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
1 July 2007. Pentecost 5C. (Green).
10.30am. Contemporary liturgical worship.
Celebrating community: Sacrament of Holy Communion
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
We light our candle to illuminate the world we seek.
A lit candle is a protest.
It is a non-conformist.
It says to the darkness, ‘I beg to differ’. (Indian Proverb/adapted)
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
"God molds the shapes of life" (Tune: Little Conard 66 66 88. 469 TiS) 38 TMT
God molds the shapes of life,
drawing the flow of tides,
firing the sunlight's blaze,
glazing the night with pride:
God gives the love which warms and moves
the patterned rhythm life provides.
Ponder the rising sap
changing to leaf's decay;
think of the winter's death
turning to spring's new day,
and in these cycles find the shapes
of all God dreams and all God makes.
Pulse of the veins and lungs,
seasons of human hearts -
patterns that intertwine,
shaping our thought and art;
all these are part of nature's flow -
the life of God we reap and sow.
Sing to the God of change,
chaos, and fine design;
hallow the ordered forms
filled with the life divine.
In God the universe is one
and sings the hymn which God first sung! William Wallace
Remain standing
Opening sentences
As a workman gathers his tools,
as a poet gathers her images,
as a musician gathers his band,
as a scholar gathers her arguments,
as a writer gathers his stories,
as a preacher gathers her texts…
All So God gathers people for service. Stephen Brown/sco
Prayer
We pray:
Living Lord, you pour out your life for us,
you pour out your life in us,
you pour out your life through us.
Help us to pass it on.
Amen.
Hymn “As a chalice cast of gold” (Tune: ‘Inward Light’ 77 77 77) 476 TiS
As a chalice cast of gold,
burnished bright and brimmed with wine,
make me, Lord, as fit to hold
grace and truth and love divine.
Let my praise and worship start
with the cleansing of my heart.
Save me from the soothing sin
of the empty cultic deed
and the pious, babbling din
of the claimed but unlived creed.
Let my actions, Lord, express
what my tongue and lips profess.
When I bend upon my knees,
clasp my hands or bow my head,
let my spoken, public pleas
be directly, simply said,
free of tangled words that mask
what my soul would plainly ask.
When I dance or chant your praise,
when I sing a psalm or hymn,
when I preach your loving ways,
let my heart add its amen.
Let each cherished, outward rite
thus reflect your inward light. Thomas Troeger
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
“The spirit of God”
By Napoleon Lovely (Adapted). Hymns for the celebration of life/343.
The spirit of God is wonderful to us;
It is revealed in all the ways of creation:
in the ordered course of the stars
and in the unpredictable ways of living things,
In the heat of blazing suns
and in the warmth of human affections.
God’s will is revealed in the majesty of abiding law,
in judgments that are just,
and in the mercy which redeems the penitent
and upholds the humble of heart.
For God’s abode is not only in the heavens;
God dwells in the human heart.
The highways of history are God’s:
but by the humble path of service we enter into God’s kingdom.
God surprises us in homely tasks,
God walks with us on lonely tracks.
God’s beauty is in our lives,
and God’s spirit defines our righteousness.
Music of celebration
EXPLORING
Reading from our religious tradition
Let us now listen to a story from our religious tradition.
Gospel:
Luke 9:51-62 (Inclusive Text)
Jesus and some others set out on the road for Jerusalem.
Some went on ahead into a Samaritan village to make preparations,
but the people would not receive Jesus
because he was making for Jerusalem.
Seeing this, the disciples James and John said,
'Do you want us to call down fire from heaven to burn them up?'
But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went off to another village.
As they travelled along they met someone on the road who said to Jesus,
'I will follow you wherever you go.'
Jesus answered,
'Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but I have nowhere to lay my head.'
To another Jesus said, 'Follow me.'
This one replied, 'Let me go and bury my parents first.'
But Jesus answered, 'Leave the dead to bury the dead;
your duty is to go and spread the news of the realm of God.'
Another said, 'I will follow you, but first let me go and say good-bye to my people at home.'
Jesus said: 'Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back
is fit for the realm of God.'
Contemporary word
Silence for personal reflection
AFFIRMING
A litany: ‘A call to be church’
In response to the word reflected on, let us stand and share together the litany, A call to be church.
The people stand
Our God, you call us to be Church:
Le enable us to create - across cultural, age and class boundaries –
a laboratory of peace,
testing out your vision of community and love
as we struggle live with our differences.
Our God, you call us to be Church:
Ri enable us to be a parable of the Kingdom,
allowing the upside-down values of your commonwealth
to nudge us away from the acquisitive and self-regarding attitudes of our day.
Our God, you call us to be Church:
Le enable us to be a sign of contradiction among the nations,
pointing to hope in the midst of disillusion,
offering non-violent resistance when evil threatens,
accepting loss of prestige or wealth in the cause of justice.
Our God, you call us to be Church:
Ri enable us to be a place of welcome and warmth,
where what is ignored elsewhere may be heard and honoured,
where sorrows may be shared and stories told,
where hard questions may be asked and new ideas greeted with joy.
Our God, you call us to be Church:
All enable us to be a community of praise,
cracking open the dry husks of cynicism and despair,
being clowns and jesters for Christ,
celebrating the mystery of faith in stillness and song. Kate Compston/sco
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.
SERVICE OF COMMISSIONING
Presentation
v3 The Uniting Church provides for the exercise by women and men
of the gifts God bestows upon them for the building up of the church.
Having done all things necessary, we are now to commission
those whom we have elected to membership and ministry within the Church Council.
On behalf of the people of this Congregation I present:
Those named come forward
(Named)
v1 Friends, this Congregation has elected you to serve on the Church Council.
The responsibilities of a member of the Church Council includes the following:
• to share with the minister in mission and in the pastoral care and spiritual oversight of the Congregation;
• to nurture the members in their growth in grace;
• to assist the minister in the conduct of worship and the administration of the sacraments;
• to determine the time and place of services of public worship,
• to manage the financial affairs and the general administration of the property of the Congregation,
• to exercise oversight of the appointment of officers and leaders of Congregational organisations.
Questions
To be asked of the candidates
I now invite you to respond to these questions:
Will you continue to celebrate that the spirit of God
beat in the heart of Jesus of Nazareth?
All I will.
Do you believe you are called by God through the church
to this shared and mutual ministry?
I do.
Being guided by the Basis of Union of the Uniting Church in Australia
will you seek to create an environment
in which the potential of all is suported and nurtured?
I will.
Living as we all do in God's grace,
do you promise to carry out the duties of your office with imagination, sensitivity and compassion?
I do and I will.
The congregation stands
Will you, the members of this Congregation
accept these elected as members of the Church Council?
All We will.
Will you encourage them in love and support them in their ministry,
serving with them in the way of Jesus?
All We will.
Prayer
May God give you strength to fulfil these tasks;
and to God be the glory in the church
from generation to generation, for ever.
All Amen.
The people sit
Act of commissioning
We pray in silence before we commission our brothers and sisters
for the work to which we believe God has called them.
Silence
Gracious and loving God, Source of Life,
in every age you have chosen those
to lead and care for your people.
We give thanks that (Names) heard the call to serve.
May they have the same mind which was in Jesus
and be a faithful disciple, giving example to this congregation
and witnessing to the truth of the presentness of God in all our living.
Amen.
Candidates step forward, kneel. Lay hands on the head of each
Bless you (N) to live Jesus-like, graced in the mystery of God,
as a member of the Church Council.
The blessing The people stand as they are able, to sing.
“May the mystery of God enfold us” (Tune: Marleborough Sounds) 95 AA
May the mystery of God enfold us,
may the wisdom of God uphold us,
may the fragrance of God be around us,
may the brightness of God surround us,
may the wonder of God renew us,
may the loving of God flow through us,
may the peace of God deeply move us,
may the moving of God bring us peace. Joy Cowley
The declaration
In the presentness of God
Source of Life,
Companion,
Awakener…
I declare you (Named) to be members of the Church Council of the Uniting Church in Australia
in the Congregation of the Church of St James.
Some of you will serve as elder.
Some of you will serve as church councillor.
Together you will seek to serve God and lead this congregation.
Applause
The new members of Church Council return to their seats
Hymn of the Month
“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
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
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)
CELEBRATING COMMUNITY: SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION
Offerings
Our offerings for the work of ministry in this place and beyond,
and our gifts of bread and wine, shall now be received.
Presentation The people stand, as they are able as the gifts are presented
We pray:
May our eyes, our ears, and our mouths be opened.
Let us be doers of the word and not hearers only,
taking on those tasks set before us with uncommon vision
and wholehearted expectation.
Amen.
The people sit
Thanksgiving
God is the heart of life.
All And we are the heartbeat.
May our hearts be filled with thanks and praise and songs of joy.
All We rejoice in the miracle of life
and delight in our participation. Sherri Weinberg
We give thanks for the wonderful gift of reflective awareness
that allows us to recognise and name
the presence of a Creative Spirit
beyond all imagining, in our universe.
All We give thanks.
Everything we have
Everything we see
Everything we do
Everyone we love and everyone who loves us
reveals this sustaining Presence
and our total dependence on it.
We marvel and wonder at the size and complexity of our universe.
We marvel and wonder at the development of life on this planet.
We give thanks for the creative Presence that 'energises' this life and all that exists.
We recognise that human life gives this Presence
a particular way of coming to expression,
and that in us the Presence can
sing and dance,
speak and write,
love and create.
Conscious that we live, move, and have our being in this Presence,
we give thanks for people throughout history
who have affirmed this loving presence in all people.
Especially we give thanks for Jesus of Nazareth.
He loved so greatly and taught so clearly and courageously,
he was able to set people free
from images and ideas and religious practices
that bound them into fear
and a false sense of separation from the Spirit of all Life.
Through him we have learned
how our loving is a sharing in the life of this Spirit.
All In him we see this Presence urging all of us
to make its creativity on earth more visible. (Adapted/M Morwood)
We also remember the night before he died
Jesus again shared a meal with his friends.
Through grain and grape, bread and wine, and in fellowship together,
Jesus spoke of his enduring love for each of them.
So we take this bread and this wine
mindful of the Presence at work in our lives,
in the ordinary,
in the everyday,
and in our desire to love as generously as Jesus loved.
And all the people shall reply.
All Amen.
Breaking of bread/Pouring of wine
Bread is broken.
Wine poured out.
Bread... the very stuff of life. Broken.
Wine... fruit of the vine. Cup full.
Communion
The bread and the wine will be served.
After communion
God of love, God of compassion,
may the celebration of the wonder and the mystery of your Presence,
strengthen and enable us to be your body the church.
SCATTERING
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
“Call to action” (Tune: ‘Wir Pflugen’, 76 76D. 130 TiS) 69 SNS
When bad laws are not questioned,
Good policies not tried,
Then God is kept in heaven
And God within denied.
For when we sit in silence
Much wrong can go unchecked;
We need to speak out loudly,
Make governments reflect.
We may voice opinions
Although with censored voice;
Let shouts be strong,
Against all wrong;
We really have no choice.
The Jesus we have heard of,
Was always strong to state
That he was for the weak ones,
The poor and not the great.
He challenged all the leaders;
Would not be overawed.
He saw injustice rampant;
And equity ignored.
We should voice opinions
To gain a listening ear;
Let shouts be strong,
Against all wrong;
We need to interfere.
Remain standing
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 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
The creative power of God go with us.
The compasionate love of Jesus go with us.
The driving force of the Spirit go with us,
as we follow our calling to link God to all people. Marjorie Dobson/sco
All Amen.
Hymn (Cont “Call to action” (Tune: ‘Wir Pflugen’, 76 76D. 130 TiS) 69 SNS
If we are Christ's disciples,
We cannot turn our backs
When called to face a conflict
And follow in his tracks.
For Jesus it was costly;
It lead to Calvary;
When power is oppressive
And causes misery –
We shall voice opinions;
We too shall not succumb.
Let shouts be strong,
Against all wrong;
And we shall overcome. George Stuart
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:
Alleluia Aotearoa. Hymns and songs for all churches. 1993. NZ: Raumati. New Zealand Hymnbook Trust.
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.
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. 1996. Hope: The deeper longings of the mind and heart. VIC: Richmond. Spectrum Publications.
Morwood, M. 2003. Praying a new story. VIC: Richmond. Spectrum Publications.
Stuart, G. 2006. Singing a new song. Traditional hymn tunes with new century lyrics. Second edition. NSW: Sydney. CPRT Sydney.
Together in song. Australian hymn book 2. 1999. NSW: Sydney. HarperCollins Religious.
Uniting in Worship. Leader’s Book. 1988. VIC: Melbourne. Uniting Church Press.
Wallace, W. L. 2001. The mystery telling. Hymns and songs for the new millennium. NY: Kingston. Selah Publishing.
Withrow, L. 1995. Seasons of prayer. Resources for worship. Gt. Britain: London. SPCK.
Web sites:
UUA Worship Web. MA: Boston. UUA.
Sherri Weinberg. St Paul's Presbyterian Church. NZ: Devonport.