THIS WEEK, as we will now celebrate the Sunday worship called Kids and Family Worship, I encourage you to find a space where your kids prefer to stay and to worship God. You, mum, dad or grandparents, may tell any story relating your faith journey to your children. Feel free to join any part of the liturgy. Let this special worship begin!
Before we begin, we would like to acknowledge and pay respect to the traditional owners of the soil, water and sky on which we live the Life that the risen Lord Jesus Christ has given for us.
We greet each other, especially those who is listed on the fIfth page of the Congregation Directory. I would like to call them by name:
And in our imagination, let us have big waving hands to each other.
Loving Father,
we thank you for this opportunity
to worship you together in the Holy Spirit.
Please help everyone here today
to learn something new about You.
We also thank you
that you know and love each one of us
and you want us to belong to you.
Psalm 66 sings,
“Let’s praise God!
He listened when I prayed,
and he is always kind.”
We come and join this virtual congregation
to worship our God who create and love us.
We now open our heart and mind,
no matter where we are gathered,
as we come into the presence of God.
Let us worship God.
Sing the song that reminds us again the reason why we are gathered this moment.
Light of the world
You stepped down into darkness
Opened my eyes let me see
Beauty that made
This heart adore You
Hope of a life spent with You
(Repeat)
Chorus
So here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that You're my God
And You're altogether lovely
Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me
King of all days
Oh so highly exalted
Glorious in heaven above
Humbly You came
To the earth You created
All for love's sake became poor
Chorus (Repeat)
(Bridge)
And I'll never know how much it cost
To see my sin upon that cross
And I'll never know how much it cost
To see my sin upon that cross
(Repeat)
So here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that You're my God
And You're altogether lovely
Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me
(Repeat)
And I'll never know how much it cost
To see my sin upon that cross
And I'll never know how much it cost
To see my sin upon that cross
CCLI #260394
Let us pray:
Leader: In this time, come close to God,
and he will come close to you.
The Lord our God is worthy
to receive glory, honour and praise
for he has created us and redeemed us.
Leader: God our Father, in this time,
we have come to Your presence this morning to meet with you.
We want to speak to you
and listen to what you are saying to us.
Leader: There are things that we are sorry we did,
because they were wrong.
There are other things that we did not do,
which we know we should have done.
Leader: We thank you for life,
and for sending Jesus into the world
so that we can enjoy it even more.
We are grateful to you
for taking care of us from day to day.
Leader: Do you believe in God?
Leader: Do you believe in Jesus Christ?
Leader: Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?
Leader: May the Peace of God be within us.
Let us find ways to share peace and joy with one another, especially to your children. You might like to make a phone call OR send a message to those we greeted at GREETING TO MEMBERS. Let us share Easter hope across our friendship this day.
15 Jesus said to his disciples:
If you love me, you will do as I command. 16 Then I will ask the Father to send you the Holy Spirit who will help you and always be with you. 17 The Spirit will show you what is true. The people of this world cannot accept the Spirit, because they don’t see or know him. But you know the Spirit, who is with you and will keep on living in you.
18 I won’t leave you like orphans. I will come back to you. 19 In a little while the people of this world won’t be able to see me, but you will see me. And because I live, you will live. 20 Then you will know that I am one with the Father. You will know that you are one with me, and I am one with you. 21 If you love me, you will do what I have said, and my Father will love you. I will also love you and show you what I am like.
(Contemporary English Version)
This is the Word of the Lord.
Sing and discover the love of God that gives us eternal life in Jesus Christ.
John three sixteen
For God so loved the world
That He gave His one and only Son
God so loved the world
That He gave His one and only Son
Chorus
That whoever believes in Him
Shall not perish but have eternal life!
That whoever believes in Him
Shall not perish but have eternal life!
John three sixteen
For God so loved the world
That He gave His one and only Son
God so loved the world
That He gave His one and only Son
Chorus (2 times)
Written by Jason Houser and Elliott Park | CCLI #260394
I should begin my reflection sharing with inviting you to recall those days when we were able to gather in a meeting or a Sunday worship service with other members. Their greetings, patting, hugging, kissing and shaking hands are all missed so much today. The time we sang, listened for the Word of the Lord, prayed for each other and shared stories over morning tea is also missed today. What part of meeting or our Sunday worship are you recalling or missing this moment? If I answer the question, I would say, “mine is the peace sharing.” No kidding. So I would say again, “the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.”
In the sharing of Christ’s peace, I believe that we affirm that we live the Life given by Christ’s resurrection and His promise of the Holy Spirit. On every Sunday of the year, we say the Peace together as indeed we will say it face to face one day. And since the Peace is for me central of what is crucial to our faith as Christians, I propose, sometimes, to offer some thoughts about it. Today, no matter where we are, we believe that here is the presence of God for all those who believe in Jesus Christ and who live the Life from Him. In the sharing of Christ’s peace or in the presence of God we may see one important thing. That is an act of bonding. In other words, our identity in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Especially in our peace sharing, we had an affirmation of our faith which is well known to us as Apostles’ Creed. The first two words are ‘We believe’, which acknowledges that, although each of us is an individual, none of us is alone. This is very significant. At the heart of the Christian story is the claim that God creates us to be in a network of relationship. After all, each of us was born as a result of a relationship. It may have been a fragile relationship, or an imperfect one, but it was a relationship. In the same way, everything we know about the world, and all the skills we have, come to us as a result of a complex set of relationships. The language we speak – whatever language you speak today as mother tongue, the clothes we wear, the custom we practice in life – all of this is relational.
We, Boronia Park Uniting Church claim that in this challenging time, God meets us, and gives us vitality in its many forms, by acting at the heart of these relationships. Your fellow Christians in family and neighbourhood, your church elder and leaders are central in these relationships. He is indeed ‘my’ God, but he is the true God of the true me, which is a me who is faithfully associated with the others. The real ‘me’ is in part of already part of the real ‘we’, and that is where God meets us. When we say ‘We’ at the beginning of the Creed or share the Peace with each other, we are accepting ourselves, the others, and God’s redeeming act in Jesus’ resurrection and promise for us to send the Holy Spirit.
Jesus the risen Lord is promising the Holy Spirit in the Scripture reading this morning. He is inviting his friends and followers to live their life in the Holy Spirit who can make them understand who God is for them. In His promising, it is revealed that God has come to be in their flesh and blood and in each of their relationships. He is saying that something is exceedingly good, and something with large consequences for their life and action and relationships. Jesus says, “you know the Spirit, who is with you and will keep on living in you.” Their relationship with God is anew in the promise of the Holy Spirit. We are able to live today because He lives with us as the new relationship with God.
Today we celebrate this Sunday as Kids and Family Worship as we have done at church. We cannot see them participating in each segment of liturgy, growing their faith in Jesus and increasing the kingdom of God in them. As we are missing so much for meeting with each other, they may be craving for seeing each other in our church building. We are all in difficult times. Please don’t forget that we are in the relationship with God who wants to meet us and find us as His people.
Let us linger on the relationship that is anew in Jesus Christ our Lord. The relationship anew do not come from a belief you had in the past. The relationship the one we truly have in God names our faith today in Jesus Christ who is good to us and good for us. And the relationship invites us with some urgency towards in which we can be good to one another and good for one another in the challenging time. Let us try to expect to receive the Holy Spirit who is coming into our lives and making us bond into the new relationship with God, the Creator, the Rescuer, the Blesser and the Lover.
Amen.
Let us pray:
Leader: Let us together turn to the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth in prayer.
We pray for your wonderful creation,
the earth, and its streams, mountains, creatures and plants.
Remind us anew of your wonderful gift of creation
and empower us each to live in ways
that honour your intent for us,
your human stewards.
Lord in your mercy,
Leader: We pray for this holy gathering
and for the people of God in every place.
Especially we pray for GladesHill Presbyterian Church
and Kalos Korean congregation.
May the church universal be faithful to your call
to help bring about your kingdom
on the earth as it is in heaven.
Lord in your mercy,
Leader: We pray for all the leaders of the world
that they may make wise choices for everyone and
that they may lead us to honour and respect all people.
According to the World Cycle of Prayer,
we pray for the churches
and its members of the islands in Indian Ocean:
Comoro, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles.
May their words and actions protect themselves
and the nature that God created in His image.
Lord in your mercy,
Leader: We pray for those
who live without resources we take for granted.
We give thanks for those people and ministries
who seek to help provide food,
healthcare, and shelter to those in need.
We ask that you bless and expand their efforts.
Lord in your mercy,
Leader: On Kids and Family Worship this morning,
we give thanks for loving support
our congregation gives to our young people and families
through prayers and thoughts in the challenging time.
We pray that through all of the ministries of our church
both online and off-line
we continue to serve faithfully Christ the Risen Lord
in the world.
Lord in your mercy,
Leader: We pray for those who do not understand
or have not experienced your love,
that they may seek a deeper knowledge of you.
We also pray for your love to touch those
who may feel isolated or lonely.
Lord in your mercy,
Leader: God, you are our Loving Parent.
Meet us now with open arms
as we pray together the Lord’s Prayer.
You may say the prayer in a language of your heart.
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 in the time of trial and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours
now and forever.
Amen.
Sing this song and reflect on the meaning of Christ’s resurrection in life and beyond.
The moon and stars they wept
The morning sun was dead
The Saviour of the world was fallen
His body on the cross
His blood poured out for us
The weight of every curse upon Him
One final breath He gave
As heaven looked away
The Son of God was laid in darkness
A battle in the grave
The war on death was waged
The power of hell forever broken
The ground began to shake
The stone was rolled away
His love could not be overcome
Now death where is your sting
Our resurrected King has rendered you defeated
Chorus
Now forever He is glorified
Forever He is lifted high
And forever He is risen
He is alive and He is alive
(REPEAT)
We sing hallelujah we sing hallelujah
We sing hallelujah the Lamb has overcome
(REPEAT)
We sing hallelujah we sing hallelujah
We sing hallelujah
And now death where is your sting
Our resurrected King
He’s overcome
He’s overcome
© 2013 Bethel Music Publishing |CCLI #260394
Let us pray:
Blessed are you,
O Lord our God,
Creator and Redeemer of the whole world;
from you we receive the gift of life,
and by your grace we have gifts to offer you.
Accept our offerings and our lives
in praise and thanksgiving,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who brings us again from death to life,
and holds forward the promise
of your everlasting kingdom. Amen.
The offering will be used for the congregation’s continuing mission and ministry in the changing time. Please make offering through Bank Deposit or personal cheque whichever is convenient to you.
Please contact Robyn Harvey, Treasurer on 0418 783 290 or robyn.49@bigpond.net.au for more information about how to make Direct Debit.
If you are in a position to help others, Sydney Community Services, where we have donated foods and goods to support the need in our local community, may ask us to donate ANY pasta sauce or chunk soup cans. SCS has passed their appreciation for our donation.
Leader: Lord, we thank you for the gifts and talents
from the Life You have placed in us
through your Son Jesus Christ.
We pray that You will make them bigger in us
and use them for your glory.
Make them visible to us and show us specifically
if there is any special nurturing, training, learning experience,
or opportunities we should provide for our young people.
Leader: Your Word says,
“because I live, you will live.”
Please help us to live the Live
You have on our life.
Again we thank you Lord for the church family and friends
that we are gathered together
in Your promise of the Holy Spirit.
The blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
be upon us and remain with us always.
Amen.
A huge thanks to all at Terrigal Uniting for sharing this wonderful resource with us all.