Burdekin Uniting Church

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Burdekin Uniting Church Uniting Church Congregations in the Burdekin with congregations in Home Hill and Ayr.

Sunday 18th October Service in Ayr with Holy Communion. Welcome Pastor John and family. Shoeboxes received and blessing.
17/10/2026

Sunday 18th October
Service in Ayr with Holy Communion.
Welcome Pastor John and family.
Shoeboxes received and blessing.

Sunday 30th AugustService is 9 am in Home Hill. (No service in Ayr today.)5th Sunday. A service with a difference. Today...
29/08/2026

Sunday 30th August

Service is 9 am in Home Hill.
(No service in Ayr today.)

5th Sunday.
A service with a difference.
Today we will show the service recorded at the Gospel Music Festival.

Please lift the people of Nepal and Tibet to God in prayer.

Contact Steve if anyone needs transport to Home Hill church.

This week’s lectionary readings:Is 49:1-7; Ps 40:1-11; 1 Cor 1:1-9; Jn 1:29-42John the testifier / The Lamb of GodI do h...
18/01/2026

This week’s lectionary readings:
Is 49:1-7;
Ps 40:1-11;
1 Cor 1:1-9;
Jn 1:29-42

John the testifier / The Lamb of God

I do have a real appreciation for our lectionary.
The lectionary cycle starts with the season on advent. The time we prepare for Christmas.
Last time I brought the message we were in this season.

Advent is meant to be a time of preparation for the birth of Jesus. The promised messiah.

As I commented last time this has been overwhelmed in our society. Instead Christmas has become highly commercialised.
Christmas decorations seem to go up earlier every year.
It is the end of the year.
The beginning of the new year.
Time to celebrate the year that is finishing. Many people and families on holidays. Particularly our education system.
Then a time to look to optimism for the year ahead.
Or for those great Boxing Day Sales or End of year sales.
The myths of Santa Claus and Elves and flying reindeers.

For most a great time of family gathering. But also for some the time of feeling the loss the most. Particularly those who have experienced personal grief this year.

For the church this season is a season of joy of God coming to us. Angels singing. A season of hope in a restored relationship with our God.

Christmas should be our time to stand up and tell of Jesus. Yet our message is so lost in everything else that is happening. It is a challenge to the church as to how to own Christmas again.

Last week our lectionary cycle moved on to Jesus now grown up and beginning his ministry.
Jesus comes to John the Baptist to be baptised.
John describes himself in verse 23
John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”

This is a reference to Isaiah 40:3.

John is very clear and specific that he is preparing for the coming of the Christ.

He is baptising with water calling people to repentance.
He tells of one to come who will baptise with the Holy Spirit.

John makes a very specific testimony about Jesus in today’s reading describing him as the “Lamb of God”. And not just once but twice.

We could spend much time digging into this expression.

At its simplest God is providing the sacrifice to atone for our sin.
Bringing us back into relationship with the father.

Ultimately today’s reading comes down to 3 questions.

Identity: Who is John? Who is Jesus? How are they fulfilling the prophesies of the whole of scripture?

What do we need? We cannot save ourselves.

Will we follow Jesus? He calls us as much as he called the first disciples.

And the question is raised for us: As we remain with Jesus, how is our testimony shaped by our abiding with the one who John, the dove, and Andrew testify to as the Lamb of God (verse 29), the one who baptizes with the Spirit (verse 33), and the Messiah (verse 41)? What will we say of Jesus?

Sunday 11th January The Lectionary Reading for this Sunday are: Is 42:1-9; Ps 29; Acts 10:34-43; Mt 3:13-17Our Gospel re...
10/01/2026

Sunday 11th January

The Lectionary Reading for this Sunday are:
Is 42:1-9;
Ps 29;
Acts 10:34-43;
Mt 3:13-17

Our Gospel reading is the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist.

Baptism is one of the two sacraments that the Uniting Church celebrates. The other being Holy Communion, which we will celebrate this Sunday.

What is the background to this sacrament?

The word baptism is not found in the Old Testament. Baptism is a New Testament concept. But is it.

Ritual cleaning is very much part of the Deuteronomy laws.

What about Naaman, the Syrian Army commander who dipped 7 times in the Jordan at Elisha’s command. Symbolising faith, obedience and purification from sin and worldly pride.

Baptism may seem to be a New Testament concept and in some ways it is. But calling people to repent and return to God is the Gospel message throughout scripture.

We are God’s creation. Create by love. We have all failed and rebelled against our Creator and that is sin. That has broken our relationship with our Father.

But the great love of father has come to us, in Jesus. This we have specifically celebrated recently with Christmas.
Ultimately leads to Christ dying for us. This we will celebrate at Easter, both are linked.

Today our Gospel is Jesus stepping out on the road to restore our relationship with God.

Baptism marks us as the people of God living out the good news.

Jesus himself calls us in the great commission in Matthew 27:18-20

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

As we start this New Year, let us grasp the call to live and share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

08/01/2026

Sunday 11th January 2026

The Lectionary Reading for this Sunday are:
Is 42:1-9;
Ps 29;
Acts 10:34-43;
Mt 3:13-17

Due to the weather this week’s service has now been cancelled.

01/01/2026

Happy New Year
We look forward to seeing you this year.
Let us journey together with our Lord looking for a renewal.

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43:18-19 ESV

Address

130 Mackenzie Street PO Box 95
Ayr, QLD
4807

Telephone

+61747832251

Website

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