Welcome to the Sunday Online Worship 21/06/2020 of the Eastern Region of the Riverina Presbytery. Multiple people from Cootamundra Uniting Church are leading this pre-recorded service today. Some YouTube videos are included to provide music.
HYMN: “Jesus shall reign”
“Jesus shall reign” is sung by First Plymouth Church, Lincoln Nebraska.
Call to Worship & Opening Prayers
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 21 June 2020, from the Eastern Region of the Riverina Presbytery. Today we celebrate the 43rd Anniversary of the Uniting Church in Australia. I suppose you could call it ‘our birthday’.
We are here as the people of God, drawn together by God’s spirit. We are here to praise the name of the Lord, and pray for our needs and the pains of the world. May we place ourselves before our God, to be touched and cleansed by the power of God’s spirit.
Let us 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.
God, source of home and all things, in the beginning you sang creation into being and formed this rich red land. You are worthy of all praise. Lord Jesus, brother and healer Word of God and one with us, your love for the world took you to the cross you are peace and compassion. Spirit of God, within and among us midwife of a world made new and bringer of new life, you inspire us to live in hope.
God of grace, Spirit, Son, Father whose love never ends, whose mercy is beyond telling whose faithfulness continues to surprise, we praise and worship you now and forever. Amen.
MUSICAL REFLECTION
The musical reflection for today is, “May our lives & our prayers“. The music was sung by “Paddington Uniting Church”, with words & music by Paul Somerville.
NSW/act Moderator’s Anniversary Message
BIBLE READINGS
Ken Turner from Cootamundra Uniting Church lead us in the readings from Genesis & Matthew.
REFLECTION
The speaker is Rev. Keith Robinson. 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
Go to the video below for the ‘Prayers of the people’, which are led by Janet Elliott & Rev. Keith Robinson from Cootamundra Uniting Church. The video includes the Lord’s Prayer & a closing blessing by Keith.
We bring to God our prayers for our church, our community, our nation, our world and ourselves.
Reader 1: Creator God, everywhere we stand is holy ground, filled with your presence and purpose. We pray that as we worship you, we may meet you in deeper and richer ways, and re-commit ourselves to your call.
And so today, on the birthday of the Uniting Church, we particularly thank you for the Uniting Church, and those people whose vision and commitment helped bring this church into being. We pray for all those in the Uniting Church and ask that we may be faithful witnesses of the Gospel message that you have entrusted to us. We pray that this message would be proclaimed, heard, accepted and lived out in all its fullness.
Reader 2: Lord of the nations, we pray for people who live with hardship, famine or distress, persecution or violence. Redeem our world’s brokenness, O God, with the saving love of Christ. We pray for our nation, Australia, remembering especially those farmers and primary producers, who are doing it tough. We also pray for workers in other industries, whose are either unemployed or whose jobs are uncertain at the moment. We pray also for all those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and ask for wisdom, healing and patience.
Reader 1: Lord of our lives, we bring our personal concerns to you, trusting in your grace and mercy. We remember those people in our families or in our community who need your comfort and healing at this time, especially the people we name in our hearts now:
[allow time for silent prayer]
Reader 2: Gracious God, we acknowledge your concern for all your creation and all your creatures. We thank you for the life of Jesus and for the Spirit of his living presence among us, inspiring us to follow you. Give us courage to walk in his footsteps. We pray that as we leave this place today, we would carry your kingdom within us, that the light of Christ would break through in all we do and say this week.
Lord’s Prayer
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
In the power of the Holy Spirit we now go forth into the world, to fulfil our calling as the people of God, the body of Christ.
Go in peace, and may the Holy God provide for you in mercy, may Jesus Christ greet you as you welcome others, and may the Holy Spirit lead you in the ways of eternal life this day, now and for ever.
HYMN: “In Christ there is no east or West“
The closing hymn is, “In Christ there is no east or west”, credited on YouTube to “A British Christian Music Programme”.
POSTLUDE: “Amazing Grace”
Today’s postlude is, ”Amazing grace”, sung by 50 countries affected by COVID-19.
Latest Newsposts
- 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.
