The Uniting Church of St James
Curtin, ACT
Minister-in-Placement: Revd Rex A E Hunt, MSc(Hons), GradDipCommMgt
eMail: rexae@optusnet.com.au
Web site: www.rexaehuntprogressive.com
LITURGY FOR THE CELEBRATION OF LIFE
11 November 2007. Pentecost 24C. (Green).
10.30am. Contemporary liturgical worship.
Acknowledgement of land
(An act towards reconciliation by the Church of St James, Curtin.)
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 Ngunnawal People and their stewardship
of this land throughout the ages.
St James is a safe place for all people to worship regardless of
race, creed, age, cultural background or sexual orientation
GATHERING
Gathering music
Entry into worship
The gong is sounded three times
We gather here
to wonder at the mystery that gave us birth;
to find courage for life's journey;
and to listen for the wisdom that guides us in the quietness of this moment. Gary Kowalski
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
"God has called us" (Tune: ‘Duke Street’. 88 88. 439 TiS)
God, you have called us to this hour:
now two or three or many claim
the promised gift of living power,
as your church meets in Jesus' name.
Open our minds and set us free
from spite and hurt, that we may face
the dread responsibility
of your church, meeting in this place.
Encouraged by the risk you take
in trusting us to do your will,
we dare to offer, for your sake,
all this church gath'ring can fulfil. Janet Wootton. © Stainer & Bell Ltd
Remain standing (Title & last line adapted/ RAEHunt)
Opening sentences
Spirit of God brooding over the waters of our chaos,
All inspire us to generous living.
Wind of God dancing over the desert of our reluctance,
All lead us to the oasis of celebration.
Breath of God inspiring communication among strangers,
All make us channels of your peace. (Kate McIlhagga/cw)
Prayer of awareness
We pray:
Loving God, we gather in this place,
coming from our varied concerns and competing views,
yet seeking our common humanity.
Open our eyes,
touch our hearts,
empower our wills... now.
Amen.
Hymn "Wake, now my senses" (Tune: Slane, 10 10 10 10, 547 TiS) 298 SLT
Wake, now my senses, and hear the earth call;
feel the deep power of being in all;
keep, with the web of creation your vow,
giving, receiving as love shows us how.
Wake, now my reason, reach out to the new,
join with each pilgrim who quests for the true;
honour the beauty and wisdom of time;
suffer your limit, and praise the sublime.
Wake, now compassion, give heed to the cry;
voices of suffering fill the wide sky;
take as your neighbour both stranger and friend,
praying and striving their hardship to end.
Wake, now my conscience, with justice your guide;
join with all people whose rights are denied;
take not for granted a privileged place;
God's love embraces the whole human race.
Wake, now my vision of ministry clear;
brighten my pathway with radiance here;
mingle my calling with all who will share;
work toward a planet transformed by our care. TJS Mikelson
The people sit after the hymn
Welcome
In your own words
A warm welcome is extended to all.
Especially those who are worshipping at St James 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.
Reflection
“Name unnamed”
By Giles David. The pattern of our days/109.
Name Unnamed,
whose intriguing presence is closer to home
than we dare imagine,
fill us with wonder of you that we may be filled with wonder of ourselves.
Name Unnamed,
whose creativity is a river running,
startle us with diversity and surprise us with difference
that we may be filled with wonder of others.
Name Unnamed,
whose mystery and concern is revealed in Jesus
reshape our perceptions, reshape our patterns of living,
reshape our politics and prayer
that we may be filled with wonder of a world made whole.
Silence
Amid all the noise in our lives, we take this moment to sit in silence:
to give thanks for another day;
to give thanks for the gift of life.
(Silence)
And let us open ourselves to the process
of becoming more whole:
of living more fully;
of understanding more completely the meaning of our lives here on this earth. (Adapted/Tim Haley)
(Silence)
EXPLORING
Reading from our religious tradition
Let us overhear an extract from one of the letters attributed to Paul,
to a group of people in Thessalonica.
It shall be read by (tba).
Early churches:
ii Thessalonians 2:16-3:5 (Inclusive Text)
May Jesus Christ, and our God who has given us love and,
through grace, such inexhaustible comfort and such sure hope,
comfort you and strengthen you in everything good that you do or say.
Sisters and brothers, pray for us;
pray that Christ's message may spread quickly,
and be received with honour as it was among you;
and pray that we may be preserved from the interference
of bigoted and evil people, for faith is not given to everyone.
But God is faithful, and will give you strength
and guard you from the evil one, and we, in Christ Jesus,
have every confidence that you are doing and will go on doing all that we tell you.
May your hearts be turned towards the love of God
and the fortitude of Christ.
Contemporary word
Silence for personal reflection
CELEBRATING
Litany: We believe in a sacred power...
The people stand
We believe in a sacred power within and around us.
A divine spirit that we call by many names
and experience in many ways,
that empowers and heals,
that calls us forth.
All We believe in our creativity.
v2 Making and transforming beauty
out of words and notes,
images and colours,
lines and pictures...
and silence.
All We believe in doing justice.
Justice that compels and empowers us
to risk whatever we must risk
to create a climate
in which all people can be who they are.
All We believe in our dreams.
v2 We experience the world as it is,
in both its ugliness and beauty,
and we see what it can become.
All We believe in making peace.
A peace that is based on openness,
honesty and compassion.
All We believe in hope.
v2 We expect change to continue to occur in our world.
We rely on our courage to continue
to bring about these changes.
All We believe in love.
A passionate love within and around us
that laughs and cries,
challenges and comforts,
a healing love that perseveres.
All We believe in potential.
v2 We know who we are,
painful as that can be at times,
yet we continue to call each other
to become more of who we are.
All We believe in celebrating.
We remember and we commemorate.
We create rituals.
We play and dance,
and sing and love well.
All We believe in our diversity.
v2 We affirm our many shapes and sizes,
colours and traditions,
emotions and thoughts,
differences and similarities.
All We believe in life.
Life that wells up within
and flows out of us
like a streaming fountain.
All We believe we are good and holy, a sacred part of all creation. Susan Kramer/cl
The peace
This is a house of God. A place of peace.
A place where we befriend one another.
Let us greet another as a sign of God's peace
and of our shared friendship.
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
“We laugh, we cry” (Tune: ‘Credo’, Irreg.)) 354 SLT
We laugh, we cry, we live, we die;
we dance, we sing our song.
We need to feel there’s something here
to which we can belong.
We need to feel the freedom
just to have some time alone.
But most of all we need close friends
we can call our very own.
And we believe in life,
and in the strength of love;
and we have found a need to be together.
We have our hearts to give,
we have our thoughts to receive;
and we believe that sharing is an answer.
A child is born among us and
we feel a special glow.
We see time’s endless journey
as we watch the baby grow.
We thrill to hear
imagination freely running wild.
We dedicate our minds and hearts
To the spirit of this child.
And we believe in life,
and in the strength of love;
and we have found a time to be together.
And with the grace of age,
we share the wonder of youth;
and we believe that growing is an answer.
Our lives are full of wonder and
our time is very brief.
The death of one among us
fills us all with pain and grief.
But as we live, so
shall we die and when our lives are done
the memories we shared with friends,
they will linger on and on.
And we believe in life,
and in the strength of love;
and we have found a place to be together.
We have the right to grow,
we have the gift to believe;
that peace within our living is an answer.
We seek elusive answers to
the questions of this life.
We seek to put an end to
all the waste of human strife.
We search for truth,
equality, and blessed peace of mind.
And, then we come together here,
to make sense of what we find.
And we believe in life,
and in the strength of love;
and we have found a joy being together.
And in our search for peace,
maybe we’ll finally see;
even to question, truly, is an answer. (Shelley J Denham)
AFFIRMING
Offering
Our offerings for the work of ministry in this place and beyond, shall now be received.
Presentation The people stand as they are able, for the presentation of gifts
God of all times and places,
may our offerings reflect confidence and inclusiveness.
And may the programs and concerns we undertake
build up the Church among us and far beyond us.
Amen.
With the children
Children gather on the conversation mat
Conversation
Care candle
We are people of all ages who enter this space bringing our joys and concerns.
Joys and concerns shared.
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
Pastoral
Lord's Prayer
You are invited to pray this contemporary prayer in the spirit of the Lord's Prayer,
and in your original language, as that is 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 The people stand as they are able, to sing
“Hymn for Anzac/Remembrance Day” (Tune: ‘Anzac’, 10 10 10 10, Colin Gibson)
Honour the dead, our country's fighting brave,
honour our children left in foreign grave,
where poppies blow and sorrow seeds her flowers,
honour the crosses marked forever ours.
Weep for the places ravaged by our blood,
weep for the young bones buried in the mud,
weep for the powers of violence and greed,
weep for the deals done in the name of need.
Honour the brave whose conscience was their call,
answered no bugle, went against the wall,
suffered in prisons of contempt and shame,
branded as cowards, in our country's name.
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 community candle is extinguished
Go out and live as citizens of God’s realm.
All Into God’s hands, we commit our spirits.
You are a chosen people.
Through you, the family of faith may grow.
All Others will know they are God’s own through us.
Be empowered as you tell
of the wonderful deeds of God in your life.
All We will share the love we have received, with others.
Blessing words
God’s blessing be yours and well may it keep you.
Christ’s blessing be yours and well may it heal you.
Spirit’s blessing be yours and well may it warm you.
Now and ever more.
All Amen! (Adapted/ Celtic blessing)
Hymn (Cont) “Hymn for Anzac/Remembrance Day” (Tune: ‘Anzac’, Colin Gibson)
Weep for the waste of all that might have been,
weep for the cost that war has made obscene,
weep for the homes that ache with human pain,
weep that we ever sanction war again.
Honour the dream for which our nation bled,
held now in trust to justify the dead,
honour their vision on this solemn day:
peace known in freedom, peace the only way. Shirley Murray, 2005
The people sit after the hymn
'This week' at St James
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.
The contemporary hymns used in this liturgy,
are reproduced with permission under license #A1197.
LicenSing - Copyright cleared music for churches.
Some of the resources used in shaping this liturgy:
Duncan, G. (ed). 2002. Courage to love. An anthology of inclusive worship material. Gt. Britain: Norwich. The Canterbury Press.
Galloway, K. (ed). 1996. The pattern of our days. Liturgies and resources for worship. Gt. Britain: Glasgow. Wild Goose Publications.
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.
Macnab, F. 2006. A fine wind is blowing: Psalms of the bible in words that blow you away. VIC: Richmond. Spectrum Publications.
Mitchell, R. C; G. A. Ricciuti. 1992. Birthings and blessings. Liberating worship services for the inclusive church. NY: New York. Crossroads.
Singing the living tradition. 1993. MA: Boston. UUA.
Uniting in Worship 2. 2005. NSW: Sydney. Uniting Church Press.
Ward, H.; J. Wild, J Morley. (ed). 1995. Celebrating women. New edition. Gt. Britain: London. SPCK.
Web sites:
UUA Worship Web. MA: Boston. UUA.
Stainer & Bell Ltd. Web site: hymns.uk.com
Shirley Murray. Hymn for Anzac/Remembrance Day. Direct from the author.