July 3, 2022

WELCOME TO ST ANDREW’S ON THE TERRACE

PRELUDE                                                                                Fugue from Sonata No. 6

(Mendelssohn)

CALL TO WORSHIP

It is time! Spirit, move in the heart of God

Come, warm into the rock of our beginnings,

alive with original blessings.

Spirit, run in the streets of the city.

Flow to the deep brown roots of our belonging.

Spirit, invade the air.

Stretch widely with whispering wings,

and cover us with your healing.

Spirit, soar in the mobile phone towers and shop fronts.

Carry the seed, call the song of the dance in the heart of God.

Wake us to hope and freedom.

SILENCE

PROCESSIONAL HYMN                                             AA113 ‘Our Life has its seasons’

Words: © 1992 Shirley Erena Murray

Music: Kotuku by Colin Gibson © 1992 Hope Publishing Co.

 

1. Our life has its seasons, and God has the reasons

why spring follows winter, and new leaves grow,

for there’s a connection with our resurrection

that flowers will bud after frost and snow,

 

so there’s never a time to stop believing,

there’s never a time for hope to die,

there’s never a time to stop loving,

these things go on.

 

 

 

2. But there’s a time to be planting, a time to be plucking,

a time to be laughing, a time to weep,

a time to be building, a time to be breaking,

a time to be waking, a time to sleep,

 

but there’s never a time……

 

3. There’s a time to be hurting, a time to be healing,

a time to be saving, a time to spend,

a time to be grieving, a time to be dancing,

a time for beginning, a time to end.

 

but there’s never a time…

GATHERING

God’s spirit calls us into the future,

God’s spirit calls us to new vision,

God’s spirit calls us in compassionate love.

The spirit of imagination is a gift to all people.

The spirit of faithfulness is the gift of the earth.

The spirit of hope breathes

in the homeless and marginalised in this city.

The spirit of freedom

was announced by those who went before us

and we proclaim it again today.

The spirit of love is a gift to the church in every age.

We see the flame of the Spirit of God.

The spirit is dancing, moving, struggling, rising

and calling to the ends of the earth.

 

WELCOME

E te whānau a Te Karaiti

ngā mihi aroha ki a tātou katoa.

Kia ora tātou.

 

Talofa lava

Talofa

 

PRAYER
We pray, mindful of all that has brought us together, of the Spirit at work in our lives and of what may be possible if we allow the Spirit to work freely in each of us. We pray, inviting the Spirit of Life, Love, and Goodness to move freely in our words and actions. Silence…
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
The rainbow candle represents the inclusive nature of our church where all are welcome and also celebrates our children.
TIME WITH THE CHILDREN Cameron Smart
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.

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THE WORD IN TEXTS John Morgan
Hebrew Bible Ruth 2:4-10
Gospel Matthew 25:31-36
Contemporary reading From “After the Tampa”
From Afghanistan to New Zealand
by Abbas Nazari

When the Taliban were at the height of their power in 2001, Abbas Nazari’s parents were faced with a choice: stay and face persecution in their homeland, or seek security for their young children elsewhere.

The family’s desperate search for safety took them on a harrowing journey from the mountains of Afghanistan to a small fishing boat in the Indian Ocean, crammed with more than 400 other asylum-seekers.

When their boat started to sink, they were mercifully saved by a cargo ship, the Tampa. However, one of the largest maritime rescues in modern history quickly turned into an international stand-off, as Australia closed its doors to these asylum-seekers.

The Tampa had unknowingly waded into the middle of Australia’s national election, sparking their hardline policy of offshore detention. While many of those rescued by the Tampa were the first inmates sent to the island of Nauru, Abbas and his family were some of the lucky few to be resettled in New Zealand.

Twenty years after the Tampa affair, Abbas tells his amazing story, from living under Taliban rule, to spending a terrifying month at sea, to building a new life at the bottom of the world.

A powerful and inspiring story for our times, After the Tampa celebrates the importance of never letting go of what drives the human spirit – hope.
RESPONSE
For the Word in scripture,
for the Word among us,
for the Word within us,
we give thanks.
 
HYMN CH 253 ‘Inspired by love and anger’
Words: John Bell
Tune: Salley Gardens (Irish folk melody) vs 1,2,5,6

1. Inspired by love and anger, disturbed by need and pain,
informed of God's own bias, we ask him once again:
'How long must some folk suffer? How long can few folk mind?
How long dare vain self-interest turn prayer and pity blind'

2. From those forever victims of heartless human greed,
their cruel plight composes a litany of need:
'Where are the fruits of justice? Where are the signs of peace?
When is the day when prisoners and dreams find their release?'

5. God asks, 'Who will go for me? Who will extend my reach?
And who, when few will listen, will prophesy and preach?
And who, when few bid welcome, will offer all they know?
And who, when few dare follow, will walk the road I show?'

6. Amused in someone's kitchen, asleep in someone's boat,
attuned to what the ancients exposed, proclaimed and wrote,
a saviour without safety, a tradesman without tools
has come to tip the balance with fishermen and fools.

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REFLECTION Rev. Dr Fei Taule’ale’ausumai
‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me’
OFFERTORY MUSIC If I Ruled The World
(Bricusse & Ornadel)

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OFFERING HYMN AA 127 ‘Take the fruit that I have gathered…’
Words© 1992 Shirley Erena Murray
Music: © 1992 Colin Gibson, Hope Publishing Co. vs 3
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 humour, laced with laughter –
flavour of the Jesus life,
tang of risk, and new adventure,
taste and zest beyond belief.
 
OFFERING PRAYER
Wairua Tapu, Creative Spirit,
as we bring our gifts, koha of hand and heart,
inspire us to bring to life our vision of mana whenua
where everyone is valued and understood
where the gifts of the Spirit bud and flower
and bear the Spirit’s fruit. 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 Catriona Cairns
CIRCLE OF PRAYER
We think today of the people of Samoa and the Samoa Council of Churches. We hold all refugees in our hearts. We pray in particular for those detained for many years in Papua New Guinea & 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 Hon Dr Megan Woods (Wigram) and Hon Kiritapu Allan (East Coast).
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

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INVITATION TO COMMUNION
St Andrew’s is an open community and all are invited to Christ’s table.
Wherever you are on your faith 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.
COMMUNION HYMN AA 160 ‘Will you offer me compassion?’
Words © 1993 John Weir
Music © 1993 Douglas News

1. Will you offer me compassion?
Will you walk the road with me?
Brother, sister will you feed me
ripe fruit from the Mercy Tree?

2. Will you utter words of comfort?
Will you bless me with your peace?
Mercy is the gift I long for:
mercy from the Mercy Tree

3. I do not deserve your loving,
brother, sister, yet I plead -
I am human, I have need of
mercy from the Mercy Tree

4. If you offer me your friendship,
if you make your peace with me,
mercy will most surely touch you:
mercy from the Mercy Tree
 
COMMUNION LITURGY

You are invited to remain in your seats and you will be served a piece of bread, and wine (light coloured) or grape juice (dark coloured).

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THANKSGIVING PRAYER Adapted from All Desires Known by Janet Morley
The original of this prayer was first used on Easter Day 1987 in the St Hilda Community

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
many times, in different places, in a myriad of ways
offering us a new way of living
a new energy empowering us for the journey.

Therefore with the energy and powerful love
which we can now find deep within us,
with the creative ones
who delight, and transform darkness and despair,
with those with artistic skill
who dare to visualise for us another way,
with the damaged ones
who bring to life’s stage new drama,
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 walks with us in the spirit of life,
now always with us wherever we are,
who, after a meal with his friends,
people much like us, took bread, gave thanks, broke it and said:
‘This is my body which is for you
Do this to remember me’
In the same also the cup, after supper saying words like
‘This cup is the new covenant,
Do this whenever you drink it, to remember me.’

Come now disturbing Spirit,
brood over and breathe on these earthly things
and make us one body in Christ.
Open our eyes, unlock our hearts, name us here;
touch and heal all that has been buried in us,
transforming ugliness into beauty,
transforming despair into hope,
that we may go out with power,
to release new life in the world.
CLOSING PRAYERS
We do not rise from this table without remembering
other members of this worldwide family:
for those who are suffering from poverty
we pray relief;
for those who fear war
we pray peace;
for those who experience prejudice
we pray acceptance;
for those treated with hate
we pray love;
for those who doubt their former beliefs
we pray trust and faith;
for all who seek a spiritual path
we pray they will find it.
So may it be.
AMEN

 
HYMN WOV 558 ’When I needed a neighbour were you there?’
Words and music: © from Green Print for Song 1963 Stainer & Bell Ltd

1. When I needed a neighbour, were you there, were you there?
When I needed a neighbour, were you there?
Chorus:
And the creed and the colour and the name won't matter.
Were you there?

2. I was hungry and thirsty, were you there, were you there?
I was hungry and thirsty, were you there?
Chorus

3. When I needed a shelter, were you there, were you there?
When I needed a shelter, were you there?
Chorus

4. Wherever you travel, I'll be there, I'll be there.
Wherever you travel, I'll be there.
And the creed and the colour and the name won’t matter.
I’ll be there

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SUNG BLESSING FFS 49 ‘May the God of new beginnings’
Words © 2000 John Murray, Music © 2000 Colin Gibson
Reprinted under One License A-623996. All rights reserved

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 in you and me.
May the God of safe homecomings welcome you and me.
SUNG AMEN
POSTLUDE Tuba Tune in D Major Op. 15
by C.S. Lang (1891 – 1971)