Suggestion: ’Refresh’ each page before reading to make sure to get my latest edition

‘The Other Lectionary’ is a suggested ‘southern hemisphere’ Lectionary (with a few Resources added)
offered in parallel to, or even replacement of, the RCL which is in standard use by many

A GATHERING LITURGY FOR THE
CELEBRATION OF LIFE

“...in the end the universe can only be explained in terms of celebration.
It is all an exuberant expression of existence itself”
22 December 2024. Advent 4C. (Blue).

Acknowledgement of Country/First Peoples
(An act towards reconciliation)

For thousands of years Indigenous people have walked
in this land, on their own country.
Their relationship with the land is at the centre of their lives.

We acknowledge the (NN) People of the (N) Nation, past, present, and emerging,
and their stewardship of this land throughout the ages.

First Peoples Statement to the Nation 2017 is called “Uluru Statement from the Heart” 
A Response from Common Dreams5 Conference of Religious Progressives,
Australia/South Pacific 2019

Both found in Affirmations/Manifestoes

And we recognise and give thanks that we humans
are creatures of the Earth living in the ecosystem
—flowers, trees and insects; land, waters and mountain range—
that is unique to (NN).
May we honour one another and honour life itself.

(NN) is a safe place for all people to worship regardless of
race, creed, age, cultural background or sexual orientation

GATHERING

Rich and Striking Visuals
          “The function of beauty… is to make us aware of a reality which is richer and deeper 
          and more marvellous than anything we can dream or conceive.” (Henry N. Wieman)
          Artwork OR Floral/Symbols display (cloths, candles, stones, wood, leaves, flowers, earth, water) OR projection of Film/Video 

Gathering Music

Entry into the Celebration
The gong is sounded three times

v1  The season of Advent challenges us
to see God's vision of what is yet to be,
to hear God's voice calling anew,
to smell the scent of God in our world.

v2  Peace be upon all who enter this house.
Let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life.

Music of Celebration

THE ADVENT WREATH WITH THE CHILDREN
Advent 4
Each night we sleep wearily under a large summer moon.
The nights are short
and the dawn comes soon.
All  Come, companion Jesus, walk with us.

v1  Let us prepare a manger in our hearts for the birth of the sacred.
v3  Why do we light a fourth candle?
v2  This fourth candle reminds us of love.
A fourth candle is lit.

We give thanks that throughout this season of love
there are so many who love with delight
and take no account of cost. (Gretta Vosper/ab)

OR

Advent Wreath – ‘Source of light’
Advent 4
v1   Orange flame burning
fire, breathing, consuming,
refining our thoughts.
Light fourth candle

v2   We give thanks for these flames,
symbols of the sacred that never fails.
All  May we not to extinguish ‘their light'
when Christmas is past.

Note: Check out 'Special Liturgies’ (this site) for the following:

(i) A suggested process for introducing new hymns is called Hymn of the Month
(ii) Additional Special Purpose Hymns cover major international events or themes.They include these categories: 1. Bush (Brush) Fire, 2. Tsunami, Storms/Cyclones, 3. Earthquakes, 4. War/Remembrance, 5. Caregiving, 6. God as Mother, 7. Human Trafficking, 8. Disabled, 9. Migration/Refugees, 10. Terrorist Attacks, 11. Science/Cosmology
(iii) Specific resources on Terrorism
(iv) On Wonder, Awe, and Nature

Hymn/Song  In solidarity with those for whom standing is not easy or possible we will remain seated to sing…
“Anna’s Song”                                                                                                                         55 ISIT
Lift this child to the sun,
Raise this child to the sky;
God has come from above,
Come to earth from on high.
Lift this child, lift this child to the sun.

Lay this child on the ground,
One with us, one with earth;
Let God know in his son,
Human clay, human birth.
Lay this child, lay this child on the ground.

Place this child in the shade,
Hang this child ‘neath a tree;
With his hand on the wood,
May this child set us free.
place this child, place this child in the shade.

Give this child to the world,
Let him be common folk;
God has come to be born,
As an ordin’ry bloke.
Give this child, give this child to the world.  © Norman Habel.

Opening Sentences
Let us acknowledge the awesome mystery embodied in every person.
All  Through us God comes to unique and personal expression.

Let us give thanks
for the abundance of life on this earth.
All  Through it we and all people
may be nourished.  (Michael Morwood/adapt)

Words of Awareness
We gather grateful for the companionship of hearts and minds
seeking to speak the truth in love.

We gather grateful for our heritage,
for the women and men before us
whose prophetic words and deeds
make possible our dreams and our insight.

And we gather grateful for the gift of life itself,
mindful that to respect life means both
to celebrate what life is
and to insist on what it can become.  (Adapt/MSMilner)

OR

We pray:
Spirit of God, you are the breath of life within us.
You call us to be one with you.
You breathe among us in all of creation.

Give us the strength and courage to live in your love.
May it be so.

Hymn/Song  People stand as they are able, to sing
"Sarah's God"  (Tune: 'Leoni', 66.84D)
The God of Sarah praise
who turned her grief to joy
when, after many barren days,
she held her boy.
For laughter out of tears,
and bitterness and strife,
she praised God, after ninety years,
for the gift of life.

The God of Miriam!
She saw her brother found,
and learned, like him, that all God's earth
is holy ground.
When Moses sang a psalm,
'God has triumphed gloriously!'
She led the girls in song and dance
across the sea.

All praise to Mary's God
who overcame her dread.
'Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
Amen!' she said.
She sang, 'My soul, adore
God who brought down mighty kings,
and fills the hungry and the poor
with all good things.'

The matriarchs' God and ours
who leads us onward still,
inspire our hearts, unite our minds
to work God's will.
Rock, Saviour, Maker, Lamb,
we sing your praise anew.
Mother, Father, great 'I am',
we worship you.     BMoss/ssb
The people sit

Welcome  
Or in your own words

A warm welcome is extended to all.
Especially those who are gathering at (NN) for the first time
or who have returned after an absence.

Your presence both enriches us and this time of celebration together.
Refer to printed liturgy. 
 Fellowship hour following the Gathering 
Those visiting, please sign our Visitors book

OR

A warm welcome is extended to all.
Especially those who may be joining us for a first time.

Your presence enriches this gathering and contributes to 
the creative evolution of community. 
Thanks for the gift of you!  (Central United, Moncton, Canada)

CENTERING

Centering  Silence
        Centering silence has its roots in the earliest of monastic traditions of the ‘desert Fathers (abbas)/Mothers (ammas)’ 
        and the Christian mystic tradition… Relaxing into ‘quietness’ creates the space for deep listening and draws you into yourself

Let there now be a quiet time among us.
(Silence)

Hear and feel your quiet breathing.
Hear and feel the quiet of this place
and this community of people.

I invite you look at your hands.

They've been through a lot, those hands...
they have strengths, scars, beauty.

I invite you to remember that it is your hands
that do the work of love in the world:
hold another's hands,
type emails to politicians,
sign cards of consolation and congratulation,
write words urging peace,
bathe children, feed elders, nurse the ill.

These hands, your hands, our hands.
A great mystery of flesh and intention,
A great potential of embodied love.  Christine Robinson/adapt
(Silence)

EXPLORING

Wisdom from the World/Religious Traditions
        “Wisdom is not just special knowledge about something. Wisdom is a way of being, a way of inhabiting the world. 
        The beauty of wisdom is harmony, belonging and illumination of thought, action, heart and mind.” (John O’Donohue)

Reader:  May we be struck by the wisdom of these words
and marked by hearing them.
All  For within story lies meaning, and
within meaning, the wisdom for which we seek.  (Gretta Vosper/ab)

• "You are Christ's Hands"
By Teresa of Avila. The Essential Mystics/206.

Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
no hands but yours,
no feet but yours,

Yours are the eyes through which is to look out
Christ's compassion to the world

Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good;
Yours are the hands with which he is to bless all now.

• "The Magnificat”
Based on Luke 1:46-55 (Scholars Version)
Originally arranged by John Bell (Iona Community, 1993)
A suggestion: A combination of lit and unlit (but burnt wick) candles (of various sizes) being presented.
Lit candles to stand upright. Extinguished candles to be left flat on surface of table, etc.
Those who present come from different parts of the building and not necessarily from just within the worship space.
Nothing to be rushed...

And Mary said, “My soul extols the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has shown consideration for the lowly status of his slave.

“As a consequence, from now on
every generation will congratulate me;
the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name,
and his mercy will come to generation after generation
of those who fear him.
(Candle 1 lit)

“He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has put the arrogant to rout, along with their private schemes;
(Candle 2 placed flat)

he has pulled the might down from their thrones,
(Candle 3 placed flat)

and exalted the lowly;
(Candle 4 lit)

“He has filled the hungry with good things,
(Candle 5 lit)

and sent the rich away empty.
(Candle 6 placed flat)

“He has come to the aid of his servant Israel,
(Candle 7 lit)

remembering his mercy,
as he spoke to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

OR

• Luke 1:39-42, 46- (Inclusive Text)

(For those interested…
You can purchase a copy of the Inclusive Texts/Readings (AU$50) from:
Inclusive Language Project
PO Box 1303
Toombul QLD 4012 Australia)

Mary set out at that time and went as quickly as she could
to a town in the hill country of Judah.

She went into the house of Elizabeth and Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled
with the Holy Spirit.

She gave a loud cry and said,
'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb...'

Silence

(i)  She Who has power to open the womb
has done things for me.

Holy is Her name.
Her mercy flows
through mother to daughter
from generation to generation.

Her maternal strength
strikes at the roots of evil,
and it departs.

She pushes the proud
from the pinnacles of power
and lifts up little people.

She feeds her hungry daughters,
but those who are filled to the brim
with opportunity,
She sends away.

She soothes all those who turn to Her,
remembering Her compassion, 
 keeping Her promise 
to Her progeny forever.  (Miriam T Winter/lp)

OR

(ii)  And Mary sang a song of praise,
jubilant praise,
prophetic praise,
to the glory of her God.

(Can be sung solo)
"Magnificat"
By Miriam T Winter. Woman Prayer. Woman Song/218.

My soul gives glory to my God.
My heart pours out its praise.
God lifted up my lowliness
in many marvelous ways.

My God has done great things for me:
Holy is Her Name.
All people will declare me blessed,
and blessings they shall claim.

From age to age, to all who fear,
such mercy Love imparts,
dispensing justice far and near,
dismissing selfish hearts.

Love casts the mighty from their thrones,
promotes the insecure,
leaves hungry spirits satisfied,
the rich seem suddenly poor.

Praise God, whose loving Covenant
supports those in distress,
remembering past promises
with present faithfulness.

Contemporary Exploration

Silence for Personal Reflection

AFFIRMING

A Litany: Power, Love, and Strong Minds (Optional)
The people stand, as they are able

v1  Within our religious tradition many women have been silenced.
They are given no name.

Today, let us break that silence.

v2  God of our years, our lives are in your hands.
We remember today our foremothers,
who throughout time have used their gifts
of power, love, and the strong minds you gave them
to change the world.

We call upon these foremothers
to help us discover within ourselves our gifts.
All  We remember Sarah, a strong woman of faith
who answered God's call to forsake her homeland
and to put her faith in the promises and covenant of God.
We pray for her power of faith.

All  We remember Esther, Deborah, and Rahab,
who by acts of individual courage saved her people.
We pray for their sound minds and courage
acting for the greater good.

All  We remember Mary Magdala, Johanna, Mary,
and the other women who followed Jesus
and who were not believed
when they announced the resurrection.
We pray for their love and faith in the face of skepticism.

All  We remember Phoebe, Priscilla, and all
the women leaders of the early church.
We pray for their power and creativity that spread the gospel
and inspired congregations.

All  We pray for the love and creativity
of women who were first in their field.
We pray for their power of leadership and their creative thinking.
All  May they be granted power and responsibility
as they open up new possibilities for all women.

We pray for our daughters and granddaughters.
May they be granted the power, love and creative minds
to seek that life which is uniquely theirs.
Wn We have celebrated our power.
We have celebrated our love.
We have celebrated our strong minds.
We have been given these gifts from God.

v1 Spirit of God be with us
in our speaking,
in our loving,
in our searching
and in our celebrating.
All  Amen. May it be so.

Sharing 'The Peace'
Let us take some time to celebrate each other.

May a heart of peace rest with you.
All  And also with you.  (David Galston/q)
You are invited to share the peace with your neighbours.

OR

Namaste
Facing the person with right hand on your heart and a slight bow of the head…

The Divine in me honours the Divine in you.
OR

The Light in me recognises the Light in you.
OR

The spirit within me sees the spirit within you.

Hymn/Song  People stand as they are able, to sing
“A Summer Christmas” (Tune: ‘Christmas Morn’, 76.76D)                                                  14 SNS4
Our summer Christmas season is when we sing with joy
About some loving parents and their baby boy;
We sing when we remember the miracle of birth
With all its pain and beauty - the dawn of wondrous worth.

With thanks we greet the sunshine, release from winter cold;
We welcome gifts of arrest as nature’s ways unfold;
We sing as we remember the stories we are told
Of gifts from eastern strangers, of spices rare and gold.

But brutal heat in summer brings drought and rainless days,
With hostile dust-storms raging and forest trees ablaze;
The brutal side of Christmas - a tale of children slain,
A family flees in terror, escaping Herod’s reign.

As summer has its contrasts, the Christmas tale - the same,
Has happiness and horror, yet through it all we claim
Emanuel - God with us - in human flesh and bone;
And so in joys and dangers the ‘sacred’ can be known.

The humble birth of Jesus begins the trilling tale
Of strength opposing evil, of love that did not fail;
We join the Christmas story when we accept his call
To love as he has shown us, inclusive love for all.   (George Stuart)
The people sit

Offerings

Presentation
Be with us, Loving God, in the breaking:
in the break of day
in the breaking of our lives
in the breaking of our hearts
in the breaking of our hopes.
All  Be with us, Loving God,
for you alone can make us whole.

In Solidarity
Care Candle: 
We are people of all ages who enter this space
bringing our joys and concerns.
Joys and Celebrations; Griefs and Concerns shared

Focused Thoughts:

Listening Response:

May we have courage in uncertain times,
All  Let it all happen.  No mood is final.
May we recognise new beginnings
in what seem to be endings,
All  Let it all happen.  No feeling is final.  (3CExchange)

And so we take this flame and light our special care candle…
The Care Candle is lit

For ourselves, for those named or remembered, 
and in solidarity with those
 who have not the freedom 
to express their concern or celebration
for fear of discrimination or condemnation.

In all our joys and in all our concerns, may we be ever mindful
of the presence of the sacred among us,
and to see new possibilities of the now.

The 'Abba’  Prayer:  (Optional)
You are invited to pray in the spirit of the Abba/Lord's Prayer in your original language, as that is appropriate.

All  Our Mother, whose body is the Earth,
Sacred is thy being. Thy gardens grow.
Thy will be done in our cities,
as it is in nature.

Thanks be this day
for food, and air, and water.

Forgive us our sins against Earth,
as we are learning to forgive one another.
And surrender us not unto extinction,
but deliver us from our folly.

For thine is the beauty, and the power,
and all life, from birth to death,
from beginning to end. Amen.

So be it.
Forever.
Blessed be.  (Henry Horton/lp)

PARTING

Hymn/Song  The people stand as they are able, to sing
"Cloth For The Cradle"  (Tune: Traditional, John Bell)                                                       54(v1-2) HSNW
Chorus:
Cloth for the cradle, cradle for the child,
The child for our every joy and sorrow;
Find him a shawl that's woven by us all
To welcome the Lord of each tomorrow.

Darkness and light and all that's known by sight,
Silence and echo fading,
Weave into one a welcome for the Son,
Set earth its own maker serenading.
Chorus:

Claimant and queen, wage earners in between,
Trader and travelling preacher,
Weave into one a welcome for the Son,
Whose word brings new life to every creature.
Chorus:

Parting Words
May we go forth
in the certainty of faith,
in the knowledge of love,
and in the vision of hope.
All And in our going, may we be blessed
with all good things on this day
and forever more.  HBabcock

Words of Blessing
May the God who dances in creation,
who embraces us with human love,
who shakes our lives like thunder,
bless us and drive us out with power
to fill the world with her justice.
All  Amen. May it be so.

OR

May the compassion of the cosmos,
and the empathy of Earth,
stir within you a consciousness
of a spiritual force in nature
that shares pain,
heals hearts,
and nurtures hope.  (Norman Habel/rm)
All   May it be so!

Hymn/Song  (Cont.)  "Cloth For The Cradle"  (Tune: Traditional, John Bell)                        54(v3-4) HSNW
Chorus:
Cloth for the cradle, cradle for the child,
The child for our every joy and sorrow;
Find him a shawl that's woven by us all
To welcome the Lord of each tomorrow.

Hungry and poor, the sick and the unsure,
Wealthy, whose needs are stranger,
Weave into one a welcome for the Son,
Leave excess and want beneath the manger.
Chorus:

Wrinkled or fair, carefree or full of care,
Searchers of all the ages,
Weave into one a welcome for the Son,
The Saviour of shepherds and of sages.
Chorus:                                  The Iona Community
The people sit after the hymn

'This Week' at (NN)
Notices
Birthdays and Anniversaries
Significant Events
Journey Candles

Music

Fellowship
Morning tea is now served
You are invited to share in this time of fellowship

You are invited to keep this copy of the liturgy and take it home with you
to share with another member of your family, or with a friend

Please include any reproduction of hymns/songs for local church use
on your Music Licence returns, as appropriate

Some of the Resources used in Shaping this Liturgy:
(HSNW) Bell, J. & G. Maule. Heaven Shall Not Wait. Wild Goose Songs Vol. 1. Revised edition. Glasgow: Wild Goose Publications, 1989.
(SSB) Duncan, G. (ed). Shine On, Star of Bethlehem. A Worship Resource for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany. Norwich: The Canterbury Press., 2001.
Funk, R. W. & R. W. Hoover. The Five Gospels. The Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus. New York. Macmillan Press, 1993.
Habel, N. Rainbow of Mysteries. Meeting the Sacred in Nature. Kelowna: Copper House/Wood Lake Publishing, 2012. 
Harvey, A. (ed). The Essential Mystics . New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 1996.
(ISIT) In Spirit And In Truth. A Worship Book. Geneva: World Council of Churches. Seventh Assembly, 1991.
Inclusive Readings. Year C. Brisbane: Inclusive Language Project. In private circulation, 2006.
Morwood, M. Praying A New Story. Richmond: Spectrum Publications, 2003.
Roberts, E. & E. Amidon. Life Prayers from Around the World. 365 Prayers, Blessings, and Affirmations to Celebrate the Human Journey. New York. HarperCollins, 1996.
(SNS4) Stuart, G. Singing a New Song. Traditional Hymn Tunes with New Century Lyrics. Volume 4. Toronto. G Stuart, 2013.
Vosper, G. Another Breath. Prayers for Celebration and Reflection. Brisbane: The Centre for Progressive Religious Thought Brisbane, 2009/2010.
Winter, M. T. "She Who has Power..." in Roberts, E. & E. Amidon. Life Prayers from Around the World. 365 Prayers, Blessings, and Affirmations to Celebrate the Human Journey. New York: HarperCollins, 1996.
Winter, M. T. Women Prayer. Women Song. Resources for Ritual. Hartford: Meyer Stone Books, 1987.

Web sites/Other:
Milner, Hill, Robinson, Babcock. UUA Worship Web. Boston. http://uua.org/spirituallife/worshipweb/index.php
"May we have Courage..." C3 Exchange. www.c3exchange.org 
"Litany..." Uniting Church Special Resources.
David Galston. Quest Learning Centre for Religious Literacy. <http://www.questcentre.ca/>
John Bell. "The Magnificat”. 1993. Direct from the author