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
24 June 2007. Pentecost 4C. (Green).
10.30am. Contemporary liturgical worship.
30th Anniversary, Uniting Church in Australia
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
Let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life in the presentness of God.
Lighting of community candle
The candle is lit
v1 We are called.
We are named.
We are constituted and owned.
Our very bones are knit together,
Our sinews and muscles woven,
And blood poured through our veins.
v2 We are called here,
Reformed, renewed and reconstituted as the people of God.
By the goodness of God we are here today
made new as the body of Christ.
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
“Spirit of Grace” (Tune: ‘Kremser” 12 11 12 12. 107 TiS)
Come fire of the Spirit, God’s presence revealing.
Come love of the Trinity, live among us.
Inspiring, uniting and giving us your healing –
Strong Spirit bringing justice, good Spirit of grace.
You move in the cosmos, creating, redeeming.
The bush and the desert, the rivers, the seas,
You call us to cherish as stewards of your dreaming –
We praise you living Spirit, good Spirit of grace.
You drive out suspicion, resentment, division.
You foster inclusive community care.
Empower us with passion and drive us into mission.
We praise you Holy Spirit, good Spirit of grace.
The love of the Spirit, the love of Christ Jesus,
The love of the Father, poured out in our midst.
Creation’s new future will grow afresh among us;
The gift of God’s good Spirit, the Spirit of grace. © Robert Bos
Remain standing
Opening sentences
v1 Mysterious God, Word beyond words.
Wm You hide in the ancient rocks and lie still in a red dust land.
Mn You play in the cosmos and dance with the stars.
All You are one with us to share our lives,
in our joys, our sorrows.
You step out before us to fulfil our dreams.
v2 Pilgrim God, we speak many languages,
we share many cultures
we sing many songs;
All Together we seek to be your church in this place,
Companion on the way! (Robert Hoskin/adapted)
Prayer of awareness
We pray:
God, help us to listen to our inner spirit;
to the inner yearning to belong to something
greater than ourselves.
Help us to listen to our inner spirits
and find there the presence
of your good encouraging spirit.
Amen.
Hymn “Gather us in” (Tune: ‘Gather us in’) 474 (v1-2, 4) TiS
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
“Our God!”
By Bruce Prewer. Australian psalms/136.
Music of celebration
EXPLORING
Readings from our religious tradition
Let us now listen to some readings from our religious tradition.
Hebrew scriptures:
Psalm 100
Paraphrasing by Francis Macnab. A fine wind is blowing/38.
People of every land, let your whole body burst with joy.
You have been given the gift of Life.
God gives us these precious moments,
within the great span of eternal time.
He shows us a caring spirit;
Kindness and love are also planted within us.
The soul of the world expands and great songs are waiting for us to sing.
People of every land on Earth, celebrate the joy of life.
Be glad to be alive.
The God of life has given you a voice to sing.
The God of life gave us life.
We are the people of God.
We share every day in the goodness he provides.
Therefore let us celebrate.
From our own doorway to every doorway of life
let us breathe our thanks and praise.
The God of life continually shows us goodness.
He opens us to the eternal transforming experience of love.
In all the changing aspects of life,
we will rejoice that there is something that lasts forever.
In an Australian accent:
“Australian Benedicite”
By Paul Walton (adapted)
v1 Let all creation bless the Lord
All Sing God’s praise, exalt God for ever.
v2 Bless the Lord you heavens;
v1 Bless the Lord sun and moon;
bless the Lord, stars of heaven:
v2 Bless the Lord, all you elemental forces;
bless the Lord, black holes and galaxies;
All Let all creation bless the Lord
Sing God’s praise, exalt God for ever.
v1 Bless the Lord all you sun-drenched spaces,
bless the Lord, you high plains;
v2 Bless the Lord, you reefs and rivers,
bless the Lord, you forests and beaches;
v1 Bless the Lord, Uluru and Nullarbor,
bless the Lord, Kosciusko and Carpentaria;
v2 Bless the Lord, you great gums and acacias,
bless the Lord, rainforest and mallee scrub;
All Let all creation bless the Lord
Sing God’s praise, exalt God for ever.
v1 Bless the Lord you creatures of the bush;
bless the Lord all you fish, you birds of the air;
v2 Bless the Lord all you people,
bless the Lord, Aborigine, Islander, latecomer
v1 Bless the Lord, you public servant and engineer,
bless the Lord, firefighter and artist,
v2 Bless the Lord, politicians and teachers,
bless the Lord, all you nurses and scientists:
All Let all creation bless the Lord
Sing God’s praise, exalt God for ever.
Lighting of UCA candles
In June 1977, people from all over Canberra Region Presbytery,
shared with others all over Australia, in the inauguration
of the Uniting Church in Australia.
Since that time we have been enriched by the vision of this fellowship -
as a multicultural pilgrim people,
always on the way towards a promised goal.
v1 A candle is lit
We light this candle for our heritage in the Congregational tradition,
with its commitment to freedom
and to the power of the priesthood of all believers
All We stand in that great tradition.
And we affirm that the Uniting Church
has moved on in its journey as a pilgrim people of God.
v2 A second candle is lit
We light this candle for our heritage in the Methodist tradition,
with its commitment to social justice
and its enthusiasm in communicating the gospel.
All We stand in that great tradition.
And we affirm that the Uniting Church
has moved on in its journey as a pilgrim people of God.
v3 A third candle is lit
We light this candle for our heritage in the Presbyterian tradition,
with its respect for scholarship and its deep
understanding of the nature of the church.
All We stand in that great tradition.
And we affirm that the Uniting Church
has moved on in its journey as a pilgrim people of God.
A fourth candle is lit
v4 We light this fourth candle to celebrate that many others,
from different traditions, and who have been born since 1977,
are now a vital part of the Uniting Church tradition.
Silence
In Christ we are one.
All In Christ everything is made new.
Thanks be to God!
Doxology (Stand to sing) (Tune: ‘Fairhill’, 88 88. 768(ii) TiS)
Praise God, the love we all may share;
Praise God, the beauty everywhere;
Praise God, the hope of good to be;
Praise God, the truth that makes us free.
Amen. Phillip Hewett
The people sit
Gospel:
John 15:1-5, 7-8
A translation into Australian idiom by Nathan Nettleton. laughingbird.net © 2003.
Jesus said:
I am the true vine. My Father is the chief gardener
who regularly gets out the pruning saw to clean up the vine.
Any branches that fail to bear fruit are cut clean off,
and the fruitful branches are cut back clean
so that they will bear even more fruit.
You have already been cleaned up by the message I have been preaching to you.
Go on living in me, just as I live in you.
No branch can bear fruit if it has been cut off and can no longer draw its life from the vine.
Neither can you unless you continue to live your life in me.
I am the whole vine, and you are my branches.
Those of you who remain united to me and allow me to live my life in you
will produce a solid harvest of good fruit.
By contrast, if you are cut off from me, you won’t produce a thing.
If you go on living in me and my words go on
receiving a home in you, then you can ask for whatever you hope for and it will be done for you.
My Father receives due glory when you begin following in my footsteps,
and showing it by bearing plenty of fruit.
Contemporary word
Silence for personal reflection
AFFIRMING
A litany of Thanksgiving
The people stand
For the first people of this land
and their ways of belonging in this place,
All We lift up our hearts and give thanks.
For all those who have come to these shores
from many lands and many traditions,
with the light of the gospel of Christ,
All We lift up our hearts and give thanks.
For this land of rich or sparse beauty,
its diverse and varied people,
and our vocation in this land,
All We lift up our hearts and give thanks.
For all who have seen the vision of unity
in this country and across the world,
All We lift up our hearts and give thanks.
For those whose efforts, in the power of the Holy Spirit,
led to the inauguration of the Uniting Church in Australia in 1977,
All We lift up our hearts and give thanks.
For those called to lead us
in Assemblies, Synods and Presbyteries
and in every congregation,
All We lift up our hearts and give thanks.
For every faithful person
who has used the gifts given them
to serve God and others in quiet and humble places,
All We lift up our hearts and give thanks.
For the mistakes through which we have learned
and the challenges that have stretched our faith,
All We lift up our hearts and give thanks.
And with all pilgrim people who have travelled this life,
as companions and encouragers for us,
All we bring praise and honour, glory and blessing,
now and for ever.
The peace
And 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
“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
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 offerings are presented
We pray:
Enable us, who stand upon the shoulders
of those who have gone before,
to catch a vision of what can yet be.
All Through these gifts we invest in your realm
which is always here, yet always coming.
Amen.
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 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
SCATTERING
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
"Faith has set us on a journey" (Tune: Venture) 14 FFS
Faith has set us on a journey
past the landmarks that we know,
taking risks with no insurance
but the Word that tells us "Go!"
Friend or job or home or lover
we may need to leave behind,
outworn truths and ways of thinking,
baggage to the past consigned.
Some are swags of easy conscience
who with others hitch a ride,
some are tourist-package Christians,
dollar-safe, with Book and guide.
There are others on this journey -
those who long and pray and search,
heave the stones to free the structures,
love the Christ and leave the Church.
Remain standing
Words of mission
As we prepare to leave this sacred space where we have worshipped together,
let us return to our work enlivened and renewed...
The community candle is extinguished
Be assured that God’s presence goes with us.
All We face the world with renewed faith and hope;
God’s word abides with us.
Let your hearts burn within you as you dare to trust.
All God’s love is real and alive in us.
Live in gratitude each and every day;
All We will love sincerely and live confidently.
Blessing words
May the blessing in the strength of the Brindabellas,
the calm of Lake Burley Griffin
the freshness of gum tree and wild flower
remain with you...
And may God's strength, peace and creativity go with you always.
All Amen.
Hymn (Cont "Faith has set us on a journey" (Tune: Venture) 14 FFS
We are this unlikely people
in the Body knit as one,
company of clowns and cripples -
some are wise and some can run.
Prophets are our travel agents,
gospel-makers lay this road:
to the place of peace and promise
faith will take us into God. Shirley Murray
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.
Iona Community. 2001. Iona abbey worship book. Scotland: Glasgow. Wild Goose Publications.
Prewer, B. D. 2000. Australian psalms. Revised and expanded. SA: Adelaide. OpenBook Publishers.
Singing the journey. 2005. MA: Boston. UUA.
Special resources. UCA National Assembly. (Issued for the 30th Anniversary).
Together in song. Australian hymn book 2. 1999. NSW: Sydney. HarperCollins Religious.
Web sites:
UUA Worship Web. MA: Boston. UUA.