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 March 2007. Lent 3. (Purple).
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 celebration
The gong is struck three times
Come into this gathering.
May this time together be creative
Of a new outreach of trust and confidence
That life was meant to be lived at the full tide. Bob Holmes
Let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life
in the presentness of God.
Lighting of the Community candle
A candle is lit
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
"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
Opening sentences
In hope, in longing
All We're glad to come together.
In trust, in community
All We're glad to come together.
In many moods, in many shapes and sizes
All We're glad to come together.
In peace, in joy
All We're glad to come together.
In solidarity with those who struggle
All We're glad to come together.
In resistance to those who dominate
All We're glad to come together.
In memory of Jesus, who lived with compassion
All We're glad to come together.
In assurance that we belong here
All We're glad to come together
this Lenten season. (Nelson-Pallmeyer/wsj)
Prayer of awareness
We pray:
Remind us, O Spirit, that life is worth living.
Remind us, O Creator, that the struggle for justice is worth undertaking.
Remind us, O Mercy, that love and action are one.
Amen. (Nelson-Pallmeyer/wsj)
Hymn "Past and present" (Tune: 569 TiS) 28 TMT
Past and present, with our dreaming,
Join to make us what we are;
Ancient wisdom, ancient follies
Shape the way we love and care:
Give us reverence,
Give us wisdom,
From the past for life today.
Make us mindful of the present -
Ev'ry force, each strength, each flaw;
Free us from those selfish motives
Which consume us more and more:
Give us vision,
Give us courage,
For this modern age of change.
We must face the future's challenge
To create a better earth
Hand in hand with all who labour
Dream and suffer for its birth:
For through sharing
And through caring
We shall build community. Bill Wallace
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
"Resting in the grace of the world"
Wendell Berry. Earth Prayers/102.
Centering silence
Let us take a moment
to settle into the silence of this place.
(Silence)
May our silence grow profound
as we are embraced by the spirit
of our highest hopes.
(Silence) Barbara Hamilton-Holway
Music of reflection
EXPLORING
Readings from our religious tradition
Some readings from our broad religious tradition
shall now be offered.
Our reader is Barry Peisley.
Contemporary world:
"Love means deeds"
By Javier Torres. Let justice roll down/47.
Gospel:
Luke 13:1-9 (Inclusive Text)
Some people arrived and told Jesus about Galileans
whose blood Pilate had mingled with that their sacrifices.
At this Jesus said to them,
‘Do you suppose these Galileans who suffered like that
were greater sinners than any other Galileans?
‘They were not, I tell you.
No, but unless you repent you will all perish as they did.
‘Or those eighteen on whom the tower at Siloam
fell and killed them? Do you suppose that they were
more guilty than all the other people living in Jerusalem?
‘They were not, I tell you.
No, but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.’
Jesus told this parable:
‘A vinedresser had a fig tree planted in his vineyard
and came looking for fruit on it but found none.
‘The vinedresser the said to the one
who looked after the vineyard,
Look here, for three years now I have been coming
to look for fruit on this fig tree, and finding none.
Cut it down: why should it be taking up the ground?
‘The vineyard worker replied,
Leave it one more year and give me time to dig
around it and manure it: it may bear fruit next year;
if not, then you can cut it down.’
Contemporary word
Silence for personal reflection
AFFIRMING
Celebration of faith
In response to the word reflected on
let us share together a celebration of faith.
The people stand as they are able
Beckoning Christ,
you call us out of our comfortable ghetto of 'us' and 'them'
to risk discipleship without walls.
All You call us into a world-wide fellowship
where God is worshipped
above all other.
Wn You call us into a world-wide fellowship
where prayer is offered
day and night.
All You call us into a world-wide fellowship
where we can share what we are
with others who love you.
Mn You call us into a world-wide fellowship
where each person has something to give
to the whole.
All You call us into a world-wide fellowship
where compassion and respect
shape missionary endeavour.
Keep on beckoning us out of our safe havens
into your rich fellowship
of challenge and reconciliation,
faith and hope. Kate Compston/sco
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 people stand as they are able, to sing
“When our heart is in a holy place” 1008 STJ
Refrain:
When our heart is in a holy place,
When our heart is in a holy place,
We are blessed with love
And amazing grace,
When our heart is in a holy place.
When we trust the wisdom in each of us,
Ev’ry colour every creed and kind,
And we see our faces in each other’s eyes,
Then our heart is in a holy place.
Refrain:
When we tell our story from deep inside,
And we listen with a loving mind,
And we hear our voices in each other’s words,
Then our heart is in a holy place.
Refrain:
When we share the silence of sacred space,
And the God of our Heart stirs with in,
And we feel the power of each other’s faith,
Then our heart is in a holy place.
Refrain:
The people sit
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:
Open our eyes, our ears, our mouths.
Let us be doers of the word and not hearers only,
taking on those tasks set before us
with uncommon vision and
wholehearted expectation. Francis Macnab
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
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 Life-Giver, Pain-Bearer, Love-Maker.
Source of all that is and that shall be.
Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God, in whom is heaven:
The hallowing of your name echoes through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed
by all peoples of the world!
Your heavenly will be done
by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love,
now and forever. Amen. (UIW2)
SCATTERING
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
“Brother, sister.../The call of Christ” (Tune: 'Servant Song', 87 87, 650 TiS)
Brother, sister I'm beside you,
Let me be as Christ to you,
Pray that I might have the grace
to let you be as Christ to me.
We are pilgrims on a journey
and companions on the road;
we are here to help each other
walk the mile and bear the load.
I will share your problems with you
I'll support you in your space
I will help you run your distance
I will look you in the face.
Words of mission
The God we worship is never confined to this holy place.
So go and travel with the God
who is found in ordinary and surprising places.
The candle is extinguished
Those who dodge growing pains
will never arrive at their full spiritual height.
As you prepare to leave this sacred place,
pray that you may have the courage
to stretch once more
towards the goals set by the Man of Nazareth.
All There is no shame in failing.
But there is in not trying. (Bruce Prewer).
Blessing words
May the love that gives to life its beauty,
the reverence that gives to life its sacredness,
and the purposes that give to life its deep significance,
be strong within each of us
and lead us into ever deepening relationships
with all of life. George G. Brooks
All Amen.
Hymn (Cont.) “Brother, sister.../The call of Christ” (Tune: 650 TiS)
I'll remember that God made you
I'll not take your dignity
I'll encourage you in your skills
to create and feel and be.
Brother, sister I'm beside you,
Let me be as Christ to you,
Pray that I might have the grace
to let you be as Christ to me.
The people sit after the hymn
'This week' at St James
Notices
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:
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). 2003. Let justice roll down. A worship resource for lent, holy week & easter. OH: Cleveland. The Pilgrim Press.
Duncan, G. (ed). 1998. Seeing christ in others. An anthology for worship, mediation and mission. Gt. Britain: Norwich. The Canterbury Press.
Holmes, R. H. 1972. The Bob Holmes worship materials. Vol 1. NY: Little Falls. Self published.
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.
Macnab, F. 1996. Hope: The deeper longings of the mind and heart. VIC: Richmond. Spectrum Publications.
Nelson-Pallmeyer, J; B. Hesle. 2005. Worship in the spirit of Jesus. Theology, liturgy, and songs without violence. OH: Cleveland. The Pilgrin Press.
Roberts, E; E. Amidon. 1991. Earth prayers from around the world. 365 prayers, poems, and invocations for honoring the earth. NY: New York. HarperCollins.
Singing the journey. 2005. MA: Boston. UUA.
The St Hilda Community. 1996. The new women included. A book of services and prayers. Gt. Britain: London. SPCK.
Uniting in Worship 2. Leader’s Book. 2006. VIC: Melbourne. HarperCollins.
Wallace, W. L. 2001. The mystery telling. Hymns and songs for the new millennium. NY: Kingston. Selah Publishing.
Web sites:
UUA Worship Web. MA: Boston. UUA.
Bruce Prewer Web Site. VIC: Bendigo.
Andrew Pratt Web site. UK.
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