WELCOME TO ST ANDREW’S ON THE TERRACE

GATHERING       

Compassion springs from the Womb of Life in each of us

True compassion is passionate and emotional;

Today let us see what happens to others when compassion is missing

How we might act or speak without compassion;

True compassion acknowledges another’s worth

May we all embrace our common humanity by showing divine compassion.

 

PROCESSIONAL HYMN                                              ‘Celebrate the Life we’re given’

Words: © 2015 Susan Jones  Music: WOV 577 Austria

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.

 

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.

 

WELCOME 

Kia ora tatou.

Kia ora.

 

PRAYER

 

JESUS PRAYER                                                              Jim Cotter paraphrase on card

 

LIGHTING THE RAINBOW ROOM CANDLE

 

TIME WITH CHILDREN                                                                                  Sue McRae

 

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                                                                                                    Patricia Booth

 

Hebrew Bible                                                                                            Hosea 11: 1-4

 

Gospel                                                                                                  Matthew 5:43-48

 

Contemporary reading                      ‘Second stanza from the Compassion Charter’

Inspired by Karen Armstrong

It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.

RESPONSE

For the Word in scripture,

for the Word among us,

for the Word within us,

we give thanks

 

LIFE MOMENT                                                                                        Colma Froggatt

 

REFLECTION               ‘Compassion: antidote to violence’                       Susan Jones

 

HYMN                                                                               ‘We thank the many people’

Words © Susan Jones Music © Ellacombe WOV 277

 

 

(1)  We thank the many people

who bring the Christ to birth,

both hidden and identified

in past and present earth;

Who feed and clothe and water

all children of the womb

and toil to make a home for them

from dawn, through night and noon.

 

(2)  Bathsheba was disrupted

from marriage to the throne;

And Tamar found when widowed

she suddenly was alone;

Rahab was brave when Joshua

put Jericho under threat;

Ruth changed her country, followed love,

gleaned well, so safety met.

 

 

(3) We all face times of turmoil true

and questions that are hard;

Complex decisions try our hearts,

allegiances are marred;

Through every crisis, we decide

whom we call friend or foe;

Let’s call on Love to reconcile

To Fear, let us say “No!”

 

OFFERING

 

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH said as an OFFERING PRAYER

(You are invited to join in with the affirmation, saying as much as you can with integrity)

 

Compassion calls us,

in both public and private life, to refrain from  

causing consistent and emphatic pain

acting or speaking violently from spite, chauvinism, or self-interest,

impoverishing, exploiting or denying basic rights to anybody,

inciting hatred by denigrating others

and denying our common humanity with even our enemies.

 

 

We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately

even, sometimes, in the name of religion.

We acknowledge our failures;

We re-commit to compassion, to strong, firm loving and

to respecting all who share this earth with us

 

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 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                                                                          Sandra Kirby

 

CIRCLE OF PRAYER

We think today of the people of Finland and the the Orthodox Church of Finland.  In New Zealand, we remember those in Parliament, and today we name Scott Simpson (Coromandel electorate) and William Sio (Mangere electorate).  Here in the Central Presbytery, we pray for the leaders and people of Kilbirnie Presbyterian Church.

 

PRAYER FOR ST ANDREW’S                                                                               on card

 

HYMN                                                          AA 44 ‘Gentle God when we are driven’

Words: ©1982 Shirley Erena Murray.  Music: ©1982 Jillian Bray

 

Gentle God, when we are driven

past the limits of our love,

when our hurt would have a weapon

and the hawk destroy the dove,

at the cost of seeming weak,

help us turn the other cheek.

 

Gentle Spirit, when our reason

clouds in anger, twists in fear,

when we strike instead of stroking,

when we bruise and sting and smear,

cool our burning, take our pain,

bring us to ourselves again.

 

 

In the mirror of earth’s madness

let us see our ravaged face,

in the turmoil of all people

let compassion find a place,

touch our hearts to make amends,

see our enemies as friends.

 

Let our strength be in forgiving

as forgiven we must be,

one to one in costly loving,

finding trust and growing free,

gentle God, be our release,

gentle Spirit, teach us peace.

 

BLESSING

 

SUNG AMEN       

 

THANK YOU                                                                                          Judy Dumbleton

Our musician today

 

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