Revd Rex A E Hunt
eMail: rexae@optusnet.com.au
Web site: www.rexaehuntprogressive.com
LITURGY FOR THE CELEBRATION OF LIFE
23 October 2011. Pentecost 19A/24A. (Green).
Acknowledgement of Land
(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 Celebration
The gong is sounded three times
In sacred times of word, wonder, and awe.
In ordinary days of work and play.
In every moment, Creativity God is with us. (Adapt.TShuman/worship-rcl)
So let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life
in the presentness of this God.
Lighting of the Candle
The community candle is lit in silence
We are safe.
We are together.
We are loved.
And so it will be. (BGriffin/icuu-cl)
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
“Sing for God’s glory” (Tune: ‘Lobe den Herren’, 14 14 4 7 8. 111 TiS)
Sing for God’s glory that colors the dawn of creation,
racing across the sky, trailing bright clouds of elation;
sun of delight
succeeds the velvet of night,
warming the earth’s exultation.
Sing for God’s power that shatters the chains that would hold us,
searing the bleakness of fear and despair that would mold us,
touching our shame
with love that will not lay blame,
reaching out gently to find us.
Sing for God’s justice disturbing each easy illusion,
tearing down tyrants and putting our pride to confusion;
lifeblood of right,
resisting evil and slight,
offering freedom’s transfusion.
Sing for God’s saints who have travelled faith’s journey before us,
who in our weariness give us their hope to restore us;
in them we see
the new creation to be,
spirit of love made flesh for us. (KGalloway.Adapt.)
Remain standing after the hymn
Opening Sentences
v1 Praise to God, who spoke creation,
giving life to time and space.
All Praise to Christ, whose living presence
showed the world your human face.
v2 Praise the Spirit, daily witness
to your ever-loving way.
All Take us now and reawaken us,
challenge us to use this day. (MDobson/mm)
Prayer
We pray:
Abiding God, grant us the joy of feeling ourselves
a part of your vast magnificence,
your all-encompassing love.
Amen.
Hymn “Celebrate Each Difference” (Tune: ‘Intercessor’, 11 10 11 10. 587 TiS)
We cannot make an easy, safe distinction,
all people are our neighbours, none denied.
The voices of all nations heard beside us:
all sisters, brothers, none we should deride.
The wall between the peoples has been broken.
In love of God divisions disappear.
As seen in Christ, we recognise our neighbours.
We greet unusual faces without fear.
We celebrate each difference God has given.
Each nation, black and white, both straight and gay,
the able and the challenged, God has offered,
that we might share together, learn and pray
We meet with those who paint a different picture,
who value God in words not yet our own.
In dialogue we offer one another
a vision we could never find alone.
This God we seek is greater than each difference;
the source and ground of all variety,
the centre and the soul of all creation,
erasing hate with love, to set us free. APratt/ea
The people sit
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.
CENTERING
Silence
In the safety of this sacred place I invite you now into a time of
gratitude, reflection, renewal and hope.
(Silence)
Great possibilities do await us.
The grandeur of life, of which we are a part,
fill us with hope… if we seek to choose it.
(Silence)
Music of Reflection
EXPLORING
Readings from our broad religious tradition
Two readings from our broad religious tradition
shall now be read by (NN).
From the world around us:
‘The web’
By Jeanette Stokes. Birthings and Blessings/84.
As I walked through the bush one morning during autumn,
I came across a perfectly formed spider’s web bright with dew.
The delicately woven strands reminded me that
as we live and work… we spin out the thread of life
that connects and supports us all.
The web of support that joins me to my friends is like a lifeline.
Sometimes I can almost feel it – tiny golden threads
tying my heart to the hearts of others.
My passion for life… fueled by theirs.
And my life is never the same.
I am a porous being.
There are spaces in my soul like the open places in a web.
Other people pass through me.
I am changed and sometimes I am born again
to a whole new way of being, of understanding myself
my work, and the world.
The dreams we spin need to be tied to something.
The spider’s web I saw was attached
to the graceful curve at the end of
a wild blackberry cane.
As we live and work together we can create and maintain
a web of connection that will support us all.
Gospel:
Matthew 22:34-40 (Inclusive Text)
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus has silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together,
and one of them, a lawyer, asked Jesus a question to test him:
‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’
Jesus said:
‘You shall love your God with all our heart,
and with all your soul, and with all your mind’.
This is the greatest and first commandment.
‘And a second is like it:
‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.
‘On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets’.
Contemporary word
Silence for personal reflection
AFFIRMING
A litany: Order and Change
The people stand
v1 At this time and in this place we give thanks
for all that is familiar and ordered in our lives:
v2 The regular beating of our heart
and the pattern of our breathing
v3 The dusk of evening and the dawn of morning,
the ebb and flow of tides
and the lapping of waves on the shore.
v2 For newly-learned hymns and much-loved stories
v3 For your constant love,
and the love and care of our family and friends.
Pause
v1 We give thanks for everything that changes and challenges us:
v2 For surprises and holidays,
the unexpected meeting with a friend,
the chance to do something different.
v3 For new people and new ideas in our life.
Pause
v1 For children growing up, teenagers becoming adults,
and for every decade of life with its special privileges and challenges.
v2 For good news and bad,
for problems and difficulties that make us think again.
v1 For grief over things we have lost,
and people we are separated from
v3 For the pain and joy of life that makes every day new.
v1 May we treasure our past and our traditions without becoming rigid.
All To rejoice in long-established and comfortable relationships
without excluding new possibilities;
to value our routines and order
without losing our spontaneity
and avoiding new challenges.
v1 And may the Spirit of Life
All enliven us in our apathy,
encourage us in our creativity,
reassure us in our uncertainty and fear. (Adapt.WWilkie/cnc)
The peace
Let us take a moment to celebrate each other.
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 of the Month
xxx
CELEBRATING
Offerings
Our offerings for the celebration of life in this place and beyond,
shall now be received.
Presentation People stand as the gifts are presented
God, we look for a gentler humanity, a kinder world:
with our money and with our hearts,
with our minds and with every good intention,
let this be our prayer. FMacnab/fwb
People sit
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.
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 (GVosper/wwg)
And so we take this flame and light our special care candle.
The Care candle is lit
In all our joys and in all our concerns, may we be ever mindful
of the presentness of God among us,
and to see new possibilities of the now.
Pastoral Prayers:
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 xxx
SCATTERING
Hymn “God Present To All” (Tune: ‘Ombersley’, 88 88. 567 TiS) 25 (v1-3) SNS2
Creation sings amazing songs;
This is a place where God belongs
In movement, colour to behold
In past and future yet untold.
Source of all life’s vitality
Enlivens love consistently;
We see God’s presence in each face,
In kindly deeds and acts of grace.
Deep in our soul with vision clear
We see God’s presence re-appear
Each time a human babe is born,
Each time we rise to greet the dawn.
Remain standing
Words of Mission
Let us go in faith to ponder in our hearts
the mystery and the wonder of this season...
The candle is extinguished
Glorifying the past can never be
the key to our future.
All We need to get a new perspective on today
by getting a new vision of tomorrow. KARussell
Blessing Words
The light of God to lead us.
The power of god to hold us.
The joy of God to heal us.
The grace of God to bless us.
The love of God to caress us.
All Amen.
Hymn (Cont) “God Present To All” (Tune: ‘Ombersley’, 88 88. 567 TiS) 25 (v4) SNS2
Wonderful visions constantly
Express great beauty as we see
God’s presence in humanity,
So vivid once in Galilee. (GStuart)
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 the moment 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:
(AA) Alleluia Aotearoa. Hymns and songs for all churches. 1993. NZ: Raumati. New Zealand Hymnbook Trust.
Binkley, C. G.; J. M. McKeel. 2001. Jesus and his Kingdom of Equals. An international curriculum on the life and teaching of Jesus. CA: Santa Rosa. Polebridge Press.
Dobson, M. 2004. Multi-coloured Maze. Drama, hymns, prayers and poems for worship and everyday living. GtB: London. Stainer & Bell.
Duncan, G. (ed). 2005. Entertaining Angels. A worship anthology on sharing Christ’s hospitality. GtB: Norwich. The Canterbury Press.
Inclusive Readings. Year A. 2004. QLD: Brisbane. Inclusive Language Project. In private circulation.
Iona Community. 2001. Iona Abbey Worship Book. GtB: Glasgow. Wild Goose Publications.
Macnab, F. 2006. A Fine Wind is Blowing: Psalms of the bible in words that blow you away. VIC: Richmond. Spectrum Publications.
Mitchell, R. C; G. A. Ricciuti. 1992. Birthings and Blessings. Liberating worship services for the inclusive church. NY: New York. Crossroads.
McCracken, J. (ed). 1998. Celebrating the New Church. Liturgical resources for
today. VIC: Blackburn. HarperCollins.
Vosper, G. 2008. With or Without God. Why the way we live is more important that what we believe. Canada: Toronto. HarperCollins.
Web sites:
Russell, UUA Worship Web. MA: Boston. UUA. < www.uua.org/spirituallife/worshipweb/>
Thom M Shuman. [w-rcl] Liturgy web site.
“Sing for God’s glory”. Words: Kathy Galloway. From <http://www.marciamcfee.com/>
Brian Griffin. International Council of Unitarians and Universalists Chalice lighting. http://www.icuu.net/resources/chalicelightings.html