Revd Rex A E Hunt
eMail: rexae@optusnet.com.au
Web site: www.rexaehuntprogressive.com
LITURGY FOR THE CELEBRATION OF LIFE
18 November 2012. Pentecost 24B. (Green).
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
Come in. Come into this place
which we make special by our presence.
Together we make it a holy place
with our every act of celebration and worship.
So let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life
in the presentness of God.
Lighting of the Community Candle
The candle is lit
Hymn The people stand, as they are able, to sing
"I Love To Tell The Story" Stanza 1A.CHankey 1834-1911 Stanza 2, DDewey 1993
I love to tell the story
of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and his glory,
of Jesus and his love.
I love to tell the story
because I know it's true;
It satisfies my longings
as nothing else can do.
I love to tell the story.
'Twill be my theme in glory
To tell the old, old story,
of Jesus and his love.
I love to tell the story;
the story changes things!
It challenges the powers;
it whispers, thunders, sings!
It births the holy presence
in moments of surprise,
It heals, empowers and strengthens,
and opens ears and eyes!
I love to tell the story,
of Jesus and his glory,
Because it is God's story,
of justice, love and peace!
Remain standing
Opening Sentences
Among us the spirit of Creativity God conceives new life
All And we feel the life within us.
In our history Jesus the Sage makes gentle entry
All And we see the light before us.
Within our dreams the truth of our God is revealed
All We await the hope of the world.
Act of Awareness
xxx
OR
We pray:
God of all life we give thanks for the signs
of your love and creativity
that surround us and bless us.
May it be so.
Hymn “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.
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
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
Reflection
xxx
Silence
In this time of silence may we move
from busy-ness
to quietness...
(Silence)
God of life
God of peace
God of wonders that will not cease...
Present with us now.
(Silence)
Music of Reflection
EXPLORING
Reading from our Biblical Tradition
A reading from our biblical tradition shall now be read by (NN).
Gospel:
Mark 13:1-8 (NRSV)
As Jesus came out of the temple, one of his disciples said,
“Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!”
Jesus asked him,
“Do you see these great buildings?
Not one stone will be left here upon another;
all will be thrown down.”
When Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives
opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately,
“Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign
that all these things are about to be accomplished?”
Then Jesus began to say to them,
“Beware that no one leads you astray.
Many will come in my name and say,
‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray.
“When you hear of wars and rumors of wars,
do not be alarmed; this must take place,
but the end is still to come.
“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines.
“This is but the beginning of the birthpangs.”
Silence for Personal Reflection
AFFIRMING
A Celebration of Faith...
In response to the word reflected on, let us stand
and share together a celebration of faith.
The people stand as they are able
Christ our life, you are alive
All in the beauty of the earth
in the rhythm of the seasons
in the mystery of time and space,
Alleluia.
Christ our life, you are alive
All in the tenderness of touch
in the heartbeat of intimacy
in the insights of solitude,
Alleluia.
Christ our life, you are alive
All in the creative possibility
of the dullest conversation
the dreariest task
the most threatening event,
Alleluia.
Christ our life, you are alive
All to offer re-creation
to every unhealed hurt
to every deadened place
to every damaged heart,
Alleluia.
You set before us a great choice.
Therefore we choose life.
The dance of resurrection soars and surges
through the whole creation.
It sets gifts of bread and wine upon our table.
All This is grace, dying we live.
So let us live. KGalloway/cw
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 The people stand, as they are able, to sing
xxx
The people sit
CELEBRATING
Conversation 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.
Focused Thoughts:
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 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.
The 'Abba' Prayer
You are invited to pray in the spirit of the Lord's Prayer, and in your original language, as appropriate
All God, who cares for us,
The wonder of whose presence fills us with awe.
Let kindness, justice and love shine in our world.
Let your secrets be known here as they are in heaven.
Give us the food and the hope we need for today.
Forgive us our wrongdoing
as we forgive the wrongs done to us.
Protect us from pride and from despair
and from the fear and hate which can swallow us up.
In you is truth, meaning, glory and power,
while worlds come and go.
Amen. (MFurlong/nwi)
CELEBRATING COMMUNITY: SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION
Offerings
Our offerings for the celebration of life in this place
and beyond, and our gifts of bread and wine,
shall now be received.
Presentation People stand, as they are able, as the gifts are presented
Be with us, Loving God, in the breaking:
in the break of day
in the breaking of the bread
in the breaking of our lives
in the breaking of our hearts
in the breaking of our hopes.
Be with us, Loving God,
for you alone can make us whole.
The people sit
Thanksgiving
God is the heart of life.
All And we are the heartbeat.
May our hearts be filled
with thanks and praise and songs of joy.
All We rejoice in the miracle of life
and delight in our participation. SWeinberg
We give thanks and praise for all that is good in the world.
For the love we name Creativity God, and all that is.
For the person we name Jesus
and his message of peace, justice and inclusiveness
that is the realm of God.
For the renewing strength and freedom of the Spirit
always present on the breath of life.
All We give thanks for the love, peace,
justice, prosperity,
strength and freedom,
and for the presentness of God in the midst of life.
The Celebration
Jesus gathered with his friends
to tell them of a re-imagined way of living and being.
A way that did not conform
to the standards of the Roman Empire
or any other system of governance
that suppressed people
until starvation and deprivation resulted in death.
He knew that human nature was such
that despite good intentions it often betrayed itself...
And he named the betrayal when he said,
there is one among us who will deny what I say.
The Story/Bread and Wine
So let us break bread together.
We remember...
at the end of a journey, among friends,
gathered round a table...
Jesus took bread, gave thanks, and broke it:
'This bread is broken, as my body will be'.
And he handed it to his friends,
and invited them to eat:
'Remember all that I have been to you'.
We remember...
Jesus poured a cup of wine, offered thanks for it,
and gave it to his friends:
'This wine is poured out as my life will be.
As you drink give thanks for all I have given'.
Bread... the very stuff of life.
Wine... fruit of the vine.
May the spirit within us
All be a source of healing and consolation
May the spirit within us
All strengthen us when we feel weak,
warm us when we are cold-hearted,
bend us when we are stubborn,
move us when we are uncaring,
guide us in the way of love.
May the spirit within us
All shine in all we do.
Communion
By eating this bread and drinking this wine
we become one in hope.
The bread and the wine will be served.
After Communion
God of love, God of compassion,
may the celebration of the wonder
and the mystery of your presence,
strengthen and enable us
to be your body the church.
SCATTERING
Hymn The people stand, as they are able, to sing
“From Atoms To Planets” (Tune: ‘Kemeza’, 12 11 12 11) 108 (v1-2) WNC
From atoms to planets eternity changes;
the hues and the colours that cover the earth,
through seasons and cycles, the world rearranges,
but sure is the love that has brought us to birth.
The wind and the weather distort vegetation,
the breakers are pounding and shaping the shore.
Our lives are spun round as each grief re-determines
the things that are doubtful and those that are sure.
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 candle is extinguished
As we depart one from another,
let our hearts be secure through every human season.
All Let our hearts be secure
in seasons of anguish as in seasons of joy,
in seasons of failure as in seasons of success,
in seasons of uncertainty as in seasons of security.
Let our hearts be secure in this dual reality:
we are worthy recipients of love and support
we can never earn,
All and we are worthy providers of love
and support others cannot earn.
Let our hearts be secure,
All for hearts know and understand
and will respond if invited in. JA.Hobart
Blessing Words
Fall in love with living
Wrestling with the chaos and the pain
Within ourself and within the world.
Join the celebration of life,
Dancing with the angels and the clowns.
And may the God of peace and joy,
Who is continually making all things new,
Embrace you
As a partner
In the divine creating (JBoyce-Tillman/wb).
All Amen!
Hymn (Cont). “From Atoms To Planets” (Tune: ‘Kemeza’, 12 11 12 11) 108 (v3) WNC
Amid all this turmoil, this change and mutation,
the strained intertwining of living and strife,
one thing remains constant, relentless, determined:
that God goes on loving in death as through life (APratt).
The 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:
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.
Duncan, G. (ed). 2000. A world of blessing. Benedictions from every continent and many cultures. GtB: Norwich. The Canterbury Press.
Holy Bible. NRSV. 1989. Ten: Nashville. Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Iona Community. 2001. Iona abbey worship book. GtB: Glasgow. Wild Goose Publications.
Pratt, A. 2002. Whatever name or creed. Hymns and songs. GtB: London. Stainer & Bell Ltd.
Seaburg, C. (ed). 1993. The communion book. MA: Boston. UUMA.
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.
Ward, H.; J. Wild, J Morley. (ed). 1995. Celebrating women. New edition. GtB: London. SPCK.
Web sites:
UUA Worship Web. MA: Boston. UUA. www.uua.org/spirituallife/worshipweb/>
Stainer & Bell Ltd. Web site: hymns.uk.com
Sherri Weinberg. St Paul's Presbyterian Church. NZ: Devonport.