Revd Rex A E Hunt
eMail: rexae@optusnet.com.au
Web site: www.rexaehuntprogressive.com
LITURGY FOR THE CELEBRATION OF LIFE
26 September 2010. Season of Creation4/Pentecost 18C. (Green).
Theme: Cosmos Sunday
In Australia it is also Social Justice 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!
The cosmos is 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.
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
"God of the galaxies" (Tune: Cheam) 54 (v1-3) AA
God of the galaxies spinning in space,
God of the smallest seed, our living source,
yours is the gift of this beautiful place.
Let us care for your garden
and honour the earth.
Careless and covetous, gross are our greeds,
taking the riches the garden provides,
wasting its goodness, forgetting its needs.
Let us care for your garden
and honour the earth.
Forests and rivers are ravaged and die,
raped is the land till it bleeds in its clay,
silenced the birdsong and plundered the sea.
Let us care for your garden
and honour the earth.
Remain standing
Opening sentences
The Spirit of God has hovered over the waters…
We invite the cosmos to worship with us:
All We invite glittering galaxies high in the sky
to radiate the splendour of God’s presence.
We call distant domains of space to celebrate with us.
All We invite nebula, nova and black holes
to thank God for their fascinating formation.
We summon that piece of stardust called Earth,
All To pulse with the rhythm of God's presence
and celebrate God's glory in this planet garden.
We invite millions of living species to dance with life,
All The turtle, the toad and the elephant,
the earthworm, the ant and the dragonfly.
We invite every creature in the web of creation
All To consciously connect with others
in this community called the cosmos.
Dance creation, dance!
All Dance with cosmic energy! (NHabel/soc)
Prayer of awareness
We pray:
As we reflect on the mysteries of the cosmos,
we celebrate our connectedness to this vast web of life.
May we connect with all living beings.
May we sense the presentness of God in the stars and the planets.
May we care for the oceans, the earth and the air.
Amen.
Hymn (Cont.) "God of the galaxies" (Tune: Cheam) 54 (v4-5) AA
Let there be beauty, and let there be air
fragrant with peace, never poisoned with fear,
freed from the plagues of pollution and war.
Let us care for your garden
and honour the earth.
Life is a holy thing, life is a whole,
linking each creature and blessing us all,
making connections of body and soul.
Let us care for your garden
and honour the earth. SEMurray
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 conclude the celebration called Season of Creation.
Today’s theme is Cosmos Sunday.
A eucalyptus leaf was given to you as you entered.
Smell the leaf and rub it between your fingers,
and share with the person next to you
times when you were acutely conscious
of the vast world of time and space.
Conversation
Silence
We remember moments of wonder,
sensing the infinite world of space,
feeling the mystery of the moment.
All We remember and rejoice.
Now away from the busyness of life
and in the silence of this sacred place,
let us give thanks for the gift of life,
and the mystery of an endless horizon
stretching out across the universe.
(Silence)
Dance, creation, dance!
All We give thanks for living cosmos
so much a part of who we are!
Music of celebration
EXPLORING
Reading from our religious tradition
A story from our biblical tradition will be told by (NN).
In effortless phrases, well-worn upon our lips,
simple forms of inspiration catch us, and call to us again.
All As these words settle into our minds,
may we feel them stir and lift our hearts. (GVosper/ab)
Gospel:
Luke 16:19-31 (Inclusive Text)
Jesus told the following story:
'There was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen
and feast magnificently every day.
And at the gate there lay a beggar called Lazarus,
covered with sores, who longed to fill himself
with the scraps that fell from the rich man's table.
Dogs even came and licked his sores.
Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels
to be in the company of Sarah and Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried.
In his torment in Hades he looked up and saw Sarah and Abraham a long way off
and Lazarus resting in their company.
So the rich man cried out,
"Sarah and Abraham, pity me
and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
for I am in agony in these flames."
"My child," they replied, "remember that during your life
good things came your way,
just as bad things came the way of Lazarus.
“Now Lazarus is being comforted here
while you are in agony. But that is not all:
between us and you a great gulf has been fixed,
to stop anyone wanting to, crossing from our side
to yours, and to stop any crossing from your side to ours."
The rich man replied,
"I beg you then to send Lazarus to my family house,
since I have five brothers, to give them warning
so they do not come to this place of torment too."
"They have Moses and the prophets," they replied,
"let them listen to them."
"Ah, no, Sarah and Abraham," said the rich man,
"but if someone comes to them from the dead, they will repent."
Then they answered,
"If they will not listen either to Moses or to the prophets,
they will not be convinced even if someone
should rise from the dead."
Silence for personal reflection
AFFIRMING
A litany
In response to the word reflected on, and in solidarity
with the Universe and all who dwell therein,
let us stand and share a contemporary litany.
The people stand
Out of the stars in their flight,
out of the dust of eternity,
All here have we come,
Stardust and sunlight, mingling
through time and through space.
Out of the stars have we come, up from time;
Out of the stars have we come.
All Time out of time before time
in the vastness of space,
earth spun to orbit the sun,
Earth with the thunder of
mountains newborn, the boiling of seas.
All Earth warmed by sun, lit by sunlight:
This is our home;
Out of the stars have we come.
Mystery hidden in mystery, back through all time;
Mystery rising from rocks in the storm and the sea.
All Out of the stars, rising from rocks and the sea,
kindled by sunlight on earth, arose life.
Ponder this thing in your heart;
ponder with awe:
All Out of the sea to the land,
out of the shallows came ferns.
Out of the sea to the land,
up from darkness to light,
Rising to walk and to fly,
out of the sea trembled life.
All Ponder this thing in your heart, life up from sea:
Eyes to behold, throats to sing, mates to love.
Life from the sea,
warmed by sun, washed by rain,
All life from within, giving birth, rose to love.
This is the wonder of time;
this is the marvel of space;
All out of the stars swung the earth;
Iife upon earth rose to love.
This is the marvel of life,
rising to see and to know;
All Out of your heart, cry wonder:
sing that we live. RWeston/slt
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
“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)
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
Freely have we received of gifts
that minister to our needs of body and spirit.
We give thanks for moments when we feel we live in a world
that is not indifferent to our needs.
May we continue to live and be with each other
in a way that shows we are also
not indifferent to others needs.
The people sit
CELEBRATING
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
“A firemist and a planet” (Tune: 'Thornbury', 76 76D, 15 TiS). 343 (v1-2) SLT
A firemist and a planet,
a crystal and a cell,
a starfish and a saurian,
and caves where ancients dwelt;
the sense of law and beauty,
a face turned from the sod
- some call it evolution,
and others call it God.
Haze on the far horizon,
the infinite tender sky,
the ripe, rich tints of [wheat]fields,
and wild geese sailing high;
and over high and low-land,
the charm of golden rod
- some people call it autumn,
and others call it God.
Remain standing
Words of mission
Let us take on this week’s life
with renewed hope and imagination...
The community candle is extinguished
Remembering again the wonder and the mystery of the Cosmos…
Will you care for Planet Earth?
All We will empathise with the oceans.
We will care for the fauna.
We will be sensitive to the cries of creation
in song and storm.
And we will celebrate life!
Blessing words
The blessing of God:
Star maker,
Friend maker,
Wisdom maker,
make and remake you all
in the image of God. (RBurgess/bb)
All Amen!
Hymn (Cont) “A firemist and a planet” (Tune: 'Thornbury', 76 76D, 15 TiS). 343 (v3-4) SLT
Like tides on crescent sea-beach,
when moon's so new and thin,
into our hearts high yearnings
come welling, surging in,
come from the mystic ocean
whose rim not foot has trod
- some people call it longing,
and others call it God.
A sentry lone and frozen,
a mother starved for her brood,
and Socrates' dread hemlock,
and Jesus on the rood;
and millions, who, though nameless,
the straight, hard pathway trod,
- some call it consecration,
and others call it God. WHCarruth
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.
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. Scotland: Glasgow. Wild Goose Publications
Faith forever singing. Songs for a new day. 2000. NZ: Raumati. New Zealand Hymnbook Trust.
Inclusive readings. Year C. 2006. Qld: Brisbane. Inclusive Language Project. In private circulation.
Iona Community. 2001. Iona abbey worship book. Scotland: 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. Gt. Britain: 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.
Vosper, G. 2009/2010. Another breath. Prayers for celebration and reflection. QLD: Brisbane. The Centre for Progressive Religious Thought, Brisbane.
Web sites:
Norman Habel Creation Liturgies. <www.seasonofcreation.com>