Revd Rex A E Hunt
eMail: rexae@optusnet.com.au
Web site: www.rexaehuntprogressive.com
LITURGY FOR THE CELEBRATION OF LIFE
9 October 2011. Pentecost 17A/22A. (Green).
Acknowledgement of Land
(An act towards reconciliation)
For thousands of years Indigenous people have walked
in this land, on their own country.
Their relationship with the land is at the centre of their lives.
We acknowledge the (NN) People and their stewardship
of this land throughout the ages.
(NN) is a safe place for all people to worship regardless of
race, creed, age, cultural background or sexual orientation
GATHERING
Gathering Music
Entry into the Celebration
The gong is sounded three times
Hope brings us here:
hope of inspiration,
hope of comfort,
hope of enlightenment,
hope of love (CReed/wah).
Then let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life
in the presentness of God.
Lighting of the Candle
The community candle is lit in silence
May we be open to this light,
and to the rich possibilities that it brings us.
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
"Wake, Now My Senses" (Tune: 'Slane', 10 10 10 10, 547 TiS) 298 SLT
Wake, now my senses, and hear the earth call;
feel the deep power of being in all;
keep, with the web of creation your vow,
giving, receiving as love shows us how.
Wake, now my reason, reach out to the new,
join with each pilgrim who quests for the true;
honour the beauty and wisdom of time;
suffer your limit, and praise the sublime.
Wake, now compassion, give heed to the cry;
voices of suffering fill the wide sky;
take as your neighbour both stranger and friend,
praying and striving their hardship to end.
Wake, now my conscience, with justice your guide;
join with all people whose rights are denied;
take not for granted a privileged place;
God's love embraces the whole human race.
Wake, now my vision of ministry clear;
brighten my pathway with radiance here;
mingle my calling with all who will share;
work toward a planet transformed by our care. TJS Mikelson
Remain standing after the hymn
Opening Sentences
In the beginning, God made the world:
Wn Made it and mothered it,
Mn Shaped it and fathered it,
Wn Filled it with seed and signs of fertility,
Mn Filled it with love and its folk with ability.
All that is green, blue, deep and growing,
All God's is the hand that created you.
All that speaks, sings, cries, laughs or keeps silent,
All God's is the hand that created you.
The world belongs to Creativity God.
All The earth and all its people. (nwi/adapt)
Prayer
We pray:
We are gathered here in community.
A place has been made for each of us.
Let what we say and do here be real for us
in preparation for the life of the world.
Amen.
Hymn "Where the Road Runs Out" 156 AA
Where the road runs out and the signposts end,
where we come to the edge of today,
be the God of Abraham for us,
send us out upon our way.
Refrain:
Lord, you were our beginning,
the faith that gave us birth.
We look to you, our ending,
our hope for heaven and earth.
When the coast is left and we journey on
to the rim of the sky and the sea,
be the sailor's friend, be the dolphin Christ,
lead us in to eternity.
Refrain:
When the clouds are low and the wind is strong,
when tomorrow's storm draws near,
be the spirit bird hovering overhead
who will take away our fear. CGibson
Refrain:
The people sit
Welcome
In your own words
A warm welcome is extended to all.
Especially those who are worshipping at (NN) for the first time
or who have returned after an absence.
Your presence both enriches us and this time of celebration together.
Refer to printed liturgy.
Fellowship hour following worship.
Those visiting, please sign our Visitors book.
CENTERING
Silence
Let there now be a silence between us for a time.
(Silence)
May that which is the continual longing of the spirit
find strength in the secret places of our hearts (RHolmes/wm).
Music of Reflection
EXPLORING
Readings from our broad Religious Tradition
Two readings from our broad religious tradition
shall now be read by (NN).
From the world around us:
“O taste and see”
Kathy Galloway. Celebrating Women/134.
Now is the time for the good wine
Pressed from the fruit of the tree
Now is the time for rejoicing
In the place where the feast will be.
O taste and see
And refresh us with love.
Leave all the cares of the growing
Just let the mystery sing
Magic of ripening and pruning
And the fullness that time will bring
O taste and see
And refresh us with love.
Sweet-tasting cup of our loving
Promise of pleasure and pain
Take it and drink of it deeply
For the new life it will contain
O taste and see
And refresh us with love.
Gospel:
Matthew 22:1-10 (Inclusive Text)
Once more Jesus spoke to the chief priests and Pharisees in parables.
‘The reign of heaven may be compared to a ruler
who gave a wedding banquet for his son.
‘The ruler sent slaves to call those who had been invited
to the wedding banquet, but they would not come.
‘Again, he sent other slaves, saying:
“Tell those who have been invited:
Look, I have prepared my dinner,
my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready;
Come to the wedding banquet”.
‘But they made light of it and went away,
one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest
seized the slaves, mistreated them, and killed them.
‘The ruler was enraged.
He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
‘Then he said to his slaves:
“The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy.
Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find, to the wedding banquet.”
‘Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered
all whom they found, both good and bad;
so the wedding hall was filled with guests.’
Contemporary word
Silence for personal reflection
AFFIRMING
An Affirmation of Faith
In response to the word reflected on, let us stand
and share an affirmation of faith.
The people stand
May we be aware of our weaknesses -
and strengthened by that awareness.
Wn. May we be conscious of our shortcomings -
and alerted by that consciousness.
Mn. May we know our limitations -
and be humbled by that knowledge.
Thus may we come to pay less attention
to our weaknesses, shortcomings, limitations -
All And to give greater attention
to possible areas of continuing growth:
awareness, consciousness, knowledge! RTDick
The Peace
Let us take a moment to celebrate each other.
The peace of God is here... to stay. (Iona)
All Thanks be to God.
You are invited to share the peace with your neighbours
Hymn of the Month People stand as they are able, to sing
“To God the Process” (Tune: ‘Edith’) 140 HoS
Gloria! Gloria!
To God the process, God the life,
to God compassion’s spring,
to God the boundless way of love,
to God in everything,
to God the inner Christ of faith,
to God the wine and bread,
to God the sacred energy,
the fabric and the thread.
To you, O God, we sing our praise,
we join the cosmic song,
we walk the path that Jesus walked,
we turn our thoughts from wrong.
For you delight in each of us
and we delight in you.
With hearts on fire we live your praise
in all we think and do.
Amen, Amen, Amen, O God,
to you be endless praise.
Shalom, Shalom, Shalom, O God,
our hearts to you we raise.
For you empower and you fulfil
our latent energy,
the universe within our lives
shall dance your liturgy.
Gloria! (WLWallace)
CELEBRATING
Offerings
Our offerings for the celebration of life in this place
and beyond, shall now be received.
Presentation People stand as the gifts are presented
Inspired by stories of a compassionate God,
may we find a good feeling in our hearts
so through these gifts we can
help free some people from hunger,
lift some people from their distress, and
encourage some people to be part of a better world.
People sit
With the Children
Children gather on the conversation mat
Conversation
"Somewhere someone"
The kingdom of love is coming because:
All somewhere someone is kind when others are unkind,
somewhere someone shares with another in need,
somewhere someone refuses to hate, while others hate,
somewhere someone is patient - and waits in love,
somewhere someone returns good for evil,
somewhere someone serves another, in love,
somewhere someone is calm in a storm,
somewhere someone is loving everybody.
Is that someone you? (jke)
Reflections and Prayers
Care candle:
We are people of all ages who enter this space
bringing our joys and concerns.
Joys and concerns shared.
Listening response:
In joy and in sorrow
All We
do not walk alone (GVosper/wwg)
And so we take this flame and light our special care candle.
The Care candle is lit
In all our joys and in all our concerns, may we be ever mindful
of the presentness of God among us,
and to see new possibilities of the now.
Pastoral Prayers:
The'Abba' Prayer
You are invited to pray in the spirit of the Lord's Prayer, and in your original language, as that is appropriate
All Gracious Spirit,
Who loves us like a mother,
Whose realm is blooming among us now.
And within.
We pray that your compassion guide us in every action.
Give us what we need for each day,
and help us to be satisfied with the miracle of that alone.
Forgiver, whose embrace brings us to wholeness without our asking,
May we reconcile ourselves to one another in humility.
And may we cancel the crushing debts that imprison our neighbours
So that communities of joy and health may flourish.
May we neither profit from nor ignore evil.
But ever work to thwart it with non-violence
As we co-create the realm of peace in this world.
Now and each day.
Amen. (Bret Hesla/wsj)
SCATTERING
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
“A man of ancient time and place” (Tune ‘Tallis’ Canon’, 88 88. 443 TiS)
A man of ancient time and place
with foreign speech and foreign face,
reveals the glory, power and grace
of costly, unexpected love.
A rabbi, schooled in Moses’ Law,
a male, amending Herod’s flaw,
arouses wonder, rage and awe
with costly, unexpected love.
By teasing word and healing deed,
a leper touched, an outcast freed,
he bears the fruit and plants the seed
of costly, unexpected love.
Remain standing
Words of Mission
As we prepare to leave this sacred space where we have celebrated together,
let us return to our homes and work enlivened and renewed...
The candle is extinguished
Go into the world:
dance, laugh, sing and create.
All We go with your encouragement, O God.
Go into the world:
risk, explore, discover and love.
All We go with your encouragement, O God.
Go into the world:
believe, hope, struggle and remember.
All We go with the assurance of your love, O God.
Blessing Words
May the Spirit which flows through all creation,
that speaks through the prophets and the poets,
and which acts through those who care,
be with us here today, and awaken us
to the unconquerable power of life (CReed/wah).
All Amen.
Hymn (Cont) “A man of ancient time and place” (Tune ‘Tallis’ Canon’, 88 88. 443 TiS)
The cost we barely can surmise
when, lifted up before our eyes,
the face of God we recognize
in crucified, unfathomed love.
May faith and hope within us grow,
the way of Christ to tell and show,
and may the Spirit breathe and blow
in costly, unexpected love. BWren
The people sit after the hymn
'This Week' at (NN)
Notices
Birthdays and anniversaries
Significant events
Journey candles
Music
Fellowship
Morning tea is now served.
You are invited to share in the moment of fellowship.
You are invited to keep this copy of the liturgy and take it home with you
to share with another member of your family, or with a friend
I recommend the use of LicenSing - Copyright cleared music for churches
Some of the resources used in shaping this liturgy:
(AA) Alleluia Aotearoa. Hymns and songs for all churches. 1993. NZ: Raumati. New Zealand Hymnbook Trust.
Binkley, C. G.; J. M. McKeel. 2001. Jesus and his Kingdom of Equals. An international curriculum on the life and teaching of Jesus. CA: Santa Rosa. Polebridge Press.
Holmes, R. H. 1972. The Bob Holmes Worship Materials. Vol 1. NY: Little Falls. Self published.
(HoS) Hope Is Our Song. New hymns and songs from Aotearoa New Zealand. 2009. NZ: Palmerston North. New Zealand Hymnbook Trust.
Inclusive Readings. Year A. 2004. QLD: Brisbane. Inclusive Language Project. In private circulation.
Iona Community. 2001. Iona Abbey Worship Book. GtB: Glasgow. Wild Goose Publications.
Reed, C. 1992. We Are Here. A book of prayer for corporate worship. GtB: London. Lindsey Press.
The St Hilda Community. 1996. The New Women Included. A book of services and prayers. GtB: London. SPCK.
Vosper, G. 2008. With or Without God. Why the way we live is more important that what we believe. Canada: Toronto. HarperCollins.
Web sites:
Dick. UUA Worship Web. MA: Boston. < www.uua.org/spirituallife/worshipweb/>
Brian Wren. "A Man of Ancient Time". Stainer & Bell Ltd. Web site: hymns.uk.com