Call to worship:
The world around us is full of beauty:
We praise your name, O God
For all the gifts of life on earth:
We praise your name, O God
Open our eyes to see your artistry:
Your image in all that you have made
Where our praise is short or silent:
All creation sings out with joy
Here we join creation’s song:
We praise your name O God
God our Creator,
We come together to celebrate your creation:
the bright beauty about us,
the abundance of your providing;
accept this offering of praise as we worship you,
the maker of all. Amen
From: A Heart For Creation. Chris Polhill, 2010, Wild Goose Publications
OR:
He korōria ki te Atua Salute to God
He maungorongo ki te whenua Peacefulness to the land
He whakaaro pai ki te tangata Good will to the people
Ka haere tatau ki te karakia Let us to go worship
Prayer: from the Anglican Church of Australia
A Thanksgiving for Gardens
God of grace, in the story of creation,
you made the earth a garden
and entrusted it to us to till and to keep,
a place of peace and beauty
where we could walk with you.
In the story of redemption,
the one who died for us was buried in a garden,
and there you raised him up
to greet us with new hope and risen life.
In the story of the Church,
you tend us as a garden,
a place of careful pruning and abundant harvest,
where we can work with you.
Meet us, we pray,
in all the gardens where we go
for nourishment, refreshment and prayer,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Reflection:
This reflection is based on some verses from Galatians chapter 5.
Following the reflection there are some questions (choose 2-3) which people can discuss.
There is also the suggestion of an activity which can be done in small groups, as a prayerful response to the reflection and discussion. It could be done with people sitting around tables.
The tables could have the following on them: large sheets of paper e.g newsprint, or at least A3 paper. Felt-tip pens or crayons. Items and/or pictures related to gardens/plant or tree life: seeds, leaves, twigs, birds nests, gardening gloves, flowers, vegetables, fruit etc
Scripture reading: Galatians 5:13b-14, 22-23, 6:8b-10 But through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’…The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control….if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for the family of faith.
Gardening can be a very rewarding way to spend your time. The beauty of plants flowering and the satisfaction of being able to eat and to share the food produced in a garden with others is one of life’s great joys. Gardening is a mix of putting the work in with soil preparation, watering, caring and tending and also simply letting the elements of sun, rain and soil do their good work, watching and waiting for the good growth and abundance to come.
In these verses from Galatians we are invited to reflect on God’s Spirit at work in our lives, the good conditions for flourishing and fruitfulness for us and for the life of the community.
Paul’s concern in his letter to the Galatians is that the church takes hold of the freedom that is found in Christ and the resulting fruitfulness which God’s Spirit will work in people’s lives when they are opened to the gospel. Paul disagrees with the teachers who have been telling the Galatians that following the law and the physical signs of that eg food practises and circumcision, are the key sign of life in Christ. Paul sees this as a distortion of the gospel, whilst still seeing following the law as important in the guidance for living well which it provides. For Paul though, Jesus Christ in his life and through the work of the cross, has fulfilled the law by embodying what loving our neighbour looks like: ‘for the whole law is fulfilled in one word ‘you shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ Galatians 5:14 The invitation is to find our life in Christ’s risen life and to live from that place of freedom, allowing our lives to be shaped and grown by the Spirit, producing life-giving fruit.
The fruit of the Spirit which Paul talks about in Galatians 5:22-23 are a sign that we are all works in progress. A healthy tree keeps on producing fruit, it’s not just a one-off thing. Provided the conditions are right for growth and the tree is well tended, it continues to produce fruit each season.
The thing about fruit is that it is produced not only for the life of the tree itself, it has the potential to nourish and provide food for a community as well as provide the necessary seed for other trees to grow. So it is for us. As the Spirit works within us, as we intentionally create space and the right conditions for growing in Christ with our spiritual practices e.g prayer, reading the Bible, gathered worship, generosity and hospitality we are inwardly transformed by the Spirit in life-giving ways. Our inner transformation is shown by our outer fruitfulness. This means that we add to the flourishing and health of the community as we work for the common good, show compassion and empathy to others, and build one another up through exhibiting ‘fruits’ like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Here are two stories from Presbyterian Support about working for the common good, particularly responding to the needs of children and ensuring their healthy flourishing in their families and wider community:
Click here for Story 1 about Growing our Children from Presbyterian Support
Click here for Story 2 about Growing our Children from Presbyterian Support
For discussion at tables (choose two or three questions to discuss):
-What does the image of the ‘fruit of the Spirit’ mean to you? How can we as a faith community support and encourage each other’s growth?
-How might you/your congregation add to the healthy flourishing of children like the ones you’ve heard about in the stories from Presbyterian Support Northern?
-Are you aware of stories/situations from within your congregation or local community where children are being supported to grow and flourish
-What do children add to our flourishing and growth as a congregation and wider community? What do they teach us about fruitfulness?
-What do you think is needed to help children in our local communities grow and flourish?
-What might a ‘child-rich’ community look like in your neighbourhood?
Prayer/reflection activity:
-Choose one of the plant/gardening items on the table which you feel drawn to…consider what part it plays in the image of ‘growing our children’. Talk in your group about the item each person has chosen.
-Using the items chosen, along with any key words which have come up in group discussion, make a collage on your piece of paper showing what it means to play our part in ‘growing our children.’ Once this task has been completed, people can together move around the tables and each group can explain their collage.
-This could be a good time to distribute the Praying for Children week bookmarks – available for download at the Praying for Children blog: https://resourcingprayerandworship.wordpress.com/
People can sign up on the blog for a daily prayer via email or use the QR code on the bookmark each day to take them to the blog.
Prayer
Dear God, we give thanks for the image of fruit, a sign of health and flourishing.
We think of all those who work alongside children and within communities to provide good conditions for growth.
For parents, grandparents and wider whanau, for teachers, social workers, health professionals and other carers.
We give thanks for their love, dedication and care.
We pray that they get the support, encouragement and resources needed for the important work they do.
May we be people who build others up, who encourage and support those who help to grow our children.
Show us the part we can each play in providing the conditions for the healthy growth of our children, enabling them to find their voice and take their place in our communities.
Help us to stay grounded in our life in Christ, open to the Spirit at work in us, enabling us to love our neighbour and to grow the fruit of the Spirit for the benefit of others.
Poipoia te kākano kia puāwai – nurture the seed so it will blossom.
May your Spirit nurture the seeds of love and compassion in us.
May we nurture the seeds of love and compassion in our families, our church and our neighbourhoods and especially in our children…for their health and flourishing.
We pray in Jesus’ name
Amen
Singing:
Song and hymn suggestions from Natalie Sims (Uniting Church in Australia) around the themes of Spring and ‘all season’: http://lectionarysong.blogspot.com/2010/08/springtime-songs-and-hymns.html
These Hills, Colin Gibson. https://youtu.be/RhXSGIcBobs no. 63 Faith Forever Singing
Praying for Children 