July 1, 2018

WELCOME TO ST ANDREW’S ON THE TERRACE

Today we begin a new series of reflections which consider different parts of the fascinating and frustrating docuyment we call the Bible.  Today we reflect on the early patriarch and matriarchs of the Judeo Christian tradition

 

GATHERING
Who were those long lost people,
the mothers and fathers of our faith?
What was their take on life?
What did they know? What do we know now?
In our time how will we
be mothers and fathers of the faith for those who come after us?

PROCESSIONAL HYMN (music follows) ‘Christ, Be our Light’
Words & Music: ©1993 Bernadette Farrell
All rights reserved. Reprinted under One License A-623996

Longing for light,
we wait in darkness.
Longing for truth,
we turn to you.
Make us your own,
your holy people,
light for the world to see.

1. Christ, be our light!
Shine in our hearts.
Shine through
the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in your church
gathered today.
Longing....

2. Longing for peace,
our world is troubled.
Longing for hope,
many despair.
Your word alone
has pow’r to save us.
Make us
your living voice.
Longing...

3. Longing for food,
many are hungry.
Longing for water,
many still thirst.
Make us your bread,
broken for others,
shared until all are fed.
Longing...

4. Longing for shelter,
many are homeless.
Longing for warmth,
many are cold.
Make us your building,
sheltering others,
walls made of living stone.
Longing...

5. Many the gifts,
many the people,
many the hearts
that yearn to belong.
Let us be servants
to one another,
making your
kingdom come.
Longing…..

WELCOME
Kia ora tatou.
Kia ora.

PRAYER

JESUS PRAYER Jim Cotter paraphrase on card

LIGHTING THE RAINBOW CANDLE
TIME WITH THE CHILDREN Frank Cook

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 Bronwyn White

Hebrew Bible Exodus 2: 23-25

Gospel Acts 2: 1-8

Contemporary reading Women of the Torah Were Co-Founders of Israel
by Cynthia Astle
One of the great gifts of biblical scholarship is to provide a complete picture of how people lived during ancient times. This has been especially true for four women of the Torah – Sarah, Rebekah, Leah and Rachel – who are recognized as co-founders of Israel equal in stature to their more renowned husbands, respectively Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Traditional Interpretation Overlooked Them
The stories of Sarah, Rebekah, Leah and Rachel are found in the Book of Genesis. Traditionally, both Jews and Christians have referred to these "ancestor stories" as "the patriarchal narratives," writes Elizabeth Huwiler in her book Biblical Women: Mirrors, Models, and Metaphors. However, this label doesn't appear in the scriptures themselves, so directing the focus to the men in the ancestor stories apparently resulted from biblical interpretations down through the centuries ...
As with many Bible stories, it is nearly impossible to authenticate these narratives historically. Nomads such as Israel's matriarchs and patriarchs left behind few physical artifacts, and many of those have crumbled into the sands of time. Nonetheless, over the past 70 years, studying the stories of women of the Torah have given clearer understandings of the practices of their times. Scholars have successfully correlated hints in their narratives with major archaeological finds. While these methods don't verify the specific stories themselves, they provide a rich cultural context to deepen understandings of the biblical matriarchs.

Parenthood Was Their Common Contribution
Ironically, some feminist biblical interpreters have devalued these four women of the Torah because their contribution to biblical history was parenthood. This is an unrealistic and ultimately misguided approach for two reasons..
First, childbearing was a productive social contribution in biblical times. The extended family was not merely a kin relationship; it was the primary production unit of the ancient economy. Thus women who were mothers performed a tremendous service to the family and to society at large. More people equalled more workers to till lands and tend flocks and herds, assuring tribal survival. Motherhood becomes an even more significant achievement when considering the high rate of maternal and infant mortality in ancient times.
Second, all of the significant figures of the ancestral period, whether male or female, are known because of their parenthood. ... "Sarah might not be well known in the tradition if she were not remembered as an ancestor of the people of Israel – but the same is certainly true of Isaac [her son and the father of Jacob and his twin brother, Esau]." Consequently, God's promise to Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation could not have been fulfilled without Sarah, making her an equal partner in carrying out God's will.

RESPONSE
For the Word in scripture,
for the Word among us,
for the Word within us,
we give thanks.

REFLECTION ‘Mamas and Papas of ancient times’ Susan Jones

OFFERING PRAYER (said together)
We have much that we can use to shelter ourselves, to feed our bodies and grow our souls. From that plenty we bring these gifts so others can share in the good news we know and in the food we can afford to give away. May these gifts bless others. So may it be.
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, 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 Lynne Dovey

CIRCLE OF PRAYER
We think today of the people of Germany and the Council of Christian Churches in Germany. In New Zealand, we remember those in Parliament, and today we name Erica Stanford (East Coast Bays electorate) and Rino Tirikatene (Te Tai Tonga electorate). Here in the Central Presbytery, we pray for the leaders and the people of the Pacific Island Presbyterian Church in Newtown.

PRAYER FOR ST ANDREW’S on card

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 participate in the communion which is God’s meal for all.

COMMUNION HYMN FROM COMMUNION CARD
CH4 593 ‘She sits like a bird’
Words & Music by Graham Maule, John L Bell
© 1988 WGRG, Iona Community, Glasgow, Scotland, G2 3DH (Admin by Willow Publishing Pty Ltd)

COMMUNION LITURGY on card

Communion is served by intinction (dipping). You are invited to come to the front and receive bread, or a gluten-free cracker, taking a piece large enough to dip into the wine (silver cup) or grape juice (pottery cup). Eat the bread dipped in wine or juice. Or, remain in your seat to be served if mobility is difficult. If you don't wish to receive, please stay – we’re glad you are here with us.

HYMN AA156 ‘Where the road runs out’
Words & Music: © 1992 Colin Gibson
Where the road runs out and the signposts end,
where we come to the edge of today,
be the God of Abraham for us;
send us out upon our way.

Lord, you were our beginning,
the faith that gave us birth.
We look to you, our ending,
our hope for heaven and earth.

Not to be sung
[When the home is left and we journey on
To where the sky meets up with the sand
Be the God of Sarah then for us
Send us out across this land]

When the coast is left and we journey on
to the rim of the sky and the sea,
be the sailor’s friend, be the dolphin Christ;
lead us on to eternity.
Lord, you were our beginning,

When the clouds are low and the wind is strong,
when tomorrow’s storm draws near,
be the spirit bird hov’ring overhead
who will take away our fear.
Lord, you were our beginning,

SPOKEN BLESSING

SUNG BLESSING AA 99 ‘Now as we go’
Words © 1992 Shirley Erena Murray
Music Colin Gibson, © 1992 Hope Publishing Company
Now as we go, kind Spirit keep us,
in all we see, Christ be our focus,
in all we do, his story shape us,
that we may grow to God’s good purpose

Now as we go, sister and brother,
give us good care one of the other,
more hope to share, more strength to gather,
more life to know in faith together

POSTLUDE Fantasia in C Minor (BWV 562)
by J.S. Bach (1685 – 1750)

THANK YOU Thank you to Peter Franklin
our musician today

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