Revd Rex A E Hunt
eMail: rexae@optusnet.com.au
Web site: www.rexaehuntprogressive.com
LITURGY FOR THE CELEBRATION OF LIFE
12 September 2010. Season of Creation2/Pentecost 16C. (Green).
Theme: Fauna Sunday
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
Silence
The gong is sounded three times
Lighting of the community candle
The candle is lit
This flame is warm as the companionship of friends is warm.
Let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life
in the presentness of God.
Entry into celebration
v2 Fountain of life...
Pulse of life...
Breath of life...
All Earth is filled with the presentness of God.
v1 Holy! Holy! Holy!
All fauna are filled with the presentness of God.
All Holy! Holy! Holy!
Earth is filled with the presentness of God.
v2 Together this day, let us sense
the face of God in all creativity. (NHabel/soc)
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
“Song of the wild” (Music: Anjali Habel-Ortrell) 6 (v1-3) HH
Will you come back with me to the birth of the earth,
Before all its life forms evolved?
Will you sing with the heavens amazed at the sight:
A planet with secrets to unfold?
Refrain:
Will you praise,
Be amazed
With eyes as wide as a child’s?
Will you praise,
Be amazed
And sing
The song of the wild?
Will you walk home with me on the way to the wild
And watch baby birds break from their shells?
Do you know how I serve as a mid-wife to all,
The lion, the lizard and gazelle?
Refrain:
Will you gather with me as the wading birds dance,
Preparing to migrate north once more?
Can you fathom the code I have fixed in their souls
To navigate oceans when they roar?
Refrain:
Remain standing
Opening sentences
The Spirit of God has hovered over the waters…
We invite our fauna family to worship with us,
All All our kin living on this planet,
from the busiest bee to the tallest giraffe.
We remember our ancient relatives who became extinct,
All Dinosaurs, dodos and Tasmanian tigers,
giant marsupials and the woolly mammoths.
We join our brothers and sisters in praising God,
All Gliding eagles and watchful meerkats,
Gorillas in the mist and polar bears in the snow.
We summon the kin we have come to love,
All The stray cat and the backyard dog,
the koala, the pony, and the little lamb.
All our fauna family in the wild,
All Raise your voices to the skies
in a family festival of praise.
Sing, family, sing! (NHabel)
Prayer of awareness
We pray:
We celebrate with all living creatures today.
May we sense the presentness of God not only in human history,
but also in the stories of our kin in creation,
the great fauna family.
May we care for all life on this Earth.
Amen.
Hymn (Cont.) “Song of the wild” (Music: Anjali Habel-Ortrell) 6 (v4-5) HH
Will you sleep with your God in the desert one night
And wake with the creatures of the sand?
Can you fathom the wisdom instilled in their mind
To live without water, sun or man?
Refrain:
If you don’t feel at home with the rain forest snakes,
If you’re troubled when creatures change their skin,
Then surrender the claim that you rule on this Earth
And discover creation as your kin. (© NHabel, 2000)
Refrain:
The people sit after the hymn
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.
Remembering
This morning we continue the Season of Creation.
And the second theme is Fauna Sunday.
As you entered the Gathering space this morning you received a candle.
Hold it quietly in front of you.
Remember birds and animals you have loved
or with whom you felt a spiritual kinship.
Share your memories with the person next to you.
Conversation
Silence
We remember too those of our kin who are endangered
those who have had their homes destroyed
and those who have become extinct,
through human greed and exploitation.
All We hear creation groaning.
We hear fellow creatures crying out in pain.
And we hear members of fauna family weeping..
Now away from the busyness of life
and in the silence of this sacred place,
let us give thanks for the gift of all fauna,
and the mystery of an endless horizon
stretching out across the Earth.
(Silence)
We celebrate with our fauna family.
All Sing, family, sing!
Music of celebration
EXPLORING
Reading from our biblical tradition
A story from our biblical tradition will be told by (NN).
May we be struck by the wisdom of these words
and marked by hearing them.
All For within story lies meaning, and
within meaning, the wisdom for which we seek (GVosper/ab)
Gospel:
Luke 15:1-10 (Inclusive Text)
The tax collectors and the sinners were all seeking the company of Jesus
to hear what he had to say,
and the Pharisees and the scribes complained.
‘This person,’ they said, ‘welcomes sinners and eats with them.’
So Jesus spoke this parable to them:
‘Who among you with a 100 sheep, losing one,
would not leave the 99 in the wilderness
and go after the missing one till it was found?
‘And having found it, would the shepherd not joyfully
take it on his shoulders and then, when he got home,
call together his friends and neighbours?
“Rejoice with me', the shepherd would say,
“I have found my sheep that was lost.”
‘In the same way, I tell you,
there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner
than over 99 virtuous who have no need of repentance.’
‘Or again, what woman with ten drachmas would not,
if she lost one, light a lamp and sweep the house
and search thoroughly till she found it?
‘And then, when she had found it,
call together friends and neighbours?
“Rejoice with me', the woman would say,
“I have found the drachma I lost.”
‘In the same way, I tell you,
there is rejoicing among the angels of God
over one repentant sinner.’
Silence for personal reflection
AFFIRMING
A litany
In response to the word reflected on, and in solidarity
with the fauna of the world, let us stand and share together
a Country Creation litany.
The people stand
The eastern sky announces to creation, the new day dawned;
Magpie warbling, young lambs bleating,
Awakening hunter instincts in crow and hawk.
All All the earth proclaims God's wonder.
Mountains outlined against the morning sky
proclaims your steadfastness and majesty;
Pink heath, flannel flower, wet with dew;
Deer and kangaroo quietly grazing.
All All the earth proclaims God's wonder.
The western plains stretch far, the western plains stretch wide,
Proclaiming the wideness of God's mercy;
Freshwater dam, salt lake and swampland,
Home of the pelican, swan and crane,
The fox in his lair, enemy of stock and farmer,
All All the earth proclaims God's wonder.
When day is done the sky proclaims God's timeless beauty;
In fiery sunset's glorious hue;
Amid this mix of beauty and destruction,
Creating, re-creating,
Dusk comes quietly,
Broken only by corellas
Their calIs filIing the faded light.
All All the earth proclaims God's wonder (PWyley/grpe).
The peace
God makes peace within us. Let us claim it.
God makes peace between us. Let us share it. (nwi)
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 May be sung more than once
“Spirit of Life” (Tune: ‘Spirit of life’, 8 12 8 12 8 10) 123 SLT
Spirit of Life, come unto me.
Sing in my heart all the stirrings of compassion.
Blow in the wind, rise in the sea;
move in the hand, giving life the shape of justice.
Roots hold me close; wings set me free;
Spirit of life, come to me, come to me. (CMcDade)
CELEBRATING
Offerings
Our offerings for the work of ministry in this place and beyond,
shall now be received.
Presentation The people stand, as they are able as the gifts are presented
May our hearts be opened, our hands unclenched,
and our ears unclogged, that we may
feel and touch and taste and see
the breath and play of Creativity God around us.
The 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 this abundant blessing
All We share the joy.
In this, our time of need,
All May love abound (GVosper/wwg)
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.
The Care candle is lit
And let us recommit ourselves to the inclusive ways of Jesus.
Prayers:
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 O presence and pow’r within us,
Being and Life of all.
How we are filled, how we o’erflow
with infinite love and gladness!
We shall this day sow grace and peace,
and show mercy to all,
and gentle loving-kindness.
And we shall be not so self-serving,
but a constant source of giving.
For ours is the essence,
and the wholeness,
and the fullness forever. (PALaughlin/4r)
SCATTERING
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
“God who carved... landscape” (Tune: ‘Dansey’). 31 (v1-2) FFS
God who carved this timeless landscape,
snow-clad ridge to valley plain,
power of surging race and river,
limestone crag and scarred terrain;
maker still of earth, fire, water,
artistry of sight and sound,
Southern lights and sunset splendour,
raise our eyes and you are found.
Calendar of nature's balance,
rhythms of the farming year,
shearing, milking, ploughing, pruning,
manger setting ever near!
lonely struggle in the byways,
nor'west dust or snow and flood,
fellowship of tears and laughter:
Lord, with you, we're understood.
Remain standing
Words of mission
Time has now come for us to leave this sacred place.
As we do, may we embrace the challenges
of our lives and our world...
The community candle is extinguished
Remembering again our kin – all fauna and wild life…
Will you care for Planet Earth?
All We protect those of our kin in the wild who are endangered.
We will empathise with the Oceans.
We will be sensitive to the cries of creation.
We will celebrate life!
Blessing words
As we go from this place may we be
full of desire and wonder,
full of longing and praise, and
full of the courage to love. (RMiles/bb)
All Amen!
Hymn (Cont) “God who carved... landscape” (Tune: ‘Dansey’). 31 (v3) FFS
Giving thanks for those before us,
village life and tussock track,
as we turn to face the future,
history's wind upon our back;
scattered are our congregations,
each now shares in ministry,
bonding strength of work together:
spirit of community. DGrierson
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:
Abbott, M. 2001. Sparks of the cosmos. Rituals for seasonal use. SA: Unley. MediaCom Education.
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.
Burgess, R. 2001. A book of blessings. GtB: Glasgow. Wild Goose Publications.
Inclusive readings. Year C. 2006. QLD: Brisbane. Inclusive Language Project. In private circulation.
Iona Community. 2001. Iona abbey worship book. GtB: Glasgow. Wild Goose Publications.
Laughlin, P. A. 2009. “Pray without seeking. Toward a truly mystical Lord’s Prayer” in The Fourth R 22, 6, 20-24.
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.
Vosper, G. 2008. With or without God. Why the way we live is more important that what we believe. Canada: Toronto. HarperCollins.
Vosper, G. 2004/2010. Holy Breath. Prayers for worship and reflection. New & Revised edition. QLD: Brisbane. The Centre for Progressive Religious Thought Brisbane.
Web sites:
Norman Habel. Season of Creation. <www.seasonofcreation.com>