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We Gather as God’s People
Prelude Scarborough Fair (Traditional) - Arranged by David Downes
Land Acknowledgement
Welcome
Opening Hymn 262 CP Come Ye Thankful People Come
Come, ye thankful people, come, raise the song of harvest home! All is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin; God, our Maker, doth provide for our wants to be supplied: come to God’s own temple, come, raise the song of harvest home! All the world is God’s own field, fruit unto His praise to yield; wheat and weeds together sown, unto joy or sorrow grown; first the blade, and then the ear, then the full corn shall appear: Lord of harvest, grant that we wholesome grain and pure may be. For the Lord our God shall come, and shall take his harvest home; from his field shall in that day all offenses purge away; give his angels charge at last in the fire the weeds to cast; but the fruitful ears to store in his garner evermore. Even so, Lord, quickly come to thy final harvest-home! Gather thou thy people in, free from sorrow, free from sin, there forever purified, in thy presence to abide: come, with all thine angels, come, raise the glorious harvest-home.
Gathering of the Community: (based on Psalm 65)
Come, gather together people of God.
We come to sing and shout God’s praise.
The gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy!
The river of God is full of water.
The pastures of the wilderness overflow with richness.
The hills and the valleys are full of God’s blessing.
Together they shout and sing for joy.
Together we shout and sing for joy!
We will not forget the Lord our God and the earth that nourishes us.
We will remember and give thanks.
Prayer of Approach:
Loving God, Creator of all things, we come to you this morning with thankful hearts for all your gifts to us and to your people everywhere. We think about the amazing beauty of the world you have made and this powerful yet fragile land we call our home. As we worship together, remind us of the sacredness of all creation and of our responsibility to respect the ways of the earth and the connections between all things. AMEN
A New Commandment (New Zealand Prayer Book)
Hear the teaching of Christ:
A new commandment I give to you,
that you love one another as I have love you.
Spirit of God, search our hearts
Collect of the Day
Creator of the fruitful earth, you made us stewards of all things.
Give us grateful hearts for all your goodness, and steadfast wills to use your bounty well, that the whole human family, today and in generations to come, may with us give thanks for the riches of your creation. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord.
The Proclamation of the Word
A Reading from the book, Deuteronomy (8:7-18)
For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with flowing streams, with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land where you may eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron and from whose hills you may mine copper. You shall eat your fill and bless the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you.
Take care that you do not forget the Lord your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I am commanding you today. When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid waste-land with poisonous snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock, and fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good. Do not say to yourself, ‘My power and the might of my own hand have gained me this wealth.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today.
Listen for the Leading of the Spirit.
Thanks be to God.
You Crown the Year - Hillsong Worship (based on Psalm 65)
You crown the year with Your goodness. You answer us with awesome deeds. Your hope resounds, God our Saviour, to distant lands and farthest seas.
O paint the fields bright and golden, drench the harvest with Your rain, God's river filled with living water that flows to all as You ordained.
Praise the Name of the Lord, O my soul sing His worth. All of life join the song, come and lift up our King.
Now let the earth join the dancing, deck her out in showers of spring. The dusk and dawn forever relay the call to come and worship Him.
Praise the Name of the Lord, O my soul sing His worth. All of life join the song, come and lift up our King.
Praise the Name of the Lord, O my soul sing His worth. All of life join the song, come and lift up our King
Holy, holy, worthy are You, Lord. All the glory to Your Name forever.
Holy, holy worthy are You, Lord All the glory to Your Name forever.
Praise the Name of the Lord, O my soul sing His worth. All of life join the song, come and lift up our King.
Praise the Name of the Lord, O my soul sing His worth. All of life join the song, come and lift up our King.
You crown the year with Your goodness. You answer us with awesome deeds.
Songwriters: Reuben Timothy Morgan, Brooke Ligertwood. For non-commercial use only.
A Reading from the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians 9:6-15
The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. As it is written, ‘He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures for ever.’ He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God. Through the testing of this ministry you glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and by the generosity of your sharing with them and with all others, while they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God that he has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Listen for the Leading of the Spirit.
Thanks be to God.
Gradual Hymn: CP 293 Your Hands, O Lord, in Days of Old
Your hands, O Lord, in days of old
were strong to heal and save;
they triumphed over pain and death,
o’er darkness and the grave.
To you they went, the blind, the mute,
the palsied and the lame,
the leper set apart and shunned,
the sick and those in shame.
And then your touch brought life and health,
gave speech and strength and sight;
and youth renewed, with health restored,
claimed you, the Lord of light.
And so, O Lord, be near to bless,
almighty now as then,
in every street, in every home,
in every troubled friend.
O be our mighty healer still,
O Lord of life and death;
restore and strengthen,
soothe and bless with your almighty breath.
On hands that work and eyes that see,
your healing wisdom pour,
that whole and sick and weak and strong
may praise you evermore.
The Gospel
The Lord be with you.
R: And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke 17:11-19
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ When he saw them, he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, ‘Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’ Then he said to him, ‘Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.’
The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Homily
(inspired by Matthew 25:16-20, Matthew 9:35-38: by Tim Tate)
I believe in a God
who created all things
and seeks for all to be in communion as God’s people.
I believe in Jesus Christ
who showed us how to share love,
and who commissioned us to go out into the highways and byways
inviting all to be a part of God’s work in the world.
I believe in the Holy Spirit
who leads and guides us into the world,
then touches the lives of those around us
in ways that make them receptive to love.
I believe in the harvest
and the call for laborers to receive and respond,
sharing light and life with the world. Amen.
Litany of Confession: (based on words by Chief Seattle, 1855)
Creator God, we confess that we do not always remember you.
We forget that all we have and are comes from you.
We forget that the earth is our mother—we are made from the earth. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the children of the earth. We are part of the earth, and the earth is part of us.
We forget that the rivers are our brothers; they quench our thirst. We forget that the perfumed flowers are our sisters.
We forget that the air is precious, for all of us share the same
breath. The wind gives our children the breath of life.
We forget that the earth does not belong to us; we belong to the earth. We forget that all things are connected, like the blood that unites one family.
We forget that you are the same God whose compassion is equal for all.
We forget that we did not weave the web of life; we are merely a strand in it. Forgive us O Creator, and help us to remember that whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
Forgive us O Sustainer, and accept our thanks for your gift of life.
Assurance of Pardon:
The good news is that God loves and forgives us and forever invites us to return to the ways of wholeness. We can be new people; we can live with respect for the earth and all its creatures. As forgiven people we join together with grateful hearts and sing praise to God.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise God all creatures high and low Alleluia, Alleluia
Praise God above ye heavenly hosts Creator, Christ and Holy Ghost. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Prayers of the People
We thank you, God, for the beauty of nature, for food to eat and for clothes to wear.
Thank you, God of creation.
We thank you for the world and all it holds. We ask that all that is good in it remain and that we lessen the pollution of our earth.
Hear us, Lord of the world.
We thank you for all the people in our community…. We ask that you help us to be kind and understanding to others.
Hear us, gentle Lamb of God.
We thank you that young and old have a place in the church…. We ask that you help us to continue to show our faith.
Hear us, living Saviour.
We thank you for those who are willing to take leadership…. We ask that they be reasonable in their decisions and work for the good of everybody.
Hear us, God of justice.
We thank you for the young and young at heart…. We ask that you help them to understand life and find their way.
Hear us, God of now and forever.
We thank you for organizations that aid those in need. …We ask for help to recognize what we can do to help and to use what we have to do it.
Hear us, God of hope.
We give thanks for you, God of faithfulness.
May we live what we pray. Amen.
Passing the Peace
Leader: In recognition of the new beginning which God has freely given us, let us acknowledge with love to those around us and share with each other the peace of Christ saying “Peace be with you.”
Offering Hymn Come with Me into the Fields
The fields are high and summer's days are few; green fields have turned to gold. The time is here for the harvesting, for gathering home into barns. Refrain: The harvest is plenty, labourers are few. Come with me into the fields. Your arms may grow weary; your shoes will wear thin. Come with me into the fields. The seeds were sown by other hands than yours; nurtured and cared for, they grew. But those who have sown will not harvest them; the reaping will not be their care.
Refrain: The harvest is plenty, labourers are few. Come with me into the fields. Your arms may grow weary; your shoes will wear thin. Come with me into the fields.
Come with me into the fields.
Prayer over the Offering
Source of all life, the heaven and earth are yours, yet you have given us dominion over all things. Receive the symbols of our labour and love which we offer you this day, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Eucharistic Prayer
Copyright © The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England, 2000-2006 All of the official Common Worship publications are being published by Church House Publishing.
The Lord is here.
His Spirit is with us.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks and praise.
Almighty God, good Father to us all, your face is turned towards your world. In love you gave us Jesus your Son to rescue us from sin and death. Your Word goes out to call us home to the city where angels sing your praise. We join with them in heaven's song:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Father of all, we give you thanks for every gift that comes from heaven. To the darkness Jesus came as your light. With signs of faith and words of hope he touched untouchables with love and washed the guilty clean. This is his story.
This is our song: Hosanna in the highest.
The crowds came out to see your Son, yet at the end they turned on him. On the night he was betrayed he came to table with his friends to celebrate the freedom of your people. This is his story.
This is our song: Hosanna in the highest.
Jesus blessed you, Father, for the food; he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and said:
This is my body, given for you all. Jesus then gave thanks for the wine; he took the cup, gave it and said: This is my blood, shed for you all for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me. This is our story.
This is our song: Hosanna in the highest.
Therefore, Father, with this bread and this cup we celebrate the cross on which he died to set us free. Defying death he rose again and is alive with you to plead for us and all the world. This is our story.
This is our song: Hosanna in the highest.
Send your Spirit on us now that by these gifts we may feed on Christ with opened eyes and hearts on fire. May we and all who share this food offer ourselves to live for you and be welcomed at your feast in heaven where all creation worships you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
Blessing and honour and glory and power be yours for ever and
ever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
We gather our prayers together into the prayer which Jesus taught us,
(using a version from the New Zealand Prayer Book.)
Eternal Spirit,
Life-giver, Pain-bearer, Love-maker, 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 echo through the universe!
The way of your justice is followed by the peoples of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth 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
Communion songs: All Good Gifts - Stephen Schwartz
Steady as the Beating Drum - Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz
Prayer after Communion
God of our hope, in this eucharist we find the source of all your blessings. Nourished in these holy mysteries may we, with our lives,
give you continual thanks and praise. This we ask in the name of 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, forever and ever. Amen
The Blessing and Dismissal
Go now into the world, strengthened by the gifts with which Christ has
fed you. Be generous to others, for Christ has given extravagantly. Live by God’s word, avoiding lies and violence. Walk in God’s paths and never stray. And may God’s wonderful love be with you everywhere; May Christ Jesus feed you with his body and word; And may the Holy Spirit confirm the truth in you ........and fill you with God’s presence always. We go in peace to love and serve the Lord, ........In the name of Christ. Amen. Alleluia
Closing Hymn 458 Seek Ye First
Seek ye first the kingdom of God
And God’s righteousness
And all these things shall be added unto you
Allelu, alleluia
Chorus : Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Allelu, Alleluia
We do not live by bread alone
But by every word
That proceeds from the mouth of God
Allelu, alleluia
Ask and it shall be given unto you
Seek and ye shall find
Knock and the door shall be opened unto you
Allelu, alleluia
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