Welcome to the Sunday Online Worship 26/09/2021 of the Eastern Region of the Riverina Presbytery. This service includes some pre-recorded videos prepared by the region in addition to some music videos.
HYMN:
Let us worship together, and sing if you are able, our first hymn, which is , ‘Praise to the Lord’. If you have problems connecting go directly to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPnrpG7DunU
Used with permission from Emu Music: Praise To The Lord, Emu Music, Joachim Neander, Catherine Winkworth, Lobe den Herren, arrangement © 2018 Alanna Glover, CCLI Song Number 7125857.
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 26/09/2021 from the Eastern Region of the Riverina Presbytery. Today we will be looking at the letter of James and explore what he has to say about the importance of prayer.
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 care of the land, on which we live today.
Blessed be the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth! Praise be to God, the giver of many gifts! Our help is in God’s name, the One who calls us here. Blessed be the Lord! (Based on Psalm 124). Let us pray.
PRAYER
Christ Jesus, we come into your presence from many different places. We come with songs of joy and shouts of gratitude. We come carrying heavy burdens and sighs of suffering.
As you welcome us into your presence, lift our burdens and receive our praise. Salt us with your grace and flavour us with your mercy. Bind us together, that we may be at peace with one another and be strengthened to go forth in service to the world. In your holy name, we pray. Amen.
Merciful God, you call us to be salt of the earth and light of the world. We confess that our witness is often bland and gloomy. Forgive us when we fail to be an influence for good, and when we condone or do what is wrong in Your sight. Help us to flavour the earth with righteousness and to reflect the light of Your love in a dark world; through Jesus Christ, the Light of the world. Amen.
When we come before God in humility and honesty, God draws near to us with forgiveness and renewed blessing. Hear then, the good news, through Christ our sins are forgiven. Thanks be to God!
BIBLE READINGS
Today’s readings are from James 5:13-20 and the Gospel of Mark 9:38-50. Here is the reading from James:
Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.
Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest.
My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
Here is a dramatic re-enactment of the reading from Mark by ‘Lumo-Gospel’. You can also access this video directly at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqr7lnuICbc
MUSICAL REFLECTION
The musical reflection for today is, “May our prayers and our life be one” from Paddington Uniting Church in Sydney. Words and music by Paul Somerville who is from Paddington UCA. If you have trouble connecting go directly to YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu9GUK_RHJ4
REFLECTION
The speaker is Rev. Keith Robinson, and there is a video of the message in the window below.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & LORD’S PRAYER
Go to the video below for the ‘Prayers of the people’, which are led by Ros Robinson. 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.
BLESSING
May Celebrate wherever God’s name is honoured. When suffering comes, pray in faith. In times of joy, sing songs of praise. And may God save you from all that would harm you; may Christ Jesus heal you and raise you up; and may the Holy Spirit anoint you, and give you peace with one another.
HYMN:
The closing hymn, “What a friend we have in Jesus” is the video is in the window below. It is sung by First-Plymouth Church, Nebraska USA. If you have problems connecting you can go directly to YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBdCwn2hKBs
POSTLUDE:
Today’s postlude is, “What a wonderful world”(Louise Armstrong), sung by, ‘Playing for Change’. The video is in the window below and if you have problems connecting you can go directly to YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddLd0QRf7Vg
BONUS POSTLUDE:
Bonus postlude is a retelling of one of the Psalms for this week – Psalm 19. It is in the window below, but if you have problems connecting you can go directly to YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=155tATAZZFY
RESOURCES – ONLINE WORSHIP 26/09/2021:
- All music in the Vimeo videos was purchased as royalty free, unless otherwise given within the video, and does not require attribution.
