November 6, 2022
WELCOME TO ST ANDREW’S ON THE TERRACE
Today’s service is lead by Rev Dr Fei Taule’ale’ausumai
PRELUDE “Saffron Walden” A.H Brown (1830 – 1926)
CALL TO WORSHIP
God, thank you for bringing me to this new day.
Help me to walk at your pace,
to meet you in others,
to receive what you offer,
and to rest in your love.
SILENCE
GATHERING
With glad expectation we gather here today
in this place and we hear words that
speak to our hearts and
renew our hope and energy.
With these people we share the
ups and downs of our lives.
In this hour we focus on what
really matters for us.
Let us celebrate life in the presence we name God.
PROCESSIONAL HYMN ‘Song of faith that sings forever’, FFS57
Words: Shirley Murray © Hope Publishing Co. 1999,
Music: Abbeyfield Colin Gibson
- Song of faith that sings forever
through God’s people, ages long,
Word that holds the world together
when our hearts take up the song,
always, always, somewhere sounding,
though the source we do not see,
counterpoint to all despairing,
it is hope that sets the key.
- Song of faith in exaltation,
rising through the vaults of prayer,
tune of simple celebration
offered up in open air,
song in chapel and cathedral,
descant to our daily tone,
song from sickbed or in prison,
faith must often sing alone.
- And when life would overwhelm us,
when there seems no song to sing,
hear the constant voice of courage
out of fear and suffering:
all who’ve loved and trusted Jesus,
all who lift us to be strong,
endless, endless are the voices
of the faith that makes the song.
WELCOME
E te whānau a te Karaiti,
ngā mihi aroha ki a tātou katoa.
Kia ora tātou.
Talofa lava.
Talofa.
PRAYER
God of love,
we worship you in clamour and quiet,
in excitement and despair,
in activity and stillness.
This morning we are here because you call us.
Thank you for all your gifts to us.
Thank you for the abundance of your love
which never fails – it is new every morning.
Great is your faithfulness.
Open our eyes to your presence among us,
Your spirit, which challenges us, and rearranges
our thinking.
God of the past,
God of this day,
God of the time to come,
we worship you as your family in this place.
Thank you for all your blessings,
through the name of Jesus, we pray.
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 CANDLE
We light the rainbow candle in celebration of our rainbow community and our children.
FAMILY TME Johan van der Merwe
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
Feel free to pass the peace with those nearby or move to greet others further away. Passing the peace consists of shaking hands and saying “Peace be with you.” The response is “Peace be with you” or just “And with you.” Or, simply saying ‘Hello” is a good idea. Also feel free to simply observe if you wish!
THE WORD IN TEXTS Gavin Watson
Hebrew Bible Job 19:23-27a
Gospel Luke 20:27-38
Contemporary reading The Lost Dream by Richard Becher
Mama, I can’t find my dream.
I had it last night, but now it’s gone.
I was all wrapped up
in a nice clean sheet
with a pillow for my head
and a blanket to keep me warm.
I had a bath before
with hot water from a tap,
but now I can’t find my dream
and I don’t know where it’s gone.
I have no pillow for my head,
no blankets to keep me warm
and no water for a drink
let alone for a wash.
Mama, I’ve lost my dream
and I don’t know where it’s gone.
It was with me last night
until I opened my eyes
and felt my hard wooden bed
in the cold tin shack
with a dusty mud floor.
I lost my dream, Mama,
I don’t know where it’s gone
and I don’t know where to look.
Perhaps I got it wrong
and I never should have dreamed;
for dreams are for the rich,
nightmares for the poor.
Dreams have a price
and I can’t afford to pay,
so, I’ve lost my dream, Mama,
I don’t know where it’s gone
and I can’t afford to get it back.
RESPONSE
For the Word in scripture,
for the Word among us,
for the Word within us,
we give thanks
HYMN ‘God of the Bible’, FFS25
Music: © Colin Gibson, Words: © Shirley Murray, Tune: Hyde Park
- God of the Bible, God in the Gospel,
hope seen in Jesus, hope yet to come,
you are our centre, daylight or darkness,
freedom or prison, you are our home.
[Refrain]
Fresh as the morning, sure as the sunrise,
God always faithful, you do not change. (repeat)
- God in our struggles, God in our hunger,
suffering with us, taking our part,
still you empower us, mothering Spirit,
feeding, sustaining, from your own heart.
[Refrain]
- Those without status, treated as nothing,
you have made royal, gifted with rights,
chosen as partners, midwives of justice,
birthing new systems, lighting new lights.
[Refrain]
- Not by your finger, not by your anger
will our world order change in a day,
but by your people, fearless and faithful,
small paper lanterns, lighting the way.
[Refrain]
- Hope we must carry, shining and certain,
through all our turmoil, terror and loss,
bonding us gladly, one to the other,
till our world changes, facing the Cross.
[Refrain]
REFLECTION Rev Dr Fei Taule’ale’ausumai
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE Hamish Dick
CIRCLE OF PRAYER
We think today of the people of Togo and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Togo. We hold all refugees in our hearts. We pray for the 122 refuges still detained in Nauru. We give thanks for progress that has been made and pray that their calls for justice might yet find a compassionate response. We give thanks for progress that has been made and pray that their calls for justice might yet find a compassionate response. In New Zealand, we remember those in Parliament, and today we name Simon O’Connor (Tamaki) and Ibrahim Omer (List). Here in the Central Presbytery, we pray for the leaders and people of Plimmerton 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,
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
OFFERING “Intermezzo” H Schroeder (1904 – 1984)
OFFERING SONG: AA 127, verse 3
Take whatever I can offer–
gifts that I have yet to find,
skills that I am slow to sharpen,
talents of the hand and mind,
things made beautiful for others
in the place where I must be:
take my gifts and let me love you,
God who first of all loved me.
OFFERING PRAYER (said together)
We have been given much;
out of that plenty we bring what we owe in gratitude,
in thankfulness for the journey travelled thus far
and in anticipation of the journey to come;
we give in order to make our journey and others’ journeys possible.
So may it be 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.
COMMUNION HYMN: ‘Now to your table spread’ AA 100
Words: Words: © Shirley Murray
Tune: Love Unknown WOV 257(1) 3 verses
- Now to your table spread we come, each one, in faith
that you alone provide the words of life and death:
in wine and bread, in promised food
we find your loving heart, O God.
- Hands of the world stretch out, your mystery to touch
in longing to believe a truth beyond our reach,
to sing in joy, to cry in grief,
to know your meaning in our life.
- Here is our common wealth in sharing what is good,
as though all humankind around one table stood,
this bread to break, this wine to taste –
one people in the name of Christ.
INVITATION TO COMMUNION
St Andrew’s is an open community and all are invited to Christ’s table.
Wherever you are on your faith’s journey, wherever you have come from and wherever you are going to, whatever you believe, whatever you do not believe, you are welcome to participate in the communion. This is God’s meal for all people.
THANKSGIVING PRAYER
O Eternal Spirit, we give thanks,
because with fire and wind you came among us.
You burst forth
and our lives have never been the same.
You continue to reveal yourself to women and men
offering a new way of living, new energy for the journey.
Therefore, with the energy and powerful love
which we can now find deep within us,
with creative people
who delight us, transforming darkness and despair,
with those who are artistic
and visualise for us another way,
with those who are damaged
and bring new perspective to life’s stage,
with those who are rich in enthusiasm
who inspire others to do good and do well,
we give thanks, saying:
Holy, holy, holy, loving Spirit God
heaven and earth are full of your glory
–the glory of the power that is love-
hosanna in the highest
blessed are they who come in the name of God
hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is our brother Jesus
who, after a meal with his friends, people much like us,
took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and said words like:
This is the bread of the new covenant which is for you.
Do this to remember me.
In the same also the cup, after supper saying words like
This cup is the wine of the new covenant,
Drink this to remember me.
SING ‘Eat this bread, drink this wine come to me’, CH661
Words and Music: © Ateliers et Presses de Taize
Eat this bread, drink this cup,
come to me and never be hungry.
Eat this bread, drink this cup,
trust in me and you will not thirst.
[Repeat]
SHARING THE BREAD AND WINE
Come now, spirit of all times and places
be the wind which blows between us
be the fire that kindles our hearts
be the language which draws us together;
And may these elements from grain and grape
nourish the spirit within us; be our source and beginning,
staying with us until our ending. So may it be AMEN
THE DISTRIBUTION
HYMN ‘Kneels at the feet of his friends’, WOV561
Words: Tom Colvin, Music: Ghana Folk Melody, © Public Domain
- Kneels at the feet of his friends,
silently washes their feet:
master who acts as a slave to them.
[Refrain: Yesu, Yesu,
fill us with your love,
show us how to serve
the neighbours we have from you.]
- Neighbours are rich folk and poor,
neighbours are black folk and white,
neighbours are nearby and far away.
[Refrain]
- These are the ones we should serve,
these are the ones we should love
all men are neighbours to us and you.
[Refrain]
- Loving puts us on our knees,
serving as though we were slaves:
this is the way we should live with you
[Refrain]
BLESSING
We have listened and heard.
We have spoken and sung.
We have prayed and reflected.
We have witnessed and given.
Now we go from here to live out what we have learned,
to spread the generosity we have seen,
to help this world become a better place for all people
in all places and at all times.
May all people everywhere know
love surrounds them every moment of every day.
SUNG BLESSING FFS 49 ‘May the God of new beginnings’
Words © 2000 John Murray, Music © 2000 Colin Gibson
May the God of new beginnings start with you and me.
May the God of continuing story speak through you and me.
May the God of infinite wisdom, shine through you and me.
May the God of safe home comings, welcome you and me. (John Murray)
SUNG AMEN
POSTLUDE Fugue in D Major BWV 532 by J.S Bach (1685-1750)
Add each part of the service. click the "add new" button to add the next hymn, prayer, blessing etc...
THANK YOU
Peter Franklin, our musician today