Worship Day 6

At the conclusion of the 17th Assembly, members gave thanks to God in a powerful and joyful time of worship. 

Closing Worship commenced with a blessing from the President. Members sang the Covenant Prayer, as put to music by NewLife Church. The President encouraged the Assembly to remember both the Covenant with UAICC as well as the covenant with God.

Rev Heewon Chang and Rev Ellie Elia offered a Prayer of Confession.

“Weaver of us all, creator and liberator, mother and father of us all, gracious and loving god, in your hands we become a thread of the fala. No thread is the same, and in our multicoloured difference, we give you thanks. You have gifted us different tongues, and in our multiple languages we give you thanks from our heart. In your presence even the messiness of unweaving becomes a beautiful recreation.”

Melissa Yimayima from Milingimbi and the Northern Regional Council of Congress and Northern Synod Moderator-elect Rev Dr Michelle Cook led an Action Song with members joining in as able. In the theme ‘Living water’, Melissa drew inspiration from the Bible reading from John 4 shared at the President’s Installation.

Rev Jordan Sumner, one of the President’s chaplains, gave a reading from Mark 6, before the President preached. She commenced her sermon in Tongan.

“As we gather to close the 17th Assembly, let me tell you my heart is so relieved. That joy and diversity that filled St Stephen’s (during the Installation service) was a vivid glimpse of God’s kingdom, a kingdom where all are welcome and all are loved.”

Rev Suli drew parallels between the weariness and exhaustion experienced by the disciples and the tiredness felt at the end of a long Assembly meeting, urging the members to turn to Jesus for rest. She explained how the Tongan translation of the passage gave a stronger meaning than the English version, encouraging the church to “empty everything and take it to Jesus”.

Rev Suli highlighted the fala which has been present throughout the 17th Assembly meeting, pointing out an important detail.

“It has intentionally been an unfinished fala before us. There is still unfinished business. And so in our Assembly we have been challenged to seriously consider how we are weaving ourselves into this land. Make room so we can coexist together. They are the words I have heard from our teacher and our preacher Rev Ken Sumner.”

She urged members of the Assembly to courageously move forward into the coming triennium.

“We need to ask ourselves who will determine the pattern we are weaving as to continue the important work of the national church. Friends, let us not forget the call to action that lies before us. I recognise sitting at the front table that we get a great look. It takes a lot of courage to speak words from the microphone, but the challenge left before us is how are we going to live it out.”

Echoing the words shared by international church partners earlier in the day, Rev Suli encouraged unity.

“Members of Assembly, we need each other. We cannot do this work alone; may the transforming love of Christ transform us.”

Following the sermon, Rev Elia returned to offer Prayers of the People, reflecting on the prayers woven together throughout the meeting. 

“Over these past six days we have been weaving together our prayers, our confessions, our dreams and our belovedness.”

She shared that the threads of fabric weaved together during worship each day were sent in by Uniting Church members from across the country, including some from members of the Uniting Church Adult Fellowship (UCAF).

“This tells me we are more deeply connected than we ever dare imagine. So as a final act of creativity and as a symbol. I invite you to take a final piece of cloth. Gently tie it around the wrist of a person beside you and as you do, please say the words, ‘Peace be with you’. Thank you for being a weaver of God’s love in this place and for the people and places that you will return to.”

Moving into the Communion liturgy, the Assembly sang Bread of Life. Communion was led by Rev Suli and President-elect Rev Dr Paul Goh.

“Friends, when Jesus’ disciples gathered, the Spirit hovered over them nurturing life in unexpected places. Come to God’s table because here God meets us and here God renews us for the journey ahead.”

Rev Suli offered the Bread of Life in Tongan; Rev Goh presenting the Cup of the New Covenant in English. 

“Grow in us that we might live in gratitude and harmony, generosity and faithfulness and in this sharing may we be brought into unity with one another. Now with the confidence of the children of God, let us pray the prayer Jesus taught us in our heart language.”

Communion was served at tables, with members offering the elements to one another

In a final blessing, the President shared,

“You have united us in Your love, a love that is hospitable and generous. May this meal sustain us in Your ministry. May this meal expand our hearts with purpose so that we can truly reflect the transforming love we find in Your Son, Jesus Christ.”

The time of worship closed with the theme song for the Assembly, Tapestry: Weave Us Together.

Earlier in the day, during Opening Worship Yankunytjatjara Anangu woman Pastor Jill Doolan, a Bush Chaplain with Frontier Services, read the Bible reading from Exodus 2:23-25. 

This reading was followed by Rev Chang leading Tongsung Kido, a Korean form of prayer which she described as “a very honest crying out to God.”

“It will make you uncomfortable. It’s loud and messy, but it’s our way of crying out together. You will definitely feel the presence of God with you. This is a prayer of solidarity, my friends. In your tables, share a prayer point. It could be a prayer for Kanaky, it could be a prayer for Gaza. It could be something that has unravelled for you during our meeting.”

“I want you to find your prayer posture, because everyone has a different prayer posture, you could sit, you could kneel.”

She led the Assembly in calling out Chuyo (God) three times, before inviting members to call out to God in their heart’s language and entering into a time of prayer.

“Loving and gracious God, mother and father of us all, you watch, you wait and you hope, crying the eyes from the depths of our despair and our brokenness,” Rev Chang prayed, “lifting us to our feet, breathing again your love and compassion, when we are overwhelmed, when our faith falters, sing for us the words of hope, until we join you in your song.”

President Rev Charissa Suli offered a benediction, “And that is our prayer, that O God who is love will continue to weave us together as we move into our day.”

We give thanks for the 17th Assembly liturgists Rev Ellie Elia, Rev Heewon Chang and Rev Pablo Nunez and the worship band for their amazing gifts shared across the week!