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
12 August 2007. Pentecost 11C. (Green).
10.30am. Contemporary liturgical worship.
Guest preacher: Assoc. Prof Joe Bessler-Northcutt
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
Let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life in the presentness of God.
Lighting of community candle
The candle is lit
Life is a gift for which we are grateful.
We gather in community to celebrate
the glories and the mysteries of this gift. Marjorie Montgomery/slt
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
“Colourful creator” 190 TiS
Colourful Creator, God of mystery,
thank you for the artist teaching us to see
glimpses of the meaning of the commonplace,
visions of the holy in each human face.
Harmony of ages, God of listening ear,
thank you for composers tuning us to hear
echoes of the Gospel in the songs we sing,
sounds of love and longing from the deepest spring
Author of our journey, God of near and far,
praise for tale and drama telling who we are,
stripping to the essence struggles of our day,
times of change and conflict when we choose our way.
God of truth and beauty, Poet of the Word,
may we be creators by the Spirit stirred,
open to your presence in our joy and strife,
vessels of the holy coursing through our life. Ruth C. Duck
Remain standing
Opening sentences
God of all living, we have seen your presence
in the rhythm and surprises of our years.
All You have accompanied us through all that is past.
So we thank you.
We recognise your closeness in this day.
All You challenge and encourage us in each act and decision.
So we praise you.
Now we look for you
in the promises which stretch before us.
All You meet us with hope.
So we trust you.
Prayer
We pray:
Spirit of life and hope, we sense your presence in this place.
Awaken us again to the mysteries that humble us,
the realities that orient us,
the beauty that informs us,
the fellowship that sustains us,
and the creativity that heightens and deepens our living,
that we may give ourselves in honesty and openness
to the larger life before us.
Amen. (Adapted/Clarke Wells)
Hymn “Lithe spirit you’re bounding and leaping” (Tune: 98 11 8) 85 WNC
Lithe spirit you’re bounding and leaping,
stars shimmer and flash from your heels,
until the whole world burns with pardon and praise,
until the lost know how love feels.
O harlequin dazzle by dancing,
let joy spring like sparks from a flame,
until every person consumed by your love
comes blithely to join in your game.
Come juggler, spinning and turning
our chances and dreams like a top,
until all our values are turned upside down
whirl on through the world, never stop. Andrew Pratt
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.
Reflection
“A friendship blessing”
By John O’Donohue. Anam Cara/60.
May you be blessed with good friends.
May you learn to be a good friend to your self.
May you be able to journey to that place in your soul
where there is great love, warmth, feeling and forgiveness.
May this change you.
May it transfigure that which is negative, distant, or cold in you.
May you be brought in to the real passion,
kinship and affinity of belonging.
May you treasure your friends.
May you be good to them and may you be there for them;
may they bring you all the blessings, challenges,
truth and light that you need for your journey.
May you never be isolated;
but may you always be in the gentle nest
of belonging with your anam cara - soul friend.
Silence
“Sh'ma: An interpretation for the 21st Century”.
Adapted from Rabbi Arthur Waskow.
Sh'sh'sh'ma Yisra'el?
Hush'sh'sh…
Listen, you Godwrestlers!
Pause from your wrestling and hush'sh'sh to hear.
Hear in the stillness the still silent voice,
The silent breathing that intertwines life;
Yahh elohenu,
Breath of Life, is our God.
Each breath unique…
Listen, you Godwrestlers!
The world is one,
All its parts are intertwined…,
Silence
Special music
EXPLORING
Reading from our religious tradition
A story from our religious tradition will be told by (N).
Gospel:
Matthew 25:31-46 (Inclusive Text)
Jesus said to the disciples:
‘When the Promised One comes in glory,
with all the angels, then he will sit on the throne of glory.
‘All the nations will be gathered before him,
and he will separate people one from another
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,
and will put the sheep at the right hand
and the goats at the left.
‘Then the king will say to those at the right hand,
Come, you that are blessed of God,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
for I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,
I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
I was naked and you gave me clothing,
I was sick and you took care of me,
I was in prison and you visited me.
‘Then the righteous will answer him,
When was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food,
or thirsty and gave you something to drink?
And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you,
or naked and gave you clothing?
And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?
‘And the king will answer them,
Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these
who are members of my family,
you did it to me.'
Contemporary word
“Shut up, mate. We’re in!”
Assoc Prof Joe Bessler-Northcutt
Silence for personal reflection
AFFIRMING
A celebration of faith
In response to the word reflected on, let us stand and share together a celebration of faith.
The people stand as they are able
We celebrate a God
All who lives and speaks in sunsets,
in love-wrapped gifts, and fleeting butterflies.
We celebrate a Christ
All who honoured our humanness,
who climbed trees, skinned knees;
who laughed and cried, loved and wept, bled and died.
We celebrate a Spirit,
All who mystically joins us to people everywhere,
and incorporates us into Christ.
We celebrate a church,
All seeking, however imperfectly, to act justly, love mercy,
and walk humbly with our God. (Adapted.D McRae-McMahon/eoj)
The peace
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
“Buried in my being” (Tune: ‘Cranham’, 65 65D) 3 TMT
Buried in my being many voices dwell,
sharing all the stories past and present tell;
deeper than these voices silence weaves as one
all the threads that form life's tapestries of sun.
Deeper than my thinking lies my wisdom spring-
ancient dream-time river - songs creation sings.
Yet beyond this wisdom dwells unknowing's cloud
holding all together in the mystery - God.
Hidden in the journey questing spirits make
lie the diverse pathways pilgrim travellers take;
but beyond the many quests of human kind
dwells the wondrous mystery birthing heart and mind.
You, O God, are being - wisdom's fountain head,
Spirit's goal and journey, pilgrim wine and bread,
fire that keeps me travelling, nurture for my heart,
oneness of the mystery glimpsed in life and art. W L Wallace
CELEBRATING
Offerings
Our offerings for the work of ministry in this place and beyond,
shall now be received.
Presentation The people stand as they are able, as the gifts are presented
We pray:
May your blessing, O God, bring these gifts to life:
new hope of healing;
fresh ways of coping;
a chance to rest;
a chance to work;
a way to live gracefully.
Amen.
The people sit
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
And let us recommit ourselves to the inclusive ways of Jesus.
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 - heart of the world:
revealed through every aspect of creation:
understood through our awareness.
May we honour the holiness of creation and act accordingly
so that your love is reflected in the way we live.
May we always be thankful for the food we eat
and the friends we have.
May we forgive those who transgress against us
and be forgiven for our own.
In the freedom of love may we live as your heartbeat
and not be compromised by hesitation.
Through our freedom, may your justice
be seen and heard and experienced
forever and ever. Sherri J. Weinberg
SCATTERING
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
"Celebrate a new day dawning" (Tune: 152 TiS, Joyful joyful)
Celebrate a new day dawning,
sunrise of a golden morn;
Christ Sophia dwells among us,
glorious visions now are born,
Equal partners 'round the table,
we make dreams reality;
Calling out our gifts we nurture
hope beyond all we can see.
Christ Sophia lights the pathway
to a world of harmony;
Sister Brother love surrounds us,
nourishing our synergy.
Earth joins in our rich communion,
grateful for our healing care;
Leaping deer and soaring eagles,
all earth's fullness now can share.
Remain standing
Words of mission
Time has now come for us to leave this sacred place.
As we do, may we embrace the challenges of our lives and our world...
The community candle is extinguished
After the words, a quiet.
After the songs, a silence.
After the crowd only the memory recalls the gathering.
All Peace and justice have need of us
after the words, the music, and the gathering.
God grant you the depth for dedication to justice.
All God grant us the will to be apostles of peace. (Adapted/Max Coots)
Blessing words
May the God who dances in creation,
who embraces us with human love,
who shakes our lives like thunder,
bless us and drive us out with power
to fill the world with her justice.
All Amen.
Hymn (Cont) "Celebrate a new day dawning" (Tune: 152 TiS, Joyful joyful)
Sing a song of jubilation,
dance with joyous revelry,
Clapping trees and laughing rivers
join our call to liberty.
Free at last to blossom fully,
flow'ring forth in beauty bright.
We become a new creation,
bursting open into light. Jann Aldredge-Clanton/ctl
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.
BBQ Lunch
Served in the Courtyard
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:
Duncan, G. (ed). 2002. Courage to love. An anthology of inclusive worship material. Gt. Britain: Norwich. The Canterbury Press.
Inclusive readings. Year A. 2004. Qld: Brisbane. Inclusive Language Project. In private circulation.
Iona Community. 2001. Iona abbey worship book. Scotland: Glasgow. Wild Goose Publications.
McRae-McMahon, D. 1993. Echoes of our journey. Liturgies of the people. VIC: Melbourne. JBCE.
O’Donohue, J. 1997. Anam cara. Spiritual wisdom from the celtic world. Gt.B: London. Bantam Books.
Pratt, A. 2002. Whatever name or creed. Hymns and songs. GtB: London. Stainer & Bell Ltd.
Singing the living tradition. 1993. MA: Boston. UUA.
Together in song. Australian hymn book 2. 1999. NSW: Sydney. HarperCollins Religious.
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.
Sherri Weinberg. St Paul's Presbyterian Church. NZ: Devonport.
Rabbi Arthur Waskow. Shalom Center.