Celebration of Creation
Prelude:
Fields of Gold/ Ode to Joy - Piano Solo. Composer: Sting/Beethoven. Arrange: Paul Hankinson
Acknowledgement
Welcome
Gathering Song: Lion and Lamb Lying Together- CP597
Lion and lamb lying together, justice and peace lying together, lion and lamb;
They will not hurt nor destroy in all the earth, the holy mountain of God.
And a little child shall lead them, and a little child shall lead them, and a little child shall lead them, lead them, lead them, gently lead them into God’s kingdom.
Child and snake playing together, growing in love playing together, child and snake;
They will not hurt nor destroy in all the earth, the holy mountain of God.
And the Prince of Peace will guide them, and the Prince of Peace will guide them, and the Price of Peace will guide them, guide them, guide them, firmly guide them into God’s kingdom.
Rich and poor sharing together, envy is gone, sharing together, rich and poor;
They will not hurt nor destroy in all the earth, the holy mountain of God.
And the God of love will challenge us, and the God of love will challenge us, and the God of love will challenge us, challenge us, challenge us constantly, to seek her kingdom.
Strong and oppressed living as equals, knowledge and trust, living as equals;
They will not hurt nor destroy in all the earth, the holy mountain of God.
And the crucified redeems us, and the crucified redeems us, and the crucified redeems us, saves us, with his blood brings us into God’s kingdom.
And the Earth is filled with goodness, and the Earth is filled with goodness, and the Earth is filled with goodness, knowledge, justice, freedom, it is God’s kingdom.
Gathering (Rex Hunt Liturgies)
We invite the skies to worship with us: the subtle orange skies at dawnand the bold red skies at sunset.
We join the heavens in praising God: proclaiming God’s glory across the globeand hailing God’s name with the evening stars.
We join with the atmosphere in worship: the air, the moisture, the oxygen,the wind and all the expressions of God’s Spirit.
We call the clouds to celebrate with storms:
to carry the life-giving drops of rain, that give hope and healing to Earth.
We invite the winds to join our petitions: to carry our prayers to God aboveand breathe our hopes to Christ in person.
We celebrate the song of the skies! Sing! Skies! Sing!
Creative God, whose renewing breath fills our planet, may we discern your vibrant, creative presence among us. And may our spirits be lifted as we celebrate with the clouds, the winds, the dusk and the dawn. We stand in awe before the vast reaches of space above us and give thanks for the fragile piece of stardust we call Earth.
The Shema
Hear O Israel! God is one.
Love God with heart, mind, soul and strength.
Hear O Israel! God is one.
Love God with heart, mind, soul and strength.
As ourselves, let us love one another,
Nothings greater than this.
Hear O Israel! God is one.
Love God with heart, mind, soul and strength.
Hear O Israel! God is one.
Love God with heart, mind, soul and strength.
The Collect of the Day
Almighty God, you have created the heavens and the earth, and ourselves in your image. Teach us to discern your hand in all your works and to serve you with reverence and thanksgiving; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
The Proclamation of the Word
A Reading from the book of Proverbs 31.10–31
A capable wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from far away. She rises while it is still night and provides food for her household and tasks for her servant-girls. She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. She girds herself with strength, and makes her arms strong. She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. She opens her hand to the poor, and reaches out her hands to the needy. She is not afraid for her household when it snows, for all her household are clothed in crimson. She makes herself coverings; her clothing is fine linen and purple. Her husband is known in the city gates, taking his seat among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them; she supplies the merchant with sashes. Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her happy; her husband too, and he praises her: ‘Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.’ Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her a share in the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the city gates.
Listen for the Leading of the Spirit R: Thanks be to God
Psalm 1 Refrain: The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats of the scornful! Their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on this law they meditate day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; everything they do shall prosper.
The Lord is my light and my salvation.
It is not so with the wicked; they are like chaff which the wind blows away. Therefore, the wicked shall not stand upright when judgement comes, nor the sinner in the council of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is doomed.
The Lord is my light and my salvation.
A Reading from the letter of James (3.13—4.3, 7–8a)
Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.
Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Listen for the Leading of the Spirit R: Thanks be to God
Gradual Hymn: Like A Child- VU 366
Like a child love would send to reveal and to mend like a child and a friend Jesus comes like a child we may find claiming heart and soul and mind like a child strong and kind Jesus comes.
Like a child we will meet ragged clothes dirty feet like a child on the street Jesus comes like a child we once knew coming back into view like a child born a-new Jesus comes.
Like a child born to pray and to show us the way like a child here to stay Jesus comes like a child we receive all that love can conceive like a child we believe Jesus comes.
The Gospel
The Lord be with you And also with you
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Mark (9.30–37)
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ
They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, ‘The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.’ But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.
Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the way?’ But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.’ Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’
The Gospel of Christ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ
The Homily
An Affirmation of Faith (seasonofcreation.org)
We belong to the Creator in whose image we are all made.
In God we are breathing, in God we are living,
in God we share the life of all creation.
We belong to Jesus Christ, the true icon of God and of humanity.
In him God is breathing, in him God is living,
through him we are reconciled.
We belong to the Holy Spirit, who gives us new life and strengthens our faith.
In the Spirit love is breathing, in the Spirit truth is living,
the breath of God always moves us.
We belong to the Holy Trinity, who is one in all and Three-in-One.
In God we are all made, in Christ we are all saved,
in the Spirit we are all united.
Together, we belong to the Earth, our common home. T
he Earth that is the Lord’s, and all that is in it. Amen
The Prayers of Intercession (Inspired by the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Prayer and passed through, among others, Archbishop Mark MacDonald, National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop)
Whenever we join together, we should give thanks. So let us join our hearts and minds together and think of all creation and the Creator’s gifts. Loving God. We give our thanks.
Let us think of our Mother, the Earth, upon whom we walk and who supports us and nurtures life in all its forms. We think of the minerals, the fungi, and bacteria that give life to soil, bodies and systems. We pray we can learn to walk on Earth with more respect. Loving God. We give our thanks.
Let us think of the reasons why we are gathered. For this place in which we gather, and for all of the animals and plants that call this place home. Loving God. We give our thanks.
Let us think of the whole human family whose livelihood and well-being depends on the well-being of the Earth. We lift up the men, women and children who are displaced from their homes. Loving God.
We give our thanks.
Let us turn our minds to the sacred waters of the world, the great oceans, aquifers, lakes, rivers and streams, the life that lives in the waters and those that give itself to be our food. Loving God.
We give our thanks.
Let us now turn our thoughts to the plant life of the Creator’s world. That which is below ground; the roots and vegetables. That which puts just its head above the ground: the grasses, medicines, plants and bushes. All of the many kinds of good fruit the Creator has given us. And finally, the great trees of the forest that we know of as the “Standing Ones.” Loving God. We give our thanks.
Let us think of all our kindred animals, those that crawl, walk, swim and fly. We give thanks for those that provide food for us, those that sustain cycles in their work and living, those that provide companionship and beauty. Loving God. We give our thanks.
Let us think of the birds of the air. The feathered ones that are the messengers between us and the Creator. Loving God. We give our thanks.
Let us think of the relationships that sustain life in this beloved community. We think of the “Three Sisters,” corn, beans and squash who nurture, guard and sustain as they grow together. These relationships are gifts from the Creator and our sustenance. Loving God. We give our thanks.
Creator God, look upon the creatures gathered here together and send us where you would have us go, so that we may embody the ministry of justice for your Creation through our being and acts. Walk with us so that we may face the winds of change and walk the good road. Protect and renew our common home. Enlighten us. Sustain us. May God our Creator be with us this day and always. Amen. (Adapted from Celebrating Creation: Honoring Indigenous People, Kelly Sherman-Conroy, ELCA)
Lamentation (seasonofcreation.org)
“Praise be to you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruit with coloured flowers and herbs”. With these words, Saint Francis of Assisi reminds us that our common home is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us. This sister now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her...This is why the earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor; she “groans in childbirth” (Rom 8:22). And so we confess. (adapted from Laudato Si')
Jesus Christ could not find a place to lay his head. Because of our will to dominate, millions of our human family are displaced from their homes. Many lack access to clean water, sanitation and dignified places for personal hygiene. Have mercy on us, for the sake of the Earth and all that is in it.
Foxes of the field and birds of the air have a place to call home. Because we misuse the land, the soil, water and air, habitats are desecrated, and millions of species no longer have a home.
Have mercy on us, for the sake of the Earth and all that is in it.
Your promise was to be a blessing for all the peoples of the Earth. But when we exploit the gifts of creation, Indigenous lands are devastated and those who live close to the Earth lose their ways of life. Have mercy on us, for the sake of the Earth and all that is in it.
The mustard seed is great because it provides shelter for many. But we seek security for ourselves, instead of mutual care and faithful hospitality towards our co-creatures.
Have mercy on us, for the sake of the Earth and all that is in it.
Let us remember “that we ourselves are dust of the earth” (cf. Gen 2:7); our very bodies are made of her elements, we breathe her sacred air and we receive life and refreshment from her sacred waters. May we hear it as a promise and a calling.
Turn us O God, from our desire to unroot ourselves from our home in the garden, and from our will to dominate your Earth. Call us again, to till and to keep. Gather us into the power of just relationships that heal and sustain. Enlighten us by your Spirit that renews the face of your Earth and safeguards a home for all. Amen.
The Peace (adapted from Celebrating Creation: Honoring Indigenous People, Kelly Sherman-Conroy, ELCA)
If we are in Christ, we are becoming a new creation. One Home, One Body.
We see God around us. We see God within us. We give thanks to our Creator.
Let us show the caring nature you have instilled within us by greeting each other as a sign of God’s justice of peace, love, forgiveness and grace. The peace of our Creator be with you in all things.
And also with you.
You are invited to care and share peace with your neighbor, and speak a word of peace to the land in which you gather, and the creatures who share this common home.
The Celebration of the Eucharist
The Offering Hymn: Yahweh (Gregory Norbert & Mary David Callahan)
Yahweh is the God of my salvation:
I trust in God and have no fear.
I sing of the joy which God’s love gives to me,
And I draw deeply from the springs of God’s great kindness.
Open our eyes to the wonder of this moment,
the beginning of another day.
Refrain
Yahweh is the God of my salvation:
I trust in God and have no fear.
I sing of the joy which God’s love gives to me,
And I draw deeply from the springs of God’s great kindness.
Be with us, Lord, as we break through with each other,
to find the truth and beauty of each friend.
Refrain
Yahweh is the God of my salvation:
I trust in God and have no fear.
I sing of the joy which God’s love gives to me,
And I draw deeply from the springs of God’s great kindness.
When evening comes and our day of toil is over
give us rest, O Lord, in the joy of many friends.
Refrain
Yahweh is the God of my salvation:
I trust in God and have no fear.
I sing of the joy which God’s love gives to me,
And I draw deeply from the springs of God’s great kindness.
Take us beyond the vision of this day to
the deep and wide ways of your infinite love and life.
Refrain
Yahweh is the God of my salvation:
I trust in God and have no fear.
I sing of the joy which God’s love gives to me,
And I draw deeply from the springs of God’s great kindness.
Prayer Over the Gifts
God of power, the glory of your works fills us with wonder and awe. Accept our offering this day, and help us to live in peace and harmony with all your creation, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
The Great Thanksgiving (Eucharistic Prayer 4)
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is right to give you thanks and praise,
O Lord, our God, sustainer of the universe,
you are worthy of glory and praise.
Glory to you for ever and ever.
At your command all things came to be:
the vast expanse of interstellar space,
galaxies, suns, the planets in their courses,
and this fragile earth, our island home;
by your will they were created and have their being.
Glory to you for ever and ever.
From the primal elements
you brought forth the human race,
and blessed us with memory, reason, and skill;
you made us the stewards of creation.
Glory to you for ever and ever.
But we turn against you, and betray your trust;
and we turn against one another.
Again and again you call us to return.
Through the prophets and sages
you reveal your righteous law.
In the fullness of time you sent your Son,
born of a woman, to be our Saviour.
He was wounded for our transgressions,
and bruised for our iniquities.
By his death he opened to us
the way of freedom and peace.
Glory to you for ever and ever.
Therefore, we praise you,
joining with the heavenly chorus,
with prophets, apostles, and martyrs,
and with those in every generation
who have looked to you in hope,
to proclaim with them your glory,
in their unending hymn:
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed are you, Lord our God,
for sending us Jesus, the Christ,
who on the night he was handed over
to suffering and death,
took bread, said the blessing,
broke the bread, gave it to his friends,
and said, “Take this, and eat it:
this is my body which is given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.”
In the same way, after supper,
he took the cup of wine;
he gave you thanks,
and said, “Drink this, all of you:
this is my blood of the new covenant,
which is shed for you and for many
for the forgiveness of sins.
Whenever you drink it,
do this for the remembrance of me.”
Glory to you for ever and ever.
Gracious God,
we recall the death of your Son Jesus Christ,
we proclaim his resurrection and ascension,
and we look with expectation for his coming
as Lord of all the nations.
We who have been redeemed by him,
and made a new people by water and the Spirit,
now bring you these gifts.
Send your Holy Spirit upon us
and upon this offering of your Church,
that we who eat and drink at this holy table
may share the divine life of Christ our Lord.
Glory to you for ever and ever.
Pour out your Spirit upon the whole earth
and make it your new creation.
Gather your Church together
from the ends of the earth into your kingdom,
where peace and justice are revealed,
that we, with all your people,
of every language, race, and nation,
may share the banquet you have promised;
through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ,
all honour and glory are yours,
creator of all.
Glory to you for ever and ever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer (Adapted from The New Zealand Book of Prayer | He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa. This version of the Lord’s prayer was influenced by Maori theologians)
We pray our common prayer that Christ taught us.
Eternal Spirit, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all, Loving God, in whom is heaven:
The hallowing of your name echoes through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your beloved community of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and forever. Amen.
The Breaking of the Bread
Creator of all, you gave us golden fields of wheat, whose many grains we have gathered and made into this one bread.
So may your Church be gathered from the ends of the earth into your kingdom.
The Communion
The gifts of God for the People of God.
Thanks be to God.
Comm. Song: Creating God, Your Fingers Trace- CP 410
Creating God, your fingers trace the bold designs of farthest space; Let sun and moon and stars and light and what lies hidden praise your might. Sustaining God, your hands uphold earth’s mysteries known or yet untold; Let waters fragile blend with air, enabling life, proclaim your care.
Redeeming God, your arms embrace all now despised for creed or race; Let peace, descending like a dove, make known on earth your healing love. Indwelling God, your gospel claims one family with a billion names; Let every life be touched by grace until we praise you face to face.
Prayer after Communion
Ruler of the universe, all creation yearns for its fulfilment in your Son. May we who have shared in holy things grow into maturity in him. This we ask in the name of the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
The Doxology
Glory to God,
whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to God from generation to generation, in the Church and in Christ Jesus, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Blessing
Announcements
Closing Hymn: Who Comes from God? - CP392
Who comes from God, as Word and Breath? Holy Wisdom.
Who holds the keys of life and death? Mighty Wisdom:
Crafter and Creator too, eldest, she makes all things new;
she completes what God would do.
Wisest one, radiant one, welcome, holy wisdom!
Who lifts her voice for all to hear? Joyful Wisdom.
Who shapes a thought and makes it clear? Truthful Wisdom:
Teacher, drawing out our best, magnifies what we invest,
names our truth, directs our quest.
Wisest one, radiant one, welcome holy wisdom!
Whom should we seek with all our heart? Loving Wisdom.
Who, once revealed, will not depart? Faithful Wisdom:
Partner, Counselor, Comforter, love has found none lovelier;
life is gladness lived with her.
Wisest one, radiant one, welcome, holy wisdom!
The Dismissal (CTBI Eco-Congregation Programme)
May God who established the dance of creation, who marvelled at the lilies of the field, who transforms chaos to order, lead us to transform our lives and the Church to reflect God’s glory in creation.
Thanks be to God. Alleluia
Postlude: How Beautiful - Twila Paris arranged by Mary McDonald and Larry Shackley
Comments