Revd Rex A E Hunt
MSc(Hons), GradDipCommMgt
eMail: rexae@optusnet.com.au
Web site: www.rexaehuntprogressive.com
LITURGY FOR THE CELEBRATION OF LIFE
17 December 2006. Advent 3C. (Blue).
Celebrating community: Sacrament of Holy Communion
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 music
Entry into celebration
The gong is rung three times
v1 The season of Advent challenges us
to see God's vision of what is yet to be,
to hear God's voice calling anew,
to smell the scent of God in our world.
v2 Let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life in the presentness of God.
Music of celebration
THE ADVENT WREATH WITH THE CHILDREN
Advent 3
The light grows brighter
and the nights are mild;
excitement is building
in every true child.
All Come, companion Jesus, walk with us.
v1 Let us prepare a manger in our hearts
for the birth of the sacred.
v3 Why do we light a third candle?
v2 This third candle reminds us of joy.
A third candle is lit.
v4 joy
is found in the moment
when the tables turn
and the veil of denial is lifted
displaying vulnerability and fear,
colliding with hope and promise,
mingling together.
a tingle growing warm,
lurching forward is joy.
This is why we light a candle for joy. Kathy Hawker
Hymn “Anna’s Song” 55 IST
Lift this child to the sun,
Raise this child to the sky;
God has come from above,
Come to earth from on high.
Lift this child, lift this child to the sun.
Lay this child on the ground,
One with us, one with earth;
Let God know in his son,
Human clay, human birth.
Lay this child, lay this child on the ground.
Place this child in the shade,
Hang this child ‘neath a tree;
With his hand on the wood,
May this child set us free.
Place this child, place this child in the shade. © Norman Habel.
Remain standing. The children depart for Sunday Club.
Opening sentences
Let us acknowledge the awesome mystery embodied in every person.
All Through us God comes to unique and personal expression.
Let us give thanks
for the abundance of life on this earth.
All Through it we and all people may be nourished. (MMorwood/adapted)
Prayer of awareness
We pray:
Holy One of many names,
whose presence we most often recognise only in retrospect,
may we be blessed this day.
In this season of Advent,
may we become more aware of your presentness.
May we see you in each other,
hear you in the music,
hold you, as we give and receive gifts of love.
Amen.
Hymn of the month
“Star-Child, earth-Child” 40(ii) COC
Star-Child, earth-Child
go-between of God,
love Child, Christ Child,
heaven's lightning rod,
Refrain:
This year, this year,
let the day arrive,
when Christmas comes
for everyone,
everyone alive!
Street child, beat child
no place left to go,
hurt child, used child,
no one wants to know,
Refrain:
Grown child, old child,
mem'ry full of years,
sad child, lost child,
story told in tears,
Refrain:
Spared child, spoiled child,
having, wanting more,
wise child, faith child
knowing joy in store,
Refrain:
Hope-for-peace Child,
God's stupendous sign,
down-to-earth Child,
star of stars that shine,
Refrain: Shirley Murray
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.
Reflection
"The moment of magic"
By Victoria Safford/adapte
Now is the moment of magic,
when the whole, round earth sits warm under a summer sun,
and here's a blessing:
the days are longer and brighter now.
Now is the moment of magic,
when people beaten down and broken,
with nothing left but misery and candles
and their own clear voices,
kindle tiny lights and whisper secret music,
and here's a blessing:
the universe is suddenly illuminated by the lights of Christmas,
and the whole world is glad and loud with summer singing.
Now is the moment of magic,
when an eastern star beckons the blazing sunset
to linger a little longer,
and here's a blessing:
they find nothing in the end but an ordinary baby,
born at midnight, born in poverty, and the baby's cry,
like bells ringing, makes people wonder
as they wander through their lives,
what human love might really look like,
sound like,
feel like.
Now is the moment of magic,
and here's a blessing:
we already possess all the gifts we need;
we've already received our presents:
ears to hear music,
eyes to behold lights,
hands to build true peace on earth
and to hold each other tight in love.
Centering silence
Let there now be a quiet time among us.
(Silence
This moment of silence is an invitation
to be calm in the midst of the noise of the world
and our over-busy lives...
To bring together
thought and feeling,
mind and spirit,
and to find some centre - some still point, of perspective and peace.
(Silence)
Readings from our broad religious tradition
Some readings and a refelction from our broad
religious tradition shall now be read.
The reader is (NN).
From the mystics:
"The new creation"
By Bede Griffiths. The essential mystics/214.
This earth and all that is in it,
and the whole cosmic order to which it belongs,
has to undergo a transformation;
it has to become a "new heaven and a new earth."
Modern physics helps us to realize that this whole material universe
is a vast 'field of energies' which is in a continuous process of transformation.
Matter is passing into life and life into consciousness,
and we are waiting for the time
when our present mode of consciousness
will be transformed and we shall transcend
the limits of space and time, and enter 'the new creation.'
Gospel:
Luke 3:10-17 (Inclusive Text)
The crowds asked John,
'What must we do?'
He answered,
'Let the one with two coats share with the one who has none;
let those who have food do the same.'
There were tax collectors too who came for baptism, and these said to John,
'Teacher, what must we do?'
John said to them,
Exact no more than your fixed rate.'
Some soldiers asked him in their turn,
'What about us? What must we do?'
John said to them,
'Do not bully anyone! Do not accuse anyone falsely!
Be content with your pay.'
A feeling of expectancy had grown among the people,
who were beginning to think that John might be the Christ,
so John declared before them all,
'I baptise you with water, but someone is coming,
someone who is more powerful than I,
the strap of whose sandals I am not fit to undo.
'This one will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
'A winnowing fan is in his hand to clear the threshing floor
and to gather the wheat into a barn;
but the chaff will be burnt in a fire
that will never go out.'
Contemporary word
Silence for personal reflection
An litany: We are people of all ages
The people stand as they are able
We are people of all ages who enter this space
bringing our joys and our concerns.
All We come together in hope.
We greet each other warmly
with our voices and our smiles.
All We come together in peace.
We share our growth and our aspirations.
All We come together in wonder.
We share our losses and our disappointments.
All We come together in sorrow.
We share our concern and our compassion.
All We come together in love.
We sing and pray and listen.
We speak and read and dream.
We think and ponder and reflect.
We cry and laugh and center.
We mourn and celebrate and meditate.
We strive for justice and for mercy.
All We come together to worship God. (Adapted/Carol Meyer)
Hymn “As a chalice cast of gold” (Tune: ‘Inward Light’ 77 77 77) 476 TiS
The people sit
Care candle
Joys and concerns
The Care candle is lit
Prayers
Pastoral
Lord's Prayer
You are invited to pray the Lord's Prayer in your original language, as that is appropriate.
All Father, may your name be holy.
May your rule take place.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Pardon our debts, for we ourselves pardon
everyone in debt to us.
And do not bring us to trial
into a trying situation. (B Mack/Q)
Amen.
Offerings
Our offerings for the work of ministry in this place
and our gifts or bread and wine, shall now be received.
Presentation People stand as they are able, as offerings are presented
We pray:
As we bring our gifts and our offerings forward,
may our whole life move forward,
in good faith,
with good feelings,
and with a good belief about the future.
Amen. Francis Macnab/adapted
CELEBRATING COMMUNITY: SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION...
Invitation
O God, true source of humanity, mother and father of us all.
You renew us so we may grow like you.
All We gather together.
Thanksgiving
May God be with you.
All And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
All We lift them up to Christ.
Let us give thanks
All It is right to give our thanks and praise.
The people sit
God of the summer’s day and the Advent season
All Praise and wonder be.
God of the lingering sunset and early dawn,
All Praise and wonder be.
God of the hot north wind and the refreshing shower,
God of the shady tree and the cool water bag,
God of the ripening harvest and sparkling sea,
All Praise and wonder be.
All creation blesses the creator, the Source of Energy and Life.
For all things bright and beautiful.
For all things dark and mysterious and lovely.
For all things green and growing and strong.
For all things weak and struggling to push life up through rocky earth.
For all human faces, hearts, minds, and hands which surround us.
And for all non human minds and hearts,
paws and claws,
fins and wings... (G A Ricciuti/bb)
All Praise and wonder be.
So we join our praise with all your people across the generations, saying
All Holy, holy, holy, Celebrating God,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
All Hosanna in the highest.
In our praise and thanksgiving we also remember the ways of Jesus
who walked the dusty roads of Galilee,
who taught from seashore and mountainside,
who told stories of the sower and the seed,
the lilies of the field,
and the birds of the air.
May we, too, know your presentness in the beauty of creation.
We also remember, Creating God,
that your care for this earth and your people can be denied;
for your goodness was abused
and the Holy One was betrayed...
Silence
Bread and wine
On the night of his arrest, so our tradition reminds us,
Jesus shared a meal with his disciples.
Bread taken, blessed, broken in silence
Wine taken, poured out in silence
Through grain and grape, bread and wine,
he spoke of his coming death and new life,
asking his disciples to remember him.
Be present with us now, Enfolding God, as we share this sacrament.
Let your Holy Spirit brood among us...
and upon and through this bread and wine.
Bless us with a desire to praise in song and story and poetry.
Bless us with a sharpened awareness of your presence.
Bless us with deep compassion.
Bless us with the patience and daring of the mystics.
All Abide with us always.
Abide with us in our daily work.
Abide with us when we rest.
Abide with us in our journeying.
Abide with us at all times and through eternity.
Amen.
Communion
Served at the front, by intinction.
After communion
Generous Giver of life, you supply us with all good things.
May this bread and wine be the nourishment we seek,
and may it transform us into disciples who serve in your creation.
The peace
This is a house of God. A place of peace.
A place where we befriend one another.
Let us then 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.
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
"As the sun beats down" (Tune: 10 7 10 7) 2 FFS
As the sun beats down and the heat invades,
and creation burns and dries;
let us sing to God of a promised hope
in the midst of anxious cries.
As the parching winds relentless blow,
and creation browns away;
let us sing to God, who restores and calms
all foreboding and dismay.
As the feed dies back and the stock decline,
and creation's bones show through;
let us sing to God of the bread of life,
to refresh, restore, renew.
Words of mission
And now may the rhythms of our coming together:
the melodies of our worship,
and the harmonies of our farewells,
All Make musical our living,
soothing our spirits and uplifting our souls
This day
All and into the beckoning future.
Blessing words
Go into this week,
held together by the love of God
clothed with the nature of Jesus our Companion
reinforced by the strength of the Holy Spirit.
All Amen.
Hymn (Cont.) "As the sun beats down" (Tune: 10 7 10 7) 2 FFS
As the silent birds sing a silent song
in creation's still blue sky;
let us sing to God of the songs of hope,
through a gentle rain's reply.
As the season comes and the season goes,
and we search the skies each day;
let us sing to God of a rainbow faith,
and a promised green display. Bill Bennett
The people sit after the hymn
'This week' at St James
Notices
Birthdays and anniversaries
Significant events
Journey candles
Recessional 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.
Carol our christmas. A book of New Zealand carols. 1996. NZ: Raumati. New Zealand Hymnbook Trust.
Faith forever singing. Songs for a new day. 2000. NZ: Raumati. New Zealand Hymnbook Trust.
Harvey, A. (ed). 1996. The essential mystics. NY: New York. HarperSanFrancisco.
In spirit and in truth. A worship book. 1991. Switzerland: Geneva. World Council of Churches. Seventh Assembly.
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.
Mack, B. L. 1993. The lost gospel. The book of Q and christian origins. NY: New York. HarperSanFrancisco.
Macnab, F. 1996. Hope: The deeper longings of the mind and heart. 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.
Morely, J. 1992. All desires known. Expanded edition. Gt. Britain: London. SPCK.
Morwood, M. 2003. Praying a new story. VIC: Richmond. Spectrum Publications.
Together in song. Australian hymn book 2. 1999. NSW: Sydney. HarperCollins Religious.
Withrow, L. 1995. Seasons of prayer. Resources for worship. Gt. Britain: London. SPCK.
Web sites:
UUA Worship Web. MA: Boston. UUA.
Kathy Hawker. Outside the box. <liturgyoutside.net/AdventCandleOutside.html>