Call to worship
Hear God’s word to us: ‘Be still and know that I am God!’ (Psalm 46:10)
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.
SONG
‘O worship the Lord’, sung at Chester Cathedral, England. If you have problems connecting, try this direct link to YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBEmXFkwcOE&t=40s
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. Loving God, we come to worship you, knowing that you are already here in this place, wherever we may be. We come to worship you, knowing that you are already present in our hearts. We come to worship you, to find in you the strength, peace, joy and hope we need. May this worship be a time of blessing to each of us, we pray.
Forgiving God, some days we are flustered. Distracted and worried, we complain about our situation. In our fluster, we can forget to see and feel your presence with us. Help us to pause, take time, and breathe in the calm of your love.
God always shows us the better way available to us. Forgiven, we are set free.
From the Bible
The Bible reading for today is from Luke 10:38-42 . The words of the reading is below. There is also a video of a dramatic re-enactment of the Gospel reading underneath.
Luke 10:38-42
Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.”
But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”
Dramatic readings from Lumo
Here is the dramatic re-enactment of the Gospel reading by the Lumo group. It includes some extra verses (Luke 10:25-42). If you have trouble connecting you can go directly to YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asCkkmaoZbA
Message
The message is brought to you by Tim Jensen of the Saltbush Community. Both Mary and Martha are welcomed into relationship with God through Jesus. Mary chooses the better part but Martha is still welcome.
What distracts you from entering into times of sitting at the feet of Jesus? In what ways would you and your Christian community find new ways of being present before God?
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
‘Be still for the presence of the Lord’, by David Evans. If you have problems connecting, try this direct link to YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8oTxmY0MfU&t=41s
Prayers for Others
Let us pray …. Eternal Presence, Creator God, dwell deeply within us that we would know your truth, your love, your hope, your reign in our lives; that our own lives reflect you and your hopes; refreshing relationships, communities and your creation. As you dwell within us Holy Presence may we know the sacred life you call us to, that we are made in your image and we acknowledge your image in all we meet. At this time we bring you our prayers.
O Christ we open ourselves in prayer for:
[Silence for personal prayer or invite others to open prayer in between each]
Your creation …Silence
For others we have heard about throughout our world …Silence
For other people we know and are close to …Silence
For our church and our wider community …Silence
For ourselves …Silence
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
‘For you deep stillness’, by Robin Mann. If you have problems connecting, go directly to Vimeo at:
https://vimeo.com/432061818
Postlude
Today’s postlude is “God qualifies the called”, by Matt & Josie Minikus. The video is in the window below and if you have problems connecting you can go directly to YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N38jNFlEeLY
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-6-the-better-part-luke-1038-42/
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