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
15 April 2007. Easter 2C. (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, cultural background or sexual orientation
GATHERING
Music
Entry into worship
The gong is sounded three times
It is God, in the dawning,
In the renewal,
In the arrival,
In the new day.
God's presence fills this place of gathering.
The whole earth is full of God's glory.
Let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life
in the presentness of God.
Lighting of community candle
The candle is lit
For this new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends…
We give thanks. (Ralph Waldo Emerson/li)
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
“Travelling the road to freedom” (Tune: ‘Travelling’). 52 EOA
Travelling the road to freedom.
Who wants to travel the road with me?
Feted by noise and branches
And banners hanging from every tree;
Cheered on by frenzied people,
Puzzled by what they hear and see:
Travelling the road to freedom,
Who wants to travel the road with me?
Travelling the road to freedom.
Who wants to travel the road with me?
Partnered by staunch supporters
Who, come the dark, will turn and flee;
Nourished by faith and patience,
Neither of which is plain to see:
Travelling the road to freedom,
Who wants to travel the road with me?
Travelling the road to freedom.
Who wants to travel the road with me?
Tipping the scales of justice,
Setting both minds and captives free;
Suffering and yet forgiving,
Even when my friends most disagree:
Travelling the road to freedom,
Who wants to travel the road with me?
Travelling the road to freedom.
I am the Way, I’ll take you there.
Choose to come on the journey,
Or choose to criticise and stare.
Earth’s mesmerising evil
Only a traveller can repair.
Travelling the road to freedom,
I am the Way, I’ll take you there. (Bell/Maule)
Remain standing
Opening sentences
Empowering God, when the road ahead looms endless,
All empower us to be companions
for one another along the road.
Inspiring God, when the road forward is blocked,
All inspire in us creative responses
that move us beyond the barriers.
Enabling God, when the road before us divides,
All enable us to feel your presence luring us on.
Prayer
We pray:
God of time and eternity,
help us look to the future with hope.
May we be unafraid of hopes and dreams.
May we be realistic about our limitations
but never to lose hope
in our potential to transcend them.
Grant us courage for today and tomorrow.
Amen.
Hymn "I am that great and fiery force" (Tune: 439 TiS, 'Duke St' 88 88) 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.
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.
Music of celebration
EXPLORING
Readings from our religious tradition
Let us now listen to some stories from our broad religious tradition.
From our world around us:
“We build temples in the heart”
By Patrick Murfin.
We have seen the great cathedrals,
stone laid upon stone,
carved and cared for by centuries of certain hands;
seen the slender minarets
soar from dusty streets
to raise the cry of faith
to the One and Only God;
seen the placid pagodas
where gilded Buddhas squat
amid the temple bells and incense.
We have seen the tumbled temples
half-buried in the sands,
choked with verdant tangles,
sunk in corralled seas
old truths toppled and forgotten.
We have even seen the wattled huts,
the sweat lodge hogans,
the wheeled yurts,
and the Ice Age caverns
where unwritten worship
raised its knowing voices.
But here we build temples in our hearts.
Side by side we gather.
Responsive psalm:
Psalm 150 (NRSV amended)
Praise the Holy One!
All Praise God in the sanctuary!
Praise God in the mighty firmament!
Praise him for his mighty deeds;
Praise God according to his surpassing greatness!
Praise God with trumpet sound;
praise God with lute and harp!
All Praise God with tambourine and dance;
praise God with strings and pipe!
Praise God with clanging cymbals;
praise God with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that breathes praise the Holy One!
All Praise for ever more. Amen!
Hymn “We are an Easter people” (Tune: Alive) 146 AA
We are an Easter people,
ours is an Easter faith,
the yeast is rising in our hearts,
our wine has vintage taste.
Refrain:
Christ is risen,
Christ is risen,
risen in our lives.
We are an Easter people,
ours is an Easter faith,
our tears are freed to flow and heal
our shattered hopes and hearts.
Refrain:
We are an Easter people,
ours is an Easter faith,
our fears have died, we rise to dream,
to love, to dance, to live. (Bill Wallace)
Refrain:
Gospel:
John 20:19-27 (Inclusive Text)
In the evening on that same day, the first day of the week,
the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were,
for fear of the people.
Jesus came and stood among them and said to them,
‘Peace be with you,’
and showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples were filled with joy when they saw The Risen One,
who said to them again,
‘Peace be with you. As God sent me,
so I am sending you.’
After saying this Jesus breathed on them and said:
‘Receive the Holy Spirit.
For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven.
For those whose sins you retain, they are retained.’
Thomas, called the Twin, who was one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
When the disciples said,’We have seen the Risen One’,
Thomas answered,
‘Unless I see the holes that the nails made in his hands
and can put my finger into the holes they made,
and unless I can put my hand into his side,
I refuse to believe.’
Eight days later the disciples were in the house again
and Thomas was with them.
The doors were closed, but Jesus came in
and stood among them and said,
‘Peace be with you.’
Then speaking to Thomas,
‘Thomas, put your finger here; look, here are my hands.
Give me your hand; put it into my side.
Doubt no longer but believe.”
Contemporary word
Silence for personal reflection
AFFIRMING
An affirmation of faith
In response to the word reflected on, let us stand
and share together an affirmation of faith.
The people stand
All With faith to face our challenges,
With love that casts out fear,
With hope to trust tomorrow,
We accept this day as the gift it is:
a reason for rejoicing. (Gary Kowalski)
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.
Hymn of the Month
“Easter song: Christ is alive” 15 AA
Christ is alive, and the universe must celebrate,
and the stars and the suns shout on this Easter Day!
Christ is alive, and his family must celebrate
in a great
a great alleluia
to praise the power that made the stone roll away.
Here is our hope: in the mystery of suffering
is the heartbeat of Love, Love that will not let go,
here is our hope, that in God we are not separate,
and we sing alleluia,
we sing alleluia
to praise the power that made the stone roll away.
Christ Spirit, dance through the dullness of humanity
to the music of God, God who has set us free!
You are the pulse of the new creations energy;
with a great alleluia,
a great alleluia
we praise the power that made the stone roll away. Shirley Murray
CELEBRATING
The offering Offerings are presented
Let us bring our offerings as a symbol of our ministry
in this place and beyond.
The presentation The people stand as the gifts are brought forward
We pray:
We give thanks, generous God,
because we owe you more than we can ever repay.
Bless all givers because we need to be generous
in order to be whole.
Amen.
Offerings placed on the table.
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)
Care candle
We are people of all ages who enter this space
bringing our joys and concerns.
Joys and concerns shared.
The Care candle is lit
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 God, lover of us all, most holy one.
Help us to respond to you.
To create what you want for us here on earth.
Give us today enough for our needs.
Forgive our weak and deliberate offences,
just as we must forgive others
when they hurt us.
Help us to resist evil and to do what is good.
For we are yours, endowed with your power
to make our world whole.
Amen. (Lala Winkley/cw)
SCATTERING
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
“Celebrate all human beauty” (Tune: Nettleton’, 87 87D. 392 TiS)
Celebrate all human beauty
caught in colour, form and face,
celebrate the human body
made to move with speed and grace.
Celebrate the human spirit
leaping high to reach a goal,
celebrate our Maker's wisdom
crafting body, mind and soul.
Celebrate our own endeavours
to achieve and to arrive
over handicap and hurdle
when against ourselves we strive,
iron will and summoned courage
sweeping obstacles aside,
sweating out our inner conflict
to acquit ourselves with pride.
Words of mission
Let us take on this week’s life
with renewed hope and imagination...
The candle is extinguished
And now we take our leave.
All Before we gather here again:
may each of us bring happiness into another's life;
may we each be surprised by the gifts that surround us;
may each of us be enlivened by constant curiosity.
And may we remain together in spirit
til the hour we meet again. Barbara Cheatham
Blessing words
And now may the blessings of life be upon us,
and upon this congregation.
May the memories we gather here give us hope for the future.
May the love that we share
bring strength and joy to our hearts,
and the peace of this community be with us
until we meet again.
All Amen.
Hymn (Cont.) “Celebrate all human beauty” (Tune: Nettleton’, 87 87D. 392 TiS)
Sport and faith both speak a language
universal, sensed and known;
where there's shared exhilaration,
new community is grown,
friendship found in common focus,
effort turned to common goal,
honouring our maker's purpose,
health in body, mind and soul. (Shirley Murray/sco)
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.
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:
Alleluia Aotearoa. Hymns and songs for all churches. 1993. NZ: Raumati. New Zealand Hymnbook Trust.
Bell, J; G. Maule. 1990. Enemy of apathy. Wild Goose Songs Vol. 2. Revised edition. Gt. Britain: Glasgow. Wild Goose Publications.
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.
Duncan, G. (ed). 1998. Seeing christ in others. An anthology for worship, mediation and mission. Gt. Britain: Norwich. The Canterbury Press.
Falla, T. C. (ed). 1994. Be our freedom lord. Responsive prayers and readings for contemporary worship. Revised edition. SA: Adelaide. Open Books Publications.
Holy Bible. NRSV. 1989. Ten: Nashville. Thomas Nelson Publishers.
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.
Johnson, D. A. 2003. The light invisible. MA: Brookline. Self published.
McRae-McMahon, D. 1993. Echoes of our journey. Liturgies of the people. VIC: Melbourne. JBCE.
Macnab, F. 1996. Hope: The deeper longings of the mind and heart. VIC: Richmond. Spectrum Publications.
Singing the living tradition. 1993. MA: Boston. UUA
The St Hilda Community. 1996. The new women included. A book of services and prayers. Gt. Britain: London. SPCK.
Together in song. Australian hymn book 2. 1999. NSW: Sydney. HarperCollins Religious.
Uniting in Worship. Leader’s Book. 1988. VIC: Melbourne. 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.
Andrew Pratt Web site. UK.