{"id":3388,"date":"2020-07-03T17:14:26","date_gmt":"2020-07-03T07:14:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/?p=3388"},"modified":"2020-07-03T17:16:14","modified_gmt":"2020-07-03T07:16:14","slug":"sunday-sermon-05-07-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/?p=3388","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Sermon 05-07-2020"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Service and sermon.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>July 5, 2020<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Leighmoor Uniting Church<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>-Rev Barbara Allen<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Suggested hymns:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>TIS 135: All things bright and beautiful<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>TIS 137: For the beauty of the earth<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>TIS 129: Amazing Grace<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>TIS 604: Make me a captive Lord<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>TIS 585: I heard the voice of Jesus say<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Bible Readings:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><i>Genesis<\/i> 24: 34-38, 42-49, 58-67 (Isaac and Rebekah)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><i>Song of Songs<\/i> 2: 8-13 (romantic love)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><i>Matthew<\/i> 11: 16-19, 25-30<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Prayers of Adoration, Thanksgiving and Confession<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Creator God,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>we give you thanks for the richness of life.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>During these challenging times may our souls be nourished by your gifts<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>-of creation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>-of family and friends<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>-of church family, church history, and our church tradition.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>In <i>Song of Songs<\/i> we hear words of romantic love.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>We give you thanks for the love we have received during our lives-be it romantic love, parental love, love for and from our children, love from our friends, our colleagues, our neighbours, from our animal companions.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Love that makes us feel special.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Love that gives us a glimpse of the love you have for each one of us, your creation.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>As we dwell on the beauty and scope of your love<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>we confess that we have not always shown our love to You<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>-to others<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>-or to ourselves.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Forgive us for neglecting those who are on the fringe of society, those who are lonely, those who are the \u2018forgotten.\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Forgive us when we feel overwhelmed by the crisis of covid-19-help us to keep praying, to keep loving-to have HOPE.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Help us to bring comfort, joy, and hope to those who need it, especially during these trying times, when the ways we would normally reach out to show love-such as in a hug, or with a handshake-are now forbidden.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Forgive us when we have given up, saying it is all \u2018too hard.\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>You never give up, you never proclaim \u2018it is too hard\u2019\u2026neither should we.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>In a time of silence, we remember other things for which we seek forgiveness.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>God is love.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Through Christ our sins are forgiven<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>(<i>thanks be to God<\/i>).<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Take hold of this forgiveness, and live your live in the power of the Spirit.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Amen.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Sermon<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>\u2018O tidings of comfort and joy,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>comfort and joy,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>O tidings of comfort and joy.\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>No, it is NOT Christmas in July (and don\u2019t get me started about THAT tradition!)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>BUT<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>sentiment, or emotions we associate with the Christmas Season, could be the title of today\u2019s sermon.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Today\u2019s readings are much brighter than last week\u2019s Bible reading from the Old Testament, from the Hebrew Scriptures.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>-the near killing of Isaac by his father, Abraham.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>It was necessary to tackle the dark stories of the Bible,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>-to acknowledge the dark tales in our own lives<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>BUT<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Today, today we have some lightness, some comfort, even some deep joy.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>In the continuation of the story in Genesis, we have a love story-of Isaac and Rebekah-and much needed comfort for Isaac after his mother Sarah, had died:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>\u2018He took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>So Isaac was comforted after his mother\u2019s death.\u2019(Gen 24:67)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>\u2018Love, love, love.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>All you need is love\u2026\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>-from the pens of Lennon and McCartney, and from the Bible!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><i>Song of Songs<\/i> is also part of today\u2019s lectionary, speaking of romantic love:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>\u2018The voice of my beloved!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Look, he comes,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>leaping upon the mountains,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>bounding over the hills.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>My beloved is like a gazelle<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>or a young stag.\u2019(Song of Solomon 2: 8-9)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Ah, the <i>Mills and Boon<\/i> of the Bible!<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>These days we probably<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>wouldn\u2019t describe our romantic interest as a \u2018gazelle.\u2019 <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>I wonder what an Australian equivalent might be? <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>A brumby? A roo?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Back to <i>Song of Songs<\/i>&#8211; enchanting poetry.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It may not make it on today\u2019s Hallmark Card, or as an instant card on the internet, but for the times-it was sheer beauty.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Over the centuries, this book of the Bible, which, by the way, doesn\u2019t mention God, has been a source of embarrassment.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Why was it included?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Was it a mistake?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Why do we have a book about physical love in the Bible? <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>To compensate for what was seen as a mistake, or, if not a mistake- meant to mean something else, scholars came up with explanations. From the 2<sup>nd<\/sup> century AD, some Jewish writers wrote that this scripture was a symbol of God\u2019s love for his people Israel.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Later, during Christian times, from about the 4<sup>th<\/sup> century, these poems were viewed as allegory, describing Jesus\u2019 love for us, the church, his bride.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>This idea is pivotal in the <i>Book of Revelation<\/i>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>In <i>Revelation<\/i> 19: 7-8:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>\u2018\u2019Let us rejoice and exult<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>and give him the glory,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>for the marriage of the Lamb has come,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>and his bride has made herself ready.\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>And in <i>Revelation<\/i> 21: 1-2:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>\u2018\u2019 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth\u2026And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.\u2019(Rev 21: 1, 2)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>The church was viewed as Christ\u2019s bride.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>In Catholicism becoming a nun meant to become a \u2018bride of Christ.\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Some of you may remember the ABC series with that title, about 20 years ago. (I just did a check on Google-it came out 29 years ago-and is now available to watch on ABC iview).<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>In the series, a young woman growing up in the 1960s, walks away from her fianc\u00e9, to join a convent, after feeling she has received a call to become a nun.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>In some female orders, when the postulant receives \u2018the habit\u2019, becoming a novice, she has a wedding, or a marriage ceremony-dressed in white with a veil, to symbolize her marriage to Christ.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>She then receives a habit, and wears a white veil. This ceremony is described by Karen Armstrong, in her autobiography <i>Through the Narrow Gate**<\/i>:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>\u2018The congregation waited breathlessly.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Then right at the back of the procession a single file of five young girls entered the church dressed as brides\u2026The sunlight shone through the tall windows, catching the prim white dresses and making the gauzy veils seem like diaphanous haloes\u2026Each of them looked steadily at the altar where their bridegroom was waiting for them.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Invisible, but present to the eyes of faith.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Each family had eyes only for their own daughter\u2026In all their minds the implied comparison with a secular wedding was present. That was an event they had all looked forward to\u2026\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>In some religious orders this practice has been modified, or phased out.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>I have a lovely, quirky book by the late Ross Quinlivan, who was a cartoonist and comic writer.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Not long before he died, he wrote<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span><i>How I got engaged to God<\/i>.*<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>It is about a girl who thinks she has a calling to be a nun-but she isn\u2019t sure which order she should approach. The book idea came about after a conversation a friend had with Ross, lamenting the fact that there wasn\u2019t a handbook to encourage people to enter the religious life, unlike with most careers presented at career nights at secondary schools.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>This little book is a beauty!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>It is set out with illustrations, and short captions.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>The opening page is of a young lady lying in bed, thinking \u2018I don\u2019t even own a pair of rosary beads!&#8230;And I\u2019ve just had my ears pierced!\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>The caption is:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>\u2018Sally Hansen (21) decided to become a nun.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It didn\u2019t happen on one particular day or even in a certain month; it was something that had been in her mind for a long time-perhaps years-like a jelly that hadn\u2019t quite set.\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>So- allegory or reality?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Physical love-is a gift from God.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span><i>Song of Songs<\/i> doesn\u2019t have to symbolize anything else.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It is part of life\u2026it is how we create life. As a church, or as Christians, we have a history of saying this is unnatural, something to be ashamed of, there has been a tendency to be prudish. Nowadays though, most Christian scholars accept these verses from <i>Song of Songs<\/i> for what they are: beautiful love poems, a celebration of love between humans.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>\u2018Male and female he created them.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>God blessed them, and God said to them, \u201cBe fruitful and multiply\u201d\u2026And God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.\u2019 (Gen 1:27-28, 31)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>-a gift from God. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>And from joy\u2026to comfort.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Scripture from Matthew 11.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>I will confine my discussion to the final verses:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>\u2018Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heaven burdens, and I will give you rest.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>(Matthew 11: 28-30)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>These verses often bring comfort, and are heard during hard times<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>-sometimes uttered when a loved one is dying- to comfort the one dying,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>-said at a funeral-to comfort the mourners.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Precious words-part of our Bible treasury box.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>These words could be seen as a panacea, a cure for all problems, or even a glib way to bring a quick-fix of comfort<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>BUT<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>We need to look at them carefully.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>This is paradoxical grace:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>\u2018Make me a captive, Lord,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>and then I shall be free\u2026\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Now-just remember the yoke is for working-it doesn\u2019t say that the yoke is lifted, or removed, which would make more sense, in terms of resting.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Yoke me to work\u2026which becomes rest.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Let us enter into this passage with our emotions\u2026let us write ourselves on to the page.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>We have ALL carried heavy burdens\u2026we may STILL be lumbered down with baggage:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>The day is hot\u2026and getting hotter.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Not a good day for heavy work. You are finding it tough, dragging your weighty bundle.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>As you drag your burdens up the hill, stumbling along the rocky path, tripping over straggly, stringy tree roots, you realize that you are yoked to another.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>The thick, lead crossbar weighs heavy on your shoulders, as you strain upwards, your enormous cart-filled to overflowing with many items\u2026regrets\u2026shame\u2026missed opportunities\u2026words left unsaid-or sharp words said\u2026love lost\u2026love never found\u2026ill health\u2026unemployment\u2026fear\u2026<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>The road is long, and tortuous, the trip slow, as time-trapped as Sunday afternoons used to be in the past.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>You are conscious of the other next to you, but you are blinkered, and cannot see the one partnering the pulling, or carrying, of the load.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Finally you reach the top of the hill, your feet starting to bleed because of the many jagged rocks and stones.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>You come to the dumping place\u2026where you can finally get rid of the heavy load. As you stumble, kneeling because of exhaustion, your face washed by tears and sweat\u2026you feel the heavy cross bar lifted from your shoulders.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>As you look in front of you, you notice that the wagon, which is heart-shaped, has been turned around by the other, who has also emptied your load-dumped your many worries and burdens-at the foot of the cross.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Your cross bar resembles part of the cross in front of you.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>And that cross bar changes from shoulder-bruising, weighty metal, to the comforting, healing arms of our Lord-<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>For HE is the other ox, yoked to you<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>-an unfair pairing-for you are weak, struggling under the weight of many things, sometimes even of your own making, or your own imagining<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>-and He is strong, oh so strong!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>SO this is the one who carries you through as you struggle<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>-who works beside you, taking the weight of your pain, of your load, so you may rest<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>The one who comforts you<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>-the one who loves you with GREAT JOY,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>-who IS love.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Amen<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><i>*How I Got Engaged To God<\/i>, Ross Quinlivan (Wildcat Press, Sydney, 1981)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>**<i>Through the Narrow Gate: A Nun\u2019s Story,<\/i> Karen Armstrong (Pan Books, London: 1981), pp: 141-142<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Prayers for others.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Loving Lord,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>we pray for the world.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>We pray for the many countries weighed down, not only by the Covid-19 virus, but by other burdens as well<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>-places struggling through civil wars<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>-regions coming to grips with drought, with famine.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>-areas in our own country slowly recovering from bush fires<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>-for those confined to refugee camps<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>-for those in prison, and for their families on the outside.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>We pray for other nations.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Today we pray for Hong Kong, and give thanks that we have the freedom to express our political views, as well as to practice our religious faith.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>We pray for world leaders, including our own. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>We are citizens of a hurting world.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>When we are overwhelmed, remind us that You are in charge, and that You love this messy earth, complete with its flawed human beings.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>We take comfort from the words you taught us to pray:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>\u2018Our Father in heaven\u2026\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Amen<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Dismissal and Blessing<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>We were created in love\u2026for love.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>We are in lockdown-but our prayers and our best wishes for others extend beyond blockades, barricades, and barriers.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>We are yoked to Love, and together we work to comfort, love, and bring joy and hope to others\u2026and to this world.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Amen.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>-Rev Barbara Allen, July 5, 2020 , Leighmoor UC<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Service and sermon.\u00a0 July 5, 2020\u00a0 Leighmoor Uniting Church -Rev Barbara Allen Suggested hymns: TIS 135: All things bright and beautiful TIS 137: For the beauty of the earth TIS 129: Amazing Grace TIS 604: Make me a captive Lord TIS 585: I heard the voice of Jesus say Bible Readings: Genesis 24: 34-38, 42-49, 58-67 (Isaac and Rebekah) Song of Songs 2: 8-13 (romantic love) Matthew 11: 16-19, 25-30 Prayers of Adoration, Thanksgiving and Confession Creator God, we give you thanks for the richness of life. During these challenging times may our souls be nourished by your gifts -of creation -of family and friends -of church family, church history, and our church tradition. In Song of Songs we hear words of romantic love.\u00a0 We give you thanks for the love we have received during our lives-be it romantic love, parental love, love for and from our children, love from our friends, our colleagues, our neighbours, from our animal companions. Love that makes us feel special. Love that gives us a glimpse of the love you have for each one of us, your creation. As we dwell on the beauty and scope of your love we confess that we have not always shown our love to You -to others -or to ourselves. Forgive us for neglecting those who are on the fringe of society, those who are lonely, those who are the \u2018forgotten.\u2019 Forgive us when we feel overwhelmed by the crisis of covid-19-help us to keep praying, to keep loving-to have HOPE. Help us to bring comfort, joy, and hope to those who need it, especially during these trying times, when the ways we would normally reach out to show love-such as in a hug, or with a handshake-are now forbidden. Forgive us when we have given up, saying it is all \u2018too hard.\u2019 You never give up, you never proclaim \u2018it is too hard\u2019\u2026neither should we. In a time of silence, we remember other things for which we seek forgiveness. God is love. Through Christ our sins are forgiven (thanks be to God). Take hold of this forgiveness, and live your live in the power of the Spirit. Amen. Sermon \u00a0\u2018O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy, O tidings of comfort and joy.\u2019 No, it is NOT Christmas in July (and don\u2019t get me started about THAT tradition!) BUT sentiment, or emotions we associate with the Christmas Season, could be the title of today\u2019s sermon. Today\u2019s readings are much brighter than last week\u2019s Bible reading from the Old Testament, from the Hebrew Scriptures. -the near killing of Isaac by his father, Abraham. It was necessary to tackle the dark stories of the Bible, -to acknowledge the dark tales in our own lives BUT Today, today we have some lightness, some comfort, even some deep joy. In the continuation of the story in Genesis, we have a love story-of Isaac and Rebekah-and much needed comfort for Isaac after his mother Sarah, had died: \u2018He took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her.\u00a0 So Isaac was comforted after his mother\u2019s death.\u2019(Gen 24:67) \u2018Love, love, love. All you need is love\u2026\u2019 -from the pens of Lennon and McCartney, and from the Bible! Song of Songs is also part of today\u2019s lectionary, speaking of romantic love: \u2018The voice of my beloved! Look, he comes, leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.\u2019(Song of Solomon 2: 8-9) Ah, the Mills and Boon of the Bible!\u00a0 \u00a0 These days we probably\u00a0 wouldn\u2019t describe our romantic interest as a \u2018gazelle.\u2019 \u00a0 I wonder what an Australian equivalent might be? \u00a0 A brumby? A roo?\u00a0 Back to Song of Songs&#8211; enchanting poetry.\u00a0 It may not make it on today\u2019s Hallmark Card, or as an instant card on the internet, but for the times-it was sheer beauty. Over the centuries, this book of the Bible, which, by the way, doesn\u2019t mention God, has been a source of embarrassment.\u00a0 Why was it included?\u00a0 Was it a mistake?\u00a0 Why do we have a book about physical love in the Bible? \u00a0 To compensate for what was seen as a mistake, or, if not a mistake- meant to mean something else, scholars came up with explanations. From the 2nd century AD, some Jewish writers wrote that this scripture was a symbol of God\u2019s love for his people Israel.\u00a0 Later, during Christian times, from about the 4th century, these poems were viewed as allegory, describing Jesus\u2019 love for us, the church, his bride.\u00a0 This idea is pivotal in the Book of Revelation. In Revelation 19: 7-8: \u2018\u2019Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.\u2019 And in Revelation 21: 1-2: \u2018\u2019 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth\u2026And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.\u2019(Rev 21: 1, 2) The church was viewed as Christ\u2019s bride.\u00a0 In Catholicism becoming a nun meant to become a \u2018bride of Christ.\u2019 Some of you may remember the ABC series with that title, about 20 years ago. (I just did a check on Google-it came out 29 years ago-and is now available to watch on ABC iview). In the series, a young woman growing up in the 1960s, walks away from her fianc\u00e9, to join a convent, after feeling she has received a call to become a nun. In some female orders, when the postulant receives \u2018the habit\u2019, becoming a novice, she has a wedding, or a marriage ceremony-dressed in white with a veil, to symbolize her marriage to Christ.\u00a0 She then receives a habit, and wears a white veil. This ceremony is described by Karen Armstrong, in her autobiography Through the Narrow Gate**: \u2018The congregation waited breathlessly.\u00a0 Then right at the back of the procession a single file of five young girls entered the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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42-49,&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3388","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3388"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3388\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3389,"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3388\/revisions\/3389"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}