WELCOME TO ST ANDREW’S ON THE TERRACE
GATHERING
This is the season of Lent
When we prepare ourselves for the great events of Easter
It is when we look honestly and critically at our lives
We identify where we fail and get things wrong
And we look forward to the gift of a new start, a new life
In our hearts we follow the way that Jesus took.
PROCESSIONAL HYMN VU399 ‘God whose love is reigning o'er us’
Words © 1980 William Boyd Grove
Tune: WOV 455 Lauda anima
Words used by permission of the author.
1. God, whose love is reigning o'er us,
source of all, the ending true;
hear the universal chorus
raised in joyful praise to you:
Hallelujah, hallelujah,
worship ancient, worship new.
2. Word of God from nature bringing
springtime green and autumn gold;
mountain streams like children singing,
ocean waves like thunder bold:
Hallelujah, hallelujah,
as creation's tale is told.
3. Holy God of ancient glory,
choosing man and woman, too;
Abr'am's faith and Sarah's story
formed a people bound to you.
Hallelujah, hallelujah,
to your covenant keep us true.
4. Covenant, new again in Jesus,
Star-child born to set us free;
sent to heal us, sent to teach us
how love's children we might be.
Hallelujah, hallelujah,
risen Christ, our Saviour he!
5. Lift we then our human voices
in the songs that faith would bring;
live we then in human choices
lives that, like our music, sing:
Hallelujah, hallelujah,
joined in love our praises ring!
WELCOME
Kia ora tatou.
Kia ora.
PRAYER
JESUS’ PRAYER Jim Cotter paraphrase on card
LIGHTING THE RAINBOW CANDLE
TIME WITH THE CHILDREN Patricia Booth
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 Lynette Burrell
Quran Surat-Al-Anbiya (Prophets) 51-71
Gospel Mark 12:28-34
Reading from non Abrahamic tradition
21 Lessons for the 21st Century" by Yuval Noah Harari
Emperor Ashoka ruled an empire teeming with myriad religions, sects and gurus. He gave himself the official titles of ‘Beloved of the Gods’ and ‘He who regards everyone with affection’. Sometime around 250 bc, he issued an imperial edict of tolerance which proclaimed that: Beloved-of-the-Gods, the king who regards everyone with affection, honours both ascetics and the householders of all religions … and values that there should be growth in the essentials of all religions. Growth in essentials can be done in different ways, but all of them have as their root restraint in speech, that is, not praising one’s own religion, or condemning the religion of others without good cause … Whoever praises his own religion, due to excessive devotion, and condemns others with the thought ‘Let me glorify my own religion’, only harms his own religion. Therefore contact between religions is good. One should listen to and respect the doctrines professed by others. Beloved-of-the-Gods, the king who regards everyone with affection, desires that all should be well learned in the good doctrines of other religions.
RESPONSE
For the Word in scripture,
for the Word among us,
for the Word within us,
we give thanks
HYMN AA 59 ‘He came singing love’
Music and Words Colin Gibson © 1994 Hope Publishing
1. He came singing Love
and he lived singing love;
he died, singing love
He arose in silence.
For the love to go on
we must make it our song;
you and I be the singers.
2. He came singing faith
and he lived singing faith;
he died, singing faith.
He arose in silence.
For the faith to go on
we must make it our song;
you and I be the singers.
3. He came singing hope
and he lived singing hope;
he died, singing hope.
He arose in silence.
For the hope to go on
we must make it our song;
you and I be the singers.
4. He came singing peace
and he lived singing peace;
he died, singing peace.
He arose in silence.
For the peace to go on
we must make it our song;
you and I be the singers.
REFLECTION ‘Serious repentance by the Children of Abraham’
Norman Wilkins
HYMN ‘Dear God who spoke to Abraham’
Words © 2019 Norman Wilkins
Tune: Repton WOV 519 (ii)
1. Dear God, who spoke to Abraham
Whose faith we celebrate
He set the scene for what we do
He worshipped and knew only you
Our God both good and great
2. Quran tells us that as a youth
idols he set aflame
Replaced their folly with the truth
The facts that they could not dispute
He put them all to shame
3. Now God our loving is for you
In many different names
We will not seek to outdo
Those who do not share our view
When they have love’s aims
4. For all the Earth give us respect
Our neighbour may it be
We will cherish, we won’t wreck
And our living will reflect
Your love that makes us free
OFFERING PRAYER (said together)
We bring in faith and love, these gifts of money and food.
We also bring ourselves, freely offering what we can give to the continued work towards freedom, justice, peace and a good Earth.
May all our gifts be given and received with joy
So may it be. 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 Lynne Dovey
CIRCLE OF PRAYER
We think today of the people of Namibia and the Council of Churches in Namibia. In New Zealand, we remember those in Parliament, and today we name Trevor Mallard and Jenny Marcroft, list MPs. Here in the Central Presbytery, we pray for the leaders and people of Bell Block/Lepperton Co-operating Church and Brooklands Co-operating Church, New Plymouth.
PRAYER FOR ST ANDREW’S on card
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 LITURGY on card
Communion is served by intinction. You are invited to come to the front of the church and receive the bread, or a gluten-free cracker, taking a piece large enough to dip into the wine (silver cup) or grape juice (pottery cup). Eat the bread dipped in wine or juice.
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.
RECESSIONAL HYMN ‘Celebrate the Life we’re given’
Words © 2015 Susan Jones Music: WOV 577 Austria
1. Celebrate the Life we’re given
Grace on grace, where love abounds
Celebrate the world around us
Blue and green, where birdsong sounds;
Celebrate sun’s rise and setting
‘cross the harbour, over hills
Everything reflects its making
Beauty, love, joy; each heart fills.
2. We choose to live lives of meaning
even when the sky turns grey.
We choose to continue journeying
Cis and trans, bi, straight and gay.
We choose wrestling doubt or danger,
Trials may shadow, haunt our way.
But we know that we’re companioned,
Love walks with us, every day.
3. Just as rainbows shine through rainfall,
Love refracts our darkest day;
We are birthed from one great light Source
Red, through green, to purple’s ray.
Just as colour comes from one energy
We’re made in one image too;
All one family, all one Spirit
All are loved, including you.
BLESSING
SUNG AMEN
POSTLUDE ‘Grand March’
from Aida by G. Verdi (1813- 1901)
THANK YOU Thank you to Peter Franklin
our musician today
THANK YOU
Write the Thank You here