Readings for June 21, 2020

Genesis 21:8-21
Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17
Matthew 10:24-39
Romans 6:1b-11

Worship at Home – Order of Service

Order of Service for people worshipping from home

Exploring the Scripture – On Hagar

https://vimeo.com/425951199

This week’s Genesis reading is Genesis 21:8-21, it’s the story of Hagar being sent away by Abraham with their son, it’s a hard story because it’s a story of a mother and child, abandoned and at the brink of death.

We don’t often hear Hagar’s story, but as we’re coming to the end of Refugee Week I’ve put some resources together to help you explore her story, and the story of other refugees this week.

These resources invite us to read, watch, listen and ponder the story of Hagar as a Refugee as National Refugee Week comes to a close.

Resources to explore the story of Hagar at home.

Singing the Scripture

Here’s a playlist of songs that reflect on this week’s scripture readings in a variety of ways. Use this as a playlist in your home over the day, or during the week.

Family Resources

Apologies, there are not many family resources for worship this week. Although, there are a number of things to discuss in the resources for exploring the story of Hagar (though her story is not a great one for kids).

Here are some stories to listen to and discuss together, as it’s the end of National Refugee Week these stories might help you discuss how we as a country and a community listen to the voices of refugees. Perhaps you might link it to Hagar’s story and ask if your household believes God hears the cry of refugees like God did for Hagar. How do you think God acts in the world today?

Or perhaps you”d like to spend some time with the singing the Scripture playlist and sing, dance and pray together.

This week’s Home Brewed Worship provides you all a number of ways to enter into prayer and to explore the story. If you’re at home with family, a partner, a friend or a spouse please consider working through some of this with them. If you’re alone, consider phoning someone else and inviting them to join you in worship and prayer.

A special thanks to Margaret Reeson for her work on compiling the order of service for worshipping at home.

Carve out some space sacred space in your home, perhaps you have candle, some colourful material, a cross, a bible, some pictures of the world, artwork or images of Jesus… 

You don’t need to use all of this material, nor do you need to do it all in one sitting, perhaps some of these prayers and music can travel with you throughout the week. Use the material as part of daily exercises, music to carry you through the week, reflections to ponder as you walk or stay at home.

For some your focus may be to hear the gospel preached, others the gospel sung, while others may want to find a practice that they can enter into over the course of the week to make space for the Holy Spirit to work on us.

*We know there have been others using this resource in their own homes or communities, if you’d like to have updates and information of new resources please jump on our email list.

Order Of Service

Here is a order of service for people worshipping at home curated by Margaret Reeson

Home Brewed Worship Resources for Families

Resources for families exploring faith at home curated by us for you.

Singing the Scripture

Here is a playlist of songs that you can listen to this week that explore themes in this week’s scripture readings.

Readings

Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19

Genesis 18:1-15, (21:1-7)  

https://vimeo.com/428505442

Romans 5:1-8  

Matthew 9:35-10:8, (9-23)

Prayers and Liturgical Reflections

Giving Birth To Laughter

All Age Prayer

Prayer of Confession

Prayer For Others

To Laugh or to Cry – Reflection

Visual reflections for this week

https://vimeo.com/428523316

https://vimeo.com/428515329

Go Deeper

This week is National Refugee Week. Common Grace have a daily resource exploring Refugee Week, you can access it here on their website, or here on their Facebook page

Racism and Reconciliation, a reflection by Rev John Squires

By The Well’s podcast on this weeks Genesis reading, Laughter, Hope & Hospitality

a reflection on this weeks Genesis Reading by Sara Koenig

Call to Worship

Take some time to be still, alone or together.
This is a time to quieten our thoughts and wait with God.

Psalm 116:12-15 (NIV)

What shall I return to the Lord
for all his goodness to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord.
I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.

Song – TiS 179

Praise with joy the world’s Creator
Words – John Bell

Praise with joy the world’s Creator,
God of justice, love and peace,
source and end of human knowledge,
force of greatness without cease.
Celebrate the Maker’s glory,
Power to rescue and release.

Praise the Son who feeds the hungry,
frees the captive, finds the lost,
heals the sick, upsets religion,
fearless both of fate and cost.
Celebrate Christ’s constant presence –
Friend and Stranger, Guest and Host.

Praise the Spirit sent among us,
liberating truth from pride,
forging bonds where race or gender,
age or nation dare divide.
Celebrate the Spirit’s treasure –
foolishness none dare deride.

Praise the Maker, Son and Spirit,
one God in community,
calling Christians to embody
oneness and diversity.
Thus the world shall yet believe,
when shown Christ’s vibrant unity.

Readings

Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19

Genesis 18:1-15, (21:1-7)  

Romans 5:1-8  

Matthew 9:35-10:8, (9-23)

https://vimeo.com/428505442

Prayer of Confession

We come in prayer with tears in our eyes,
and shame in our hearts.
Or we should… 
What is happening to our world?

We come in prayer with tears in our eyes,
and shame in our hearts.
Or we should…

What is happening to our world?  
We speak and sing about unity, healing and freedom
but that is not true in our world.

We confess that we are part of this broken world.
We confess……

I confess that I fail to recognise disadvantage when it doesn’t apply to me.
We confess… I confess that prejudice is invisible, unless it is aimed at me.
We confess… I confess I am unaware of grief, or illness, or family violence
if it is not happening to me.

Lord, have mercy on me and my failures.   
Open my eyes and my heart.

Please forgive me.

Amen

Giving Birth To Laughter

A monologue by Sarah, to follow the reading.
Source: Spill The Beans Issue 16

So I laughed. 
Yes, I laughed 
when I heard. 

Laughing was my default reaction after all those years. 
It’s what everyone told me to do. 
Look for the things that make you laugh. 
Find the things that bring a moment’s lightness, a brief respite. 
God knows I needed those moments. 
And yes, I found them. 
I learned to forget, 
to step outside the guilt and the pain, 
to be lost in the fleeting respite, 
caught up in the wonder of the spring rain, 
the flowers in the desert, the

look in my husband’s
eyes, those rare times
he still gazed at me with
love and not pity.

For long years, laughter never failed me. I
could even turn it on
as I watched all the mothering around me, 
other women’s children taking their first steps, 
running into my arms 
while they were still too young 
to understand my shame.

Did I trust God’s
laughable promise? Did

Abraham trust, even
as he fell into sardonic
mirth when he heard
the first time? 

Of course
we sat down and looked at it seriously.
If it’s God’s promise, I reasoned, I’ll cope, 
even with Hagar’s belly swelling. It all made sense. 

And then I laughed. 
I laughed at myself when no-one could hear me. 
Who was I kidding? 
How would I cope? 
How did it make sense? 
What was God doing? 
What had I done wrong?

It all happened so easily for her. 

Abraham loved the boy
his boy
and I saw the joy in him 
that I had never been able to bring. 
It was too much. 
I called on the laughter but it would not come. 
I searched for it in the winking stars, 
in the smell of good soup, 
in the faces of friends, 
but it would not come.

It came with the visitors’ news. 
The cakes were baking 
and I was dusting the flour from my hands 
when I heard them speak my name. 
How did they know my name, 
and why care to speak of me? 

“Sarah shall have a son”. 
They heard me laughing, 
and would not let me deny it! 

Praise God, 
nor was there any denying the pleasure, 
or the promise, 
or my pregnant old body, 
or the tears of joy in my husband’s eyes 
when we held our son. 

What did we name him? 

We named him Laughter.

Reflection – Promises Kept

https://vimeo.com/428523316

Song – Kyrie eleison

The next song is a lament and prayer for forgiveness.
The words ‘Kyrie eleison’ mean ‘Lord, have mercy on us’,

Look around you, can you see?
Times are troubled, people grieve.
See the violence, feel the hardness;
All my people weep with me.

Kyrie eleison,
Christe eleison
Kyrie eleison.

‘Walk among them, I’ll go with you,
Reach out to them with my hands.
Suffer with me and together
we will serve them, help them stand.’

Kyrie eleison,
Christe eleison
Kyrie eleison.

Forgive us, Father, hear our prayer.
We would walk with you anywhere,
through your suffering, with forgiveness,
take your life into the world.

Kyrie eleison,
Christe eleison
Kyrie eleison.

Bible – Matthew 9:35-10:8 (CEV)

Jesus went to every town and village. He taught in their meeting places and preached the good news about God’s kingdom. Jesus also healed every kind of disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he felt sorry for them. They were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 

[Read on in your own Bible about how Jesus called the twelve apostles. He sent them out with these instructions.]

Go only to the people of Israel, because they are like a flock of lost sheep. As you go, announce that the kingdom of heaven will soon be here. Heal the sick, raise the dead to life, heal people who have leprosy, and force out demons. You received without paying, now give without being paid.

Something to think about:

• Where do we see confused and ‘lost sheep’ in our world today?
• Where do we see this in our own country and neighbourhood? If you heard Jesus calling you by name to follow, what would he be asking you to do?

Prayers for Others

From Caroline Wallace

Heavenly Father, Loving God, Lord of lords and king of kings,

While we acknowledge the tough times we are currently facing, we are thankful for the privileges that many of us have: Free or affordable education, employment, roofs over our heads, and our friends and family.

There are many more things for us to be thankful for. You have always been good to us even when we repeatedly fail you and each other.

Father, it looks like there is no end to the current troubles being experienced in the US and around the globe. There seems to be no end to racial and gender inequality, or various forms of oppression at different levels of society.

People do not seem to be learning from history as it keeps repeating itself.

At a time when we all need to be united, there appears to be more division than ever before!  There seems to be more misunderstanding and warring between governments and individuals, which gives the impression of very dark ages ahead of us rather than behind us.

Lord, help us all to hold onto you and find peace in this imperfect world.

Help us to receive these challenging times as opportunities to trust you.

We ask that you give world leaders the strength and wisdom they need to confront today’s problems.  Help them put aside their own pre-conceived ideas, expectations, or agendas and enable them to empathise with marginalised communities and carefully listen to their stories of desperation.

We also pray for influential companies and organisations everywhere.

Enable them to pool their resources and respond to the plight of those who have been overlooked, underestimated, rejected, abused, or dominated.

We may not know what the future holds for us, but we have faith that you will continue to sustain us no matter what we go through.

In a world that often projects hate and violence, you are a God of mercy, of justice, of hope, and of peace. You are also a God of forgiveness and second chances, of unconditional love, and deliverance.

We pray that you deliver us from all the evil that we are witnessing now and remind us once again of your glorious presence through your healing hand upon humankind.

In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Song – Goodness Is Stronger Than Evil

Words by Desmond Tutu, music by John Bell

Goodness is stronger than evil
Goodness is stronger than evil,

Love is stronger than hate,
Light is stronger than darkness,
Life is stronger than death.

Victory is ours, victory is ours,
Through him who loved us.

Blessing

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you
and love be with you all.

Prepared for people in Gungahlin Uniting Church, ACT by Margaret Reeson

https://youtu.be/CwhS3u8sANs

This week’s Home Brewed Worship provides you all a number of ways to enter into prayer and to explore the story from Acts. If you’re at home with family, a partner, a friend or a spouse please consider working through some of this with them. If you’re alone, consider phoning someone else and inviting them to join you in worship.

A special thanks to Margaret and Pauline for the liturgy and prayers throughout the material in the order of service for people at home.

Carve out some space sacred space in your home, perhaps you have candle, some colourful material, a cross, a bible, some pictures of the world, artwork or images of Jesus… 

You don’t need to use all of this material, nor do you need to do it all in one sitting, perhaps some of these prayers and music can travel with you throughout the week. Use the material as part of daily exercises, music to carry you through the week, reflections to ponder as you walk or stay at home.

For some your focus may be to hear the gospel preached, others the gospel sung, while others may want to find a practice that they can enter into over the course of the week to make space for the Holy Spirit to work on us.

Order of Service

Here’s an order of service curated by Margaret Reeson for people worshipping at home

Home Brewed Family

Here are some resources for families to explore the story and faith together at home.

Prayers

https://vimeo.com/422036966

A Blessing & Sending for Pentecost

Prayers of Intercession by Ron Reeson

A Prayer of Confession

Readings for Pentecost 2020

Acts 2:1-21
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
1 Corinthians 12:3b-13
John 20:19-23

Singing The Scripture

Here is a playlist of music that explores the scripture from this week, there are a lot of Holy Spirit songs.

What are your favourite Spirit songs? Can you send them in and we’ll add them to our playlist.

Visual Reflections on Pentecost

This week there are two reflections, one on the birth of the church and our annual prayer for renewal and revival, the other invites you to imagine God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit artistically.

If you go the artistic route I invite you to consider sending in your creations, if you sculpt, collage, paint, sketch, etch, mould, write poetry or build please show us your creations.

If you go the route of reflecting on renewal and revival then perhaps you may like to email in your own prayer for revival, let us know what you’re praying for this week.

https://vimeo.com/423649295

https://vimeo.com/423649313

Illustrated Ministry – Pentecost Poster

Wanting to bring some colour into your homes?

This illustration by the Illustrated Ministry community is here for you to colour in as you reflect on the Holy Spirit this Pentecost.

The Holy Spirit – A Godly Play Story

Godly Play is a multi sensory storytelling practice inviting the hearer to enter into the story and wonder. This story invites us to reflect on the Holy Spirit.

Spiritual Practices:

Breath Lines

https://vimeo.com/408838369

Breath Prayers

https://vimeo.com/408869790

Go Deeper

Statins Of The Spirit

I’ve admired the work of Sue Wallace for a long time now, she has been a creative community leader in the church in the UK working on multimedia and multi sensory worship.

This week Sue has curated a series of stations reflecting on the Holy Spirit. You can access each of the stations this week on youtube on the Stations Of The Spirit channel. Perhaps you might find the time to interact with each station every day of the week.

Bar Theology:

The Bar Theology series is a great way to dip your toes into some deep theological conversations. Over a couple of drinks Dr. Walter Brueggemann, Bishop Thomas Breidenthal & the Reverend Jane Gerdsen engage in a Q&A theological conversation. This short piece includes a conversation on the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit – The Bible Project

The Bible Project created a number of resources exploring the Holy Spirit including other videos, podcasts and study notes.

Podcasts:

The Bible For Normal People Podcast recently released an episode focused on The Holy Spirit.

Call to Worship

Today is the Day of Pentecost when the Christian Church remembers
the coming of the Holy Spirit.

As you prepare to spend time with God, have your Bible with you.
Some people may like to have a red flower or a red cloth as the colour of Pentecost.

When you are ready, light your candle.

Psalm 104:33-34 (CEV)

As long as I live,
I will sing and praise you,
the Lord God.I hope my thoughts will please you,
because you are the one who makes me glad.

Song

TiS 408

O breath of God, breathe on us now
and move within us while we pray;
You are the spring of our new life,
The very light of our new day.

Be with me when no other friend
the mystery of my heart can share;
be always known, when fears descend,
by your best name of Comforter.

Prayer

On the day of Pentecost,
the followers of Jesus were all together in the same place.

Today, on this Day of Pentecost, we are scattered.

We are sad.
We cannot see each other face to face.
We cannot hear the sound of our friend’s voice or touch their hand.

Spirit of God, Spirit of Jesus, Holy Spirit, come to me today.

In my loneliness, touch me with the flame of your love.
In my isolation, breathe your life in me.
In my sadness, fill me with your dreams for the future.

Alone and together,
Holy Spirit, touch us with your life.

Amen

Prayer of Confession

Let us take a moment to talk to Jesus about the troubles of our week.

Lord Jesus, I am sorry because I…
I am very sorry because I…
I am truly sorry because I…

Please, in your mercy and grace, forgive me.

Hear the Spirit of Jesus say to you:

My child, I love you. I know you through and through.
I have carried your failures on the cross. You are forgiven.
Bible reading

The Coming of the Holy Spirit

Acts 2:1-7 (CEV)

On the day of Pentecost all the Lord’s followers were together in one place. Suddenly there was a noise from heaven like the sound of a mighty wind! It filled the house where they were meeting. Then they saw what looked like fiery tongues moving in all directions, and a tongue came and settled on each person there. The Holy Spirit took control of everyone, and they began speaking whatever languages the Spirit let them speak. Many religious Jews from every country in the world were living in Jerusalem.  And when they heard this noise, a crowd gathered. But they were surprised, because they were hearing everything in their own languages. They were excited and amazed …

Now read on from Acts 2: 7-21 in your own Bible.

Think of friends from Gungahlin Uniting Church who will be reading in another language today. Arabic, Sinhalese, Korean, French, German, Mandarin, Cantonese, Welsh, Urdu, one of the languages of Uganda.

See their faces in your mind.

“When the last days come,I will give my Spirit to everyone.Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will have dreams. In those days I will give my Spirit to my servants, both men and women, and they will prophesy.

A question

Where do you see signs of the Spirit today?

Who are our prophets, our dreamers and our visionaries? 

Write a note of encouragement to someone whose visions and dreams have been important to you.

Pray for them.

Song

Loving Spirit, loving Spirit
Shirley Erena Murray
TiS 417
 
Loving Spirit, loving Spirit,
You have chosen me to be
You have drawn me to your wonder,
You have set your sign on me.
 
Like a mother you enfold me,
hold my life within your own,
feed me with your very body,
form me of your flesh and bone,
 
Like a father you protect me,
teach me the discerning eye,
hoist me up upon your shoulder,
let me see the world from high.  

Friend and lover, in your closeness
I am known and held and blessed;
in your presence is my comfort,
in your presence I may rest.

Loving Spirit, loving Spirit,
You have chosen me to be
You have drawn me to your wonder,
You have set your sign on me.

Visual Reflections on Pentecost

This week there are two reflections, one on the birth of the church and our annual prayer for renewal and revival, the other invites you to imagine God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit artistically.

If you go the artistic route I invite you to consider sending in your creations, if you sculpt, collage, paint, sketch, etch, mould, write poetry or build please show us your creations.

If you go the route of reflecting on renewal and revival then perhaps you may like to email in your own prayer for revival, let us know what you’re praying for this week.

https://vimeo.com/423649295

https://vimeo.com/423649313

Prayers for others

Ron Reeson

O Holy Spirit of God
Today is Your day – well, the annual day we celebrate your coming to earth as the Spirit of Jesus, to be with us, and in us, and beside us.

Jesus said You are the Helper If ever we needed help, it is now.
Some of us are tackling tasks we have never done before. Please come to our aid.

You are the One who distributes gifts for serving    Give us all gifts which we can use for You in serving others in these days, maybe gifts we have never experienced.

You said you would give us power to witness  Bring to our mind those who we should contact, support, visit. Help us find ways to do what is best

You are the Spirit of Unity  Bring together countries in conflict with each other, and people who are angry with leaders who they feel are more interested in the polls than the health of the nation, and are not guiding wisely them and well

You are the Spirit of Reconciliation   Bring together families in which there is increased tension and conflict at this time

You said You would lead us into truth Give wisdom to those seeking to find and create a vaccine for the coronavirus

You are the Comforter  Stand by those who grieve at this time or fear the worst for a loved one. Make real the presence of Christ to them, and in them.

You are the Spirit who leads. Guide the church council as it seeks to find the best ways to provide oversight for the worship, pastoral care and functioning of the church community in this difficult, unusual and unique time.

Spirit of God, You who breathed over the waters at Creation, breathe on your creation again, and give it new life and hope.

And finally we pray for ourselves

Breathe on me , breath of God;
Fill me with life anew.
That I may love all that you love
And do what you would do.

Amen

Song

Great God, your Spirit, like the wind
TiS 416

Great God, your Spirit, like the wind unseen but shaking things we see
will never leave us undisturbed, fulfil our dreams or set us free,
until we turn from faithless fear and prove the promise of your grace
in justice, peace and daily bread, with joy for all the human race.

Lord shake us with the force of love, to rouse us from our dreadful sleep;
remove our hearts of stone and give new hearts of flesh to break and weep
for all your children in distress and dying for the wealth we keep.
Help us prevent, while we have time, the blighted harvest greed must reap.

And then, in your compassion, give your Spirit like the gentle rain,
creating fertile ground from which your peace and justice spring like grain;
until your love is satisfied, with all creation freed from pain
and all your children live to praise your will fulfilled, your presence plain.

Blessing

Father, bless us as we go,
Jesus, walk beside us.
Holy Spirit guide us.

– Robin Mann

Prepared for people in Gungahlin Uniting Church, ACT by Margaret Reeson