PAPER DAISY

Plant paper daisies in well drained soil.

For an abundant display of flowers, plant several of them together.

Photo: Scott Hawkins

(From website "12 Best Winter Flowers")

 

 

Important Announcement

 

We are getting ready to return to church!

 

Boronia Park Uniting Church has been considering public health advice and the needs of our members and guests.

The Synod of NSW and the ACT has been meeting regularly to discuss the current issues and plan for the gradual relaxing of regulations. As the result, with the state government's guideline, we are now able to create a safe path to reopening some church activities including Sunday worship service.

The Church Council has discussed what we should prepare before reopening.

Please be patient as we are getting back to a new normal.

While creating and preparing for reopening, physical distancing is required and all worship resources will be continued online.

More information on the Synod Website Here to click/tab

 

 

Preparing for Worship

 

Welcome to Boronia Park Uniting Church and our weekly worship resources. You may wish to find a comfortable space and to commit yourself to sit. Lighting a candle may help you to remember the presence of Christ Jesus this day. If you are worshipping with others, you are encouraged to share the various parts of worship and read them aloud. We believe that where you sit and centre your heart upon God’s presence is a church, representing the work of God, the Creator.

 

 

 

This moment, I want you to see your hands. The hands that may be little or big, long or short, fresh or wrinkled, growing or old are all our hands to serve each other as the church. What would you see in your hands? Jesus’ hands touching many lives? Or Christ’s hands that were resurrected to save the whole world? Whatever they are, your hands today work as the Hand of God. So you may bless your hands now.   

 

 

Acknowledgement for the First Peoples

 

I/We acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, Elders past, present and emerging, on which we gather this day. I/We recognize their special relationship with the land and all creation. And thank them.

 

 

Call to Worship & Opening Prayer

 

Hands are such an essential in all we do, having a broken arm or wrist is a big lesson in how almost everything we do is not able to be done without them.

 

Hands have taken on an importance we might not have ever imagined of late – we need to wash them much more frequently, and are regularly dosing them with hand sanitizer, we need to be careful what we touch, and we are cautioned not to shake hands with or touch another person.

 

Look at your hands, examine them closely – what story do they hold within them? Do they show your age? Do they reflect your work? Are there scars? Where did the marks and scars come from?

 

These are the hands that you have been given to do the work of God and the hands you have been given with which to worship God.

 

This prayer is based on St Theresa’s prayer, you may like to hold your hands open and look at them as you say it:

 

Let us pray:

 

Christ has no body but ours,

no hands, no feet on earth but ours,

ours are the eyes with which Christ looks

with compassion on this world,

ours are the feet with which Christ walks to do good,

ours are the hands, with which Christ blesses all the world.

 

 

Ours are the hands, ours are the feet,

ours are the eyes, we are Christ’s body.

 

Christ has no body now but ours,

no hands, no feet on earth but ours,

ours are the eyes with which he looks

with compassion on this world.

 

Christ has no body now on earth but ours.

 

 

Prayer of Confession

 

God, we think of the ways in which we have used our hands that have caused harm to those around us – angry or abusive words we have written, kind acts we have not done, selfish things we have, the objects and people we have handled carelessly.

 

God, we confess the hand we have had in harming the earth – the way we have taken more than we need, the rubbish we have produced, the way we have poured poison on the soil and in the water and the air.

 

Forgive us our wrongs.

 

 

Word of Forgiveness

 

God’s merciful love shows us a way in which we can have a hand in making wrongs right and undoing harm.

Let this be our guiding light and our way toward reconciliation and making things new.

 

 

Hymn: Now Thank We All Our God (106, NUN DANKET ALLE GOTT) 

 

 

 

Verse 1

Now thank we all our God

with hearts and hands and voices,

who wondrous things has done,

in whom the world rejoices;

who from our mother’s arms

has blessed us on our way

with countless gifts of love,

and still is ours today.

 

Verse 2

O may this bounteous God

through all our life be near us,

with ever joyful hearts

and blessed peace to cheer us.

Lord, keep us in your grace,

and guide us when perplexed,

and free us from all harm

in this world and the next.

 

Verse 3

All praise and thanks to God

who reigns in highest heaven,

to Father and to Son

and Spirit now be given:

the one eternal God,

whom heaven and earth adore,

who ever was, is now,

and shall be ever more.

 Martin Rinkart

 

 

Thanksgiving Prayer

 

Our hands are capable of amazing things.

 

Think of all the things you love to do with your hands –

 

knitting trauma teddies and beanies for homeless,

brewing tea or coffee,

 

leafing through your favourite book, maybe your bible,

playing online games, volleyball, cricket or an instrument,

holding hands to pray,

soothing painful shoulders,

baking cakes to share with others,

creating arts and crafts,

taking photos,

patting your loved ones,

writing cards to friends,

gardening your own or someone’s.

Say ‘thank you’ to God

for all these things and the gift of hands.

You might like to write a list or draw yourself

doing some of these things and

hang it somewhere you can see it every day

as a reminder to be grateful for all this.

 

 

Responsive Reading: Psalm 139 (The Passion Translation)

 

Lord, you know everything there is to know about me.

You perceive every movement of my heart and soul,

and you understand my every thought before it even enters my mind.

 

You are so intimately aware of me, Lord.

You read my heart like an open book

and you know all the words I’m about to speak

before I even start a sentence!

 

You know every step I will take before my journey even begins.

You’ve gone into my future to prepare the way,

and in kindness you follow behind me

to spare me from the harm of my past.

 

With your hand of love upon my life,

you impart a blessing to me.

This is just too wonderful, deep, and incomprehensible!

 

Your understanding of me brings me wonder and strength.

You formed my innermost being,

shaping both my inside and my outside,

and wove them all together in my mother’s womb.

 

God, I invite your searching gaze into my heart.

Examine me through and through;

find out everything that may be hidden within me.

 

Put me to the test and sift through all my anxious cares.

See if there is any path of pain I’m walking on,

and lead me back to your glorious, everlasting ways—

the path that brings me back to you.

 

 

The Word: Genesis 28:10-19, Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43

 

Alan Keast reads the readings.

 

 

Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

¹⁰ Jacob left Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran. ¹¹ And he came to a certain place, and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. ¹² And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! ¹³ And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your descendants; ¹⁴ and your descendants shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and by you and your descendants shall all the families of the earth bless themselves. ¹⁵ Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done that of which I have spoken to you.” ¹⁶ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place; and I did not know it.” ¹⁷ And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

¹⁸ So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone which he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. ¹⁹ He called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of the city was Luz at the first.

 

 

The Parable of Weeds among the Wheat

 

²⁴ Another parable he put before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field; ²⁵ but while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. ²⁶ So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. ²⁷ And the servants of the householder came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then has it weeds?’ ²⁸ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ ²⁹ But he said, ‘No; lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

 

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Weeds

 

³⁶ Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” ³⁷ He answered, “He who sows the good seed is the Son of man; ³⁸ the field is the world, and the good seed means the sons of the kingdom; the weeds are the sons of the evil one, ³⁹ and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. ⁴⁰ Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. ⁴¹ The Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, ⁴² and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth. ⁴³ Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

 

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

 

 

Song: Give us clean hands

 

 

We bow our hearts, we bend our knees

Oh Spirit come make us humble

We turn our eyes from evil things

Oh Lord we cast down our idols

 

Give us clean hands and give us pure hearts

Let us not lift our souls to another

give us clean hands and give us pure hearts

Let us not lift our souls to another

 

Oh God let us be a generation that seeks

That seeks Your face, oh God of Jacob

Oh God let us be a generation that seeks

That seeks Your face, oh God of Jacob

 

© 2000 sixsteps Music

CCLI #260394

 

 

A Prayer for reflecting on the Scripture Readings

 

This is a hand and finger prayer.

 

If you are able, please hold up your fingers.

 

Then think of all the small kindnesses that you have received

and pray for the people who have offered these kindnesses to you.

 

Think of the things that have been difficult this week for you

and those around you.

 

Pray for those you know are doing life hard.

 

Think of the injustices and inequities you would like to see end,

the harmful things you would like to see society put aside

and the just and good things you would like them to be replaced with.

 

Think of all the ways in which you have been directed to safety and security.

 

Pray for those who are having to make decisions for the wellbeing of us all.

 

Remind you of all the people and things in the world that make you feel okay.

 

Pray for them.

 

And then open up your hand – offer all the talents and skill you have for the work of God in the world.

 

You may like to end with Theresa of Avila’s prayer once again.

 

Christ has no body but ours,

no hands, no feet on earth but ours,

ours are the eyes with which Christ looks

with compassion on this world,

ours are the feet with which Christ walks to do good,

ours are the hands, with which Christ blesses all the world.

 

Ours are the hands, ours are the feet,

ours are the eyes, we are Christ’s body.

 

Christ has no body now but ours,

no hands, no feet on earth but ours,

ours are the eyes with which he looks

with compassion on this world.

 

Christ has no body now on earth but ours.

 

 

Reflection on the Scripture       Seung Jae Yeon

 

The other night that my Daniel turned 15, he had a question to me. He asked me about my thoughts on himself and the siblings’ future careers. “Mmm”, I murmured. Then I answered. “Junah (it’s his Korean name), I want your brother and sister, and you to do something that cannot be replaced by robots or AI. I continued, “if possible, farmer, nurse and teacher are those careers that human beings can change and make huge difference. If one of you would become a pastor, I want Heather to be.” Daniel agreed. He seemed to know what I meant. His question at dinner table made me think of how well my three little-but-big kids grow themselves. And also made me think of where I am in my life’s journey as father of three young people.

 

Until this moment, I have worked my best to get here. Especially I have used my hands to lead my life so far. My small hands would tell all the story in life to myself. My hands have scars, some fingers bent and pains on muscles and bones in moving certain actions. They have wrinkles and dry skin. They are like a history book that tells that I build my family, raise my children, grow dreams for tomorrow and serve others at church and community. My hands are not holy but all that they do for others, I believe, are holy and sacred. I am not God. But I do God’s work using my 45 years old hands. They touch the earth here before me, which is given to us.

 

Jacob is one of bible characters whose life was very tough. Though he got the birthright from his brother, he was always running fast to hide and keep himself safe. He wandered, seeking asylum for him. Though he was promised from God’s angel to receive blessings of having many ancestors, he slept rough on his way to Haran. Imagine his hands holding one stone as his pillow for the night. His hands would have brushed the stone to clean and put is under his head. His hands lived with God’s blessing and the birthright but they looked ugly and dirty because of his wandering and tough life. His hands were not holy but what his hands did was holy.

 

At verse 18, his hands took the stone and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. As he says at verse 17, he set the gate of heaven by his hands. His dirty, bent, wrinkled and scar-full hands proclaimed that God in his life is always near to him. Then he named the place Bethel, the House of God. At his fingertips, there was God who changed his perspective to the world from being painful and miserable to being blessed and scared. What was happening for Jacob was that he had experienced the difficult days of his life but a Bethel he encountered with God which was the most important life event that changed him forever. We believe that this is what God can only do to all human beings especially in this challenging time.

 

God at Bethel came to Jacob knowing what he needed. God appeared in his dream, showing his future blessings that made him unashamed of his miserable life. God was not denying the trauma of the past days and Jacob’s life and its surrounding circumstances did not disappear. But Jacob was with God. He stayed with God and offered Him the first place in his life by setting up the House of God at Bethel. Bethel became the place that Jacob builds with his hands. We would say that the life Jacob goes to the second round where he dreams of what comes next. The worst days have gone, and the new days come because he dwells in the House of God. God offers him the second chance.

 

In the last 4 months’ time, we have lived life that is totally different to our past life. We all have days that become the weirdest days in life that cause us to see the world in different ways. When the days after the strange day of our lives come, we are not the same as we were before. We won’t forget or remove any form of trauma. However, what we do have is a God that knows the depths of our human pain and sorrow. We are given the reassurance that God sees us closely and does not consider us shameful, God reaches out to us and says, as He spoke to Jacob,

 

“Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done that of which I have spoken to you.” (verse 15)

 

We are not God. But we have the hands created by God’s image. Your hands and my hands, and many hands that may help you to live are like God’s hands touching many lives. Your hands are markers of your life, and they place you in the house of God, a God who leads us from brokenness into the wonderful promise of God’s abundant grace. After passing through the challenging time, many things in our life and even our Christian life will be changed or replaced by highly developed technology. But our hands will do certain things – impart God’s blessing and touch many live with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Your hands and my hands will make something new in the what comes next.

 

Amen.

 

 

 

Prayers of the People     Phoebe Kim

 

Heavenly Father,

You are the light of the world.

 

Shine through us so that the world can experience

your fruits of freedom, justice, and peace.

 

You are the bread of life.

Share through us your bounty so that none of your children

go hungry, and that all are nourished.

 

You are our way.

Guide through us so that all may know your truth.

May those who have gone astray find you and your word.

 

You are our joy.

Spread your blessings though us so that all may experience

your love and grace.

 

You are our strength.

Support through us so that all those alone, weak and neglected

have courage and hope.

 

Lord, you are our Saviour.

Hear the prayers of your people

as we live in an uncertain and tumultuous world.

 

We pray for the ongoing pandemic and the worries

that a second outbreak may occur closer to home.

Please keep all well and healthy.

Please take care of those who are particularly vulnerable

and those who are working to maintain the safety and health

of our communities.

 

In the World Cycle of Prayers,

we pray especially this week

for Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda.

Be with the people of these nations.

These countries and their citizens have suffered so much

and continue to be plagued with worldly diseases of poverty.

 

Father, give wisdom and compassion to world leaders

so that they work for the equality of all nations,

regardless of race or ethnicity.

Give us courage so that we fight for a world of justice and peace

so that all may taste your grace.

 

At this time,

we also remember China who is faced with floods.

We pray for all the people affected.

May you keep them safe.

May the rehabilitation afterwards go smoothly.

You made the world to be good,

but it is our human actions and interference

that results in such natural disasters.

Help us to be better stewards of the lands so.

 

In our Local Churches' Prayer Council,

we remember and uphold the members and worship committee

of Villa Maria Holy Name of Mary and St. Peter Chanel.

We pray that you are keeping them all safe

and in your warm embrace.

May they be strengthened in the knowledge of your love

as well as the wider Christ community

that we all share in you.

 

We pray also, especially for members

of our beloved congregation.

We remember that the Church is not a building.

It is a people, a family

in Christ and in love for one another.

 

Though we have not been able to gather

in fellowship in person during these times,

we take comfort in the knowledge that

we are all under your safekeeping and

await when we can all safely meet to praise you again.

 

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

 

 

 

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 forever.

 

Amen.

 

 
Offering

 

 

Let us pray:

 

Almighty God,

you are always giving through our lives and history,

that are priceless and unmeasurable.

So we offer all of ourselves to You.

 

 

In your giving,

please take our talents, our energy and our joy,

and remind us to be your giving hands with others.

 

In your forgiving,

please take our mistakes, our regrets and our pain,

and remind us to touch lives near and far.

 

And in your loving, let us continue to give

all the blessings that we receive today,

to spread words and deeds of Jesus Christ, Your Son

in the world.

 

Amen.

 

The offering will be used for the congregation’s continuing mission and ministry in these changing times. Please make your offering through a Bank Deposit or a personal cheque whichever is convenient to you.

 

Account Name: Boronia Park Uniting Church

BSB: 634-634               

Account: 100023784

Reference: Offering      

 

Please contact Robyn Harvey, Treasurer on 0418 783 290 or robyn.49@bigpond.net.au for more information about how to make Direct Debit.

  

And many thanks for your strong commitment to the life of Boronia Park Uniting Church and its ministry.

 

 

Words of Blessing and Sent Forth by the Holy Spirit

 

For the Holy Spirit makes God’s fatherhood real to us

as he whispers into our innermost being,

“You are God’s beloved child!”

 

This is the hope of our salvation.

Hope means that we must trust

and wait for what is still unseen.

 

For why would we need to hope for something

we already have?

So because our hope is set

on what is yet to be seen,

we patiently keep on waiting

for its fulfillment.

 

So, May the work of your hands reflect

the law of love and the hope of salvation

that is written in your heart

by the risen Christ.

 

Amen.

 

 

KidsLife Episode 10