G'day folks,
This is my last liturgy in placement at The Church of St James in Canberra, ACT, Australia.
I conclude this afternoon and move into permanent retirement in mid July.
Thank you for journeying with me over the years. Your encouraging comments have been of great assistance.
I hope to continue to maintain my web site (liturgies and sermons) from here on in.
Regards and best wishes in each of your ministries,
RAEH
Revd Rex A E Hunt
MSc(Hons), GradDipCommMgt
eMail: rexae@optusnet.com.au
Web site: www.rexaehuntprogressive.com
LITURGY FOR THE CELEBRATION OF LIFE
28 June 2009. Pentecost 4B. (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
We gather in community
to rest from our labours,
to greet our neighbours,
and to open our being to insight and intuition
of that greater reality of which we are a part.
May we find in our time together inspiration and renewal.
May we touch the holy in each other
and be touched by the graciousness of life.
May we find here a calm peacefulness
that will carry us through the days ahead.
We are the sisters and brothers of all that is,
cherishing the earth,
embracing its life.
v2 Let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life in the presentness of God.
(Silence)
Lighting of the community candle
The candle is lit
Hymn “In the bulb there is a flower” (Tune: “Maria’s Tune”, 87 87D, 420 TiS)
In the bulb there is a flower;
in the seed, an apple tree;
in cocoons, a hidden promise;
butterflies with soon be free!
in the cold and snow of winter
there's a spring that waits to be,
unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see.
There's a song in every silence,
seeking word and melody.
there's a dawn in every darkness,
bringing hope to you and me.
From the past will come the future,
what it holds, a mystery;
unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see.
In our end is our beginning;
in our time, infinity;
in our doubt there is believing;
in our life, eternity.
In our death, a resurrection;
at the last, a victory,
unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see. NAW Sleeth
Opening sentences
God of all time, God of eternity
All our years belong to you.
Our endings are often your beginnings.
All Our dreamings are often your realities.
You affirm our past
All and give life to our future.
Prayer of awareness
We pray:
Surprising God,
whose love leads us to new experiences,
help us to be open to your presence
among us and within.
Let us sense your glory in the sights
and sounds and celebrations of this day.
Amen.
Hymn “Celebrate each difference” (Tune: ‘Intercessor’, 11 10 11 10. 587 TiS)
We cannot make an easy, safe distinction,
all people are our neighbours, none denied.
The voices of all nations heard beside us:
all sisters, brothers, none we should deride.
The wall between the peoples has been broken.
In love of God divisions disappear.
As seen in Christ, we recognise our neighbours.
We greet unusual faces without fear.
We celebrate each difference God has given.
Each nation, black and white, both straight and gay,
the able and the challenged, God has offered,
that we might share together, learn and pray
We meet with those who paint a different picture,
who value God in words not yet our own.
In dialogue we offer one another
a vision we could never find alone.
This God we seek is greater than each difference;
the source and ground of all variety,
the centre and the soul of all creation,
erasing hate with love, to set us free. APratt/ea
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
"Ladders"
By Jennifer Brooks. For all that is our life/56-57.
Two men walked casually, each with a wooden ladder,
carried unceremoniously over the shoulder
as if the long and awkward burden
were no more than a sweatshirt,
or half-full bag, or at most a child of two
draped there for a few laughing moments.
But they went on from one job to another,
the bucket one held (and waved in careless gesture)
suggesting window-washers headed for the next pane.
The little puzzle of why they carried ladders
along the busy road was nothing to the beauty of their walking,
the unconscious grace as they kept the long tools in parallel
(all the while talking, shrugging, chuckling)
and seemingly unaware of the swathe they cut
without harm to passers-by.
No pas-de-deux at center stage could capture so lovingly
the rapture of ordinary life made remarkable
by mastery and unselfconscious pride.
Silence
Let us now settle into silence and stillness.
(Silence)
Let us centre our minds and our hearts.
We are one with the universe.
We are one with the sun and the stars.
We are one with the earth.
We are one with the One who is mystery…
(Silence)
Music of celebration
EXPLORING
Readings from broad religious tradition
Two readings from our broad religious tradition shall now be offered.
The world around us (Responsive):
"The wisdom of science"
By David Rhys Williams. (3C/CCC)
Blessed are they who have vision and wonder enough
to behold a guiding star
All in the dark mystery which girdles the earth.
Blessed are they who have imagination enough
to detect the music of celestial voices
All in the midnight hours of life.
Blessed are they who have faith enough
to contemplate a world of peace and justice
All in the midst of present wrongs and strife.
Blessed are they who have wisdom enough to know that
All the kingdom of heaven is very close at hand.
Gospel:
Mark 5:21, 25-34 (Inclusive Text)
When Jesus had crossed in the boat to the other side,
a large crowd gathered around and he stayed by the lakeside...
Now there was a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for 12 years.
After long and painful treatment under various doctors,
she had spent all she had without being any the better for it.
In fact she was getting worse.
She had heard about Jesus, and she came up behind him
through the crowd and touched his cloak.
'If I touch even his clothes', she had told herself, 'I shall be well again.'
And the source of the bleeding dried up instantly,
and she felt in herself that she was cured of her complaint.
Immediately aware that power had gone out from him
Jesus turned round in the crowd and said,
'Who touched my clothes?'
The disciples said,
'You see how the crowd is pressing round you and yet you say, ‘Who touched my clothes?’
But Jesus continued to look all around to see who had done it.
Then the woman came forward, frightened and trembling
because she knew what had happened to her,
and she fell at his feet and told Jesus the whole story.
'My daughter', Jesus said, 'your faith has restored you to health;
go in peace and be free of your complaint.'
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…
People stand as they are able
v1 The creativity of God fills the universe.
v2 Like rain falling upon the earth
and sun warming the rocks,
All the heart of God flows over us all in renewing grace and love.
v1 The generosity of Christ fills our lives.
v2 With company on the journey
and mercy in understanding,
All the Bread, the Way and the Truth set us free to live again.
v1 The faithfulness of the Spirit fills our future.
v2 It surrounds us with a cloud of hope
and lifts our tired feet once more.
All In courage born of costly life, it calls and sings and dances on.
v1 We are the people of freedom.
v2 We lay down our past in God’s forgiveness.
All We will walk on into God’s new day.
The peace
God makes peace within us. Let us claim it.
God makes peace between us. Let us share it (nwi).
Let us greet another as a sign of God's peace.
The peace of God is here... to stay.
All Thanks be to God.
You are invited to share the peace with your neighbours.
Hymn of the Month
“Colour and fragrance” (Tune: ‘O Barvy Vune’, 55, 55, 11, 11) 78 SLT
Colour and fragrance, magical rhythm,
sweet changing music will change us with them:
life within life, inner light gently glowing,
surely you seem to be God’s vision growing.
O starry heavens, worlds of all splendour,
suns without number, new life engender:
wheel in a wheel with the light brightly glowing,
moving in harmony, God’s vision growing.
Handful of pebbles, high mountain passes,
depths of the ocean, dew on the grasses:
great things and small, with the light gently glowing,
word of the wordless song, God’s vision growing.
Delicate beings, lace-wing and sparrow
in field and forest, clover and yarrow:
life greeting life with the light brightly glowing,
none are too small to be God’s vision growing.
In human eyes burns the soul of living,
illumines altars of loving giving:
greeting, we meet, seeing light brightly glowing,
share in a greater life, God’s vision growing.
Shaper of all things, to us you’ve given
our chance to keep here on earth, a heaven.
Moving in harmony, light gently glowing,
may we be, gratefully, God’s vision growing. (NFCapek/GUlp)
CELEBRATING
Offerings
Our offerings for the celebration of life in this place and beyond,
shall now be received.
Presentation
May the blessings of God bring these gifts to life:
new hope of healing;
fresh ways of coping;
a chance to rest;
a chance to work;
a way to live gracefully.
Conversation with the children
"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 prayer
Lord's Prayer
You are invited to pray in the spirit of the Lord's Prayer, and in your original language, as appropriate
All Life-Giver, Pain-Bearer, Love-Maker.
Source of all that is and that shall be.
Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God, in whom is heaven:
The hallowing of your name echo
through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed
by all peoples of the world!
Your heavenly will be done
by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love,
now and forever. Amen. (UIW2)
SCATTERING
Hymn "God molds the shapes of life" (Tune: Little Conard 66 66 88) 38 TMT
God molds the shapes of life,
drawing the flow of tides,
firing the sunlight's blaze,
glazing the night with pride:
God gives the love which warms and moves
the patterned rhythm life provides.
Ponder the rising sap
changing to leaf's decay;
think of the winter's death
turning to spring's new day,
and in these cycles find the shapes
of all God dreams and all God makes.
Remain standing
Words of mission
The presentness of God reaches beyond this place...
The candle is extinguished
v1 We give thanks for the life and wonder that thrives within us
All breath and heartbeat, joy and sorrow, dance and stillness
We give thanks for the life that thrives between us
All loving, understanding, creating, imagining, embracing and letting go
v2 We give thanks for all the life forms that surround and support us
All the web of life that feeds and protects us and also needs our care
We give thanks for the life of the future
hidden in the present moment
All inviting us to walk the path of infinite compassion
v1 We give thanks for the source of all life,
All this living universe, of which our lives are an expression. (ILawton/C3CCC)
Blessing words
Go in peace.
And may the Holy God surprise you on the way,
Christ Jesus be your company
and the Spirit lift up your life. (wcc/isit)
All Amen.
Hymn (Cont). "God molds the shapes of life" (Tune: Little Conard 66 66 88) 38 TMT
Pulse of the veins and lungs,
seasons of human hearts -
patterns that intertwine,
shaping our thought and art;
all these are part of nature's flow -
the life of God we reap and sow.
Sing to the God of change,
chaos, and fine design;
hallow the ordered forms
filled with the life divine.
In God the universe is one
and sings the hymn which God first sung! WWallace
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:
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). 2005. Entertaining angels. A worship anthology on sharing Christ’s hospitality. GtB: Norwich. The Canterbury Press.
Inclusive readings. Year B. 2005. Qld: Brisbane. Inclusive Language Project. In private circulation.
In spirit and in truth. A worship Iona Community. 2001. Iona abbey worship book. GtB: Glasgow. Wild Goose Publications.
Mitchell, R. C; G. A. Ricciuti. 1992. Birthings and blessings. Liberating worship services for the inclusive church. NY: New York. Crossroads.
Pickett, H & E. (ed). 2005. For all that is our life. A meditation anthology. MA: Boston. Skinner House Books.
Singing the living tradition. 1993. MA: Boston. UUA.
The St Hilda Community. 1996. The new women included. A book of services and prayers. GtB: London. SPCK.
Uniting in Worship 2. 2005. NSW: Sydney. Uniting Church Press.
Vosper, G. 2008. With or without God. Why the way we live is more important that what we believe. Canada: Toronto. HarperCollins.
Wallace, W. L. 2001. The mystery telling. Hymns and songs for the new millennium. NY: Kingston. Selah Publishing.
Web sites:
UUA Worship Web. MA: Boston. UUA. <www.uua.org/spirituallife/worshipweb/>
Christ Community Church, Spring Lake. MI. <www.christ-community.net/>
Stainer & Bell Ltd. Web site: hymns.uk.com