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
“...in the end the universe can only be explained in terms of celebration.
It is all an exuberant expression of existence itself”
28 August 2022. Pentecost 12C. (Green).
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)
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 Sing out happiness upon the morning.
Celebrate the famous sun and the comely earth.
Think upon love, that it may grow within us,
and compassion, that it may call us to its service (Kenneth L Patton/sscl).
v2 Let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life.
Lighting of Community Candle
The Community Candle is lit
Life is a gift for which we are grateful.
We gather in community to celebrate
the glories and the mysteries of this gift. MMontgomery/slt
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
“Colourful Creator” (Tune: 'Houghton', 65 65D) 190 TiS
Colourful Creator, God of mystery,
thank you for the artist teaching us to see
glimpses of the meaning of the commonplace,
visions of the holy in each human face.
Harmony of ages, God of listening ear,
thank you for composers tuning us to hear
echoes of the Gospel in the songs we sing,
sounds of love and longing from the deepest spring
Author of our journey, God of near and far,
praise for tale and drama telling who we are,
stripping to the essence struggles of our day,
times of change and conflict when we choose our way.
God of truth and beauty, Poet of the Word,
may we be creators by the Spirit stirred,
open to your presence in our joy and strife,
vessels of the holy coursing through our life. Ruth C Duck.
Remain standing
Opening Sentences
God of all living, we have seen your presence
in the rhythm and surprises of our years.
All You have accompanied us through all that is past.
So we express our thanks.
We recognise your closeness in this day.
All You challenge and encourage us in each act and decision.
So we offer our praise.
Now we look for you
in the promises which stretch before us.
All You meet us with hope.
In this we trust.
Words of Awareness
We are part of all that sustains or destroys life.
Creation and destruction occur in continually unfolding ways.
And so may we open our ears to the continually unfolding Word.
Life speaks to us in new and vital and imperative ways.
With all the power we have been given,
let us be silent and open to listening…
for nourishment,
for comfort,
for challenge and new focus.
May it be so (St Stephen’s Project).
OR
We pray:
Spirit of life and hope, we sense your presence in this place.
Awaken us again to the mysteries that humble us,
the realities that orient us,
the beauty that informs us,
the fellowship that sustains us,
and the creativity that heightens and deepens our living,
that we may give ourselves in honesty and openness
to the larger life before us.
May it be so. (Adapt.CWells)
Hymn/Song "Here We Gather" (Tune: 'Holy Manna') 4 SIF
Here we gather, here we come together
Seeking wisdom, seeking truth.
Minds are ready, hearts are open
To receive what each can give,
Drawing deep from wells of knowledge
Sharing insights old and new,
As we gather, as we come together
Finding wisdom, finding truth.
As we gather, as we come together
Seeking comfort, seeking strength,
Minds are ready, hearts are open
To receive what each can give,
Needs and fears expressed and honoured
Care extended warm and free,
As we gather, as we come together
Finding comfort, finding strength.
Wide world over, we will come together
Seeking justice, seeking peace.
Minds are ready, hearts are open
To receive what each can give,
Deep respect and deep compassion
Lives committed to the cause,
Wide world over, we will come together
Bringing justice, bringing peace. © Scott Kearns 2008
OR
“Nature’s Beauty” (Tune: ‘Regent Square’, 87 87 47 Extend) 4 SNS3
Nature knows her sounds and movements
Heard and seen each day and night;
All her life in rich abundance
Fills my heart with great delight;
Celebrate with adoration;
Thankful for the world so bright.
Fearsome winds cause trees to whimper;
Storms can force the clouds to cry;
Raindrops, snowflakes dance together;
Sun and moon wink in reply;
Celebrate with adoration
All the wonders of the sky.
Celebrate all hidden textures;
Value all the roots below;
Celebrate all covered spendour;
Value beauty not on show;
Celebrate with adoration;
Thankful for the world we know.
Creatures bold and creatures timid
Offer beauty, each unique;
Trees and flowers paint a picture
On the plain and mountain peak;
Celebrate with adoration;
All revealed for those who seek.
We are blest with such profusion;
Beauty bursts out everywhere;
If we take the time to ponder
We may find a thankful prayer;
Celebrate with adoration
Thankful for the world we share (George Stuart).
The people sit after the hymn
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.
Reflection
“A Friendship Blessing”
By John O’Donohue. Anam Cara/60.
May you be blessed with good friends.
May you learn to be a good friend to your self.
May you be able to journey to that place in your soul
where there is great love, warmth, feeling and forgiveness.
May this change you.
May it transfigure that which is negative, distant, or cold in you.
May you be brought in to the real passion,
kinship and affinity of belonging.
May you treasure your friends.
May you be good to them and may you be there for them;
may they bring you all the blessings, challenges,
truth and light that you need for your journey.
May you never be isolated;
but may you always be in the gentle nest
of belonging with your anam cara - soul friend.
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
“Sh'ma: An Interpretation for the 21st Century”.
Adapted from Rabbi Arthur Waskow.
Sh'sh'sh'ma Yisra'el?
Hush'sh'sh…
Listen, you Godwrestlers!
Pause from your wrestling and hush'sh'sh to hear.
Hear in the stillness the still silent voice,
The silent breathing that intertwines life;
Yahh elohenu,
Breath of Life, is our God.
Each breath unique…
Listen, you Godwrestlers!
The world is one,
All its parts are intertwined…,
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: Even as we seek understanding, our minds,
too often, shelter us from the realities we might uncover.
All May we have the courage to hear and hold truths
found within these words. (Gretta Vosper/ab)
• Luke 14:1, 7-13 (Inclusive Text)
On a sabbath day Jesus had gone for a meal to the house
of one of the leading Pharisees; and they watched him closely.
Jesus then told the guests a parable, having noticed how they
picked the places of honour. Jesus said this,
'When someone invites you to a wedding feast,
do not take your seat in the place of honour.
‘A more distinguished person than you may have been invited,
and the person who invited you both may come and say,
"Give up your place to this one."
‘And then, to your embarrassment,
you would have to go and take the
lowest place.
‘No, when you are a guest, make your way to the lowest place
and sit there, so that, when your host comes, you may hear,
"My friend, move up higher."
‘In that way, everyone with you at the table will see you honoured.
For those who exalt themselves will be humbled,
and those who humble themselves will be exalted.'
Then Jesus said to the host,
'When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not ask your friends,
relations or rich neighbours, in case they
repay your courtesy by inviting you in return.
‘No, when you have a party, invite the poor,
the crippled, the lame, the blind;
that they cannot pay you back means that you are fortunate.
Contemporary Exploration
Silence for Personal Reflection
AFFIRMING
A Celebration of Faith (Optional)
In response to the word reflected on, let us stand
and share together a celebration of faith.
The people stand as they are able
v1 There comes a time
All to break the silence.
v2 There comes a time
All to move beyond fear.
v1 There comes a time
All to speak one’s truth, even if it will not be welcome.
v2 There comes a time
All to call into question what has gone before.
v1 There comes a time
All for the singing of a new song, for the claiming of power.
v2 There comes a time
All when we find courage, we dare to know who we are,
and who we love.
v1 There comes a time
All when friends are there, holding us so gently in their love.
(Pause)
v1 There comes a time when the truth at last makes us free.
Life will not be denied!
All Let all hearts swell in glad acceptance,
joyful with the sense of always becoming.
v1&2 For out of the cosmos, out of earth, out of ourselves,
there rises spirit... It rises irresistible in us. (Adapt.KGibbons/C3)
Sharing 'The Peace'
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
“Through Winter Cold” (Tune: ‘Chilcombe’) 139 HoS
Through winter cold and drifted snow,
through bitter wind and biting frost
the silent seeds of spring will grow
and buried dreams will not be lost.
Within God’s world, as seasons turn,
we sleep and grow, with changing need
to shed old concepts and to learn
the faith that sprouts like mustard seed.
It is compassion warms the day
and hugs the lonely or the cold,
speaks out for justice, come what may
when people’s lives are bought and sold.
And as in winter, as in grief
the frozen heart of things in numb,
compassion melts our unbelief
and all is changed, for spring has come. (Shirley Erena Murray)
CELEBRATING
Offerings
Presentation
May our giving and our actions bring these gifts to life:
new hope of healing;
fresh ways of coping;
a chance to rest;
a chance to work;
a way to live gracefully.
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:
As one heart is lifted
All May we share its celebration
As one heart is burdened
All May we share the pain it knows. (Gretta Vosper/wwg)
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:
You are invited to pray in the spirit of the Abba/Lord's Prayer, and in your original language, as that is appropriate
All God - heart of the world:
revealed through every aspect of creation:
understood through our awareness.
May we honour the holiness of creation and act accordingly
so that your love is reflected in the way we live.
May we always be thankful for the food we eat
and the friends we have.
May we forgive those who transgress against us
and be forgiven for our own.
In the freedom of love may we live as your heartbeat
and not be compromised by hesitation.
Through our freedom, may your justice
be seen and heard and experienced
forever and ever. Sherri J Weinberg
PARTING
Hymn/Song The people stand as they are able, to sing
“Nothing is Lost…” (Tune: ‘Greenlane’) 50(v1-2) FFS
Nothing is lost on the breath of God,
nothing is lost for ever;
God's breath is love, and that love will remain,
holding the world for ever.
No feather too light, no hair too fine,
no flower too brief in its glory;
no drop in the ocean, no dust in the air,
but is counted and told in God's story.
Nothing is lost to the eyes of God,
nothing is lost for ever;
God sees with love and that love will remain,
holding the world for ever.
No journey too far, no distance too great,
no valley of darkness too blinding;
no creature too humble, no child too small
for God to be seeking, and finding.
Remain standing
Parting Words
Time has now come for us to leave this sacred place.
As we do, may we embrace the challenges of our lives and our world...
The community candle is extinguished
After the words, a quiet.
After the songs, a silence.
After the crowd only the memory recalls the gathering.
All Peace and justice have need of us
after the words, the music, and the gathering.
God grant you the depth for dedication to justice.
All God grant us the will to be apostles of peace. (Adapt.Max Coots)
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.
Hymn/Song (Cont) "Nothing is Lost…” (Tune: ‘Greenlane’) 50(v3) FFS
Nothing is lost to the heart of God,
nothing is lost for ever;
God's heart is love, and that love will remain,
holding the world for ever.
No impulse of love, no office of care,
no moment of life in its fulness;
no beginning too late, no ending too soon,
but is gathered and known in God's goodness.
(Colin Gibson)
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
Some of the Resources used in Shaping this Liturgy:
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, 2002.
Duncan, G. (ed). Courage to Love. An Anthology of Inclusive Worship Material. Norwich. Canterbury Press, 2002.
(FFS) . Faith Forever Singing. Songs for a New Day. Raumati. New Zealand Hymnbook Trust, 2000.
Funk, R. W. & R. W Hoover. The Five Gospels. The Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus. New York. Macmillan Publishing, 1993.
(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
(SiF) Kearns, S. (ed) Sing it Forward. Traditional Hymns Recast and Rewritten for Non-exclusive Communities. In circulation from the author, 2009.
O’Donohue, J. Anam Cara. Spiritual Wisdom from the Celtic World. London. Bantam Books, 1997.
Patton, K. Services and Songs for the Celebration of Life. Boston. Beacon Press., 1967
Stuart, G. Singing a New Song. Traditional Hymn Tunes with New Century Lyrics. Volume 3. Toronto. G Stuart, 2011.
(TiS) Together in Song. Australian Hymn Book 2. Sydney. HarperCollins Religious, 1999.
Vosper, G. Another Breath. Prayers for Celebration and Reflection. Brisbane. The Centre for Progressive Religious Thought Brisbane, 2009/2010.
Vosper, G. With or Without God. Why the Way we Live is More Important than What we Believe. Canada. Toronto. HarperCollins, 2008.
Web sites/Other:
Wells, Coots. UUA Worship Web. Boston. UUA. < www.uua.org/spirituallife/worshipweb/>
Sherri Weinberg. St Paul's Presbyterian Church. NZ: Devonport, 2004.
Rabbi Arthur Waskow. “Sh'ma: An Interpretation for the 21st Century”. Shalom Center.
"We are part..." One of several non-theistic resources found at: <http://www.ualberta.ca/ST.STEPHENS/resources>
‘There comes a time’. Gibbons. 3C Exchange.