Revd Rex A E Hunt
eMail: rexae@optusnet.com.au
Web site: www.rexaehuntprogressive.com
LITURGY FOR THE CELEBRATION OF LIFE
14 December 2008. Advent 3B. (Blue).
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 worship
The gong is sounded three times
The season of Advent challenges us
to see God's vision of what is yet to be,
to hear God's voice calling anew,
to smell the scent of God in our world.
Lighting of the candle
The community candle is lit
In this special season, let us continue to celebrate
the richness and diversity of life in the presentness of God.
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
“Anna’s Song” 55 (v1-3) ISIT
Lift this child to the sun,
Raise this child to the sky;
God has come from above,
Come to earth from on high.
Lift this child, lift this child to the sun.
Lay this child on the ground,
One with us, one with earth;
Let God know in his son,
Human clay, human birth.
Lay this child, lay this child on the ground.
Place this child in the shade,
Hang this child ‘neath a tree;
With his hand on the wood,
May this child set us free.
Place this child, place this child in the shade.
Remain standing after the hymn
Opening sentences
The presentness of Creativity God is among us,
Wm in the wilderness of our cities,
Mn furrowed by freeways and shaded by skyscrapers.
v2 Prepare a way…
The presentness of Creativity God is among us,
Wm in the wilderness of our countryside,
Mn where farmers eke out a drought-feed existence.
v2 Prepare a way...
The presentness of Creativity God is among us,
Wm moving in the air, the land, and the waters,
Mn making our world whole.
v2 Prepare a way...
All Smooth the rough places, move the mountains;
let Creativity God’s glory be displayed. (Adapt.BPrewer/ap)
Prayer
We pray:
May we give thanks for the opportunity we have
to worship and celebrate this day.
May we be surrounded with a very real sense
of the presentness of Creativity God
as we spend this time together.
Amen.
Hymn “Anna’s Song” 55 (v4-6) ISIT
Give this child to the world,
Let him be common folk;
God has come to be born,
As an ordin’ry bloke.
Give this child, give this child to the world.
Send this child down the road,
Let him ride hard the track;
To be king of the bush,
And the harsh world outback.
Send this child, send this child down the track.
Lift this child to the night,
To the silence of God;
Let this child cry for us,
And the silence be heard.
Lift this child, lift this child to the night.
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.
The children lead us...
Advent Candle of Courage
The light grows brighter and the nights are mild;
excitement is building
in every true child. (BPrewer/bpa)
All Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Last Sunday we lit the candle of trust,
the second Advent candle.
We light it again, along with the candle of hope,
which will always be brought to birth
in, through, and among, all creation.
First and second candles lit
The third Advent candle is the candle of courage.
In the stillness of our worship here we light it,
watching it burn and glow.
Third candle lit
And we affirm that we are a people of God
seeking to muster enough courage amid
the many other voices which surround us.
Presentation of the Christmas Bowl
Let us again remember that without hope, trust and courage,
people struggle to find their way.
The bowl is place near the candles
Hymn "Child of Christmas story" (Tune: ‘Incarnation’ 65 65) 12 (v1-3) AA
Child of Christmas story,
stable straw and star,
small and sweet and gentle:
tell us who you are.
Child whose baby finger
round our own is curled,
come to melt our hearts, and
come to change the world.
Child of Jew and Gentile,
child of white and black -
teach us how to love you,
teach us what we lack. SMurray
The children leave to go to Sunday Club
CENTERING
Silence
Let there now be a silence among us…
(Silence)
In these brief moments of silence may we find strength.
May our lives be rich in affection,
deep in understanding and
sympathy for each other.
May the blessings of life be known to all.
(Silence) BHolmes/adapt
Music of reflection
EXPLORING
Readings from our religious tradition
Some readings from our religious tradition shall now be read. The reader is (NN).
(i) Gospel:
Mark 1:2-3 (Inclusive Text)
As it is written in the book of the prophet Isaiah,
Look, I am going to send my messenger before you,
who will prepare your way.
A voice cries in the wilderness:
‘Make ready a way for God,
clear a straight path.’
(ii) Gospel:
John 1:6-8, 19-28 (Inclusive Text, adapted)
A man came, sent by God. His name was John.
John came as a witness,
as a witness to speak for the light,
so that everyone might believe through him.
John was not the light, only a witness to speak for the light.
This is how John appeared as a witness.
When the Jews sent priests and Levites
from Jerusalem to ask him, 'Who are you?'
John not only declared, but declared quite openly,
'I am not the Christ.'
'Well than,' they asked him, 'are you Elijah?'
'I am not.'
'Are you the Prophet?'
'No.'
So they said,
'Who are you?
'We must take back an answer to those who sent us.
'What have you to say about yourself?'
So John said,
'I am, as Isaiah prophesied:
a voice that cries in the wilderness:
Make a straight way for God.’
Now these priests and Levites had been sent by the Pharisees,
and put this further question to John,
'Why are you baptising if you are not the Christ
and not Elijah, and not the Prophet?'
John replied:
'I baptise with water.
But there stands among you unknown to you
the one who is coming after me.
'And I am not fit to undo his sandal-strap.'
This happened at Bethany, on the far side of Jordan,
where John was baptising.
Contemporary word
Silence for personal reflection
AFFIRMING
A faith litany
On this third Sunday in Advent
and in response to the word reflected on,
let us stand and share a faith litany.
The people stand as they are able
With those who are poor
All We believe in life before death.
With those whom nobody notices
All We believe in life before death.
With those who have nowhere to lay their head
All We believe in life before death.
With those who can’t rely on government,
or armies, or the world community to help them
All We believe in life before death.
Because you, O God, came among us as one of these
All We believe in life before death.
Silence
As we plan and make decisions
All God be our way.
As we learn and ask questions
All God be our truth.
As we grow and as we change
All God be our life. (Christian Aid/ssb)
The peace
Let us take a moment to celebrate each other.
The peace of God is here... to stay.
All Thanks be to God.
You are invited to share the peace with your neighbours
CELEBRATING
Hymn of the Month
“You are born in us again” (Tune: ‘Dunstan’) 52 COC
You are born in us again
Like the warmth of the summer wind you come,
to melt away the icicles of vanity and pride;
you come to blow the very doors of loving open wide.
Like the warmth of the summer wind you come,
like the warmth of the summer wind you come.
You are born in us again
Like the scent of the summer rain you come,
You come to quench the thirsty and to freshen up the land;
you come to clean away the dust that settled in our hand.
Like the scent of the summer rain you come,
like the scent of the summer rain you come.
You are born in us again
Like the light of the summer sun you come,
to give light to the places that have never seen the Son;
you come now to embrace us, you’re the holy, holy one.
Like the light of the summer sun you come,
like the light of the summer sun you come. MWilson
Offerings
Our offerings for the work of ministry in this place and beyond, shall now be received.
Presentation People stand as the gifts are presented
Love kindness, humbly walk with God
and, through compassion, trace
the person we are called to love
in each and every face. (APratt/ea)
People sit
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
As one heart is lifted
All May we share its celebration
As one heart is burdened
All May we share the pain it knows (GVosper/wwg)
And so we take a 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 the new possibilities of the now.
Pastoral
Lord's 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. (BHesla/wsj)
SCATTERING
Hymn “Long ago, prophets knew” (Tune: ‘Theodoric’ 666 66) 283 (v1-3) TiS
Remain standing
Words of mission
The God we worship is never confined to this holy place.
So go and travel with the God
who is found in ordinary and surprising places.
The community candle is extinguished
Gathered together
All We wait for the light.
Standing together
All We trust in the light.
Praying together
All We hope for the light.
Seeking together
All We step out with the light.
Singing together
All We are blessed by the light. (TWatts/s)
Blessing words
Go now in joy, building, living in, and enjoying
a community full of welcome and equality.
All Thanks be to God. (JNelson-Pallmeyer/wsj)
Hymn (Cont) “Long ago, prophets knew” (Tune: ‘Theodoric’ 666 66) 283 (v4) TiS
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:
Alleluia Aotearoa. Hymns and songs for all churches. 1993. NZ: Raumati. New Zealand Hymnbook Trust.
Carol our christmas. A book of New Zealand carols. 1996. NZ: Raumati. New Zealand Hymnbook Trust.
Duncan, G. (ed). 2005. Entertaining angels. A worship anthology on sharing Christ’s hospitality. GtB: Norwich. The Canterbury Press.
Duncan, G. (ed). 2001. Shine on, star of bethlehem. A worship resource for advent, christmas and epiphany. GtB: Norwich. The Canterbury Press.
Holmes, R. H. 1972. The Bob Holmes worship materials. Vol 1. NY: Little Falls. Self published.
Inclusive readings. Year B. 2005. Qld: Brisbane. Inclusive Language Project. In private circulation.
In spirit and in truth. A worship book. 1991. Switzerland: Geneva. World Council of Churches. Seventh Assembly.
Iona Community. 2001. Iona abbey worship book. GtB: Glasgow. Wild Goose Publications.
Nelson-Pallmeyer, J; B. Hesle. 2005. Worship in the spirit of Jesus. Theology, liturgy, and songs without violence. OH: Cleveland. The Pilgrim Press.
Prewer, B. D. 1992. Brief prayers for Australians. Vol 3. SA: Adelaide. OpenBook Publishers.
Together in song. Australian hymn book 2. 1999. NSW: Sydney. HarperCollins Religious.
Vosper, G. 2008. With or without God. Why the way we live is more important that what we believe. Canada: Toronto. HarperCollins.
Watts, T; G. Lord. 2005. Sanctuary. Where heaven touches earth. A group resource for those seeking simplicity, silence, and nurture. Canada: Kelowna. Wood Lake Books.
Web sites:
UUA Worship Web. MA: Boston. UUA. < www.uua.org/spirituallife/worshipweb/>