Coming Together as part of God’s Family
WELCOME
CALL TO WORSHIP:
God is here let’s celebrate!
With songs new and old we sing in praise of God’s eternal love.
God created this amazing earth and permeates its life;
God’s plans will not be obliterated by our foolishness or blotted out by our lethargy or lies.
God continues to create and to renew the within us and around us;
God delivers his children from the fear of death and through them gives life to this world.
Let us worship God. Let us celebrate with song and heart!
HYMN: Sing to God as Sings the Ocean (Tune: Converse)
Sing to God as sings the ocean, sing as birds that greet the dawn,
sing as windswept trees in motion, sing and let your song be drawn
from God’s vast and whole creation, from your faith and doubt and fears, from rebirth and re-creation, from life’s wealth of joy and tears.
Sing the heart’s deep sighing sorrow to the Lord who hears lament,
who at midnight sees tomorrow when the dark at last is spent.
Sing to God who in our sadness brings the news of coming light,
ample hope to waken gladness and sustain us through the night.
Sing the great, glad joy of Jesus! Sing the gospel that Christ brings.
Sing the way Christ heals and feeds us.
Sing the song that Easter sings:
Christ is risen, Christ is living, Christ among us, Christ within,
Christ the spring of endless giving Where new songs of faith begin. (Thomas Troeger)
OPENING PRAYER
TIME WITH OUR YOUNGER MEMBERS ~ Wayne Barton
SONG: One More Step (Tune: Southcote)
One more step along the world I go,
one more step along the world I go;
from the old things to the new keep me travelling along with you.
And it’s from the old I travel to the new;
keep me travelling along with you.
Round the corners of the world I turn,
more and more about the world I learn;
all the new things that I see you’ll be looking at along with me:
As I travel through the bad and good,
keep me travelling the way I should;
where I see no way to go you’ll be telling me the way, I know:
Give me courage when the world is rough,
keep me loving though the world is tough;
leap and sing in all I do, keep me travelling along with you:
You are older than the world can be,
you are younger than the life in me;
ever old and ever new, keeping me travelling along with you:
©Sydney B Carter (CH4 530)
Listening to a Word from God
READINGS: Barbara & Rob Meier
Genesis 15:1-6 Abram and Sarai have journeyed to a new land. However they remain without children and the future seems bleak. Abram is given a message from God to inspire faith….
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 Faith for Hebrews gives conviction to what we truly hope for. Faith is a key part of our life with God as witnessed by our great forebears….
Luke 12:32-40 Do not be afraid but trust in God’s way. Be alert attentive to this way…
ADDRESS: Faith
Responding to God’s Word
A TIME OF QUIET: In the stillness listen for what God is saying to you
PRAYING: Our thanks and our concerns
OFFERING SONG: Love Divine (Tune: by Stainer)
Love divine, all loves excelling, joy of heaven, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling, all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesu, thou art all compassion, pure unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation, enter every trembling heart.
Come, almighty, to deliver, let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return, and never, never more thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing, serve thee as thy hosts above, pray, and praise thee, without ceasing, glory in thy perfect love.
Finish then thy new creation, pure and spotless let us be,
let us see thy great salvation perfectly restored in thee.
Changed from glory into glory, till in heaven we take our place,
til we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love and praise.
©C Wesley (WOV148i)
Celebrating the Lord’s Supper
This is the Lord’s Supper. We gather here because God calls to us. As many different people, men, women and children, we come together.
We come because we believe in God’s amazing love. God knows each of us by name and God rejoices in each one of us. God has a place for all people and invites us to come just ‘as we are’.
GREETING EACH OTHER BY NAME
THIS IS A SPECIAL MEAL:
This is a special meal given to us by Jesus. We remember that God sent Jesus, a special son, to heal and save the whole world. He was born as one of us, and lived to show us what a life full of God is really like. He invited us to open our eyes and hearts and enter a new life he called the kingdom of heaven and enter a new life he called the kingdom of heaven.
We human beings are often small minded and blind to the true presence of God, but the good news of Jesus is that God will not give up on us.
Jesus was killed on the cross but God raised him from death. The love of God would not be defeated. He sent his Spirit to give birth to and empower a new community – a sign of God’s life and a foretaste of the kingdom of heaven – the reign of God.
We are here because we want to be followers of Jesus. We want the reign of God to come on earth. In our lives we believe that goodness is stronger than evil, that light is stronger than darkness, that truth is stronger than lies, and love is stronger than hate.
So we share this meal together in the company of God, of Jesus, and the Spirit. And as we come together to share this meal we lift our hearts in thanks for God’s great goodness and the hope sustained by faith that heaven and earth will be one.
THE THANKSGIVING:
Lift up your hearts We lift them to the Lord.
Creator God, thank you for creating this amazing earth, our home.
Thank you for good food, clean water, warm beds, friendship and fun, and the wonderful gift of life.
Thank you for the birth of Jesus Christ, our Saviour,
who lived to show us the Way of true life, and died that we might know your eternal love.
Thank you for the gift of the Spirit, the gentle encourager, the flame of truth, the wind of freedom, the song of hope in every age.
Thank you for the gift of our own lives, for your love for us, for the Spirit alive within us.
Thank you for calling us to be your people and for your invitation to work together with you and each other to shape a new earth.
With those who have gone before us and those who will come after us, we worship you in songs of never-ending praise:
Wondrous God, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Praise be to you, holy God. Come fill us with your life.
PRAYER OF CONSECRATION:
THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD:
SHARING THE MEAL: You are invited to come forward and share this meal by taking bread and dipping it into the wine.
Going Out to Reshape the World
THE DEDICATION:
Christ our life: You are alive in the beauty of the earth, in the deepening patience of winter, and the invitation to be still.
Christ our life: You are alive in the tenderness of touch, in the heart-beat of intimacy, in the insights of solitude.
Christ our life: You are alive in the creative possibility of the dullest conversations, the dreariest of tasks, and the most threatening event.
Christ our life: You are alive to offer re-creation to every unhealed hurt, every damaged heart, and to every deadened place.
The dance of your Spirit soars and surges throughout the whole of creation.
So we go from here as your people, your body to truly live!
SAYING TOGETHER: THE LORD’S PRAYER
HYMN: Be Thou My Vision (Tune: Slane)
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart, naught be all else to me save that thou art; thou my best thought in the day or the night, waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word; I ever with thee,
and thou with me Lord; thou my great Father: thine own I would be;
thou in me dwelling, and I one with thee.
Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight; be thou my dignity, thou my delight, thou my soul’s shelter, and thou my high tower; raise thou me heavenward, O power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor earth’s empty praise, thou mine inheritance, now and always; thou, and thou only, the first in my heart, High King of Heaven, my treasure thou art.
High King of Heaven, after victory won, may I reach heaven’s joys,
O bright heaven’s sun! Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be my Vision, O Ruler of all. Irish, 8th century (CH4 465)
BENEDICTION:
SINGING: Joy Be In Thy Heart (sung through twice)
Joy be in thy heart, Peace be in thy spirit,
Compassion be thy journey, Love be in thee.
Joy be in my heart, Peace be in my spirit,
Compassion be my journey, Love be in me.
ST MARTIN’S NOTICES 7th AUGUST 2016
A very warm welcome to all who worship with us this morning. Please stay for morning tea following the service.
WELCOME to Rev Dugald Wilson, our Minister for the next few months, working on a part time basis. dugaldwil@gmail.com or 380 5024.
************IMPORTANT: AUGUST SERVICES***********
Sunday 14th August 10am with Beckenham Methodist.
Sunday 21st August at 10 am at St James’, Spreydon.
Sunday 28th August at 10am at Cashmere Presbyterian.
WEDNESDAY WALKERS 10th August: Meet 9.30am at Ferrymead golf driving range car park. As Martindales Rd is closed to east traffic, it is best to come along Ferry Rd and then turn right into Bridle Path Rd to get to Ferrymead. At Ferrymead turn left following the road markings and the driving range over the railway line. The walk will be along the southern side of the Heathcote River and back. Coffee at Still Rock Cafe at the driving range. For those who are keen golfers you can take time out at the range to sharpen up your game or if it nice play 9 holes. Rob 384 4320 or 027 273 1387.
CRAFTY CRAFTERS Thursdays 10am-12noon. $3 per session.
COPY FOR THE NEXT ‘MESSENGER’ is now due. Please email any contributions to Anneke (anneke.howie@gmail.com) by 12th August.
PARISH OFFICE: Wednesday & Thursday 9am – 12 noon, Fridays 9-11am Ph 332 6192. Email:stmartpresch@xtra.co.nz. Website:www.stmartins.org.nz.
Please make sure Anna has any notices by 9am Thursday.
FIX-IT JOBS: Do you need help with little jobs around your home or property? Contact the Office for details.
ALPINE PRESBYTERY NEWSLETTER is on the noticeboard in the Lounge.
ANGLICAN PARISH OF OPAWA-ST MARTINS is holding a Quiz Night at the Speights Ale House Ferrymead Sunday 28th August 5.30pm. Contact Anna at the Office for tickets ($10 pp or $2 for children). How about entering a team from St Martin’s???
BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK: Wed 10th Irene M; Fri 12th Kathryn; Sat 13th Catherine.