General Assembly Opening Service of Worship. 12 noon Thursday 4th October, 2012 Te Maungarongo Marae, Ohope

Transcription

1 General Assembly 2012 Opening Service of Worship 12 noon Thursday 4th October, 2012 Te Maungarongo Marae, Ohope

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3 Please stand when the Moderators are announced. Call to worship The Moderator of the 2010 General Assembly, the Right Reverend Peter Cheyne. I will sing of the Lord s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself. (Psalm 89:1-2 - NIV) The Moderator of Te Aka Puaho, the Rev Wayne Te Kaawa He Makiri na Etana Eterahi. Ka waiatatia e ahau nga mahi tohu a Ihowa ake ake: ka whakapuakina e toku mangai tou pono ki nga whakatupuranga katoa. I mea hoki ahau, Ka hanga ake te mahi tohu mo ake tonu atu: ka whakapumautia e koe tou pono ki nga tino rangi ra ano. Hymn Great is Thy Faithfulness Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father, There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be. Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon and stars in their courses above, Join with all nature in manifold witness To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! Words: Thomas Chisholm; Music: William Runyan Prayers of Approach and Praise The Right Reverend Peter Cheyne

4 Prayer Constituting the Assembly The Right Reverend Peter Cheyne Acceptance of Assembly Roll and Election of Moderator The Clerk of the Assembly, the Rev Martin Baker Powhiri and Presentation of the new Moderator, the Right Reverend Ray Coster The Moderator, the Right Rev Ray Coster and his whanau will be called on to the Marae. Prayer of Installation Former Moderators of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand will gather round the new Moderator for this prayer. Bestowal of Te Korowai Tapu (Maori Ceremonial Cloak) The moderator of Te Aka Puaho, the Rev Wayne Te Kaawa and Dr Helen Te Kaawa Signing of the Centennial Bible Worship in Song During this worship the Moderator will be greeted by past Moderators, overseas visitors and representatives of other churches, community leaders and family. E te Atua Maori words to be sung, English words translation only 1 E te Atua, kua ruia nei; O God, sown O purapura pai: is your good seed. 2 E Ihu, kaua e tukua O Jesus, do not let it go, Kia whakangaromia, do not let it be destroyed; 3 Homai e koe he ngakau hou, Give us a new heart Kia tupu ake ai. to make it grow. Me whakatupu ake ia, let it grow Kia kitea ai nga hua so that the fruits may be seen. A ma te Wairua Tapu ra May the Holy Spirit Matou e tiaki, keep us, Kei hoki kit e mahi he lest to evil deeds returns O matou ngakau hou. our new heart. Words: Traditional Maori Hymn Music: Amazing Grace (American Folk Hymn Melody) Amine

5 Shout to the North Men of faith rise up and sing Of the great and glorious King You are strong when you feel weak In your brokenness complete Shout to the North and the South Sing to the East and the West Jesus is saviour to all Lord of heaven and earth Rise up women of the truth Stand and sing to broken hearts Who can know the healing power Of our awesome King of love been through rain 4 5 We ve been through fire We ve been refined by the power of His name We ve fallen deeper in love with You You ve burned the truth on our lips Rise up church with broken wings Fill this place with songs again Of our God who reigns on high By His grace again we ll fly Written by Martin Smith 1995 Curious? Music UK The Moderator greets the Assembly Prayer First Reading - Read by Ruth Coster Exodus 3: 1-10: Moses and the Burning Bush Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, I will go over and see this strange sight why the bush does not burn up. When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, Moses! Moses! And Moses said, Here I am. Do not come any closer, God said. Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. Then he said, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. The LORD said, I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I

6 have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt. Second Reading - Read by Rachel Banbury 2 Peter 1: 3-11: Confirming One s Calling and Election His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Song - Sung by Dr Wendy Coster (Moderator s daughter-in-law) I Believe - Andrea Bocelli 1 3 One day I ll hear the laugh of children In a world where war has been banned One day I ll see men of all colours Sharing words of love and devotion Yes I believe I believe in the people Of all nations to join and to care for love I believe in a world And giving our love We ll make heaven on earth I believe 2 Stand up and feel the Holy Spirit Find the power of your faith Open your heart to those who need you In the name of love and devotion Yes I believe I believe in the people Of all nations to join and to care for love I believe in a world where Light will guide us and giving our love We ll make heaven on earth (twice)

7 Sermon A Resurrection People Confession of faith Kupu Whakapono The Moderator is presented with the confession in Te Reo Maori We say together: From this land of Aotearoa New Zealand we confess that we believe in and belong to the one true and living God, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Love before all love. We sing together: We believe in God the Father, sovereign and holy, Creator and nurturer of all, Father of Jesus Christ, sender of the Holy Spirit, and Judge of all the earth. E te Ariki, whakorongo mai rā ki a mātou E te Ariki, titiro mai rā ki a mātou Tēnei mātou ō tamariki. E whakapono ana mātou Ki a koe. Auē, Auē, Te Matua, te Tamaiti, Wairua Tapu e Te Matua, te Tamaiti, Wairua Tapu e. Words: Traditional Music: Wi-Patena Te Pairi, arranged Roy Tankersley NZ Hymn Book Trust We say together: We believe in God the Son, Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, truly human and truly divine, who lived among us full of grace and truth. For our sin he was crucified and by the power of God was raised from death, forgiving us, setting us free and bringing to birth God s new creation. Now ascended, he calls us to repentance and faith and restores us to God and to one another. We sing together: E te Ariki, whakorongo mai rā ki a mātou...

8 We say together: We believe in God the Holy Spirit, the giver of life at work in all creation, who inspired the Scriptures and makes Christ known, who transforms hearts and minds and gathers us into the community of Christ, empowering the Church in worship and in mission. We belong to this triune God, women and men, young and old, from many nations, in Christ he iwi kotahi tatou, [we are one people] witnesses to God s love in word and action, servants of reconciliation and stewards of creation. We sing together: E te Ariki, whakorongo mai rā ki a mātou... We say together: As God s people, we look forward in hope and joy to the return of Christ, to the new heaven and earth, where evil and death will be no more, justice and peace will flourish, and we shall forever delight in the glory of God. We sing together: E te Ariki, whakorongo mai rā ki a mātou... Act of Commemoration Please stand Assembly Clerk: Since we last met in Assembly, many who served alongside us in the Body of Christ have died. We remember them before God with thanksgiving, acknowledging God s grace and goodness to them, and through them, to us and the Church. We remember, too, their loved ones, placing our confidence in the assurance that God comforts all who mourn. We commemorate by name those remembered in the courts of the Church, who, with God s help, served in the spirit of Christ. The names are read, followed by a period of silence.

9 Moderator: Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfector of our faith. Hymn Give thanks for life 1 Give thanks for life, the measure of our days, mortal, we pass through beauty that decays, yet sing to God our hope, our love, our praise, Alleluia! Alleluia! 2 3 And for our own, our living and our dead, thanks for the love by which our life is fed, a love not changed by time or death or dread, Alleluia! Alleluia! 4 Give thanks for those who made their life a light caught from the Christ-flame, bursting through the night, who touched the truth, who burned for what is right, Alleluia! Alleluia! Give thanks for hope, that like the wheat, the grain lying in darkness does its life retain, in resurrection to grow green again. Alleluia! Alleluia! Words: Shirley Erena Murray, NZ Hymn Book Trust, used by permission Tune: Sine Nomine Ralph Vaughan Williams Sacrament of Holy Communion Moderator of the General Assembly and Moderator of Te Aka Puaho Invitation to Holy Communion They will come from the east and west, north and south and sit at the table in the Kingdom of God Ka haere mai nga tangata i nga koko katoa o tea ao, ka noho I te tepu o te rangatiratanga o te Atua The Peace The peace of Christ be with you Te rangimarie o te Karaiti ki a koe And also with you /Kei a koe ano hoki Prayer

10 Communion The bread we break is a sharing in the Body of Christ that we might be empowered and enabled to be his resurrection people. Ma tenei taro i whatia nei tatou ka whakamana te Atua ki a tatou he iwi whakapono o te Arangā. The cup we take reminds us as children of the resurrection that we are forgiven and set free from all guilt and shame and sent forth in the mission of the Kingdom. Ko tenēi Kapu he whakamahara i a tatou, he tamariki tatou o te aranga, hei murua o tatou hara, hei whakawatea i te whakama, ka tukuna kia haere ki mua ki te mahi o tona Rangatiratanga. Those serving communion are members of Ray s Mount Maunganui church and family, Te Aka Puaho and the Pacific Island Synod. As communion is served, the song, Gather at the Feast will be sung. (Written especially for this Assembly by Jordan Redding). Prayer Song Let the flame burn brighter 1 We ll walk the land 3 With hearts on fire And every step will be a prayer Hope is rising New day dawning Sound of singing Fills the air 4 2 Two thousand years And still the flame Is burning bright Across the land Hearts are waiting Longing, aching For awakening Once again Graham Kendrick Copyright 1989 Make Way Music, Benediction Let the flame burn brighter In the heart of the darkness Turning night to glorious day Let the song grow louder As our love grows stronger Let it shine, let it shine We ll walk for truth Speak out for love In Jesus name We shall be strong To lift the fallen To save the children To fill the nation With your song

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