November 27, 2022

WELCOME TO ST ANDREW’S ON THE TERRACE

Today’s service is led by Rev Dr Jim Cunningham

PRELUDE

CALL TO WORSHIP

Today the ancient journey begins again,

taking us into the future. 

Let us keep watch together,

for in the darkness light is growing

and into the darkness signs are pointing….

Advent is here,

let us travel together towards the new birth,

towards the new start,

following the signs which show us the way.

 

SILENCE

 

PROCESSIONAL HYMN                                WOV 193 ‘O come, O come, Emmanuel’
                                                                                                             Adapted by Susan Jones December 2014
                                                                           with acknowledgement to Isaiah 61:1-3 and Julian of Norwich

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

and to us all your good news tell,

for you are pitching tent with us here

and so the Light of God will appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to you,

and all things shall be well.

 

 

O come, O son of David, come

and open wide the pathway to home;

draw us into your mystery

and close the way that leads to misery.

Rejoice!  Rejoice! …..

 

O come, bright dayspring, come and cheer

our spirits by you advent here;

disperse the gloomy clouds of night

and all dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice!  Rejoice!…..

WELCOME 

 

E te whānau a Te Karaiti

ngā mihi aroha ki a tātou katoa.

Kia ora tātou.

 

Talofa lava

Talofa

 

GATHERING

            When our world is twisted by greed and bruised by violence

          we come seeking signs of hope and healing.

          When our concerns have become inward and narrow

          we come seeking the Peace that passes understanding.

          When our actions are small and our vision weak

          we come to see the holy in all people.

 

PRAYER

 

Source of Life – who called the rich to travel toward poverty,
and the powerful to know their own frailty;
who gave to strangers a sense of homecoming in an alien land
and to stargazers true light and vision as they bowed to earth –

we lay ourselves open to your signs for us.

 

Stir us with holy discontent
over a world which gives its gifts to those
who have plenty already,
whose talents are obvious,
whose power is recognised;

and help us both to share our resources
with those who have little,
and to receive with humility
the gifts they bring to us.

 (Silence)

 

Rise within us, like a star,

and make us restless
till we journey forth to seek our rest in you. 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 ADVENT CANDLES                                                Lois Robertson

 

Today is the First Sunday in Advent. Advent is a time of waiting and preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus.  It is a time to hope for peace between people, and to walk in the light God gives us,  Each week between now and Christmas we will light a candle in our advent wreath. The wreath is a circle to remind us of God’s never-ending love.

The branches are green to remind us of new life.  The candles remind us of the light which came into the world with Jesus: light to brighten all of earth’s dark places; light that grows stronger when we join in God’s work of building and rebuilding lives.

One way we can do this is by supporting the work of Christian World Service.

 

          Partner Story:

          The Pacific Ocean links us with many people and lands

          who are facing the immediate effects

          of rising global temperatures. 

          Already people have had to move from their traditional whenua or land. 

          Others are trying to cope with salty water and the lack of drinking water. 

          The Pacific Conference of Churches has been relentless

          in voicing the cry of their people for climate justice. 

          Like a canary in a mine, they have warned all people

          of the dangerous level of global warming

          n an effort to protect our common home

          for the unborn and future generations. 

 

Together we live with hope for the whole creation.

LIGHTING THE ADVENT CANDLE OF HOPE

On this first Sunday of Advent we remember God’s gift of hope and that we are called to be people of God’s hope.

 

LIGHT THE CANDLE

PRAYER

God of hope and possibility:

may we be people who shine the light of hope in your world

through our words and by our actions.  Amen.

 

SONG:                                                                                     A candle as burning (Advent Song)

                                                                                                Tune: Away in a manger alternative tune. 

A candle is burning a flame warm and bright, 

a candle which brings HOPE and offers delight. 

While we await our expectations are high, 

our hearts rejoice gladly for Jesus is nigh. 

 

LIGHTING THE RAINBOW CANDLE  

FAMILY TIME                                                                                                  Frank Cook

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-19 is here we ask that you pass the peace without shaking hands.                                                                               

HYMN                                                                                 COC 7 ‘Carol our Christmas’
                                                                                              Words: Shirley Murray,Music: Colin Gibson

 

Carol our Christmas, an upside down Christmas;

snow is not falling and trees are not bare.

Carol the summer, and welcome the Christ child,

warm in our sunshine and sweetness of air.

 

Sing of the gold and the green and the sparkle,

water and river and lure of the beach. 

Sing in the happiness of open spaces,

sing a nativity summer can reach.

 

Shepherds and musterers move over hillsides,

finding, not angels, but sheep to be shorn;

wise ones make journeys whatever the season,

searching for signs of the truth to be born.

 

Right side up Christmas belongs to the universe,

made in the moment a woman gives birth;

hope is the Jesus gift, love is the offering,

everywhere, anywhere here on the earth.

THE WORD IN TEXTS                                                                                                        Gillian Feist

 

Hebrew Bible                                                                                               Isaiah 2: 1-5

                                                                                      The Future of the House of God

 

New Testament                                                                                Romans 13: 11-14

                                                                                                             An Urgent Appeal

Gospel                                                                                                 Matthew 24: 36-44

                                                                                             Necessity for Watchfulness

RESPONSE

For the Word in scripture,

for the Word among us,

for the Word within us,  

we give thanks.

 

 

REFLECTION                                                                                          Murray Overton

                                                                            National Director, Christian World Service

 

 

HYMN                                                                              COC 48 ‘Where is the room?’

                                                                                                       Words© Shirley Murray; Music© David Dell

Where is the room,

where is the house of Christmas?

Where shall we welcome Jesus,

where are the signs of home?

 

                   Let Christ have space,

place at the heart of living,

centre for birth’s new breathing,

cradle for hope and peace.

 

                   Let there be room,

room for the friend and stranger,

room without hurt or anger, 

room for whoever come.

 

                   Let love be here,

love for the Christmas stable,

love at our open table,

love to be shared all year.

 

 

OFFERTORY MUSIC                                                                                                        

OFFERING HYMN                                                                    WOV 24 ‘Willing hands’
                                                                                                         Tune: Duke Street WOV 24

 

Willing hands, to lead the blind,

heal the wounded, feed the poor.

Love embracing all our kind,

charity with liberal store.

OFFERING PRAYER

 

We give thanks for our life

and the courage we are given to live it.

Let our gratitude for life

be expressed in our generosity.

Let our faith be expressed in living justly.

Let our hope for the future find full expression

in our daily attitude of mind.

   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 Turkey and the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Turkey. We hold all refugees in our hearts. We pray in particular 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. In New Zealand, we remember those in Parliament, and today we name Maureen Pugh (List) and Priyanca Radhakrishnan (Maungakiekie). Here in the Central Presbytery, we pray for the leaders and people of Silverstream and St Margaret’s Presbyterian Church.

 

PRAYER FOR WHITE RIBBON DAY

(remembering those affected by family violence)

Where there is fear, hunger and thirst

may your love and light and compassion be shown by your people.

Where there is violence, anger and shame

may your love and light and compassion be shown by your people.

Where there is sorrow, suffering and grief

may your love and light and compassion be shown by your people.

Where there is distrust, anxiety and greed

may your love and light and compassion be shown by your people.

 

 

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 159 ‘Who is the child?’
                              Words: ©1992 Shirley Murray Music: ©1992 Colin Gibson Hope Publishing Company

 

Who is the child that is to be born, who is the child?

Less than a wisp of straw in a stable,

brighter than sun, the light from his candle,

this is the Christ, this is the Christ, this is the Christ.

 

Who is to sing the song of his birth, who is to sing?

All whom the story touches and changes,

hopeful and healed, whom love rearranges,

they know the song, they know the song, they know the song.

 

Who is to dance the dance of his birth, who is to dance?

Limbs that are leased a life into freedom,

hands that will hold the world in a welcome,

they know the dance, they know the dance, they know the dance.

 

Who are to be the bearers of Christ, who are they now?

All who give birth to lively compassion,

carrying peace as dearest possession,

they bear the Christ, they bear the Christ, they bear the Christ.

BLESSING 

 

          In our remembering may we have peace….

          In our sharing stories may we have joy….

          In revealing our pain may we find restoration….

          In sharing our guilt may we find forgiveness….

          In our hospitality may we find pleasure….

          In our giving may we find delight….

          In our friendships may we find understanding….

          In our doubts may we find hope….

 

          And now may the Grace of the Advent Christ,

          the love of God,

          and the creativity and encouragement of the Spirit

          be with you and remain with you, now and always.

 

SUNG AMEN

POSTLUDE                                                                                                                        

 

 

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