January 10, 2021

WELCOME TO ST ANDREW’S ON THE TERRACE

Today’s service is led by Ellen Murray

GATHERING

We gather in this place of welcome

Our presence together makes this space sacred

 

We gather for a time of reflection

May we be more aware of the presence of the sacred

 

We gather and reaffirm the impulse of the sacred towards justice and peace

Let us celebrate life in the presence we name God.

 

 

PROCESSIONAL HYMN                                                                                       AA 26

Words ©1992 Shirley Murray. Music: Colin Gibson © 1992 Hope Publishing Company

Used by Permission CCLI Licence #341550

 

Come to our land, come to our hearts

Spirit of peace, Spirit of truth

bring in the spring, the hope and the green,

Spirit of growth and Spirit of youth.

 

And all our people will sing together:

Wairua Tapu, holy your name,

there’s one great Spirit in all creation,

one great Spirit of God!

Come to our land, come to our hearts

Spirit of life, breath of new birth,

teach us to care for water and air,

Nourish the seed and cherish the earth,

 

Come to our land, come to our hearts

Spirit of bush, Spirit of bird,

speak to the soul of Aotearoa

joy in your world, and joy in your Word.

WELCOME 

E te whānau a Te Karaiti

ngā mihi aroha ki a tātou katoa.

Kia ora tātou.

 

PRAYER

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

TIME WITH CHILDREN Ellen Murray

BLESSING THE CHILDREN (All stand)
For all those of our community on summer holidays and especially for our children, we pray for fun, relaxation and adventure.
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 Jim Cunningham
Hebrew Bible Genesis 1:1-5
New Testament Acts 19:1-7
Gospel Mark 1:4-11
RESPONSE
For the Word that was in the beginning,
for the Word reborn in our hearts,
for the Word embodied in us:
we give thanks.
REFLECTION ‘You are my Child, the Beloved’ Ellen Murray

HYMN Jesus comes to me as a Springtime Tree AA 77
Words Mary Pearson and music Londonderry Air Words Joy Cowley

Jesus comes to me as a springtime tree
and I receive him as a springtime tree.
Fragrant the blossoming of the child,
fresh with laughter, free and wild,
and carrying the green of summer.

Jesus comes to me as a summer tree
and I receive him as a summer tree.
Warm in the sun and richly laid
with patterns of growth through light and shade,
and carrying the fire of autumn.

Jesus comes to me as an autumn tree
and I receive him as an autumn tree.
Season of ripeness, brightly ablaze
like a torch in the quietness of closing days
and carrying the wood of winter.

Jesus comes to me as a winter tree
and I receive him as a winter tree.
Gentle the cross and gentle the snow,
gentle the path where he and I go,
carrying the buds of spring.
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH

OFFERING PRAYER (said together)
We bring our openness to be surprised by life,
We bring our offerings, to share in the work
of opening up the world for justice,
We bring ourselves.
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.
LIFE IN THE COMMUNITY OF ST ANDREW’S
People share notices and visitors are welcomed. If you have a notice not already in the order of service, 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 TBC
CIRCLE OF PRAYER
We think today of the people of Cote d'Ivoire and the Church of Christ – Harrist Mission. 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 Helen White and Nicola Willis, list MPs. Here in the Central Presbytery, we pray for the leaders and people of St Paul's Presbyterian Church, Napier.
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
HYMN AA 127 ‘Take my gifts’
Music: © Words: © Shirley Murray

Take my gifts and let me love you,
God who first of all loved me,
gave me light and food and shelter,
gave me life and set me free.
Now because your love has touched me,
I have love to give away,
now the bread of love is rising,
loaves of love to multiply!

Take the fruit that I have gathered
from the tree your Spirit sowed,
harvest of your own compassion,
juice that makes the wine of God,
spiced with humor, laced with laughter--
flavor of the Jesus life,
tang of risk and new adventure,
taste and zest beyond belief.

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.

BLESSING

SUNG AMEN