April 21, 2019

WELCOME TO ST ANDREW’S ON THE TERRACE

 

INTROIT ‘Easter people see the light!’
Words © 2010 Shirley Erena Murray Tune: Beach Spring attrib. BW White (1800-79)
St Andrews’ Singers Conducted by Vivien Chiu

Easter people see the light,
new light of this morning!
Myths and myst'ries are gone
brighter suns are dawning!
Empty Cross, display your arms,
all the world embracing,
shed Good Friday shadows now,
dark despair displacing!

For the Jesus whom we know
lives in diff'rent guises,
and the Spirit is unleashed,
mighty as it rises
through our chaos and our pain,
through all cultures winging
on a flight of health and peace
fresh momentum bringing!

Not the sacrificial Lamb,
blood for sins atoning,
nor the gold of chalice cup,
nor a King's enthroning
God's desire can never be
pictured in this fashion,
but the working out of love,
justice with compassion.

Leave the loaves that fed the past,
now is fresh bread baking,
risen with the Gospel yeast,
free and for the taking!
Pour away the wine that pours,
new wine is for tasting,
Easter people, bring the world
to this new world's feasting!

GATHERING
Dawn has broken across a dark grieving world
New life is promised, with all the joy that brings
Light is stealing across the landscape
Love begins to warm each heart
The sweet smelling fragrance of love is abroad
Alleluia! Alleluia!

PROCESSIONAL HYMN ‘Great is the glory of this newborn day’
Words: © Susan Jones. 21st century
Tune WOV 303 Maccabaeus 17-18th century
Great is the glory of this new born day
Sunrise gilds the harbour, sparkles on the waves
Children shout with wonder, old men greet the sun
All refreshed, transformed by the Creating One
Great is the glory of this newborn day
Life is full, abundant, opening up the way!

Sunshine now warms us from the chill of night
Healed to grow and flourish, graced to love, not fight
People from the margins find space in the sun
Cis and trans, non-bin’ry, each new day’s begun. Great is…

Life’s not just only sunshine everyday
Sometimes darkened shadows with light interplay
Wholeness is the goal we juggle in our time
Real people, not just plaster saints, suit Jesus fine! Great is …

Great is the glory of this brand new day
Life is bright when Spirit shows us all the Way
Kowhai, ‘hutukawa bask in Love’s bright rays.
Earth and sky and sea combine in fervent praise. Great is…

WELCOME
Kia ora tatou.
Kia ora.

PRAYER and LORD’S PRAYER

LIGHTING THE RAINBOW ROOM CANDLE

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.

THE WORD IN TEXTS Lynne Dovey

Gospel John 20: 1-18

Contemporary reading from “The Answer”
by R S Thomas
There have been times when, after long on my knees
in a cold chancel, a stone has rolled from my mind,
and I have looked in and seen the old questions lie
folded and in a place by themselves,
like the piled graveclothes of love’s risen body.

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

REFLECTION ‘The sweet-smelling fragrance of Resurrection’ Susan Jones

ST ANDREW’S SINGERS ‘Christ alive in us’
Words © George Stuart Tune: ‘Quinn’ © 2019 Vivien Chiu
Words used by permission of the author.

1.Christ alive within our mind;
Alleluia! Alleluia!
In his presence we will find
Alleluia! Alleluia!
God's own prompting to be kind;
Alleluia! Alleluia!
God's rich grace for humankind,
Alleluia! Alleluia!

2. Christ alive within our heart;
Alleluia! Alleluia!
His true peace will not depart;
Alleluia! Alleluia!
In his presence we impart
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Kindness, as we play our part.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

3. Christ alive within our soul;
Alleluia! Alleluia!
With his guidance in control
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Inner peace and strength unroll;
Alleluia! Alleluia!
In his presence we feel whole.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

4. Crucifixion had its way;
Alleluia! Alleluia!
But Christ lives again today;
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Love's clear victory on display
Alleluia! Alleluia!
On this resurrection day.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

OFFERING PRAYER (said together)
This money and this food comes with love and gratitude, a sense of duty and with our very lives. May all we give today be used so that love is spread ever more widely abroad in our world to all people of every orientation, gender, race and creed. 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 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 Lois Robertson

CIRCLE OF PRAYER
We think today of the people of Netherlands and the Council of Churches in the Netherlands. In New Zealand, we remember those in Parliament, and today we name Ron Mark and Tracey Martin list MPs. Here in the Central Presbytery, we pray for the leaders and people of Co operating Church, Opunake.

PRAYER FOR ST ANDREW’S on card

COMMUNION HYMN’ AA 100 ‘ Now to your table spread.’
Words Shirley Murray © 1987 Hope Publishing Company, 380 S Main Pl, Carol Stream, IL 60188
Tune: Love Unknown
Now to your table spread
we come, each one in faith
that you alone provide the words of life or death:
in wine and bread, in promised food
we find your loving heart, O God.

Hands of the world stretch out
your mystery to touch
in longing to believe a truth beyond our reach,
to sing in joy, to cry in grief,
to know your meaning for our life.

Here is our common wealth
in sharing what is good,
as though all humankind around one table stood,
this bread to break, this wine to taste:
one people in the name of Christ.

HOLY COMMUNION PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

O Eternal Wisdom, We give thanks,
because the beauty of death cannot contain you.
Since you, the tomb of our world has been opened wide.
After you lived on this earth
Nothing has ever been quite the same again
You offered for the rituals of the dead
the terror of new life and of desire fulfilled,

Therefore with the woman who gave you birth
the men and women who befriended you and fed you.
who argued with you and touched you,
the woman who anointed you for death
the women who met you on a misty dawn-lit morning
and with all your lovers throughout the ages,
we give thanks, saying
Holy, holy, holy, life giving God
heaven and earth are full of your glory
hosanna in the highest
blessed is the one
who comes in the name of God
hosanna in the highest

Blessed is our brother Jesus
who walks with us the road of our grief,
and is known again in the breaking of bread;
who, on the night he was handed over,
took bread, gave thanks, broke it and said:
‘This is broken for you
Do this to remember me’
In the same also the cup, after supper saying
‘This cup is poured out for you
Do this whenever you drink it, to remember me.’

Come now disturbing spirit of our God
breathe on these bodily things
and make us one body in Christ.
Name us here; touch and heal all that has been buried in us
that we need not cling to our painbut may go forth with power
to release resurrection in the world.
Adapted from All Desires Known by Janet Morley
The original of this prayer was first used on Easter Day 1987 in the St Hilda Community

DISTRIBUTION
Communion is served by intinction. You are invited to come to the front of the church and receive the bread, or a gluten-free cracker, taking a piece large enough to dip into the wine (silver cup) or grape juice (pottery cup). If you wish for a totally gluten free experience, please go to the server in the middle of the row of servers.
Eat the bread/cracker dipped in wine or juice.
Or, remain in your seat to be served if mobility is difficult. And, if you don't wish to receive communion, do remain in your seat. We are glad you are here with us.
As we receive the elements we sing:

COMMUNION CHANT(sung during) ‘Eat this Bread, Drink this cup’
Text: John 6; adapt. By Robert J Batastini, b.1942, and the Taize Community.
Tune: Jacques Berthier, 1923-1994.

Words & Music: © 1984, Les Presses de Taize, GIA Publications, Inc. agent. All rights reserved. Reprinted under ONE LICENSE A-623996.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

HYMN APATT 37 ‘Thank God for Bursting Life!’
Words: Shirley Erena Murray © 2010 Hope Publishing Company. Tune: Vruechten WOV 302

Thank God for bursting life,
for greening leaf, for sign of Spirit's sowing!
The Easter sunrise brings
the light that can illumine all our knowing!
What crucifixion failed to kill, is well alive this Day:
a peace-determined Way, God's realm of hope and promise,
of peace lived in promise, as Jesus lived this promise.

Thank God for courage raised
to roll away the stones of dead tradition,
to crack the codes of death,
to give the fearful powers no free permission!
What crucifixion failed to kill, is well alive this Day,
a fairer, kinder Way, a signatory to justice,
commitment to justice, as Jesus lived this justice.

Thank God for feisty souls
who let no weight of history deter them!
Who liberate the faith
who let the Easter air revive and stir them!
What crucifixion failed to kill, is well alive this Day:
non-violent, this Way, a charter for compassion,
the power of compassion, as Jesus lived compassion.

Thank God for fresh-baked bread,
the loaf we share, the yeasty fragrance rising,
the bubbling up of hope,
the wine outpoured in joy of God's devising!
What crucifixion failed to kill, is well alive this Day.
the Gospel- driven Way: the human spirit's freedom,
the risen life's freedom as Jesus lived this freedom!

BLESSING
May the sweet-smelling fragrance of love
become part of the DNA of our lives
so it is, inevitably, carried from this place
and surround every person, every moment of every day.

SUNG AMEN

POSTLUDE

THANK YOU Peter Franklin
our musician today
Unless otherwise specified all our music is used by permission CCLI Licence 341550
Words/music to new hymns and gathering statement, prayers and affirmation are original unless acknowledged. If Susan Jones is the worship leader any such liturgy will have been written by her. These words can be used in other worship and small group situations without seeking permission. Please acknowledge the source.

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