This service is a response to loving the traditional 9 lessons and carols but being aware that starting with ‘the fall of man’ is not the main Good News that our progressive church wants to express to our surrounding community members when they come to church once a year for Christmas carols!
The service gives an ‘history with a thread of meaning’; demonstrating in an hour how our faith tradition traces the activity of God’s liberating grace through the generations of the earth. It is the Christmas season so the focus of the story is the incarnation: the service explores the meaning of the incarnation in sharing good news, the broad scope of God’s love, and the incarnation of God’s love in charity, in human cultures, and in our place (where Christmas is a summer festival!)
Kaurihohore is a New Zealand historic country church where Scottish settlers arrived in the 1860s after a famine-plagued attempt at settlement in Nova Scotia. Normally 6 to 8 people gather for Sunday morning worship, but at our carol service before Christmas the church was full with about 100! So this service is intentionally accessible to people who do not have much knowledge of church things.
The Rev Martin Dickson, Parish Minister.
The italicized parts are for leaders. The underlined parts are for musicians. These are all deleted to make an order of service for printing.
Piper outside to welcome people with a festive air.
SERVICE STARTS 5:40 PM
NRSV BIBLE in pulpit
The only lights on are the Christmas lights
Give out INSTRUMENTS to children with SERVICE SHEETS and HYMN BOOKS
Music voluntary
Parish minister
Mihi (indigenous welcome), acknowledgement of God, earth and the dead. And the people.
Kia tau ki a koutou,
te atawhai me te rangimarie o te Atua.
Grace and peace to you from God.
Welcome to whole and diverse community
Welcome to DIGNITARIES; school principal, Kauri Community elders, Youth, school members
– Explain instruments for ** carols
Congregation as hosts – tikanga (traditions) of the place; honouring strands of history brought together, our real lives, and inclusion of all people according to the gospel
Introduction to the evening, hymns in hymn books, symbols, extra readings, picnic (toilets at school, tea and coffee in back room).
Join us on a story (reading).
Parish lay preacher, Methodist Co-Superintendant
Let us pray
All: Eternal and loving God,
wonderfully creating us in your own image,
becoming human in Jesus,
sharing the flesh and blood of our humanity.
So fill us with your spirit that we may come to share in your divinity;
and that in the company of those who knew your birth among us, we may sing glory and know your peace.
This we pray in the name of Jesus of Bethlehem and Egypt, of Nazareth and Jerusalem.
Amen.
Out of love God gave up power and made the world to have a relationship with. Christians understand that the divine Word became human in Jesus.
Bible Readings: Genesis 1:1-5 & John 1:1-5
(Creation from Jewish and Christian perspectives)
Parish elder
Symbols: Lights turned on. Crib scene animals
** Hymn: All creatures of our God and King 13 verses 1,4
xx, organ and xx, accordion.
** When you see this sign, use your percussion instruments!
God’s continual love is expressed in covenants with communities; relationships that could always depend on God,.
Bible Readings: Genesis 9:12-16 (Noah)
& Isaiah 9:2,6-7 (Prophecy)
Symbol: rainbows
Carol: Love came down at Christmas 62
Tune: Gartan
“Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail the incarnate deity”
The sense of God becoming really human as well as divine is celebrated in the traditional story of Jesus being born of the woman Mary while still a virgin.
Bible Reading: Luke: 1:26-33 (Gabriel & Mary)
Symbol: Angel wings
** Carol: Hark the herald angels 59 (verses 1,3)
God is more than a theory or a story, when God becomes active in human times and places.
Music: Once in Royal David’s city
xx, clarinet and xx, organ
Bible Reading: Luke: 2:1-7 (Birth of Jesus)
Symbol: baby in crib
Carol: Once in Royal David’s city 67 (verses 1,2,4)
Christianity has a long history of people getting excited that hopes for a better world are seen to be fulfilled.
Extra reading Luke: 2:8-16 (Angels & shepherds)
Symbol: Instruments (harp?) – on table and played enthusiastically
** Carol: While shepherds watched 94 (verses 1,2,6)
We make good news real by joining together in open compassion for one another; making us more fully human, and making visible the possibilities of a better world for others.
A prayer from Iona, Scotland.
As people experienced God-with-them in Jesus, so we choose symbols, places and times that remind us to look for God’s love. We embrace traditions that warm our hearts and remind us of all goodness; the Christmas tree has become a popular international symbol of dependable and exuberant life made true at Christmas. The simple Stille Nacht demonstrates the oneness of humanity across conflicts and alienation.
Symbol: potted Christmas tree
Music: O Christmas tree & Silent night
Music by xx, guitar
| O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!Thy leaves are so unchanging;O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!Thy leaves are so unchanging;Not only green when summer’s here,But also when ’tis cold and drear.O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy leaves are so unchanging!
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree! Much pleasure thou can’st give me; O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree! Much pleasure thou can’st give me; How often has the Christmas tree Afforded me the greatest glee! O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree! Much pleasure thou can’st give me.
|
Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,Alles schläft; einsam wachtNur das traute hochheilige Paar.Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar,Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!
Silent night, holy night All is calm, all is bright Round yon Virgin Mother and Child Holy Infant so tender and mild Sleep in heavenly peace Sleep in heavenly peace
Mārie te pō, tapu te pō Marino, marama Ko te Whaea, me te Tama Tama tino, tapu rā Moe mai i te aio Moe mai i te aio. |
“New life possibilities for all sorts of people” is emphasised with the story of Gentiles coming to celebrate the birth of the Messiah. We pray for refugees and other marginalised people seeking safety.
Extra reading Matthew 2: 1-12
Symbol: Aeroplane
Carol: We three kings
We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain
Following yonder star
O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy Perfect Light
Accordion only
Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to reign
Organ only
Frankincense to offer have I
Incense owns a Deity nigh
Prayer and praising, all folk raising
Worship Him: God most high!
At this festival we participate in God’s generosity by opening our homes, serving food, enjoying people’s abilities and sharing gifts. At all times we share God’s generosity in hospitality and working for justice because we see God present in each and every person.
Bible Reading: Matthew 22:34-40 The great commandment
Modern Reading: Henri Nouwen: Who shows the way to God.
Symbol: CWS poster
Carol: Good King Wenceslas
A Carol for Saint Stephen’s Day; Dec 26th
Both instruments
All: Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even.
Accordion only
Women: Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gath’ring winter fuel.
Organ only
Men: “Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear him thither.”
Both instruments
All: Page and monarch forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind’s wild lament
And the bitter weather.
** All: In his master’s steps he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore, Christian folk, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing!
– CWS is the agency established by New Zealand churches for their development and aid programmes.
–CWS works with partner groups who address the root causes of poverty and injustice in their local communities and countries. People are not viewed as victims who cannot help themselves, but as agents of their own development.
CWS has 66 years of proven achievement and expertise working with overseas partners. They are proud to say many earlier partners do not need them any more.
-In the past year 82% of CWS expenditure went to international partner programmes, making much needed change in their communities.
– You may make a offering at the door when you depart, as your part in this sharing the good things of the world.
NOTE: I suggest this section is replaced with a reading, symbol and hymn that best expresses Christmas in your own modern context. MD
Modern Reading: Joy Cowley: 24th December
Symbol: boogie board
Carol: Upside-down Christmas
Organ only
Carol our Christmas, an upside-down Christmas;
snow is not falling and trees are not bare.
Carol the summer, and welcome the Christ Child,
warm in our sunshine and sweetness of air.
Accordion only
Sing of the gold and the green and the sparkle,
water and river and lure of the beach.
Sing in the happiness of open spaces,
sing a nativity summer can reach!
Both Instruments
** Right side up Christmas belongs to the universe,
made in the moment a woman gives birth;
hope is the Jesus gift, love is the offering,
everywhere, anywhere, here on the earth.
A New Zealand Christmas carol by Shirley Murray, music by Colin Gibson.
From the Saint Hilda Community, England.
The summary of the story we have just told.
Bible Reading: John 1:9-12,14,16-18
A note from the organ
Solo: verse 1
Both Instruments
** Carol: Angels from the realms of glory 77 (verses 2,3)
Go in peace
to love and serve the world
and may God go before you,
Christ Jesus walk with you
and the Spirit lift up your feet. Amen
Music voluntary
Please make your donation at the door, or look at the website www.cws.org.nz to donate and receive a tax receipt.
Tea and coffee are available in the room to the back of the church.
St Pauls Cooperating Church, Kamo and Kaurihohore.
To join our Kauri contact list, email stpaulskamo@xtra.co.nz
or telephone 09 – 4352396,
Post: PO Box 4118, Kamo 0141, Whangarei, New Zealand
Parish Minister, Martin: h: 09 – 45 94 937
Contact us for baptisms, house blessings, weddings, civil unions, local concerts, funerals and other special occasions.
Website www.methodist.org.nz – search for “Kamo”
Kauri Church Barbeque on Sunday 12th February:
Church service 10:30 am, Lunch 11:50 am. Come to both or either!
Scottish Gaelic
Scots
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