As I was putting together the service for the season of creation's mountain sunday. I though it would be easy to focus on the majestic Southern Alpes in the south Island (they do get a mention) or the really big impressive mountains overseas. But New Zealand is a land of a whole lot of different islands and Auckland a city surrounded by hills and mountains on all sides (even ones sticking out of the ocean to our east) and our city sits on a series of about forty or more volcanic cones... So Just as Jerusalem is surrounded by hills so are we and just like the psalmist uses it to remind the people of Jerusalem that God is with them so these mountains remind us of the same thing.
Some of the imagery and stuff in this prayer may be a bit foreign to many of my readers... But hopefully you'll get the gist of it... here are a couple of explanations. The Bryderwyn's are the hills I remember going over on our way to northern holidays and when we got to the top and saw the ocean and the Whangerei heads it felt like you were finally away from Auckland and on holiday. The summits of the volcanic cones in Auckland have recently been given back to the local Maori tribes... The Bombay's are a very fertile piece of land and provide most of the market gardening for the Auckland region, but because of the sprawl of the city there is competition between food production and housing.
We thank you
for the mountains of our land
Volcanic cone
and bush clad range
North
islands winter snow capped spine
The Southern
Alpes, soaring grandeur
Rolling hills
in farmland green
Beach end
heads, ramparts of land against sea
Thank you
for these mountains of home
Like Jerusalem
we are surrounded by mountains
congregation: We too are surrounded by God’s great love
Hills that seem
so solid and unmovable
Congregation: God is with us now and we with him forever
more
Here we look
to the west and see the rugged Waitakere
They stretch
from wild Manukau mouth to Kaipara head
Plummeting
steeply to pound of Tasman wave on iron
sand
They stand
tall and mysterious against sunset sky
Bush blanketed
and tipped by the regrowth of forest giant
Rain drenched,
providing lush growth and city water to drink
Thank you
for these mountains of home
Like Jerusalem
we are surrounded by mountains
We too are surrounded by God’s great love
Hills that seem
so solid and unmovable
God is with us now and we with him forever
more
To the north
the Bryderwyns stand, little more than a speed bump
Once over
these we feel as if we’ve gotten away on holiday
Coming home,
we have one last glimpse back to refreshing ocean blue,
To the south
Hunua range and Bombay hills,
Rich fertile
soil, market gardened and grazed pasture land
Stalked by
the ever-nearing urban, suburban sprawl
Thank you
Lord for these mountains
Like Jerusalem
we are surrounded by mountains
We too are surrounded by God’s great love
Hills that seem
so solid and unmovable
God is with us now and we with him forever
more
To the east,
A harbour guarded by volcanic cone and tide lapped hill
In the
distance the barrier islands and coromandel’s
Living lifeboats
for native bird, ramparts against pacific swell
In our midst
the long sleeping of volcano vent
Our city
weaving between these cratered hills
Summits sacred
and now to iwi returned
Thank you
for these mountains of home
Like Jerusalem
we are surrounded by mountains
We too are surrounded by God’s great love
Hills that seem
so solid and unmovable
God is with us now and we with him forever
more
Behind us
the blood-stained cross and hill of Calvary,
Where in
Christ’s death we are forgiven and restored
The source
of new life , of fresh and true insight
Before us
the hill of ascension, where Christ went away
We don’t
stand there longingly gazing skyward
We have hope
as we walk through this life, spirit filled
That as he
left, Christ will return again, creation to renew
Thank you
for these mountains of home
Like Jerusalem
we are surrounded by mountains
We too are surrounded by God’s great love
Hills that seem
so solid and unmovable
God is with us now and we with him forever
more
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