A Light on the Hill

Order of Service – 14th 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 14, 2025, 10.00am
Brougham Gardens / Tantutitingga (Park 29)
Preacher: Rev Linda Driver
Season of Creation Week 2. 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 and say:
Thank you, Kaurna people.

We sing: Breathe

We sing together three times

Breathe into us
the spirit of peace;
breathe us into your world.

Call to Worship

As we gather in this place..
We breathe it all in….
and listen for God here.

We hear the birds and the breeze,
the chatter and the traffic
we see the grass under foot,
the roads and the cars,
We breathe it all in….
and listen for God here.

We notice the rocks and the mulch,
the hospitals and the Colleges,
the view of our Church from out here.
We see the sky and the sun,
the light posts and the apartment homes.
We breathe it all in….
and listen for God here.

This is the day that the Lord has made,
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
We breathe it all in….
and listen for God here.

We Sing: Breathe (reprise)

We sing together twice

Breathe into us
the spirit of peace;
breathe us into your world.

Opening Prayer

Creator God,
The trees stretch towards the life-giving sun.
In hope, we stretch towards your life giving places.

The leaves bow down with the weight of rain drops,
waiting to spring back, renewed.
We bow down to rest,
waiting to spring back renewed in you.

The dead leaves crunch under foot.
We crunch up when life is hard,
only to be held in your loving embrace.

The branches sway in the breeze,
dancing in the fresh winds.
We dance in the newness of life,
celebrating fresh opportunities of life in you.

All of creation praises you,
and we join our voices in praise and thanksgiving
and say together:
Thank you, God! Amen

Scripture Reading: Psalm 104:14-20

You let the earth produce

grass for cattle,

plants for our food,

wine to cheer us up,

olive oil for our skin,

and grain for our health.

Our Lord, your trees

always have water,

and so do the cedars

you planted in Lebanon.

Birds nest in those trees,

and storks make their home

in the fir trees.

Wild goats find a home

in the tall mountains,

and small animals can hide

between the rocks.

You created the moon

to tell us the seasons.

The sun knows when to set,

and you made the darkness,

so the animals in the forest

could come out at night.

We sing: God of Creation

  1. God of Creation, gentle life-giver,
    present at birth and all through our days;
    author of sunrise, song in the night sky
    here in this place, we offer our praise.

  2. Jesus, companion, teacher and healer,
    friend of the grieving, suffering, the poor
    stand with your people, whisper among us
    promise of mercy, goodness for all.

  3. Spirit of comfort, blow through creation,
    stir up new life, breathe peace through our world.
    Healer of hearts, and hope for tomorrow,
    weave all our sorrows into new dawn.

  4. Here we give thanks for life in its fullness,
    blessings received, your gifts to us all.
    Make us a people filled with compassion,
    selflessly giving, serving your world.

Passing of the Peace

The peace of our extraordinary Creator be with you.
And also with you.

Community News and Notices

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Scripture Reading: Job 39:1–8, 26–29

When do mountain goats

and deer give birth?

Have you been there

when their young are born?

How long are they pregnant

before they deliver?

Soon their young grow strong

and then leave

to be on their own.

Who set wild donkeys free?

I alone help them survive

in salty desert sand.

They stay far from crowded cities

and refuse to be tamed.

Instead, they roam the hills,

searching for pastureland.

Did you teach hawks to fly south

for the winter?

Did you train eagles to build

their nests on rocky cliffs,

where they can look down

to spot their next meal?

Children’s Time (Exploring the Theme)

We sing: The Butterfly Song

  1. If I were a butterfly,
    I’d thank you, Lord, for giving me wings.
    And if I were a robin in a tree,
    I’d thank you, Lord, that I could sing.
    And if I were a fish in the sea,
    I’d wiggle my tail and I’d giggle with glee, but
    I just thank you, Father, for making me ‘me’.

Chorus
For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile.
You gave me Jesus and you made me your child.
And I just thank you, Father, for making me ‘me’

  1. If I were an elephant,
    I’d thank you, Lord, by raising my trunk.
    If I were a kangaroo,
    You know I’d hop right up to you
    And if I were an octopus,
    I’d thank you, Lord for my fine looks, but
    I just thank you, Father, for making me ‘me’.

Chorus
For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile.
You gave me Jesus and you made me your child.
And I just thank you, Father, for making me ‘me’

  1. If I were a wiggly worm,
    I’d thank you, Lord, that I could squirm.
    And if I were a billy goat,
    I’d thank you, Lord, for my strong throat.
    And if I were a fuzzy wuzzy bear,
    I’d thank you, Lord, for my fuzzy wuzzy hair, but
    I just thank you, Father, for making me ‘me’.

Gospel Reading: Luke 12:22–31

Jesus said to his disciples:

I tell you not to worry about your life! Don’t worry about having something to eat or wear. Life is more than food or clothing. Look at the crows! They don’t plant or harvest, and they don’t have storehouses or barns. But God takes care of them. You are much more important than any birds. Can worry make you live longer? If you don’t have power over small things, why worry about everything else?

Look how the wild flowers grow! They don’t work hard to make their clothes. But I tell you Solomon with all his wealth wasn’t as well clothed as one of these flowers. God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow. Won’t he do even more for you? You have such little faith!

Don’t keep worrying about having something to eat or drink. Only people who don’t know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father knows what you need. But put God’s work first, and these things will be yours as well.

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

Homily

Prayers of the People

Creator God
For breathtaking sunrises, and stunning sunsets.
For the morning light of each new day
and the vastness of the night sky.
For the wonder of Creation and all life that depends on it.
For all the beauty that surrounds us.
We give thanks.

Provide us with the wisdom to live out your call
to care for the air, the water, the soil, for the whole planet.

Give us knowledge so we will tread on the earth gently.
Fill our hearts with love for this earth
and all the neighbours we share creation with;
the plants, the animals, marine life
and the birds that soar above our heads.
Holy One, bless us each day
with a commitment to grow closer to you
as we grow closer to all of your creation.
Amen

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 towards the ministry of Brougham Place, please go to bpuc.org/give

Alternatively, there is an offering bag provided.

Offering Prayer

God, our Creator,
through your love you have given us these gifts to share.
Accept our offerings as an expression of our deep thanks
and our concern for those in need,
including our fellow animals on planet Earth.
With all creation, we praise our Creator.

We sing: Life to the Brim

  1. Life to the Brim, Life overflowing
    Life pouring out in compassion and grace
    Spirit of God, Well up within us
    Bring us to life in this time and this place.

  2. Life to the brim, Life overflowing
    Life flooding in from below and above
    Spirit of God, Pour out upon us
    Bring us to faith and to hope and to love.

Come Holy Spirit
Lord and giver of life
Make us your people
Make us the body of Christ

  1. Life to the brim, Life overflowing
    Foretaste and sign of the healing to come
    Spirit of God, Strengthen and guide us
    Take us and use us ’til your kingdom’s come.

Blessing of the Animals

You who created them
and called them good:
bless again these creatures
who come to us as a blessing
fashioned of fur or feather or fin,
formed of flesh
that breathes with your own breath,
that you have made from sheer delight,
that you have given in dazzling variety.

Bless them
who curl themselves around our hearts,
who twine themselves through our days,
who companion us in our labour,
who call us to come and play.

Bless them
who will never be entirely tamed
and so remind us
that you love what is wild,
that you rejoice
in what lives close to the earth,
that your heart beats
in the heart of these creatures
you have entrusted to our care.
Amen

Sending Forth and Benediction

The God of minute mosses and gigantic gum trees,
of tiny termites and enormous elephants,
fill you in your humanness with life and love
so that you become the person you are meant to be.

Go with the blessing of God, Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer.
We go in faith, hope, and love. Amen.

We sing: For You Deep Stillness

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.

You are invited to bring your animal forward for an individual blessing
and stay and enjoy your BYO snack
and a cuppa from Roving Café.

Roving Café is operated by Stuart Pope, a locally based barista. He operates an eco-friendly outfit with compostable cups and local produce. His café vehicle is also eco-friendly. We are paying for an hour of his service from 10.50 am. Donations are welcome.

Let’s take some time to be with our community.

This service has been prepared with assistance from


Liturgy, Learning, & (Purposeful) Life (L3) – Season of Creation
Viv Whimster, John Carr, Susan Burt:
© 2025, Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of South Australia

Prayer: God’s Wonder World by Donna Scorer,
Wood Lake Publishing Inc. Used by permission. Seasons of the Spirit. SeasonsFusion Season of Creation – Pentecost 2 2022

Prayers of the People by Rev. Marian Lucas-Jefferes
From Season of Creation Prayer Guide 2022. Green Churches Network

Blessing of the Animals by Jan Richardson
https://paintedprayerbook.com/2013/09/23/blessing-the-animals/

Scripture quotations are from the Contemporary English Version. Copyright © 1995American Bible Society. All rights reserved.

Congregation Hymns/Songs:


Breathe
Walk As One. Songs for Worship. Wattleseed Publishing
Words and music: Rosie O’Reilly © 2020

God of Creation
All Together All Right, 605.
Craig Mitchell © 2010. Words used with permission under copyright

The Butterfly Song
All Together Now #66 Brian Howard © 1974, 1975 Celebration Services (Int) Ltd.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Life to the Brim
© 2011 Andrew Dutney

For You Deep Stillness
Robin Mann and Julie Perrin. © 2001 Open Book Publishers.
All rights reserved.

www.bpuc.org