December 10, 2017
WELCOME TO ST ANDREW’S ON THE TERRACE
GATHERING
The Story has come down to us
through different people, filtered by many minds,
heard and seen, remembered and redacted
written in many languages, translated, re-interpreted
spoken, written, printed
and today enacted by children in time honoured fashion;
so each year we celebrate new birth and new beginnings.
PROCESSIONAL HYMN ‘Look toward Christmas’ CoC 30 (i)
Words © 1996 Shirley Erena Murray. Music by Colin Gibson.
Music © 1996 Hope Publishing Co
Look toward Christmas! Advent is here:
welcome December, changing the year,
whistle up, shepherds! saddle up, kings!
chorus up, angels, flexing your wings,
Refrain: sing, sing alleluia! sing, sing alleluia!
sing, sing out the Story, sing about hope and peace!
Set the world singing, make the world glad!
Now is the reason not to feel sad,
hear John the Baptist shout to prepare:
Good News is coming, earth, be aware. Refrain
Mary and Joseph soon is the day,
ready the donkey, start on your way:
you are the chosen, willing to trust,
joyful your burden carrying Christ, Refrain
WELCOME
Kia ora tatou.
Kia ora.
PRAYER
LIGHTING CANDLES:
THE RAINBOW CANDLE
SECOND CANDLE OF THE ADVENT WREATH: PEACE
MATT AND LUKE’S VERSION BIRTHS The Rainbow Room
CAROL CoC 7 ‘Carol our Christmas’
Words © 1982 Shirley Erena Murray. Music by Colin Gibson.
Music © 1992 Hope Publishing Co.
Carol our Christmas, an upside-down Christmas;
The 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.
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.
SCENE I In which Matt and Luke get started; wise men arrive to Luke’s surprise
CAROL CoC 5 ‘And did you see him little star?’
Words © 1988 Estate of Helen Clyde (alt). Music © 1976 Colin Gibson
And did you see Him little star, long, long ago?
and was it you, I wonder, shone on manger low?
And did you see the shepherds then, when angels sang?
‘Peace on the earth, goodwill to all,’ the message rang.
And did you guide the three wise kings with shining light?
and bring them to the holy Child on that great night?
And will you still shine down on earth, though from afar,
and lead us back to Bethlehem, O little star?
Scene II In which the shepherds arrive in Luke’s script but not Matt’s!
SOLO AA 108 ‘O little love’
Words © 1992 Shirley Erena Murray. Music © 2017 Vivien Chiu
Sung by Jess Brownell
O little Love, who comes again,
the Word made flesh to make God plain,
O Child who shines, the Jesus light,
disarm the world, this Christmas night!
No heart so hard it may not move,
no hate resist your open love;
defenceless in our hands you come
to Herod's power, to Mary's home.
As all the wise look for your star,
so I must follow where you are:
as you are light so must I be,
as you are peace, be peace in me.
Scene III In which animals arrive to Matt’s dismay and Luke’s pleasure
CAROL CoC 47 ‘When Joseph and Mary’
Words and Music © 1996 Colin Gibson
(Music over page)
When Joseph and Mary were turned from the inn
and came to a cattle shed, the animals watched as they drew near
And this is what some of them said
“They don’t belong,” huffed a billy goat strong,
And stretched himself out on his bed;
‘They’re much too big,” squealed a grumbling pig
“let them find somewhere else to be fed.”
When Joseph and Mary were turned from the inn,
and stood at the manger door,
the creatures looked up at the weary pair
from nests in the rustling straw.
“Later, not now,” mooed a cross eyed cow,
and planted her feet on the floor;
“the place is full,” roared a bellowing bull,
“you can see there’s no room here for more.”
When Joseph and Mary were turned from the inn
a barn was their bed that night;
the animals crowded around them both,
and blinked in the bright candlelight.
“Here you may sleep,” baaed a motherly sheep,
“your pillow my wool soft and white,”
“I’ll keep you warm,” hawed the ass, with a yawn,
“for a shelter is everyone’s right.”
When Joseph and Mary are turned from the inn
and look for a room once more,
we watch as they pass to some other stall
or stand in a queue for the poor.
“they don’t belong,” so it’s “hurry along”;
if charity fails, there’s the law.
“Not now,” we say; yes, they will go away
if we shut the indifferent door.
Scene IV In which Mary and Joseph arrive with the baby
CAROL WOV 242 ‘Away in a Manger’
Words: © George Stuart (adp) and © Susan Jones (adp)
Music: William James Kirkpatrick
Away in a manger, no pillow or bed,
the baby boy Jesus is born in a shed;
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
the baby boy Jesus asleep on the hay.
While cattle are standing, the baby’s asleep
sought after by shepherds who leave all their sheep;
and wise men bring treasures; they’ve come from afar
to give gifts to Jesus; they followed a star.
Yes, Jesus is near me, I know he will stay
close by me for ever and love me each day;
all children are blessed by him, we will all share
a wonderful friendship in his tender care.
Scene V In which Matt and Luke finally find out what’s been going on!
CAROL CoC 34 ‘Open, open the stable door’
Words and Music by Colin Gibson
Words and Music © 1993 Hope Publishing Co
Open, open, open the stable door,
Welcome, welcome, welcome, the baby’s born,
Enter, enter, join in the celebration,
Fear not, here is room for us all.
There’s a flock of sheep and a cow and a donkey, welcome, welcome
Here’s a puffing shepherd, three wise men wonky, welcome, welcome.
Open, open, open the stable door…
What a crowd of folk come to see the baby, welcome, welcome
one of them is drunk and other’s crazy, welcome, welcome
Open, open, open the stable door …
Fallen off the back of a skip just lately? welcome, welcome
Feeling rather bruised, yes, and shook up greatly welcome, welcome
Open, open, open the stable door …
Can’t afford a coat and the kids are crying, welcome, welcome
haven’t found a friend yet, but I’m still trying. welcome, welcome
Open, open, open the stable door …
Scene VI In which there is a curtain call and everyone claps a lot
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.
OFFERING AND OFFERING PRAYER
We recognise and bless the gifts brought to the table and those given
to support the church’s work through automatic payment.
PRAYERS Susan Jones
HYMN CoC 43 ‘The stars danced, the angels sang’
Words and Music © 1996 Barbara Gillard arr David Dell
The stars danced, the angels sang the night God came to earth.
The whole vault of heaven rang to celebrate his birth.
We will dance, we will sing, we will praise our heav’nly King at his birth!
Mary, his mother smiled to see her babe new born.
Shepherds came hurrying, left their flocks forlorn.
We will dance, we will sing …
Wise men who saw his star, knew their Lord was here,
came with their offerings, incense, gold and myrrh.
We will dance, we will sing …
We too will give to him gifts of love and praise.
Dance for him, sing for him, rejoice in him always.
We will dance, we will sing …
BLESSING
We go into our busy worlds
Remembering the moment in which this child,
born in ancient times yet has entered our hearts anew
through the simplicity and joy of children in our own place and time
Let us carry that simplicity and joy with us
into our complex and sometimes despairing world
So may it be
SUNG AMEN
THANK YOU VIVIEN CHIU & BRUCE CORKHILL
our musicians today
Also thanks to Jess McKnight, producer/director and Rainbow Room Coordinator,
Rosemary Lawrence, Linda Wilkins, Lois Robertson (wardrobe), Vivien Chiu & Jess Brownell (music) and parents & grandparents of the Rainbow Room children for producing such great kids.