SONG
The opening song is, ‘Mighty to save’, sung by Laura Story. If you have problems connecting, try this direct link to YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0aLHomgSso
Call to worship
“And Jesus said to them…. Follow me.”
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. Let us follow the light, the hope of the world.
Acknowledgment of country
As we begin, 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’s pray. Lord, we have heard your call to follow. At times the call seemed distant. At times we felt sure footed. There were paths that have been hard. Others times that were easy. Lord, we know the call to follow goes on in our lives and the need to respond remains.
Forgive us when we denied the invitation. Forgive us when we have been all too sure of ourselves along the way. Forgive us when we have been judgmental of others as a way of affirming ourselves. Place your hand upon us and let us hear again, the way of forgiveness, challenge, discipleship and the road before us. Amen.
Song for the young at heart
A fun song from Swaziland, ‘We will walk with God’. Swaziland is a small landlocked country is Southern Africa, and was recently renamed, ‘Eswatini’. If you have trouble connecting you can go to YouTube directly at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKybxg99fUc
From the Bible
The Bible reading for today is from Luke 9:51-62. The words of the reading is below. There is also a video of a dramatic re-enactment of the Gospel reading underneath.
Luke 9:51-62
When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. Then they went on to another village.
As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Dramatic readings from Lumo
Here is the dramatic re-enactment of the Gospel reading by the Lumo group. If you have trouble connecting you can go directly to YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAaDTl7r6aM
Message
The message is brought to you by Mark Faulkner from the Saltbush Community, as he discusses a small snippet of passages from the Gospel of Luke that draw us in to discuss discipleship and following.
What do you think Jesus said to James and John when he rebuked them? What is discipleship?
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
‘I heard the voice of Jesus say’, courtesy of Emu Music. If you have problems connecting, try this direct link to YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfhmRj0nwFE
Prayers for Others
We bring to God our prayers for our world, our nation, our community and ourselves.
Let us pray,
Gracious God, we thank you for the splendour of the whole creation, for the beauty of this world, for the wonder of life, and for the mystery of love. We thank you for setting us tasks that demand our best efforts, and for leading us to achieve things that satisfy and delight us.
Above all, we thank you for your Son Jesus Christ: for the truth of his word and the example of his life; for his steadfast obedience to the cross, through which he overcame death, rising to life again, and through which we are raised to the life of your kingdom.
Lord, you hear our prayers before we speak, and answer before we know our need.
Although we cannot pray as we ought, may your Spirit pray in us, drawing us to you.
We pray for peace in the world, for goodwill between every race and nation, for those involved in world government, and those in agencies of control or compassion, who work for reconciliation, justice and peace.
We pray for those who are poor or hungry, in need of employment, homes, or education,
that the wealth of our nation would be shared by all.
We pray for those who are suffering through illness, grief, or depression, that your healing hand would be upon them, bringing hope and peace. We especially pray for those people we now name before you in silence:
[pause for silent prayer
Finally, Lord, we pray for ourselves as your disciples and your church. May we be active in doing your will here in our community and beyond. Grant us the gift of your Spirit, working in us, that we may know Christ and make him known, that your kingdom may come as you have promised.
Blessing
Go our 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
‘Will you come and follow me’, sung by St. Andrews’s Metropolitan Cathedral, Glasgow. If you have problems connecting, go directly to YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk6IUalJ3sk
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-3-following-luke-9-51-62/
The opening prayer is from ‘Lay Leaders Liturgy, Year C, First Sunday after Pentecost’, 2022.
0 Comments