Flannel flowers look like daisies but are part of the carrot family (Apiaceae).
Photo: Alana Landsberry / bauersyndication.com.au
Flannel flowers look like daisies but are part of the carrot family (Apiaceae).
Photo: Alana Landsberry / bauersyndication.com.au
This week we choose to use a liturgy provided in The Iona Community Worship Book. This is an ecclesial rite called Sunday Morning Communion. which is used in Iona Abbey. The Iona Community is an ecumenical community of men and women, seeking new ways of living the Gospel in today’s world. This movement was founded in 1938 and since then every year more than 100,000 visitors and pilgrims have come join their communal life and spiritual practices. By using the liturgy, we would join their movement, seeking God’s provision of great care this moment in communion. What we should do is simply to find a comfortable space and prepare a piece of bread and a cup of wine/grape juice for partaking in His Life everlasting. It is ok to share communion at home as we had done at church.
I/We would like to begin by acknowledging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet today and pay my respects to their Elders past and emerging. I/We extend that respect to them with our faithful prayer in this worship.
Let us pray:
God of our hearts … here we are!
We’ve come with thirsty hearts,
praying that your Word will satisfy us.
We come with aching hearts,
praying for good news to comfort us.
We come with overflowing hearts,
praying for a chance to share your love.
You, who know our hearts and hear our prayers,
be with us now in this hour of worship.
Amen.
Yours be the glory, risen, conquering Son,
endless is the victory over death you’ve won;
angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,
kept the folded grave-clothes, where your body lay.
Yours be the glory, risen, conquering Son,
endless is the victory over death you’ve won.
See, Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb;
lovingly he greets us, scatters fear and gloom;
let the church with gladness hymns of triumph sing,
for the Lord is living, death has lost its sting.
Yours be the glory, risen, conquering Son …
No more we doubt you, glorious Prince of life;
life is naught without you: aid us in our strife;
make us more than conquerors through your deathless love;
bring us safe through Jordan to your home above.
Yours be the glory, risen, conquering Son …
Words by permission the World Student Christian Federation
CCLI #260394
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 plea for mercy.
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 eddying through the
centuries within these walls,
renew us,
so that we come glad to this celebration.
Amen.
The Institution of the Lord’s Supper
14 When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; 18 for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. 21 But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. 22 For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!” 23 Then they began to ask one another which one of them it could be who would do this.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Today, Thursday 1 October is the first day of Mid-Autumn festival. It is not observed officially in Australia but my home in South Korea its long public holiday has begun till Monday 5 October. So I may pass my greeting to those who celebrate this occasion with friends and family though you are in Australia. Among Korean people, there is a saying, which says, “더도 덜도 말고 한가위만 같아라,” in English translation, “wish not for less or more, just always be like Hangawi (it means ‘Chuseok.’). I also want to have the same wish to you all, wishing you always would be like being in the presence of God today and days ahead.
This Chuseok our family will have a family feast to celebrate what God has done for five of us. In that feast, my Grace’s two siblings and their families too. All 14 people plus Arong will gather in my place and eat food each household prepares and drink, entertain each other by games and conversation. Young ones and their parents will have their own things. My place will be filled with smells of all Korean dishes, laughter, happy claps, and a great joy of brother and sisterhood. And there must be thanksgiving that we are here in this country, new home and more opportunity. And at the same time, we would all miss something we left in Korea such as the rest of family, memories attached and all about family, a true one family. I imagine that there would be tears, sorrows, sighs or silence in recalling all memories and attachment that is related to this special occasion for the migrant families. This festival means for us more of finding our connection to our origin rather than just having fun or eating foods.
As we come join in Spirit the table fellowship called communion, what would we expect to see or encounter? Not many of us simply think of eating bread and drink from cup. It is not a picnic or kid’s birthday party but a communion where we may experience the presence of God thru participating in its time and space. Eating and drinking may help us to remind why this is so important in our live of faith.
In Jesus’ time, he and his fellow had meals together no matter it is big or little. After each day, they would have stayed together eating communal meal at any place that was offered to them. When they ate and drank, there would have been always table talks about all matters, issues and topics that they involved during the day. As they had done like that, Jesus took bread and then broke with giving thanks to God. And he did the same with cup. Now we, twenty first century Christians keep its practice at communion table but in his time, it was simply words of grace to God for the meal and the day that they safely completed a day’s journey. Perhaps Jesus just wanted them to have a say to each other about the day where God led them to people of need.
Furthermore, in today’s passage, there was another issue of someone’s betrayal. Latter we may know Judas was the one who betrayed Jesus. But at the table no one knew except Jesus. Their friendship and fellowship became cracked by someone who would betray Jesus and them. The perfect Lord of all was sitting and eating among imperfect humans who did not know who would go to a wrong way in their journey toward the kingdom of God. This part of Jesus’ communion story may tell us about what we would remember as we come join the communion this moment.
We are all imperfect. We live and work as who we are. So we sometimes fail and fall on what you really want to achieve. In that process, you may know who you are and what you need to do. Even though we sometimes put time into the wrong things and life is supposed to be full of trial and error, this lets us find the best or better areas for us to experiment with in the first place. Once you know yourself, you will become more confident, you will understand your purpose, and you will begin making a bigger impact on your life and others’ life.
In this imperfection, we may be ground, milled, squeezed and transformed into a new being. As all grains and wheats are ground and become a piece of bread, all grapes are squeezed in order to make wine. Then a piece of bread and a cup of wine are placed upon the communion table. I believe that to join in communion means for us to truly know about your true self and imperfection in both life and faith. Judas and the other eleven disciples were all imperfect but only Jesus Christ, the Son of God was perfect. In communion, we may experience both perfection of Jesus and imperfection of us. Communion is not a kid’s birthday party where there are always funny things, lolly bags, food and drink, and presents. Communion is time and space where we may seek to find our missing parts in God’s creation, Christ’s salvation and the Spirit’s reconciliation among us.
This Sunday, this communion is just another one in our Christian calendar. And it is totally up to you. You can only eat and drink or find your true self deeply in the meaning of communion – Finding the perfect One and the imperfect true self in one mystery and sacred time and space.
Amen.
Heavenly Father,
In this beautiful country of Australia,
we have so much to be thankful for:
Help us to truly treasure this remarkable country;
our people in all our diversity;
and the opportunities we have to work for your peace and justice
and the well-being of others in this truly amazing
but currently so needy country- and in our world.
Lord God,
you are our inspiration –
the One who nudges – or shocks us –
to do better and be better in your sight –
and to pray more deeply in the knowledge
of your boundless love and grace.
Today, we think of so many who need your sheltering arms
to enfold and hold them close:
We take a few moments for silent prayer from our hearts
for dear ones in our church family and in our lives.
We pray for leaders and governments
at all levels and in all places to act wisely and with compassion,
foresight and generosity.
They face unprecedented challenges.
Some are creating further challenges.
Ultimately, they are answerable to you.
We pray they will come to recognise this eternal truth.
We thank you for your Church:
We also pray for the countries, places and churches
where many of us are from –
South Korea, The Philippines, Indonesia, England, Scotland, Germany, China, Hong Kong, the United States
and any others I may have missed.
In closing,
we pray for church unity –
and church wisdom, discernment, compassion, clear sightedness, courage and generosity – both here and abroad.
Guide us to reach out to others
with tenderness and understanding
and to stand for – and share – your Light,
especially where and when it is most needed.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Attributed to Rosemary Brook
Blessed is our brother 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 disciples, 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 disciples, 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
this bread and wine to offer,
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 celebrate the life that Jesus has shared
among his community through the centuries
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 Lord be with you.
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.
And with our loved ones,
separate from us now,
who yet in this mystery are close to us,
we join in the song of your unending greatness.
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.
It is in this mystery of communion with Christ
that we pray for the Church throughout the world,
praying in particular for the countries of Central America,
Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Panama.
We are embodied with them, now.
We pray for the people and communities of faith
from whom we have come,
and to whom we shall return.
We are embodied with them, now.
We pray for the sick, the bereaved, the oppressed and the homeless,
praying in particular for the welfare of the City of Ryde and Hunters Hill.
We are embodied with them, now.
We pray for the broken and torn fabric of the earth
as it yearns for healing,
praying in particular for the western states of United States
where bushfires have damaged many lives and its nature.
We are embodied with Christ in creation, now.
And because you are one with us, O Christ,
enable us to share your life with the world by
sharing our own lives with the world,
and teach us now to pray together,
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.
Look,
the body of Christ is broken
for the life of the world.
Here is Christ coming to us in bread and in wine.
Many 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 places,
are one in Christ.
May the peace of Christ be with you.
Let us greet one another with a sign of peace.
I see the Lord I see the Lord
Exalted high upon the worship
Of the people of the earth
I see the Lord I see the Lord
My eyes have seen the King
The Lamb upon the throne
Who reigns forevermore
The train of His robe fills the temple
A cloud of heav'nly worshipers
Surrounding His throne
We join with them now crying
Holy holy is the Lamb
The Lamb alone
Don Moen | John Chisum
CCLI Licence # 260394
The offering will be used for the congregation’s continuing mission and ministry including young people and youth ministry in these changing times. Please make your offering through a Bank Deposit or a 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.
Let us pray:
Lord our God,
You continue to call us to be your light when day is dark,
your voice in tough times,
and your hope for tomorrow as we stumble.
You give us all that we may need,
strength, patience, peace and words
to sustain our live.
So now we give a portion of ours
back to you and to your work.
Please receive them and
bless upon our hands that work for your glory.
We pray in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
The blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
be upon us and remain with us always.