Eastern Hills Community Church

On the day
when you are wearing
your certainty
like a cloak
and your sureness
goes before you
like a shield
or like a sword,
may the sound
of God’s name
spill from your lips
as you have never
heard it before.

May your knowing
be undone.
May mystery
confound your
understanding.

May the Divine
rain down
in strange syllables
yet with
an ancient familiarity,
a knowing borne
in the blood,
the ear,
the tongue,
bringing the clarity
that comes
not in stone
or in steel
but in fire,
in flame.

May there come
one searing word:
enough to bare you
to the bone,
enough to set
your heart ablaze,
enough to make you
whole again.

Jan L. Richardson

We shared this prayer in our Baptism Celebration this week..

Opening Meditation ‘ Prayer for the Walk’

Play Itunes ‘ Down to the River to Pray’ by Wanda Vick or ‘A New Life’ by Klaus Badelt

I invite you to place your feet firmly on the ground.

Feel the ground beneath your feet.  Notice your feet at rest.

Thankyou for bringing us to this place God, for gathering us together.

We come into your presence, resting in you, welcoming you, waiting quietly for you.

Psalm 62:5

Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in him.

Play ‘sidewalk’ loop http://www.theworkofthepeople.com/index.php?ct=store.details&pid=V00301

We thank you for all those who have journeyed before us and lift up all who journey beside us, here, around Australia and all around the world.

Thankyou for the way Isiaiah, Jack  and Merinda are following you today, being baptized as you were, following you into the life you have for them, into the church community you have for them.

May we walk together with them into this world, bringing life, identity, rest, shelter, healing and peace to life around us.

We desire to place our feet in your foot steps Lord, for you have shown us the way to live and to love.

In the name of Jesus, our brother and our Leader, Amen.

Preparation:

Have 5 cups on each table – one with lit tea candle, one with half a vanilla pod, one with instant coffee grains, one with salty water, one with fruit eg. grapes.

Play itunes track ‘Lost Time’ (2009) by Tony Woollard

Cup of light – Lit tea candle in cup

Let us Come into God’s presence.

I invite you to watch the flame in the cup as we become aware of the gift of God’s Holy Spirit here with us, moving and breathing in us.

God we ask that you calm our confusions, our messy thoughts and feelings.

Cup of Fragrance – Vanilla pod in cup

I invite you to breathe in the smell of the vanilla seed.

In a world that desensitizes us we ask that your holy spirit open our minds.

Make us sensitive to your presence, always open to the life you want to give.

Cup of Bitter Taste – Coffee grounds in cup

I invite you to put some coffee on your tongue.

Lord God heighten our sense of shame – may impurities in our lives taste detestable.

May these impurities pain us so that we cannot live with them or consume them when they are offered to us.

Cup of Tears – Salty water in cup

I invite you to put some salty water – representing tears on your lips.

We are sorry for the sorrow we have bought to the Holy Spirit by the way we live.

We are sorry for grieving you, for breaking your heart.

You may like to dip your fingers into this water and flick the water away as we pray the following:

We get rid of the lies and pretending. The lies that we tell ourselves and each other.

We get rid of anger and rage towards others, of bitterness we hold onto.

We get rid of harsh words, rude words, cutting words.

Cup of Newness – Fresh fruit in cup

I invite you to take, touch, smell and eat some beautiful clean, fresh fruit.

Spirit renew our thoughts and attitudes so we may live in our new nature – created to be like You.

We take in gentleness,

We take in sensitivity,

We take in tenderness

We take in forgiveness for others as we today have been forgiven by God through Jesus.

Amen.

Some moments from our service this week..

Rain Meditation

It has been very wet, we have often fallen asleep listening to the rain this week.

Water has an amazing voice, in the bible someone describes God’s voice as the sound of rushing waters. Spend some time relaxing your body, close your eyes and just listen to the sound of water.

Play Itunes tracks ‘Rain in the Country’ from Sounds of the Earth and ‘Rolling Thunder with Steady Rain’ from Nature Sounds.

What prayers rise to the surface of your mind as you listen to the water? Can you can write these feelings, words, or pictures of prayer on the pieces of paper? Don’t think too much, just let them float and bubble out of you.

Holy Spirit, we abandon ourselves to you. Like the winter rain, we invite you to fill us from our head to our toes, may we soak deeply in your Love this morning.

Communion Resource

Helen C shared this with film with us as she led communion. It is called ‘Practising Resurrection Promo Three’ by Cris Rogers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M5xNn8yAYY&feature=related

Blessing on the Reading

In a moment Andrea will bring us the reading for today.

In the midst of life, may these moments where we stop to read scripture and talk about it – be real light to us by the power of the Holy spirit with us.  May these times be a moment of rich communion and conversation with God.

May we be able to say about God’s word – throughout even the winter seasons of our life, something like this poet said so long ago..

“ I have known these words hang star-like

O’er a dreary waste of years,

And they only shone the brighter

Looked at through a mist of tears;

While a weary wanderer gathers

Hope and heart on life’s dark way,

By their faithful promise shining

Clearer day by day.”

Legends and Lyrics

As we prepare for the reading, enjoy meditating on this painting.

Play Itunes track ‘Le Onde’ by Ludovico Einaudi and slide of Van Gogh’s ‘Night Stars.’

Jesus hung on the cross for six hours before he died. In that time, he spoke to his friends, to the criminal crucified next to him, and to God. These are traditionally called the Final seven sayings of Jesus. Artists from our community represented these sayings in artworks and installations that we reflected on as part of this special communion service of shadows.

We regret not having photographed all the pieces. But here is one by Cathy Woods and Mermaid Gurruwiwi from Elcho island.

Station 3:

“Woman behold your son; behold your mother”

(John 19:26-27)

Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.

Artists: Cathy Woods and Mermaid Gurruwiwi

Artist Statement: This story is particularly significant for the Yolngu people here in Arnhem land. They so naturally understand Jesus concern for his dear mother and his friend who he loved in his final moments.

I see so many times through the years these words of Jesus being acted out in their own lives as family members pass away. Without question they take people into their homes and adopt them as their own mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons or daughters.

It also reminds me of how they have adopted many non-indigenous people into their families and cared for them as their own. This story causes me to reflect on the humanity of Jesus.  How painful to watch family and friends weeping at the cross.  How much he wanted to carry their grief even then and provide for them both.  How much he understands our need this very day for caring relationships.

Materials: Bed sheet and acrylic paint.

Here, O my Lord, I see thee

Here, O my Lord, I see thee face to face;

Here would I touch and handle things unseen;

Here grasp with firmer hand eternal grace,

And all my weariness upon thee lean.

…

This is the hour of banquet and of song;

This is the heavenly table spread for me;

Here let me feast, and feasting, still prolong

The hallowed hour of fellowship with thee.

…

Here would I feed upon the bread of God,

Here drink with thee the royal wine of heaven;

Here would I lay aside each earthly load,

Here taste afresh the calm of sin forgiven.

…

Too soon we rise; the symbols disappear;

The feast, though not the love, is past and gone.

The bread and wine remove; but thou art here,

Nearer than ever, still my shield and sun.

…

Feast after feast thus comes and passes by;

Yet, passing, points to the glad feast above,

Giving sweet foretaste of the festal joy,

The Lamb’s great bridal feast of bliss and love.

Horatius Bonar, 1857

I invite you to take a few deep breaths.

Oh Lord, you remove the stones that burden. You see our rock hard fears, our needs, you see the closed doors, places of total darkness all around the world, disagreements, wars, the pains and prejudices we all face. Huge stones.

The three women who visited that first Easter morning to honour Jesus’ corpse with spices wondered how they would move the stone barrier. They arrived to find it had been rolled away.  God you roll stones away and set life free.

Litany Activity

Pebbles of different shapes were at each of these eight stations. The pebbles were piled onto newspaper clippings representing pain and beside each pile was a bowl of water surrounded by greenery representing life.

We invite you as our prayer of confession this morning to move around the ‘Litany of Pebbles of Love’ in any order and as you pray, move stones from a place of pain to a place of life.

Play Itunes track – ‘Like an Avalanche’ Hillsong United

Litany of Pebbles of Love

In the face of the boulders of disrespect for all who are different,

Let us be pebbles of respect for the dignity and diversity of every person.

In the face of the boulders of having it always my way,

Let us be pebbles of mutality and humility.

In the face of boulders of tuning out others,

Let us be pebbles of listening love.

In the face of the boulders of grudges and retaliation,

Let us be pebbles of forgiving love.

In the face of the boulders of using more than our share,

Let us be pebbles of simple sufficiency.

In the face of the boulders of violence against other species and the earth herself,

Let us be pebbles of beauty and respect.

In the face of the boulders of violent and dehumanizing entertainment,

Let us be pebbles of playfulness.

In the face of the boulders of discrimination and exploitation,

Let us be pebbles of solidarity

In the face of escalating violence, escalate love.

Based on litany From the Institute for peace and Justice

http://www.ipj-ppj.org/Reflections%20-%20Advocacy%20Suggestions%20-%20Lesson%20Plans/Prayer%20Service%20-%20Pebbles%20of%20Solidarity.htm

Setup: Black oil crayons or ash on tables. Cross and bunch of small white flowers       (one for everyone) at front. Passage Ezekiel 36:25-26 at cross.

This last Wednesday was Ash Wednesday, which marks the first day of the Season of Lent. Its name comes from the ancient practice of placing ashes on worshippers’ heads or foreheads as a sign of humility before God, a symbol of mourning and sorrow at the death that sin brings into the world.

Today, as we prepare to journey through lent and celebrate easter and as we prepare to worship we remember that we are totally unworthy before God, that we need God’s grace and forgiveness and transforming presence in our lives in order to live a life that reflects God’s love. .

I invite you to make a sign of a cross the symbol sorrow, of our mortality, on your hand from the oil crayon / ash on your table.

Joel 2:12-18

God created us out of the dust of the earth. Remember that we are dust, and to dust we shall return.

Let us turn away from sin and be faithful to Christ.

Play track 3 

In this time we will invite God to examine our hearts as we wait silently before him. Allow God to gently bring to mind that which you need to turn away from in your life.

Let’s now read together the Confession – Psalm 51. A psalm written by David when the prophet Nathan came to him after David had been with Bathsheba. Read the parts in bold with me.

Slide 5 & 6

Psalm 51:1-13 (Contemporary English Version)

A Prayer for Forgiveness

You are kind, God!

Please have pity on me.

You are always merciful!

Please wipe away my sins.

Wash me clean from all

of my sin and guilt.

I know about my sins,

and I cannot forget  my terrible guilt.

You are really the one I have sinned against;

I have disobeyed you and have done wrong.

So it is right and fair for you to correct and punish me.

I have sinned and done wrong since the day I was born.

But you want complete honesty, so teach me true wisdom.

Wash me with hyssop until I am clean and whiter than snow.

Let me be happy and joyful!

You crushed my bones, now let them celebrate.

Turn your eyes from my sin and cover my guilt.

Create pure thoughts in me and make me faithful again.

Don’t chase me away from you or take your Holy Spirit away from me.

Make me as happy as you did when you saved me;

make me want to obey!

Then I will teach your ways to rebels,
and they will return to you.

Romans 5:17-19 (New Living Translation)

For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

We invite you to come to the foot of the cross and as you turn away from this sin – as you change direction, symbolically and in the real strength of God – take away in its place a flower. The hyssop plant referred to in the psalm was a small bush with bunches of small, white flowers. It was sometimes used as a symbol for making a person clean from sin. Today this flower will symbolise the cleansing that God promises us.

Play track 4 – ‘Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet’

In sharing with us last week on the ‘letters to the seven churches’ in particular the community at Laodicea, John Waterson talked about our diversity and balance as a group of Christians.

“.. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth…” Rev 3:15-16 From the letter to Laodicea.

We considered the idea of ‘hot’ followers and ‘cool’ followers. John likened these two broad categories to the faith of his parents. His father being a cool, slow contemplative. A person of prayer, intercession and meditation on scripture and his mother also led by prayer and the word being hot with action. A person who is outspoken, high energy, right in there among the people and ready to go at the Spirits call at any moment.

We thought thankfully about this necessary diversity in faith and Kingdom work. We considered fruitfulness that comes from cooperation and respect and a faith that isn’t stagnant, jealous, discontent or mild. A faith that is inspired and not defeated by comparing oneself with other Christians. A faith that grows in prayer, the word and action and becomes all the more cool or hot.

Being a Wine Maker John likened this synergy of prayer and action to the ideal grape growing/ wine-producing season of cool nights and hot days.

“I don’t know much about the church in Philadelphia, but they would have known what I am talking about.  I learned that it was an area famous for their wine. Wine grapevines produce the best wine when they have hot days and cool nights.. It brings the best balance of acid drawn from cool nights and ripe sugars from sunny hot days.
When Jesus says he is the vine and we are the branches in John 15, and that we ‘will bear much fruit’ this fruit will be best through the Fathers pruning and, perhaps we can say, from hot days and cold nights.”

Let us be inspired towards this balance of prayer and action, and celebrate and support this balance in our faith communities.

THE THRONE

O GOD OF MY DELIGHT,

Your throne of grace is the place of joy for my soul.

Here I obtain mercy in time of need,

Here see the smile of reconciliation on your face,

Here I gather sustenance from your Word,

Am strengthened for each conflict,

Nerved for the upward race

Empowered to conquer every foe;

Help me to come to Christ

As the source of blessings flowing,

As a wide open flood-gate of mercy.

I marvel at my insensitive folly, that

with such enriching favours within my reach

I am slow to extend the hand to take them.

Have mercy upon my coldness for Your Name’s sake.

Quicken me, stir me, fill me with holy devotion.

Strengthen me that I may cling to you

And not let you go.

May your Spirit within me draw all blessings

From your hand.

Let me walk humbly because of good neglected

And evil done.

Impress on my mind the shortness of time,

The work to be engaged in,

The account to be presented,

The nearness of eternity,

May I never forget that

Your eye always sees

Your ear always hears,

Your recording hand always writes.

May I never give you rest until Christ is

The pulse of my heart;

The spokesperson of my lips,

The lamp of my feet.

Adapted from The Valley of Vision – A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions.

Opening Morning Prayer – Itunes track ‘Firmament’ by Nitin Sawhney

Living God, present with us.

We bring ourselves to you this morning to honour you – together with all our brothers and sisters around the world.

Fill us with your life and love.

I invite you to spend a moment, relaxing in the Spirits presence.. Consciously offering your whole self to God.

Let your prayer be the loosening of tension in your body. If it helps imagine a slow flow of water, melting your muscles from the top of your head to the tip of your toes.

We bring ourselves before you Lord, ready to worship, serve and receive you.

World in Worship Time Prayer

“Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”Psalm 90: 1, 2

For your amazing protection over the people in the face of Cyclone Yasi..

All: We turn back in wonder and give praise to your name.

We thank you that by the gift of water you nourish and sustain all living things. Yet now, by this same water, many in our land and overseas are experiencing disaster by repeated flooding.

All: Have mercy, we pray, on all who face devastation, loss and continuing danger.

Continue to give strength to all emergency service workers, wisdom to those who manage the relief operations – like Julian from our own community with red-cross in Queensland, and wise leadership to all in positions of government.

All: Let your blessing rest on the task of rebuilding damaged communities and livelihoods.

And amidst the many troubles of this groaning world, the injustice and instability in Egypt, the outbreak of foot and mouth in South Korea, the bombings in Pakistan, the snow storms in America, the earthquakes in China – which threaten to hide the light of your love..

All: Your kingdom come. “God reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light.” Job 12:22

“For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” Isaiah 54:10

Preserve your people from all despair and sin, and turn our hearts to always trust in your redeeming grace.

All: Keep us safe and secure in Jesus Christ your Son, who entered the depths of darkness and death for us, yet lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen. (Adapted from a Prayer by Pastor Linards Jansons, January 2011)

Lanterns of Thanksgiving – Itunes track ‘You can close your eyes’ by Brooke Fraser and ‘See you in the Light’ by Michael Franti.

A few days ago, on Feb 3 our Chinese brothers and sisters celebrated the New Year.

The Chinese people celebrate new year with a festival of lanterns. They walk through the streets with lanterns that they have made themselves. We are going to celebrate our community’s new year, new season and 8^th birthday with our own display of prayer lanterns this morning.

So I invite you to make your own lanterns and decorate them with prayers of blessing for this new season, you may like to incorporate words or pictures of thanks and birthday reflections. Please use the materials (pre-cut coloured paper, pens, feathers, stickytape, paper shapes, stickers, pegs) on the tables and enjoy this special time of reflection and prayer.

We later hung them up together

Closing Blessing

May God,
who comes to us
in the things of this world,
bless your eyes
and be in your seeing.

May Christ,
who looks upon you
with deepest love,
bless your eyes
and widen your gaze.

May the Spirit,
who perceives what is
and what may yet be,
bless your eyes
and sharpen your vision.

May the Sacred Three
bless your eyes
and cause you to see.

[The blessing is from In the Sanctuary of Women © Jan L. Richardson.]