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LITURGY FOR THE CELEBRATION OF LIFE

21 August 2016. Pentecost 14C. (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 and their stewardship
of this land throughout the ages.

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

GATHERING

Gathering Music

Entry into the Worship
The gong is sounded three times

Let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life.

Lighting of Community Candle
The Community Candle is lit

As we see and feel the warmth of this flame,
may we also experience the warmth
of the presentness of God.

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

Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
“Children of the Human Race” (Tune: ‘Aberystwyth’, 77 77D. 211(i) TiS)   302 SLT
Children of the human race,
off-spring of our Mother Earth,
not alone in endless space
has our planet given birth.
Far across the cosmic skies
countless suns in glory blaze,
and from untold planets rise
endless canticles of praise.

Should some sign of others reach
this, our lonely planet Earth,
differences of form and speech
must not hide our common worth.
When at length our minds are free,
and the clouds of fear disperse,
then at last we’ll learn to be
Children of the Universe. (John A Storey)
Remain standing

Opening Sentences
God of all time, God of eternity
All  our years belong to you.
Our endings are often your beginnings.
All  Our dreamings are often your realities.
You affirm our past
All and give life to our future.

Act of Awareness
We give thanks for the opportunity we have
to gather and to celebrate this day.
May we be surrounded with a very real sense
of the presentness of the Source and Sustainer of all that Exists.
May the Spirit of Wisdom inspire and challenge us.

OR

We pray:
Remind us, O Spirit, that life is worth living.
Remind us, O Creator, that the struggle for justice
is worth undertaking.
Remind us, O Mercy, that love and action are one.

May it be so with us. (Nelson-Pallmeyer/wsj)

Hymn “Great God of Many Names”  (Tune: 66 84 + Choru: 444)     39 WNC
Great God of many names:
Jehovah, Allah, Lord,
Christ, Brahman, Spirit, Adonai;
We worship you.
Chorus:
Whatever name,
whichever face,
we worship you.

With pomp and pageantry
Beneath an onion dome,
Or in a bare and simple room,
we worship you.
Chorus:

In chapel, mosque or shrine
we wait to praise your name,
through icon, book or choir
we worship you.
Chorus:

With tabla or guitar,
or with a thousand lights,
through fasting, feasting, fellowship
we worship you.
Chorus:

With formal dress or free,
we meditate or dance,
through pesach, hajj or nam simran
we worship you.
Chorus:

Whatever name or creed,
enlightenment or book,
we seek you through our pilgrimage
and worship you.
Chorus:
Whatever name,
whichever face,
we worship you.  (Andrew Pratt)
The people sit after the hymn

Welcome
In your own words

A warm welcome is extended to all.
Especially those who are worshipping 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 worship.
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)

Reflection
“Like”
Bruce Prewer. More Australian Psalms/62.

Faith-like,
the wild budgerigars
that neither sow nor store
yet at the break of day
flock out to be fed.

Truth-like,
the relentless wind
bursting upon the hillside bush,
testing alike sapling roots
and forest giants.

Grace-like,
the spring sunshine
that always rises to shine
upon both saints and sinners
without distinction.

Love-like,
the mother kangaroo
that allows her young to leave
the pouch and test its strength
in a dangerous world.

Christ-like,
the vines facing east
that suffered winter pruning
but are now rampant
with life renewed.

We-like,
the little desert seeds
that waited ages for the rains
but soon will be robed,
more glorious than kings.

Silence

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

May the silence remind us of the best hours we have known,
and strengthen our resolve to live in that spirit
which gives the better meaning to our lives. Bob Holmes
(Silence)

Music of Reflection

EXPLORING

Readings from our broad Religious Tradition
Some readings from our broad religious tradition
shall now be presented by (NN).

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)

World Around Us:
“Let Joy Break Out!”
By Donald Hilton.  Liturgy of Life/145.

Let joy break out, eternal God!
Take the self-imposed blindfold from our eyes,
Rob us of the crutches we so dearly love.
Unshackle mind and heart,
And grant the freedom you have ever planned.

Let joy break out!
Throw open wide the gate to life
and help us find ourselves.

Let joy break out!
and flood our lives;
creation spilling out its brilliant gifts,
love finding itself lost in love,
silence deepened, and all sound enhanced.

Let joy break out!  And break again!
as your fatherly love enfolds us
as Jesus speaks the intimate Word
and the Spirit enlivens our half-deadened lives.

Let joy break out!  And joy again!

OR

“All Our Relations”
By Gary Kowalski

Our time is short here on the earth.
Around us swirl immensities of time and space,
A universe infinite in all directions.
How small our hopes and cares seem
Amid the panorama of creation.
Yet we are not separate from the cosmos
But have evolved and grown out of it,
Like the leaves of a tree
Or the waves upon a sea.
And our thoughts are its thoughts,
Our lives a manifestation of never ending vitality,
Our spirits a microcosm
Of the beauty and creativity of the whole

Fill us then with reverence and compassion
For all who are our kin,
Cloud and sun, sibling and cousin,
The multitude of beings
Who share this improbable and never-to-be repeated moment,
All expressions, like ourselves,
Of the Mind-at-Large,
The Spirt-at-Play,
The Dynamism-at-Work,
In whom we live and move
And whom we will never know.

Traditional Gospel:OR

New Gospel:
The Odes of Solomon 8:1-6

Open; open your hearts to the dancing joy of the Lord
And let your love abound from heart to lips:

In order to bring forth fruits for the Lord, a holy life,
And to speak with attention in his light.

Stand and be restored,
All of you who were once flattened.

Speak, you who were silent,
Because your mouth has been opened.

From now on be lifted up, you who were destroyed
Since your justice has ben raised.

For the Right Hand of the Lord is with you all,
And she will be a helper for you.

Contemporary Exploration

Silence for Personal Reflection

AFFIRMING

An Affirmation of Faith (Optional)
In response to the word reflected on, let us stand
and share together an affirmation of faith.
The people stand as they are able

We affirm…
that we are called to be the Church,
All the witness of the Holy One in the world.

We believe…
that we are the disciples who follow in the footsteps
of Jesus, the Compassionate One,
All who extended the hospitality of God
by living within and for the marginalised,
those kept to the outside of society;
and the stranger.

We acknowledge…
all lands belong to God and that Australia is God’s gift to us.
All We recognise and honour
the first inhabitants of our land,
the indigenous people and their rich culture.

We uphold…
the right of all people irrespective of colour, culture,
creed, or sexual orientation,
to find a home in Australian community.
All We believe the Spirit of God calls us
to work for and to support an Australian society which
affirms the traditions which have enriched our country,
welcomes newcomers, appreciates the diversity of cultures,
and is inclusive and cooperative in spirit.

Sharing 'The Peace’
Let us greet another as a sign of God's peace.

The peace of God is here... to stay (Iona).
All Thanks be to God.
You are invited to share the peace with your neighbours.

Hymn People stand as they are able, to sing
“Thank You For The Music” (Tune: ‘Transformation’, Jillian Bray    15 PaT
God, we thank you for the music in our lives,
nourishing the sense as the spirit thrives,
tunes that are our timeless treasures,
rhythms given dance and play,
harmonies whose blended beauty takes our breath away.

God, we thank you for the music of the earth,
for creation given voice when given birth,
crashing wave and splashing water,
chirping cricket, cheerful bird,
murmuring of trees and grasses where the wind has stirred.

God, we thank you for the music of our faith
singing on through joy and trouble, life and death,
journey songs of traveling people,
sorrow songs that cry despair,
glorias and alleluias, lifted praise and prayer.

Let our world be rich with music, making peace,
let the instruments of concord never cease,
gather strength from all our voices,
every tone we can employ:
music from the heart of heaven fill our lives with joy! (Shirley Erena Murray)

CELEBRATING

Offerings
Our offerings for the work of ministry in this place and beyond,
shall now be received.

Presentation
As we bring our offerings forward,
may our whole life move forward,
in good faith,
with good feelings,
and with a good belief about the future. (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? (jke)

Reflections and Prayers
Care Candle:
We are people of all ages who enter this space
bringing our joys and concerns.
Joys 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 see the new possibilities of the now.

And let us recommit ourselves to the inclusive ways of Jesus.

The 'Abba' Prayer:
You are invited to pray in the spirit of the 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

SCATTERING

Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
“We Are Many”  (Tune: ‘Hamilton’.)   67 (v1-2) FFS
We are many, we are one,
and the work of Christ is done
when we learn to live in true community,
as the stars that fill the night,
as a flock of birds in flight,
as the cluster of the grapes upon the vine;
as the branches of a tree,
as the waves upon the sea,
as the cluster of the grapes upon the vine.

All division is made whole
when we honour every soul,
find the life of God in every you and me,
as the fingers of a hand,
as the grains that form the sand,
as the cluster of the grapes upon the vine;
as the threads upon a loom,
as a field of flowers in bloom,
as the cluster of the grapes upon the vine.
Remain standing

Parting Words
Let us embrace the wonder of this week
with expectation and imagination…
The community candle is extinguished

As we depart one from another,
let our hearts be secure through every human season.
All Let our hearts be secure
in seasons of anguish as in seasons of joy,
in seasons of failure as in seasons of success,
in seasons of uncertainty as in seasons of security.

Let our hearts be secure in this dual reality:
we are worthy recipients of love and support
we can never earn,
All and we are worthy providers of love and support
others cannot earn.

Let our hearts be secure,
All for hearts know and understand
and will respond if invited in. John A Hobart

Words of Blessing
Go in peace, embraced by the light and warmth of our gathering.
Go in love, ready again to struggle on.
Go in beauty, shining forth like a lamp for freedom. Sara Lammert
All Amen. May it be so!

Hymn (Cont) “We Are Many”  (Tune: ‘Hamilton’.)   67 (v3) FFS
We will join creation's song,
make a world where all belong,
build as one in peace and loving harmony,
as the voices of a choir,
as the flames within a fire,
as the cluster of the grapes upon the vine;
as the snowflakes in the snow,
as the colours of a bow,
as the cluster of the grapes upon the vine. Colin Gibson
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

I recommend the use of
LicenSing - Copyright cleared music for churches

Some of the Resources used in Shaping this Liturgy:
Binkley, C. G. & J. M. McKeel. 2001.  Jesus and his Kingdom of Equals. An international curriculum on the life and teaching of Jesus. Santa Rosa. Polebridge Press.
(FFS) Faith Forever Singing. Songs for a new day. 2000.  Raumati. New Zealand Hymnbook Trust. 
Hilton, D. (ed). 1991.  Liturgy of Life. An anthology. Birmingham. National Christian Education Council.
Holy Bible. NRSV. 1989. Nashville. Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Iona Community. 2001.  Iona Abbey Worship Book. Glasgow. Wild Goose Publications.
Macnab, F. 1996. Hope: The deeper longings of the mind and heart. Richmond. Spectrum Publications.
(PaT) Murray, S. E. A Place at the Table. New Hymns written between 2009 and 2013. Carol Stream: Hope Publishing, 2013.
Nelson-Pallmeyer, J. & B. Hesle. 2005.  Worship in the Spirit of Jesus. Theology, liturgy, and songs without violence. Cleveland. The Pilgrim Press.
(WNC) Pratt, A. 2002. Whatever Name Or Creed. Hymns and songs. London. Stainer & Bell Ltd.
Prewer, B. D. 1996. More Australian Psalms. Adelaide. OpenBook Publishers.
(SLT) Singing the living tradition. 1993.  Boston. UUA.
Taussig, H. (ed). A New New Testament. A Bible for the 21st Century Combining Traditional and Newly Discovered Texts. NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.
Vosper, G. 2009/2010.  Another Breath. Prayers for celebration and reflection. Brisbane. The Centre for Progressive Religious Thought Brisbane.

Web sites/Other:
Hobart, Kowalski, Lammert. UUA Worship Web. Boston. <www.uua.org/spirituallife/worshipweb/>
Sherri Weinberg. 2004. St Paul's Presbyterian Church. NZ: Devonport.