Mountain Sunday (Australian Version 1)
Introduction
Mountain refers to the all the mountains on our planet, near our homes and beneath the ocean. This domain includes the various creatures that inhabit the mountains, especially the wild worlds and strange life-forms that fascinate us and celebrate life with us. Mountains are not domains to be conquered, but to be enjoyed, preserved and explored as wondrous worlds of creation.
Setting
Central to this liturgy is a sense of being on a mountain as well as celebrating with mountains and mountain creatures. As we enter the church or the sanctuary it is helpful if worshippers can experience being in or on a mountain. Images of other mountains in the distance can be projected on screens.
Special Focus
A special focus for this service is a ‘mountain top experience’. We enter into God’s presence in a holy mountain. Like Zion or Sinai, it is the mountain of God. In the second half of the liturgy we hear voices from sacred mountains that call us into God’s presence. We climb these mountains in the imagination of our faith. Finally we hear the voice of Christ inviting us to feast on the mountain of God. God is also present on that mountain in Christ’s body and blood. The melody for the song, Be Still and Feel the Presence of God, is found in Habel Hymns Volume 1 or Australian Lutheran Hymnal # 885.
Themes
In our call to worship we invite all the domains of the mountains to worship with us. In our confession we recall how we have polluted the wild in the mountains. In the readings we become aware of God’s presence revealed on a mountain, whether Horeb, Zion or Calvary. We also discover that our mission is not only to preach the Gospel to all peoples, but also to all creation! We celebrate the Lord’s Supper with Christ on a mountain top. We anticipate a sense of God’s presence in the mountain of God where we worship in this liturgy as the climax to The Season of Creation.
Optional Liturgies
Song of the Sanctuary found in Seven Songs of Creation published by Pilgrim Press (2004) may also be adapted, recognising that the sanctuary of God’s presence is especially evident in sacred mountains on Earth.
Final Sunday in the Season of Creation (Australian Version 2)
Mountain Sunday We worship with creation in the mountains
“The mountains and the hills before you will burst into song” Isa. 55.12
MOUNTAIN SUNDAY
Welcome! We worship this Sunday with the mountains. We sing with the rocks and hills. We enjoy the wonders of the wild. We connect with the mystery of the mountains through majestic rocks that grace our sanctuary. We celebrate in the mountain of God. We receive a fragrant symbol as we enter for worship.
Gathering
the name of Christ, crucified on a mountain, and the name of the Spirit, deep in the mountains. Amen.
People Holy! Holy! Holy! Earth is filled with God’s presence.
L Christ, as we come to into this sanctuary today, we enter the holy mountain of God.
P Holy! Holy! Holy! This mountain is filled with your presence.
Procession and Song
We join in songs with the children as they enter the church holding symbols of the wild in the mountains—strange rocks, gems and banners depicting wild creatures such as eagles and ants. They place these symbols around the rock/mountain in the sanctuary. We rejoice as children light candles and place them on the mountain.
Call to Worship
We celebrate with creation as worship leaders, from different points in the church, call the mountains and the creatures of the mountains to worship with us.
L1 We invite the mountains to worship with us:
P mighty boulders and deep forests, sliding glaciers and swirling snow.
L2 We invite the wild to join us in wonder:
P gliding eagles and rock wallabies, mysterious moths and magic mushrooms.
L3 We join with the mountain creatures in praising God:
P leaping trout and crawling creatures, exotic orchids and honey bees.
L1 We call the depths of the mountains to celebrate:
P precious gems and sparkling stones, volcanic lava and rich red ore.
L2 We enter the mountain of God today:
P and we worship in God’s presence, a sacred place on our planet.
L3 We celebrate the song of the mountain!
P Sing! Mountain! Sing!
L1 We invite you to name mountain creatures to join us in worship:
We name, silently or aloud, other creatures or parts of the mountain and invite then to join us in praising our Creator.
L We celebrate the song of the mountain!
P Sing! Mountain! Sing!
Remembering
We use rosemary, eucalyptus or some other fragrant symbol to assist us to stir our memories and connect with creation.
L We remember the mountains where God chose to reveal a special presence, mount Sinai and mount Zion, a presence that also fills our planet.
P We remember our excitement as a child climbing a peak and viewing creation, wonders that extended almost forever and fascinating creatures around us, the mysteries of God’s wild world.
L We remember and rejoice.
P Thank you, God, for mountains to remember, wild worlds to make us wonder.
Confession
L As I hold this fragrant symbol aloft, we remember and confess that we have become alienated from Earth and viewed mountains as little more tourist spots, hills for mining uranium and riches, or a wild beast to be tamed.
Some waste (tailings) from mountain mines that have polluted the regions and rivers around mines is deposited in water below a set of rocks representing a mountain.
P We are sorry. We have polluted rivers with waste from mountain mines. We have turned the wonders of the wild into a commodity. We have killed creatures in the wild with chemicals. We are sorry. We are sorry.
L We are sorry.
P We are sorry. We are sorry.
Absolution
L Christ hears your confession from Mount Calvary and forgives your sins against the wild.
P Christ, teach us to love Earth as our home and mountains as gifts for wonder.
L. I speak for Christ: I invite you to come home to Earth By rejoicing in our mountains.
P Shalom! Shalom! We are coming home!
Christ Have Mercy
L As we come home to Earth.
P Christ, have mercy.
L As we seek to love our home.
P Christ, have mercy.
L As we seek to care for our kin.
P Christ, have mercy.
Glory to God
L Glory to God in the highest!
P And on Earth peace with our kin in creation!
Prayer for the Day
Readings for Mountain Sunday
Old Testament: Isaiah 65.17-25 ‘Good News from a Holy Mountain’ The prophet dreams of Mount Zion being transformed into a ‘peace mountain’, an ecosystem where humans and animals live in harmony.
Psalm: Ps. 48.1-11 ‘Mount Zion, God’s holy mountain’ The Psalmist hails Mount Zion as the ‘city of God’ that rejoices in God’s presence.
Epistle: Romans 8.28-39 ‘No separation from God’s love’ Creation in no way separates us from the love of God in Christ.
Gospel: Mark 16.14-18 ‘Good news for all creation’ Our mission is to ‘go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation’.
Children’s Address: Rocky, the Rock Prayer: Thank you God for rocks and mountains that are the bones of our planet.
Affirmation of Faith
L Let us affirm our faith together.
Women We believe that God creates all things, renews all things and celebrates all things.
Men We believe Earth is a sanctuary, a sacred planet filled with God’s presence, a home for us to share with our kin.
Women We believe that God became flesh and blood, became a piece of Earth, a human being called Jesus Christ, who lived and breathed and spoke among us, suffered and died on a cross, for all human beings and for all creation.
Men We believe that the risen Jesus is the Christ at the core of creation reconciling all things to God, renewing all creation and filling the cosmos.
Women We believe the Spirit renews life in creation groans in empathy with a suffering creation, and waits with us for the rebirth of creation.
Together We believe that with Christ we will rise and with Christ we will celebrate a new creation.
Passing of the Peace
L Let us share the peace of the Lord with one another.
P The peace of the Lord be with you
Song
Sermon or Reflection
Song
Offering Prayer
L God, our Creator, through your love you have given us these gifts to share. Accept our offerings as an expression of our deep thanks and our concern for those in need, including our fellow creatures on planet Earth.
Prayers of the People
We thank God for a wondrous creation. We celebrate with all our kin. We pray for all those in need. We name them now. We close with the following prayer.
Meal on the Mountain
(Background mountain music)
Voice 1 I hear a voice from Mount Zion, the sacred mountain, calling, calling.
(Brief call from a flute or some other instrument)
Voice 2 (from a high point in the church) Come up to me. Come into my presence. Come into my mountain.
Voice 1 Who is calling? Who is calling from the mountain?
Voice 2 This is the mountain of God, where Peter stood with Jesus. You are all invited.
Voice 1 And I heard the voice of Peter say:
Voice 2 It is good, Lord, for us to be here. It is good to be on the mountain with you.
Voice 1 I heard a another voice cry from the mountain the high mountain of God,
(Brief call from a flute or some other instrument)
Voice 2 Come up the mountain as Moses did, enter my presence today. Don’t be afraid!
(Choral refrain or sounds from a mountain) Choral Refrain (softly): Be still and feel the presence of God, The presence pulsing, filling this place. Be still and feel the pulse of God.
Voice 1 I heard a voice from the mountain of God calling as God did to Elijah, long ago,
Voice 2 I am present today, not in the storm or the earthquake but is the silence, the soft voices of the mountain. I am waiting for you.
Choral refrain (softly); Be still and feel the silence of God, The Spirit breathing, breathing through Earth. Be still and feel the breath of God.
Voice 1 And I heard a voice call from the mountain, a voice in pain:
(Brief call from a flute or some other instrument)
Voice 3 I thirst! I thirst! (Pause) Father into your hands I commend my spirit.
Choral refrain (softly); Be still and feel the anguish of Christ, His spirit pulsing, pulsing through Earth. Be still, behold the death of God.
(Brief silence)
Voice 1 In the silence of the dawn I heard again a voice from the mountain,
Voice 3 Come to the feast on my mountain! Come dine with your risen Lord!
Voice 1 And I heard the voice repeat the words of the Last Supper:
(Brief call from a flute or some other instrument)
Voice 3 Take and eat, this is my body which is given for you.
Take and drink, this cup is the new covenant in my blood which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sin.
Come eat and drink with me.
Voice 1 Then I heard Peter and all the disciples say,
Voice 2-3 It is good for us to be here at your table.
(Call from a flute or other instrument)
Voice 1 And I heard Jesus repeat his invitation from the presence of God:
Voice 3 You are all invited to this holy place, all peoples and all creatures. Put aside your differences and be one as you eat and drink with me.
Come one. Come all! For the feast is prepared in the presence of God, on the mountain of God.
Choral refrain (softly); Be still and feel the presence of God, The presence pulsing, pulsing from Christ. Be still and taste the bread of life.
Prayer before Meal
Jesus Christ, our host, We join you on your mountain today. Surround us with your light. Stir us with you voice. Heal us with your touch. Fill us with you love. Dine with us, today. Refresh us with your blessing in the bread and the wine. Amen.
Distribution
Distribution Songs
Thanksgiving
L Let us give thanks for this meal on the mountain.
Sending Out
L Christ calls you to be his disciples, to come down the mountain and serve him by caring for creation, especially the mountains where we celebrate God’s presence with our kin.
Hold again the fragrant symbol in your hands. Will you care for creation?
P We will care for creation! We will rejoice in the mountains. We will celebrate God’s presence!
Blessing
L May the Spirit of God blowing from the mountains, fill you with the knowledge of God’s presence in Earth and the pulsing of Christ within you.
Go in peace! Serving Christ and loving Earth!
P We go in peace, serving Christ and loving our home.
Recession and Song
We join the children in song as they process from the church. We cry with the prophet: ‘The mountains and hills will burst forth in song before you’ Isa. 55.12.
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