20 December 2015
Advent 4
Welcoming the Stranger – Welcoming the Christ
“Thinking allowed; thinking aloud allowed”
Minister:
Organists:
Reader:
Robyn McPhail
Kato Akau'ola KK
Jessica Scott KK
Clyde Foster Kaeo
tba
Kaeo
Christmas renews our youth by stirring our wonder. The capacity for wonder has been called our
most pregnant human faculty, for in it are born our art, our science, our religion.
Ralph W. Sockman
Plugging in
Partner Story from Vanuatu
At 18 Allick is hard at work replanting the family garden after Cyclone Pam on Tongoa Island in Vanuatu.
He knows how important it is to get the new seeds in the ground to feed everybody. Allick is collecting
materials to build a new home strong enough to withstand future cyclones and collect the rain water they
need to survive. Preparing for disasters is now central to the work of ACT Alliance, Action by Churches
Together. CWS is making sure partners are prepared. Your gifts after disasters and conflict make sure
communities get the food, water and medical care they need.
Lighting the Advent Candle of Love
Today is the fourth Sunday in Advent.
The first Advent candle reminds us
to hope for a better world.
The second Advent candle reminds us
that God’s dreams for peace in our world can come true,
and that we can be part of making that happen.
The third Advent candle reminded us
that we can be part of bringing God’s dream of peace to our world.
Today we light the fourth Advent candle for love:
Love that comes in unexpected ways
and through surprising people;
Love revealed in all who live the way of Jesus,
Emmanuel, God with us.
We light this candle for love.
Carol While shepherds watched their flocks by night WOV223
Prayer
Holy One, we have been waiting, with prophets and angels,
for the coming of your light.
We have been waiting, with people all over the earth,
for the coming of your light.
We have been waiting, we have been watching,
we have been wanting the coming of your light.
Come now and shine in our hearts.
Shine in our church, shine in our world, for we need your light,
and every day we hope for the light you have shown us in Jesus Christ.
We confess the dark things which spoil our lives,
in each of us and in our congregation.
We confess the dark things which ruin our world,
and could drive us to despair.
We need your gospel,
we need the assurance that the light is still shining,
we need to hear afresh that you and embrace us
as your beloved sons and daughters...
God, we thank you for the light of your word,
shared among us in scripture and song and story.
May our lives be reawakened,
may our minds be renewed,
may our hearts be refreshed.
Come and prepare us for the coming of Christ,
that our souls may leap for joy at the wonder of your word of promise,
that our bodies may be healed and restored by your grace,
that your light may shine upon us, body and soul.
So shall we lift up hands before you in prayer.
and our voices in praise.
http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/
Symbol of God's Presence
Carol Born in the night WOV642 [Jessica's choice]
Clarifying our Purpose
Conversation with the Word
God of the impossible and unlikely,
God of pregnant old ladies and virgins,
you turn our conventional world upside down,
where the hungry are fed,
and arrogant rich are turned away.
Instill in us unthinkable marvels.
Make us pregnant with wonder
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever. Amen
http://preachingtip.com/preaching-tip-of-the-week/
Luke 1:39-45
As one person put it: the old lady is pregnant; the virgin is pregnant; we might find that hard to believe.
But hear what Mary sings about in the the verses that follow. Alternatively, see what her child grows into,
and what he champions. It puts us and our world into sharp scrutiny, seeming as it is entirely impossible:
the powerful stepped down from their high places, the low lifted up. For example, no children in poverty; no
need for prisons to keep us all safe – wellness for everyone does that and everything else. No differential
health care or education. No homeless. Impossible? The upside down world of the gospel just an
unfulfilled and unfulfillable hope?
All things are possible with God, we hear. I was wondering about that this week and was thinking in
relation to District Council ways and means, some things are beyond even God's capacity to break through.
O, ye of little faith. I penned these thoughts one day: next morning we heard we have the Building Consent!
Possibility in today's reading is in the pregnancies. ( Which got me thinking what a very long gestation we
were having.) In our situation more broadly, that is in our world and our society, in all those places where
kingdom values are far from present, who is pregnant?
Well, we are the pregnant ones. We are the ones with something stirring within us, as John stirred in
Elizabeth's womb. A stirring in us when we recognise the Messiah, when we see God's presence even in
this crazy messed up world. Stirring in response to the signs of hope that are here, if we can see them.
A good indicator of being stirred is the feeling of wonder. What stirs our wonder? If we are honest, we
admit we don't have all the answers. We wonder about things. Wonder – as opposed to not bothering to
think about it, but just going with whatever, the way things are, no alternative.
The desire for a world where the rich don't get even richer and the poor unalterably poorer stays with us. It
is not displaced by the admonition: “be realistic”. We want it enough that we still wonder, what if?
What would it be like for all to have what they need, for peace to be the norm, for love to be the accepted
and acceptable way?
And if keep wondering despite how uncomfortable, how uncertain if feels, just think what such wonder can
give birth to.
Singing about it, talking about it is in itself a “conspiracy of hope”, a term former Archbishop Rowan
Williams used for Mary's song of total transformation. On this day of the church year, Mary is our model.
We follow her pattern of believing things are possible with God and through that being part of the
transformation.
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We're now in the year of Luke and this small section is a taster of what's to come. In Luke, women feature
strongly. All who are marginalised are front and centre. The Holy Spirit plays a strong role right from
these early episodes through to Luke's second volume the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. And there's one
stand out title for Jesus in Luke at the heart of his gospel understanding: Jesus is son of God. Here
Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, speaks of the honour of “the mother of my Lord” coming to her. Just
a hint maybe – although it cannot be otherwise than she is referring to Mary's child as God, or as one direct
from God. This is the Messiah, as we will hear the angels sing in the next chapter. And before this opening
birth narrative – this overture to the gospel – is completed, we will hear the child Jesus tell his parents they
shouldn't have worried as they'd know he'd be in his Father's house.
The opening to Luke, as to Matthew, is indeed the overture to the particular gospel. An overture is
typically orchestral music which weaves together all the musical themes that will appear in the opera or
symphony or some such. The same here. What the overture brings us are the themes we will run with in
the coming year:
Lift up those who are put down, speak intelligently about poverty and act on it; “walk away” as Tina Cross
and Counties-Manukau people and police sing for women and children and men in violent homes to hear;
and remember who the Son of God really is.
In Jesus' time, it was Caesar who claimed that title. From Caesar Augustus on there was a birth narrative
for every Roman emperor. This was to establish him as emperor, be born of a miracle and therefore son of
the high god. “Son of god and prince of peace”, he was called. “Peace” the Roman way which involved
economic benefits, military might, and fear of what would happen if you didn't conform.
It isn't much different now. The language “Son of God” or “Prince of Peace” isn't used, but we still attribute
to political and economic leadership, and the military, the ability to save us and make a good life for us.
Who really is our Prince of Peace?
Micah 5:2-5a
Carol Silent night WOV236
Conversations around the Table
Continuing the Conversation
Prayers
Ecumenical Prayer Cycle: Ghana, Nigeria
Headlines in World Ecumenical News:
Italian Christians establish safe Mediterranean passageways for refugees
Lutheran bishop in Hungary remembers deceased refugees, urges church advocacy
Consultation considers right to food in context of climate change
Paris climate agreement hailed by ecumenical leaders
Time to follow up on COP21 and to prepare for Davos
… prayer book prayers...
We invoke you, Spirit of Unity,
Transform our divisions and reshape our vision.
All of creation, all living beings,
cry in the midst of injustice and brokenness.
Spirit of Unity, reconcile your people.
We invoke you, Spirit of Unity,
Heal the wounds of our history,
Remove from us all that sustains our present divisions.
Unstop our ears to hear your call for unity.
© Mercy Oduyoye, Ghana. We Would Be One, Institute of Women in Religion and Culture, Accra, Ghana.
Sent to Carry Healing and Hope
Lord's Prayer
Serving in the Week Ahead
In the community...
being Christ shaped
Offering Carol O little town of Bethlehem WOV240 tune: Forest Green
Blessing
Now go in peace, to watch, to wait, to work for the light, and the blessing of God, …
Kia tau ki a tātou katoa te atawhai o tō tātou Ariki a Ihu Karaiti
me te aroha o te Atua, me te whiwhingatahitanga ki te Wairua Tapu
Āke āke, āke, Āmine.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all.
Now and forever, Amen.
….[singing] A-men, a-men, a---men
Robyn McPhail, 20.12.2015
CHRISTMAS SERVICE: Today at 1.00pm at Kauri Lodge.
FOOD BANK: The food bank shelves are emptying again and we desperately need breakfast cereals and
canned products such as baked beans, canned vegetables, and canned fruit. We can also freeze things
like bread and sausages, but can't cope with perishables. Cash donations are welcome and will be
receipted for IRD purposes if you include your name and address. Many thanks to all those who contribute
each week.
NOTICES FOR TODAY – 20 DECEMBER 2015
Parish email: [email protected]
Minister: Robyn McPhail 401 7554, 021 0247 6280
[email protected]
Church Office: 407 8250 message machine)
Find us at www.kaeokerikeriunionchurch.org.nz and on Facebook
Notices: Jenny Phillips 407 8883 [email protected]
KK Pastoral Contact: Jessica Scott 4075555 [email protected]
ROSTERED FOR NEXT SUNDAY 27 DECEMBER 2015
Organists: Marie Cannon KK
Clyde Foster Kaeo
Reader:
Neil Scott
tba Kaeo
Door and Tea: Gage and John Latell
LECTIONARY READINGS for SUNDAY 27 DECEMBER 2015
1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26
Psalm 148,
Colossians 3:12-17
Luke 2:41-52
NEXT SUNDAY AT KAEO: Baptism service for baby Wyatt, son of Daryne (née Herbert) and Chris Fouhy.
DOOR AND TEA ROSTER: If you would like to take a turn helping out with "Door and Tea" duties next
year please contact Jenny 407 883
KERIKERI RETIREMENT VILLAGE CHAPEL SERVICES: Every Sunday at 4.00pm at the Ted Robinson
Chapel. Our parish leads the service on 27 December and 24 January.
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE
Thursday 24 December at 7.00pm
in the Ted Robinson Chapel
KERIKERI CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE
Friday 25 December at 9.15am
in the Ted Robinson Chapel
KAEO CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE
10.30am in the Kaeo Church
MARSDEN CROSS SERVICE
Monday 28 December, on the beach at Oihi, at 11.00am.
If you want to carpool please meet at
St James Church at 9.30am.