Welcome to the Sunday Online Worship 14/06/2020 of the Eastern Region of the Riverina Presbytery. People from Boorowa Uniting Church are helping lead this pre-recorded service today. Arnold Spackmann is preaching. Some YouTube videos are included to provide music.
HYMN: “Joyful, joyful”
The hymn “Joyful, joyful” is sung at the Royal Albert Hall, London.
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 14/06/2020 from the Eastern Region of the Riverina Presbytery.
“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; worship the Lord with gladness; come into God’s presence with a song. Know that the Lord is God; the one who made us, and to whom we belong; we are God’s people, the sheep of God’s pasture.”
These words, based on Psalm 100, inspire us to praise God with enthusiasm, knowing that we belong to God. These words also challenge us today, because we are unable to sing when together, and must wait until another time.
As we are reminded in Ecclesiastes (3:1-5):
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven”.
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.
Opening prayer
Faithful God, we come into your presence with thanksgiving, deeply grateful for the unfailing love and faithfulness you have shown toward us, your people. When we call out to you, you answer. When we are exhausted, you give us the strength to go on. When we find ourselves in trouble, you are there, standing beside us.
And so we come before you with gratitude and praise, offering you the worship of our hearts and lives. Open our eyes, to see and know you here, among us; open our ears to recognise your voice. And send us out from here, to live and work in the world as your faithful disciples. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, we pray. Amen.
The peace of the Lord be with us all.
Musical reflection
The musical reflection for today is “The Summons“ (“Will you come & follow me?”). Words by John L. Bell & Graham Maule.
Bible readings
Glenys Dymock from Boorowa Uniting Church leads us in the reading from Matthew 9:35-10:8.
Reflection
The speaker is Arnold Spackmann from Boorowa Uniting Church. There is a video of the message in the window below. The text can also be downloaded as a printable pdf file.
Prayers of the people & Lord’s Prayer
Go to the video below for the ‘Prayers of the people’, which are led by Ros Robinson & Rev. Keith Robinson. The video includes the Lord’s Prayer & the closing blessing by Keith.
Reader 1: We bring to God our prayers for our church, our community, our nation, our world and ourselves. Let us pray…
Loving God, you search our hearts and your Spirit intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. Help us to pray according to your will, that our prayers, offered faithfully, may quietly and silently transform this world with your healing grace.
Reader 2: We pray for your churches in the Eastern Region and other areas of the Riverina, in our nation and around the world. Let your church be like yeast, O God, to spread your Spirit throughout creation.
Bless our communities, that we may be an abundant field and a people of open hearts and hands. Confirm our faith so we grow into the fullness of your kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Give us a spirit of patience and endurance especially during these unusual times that reflects the gradual way your kingdom is realised among us.
Reader 1: Lord of the nations, we pray for all who live with hardship, famine or distress, persecution or violence. Redeem our world’s brokenness with the love of Christ. Let our nation and all in authority seek your face that justice and truth may prevail. May we be an instrument of peace and reconciliation in our land.
God of our lives, we bring our personal concerns to you, knowing that you care for every person. We remember people in our families or in our community who need your comfort and healing at this time, especially those people we name in our hearts now:
[time for silent prayer]
Reader 2: Lord of all, with the joy of those who have found great treasure, we give thanks for your grace and provision for us.
We hold onto your promise that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We say together the prayer that Jesus taught us:
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
Go in peace, to live out and share the good news of Christ to a world longing to experience something better than that which fills the news they see and hear.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Hymn: “Be Thou my Vision”
Postlude: “The Blessing Australia”
Today’s postlude is, ”The Blessing Australia”, in which over 300 local churches united together in Australia to sing a blessing over our nation in this time of uncertainty & physical isolation.
- Some inspiring Easter hymnsInspiring Easter music for you to have a look at. Check out the first one in particular, which is an inspiring rendition of Wesley’s ‘Christ the Lord is Risen today?’ It is sung by a ‘virtual choir’ all hooked up to sing from their own homes.
- At home with the kids?Some things to do at home with your children during the last week of the Lent Season.
