March 20, 2022
WELCOME TO ST ANDREW’S ON THE TERRACE
St Andrews on Zoom
20th March 2022 – Lent 3
Today’s service was created by
Fiona McDougal and Catriona Cairns
INTRODUCTION Fiona
CALL TO WORSHIP Catriona
Lenten poem
(Joyce Rupp)
The cosmos dreams in me
while I wait in stillness,
ready to lean a little further
into the heart of the Holy.
I, a little blip of life,
a wisp of unassuming love,
a quickly passing breeze,
come once more into Lent.
No need to sign me
with the black bleeding ash
of palms, fried and baked.
I know my humus place.
This Lent I will sail
on the graced wings of desire,
yearning to go deeper
to the place where
I am one in the One.
Oh, may I go there soon,
in the same breath
that takes me to the stars
when the cosmos dreams in me.
SILENCE
WELCOME Catriona
E te whānau a Te Karaiti
Ngā mihi aroha ki a tātou katoa.
Kia ora
OPENING PRAYER Fiona
(Iona Abbey Worship Book)
Let us pray:
Over time, over space, over matter, over thought, you are our God, in all and through all.
The noises of war are loud in your ears,
as is the cry of a newborn child.
You share in the excitement of those pioneering research
as well as the last breaths of those nearing death.
And in Christ, all the pain and potential of the world
are held together in the hope of healing.
Be present to us here, gracious God,
and let your Spirit open us to glimpse that fairer world which you intend for us and all people.
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 Catriona
HYMN ‘I heard the voice of Jesus say’
WoV500
Words: Horatius Bonar © Music Kingsfold © 3 verses
1. I heard the voice of Jesus say,
‘Come unto me and rest;
lay down, thou weary one, lay down
thy head upon my breast.’
I came to Jesus as I was,
so weary, worn and sad;
I found in him a resting place,
and he has made me glad.
- I heard the voice of Jesus say,
‘Behold, I freely give
the living water, thirsty one;
stoop down and drink and live.’
I came to Jesus, and I drank
of that life-giving stream;
my thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
and now I live in him. - I heard the voice of Jesus say,
‘I am this dark world’s light;
look unto me, thy morn shall rise,
and all thy day be bright.’
I looked to Jesus, and I found
in him my star, my sun;
and in that light of life I’ll walk
till trav’lling days are done.
PASSING THE PEACE
Traditionally we shake hands to pass the peace and say, “peace be with you.” Now that COVID-19 is here, and we are on ZOOM we suggest you greet those you are with at the moment. Or perhaps after the service ends get in touch with someone here today and check in with them to see how they are doing.
PRAYER Fiona
(Anastasia Somerville-Wong)
May our meditations plant seeds
of insight and discernment,
of gentleness and honesty.
May they replenish the soils of the spirit
with waters of relief,
with clarity and hope.
May they bloom with prayer
and flower with kindness.
THE WORD IN TEXTS Anna Smith
Hebrew Bible Psalm 63:1-8
REFLECTION ON THE PSALM Fiona
Gospel/New Testament Luke 13: 1-9
REFLECTION ON THE LUKE READING
Catriona
Contemporary Reading ‘Called to say ‘yes’’
By Edwina Gateley
We are called to say yes,
that the kingdom might break through
to renew and to transform
our dark and groping world.
We stutter and we stammer
to the lone God who calls
and pleads a New Jerusalem
in the bloodied Sinai Straights.
We are called to say yes,
that honeysuckle may twine
and twist its smelling leaves
over the graves of nuclear arms.
We are called to say yes,
that children might play
on the soil of Vietnam where the tanks
belched blood and death.
We are called to say yes,
that black may sing with white
and pledge peace and healing
for the hatred of the past.
We are called to say yes,
so that nations might gather
and dance one great movement
for the joy of humankind.
We are called to say yes
so that rich and poor embrace
and become equal in their poverty
through the silent tears that fall.
We are called to say yes,
that the whisper of our God
might be heard through our sirens
and the screams of our bombs.
We are called to say yes
to a God who still holds fast
to the vision of the Kingdom
for a trembling world of pain.
We are called to say yes
to this God who reaches out
and asks us to share
this crazy dream of love.
RESPONSE
For the Word in scripture,
for the Word among us,
for the Word within us,
we give thanks.
HYMN AA 160 ‘The Mercy Tree’
Words: John Weir © Music: Douglas Mews © 4 verses
- Will you offer me compassion?
Will you walk the road with me?
Brother, sister, will you feed me
ripe fruit from the Mercy Tree? - 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. - I do not deserve your loving,
brother, sister, yet I plead –
I am human, I have need of
mercy from the Mercy Tree. - If you offer me your friendship,
if you make your peace with me,
mercy will most surely touch you:
mercy from the Mercy Tree.
OFFERING Catriona
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE Wendy Matthews
CIRCLE OF PRAYER
We think today of the people of Niger and all those working to end slavery in Niger and throughout the world. 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 Mark Cameron and Naisi Chen, list MPs. Here in the Central Presbytery, we pray for the leaders and people of Inglewood United Church.
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
HYMN AA59 ‘He came singing love’
Words: Colin Gibson © Music Colin Gibson© 4 verses
- 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. - 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. - 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. - 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.
BLESSING Fiona
May the love of life fill our hearts.
May the love of earth bring joy to heaven.
May the love of self-deepen our souls.
May the love of neighbour heal our world.
As nations, as peoples, as families this day
may the love of life heal our world.
Amen.
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THANK YOU
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