COCU Index

COCU Year B 2023-2024 (with coding system as used on this website)

World Council of Churches (WCC) ecumenical prayer cycle here.
Acknowledgement of country (various)

Year B
(for ‘special days/weeks’ arranged by month click here. A few dates are included below)
(Scroll down further for links to specific elements of worship for resources)

MARCH 2024
17th March COCU23B Lent 5B
(17th March St Patrick’s Day)
(19th March International Day Against Bullying and Violence)
(21st March Harmony Day)
(21st March International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination)
(21st March Feast of Saint Benedict)
(22nd March World Water Day)
(23rd March Earth Hour – The symbolic action of switching off the lights has become aligned with awareness of positive environmental impact)
24th March COCU24B Palm/Passion Sunday
[** New resource for each day of Holy Week from John van de Laar, Sacredise]
28th March COCU28B Maundy Thursday
29th March COCU29B Good Friday
30th March COCU30 Holy Saturday ABC
31st March COCU31B Easter Sunday
(31 March International Transgender Day of Visibility)

Other dates in March
World Frog Day 20th March
World Down Syndrome day, 21 March (link here)
World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) is a global awareness day that has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012. March 21st was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication of the chromosome that causes Down syndrome. People with Down syndrome have an extra chromosome (they have 3 copies of chromosome 21 – hence 21/3
World Poetry Day, 21 March
UNESCO proclaimed this date back in 1999. World Poetry Day is celebrated every year to recognise the unique ability to make poetry and encourage people who are creative enough to capture life poetically.
World Meteorological Day, 23 March
WMD helps people to understand and realise their role in protecting the atmosphere of the Earth.
World Theatre Day, 27th March
Good Neighbour Day on 27th March. (Neighbour Day is an initiative of Relationships Australia and is held annually on the last Sunday of March)
World Bipolar Day, 30th March

APRIL 2024
April 7th COCU32B Easter 2B
April 14th COCU33B Easter 3B
April 21st COCU34B Easter 4B
(April 22nd Earth Day 2024 theme: Planet vs. Plastics)
(April 25th ANZAC Day)
April 28th COCU35B Easter 5B

MAY 2024
May 5th COCU36B Easter 6B
May 9th COCU37B Ascension Day
May 12th COCU38B Easter 7B
(May 12th Mothers Day)
(May 12th-19th: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity)
May 19th COCU39B Pentecost

Components of worship – general
Acknowledgement of Land
Gathering
Prayer of thanksgiving
Prayer of confession/prayers of who we are/Words of Assurance
Prayer for Illumination
Readings (see specific weeks)
Prayers for others
Lord’s Prayer
Prayer of Dedication
Benediction and sending out
(Communion)
(Communion Hymns)

Starters for great resources
Lectionary Liturgies (Thom Shuman) with HC each week
Sacredise
Textweek
Singing from the Lectionary
Songs of Hope, Faith and Love (Australian) with lyrics, chords and recordings
Church of Scotland Weekly Worship
Re-worship
Together to Celebrate
Pray the Story
UCC Worship Ways
Church Anew blog ….spiritual reflections, imaginative biblical commentary, and thoughtful ideas for innovation (including Diana Butler Bass, Walter Brueggemann). 
Australian Women Preach podcast
Rev Roddy Hamilton, New Kilpatrick Parish Church – Original Liturgy
Project Reconnect has sermons for every week – check them out here.
Worship Well have sermons and other elements of worship available each week in plenty of time to use – they’re here.
Saltbush provide liturgy and video sermon “uniting the scattered community” here.

Citation index (Vanderbilt Library) in canonical order
UCA Calendar of commemorations
Ecumenical prayer cycle (World Council of Churches)
2024 NCCA Ecumenical Prayer Cycle with lectionary readings

Narrative lectionary

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Earth Hour 23 March 2024

Earth Hour has grown to become much more than switching your lights off, but that iconic switch-off moment is still an important part of Earth Hour. Millions of participants around the world will switch off their lights at 8:30 pm local time on Saturday 23rd March for an hour to demonstrate their support of the environment. It is a symbolic gesture that brings millions of people together to promote climate action – and, of course, much more needs to happen. Earth Hour has been uniting people all over the world, in more than 190 countries, since 2007.

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Wattle Day 1st September

Wattle is a powerful symbol of Australia. Its golden blossoms come from this land and speak of and to its people and place. Wattle predates us all and because of its presence in this land for millions of years, it has welcomed us all and unites us all. It is a bridge between ancient and modern, multicultural Australia. Wattle welcomes the spring, and is among the first plants to regenerate after fire, reminding us of the importance of renewal as it paints our national colours across our landscapes.

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COCU43A

Genesis 12:1-9 God calls Abram to leave his home country, promising that his offspring will become a great nation. So Abram leaves with family and settles in the land of Canaan. Then God promises to give that land to his descendants.
OR Hosea 5:15-6:6The prophet calls the people to return to God with the assurance that God will raise them up. But God speaks through the prophet, grieving the fickle love of God’s people and declaring that God desires love and not sacrifice.

Psalm 33:1-12The psalmist calls God’s righteous people to praise God in music, song and shouting because God is true, righteous, just and loving. God made the earth and skies and God’s plan is eternal. The nation which worships God is happy.
OR Psalm 50:7-15God speaks to God’s people telling them that God does not need their sacrifices because the world and everything in it belong to God, and they must rather offer God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, fulfil their promises and cry out to God when they are in trouble.
(Psalm 50 paraphrase by Bruce Prewer here)

Romans 4:13-25God’s promise to Abraham did not come through the Law but through righteousness and faith. In faith, Abraham trusted in the promise and held on to hope and God credited him as righteous. In the same way when we have faith in the Risen Christ, it will be credited to us too.

Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26Jesus calls Matthew to follow him and shares a meal in Matthew’s home with many tax collectors and sinners. When the Pharisees questioned this, Jesus responded that he had not come to call the righteous but sinners. Then he heals a woman who had been suffering for twelve years with bleeding and raises a ruler’s daughter from death.

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Intercultural Neighbouring Sunday

The Uniting Church in Australia has introduced Intercultural Neighbouring Sunday on the 3rd Sunday in July.

PRAYER
God our Creator,
you brought this Uniting Church into being
You have called us to be your diverse and multi-coloured people Show us how to value one another as those made in your image Christ Jesus
You reached out across the barriers that divided Jews, Samaritans and Romans,
Enable us to cross the barriers that separate us from one another Holy Spirit,
You are the Giver of Unity,
Unite your people in love that we may be a community of justice, love and reconciliation –
A Church for all God’s People. Amen
(A CHURCH FOR ALL GOD’S PEOPLE – VISION STATEMENT adopted by the 2006 Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia)

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World Mental Health, 10th October

World Mental Health Day  is 10th October and part of Mental Health Week.
(these are dates for Australia – check out dates in your own country eg Mental Health Day in USA is in May)

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World Week for Peace Palestine Israel

The third week of September is the annual World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel (WWPPI). It includes the International Day of Peace. In 2023 the dates are 16-23 September. The theme for 2023 is ‘No place to lay my head‘. Downloadable 2023 resources here.

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COCU58C

Readings
Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15: In spite of his prophecies of the destruction of Judah, Jeremiah buys his cousin’s field and proclaims God’s word that people will again buy property in the land of Judah.
Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16: God promises refuge, protection and long life to those who trust in God.
1 Timothy 6:6-19: Followers of Christ are encouraged to be content with what they have, not to strive after wealth, and to share generously with others.
Luke 16:19-31: Jesus tells a parable about a wealthy man who failed to share with the poor beggar outside of his gates, and who finds himself in torment after death, while Lazarus, the beggar, finds himself in comfort.

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COCU57C

Readings
Jeremiah 8:18 – 9:1Psalm 79:1-91 Timothy 2:1-8Luke 16:1-13

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September 11th

peace 9 11 sculpture

9/11 sculpture

The sculpture consists of an iron beam pulled from the rubble of the World Trade Center held up by two stainless steel hands. The hands holding it up are constructed from 2,976 individually crafted stainless steel doves – each representing a victim of the attacks.

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COCU56C

(see also anniversary of 9/11 – resources here)

Readings:
Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28; Psalm 14; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; Luke 15:1-10

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