General Assembly 2012
Opening Service of Worship
12 noon Thursday 4th October, 2012
Te Maungarongo Marae, Ohope
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
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 2012-2014 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;
2
O God, sown
O purapura pai:
is your good seed.
Homai e koe he ngakau hou,
Give us a new heart
Kia tupu ake ai.
to make it grow.
3
E Ihu, kaua e tukua
O Jesus, do not let it go,
Kia whakangaromia,
do not let it be destroyed;
Me whakatupu ake ia,
let it grow
Kia kitea ai nga hua
so that the fruits may be seen.
Words: Traditional Maori Hymn
Music: Amazing Grace (American Folk Hymn Melody)
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.
Amine
Shout to the North
1 Men of faith rise up and sing
Of the great and glorious King
You are strong when you feel weak
In your brokenness complete
2 Shout to the North and the South
Sing to the East and the West
Jesus is saviour to all
Lord of heaven and earth
3 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 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
5 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
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 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
3 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)
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 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.
We sing together:
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....
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.
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!
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!
2
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!
4 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
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
With hearts on fire
And every step will be a prayer
Hope is rising
New day dawning
Sound of singing
Fills the air
2
Two thousand years
And still the flame
Is burning bright
Across the land
Hearts are waiting
Longing, aching
For awakening
Once again
3 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
4
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
Graham Kendrick
Copyright © 1989 Make Way Music, www.grahamkendrick.co.uk
Benediction