Creative Service – Based on Luke 9:51-62

Order of Service

WELCOME

CALL TO WORSHIP –

L: Our Lord is on a journey,  and the way leads 

through opposition and misunderstanding.

All: Jesus invites us to follow him.

L: This journey leads through the shadows of 

betrayal, the night of Gethsemane, 

the afternoon darkness of Golgotha.

All: Jesus invites us to follow him.

L: Our Lord is on a journey. 

May we have the grace to follow this Christ, 

and to give to him our very lives. 

For in giving away our lives, we find them, 

and in dying we live.

All: Jesus invites us to follow him. Amen

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

L: The Cammeraygal people are the original custodians of the land on which our church stands. The Cammeraygals were spiritual leaders amongst the Indigenous clans of Sydney. 

All: We pay our respects to their Elders: past and present. 

We commit to walking respectfully in this country, and to journeying with them in their quest for justice and reconciliation.

SONG – BLESS THE LORD MY SOUL 

Bless the Lord, my soul 

And Bless God’s Holy name 

Bless the Lord, my soul

Who leads me into light 

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Loving God, We know the whole law is summed up 

in the single commandment 

to love our neighbor as ourselves. 

Yet we create fences around ourselves to keep neighbors outside

and tell ourselves we have no responsibility. 

When Jesus calls us to follow him, 

We yearn to be more centered on You.

ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS

One: God calls us back to God’s realm, and encourages us 

with a love we can never lose no matter how hard we push back,

All: Thanks be to God. Amen  

SONG – BRING PEACE TO EVERY HEART

Bring peace to every heart 

Bring peace to every heart 

GOSPEL READING  

Luke 9:51-62

A Samaritan Village Refuses to Receive Jesus

⁵¹ When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. ⁵² And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to prepare for his arrival, ⁵³ but they did not receive him because his face was set toward Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ When his disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” ⁵⁵ But he turned and rebuked them. ⁵⁶ Then they went on to another village.

Would-Be Followers of Jesus

⁵⁷ As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” ⁵⁸ And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” ⁵⁹ To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” ⁶⁰ And Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” ⁶¹ Another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” ⁶² And Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

For the word of God in scripture 

For the Word of God among us 

For the Word of God within us 

We say, Thanks be to God!

MESSAGE 

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE – 

Join with me in the prayers of the people. When I say Lord in Your mercy, you are invited to respond hear our prayer. 

Let us pray 

Christ our Saviour, we pray the changing world Christians are called to love. It can be hard to accept that fewer people in our country are following Jesus. Help us to shine the light of faith even brighter. 

Lord in Your mercy 

Hear our prayer 

God of new beginnings. We admit to the temptation of being defensive or timid about our faith to our secular friends and neighbors. 

We pray that God’s light and love would exude from us in all places and times. We pray that this light would transform hearts. 

Lord in Your mercy 

Hear our prayer 

God the early church. We think those early believers. They would gather for worship in houses and were small groups. Yet their faith challenged an Empire. We pray for the faith and action of the early church. 

Lord in Your mercy 

Hear our prayer

We pray for all whose faith is hanging by a thread. For those whose faith is like a candle in the wind. We pray that we would be an answered prayer for those whose faith is wavering.  

Lord in Your mercy 

Hear our prayer 

Lord God, we acknowledge that nobody comes to faith through being argued with. Help the walls to come down and the bridges of love to built. Let us follow the example of Christ saviour of our souls and the ultimate bridge builder. 

We ask these things as we pray the prayer that Jesus taught us in the language of our hearts. 

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 for ever. Amen.

OFFERING –

BLESSING –

L:     Go now into the world we are called to love. The world that Jesus died for.  

All: We go in peace to love and serve the Lord, 

In the name of Christ. Amen.   

SONG – CHRIST BE OUR LIGHT 

Longing for light, we wait in darkness.

Longing for truth, we turn to you.

Make us your own, your holy people,

light for the world to see.

Refrain

Christ be our light! Shine in our hearts. Shine through the darkness.

Christ, be our light! Shine in your church gathered today.

Longing for peace, our world is troubled.

Longing for hope, many despair.

Your word alone has power to save us.

Make us your living voice.

Refrain

Longing for shelter, many are homeless.

Longing for warmth, many are cold.

Make us your building, sheltering others,

walls made of living stone.

Refrain