11 August, 2017

Sunday Service Themes

Parable of the sower – Liturgy – Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

This service is based around Bodge Plants a Seed, a re-telling of the parable of the sower. The children when they leave the service, or during the service pull apart sunflower heads and count how many seeds there are in a sunflower. This of course requires planning, you’ll have to harvest a sunflower head, and dry it well so it doesn’t rot.

Opening Prayer

Jesus, you turned the soil of our lives, and of the world while you were with us.

You scattered the Words of Life and Truth far and wide.

May we be open to the Holy Spirit’s turning of the soil in our own life,

that we will be warm, moist soil for your truth to grow in us.

As we do this, may your grace, faith, justice, hope and love take root in our life and flourish.

Amen.

Confession

Let us be still in the presence of God.

Pause (use black font in PPT, so it does not show on screen)

Imagine Jesus the Word of Creation as a gardener,
speaking into the soil of your life.

Still yourself….

Silence

See the face of Jesus,
as you allow him to be the Divine Gardener in you life.

Pause

Notice the love and joy on his face as he takes care of the soil of your life.

Pause

Rest in the peace that comes from knowing that he is the Good Gardener of your life.

Pause

The Gardener wants all kinds of sun flowers and fruit to burst forth in your life.

Pause

In silence we contemplate what is not so good in the soil of our life.

Silence

Together we confess:

What needs to be removed from the soil of my life O God?
Tell me where I am weak, broken or in need of help.

Speak with God about the weeds that grow up within your life that have the potential to choke new growth.

You have an opportunity to bring forward a prayer card now, it is symbol that we need God’s forgiveness, hope, love and tending care in our life.

Please bring forward your card if you wish to participate

Return to seat

We think of the way you tend our lives O God. We give you thanks for the gifts you offer us.

We thank you God for your gifts to us. We praise you for your goodness towards us.

Forgiveness

We are rooted in Christ and grafted to his vine.
We have been set free in Christ.
The Holy Spirit lives in our lives.
May you let the Spirit fully do its work.

Gracious God, we allow the nutrients of your faith, hope and love to flow into our lives.

May you grow in grace, may you be nourished by God.
Be forgiven.

Amen. Thanks be to God.

Children’s Story

Bodge Plants a Seed. By Simon Smith. Publisher: ZonderKidz (April 1, 2004) ISBN-10: 0310706629 or ISBN-13: 978-0310706625

Blessing Seeds

At offertory time, prior to communion

Let us bless these seeds that Junior Church have prepared for us
as symbols of God’s unbounded grace and love.

As they grow, may they be symbols of God’s growth in our lives. Amen.

Blessing Congregation

God has given you another seed of hope,
may you plant it in good soil,
may you tend it through careful gardening,
may you nurture it,
and when the time is right,
when the flower has bloomed may you pass on part of God’s grace to another person.

We go blessed and redeemed by God our Creator. Amen.

Liturgy of Simplicity – Low Sunday

Scripture

John 20:21-27

Bulletin Notice

Drum up some support before you have this Sunday, advertise it throughout Lent.

Simplicity Sunday This is a Sunday when we re-use things, when we gift, when we “re-cycle.” The ultimate goal is to give you a small way to simply your life. This is joint initiative between St Mary’s, Crossroads and Christ Church. It is an opportunity to share our gifts with others, and everything collected will be distributed to the Anglican and Catholic Op-Shops. Bring something of yours that you will give away even though it hurts. This is an opportunity to re-use things. You might like to bring an article of clothing, or an appliance or whatever you think is appropriate.

If your re-using gift is too big, write it on a card and we will collect it.

HOW IT MIGHT WORK

Write on a leaf what the gift is, and it could be stuck on a tree.

Liturgy Beginning

PRAISE

We give thanks to God for God’s providence,
for God’s gifts to us.

CONFESSIONAL

We confess that:

at times we make life too complicated
and that we miss-use God’s gifts to us.

PETITION

We ask for the Holy Spirit’s help,

we ask for the Spirit to prompt and challenge us in our lives,
that we may be encouraged to simplify,
and to focus on God’s call on our life,
rather than our own desires.

ACT

Bring forward the gifts and pin the leaves on the tree

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We acknowledge before God that we have a tendency to slip backwards,
we ask God for help,
that this may be a new way forward for us,
a new way to live a simple life.

Silence

DEDICATION

We dedicate these gifts to the use of others,
and we ask for God’s blessing on us as we let go of the control over our lives.

We commit in the light of Easter and the Resurrection,
to be people of the resurrection and live fully into God’s call on our lives. AMEN.