Suggestion: ’Refresh’ each page before reading to make sure to get my latest edition
‘The Other Lectionary’ 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
“...in the end the universe can only be explained in terms of celebration.
It is all an exuberant expression of existence itself”
22 June 2025. Pentecost 2C. (Green).
Celebrating Community in the Tradition of the Meal
(Including some resources for Celebrating the Inauguration of the Uniting Church in Australia
and for a Southern Winter)
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, and emerging leaders,
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 in 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
Gathering Music
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
Entry into the Celebration
The gong is sounded three times
Live this moment in its fullness, for in it is
all plentitude,
all realisation,
all time. (Kenneth Patton/sscl)
Let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life.
Lighting of Community Candle
The Community Candle is lit
For gathering today in this sacred space, we light the flame.
For the opportunity to be together as a community,
we light the flame. (Adapt/DSorrells)
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 cover major international events or themes. 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
(iv) On Wonder, Awe, and Nature
Hymn/Song The people stand as they are able, to sing
“Praises Singing” (Tune: ‘Praise My Soul’, 87.87.87) 8 SiF
Praise, my soul, the wondrous beauty
to discover everywhere:
painted sunset, morning glory,
cooling rain, and breezes fair.
Praises singing, praises bringing,
for the wonder that we share.
Praise, my soul, the sense of myst’ry,
knowledge we have yet to find,
much awaiting our discovery,
life’s details of every kind.
Praises singing, praises bringing,
for the questing, searching mind.
Praise, my soul, the deep compassion
freely offered, freely giv’n,
care that reaches past the barriers,
care that takes the stranger in.
Praises singing, our lives bringing,
joined with all we share a part.
Praise, my soul, the sense of justice,
seeing others equally,
full respect for rights and honour,
full respect for dignity.
Praises singing, our lives bringing,
t’wards a whole humanity. © Scott Kearns 2008
OR
“Just as the Rainbow” (Tune: ‘Colours of Hope’, D C Damon) 22 PaT
Just as the rainbow, bright with its promise,
holds in its prism spectrums of light,
so do our human cultures and colours
bring to each other depth and delight.
Colours adorn us, colours define us,
colours enliven nature's own art,
colours divide us, stark in their meaning,
black and white judgments tear us apart.
Fear of the stranger, unspoken anger,
shades of misgiving show in our face,
colours of blood have stained our traditions,
led us to conflict, race against race.
God give us eyes to value our neighbour,
judging no colour, image or skin,
but where the heart is, open to friendship,
care and connection making us kin.
God give us wisdom, luminous thinking,
prizing this rainbow, sensing its scope,
finding the gold in icons of others,
working to paint the colours of hope. (Shirley Erena Murray)
Remain standing
Opening Sentences
Spirit of God brooding over the waters of our chaos,
All inspire us to generous living.
Wind of God dancing over the desert of our reluctance,
All lead us to the oasis of celebration.
Breath of God inspiring communication among strangers,
All make us channels of your peace. (Kate McIlhagga/cw)
Words 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:
Be with us, O God, in
our thinking,
our feeling, and
our being.
Touch us where we need to feel your presence
and encourage us where we need your inspiration.
May it be so.
Hymn/Song “This Hazy, Gleaming Veil” (Tune: ‘St Michael’, SM) 3 RP
This hazy, gleaming veil,
this cloudy, milky skein,
the galaxy in which we live
this home that God has vowed.
A hundred billion stars
form that galactic space
these myriad sparks of dancing light
are signings of God's grace.
This place of hopes and dreams
God gives into our hands,
and we are stewards of its worth,
its rich majestic strands.
So limited our grasp
so narrow human scope,
so much is still beyond our reach,
yet beauty frames our hope. © Andrew Pratt
OR
“Joy of Living” (Tune: ‘St. Theodulph’, 76.76D)
We sing the joy of living,
We sing the mystery,
Of knowledge, lore and science,
Of truth that is to be;
Of searching, doubting, testing,
Of deeper insights gained,
Of freedom claimed and honoured,
Of minds that are unchained.
We sing the joy of living,
We sing of harmony,
Of textures, sounds and colours,
To touch, to hear, to see;
Of order, rhythm, meaning,
Of chaos and of strife,
Of richness of sensation,
Of the creating life.
We sing the joy of living,
We sing of ecstasy,
Of warmth, of love, of passion,
Of flights of fantasy.
We sing of joy of living,
The dear, the known, the strange,
The moving, pulsing, throbbing —
A universe of change. (Deane Starr, 1923 —)
The people sit after the hymn/song
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.
Meditation
“Some Sayings…”
By Meister Eckhart. (13th century)
What good is it to me
if Mary gave birth to Jesus 1400 years ago,
if I do not also give birth to him in my time and my culture…
What is the test that you have indeed undergone this holy birth?
Listen carefully.
If this birth has truly taken place within you,
then every single creature points you toward God…
God is creating the entire universe fully and totally in this present now.
Everything God created in the beginning –
and even previous to that…
God creates now all at once.
Centering Silence
Centering prayer and meditation are age-old techniques to put us in touch with what Jesus called ruah in Aramaic, the holy breath, a living and animating field that gives birth to the self, seed, storm and stellar nebulae…
So come now apart from the busyness of family and work,
and dwell in the presentness of God
who is our source of creativity and being.
(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)
• Psalm 30.
By Francis Macnab. A Fine Wind is Blowing/14-15.
The author of the Psalm finds himself 'in the pits". Yet he also feels God lifting him up…
‘Let me throw off the heavy blanket of depression’, he says.
When I really stop to think, I know I have a lot to thank God for.
There were times when I clearly needed help,
when people around me were being of no help at all.
I began to sink into the worst misery.
I kept asking: How can I get out of this hell-hole?
Then I felt the listening God was hearing me.
I began to feel his presence lifting me up;
and the things and the people against me
became less dominant in my thoughts…
After all, what is the good of my life,
if I am down in the pits of despair,
continually griping about this and groaning about that…?
Let me throw off the heavy blanket of my depressions,
and put on the lighter clothes of a buoyant spirit.
Set me free, O God, so that I can sing good songs every day.
Yes, everyday,
I want to be part of God's great-song!
OR
• “A Joyous Quality”
By Henry N Wieman & Donald S Harrington. Outstretched Wings of the Spirit/23.
Religious living is oriented and integrated
toward one supreme area of worth.
Consequently all living is measured and ordered with reference to that which the devotee
holds to be The Most High…
There is a feeling that life is worth living.
There is a sense of direction.
There is a joyous quality through the sense of moving on
toward that value set as supreme, a consciousness of making progress…
Everything that occurs makes much more difference to the religiously integrated person…
To have a clear sense of direction,
a definite hierarchy of loyalties so as to be able to put first things first,
is fundamental to real enjoyment of life.
We want to know that we are accomplishing something,
getting somewhere worth while, if we are to be happy.
In the light of such an o'er arching commitment,
every smallest detail of life gains an eternal significance.
OR
• "God's Dye"
By Jim Burklo. www.tcpc.blogs.com/musings (22/4/2010)
A few years back, Roberta and I were treated to a meal at Giorgio Baldi,
a restaurant near Sunset Boulevard and the Pacific Coast Highway.
It was pointed out to me that Hollywood notables were sitting at the tables around us.
Clueless as I was about the identities of these personages,
even then I didn't get it that I we were in a super-star restaurant.
Not until I placed on my tongue the asparagus ravioli I had ordered on a whim.
It would not be correct to say that I ate that ravioli.
Rather, it dissolved into my body in successive ecstasies of flavor, aroma, and texture.
If I am what I eat, I was an ennobled being that night.
A few weeks ago, Roberta made an extraordinarily tasty dinner
using the Arrabbiata pasta sauce produced by Giorgio Baldi.
This sauce is the refined quintessence, the Platonic ideal of tomatoes, not the flawed mortal form.
The cost of it is accordingly celestial.
At $7.00 for a smallish jar, it's not something
one could afford to turn into a habit.
And there's another reason not to make it a habit.
This sauce is cooked down to its bosons.
It is so utterly disintegrated from its original constituent elements
that it stained our dishes, right through the glaze.
The dishes were cheap but beautiful 'seconds'
from the famous Heath Ceramics studio in Sausalito;
the glaze was thin, so the sauce seeped in.
A few Sundays ago, at Easter,
I stood in line to receive communion with the other members of our church.
We received the bread from Reverend Rachel,
and dipped it in the wine, and put it on our tongues,
and let it melt into our mouths, coloring our souls with kindness.
We let divine love get through our skin,
so we could be stained with the rainbow colors of holy compassion.
"We take on God's dye".
And the church (or the mosque, or the synagogue, or the temple) is the vat where we soak our souls.
We're surrounded by God's colors every day, all the time, everywhere.
But so often we're so glazed-over so that this brightness doesn't get in.
The fabric of our lives gets waxed-over by habitual ways of seeing and doing.
We become tasteless and colorless.
Meditative prayer, humble worship, selfless service
open up the pores of our souls so that
we can receive all the hues of the Holy One.
And who has a better dye than God's?
OR
“Words which a Good to be Eaten”
Rubem Alves. The Poet, The Warrior, The Prophet.
One does not live by bread alone,
but from words which contain the memory of a lost happiness…
We are what we eat, it is true. But not the whole truth. We are also the food we desire and cannot eat.
We are hungry beings, eternally. This is why food was mixed with bitter herbs,
in the Easter meal... And we mix our food with words: sacraments: something is missing.
Every meal is nothing more than an ‘aperitif’.
And our body, this little kitchen, becomes filled with foods that will never be cooked in the kitchen outside: dreams . . .
The body is a utopian kitchen . . . Dreams are this: that which the body longs for and yet cannot be eaten.
And the body becomes a phantasmal space where a ‘bacchanalian orgy’ is cooked in the fire of desire.
We are what we eat.
We eat what does not exist: dreams.
We are the dreams we eat.
‘Dreams are good to eat: food...
We are transformed by the food we eat.
We are transformed by our dreams.
We are transformed by what does not exist.
‘What are we without the help of that which does not exist?’
A dream is not a cogent argument.
A dream is not a true statement about reality outside.
It is not a convincing explanation.
It is not a chain of clear and distinct ideas, either.
Arguments have no taste, explanations have no odour,
clear and distinct ideas don’t have colours . . .
Dreams are not made up with ideas. They are made with images.
Hymn/Song In solidarity with those for whom standing is not easy or possible, we will remain seated to sing
A hymn from the ‘progressive’ movement of the late 1800s.
“Seek Not Afar For Beauty” (Tune: ‘Sursum Corda’, 10.10.10.10) 174 HCL
Seek not afar for beauty; lo! it glows
In dew-wet grasses all about thy feet;
In birds, in sunshine, childish faces sweet,
In stars and mountain summits topped with snows.
Go not abroad for happiness: for see
It is a flower blooming at thy door.
Bring love and justice home, and then no more
Thou'lt wonder in what dwelling joy may be.
Dream not of noble service elsewhere wrought;
The simple duty that awaits thy hand
Is God's voice speaking a divine command:
Life's common deeds build all that saints have thought.
In wonder-workings, or some bush aflame,
We look for God and fancy God concealed;
But in earth's common things God stands re-vealed,
While grass and flowers and stars spell out the Name. (MJSavage, 1883)
• Luke 9:11-17 (Inclusive Text)
Jesus made the crowds welcome and talked to them about the realm of God;
and cured those who were in need of healing.
It was late afternoon when the Twelve came to Jesus and said,
'Send the people away, and they can go to the villages and farms round about
to find lodging and food: for we are in a lonely place here.'
Jesus replied,
'Give them something to eat yourselves.'
But they said,
'We have no more than five loaves and two fish,
unless we are to go ourselves and buy food for all these people.'
For there were about five thousand.
But Jesus said to the disciples,
'Get them to sit down in parties of about fifty.'
They did so and made them all sit down.
Then Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish,
raised his eyes to heaven, and said the blessing over them;
then broke the loaves and handed them to the disciples to distribute among the crowd.
They all ate as much as they wanted, and when the scraps remaining were collected
they filled twelve baskets.
Contemporary Exploration
Silence for Personal Reflection
AFFIRMING
A Litany: ‘Clear the Way’ (Optional)
In response to the word reflected on, let us stand
and share a litany called ‘Clear the way’.
The people stand, as they are able
v1 God of surprises you call us
from the narrowness of our traditions to new ways of being church,
from the captivities of our culture to creative witness for justice,
from the smallness of our horizons to the bigness of your vision.
All Clear the way in us, your people,
that we might call others to freedom
and renewed faith.
v2 Jesus, wounded healer you call us
from preoccupation with our own histories and hurts to daily tasks of peacemaking,
from privilege to pilgrimage,
from insularity to inclusive community.
All Clear the way in us, your people,
that we might call others to wholeness and integrity.
v1 Holy, transforming, Spirit you call us
from fear to faithfulness,
from clutter to clarity,
from a desire to control to deeper trust,
from the refusal to love to a readiness to risk.
All Clear the way in us, your people,
that we might all know the beauty and power
and danger of the gospel. JPuls, GCashmore/cw
OR
If Celebrating Winter (Southern Hemisphere)
A Litany Celebrating ‘Winter’ (Optional)
People stand as they are able
Winter, a time of snow and wetness.
All The days are short and cold,
the deciduous trees are bare.
Winter, a time for cutting away
dead wood from roses,
All and pruning unwanted branches
from grapevines.
Winter, a time of shaping things
All and tying up the waste,
a time for clearing, cool and passionless.
v1 Yet, in this time, there is still growth:
the flower withers to form the seedcase,
just as souls need to be empty
before they can be filled to overflowing.
v2 Under the earth, tubers shrink
and turn inside out, sending up
the shafts of stem and sending down
the anchoring roots.
All Underneath everything, in the darkness,
new life is seething, yearning
to break through the surface.
v1 The husks fall away from the seed
All and the ticking kernel starts to shoot. (Adapt.Trish Watts/s).
Silence
v2 There is a modern Jewish Seder service, which celebrates
the regeneration in the world of trees and plants.
It is held at this time – at mid-winter.
Likewise, nuts and fruit, used in this service, being the rebirthing aspects
of a plant's life-cycle, are the only foods
that require no death,
not even the death of a plant.
Our living trees send forth their fruit and seeds
in such profusion that they overflow
beyond the needs of the next generation.
In honour of that celebration, during ‘Sharing the Peace this morning,
nuts and fruit will be distributed, symbolising
the promise of mid-winter in our time and place.
If Celebrating the founding of the Uniting Church in Australia
A Litany: ‘A Call to be Church’ (Optional)
In response to the word reflected on, let us stand
and share together the litany, 'A Call to be Church'.
The people stand as they are able
Our God, you call us to be Church:
Le: enable us to create - across cultural, age and class boundaries –
a laboratory of peace,
testing out your vision of community and love
as we struggle live with our differences.
Our God, you call us to be Church:
Ri: enable us to be a parable of the Kingdom,
allowing the upside-down values of your commonwealth
to nudge us away from the acquisitive and self-regarding attitudes of our day.
Our God, you call us to be Church:
Le: enable us to be a sign of contradiction among the nations,
pointing to hope in the midst of disillusion,
offering non-violent resistance when evil threatens,
accepting loss of prestige or wealth in the cause of justice.
Our God, you call us to be Church:
Ri: enable us to be a place of welcome and warmth,
where what is ignored elsewhere may be heard and honoured,
where sorrows may be shared and stories told,
where hard questions may be asked and new ideas greeted with joy.
Our God, you call us to be Church:
All enable us to be a community of praise,
cracking open the dry husks of cynicism and despair,
being clowns and jesters for Christ,
celebrating the mystery of faith in stillness and song. Kate Compston/sco
Lighting of UCA candles
In June 1977, people from all over this City/State/Region,
shared with others all over Australia, in the inauguration
of the Uniting Church in Australia.
Since that time we have been enriched
by the vision of this fellowship -
as a multicultural pilgrim people,
always on the way towards a promised goal.
A candle is lit
v1 We light this candle for our heritage in the
Congregational tradition,
with its commitment to freedom
and to the power of the priesthood of all believers
All We stand in that great tradition.
And we affirm that the Uniting Church
has moved on in its journey as a pilgrim people of God.
A second candle is lit
v2 We light this candle for our heritage in the
Methodist tradition,
with its commitment to social justice
and its enthusiasm in communicating the gospel.
All We stand in that great tradition.
And we affirm that the Uniting Church
has moved on in its journey as a pilgrim people of God.
A third candle is lit
v3 We light this candle for our heritage in the
Presbyterian tradition,
with its respect for scholarship and its deep
understanding of the nature of the church.
All We stand in that great tradition.
And we affirm that the Uniting Church
has moved on in its journey as a pilgrim people of God. (Robert Faser)
A fourth candle is lit
v4 We light this fourth candle to celebrate that many others,
from different traditions,
and who have been born since 1977,
are now a vital part of the Uniting Church tradition.
Silence
Thanks be to God!
All Thanks be to God!
Doxology (Tune: ‘Fairhill’, 88.88)
Praise God, the love we all may share;
Praise God, the beauty everywhere;
Praise God, the hope of good to be;
Praise God, the truth that makes us free.
Amen. PHewett
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
“Give Respect to Humankind” (Tune: ‘Warrington’, 88.88) 60 SNS2
Giving respect to humankind
Is wise and good for there we find
Images of the God we praise
And love expressed in countless ways.
Giving respect to humankind
Can help us all to leave behind
Thoughts of revenge and words of spite;
Can prompt resolve to re-unite.
Giving respect to humankind
Arises from our heart and mind;
As we reflect on those we know
May caring thoughts have constant flow.
Giving respect to humankind
Is Jesus' theme; His word defined
How we might live affirming all
The human beauty in us all.
So let us honour humankind
With God's own image, so combined,
We find ourselves equipped to prize
The gentle, lovely, kind and wise. (George Stuart)
OR
“Winter Solstice” 1063 STJ
Children of the Earth,
we have come to
sing to each other,
Sister to Brother,
songs of our Mother Earth.
Children of the Earth,
Autumn soon will
breathe her last breath and
quick will her death bear
witness to Winter’s Birth.
Children of the Earth,
can you feel the
air getting cold as
darkness takes hold and
sleep covers Mother Earth?
Children of the Earth,
we have come
to sit in the darkness,
breathe in the silence,
think of our Mother Earth. (Phillip Palmer)
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:
We turn to Life, to that vast creativity
All that empowers the universe
as the ocean animates the wave,
seeking to let go of that which blocks our healing.
All May we open ourselves even now
to the wonder of Life.
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 presence and pow’r within us,
Being and Life of all.
How we are filled, how we o’erflow
with infinite love and gladness!
We shall this day sow grace and peace,
and show mercy to all,
and gentle loving-kindness.
And we shall be not so self-serving,
but a constant source of giving.
For ours is the essence,
and the wholeness,
and the fullness forever. (Paul Alan Laughlin/4r)
Amen.
CELEBRATING
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)
CELEBRATING COMMUNITY IN THE TRADITION OF THE MEAL
Offerings
Presentation
For all the saints who went before us who have spoken to our hearts…
For all the saints who live beside us…
For all the saints who live beyond us
who challenge us to change the world with them
All We declare our thanks and gratitude.
Introduction (Optional)
Members of the Jesus movements regularly ate a meal together
when they met as a community.
It was a characteristic that they had in common
with virtually every other social group in their world.
It was considered primary to the early developments
in the movements’ meal liturgy.
These meal traditions were not about personal salvation or payment for sin.
Instead, they were about actions and offering hospitality, social identity,
and being in solidarity with those around us.
The liturgical movements centred on celebration, presence, and joy.
I invite you into the spirit of those meals…
Thanksgiving
v1 In faith and love, gathered in this place,
we celebrate the brightness of community
and the season of Winter called ‘Chinnup' (Season of Cockatoos)
by the Djab Wurrung and Jardwidjarli People.
v2 Holy Presence, the universe has been filled
with the dance of light and darkness.
We have walked in this Presence
since the beginning of our time on this planet,
seeking always for a closer relationship
in our understanding of you.
v1 Great Earth Mother to whom we all belong,
Center of Darkness and Chaos,
Holy Sophia, Most Holy Womb, Source of all Being,
you are indeed the heart, we the heartbeat.
You are the Ocean, feeding us and all your creatures
with what we need to sustain life.
You are the Horn of Plenty, the stew pot that is always full,
the great Hand that holds us.
v2 We remember the child, Jesus of Nazareth, son of the rebel, Mary.
He came among us to be
our teacher, our brother, our friend.
He shared food in joyful celebration
and showed others
how to feast on
the abundant goodness of Eden
around and within us,
where divisions cease and all creation is one.
v1 On the night before he was handed over, so our tradition says,
Jesus took bread and broke it,
and passed it to his friends gathered there.
..
v2 Remember me when you break bread.
v1 And he did the same with the cup after supper.
..
v2 Remember all I have been to you
when you pour out wine.
v1 May we remember Jesus in this bread and this wine.
May we celebrate in this feast our own embodiment
which unites us with the cycles of earth and moon.
May we receive these gifts with reverence and awe. (soFFFia community/Adapted).
Bread and White Wine
Bread is broken. A cup of White Wine is filled.
Ancient symbols. Common acts.
Communion
So we share bread and drink wine,
pledging ourselves to allow the spirit
that moved in Jesus
, to move freely in our lives, too. (Michael Morwood/pns)
The Bread and White Wine is served
PARTING
Hymn/Song The people stand as they are able, to sing
“Let All Beauty…” (Tune: ‘Danby’, (LM) 88.88) 46 SiF/326 SLT
Let all the beauty we have known
illuminate our hearts and minds.
Rejoice in wonders daily shown,
in faith and joy, and love that binds.
We celebrate with singing hearts
the loveliness of sky and earth,
the inspiration of the arts,
the miracle of ev’ry birth
Remain standing
Parting Words
The presentness of the sacred reaches beyond this place...
The Community Candle is extinguished
With faith to face our challenges,
With love that casts out fear,
With hope to trust tomorrow,
All We accept this day as the gift it is:
a reason for rejoicing. Gary Kowalski
Words of Blessing
Go in courage and celebration!
And may all the faces of the Holy God
be turned towards you in love,
the earth itself speak to you of its creativity,
and who we are, each and all,
be honoured in our authentic journeys. (Dorothy McRae-McMahon/ith)
All Amen. May it be so.
Hymn/Song (Cont) “Let All Beauty…” (Tune: ‘Danby’, (LM) 88.88) 46 SiF/326 SLT
Life’s music and its poetry
surround and bless us through our days.
For these we sing in harmony,
together giving thanks and praise. (Dan McLGreeley)
The people sit after the hymn
'This Week' at (NN)
Notices
Birthdays and Anniversaries
Significant Events
Journey Candles
Recessional 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, 2001.
Harrington, D. S. Outstretched Wings of the Spirit. On being intelligently and devotedly religious. Boston. UUA, 1980.
(HCL) Hymns for the Celebration of Life. Boston. Beacon Press, 1964.
Inclusive Readings. Year C. 2006. Brisbane. Inclusive Language Project. In private circulation.
(SiF) Kearns, S. (ed). 2009. Sing it Forward. Traditional hymns recast and rewritten for non-exclusive communities. In circulation from the author.
Laughlin, P. A. 2009. “Pray without seeking. Toward a truly mystical Lord’s Prayer” in The Fourth R 22, 6, 20-24.
McRae-McMahon, D. In This Hour. Liturgies for Pausing. Thornbury. DesBooks, 2001.
Macnab, F. A Fine Wind is Blowing: Psalms of the Bible in Words that Blow you Away. Richmond. Spectrum Publications, 2006.
Murray, S. E. A Place at the Table. New Hymns Written between 2009 and 2013. Carol Stream: Hope Publishing, 2013.
Morwood, M. Praying a New Story. Richmond. Spectrum Publications, 2003.
Patton, K. Services and Songs for the Celebration of Life. Boston. Beacon Press, 1967.
(RP) Pratt, A. Reclaiming Praise. Hymns from a Spiritual Journey. London. Stainer & Bell Ltd, 2006.
(SLT) Singing The Living Tradition. Boston. UUA, 1993.
(STJ) Singing The Journey. Boston. UUA, 2005.
(SNS2) Stuart, G. Singing a New Song. Traditional Hymn Tunes with New Century Lyrics. Volume 2. Toronto: G Stuart, 2009.
Ward, H.; J. Wild, & J Morley. (ed). Celebrating Women. New edition. London. SPCK, 1995.
Watts, T. & G. Lord. Sanctuary. Where Heaven Touches Earth. A Group Resource for those seeking Simplicity, Silence, and Nurture. Kelowna. Wood Lake Books, 2005.
Web sites/Other:
Dillman, Sorrells, Kowalski. UUA Worship Web. Boston. UUA. http://uua.org/spirituallife/worshipweb/index.php
soFFFia Community. Gregory C. Jenks. FaithFutures Web site. QLD: Brisbane. 2007
David Galston. Quest Learning Centre for Religious Literacy. <http://www.questcentre.ca/>
Jim Burklo. "God's Dye" www.tcpc.blogs.com/musings (22/4/2010)
Deane Starr. “Joy of Living” From an early Unitarian hymn collection