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No Person is an Island
Pentecost
14 Sunday year of Matthew 9.30am
Gathering God’s People
May our worship join with the voices of the First Peoples of this Land.
Call to Worship - (B. J. Beu, Abingdon Worship Annual 2017)
Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song.
Let all God's children rejoice!
Clap your hands and praise God with dancing.
Shout for joy and praise God with music.
For God brings justice to the peoples.
God brings judgment upon the powerful.
Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song.
Let all God's children rejoice!
Hymn 107: Let
all things now living
(Tune Ash Grove)
a song of thanksgiving
to God the Creator triumphantly raise,
who fashioned and made us,
protected and stayed us,
who guides us and leads to the end of our days.
His banners are o’er us,
his light goes before us,
a pillar of fire shining forth in the night,
till shadows have vanished
and darkness is banished,
as forward we travel from light into light.
His law he enforces;
the stars in their courses
and sun in its orbit obediently shine;
the hills and the mountains,
the rivers and fountains,
the deeps of the ocean proclaim him divine.
We too should be voicing
our love and rejoicing;
with glad adoration a song let us raise,
till all things now living
unite in thanksgiving:
to God in the highest, hosanna and praise!
Author: Katherine Davis (1939)
Tune: Ash Grove
Opening prayer
A Prayer of Confession
Forgive us, Holy
One, when we parade our wounds for all to see, rather than work quietly for
forgiveness and reconciliation.
Correct us, Gracious Spirit, when we seek public vindication of our wrongs over the health of your body. Help us love one another with a perfect love, that we may cast aside the works of darkness and fulfil the law of love. Amen.
Declaration of Forgiveness
Thanks, be to God!
The Peace
Peace be with you!
And also, with you!
(You may like to exchange a sign of peace with those around you.)
Offering Prayer
Hymn 477: Jesus
calls us here to meet him
(Tune Gaelic Air aka as Lewis Folk Melody extra
verse to go with YouTube)
through word and song and prayer,
We affirm God`s promised presence
where his people live and care.
Praise the God who keeps his promise;
praise the son who calls us friends;
praise the spirit who, among us,
to our hopes and fears attends.
Jesus calls us to confess him
Word of life and Lord of all,
sharer of our flesh and frailness
saving all who fail or fall.
Tell his holy human story;
tell his tales that all may hear;
tell the world that Christ in glory
came to earth to meet us here.
Jesus calls us to each other:
vastly different though we are;
race and colour, class and gender
neither limit nor debar,
Join the hand of friend and stranger;
join the hands of age and youth;
join the faithful and the doubter
in their common search for truth.
Jesus calls us to his table
rooted firm in time and space,
where the church in earth and heaven
finds a common meeting place.
Share the bread and wine, his body;
share the love of which we sing;
share the feast for saints and sinners
hosted by our Lord and King.
John L. Bell and Graham Maule - Lewis folk melody arr. John L. Bell
The
Service of the Word
The Gospel Reading: Matthew 18:15-20.
Readings: NRSV translation
Romans 13:8-14
8 Owe no one
anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has
fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, ‘You shall not commit
adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet’; and
any other commandment, are summed up in this word, ‘Love your neighbour as
yourself.’ 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore, love is
the fulfilling of the law. 11 And do this, understanding
the present time: the hour has already come for you to wake up from your
slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The
night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So, let us put aside the deeds of
darkness and put on the armour of light. 13 Let us
behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in
sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather,
clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to
gratify the desires of the flesh.
Matthew 18:15-20.
15 ‘If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.16 But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector. 18 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.19 Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.’
Preaching of the Word - No Person is an Island -
Matthew 18: 15-20
Long ago the great
Anglican priest and poet John Donne reminded us that, “no person is an island,
entire unto himself.” For centuries we have considered a person living totally
alone to be a hermit. More and more we are discovering that even in densely populated
cities loneliness is a chronic, debilitating, and common condition.
Solitary experience is contrary to human nature because
we are social animals. For all human history life has been lived in the context
of communities of one sort or another. This, of course, is simply sociology or
anthropology. It is a neutral observation, because communities can be good and
bad.
The bad is easy to recognise, because the history of humankind is as much
as anything a history of war and conflict. We read in the record of the past
and see in the news of our day that humans have great difficulty getting along
with one another—whether it be in the neighborhood, village, city, state,
nation, or world.
As Christians we understand the negative side of community life, and we
confess it. Yet we do not give in to the dark side; we make no peace with the
powers that divide community and isolate individuals. Further, our faith and
commitment press us to develop the best side of our lives as social creatures.
The primary prayer of Christian faith begins—OUR—not “my,” but “our.” It
is a shared prayer for a shared faith. We understand ourselves as part of a
family in which we all brothers and sisters. We recognize that our lives in the
context of community must be mutually supportive.
Today's Gospel reminds us of the good we can do together, and how we can
do it. Jesus says, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there
among them.” If any group of us will gather, work, act with the Holy Spirit
guiding us, with God’s spirit intentionally a part of what we do, we become
much more than simply the collective number of people we are. Two becomes more
than two, and three becomes more than three. The sum of our individual ideas
and resources and abilities becomes much more because of the synergy that God’s
presence provides.
We do gather in Jesus’ name. We re-call him to presence with us. And that
makes him a part of us and of what we do. That is what we experience at each
Eucharist—we in him and he in us. But we don’t celebrate Eucharist alone. If
only the priest shows up for a mid-week service, for instance, there will be no
celebration of the Eucharist. There is no community for whom to break bread.
Ours is a faith of
community—of twos and threes and fours—but never of individuals. We act
together so we can help one another and so we can work in God’s name, thereby
multiplying our resources and ability to do what God calls us to do. Our
community is the lifeline to the experience of God and to the power of God
moving among God’s people.
While a private spiritual and prayer life is essential for each of us, it
is likely to become dry and turn inward if it is not infused with regular doses
of shared worship and connection with others, gathered in Christ’s name, and
for his sake. "Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there
among them.” The gathering—the connectedness—magnifies the Spirit for us and in
us and with us.
Today Jesus makes it clear how important we are one to another. Through
our link to one another through Christ, there is a power in our community,
uniting the values of God to our values on earth. This is how Jesus enables us
to use God’s power for making healing and life-giving love more effective among
God’s people. We come together, we stay together, we work together—in our
Lord's name, bringing to focus the presence of God and unleashing the power of
the Spirit to transform our lives and the lives of all God’s children.
“Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
(Tune –
Neighbour)
When I needed a neighbour
Were you there, were you there?
When I needed a neighbour, were you there?
And the creed and the colour
And the name won't matter
Were you there?
I was hungry and thirsty
Were you there, were you there?
I was hungry and thirsty, were you there?
And the creed and the colour
And the name won't matter
Were you there?
I was cold, I was naked
Were you there, were you there?
I was cold, I was naked, were you there?
And the creed and the colour
And the name won't matter
Were you there?
When I needed a shelter
Were you there, were you there?
When I needed a shelter were you there?
And the creed and the colour
And the name won't matter
Were you there?
When I needed a healer
Were you there, were you there?
When I needed a healer, were you there?
And the creed and the colour
And the name won't matter
Were you there?
Wherever you travel
I'll be there, I'll be there
Wherever you travel, I'll be there
And the creed and the colour
And the name won't matter
I'll be there
Intercessory Prayers
Lord God, you are the loving parent of all people and we bring our prayers knowing that you will hear us and help us.
Hear our prayer Lord for the whole family of your church. Grant that we, and all your people, may be built up in our faith, and always show in our lives the love we see in Jesus. Give courage to those who find it hard to follow you; to those who are finding it difficult to have faith because of a personal hardship or tragedy; to those who are made to suffer for their faith. Let your Holy Spirit support them, and may all Christians stand firm in the hope that your kingdom of love will come.
Lord in your mercy, hear
our prayer
We pray for our country and the many freedoms which we enjoy. We pray for those who govern in us. Give them health and strength, wisdom and courage, so that they may carry out their many duties in the best interests of all our people.
Lord in your
mercy, hear our prayer
We pray for children
and young people as they go about their learning. We pray for those who are
eager and active as they explore and welcome new experiences and relationships
and those more shyly weighing up their first steps. We think of young people for the first time finding their values
tested and their horizons widened, those who are linking industry or commerce
with education as they take up apprenticeships, those for whom education seems
and end in itself yielding no clear direction for the future. We think of all
children and young people, praying that they may be worthy of the best in our
society, and society worthy of their potential.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer
Hear our prayer Lord, as we thank you for giving us so much to enjoy in the world. Open our eyes to see all the beauty around us as we thank you for the touch of warmth in the air that gives us a new burst of energy, for the greening of trees that shows the creativity of the Divine Artist, for the growing buds and leaves that reveal the strength of the branches, for the harvest to come that will bring us gratitude for the bounty of our land, for this change of seasons that reveals the circle of life. God of all seasons, as you transform the earth, transform us by your Spirit.
Lord in Your Mercy, hear our prayer
Hear our prayer Lord for those whose lives have been shattered by natural disaster. We hold in our hearts the families forever changed by grief and loss. We ask for your blessing on all those who have lost their homes, their livelihoods, their security and their hope and we pray for the work of the relief agencies and those providing emergency assistance.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer
Hear our prayer Lord, for people who are ill, in hospitals, at home, or
wherever they may be. Give them courage, hope and peace, and the
knowledge that you are present in their weakness, pain and suffering. May
the skills and knowledge of those who care for the sick be fully used to help
and to heal. We pray especially for those who have no one to help them,
that in their loneliness they may know that you are with them.
Lord in your mercy, hear
our prayer
Ever caring God of all, we pray for those we love but no longer see.
Grant them your peace and let light perpetual shine upon them. Jesus Christ is
the light of the World, a light which no darkness can quench. We remember
before God those who have died and light a candle to symbolise the light of
Christ which eternally shines and brings hope. You turn our darkness into
light in your light shall we see light
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer
THE LORD'S PRAYER
Hymn 468: We
are your people, Lord, by your grace
(Tune Whitfield)
We are Your people
Spirit of grace
You dare to make us
To all our neighbors
Christ's living
voice hands and face
Christ's living
voice hands and face
Joined in community
Treasured and fed
May we discover
Gifts in each other
Willing to lead and
be led
Willing to lead and
be led
Rich in diversity
Help us to live
Closer than
neighbors Open to strangers
Able to clash and
forgive
Able to clash and
forgive
Glad of tradition
Help us to see
In all life's
changing Where You are leading
Where our best
efforts should be
Where our best
efforts should be
Give as we venture
Justice and care
(Peaceful resisting
Waiting or risking)
Wisdom to know when
and where
Wisdom to know when
and where
God has put a new song in our hearts.
Sing
a new song to the Lord.
The judgment of God brings victory to
the righteous. Sing a new song to the Lord.
The love of God has set us free.
Sing a new song to the Lord.
And the blessing of God almighty, Creator, Redeemer and Giver of life be with you always Amen
(Tune – Somos Del Señor)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-u-WxpmOpN4
Shalom to you now, shalom, my friends.
May God’s full mercies bless you, my friends.
In all your living and through your loving,
Christ be your shalom, Christ be your shalom
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