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
22 July 2007. Pentecost 8C. (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
Let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life in the presentness of God.
Lighting of community candle
The candle is lit
"Let there be light!"
Let it shine in dark places,
in moments of pain,
in times of grief,
in the darkness of hatred,
violence,
oppression,
where there is discouragement and despair.
Wherever darkness is to be put to flight,
"Let there be light!" Gordon B. McKeeman
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
“Deep in the human heart” (Tune: ‘Diademata’, 66 86D, 228 TiS)
Deep in the human heart
The fire of justice burns;
A vision of a world renewed
Through radical concern.
As Christians we are called
To set the captives free,
To overthrow the evil powers
And end hypocrisy.
This is our task today:
To build a world of peace;
A world of justice, freedom, truth,
Where kindness will increase;
A world from hunger freed,
A world where people share,
Where every person is of worth
And no-one lives in fear.
Taking the step of faith,
We leave the past behind,
And move into the future's world
With open heart and mind.
By grace we work with Christ,
As one community,
To bring new hope and fuller life,
To all humanity. Bill Wallace/ssa
The people sit after the hymn
Opening sentences
Let us acknowledge the awesome mystery
embodied in every person.
All Through us God comes to unique
and personal expression.
Let us give thanks for the abundance
of life on this earth.
All Through it we and all people may be nourished.
Prayer
We pray:
Abiding God,
grant us the joy of feeling ourselves
a part of your vast magnificence,
your all-encompassing love.
Amen
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.
Silence
Amid all the noise in our lives,
we take this moment to sit in silence:
to give thanks for another day;
to give thanks for all those in our lives
who have brought us warmth and love;
to give thanks for the gift of life.
(Silence)
Let us open ourselves to the process of becoming more whole:
of living more fully;
of giving and forgiving more freely;
of understanding more completely
the meaning of our lives here on this earth. (Adapted/Tim Haley)
Silence
Music of reflection
EXPLORING
Reading from our religious tradition
A story from our religious tradition will be told by (NN).
Gospel:
Luke 10:38-42 (Inclusive
Text)
Jesus
came to a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed
Jesus into her house.
She had a sister called Mary,
who
sat down at Jesus' feet and listened to him speaking.
Now Martha, who was busy with all the details of hospitality,
said:
‘Do
you not care that my sister
is leaving me to
do the serving all by myself?
Please
tell her to help me.'
But
Jesus answered,
'Martha,
Martha, you worry and fret about so many things,
and
yet few are needed, indeed only one.
‘It
is Mary who has chosen the better part;
it
is not to be taken from her.'
Contemporary word
Silence for personal reflection
AFFIRMING
An affirmation of faith
In response to the word reflected on, let us stand and share together an affirmation of faith.
The people stand
We believe that horizons of hope are never fixed.
All They always move beyond, in the creativity of God.
We believe that powers of evil can not kill God.
All God walks on free and leaps ahead of us
in the risen Christ of faith.
We believe that the Spirit can never be confined.
All She dances forth in the world
and is found in surprising places,
leading us on until the end of time. (Adapted/D McRae-McMahon/bst)
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
“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
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.
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:
We give thanks, generous God,
because we owe you more than we can ever repay.
Bless all givers because we need to be generous
in order to be whole.
Amen.
The people sit
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, who cares for us,
the
wonder of whose presence fills us with awe.
Let
kindness, justice and love shine in our world.
Let
your secrets be known here as they are in heaven.
Give
us the food and the hope we need for today.
Forgive
us our wrongdoing as
we forgive the wrongs done to us.
Protect
us from pride and from despair
and
from the fear and hate which can swallow us up.
In
you is truth, meaning, glory and power,
while
worlds come and go. (Monica
Furlong/nwi)
Amen.
SCATTERING
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
“Travelling the road to freedom” (Tune: ‘Travelling’) 52 EOA
Travelling the road to freedom.
Who wants to travel the road with me?
Feted by noise and branches
And banners hanging from every tree;
Cheered on by frenzied people,
Puzzled by what they hear and see:
Travelling the road to freedom,
Who wants to travel the road with me?
Travelling the road to freedom.
Who wants to travel the road with me?
Partnered by staunch supporters
Who, come the dark, will turn and flee;
Nourished by faith and patience,
Neither of which is plain to see:
Travelling the road to freedom,
Who wants to travel the road with me?
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
Companion God, from the depths of our hearts,
to the heights of our minds,
All You are the enclosing hands, and the encircling arms.
May we see
All touch, hear, taste, and smell
your presence in every moment.
Blessing words
May you always stand tall as a tree.
Be as strong as the rock Uluru.
As gentle and still as the morning mist.
Hold the warmth of the campfire in your heart.
And may the Creator Spirit
always walk with you. E. Pike.
All Amen.
Hymn (Cont) “Travelling the road to freedom” (Tune: ‘Travelling’) 52 EOA
Travelling the road to freedom.
Who wants to travel the road with me?
Tipping the scales of justice,
Setting both minds and captives free;
Suffering and yet forgiving,
Even when my friends most disagree:
Travelling the road to freedom,
Who wants to travel the road with me?
Travelling the road to freedom.
I am the Way, I’ll take you there.
Choose to come on the journey,
Or choose to criticise and stare.
Earth’s mesmerising evil
Only a traveller can repair.
Travelling the road to freedom,
I am the Way, I’ll take you there. (Bell/Maule)
The people sit after the hymn
'This week' at St James
Notices
Birthdays and anniversaries
Significant events
Journey candles
Presentation of designs – Architecture Students, University of Canberra
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:
Bell, J; G. Maule. 1990. Enemy of apathy. Wild Goose Songs Vol. 2. Revised edition. Gt. Britain: Glasgow. Wild Goose Publications.
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.
McRae-McMahon, D. 1996. The glory of blood, sweat and tears. Liturgies for living and dying. VIC: Melbourne. JBCE.
The St
Hilda Community. 1996. The new women included. A book of services and
prayers. Gt. Britain:
London. SPCK
Macnab, F. 1996. Hope: The deeper longings of the mind and heart. VIC: Richmond. Spectrum Publications.
Wallace, W. L. 1981. Something to sing about. Hymns and reflections in search of a contemporary spirituality. Vic: Melbourne. JBCE.
Web sites:
UUA Worship Web. MA: Boston. UUA.