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”

19 March 2023. Lent 4A. (Purple).

World Water 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/Video 

Refreshment Station/Water Basins
Pottery basins are set on stands near the entrance to the Gathering space. 
Attendees are invited to dip their hands in the cool water in the basins as they arrive. 
Or to rinse each other’s hands. 

That we may relax, be refreshed, and prepare for this time together.

(Note: A small sign is placed above the basin explaining that as they dip their hands in the water, they are invited to relax and try to mindfully set aside or release for a time anything that might be preventing them from being fully present—each traveller rinsing the “dust from the road”).

OR

(A suggestion of other words)
We come together from our separate lives,
each of us bringing our concerns, our preoccupations,
our hopes, and our dreams.

We are not yet fully present.
The traffic, the last-minute cooking, the final details still cling to us.
Our bodies hold the rush of the past few hours.

It is now time to let go of these pressures and really arrive…   

When you are ready, repeat silently to yourself: ‘Hineini’ or ‘Here I am’.
Hineini is used in the Torah to signify being present in body, mind, and spirit.

It means settling into where we are and simply being “here”. (Adapted/Nan Fink Gene)

Gathering Music

Entry into the Celebration
The gong is sounded three times

Blessed be the changing seasons of our living.
Blessed be the reliable balancing act of nature.
Blessed be the rededication of values and meaning of life.

Let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life.

Lighting of the Community Candle
The Community Candle is lit

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 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 HERE
(iv) On Wonder, Awe, and Nature  HERE

Hymn/Song  The people stand as they are able, to sing
“God Who Carved... Landscape”  (Tune: ‘Dansey’).                                                              31 FFS
God who carved this timeless landscape,
snow-clad ridge to valley plain,
power of surging race and river,
limestone crag and scarred terrain;
maker still of earth, fire, water,
artistry of sight and sound,
Southern lights and sunset splendour,
raise our eyes and you are found.

Calendar of nature's balance,
rhythms of the farming year,
shearing, milking, ploughing, pruning,
manger setting ever near!
lonely struggle in the byways,
nor'west dust or snow and flood,
fellowship of tears and laughter:
Lord, with you, we're understood.

Giving thanks for those before us,
village life and tussock track,
as we turn to face the future,
history's wind upon our back;
scattered are our congregations,
each now shares in ministry,
bonding strength of work together:
spirit of community.  (Doug Grierson)
Remain standing

Opening Sentences
We are people of faith.
We are called to listen for the wind;
to encounter the Spirit.
All  Who will tell us what God wants us to do?

Our pioneers in the faith dared to trust God;
they left all to follow a call and a promise.
All  Where is it that God wants to lead us?

We have received the promise of steadfast love.
All  God has blessed us, and our hearts are glad.

Words of Awareness
We come together in this hour...
in a wider search for truth and purpose.

In this quest, may we
greet one another with open hearts and minds;
inspire each other to consider new questions
and seek deeper meaning;
and cultivate both wisdom and compassion.

Let all who enter this sacred place
find comfort in this community.

OR

We pray:
Awesome and gracious God,
you who are the power that brings us to life
and the spirit that sustains us.

May we become what is in our power to become.
May it be so.

Hymn/Song  “Here in the Busy City”                                                                           166 AOV2
Here in the busy city 
now let the church be seen
where lesser gods are worshipped
in money and machine;
where news is but sensation,
the Good News hardly heard
now let the church take action
in living out the word!

In policies and planning
the church be there to speak
to moderate the powerful,
to argue for the weak:
where law must sit in judgement
and love is little known,
there at the crisis centre
the Christ concern be shown.

Where litter chokes the gutter
and people go to waste,
where joblessness is bitter
and living lost its taste
to underlevened people
be proof of rising yeast,
in lives devoid of flavour
be saltiness released!

Here in the busy city 
 God walks on every street 
 in generous or greedy, 
 the honest or the cheat, 
 and daily we must offer 
 the good that goes unpriced 
 with vigour and with vision 
 the lifestyle of the Christ.  (Shirley Erena Murray)

OR

“Of the Mulitude of Words”  (Tune:  ‘Vienna’, 77.77)                                                         16 TMT
Of the multitude of words
held within the Bible's wall,
some bring life and some spread death,
some can liberate us all.

Should our use of sacred words
put all other views to flight?
Does our inner certainty
justify abuse of might?

Are our ways of using strength
open for the world to see?
Do they hide behind the texts
masking our transparency?

Loving God, the source of truth,
help us clearly to discern
what brings death and what brings life,
life for which our spirits yearn.

Then O God of spirit life,
we shall live with openness,
giving all the right to be
their true selves with graciousness.  (William L Wallace)
The people sit

Welcome
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.

CENTERING

Presentation of Water Basins
Words which acknowledge that the dust of many roads and many life experiences has been rinsed into the basins, and calls for the contents of the basins and the gathering to be transformed, renewed, and more fully alive

The dust of many roads and may life experiences
has been washed in this refreshing water.
For this place is a sacred place.

May we
greet one another with open hearts and minds;
inspire each other to consider new questions
and seek deeper meaning;
and cultivate both wisdom and compassion.

And may this time together empower us to take some new steps
so all our living is transforming and the
yearning of our hearts become reality.
The bowls of water are removed from the Gathering space and poured on an outside garden

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

So we come apart from the busyness of family and work…
In the silence of this place
may we give our attention right now
to each other,
to new beginnings,
to this time,
to this season.
(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 be open to the possibilities
we hear in these stories,
All  And the possibilities that lie within each of us.

• “Space Between the Stones”
By Kai Siedenburg. Space Between the Stones/57

A lesson
I am still learning:

not to toss
stones into the pond
one after the other,

compelled by
a seductive
yet unattainable ideal
of constant
forward motion—

but rather
to allow space
between the stones,

to let
the ripples expand
into stillness

so I can
clearly see
the treasures
just below the surface.

• John 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 33-34  (Inclusive Text)

Jesus went along and saw a man blind from birth.
Jesus spat on the ground, made mud with the spittle,
put this over the eyes of the blind man, and said,
“Go and wash in the pool of Siloam'.

So the blind man went off and washed,
and came away with sight restored.

The neighbours and people who earlier had seen him begging, said,
'Isn't this the one who used to sit and beg?'
Some said, 'Yes, it is the same one.'
Others said, 'No, he only looks like him.'
The man said, 'I am the one…'

They brought the man who had been blind to the Pharisees.
It had been a sabbath day when Jesus made the paste 
and opened the man's eyes,
so when the Pharisees asked how he had come to see, he said,
'The one they call Jesus put paste on my eyes,
and I washed and I can see.'

Then some of the Pharisees said,
'This Jesus can not be from God: he does not keep the sabbath.'

Others said, 'How could a sinner produce signs like this?'
And there was disagreement among them.

So they spoke to the blind man again,
'What do you have to say about this Jesus yourself,
now that he has opened your eyes?'
'He is a prophet', replied the man.

'Are you trying to teach us,' they replied, ‘and you a sinner
through and through, since you were born!'
And they drove the man away.

OR

• John 9:1-7 (An Adaptation)
By Helen Garton. Courage to Love/223

As he went on his way he saw a woman who had been gay from birth.
His disciples asked him:
‘Rabbi, whose sin caused her to be lesbian?
Hers or her parents’ sin?’

Jesus answered:
’Neither she nor her parents sinned;
she was born that way so that God’s work might be revealed in her.
While the day lasts, we must carry on the work of God; night is coming,
when no one can work. While I am in the world I am the light of the world.’

With these words, he spat on the ground and made a paste with the spittle;
he spread it on the disciples’s eyes and immediately
her pain eased and she was able to be herself.

Contemporary Exploration
• A Sermon suitable for this day can be found in my book, Against the Stream. Progressive Christianity Between Pulpit and Pew.

Silence for Personal Reflection

AFFIRMING

An Affirmation of Peace and Justice  (Optional)
In response to the Word reflected on, let us stand and share together 
an affirmation written by some people in Indonesia.
The people stand as they are able

All  I believe in God, who is love and who has given the earth to all people.
I believe in Jesus Christ, who came to heal us
and to free us from all forms of oppression.
I believe in the Spirit of God,
who works in and through all who are turned to towards the truth.
I believe in the community of faith,
which is called to be at the service of all people.

v1  I do not believe in the right of the strongest,
nor the force of arms, nor the power of oppression.
v2  I believe in human rights, in the solidarity of all people,
in the power of non-violence.
v3  I do not believe in racism,
in the power that comes from wealth and privilege,
or in any established order that enslaves.

v4  I believe that all men and women are equally human,
that order based on violence and injustice is not order.
v5  I do not believe that war and hunger are inevitable and peace unattainable.
v6  I believe in beauty of simplicity,
in love with open hands, in peace on earth.
All  I do not believe that suffering needs to be in vain,
that death is the end, that the disfigurement of the world
is what God intended.

But I dare to believe always and in spite of everything,
in God’s power to transform and transfigure,
fulfilling the promise of a new heaven and a new earth
where justice and peace will flourish.  Adapted from an Indonesian creed/dd

Sharing 'The Peace’  (Optional)
Let us take a moment 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
“Rejoice, for Things”  (Tune: ‘Dunedin, LM)                                                                  10 RP
Rejoice, for things are as they are;
don’t flee as clouds that flow and drift
on wings of wind that shift and change;
God’s love will comfort, calm and lift.

For God is your celestial shield,
no cosmic power, nor human scheme
will separate you from that love
no matter how your terrors teem.

Your going out, your coming in
are safe, whatever, come what may.
You know the reason to rejoice
so sing God’s praise by night, by day.  (Andrew Pratt)
• Partly inspired by Psalm 121 and Romans 8 v38-39

OR

“Praise Death and Birth amid the Stars”  (Tune: ‘Lasst Uns Erferuen’, 88 88 Alleluia)
Praise birth and death amid the stars
Whence came all atoms that we 
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise cosmic temporality
Each moment precious as can be
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Praise birth and death upon this Earth
Rejuvenation and rebirth
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise beauty, rise, and then depart
Fullness of spirit, breaking heart
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia!  (Connie Barlow)

CELEBRATING

Offerings

Presentation
In a world so full of what is wonderful,
ever changing, ever surprising us with life’s
power and beauty, may we accept with gratitude,
all that gladdens us, and with fortitude
all that brings us grief.

Let us be learning always,
from all that we see and do, and
from all that happens to us.  (Adapt.A Powell Davies/lth)

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 in your original language, as that is appropriate

All  Eternal Spirit
Source of all that is and ever shall be,
Loving Parent in whom we discern heaven,
May knowledge of your holiness inspire all peoples.

And may your commonwealth of peace and freedom
flourish on earth, until all of humankind
heed your call to justice and compassion.

May we find the bread that we need for today.
And for the hurts we cause one another
may we be forgiven in the same measure
that we forgive.

In times of trial and temptation, help us to be strong;
When life seems overwhelming, help us to endure;
And thus from the yoke of sin deliver us.

May you reign in the power of human love,
Now and forever.  (Tom Hall)

PARTING

Hymn/Song  The people stand as they are able, to sing
“Certain of Uncertainty”  (Tune: ‘Forest Green’)
In life with such uncertainty
We long to feel at peace;
But with no proven guarantee
We feel our stress increase.
When in the maze we grope each day,
‘Confusion’ is our name;
When change can ruin life we say,
“Please, let things stay the same.”

Sometimes our journey feeds our fear,
Can lead us to despair,
But in these times we need to hear
From Jesus and his care.
He trusted ‘Love’ would find a way
To ease his troubled soul;
He found that ‘Love’ would always say,
“My strength shall make you whole.”

Disease, distress can take control
And test our firm resolve
To be a source that would console,
That helps our fears dissolve.
In human ways we play our part
When hearing Jesus’ call;
He said “Fear not.”  He’s in our heart
When helping those who fall.

OR

“We Laugh, We Cry”  (Tune: ‘Credo’, Irreg.)                                                               354(v1-2) SLT
We laugh, we cry, we live, we die;
we dance, we sing our song.
We need to feel there’s something here
to which we can belong.
We need to feel the freedom
just to have some time alone.
But most of all we need close friends
we can call our very own.

And we believe in life,
and in the strength of love;
and we have found a need to be together.
We have our hearts to give,
we have our thoughts to receive;
and we believe that sharing is an answer.

A child is born among us and
we feel a special glow.
We see time’s endless journey
as we watch the baby grow.
We thrill to hear
imagination freely running wild.
We dedicate our minds and hearts
To the spirit of this child.

And we believe in life,
and in the strength of love;
and we have found a time to be together.
And with the grace of age,
we share the wonder of youth;
and we believe that growing is an answer.
Remain standing

And… (A Story)

A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they'd be asked the "half empty or half full" question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she enquired: "How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

She continued, "The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything."

Remember to put the glass down.

Parting Words
The God we worship is never confined to this holy place.
So go and travel with the God
who is found in ordinary and surprising places.
The Community Candle is extinguished

Take off your shoes:
All  Hear a word that leads to danger.
The ground on which you stand is holy ground.

Go speak a word:
All  Challenge lies that mean oppression.
The world in which you live is God’s domain.

Come travel on:
All  Leave a past which wants to bind you.
The place towards which you go is promised land.  GAinger/dd

Words of Blessing
The blessing of God:
star maker, friend maker, wisdom maker,
make and remake you
in the image of God.  (Ruth Burgess/bb)
All  Amen! May it be so!

Hymn/Song  (Cont) “Certain of Uncertainty”  (Tune: ‘Forest Green’)
We find our true humanity
When ‘Love’ directs our course.
Inspired by Jesus’ melody
Of hope, with all its force;
He is our guide when life is grim;
He’s with us in our strife;
We stride together. Trust in him
Who came to bring us life.

We cannot see what lies ahead;
It mostly is unknown;
But ‘God in us’ shares every dread;
We need not feel alone.
Together we can help ‘Love’ grow;
Together stand as one;
Our human love can make it so;
Our future can be won.  (George Stuart, In response to the Coronavirus Pandemic)

OR

“We Laugh, We Cry” (Tune: ‘Credo’, Irreg.)                                         354(v3-4) SLT
Our lives are full of wonder and
our time is very brief.
The death of one among us
fills us all with pain and grief.
But as we live, so
shall we die and when our lives are done
the memories we shared with friends,
they will linger on and on.

And we believe in life,
and in the strength of love;
and we have found a place to be together.
We have the right to grow,
we have the gift to believe;
that peace within our living is an answer.

We seek elusive answers to
the questions of this life.
We seek to put an end to
all the waste of human strife.
We search for truth,
equality, and blessed peace of mind.
And then, we come together here,
to make sense of what we find.

And we believe in life,
and in the strength of love;
and we have found a joy being together.
And in our search for peace,
maybe we’ll finally see;
even to question, truly, is an answer.  (Shelly Jackson Denham)
The people sit after the hymn/song

'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

During Lent…

As a family, be more mindful of how we live in partnership with the earth. Consider not only what you may choose to give up, but also what you may choose to do. This sample list of earth-friendly activities may give you/family members some ideas. Then when Easter comes, we can truly celebrate the renewal of life.

1. Search out information about any local wildlife creatures. Share what you discover with others.

2. Make a wildlife or habitat map of your back yard or neighbourhood.

3. Set up a bird feeder. Note how many different varieties of birds attend.

4. Take care of houseplants.

5. Recycle shopping bags or use a sturdy cloth bag when going to the supermarket.

6. Use natural light when possible.

7. Recycle clothes by passing them along to friends, family, or local thrift shops.

8. Avoid using styrofoam or plastic containers and products.

9. Go on a walk and observe nature - plants, water, insects, bird life.

10. Talk to grandparents or local ‘old-timers’ about how the local neighbourhood has changed over the years. How has their relationship with the area changed?

11. When visiting a supermarket, pause… What plant or animal died to provide your favourite foods? What died to provide food for your food?

12. Spend a clear evening counting falling stars.

13. Monitor social media for stories on any new scars that were made on the earth. Create an album of newspaper clippings and look for patterns or trends.

14. Write a letter to a company or agency that is creating earth scars (a pesticide company for example). Cite the effects about which you are concerned and encourage corrective action.

Some of the Resources used in Shaping this Liturgy:
(AOV2) As One Voice2. Uniting God's People in Song. Manly Vale. Willow Connection.
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.
Davies, A. P. The Language of the Heart. A Book of Prayers. Washington, DC. All Soul’s Church, 1956.
Duncan, G. (ed). Courage to Love. An Anthology of Inclusive Worship Material. Norwich: The Canterbury Press, 2002.
Duncan, G. (ed). Dare to Dream. A Prayer and Worship Anthology from Around the World. London. Fount/HarperCollins, 1995.
(FFS) Faith Forever Singing. Songs for a New Day. Raumati. New Zealand Hymnbook Trust, 2000. 
Inclusive Readings. Year A. Brisbane. Inclusive Language Project. In private circulation, 2004.
(RP)  Pratt, A. Reclaiming Praise. Hymns from a Spiritual Journey. London. Stainer & Bell Ltd., 2006.
(SLT) Singing the Living Tradition. Boston. UUA, 1993.
Vosper, G. 2009/2010. Another Breath. Prayers for Celebration and Reflection. Brisbane. The Centre for Progressive Religious Thought Brisbane.(TMT) Wallace, W. L. The Mystery Telling. Hymns and Songs for the New Millennium. Kingston. Selah Publishing, 2001.

Web sites,/Other etc:
(General) UUA Worship Web. Boston. <www.uua.org/spirituallife/worshipweb/>
Tom Hall. "The Lord's Prayer". Direct form the author. (Also published in The Fourth 4). 
“God’s Word, God’s World” Shirley Erena Murray. Direct from the author.
Connie Barlow. www.thegreatstory.org/songs.html  (Songs and Hymns of the Universe)
Refreshment Station. Words by Nan Fink Gefen, taken from an Evolutionary Passover Haggadah by Tree Bressen.