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
13 April 2008. Easter 4A. (White).
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
In the presence.
In the peace.
In the power, of God.
Let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life
in the presentness of this God.
Lighting of the community candle
The community candle is lit
We light this flame to honour our past.
We light this flame to endorse our present as a community.
We light this flame to symbolise our future.
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
"I am that great and fiery force" (Tune: 'Duke St.' 88 88, 439 TiS) 27 SLT
I am that great and fiery force
sparkling in every thing that lives;
in shining of the river's course,
in greening grass that glory gives.
I shine in glitter on the seas,
in burning sun, in moon and stars.
In unseen wind, in verdant trees
I breathe within, both near and far.
And where I breathe there is no death,
and meadows glow with beauties rife.
I am in all, the spirit's breath,
the thundered word, for I am Life. Hildegard of Bingen, 12th Cent.
Remain standing
Opening sentences
For our community gathered here,
for the spirit that called us together and drew us to this place:
All Let us give thanks.
For moments we have shared with others;
for times when we have reached out across barriers of distance and fear;
for times when others have reached out to us:
All Let us again give thanks.
For our weaving together out of many separate selves
this hour of celebration and reflection:
All We give thanks this day. (Jane Mauldin/adapted)
Prayer of awareness
We pray:
The Spirit of Creativity is all around us.
We are grateful for the possibility of being ever more aware, human and alive.
Our world touches us in so many ways.
May we consider all that is - the beautiful,
and that which we don't want to read of and think about.
May the joys and the concerns of this present day
move and jolt us to our greater selves
and our greater thoughts. Bob Kleinheksel/adapted
Amen.
Hymn “God of Gumtree and of Quandong” (Tune ‘Blaenwern’, 590 TiS)
God of gumtree and of quandong,
granite rocks and rolling plain;
God of pasture sheep and cattle,
fallow land and crops and grain:
You are always here around us
even when we do not know.
Help us realise your presence
that our Spirit life may grow.
Ploughing, seeding, patient waiting
for the harvest of the soil;
Shearing, branding, culling, feeding,
You are with us in our toil.
In the workshop, store and office,
classroom, kitchen, garden, too.
Help us see your gift and glory,
serve you well in all we do.
Scattered in our congregations
yet one body called to be;
reaching out to fellow Christians,
serving the community.
Thanks to You for love that binds us;
for the strength to do your will.
Father keep us true and faithful;
may we love and serve you still. Neville Threlfall.
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.
CENTERING
Meditation
"Spirit of life"
By Barbara Hamilton-Holway
Spirit of life, in us and around us,
here is our chance, once again,
to live like we wish the world would live.
May we find within ourselves
the courage to be who we are.
May we know when it is time to listen
and when it is time to speak.
May we trust ourselves to be the ones to find
the words that need to be said
or to do what needs to be done.
May we trust one another
and know there are many ways to go through life.
May we know that
though we cannot change some of what life gives to us,
we can choose how we deal with what we are given.
We are coming into our power,
and together we can make possible justice and love.
We are all connected;
we depend upon one another more than we know.
We are one body. So be it. Blessed be.
Silence
There is a moment when noise ceases.
When the busy world is quiet
and the day's work is done.
In that moment... in this silence...
may we know God's presentness and God's peace.
(Silence)
Music of reflection
EXPLORING
Readings from our religious tradition
Some stories from our biblical tradition shall now be read.
Our reader is (NN).
Hebrew scriptures:
Ezekiel 1: 28b (plus other selected verses) (NRSV)
The glory of God was around me.
And I heard the voice of someone speaking.
‘O Human One, stand up on your feet, and I will speak with you’.
And when he spoke to me, a spirit entered into me
and set me on my feet; and I heard him speaking to me.
He said to me,
‘Human One, I am sending you to the people of Israel,
to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me... and you shall say to them,
"Thus says the Lord God."
‘Whether they hear or refuse to hear...
they shall know that there has been a prophet among them.
Gospel:
John 10:1-2, 7-10. (Inclusive Text)
Jesus said,
'I tell you most solemnly,
anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate,
but gets in some another way is a thief and a brigand.
The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock…
'I tell you most solemnly, I am the gate of the sheepfold.
All others who come are thieves and brigands;
but the sheep took no notice of them.
'I am the gate. Anyone who enters through me will be safe:
they will go freely in and out and be sure of finding pasture.
'The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.
I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full.'
Doxology The people remain seated to sing
Praise God the giver and the gift, (Tune 100 TiS)
Hearts, minds and voices now uplift:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Breath of glad surprise,
freeing, uplifting, opening eyes,
Three in Oneness, Love communing,
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Brian Wren
Contemporary word
Silence for personal reflection
AFFIRMING
Earth litany
The people stand as they are able
v1 Earth teach me!
Le Earth teach me patience as the plants grow slowly
Ri Earth teach me hope as the first shoots break through
Le Earth teach me courage as the wild animals protect their young
Ri Earth teach me blessing as the sun rises each day
Le Earth teach me loving kindness as the birds migrate for winter
Ri Earth teach me freedom as the birds who fly alone
Le Earth teach me celebration as the apples come to full fruit
Ri Earth teach me yearning as the rain nourishes the drought.
v1 Earth teach me! (Margie Abbott/sotc)
The peace
God makes peace within us. Let us claim it.
God makes peace between us. Let us share it.
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
CELEBRATING
Hymn of the Month
“The cosmos is revolving” (Tune: ‘Sprowston’, 13 13 13 13) 147 RP
The cosmos is revolving with endless rhythmic rhyme,
the circle keeps on turning to mark off chance and time;
and through the life we're living and images we see
we plot the hopeful story of God's eternity.
The summer sheds its harvest as autumn turns to gold,
the springtime and its newness are lost in time, grown old;
the cold of winter beckons, the trees are crippled, bare,
but seeds of hope are hidden, await the spring's repair.
This broadens expectation, the life for which we hope,
the gift of resurrection, the faith for which we grope,
are found within our compass and not beyond our grasp,
these gifts of grace and loving are sown in us to last. Andrew Pratt
Offerings
Our offerings for the work of ministry in this place and beyond
will now be received.
Presentation
We give thanks to God for our life
and the courage we are given to live it.
Let our gratitude for life be expressed in our generosity.
Let our faith be expressed in good causes.
Let our belief in the future find full expression
in our daily attitude of mind. (Francis Macnab)
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
Prayers
Pastoral
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 Most compassionate Life-giver,
may we honour and praise you:
may we work with you to establish
your new order of justice, peace and love.
Give us what we need for growth,
and help us, through forgiving others,
to accept forgiveness.
Strengthen us in the time of testing,
that we may resist all evil.
For all the tenderness,
strength and love are yours, now and forever.
Amen. (W Wallace)
SCATTERING
Hymn "Whispers rippled through the cosmos" (Tune: 'Nettleton', 87 87. 392 TiS)
Whispers rippled through the cosmos,
pan-galactic breath of God;
marking paths of whirling planets,
stellar strings where stars first trod.
Major chords of constellations
ringing on the staves of time,
soften to a sombre minor,
echoes of an ancient rhyme.
God is in this wild confusion
bringing order, giving grace;
author, ground of all creation,
fount of being, Lord of space.
All transcendent power and glory
now distilled, condensed, confined;
shaped while shaping rich resources
cradling waiting humankind. © Andrew Pratt
Remain standing
Words of mission
As we prepare to leave this sacred space
where we have worshipped together,
let us return to our work enlivened and renewed...
The community candle is extinguished
v2 We extinguish this candle,
knowing the light of The Human One is within us,
and we carry it forth from this place.
Blessing words
May God the heart of life be deep within us,
God the Christ be present in our history,
and God the Spirit empower us
to sing and dance and celebrate.
All Amen!
Hymn “Spirit of peace” 58 FFS
Spirit of peace,
Spirit of truth,
Spirit of life,
Spirit of earth,
Spirit of Jesus,
Spirit of love,
only one Spirit,
Spirit of God. (John Murray)
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:
Abbott, M. 2001. Sparks of the cosmos. Rituals for seasonal use. SA: Unley. MediaCom Education.
Burgess, R. 2001. A book of blessings. GtB: Glasgow. Wild Goose Publications.
Faith forever singing. Songs for a new day. 2000. NZ: Raumati. New Zealand Hymnbook Trust.
Holy Bible. NRSV. 1989. TEN: Nashville. Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Inclusive readings. Year A. 2004. Qld: Brisbane. Inclusive Language Project. In private circulation.
Iona Community. 2001. Iona abbey worship book. GtB: 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.
Pratt, A. 2006. Reclaiming praise. Hymns from a spiritual journey. GtB: London. Stainer & Bell Ltd.
Singing the living tradition. 1993. MA: Boston. UUA.
Special resources. UCA National Assembly. (Issued from time to time).
The St Hilda Community. 1996. The new women included. A book of services and prayers. GtB: London. SPCK.
Web sites:
UUA Worship Web. MA: Boston. UUA. < http://www.uua.org/spirituallife/worshipweb/>
Andrew Pratt email distribution. UK.
Christ Community Church, Spring Lake. MI. <http://www.christ-community.net/>