Liturgy for Sunday 27 June 2021
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

Welcome to Pitt Street Uniting Church
This is a place of welcome for all people regardless of race, sex, creed, age,
cultural background, sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status.
Wherever you are on your faith journey, wherever you have come from and wherever you are going to, whatever you believe, whatever you do not believe, you are welcome here.
All we ask for is mutual respect.
nb. This liturgy can also be downloaded, in PDF, here

Gathering as people of Earth and Spirit

WELCOME                                                                                                      
Budyeri Gamarruwa
 
Welcome everyone. We especially extend a very warm welcome to visitors and newcomers in our community this morning.
 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY                                                  
 
As we gather, we acknowledge the traditional owners of this land:
land that was taken without their consent, treaty, or compensation.
The Spirit of God has long-dwelled with the First Peoples of this ancient land.
We honour the Gadigal people of the Eora nation
and pay our respects to their elders as we gather to worship God.
 
LIGHTING OF A CANDLE OF HOPE

Each Sunday we acknowledge the children and young people who are part of our community. We light a candle for them and for all children and young people.
 
a candle is lit
CALL TO WORSHIP                                                                                         
 
Let us pray
 
Loving God, we give thanks to you
that we are all part of the rhythm of life:
we are born,
we live in relationships, we make choices,
we die, we suffer the loss of those we love.
 
As we celebrate this day of journey,
we celebrate that we are community
with those here, with the whole inhabited earth,
with those living and those who have gone before us.

We gather in this sacred place
to celebrate life in all its seasons.
We come into a time of worship
where we tell the stories of our faith.
We connect with each other
  and with the Sacred among us
remembering the past,
honouring the present,
anticipating the future.
 
PRAYER OF AWARENESS
 
Let us pray

We open to the Spirit of Sophia,
Sacred Wisdom,
She who pervades all living things
with radiance, intelligence,
beauty, and kindness.
 
Gather us in, Sophia,
prepare a feast
for our whole human family
and for all creation,
that we may know we are one,
and that you fill every living thing
with your grace.
 
Our foolishness has led us astray,
as we choose to eat the bread that does not satisfy
and drink from the cup that entraps us in our isolation.
 
Breathe upon us your powerful Spirit
and renew us, that we may be your people.
 
A time of silent reflection
 
We give thanks for the community
in which our God is found and known.
JESUS’ PRAYER
 
Remembering Jesus, we pray together…

God, you are life for us,
holy be your name.
Your new day come, your will be done,
On earth as in your vision.
Give us this day our bread for the morrow;
And forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Strengthen us in the time of test,
and deliver us from evil.
For the power and the splendour
and the fulfilment are yours,
now and forever. Amen. 
 
WORDS OF ASSURANCE
 
Hear words of assurance:

In God we live and move and have our being.
In the Sacred Source of Life,
we are forgiven and our lives are made new.
Amen.
SHARING A SIGN OF PEACE
 
May the peace of God be with you!
And also with you!

Listening for words of Spirit

FOR WISDOM FOUND IN TEXTS
 
Hebrew Scripture:  Psalm 130                                                   
 
For the steadfast love of God,
We give thanks.
 
The Gospel: Mark 5.21-43                                                            
 
For the Word that was in the beginning,
for the Word that invites and inspires,
for the Word embodied in us,
We give thanks.
REFLECTION
In unity with the wider Church,
I invite you to affirm our faith together:

We are not alone,
    we live in God’s world.
 
 We believe in God:
    who has created and is creating,
    who has come in Jesus,
       the Word made flesh,
       to reconcile and make new,
    who works in us and others
       by the Spirit.
 
We trust in God.
We are called to be the Church:
    to celebrate God’s presence,
    to live with respect in Creation,
    to love and serve others,
    to seek justice and resist evil,
    to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
       our judge and our hope.
 
In life, in death, in life beyond death,
    God is with us.
We are not alone.
 
    Thanks be to God.
PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AND SOLIDARITY
 
Let us pray

Compassionate God, we rejoice in your call
to share in expressing your Love.
May all be valued and loved,
May justice reign and peace abound,
May all be made whole and find peace and harmony.

We give thanks for all who are called
into the communion of your Spirit,
for Christians here and throughout the world,
remembering especially those who are persecuted
May we be renewed in faith
May we be strengthened in hope
May we be united in love.

We give thanks for the transformative power
of your love and the role we have in co-creation.
Grant us hearts that are open to your call,
that we may join in your dreaming, enacting a world reborn.
 
a time of silent prayer
 
In our circle of prayer today,
we remember especially:
* all the peoples of the world oppressed by war, civil unrest, poverty and environmental challenge
* those in our city and the wider world affected by COVID-19 and those who care fro them
* those working for health, sustainability and hope in difficult circumstances
 
We also remember all that particularly lies on our hearts and minds… 
 
please offer your prayers in silence
 
Holy Spirit, in us and with us,
enable us to be creators of justice and joy.
Empower us to be a community
where people find hope and new life.
Amen.

OFFERING AND PRAYER OF DEDICATION

The grace and kindness we are offered transforms us.
We give in response to the gifts we have received.
 
We give thanks for the gifts we offer.
and all gifts given to support the mission of God through automatic payment.
 
We pray together:

Loving God, we bring our gifts back to you, the source of life.
Help us to find meaning in life, purpose and belonging.
Help us to find pleasure in receiving from life
and satisfaction in enriching life and caring for earth. Amen.
Living in the world God loves
BLESSING AND SENDING OUT                                                        
 
The Spirit, who hovered over the face of the waters
at creation, at your birth and in baptism,
grant you the gift of the freedom of Christ.
In the name of God, who created you,
who formed you and who loves you. Amen.
 
Go forth into the world in peace;
be of good courage; hold fast that which is good;
render to no one evil for evil; strengthen the faint-hearted;
support the weak; help the afflicted;
honour all people; love and serve the Lord,
rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Join us for Community Time together...