Marsden
Road Uniting Church
Carlingford
The Star Thrower
Christ the King in year of Matthew 9.30 am
URL: https://uca-nswact.zoom.us/j/96239994683
Phone:
80156011 Meeting Number: 962 3999 4683
Gathering God’s People
May our worship join with the voices of the
First Peoples of this Land.
Call to Worship - (Abingdon Worship Annual 2011)
Make a joyful noise to the Lord.
Worship God with gladness.
Come into God's presence with singing.
We are God's people, the sheep of God's
pasture.
Give thanks to the Lord; bless God's holy
name,
for God's steadfast love is present now and
endures forever.
Hymn TIS 738: My Jesus, my Saviour (Shout to the Lord)
(tune – Shout to the Lord)
Sing through twice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGmZcTCXjmM
My Jesus, My Saviour
Lord, there is none like You
All of my days I want to praise
The wonders of Your mighty love
My comfort, my shelter
Tower of refuge and strength
Let every breath, all that I am
Never cease to worship You
Shout to the Lord all the earth, let us sing
Power and majesty, praise to the King
Mountains bow down
And the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name
I sing for joy at the work of Your hands
Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand
Nothing compares to the promise I have in You
My Jesus My Saviour Words and music Darlene Zschech
© 1993 Darlene
Zschech/Hillsongs Australia
Opening prayer
Tender, comforting Shepherd, your steadfast love is present in this place and resides within each of us. But sometimes it is hard, so very hard, to open ourselves to your love. We feel like scattered sheep, frightened and alone. Help us know your loving presence as we live as your gathered community. Enlighten our hearts, that we may know the hope to which we have been called. Amen.
A Prayer of Confession
Holy One, we are
like sheep that stray from your fold. We
are the perpetually hungry, ever in spiritual need, and at times in physical
want.
We are the naked,
with wounds exposed and bleeding. We
are the sick, fevered, chilled, and in pain. We are the strangers, separated
from others and even from ourselves.
Hear us now as we confess our brokenness and our need. Amen.
Declaration of Forgiveness
Our creator God sees our hunger and gives us
food. Christ, the healer, touches our wounds, offering comfort and blessed
relief. The Spirit blows through us, cools our fever, and eases our pain. God
sees and touches and heals our wounds.
Thanks, be to God!
The Peace
When we were
strangers, Christ welcomed us. Let us share the peace of Christ with friends
and strangers with words of welcome:
The peace of Christ
be with you.
And also,
with you!
(You may like to exchange a sign of peace with those around you.)
A Word with the Children/Young People
Theme: How do you tell a sheep
from a goat?
Object: Need Photos of sheep and goats.
How many of you think you can tell a sheep
from a goat? Wait a minute! It may not be as easy as you think. If you had some
pictures it would soon test how well you can tell a sheep from a goat.
It’s not as easy as we think as I remember
seeing on the show QI when they put up pictures and asked which were sheep and
which were goats. Here are a few hints that might help. The easiest way to tell
a goat from a sheep is that a goats tail usually sticks up in the air, but a
sheep's tail hangs down. If sheep have horns, they are usually curved. A goat's
horns are less curved. Sheep usually have fluffy wool that must be sheared,
while goats have flatter hair.
Do you think Jesus can tell the sheep from the
goats? Well, that's what our Bible lesson is about today. One day Jesus was
speaking to a group of followers about the day when the Son of Man would come
in all his glory. (Son of Man was a title Jesus used for himself.) He said,
"He will sit on his throne and all of the nations would be gathered before
him. He will separate the people like a shepherd separates the sheep from the
goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left." How
did he know the sheep from the goats?
Jesus went on to explain, "He will say to
those on his right, 'I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave
me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked,
and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison,
and you visited me.'
"When did we do that?" the righteous
ones will ask.
"And the King will say, 'I tell you the
truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters,
you were doing it to me!'
"Then he will turn to those on the left
and say, 'I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I
was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t
invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was
sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.'
"Then they will ask, 'When did we refuse
to help you?'
"He will answer, 'I tell you the truth,
when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were
refusing to help me.'
"And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life."
Offering Prayer
Holy One, you have given us all that we have and all that we are. Through these gifts and in our lives, help us be the shepherds and healers and lovers that you are calling us to be. Amen.
Hymn 675: Lord, the light of your
love is shining
(tune – Shine Jesus shine)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rce9UHYZwl4
Lord, the light of your love is shining
In the midst of the darkness, shining
Jesus, Light of the world, shine upon us
Set us free by the truth you now bring us
Shine on me, shine on me.
Shine, Jesus, shine
Fill this land with the Father's glory
Blaze, Spirit, blaze
Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river, flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth your word
Lord, and let there be light.
Lord, I come to your awesome presence
From the shadows into your radiance
By the blood I may enter your brightness
Search me, try me, consume all my darkness
Shine on me, shine on me
Shine, Jesus, shine
Fill this land with the Father's glory
Blaze, Spirit, blaze
Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river, flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth your word
Lord, and let there be light.
As we gaze on your kingly brightness
So our faces display your likeness
Ever changing from glory to glory
Mirrored here may our lives tell your story
Shine on me, shine on me
Shine, Jesus, shine
Fill this land with the Father's glory
Blaze, Spirit, blaze
Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river, flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth your word
Lord, and let there be light.
Author: Graham Kendrick Tune: Shine, Jesus, Shine
Composer: Graham Kendrick
The
Service of the Word
The First Reading: Ephesians 1:15-23
The Gospel Reading: Matthew 25:31-46.
Ephesians 1:15-23
15 I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, 18 so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. 20 God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. 22 And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Matthew 25:31-46.
31 ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” 37 Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” 40 And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” 44 Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” 45 Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’
Preaching of the Word - The Star Thrower
Today is the Sunday of the
Christian year that is often called the Feast of Christ the King; it is the
last Sunday before Advent. Sunday after Sunday, 52 Sundays of the year, we say
out loud and together, "He will come again in glory to judge the living
and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end."
What a funny king!
No purple robes. No crown.
No legions of soldiers. No great processions and parades. No castle. No place
to live -- period.
Instead he claims to be
poor, and hungry, and a stranger, and in prison, and sick, and thirsty. He
claims to have nowhere to lay his head. He says to us, his disciples, "See
all these sisters and brothers of mine who are homeless like me? They are me. I
am them. To serve me you must serve them. When I come back, I will see what you
are doing and whom you serve."
Then at the end of the whole
Gospel he says, "Lo, I am with you to the end of the age."
You see, the problem is we
think he’s not here and he can’t see what we’re doing. But he says he is with
us always, to the end of the age. We can’t expect to wait until the last minute
before his coming and then scramble to do the work he has sent us out to do. We
cannot deceive him into thinking we have been doing it all along.
Because he never left.
We can scramble and
rearrange the words any way we wish, but it always comes out the same. It is a
description of what life is like in his kingdom. To understand our role in his
kingdom more clearly, the are many forms in Prayer Books and Confessions that
offer us a job description.
It is in various Catechisms
we have information to help us. Here is one as an example. They all have a
number of questions and answers:
Q. Through whom does the
Church carry out its mission?
A. The Church carries out its mission through the ministry of all its members.
Q. Who are the ministers of
the Church?
A. The ministers of the Church are lay people, (bishops), priests and deacons.
Notice who comes first --
before priests and deacons: lay people.
Q. What is the ministry of
the laity?
A. The ministry of lay people is to represent Christ and his Church; to bear
witness to him wherever they may be; and, according to the gifts given to them,
to carry on Christ's work of reconciliation in the world; and to take their
place in the life, worship, and governance of the Church. ...according to the gifts given them …
God equips us with the gifts
and not all of us have the same gifts, but all of us have gifts important to
God. The life of faith is about finding and using these gifts to carry on
Christ's work in the world.
Yet often it seems to be
just too much. There are too many hungry and poor and lonely people for us to
make any difference.
There is an interesting
story told about the scientist and writer called Eisley was in the south of
France, on the coast, attending a scientific symposium. He woke early one
morning and went for a walk on the beach before sunrise. As he moved through
the misty dawn he focused on a faint, far away figure. It was a youth, bending
and reaching and flinging his arms, seemingly dancing on the beach. Eisley
thought, "No doubt he is dancing in celebration of the new day about to
begin."
As he came nearer, he
realized the youth was not dancing at all, but rather was bending to sift
through the debris left by the night tide, stopping now and then to pick up a
starfish and then, standing, heaving it back into the sea.
He asked the youth the
purpose of the effort. "The tide has washed the starfish onto the beach,
and they cannot return to the sea by themselves," the youth replied.
"When the sun rises, they will die, and the people come from town to pick them
and sell them in the marketplace. I throw them back to the sea so they might
live another day."
As the youth explained, Eisley
surveyed the vast expanse of beach, stretching in both directions beyond his
sight. Starfish littered the shore in numbers beyond calculation. The youth's
plan seemed hopeless. "But there are more starfish on this beach than you
can ever save before the sun is up. Surely you cannot expect to make a
difference?"
The youth paused to consider
his words, then bent to pick up a starfish, whirled around and threw it as far
as possible. Turning to the scientist he said simply, "I made a difference
to that one," and kept dancing down the beach.
Eisley went back to his room
and thought much as it had never occurred to him how important it is for one
creature to help another, and how the seemingly natural order of things might
be dramatically altered by the simple actions of one person.
The next morning, Eisley
awoke, and again went down to the sea before dawn. There he joined the youth in
the dance of life, one starfish at a time! Never before had he felt so alive
and connected to our Creator God.
Whatever talents or gifts we
have each been given, they are more than enough for us to do our part in the
dance of life. Each simple action of our lives can make a difference in
carrying on Jesus' work of reconciliation in the world.
We are the people who carry
out the mission of the church, which is the mission of Jesus, our odd, our
unique king. This is called life in his kingdom.
Bending, reaching, flinging our arms, one starfish at a time, we bring ourselves closer to others, closer to God and closer to ourselves.
Hymn
TIS 674: Inspired
by love and anger
(tune – Salley Gardens)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtYFaFRckKs
Inspired by love and anger,
disturbed by need and pain,
Informed of God’s own bias we
ask him once again:
How long must some folk
suffer? How long can few folk mind?
How long dare vain
self-interest turn prayer and pity blind?”
From those forever victims of
heartless human greed,
Their cruel plight composes a
litany of need:
“Where are the fruits of
justice? Where are the signs of peace?
When is the day when prisoners
and dreams find their release?”
From those forever shackled to
what their wealth can buy,
The fear of lost advantage
provokes the bitter cry,
“Don’t query our position!
Don’t criticise our wealth!
Don’t mention those exploited
by politics and stealth!”
To God, who through the
prophets proclaimed a different age,
We offer earth’s indifference,
its agony and rage:
“When will the wronged be
righted? When will the kingdom come?
When will the world be
generous to all instead of some?”
God asks, “Who will go for me?
Who will extend my reach?
And who, when few will listen,
will prophesy and preach?
And who, when few bid welcome,
will offer all they know?
And who, when few dare follow,
will walk the road I show?”
Amused in someone’s kitchen,
asleep in someone’s boat,
Attuned to what the ancients
exposed, proclaimed and wrote,
A Saviour without safety, a
tradesman without tools
Has come to tip the balance with fishermen and fools.
Author: John L. Bell; Author: Graham Maule
Tune: Salley Gardens
Intercessory Prayers
Jesus Christ, true
ruler of the created world, we pray for the peoples of the world: for victims
of war, brutality and oppression; for victims of unjust economic and political
systems; for the hungry, the homeless and the refugee.
We give thanks for
leaders who serve the common good, and for all who work for an increase of
justice and peace.
Make us a people whose
hearts are ruled by your mercy and compassion, and, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Jesus Christ, true shepherd to all your sheep, we pray for your church:
for courage in places of persecution; for renewed zeal in places of apathy; for
unity in places of discord and division. We give you thanks and pray for all
who are shepherds to your people, for priests and pastors and all who minister
in your name. Make us a people whose hearts are ruled by your forgiveness and
grace, and, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Jesus Christ, true companion to all who seek you, we pray for those to whom our lives are bound: for our families, our friends and all whom we love; for this parish community; for those with whom we work and play. We give you thanks for all whose love or care or daily work enriches our lives. Make us a people whose hearts are ruled by your reconciliation and love, and, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Jesus Christ, true comforter to all who suffer, we pray for all in special need: those lost in grief or loneliness or hopelessness; those imprisoned by pain or guilt or despair; those sick in heart or mind or spirit; We give you thanks for all who bring healing and hope to those in need. Make us a people whose hearts are ruled by your compassion and hope, and, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Jesus Christ, true ruler of earth and heaven, we give you thanks and
praise for your faithful servants of every age.
Help us follow in the footsteps of your saints that we, like them, may be gathered into your eternal presence, a people after your own heart, the sheep of your own fold. Jesus Christ, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
THE LORD'S PRAYER
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 for ever. Amen.
Hymn
TIS 256: From heav’n you came, helpless
babe
(tune -The Servant King)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHmxNBHcUbQ
From heaven you came helpless babe
Entered our world, your glory veiled
Not to be served but to serve
And give Your life that we might live
This is our God, The Servant King
He calls us now to follow Him
To bring our lives as a daily offering
Of worship to The Servant King
There in the garden of tears
My heavy load he chose to bear
His heart with sorrow was torn
'Yet not My will but Yours,' He said
This is our God, The Servant King
He calls us now to follow Him
To bring our lives as a daily offering
Of worship to The Servant King
Come see His hands and His feet
The scars that speak of sacrifice
Hands that flung stars into space
To cruel nails surrendered
This is our God, The Servant King
He calls us now to follow Him
To bring our lives as a daily offering
Of worship to The Servant King
So let us learn how to serve
And in our lives enthrone Him
Each other's needs to prefer
For it is Christ we're serving
This is our God, The Servant King
He calls us now to follow Him
To bring our lives as a daily offering
Of worship to The Servant King
Author: Graham Kendrick
Tune: The Servant King
Benediction
Come, you who are blessed! Inherit all that
is prepared
for
you!
We
leave this sacred space to claim the riches and
glorious
inheritance that are ours through Christ.
Go
out into the world to share your blessings with all in
need. Go forth in the name of the living Word, the One whose
words bring forth the fruit of the kingdom in your own lives! Amen.
Hymn TIS 779: May the feet
of God walk with you.
(Tune – Aubrey)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X5FHNGM2HA
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.
Robyn Mann (1949 -) Aubrey Podlick (1946 -)
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