A very warm welcome to members of the St Martin’s Indoor Bowling Club. It is lovely to have you with us this morning.

WELCOME AND NOTICES

GATHERING: from the Psalm for the day Ps 106: 1-5
Praise the Lord. O give thanks for the Lord is good.
God’s love endures forever. Who can recount your mighty acts, O Lord;
or tell of all your praise?
Blessed are those who act justly: and always do what is right.
Remember me Lord, when you show favour to your people:
and come to me with your saving help.
So that I may see the prosperity of your chosen:
rejoice with the nation’s gladness,
and exult with the people you have made your own.

HYMN: Every New Morning (Tune: Bunessan WOV 91 )
Every new morning
God gives us freely
hearts that are thankful,
strength for the task,
people who love us,
joy in our service,
all we have need of
if we but ask.

God will be with us
in all our thinking,
in all our speaking,
in all we do;
and as we praise him
by all our actions,
he will be with us,
our journey through.

God in the morning,
God in the noontide,
God in the evening,
all through the day;
God is within us,
and all around us,
God goes before us,
all of the way. © Carol Dixon (CH4)

OPENING PRAYERS & THE LORD’S PRAYER

TIME WITH THE CHILDREN

CHILDREN’S SONG: Songbook 29 I Cannot Come verses 1-3 only

NEWS FROM THE ST MARTIN’S INDOOR BOWLING CLUB

INTRODUCTION TO THE READINGS

READINGS: Philippians 4: 1, & 4-9 Hilary Moore
Luke 14: 15-24 Kelvin Turner

SERMON: Excuses, Excuses
A TIME OF QUIET
HYMN: Songbook 10 I, the Lord of Sea and Sky

OFFERING:
The spirit of giving changes, O God, when we are in partnership with you. Our reluctance becomes generosity; our vision of offering widens
to encompass gifts, skills and talents; our focus changes to include needs beyond our community and city.
Transform our giving, loving God, in the way of Jesus,
in whose name we pray. Amen.

WE GREET ONE ANOTHER

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

HYMN: Be Thou My Vision
Be thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart; naught be all else to me save that thou art; thou my best thought in the day or the night, waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

Be thou my Wisdom, be thou my true Word; I ever with thee, and thou with me, Lord; thou my great Father: thine own I would be; thou in me dwelling, and I one with thee.

Riches I heed not, nor earth’s empty praise, thou mine inheritance, now and always; thou, and thou only, the first in my heart, High King of Heaven, my treasure thou art.

High King of Heaven, after victory won, may I reach heaven’s joy, O bright heaven’s sun! Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, still be my Vision, O Ruler of all. (CH4)

THE BLESSING

NOTICES
A very warm welcome to you all as you worship with us this morning. Please stay for a cup of tea or coffee in the lounge after the service.

NEW READERS’ ROSTER – please check to see if there is a copy for you in the foyer.

Marmalade for Missions: please support this fundraiser.

CUPPA & CHAT: Tuesdays & Wednesdays 10am – 12 noon. Do pop in!

WEDNESDAY WALKERS 12th October – Cracroft Walk: meet 9.30am in Ashgrove Tce by the footbridge opposite PMH (between Ferniehurst Rd & Cashmere View). Coffee to follow at church. June 332 8874.

CRAFTY CRAFTERS Thursdays 10am – 12 noon in the Lounge. For details, please contact Beverley 942 7821.

FOOTCARE CLINIC: Next Session Thursday 17th November – please book through the Parish Office 332 6192.

There are copies of Chris’ study leave report available to borrow and read – please speak to her if you would like a copy.

GUESS WHO IS COMING TO LUNCH Sunday 9 or 16 October:
Guests will be handed an envelope with directions to their Host’s home at the morning service on the day. Thank you to those who have offered to host a meal. Queries to Sonya 339 7038.

Make sure you have a look at the parish website: www.stmartins.org.nz

Christchurch Quilters Inc 2011 Exhibition: “Rebuilding Stitch by Stitch” 13-16 October 10.30am-4.30pm Hagley Community College Cafeteria. $5 adults, children free.

NZ Community for Christian Meditation Community Afternoon Sunday 16th October 2011 2.00 – 4.30pm at North Avon Baptist Church Lounge. See noticeboard for details or contact Ian Lothian 351 1749.

BIRTHDAYS this week: Thu 13th Jenny; Fri 14th Joan.

St Martin’s Presbyterian Church
Overseas Mission Project

The Girls’ Orphanage is at Kisongo, twenty minutes southwest of Arusha and near a Masai market.
It is on the plateau.

TANZANIA (capital Dodoma; population 39 700 000)

Tanzania, formerly called Tanganyika, on the Gold Coast of Africa, is known for its tropical beaches, great lakes, huge game areas and majestic snow capped Kilimanjaro.

Situated in East Africa just south of the equator, Tanzania is made up of a mainland area and the Islands of Zanzibar, Pembe & Mafia. Mainland Tanzania lies between the area of the great lakes – Victoria, Tanganyika & Malawi – and the Indian Ocean.
It is slightly larger than twice the size of California.
A plateau makes up the greater part of the country.
It is hot and dry on the plateau;
moist in the lake regions.

About 40% of the population is classified as
undernourished by the World Bank.
Of children under the age of five, about 31%
are underweight, and nearly 43% are stunted.

Tanzania is one of the world’s poorest countries
and undernourishment is prevalent, especially in
children. Life expectancy is 42.3 years: mostly due
to malnutrition, tropical diseases such as malaria,
AIDS and unsanitary conditions.

Only a little over half of all children attend primary school, according to UNICEF.

The diet is largely based on starches such as millet, sorghum, beans, pilaf and cornmeal. It is served with a sauce containing either beans or cooked vegetables. It is typically eaten in a large bowl and shared with everyone at the table. This is often served with chai tea.

The people of Tanzania follow a variety of religions, roughly one-third of the population are Muslims and one-third Christians. The other third is made up of Hindus and indigenous beliefs.

Official languages are Swahili and English.

CALL TO WORSHIP  – from the back

Hundreds of millions of Christians all over the world

will come to places of worship today, just like us:

places where children, younger adults,  and seasoned seniors

can sit side by side;  where heaven and earth come together

in communion,  to strengthen us for service  in the world:  

where God has been, God is, and God will always be.

 

HYMN:  All the Wonder           (Tune: All Through the Night)

All the wonder that surrounds us

springs from God’s care:

all that marvels or confounds us,

raw, rich or rare;

touch and texture, sights and voices,

nature’s countless forms and choices:

all for which the heart rejoices

springs from God’s care.

 

Every creature, every human

lives by God’s grace:

every family, man and woman,

culture and race;

those whom fortune seems to favour,

those exploited for their labour,

those who need to know a neighbour

live by God’s grace.

 

How can we revere God’s goodness

meant for all time?

How ensure that each uniqueness

keeps in its prime?

How can we revere with pleasure

all God gives for life and leisure,

how reserve each earthly treasure

meant for all time?

God has willed that peace and justice

walk hand in hand.

These, with love, shall build foundations

on which we’ll stand:

love for lover, friend and stranger,

love defying death and danger,

love as first born in a manger –

heaven close at hand.                         © John L Bell (Iona Community)

 

OPENING PRAYERS & The Lord’s Prayer

 

WELCOME AND NOTICES

 

TIME WITH THE CHILDREN                                     Wayne

CHILDREN’S SONG: Jesus Loves the Little Children X 2

Jesus loves the little children,
all the children of the world.
Red, brown, yellow, black and white
they are precious in his sight –
Jesus loves the little children of the world.   ©  unknown

 

READINGS:  Micah 4: 1-5                                          Anne

A vision (and hope) of God’s Universal Reign of Peace

 

                      Matthew 25: 31-40                                Doug

  Whenever you did this for one of the least…you did it for me

 

INTRODUCTION ~ Lyndsey

 

ADDRESS: Barbara and Rob

 

MUSIC FOR REFLECTION ~ the bringing forward of gold coins

 

A CREED:   (Terry Wall, adapted))

We believe in the God of love,

who seeks a deep communion with us,

and calls us to love others.

We believe in the God of creation

who invites us into partnership

in shaping the future

in justice, peace and joy.

We believe in the God who is not remote

but who is immersed in the life of this world

sharing its hope and feeling its pain.

We believe in the God who identifies

with the poor and oppressed

and those who long for faith

and calls us to stand with them.

We believe in this God, revealed in Jesus

            whose love is vulnerable,

            whose heart is aching

            and whose covenant with all people and creation is unshakeable.

 

HYMN: Songbook 10   I,  the Lord of Sea and Sky

 

THE OFFERING and PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE  –  remain seated

 

INVITATION TO COMMUNION

 

HYMN:  658  Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ

A GREAT PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING:

The response this morning is sung ~  Tune: Belmont WOV 435

 

May  God  be with you         And also with you

Lift up you hearts                 We lift them up to God

Let us give thanks to God    It is right to give God thanks and praise

We yearn for a new creation, one which reflects the creation  God first bestowed upon us, a life of integrity and wholeness.

 

(Sung response)  O for a world where every-one

     respects each other’s ways,

                            where love is lived and all is done

                            with justice and with praise.

 

Once we were given the world to steward, God sent us prophets to direct our stewardship of life.  Those prophets, women and men, young and old, spoke of self-giving and of hospitality, of welcome and of embrace for the stranger.

 

(Sung response)  O for a world where goods are shared

                            with  misery relieved,

                            where truth is spoken, children spared,

                            equality achieved.

We didn’t listen.  Instead, we chose to ignore their prophetic words, turning away from God towards selfishness and greed.  In response, with a love greater than any other known, God sent us Jesus who lived a different life:

 

(Sung response):  The poor are rich, the weak are strong,

       the foolish ones are wise.  

                              tell all who mourn: outcasts belong,

                              who perishes will rise.

 

Jesus invited us to his table … place of communion for people the world over.

 

(Sung response)  We welcome one world family

                             and struggle with each choice

                             that opens us to unity

                             and gives our vision voice …

 

THE COMMUNION

 

PRAYER FOLLOWING COMMUNION

 

HYMN:  As a Fire is meant For Burning   

As a fire is meant for burning with a bright and warming flame,

so the church is meant for mission, giving, glory to God’s name.

Not to preach our creeds or customs, but to build a bridge of care,

we join hands across the nations, finding neighbours everywhere.

 

We are learners, we are teachers, we are pilgrims on the way.

We are seekers, we are givers, we are vessels made of clay.

By our gentle, loving actions, we would show that Christ is light.

In a humble, listening Spirit, we would live to God’s delight.

 

As a green bud in the springtime is a sign of life renewed,

so may we be signs of oneness mid earth’s peoples, many hued.

As a rainbow lights the heavens when a storm is past and gone,

may our lives reflect the radiance of God’s new and glorious dawn.

© Ruth Duck (VU)

THE BLESSING