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”
7 August 2022. Pentecost 9C. (Green)
Banquet of the Cosmos
Celebrating Community in the Tradition of the Meal
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 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
Let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life.
Lighting of Community Candle
The Community Candle is lit
v1 "Let there be light!
v2 Let it shine in dark places,
in moments of pain,
in times of grief,
in the darkness of hatred,
violence,
oppression,
where there is discouragement and despair.
v1 Wherever darkness is to be put to flight,
"Let there be light!” Gordon B McKeeman
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) PLUS some specific resources on Terrorism HERE
(iv) On Wonder, Awe, and Nature HERE
Hymn/Song The people stand as they are able, to sing
“Deep In The Human Heart” (Tune: ‘Diademata’, 66.86D) SSA
Deep in the human heart
The fire of justice burns;
A vision of a world renewed
Through radical concern.
As Christians we are called
To set the captives free,
To overthrow the evil powers
And end hypocrisy.
This is our task today:
To build a world of peace;
A world of justice, freedom, truth,
Where kindness will increase;
A world from hunger freed,
A world where people share,
Where every person is of worth
And no-one lives in fear.
Taking the step of faith,
We leave the past behind,
And move into the future's world
With open heart and mind.
By grace we work with Christ,
As one community,
To bring new hope and fuller life,
To all humanity. William L Wallace/ssa
OR
“Creativity – The Canberra Affirmation” (Tune: ‘Austria’, 87.87D) 26 SNS2
When beliefs and rigid doctrines,
Like stone statues cold as death,
Discipline us into silence,
Rob us of life-giving breath;
We can voice our great discomfort
As we recognize the truth
That our life and all our living
Give us insight from our youth.
We would celebrate evolving;
In the webs of life we bond
To the cosmos and our family,
Humans here and those beyond;
Thus we're called to live together
With respect for all that is,
For the cosmos and our planet
With respect for all that lives.
'Creativity' is present
Ever since before the start;
Brings to birth such great abundance;
Gives birth to a loving heart.
With this birthing of the novel
'Creativity' transforms;
Energy and life emerges;
Beauty seen in all its forms.
So we celebrate the myst'ry;
Stand in silence; look with awe;
Countless years in billions ended
Since the opening of the store
Of variety and brilliance,
Of the life-force and of grace;
It's amazing and so wondrous
We can claim to have a place. (George Stuart)
The people sit after the hymn
Opening Sentences
Let us acknowledge the awesome mystery
embodied in every person.
All Through us Creativity God comes to unique
and personal expression.
Let us give thanks for the abundance
of life on this earth.
All Through it we and all people may be nourished.
Words of Awareness
A sky, streaked with the promise of day,
and I am called to anticipate all that might be.
The heat of the day heavy upon me,
and I am challenged to acknowledge
the responsibilities I hold.
The shade of the afternoon, like grace, soothes me,
and I am offered a reflection of my own rich gifts.
The cool of the evening
set in the midst of a candlelit heaven,
and I am awed by the fulfillment of another day.
We open ourselves as those who seek the holy. (Gretta Vosper/wab)
OR
We pray:
Abiding God of the morning, the afternoon, the evening,
grant us the joy of feeling ourselves
a part of your vast magnificence,
your all-encompassing love.
May it be so.
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 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
Amid all the noise in our lives,
we take this moment to sit in silence:
to give thanks for another day;
to give thanks for all those in our lives
who have brought us warmth and love;
to give thanks for the gift of life. (T 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 open ourselves to the seeds of wisdom
that lies dormant in this reading.
All And may our minds be fertile soil
in which it may grow strong and true. (Gretta Vosper/ab)
• Luke 12:32-34 (Scholars Edition)
'Don't be afraid, little flock, for it has delighted your Father
to give you his domain.
"Sell your belongings, and donate to charity;
make yourselves purses that don't wear out,
with inexhaustible wealth in heaven, where no robber can get to it
and no moth can destroy it.
"As you know, what you treasure is your heart's true measure".
OR
• Matthew 25:31-46 (Inclusive Text)
Jesus said to the disciples:
‘When the Promised One comes in glory,
with all the angels, then he will sit on the throne of glory.
‘All the nations will be gathered before him,
and he will separate people one from another
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,
and will put the sheep at the right hand
and the goats at the left.
‘Then the king will say to those at the right hand,
Come, you that are blessed of God,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
for I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,
I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
I was naked and you gave me clothing,
I was sick and you took care of me,
I was in prison and you visited me.
‘Then the righteous will answer him,
When was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food,
or thirsty and gave you something to drink?
And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you,
or naked and gave you clothing?
And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?
‘And the king will answer them,
Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these
who are members of my family,
you did it to me.'
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 believe that horizons of hope are never fixed.
All They always move beyond, in the creativity of God.
We believe that powers of evil can not kill God.
All God walks on free and leaps ahead of us
in the risen Christ of faith.
We believe that the Spirit can never be confined.
All She dances forth in the world
and is found in surprising places,
leading us on until the end of time. (Adapt/Dorothy McRae-McMahon/bst)
OR
The 'Canberra Affirmation' can be found HERE
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
"Crowded Table, Urgent Faces" (Tune: ‘Maria’s Tune’, 87.87D)
Crowded table, urgent faces,
people longing for the bread,
bread of life and bread for living,
bread for rising from the dead;
Young and old, both men and women,
those for whom this life is hard,
those who live in warmth and comfort,
those whose life is stained or tarred;
All are welcome, wise or foolish,
at this table all are fed,
sharing wine in celebration,
eating Christ’s communion bread.
Then in costly life and giving
we will share what we receive,
demonstrate in daily living
all that we affirm, believe. © Andrew Pratt 10/12/2005
OR
“Song for Nelson Mandela” (Tune: ‘Cwm Rhondda’)
Now a mighty tree has fallen,
now the rainbow loses light,
tears of all the world are grieving
one who changed the wrong to right:
Refrain:
Give Mandela every honour,
all our hearts would wish to say:
thanks and blessings on this day!
Celebrate his towering spirit
fired to face his country's pain,
celebrate the mind and measure
that no prison could contain,
Refrain:
Every nation, every colour,
live the truth to set us free!
Reconcile us to each other,
holding fast his legacy. © Shirley Erena Murray 2013
Refrain:
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 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, 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)
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)
THE BANQUET OF THE COSMOS
Offerings
Presentation
Beginnings and endings shape this meal gathering today.
We celebrate a faithful, strong past.
We prepare for a future yet to be conceived.
We call it the rhythm of life.
Thanksgiving
v1 May it be well with you.
All And also with you.
v1 Sacred is the cosmos, whirling, expanding, living, dying,
yearning for abundance and freedom.
All We come to this table awe-struck creatures
conscious that as we take these few short steps
the whole cosmos—gathered up in us—journeys with us, and in us.
v2 How can we not stand in wonder and awe.
Those same vast processes that created
galaxies and suns and stars and planets,
continue to shape our existence…
v1 Out of the Big Bang the stars;
All Out of the stardust the Earth;
Out of the molecules of the Earth, life.
v1 Earth was planted with the seeds of its future;
by the sacrifice of our sun,
Earth flowered forth.
In the human species, nature became conscious of itself
and open to fulfilment in thought and word and deed.
All Blessed be Earth.
v1 Blessed be Earth.
All Earth, our home.
v2 We celebrate the interconnectedness that is our life—all life.
Stardust and mountains,
the light at dusk and the moment of dawn;
wild flowers and rain forests;
gilled ones of river and sea
and the feathered ones of the air;
kangaroo and desert dingo,
earth-worm, butterfly, and bacteria;
First/Native Peoples and recent arrivals;
sacred wisdom of sages, and the consciousness of prophets.
v1 Every day we encounter the cosmos.
All It is our bodies, our food, our air, our everything.
v1 One thing is made up of all other things.
All Being and beauty flow freely through
all the universe in this great procession of life.
Bread and White Wine
v1 As we gather together to share and eat food
we also remember the stories around all the meals
in the wisdom tradition of the Galilean sage we call Jesus…
v2 Born of a woman and the Hebrew gene pool,
he was a creature of earth, a moment in the biological evolution of this planet.
v1 Like all human beings, he carried within himself
the signature of the supernovas
and the geology and life history of the Earth…
v2 For just as the Milky Way is the universe in the form of a galaxy,
and the Wedge-tailed Eagle is the universe in the form of a bird,
he was and we are, the universe in the form of a human.
All May we care for our planet.
May we nurture this piece of stardust!
May we celebrate with the cosmos!
(Silence)
v1 And so we remember the living tradition…
How, during a meal, he would take Bread, give thanks, break it,
and share it with both friend and stranger.
Bread is broken several times
v2 This piece of bread is the body of the whole cosmos.
Look deeply and you notice the sunshine in the bread,
the blue sky in the bread,
the clouds and the great earth in the bread.
The whole cosmos has come together
in order to bring to us this piece of bread.
(Short silence)
v1 And after conversation he would pour a cup of Wine,
offer thanks for it, and share it with all those with him.
White wine is poured out
v1 Wine, fruit of the vine, gift of nature.
v2 Since all food is cosmic and born of the sun and photosynthesis,
sharing a meal of bread and wine
renders the universe both sacred and intimate.
(Short silence)
v1 Bread and Wine,
Elements for life on Earth…
In solidarity with life…
Response
v2 In sharing this banquet, we in our time and place,
enter into a new relationship,
with sacred wisdom,
with the planet, and
with one another,
All to feel our kinship with all life,
to raise our voice in the service of life,
All to love kindness, and to seek justice,
to live in harmony
All and awaken to peace.
v2 May we sense the wonder of what might yet be.
All We are part of Earth. Earth is part of us.
v1 And as we consider this Earth, our home,
All may we continue to walk upon it gently and with reverence.
Communion
The Bread and White Wine—with conversation—is served in small groups around the Gathering space
OR
CELEBRATING COMMUNITY IN THE TRADITION OF THE MEAL
Offerings
Presentation
Our tradition says we should give thanks and be generous...
May all givers be blessed because we need to be generous
in order to be whole.
Thanksgiving
God is the heart of life.
All And we are the heartbeat.
May your hearts be filled with thanks
and praise and songs of joy.
All We rejoice in the miracle of life
and delight in our participation (Sherri Weinberg).
We give thanks and praise for all that is good in the world.
For that mystery we name God
and call the creator of heaven and earth and all that is.
For the person we name Jesus
and his message of peace, justice and inclusiveness
that is the realm of God.
For the renewing strength and freedom of the Spirit
always present on the breath of life
All We give thanks for the love, peace and justice,
for prosperity, strength and freedom,
and for the presentness of God in the midst of life.
God of winter, the unpopular, slandered season, we praise you.
God of lightning, wind and storm, we praise you.
God of brisk winter mornings, frosted back lawns and stark hillsides;
of warm socks, coats and gloves,
raincoats, umbrellas and warm fires, we praise you.
So we join our celebration to all people, saying:
All Holy, holy, holy, re-creating God,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
All Hosanna in the highest.
Breaking of Bread/Sharing of Wine
We remember the time when Jesus faced
difficult decisions and destructive forces:
- in the days and nights of his searching,
- in finding ways to free others from images and ideas
that kept them captive and dependent and fearful of God,
- in breaking down social and religious barriers,
- in facing failure,
- in facing death (Michael Morwood/pns)
When we too experience the winter of our lives
may we find the courage to let go
and trust in your guiding, warming light.
And we remember
Jesus has shown us that life is stronger than death.
And as we eat together at this table
we remember the words and the actions of that meal...
He took bread, gave thanks, broke it,
and gave it to his friends.
He poured a cup of wine, offered thanks for it,
and shared it also with his friends.
Ancient symbols.
Common acts.
Response
Jesus, human like us,
All reveals to us our true identity, temples of God's spirit.
Jesus, human like us,
All reveals God present and active throughout human history.
Jesus, human like us,
All reveals God-always-with-us in our everyday loving.
Jesus, human like us,
All challenges us to let his story be our story also. (Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer/wsj)
Communion
So we break and share bread and drink wine,
pledging ourselves to allow the spirit that moved in Jesus
to move freely in our lives.
The Bread and White Wine is served
PARTING
Hymn/Song 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.
OR
“Wisdom Be Our Guide… Ordinary People” (Tune: ‘Serenam’, Colin Gibson) 60(v1-2) TEL
Wisdom be our guide:
wisdom as in Jesus,
strong through storm and crisis,
turning terror’s tide.
Wisdom be our wings:
lift the human spirit,
banish bomb and bullet,
warlord posturings.
Refrain:
And with God’s help,
ordinary people,
we ordinary people
will turn the world around. (Repeat Refrain)
Wisdom be our ground:
there new truths are growing,
streams begin new flowing,
seams of gold are found.
Wisdom be our friend:
warn us of our danger,
earth’s appalling hunger,
greed that has no end.
Refrain:
And with God’s help,
ordinary people,
we ordinary people
will turn the world around.
(Repeat Refrain)
Remain standing
Parting Words
As we prepare to leave this sacred space where we have celebrated together,
let us return to our work enlivened and renewed...
The Community Candle is extinguished
Companion God, from the depths of our hearts,
to the heights of our minds,
All You are the enclosing hands, and the encircling arms.
May we see
All touch, hear, taste, and smell
this presentness in every moment.
Words of Blessing
May you always stand tall as a tree.
Be as strong as the rock Uluru.
As gentle and still as the morning mist.
Hold the warmth of the campfire in your heart.
And may the Creator Spirit
always walk with you. Elizabeth Pike/grpe
All May it be so. Amen.
Hymn/Song (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
OR
“Wisdom Be Our Guide… Ordinary People” (Tune: ‘Serenam’, Colin Gibson) 60(v3) TEL
Wisdom be our frame:
Common sense with Vision,
heart’s own intuition,
giving love a name.
Wisdom be our light:
lead us and illumine
all that’s fully human,
simple, sane and right.
Refrain:
And with God’s help,
ordinary people,
we ordinary people
will turn the world around! (Repeat Refrain) Shirley Erena Murray
The people sit after the hymn/song
'This Week' at (NN)
Notices
Birthdays and Anniversaries
Significant Events
Journey Candles
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.
(FFS) Faith Forever Singing. Songs for a New Day. Raumati. New Zealand Hymnbook Trust, 2000.
Inclusive Readings. Year C. Brisbane. Inclusive Language Project. In private circulation, 2006
Laughlin, P. A. “Pray without seeking. Toward a truly mystical Lord’s Prayer” in The Fourth R 22, 6, 20-24, 2009.
McRae-McMahon, D. The Glory of Blood, Sweat and Tears. Liturgies for Living and Dying. Melbourne. JBCE, 1996.
Morely, J. All Desires Known. Expanded edition. London. SPCK, 1992.
Morwood, M. Praying a New Story. Richmond. Spectrum Publications, 2003.
(TEL) Murray, S. E. Touch the Earth Lightly. New Hymns written between 2003 & 2008. Carol Stream. Hope Publishing, 2008.
Nelson-Pallmeyer, J. & B. Hesle. Worship in the Spirit of Jesus. Theology, Liturgy, and Songs without Violence. Cleveland. The Pilgrim Press, 2005.
Stuart, G. Singing a New Song. Traditional Hymn Tunes with New Century Lyrics. Volume 2. Toronto: G Stuart, 2009.
Vosper, G. Another Breath. Prayers for Celebration and Reflection. Brisbane. The Centre for Progressive Religious Thought Brisbane, 2009/2010.
Vosper, G. We All Breathe. Poems and Prayers. Toronto: PostPurgical Resources, 2012.
(SSA) Wallace, W. L. Something to Sing About. Hymns and Reflections in Search of a Contemporary Spirituality. Melbourne. JBCE, 1981.
Web sites/Other:
McKeeman, Haley, UUA Worship Web. Boston. UUA. < www.uua.org/spirituallife/worshipweb/>
Sherri Weinberg. St Paul's Presbyterian Church. 2004. NZ: Devonport.
L Bruce Miller. Edmonton, Canada.
Andrew Pratt. "Crowded Table" Direct from the author. 2005.
The Banquet of the Cosmos
Shaped from the various published writings of:
• Margie Abbott. Cosmic Sparks. Igniting a Re-Enchantment with the Sacred. Bayswater. Coventry Press, 200
• David Bumbaugh. Selected Communion Liturgies published in (ed) Carl Seaburg. The Communion Book. Boston. Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association, 1993, plus “Toward a Humanist Vocabulary of Reverence”. Boulder International Humanist Institute, Fourth Annual Symposium, Boulder, Colorado. (22 February 2003). <http://www.uua.org/sites/live-new.uua.org/files/documents/bumbaughdavid/humanist_reverence.pdf>
• Elizabeth Johnson. “Deep Incarnation: Prepare to be Astonished”, UNIFAS Conference, Rio de Janeiro, (7-14 July 2010). <https://sgfp.wordpress.com/2011/02/15/deep-incarnation-prepare-to-be-astonished/>
• Bruce Sanguin. “Cosmic Sacrifice” and “Feast of the Cosmos” in If Darwin Prayed: Prayers for Evolutionary Mystics. Vancouver. ES Press, 2010
• Gretta Vosper, With or Without God. Why the Way we Live is More Important than What we Believe. Toronto. HarperCollins, 2008.
Plus Thich Nhat Hanh, Matthew Fox, Thomas Berry, David Galston, and others… with grateful thanks.