Suggestion: ’Refresh’ each page before reading to make sure to get my latest edition
‘The Other Lectiuonary’ 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
“There is a need for the religious traditions… to appreciate that the primary sacred community
is the universe itself, and that every other community
becomes sacred by participation in this primary community.”
19 November 2023. Pentecost 25A. (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 is called “Uluru Statement from the Heart”
A Response from Common Dreams5 Conference of Religious Progressives,
Australia/South Pacific 2019
Both available at 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)
Multi-sensory 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
Come into this place of celebration!
Come in and find peace and rest,
inspiration and aspiration,
fellowship and love.
This congregation is ready for you
to fill this sacred space,
to create its spirit,
to generate its warmth,
to kindle its light.
Let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life.
Lighting of the Community Candle
The Community Candle is lit in silence
We light this flame and give praise for
the gifts that lift and inspire our living:
music, art, creativity
and all beauty.
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 that 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) Some specific resources on Terrorism
(iv) On Wonder, Awe, and Nature
Song/Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
“Buried in my Being” (Tune: ‘Cranham’, 65 65D) 3 TMT
Buried in my being many voices dwell,
sharing all the stories past and present tell;
deeper than these voices silence weaves as one
all the threads that form life's tapestries of sun.
Deeper than my thinking lies my wisdom spring-
ancient dream-time river - songs creation sings.
Yet beyond this wisdom dwells unknowing's cloud
holding all together in the mystery - God.
Hidden in the journey questing spirits make
lie the diverse pathways pilgrim travellers take;
but beyond the many quests of human kind
dwells the wondrous mystery birthing heart and mind.
You, O God, are being - wisdom's fountain head,
Spirit's goal and journey, pilgrim wine and bread,
fire that keeps me travelling, nurture for my heart,
oneness of the mystery glimpsed in life and art. William L Wallace
Opening Sentences
v1 A morning mist,
the gleam of a new day,
faintly we discern the possibilities
that are before us.
All Energy rising, plans turning to action,
we build our every yesterday
from the living of our days.
v2 May we live our hope into tomorrow.
All May we wrap our lives around
the challenges of today.
v1 And in the quiet of the sacred space,
may we listen at the centre of our being
for the truth of our inner voice
v2 that sets before us the purpose of this day. (Adapt.Gretta Vosper/ab)
Words of Awareness
Gathered here, we sense the Sacred in this place.
May we be awakened 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. (Adapt/Clarke Wells)
OR
We pray:
Surprising God,
whose love leads us to new experiences,
help us to be open to your presence
among us and within.
Let us sense your glory
in the sights and sounds of this day.
Song/Hymn “Mother Earth, Beloved Garden” (Music by Amanda Udis-Kessler ) 1067 StJ
Mother Earth, beloved garden, living treasure under foot,
All our days you ground our being: sage and thistle, grass and root.
Herbs to heal us, plants to feed us, land to till and tend and plow.
With the pendant, deep as midnight,
North we ask you: be here now.
Father Air, your inspiration holds together all that lives.
As we breathe, our minds see clearly, leading us to love and give.
Raging whirlwind, whispered breezes, violent gale and gentle cloud.
With the blade as sharp as morning,
East we ask you: be here now.
Brother Fire, great transformer, share the passion of the sun.
In our hearths, your warmth revives us, cooks our food and heats our homes.
Flaming candle, blood within us, blazing desert, will to grow.
With the wand, directing power,
South we ask you: be here now.
Sister Water, ever flowing, ocean, river, pond and rain.
Drink we now and quench our thirsting, cleanse us, we begin again.
Mist and ice, a host of changes, all that courage will allow.
With the cup, the holy chalice,
West we ask you, be here now.
Lover Spirit, intuition in the center of our souls.
In your love we find relation. All connected, we are whole.
Timeless mystery, quiet conscience, deepest values, voice inside.
With the drum and with the cauldron,
this we ask you, be our guide. (Amanda Udis-Kessler)
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.
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 us open ourselves to the process
of becoming more whole:
of living more fully;
of giving and forgiving more freely;
of understanding more completely
the meaning of our lives here on this earth. (Adapt.Tim Haley)
(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. (Gretta Vosper)
• #134 “Treasure”
By Dennis McCarty. Thoughts from a Gentle Atheist/83
Golden treasure might lie buried beneath your feet,
Yet we walk across it again and again,
And never dream it was there.
We blind our senses behind brocaded tapestries:
What we expect, what we desire, what we fear.
We have it in us, though, to cut through shadows,
Tear down shades,
Shine bringht light into new possibilities.
What if our markers were--not what is,
But what ought to be,
What should be?
What could be?
Even living in the City of the Divine,
Its streets and verdant parkways
Remain uncharted wilderness before us,
Where one untried thought,
Too simple or obvious to imagine,
Might lay open secrets
We didn't even realize we were seeking.
Genius waits for us there,
Hidden behind a pebble
Too small to bother moving."
• Matthew 24:36. 25:14-15. 19-21 (Inclusive Text)
Jesus spoke this parable to the disciples:
“It is as if someone, going on a journey, summoned servants and entrusted their property to them;
to one was given five talents, to another two, to another one,
to each according to their ability.
Then the traveller went away.
After a long time the owner of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
Then the one who had received the five talents came forward,
bringing five more talents, saying,
“You handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’
The owner said,
“Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have been trustworthy in a few things,
I will put you in charge of many things; come and join in my happiness.’
Contemporary Exploration
Silence for Personal Reflection
AFFIRMING
An Affirmation of Faith (Optional)
In response to the word reflected on, let us stand
and share an Affirmation of Faith.
The people stand as they are able
We say to ourselves:
All Choose life,
that you and your children may live.
We say to friends:
All Choose life,
that you and your children may live.
We say to the world:
All Choose life,
that you and your children may live.
The earth is our source of survival.
Deplete her resources, poison her waters,
and you will cultivate death.
All Choose life,
that you and your children may live.
The universe is our sacred canopy.
Clutter its space with the hardware of war,
and the stars and the planets will die.
All Choose life,
that you and your children may live.
Life is a fragile environment.
Upset the balance, and everything, everyone,
everywhere will disappear.
All Choose life,
that you and your children may live. (Miriam T Winter)
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 The people stand, as they are able, to sing
‘Truth is in the Heart” (Tune: ‘Truth’, 89.98.56.84) 27 SC
Come into my heart if you can
as all will depend on what you see.
Every thought and every decision,
see through the veil with clarity.
Truth is in the heart.
You only have to love.
Come into my heart if you can
and you will see.
Everyone all over the world
can sing of the deepest truth inside.
Every culture, every tradition,
every religion sings with pride.
Truth is in the heart.
You only have to love.
Everyone all over the world
can come inside. (Daniel Ryan)
Offerings
Presentation
Spirit of God,
among the streets of business
and in places of healing and learning:
All Renew the face of the earth.
Among the budding orchards
and in the grassless paddocks:
All Renew the face of the earth.
Among the tired and broken families:
All Renew the face of the earth.
Among these people and with these gifts:
All Renew the face of the earth.
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:
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. (3C Exchange)
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 presentness 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, and in your original language, as that is appropriate
All O God, you love us like a good parent,
and are present in every aspect of our existence
May your nature become known and respected by all
May your joy, peace, wholeness and justice
be the reality for everyone
as we live by the Jesus Way
Give us all that we really need to live every day for you
And forgive us our failures as we forgive others for their failures
Keep us from doing those things which are not of you,
and cause us always to be centred on your love
For you are the true reality in this our now,
and in all our future.
In the Jesus Way we pray. Amen. David Sorrill
SCATTERING
Song/Hymn People stand as they are able, to sing
“Faith Writes the Hymn” (Tune: ‘Woodlands’, 10.10.10.10) 10(v1-2) TEL
Faith writes the hymn that celebrates the world,
tomorrow’s world, more hopeful than today’s;
God sets the key for faith to call the tune,
and make of us the instruments of praise.
Faith uses song to stir us and move one,
to rally and to raise our spirits high,
to whistle up the courage to be changed,
and lift our wings in learning how to fly.
Parting Words
Let us take on this week’s life
with renewed hope and imagination...
The Community Candle is extinguished
May the skies—
heavens, galaxies, spaces between the stars—
fill you with wonder.
May clouds shade you
Rain refresh you
Stars guide you
Angels laugh your good intentions into action.
And may the sun shine its warm, fierce love upon you
that you may live in joy and abundance of spirit,
grow in grace and compassion
envision a bright future
knowing that you are loved… (Edited. (c) Bronwyn Angela White (2007))
Words of Blessing
My friends, when you go from here
know that our hearts are always in a holy place,
for we are always connected to one another.
Know that deep down,
our hearts beat in one universal rhythm.
May we each find the sacred space to hear it. (Israel Buffardi)
All May it be so with us.
Song/Hymn (Cont) “Faith Writes the Hymn” (Tune: ‘Woodlands’, 10.10.10.10) 10(v3-4) TEL
Faith needs a song to heal our deepest pain:
lament and loss would silence us in tears.
God gives us music to anoint the soul,
and speak in ways that only sorrow ears.
Faith writes the hymn that keeps us singing hope,
although we cannot see the sun will shine;
faith sets a lively rhythm to our step,
and draws our hearts to beat with the divine. (Shirley Erena Murray)
'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.
McCarty, D. Thoughts from a Gentle Atheist. Religious Readings for the Skeptical. USA. Dennis McCarty, 2019
(StJ) Singing The Journey. Boston. UUA, 2005.
(TEL) Murray, S. E. Touch the Earth Lightly. New Hymns written between 2003 & 2008. Carol Stream: Hope Publishing, 2008.
(SC) Usher, A. (ed) A Southern Chalice. An Anthology of Readings and Songs. Wellington. ANZUUA, 2013
Vosper, G. Another Breath. Prayers for Celebration and Reflection. Brisbane. The Centre for Progressive Religious Thought Brisbane, 2009/2010.
(TMT) Wallace, W. L. The Mystery Telling. Hymns and Songs for the New Millennium. Kingston. Selah Publishing, 2001.
White, B. A. You Who Delight Me. Words of Spirit and Faith. Wellington: Steele Roberts Publishers, 2012.
Winter, Miriam T. Women Prayer. Women Song. Resources for Ritual. Hartford. Meyer Stone Books, 1987.
Web sites/Other:
Sorrill, Haley, Wells, Buffardi. UUA Worship Web. Boston. <www.uua.org/spirituallife/worshipweb/>
David Galston. Quest Learning Centre for Religious Literacy. http://www.questcentre.ca/