LAVENDER

Lavender is water-wise in well drained areas and responds well to pruning.

It can cope in exposed, sunny conditions.

Two good yearly prunings (after flowering) will help to keep the plant under control.

Follow with a fertiliser, blood and bone, for quick re-growth.

Photo: Scott Hawkins

(From website "12 Best Winter Flowers")

 

 

Click to watch an Important Announcement - Moving to Reopening for Worship: There will be two trial worship services on Sunday 9 and 16 August.     

 

 

Preparing for Worship

 

Welcome to Boronia Park Uniting Church and our weekly worship resources. This Sunday, we celebrate the Lord Jesus in holy communion. If you are able, bread and wine/a cup of grape juice may be prepared on your table or your proposed worship space. Today it is ok to share communion at home as we have done last few months.

 

 

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.

 

 

Opening Responses:

 

The response is in bold font.

 

Thanks be to you O God, that we have risen this day,

to the rising of this life itself.

 

Be the purpose of God between us and each purpose,

the hand of God between us and each hand.

 

The pain of Christ between us and each pain,

the love of Christ between us and each love.

 

Beloved of the orphans, beloved of the widows,

draw us to the shelter-house of the Saviour of the poor.

 

Come, please come.

We adore your holy presence this moment and forever.

 

 

Song  ‘Jesus Calls Us’

 

Let’s sing together as we are worshipping God at the moment. The verse 4 may help join in the fellowship of Lords’ supper.

 

 

Jesus calls us here to meet him

as, 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:

found in him are no divides.

Race and class and gender and language

such are barrier he derides.

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

CCLI #260394

 

 

Prayer of Confession

 

Let us pray:

 

Holy God, maker of the skies above,

lowly Christ, born amidst the growing earth,

Spirit of life, wind over the flowing waters,

in earth, sea and sky,

You are there.

 

O hidden mystery,

Sun behind all suns,

Soul behind all souls,

in everything we touch,

in everyone we meet,

your presence is round us,

and we give you thanks.

 

But when we have not touched, but trampled you in creation,

when we have not met but missed you in one another,

when we have not received but rejected you in the poor,

forgive us,

and hear now our prayer for mercy.

 

 

Prayer of Invocation

 

Come, Father of the poor,

come, Light of our hearts,

come, Generous Spirit,

by the glory of your creation around us,

by the comfort of your forgiveness within us,

by the wind of your Spirit nourishing the church all around the world,

renew us,

so that we come glad to this celebration of the table fellowship.

 

Amen.

 

 

Scripture Reading  Genesis 32:22-31, Matthew 14:13-21  Robyn Harvey

 

You may read the passages from different languagues.

 

 

The reading is from Genesis 32 (New International Version).

 

Jacob Wrestles With God

²² That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. ²³ After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. ²⁴ So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. ²⁵ When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. ²⁶ Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

²⁷ The man asked him, “What is your name?”

“Jacob,” he answered.

²⁸ Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”

²⁹ Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”

But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.

³⁰ So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”

³¹ The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip.

 

 

The Gospel reading comes from Matthew 14 (NIV).

 

 

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

 

¹³ When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. ¹⁴ When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

¹⁵ As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”

¹⁶ Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

¹⁷ “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.

 

 

¹⁸ “Bring them here to me,” he said. ¹⁹ And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. ²⁰ They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. ²¹ The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

 

This is the Word of the Lord,

Thanks be to God.

 

Reflection on the Scripture       Seung Jae Yeon

 

 

 

 

 

“The time has come. The moment of truth has arrived.”

 

These two sentences are drawn from a group of black South African clergy and theologians and their historical document “1985 South Africa Kairos Document,” which was published in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1985. They are spiritually perfect sentences in a spiritually perfect document. When the readers encounter them, the document speaks up against the Apartheid government and its crackdowns, reawakening all Christians – both black and white to the true identity as church.

 

The Kairos Document touched many people and their faith with a strong sense that the time was ripe for change. The time is like a prophecy which brings people to the moment for change. The Document inspires the readers that the church has to challenge against the world, awaken to the world and bring sense of purpose to the world. Its message was like a prophetic voice so that for them the moment was not only God’s grace and opportunity to take action but also a dangerous time if missed that opportunity. The influence of the Document was that attempts were made in the context of Apartheid to challenge the churches' attitude to particular issues. I cannot tell that the Document was successful in changing south African churches, but I believe that at least 35 years ago it brought God’s time in the south African church communities.

 

This moment, I want us to think about time and its meaning for us. Here, it does not refer to clock time – time that can be measured like seconds, minutes, hours or years. It is God’s time that is qualitative and measures moments, right moment, the moment of opportunity and grace, the perfect moment in God willing for you, for me and for many. We are going to have a look closely at those two events in the passages and then take time to meditate on them reflecting on what it means for us to be a church in Boronia Park or simply our identity as Church, as we are passing through the very challenging times. I do note that God’s time needs not be as dramatic as it is. I truly believe that God’s time can be a small moment in one person or community’s life that is ripe, and full, and perfect. I want to make this clear.

 

Jacob, the main character of the first story, was a disabled person. He walked lame, limping around places. I guess that he was not able to travel long distance a day and was easy to feel tired due to his disabled body. It would have caused to delay their plan to move from place to place. Did any of his eleven sons notice and know why their father had become a lame man? Did his wives or female servants feel for him how difficult he was unable to walk far? We don’t know exactly whether not or they know why Jacob became disabled. But in Genesis 32, the passage tells us the reason why he walked lame.

 

It was an evening where Jacob stayed alone on the other side of river. After their long-distance travelling, he spent his own time. Why? What made him separated from the rest of his household? Suddenly a man came to him and then began to wrestle with him. It was like a sudden attack to Jacob, he instinctively tried his best in order to win the challenging time. Until the man did cheating, Jacob needed all the strength he can get to win. Suddenly, the man kicked Jacob’s vital spot and then his hip was wrenched. He suffered in pain, groaning on the ground. But the wrestling continued.

 

Both were exhorted physically and mentally by the overnight fight. This time the man suddenly ceased from wrestling. Jacob, a man who has guts, could not miss the opportune moment, asking the man to bless upon him.

 

 

  

Then the man asked him,

 “What is your name?”

 

“Jacob,”

 

he answered. The words that came from the man’s mouth is very interesting, saying,

 

“Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,

because you have struggled with God and with humans

and have overcome.”

 

Jacob was so surprised by the words that were spoken by the man because he did not realise that he wrestled with God. He believed that no one who sees God’s face never survived before.

 

“I am alive,”

 

he murmured.

 

Then Jacob touched his face and legs in order to check whether he is still alive. It was not a dream. He had a question to him with confidence.

 

“Please tell me your name.”

 

The man did not answer that question. But he blessed Jacob. He was thinking that his life balanced on a knife’s edge and small actions might have the power to change his life – alive or death. Jacob was there in between death and life. Furthermore, he was blessed by God there. Peniel – he named the place after struggling with God and man. He named the place ‘Peniel’ because his life was divided by the event, commemorating the life-changing event that he survived though he saw God’s face. He totally forgot about his hip displaced. He got up from there as Sun was rising. He crossed the river to come back to his household, walking lame. He became Israel at Peniel though he got that disability. His clock time went on but the moment of grace and opportunity in God was with him. Israel, which means ‘he struggles with God ‘, and his new day with God appeared on the horizon. From now on, Jacob, Israel began to live not in clock time but in God’s time.

 

For Jacob, “the time has come. The moment of truth has arrived.”

 

In the gospel reading, Jesus showed a miracle to his disciples and the crowd. He fed the crowed followers of him who walked with him day after day and listened for the word about the kingdom of God. It was not like a painting of green pasture or romantic landscape in Galilee. In the story of Jesus’ feeding, there were common people who experienced all sorts of inhuman treatment, poverty, diseases, ignorance and discrimination. For them, bread and fish that Jesus fed were like their life and for their life Jesus was their Messiah, the Saviour. The poor, the sick, the marginalised, orphans and widows, political refugees had very difficult clock time in life but in the fellowship with Jesus, the Messiah, they had God’s time, participating in the moment of truth and life, grace and opportunity.

 

And Jesus fed the hungry, healed the sick and the lame, and awakened those who couldn’t understand the kingdom of God which was defined by the nobles and religious groups. In doing so, he fought against the world of inhuman and injustice. He struggled for liberation and justice, and God’s peace among them. Jesus fed Israel, healed Israel and awakened Israel by struggling with God. That’s God’s call upon Jesus and God’s time in His life. I believe that In Jesus' feeding and struggling with God, the crowed common people were called as Israel who struggle with God through His son Jesus Christ.

 

Jesus taught how to fight against injustice and all inhuman treatment. Jesus said,

 

“You give them something to eat.”

 

He realised that there was no enough food to feed 5000 plus people gathered there. He asked them to bring five loaves of bread and two fish before him. The way that he fought against the world’s tyranny was simple. Giving and sharing what we have, looking up to heaven and giving thanks to God are tactics in his struggles toward the world. And mostly he wanted all people to declare themselves as Israel to the world. Jesus already proclaimed that the poor in spirit are blessed and the kingdom of heaven is theirs. (Matthew 5) Jesus reawakened them to find who they really are – Israel who struggles with God and with humans and overcomes. Jesus encouraged the crowd to measure the moment of grace and opportunity in God’s time. In Him, God’s time is real, touchable, edible and drinkable. The Lord Jesus, the Son of God as the Messiah became lower, dwelling among them and bringing God’s time in them.

 

For those who ate with Jesus, “the time has come. The moment of truth has arrived.”

 

In the past 5 months, our lives and Christian hope have been challenged by the outbreak of Covid19. That has caused anxiety, frustration and uncertainty in us, wrapping us like air. Though we have a plan to have two trial worship services next two Sunday, we are not quite sure about it whether not or it will be done as planned. However, as we have learnt from today’s passage and its message, we are able to hope that God who were with Jacob and who fed Jesus’ followers 2000 years ago, be with us as we are travelling through these challenging times. I truly believe that we are all longing for the coming of safe and secured life in God’s time. We can overcome against all anxiety and uncertainty in the clock time of crisis, if we are able to live out as Israel in God’s time, Kairos.

 

In the Kairos Document that I already mentioned, it proclaims that “the Church of Jesus Christ is not called to be a bastion of caution and moderation. The Church should challenge, inspire and motivate people. It has a message of the cross that inspires us to make sacrifices for justice and liberation. It has a message of hope that challenges us to wake up and to act with hope and confidence.” (1985 Kairos Document, para 5.6) Also “the present crisis challenges the whole Church to move beyond a mere ‘ambulance ministry’ to a ministry of involvement and participation.” (5.1) I have to say that we can be church as we participate in the struggle for liberation, justice, freedom and God’s peace in our life.

 

I believe that God is calling us to join in the struggle. So God be with us today as we go together. Our God was with Jacob at Peniel. Our God was in Jesus feeding 5000 plus people, feeling in pain and hunger, singing with those who are content, and dwelling in the promise that they want to be part of the kingdom of God.

 

Dear my brothers and sisters in Christ. For us, “the time has come. The moment of truth has arrived.”

 

Let us be truly Christ’s church in these challenging times. To be Church means we act and speak Jesus’ ministry. To be where Christ is means for us to form Christ’s community to kindle light for the world. As Jesus fed 5000 and the 5000 people fought against all inhuman treatment and injustice, let us be together as a body of Jesus Christ. And let us be joining God’s time of grace and opportunity today. In His time, among our fellowship, through our prayers and intercessions, I hope that we will be able to bring Christ’s love to the world. If Jesus is with us today, the world may experience the Lord Jesus as the crowd and the disciples met Jesus 2000 years ago.

 

This moment, I pray that God be with those who are utterly challenged by the Covid 19 outbreak. May the blessing of Peniel be with us. May God bless us as we struggle for God’s peace and justice among many lives.

 

“The time has come. The moment of truth has arrived.”

 

Amen.

  

 

Affirmation of Faith

 

We all say this together.

 

We believe in God within us,

maker and sustainer of all life,

of day and night,

of all source of fresh and salt water, soil and dirt,

of all genders.

 

We believe in God within us,

Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh,

born of a woman’s womb, servant of the poor.

 

He was beaten and nailed to a cross.

A Man of sorrow, He died forsaken.

He descended into the earth to the place of death.

On the third day He rose again from the tomb.

He ascended into heaven to be everywhere present,

and His kingdom will come on earth.

 

We believe in God within us,

the Holy Spirit of Pentecost and the fire on that day,

life-giving breath of the Church,

Spirit of healing and forgiveness,

source and hope of resurrection and of life everlasting.

 

Amen.

 

 

Prayers of the people     Justin Han

 

Creator God,

 

who made the universe and all that is in it,

you choose to speak in the still, small voice of love;

be with those today who show your love in difficult situations.

 

Be with young carers,

as they give of themselves and of their own opportunities,

to look after the wellbeing of others,

may they have time and space to be refreshed.

 

Be with children and families living in poverty,

as they share what little they have with those around them;

may they have a fair share in the wealth of society.

 

Be with those missing out on education in this time of lockdown,

as they challenge and teach us about what is truly important in life;

may they be nurtured and equipped with all they need for life.

 

Be with those who feel that their voice is too small to be heard,

as they speak out nonetheless,

may they encourage us all to listen more closely

to those on the margins.

 

Be with the volunteers and staff of the Children’s Society,

as they share your blessings,

so often in the background and unseen by many,

may their work bring to the fore the issues

that need to be addressed.

 

Be with us all as we seek the welfare of one another,

and teach us how to support the wellbeing of all,

may we work together to help the seeds of your kingdom

take root and flourish in our lives and in all the world,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Amen.

 

 

Painted by Heather Yeon

 

THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORD’S SUPPER

 

 

 

The Invitation

 

The table fellowship of bread and wine is now to be made ready.

(This moment the preparation of communion is set at home.)

 

It is the table of company with Jesus

and with all those who love Him.

 

It is the table of sharing with the poor of the world,

with whom Jesus identified Himself.

 

It is the table of communion with the earth

in which Christ became incarnate.

 

So, come to this table fellowship,

you who have much faith

and you who would like to have more;

you who have been to this sacrament often,

and you who have not been for a long time;

you who have tried to follow Jesus,

and you have had many questions about

what it means to follow and believe in Him.

 

Come.

 

It is Christ who invites us to meet Him here and now.

 

 

The Story of The Last Supper

 

Blessed is the Lord Jesus,

who walks with us the road of our world’s suffering,

and who is known to us in the breaking of bread.

 

On the night of His arrest Jesus took bread

and having blessed it

He broke the bread and gave it to His friends, saying,

 

‘This is my body, given for you.’

 

       In the same way He took wine

       and having given thanks for it

       He poured it out and gave the cup to His friends, saying,

 

‘This cup is the new relationship with God,

sealed with my blood.

Take this and share it.

I shall drink wine with you next

in the coming Kingdom of God.’

 

Loving God,

it is through Your goodness that we have

which earth has given and human hands have made.

In the sharing of this bread,

may we know your resurrection presence,

and may we know that, in touching all bread, all matter,

it is You that we touch.

 

What we do here is remember the life that Jesus has shared

among his community through the history of church

and shares among us now.

      

Made one with Christ

and thus one with each other,

let us offer these gifts and with them ourselves,

a single, holy, living sacrifice.

 

The Prayer of Thanksgiving

 

We offer You praise, dear God,

and hearts lifted high,

for in the communion of Your love

Christ comes close to us

and we come close to Christ.

 

Therefore with the whole realm of nature around us,

with earth, sea and sky,

we sing to You.

 

With the angels of light who envelop us,

with the host of heaven,

with all the saints before and beside us,

with brothers and sisters, east and west,

with neighbours of whatever they are of colours,

we sing to you.

 

And with our loved ones,

separate from us now,

who yet in the mystery are close to us,

we join in the song of your unending greatness.

 

 

Prayer of Blessing

 

Hear us now, O Christ,

and breathe Your Spirit upon us

and upon this bread and wine.

 

May they become for us Your body,

vibrant with Your life,

healing, renewing and making us whole.

 

And as the bread and wine which we now eat and drink

are changed into us,

may we be changed again into You,

bone of Your bone,

flesh of Your flesh,

loving and caring in the world.

 

 

The Sharing of the Bread and

 

Look,

the body of Christ is broken

for the life of the world.

 

Here is Christ coming to us in bread and in wine.

 

The gift of God for the people of God.

 

 

The Sign of Peace

 

May grains were gathered together to make this bread,

many grapes were mixed to make this wine.

 

So we who are many,

and come from many cities and countries,

are one in Christ.

 

May the peace of Christ be with you.

And also with you.

 

Let us greet one another with a sign of peace. You may pass your peace to others by phone call or text message, email or posting via social media. 

 

 

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.

 

 

Hymn    O Lord my God

 

 

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder

consider all the works thy hand has made,

I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,

thy power throughout the universe displayed:

 

Refrain

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee,

How great thou art, how great thou art!

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee,

How great thou art, how great thou art!

 

When through the woods and forest glades I wander,

hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;

when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,

and hear the brook, and feel the gently breeze:

Refrain

 

But when I think that God, his Son not sparing,

sent him to die – I scarce can take it in

that on the cross, our burden gladly bearing,

be bled and died to take away our sin:

Refrain

 

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation

and take me home – what joy shall fill my heart!

Then shall I bow in humble adoration,

and there proclaim: My God, how great thou art!

Refrain

 

Words and music © Stuart K. Hine

CCLI #260394

 

 
Offering

 

 

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 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.

 

 

Benediction 

 

Let us pray:

 

May the everlasting God shield you,

east and west and wherever you god.

And blessing of God be upon us,

the blessing of the God of life.

 

The blessing of Christ be upon us,

the blessing of the Christ of love.

 

The blessing of the Spirit upon us,

the blessing of the Spirit of grace.

 

The blessing of the Trinity be upon us.

Now and for ever more.

Amen.

 

This liturgy of communion service is resourced and referred to The Iona Community Worship Book (1994).

 

Next Sunday: 

We will have the first trial service

at Boronia Park Uniting Church

at 9:30am.

The service will be live-streamed

so please join with each other

wherever we are.

The link that takes you to

the live-streamed Chanel will be posted

on our church website

by Friday 7 August.

You won't be missed.

Blessings.