September 6, 2020

WELCOME TO ST ANDREW’S ON THE TERRACE

Creation 1 – Forestry

Trees grow from a small seed to a mighty tree.

How does our faith change and grow as we age?

Today’s service is led by Rev. Barrie Keenan

 

GATHERING
In this the season of creation we come together this morning
We give thanks for our own creation
For those who gave us birth, for those who nurtured us
For the experiences we have had, for the people we have met
For the challenges we have addressed and overcome
For both the down times and for the times of exhilaration.
For the love we have received and the love we have given
And so, we gather now to reflect and give thanks
We gather here as a community of faith conscious of our heritage
Living now in the present, and awaiting the future.
PROCESSIONAL HYMN AA 54 ‘God of the galaxies’
Words: © 1992 Shirley Erena Murray
Music: by Douglas Mews ©1992 Hope Publishing Co.

God of the galaxies spinning in space,
God of the smallest seed, our living source,
yours is the gift of this beautiful place.
Let us care for your garden
and honour the earth.

Careless and covetous, gross are our greeds,
taking the riches, the garden provides,
wasting its goodness, forgetting its needs.
Let us care for your garden
and honour the earth.

Forests and rivers are ravaged and die,
raped is the land till it bleeds in its clay,
silenced the birdsong and plundered the sea.
Let us care for your garden
and honour the earth.

Let there be beauty, and let there be air
fragrant with peace, never poisoned with fear,
freed from the plagues of pollution and war.
Let us care for your garden
and honour the earth.

Life is a holy thing, life is a whole,
linking each creature and blessing us all,
making connections of body and soul.
Let us care for your garden
and honour the earth.
WELCOME
Kia ora tatou.
Kia ora.
PRAYER
Holy One, we thank you for individuality, our different interests, skills and attributes, and for our diversity as a faith community and our openness to welcoming all irrespective of where they are on their faith journey.
Help us in our lives to see and then do that which is going to be most important and useful for others.
Strengthen us to address the hard tasks, to recognise needs,
to share what we have, to strive for justice for all,
and let us say together the Jesus 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 THE CHILDREN Rosemary Lawrence
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 is here
we ask that you pass the peace without shaking hands.
THE WORD IN TEXTS Heather Macfarlane
Hebrew Bible Micah 6: 6 -8
Gospel Matthew 22 34-40
Contemporary reading A poem by Doug Lendrum, used with his permission,
and based on the motto of St. David’s, Khyber Pass Rd., Auckland

“Honour the Mind, Live the Questions, Explore the Adventure of Humanity.”

Ours is the dialogue task
to cast aside the theism, atheism debate
and to grasp a glimpse of the “Almost” impasse
to name the divine ambiguity to create
a limited-ness and uncertainty a past.
Ours is a dynamic task
to risk all in the face of knowing
an enhanced meaning in life more than a fast
to fall in love again with reality flowing
like an opportunity to escape a farce

Ours is a challenging task
to put aside an engineering strategy
and discover in 3D a chaotic, dynamic class
where living, moving and loving have synergy
and certainty and reductionism become the last.

Ours is a rewarding task
connecting hearts rather than just minds
discovering wisdom in embodied relational embrace
with nature its reality and kinds
it’s narrative enhanced and midwifed at last.
RESPONSE
For the Word in scripture,
for the Word among us,
for the Word within us,
we give thanks.
HYMN FFS 31 ‘God who carved this timeless landscape’ Vs 1-3
Words: Doug Grierson Music: Colin Gibson © 2000, CONVERSE CH4 547 Charles Crozat Converse

1. God who carved this timeless landscape,
Snow-clad ridge to valley plain,
power of surging race and river,
limestone crag and scarred terrain;
Maker still of earth, fire, water,
artistry of sight and sound,
Southern lights and sunset splendour,
raise our eyes and you are found.

2. Calendar of nature’s balance,
rhythms of the farming year,
shearing, milking, ploughing, pruning,
Manger setting ever near!
Lonely struggle in the byways,
nor’west dust or snow and flood,
fellowship of tears and laughter:
Lord, with you, we’re understood.

3. Giving thanks for those before us,
village life and tussock track,
as we turn to face the future,
history’s wind upon our back;
scattered are our congregations,
each now shares in ministry,
bonding strength of work together:
spirit of community.
REFLECTION “What can we learn from the trees?” Rev. Barrie Keenan
OFFERING PRAYER (said together)
We bring these gifts of food for those who need it.
We bring these gifts of money so that this church may continue to make the Way of Jesus a political reality.
We offer ourselves as Pilgrim people seeking to walk the way of truth, light and love. 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.

Historical Highlight “About our Baroque Organ” Andrew Matthews
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 Linda Wilkins
CIRCLE OF PRAYER
We think today of the people of Brunei, for strength and wisdom for Christian church leaders in Brunei dealing with growing religious restrictions. We remember the detainees of Manus and Nauru Islands, yearning that their cases be resolved. In New Zealand, we remember those who work this election season as candidates, members of all political parties and all voters. Here in the Central Presbytery, we pray for the leaders and people of St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Hunterville.

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,
and 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
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
HYMN FFS 57 ‘Song of faith that sings forever’ vs 1-3
Words: Shirley Murray © Hope Publishing Co. 1999
Music: Abbeyfield Colin Gibson © Hope Publishing co. 1999

1. Song of faith that sings forever
through God's people, ages long,
Word that holds the world together
when our hearts take up the song,
always, always, somewhere sounding,
though the source we do not see,
counterpoint to all despairing,
it is hope that sets the key.

2. Song of faith in exaltation,
rising through the vaults of prayer,
tune of simple celebration
offered up in open air,
song in chapel and cathedral,
descant to our daily tone,
song from sickbed or in prison,
faith must often sing alone.

3. And when life would overwhelm us,
when there seems no song to sing,
hear the constant voice of courage
out of fear and suffering:
all who've loved and trusted Jesus,
all who lift us to be strong,
endless, endless are the voices
of the faith that makes the song.
COMMUNION TODAY

Communion today, because of Covid-19 is served by using individual communion glasses. You are invited to come to the front of the church and receive the bread, or a gluten-free cracker, and then a communion glass, and having partaken of the elements, place the glass in the “basket” held by the “receiver” and then make you way back to your seat.
Or, remain in your seat to be served if mobility is difficult. If you don't wish to receive communion, please remain in your seat – we’re glad you are here with us.

Our Communion Liturgy
In our lives we have eaten, taken food and drink, in many different places. Sometimes on our own, but more often with others, different people or groups of people, with friends and sometimes with strangers.
Jesus did this with those he associated with and who associated with him. Inside homes, outside by the lakeside as well as on the hilltop. And then there was that meal in the Upper Room, a special meal, a very special time.
After he was dead those who had known him, those who had followed him, remembered him, especially when they gathered and shared bread and drank wine together. Even though he was dead they realised that because of knowing him they had a different more vibrant attitude to life, more understanding, more compassion, a different sense of justice, a richer love, and a more meaningful faith.
We too strive to follow, to live as we seek The Way, to hold onto those things from the past that are meaningful for us, to be looking for more just, more compassionate, more loving ways to live in our community. As we remember his life, his ministry and his command to us – to love one another as I have loved you.
We take this bread as he took bread and break it as he broke it and we hear the words
This is my body broken for you – do this in remembering me.
And we take the cup as he took the wine, as we drink it we hear the words
This is my blood, the new covenant, participate in this in remembering me.

These are the gifts he gave us for those he asked, and challenged, to follow “The Way”

Come let us partake. The gifts of God for the people of God.

Prayer after Communion
On this our first Sunday in this the “Season of Creation” we give thanks for those in whom we saw the light, and those who have encouraged and supported us on “Our Way”. We go on our pilgrimage in new ways, sharing these values and this love with others. So, may it be. Amen.
HYMN HIOS 129 ‘Who would walk cheerfully’
Words: © 2009 Shirley Erena Murray
Tune: Monk Gate WOV 467 “Who would true valour see!”

Who would walk cheerfully
through storm and shadow,
these hearts beat staunch and free,
wise to the rainbow:
no threat will cloud our sight,
we’ll work for what is right,
we’ll trust the Inner Light
to live as Christians.

Who lets the world look dark
is no companion,
we’ll let no dire remark
change our opinion,
we’ll walk the stony track,
strong hope within our pack,
we’ll counter gloom’s attack,
to live as Christians.

We’ll walk the world for peace,
makers and menders,
we’ll promote in every place
peaceful agendas:
hands-on to teach and tend,
to see all colours blend,
to meet each soul as friend,
to live as Christians!
BLESSING
For our blessing today I think it is better we sing together rather than just my spoken words and I think these words of Shirley Murray’s are particularly appropriate.
HYMN HIOS 35 (ii) ‘Go gently, go lightly’
Words: © 2001 Shirley Erena Murray
Music: Colin Gibson “Legere”
Go gently, go lightly,
go safe in the Spirit,
live simply, don’t carry
much more than you need:
go trusting God’s goodness,
go spreading God’s kindness,
stay centred on Jesus
and where he will lead.

Go singing, go bringing
the gifts of the Spirit,
go hopefully searching
for things that are true;
in living, in loving,
whatever befalls you,
God keep you, God bless you
in all that you do.
SUNG AMEN
POSTLUDE