Liturgies Online

Epiphany 4B

LECTIONARY GENERATED LITURGY
Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany Year B
Deuteronomy 18:15-20; Psalm 111; 1 Cor. 8:1-13; Mark 1: 21-28. Rec. text - NRSV
Hymns are from the Australian Hymn Book (AHB) or Together in Song (TIS) or Sing Alleluia (SA) unless otherwise indicated.
Worship Leader - normal type. Congregational responses - bold type
Permission is granted to churches to use this material in services of worship.
This liturgy remains the property of Moira B Laidlaw

Additional resources for Epiphany 4B: All Together OK, Openbook Publisher,Adelaide, 1996;Be our Freedom, Lord, ed.Terry C. Falla Openbook Publishers Adelaide, 1994.

CALL TO WORSHIP (based on Psalm 111 ) In the presence of God and in the company of one another, let us wholeheartedly offer praise and thanksgiving for God's greatness and glory and power.
We gather here to express our wonder and delight that God should care so graciously for us.
OPTIONAL SUNG RESPONSE TIS 68 refrain only: "God established an eternal covenant..." sung by choir, group or solo.
Majestic and wonderful are the works of God whose righteousness endures forever; righteousness made known through gracious and merciful acts OPTIONAL SUNG RESPONSE TIS 68 refrain only: "God established an eternal covenant..." sung by choir, group or solo.
Let us praise and worship God who is holy and awesome, faithful and just.

TIS 52/AHB 115: "Let us sing to the God of salvation" TIS 160/AHB 104: "Father, all -loving and ruling in majesty"

OPENING PRAYER Gracious and loving God, we come before you with hearts full of praise and thanksgiving for your undeserved gifts of grace and mercy. We are filled with awe over such blessings.   Our lives are blessed and enriched also with the evidence of your creative power so visible all around us in the beauty of summer. Days alive with seasonal sight and sounds - bee-thronged blossoms noisy cicada choirs, and songs of colourful birds. Suntanned faces beginning a new school year. These and so many more images remind us also of your holiness - of the sacredness of all life and the environment in which we live and grow. Help us, O God, to use this time of worship to be thankful for the blessings we experience; to confess where we fall short in our care of and respect for one another and our land, and to draw upon your wisdom and strength as we seek to be Spirit-empowered followers of Jesus Christ. This we pray in Jesus' name. Amen
The following hymn set to an Australian Aboriginal melody and written by Aboriginal people of Arnhem Land could be sung while seated as a continuation of the prayer. TIS 253/SA 70: "O Lord Jesus Markapmirr"

A WORD WITH THE CHILDREN/YOUNG PEOPLE
On our holidays with family, we were fascinated by the hens kept in their backyard. They have 8 hens (roosters are not permitted in suburban backyards) and these hens became for us a reflection of some of the current attitudes in society - especially the use of aggression to establish authority. You could perhaps begin by asking if any of the children/young people have ever kept chooks (hens to non-Australians). If they have ask if they have ever noticed how they treat each other. You could then use the following. Four year old Angus loved to go out and watch the hens in the little yard his Dad had built in their backyard. He especially liked giving them any of the porridge which had been left over after breakfast. After he put the plate in the chookyard, he had to get out quickly before Victoria knocked him over in her rush to eat the porridge.   Victoria was a beautiful hen with black, shiny feathers - none of the other hens were as good looking as Victoria as she was the only one of her breed in the yard (an Australorp). Victoria was not only the best looking hen, she was very definitely the boss. As Angus watched the hens through the fence, he noticed how Victoria kept the other hens away from the porridge by pecking them if they came near. All the others had to keep their distance till Victoria had eaten enough. When Victoria finished eating, she puffed all her feathers up till she looked twice as big as she really was and strutted to the best shady spot in the yard where she could keep a beady eye on the other hens. Angus noticed that while the other hens gathered in little groups as if chatting to each other, no one came near Victoria - they were too scared. When Angus told his Mum about this, she agreed that Victoria didn't seem to have any friends among the other hens. "That's called 'the pecking order'" she told Angus, "and sadly, that is how some people live their lives as well, by being violent and aggressive - they don't have any real friends either. But that's not how we live", she went on, "we believe that it is more important to be kind and loving towards each other don't we." "Yes" said Angus giving her a big hug, "we sang about that in Sundayschool last week - about having kind hands, like Jesus. Poor Victoria, if she had hands I don't think that they would be kind hands." "Yes", said Mum, we're very fortunate having someone as loving and as kind as Jesus showing us how to live."

TIS 236/AHB 178: " Jesus' hands were kind hands" ALL TOGETHER OK 390: "Put on love every day"

OLD TESTAMENT: Deuteronomy 18: 15-20 EPISTLE:1 Corinthians 8: 1-13

PRAYER OF CONFESSION The Apostle Paul tells us that what is most essential in our conduct as Christians is not knowledge, but love. And that what we know is less important than our being known by God. So, we confess .... The times when we have used knowledge in ways which put people down rather than build them up.
God, source of all knowledge, forgive us.
When we see people being exploited because of lack of knowledge, and do nothing.
God, source of all goodness, forgive us.
When we have idolised knowledge at the expense of loving and caring for others.
God, source of all love, forgive us.
When we have ridiculed others for having a weak and feeble faith because they appear to lack wisdom ;
God, source of all wisdom, forgive us.
(A time of silence for personal confession)

Forgive us, O God, for seeing good only in what we understand and accept as your truths. Remind us of Paul's words 'If I have all knowledge but do not have love, I am nothing.'   Touch us, teach us, heal us and make us newly aware of your love and forgiveness. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen

ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS Hear and believe these words of grace: God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:17) And so I declare to you: In Jesus Christ we are loved, we are forgiven!
Thanks be to God!

GOSPEL: Mark 1: 21-28

SERMON

TIS 641/AHB 401: This is my will, my one command" TIS 738/ ALL TOGETHER OK 369: "My Jesus, my Saviour" TIS 626/AHB 557: "Lord of creation" In AHB 557 - invite people in verse 3 to replace man's with ours'

PRAYERS FOR OTHERS Could include prayers for all places of learning as pupils begin a new school year about this time. That people will never be so 'puffed up with knowledge' that they forget to love and to serve as Jesus did. Pray for anyone in authority (learning institutions, local, state, national government, church - local, state and national etc) that their authority will be exercised with compassion, healing and mercy - major marks of Jesus' authority and teaching. Prayer for international events and people could follow a similar pattern There could also be prayer for people who are victims of any kind...... We pray that through our (the church's) proclamation of Jesus' word and faithfulness to his teaching, that people will be liberated from any destructive power which may possess them.....

THE LORD'S PRAYER

OFFERING

OFFERTORY PRAYER Gracious God, you have enriched our lives in so many ways, especially through the life, love and teaching of Jesus and through the wonders of creation which we experience in this land . Bless these gifts which we bring as signs of our gratitude and bless us as we seek to be dynamic proclaimers of the gospel in word and deed. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

TIS 681/ BE OUR FREEDOM, LORD: "Lord, let me see" TIS 650/SA 14: Brother, sister, let me serve you TIS 609/AHB 537: "May the mind of Christ my Saviour" TIS 560/AHB 465: "All my hope on God is founded" In AHB 465 invite people to replace "Pride of man" in v.2 with 'Human pride and in v.4 to replace 'man' with 'earth'.

BENEDICTION Go forth ... replenished by the grace and mercy of God, blessed by the healing love of Jesus energised by the limitless power of the Holy Spirit

THREEFOLD AMEN