Acknowledgement for the First Peoples

 

From before recorded time, the Eora Nation cared for this land. We praise the Creator for the beauty of this Land and honour those who have offered themselves in tending it. We acknowledge the Elders and communities of the Walloo-metta People who have told the sacred stories and nurtured faithfulness to the Creator. We ask God’s blessing on those who continue to work for the healing and restoration of this Land and Her Communities.

 

What are you thankful for today?

 

 

Centring in the presence of God

 

 

The minister leads the prayer and the congregation’s response is in italic. All say together in bold font.

 

A story of light and darkness

 

Leader:            In the beginning,

God allowed for chaos,

for troubled dreams,

and uncertain sounds,

and fear in the darkness.

 

Then, when the chaos was most threatening

and hope was coldest,

God said, ‘Let there be light.’

 

All:       And there was light.

 

            A first candle is lit.

 

Leader:            So, remember the chaos,

the uncertainty,

the confusion in which you once struggled,

and give thanks for the light.

 

            Silence

 

Leader:            In the course of time,

God allowed for a journey

from ourselves to other people,

from restriction to freedom,

from a forgotten place to a promised land.

 

Congregation: And when the journey was hardest,

and the way ahead unclear,

and the temptation to turn back most fascinating,

God said, ‘Let there be light.’

 

All:       And there was light.

 

            A second candle is lit.

 

Leader:            So, remember your journey

and how far you have travelled,

and give thanks for the light.

 

            Silence

 

Leader:            Later yet,

God allowed for the special:

for friendship to grow,

for truth to be discovered,

for faith to become real.

 

Congregation: On the mountain top

and in quiet places,

God blessed us, saying, ‘Let there be light.’

 

All:       And there was light.

 

            A third candle is lit.

 

Leader:            So, remember not why,

but how and when and where you’ve been blessed,

and give thanks for the light.

 

            Silence

 

Congregation: And then,

when the light was brightest,

and life was good,

despite our better judgement,

but in solidarity with all humankind,

we chased shadows,

and chose darkness.

 

            Candles extinguished.

 

Leader:            So, remember how and when and where

and perhaps why you have lost your way

from the light.

 

            Silence

 

Congregation: Because God loves us,

there will be light again.

 

Not first in chaos,

not first on the journey,

not first for the special place,

but on the ground and in a hidden place,

God will come,

offering his hand,

to greet us.

 

            Sung response as candles are re-lit.

 

Leader:            Lord Jesus Christ, who chose, at Bethlehem or Nazareth,

at a marketplace or a temple courtyard,

at a church or a corner of where we live, to meet us,

make us ready to lose and leave

all that makes us proud and sufficient.

 

Let our knees bend to you,

our hearts embrace you,

our lips sing you song of love.

 

 

Song

Jesus we enthrone You

 

 

Jesus, we enthrone You,

we proclaim You our King.

Standing here in the midst of us,

we raise You up with our praise.

 

And as we worship, build a throne.

And as we worship, build a throne.

And as we worship, build a throne.

Come, Lord Jesus, and take Your place.

 

Words and Music by Rick Founds | CCLI #260394

 

The Peace

 

The Peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be always with you.

All: And also with you.

 

While you are exchanging a sign of peace with someone around you, let us have a look at Frances' painting 'Pansies'.  

 

Pansies by Frances Scott

 

Frances says, "I like the different colours of pansies. I made different coloured prints during my artmaking, but this one is my favourite. Pansies look like they are wearing little masks. They make me feel happy."

 

 

Kid's Story

 

 

Bible Reading Christy Ji Hye Kim

            Mark 5:21-43 (New Living Translation)

The Word of God in the midst of us

Rosemary Brook, Robyn Harvey, Seung Jae Yeon

 

 

In the light of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the evangelists wrote the Gospels of Jesus, as Messiah, the Lord and the Son of God. Each evangelist formed own faith community and became part of the community where they have faith to the Lord, becoming believers of the words and deeds of their master, Jesus Christ. They were to preach the good news and make others, no matter who they were, His disciples in the light of the Resurrection. Matthew 28, the Great Commission inevitably resonates the mission given by Jesus Christ. It says,

 

“All authority in heave and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Mt 28:18b-20. NIV)

 

Their joining in the community and preaching of Jesus was seen through the lens of Jesus’ resurrection. They were not to observe or to report but to confess and to believe what He had done for them as they witnessed. In the light of their faith to Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Lord and the Son of God, they gave all their lives up to witness who Jesus Christ is for them during their time. In their story telling everyday life, Jesus Christ is alive, with in the Spirit, journeying together to teach, feed and heal and giving hope and purpose to transcend all struggles and toughness in life. Jesus was for them the living Lord and the Word of God in the midst of them. Nothing stopped them loving the Lord Jesus Christ. Because they didn’t believe in the biography of Jesus Christ but the preaching and teaching of Jesus’ words and deeds. The harder the struggle the more glorious the triumph. The earliest followers and Christians thrived to hold their faith to Jesus Christ when the shadow of death in persecutions was raging.

 

Mark, one of the evangelists had a strong purpose in life – to write about the initial essential proclamation of the truth of Jesus and to invite the members of his community to participate in that truth during persecution. Michael Card names the Gospel of Mark as “a pamphlet for hard times”, in other words, the Gospel of Passion. Because it was pastoral responses to a church, the Markan communities that were the object of persecution under Roman Emperor Nero following the great fire of Rome. Jesus in Mark’s Gospel speaks and acks the significance of living a new life given by God during the persecution. Thus, he emphasises of the word that Jesus spoke to the woman and Jairus after the healing power came out from Jesus. “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.” “Give your daughter something to eat.” Though the outside of where they gathered was a killing field, the members and followers of Jesus Christ that Mark witnessed never lost their faith.

 

Life goes on though it is tough and even painful. Mark may describe the coming of God’s reign and sovereignty by saying like that. The imagery of God’s kingdom in Mark’s description tells us that all are welcome and equally treated, all have justice and right, and all have the image of God because of the one and only son Jesus Christ, the risen Lord. This was the foundational belief of the early Christians. In Acts 2 and 4, the life of early Christian church lived as Christ proclaimed about the reality of the kingdom of God among them. In Acts 2 it says,

 

⁴⁴ And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. ⁴⁵ They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.⁴⁶ They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—⁴⁷ all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. (2:44-47)

 

It continues to say in chapter 4,

 

³⁴ There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them³⁵ and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need. (4:34-35)

 

The early Christians and their communities seemed to live the union with Jesus their Master and the Lord. In Him, they were able to transcend the shadow of death and the slough of despair that seems to have no end. Like the woman who was bled for twelve years and the Jairus’ daughter who died at her young age, or the crowd who were there to expect Jesus to feed the hungry or heal the sick, they would have found their reality in the narrative. They believed that Christ Jesus’ incarnational union with them in the light of resurrection might give them life and meaning as they were persecuted. Christ’s sacrifice for the world means their sacrifice in the empire. Christ’s priesthood means their priesthood. Christ’s ministry written in Mark’s Gospel means their ministry being offered under the pressure of persecution. Christ’s action means their reaction. The two poles are healed and united in union with Christ. Thus they were able to hold faith to the Master Jesus Christ as persecution was raging. For them, faith comes from Christ’s action. Thus they believed that the faith that the Mark’s communities is their reaction that moves them forward to the promised end, eternity. In that light, Jesus heals in response to their faith – the woman and the head of synagogue, Jairus. This is the frame that we may have when we read and study about the passage. This is God’s manward movement. Faith that we may have is the gift of God. No matter what we are, we are all eligible to receive faith as gift.

 

However, our Godward movement would take us to a different way. We ask God to heal. God’s unchangeable healing power upon our irremediable diseases and wounds, physical, psychological, mental and spiritual weaknesses. As a religious minister, I pray to God for those who are unwell, ill, sick either diagnosed or unknown. Praying on request or praying consistently for the sick is one of my dairy office. Because I truly believe that God only heals and cures wholly as the Creator and the Maker of us all. And because as the Father of Jesus Christ he sent his one and only Son for the world to be rejected but to rescue all at once on the Cross. He bears all pains that we have as his Son Jesus bore them. He feels for us as we are sick and unwell. In Jesus, God fully bears the pain but heals wholly. In that mystery, we believe and ask to take our all pains away and restore us as fully who we are. If you pray for the healing power of Jesus, I pray with you. If you pray for the healing ray upon you and your family, I pray with you to God this time.

 

I would like to invite you to pray for a special person in our church’s life – the former minister Reverend Annette Hawken and her family. You may know she has been suffering from a cancer since 2019. There have been ups and downs while she was in multiple therapies and treatments. I on behalf of you say thank you God for her faithfulness during her hard times. Last Friday, Robyn Harvey went down to Wollongong to call in to see Annette. The following is Robyn’s sharing of what she found from her pastoral visit. And the Robyn’s reflection is followed by a pastoral prayer written by Rosemary Brook. I may call upon all of us to hold Annette and Nigel, and the family in your prayer and thought at this moment. I pray that the God in Jesus who touched the lives of the woman and the Jairus’ daughter may heal Annette in response to her faith to Jesus Christ, her Lord in life. And bless the Lord who will be glorified by the spirit of Annette’s love and compassionate heart toward all that she has served and worked with. In her hard times, God will let her live with hope and purpose in the sake of God’s reign and glory.

 

Amen.

 

Robyn Harvey:

 

On Friday I drove down to Wollongong area to spend time with Annette. As you can see from the photo Annette has lost a lot of weight and looks very pale but she still has the fighting spirit to enjoy her life as much as she is able. She doesn’t have a lot of energy but loves doing her needlework which at the moment is along stitch embroidery of a possum. We spent a lovely 2 hours talking and doing our needlework – Annette the long stitch and me knitting another beanie.

 

Robyn and Annette on Friday 25 June 2021

 

Annette’s treatment at the moment is keeping the cancer under control so it is not growing and she is managing the side effects of the immunotherapy trial with her usual fighting spirit. She has much support from Nigel and the family as well as the Community Nurse and the Palliative Care team in the Wollongong area.

 

Annette’s strong faith in the healing power of our Lord Jesus had given her that little bit of extra support and comfort. Please keep Annette, Nigel and the family in your prayers.

 

 

Rosemary Brook:

 

Heavenly Father,

 

We know how much you love your friends and today we ask you to bring extraordinary, loving comfort to Annette and Nigel and their family. They are going through such a terribly difficult time.

 

We are in awe of Annette’s passion and courage to continue working for you until very recently, even when others of great faith would have given up. She has undertaken so many painful and debilitating cancer treatments over the years and yet, she has maintained such a passionate and enduring commitment to your church; to her family; to so many friends and colleagues; and to the community.  She has been such a beacon of loving and devoted faith and service.

 

When we recall Annette’s time with us as our Minister, we think of her contagious joy in life and sense of fun and adventure; her absolute faith and commitment to you O Lord; her love for all of us here in our congregation; her intrepid devotion to seeing our building work, even in the roof, completed to the highest standards possible as part of our mission and outreach; her gift to make your love truly present to our young people- and young at heart; and so much more.

 

We thank you for all the blessings Annette and Nigel have brought us and we ask that you enfold Annette and Nigel and their family in your loving arms; giving them a still deeper assurance of your loving presence and care for them- and at this time, a deep, deep peace and stillness that passes all understanding.

 

We close with these words for Annette and Nigel and family – a beautiful song by Robin Mann:

 

For you, Annette and Nigel, deep stillness of the silent inland

 

For you, deep blue of the desert skies

 

For you, flame red of the rocks and stones

 

For you, sweet water from hidden springs

 

From the edges, seek the heartlands

 

And when you’re burnt by the journey

 

May the cool winds of the hovering Spirit

 

Soothe and replenish you

 

In the name of Christ

 

In the name of Christ

 

In the name of Christ.

 

In Jesus’ name and by the power of the hovering Spirit, we all pray for Annette and Nigel and their family, Amen.

 

 

Prayers of the People Kevin Lee

 

 

Dear God of Love, we thank you for the rising of the Sun that heralds a new day, the influence of the Moon on our seas and the amazing Earth in which we live.  We give thanks for this day of worship and the time we spend together as a congregation. 

 

We thank you for this time and place in which we share our existence and make memories.

We thank you for touching our lives.

We thank you for the ever-changing seasons and the natural beauty of the world. 

We pray that people of the world will love nature and will look after this gift.

 

We pray for the people of the world in these uncertain times.

We pray for all countries especially those where there is much poverty, experiencing wars and where natural disasters have caused much pain and anguish.  We also pray for all people who are experiencing the ravages brought about by the Covid pandemic especially those who have suffered the illness and those who have lost loved ones.

 

We hope and pray that your love will inspire people to help the less fortunate in these times and help families who have suffered through their losses.  We especially pray for the poorer countries in the world and those experiencing war and turmoil, we hope that government will be fair to all people and to bring peace to all sides.

 

In this world cycle of prayer, we pray this week for the African countries of Malawi and Zambia.  We pray for Government in these countries in tackling the Covid epidemic and ensuring their people and their environment are well represented in all facets of their lives. 

 

We pray for Australia and its First Nation People (original stewards of this land).  We pray that one day a First Nations voice can be enshrined in the Australian Constitution and that after centuries of struggle for justice and recognition, First Nations people can have a great say in their how they live their lives today and safe-guarding their culture and language.

 

We pray for the many people who work tirelessly to make Australia safe during this time of the Covid pandemic, the Government (Federal, State and Local Government levels), the front line workers, doctors, nurses and those who work in hotel quarantine and those who work in the vaccination programme.  We pray for all refugees especially those seeking safety and wishing to live a life in peace in Australia away from wars and persecution overseas.

 

We pray locally for our community of Sydney, the two-week lockdown that has been imposed.  We pray for our church here at Boronia Park.

 

We pray for our Minister Seungjae, his wife Grace and family.  We ask for blessings to them and in all that they do for us and representing our congregation as well.

We pray for the church leaders and our congregation especially those of us who are unwell and those who we have not seen for many months or over a year.

We take a moment now of silence to pray for those who we hold dearly in our hearts .......

 

We ask you to bless us all and all our good intentions in our daily lives and let us all be inspired by the lifetime and teaching of Jesus.  We ask all these things in the name of Jesus, AMEN.

 

 

Lord’s Prayer

 

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

我們在天上的父, 願人都尊祢的名為聖,

하늘에 계신 우리 아버지, 아버지의 이름을 거룩하게 하시며,

 

your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.

願祢的國降臨, 願祢的旨意行在地上, 如同行在天上.

아버지의 나라가 오게 하시며, 아버지의 뜻이 하늘에서와 같이 땅에서도 이루어지게 하소서.

 

Give us today our daily bread.

我們日用的飲食 今日賜給我們,

오늘 우리에게 일용할 양식을 주시고,

 

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

免我們的債 如同我們免了人的債

우리가 우리에게 잘못한 사람을 용서하여 준 것같이 우리 죄를 용서하여 주시고,

 

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.  

不叫我們遇見試探, 救我們脫離兇惡,

우리를 시험에 빠지지 않게 하시고 악에서 구하소서.

 

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever.

因為國度, 權柄, 榮耀, 全是祢的, 直到永遠.

나라와 권능과 영광이 영원히 아버지의 것입니다.

 

Amen.

 

 

Song    Your labour is not in vain

 

 

Verse 1

Your labour is not in vain

though the ground underneath you

is cursed and stained.

Your planting and reaping

are never the same,

but your labour is not in vain.

 

Refrain

For I am with you, I am with you.

I am with you I am with you

for I have called you

called you by name.

Your labour is not in vain.

 

Verse 2

Your labour is not unknown

though the rocks they cry out and

the sea it may groan.

The place of your toil

may not seem like a home,

but your labour is not unknown.

For I am with you, I am with you.

 

Verse 3

The vineyards you plant will bear fruit;

the fields will sing out and

rejoice with the truth,

for all that is old

will at last be made new:

the vineyards you plant will bear fruit.

For I am with you, I am with you.

 

Verse 4

The houses you laboured to build

will finally with laughter

and joy be filled.

The serpent that hurts

and destroys shall be killed,

and all that is broken be healed.

For I am with you, I am with you.

 

By Wendell Kimbrough, Paul Zach, and Isaac Wardell

© 2017 Porter’s Gate Publishing

 

 

Benediction

 

Go, confident in the knowledge of God’s steadfast love for you,

assured of the healing touch of Jesus upon you and

emboldened by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit within you.

 By Moira Laidlaw

 

The blessing of God almighty,

the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit

be upon us and remain with us always.

Amen.