September 22, 2019
WELCOME TO ST ANDREW’S ON THE TERRACE
Sunday Gathering led by Fiona McDougal
GATHERING Graham
We gather knowing your gardens and forests prosper under your watchful eye
God may we help you in this continued process of creation
May the trees and flowers and vegetables and weeds prosper
God may we help you in this continued process of creation
We gather hoping the home of your animals of our land prosper
God may we help you in this continued process of creation
We gather knowing your love for all the insects, mammals, reptiles, birds and other species
God may we help you in this continued process of creation
PROCESSIONAL HYMN Sing Praise to God
Words ©1989 John Bell and Graham Maule Music: Ellacombe WOV 277
Sing praise to God on mountain tops
And in the earth’s lowest places,
From blue lagoon to polar waste,
From ocean to oasis,
No random rock produced this world,
But God’s own will and wonder
Thus hills rejoice and valleys sing
And clouds concur with thunder.
Sing praise to God where grasses grow
And flowers display their beauty,
Where nature weaves her myriad web
Through love as much as duty.
The seasons in their cycle speak
Of earth’s complete provision.
Let nothing mock inherent good,
Nor treat it with derision.
Sing praise to God where fishes swim,
And birds fly in formation,
Where animals of every kind
Diversify creation.
All life that finds its home on earth,
Is meant to be respected.
Let nothing threaten, for base ends,
What God through grace perfected.
Sing praise to God where human-kind
Its majesty embraces,
Where different races, creed and tongues,
Distinguish different faces,
God’s image in each child of earth
Shall never pale or perish
So treat with love each human soul,
And thus God’s goodness cherish
WELCOME Fiona
Kia ora tatou.
Kia ora.
PRAYER Season of Creation 2019 Prayer
Creator of Life,
The Earth is full of Your creatures, and by Your wisdom you made them all.
At Your word, the Earth brought forth plants yielding seed of every kind and trees of every kind bearing fruit, the waters teemed with swarms of living creatures of every kind, and world was filled with every kind of winged bird, walking animal, and creatures that creep upon the ground.
Mountains, plains, rocks, and rivers shelter diverse communities, and through the changing seasons Your Spirit renews cycles of life.
During this Season of Creation, open our eyes to see the precious diversity that is all around us. Enlighten our minds to appreciate the delicate balance maintained by each creature. Inspire us to conserve the precious habitats that nurture this web of life.
In the name of the One who came to proclaim good news to all creation, Jesus Christ. , Amen
LIGHTING THE RAINBOW ROOM CANDLE
Dolphins and the Good Fish Guide Kezia
TIME WITH CHILDREN Pat
BLESSING THE CHILDREN (All stand)
We send you to the Rainbow Room programme 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 Pat
Hebrew Bible Psalm 104 selected verses. The Message (MSG)
1st Contemporary reading Extracts from “God in Drag: Doing eco-justice
from the Earth’s point of view” by Kristal Parks
from “Order of the Sacred Earth: An intergenerational vision of love and action” by Matthew Fox, Skylar Wilson, Jennifer Listug
2nd Contemporary reading Tane-Mahuta
https://teara.govt.nz/en/te-waonui-a-tane-forest-mythology/print
It was Tāne who successfully separated Ranginui and Papatūānuku, and created Te Ao Mārama – the world of light.
Trees in the forest are seen as Tāne-mahuta, rising to separate earth and sky. Tāne, the tree, holds the sky aloft, bringing light into the world. The widespread felling of forests in New Zealand in the 19th and 20th centuries was calamitous to the traditional world view of tribes that lived in the forest – it was like the sky rejoining the earth, and the world returning to darkness.
The felling of forests also went against traditional models of behaviour. The word ‘tika’ means erect, upright and correct – as a tree is upright and erect. It informs the concepts of tikanga – correct behaviour or action – and whakatika, which means to arise. Correct behaviours arise from within a person, as a tree rises from the ground.
RESPONSE
For the Word in scripture,
for the Word among us,
for the Word within us,
we give thanks.
POWER POINT PRESENTATION
“Our interaction with flora and fauna” by Norman Wilkins (in absentia!)
(Music “Fragile” by Sting played by the Los Angeles guitar quartet)
HYMN ‘In our word we find delight’
Words© 2017-2019 Susan Jones, Music Vivien Chiu Used with permission
In our world we find delight
For creation, day and night
Brings us solace, joy;
Spirit grows, refreshes, gleams
as the earth fuels richer dreams
just by being here;
May this beauty never end
May this solace always be here
May the human race take notice
And show divine compassion.
Kauri reaches to the light
Strong and powerful, full of might
Giant of the trees;
Delicate, the orchid climbs
Over branches, green moss-lined
Swaying in the breeze;
May this beauty never end
May this greenness always be here
May the human race take notice
And show divine compassion
Tui, iridescent coat,
Singing from a trembling throat
Crowns New Zealand’s bush;
Kereru with mighty wings,
Blue and purple plumage brings
To New Zealand’s bush;
May this beauty never end
May this iridescence stay here
May the human race take notice
And show divine compassion
It’s a mystery who made this -
evolution, hand-made care -
multiple ideas.
But it’s not a mystery who
Needs to care for green and blue -
We have all been charged
To make sure this never ends
That this beauty does remain here
That the human race takes notice
And shows divine compassion
POETRY AND MUSIC
5 Poems by Trish McBride Trish
Music Gareth Farr “Waipoua” played by NZSO about Waipoua Forest and the giant kauri Tane Mahuta
OFFERING PRAYER (said together) Fiona
God, our Creator, through your love you have given us these gifts to share. Accept our offerings as an expression of our deep thanks and our concern for those in need, including our fellow creatures and plant life on this Earth. 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 Bronwyn
CIRCLE OF PRAYER
We think today of the people of Solomon Islands and the Christian World Service funded women’s programme of the Lauru Land Conference of Tribal Communities, which seeks to improve women’s role in decision-making and sustainable living. We remember the detainees on Manus and Nauru Islands yearning for their cases to be resolved. In New Zealand, we remember those in Parliament, and today we name Phil Twyford (Te Atatu electorate) and Louise Upston (Taupo electorate). Here in the Central Presbytery, we pray for the leaders and people of St Ronan's Presbyterian Church, Eastbourne.
PRAYER FOR ST ANDREW’S on card
HYMN Look in Wonder
Words ©2008 Shirley Erena Murray
Tune: Beach Spring CH4 252 attrib. BW White (1800-79)
Look in wonder, hold in honour
all the beauty of the earth!
World, surrender to her splendour:
God's own blessing for her birth;
sense and savour every colour,
every season, sun to star,
see the measure of this treasure,
all we nurture, all we mar.
Every creature by its nature
shares the cycle, life's design,
every human, man and woman
joins the circle, moves the line;
look in horror, look in anger--
these are lifestreams we destroy!
Tree and river gone forever,
bird and flower dead to joy.
In this garden, Eve and Adam
still are given time and place,
ours to cherish, our to nourish,
ocean, water, land and space;
God, unnerve us, God, forgive us:
how we plunder, waster and war!
Give new meaning to earth's greening,
that the beauty thrives once more.
BLESSING Fionnaigh
We go out into the suffering earth, where forests are burning, and species are disappearing.
May the God of creative energy lead and inspire us to restore and heal ecosystems.
We go out into the glorious earth, where kowhai is blossoming and tui are singing.
May the spirit fill us with hope and wonder.
We go out into the community of earth, this interconnected web.
May the way of Christ guide us to serve and love all living things.
SUNG AMEN Come all you people
Words and Music©1995 John L Bell WGRG
THANK YOU David Dobson
Our Musician today
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