January 22, 2023
WELCOME TO ST ANDREW’S ON THE TERRACE
Today’s service is led by Rev Dr Fei Taule’ale’ausumai
PRELUDE “Solemn Melody”
Walford Davies (1869-1941)
CALL TO WORSHIP
O God who called all life into being,
the earth, sea and sky are yours.
Your presence is all around us.
Every atom is full of your energy.
Your Spirit enlivens all who walk the earth.
With her we yearn for justice to be done,
for creation to be freed from bondage,
for the hungry to be fed,
for the captives to be released,
for your commonwealth of peace to come on earth.
SILENCE
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.
PROCESSIONAL HYMN ‘Deep in the human heart’ HIOS 19
Words: © 2009 William Livingstone Wallace;
Music: George Job Elvey
Tune: DIADEMATA (WOV 163)
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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,
and bring new hope and fuller life to all humanity.
WELCOME
E te whānau a Te Karaiti. Ngā mihi aroha ki a tātou katoa.
Kia ora tātou.
Talofa lava,
Talofa lava
PRAYER Rex Hunt
As we gather, let us affirm the connection we have:
with each other, and
with that creative mystery we call God.
May we remain open to the unfolding of
all that can be celebrated,
all that can be learned,
all that can be done,
all that can be,
without diminishing the life of others.
May it be so.
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
FAMILY TIME Frank Cook
PASSING THE PEACE
Traditionally we shake hands to pass the peace and say “peace be with you.” Now that COVID-19 is
here we ask that you pass the peace without shaking hands.
THE WORD IN TEXTS Tony Kirby
Hebrew Bible Micah 6:6-8
Gospel/New Testament Luke 10:25-37
Contemporary reading Poetry unbound
By Padraig o Tuama
Through various ideas about whether there’s a god or not,
in and out of devotion,
moving from certitude to agnosticism,
the library of writings in religious text has never lost its fascination for me.
It almost did once,
but I accidentally began to read religious books as art,
not authority,
and the wonder opened up for me again.
RESPONSE
For the Word in scripture,
for the Word among us,
for the Word within us,
we give thanks.
REFLECTION What does God require of us? Rev Dr Fei Taule’ale’ausumai
HYMN ‘Let Justice Roll Down Like A River’ FFS 10(i)
Words © 1994 Hope Publishing; Music © 1994 Gaelic Traditional Melody arr. John Bell
Refrain:
Let justice roll down like a river,
let justice roll down like a sea,
let justice roll down like a river,
let justice begin through me.
1. Justice for all who go hungry,
crying to God to be fed,
left in a world of abundance
to beg for a morsel of bread. Refrain
2. Justice for those who are homeless,
victims of warfare or need,
trapped on the borders of no-where,
lost in the canyons of greed. Refrain
3. Justice for all who are powerless,
yearning for freedom in vain,
plundered, and robbed of their birth-right,
silently bearing their pain. Refrain
OFFERTORY MUSIC ‘Great Is Thy Faithfulness’
William Runyan (1870 – 1957)
OFFERING HYMN ‘Give thanks with a grateful heart’
Give thanks with a grateful heart,
give thanks to the Holy One,
give thanks because He’s given many gifts to us.
And now let the weak say I am strong,
let the poor say I am rich,
because of what our God has
done for us, give thanks.
OFFERING PRAYER
Faithful God, you ask us to be faithful people.
In this community, you ask us to be people of justice.
In this community, you ask us to be people of mercy.
In this community, you ask us to be people of peace.
Be with us as we try to be faithful
in large ways and in small ways
so your eternal community may come in every way.
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, 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 David Douglas
CIRCLE OF PRAYER We think today of the people of the Vanuatu and the
Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu. We hold all refugees in our hearts. We pray in
particular for the refugees still detained in Nauru. We give thanks for recent
progress and pray that their calls for justice might yet be answered with
compassion. In New Zealand, we remember those in Parliament, and today we
name Aupito William Sio (Māngere electorate) and Damien Smith (List). Here in
the Central Presbytery, we pray for the leaders and people of Wadestown
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
HYMN ‘Sing for God’s Glory’ CH4172
Words: © 2003 Kathryn Galloway
Tune: Lobe den herren (Praise to the Lord the Almighty) 4 verses
1. Sing for God’s glory that colours the dawn of creation,
racing across the sky, trailing bright clouds of elation;
sun of delight
succeeds the velvet of night,
warming the earth’s exultation.
2. Sing for God’s power that shatters the chains that would bind us,
searing the darkness of fear and despair that could blind us,
touching our shame
with love that will not lay blame,
reaching out gently to find us.
3. Sing for God’s justice disturbing each easy illusion,
tearing down tyrants and putting our pride to confusion;
lifeblood of right,
resisting evil and slight,
offering freedom’s transfusion.
4. Sing for God’s saints who have travelled faith’s journey before us,
who in our weariness give us their hope to restore us;
in them we see
the new creation to be,
spirit of love made flesh for us.
BLESSING
God go with you in creation.
Christ go with you as your company
and may the Holy Spirit give you hope and peace.
Sing:
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 homecomings, welcome you and me.
SUNG AMEN
POSTLUDE “Granada”
Augustin Lara (1897 – 1970)
THANK YOU
Peter Franklin