Order of Service – 17th March 2024

The Order of Service follows below.

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Brougham Place Uniting Church

Kardlayirdi Karnungga
A Light on the Hill

17 March 2024. 10.00 am
Lent 5
Preacher: Rev Linda Driver
Liturgical colour: Purple

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

Prelude

Welcome

Niina marni!
Marni’ai!

Acknowledgment of Country

Introit and Lighting of the Candles

God be in my Head
Together in Song 549*

Call to Worship

From Psalm 119

We come to worship God.

We seek you with our whole heart.
We come to worship God.

We follow in your ways.
We come to worship God.

We delight in your teachings.
We come to worship God.

Sisters, brothers, siblings, friends. Come, let us worship.
We come to worship God.

We Sing: Come, O God of all the Earth

Come, O God of all the earth:
come to us, O Righteous One;
come, and bring our love to birth:
in the glory of your Son.

Sing out, earth and skies!
Sing of the God who loves you;
raise your joyful cries;
dance to the life around you.
Come, O God of wind and flame:
fill the earth with righteousness;
teach us all to sing your name:
may our lives your love confess.

Sing out, earth and skies!
Sing of the God who loves you;
raise your joyful cries;
dance to the life around you.
Come, O God of flashing light:
twinkling star and burning sun;
God of day and God of night:
in your light we all are one.

Sing out, earth and skies!
Sing of the God who loves you;
raise your joyful cries;
dance to the life around you.
Come, O Justice, come, O Peace:
come and shape our hearts anew;
come and make oppression cease:
bring us all to life in you.

Sing out, earth and skies!
Sing of the God who loves you;
raise your joyful cries;
dance to the life around you.

Prayer of Confession

Words of Grace

Hear these words of grace:
God is in our midst, breathing new life through the Spirit, teaching us how to live through Jesus. We are called to live God’s grace in this time and in this place.
Thanks be to God. Amen.

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.

Choral Anthem

Now the Green Blade Rises
Trad. Arr. Ballard

Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 31:31–34

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more.

Gospel Reading: John 12:20-33

Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew, then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain, but if it dies it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.

”Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say: ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.

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

Reflection

We Sing: We Will Love

We will walk with you at the edges,
we will die with you on the crossroads,
we will live in your dangerous places,
we will love.
We will risk with you taking chances,
we will stand with you facing evil,
we will live in your dangerous places,
we will love.

Come Lord Jesus Christ hear our prayer,
come now living friend please draw near.
Alone, we feel unsure and so afraid.
Calling us to live by your grace,
calling us to leave all that’s safe.
Our lives we choose to lose
so you may save.

We will walk with you at the edges,
we will die with you on the crossroads,
we will live in your dangerous places,
we will love.
We will risk with you taking chances,
we will stand with you facing evil,
we will live in your dangerous places,
we will love.
Stepping out we call on your name,
knowing you have healed all our shame.
Our God, your precious love has made us whole.
Gifting us with power to set free,
Holy Spirit, use even me.
Renew all that I am
so I may see.

We will walk with you at the edges,
we will die with you on the crossroads,
we will live in your dangerous places,
we will love.
We will risk with you taking chances,
we will stand with you facing evil,
we will live in your dangerous places,
we will love.

Prayers of the People

Gardening God, we pray that flowers would be found along the road we walk of love seeking justice.
We pray in the name of the Christ whom we follow.
Amen.

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.

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

We Sing: All my Hope on God is Founded

All my hope on God is founded:
who else can my hope renew?
Still through change and chance God guides me,
only good and only true.
God unknown, grace alone,
calls my heart to be God’s own.
Well does the almighty Giver
bounteous gifts on us bestow!
With delight our souls are nourished;
pleasure leads us where we go.
At God’s hand does love stand;
joy awaits each new command.
In glad hymns to God eternal
sacrifice of praise be done,
High above all praises praising
for the love in Christ made known.
Hear Christ’s call, one and all;
those who follow shall not fall.

Sending Forth and Benediction

As you journey with God through Lent may you find the road that leads to life and pause to accompany others on the way.

May God take your hand as you go, Christ be your constant companion, and the Spirit guide you on the Way this day and for evermore. Amen.

Choral Blessing:

May the Feet of God Walk with You
R. Mann, Together in Song 779

Postlude

Come and share morning tea together, downstairs in the basement. There are stairs behind the organ and a ramp between the church and the car park leading to the basement.

Some of the liturgy in this service is adapted from the work of:

Bec Lindsay in Leadership, Learning and Purposeful Life (L3)

Photo by Jude Beck on Unsplash

The Scripture 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.

www.bpuc.org

Finger Laybrinth

Labyrinths have been used for hundreds of years to help people focus their hearts and minds in prayer. They come in different sizes. Some are large enough to walk on. Others are very small, like this finger labyrinth. There is an inward and an outward journey. Trace your finder slowly into the middle of the labyrinth – into the heart of God’s love – and then back out again. Notice how the path sometimes turns back on itself, give more time to relax, quiet your mind, and listen deep within your heart.

As you move your finger slowly to the “heart” of the labyrinth, say this prayer, God of love, I am listening to your voice deep inside my heart.

As you move your finger slowly out of the labyrinth, say, God of love show me how to share your love with others.