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 May 2008. Pentecost A. (Red).
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
God's spirit calls us into the future,
God's spirit calls us to new vision,
God's spirit calls us in compassionate love
Let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life in the presentness of this God.
Lighting of the Pentecost candle
The spirit of imagination is a gift to all people.
All The spirit of faithfulness is the gift of the earth.
The spirit of hope breathes
in the homeless and marginalised in this city.
All The spirit of freedom
was announced by those who went before us
and we proclaim it again today.
The spirit of love is a gift to the church in every age.
All We see the flame of the Spirit of God.
The Pentecost candle is lit.
The spirit is dancing, moving, struggling, rising
and calling to the ends of the earth.
All We have seen the flame of the spirit in our midst.
Thanks be to God. (D McRae-McMahon/eoj-adapt)
Sung response The people stand as they are able, to sing
“Halle, halle, halle” 720 TiS
(Sung twice)
Halle, halle, halle - lu - jah!
Halle, halle, halle - lu - jah!
Halle, halle, halle - lu - jah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Remain standing after the hymn
Opening sentences
It is time! Spirit, move in the heart of God
All Come, warm into the rock of our beginnings,
alive with original blessings.
Spirit, run in the streets of the city.
All Flow to the deep brown roots of our belonging.
Spirit, invade the air.
All Stretch widely with whispering wings,
and cover us with your healing.
Spirit, soar in the mobile phone towers and shop fronts.
All Carry the seed, call the song of the dance in the heart of God.
Wake us to hope and freedom. (Dorothy McRae-McMahon/eoj)
Prayer
We pray:
Come, Holy Spirit, come,
Breathe into our hearts this day.
Bless our worship and inspire us,
that we may live Spirit-filled lives
of love and compassion for all.
Amen.
Hymn “Gather the Spirit” (Tune: ‘Gather the spirit’, 9 9 9 10/Refrain) 347 SLT
Gather the spirit, harvest the power.
Our sep'rate fires will kindle one flame.
Witness the mystery of this hour.
Our trials in this light appear all the same.
Refrain:
Gather in peace, gather in thanks.
Gather in sympathy now and then.
Gather in hope, compassion and strength.
Gather to celebrate once again.
Gather the spirit of heart and mind.
Seeds for the sowing are laid in store.
Nurtured in love, and con-science refined,
with body and spirit united once more
Refrain:
Gather the spirit growing in all,
drawn by the moon and fed by the sun.
Winter to spring, and summer to fall,
the chorus of life resounding as one.
Refrain: Jim Scott
The people sit
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
Music of celebration
Silence
Let us take a moment to settle into the silence.
Hear and feel your quiet breathing.
Hear and feel the quiet of this place
and this community of people.
In this quiet hour may our spirits be renewed.
In this gathering of old and new friends
may our minds be open to new truth,
and our hearts be receptive to love,
as we give thanks for this life we are blessed to share. (Emmy Lou Belcher-adapt.)
(Silence)
EXPLORING
Readings from our broad religious tradition
Three stories from our broad religious tradition shall now be read. Our reader is (NN).
Early church:
Acts 2:1-4 (Inclusive text)
When Pentecost day came around,
the apostles had all met in one room,
when suddenly they heard
what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven.
The noise filled the entire house where they were sitting.
And something appeared to them
that seemed like tongues of fire;
these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them.
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak foreign languages,
as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech.
Contemporary world:
"Wind, wind. A reflection on the Spirit"
By William Loader (Adapted)
Wind, wind,
you come from nothingness and go to nothingness,
and when you are still,
there is nothing we see, nothing we hear,
and you surround us in our not seeing and not knowing.
Wild, wild wind,
you whip the seas, whirling great water spouts and fountains,
crashing the foamed edges of the shore,
sweeping the unsuspecting fisherman from the slippery rocks,
terrifying force, uncontrollable, beyond our power.
Wind, wind, wondrous wind,
hovering at the birth of creation,
whisking secretly among the wonders of new life,
bearing the seed, lifting high the heads of mighty trees,
swirling among the grasses, celebrating life.
Wind, wind, gentle wind,
wind of our breathing, our life, our hope,
renewing, refreshing,
sighing in our stress,
moaning in our pain,
still in our dying.
O wind, wind,
you breathed upon the clay and there was life,
you danced down to the forehead of a Galilean
and there was hope,
you shook the foundations of community
and there was Pentecost.
Hymn “Praise to the living God” (Tune: ‘Leoni’, 66 84D, 102TiS) 215 SLT
Praise to the living God,
all praised be The Name,
which was, and is, and is to be,
for aye the same.
The one eternal God
ere aught that now appears:
the first, the last, beyond all thought
or timeless years!
Unformed, all lovely forms
declare God’s loveliness,
no holiness on earth
can e’er The Name express
whose love enfolds us all;
whose laud the earth displays,
Yea, everywhere, above, below,
is perfect praise.
The spirit floweth free,
high surging where it will,
in prophet's word did speak of old,
and speaketh still.
The Torah rest secure,
and changeless it shall stand,
deep writ upon the human heart,
on sea and land.
Eternal life hath God
implanted in the soul;
such love shall be our strength
and stay while ages roll.
Praise to the living God!
All praised be The Name
which was, and is, and is to be,
for aye the same! (From the Jewish Yigdal c. 13th cent.)
Gospel:
John 7: 37-39 (NRSV)
On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out,
“Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink.
“As the scripture has said,
‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’”
Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him
were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit,
because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Contemporary word
Silence for personal reflection
AFFIRMING
A litany for Pentecost
The people stand.
Flame of purity:
Le Light us up.
Flame of beauty:
Ri Light us up.
Flame of wisdom:
Le Light us up.
Flame of friendship:
Ri Light us up.
Flame of true speech:
Le Light us up.
Flame of true seeing:
Ri Light us up.
Breath of God, blow away all that is unclean:
All Rain of God, revive our withered lives.
Wind of God, blow us to wild places as you will:
All Breeze of God, refresh us as you desire.
River of God, flow through us and heal our land:
All River of God, flow through us and heal our land.
The 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
“God who sets us on a journey” (Tune: ‘Canvas’’) 32 FFS
God who sets us on a journey
to discover, dream and grow,
lead us as you led your people
in the desert long ago;
journey inward, journey outward,
stir the spirit, stretch the mind,
love for God and self and neighbour
marks the way that Christ defined.
Exploration brings new insights,
changes, choices we must face;
give us wisdom in deciding,
mindful always of your grace;
should we stumble, lose our bearings,
find it hard to know what's right,
we regain our true direction
focused on the Jesus light.
End our longing for the old days,
grant the vision that we lack –
once we've started on this journey
there can be no turning back;
let us travel light, discarding
excess baggage from our past,
cherish only what's essential,
choosing treasure that will last.
When we set up camp and settle
to avoid love's risk and pain,
you disturb complacent comfort,
pull the tent pegs up again;
keep us travelling in the knowledge
you are always at our side;
give us courage for the journey,
Christ our goal and Christ our guide. Joy Dine
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 O Birther! Father-Mother of the Cosmos,
Focus your light within us - make it useful:
Create your reign of unity now.
Your one desire then acts with ours,
as in all light, so in all forms.
Grant what we need each day in bread and insight.
Loose the cords of mistakes binding us,
as we release the strands we hold of others' guilt.
Don't let surface things delude us,
But free us from what holds us back.
From you is born all ruling will,
the power and the life to do,
the song that beautifies all, from age to age it renews.
Truly - power to these statements -
may they be the ground from which all
my actions grow: Amen. (Neil Douglas-Klotz)
Offerings
Our offerings for the work of ministry in this place shall now be received.
Presentation People stand as the gifts are presented
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.
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)
SCATTERING
Hymn “Jesus left them. God empowered them” (Tune: 165 TiS, 8.7.8.7)
Jesus left them. God empowered them.
Spirit flamed from age to age.
And that Spirit can't be silenced,
now's our time to take the stage.
Every nation that had gathered
was invited on that day;
and the Spirit still unites us:
Pentecost has come to stay.
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 candle is extinguished
Now may our wisdom show itself
in deeds of compassion and in acts of understanding.
All May the fruits of the spirit
be apparent in our lives. (Adapted/Philip R Giles)
Blessing words
May God’s breath stream within you.
May God’s breath renew you.
May God’s breath invigorate you.
Walk with confidence into this day. (Traditional Jewish blessing/wb)
All Amen.
Hymn (Cont) “Jesus left them. God empowered them” (Tune: 165 TiS, 8.7.8.7)
As disciples came together
they would hold a common purse;
shared their meals, their wealth and praises,
kingdom values they'd rehearse.
Still, today, we'll trace that pattern,
working for the good of all,
in our politics and preaching,
faithful to the gospel's call. © Andrew Pratt, 2003, Stainer & Bell Ltd.
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:
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.
Douglas-Klotz, N. 1990. Prayers of the cosmos. Meditations on the aramaic words of Jesus. NY: New York. Harper & Row.
Duncan, G. (ed). 2000. A world of blessing. Benedictions from every continent and many cultures. GtB: Norwich. The Canterbury Press.
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.
McRae-McMahon, D. 1993. Echoes of our journey. Liturgies of the people. VIC: Melbourne. JBCE.
Osing, R. 2006. “Liturgy: Holy Eucharist”. In private circulation from the author. L & L Seminar.
Singing the living tradition. 1993. MA: Boston. UUA.
Together in song. Australian hymn book 2. 1999. NSW: Sydney. HarperCollins Religious.
Web sites:
UUA Worship Web. MA: Boston. UUA. < http://www.uua.org/spirituallife/worshipweb/>
William Loader Web site. WA: Perth.
L Bruce Miller. Edmonton, Canada.
Stainer & Bell Ltd. Web site: hymns.uk.com