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Outback Sunday / Year in Review
South Sydney Uniting Church
September 17, 2017
Isaiah 42:11; Matthew 3:13 - 4:1
‘Worship, witness and service’
Today we have 100 or so photo slides as part of our Year in Review. The photos have been curated in three groups: Worship, Witness and Service – documenting our congregation’s striving to be the church God calls and empowers us to be. God be with you ...
“Worship, witness and service” is a common way to express the fullness of church as spiritual community, people of God, body of Christ.
“Worship” describes a praying, praising, singing, meditating community. Loving God with hearts, minds, physical abilities ... loving God and receiving the love of God.
Bearing “witness” is about showing love, being love – perhaps even being in love – which, of course, entails many emotions, from silly delight to groaning lament. Witness means living together honestly, graciously, creatively ...
And “service” denotes action – sharing the love of God by taking action for others, by taking risks in the name of love ... taking risks to change things for the better.
Worship ... loving God, receiving the love of God. Word, Sacrament, silence ...
Witness ... showing love, being (in) love. Art, birthday celebrations/cakes, friendship, protest ...
Service ... sharing love, risking love. Church Council, various sub-
In our Gospel for today Jesus is baptised in the Jordan and driven by the Spirit into the wilderness/desert, where he faces three temptations to a life other than a life of true worship, witness and service.
In the wilderness, in the company of wild animals and angels (according to St Mark’s Gospel), Jesus learns, discovers, discerns, endures, works out, works through “life’s great questions” ...
Not mere materialism (bread alone), but sacramental wisdom – both bread and word, flesh and spirit. Worship.
Not power over others, but love that empowers – relationship/friendship, mutual respect, solidarity. Witness.
Not the thrill of risk in and of itself, not popularity, but faith as true adventure in radical hospitality. Love as miracle. Service.
Our photo slides, then, in the light of Christ, are not simply pictures of us – they are pictures of the church as the body of Christ, icons of Jesus.
Jean Vanier writes: “Just as God’s love reveals our deepest identity, so do we, by our loving presence, reveal one another.”
How do we overcome temptations to greed, to dominance, to popularity (essentially self-
By loving like Jesus. By giving ourselves to one another and to God in the Spirit of Christ-
There are currently just over 200 names on our parish roll. One in 4 are confirmed or voting members, which suggests, I think, a congregation open to others – to friends/adherents and newcomers. That’s a good thing.
It also points to opportunities for greater involvement and responsibility.
If the invitation to a life of true worship, witness and service – perhaps in terms of receiving love, showing love and risking love – is something that appeals to you, something that calls to you as the Spirit called to Jesus in, through and following his baptism, then I’d love to meet with you in small-
If the invitation to a life oriented to sacramental wisdom, mutual respect and radical hospitality appeals – and because the church is a diverse community where everybody’s gifts are valued, where every person is a gift both beautiful and useful – I’d be honoured to meet with you in small-
Perhaps you’d like to talk about baptism, or about reaffirmation of baptism and membership of the congregation. Perhaps you’d like to talk about ways to take part in the worship, witness and service activities of the congregation.
Jesus is baptised and driven by the Spirit into the desert, where he faces three temptations to a life other than a life of true worship, witness and service.
In the wilderness, in the company of wild animals and angels (according to St Mark’s Gospel), Jesus learns, discovers, discerns, endures, delights in life and colour, sound, fragrance, touch, taste, works out, works through “life’s great questions” ...
We’re all invited to learn from him and with him. May the Spirit drive us into deserts and wild places of wonder. For our own sakes and for the sake of the world God loves. Amen.