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
10 June 2007. Pentecost 2C. (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
Music
Entry into worship
The gong is sounded three times
Live this moment in its fullness, for in it is
all plentitude,
all realisation,
all time. (Kenneth Patton/sscl)
Let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life in the presentness of God.
Lighting of community candle
The candle is lit
For gathering today in this sacred space, we light the flame.
For the opportunity to be together as a community,
we light the flame. (Adapted/Dillman Sorrells)
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
“Seek ye first” (Tune: ‘Seek ye first’) 745 TiS
Remain standing
Opening sentences
Spirit of God brooding over the waters of our chaos,
All inspire us to generous living.
Wind of God dancing over the desert of our reluctance,
All lead us to the oasis of celebration.
Breath of God inspiring communication among strangers,
All make us channels of your peace. (Kate McIlhagga/cw)
Prayer
We pray:
Be with us, O God, in
our thinking,
our feeling, and
our being.
Touch us where we need to feel your presence
and encourage us where we need your inspiration.
Amen.
Hymn “This hazy, gleaming veil” (Tune: ‘St Michael’, SM. 483 TiS) 3 RP
This hazy, gleaming veil,
this cloudy, milky skein,
the galaxy in which we live
this home that God has vowed.
A hundred billion stars
form that galactic space
these myriad sparks of dancing light
are signings of God's grace.
This place of hopes and dreams
God gives into our hands,
and we are stewards of its worth,
its rich majestic strands.
So limited our grasp
so narrow human scope,
so much is still beyond our reach,
yet beauty frames our hope. 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.
Meditation
“Some sayings…”
By Meister Eckhart. (13th century)
What good is it to me
if Mary gave birth to Jesus 1400 years ago,
if I do not also give birth to him in my time and my culture…
What is the test that you have indeed undergone this holy birth?
Listen carefully.
If this birth has truly taken place within you,
then every single creature points you toward God…
God is creating the entire universe fully and totally in this present now.
Everything God created in the beginning –
and even previous to that…
God creates now all at once.
Silence
So come now apart from the busyness of family and work,
and dwell in the presentness of God
who is our source of creativity and being.
(Silence)
May the silence which we now share quieten us,
touch our need,
refresh our courage,
enlarge our wonder.
(Silence)
Music of reflection
EXPLORING
Readings from our religious tradition
Let us now listen to some readings and reflections from our broad religious tradition.
Hebrew scriptures:
Psalm 30.
By Francis Macnab. A fine wind is blowing/14-15.
The author of the Psalm finds himself 'in the pits". Yet he also feels God lifting him up… ‘Let me throw off the heavy blanket of depression’,
he says.
When I really stop to think, I know I have a lot to thank God for.
There were times when I clearly needed help,
when people around me were being of no help at all.
I began to sink into the worst misery.
I kept asking: How can I get out of this hell-hole?
Then I felt the listening God was hearing me.
I began to feel his presence lifting me up;
and the things and the people against me
became less dominant in my thoughts…
After all, what is the good of my life,
if I am down in the pits of despair,
continually griping about this and groaning about that…?
Let me throw off the heavy blanket of my depressions,
and put on the lighter clothes of a buoyant spirit.
Set me free, O God, so that I can sing good songs every day.
Yes, everyday,
I want to be part of God's great-song!
Our world around us:
“A joyous quality”
By Henry N Wieman & Donald S Harrington. Outstretched wings of the spirit/23.
Religious living is oriented and integrated
toward one supreme area of worth.
Consequently all living is measured and ordered with reference to that which the devotee
holds to be The Most High…
There is a feeling that life is worth living.
There is a sense of direction.
There is a joyous quality through the sense of moving on
toward that value set as supreme, a consciousness of making progress…
Everything that occurs makes much more difference to the religiously integrated person…
To have a clear sense of direction,
a definite hierarchy of loyalties so as to be able to put first things first,
is fundamental to real enjoyment of life.
We want to know that we are accomplishing something,
getting somewhere worth while, if we are to be happy.
In the light of such an o'er arching commitment,
every smallest detail of life gains an eternal significance.
Hymn In solidarity with those for whom standing is not easy or possible, we will remain seated to sing
A hymn from the ‘progressive’ movement of the late 1800s.
“Seek not afar for beauty” (Tune: ‘Sursum corda’, 10 10 10 10, 240 TiS) 174 HCL
Seek not afar for beauty; lo! it glows
In dew-wet grasses all about thy feet;
In birds, in sunshine, childish faces sweet,
In stars and mountain summits topped with snows.
Go not abroad for happiness: for see
It is a flower blooming at thy door.
Bring love and justice home, and then no more
Thou'lt wonder in what dwelling joy may be.
Dream not of noble service elsewhere wrought;
The simple duty that awaits thy hand
Is God's voice speaking a divine command:
Life's common deeds build all that saints have thought.
In wonder-workings, or some bush aflame,
We look for God and fancy God concealed;
But in earth's common things God stands re-vealed,
While grass and flowers and stars spell out the Name. (Minot J Savage, 1883)
Gospel:
Luke 9:11-17 (Inclusive Text)
Jesus made the crowds welcome and talked to them about the realm of God;
and cured those who were in need of healing.
It was late afternoon when the Twelve came to Jesus and said,
'Send the people away, and they can go to the villages and farms round about
to find lodging and food: for we are in a lonely place here.'
Jesus replied,
'Give them something to eat yourselves.'
But they said,
'We have no more than five loaves and two fish,
unless we are to go ourselves and buy food for all these people.'
For there were about five thousand.
But Jesus said to the disciples,
'Get them to sit down in parties of about fifty.'
They did so and made them all sit down.
Then Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish,
raised his eyes to heaven, and said the blessing over them;
then broke the loaves and handed them to the disciples to distribute among the crowd.
They all ate as much as they wanted, and when the scraps remaining were collected
they filled twelve baskets.
Contemporary word
Silence for personal reflection
AFFIRMING
A litany: ‘Clear the way’
In response to the word reflected on, let us stand and share a litany called ‘Clear the way’.
The people stand
v1 God of surprises you call us
from the narrowness of our traditions to new ways of being church,
from the captivities of our culture to creative witness for justice,
from the smallness of our horizons to the bigness of your vision.
All Clear the way in us, your people, that we might call others to freedom
and renewed faith.
v2 Jesus, wounded healer you call us
from preoccupation with our own histories and hurts to daily tasks of peacemaking,
from privilege to pilgrimage,
from insularity to inclusive community.
All Clear the way in us, your people, that we might call others to wholeness and integrity.
v1 Holy, transforming, Spirit you call us
from fear to faithfulness,
from clutter to clarity,
from a desire to control to deeper trust,
from the refusal to love to a readiness to risk.
All Clear the way in us, your people, that we might all know the beauty and power
and danger of the gospel. Joan Puls, Gwen Cashmore/cw
The peace
Let us then 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
“Where the love of God” (Tune: ‘Reconciliation’) 76 FFS
Where the love of God is guiding,
there is now another way:
new awareness of compassion
learned from one another;
love, the face of God in Jesus,
new creation's thrust,
love, transforming tears and terror
into health and trust.
Where the truth of God is driving,
there is now another way,
shining through our times' confusion,
sharp with revelation:
words that stifle sense or spirit
changed and redefined,
crosses raised to teach division
lowered, left behind.
Where the life on earth is cherished,
there is now another way,
where a child may grow in safety,
where there's peace and shelter,
when we hold the fragile planet
in our conscious care,
when we see again as sacred
all we are and share.
God will lead us on this mission,
God, the flightpath and the power,
lifting all who grasp the vision
into understanding:
so the heart and hope within us
set each other free,
where the love of God is guiding,
this shall come to be. Shirley Murray
CELEBRATING
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
Sung response:
O Lord hear my prayer,
O Lord hear my prayer,
when I call answer me;
O Lord hear my prayer,
O Lord hear my prayer,
come and listen to me.
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 O God, you love us like a good parent,
and are present in every aspect of our existence.
May your nature become known and respected by all.
May your joy, peace, wholeness and justice
be the reality for everyone
as we live by the Jesus Way.
Give us all that we really need to live every day for you.
And forgive us our failures as we forgive others for their failures.
Keep us from doing those things which are not of you,
and cause us always to be centred on your love
For you are the true reality in this our now,
and in all our future.
In the Jesus Way we pray. Amen. David Sorrill
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)
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:
For all the saints who went before us
who have spoken to our hearts
All We offer our praise, O God.
For all the saints who live beside us
All We offer our gratitude, O God.
For all the saints who live beyond us
who challenge us to change the world with them
All We offer our thanks, O God.
SCATTERING
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
“It all depends” (Tune: Te Horo) 39 FFS
It all depends on where I'm going
if I reach my anywhere,
but this I'm surely, surely knowing,
that I'll never leave God's care;
it all depends on when I'm travelling,
maybe now or maybe then,
but the Son of God will lead me
through each where and why and when.
It all depends on how I'm choosing
for the life that is in me,
but I will never lose the hand of Christ,
the one who walks with me;
if I stumble or I falter
he will steady me once more,
for there is no darkest pathway
that we cannot both explore.
Remain standing
Words of mission
The presentness of God reaches beyond this place...
The community candle is extinguished
With faith to face our challenges,
With love that casts out fear,
With hope to trust tomorrow,
All We accept this day as the gift it is: a reason for rejoicing. Gary Kowalski
Blessing words
Go in courage and celebration!
And may all the faces of the Holy God
be turned towards you in love,
the earth itself speak to you of its creativity,
and who we are, each and all,
be honoured in our authentic journeys. (D McRae-McMahon/ith)
All Amen.
Hymn (Cont“It all depends” (Tune: Te Horo) 39 FFS
It all depends on who comes with me
if I break or if I bend,
but this I'm surely, surely knowing,
God will be there at the end
in the laughter and the sadness,
in the pleasure or the pain,
by my side and all about me
God's own Spirit will remain. Colin Gibson
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:
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.
Faith forever singing. Songs for a new day. 2000. NZ: Raumati. New Zealand Hymnbook Trust.
Harrington, D. S. 1980. Outstretched wings of the spirit. On being intelligently and devotedly religious. MA: Boston. UUA.
Hymns for the celebration of life. 1964. MA: Boston. Beacon Press.
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. 2006. A fine wind is blowing: Psalms of the bible in words that blow you away. 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 Pilgrim Press.
Patton, K. 1967. Services and songs for the celebration of life. MA: Boston. Beacon Press.
Pratt, A. 2006. Reclaiming praise. Hymns from a spiritual journey. GtB: London. Stainer & Bell Ltd.
Songs and prayers from Taize. 1991. IL: Chicago. GIA Publishers.
Together in song. Australian hymn book 2. 1999. NSW: Sydney. HarperCollins Religious.
Ward, H.; J. Wild, J Morley. (ed). 1995. Celebrating women. New edition. Gt. Britain: London. SPCK.
Web sites:
UUA Worship Web. MA: Boston. UUA.