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 October 2007. Pentecost 22C. (Green).
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 worship
The gong is sounded three times
Come into this place of celebration.
Come in bringing all of who you are.
Let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life
in the presentness of God.
Lighting of the community candle
The candle is lit
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
"God is Constant Pursuing love" (Tune: 217 TiS, Hyfrydol 87 87D) 19 SNS
As we worship with thanksgiving;
Sense God's presence in each one;
Feel the pulse of wholesome living,
Yes! the vict'ry can be won.
Cautiously we seek God's kingdom;
We approach God's open door;
Prized and precious we are welcome.
Peace in God we need, no more.
God is love and love gives freedom;
Freedom from all fear and guilt.
God is love and love will blossom;
Broken lives can be rebuilt.
Punishment for past wrongdoing
In God's dealings has no place.
Love is constant, keeps pursuing;
We are bound in God's embrace.
God is love and love is gentle;
Love can keep no scores of wrong.
God is love and love is central
When discipleship is strong.
If the kind and good and tender
Are to happen here today;
It will issue from surrender
Of our lives to Jesus' way. George Stuart
Remain standing
Opening sentences
Let us come together in the presence of God
and in the presence of each other.
God is here.
We are here, so let us celebrate!
All Praise God who calls us into being!
Praise Jesus who calls us into living!
Praise Spirit who calls us into loving! (Adapted/ Elizabeth Tapia)
Prayer of awareness
We pray:
Steadfast God, you visit us in our aloneness
but we express you best in our togetherness.
Empower us to the upbuilding of that quality of fellowship
which is a true expression of your presentness.
Amen.
Hymn “We are many” (Tune: ‘Hamilton’.) 67 FFS
We are many, we are one,
and the work of Christ is done
when we learn to live in true community,
as the stars that fill the night,
as a flock of birds in flight,
as the cluster of the grapes upon the vine;
as the branches of a tree,
as the waves upon the sea,
as the cluster of the grapes upon the vine.
All division is made whole
when we honour every soul,
find the life of God in every you and me,
as the fingers of a hand,
as the grains that form the sand,
as the cluster of the grapes upon the vine;
as the threads upon a loom,
as a field of flowers in bloom,
as the cluster of the grapes upon the vine.
We will join creation's song,
make a world where all belong,
build as one in peace and loving harmony,
as the voices of a choir,
as the flames within a fire,
as the cluster of the grapes upon the vine;
as the snowflakes in the snow,
as the colours of a bow,
as the cluster of the grapes upon the vine. Colin Gibson
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
“We are a void”
By Kenneth Patton. Service & Songs for the celebration of life/103.
Are you afraid of the void, the empty future, your own undefined face?
Do you want it spelled out, written in prose?
Do you want tomorrow filled in, neat and chinked, no crevice
for the unannounced wind to blow in?
We are sorry, but that is not the way things are.
None of us has answers, certainties, definitions for ourselves.
How can we give them to you?
The question is not whether you want the void,
the unfulfilled,
the gap of time and becoming
that founts before you.
You will get it whether you want it or not.
The question is, what are you to do with it…?
Music of celebration
Silence
In this time of silence may we move from busy-ness to quietness...
(Silence)
God of life
God of peace
God of wonders that will not cease...
Present with us now.
(Silence)
May the colours, flowers, stars, breezes,
warm days and glimmering nights
be your spring-time gift this day.
EXPLORING
Reading from our religious tradition
A story from our religious tradition shall be read by (NN).
Gospel:
Luke 18:9-14 (Inclusive Text)
Jesus told the following parable to some people
who prided themselves on being virtuous and despised everyone else.
Two people went up to the temple to pray,
one a Pharisee,
the other a tax collector.
The Pharisee stood there and said this prayer,
'I thank you, God, that I am not grasping,
unjust, adulterous, like the rest of humankind,
and particularly that I am not like this tax collector here.
'I fast twice a week. I pay tithes on all I get.'
The tax collector stood some distance away,
not daring even to look up to heaven, but in humility said,
'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'
This one, I tell you, went home again at rights with God; the other did not.
For all who exalt themselves will be humbled,
but those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Contemporary word
Silence for personal reflection
CELEBRATING
A celebration of faith
In response to the word reflected on, let us join together in a celebration of faith.
The people stand
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.
We are thankful.
We recognise your closeness in this day.
All You challenge and encourage us
in each act and decision.
We seek to be courageous.
Now we look to you in the promises
which stretch before us.
All You meet us with hope and call us to freedom
to live as your new people.
We commit ourselves again, to live as people of faith. Michael Durber-adapted/sco
The peace
God makes peace within us. Let us claim it.
God makes peace between us. Let us share it.
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
“We laugh, we cry” (Tune: ‘Credo’, Irreg.) 354 SLT
We laugh, we cry, we live, we die;
we dance, we sing our song.
We need to feel there’s something here
to which we can belong.
We need to feel the freedom
just to have some time alone.
But most of all we need close friends
we can call our very own.
And we believe in life,
and in the strength of love;
and we have found a need to be together.
We have our hearts to give,
we have our thoughts to receive;
and we believe that sharing is an answer.
A child is born among us and
we feel a special glow.
We see time’s endless journey
as we watch the baby grow.
We thrill to hear
imagination freely running wild.
We dedicate our minds and hearts
To the spirit of this child.
And we believe in life,
and in the strength of love;
and we have found a time to be together.
And with the grace of age,
we share the wonder of youth;
and we believe that growing is an answer.
Our lives are full of wonder and
our time is vey brief.
The death of one among us
fills us all with pain and grief.
But as we live, so
shall we die and when our lives are done
the memories we shared with friends,
they will linger on and on.
And we believe in life,
and in the strength of love;
and we have found a place to be together.
We have the right to grow,
we have the gift to believe;
that peace within our living is an answer.
We seek elusive answers to
the questions of this life.
We seek to put an end to
all the waste of human strife.
We search for truth,
equality, and blessed peace of mind.
And, then we come together here,
to make sense of what we find.
And we believe in life,
and in the strength of love;
and we have found a joy being together.
And in our search for peace,
maybe we’ll finally see;
even to question, truly, is an answer. (Shelley J Denham)
AFFIRMING
Offerings
Our offerings shall now be received.
Presentation The people stand, as they are able as the gifts are presented
We pray:
For all the saints who went before us
who have spoken to our hearts
All We express our thanks.
For all the saints who live beside us
All We offer our gratitude.
For all the saints who live beyond us
who challenge us to change the world with them
All We pledge our courage.
People sit
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.
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 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 echo 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
“One World” (Tune: ‘Intercessor’, 11 10 11 10, 587 TiS)
Great God. The power, the force behind creation,
you came to us and shared a human birth.
You grew like us, matured in strength and reason,
then gave yourself upon this war torn earth.
We seek again the Spirit you can offer,
the grace and strength to make each foe a friend,
to break down walls of prejudice and hatred,
to bring all war and horror to an end.
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
We receive fragments of holiness, glimpses of eternity,
brief moments of insight.
All Let us gather them up
for the precious gifts that they are and,
renewed by their grace,
move boldly into the unknown. Sara Campbell/slt
Blessing words
So go now in peace, and celebrate
the presentness of God in your lives.
All Amen!
Hymn (Cont) “One World” (Tune: ‘Intercessor’, 11 10 11 10, 587 TiS)
We pray for courage as we face injustice,
the strength to stand for what we know is right;
help us to work through word and faithful action
to face down fear and walk into your light.
We pray for peace, yes peace with understanding.
We pray for love that feels another's pain.
We'll walk together to a new tomorrow.
We'll build a realm where Christ can live and reign. © Andrew Pratt 2007
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.
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). 1998. Seeing christ in others. An anthology for worship, mediation and mission. Gt. Britain: Norwich. The Canterbury Press.
Faith forever singing. Songs for a new day. 2000. NZ: Raumati. New Zealand Hymnbook Trust.
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.
Patton, K. 1967. Services and songs for the celebration of life. MA: Boston. Beacon Press.
Singing the living tradition. 1993. MA: Boston. UUA.
Stuart, G. 2006. Singing a new song. Traditional hymn tunes with new century lyrics. Second edition. NSW: Sydney. CPRT Sydney.
The St Hilda Community. 1996. The new women included. A book of services and prayers. Gt. Britain: London. SPCK.
Uniting in Worship 2. 2005. NSW: Sydney. Uniting Church Press.
Web sites:
UUA Worship Web. MA: Boston. UUA.
Andrew Pratt eMail distribution. UK.