Revd Rex A E Hunt
MSc(Hons), GradDipCommMgt
eMail: rexae@optusnet.com.au
Web site: www.rexaehuntprogressive.com
LITURGY FOR THE CELEBRATION OF LIFE
23 November 2008. Reign of Christ A. (White).
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 worship
The gong is sounded three times
Come in bringing all of who you are.
Calm your hurried pace.
For this hour let the cares, the fretfulness and worry, be set aside.
Know that you are not alone.
There is strength and caring support for you here. (Adapt. CSOwen-Towle)
So let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life in the presentness of God.
Lighting of the candle
The community candle is lit in silence
We light this flame as a symbol of the light
we would keep glowing in our lives:
the light of Christ.
Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
"Called as partners in Christ's service" (Tune ‘Abbot’s Leigh’ 87 87D. 446 TiS)
Called as partners in Christ's service,
Called to ministries of grace,
We respond with deep commitment
Fresh new lines of faith to trace.
May we learn the art of sharing,
Side by side and friend with friend,
Equal partners in our caring
To fulfil God's chosen end.
Christ's example, Christ's inspiring,
Christ's clear call to work and worth,
Let us follow, never faltering,
Reconciling folk on earth.
Men and women, richer, poorer,
All God's people, young and old,
Blending human skills together
Gracious gifts from God unfold.
Thus new patterns for Christ's mission,
In a small or global sense,
Help us bear each other's burdens,
Breaking down each wall or fence.
Words of comfort, words of vision,
Words of challenge, said with care,
Bring new power and strength for action,
Make us colleagues, free and fair.
So God grant us for tomorrow
Ways to order human life
That surround each person's sorrow
With a calm that conquers strife.
Make us partners in our living,
Our compassion to increase,
Messengers of faith, this giving
Hope and confidence and peace. © JPHuber/LicenSing
Remain standing after the hymn
Opening sentences
As we gather to remember and share stories of faith,
let us also rejoice in the presentness of Creativity God.
All Before our stories began, there was God;
through all our days, God’s presentness
in there, energising us.
Indeed, God’s spirit is moving among us,
about to do a new thing in our midst.
All We will sing praises and offer thanks.
We seek to grow in faith
and in love for one another.
Prayer
We pray:
Christ be with me, Christ before me,
Christ be after me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left. (Adapt. St Patrick)
Amen.
Hymn "Life awakes” (Tune: ‘Easter Hymn’, 77 77. 362 TiS)
Life awakes upon the earth, Alleluia
Bursting forth in joyous birth, Alleluia
Come we now to celebrate, Alleluia
Part of earth, to earth relate, Alleluia
From the powers of our mind, Alleluia
From the talents of our hands, Alleluia
From the joy that fills the heart, Alleluia
Gladsome praise in every art, Alleluia
Let the spirit of this day, Alleluia
Shine its light with deeper ray, Alleluia
Adding to our common hours, Alleluia
With its life uplifting powers, Alleluia (Author unknown)
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 silence.
(Silence)
God of the cosmos,
attune our ears to hear you today
in the great symphony of the universe
and in the solo of another’s face.
(Silence)
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:
"When my mind is still and alone..."
Adapted from Paul H Beattie.
When my mind is still and alone with the beating of my heart,
I remember many things too easily forgotten:
the purity of early love;
the maturity of unselfish love that seeks nothing but another's good;
the idealism that has persisted through all the tempest of life.
When my mind is still and alone with the beating of my heart,
I can sense my basic humanity,
and then I know all men and women
are my brothers and sisters.
Nothing but my own fear and distrust can separate me
from the love of friends.
When my mind is still and alone with the beating of my heart,
I know how much life has given me:
the history of the race,
friends and family,
the opportunity to work,
the chance to build myself.
Then wells within me the urge to live more abundantly,
with greater trust and joy,
with more profound seriousness and earnest striving,
and yet more calmly at the heart of life.
Gospel:
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 his 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 he will put the sheep at his right hand
and the goats at the left.
Then the king will say to those at his 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 word
Silence for personal reflection
CELEBRATING
A litany: ‘Call to be church’
In response to the word reflected on, let us stand
and share together the litany, ‘Call to be church’.
The people stand
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. KCompston/sco
The peace
Let us take a moment to celebrate each other.
The peace of God is here... to stay.
All Thanks be to God.
You are invited to share the peace with your neighbours
Hymn of the Month
“You are born in us again” (Tune: ‘Dunstan’) 52 COC
You are born in us again
Like the warmth of the summer wind you come,
to melt away the icicles of vanity and pride;
you come to blow the very doors of loving open wide.
Like the warmth of the summer wind you come,
like the warmth of the summer wind you come.
You are born in us again
Like the scent of the summer rain you come,
You come to quench the thirsty and to freshen up the land;
you come to clean away the dust that settled in our hand.
Like the scent of the summer rain you come,
like the scent of the summer rain you come.
You are born in us again
Like the light of the summer sun you come,
to give light to the places that have never seen the Son;
you come now to embrace us, you’re the holy, holy one.
Like the light of the summer sun you come,
like the light of the summer sun you come. MWilson
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)
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
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. (Adapt.FMacnab/h)
People sit
AFFIRMING
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 prayer
Lord's Prayer
You are invited to pray in the spirit of the 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. DSorrill
SCATTERING
Hymn "Christ, the tent God pitched" (Tune: ‘Picardy’. 87 87 87. 684 TiS) 1 (v1-3) TMT
Christ, the tent God pitched among us
tabernacled on this earth,
as the sacred mystic presence
which sustains our spirits' growth,
for in Christ the Word incarnate
God's new world is brought to birth.
We are called to live as pilgrims,
from our birth until that day,
when our bodies have their ending
in their earthly home of clay,
but not all who walk that journey
find the true, the living way.
We can trap ourselves in systems,
and destroy life's primal stream,
or can dance in life's adventure
to the edges of our dream,
binding beauty, love, and justice
into one great holy theme.
Remain standing
Words of mission
The presentness of God reaches beyond this place...
The candle is extinguished
May we open ourselves ever more fully to that Eternal Mystery
which lures us onward toward life and creativity.
All May we find the courage to live our faith,
to speak our truth, and to strive together for a world
where freedom abounds
and justice truly does roll down like water.
May we know the fullness of love without fear,
and the serenity of peace without turmoil.
All May we hold one another
in the deep and tender places with compassion,
and may we grace one another
by sharing our own vulnerabilities,
All being ever mindful of the divinity within
that makes soulmates of us all. CMeyer
Blessing words
As the kookaburra gently settles on the tree, receive the gift of peace.
As the flame rises with light and warmth, receive the gift of life.
As the wind moves and dances round the earth, receive the gracious gift of the Spirit. (Adapt.DStewart/wb)
All Amen.
Hymn (Cont) "Christ, the tent God pitched" (Tune: ‘Picardy’. 87 87 87. 684 TiS) 1 (v4-5) TMT
Leaving all that breeds oppression
let us learn to travel light,
with no temple but our body,
and as shelter for the night,
pitch a pilgrim tent for dwelling
in the place of sheer delight.
Christ is found within each canvas
painted with the earth and sky,
in the singing and the dancing
and within the people's cry,
for the world is space for singing
God's great song that never dies. WmWallace
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:
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.
Carol our christmas. A book of New Zealand carols. 1996. NZ: Raumati. New Zealand Hymnbook Trust.
Duncan, G. (ed). 2000. A world of blessing. Benedictions from every continent and many cultures. GtB: Norwich. The Canterbury Press.
Duncan, G. (ed). 1998. Seeing christ in others. An anthology for worship, mediation and mission. 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. 1996. Hope: The deeper longings of the mind and heart. VIC: Richmond. Spectrum Publications.
Vosper, G. 2008. With or without God. Why the way we live is more important that what we believe. Canada: Toronto. HarperCollins.
Wallace, W. L. 2001. The mystery telling. Hymns and songs for the new millennium. NY: Kingston. Selah Publishing.
Web sites:
UUA Worship Web. MA: Boston. UUA. < www.uua.org/spirituallife/worshipweb/>