A Light on the Hill

Order of Service – 28th September 2025

The Order of Service follows below.

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Brougham Place Uniting Church
Kardlayirdi Karnungga
A Light on the Hill

Sunday September 28, 2025. 10.00am
Season of Creation Week 4:
Harvest Thanksgiving Service
Aqua

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)

We care for Kaurna land,
We care for Kaurna sky.
We care for Kaurna waters,
We touch our hearts [touch heart] and say:
Thank you, Kaurna people.

Introit and Lighting of the Candles

Look at the Sky Above (Strathdee)

Call to Worship

God calls us here today.

God calls us to offer thanks for the harvest,

for the harvest of the farms,

for the harvest in our gardens

for the harvest of our lives.

Let us worship God and give thanks.

We sing: All Things Bright and Beautiful

Together in Song 135

All things bright and beautiful,
all creatures great and small,
all things wise and wonderful –
the Lord God made them all.

  1. The wildflowers in their beauty,
    the mountain ranges tall,
    the billabongs and rivers,
    and friendly birds that call,

All things bright and beautiful,
all creatures great and small,
all things wise and wonderful –
the Lord God made them all.

  1. The cold wind in the winter,
    the bright, life-giving sun,
    the ripe fruits in the garden –
    God made them every one.

All things bright and beautiful,
all creatures great and small,
all things wise and wonderful –
the Lord God made them all.

  1. The many-coloured corals,
    the creatures of the sea,
    of bushland, field or desert,
    on farms, or roaming free,

All things bright and beautiful,
all creatures great and small,
all things wise and wonderful –
the Lord God made them all.

  1. God gave us eyes to see them,
    and lips that we might tell
    how great is God Almighty
    who has made all things well.

All things bright and beautiful,
all creatures great and small,
all things wise and wonderful –
the Lord God made them all.

Community News and Notices

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Introduction

Please bring forward the symbols you have at the time listed in the Order of Service.

We sing: Give Thanks

Give thanks with a grateful heart,
Give thanks to the Holy One;
Give thanks because God’s given, Jesus Christ his Son.

And now let the weak say, ‘I am strong’,
let the poor say, ‘I am rich’
because of what the Lord has done for us.

…Give thanks,
give thanks,
give thanks.

Harvest Litany – Part 1

EARTH. Soil is brought forward

Out of the ordinariness of the bare earth,
you brought the extraordinariness of human life.
Your Spirit lives within us, O God.

GRAIN. Grain/seeds are brought forward

In the ordinariness of the bare earth
we plant grain from last year’s harvest.
Your Spirit lives within us, O God.

WATER. A watering can is brought forward

Out of the ordinariness of water
comes the life of the seed.
Your Spirit lives within the water, O God.

In human life and in the life of the seed
lies the life of this community.
Your Spirit lives within this community, O God.

From the life of God,
comes creation and recreation.
Your Spirit lives within creation, O God.

Out of the heart of God
comes peace and hope.
Your Spirit lives within us, O God.
Amen

Prayer of Confession

O Lord, forgive us:
When we are ungrateful for the rain,
for too much or a lack of it,
when we are ungrateful for the sun and the elements
and forget they are God’s gifts to us;
when we are blind to the mystery of germination
and forget it is God’s handiwork;
when we are careless with sheep and cattle and other beasts
and forget they are God’s creatures;
when we are unkind to people, whatever their background,
and forget they are God’s children;
when we are shoddy with our work
and forget we are God’s workers;
when we ill-treat the land
and forget it is the splendour of God.
Lord, forgive us.

Words of Assurance

Hear the Voice that speaks peace to us all.
God’s loving kindness flows through all creation,
offering renewal and strength.
We give thanks for God’s love.
We hear God’s call to care. Amen.

Passing of the Peace

The peace of our God be with you.
And also with you.

Children’s Time (Exploring the Theme)

Children and Young People to stay in for the whole service. Young people are invited to help bring forward Symbols and Gifts. There are also some activities available at the back.

Scripture Reading: Psalm 148: 1-13

Shout praises to the Lord!

Shout the Lord’s praises

in the highest heavens.

All of you angels,

and all who serve him above,

come and offer praise.

Sun and moon,

and all of you bright stars,

come and offer praise.

Highest heavens, and the water

above the highest heavens,

come and offer praise.

Let all things praise

the name of the Lord,

because they were created

at his command.

He made them to last forever,

and nothing can change

what he has done.

All creatures on earth,

you obey his commands,

so come praise the Lord!

Sea monsters and the deep sea,

fire and hail, snow and frost,

and every stormy wind,

come praise the Lord!

All mountains and hills,

fruit trees and cedars,

every wild and tame animal,

all reptiles and birds,

come praise the Lord!

Every king and every ruler,

all nations on earth,

every man and every woman,

young people and old,

come praise the Lord!

All creation, come praise

the name of the Lord.

Praise his name alone.

The glory of God is greater

than heaven and earth.

Shout praises to the Lord!

May the Spirit of God open our eyes to see, our ears to hear,
and our hearts to understand.

The Bible is a reminder to us that Jesus said, “One does not live by bread alone.” For the spiritual food of God’s word, we give thanks….
For all your gifts to us, we give thanks.

Anthem

Look at the World (Rutter)

Reflection

We sing: Give Thanks

Give thanks with a grateful heart,
Give thanks to the Holy One;
Give thanks because God’s given, Jesus Christ his Son.

And now let the weak say, ‘I am strong’,
let the poor say, ‘I am rich’
because of what the Lord has done for us.

…Give thanks,
give thanks,
give thanks.

Harvest Litany – Part 2

WOOL. A Scarf is brought forward

We bring this scarf, knitted from wool grown and produced on Australian farms. The scarf is a reminder of the warmth of wool and it’s value to people. For the natural fibre of wool and for the ways in which we are able to use the fibre;
we give thanks…
For all the gifts to us, we give thanks.

DAIRY. A jug of milk is brought forward

For all those who farm livestock, for dairy products: milk and cheese and ice-cream, for sausages on the barbie; for eggs and chicken nuggets;
We give thanks…
For all the gifts to us, we give thanks.

FISH. Tins of tuna are brought forward.

For all the harvest in the ocean and all those who are out there every day catching fish for us to eat,
We give thanks…
For all the gifts to us, we give thanks.

FRUIT / VEGETABLES. Baskets of fruit and vegetables are brought forward

We bring fruit and vegetables – grown on a large scale on farms and in orchards and in our backyards too.
We give thanks for the huge variety of food that can be grown to keep our bodies healthy.
We give thanks…
For all the gifts to us, we give thanks.

GIFTS for Encounter Uniting Church (at Enfield)

As we sing the next song, you are invited to bring forward any gifts you brought for Enfield Food Relief…

We sing: God of Gumtree

(Tune “What a Friend We Have in Jesus)

  1. God of gumtree and of quandong,
    granite rocks and rolling plain;
    God of pasture sheep and cattle,
    fallow land and crops and grain:
    You are always here around us
    even when we do not know.
    Help us realise your presence
    that our Spirit life may grow.

  2. Ploughing, seeding, patient waiting
    for the harvest of the soil;
    Shearing, branding, culling, feeding,
    You are with us in our toil.
    In the workshop, store and office,
    classroom, kitchen, garden, too.
    Help us see your gift and glory,
    serve you well in all we do.

  3. Scattered in our congregations
    yet one body called to be;
    reaching out to fellow Christians,
    serving the community.
    Thanks to You for love that binds us;
    for the strength to do your will.
    Father keep us true and faithful;
    may we love and serve you still.

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

Loving God,
we bring to you our gifts of love.
This is our time to thank you for all you have given to us.
You are the source of all life and goodness.
Bless our gifts of the harvest,
and these gifts of money as we reach out to others with them;
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Prayers of the People

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.

We sing: Praise God for the Harvest

(Tune TIS 43 Immortal Invisible)

  1. Praise God for the harvest of orchard and field,
    praise God for the people who gather their yield,
    the long hours of labour, the skills of a team,
    the patience of science, the power of machine.

  2. Praise God for the harvest that comes from afar,
    from market and harbour, the sea and the shore:
    foods packed and transported, and gathered and grown
    by God given neighbours, unseen and unknown.

  3. Praise God for the harvest of science and skill,
    the urge to discover, create, and fulfill,
    for dreams and inventions that promise to gain
    a future more hopeful, a world more humane.

  4. Praise God for the harvest of mercy and love
    from leaders and peoples, who struggle and serve
    for fairness and kindness, that all may be led
    in freedom and safety, and all may be fed.

Sending Forth and Benediction

The gifts have been given
We have given thanks
The Lord has received our gifts and sends us on our way rejoicing.

May God’s joy be in our hearts [place hand on heart]
May God’s peace be in our world [sweep hand out in front]
May God’s love be known between us [reach hands out sideways]

The blessing of God,
Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer,
be upon you and remain with you always.
Amen.

Choral Blessing

For you, deep stillness of the silent inland;
for you, deep blue of the desert skies;
for you, flame red of the rocks and stones;
for you, sweet water from hidden springs.

From the edges, seek the heartlands,
and when you’re burnt by the journey,
may the cool winds of the hovering Spirit
soothe and replenish you.
In the name of Christ,
In the name of Christ.

(We all sing the blessing twice)

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

The Bible Reading is from the Contemporary English Version (CEV) Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.

Photo by Peggychoucair from Pixabay

Special Thanks to Jan Trengove for providing Harvest Thanksgiving Resources which helped in the curating of this service.

Congregation Hymns/Songs:

All Things Bright and Beautiful
Together in Song 135
Cecil Frances Alexander 1818-95 Public Domain

Give Thanks
Henry Smith 1952- Words and music permission Integrity Music
administered by Scripture in Song.

God of Gumtree
Neville Threlfall.

Praise God for the Harvest
Tune: TiS 43
Brian Wren 1968. Used with permission

For You, Deep Stillness
Robin Mann and Julie Perrin. © 2001 Open Book Publishers.

www.bpuc.org