Order of Service – Sunday 16 June 2024 – PENTECOST 4

Click the link below to download the Order of Service.

CALL TO WORSHIP

Come before the Lord in holy worship.

We come asking that our lives be remade and our priorities reordered.

Open your hearts and God will open your lives to His way.

We are ready Lord. Make known to us Your will.

INVOCATION

Into Your presence we come, O God of love and hope. Inspire us with the gift of Your most Holy Spirit as we gather here today. Empower us with a sense of anticipation as to what it is You will be doing among us in this sacred time and in this sacred place. In the name and the spirit of Christ our Lord we pray. Amen!

HYMN:       132       “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty”

PRAYER

Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiring of Your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love You, and worthily magnify Your holy name; through Christ our Lord. Amen!

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Merciful God, our maker and our judge, we have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed: we have not loved You with our whole heart, we have not loved our neighbour as ourselves; we repent and are sorry for all our sins. Father forgive us, strengthen us to love and obey You in newness of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!

ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS

Hear then Christ’s word of grace to us: “Your sins are forgiven.”

Thanks be to God.

HYMN:       142       “Glory be to God the Father”

PRAYER

Gracious God, help us to remember that we must love one another and remember we are all Your children. Remind us, that if we tune our hearts to Jesus’ heart, we will all come together to create a loving and kind world. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!

PSALTER  READING              Psalm 20                           Pages 542-543

PRAYER

Mighty God, in whom we know the power of redemption, You stand among us in the shadows of our time.

As we move through every sorrow and trial of this life, uphold us with knowledge of the final morning when, in the glorious presence of Your risen Son, we will share His resurrection, redeemed and restored to the fullness of life and forever freed to be Your people.

Creator of the universe, You made the world in beauty, and restore all things in glory through the victory of Jesus Christ.

We pray that, wherever Your image is still disfigured by poverty, sickness, selfishness, war and greed, the new creation in Jesus Christ may appear in justice, love, and peace, to the glory of Your name.

O God, Your Son remained with His disciples after His resurrection, teaching them to love all people as neighbours.

As his disciples in this age, we offer our prayers on behalf of the universe in which we are privileged to live and our neighbours with whom we share it.

Prayers of the people (in silence)

Open our hearts to Your power moving around us and between us and within us, until Your glory is revealed in our love of both friend and enemy, in communities transformed by justice and compassion, and in the healing of all that is broken. Amen!

Prayers of the people (in silence)

Guide us in the path of discipleship, so that as You have blessed us, we may be a blessing for others, bringing the promise of the kingdom near, by our words and deeds. Amen!

Prayers of the people (in silence)

Receive these prayers, O God, and transform us through them, that we may have eyes to see and hearts to understand not only what You do on our behalf, but what You call us to do so that Your realm will come to fruition in glory.

We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We ask You, hear our prayers. Amen!

THE LORD’S PRAYER

HYMN:                    “Sing Them Over Again”

A PRAYER BEFORE READING THE SCRIPTURES

Lord, who can grasp all the wealth of just one of Your words?

What we understand in the Bible is much less than what we leave behind, like thirsty people who drink from a fountain.

For Your word has many shades of meaning, just as those who study it have many different points of view.

You have coloured Your words with many hues so that each person who studies it can see in it what he loves.

You have hidden many treasures in Your word so that each of us is enriched as we meditate on it. Amen!                                                                                 (Ephrem the Syrian 306-373)

BIBLE READINGS –                                                                         Ivy Lee

2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 (Page 1144)                                      Mark 3:20-35 (Page 993)

MUSICAL REFLECTION

SERMON:               “Community of Christ”                       Rev. Punam Bent

HYMN:       473       “Community of Christ”

NOTICES –

• UCA Anniversary Combined Service with Lane Cove Uniting – Here at St. Andrew’s, Sunday 23 June 9:30 am.
• Movie/ Pizza Nights – Tuesday 2 July 6:30 pm.
• Market Morning – Saturday 3 August 8:00 am – 1:00 pm.

OFFERING –    Let us give willingly and joyfully for the glory of God.

HYMN:       449       “Stand Up and Bless the Lord”

BLESSING

The LORD watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm – he will watch over your life;

The LORD will watch over your coming and going, now and forever.

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To contact Krikor call 9453 0787 or 0418 417 411

Church Website:  http://www.longueville.unitingchurch.org.au

Church email: standrewsunite@tpg.com.au

Church Office phone: 9427 4740