Welcome to the Sunday Online Worship 09/08/2020 of the Eastern Region of the Riverina Presbytery. This service includes some pre-recorded videos prepared by the region in addition to some YouTube videos for music. Most words are included or links to them are provided.
HYMN: “To God be the glory”
Let us worship together, and sing if you are able, to our first hymn, which is “To God be the glory”. In the video, it is performed by the Royal Albert Hall audience and stage choirs (2012). To help with the singing, the words of all hymns will display within the video.
WELCOME & CALL TO WORSHIP
The ‘Call to Worship’ and ‘Opening Prayers’, which are in the video below, are led by Rev. Keith Robinson. The words are underneath the video.
Welcome to the Sunday online worship for 09/08/2020 from the Eastern Region of the Riverina Presbytery. Today we will be looking at the story of one of Jacob’s sons, Joseph, and see what we can learn from how God has worked through this story from the Old Testament.
Come, let us worship God who keeps his promises & remember the story of Joseph, the dreamer. May we trust God in the deepest of dark wells and in the sunshine. Come, let us worship God who cares for us & remember Joseph, who went from prisons to palaces. Let us praise God, whose love endures forever.
We light the candle as a reminder that the light of Christ is always with us.
Light candle
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
As we begin our worship, let us also acknowledge the Wiradjuri people. They are the first inhabitants of our region, and part of God’s good creation. We honour them for their custodianship of the land, on which we live today.
Let us pray,
Most loving and gracious God, in the name of Christ we gather before you and pray for your presence to empower us. We ask that your Spirit would fill us, and make this time a holy time that is pleasing to you.
We ask that you would help us to do that which you call us to do, and to make us a people whose praise and devotion bring to you the everlasting glory that is due to your most wonderful name.
Breath into us this day that we may bring your life and your light to all whom we meet. Amen.
MUSICAL REFLECTION
The musical reflection for today is ‘Oceans’ (Where Feet May Fail) Hillsong United.
BIBLE READINGS
See below for the Bible readings for today. I suggest you read them out aloud. See also a Youtube video for the reading from Genesis, if you prefer.
Genesis 37:1-4,12-28
Jacob settled in the land where his father had lived as an alien, the land of Canaan. 2This is the story of the family of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers; he was a helper to the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. 3Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he had made him a long robe with sleeves. 4But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.
12 Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. 13And Israel said to Joseph, ‘Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.’ He answered, ‘Here I am.’ 14So he said to him, ‘Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock; and bring word back to me.’ So he sent him from the valley of Hebron. He came to Shechem, 15and a man found him wandering in the fields; the man asked him, ‘What are you seeking?’ 16‘I am seeking my brothers,’ he said; ‘tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.’ 17The man said, ‘They have gone away, for I heard them say, “Let us go to Dothan.” ’ So Joseph went after his brothers, and found them at Dothan. 18They saw him from a distance, and before he came near to them, they conspired to kill him.
19They said to one another, ‘Here comes this dreamer. 20Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; then we shall say that a wild animal has devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams.’ 21But when Reuben heard it, he delivered him out of their hands, saying, ‘Let us not take his life.’ 22Reuben said to them, ‘Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him’—that he might rescue him out of their hand and restore him to his father. 23So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the long robe with sleeves that he wore; 24and they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.
25 Then they sat down to eat; and looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels carrying gum, balm, and resin, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26Then Judah said to his brothers, ‘What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.’ And his brothers agreed. 28When some Midianite traders passed by, they drew Joseph up, lifting him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.
MATTHEW 14: 22-33
Immediately he [Jesus] made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking towards them on the lake. But when the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’
Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came towards Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’
REFLECTION
The speaker is Rev. Nigel Hawken, the Presbytery Minister of the Riverina Presbytery.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE, LORD’S PRAYER & Closing Blessing
Go to the video below for the ‘Prayer of the people’, which is led by Rev. Annette Hawken. The video includes the Lord’s Prayer & a closing blessing by Keith.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and 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.
WORD OF MISSION & BLESSING
Let us go in peace, and may the Christ who walks on wounded feet walk with us on the road. May the Christ who serves with wounded hands, stretch out our hands to serve. May the Christ who loves with a wounded heart open our hearts to love.
May we see the face of Christ in everyone we meet and may everyone we meet see the face of Christ in us, both now and forevermore.
HYMN: “Dear Lord & Father of Mankind”
The closing hymn is, “Dear Lord & Father of mankind”. The soundtrack was recorded live at the NBA Big Sing in Newcastle upon Tyne.
POSTLUDE:
Just for a bit of fun, today’s postlude is, ”Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”. From the 1999 film version of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Youtube).
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- Call to worship. Based on call to worship by Mary Jane Konings, August 7, 2011, Timaru, New Zealand.
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