Order of Service – 14th January 2024

The Order of Service follows below.

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Brougham Place Uniting Church

Kardlayirdi Karnungga
A light on the hill

January 14^th, 2024. 10.00am
Epiphany 2
Preacher: Dr Deidre Palmer

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

Prelude

Welcome and Acknowledgment of Country

Niina marni!
Marni’ai!

Lighting of the Candles

Call to Worship

People of God, arise, shine, for your light has come! The light of Christ has come into the world. Immanuel. God with us.

So arise, shine, for your light has come!
And we will follow the light-
when it shines brightly in the night sky,
when it glows dimly on the horizon.

We will follow the light- when it leads down familiar paths to expected destinations, when the road is unfamiliar and the star rests above a dubious-looking home. We will lift up our eyes and look around.
And when we see the Christ-child,
may our hearts be overwhelmed with joy.

When we are in the presence of Immanuel,
may our knees bend in worship.

When our journey brings us, finally, to the heart of God,
May our hands open in generous sharing.
May our mouths open in generous praise.

(Joanna Harader – Spacious Faith)

Opening Prayer

We Sing: Hail to the Lord’s Anointed (Verses 1, 2 & 5)

Hail to the Lord’s anointed,
great David’s greater Son;
hail, in the time appointed,
his reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
to let the captive free,
and take away transgression,
and rule in equity.
He comes with help and mercy
to those who suffer wrong,
to raise the poor and needy,
and bid the weak be strong,
to give them songs for sighing,
their darkness turn to light,
whose souls condemned and dying
were precious in his sight.
O’er every foe victorious,
he on his throne shall rest,
from age to age more glorious,
all blessing and all-blest.
The tide of time shall never
his covenant remove;
his name shall stand for ever,
that name to us is love.

Together in Song 275. James Montgomery 1771-1854 alt. Public Domain.

Prayer of Confession

Words of Assurance

Passing of the Peace

May the peace of God be with you.
And also with you.

Community News and Notices

Current or previous BP E-news and to sign up to receive BP E-news

Children’s Time

Children may go downstairs for Sunday School. Parents, you are welcome to join your child in Sunday School if you feel your child 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.

Scripture Reading – Matthew 2.1-12

The Visit of the Magi

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the east came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him, and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah^] was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet:

And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”

Then Herod secretly called for the magi and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” When they had heard the king, they set out, and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen in the east, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

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

Sermon

We Sing: Will You Come and Follow Me

Will you come and follow me
if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know
and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown,
will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown
In you and you in me?
Will you leave yourself behind
if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind
and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare
should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer
in you and you in me?
Will you let the blinded see
if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free
and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean,
and do such as this unseen,
and admit to what I mean
in you and you in me?
Will you love the ‘you’ you hide
if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside
and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you’ve found
to reshape the world around
through my sight and touch and sound
in you and you in me?
Lord, your summons echoes true
when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you
and never be the same.
In your company I’ll go
where your love and footsteps show.
Thus I’ll move and live and grow
in you and you in me.

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

Prayers of the People

We Sing: Feed Us Now

Feed us now Bread of life,
in this holy meal;
let us know your love anew:
we hunger for you.
Feed us now, Bread of life,
come and live within;
let your peace be ours today,
Lord Jesus, we pray.
Piece of bread, cup of wine:
Lord, this food is good:
love and mercy come to us –
your promise we trust.
Piece of bread, cup of wine:
who can understand
how his mercy works in these?
Yet, Lord, we believe.
God is here, O so near,
nearer than our thoughts.
Stay with us where’er we go;
Lord, help us to grow.
God is here, O so near,
in this heaven’s meal.
May we always feed on you –
on the bread that is true.

Sacrament of Holy Communion

The Invitation

Words of Institution

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

May God be with you.
And also with you.

Lift up your hearts!
We lift them up to our God.

Let us give thanks to God our Creator.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Holy, holy, holy God, of all creation and life,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
Hosanna in the highest!

The Lord’s Prayer

Let us pray together in the words that Jesus taught us:

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.

The Breaking of the Bread

The Communion

Prayer after Communion

Together we pray:
We thank you for this holy meal, God of love,
and for welcoming us to this table.
May our lives be strengthened to follow the example of Jesus,
who calls us to share love and to serve others.
May God’s Spirit draw us closer
so that we may be found centred on God’s grace,
enfolded in God’s love,
and reflecting God’s light in the world. Amen.

We Sing: Make Me A Channel of Your Peace

Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred let me bring your love;
where there is injury, your pardon, Lord;
and where there’s doubt, true faith in you.

O Master, grant that I may never seek
so much to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved, as to love with all my soul.
Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there’s despair in life, let me bring hope;
where there is darkness, let me bring your light;
and where there is sadness, ever joy.

O Master, grant that I may never seek
so much to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved, as to love with all my soul.
Make me a channel of your peace.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
in giving of ourselves that we receive,
and in dying that we’re born to eternal life.

Together in Song 607. Based on an anonymous prayer (?French) c.1900 This version by Johann Sebastian Templehoff (‘Sebastian Temple’) 1928-. Words and Music by permission of Oregon Catholic Press. All rights reserved. One License, License #A‑604444.

Sending Out and Benediction

Sung Blessing: Go Now in Peace

Go now in peace, go now in peace,
may the love of God surround you
everywhere, everywhere you may go.

(Sung twice)

Postlude

Please join us for morning tea in the basement. There are stairs behind the organ and a ramp between the church and the car park leading to the basement. You are welcome!

The Scripture Readings are from the NRSVUE. 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.