WELCOME TO KNOX
Knox Church is a congregation within the Presbyterian
Church of Aotearoa New Zealand. We aim to create Christian community in which
people of all ages, sexual orientations, cultural backgrounds and
socio-economic situations are included as equally valued participants in our
congregational life. We cherish our diversity, offering a safe place of
belonging to any who wish to explore their beliefs in an atmosphere promoting
discussion, the development of healthy relationships and spiritual growth. We
strive to be open to dialogue and shared experiences with people of other
faiths. We enjoy worshipping the
God made known in Jesus, endeavouring to do so in ways
that are relevant to our daily lives, respect the integrity of creation, and
make a positive difference to our wider world.
The Call to Worship:
We light a candle in the name of Jesus Christ, the Light
of the world.
JESUS, WHO KNEW THE SUN ON HIS FACE
AND THE STORM BENEATH HIS FEET;
JESUS, WHO CALLED US TO LIVE
WITH THE GENTLENESS OF GOD;
JESUS, WHO CALLS US NOW
TO LOVE AND CARE FOR CREATION.
Kia noho a Ihowa ki a koutou. God be with you.
MA IHOWA KOE E MANAAKI. GOD BLESS YOU.
Hymn:
St John (Havergal) The Parish Choir, Vol. III, 1851
1. Let all creation dance
in energies sublime,
as order turns with chance,
unfolding space and time;
for nature’s art
in glory grows,
and newly shows
God’s mind and heart.
2. Our own amazing earth,
with sunlight, cloud, and storms,
and life’s abundant growth
in lovely shapes and forms
is made for praise,
a fragile whole,
and from its soul
heaven’s music plays.
3. Lift heart and soul and voice:
in Christ all praises meet,
and nature shall rejoice
as all is made complete.
In hope be strong,
all life befriend,
and gladly tend
creation’s song.
Brian Wren (b. 1936)
Prayer of Adoration:
Just by being,
simply by existing,
the natural order offers its praise:
beauty, creativity, movement, and life begetting life.
ALL CREATION DANCES.
From within the dance,
we too, God’s image-bearers,
offer our word of praise:
wonder and gratitude,
GAZING AT THE STARS,
FEET TREADING THE SOIL OF THE EARTH.
God saw that it was good.
God said that it was good.
AND ALL WAS WELL.
Praise and thanks to God.
Praise and thanks to God.
PRAISE AND THANKS TO GOD.
Prayer of Confession:
A 21st Century Psalm of Darkness - by Tui Bevin,
Compassionate God, we remember the good news of Easter
morning;
we’ve said our Hallelujahs and we’ve sung about being an
Easter people;
but should we really leave Easter behind without a
thought
of what might happen during a typical six weeks here on
earth?
69 people would have committed suicide in New Zealand;
and somewhere in the world one person suicided every
forty seconds.
Around the world 6.8 million babies would be born into
poverty,
33,600 women would die from pregnancy and childbirth
and 1¼ million under five year olds would die
preventable deaths.
Three languages would become extinct;
and a few thousand plant and animal species would become
extinct.
There would be 40 active conflicts and wars
and three million guns would be sold in the US alone.
336 million people would fly in airplanes;
and about 4 million acres of tropical rain forest would
be lost.
There would be 60 million disposable nappies used in New
Zealand,
and 42 billion worldwide.
60.5 new plastic bottles would be made; and sold;
and roughly the same number of plastic bags will be made
and discarded.
And lastly, the science and numbers on irreversible
climate change
are fast becoming too terrifying to contemplate.
Some tell me that what I do or what I don’t do
won’t make any difference,
but in that case, what will?
What will it take to make people, politicians, and
business leaders
~ put faceless others ahead of themselves,
~ put their grandchildren’s futures ahead of their
greed,
~ put compassion ahead of their anger, and
~ put the environment ahead of their wants?
Lord have mercy.
CHRIST HAVE MERCY.
Lord have mercy.
Assurance and Response
. . . In the name of Christ I say to you:
You are forgiven and you are free.
THANKS BE TO GOD.
Prayer of Supplication:
God of nurturing love,
whose care for creation
holds all things in being,
GIVE US THE CAPACITY
TO SHARE IN YOUR SPIRIT OF CARING,
THAT WE MIGHT BECOME GOOD STEWARDS OF THE EARTH
AND OF ONE ANOTHER.
We pray this in the name of Jesus,
and pray as he taught us, saying:
OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN
HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME,
YOUR KINGDOM COME,
YOUR WILL BE DONE,
ON EARTH AS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US TODAY OUR DAILY BREAD.
FORGIVE US OUR SINS
AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO SIN AGAINST US.
SAVE US FROM THE TIME OF TRIAL
AND DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THE KINGDOM, THE POWER AND THE GLORY ARE YOURS
NOW AND FOR EVER. AMEN.
The Passing of the Peace
Kia tau tonu te rangimarie o te Ariki ki a koutou.
The peace of Christ be with you all.
A KI A KOE ANO HOKI;
AND ALSO WITH YOU.
We exchange a sign of peace with one another.
If there are younger ones present
A Conversation with the Younger Ones
Although there is no Sunday School at the moment, young
ones are welcome to enjoy toys and activity sheets in the play area at the rear
of the church.
The First Lesson: Deuteronomy 8: 7-10
In this is the Word of God
THANKS BE TO GOD.
Knox Singers: Where
are the voices for the earth?
Shirley Murray (b. 1931)
The Second Lesson: Genesis 1: 27-31
In this is the Word of God
THANKS BE TO GOD.
Hymn:
Tenderness Colin Gibson (b. 1933)
1. Touch the earth lightly,
use the earth gently,
nourish the life of the world in our care:
gift of great wonder,
ours to surrender,
trust for the children tomorrow will bear.
2. We who endanger,
who create hunger,
agents of death for all creatures that live,
we who would foster
clouds of disaster,
God of our planet, forestall and forgive.
3. Let there be greening,
birth from the burning,
water that blesses and air that is sweet,
health in God’s garden,
hope in God’s children,
regeneration that peace will complete.
4. God of all living,
God of all loving,
God of the seedling, the snow and the sun,
teach us, deflect us,
Christ re-connect us,
using us gently and making us one.
Shirley Murray (b. 1931)
Reflection:
Rev. Margaret Garland
Hymn:
Love Unknown John Nicholson Ireland (1879-1962)
1. God, bring the day to pass
when forest, rock and hill,
the beasts, the birds, the grass,
will know your finished will:
when we attain our destiny
and nature its lost unity.
2. Forgive our careless use
of water, ore and soil;
the plenty we abuse,
supplied by others’ toil:
save us from making self our creed,
turn us towards our neighbour’s need.
3. Give us, when we release
creation's secret powers,
to harness them for peace,
our children's peace and ours:
teach us the art of mastering,
which makes life rich and draws death's sting.
4. Creation groans, travails,
bound in its futile plight
until the hour it hails
the new found of the light,
who enter on their true estate.
Come, Lord: new heavens and earth create.
Ian Mason Fraser (b. 1917)
Prayers for Others and Ourselves
Led by Tui Bevin (Opoho)
Let us pray…. Creator God, here in this good land of
flowing streams, wheat and apple trees, kai moana and honey, we have lives the
envy of many in our world, yet we easily take so much for granted and are
dissatisfied. We give thanks for the giggle of a child, the garden’s harvest,
the colour and crunchiness of autumn leaves, and for this day of worshipping
and learning together.
In the silence now we offer thanks for the blessings and
joys in our lives….
Lord, meet us in the silence and hear our prayer.
Compassionate God, we pray for those who live in darkness,
those who
struggle, who mourn, are lonely, who suffer, are unjustly
accused, without work, or living through disasters. May they know that you are
with them always, and they are never alone; help
us hear their need and walk beside them and not ahead or behind; help us be the Good News in their
lives and not be yet another damning voice or system.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for our world, this planet earth that you created
in all its glorious
abundance but that we desecrate by our actions. We pray
for leaders and lawmakers, kuia and kaumatua, scientists and psalmists. Help
them use their positions and mana to enhance creation and sustain a healthy
world for our children’s children’s children so that we might avoid
catastrophic changes from which there will be no turning back.
We pray for investors, developers, manufacturers,
businesspeople and tax collectors. Help them use opportunities so that they are
part of the long term solution to issues of environmental damage and climate
change and don’t simply focus on the twin false gods of greed and growth.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for the prophets and visionaries, and artists and
poets who have a big role to play in helping us adapt to our changing world. We
need them to help us see through new eyes. Encourage them to take their part in
protecting the environment and finding solutions to the difficulties the future
is bringing us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Loving God, when we think about the darkness in the
world and the crisis of climate change, it can be difficult to know what we
ourselves might do and to find the strength to do it. We pray that you help us challenge our complacency and fire our imaginations so that we might
• put faceless others ahead of
ourselves,
• our grandchildren’s futures ahead
of our greed,
• compassion ahead of our anger, and
• the environment ahead our wants.
Lord, hear our prayer.
In the silence now we pray for the people and situations
that are much on our minds ………….Lord, meet us in the silence and hear our
prayer.
These and all our prayers spoken and
unspoken we pray in the name of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, Amen.
The Offering and Dedication
We stand for the dedication of the Offering
Bless the food, that it may sustain the hungry.
Bless the money, that it may meet the need.
BLESS ALSO US,
THAT WE MIGHT BE COURAGEOUS AND RESOURCEFUL
IN KEEPING AND CARING FOR THE EARTH.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
AMEN.
Notices
Hymn:
Dunedin Vernon Griffiths (1894-1985)
1. Where mountains rise to open skies
your name, O God, is echoed far,
from island beach to kauri’s reach,
in water’s light, in lake and star.
2. Your people’s heart, your people’s part
be in our caring for this land,
for faith to flower, for aroha
to let each other’s mana stand.
3. From broken word, from conflict stirred,
from lack of vision, set us free
to see the line of your design,
to feel creation’s energy.
4. Your love be known, compassion shown,
that every child have equal scope:
in justice done, in trust begun
shall be our heritage and hope.
5. Where mountains rise to open skies
your way of peace distil the air,
your spirit bind all humankind,
one covenant of life to share!
Shirley Murray (b. 1931)
Benediction and Sung Amen
Postlude:
Tuba Tune
Craig Sellar Lang (1891-1971)
Tea and coffee are served in the Knox Centre Lounge
following the morning service
Music printed in this order of service is covered
under a music copyright licence agreement:
LicenSing #604802
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