Revd Rex A E Hunt
eMail: rexae@optusnet.com.au
Web site: www.rexaehuntprogressive.com
LITURGY FOR THE CELEBRATION OF LIFE
18 December 2011. Advent 4B. (Blue).
Celebrating community: Sacrament of Holy Communion
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
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
“Christmas in Southern Hemisphere” (Tune: ‘Cranham’, 65 65)
Christmas in the summer?
Heat instead of cold?
Flowers instead of freezing?
Skies that shine like gold?
This is Southern Christmas,
Seasons in reverse!
Can the Northern pictures
Speak in Southern verse?
Inner space is timeless
God is everywhere
Cries of newborn infants
Reach for Mary's care.
When we nurture wonder
'Till its grace abounds
We create new pictures
Outside Northern bounds.
Sing the Christmas story
Carol South and North
Sing of pregnant seasons,
Nature’s songs of birth.
Raise the Christchild’s praises
Lift both joy and pain
Touch the realms of oneness
Live the birth again. (WWallace/ssb)
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 of Awareness
We pray:
God of surprises,
startle us with truth we do not see,
amaze us with your power and grace,
beckon us, and lead us far above
restricted hope and narrow faith (MRose.adapt/sco).
Amen.
Hymn "Sarah's God" (Tune: ‘Leoni’ 66 84D). Verses: 1, 2, 4, 5 125 TiS)
The God of Sarah praise
who turned her grief to joy
when, after many barren days,
she held her boy.
For laughter out of tears,
and bitterness and strife,
she praised God, after ninety years,
for the gift of life.
The God of Miriam!
She saw her brother found,
and learned, like him, that all God's earth
is holy ground.
When Moses sang a psalm,
'God has triumphed gloriously!'
She led the girls in song and dance
across the sea.
All praise to Mary's God
who overcame her dread.
'Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
Amen!' she said.
She sang, 'My soul, adore
God who brought down mighty kings,
and fills the hungry and the poor
with all good things.'
The matriarchs' God and ours
who leads us onward still,
inspire our hearts, unite our minds
to work God's will.
Rock, Saviour, Maker, Lamb,
we sing your praise anew.
Mother, Father, great 'I am',
we worship you. BMoss/ssb
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 Love
Each night we sleep wearily
under a large summer moon.
The nights are short
and the dawn comes soon. (BPrewer/bpa)
All Come, Companion Jesus, Come.
Last Sunday we lit the candle of courage, the third Advent candle.
We light it again, along with the candles of hope and trust,
which will always be brought to birth
in, through, and among, all creation.
First, second and third candles lit
The fourth Advent candle is the candle of love.
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
always seeking to break down the walls
that divide and separate us, as a community
and in the lives of people near and far.
Presentation of the Christmas Bowl
Let us again remember that without hope, trust, courage and love,
people struggle to find their way.
The bowl is place near the candles
Hymn "Child of Christmas Story" (Tune: ‘Incarnation’ 65 65) 12 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.
Child of Mary's courage
birthed in human pain,
tell us what your name is -
be our hope again. SEMurray
The children leave to go to Sunday Club
CENTERING
Silence
Let there now be a silence among us…
(Silence)
And let us yield to that silence which gives
the greater understanding of that mystery which is life. BHolmes/wm
(Silence)
Music of Reflection
EXPLORING
Readings from our broad Religious Tradition
Some readings from our broad 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.’
From the world around us:
"Overshadowed"
By Bruce Sanguin. If Darwin Prayed/9
Overshadow us, O Holy One,
as your spirit overshadowed Mary,
announcing her role as a key player
in the Christmas story.
Overshadow our sense of insignificance
with the mystery that you chose us
to give birth to the Holy.
Overshadow our low estimation of ourselves
with Spirit's esteeming presence.
Overshadow our fear that you are calling us
with Spirit's empowering grace.
Our small selves relax
in the shadow of your grace.
We regain our full stature
and accept the leading role
in this drama of sacred birth.
We are reminded
that with you,
all things are possible.
(ii) Gospel:
Luke 1:26-38 (Inclusive Text/adapted)
The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,
to a woman betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the House of David.
The woman’s name was Mary.
Gabriel went in and said to her,
“Rejoice, so highly favoured! God is with you.”
She was deeply disturbed by these words
and asked herself what this greeting could mean,
but the angel said to her,
“Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God's favour.
"Listen! You are to conceive and bear a child,
and you must name him Jesus.
"Your child will be great, and will be called Begotten of the Most High.
"God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.
He will rule over the House of Jacob for ever,
and his reign will have no end.
Mary said to the angel,
“But how can this come about, since I am not involved with a man?”
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you", the angle answered
"and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow.
And so the child will be holy
and will be called Begotten of God.
"Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has,
in her old age, herself conceived a child,
and she whom people called barren
is now in her sixth month,
for nothing is impossible to God.”
"I am the handmaid of God," said Mary,
"let what you have said be done to me.”
And the angel left her.
Silence for Personal Reflection
AFFIRMING
An Affirmation of Faith
On this fourth Sunday in Advent and in response to the word reflected on,
let us stand and share an affirmation of faith
written by the martyred, Oscar Romero.
The people stand as they are able
Advent should admonish us to discover
Wm in each brother or sister that we greet,
Mn in each friend whose hand we shake,
Wm in each beggar who asks for bread,
Mn in each worker who wants to use the right to join a union,
Wm in each peasant who looks for work in the coffee groves,
All the face of Christ.
Then it would not be possible
All to rob them, to cheat them, to deny them their rights.
They are Christ.
Wm And whatever is done to them
Mn Christ will take as done to him.
This is what Advent is:
Christ living among us. (ORomera/lol)
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
“There Is No Child So Small” (Tune: ‘Jewel’) 133(i) HoS
There is no child so small,
no scrap of life so precious
who is not born like Jesus,
whose cry is like us all.
There is no child unfed,
left hungry now at Christmas
but God will ask for justice,
for shelter and for bread.
There is no child so lost,
no refugee so nameless
that God will hold us blameless,
who share no care or cost.
There is no child so cheap,
in warfare or destruction
that love cannot take action
when God is made to weep.
There is not one of us
who could not be more giving,
and in the gift more loving,
to light a star for peace. (SEMurray)
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:
May our thoughts be filled with transformation,
All May our words reflect the yearnings of our hearts.
And may the spirit that binds within us as we gather
All Hallow each and every passing moment
we know here together (Adapt.GVosper/ab).
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 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 Eternal Spirit
Source of all that is and ever shall be,
Loving Parent in whom we discern heaven,
May knowledge of your holiness inspire all peoples.
And may your commonwealth of peace and freedom
flourish on earth, until all of humankind
heed your call to justice and compassion.
May we find the bread that we need for today.
And for the hurts we cause one another
may we be forgiven in the same measure
that we forgive.
In times of trial and temptation,
help us to be strong;
When life seems overwhelming,
Help us to endure;
And thus from the yoke of sin deliver us.
May you reign in the power of human love,
Now and forever. (THall)
CELEBRATING
Our offerings for the work of ministry in this place and beyond,
and our gifts or bread and wine, shall now be received.
Presentation People stand as the gifts are presented
May these gifts and these offerings be signs
of our gratitude, and signs of our hope
for life and the world.
People sit
CELEBRATING COMMUNITY: SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION
Setting
Source and Sustainer of life we name God,
present and active from the beginning of time,
we are gathered in your ever presentness.
All And it is right that we give thanks and praise,
and tell our stories of celebration,
lament, and connectedness.
Thanksgiving
Lift up your hearts.
All We lift them up in praise.
For the galaxies extend to eternity.
All And their beauty is exquisite.
Let us give thanks for the abundance of life on this earth.
All Through it we and all people may be nourished. (PLawson/jc)
In time beyond our dreaming
Creativity God hovered over the water,
and was revealed in fire and storm and precious law.
Likewise, humanity in this creative likeness evolved on this earth,
along with earth’s minerals and waters,
flowers and fruits,
living creatures of grace and beauty!
All We offer this our thanks and praise.
In this age and season, with its TV and shopping and summer sun,
we wait again with expectant hearts
and hopeful spirits,
as we seek to discern God’s presentness among us.
Yet we remember and lament…
v2 For that which has been stultified, locked up,
trapped and frozen in our reverence of the traditional,
All We lament.
v2 For those outdated customs that have
immunised against the new and on the edge
and diluted our passion,
All We lament.
v2 For choices that strangle rather than free us,
All We lament.
v2 For old ways of doing things which are now out of place
yet still live within us and cause us anxiety and insecurity,
All We lament.
So as we remember and lament, we also celebrate
as we join with all people, saying:
All Holy, holy, holy, compassionate God,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
All Hosanna in the highest.
Bread and Wine
Long ago so our special tradition says,
Jesus came in the humble birth of a child,
a child of amazing and divine love,
a child of Mary's 'yes',
a child of Joseph's acceptance,
a child of our humanity.
All We pledge ourselves to be embodiments of the dream he dreamed.
Long ago our tradition also says, Jesus took bread,
gave thanks, and broke it:
v2 'This bread is broken, as my body will be'.
Bread is broken
And he handed it to his friends, inviting them to eat:
v2 'Remember all that I have been to you'.
Long ago our tradition says, Jesus poured a cup of wine,
offered thanks for it, and gave it to his friends:
Wine poured out
v2 'This wine is poured out as my life will be poured out.
As you drink give thanks for all I have given'.
May this gathering of this community of faith
be comforted and challenged during this Advent season...
May this broken bread and poured out wine
be for us as they have been for many,
strength and faith,
nourishment and hope,
blessing and forgiveness (GVosper/wowg)
All May people see in us the courage and the generosity
that characterised Jesus' life.
Communion
Served at the front by intinction
After Communion
We are one with the mystery and Source and Sustainer of all that exists.
We rejoice in our human capacity
to wonder and marvel,
to appreciate,
to rejoice,
and to give thanks.
SCATTERING
Hymn People stand as they are able, to sing
“Sing a Different Song” (Tune: Different Song) 62 (v1-2) HSNW
Sing a different song now Christmas is here,
Sing a song of people knowing God's near:
The Messiah is born in the face of our scorn,
Sing a different song of welcome and warn.
Shout a different shout now Christmas is here,
Shout a song of joy and genuine cheer:
Fill the earth and sky with the news from on high,
Shout a different shout that all may come by.
Remain standing
Words of Mission
Let us take on this week’s life
with renewed hope and imagination...
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) “Sing a Different Song” (Tune: Different Song) 62 (v3-4) HSNW
Love a different love now Christmas is here,
Love without condition, love without leer:
With the humble and poor, with the shy and unsure,
Love a different love. Let Christ be the cure!
Dance a different dance now Christmas is here,
Dance a dance of war on suffering and fear:
Peace and justice are one and their prince is this Son,
Dance a different dance. God's reign has begun! (Bell/Maule)
People sit
'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.
(HSNW) Bell, J; G. Maule. 1989. Heaven Shall Not Wait. Wild Goose Songs Vol. 1. Revised edition. GtB: Glasgow. Wild Goose Publications.
Duncan, G. (ed). 2001. Shine On, Star of Bethlehem. A worship resource for advent, christmas and epiphany. GtB: Norwich. The Canterbury Press.
Duncan, G. (ed). 1998. Seeing Christ in Others. An anthology for worship, mediation and mission. GtB: Norwich. The Canterbury Press.
Hilton, D. (ed). 1991. Liturgy of Life. An anthology. GtB: Birmingham. National Christian Education Council.
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 B. 2005. QLD: Brisbane. Inclusive Language Project. In private circulation.
Iona Community. 2001. Iona Abbey Worship Book. GtB: Glasgow. Wild Goose Publications.
Lawson, P. R. 2003. Jesus Circles. Xlibris Corporation.
Prewer, B. D. 1992. Brief Prayers for Australians. Vol 3. SA: Adelaide. OpenBook Publishers.
Prewer, B. D. 2000. Australian Psalms. Revised and expanded. SA: Adelaide. OpenBook Publishers.
Sanguin, B. 2010. If Darwin Prayed. Prayers for Evolutionary Mystics. Vancouver: EOS.
Vosper, G. 2009/2010. Another Breath. Prayers for celebration and reflection. QLD: Brisbane. The Centre for Progressive Religious Thought Brisbane.
Vosper, G. 2008. With or Without God. Why the way we live is more important than what we believe. Canada: 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.
Withrow, L. 1995. Seasons of Prayer. Resources for worship. G.B: London. SPCK.
Web sites/Other:
Tom Hall. ''The Abba Prayer'. Reprinted in Laughlin, P. A. 2009. “Pray without seeking. Toward a truly mystical Lord’s Prayer” in The Fourth R 22, 6, 20-24.