SONG
The opening song is, ‘We are special’, sung by the Sapphire Singers. If you have problems connecting, try this direct link to YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmepcTj2vt4
Call to worship
We come to hear the Good News, to embody the love of God in Christ as we share our lives with others. .
You may like to light a candle at this time.
God’s truth is revealed in Jesus Christ the light of the world. May the light shine for the hope of the world.
Acknowledgment of country
As we begin, it is appropriate to recognise that this great land has been home to our first nations peoples for many thousands of years. Let us also acknowledge those Aboriginal peoples who are the first inhabitants of the regions in which we dwell, and honour them for their care of the land.
Prayer
Let us pray.
Lord, you long for us as a shepherd looks for the one lost sheep or like the woman sweeping her house to look for the one lost coin. You long for us, for humanity, for our world.
Search out Lord where we feel lost in life and where we need love. Search out Lord those things we try to hide and transform us into the people you call us to be.
Lord, gather us together as Christian community in this place as you gather here with us through your Spirit of life. Hold us. Forgive us. Renew us into your world. We pray. Amen.
From the Bible
The Bible reading for today is from Luke 15:1-10. The words of the reading is below. There is also a video of a dramatic re-enactment of the Gospel reading underneath.
Luke 15:1-10
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So he told them this parable:
“Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’
Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
“Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’
Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Dramatic readings from Lumo
Here is the dramatic re-enactment of the Gospel reading by the Lumo group (includes all of chapter 15, including the ‘Parable of the two lost sons’). We are called to rejoice when the lost are found. If you have trouble connecting you can go directly to YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOKn_3OL5oQ
Message
The message is brought to you by Natasha He from the Saltbush Community. Natasha explores the parable of the lost sheep and what it means for us today.
Luke 15 is a whole chapter with parables about lost things. Why is this theme of finding lost things so much a part of Jesus story telling? I wonder what you heard in the Word for our church? What one action can you or your church take in response to the Word today?
Before a time of prayer you may like to spend some time in silence sitting still. Close your eyes lightly. Sit relaxed but alert. Simply be still and open to God. You may prefer to do this while listening to the ‘Optional reflective music’ below.
Optional reflective music
‘Rescue’, co-written and sung by Lauren Daigle. This is a Christian song that was written for people going through difficult times. This version was recorded with ‘Operation Underground Railroad’ in mind, which exists to rescue children from sex trafficking and sexual exploitation. We are called to play a part in searching for and rescuing the lost and broken. If you have problems connecting, try this direct link to YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cpIlFBZbko
Prayers for Others
Let us pray.
We give thanks in this season of new life for renewal and hope, creation and regeneration. We give thanks for reminders of goodness, colour, tenderness and love. And we give thanks for the mystery of life and God within and around. In our faith, with hope, alongside Spirit, we pray for others, ourselves, and our world.
We pray for people and places who need hope. [silence]
Bring hopefulness O God we pray.
We pray for people and places who know death and dying. [silence]
May there be peace and new life.
We pray for people we know who feel lost. [silence]
May they be found and loved.
We pray for creation, struggling to breath, to flow, to thrive, to grow. [silence]
Renew us and your whole creation O God.
We pray for ourselves, who so easily forget your way, where we feel lost ourselves, in our places of longing. [silence]
Come to us in your Spirit and dwell within we pray.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.
Blessing
Go out into the world, to love and serve the Lord. Bless us and the people we meet along the way. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Song
As we remember the life of Queen Elizabeth II, let us hear, “Love Divine, All Love Excelling”, from the Royal Albert Hall. If you have problems connecting, go directly to YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q3jmXn6HTQ
Postlude
‘Tea for two’ with the Queen. If you have trouble connecting, go directly to YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UfiCa244XE
Fun Activities
Messy Family Fun Psalm 23
There are many fun activities at HomeFaith based on the theme of the ‘Good Shepherd’ at:
https://homefaith.net/resources/messy-family-fun-psalm-23-2022/
Pentecost Flames Salad Spinner Art and Prayer Ideas
Get a cheap salad spinner and use it to create some spinner art! It’s brilliant: quick, clean (because the spinner sits in its own bowl) and each piece is unique! The process of making the art really lends itself to Pentecost themes so here’s an idea to help celebrate the occasion. Go to the following link:
http://flamecreativekids.blogspot.com/2014/04/pentecost-flames-salad-spinner-art-and.html
Resources
The prayers & blessing are based on content in the Saltbush service for this week, which can be found at:
https://saltbushcommunity.uca.org.au/video/the-word/pentecost-14-lost-things-luke-15-1-10/
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