SCHOOL OF FAITH
ASSEMBLY OF CONFESSING CONGREGATIONS
OF THE UNITING CHURCH IN AUSTRALIA
WELCOME AND PRAYER
Psalms 127 (NIV)
Leader:
Unless the Lord builds the house,
the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain.
Reader 1
2 In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to those he loves.
Leader
3 Children are a heritage from the Lord,
offspring a reward from him.
Reader 2
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one’s youth.
Leader
5 Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
Reader 3
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their opponents in court.
Prayers of Praise and Adoration
Bible Reading
Mark 12:38-44 (NIV)
Reader 1
As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”
Reader 2
41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AND INTERCESSSION
CONFESSING CHRIST FROM THE BASIS OF UNION
Leader:
Within this fellowship of the Uniting Church in Australia, and as part of the Christian church around the world, let us confess Christ in the following words from the Basis of Union.
We rejoice that the Uniting Church ‘preaches Christ the risen crucified One
Reader 1:
and confesses him as Lord to the glory of God the Father’.
Leader:
Let us proclaim ‘the grace which justifies through faith,’
Reader2:
and uphold ‘the centrality of the person and work of Christ the justifier’.
Leader:
We joyously proclaim that ‘in Jesus Christ "God was reconciling the world to himself" (2 Corinthians 5:19 RSV)’,
Reader 3:
and that ‘in love for the world, God gave the Son to take away the world's sin.’
Leader:
We confess that ‘Christ…is the Word of the God who acquits the guilty,
Reader 4:
who gives life to the dead and who brings into being what otherwise could not exist
FINAL PRAYER
We confess that we as the Church are able to live and endure through the changes of history
Reader 1: only because our Lord comes, addresses, and deals with us in and through the news of his completed work.
Leader:
We confess that Christ who is present when he is preached among us
Reader 2: is the Word of the God who acquits the guilty, who gives life to the dead and who brings into being what otherwise could not exist.
Leader
We bear witness that through human witness in word and action, and in the power of the Holy Spirit,
Reader 3: Christ reaches out to command our attention and awaken our faith
Leader:
We confess that ‘Christ…is the Word of the God who acquits the guilty,
Reader 4:
who gives life to the dead and who brings into being what otherwise could not exist.’
Final Prayer
Leader:
We acknowledge that we as the Church are able to live and endure through the changes of history
Reader 3
only because our Lord comes, addresses, and deals with us in and through the news of his completed work.
Leader
We affirm that we belong to the people of God on the way to the promised end
Reader 4
And that through the gift of the Spirit, God will constantly correct that which is erroneous in our life.
Amen
Leader:
We give thanks that Christ may work and bear witness to himself through his body,
Reader 2:
a fellowship of reconciliation, where the diverse gifts of her members are used for the building up of the whole
Leader:
We affirm that every member of the church
Reader 3:
is engaged to confess the faith of Christ crucified and to be his faithful servant.
Leader:
We acknowledge with thanksgiving that the one Spirit has endowed the members of Christ’s Church with a diversity of gifts,
Reader 4:
and that there is not gift without its corresponding serve: all ministries have a part in the ministry of Christ.
Final Praye
Leader:
We rejoice that the Uniting Church ‘preaches Christ the risen crucified One
Reader 2:
and confesses him as Lord to the glory of God the Father’.
Leader:
Let us proclaim ‘the grace which justifies through faith,’
Reader 3:
and uphold ‘the centrality of the person and work of Christ the justifier’.
Leader:
We joyously proclaim that ‘in Jesus Christ "God was reconciling the world to himself" (2 Corinthians 5:19 RSV)’,
Reader 4:
and that ‘in love for the world, God gave the Son to take away the world's sin.’
Leader:
We confess that ‘Christ…is the Word of the God who acquits the guilty,
Reader 1:
who gives life to the dead and who brings into being what otherwise could not exist.’
Leader:
Let us reaffirm our desire ‘to live and work within the faith and unity of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church’.
Reader 2:
We joyously ‘acknowledge that Christ alone is supreme in his Church’ and declare our ‘readiness to go forward together in sole loyalty to Christ the living Head of the Church’.
Leader:
We acknowledge ‘the need for a constant appeal to Holy Scripture’,
Reader 3:
and declare ourselves ready to ‘hear anew the commission of the Risen Lord to make disciples of all nations’.
Leader:
With the gracious help of God our congregations are committed to serve the world for which Christ died, and…await with hope the day of the Lord Jesus Christ
Reader 4:
on which it will be clear that the kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of the Christ, who shall reign for ever and ever.’ Amen.
Nb. The words in quotation marks are direct quotes from the Basis of Union
Prepared by Rev Rod James.
Leader: We confess that the Church is able to live and endure through
the changes of history
Reader 1: only because our Lord comes, addresses, and deals with us in
and through the news of his completed work.
Leader:
Christ who is present when he is preached among us
Reader 2: is the Word of the God who acquits the guilty, who gives life to the dead
and who brings into being what otherwise could not exist.
Leader
Through human witness in word and action, and in the power of the Holy Spirit,
Reader 3: Christ reaches out to command our attention and awaken our faith
Reader 2:
and confesses him as Lord to the glory of God the Father’.
Leader:
Let us proclaim ‘the grace which justifies through faith,’
Reader 3:
and uphold ‘the centrality of the person and work of Christ the justifier’.
Leader:
We joyously proclaim that ‘in Jesus Christ "God was reconciling the world to himself" (2 Corinthians 5:19 RSV)’,
Reader 4:
and that ‘in love for the world, God gave the Son to take away the world's sin.’
Leader:
We confess that ‘Christ is the Word of the God who acquits the guilty,
Reader 4:
who gives life to the dead and who brings into being what otherwise could not exist.’
