{"id":3349,"date":"2020-06-12T19:30:03","date_gmt":"2020-06-12T09:30:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/?p=3349"},"modified":"2020-06-12T19:30:03","modified_gmt":"2020-06-12T09:30:03","slug":"sunday-sermon-14-06-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/?p=3349","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Sermon 14-06-2020"},"content":{"rendered":"

Leighmoor UC.\u00a0 <\/span>June 14. 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n

Call to Worship<\/strong><\/p>\n

Come, let us welcome the Sabbath in joy and peace!<\/strong><\/p>\n

It brings comfort to our hearts, workday cares are set aside.<\/strong><\/p>\n

On the Sabbath we remember our blessings from God, and our anxieties and heartache are softened.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Come, let us worship our loving God, who modelled rest for us!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Prayer of Adoration and Confession<\/strong><\/p>\n

God of life, you brought all into being.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In you, we are part of the glory of creation.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In you, we receive the mystery of grace.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In you, we find the wisdom of community.<\/strong><\/p>\n

God of all glory, on this first day, you began creation,<\/strong><\/p>\n

bringing light out of darkness.<\/strong><\/p>\n

On this day you began your new creation<\/strong><\/p>\n

raising Jesus Christ out of the darkness of death.<\/strong><\/p>\n

On this Lord\u2019s day, may our hearts praise you as we remember, and are thankful,\u00a0 <\/span>for all your blessings, including the precious treasure of the Sabbath.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We are aware that we have misused your gifts of creation.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We have not been faithful or careful stewards.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Forgive us for neglecting your planet,<\/strong><\/p>\n

by polluting its waters and habitats,<\/strong><\/p>\n

for allowing species to become extinct or endangered.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Forgive us when we have neglected our brothers and sisters,<\/strong><\/p>\n

of different races, colours, religions.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Forgive us when we have been indifferent to the plight of our indigenous brothers and sisters, for turning away from reports we hear of cruelty in police custody, or about lower life spans, poorer health, and harder access to good education, housing, and job opportunities.<\/strong><\/p>\n

(in a time of silence we remember other things for which we seek forgiveness<\/i>)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Forgive us for superficial worship,<\/strong><\/p>\n

and if our prayers have been of a selfish nature.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amen<\/strong><\/p>\n

Words of Assurance.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is the best of all,<\/strong><\/p>\n

when we are empty, God fill us,<\/strong><\/p>\n

when we are disheartened, God is compassionate,<\/strong><\/p>\n

when we are wounded, God brings healing,<\/strong><\/p>\n

when we confess our sins, God forgives us.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Christ, through Christ, and because of Christ,<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our sins are forgiven.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thanks be to God.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

Amen<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bible Readings:\u00a0 <\/span>Exodus 20: 8-11<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>Matthew 12: 9-13<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today I am departing from my usual practice of following the lectionary readings set for this week.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Genesis is one of my favourite books in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament, but we have nine more weeks when we can explore those readings, so I am taking this opportunity to address something some of us may be struggling with a little.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Sabbath.<\/strong><\/p>\n

How to observe the Sabbath, and to keep it special, during this time of lock down.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Do you remember the film, \u2018Chariots of Fire\u2019<\/i>?\u00a0 <\/span>I noticed it was showing on tv the other night-but by then it was half over.\u00a0 <\/span>When it came out, back in 1981 (yes, that long ago!) I was very moved by it. \u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

In the movie, Eric Liddell, a Scottish Presbyterian preacher and former Scotland rugby player, is chosen to run in the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris. His sister Jenny fears that running is diverting Eric from his calling to be a missionary in China. (that has never been a problem for me\u2026if I take up running I have lost the plot!)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Eric tells Jenny that his vocation is unchanged, but that he believes it is also part of God\u2019s purpose for him to run.\u00a0 <\/span>He says to Jenny, \u201cGod made me fast, and when I run I feel his pleasure.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n