Details on the availability of my books, supporting progressive religious thought, HERE
Suggestion: ’Refresh’ each page before reading to make sure to get my latest edition
‘The Other Lectionary’ - 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
“Landscape is an incredible, mystical teacher, and when you begin to tune into its sacred presence,
something shifts inside you”
14 May 2023. Easter 6A. (White).
Mother's Day
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 (NN) Nation, past, present, emerging,
and their stewardship of this land throughout the ages.
First Peoples Statement to the Nation 2017 called “Uluru Statement from the Heart” HERE
A Response from Common Dreams5 Conference of Religious Progressives,
Australia/South Pacific 2019 HERE
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)
Multi-sensory artwork OR Floral/Symbols display (cloths, candles, stones, wood, leaves, flowers, earth, water) OR projection of Film/Slides
Gathering Music
Entry into the Celebration
The gong is sounded three times
We clasp the hands of those that go before us,
And the hands of those who come after us.
All We enter the little circle of each other’s arms,
And the larger circle of lovers,
whose hands are joined in a dance,
And the larger circle of all creatures,
Passing in and out of life, who move also in a dance,
All To a music so subtle and vast that no ear hears it,
Except in fragments. (Wendell Berry)
Let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life.
Lighting of the Community Candle
The community candle is lit
We light this flame to honour our past.
We light this flame to endorse our present as a community.
We light this flame to symbolise our future.
Note: (i) A suggested process for introducing new hymns, called Hymn of the Month, can be found HERE
(ii) Additional Special Purpose Hymns that cover major international events or themes can be found HERE They include the 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) Some specific resources on Terrorism HERE
(iv) On Wonder, Awe, and Nature HERE
Hymn/Song The people stand as they are able, to sing
"I Am That Great And Fiery Force" (Tune: 'Duke St.’ 88.88) 27 SLT
I am that great and fiery force
sparkling in every thing that lives;
in shining of the river's course,
in greening grass that glory gives.
I shine in glitter on the seas,
in burning sun, in moon and stars.
In unseen wind, in verdant trees
I breathe within, both near and far.
And where I breathe there is no death,
and meadows glow with beauties rife.
I am in all, the spirit's breath,
the thundered word, for I am Life. Hildegard of Bingen, 12th Cent.
Remain standing
Opening Sentences
For our community gathered here,
for the spirit that called us together and drew us to this place:
All Let us give thanks.
For moments we have shared with others;
for times when we have reached out across barriers of distance and fear;
for times when others have reached out to us:
All Let us again give thanks.
For our weaving together out of many separate selves
this hour of celebration and reflection:
All We give thanks this day. (JMauldin/adapted)
Act of Awareness
We have gathered in this sacred place, again.
May we continue to create here a circle of love,
ever expanding,
ever growing.
A place of wisdom.
A place of connection.
A place of hope.
OR
We pray:
The Spirit of Creativity is all around us.
We are grateful for the possibility of being ever more aware, human and alive.
Our world touches us in so many ways.
May we consider all that is - the beautiful,
and that which we don't want to read of and think about.
May the joys and the concerns of this present day
move and jolt us to our greater selves
and our greater thoughts. Robert Kleinheksel/adapted
May it be so.
Hymn/Song "We Celebrate the Web of Life" (Tune: CM) 175 SLT
We celebrate the web of life
its magnitude we sing;
for we can see divinity
in every living thing.
A fragment of the perfect whole
in cactus and in quail,
as much in tiny barnacle
as in the great blue whale.
Of ancient dreams we are the sum;
our bones link stone to star,
and bind our future worlds to come
with worlds that were and are.
Respect the water, land, and air
which gave all creatures birth;
protect the lives of all that share
the glory of the earth. (Alicia S Carpenter)
OR
“God of Gumtree and of Quandong” (Tune ‘Blaenwern’)
God of gumtree and of quandong,
granite rocks and rolling plain;
God of pasture sheep and cattle,
fallow land and crops and grain:
You are always here around us
even when we do not know.
Help us realise your presence
that our Spirit life may grow.
Ploughing, seeding, patient waiting
for the harvest of the soil;
Shearing, branding, culling, feeding,
You are with us in our toil.
In the workshop, store and office,
classroom, kitchen, garden, too.
Help us see your gift and glory,
serve you well in all we do.
Scattered in our congregations
yet one body called to be;
reaching out to fellow Christians,
serving the community.
Thanks to You for love that binds us;
for the strength to do your will.
Father keep us true and faithful;
may we love and serve you still. Neville Threlfall.
The people sit after the hymn
Welcome
In your own words
A warm welcome is extended to all.
Especially those who are gathering here 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.
CENTERING
Meditation
"Spirit of Life"
By Barbara Hamilton-Holway
Spirit of life, in us and around us,
here is our chance, once again,
to live like we wish the world would live.
May we find within ourselves
the courage to be who we are.
May we know when it is time to listen
and when it is time to speak.
May we trust ourselves to be the ones to find
the words that need to be said
or to do what needs to be done.
May we trust one another
and know there are many ways to go through life.
May we know that
though we cannot change some of what life gives to us,
we can choose how we deal with what we are given.
We are coming into our power,
and together we can make possible justice and love.
We are all connected;
we depend upon one another more than we know.
We are one body.
So be it.
Blessed be.
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
There is a moment when noise ceases.
When the busy world is quiet
and the day's work is done.
In that moment... in this silence...
may we know God's presentness and God's peace.
(Silence)
Music of Reflection
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 open ourselves to the seeds of wisdom
that lies dormant in this/these reading/s.
All And may our minds be fertile soil
in which it/they may grow strong and true. (Gretta Vosper/ab)
• “To My Mother”
By Akbar Ahmed.
When I walk at night alone
in the deep wadis of her sobs
or when I know that each time I drive fast
or laze the reply to her letters;
when I know that at midnight
she sits up praying to her God
to keep me warm and whole,
when I know that she will still bless me
though I give her eyes cause to tears,
when I know that all my warts and ways
will turn to gold at her simple touch,
then I see through her the God she sits rotating her
beads to and then I know that her God
will always be there for me to reach out and touch.
OR
Goddess of the Leafy vine,
You who sprout from the brown soil
Of creation and are yet diving;
You who creep along the earth
And wind up tree trunks to see the sky;
You who flourish with greenness
And burst forth with ripe red fruit;
Send your church into the world
As the fragile tendril of your love
Longing to gain its foothold:
That all peoples become one with Christ
And dwell with you as Easter people,
Together with You and the Holy Spirit,
World without end. Amen.
(Mary Kathleen Speegle Schmitt, Seasons of the Feminine Divine: Christian Feminist Prayers for the Liturgical Cycle, NY. Crossroad. 1993)
• Mary 4: 1 - 5:9 (A New New Testament)
When the Blessed One had [finished teaching],
he greeted them all, saying, “Peace be with you!
“Bear my peace within yourselves!
Beware that no one lead you astray saying, ‘Look over here!’ or ‘Look over there!’
For the Child of Humanity is within you!
Follow it!
“Those who seek it will find it.
Go then and proclaim the good news of the realm.
“Do not lay down any rules beyond what I determined for you,
nor give a law like the lawgiver,
lest you be confined by it.”
When he had said this, he departed.
But they were pained.
They wept greatly saying, “How shall we go to the nations
and proclaim the good news of the Child of Humanity?
“If they did not spare him, how will they spare us?”
Then Mary stood up.
She greeted them all, and said to her brothers and sisters,
“Do not weep and be pained, nor doubt,
for all his grace will be with you and shelter you.
“But rather let us praise his greatness,
for he has prepared us and made us Humans.”
When Mary said this,
she turned their heart to the Good,
and they began to discuss the words of the Savior.
OR
• John 14:15-21. (Inclusive Text)
Jesus said to the disciples:
'If you love me you will keep my commandments.
'I shall ask the One who sent me,
who will give you another Advocate to be with you for ever,
that Spirit of truth whom the world can never receive
since it neither sees nor knows this Spirit;
but you know the Spirit,
because the Spirit is with you and dwells within you.
'I will not leave you orphans; I will come back to you.
'In a short while the world will no longer see me;
but you will see me, because I live and you will live.
'On that day you will understand that I am in God
and you in me and I in you.
'They who receive my commandments and keep them
are the ones who love me; and they who love me
will be loved by God who sent me,
and I shall love them and show myself to them.'
Contemporary Exploration
And I reckon Marcelo Gleiser’s article from 2014 is also worth reflecting on
Silence for Personal Reflection
AFFIRMING
Litany of Women's Voices (Optional)
v1 Mother God
Spirit-filled Woman
Source of all living things
It was you who breathed life into me.
v2 In your likeness I was formed.
The darkness of your sacred womb enwraps me in the silence of the Holy One
Your creative energy pulsates through every fibre of my being.
You birth forth life within me.
v3 Your abundant breasts continue to sustain my very being.
You carry me close to your heart
And sing your song of love to me.
v4 You hold me close to your heart
And sing your song of love to me.
You hold me close to you and comfort me.
Cradled in your arms, I am at peace.
v5 You bathe me with life-giving waters of your giftedness.
Reflected in your eyes is my dignity as woman.
You nurture me and guide me
v1-5 To proclaim my sacredness as woman of God
You call me forth to image your compassion, love and joy
To a broken world.
All Together we dance life's passionate song. (Mary Kemen/w)
Sharing 'The Peace'
Let us take a moment to celebrate each other.
May a heart of peace rest with you. (David Galston/q)
All And also with you
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.
CELEBRATING
Hymn/Song People stand as they are able, to sing
"You Hold Us With a Tender Parent's Hand" (Tune: "Song 1", Orlando Gibbons) 152 HoS
You hold us with a tender parent's hand,
empower when the load is hard to bear,
uplift us when we hesitate or fall,
surround us with your unremitting care.
You give us courage when our faith is weak;
guide all our deeds, inspire the words we speak.
We give you thanks for unexpected joys,
a sudden smile, reunion with a friend,
delight of violets' fragrance in the air,
the warmth of greeting at our journey's end.
Guard all these special moments in our mind;
your presence in them all we, seeking, find.
From Chrysalis a butterfly appears;
from bud the petals of a flower unfold.
With those whose lives are held within your love
the fractured rock reveals a seam of gold.
Then take us, use us Lord, that we may be
transformed, released to live creatively. (Jocelyn Marshall)
Offerings
Presentation
We give thanks to God for our life
and the courage we are given to live it.
Let our gratitude for life be expressed in our generosity.
Let our faith be expressed in good causes.
Let our belief in the future find full expression
in our daily attitude of mind. (Francis Macnab/fwb)
With the Children
Children gather on the conversation mat
Conversation:
"Somewhere someone:"
The kingdom of love is coming because:
All somewhere someone is kind when others are unkind,
somewhere someone shares with another in need,
somewhere someone refuses to hate, while others hate,
somewhere someone is patient - and waits in love,
somewhere someone returns good for evil,
somewhere someone serves another, in love,
somewhere someone is calm in a storm,
somewhere someone is loving everybody.
Is that someone you? (Binkley & McKeel/jke)
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:
In caring for one another
All May we be untiring.
In sheltering one another
All May we be strong.
In holding one another
All May we be tender. (Gretta Vosper/ab)
And so we take a 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 presentness of the sacred among us,
and to see the new possibilities of the now.
The 'Abba' Prayer: (Optional)
You are invited to pray in the spirit of the Abba/Lord's Prayer, and in your original language, as that is appropriate
All Most compassionate Life-giver,
may we honour and praise you:
may we work with you to establish
your new order of justice, peace and love.
Give us what we need for growth,
and help us, through forgiving others,
to accept forgiveness.
Strengthen us in the time of testing,
that we may resist all evil.
For all the tenderness,
strength and love are yours, now and forever.
Amen. (William L. Wallace)
PARTING
Hymn/Song People stand as they are able, to sing
"Whispers Rippled through the Cosmos" (Tune: 'Nettleton', 87.87)
Whispers rippled through the cosmos,
pan-galactic breath of God;
marking paths of whirling planets,
stellar strings where stars first trod.
Major chords of constellations
ringing on the staves of time,
soften to a sombre minor,
echoes of an ancient rhyme.
God is in this wild confusion
bringing order, giving grace;
author, ground of all creation,
fount of being, Lord of space.
All transcendent power and glory
now distilled, condensed, confined;
shaped while shaping rich resources
cradling waiting humankind. © Andrew Pratt
OR
"Simply To Be" (Tune: "Enfolded", Jane Marshall) 37 TEL
Simply to be, to be in stillness,
simply to trust that God is here,
simply to know the Holy Presence,
is to be blessed:
so am I blessed.
Simply to hold the given moment,
simply to lay concern aside,
simply to to let the heart be speaking,
is to be blessed:
so am I blessed,
so am I blessed within God's keeping,
so am I freed from pointless stress,
steadied to feel the soul replenished,
given this grace,
folded in peace. (Shirley Erena Murray)
Remain standing
Parting Words
As we prepare to leave this sacred space
where we have worshipped together,
let us return to our work enlivened and renewed...
The Community Candle is extinguished
v2 We extinguish this candle,
knowing the light of The Human One is within us,
and we carry it forth from this place.
Words of Blessing
May God the heart of life be deep within us,
God the Christ be present in our history,
and God the Spirit empower us
to sing and dance and celebrate.
All Amen! May it be so!
Hymn/Song “Spirit of Peace” 58 FFS
Spirit of peace,
Spirit of truth,
Spirit of life,
Spirit of earth,
Spirit of Jesus,
Spirit of love,
only one Spirit,
Spirit of God. (John Murray)
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 the moment 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:
Ahlers, J. & R Broughton, & C. Koch. (ed) Women Psalms. Winona. St Mary’s Press/Christian Brothers Publications, (date).
Binkley, C. G. & J. M. McKeel. Jesus and his Kingdom of Equals. An International Curriculum on the Life and Teaching of Jesus. Santa Rosa. Polebridge Press, 2001.
Burgess, R. A Book of Blessings. Glasgow. Wild Goose Publications. 2001.
(FFS) Faith Forever Singing. Songs for a New Day. Raumati. New Zealand Hymnbook Trust, 2000.
Holy Bible. NRSV. Nashville. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989.
(HoS) Hope Is Our Song. New Hymns and Songs from Aotearoa New Zealand. Palmerston North. New Zealand Hymnbook Trust, 2009.
Inclusive Readings. Year A. Brisbane. Inclusive Language Project. In private circulation, 2004.
Macnab, F. A Fine Wind is Blowing: Psalms of the Bible in Words that Blow you Away. Richmond. Spectrum Publications, 2006.
(TEL) Murray, S. E. Touch the Earth Lightly. New Hymns Written between 2003 and 2008. Carol Stream. Hope Publishing, 2008.
(SLT) Singing the Living Tradition. Boston. UUA, 1993.
"God of Gumtree...". Uniting Church Assembly Resources. Sydney, NSW. (Released from time to time.)
Vosper, G. Another Breath. Prayers for Celebration and Reflection. Brisbane. The Centre for Progressive Religious Thought, 2009/2010.
Web sites/Other:
Mauldin, Hamilton-Holway. UUA Worship Web. Boston. < http://www.uua.org/spirituallife/worshipweb/>
"Whispers Rippled through the Cosmos". Andrew Pratt. UK. Hymns & Books blog site. <http://hymnsandbooks.blogspot.com/>
Kleinheksel, C3 Exchange, (2008). Spring Lake. MI. <http://www.c3exchange.org/>
"To my Mother". From Suspended Somewhere Between: A Book of Verse by Akbar Ahmed. Published by PM Press and Busboys and Poets Press, 2011.
David Galston. Quest Learning Centre for Religious Literacy. http://www.questcentre.ca/