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
28 January 2007. Epiphany 4C. (Green).
10.30am. Contemporary liturgical worship.
(Australia Day)
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 celebration
The gong is sounded three times
v1 Fold up the newspaper.
Turn off the kettle.
Close up your diary already filled with dates,
and times,
and people,
and places that claim you.
This congregation is ready for you
to fill this sacred space,
to create its spirit,
to generate its warmth,
to kindle its light. (Adapted/David Blanchard)
v2 Let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life
in the presentness of God.
Lighting of community candle
A candle is lit
Divine spark from sacred dark
Symbol of our holy intent
illuminate this hour. Kathy Huff
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
"God given energy, flaring and fiery" (Tune: ‘Spean’, 11 10 11 10. 310(ii) TiS)
God given energy, flaring and fiery,
stella collisions of fury and pace;
shafts of the light from the cosmic conception
searing to earth from infinity's space.
Stars from eternity, driven by forces
formed at the birthing of matter and time;
mystical sinews restraining the planets,
elegant science and God's hidden rhyme;
These are the visions of wonder and rapture,
signs of significance, pointers to place,
drawing us out from our narrow discernment,
windows to love and God's infinite grace. © Andrew Pratt
Remain standing
Opening sentences
On this special weekend in this land Australia,
may we keep in touch with the simple pleasures of life:
Wm the smell of the bush after summer rain,
Mn the sound of surf rolling on sandy shores,
Wm the juiciness of fruit freshly picked,
Mn an evening breeze at the end of a hot day.
On this special weekend may we
keep in touch with the simple pleasures of life:
All gifts of Creativity God new every morning. (Adapted-B Prewer/jof)
Prayer of awareness
We pray:
Abiding God,
grant us the joy of feeling ourselves
a part of your vast magnificence,
your all-encompassing love.
Amen.
Hymn “Jesus calls us here” (Tune: ‘Gaelic Air’, 87 87D.) 477 TiS
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
"God who meets us"
By William Wallace. Courage to love/3.
Centering silence
As you entered this sacred place today
you were given a small clutch of Oak leaves...
Hold them now in the palm of your hand
as you close your eyes.
Feel the surface of the leaves...
There is energy and potency in these leaves
as new acorns begin to form and take shape within them.
Given the soil, the water and the light,
these tiny acorn seeds will grow into a tree
and produce shade for birds and humans.
(Silence)
So too does your life provide opportunity
for growth, for new possibilities, for new beginnings...
(Silence)
Music of reflection
EXPLORING
Readings from our religious tradition
Some readings from our religious tradition
shall now be read.
Our reader is Anne Mann.
Hebrew scriptures:
Jeremiah 1:4-5, 9-10, 17 (NRSV/Inclusive Text)
In the days of Josiah,
the word of God was addressed to me, Jeremiah, saying,
'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
before you came to birth I consecrated you;
I have appointed you as prophet to the nations'.
Then Holy God touched my mouth saying to me,
'I have put my words in your mouth.
Today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to pull down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant...
'So brace yourself for action.
Stand up and tell them all I command you'.
Early church:
i Corinthians 13:1, 4-8 (NRSV)
If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels,
but do not have love,
I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal...
Love is patient; love is kind;
love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.
It does not insist on its own way;
it is not irritable or resentful;
it does not rejoice in wrongdoing,
but rejoices in the truth.
It bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.
Love never ends.
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
"All who love and serve your city" ('Birtabus', 87 87) 634 TiS
The people sit
Gospel:
Luke 4: 21-30 (Inclusive Text)
Jesus finished speaking in the synagogue.
His speaking won the approval of all,
and they were astonished by the gracious words
that came from his lips.
They said, 'This is Joseph’s son surely?'
But Jesus replied,
'No doubt you will quote me the saying,
"Physician, heal yourself" and tell me,
'We have heard all that happened in Capernaum,
do the same here in your own countryside.'
And Jesus went on,
'I tell you solemnly, no prophets are ever accepted
in their own country.
'There were many widows in Israel, I can assure you,
in Elijah's day, when heaven remained shut
for three years and six months
and a great famine raged throughout the land,
but Elijah was not sent to anyone of these;
he was sent to the widow at Zarephath, a Sidonian town.
'And in the prophet Elisha's time
there were many lepers in Israel,
but none of these was cured, except the Syrian, Naaman.'
When they heard this everyone in the synagogue were enraged.
They strang to their feet and hustled Jesus out of the town;
and they took him up to the brow of the hill
their town was built on, intending to throw him down the cliff,
but Jesus slipped through the crowd
and walked away.
Contemporary word
Silence for personal reflection
AFFIRMING
A litany for Australia
In response to the word reflected on
let us stand and share together a litany for Australia.
The people stand as they are able
We affirm...
that we are called to be the Church,
All the witness of Source of Life and Love in the world.
We believe...
that we are the disciples who follow in the footsteps
of Jesus, the Compassionate One,
All who extended the hospitality of God by living
within and for the marginalised,
those kept to the outside of society; and the stranger.
We believe... all lands belong to God
and that Australia is God’s gift to us.
All We recognise and honour
the first inhabitants of our land,
the indigenous people and their rich culture.
We uphold the right of all people
irrespective of colour, culture, creed, or sexual orientation,
to find a home in Australian community.
All We believe the Spirit of God calls us
to work for and to support an Australian society which
affirms the traditions which have enriched our country,
welcomes newcomers,
appreciates the diversity of cultures,
and is inclusive and cooperative in spirit. (UCA)
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.
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 people stand as they are able, to sing
“Perfect singer” (Tune: ‘Catherine’, 77 77. 622 TiS) 332 SLT
Perfect Singer, songs of earth
rise on every field and hearth;
let our voices sound again
ancient songs of joy and pain.
All your creatures strive for life
suffer hurt in angry strife,
seek compassion, find release
in the covenant of peace.
Sing a sacred melody
for the justice that shall be;
let our harmonies resolve
dissonance in steadfast love.
Steadfast Seeker, find our song
woven into lives made strong;
let the patterns of surprise
kindle hope with each sunrise. G K Beach
The people sit
The offering Offerings are presented
Let us bring our offerings as a symbol
of our ministry in this place.
The presentation The people stand as the gifts are brought forward
We pray:
Thank you, God,
for all we have,
for all we are.
Thank you for the privilege of responding
to your generosity with these gifts
and with our lives.
Amen.
Offerings placed on the table.
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 Loving God, within and around us, we revere you.
We seek to live life as you would want us to do:
with love and respect for all people
and all things in the universe.
May we find each day sufficient for our needs.
And find forgiveness when we do wrong,
just as we forgive those who do wrong to us.
In times of trouble, may we centre our lives in you.
For your being is love,
which comes with strength and with beauty.
Throughout eternity.
Amen. Margaret Rolfe.
SCATTERING
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
“Where wide sky rolls down” (Tune: 'Hanover', 55 55 65 65). 188 (v1-3) TiS
Words of mission
Let us take on this week’s life
with renewed hope and imagination...
The candle is extinguished
May we go forth from this place
thankful for the life that sustains and renews us,
and open to the grace that surrounds
and surprises us.
All May we go forth from this place
with openness and with thanksgiving Charles A. Howe
Blessing words
As the kookaburra gently settles on the tree,
receive the gift of Peace.
As the sun rises with light and warmth,
receive the gift of Life.
As the wind moves and dances round the earth,
receive the gracious gift of the Spirit. (Dorothy Stewart/wb)
All Amen.
Hymn (Cont.) “Where wide sky rolls down” (Tune: 'Hanover', 55 55 65 65) 188 (v4) TiS
The people sit after the hymn
'This week' at St James
Birthdays
Anniversaries
Significant events
Journeys
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.
The contemporary hymns used in this liturgy,
in addition to those from Together in Song,
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.
Duncan, G. (ed). 2000. A world of blessing. Benedictions from every continent and many cultures. Gt. Britain: Norwich. The Canterbury Press.
Duncan, G. (ed). 2002. Courage to love. An anthology of inclusive worship material. Gt. Britain: Norwich. The Canterbury Press.
Holy Bible. NRSV. 1989. Ten: Nashville. Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Inclusive readings. Year C. 2006. Qld: Brisbane. Inclusive Language Project. In private circulation.
Prewer, B. D. 1998. Jesus our future. Prayers for the twenty-first century. SA: Adelaide. OpenBook Publishers.
Singing the living tradition. 1993. MA: Boston. UUA.
Special resources. UCA National Assembly. (Issued from time to time).
Together in song. Australian hymn book 2. 1999. NSW: Sydney. HarperCollins Religious.
Web sites:
UUA Worship Web. MA: Boston. UUA.
Andrew Pratt Web site. UK.