WELCOME TO ST ANDREW’S ON THE TERRACE
Write your welcome here
GATHERING
We move towards the advent of the child
Pressure builds, anticipation kindles
Who in our world needs to know the joy of living
How can we spread that joy?
PROCESSIONAL HYMN ‘The light, the Christmas light’
Words © 2005 Shirley Erena Murray. Music © 2018 Vivien Chiu
(Music next page)
1. The light, the Christmas light
is born within the darkness,
a glimmer where the spark is
that Spirit will ignite:
Christ Jesus is this light (sing line 4 times)
2. The door, the stable door
that opens to all people,
the searching and the hopeful
who look and long for more:
Christ Jesus is this door (sing line 4 times)
3. The star, the cosmic star,
the pointer flying solo
that calls the wise to follow
where new horizons are:
Christ Jesus is this star (sing line 4 times)
4. The light has always shone;
the faith we lodge our hope in
will seek a door to open,
a star to light us on
and draw a shining thread (sing line 3 times)
through all the year ahead.
Ending:
And draw a shining thread
through all the year (sing line twice)
through all the year ahead.
WELCOME
Kia ora tatou.
Kia ora.
PRAYER and JESUS’ PRAYER
LIGHTING THE RAINBOW ROOM CANDLE AND THE CANDLE OF JOY
TIME WITH THE CHILDREN Susan Jones
CAROL COC 31 ‘Te Harinui’
Words & Music © 1993 Willow Macky
All rights reserved. Reprinted under One License A-623996
Not on a snowy night
By star or candlelight
Nor by an angel band
There came to our dear land
Te Harinui, Te Harinui
Te Harinui , Glad tidings of great joy
But on a summer day
Within a quiet bay
The Maori people heard
The great and glorious word Te Harinui …
The people gathered round
Upon the grassy ground
And heard the preacher say
I bring to you this day Te Harinui …
Now in this blessed land
United heart and hand
We praise the glorious birth
And sing to all the earth. Te Harinui …
BLESSING THE CHILDREN (All stand)
We send you to the Rainbow Room to hear stories, ask questions and have fun. 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!
ST ANDREW’S SINGERS Led by Vivien Chiu
‘Christmas Lullaby’ Words and Music by John Rutter
THE WORD IN TEXTS Ann Barrie
Hebrew Bible Isaiah 12: 2-6
Gospel Luke 2: 8-14
CAROL COC 10 ‘Christ of Darkness’
Words © 1996 Colin Gibson. Music © 2014 Vivien Chiu
Christ of darkness, Christ of light
burning, undiminished, bright;
high above, a million stars
shine down upon this king of night
Chorus: Christ to whom the angels sang,
Christ for whom the heavens rang,
truth and peace and love you bring,
and yours the song we too would sing.
Christ of poverty and need,
thrust aside by human greed,
dare we leave you in a stall,
O Son of God who made us all? Chorus
Christ for whom a mother lay
In the shadows, on the hay,
all creation comes to birth
in this travail here on earth. Chorus
Contemporary reading from “The Invitation”
by Oriah Mountain Dreamer
It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.
It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shrivelled and closed from fear of further pain.
I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it, or fade it, or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own; if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, remember the limitations of being human.
RESPONSE
For the Word in scripture, for the Word among us, for the Word within us, we give thanks
REFLECTION ‘Who needs joy?’ Susan Jones
OFFERING
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.
CAROL AS OFFERING PRAYER COC 14 (ii) ‘Come now, Lord Jesus’
Words © 1992 Shirley Murray. Music Zulu melody arr Roy Tankersley
Come now, Lord Jesus enter our Christmas
Be to us no stranger in this new made manger
Come small and human born of a woman
yet a Son much greater of our own Creator
Come, cold and crying, comfort denying
No place to receive you, few yet to believe you
Come poor and simple our flesh your temple
In your body feeling hurt as well as healing
Come, gift and token, bread to be broken
Star and sign still point you, myrrh will yet anoint you
ST ANDREW’S SINGERS Led by Vivien Chiu
‘O he is born!’ Words and Music by Felicia Edgecombe
LIFE IN THE COMMUNITY OF ST ANDREW’S
People share notices and visitors are welcomed. If you have a notice not already in the order of service, 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 South Korea and the National Council of Churches in Korea. In New Zealand, we remember those in Parliament, and today we name Paul Eagle (Rongotai electorate) and Kris Faafoi (Mana electorate). Here in the Central Presbytery, we pray for the leaders and people of St Andrew's Union Church, Featherston.
PRAYER FOR ST ANDREW’S on card
HYMN ‘Joy to the World’
Words: Isaac Watts (alt) Susan Jones (2017)
Music: Antioch G F Handel WOV 224
Joy to the world! A new age dawns
It comes, shalom to bring.
Let ev’ry heart prepare a room,
and heav’n and nature sing,
and heav’n and nature sing,
and heav’n and heav’n and nature sing.
Joy to the world! Delight in good;
let all their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat, repeat, the sounding joy
Joy to the world! Let justice come,
To all who need release;
For prisoners held in chains,
the damaged and the anxious,
let them find freedom now,
let them find freedom now
let them, let them find freedom now.
Graceful and true, the Saviour brings
compassion all may share
for poor and homeless,
so may they find
their life becomes more fair
their life becomes more fair
their life, their life becomes more fair.
VOW TO SERVE
For those who have no joy in their hearts,
For those whose lives are full of difficulty,
For those who are anxious and have no peace,
We have lit the candle of joy.
We go out remembering the call to be bearers of joy in a troubled world.
SUNG AMEN
POSTLUDE I Saw Three Ships - Fugue for Organ
by Richard Proulx (1937-2010).
THANK YOU Peter Franklin,
Vivien Chiu and The St Andrew’s Singers
our musicians today
Unless otherwise specified all our music is used by permission CCLI Licence 341550
Words/music to new hymns and gathering statement, prayers and affirmation are original unless acknowledged. If Susan Jones is the worship leader any such liturgy will have been written by her. These words can be used in other worship and small group situations without seeking permission. Please acknowledge the source.
THANK YOU
Write the Thank You here