October 15, 2017
WELCOME TO ST ANDREW’S ON THE TERRACE
Today we consider the Context of the reformation – why did it happen where it did and when it did?
GATHERING
Half a millennia away from us, people protested and spoke up;
Who were they? Were they like us?
Today we stand in this place and time;
Who are we, what are we like?
What do we value and yearn for so faith is vital and strong in this century?
For what are we willing to stand?
Today we walk another step in our journey
May we learn from them.
PROCESSIONAL HYMN ‘Who would true valour see’
Words: © John Bunyan 1628-88
Music: WOV 467 Monk’s Gate
The choice has been left to the singer whether you want to sing ‘he’ or ‘she’ or ‘they’.
Who would true valour see,
Let him come hither;
One here will constant be,
Come wind, come weather;
There’s no discouragement
Shall make him once relent
His first avowed intent
To be a pilgrim.
Whoso beset him round
With dismal stories
Do but themselves confound;
His strength the more is,
No lion can him fright;
He’ll with a giant fight;
But he will have a right
To be a pilgrim.
Hobgoblin nor foul fiend
Can daunt his spirit;
He knows he at the end
Shall life inherit,
Then fancies fly away,
He’ll fear not what men say;
He’ll labour night and day
To be a pilgrim.
WELCOME
Kia ora tatou.
Kia ora.
PRAYER
LORD’S PRAYER (tr. from the Aramaic)
Abba, Abba,
May thy name be holy. Yithqadash sh‘mak.
May thy kingdom come. Tethe malkuthak.
May thy will be done. Teh’wey ra’uthak.
Give us today our needed bread. Pitthan d-çorak hav lan yomden.
And forgive us our debts. w-Shbuq lan hobenan.
As we forgive our debtors. Hek ‘anan sh‘baqin l-haibenan.
And lead us not into temptation. w-La ‘ul lan l-nisyon.
Amen.
LIGHTING THE RAINBOW ROOM CANDLE
TIME WITH THE CHILDREN Susan Jones
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 Norman Wilkins
Hebrew Bible Deuteronomy 12: 32
Epistle Romans 8: 24-28
Gospel Luke 19: 36-40
Contemporary reading from Argula von Grumbach:
a Woman’s Voice in the Reformation, pp 176
by Peter Matheson
Part of a reply in verse by Argula von Grumbach to a member of the University of Ingolstadt (1524)
… Loudly Christ, our Lord, cries out:
‘Come to me now, whoever thirsts!
From those who follow my decrees,
Living waters will flow free.’
Tidings of the Spirit he did preach
Who each of us will truly teach.
God’s word stands here, as plain as day.
Are peasants or women excluded here?
Show me where that’s said, good sir!
Who were the apostles – after all
What higher learning could they recall?
Though John was but a fisherman
So profound yet clear is no other man;
And Peter was of identical breed,
A fisherman, as we can read,
And furthermore, as Paul makes known,
God sent the Holy Spirit down
To help us in our poor, weak state
It’s there in Romans, Chapter Eight:
We do not know how we should pray
Unless the Spirit shows the way.
So listen, as all Christians should,
The Spirit leads us to the truth.
In First Corinthians you will see –
That’s once you’ve read it properly….
…Let the stones cry out today!
While you oppress God’s word and – Shame!
Consign souls to the devil’s game
I cannot and I will not cease
To speak at home and on the street
As long as God will give me grace
I’ll tell my neighbour, face to face.
RESPONSE
For the Word in scripture,
for the Word among us,
for the Word within us,
we give thanks
REFLECTION ‘Who were the Protestant reformers?’ Susan Jones
ORGAN SOLO
Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme Johann Gottfried Walther (1684 – 1748).
(Awake, the voice is calling us) Played by Peter Franklin
OFFERING HYMN AA 62 ‘Here we bring, small or great’
Words © Shirley Murray Music © Colin Gibson
Here we bring, small or great, gifts to offer on this plate,
what we’ve earned, what we own, tithe or token, bread or stone,
Jesus said, “Have a care – your heart will always be
where your riches are, where your riches are.”
Food and drink, things obsess, drug us to false happiness;
what we keep, what we give, tells the truth of how we live. Refrain
Moth and rust breed decay, thieves break in and steal away;
love and trust need no hoard, richest treasure can’t be stored, Refrain
Wild flowers grow, birds find seed, God attends to each one’s need;
as we share, all can live, as we love, we learn to give, Refrain
OFFERING PRAYER
As always, we bring our offerings in a spirit of thankfulness, saying together this prayer by Michael Leunig (b. 1945). Leunig comments on his use of the word God in prayers on his website : http://www.leunig.com.au/works/prayers
Dear God,
We rejoice and give thanks for earthworms,
bees, ladybirds and broody hens;
for humans tending their gardens,
talking to animals,
cleaning their homes and singing to themselves;
for rising of the sap, the fragrance of growth,
the invention of the wheelbarrow and the existence of the teapot,
we give thanks. We celebrate and give thanks. 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 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 Sue McRae
CIRCLE OF PRAYER
We think today of the people of the Chad and organisations working for justice and development in Chad. In New Zealand, we think today of those who are about to participate in a coalition government and those who find themselves on the opposition benches. Here in the Central Presbytery, we pray for the leaders and people of the Taihape-Waimarino Presbyterian Parish.
PRAYER FOR ST ANDREW’S on card
HYMN ‘A mighty stronghold is our God’
Music: WOV 8 Ein’ Feste Burg, later form of melody by Martin Luther
Words: © Martin Luther 1483-1546
A mighty stronghold is our God,
A sure defence and weapon.
Who’ll help us out of every need
Whatever now may happen.
The ancient evil fiend
Has deadly ill in mind;
Great power and craft are his,
his armour gruesome is,
on earth is not his equal
With our own strength is nothing done,
Soon we are lost, dejected;
But for us fights the rightful Man
Whom God has sure elected.
You ask: Who may this be?
Christ Jesus, it is he,
The Lord Sabaoth’s Son,
Our God, and God alone
Shall hold the field victorious
And though the world were full of fiends
All lurking to devour us,
We tremble not nor fear their bands,
They shall not overpower us
The prince of this world’s ill
May scowl upon us still,
He cannot do us harm,
To judgment he has come:
One word can swiftly fell him.
The Word they must allow to stand –
For this they win no merit;
Upon the field, so near at hand,
God gives to us the Spirit.
And though they take our life,
goods, honour, child, and wife,
though we must let all go,
They will not profit so:
To us remains the Kingdom
A PRAYER FOR THE JOURNEY by Michael Leunig
God help us to change.
To change ourselves and to change our world.
To know the need for it. To deal with the pain of it.
To feel the joy of it.
To undertake the journey without understanding the destination.
The art of gentle revolution.
SUNG AMEN
POSTLUDE Tambourin
By Francois Gossec (1734 – 1829)
THANK YOU Peter Franklin
our musician today
THANK YOU
Write the Thank You here