ORDER OF WORSHIP THIS MORNING The Gathering of the People of God

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1 Sunday, 28th January, :00am Ordinary Sunday 4 (Year B) Jesus said to [Simon and Andrew], Follow me and I will make you fish for people. And immediately they left their nets and followed him. St Mark 1: ORDER OF WORSHIP THIS MORNING The Gathering of the People of God GREETING Greetings and welcome in the name of Christ. God s grace, mercy and peace be with you. And also with you. Jesus calls to a new way of life. We will answer the call, we will follow. Seasons of the Spirit, 2012 PRAYER OF INVOCATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY HYMN (TiS.137) For the beauty of the earthj CALL TO WORSHIP Jesus calls us. We recognise the voice of our teacher. Jesus calls with a renewed message. We are straining our ears for this good news. Jesus calls a new realm into being. We hear the call with hope and anticipation. 1 PRAYER OF CONFESSION God of grace, in your goodness you created us to be your people. We go our own way and you call us back. We turn to false gods, and you are always true. We hurt our neighbours and ourselves, and you bind our wounds and make us whole.

2 Forgive us, encourage us, strengthen us, as we strive to be worthy of you. Amen. Uniting in Worship #27 DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS Hear then Christ s words of grace: Your sins are forgiven. Thanks be to God. COMMISSIONING OF YOUTH, CHILDREN AND THEIR LEADERS The minister questions the leaders and they respond. INTRODUCTION TO TH THEME OF THE DAY BLESSING OF THE BACKPACKS AND LUNCH BOXES During prayer, the minister says: We ask your blessing on each of them. May Jesus, who calls us each by name to follow him, give you the courage and confidence to be his disciples wherever you may be, at school, at work, and at home. May the gifts God has given you be a source of blessing for you and for others. Amen. The minister prays further, ending with: this congregation embraces their call to teaching and learning and surrounds them with love and care as well. We pray in the name of Jesus whom we seek to follow day by day. Amen. HYMN (Tis.727) We listen to the Word of God In the presence of your people Before the Bible readings, the reader says: Your word, O Lord, is a lamp to our feet: A light to our path. Psalm 119: 105. FIRST READING Deuteronomy 18: Moses said to the Israelites, The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet. 16 This is what you requested of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said: If I hear the voice of the Lord my God any more, or ever again see this great fire, I will die Then the Lord replied to me: They are right in what they have said. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command. 19 Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable. 20 But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak that prophet shall die. NRSV. GOSPEL READING St Mark 1: Jesus with Simon, Andrew, James and John went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, Jesus entered the synagogue and taught. 22 They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 23 Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, 24 and he cried out, What have you to do with us, Jesus of Naz-

3 Rembrandt, Harmenszoon van Rijn, sketched around areth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God. 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, Be silent, and come out of him! 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and, crying with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him. 28 At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee. NRSV. After this final reading, the reader says: Here end today s readings. Lord, may your word live in us; And bear much fruit to your glory. SERMON We respond to the Word of God Where is God in all that possesses me? THE APOSTLES CREED I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The Apostles Creed ELLC, NOTICES & CONCERNS OF THE CHURCH OFFERTORY HYMN (TiS.679) The people remain seated until the final verse. DEDICATION OF THE OFFERING PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION THE LORD S PRAYER Tune: TiS.558 O Christ, the healer The People of God are sent out HYMN (TiS.609) May the mind of Christ my Saviour DISMISSAL AND BLESSING THREE-FOLD AMEN. The cuppa (of tea or coffee) after the morning service is a great opportunity to chat with old friends and to meet new ones. Do come and join us in the Tea Shoppe! 3

4 A Word from the Minister 28th January, 2018 Thank you to everyone who has expressed their care and concern to Sharon and I this past week. Sharon is make very good progress following a successful hip replacement and she is now well and truly into her rehabilitation program. I look forward to her return home later this week. Thanks also to Reg Smeaton for volunteering to staff the office last week in the absence of both Rachael and myself. Rachael will be back in the office on Monday. Last Monday evening I met with the Illawarra People for Peace committee to plan a number of events for Our first members meeting will be held at 6:30pm on Monday, 5th February, at Amity College, Shellharbour, which, regrettably, clashes with our first Church Council meeting for the year. The Wesley Community Centre met last Wednesday to work on its strategy for Our number one priority is to grow our donor base to ensure our ongoing financial viability. This coming Tuesday I am to participate in the Lifeline Australia s Strategy Day in Sydney and on Wednesday I am to meet with army Chaplain Peter Willis from the Joint Health Command in the Australian Defence Force. Peter is my new Chaplain Supervisor and I look forward to familiarising him with the ministry I undertake at South Coast Private Hospital on behalf of Defence. This coming weekend I am to travel to Melbourne to the ordination of a close family friend at St Paul s Cathedral in Melbourne. Grace and peace, The Reverend Geoffrey Flynn, Wesley Uniting Church, Wollongong. ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THIS WEEK TODAY S SERVICES 28th January, :00am 6:00pm MUSICIAN TODAY READER THIS MORNING SERVICES NEXT SUNDAY 4th February, :00am & 6:00pm The Revd Tom Pardy and the Revd Ian Tucker MUSICIANS NEXT SUNDAY READER NEXT SUNDAY NOTICES NEXT SUNDAY The Revd Geoff Flynn Commissioning of JMC backpacks The Revd Phil Newton (am) Ruth Procter (pm) students Alison Grant (am) Lorraine Jones (pm) TBA Dorothy Robinson Ron Samways LECTIONARY NEXT SUNDAY 4th February, Ordinary Sunday 5, Year B OT Reading: Isaiah 40: Psalm: Psalm 147: 1 11, 20c Epistle: 1 Corinthians 9: Gospel: St Mark 1: Note: The Annual Illawarra Presbytery Commencement service will (again) be held in our church on Saturday, 17th February, at 2:00pm. More details next week but mark the date now. 4

5 FURTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THIS WEEK Monday, 29th January 8:45 & 10:00am School for Creative Living classes did not begin last Monday (mistake by the editor) but kick off today. Wednesday, 31st January 1:00pm Midweek Holy Communion and prayer in the church. Friday, 2nd February 5:00pm Wesley Friendship Group Annual General Meeting, followed by BYO meal and possibly a movie. Monday, 5th February 7:00pm Church Council first meeting for the New Year. 5 ADVANCE NOTICE You will have seen that next Sunday is not the usual celebration of Holy Communion. That is because it has been shifted to the following Sunday, 11th February, and will include the annual renewal of our Covenant with God and the Commissioning of our Elders and Church Councillors. The guest preacher will be the Revd Bronwyn Murphy, newly appointed as Synod Associate General Secretary. Offerings for 21st Jan., 2018 Morning cash... $ Morning envelopes... $ Received by EFT (morning)... $ Total for morning... $ Evening cash... $ Received by EFT (evening)... $ Total for evening... $ Total colletions for the day... $ Morning Tea... $ Donations Box... $ nil Total income for the day... $

6 Baptism Today There is just one Baptisms today at 11:30am: Daxson Hordern Michaelis who is the one year old son of Natalia and Alistair Michaelis. They have invited Ali Muharem, David Borg, David Peterson and Petrece Simpson to be sponsors for Daxson. Rose Flood is the elder for the Michaelis family. We welcome Daxson, his parents and his sponsors to the fellowship of the Christian Church and, in particular, to the fellowship of this Wollongong Wesley congregation. 6 Copyright Seminar A seminar has been arranged for all whose work in the church involves dealing with copyright issues. It will be led by a representative of CCLI and will be held in the Dapto Uniting Church on Saturday, 10th March, 2018, from 9:30am to 12:30pm. Why are we telling you so early? To know whether there will be sufficient numbers to warrant holding the seminar, it is necessary to register by Saturday, 10th February with the coordinator, Bruce Fairhall at bruce@fairhall.id.au or on telephone voic at This seminar is intended for ministers, musicians, those who use photocopiers for church work, those who prepare PowerPoint presentations and anyone who produces (or reproduces) any printed material for church work. More details are available from the Revd Geoff Flynn, the Revd Tom Pardy or the Church Office.