Online worship for Sunday 1 November

On this All Saints Day Rev Dr Sally Douglas invites us to explore the tricky topics of death, the afterlife and judgement. Reflecting on Matthew 5.1-12, Revelation 7.9-17 and Colossians 1.15-20 Sally invites us to engage with the claim that the heart of the universe is kind and that God longs for all things to be reconciled in this life and the life to come.

If you would like to become more involved in Richmond Uniting (eg. Midday prayers via Zoom, discussion groups etc) please email [email protected] to find out more, or visit us at richmond.unitingchurch.org.au

In this audio form of worship Rev Dr Sally Douglas introduces a Table Liturgy for the Season of Pentecost and invites us to participate in this worship over a meal. Download the PDF of the Table Liturgy. This week's audio worship does not include a full service, because we are all invited to utilise this Table Liturgy. Instead, the audio includes the bible readings for the day - Deuteronomy 34.1-12 and Matthew 22.43-46 and a reflection on the reading from Matthew.

If you would like to become more involved in Richmond Uniting (eg. Midday prayers via zoom, discussion groups etc) please email [email protected] to find out more, or visit us at richmond.unitingchurch.org.au

Richmond Uniting online worship 18 October 2020

Rev Dr Sally Douglas invites us to explore the double temptation of suppressing our doubts and domesticating God as we reflect on Exodus 33.12-23 and Matthew 22.15-22. Sally challenges us to engage with wild faith, in which we are honest about our doubts and sorrow and we are open to the vastness of God in the midst of our lives.

If you would like to become more involved in Richmond Uniting (eg. Midday prayers via zoom, discussion groups etc) please email [email protected] to find out more, or visit us at richmond.unitingchurch.org.au

Richmond Uniting online worship 11 October 2020

Rev Dr Sally Douglas invites us to explore the so called “Christian” claim that people are going to hell if they don’t believe certain things about Jesus. We reflect on Exodus 32.1-14, Phil 4.1-9 and dive deeply into Matthew 22.1-14, and its counterpart in Luke 14.15-24.

If you would like to become more involved in Richmond Uniting (eg. Midday prayers via zoom, discussion groups etc) please email [email protected] to find out more, or visit us at richmond.unitingchurch.org.au

Rev Dr Sally Douglas invites us to explore why some people are denying the seriousness of Covid-19. We wrestle with the shadow-side of contemporary forms of spirituality and engage with the Divine call into collective responsibility, as we reflect on the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20.1-4, 7-9, 12-20 and in Matthew 21.33-46.

If you would like to become more involved in Richmond Uniting (eg. Midday prayers via zoom, discussion groups etc) please email [email protected] to find out more, or visit us at richmond.unitingchurch.org.au

In this audio form of worship Rev Dr Sally Douglas introduces a Pentecost Season Table Liturgy and invites us to participate at home in this worship over a meal. See the PDF of the Table Liturgy below. The audio worship does not include a full service, because we are all invited to utilise this Table Liturgy. Instead, the audio includes the bible readings for the day, and a reflection on the reading from Philippians 2. This reading explores the ancient hymn embedded within this chapter in which divine power is revealed to be very different from human constructions of power.

If you would like to become more involved in Richmond Uniting (eg. Midday prayers via zoom, discussion groups etc) please email [email protected] to find out more, or visit us at richmond.unitingchurch.org.au

Never enough? What might life be like beyond scarcity narratives?

This week we continue to explore the epic story of the people of Israel in Exodus 16.2-15, as well as Matthew 20.1-16. Now, liberated from slavery in Egypt, God’s people are captive to the fear that there is not enough. Rev Dr Sally Douglas invites us investigate the scarcity narratives of consumerist culture and challenges us to take seriously Jesus’ invitation to trust in God for our daily bread.

If you would like to become more involved in Richmond Uniting (eg. Midday prayers via zoom, discussion groups etc) please email [email protected] to find out more, or visit us at richmond.unitingchurch.org.au

What does forgiving others mean?

This week we continue to listen to the confronting story of Israel being liberated from Egypt in Exodus 14.19-31 and we explore Matthew 18.21-35. Rev Dr Sally Douglas invites us to think about what forgiving others means in light of Jesus’ command to call inappropriate behaviour to account.

If you would like to become more involved in Richmond Uniting (eg. Midday prayers via zoom, discussion groups etc) please email [email protected] to find out more, or visit us at richmond.unitingchurch.org.au

When Christians confuse loving enemies with being nice or tolerating abuse

This week we explore the epic story of Israel being liberated from Egypt in Exodus 12.1-14 and we explore Matthew 18.15-20. Rev Dr Sally Douglas invites us to think about evil, liberation and what Jesus’ call to love enemies really means. Challenging any notion that loving enemy is about being nice or tolerating abusive behaviour, in sacred text we discover Jesus’ call into fierce, liberating love that exposes evil and calls violence and abuse to account.

If you would like to become more involved in Richmond Uniting (eg. Midday prayers via zoom, discussion groups etc) please email [email protected] to find out more, or visit us at richmond.unitingchurch.org.au

This week, as we explore Matthew 16.21-28, Rev Dr Sally Douglas invites us to reflect on what Jesus really means when he says ‘take up your cross’. Beyond the notion of ‘we all have our cross to bear’ we discover that here we are called into the radical non-violence of God.

If you would like to become more involved in Richmond Uniting (eg. Midday prayers via zoom, discussion groups etc) please email [email protected] to find out more, or visit us at richmond.unitingchurch.org.au