August 30, 2020

WELCOME TO ST ANDREW’S ON THE TERRACE

Today’s service is led by Rev. Dr Niki Francis

GATHERING

We gather in this place:

in our community of St Andrews on The Terrace

all hoping for different things.

We look for belonging

kindness

generosity

learning

peace

affirmation

recognition

and more.

We hope for hints on how to live

in these uncertain times.

 

We come together with love in our hearts

for the Muslim community in Aotearoa New Zealand

and their families from overseas

who have expressed their grief, anger and horror

in Christchurch this week.

 

We look around us,

we welcome our visitors

and are glad to see the familiar faces of our friends.

We are grateful for this time of peace, song, prayer, company

and for the rich diversity of theological thinking in our community.

We understand that what matters

is that we accept each other,

accept the miracle of our community,

accept each word spoken in love

and be generous with kindness.

 

PROCESSIONAL HYMN Worried, sad or at our limit
Words: ©Fiona McDougal Music: Austria WOV 577
1. Worried, sad or at our limit,
when we’re feeling insecure,
all around unfriendly faces,
leave us fearful and unsure.
Then we reach out for your comfort,
drawing strength when we’re alone,
knowing that we’ll find a safe place
close be-si-de the shelt’ring stone.

2. Trav’ling, searching, seeking healing,
looking for a truth that lasts,
pulled about by many choices
dizzy in a world too fast,
we can find in you our meaning
hope and trust we’re being made whole,
sharing in a deep’ning silence,
opening to the true touchstone.

3. Hearing stories told of Jesus,
learning what he said and did,
Wisdom deep and so surprising
truth that never can be hid,
then we laugh and see in wonder
strange reality new known,
recognising in that moment
Jesu-s as the living stone.

4. Would we be a holy people,
bearers of the sacred now?
Freely off’ring to the “other”
all of who we are, and how?
When we see in them a beauty
closely mirrored by our own,
then together we’ll start building
so be-co-mi-ng living stones.
WELCOME
Kia ora tatou.
Kia ora.
PRAYER
Today we contemplate generosity.
It can take many forms:
money given, kindness shown, forgiveness offered,
emotional support, a listening ear,
a shoulder to cry on,
time made available,
understanding,
open hearts,
and ears ready to listen.

Let us open our hearts
to generosity
and kindness.
Let us commit to practicing both –
in our families, communities
and in the breadth and depth
of our country that is Aotearoa New Zealand.
So let it be. Amen
JESUS’ PRAYER Jim Cotter paraphrase

Eternal Spirit
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 the 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 for ever. Amen.
LIGHTING THE RAINBOW ROOM CANDLE
TIME WITH CHILDREN Ellen Murray
BLESSING THE CHILDREN (All stand)
We send you to the Rainbow Room to hear stories, ask questions and have fun together.
We bless you. Amen.
PASSING THE PEACE
Traditionally we shake hands to pass the peace and say “peace be with you. Now that Covid is here
we ask that you pass the peace without shaking hands.
THE WORD IN TEXTS Linda Wilkins
Hebrew Bible Deuteronomy 15: 7-8, 10-11
Gospel Matthew 26:6-13
Contemporary reading From ‘Sabbatical Journey: The Diary of His Final Year’
By Henri J. M. Nouwen (2000)

“Generosity has many levels. We have to think generously, speak generously, and act generously. Thinking well of others and speaking well of others is the basis for generous giving. It means that we relate to others as part of our 'gen' or 'kin' and treat them as family. Generosity cannot come from guilt or pity. It has to come from hearts that are fearless and free and are willing to share abundantly all that is given to us.”
RESPONSE
For the Word in scripture,
for the Word among us,
for the Word within us,
we give thanks.
REFLECTION ‘Be generous, be kind’ Rev. Dr Niki Francis
OFFERING PRAYER (said together)
We are grateful for this community,
rich in spirit, music, friendship and thought.
Out of this gratitude we offer the gifts we bring today:
money for the church and food for the hungry.
Amen

We recognise and bless the gifts brought to the table, and those which wing
their way electronically from our banks to the church’s account.
HYMN ‘A Prophet Woman Broke a Jar’
Words: © 1993 Brian Wren Hope Publishing Company
Music: © 2014 Lim Swee Hong, Hope Publishing Company

1. A prophet woman broke a jar,
by Love’s divine appointing.
With rare perfume she filled the room,
presiding and anointing.
A prophet woman broke a jar,
the sneers of scorn defying.
With rare perfume she filled the room, preparing Christ for dying

2. A faithful woman left a tomb
by Love’s divine commission.
She saw, she heard, she preached the Word,
arising from submission.
A faithful woman left a tomb,
with resurrection gospel.
She saw, she heard, she preached the Word,
apostle to apostle.

3. Though woman wisdom, woman truth,
for centuries were hidden,
unsung, unwritten and unheard,
derided and forbidden,
the Spirit’s breath, the Spirit’s fire,
on free and slave descending,
can tumble our dividing walls,
our shame and sadness mending

4. The Spirit knows, the Spirit calls,
by Love’s divine ordaining,
the friends we need, to serve and lead,
their powers and gifts unchaining.
The Spirit knows, the Spirit calls,
from women, men and children,
the friends we need, to serve and lead.
Rejoice and make them welcome!
 
LIFE IN THE COMMUNITY OF ST ANDREW’S
People share notices and visitors are welcomed. If you have a notice, please move to the front row, ready to speak briefly from the lectern.
For the benefit of newcomers, please introduce yourself before you begin.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE Jenn Keenan
CIRCLE OF PRAYER
We think today of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina and we pray for understanding between people of different religious traditions in the world today. We remember the detainees of Manus and Nauru Islands, yearning that their cases be resolved. In New Zealand, we remember those in Parliament, and today we name Shane Reti (Whangarei electorate) and Grant Robertson (Wellington Central electorate). Here in the Central Presbytery, we pray for the leaders and people of Hawera Presbyterian Church.
PRAYER FOR ST ANDREW’S

Renew your people, God,
and renew our life in this place.
Give us a new spirit of unity
with all who follow the Way of Jesus
and new bonds of love
with people of other faiths.

Bless the city in which we live
that it may be a place
where honest dealing,
good government,
and the desire for beauty,
and the care for others flourish.

Bless this church
that what we know of your will
may become what we do,
and what we believe
the strong impulse
of our worship and work.

Amen
 
HYMN AA 59 ‘He came singing love’
Music and Words Colin Gibson © 1994 Hope Publishing

1. He came singing love
and he lived singing love;
he died, singing love
He arose in silence.
For the love to go on
we must make it our song;
you and I be the singers.

2. He came singing hope
and he lived singing hope;
he died, singing hope.
He arose in silence.
For the hope to go on
we must make it our song;
you and I be the singers
3. He came singing faith
and he lived singing faith;
he died, singing faith.
He arose in silence.
For the faith to go on
we must make it our song;
you and I be the singers.

4. He came singing peace
and he lived singing peace;
he died, singing peace.
He arose is silence.
For the peace to go on
we must make it our song;
you and I be the singers.

BLESSING
Let love be the pandemic
Let kindness be the contagion
Let love be our motivation
Let love be our karakia
Let love be our tikanga
Let love be the miracle.
Archbishop Don Tamihere, Te Pīhopa o Aotearoa (adapted)