WELCOME TO ST ANDREW’S ON THE TERRACE

THE EYE OF THE STORM

During the service an offering will be gathered for
the Christian World Service Christmas Gift Appeal.

 

The Service is conducted by The Rev Dr Jim Cunningham

 

MUSIC FOR GATHERING                                                                Peter Franklin

 

GATHERING

In this southern place                                             Barbara Sampson (adapted)

pohutukawa stands all year

green and murmuring

wind whipped

clinging to rocky shore lines.

But when pohutukawa breaks

glorious red

against a clear blue sky

to the roar of rolling surf

we know that Christmas has come.

Pohutukawa Christ,

you stand in our midst all year

singing your ever-green song of love.

But at Christmas you break out

blood-red, flesh soft

to the sound of a baby breathing.

Gift beyond description we welcome you!

        Let us celebrate life in the presence we name God.                   

  

PROCESSIONAL HYMN               CH4 303 ‘It came upon the midnight clear’

Words Edmund H. Sears; Music (arr) Arthur Seymour Sullivan

 

1. It came upon the midnight clear,

that glorious song of old,

from angels bending near the earth

with news of joy foretold.

“Peace on the earth, good will to all

From heaven’s all gracious King.”

The world in solemn stillness lay,

to hear the angels sing.

2. Still through the cloven skies they come,

love’s banner all unfurled;

and still their heavenly music floats

over all the weary world.

Above its sad and lowly plains

old echoes plaintive ring,

and ever o’er its Babel sounds

the blessed angels sing.

 

3. For lo! the days are hastening on,

by prophets seen of old,

when with the ever circling years

shall the time foretold;

when peace shall over all the earth

its ancient splendours fling,

and the whole world send back the song

which now the angels sing.

 

WELCOME & INTRODUCTION

E te whānau a te Karaiti

Ngā mihi aroha ki a tātou katoa

            Kia ora tātou

 

 

AN ADVENT WREATH LITURGY OF REMEMBRANCE
Lynne Dovey and Ben Gray

This first candle of hope we light is to remember those whom we have loved and lost.
(First candle is lit)

We pause to remember their name, their face,
their voice, the memory that binds them to us
in this season in the hope they will
continue to make a difference to our lives
May God's caring love surround them and us.

This second candle of peace we light is to mend the pain of loss; the loss of relationships, loss of jobs, loss of health and home.
(Second candle is lit.)

We pause to gather up the pain of the past
and offer it to God,
asking that we receive the gift of peace.
Refresh, restore, renew us we pray,
and lead us peacefully into the future

This third candle of joy we light is for ourselves.

(Third candle is lit.)

We pause to remember past weeks and months and years:
the disbelief, anger and ‘down’ times,
the poignancy of reminiscing,
hugs and handshakes of family and friends,
who stood with us.
Let us remember dawn defeats darkness
for ‘joy comes in the morning’

This fourth candle of love we light is to remember
the gift of love which the Christmas story offers us. (Fourth candle is lit.)

We remember Creativity - God companions us,
sharing our life, Being -With -Us, Emmanuel
. Let us look for new possibilities now, in the present.
Spirit of God, calm our hearts
so we can hear your still, small voice.

SILENCE

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ST ANDREW’S SINGERS
Do you hear what I hear?
arr Emily Crocker

LIGHTING THE CHRIST CANDLE

We have waited with hope
for God to bring justice and righteousness.
We have waited with peace
for God’s shalom to be felt.
We have waited with joy,
celebrating the things God has already done.
We have waited with love,
awed by how God’s love has been shown to us.

Tonight we light this candle
to celebrate the light of God, coming into the world
in the birth of Jesus.

O God of hope and peace, joy and love:
from that stable so long ago
your light shines out
into every corner of the world.

Help us to sing with angels
of the joy of your coming.
Help us to live by your light not only today,
but throughout the whole year,
so that tidings of peace and goodwill to all
will truly transform everything.

PASSING THE PEACE

The Holy Child of peace has come to dwell among us!
Let us share the peace with one another.
Christ has come among us!
The peace of Christ
and the joy of Christmas
be always with you.
And also with you.

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THE WORD IN TEXTS & MUSIC

Gospel
Luke 2: 1-7 Anne Manchester
The Birth
Luke 2: 8-14 Gavin Watson
The Angels
Luke 2: 15-20 Wendy Matthews
The Shepherds

Solo Ella Briggs
Gesu Bambino
by
Pietro Yon

Contemporary Reading Maxine Cunningham
Christine Robinson
UUA Worship Web
May this time together
lead us to the heart of the season, which is peace.
May we breathe deeply of peace in this safe place,
and let our hearts be open to the evening's story.
Like the wandering couple, may we find
that our greatest trials issue forth from our greatest joys.
Like the harried innkeeper, may we find
ways to be of help to others.
Like the lumbering beasts, may we be
silent witnesses to the unfathomable glory of life.
Like the shepherds on the hill, may we know
that we need never be afraid.
Like the journeying wise, may we always
have the courage to follow our stars.
Like the angels, may we cry peace to a troubled world.

St Andrew’s Singers:
The First Nowell/ Pachelbel’s Canon
arr Michael Clawson

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RESPONSE
For the Word in scripture and music,
For the Word among us,
For the Word within us,
We give thanks

REFLECTION Jim Cunningham
The Eye of the Storm

CAROL CC52 ‘You are born in us again’
Words © 1996 Mark Wilson. Music arr. Shona Murray, descant Colin Gibson

1. You are born in us again.
Like the warmth of the summer wind you come,
to melt away the icicles of vanity and pride;
you come to blow the very doors of loving open wide.
Like the warmth of the summer wind you come, (repeat last line)

2. You are born in us again.
Like the scent of the summer rain you come.
You come to quench the thirsty and to freshen up the land;
you come to clean away the dust that’s settled in our hand.
Like the scent of summer rain you come, (repeat last line)

3. You are born in us again.
Like the light of the summer sun you come,
to give light to the places that have never seen the Son:
you come now to embrace us, you’re the holy, holy one.
Like the light of the summer sun you come, (repeat last line)

OFFERING FOR CHRISTIAN WORLD SERVICE

OFFERING PRAYER

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

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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's journey, wherever you have come from and wherever you are going to, whatever you believe, whatever you do not believe, you are welcome to share in the communion. This is God’s meal for all people.
WELCOME TO THE TABLE

At this Table we give thanks for justice, love, peace and freedom.
At this Table we give thanks for friends and strangers together
in community in this safe place.
For everyone born a place at the Table.
We are all invited.
COMMUNION HYMN COC 14 (ii) ‘Come now, Lord Jesus’
Words: © 1992 Shirley Murray Music: Traditional Zulu arr. Roy Tankersley

1. Come now, Lord Jesus,
enter our Christmas,
be to us no stranger
in this new made manger.
2. Come, small and human,
born of a woman,
yet a child much greater,
of our own Creator.

3. Come, cold and crying
comfort denying,
no place to receive you,
few yet to believe you.
4. Come, poor and simple,
our flesh your temple
in your body feeling
hurt as well as healing.

5. Come, gift and token,
bread to be broken —
star and sign still point you,
myrrh will anoint you.

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THE STORY...
We remember the stories from our tradition....
How on many occasions Jesus would share a meal with friends.
Bread and wine, the very basics of life, shared in community.
How bread would be taken, a blessing offered, and then shared amongst them. And all ate.
How some wine would be poured out, a blessing offered, and then passed amongst them. All of them drank.
When they gathered in this way it was a time of concern,
conversation and celebration.
The bread and the wine symbolised
human lives interconnected
with other human lives,
and the power of giving and receiving.

We remember that on the night before his death
he shared the Passover Meal with his disciples
and gave the meal a new significance and purpose.

May the passion for life as seen in Jesus
and in the lives and struggles
of many other committed and faithful people then and now,
enable us to dream and to risk....

Together may we re-imagine the world.

Together may we work to make all things new.
Together may we celebrate the possibilities and hope
we each have and are called to share.

For everyone born, a place at the Table.
THE BREAD IS BROKEN

We break the bread for the broken Earth,
ravaged and plundered for greed.

May there be healing for our beautiful blue and green planet.

We break the bread for our broken humanity,
for the powerful and the powerless
trapped by exploitation and oppression.

May there be healing for humanity.

We break the bread for those who follow other paths;
who travel on a different road from us;
those who think and act differently;
those whose belief system is different to ours;
those who see our world through different eyes
of ethnicity and culture.

May there be healing where there is pain and woundedness.

We break this bread for the unhealed hurts and wounds
that lie within us all.

May we, too, be healed.

THE WINE IS POURED
This is the cup of peace and of new life for all.
A sign of love for the community of hope.

A reminder of the call
to live life fully,
to love wastefully,
and to be all that we can be.

Come then, life-giving Spirit of our God,
brood over these bodily things,
and make us one body with Christ;
that we may no longer be in bondage
to the principalities and powers that enslave creation,
but may know your liberating peace
such as the world cannot give.

THE BREAD AND THE WINE ARE SHARED

The bread and wine will be served AT THE FRONT OF THE CHURCH. During this “Covid Time” we celebrate Communion using ONLY gluten free bread.
Wine is served in small glasses – the lighter colour is fermented wine –
the darker colour grape juice)

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
We give thanks
that we have gathered together
on this Christmas Eve
in this sacred place,
and that we have been refreshed at this meal.
We thank you for each person here.
We recommit to being your community
for each other
for our city
and our world. Amine

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CAROLS

O little town of Bethlehem,
how still we see thee lie!
Above the deep and dreamless sleep
the silent stars go by:
yet in the dark streets shineth
the everlasting Light;
the hopes and fears of all the years
are met in thee tonight.

******************
Angels from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o'er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation's story,
Now proclaim Messiah's birth:
Come and worship Christ, the newborn King
Come and worship ,Worship Christ, the newborn King!

To the weary comes refreshment,
To the grieving, strength and peace;
To the anxious, sweet contentment,
To the captive soul, release:
Come and worship………

******************
Hark! the herald angels sing
glory to the newborn king,
peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled.
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
join the triumph of the skies;
with the angelic host proclaim,
‘Christ is born in Bethlehem.”
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn king.

****************** 
Child of Christmas story, stable straw, and star,
small and sweet and gentle: tell us who you are.

Child whose baby finger round our own is curled,
come to melt our hearts, and come to change the world.

Child of Jew and Gentile, child of white and black –
teach us how to love you, teach us what we lack.

Child of Mary’s courage, birthed in human pain,
tell us what your name is – be our hope again.

******************
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.

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.

******************
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem;
come and behold him born the king of angels:
O come let us adore him, o come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,
sing, all ye citizens of heaven above,
’Glory to God, glory in the highest’
O come let us adore him, o come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!

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THE CALL TO SERVICE (standing)
Go as far as your courage takes you,
for we cannot go beyond the reach of God.
Give as extravagantly as you may,
for we cannot spend all the riches of God.
Care as lavishly as you are able,
for we cannot exhaust the love of God.
Keep journeying and searching,
for God will always travel with us.

BLESSING & SUNG AMEN

May the love that gives to life its beauty,
the reverence that gives to life its sacredness,
and the purposes that give to life its deep significance
be strong within each of you
and lead you into ever deepening relationships
with all of life.
And the Grace.......

RECESSIONAL CAROL Words: Shirley Murray,Music: Colin Gibson COC 7

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.
ORGAN POSTLUDE