SONG
The opening song is, “Jesus calls us here to meet him”, by John Bell and Graham Maule. If you have problems connecting, try this direct link to YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuIQuvsFD00
Call to worship
Jesus said,
‘Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.’
Lord, as we search now, let us find you.
As we knock, open the door to us.
Let us know you, that we may praise you;
and love you, that we may serve you.
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.
O God, of the still small voice, quiet our inner spirit. Help us to focus upon you, and you alone, to hear your voice within. May your voice speak through us. In weakness, be our strength and in poverty, be our wealth. In sadness, be our joy, and in apathy, be our love.
We cannot sing love’s song, O Lord, unless it be your voice singing in us. Forgive us for our acts that mean that we are less than open to you. Forgive us for the ways open and hidden where do not welcome others. And forgive us for those times when we find it hard to acknowledge that you love and welcome us. Take this heart, and with this mouth make your praise and thanksgiving a reality here and now.
Thank you Jesus, that you continue to offer love to us. Thank you, that you always welcome and forgive us. Amen.
From the Bible
The Bible readings for today are from Colossians 2:6-19 and Luke 11:1-13. The words of the readings are below. There is also a video of a dramatic re-enactment of the Gospel reading underneath.
Colossians 2:6-19 (optional extra reading)
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority.
In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision, by putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ; when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it.
Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, dwelling on visions, puffed up without cause by a human way of thinking, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God.
Luke 11:1-13
Jesus was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.”
And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.
“So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
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=zqiyU98NdR0
Message
The message is brought to you by Mark Faulkner of the Saltbush Community. As the disciples came to Jesus asking…. “Lord, teach us how to pray….” , so let us ALSO open ourselves to prayer.
What is your experience of prayer and what do you hear in these passages?
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
“O God, you teach me and you know me”, by Bernadette Farrell and sung at St. Francis De Sales Church in Ajax, Ontario, Canada. If you have problems connecting, try this direct link to YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4ScBPE9v_I
Prayers for Others
Let us pray.
We give thanks for God’s presence within and around all life. In that presence we bring our prayer. We give thanks for prayer and a God who draws near to us. Let us sit with God.
[silence]
We pray for the world in it’s turmoil and struggle. We pray for goodness where there is only suffering and for light where there is darkness.
[silence]
We pray for people we know and people we love and are close to who need hope, or peace, or rest, or faith.
[silence]
We pray for ourselves who in our business and striving alongside the demands and expectations, hear again the invitation to prayer and relationship.
[silence]
We give thanks for God’s ever present goodness that flows and for the eternal presence of the Holy Spirit. We give thanks for Christ who reminds us of love, community, hope, light and life.
We pray together:
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 for ever. 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
“God is our strength and refuge”, sung to the dam buster melody by the Chet Valley Churches (Norfolk, England). If you have problems connecting, go directly to YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA0zJnW1Rr8
Postlude
“Mighty to save”, by Laura Story. If you have trouble connecting, go directly to YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnXX8TbUX-E
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 for others’ 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-7-prayer-luke-11-1-13/
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