Order of Service – 30th August 2026

The Order of Service follows below.

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Please join us in saying and singing the words printed in bold text. Items in red text are for information and explanation and are not spoken.

Brougham Place Uniting Church

Kardlayirdi Karnungga

A Light on the Hill

August 30, 2026

Preacher: Rev Linda Driver

Pentecost 14. Taizé style service. Green

Welcome to Brougham Place Uniting Church.

We acknowledge the Kaurna people as the traditional carers of the land on which our church is built.

As you wait for worship to begin, please turn your phone to silent.

Prelude

Welcome and Acknowledgment of Country

Naa marni?

(Are you all good?)

Marni Ai!

(Good I am)

For the Kaurna Country we meet on today,
we give thanks.

For the Elders and communities—past, present, and future—who walk these lands,
we pay our respects.

Come freedom and flourishing to land, people, and culture.

Lighting of the Candles

We Sing: Christe, lux mundi

Christe, lux mundi,

qui sequitur te habebit lumen vitae, lumen vitae.

Translation:
O Christ, light of the world, whoever follows you will have the light of life.

Call to Worship

Be still.

This place, this moment—

this is holy ground.

Step carefully,

move with deep respect;

God who calls

leads us into life.

Come, let us draw near.

Come, let us worship.

Opening Prayer

Holy God,

you meet us in ordinary places

and make them holy.

You call us by name

and invite us into deeper trust.

As we draw near,

open our hearts to your presence.

Where we cling to certainly,

teach us to release.

Where you call us forward,

grant us grace to respond.

Shape us in the way of Christ,

that we may say together:

Here we are—

In the name of the One who walked the way before us.

Amen.

We Sing: Atme in uns

Atme in uns, Heiliger Geist.

Translation:
Breathe in us, Holy Spirit.

Prayer of Confession

We stand on holy ground,

yet we confess that our hands

are full of things we refuse to let go.

We fear that if we fall

that there will be none to catch us;

that if we go,

there will be none to guide us;

that if we give,

we will have nothing left.

And yet you invite us to discover life as we release what we cling to,

by trusting your loving presence

in the vulnerability of human existence.

Forgive us for all the ways

this remains so difficult for us.

In this silence, we let go.

Silence is kept.

Words of Grace

In our letting go, Jesus embraces us fully—

this same Jesus who walks the way before us

meets us in our vulnerability

and assures us we are not alone.

In the losing, we are found.

In the letting go, new life begins.

In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.

Thanks be to God.

We sing: Sing praises, all you peoples

Please stand

Sing praises, all you peoples, sing praises to the Lord.

Psalm 105 (selected verses)

Please remain standing

Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;

make known among the nations what he has done.

We sing:

Sing praises, all you peoples, sing praises to the Lord.

Sing to him, sing praise to him;

tell of all his wonderful acts.

We sing:

Sing praises, all you peoples, sing praises to the Lord.

Glory in his holy name;

let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

We sing:

Sing praises, all you peoples, sing praises to the Lord.

Look to the Lord and his strength;

seek his face always.

Praise the Lord!

We sing:

Sing praises, all you peoples, sing praises to the Lord.
Sing praises, all you peoples, sing praises to the Lord.

Passing of the Peace

The peace of our God be with you.

And also with you.

Community News and Notices

You can sign up to receive BP E-news by email and read past issues on our website: www.bpuc.org

Children’s Time (Exploring the Theme)

Children and Young People may go downstairs for Sunday School and Youth. Parents, you are welcome to join your young children in Sunday School if you feel they may need your assistance. Alternatively, you may wish for your child to remain with you for the duration of worship. Activity packs are available at the entrances.

We sing: Holy Spirit, come to us

Holy Spirit, come to us, kindle in us the fire of your love.

Holy Spirit, come of us, Holy Spirit, come to us.

Scripture Reading: Exodus 3:1—12

Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, ‘I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.’ When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said, ‘Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’ He said further, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Then the Lord said, ‘I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.’ But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’ He said, ‘I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.’

We sing: The Kingdom of God

The kingdom of God is justice and peace

and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Come, Lord, and open in us

the gates of your kingdom.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 16:21–28

From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me, for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?

“For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

The Gospel of Christ, Light of the world.
Thanks be to God.

Message

Response

Jesus sometimes invites us to let go of the things we cling to so we can make space for God’s love.

Take a slow breath in.

Now breathe out slowly.

As you breathe out, imagine letting go of worries, fears, or anything that feels heavy.

You might say quietly in your heart:

“I am not only what I do.

I am not only what I have.

I am loved by God.”

Pause for a short silence

Open your hands and look at your palms. Imagine that each person around you carries God’s light.
“God’s love shines in you and in the people beside you. Following Jesus means learning to recognise that light and choosing the way of love.”

We sing: Ubi caritas

Ubi caritas et amor, ubi caritas Deus ibi est.

Translation:
Where there is charity and love, God is to be found.

Prayers of the People

Response:

Lord, in your mercy,

Help us stand with them.

The Lord’s Prayer

And now with the confidence of the children of God, let us pray the prayer Jesus taught us saying…

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.

Save us from the time of trial

and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours

now and forever. Amen.

Offering

To give electronically please go to bpuc.org/give

Alternatively, there is an offering bowl near the lectern on the left-hand side as you exit the church.

Offering Prayer

Bless what we offer, O God.

May these gifts become part of your work

of love, healing, and new life in the world.

Amen.

We sing: Lord Jesus Christ

Lord Jesus Christ, your light shines within us.

Let not my doubts or my darkness speak to me.

Lord Jesus Christ, your light shines within us.

Let my heart always welcome your love.

Sending Forth and Benediction

Beloved friends,

God is with you.

Christ is with you!

As you go,

release what you no longer need to carry

and receive the love that flows from God’s own heart,

a love that brings you the most beautiful kind of life.

May the grace of the Christ,

the love of God,

and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit

be your constant companion

wherever you travel.

We sing: Spiritus Jesu Christi

Spiritus Jesu Christi, Spiritus caritatis,
confirmet cortuum; confirmet cortuum.

Translation:
May the Spirit of Christ Jesus, the Spirit of love, strengthen your heart.

Postlude

Come and share morning tea together, in the basement. There are stairs behind the organ and a ramp between the church and the car park. All are welcome!

Thank you for joining us for worship!
If you would like to get in touch or request a prayer, please make use of the Contact Cards in the pews and next to the Offering Bowl. Alternately, you can email our Minister, Rev Linda Driver: lindad@bpuc.org

This service has been prepared with assistance from

Liturgy, Learning, & (Purposeful) Life (L3)
Rev Jesse Size
© 2026, Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of South Australia

The Bible Readings are from the New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Photo by Photo by Nader Ayman on Unsplash

Congregation Hymns:

Christe, lux mundi (O Christ, light of the world)
(Number 125 – Chants de Taizé 2019)

Atme in uns (Breathe in us, Holy Spirit)
(Number 159 – Chants de Taizé 2019)

Laudate omnes gentes (Sing praises, all you peoples)
(Number 23 – Chants de Taizé 2019)

Tui amoris ignem (Holy Spirit, come to us)
(Number 14 – Chants de Taizé 2019)

The Kingdom of God
© Ateliers et Presses de Taizé, Communauté, 71250 Taizé, France. All rights reserved.

Ubi caritas
(Number 15 – Chants de Taizé 2019)

Jésus le Christ (Lord Jesus Christ)
(Number 9 – Chants de Taizé 2019)

Spiritus Jesu Christi
(Number 36 – Chants de Taizé 2019)