Rex A E Hunt

Revd Rex A E Hunt

eMail:  rexae@optusnet.com.au
Web site:  www.rexaehuntprogressive.com

LITURGY FOR THE CELEBRATION OF LIFE

2 May 2010. Easter 5C/Pluralism Sunday. (White).
Celebrating community: Sacrament of Holy Communion.

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

Music

Entry into worship
The gong is sounded three times

Each morning we are thankful
for the night just ended,
for the years that have been,
and for the day that is.  (KPatton/hscl)

v2 Let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life
in the presentness of God.

Lighting of community candle
The candle is lit

Hymn The people stand as they are able, to sing
“God who carved... landscape”  (Tune: ‘Dansey’).   31 FFS
God who carved this timeless landscape,
snow-clad ridge to valley plain,
power of surging race and river,
limestone crag and scarred terrain;
maker still of earth, fire, water,
artistry of sight and sound,
Southern lights and sunset splendour,
raise our eyes and you are found.

Calendar of nature's balance,
rhythms of the farming year,
shearing, milking, ploughing, pruning,
manger setting ever near!
lonely struggle in the byways,
nor'west dust or snow and flood,
fellowship of tears and laughter:

Lord, with you, we're understood.
Giving thanks for those before us,
village life and tussock track,
as we turn to face the future,
history's wind upon our back;
scattered are our congregations,
each now shares in ministry,
bonding strength of work together:
spirit of community.  DGrierson

Optional hymn
“More than tolerance” (Tune: ‘Austria’, 87 87D. 93TiS)      102 SNS
Coming to a place of candour,
Where beliefs and creeds confer;
We will not react with anger,
Nor tell others where they err.
Can we speak of faith and doctrine?
Can we listen - really hear?
As we meet can we imagine
That new insights may appear?

When we hear some diff'rent teaching,
When we try to understand;
Different faiths can be disturbing,
And can question where we stand;
We need not forsake devotion
If it's God whom we adore;
But we can share inspiration;
We can question and explore.

We can pledge to be accepting;
Put behind us lack of trust;
We can practise understanding,
Shun rebuke that is unjust.
If we can affirm each other,
Be as friend and not as foe,
We can meet and share together;
Plant respect and let it grow. (GStuart)
Remain standing

Opening sentences
It is time.
The joy of the God, Spirit of Life, be with you all.
All And also with you.

It is time
for pausing and praising,
for thinking and thanking,
for listening and learning,
for confessing and forgiving.
All A time for allowing ourselves
to be loved and cherished by a lover
who will never leave us or forsake us.

Prayer
We pray:
Generous God,
you bring light to our days and hope to our hearts.
We are grateful for your care.
You have invited us once more to this time of celebration.
May we be raised up to embrace your way of love.
Amen.

Hymn “Perfect singer”  (Tune:  ‘Catherine’, 77 77. 622 TiS)    332 SLT
Perfect Singer, songs of earth
rise on every field and hearth;
let our voices sound again
ancient songs of joy and pain.

All your creatures strive for life
suffer hurt in angry strife,
seek compassion, find release
in the covenant of peace.

Sing a sacred melody
for the justice that shall be;
let our harmonies resolve
dissonance in steadfast love.

Steadfast Seeker, find our song
woven into lives made strong;
let the patterns of surprise
kindle hope with each sunrise.  (G K Beach)
The people sit after the hymn

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.

Music of celebration

EXPLORING

Readings from a broad religious tradition
Let us now listen to some stories and sayings from
a collection of the world’s religious traditions.

Buddhism
“May every creature abound”
The Buddha. From Life prayers/29.

May every creature abound in well-being and peace.
May every living being, weak or strong, the long and the small
The short and the medium-sized, the mean and the great
May every living being, seen or unseen, those dwelling far off,
Those near by, those already born, those waiting to be born
May all attain inward peace.
Let no one deceive another
Let no one despise another in any situation
Let no one, from antipathy or hatred, wish evil to anyone at all.
Just as a mother, with her own life,
protects her only son from hurt
So within yourself foster a limitless concern
for every living creature.
Display a heart of boundless love for all the world
In all its height and depth and broad extent
Love unrestrained, without hate or enmity
Then as you stand or walk, sit or lie,
until overcome by drowsiness
Devote your mind entirely to this,
it is known as living here life divine.

Progressive Judaism:
“In the beginning…”
Rabbi Arthur Waskow. The Shalom Centre. From Life prayers/14.

In the beginning, darkness covered the face of the deep.
Then the rushing-breath of life hovered over the waters.
Let us breathe together.
Let us catch our breaths from the need to make, to do.
Let us be conscious of the Breath of Life.

We breathe out what the trees breathe in.
We breathe in what the trees breathe out.
Together we breathe each other into life.

Blessed is the One within the many.
Blessed are the Many who make one.

Hymn In solidarity with those for whom standing is not easy or possible, we will remain seated to sing
"See the glory of the morning"  (Tune: ‘St Cataherine,’ 87 87, 589 TiS)
See the glory of the morning:
autumn leaves of red and gold;
flashing silver sea, and sunlight,
new each dawning, never old.

God is painting from a palette
each kaleidoscopic scene,
visions that we greet with wonder
shot with crimson, streaked with green.

Every sight and sound is different,
every new epiphany
points to Gods eternal glory,
fires our joyous litany.  (© APratt)

Muslim:
(i) “Examples of the Prophet Muhammad’s sayings”
From A brief guide to understanding Islam/50.

A man walking along a path felt very thirsty.
Reaching a well, he descended into it,
drank his fill, and came up.

Then he saw a dog with its tongue hanging out,
trying to lick up mud to quench its thirst.

The man said: ‘This dog is feeling the same thirst that I felt.’
So he went down into the well again,
filled his shoe with water,
and gave the dog a drink.
So, God thanked him and forgave his sins.

The Prophet was asked:
‘Messenger of God, are we rewarded for kindness towards animals?"

He said:
‘There is a reward for kindness to every living animal or human.’

(i) "On beauty"
From the Islamic tradition, Hafiz writes:

How did the rose
Ever open its heart
And give to this world
all its beauty?

It felt the encouragement of light
Against its Being.
Otherwise, we all remain
too frightened (Quoted in MFox 2000).

Christian scriptures:
Luke 6: 20-21, 24-25  (Inclusive Text)

A large crowd had gathered to hear Jesus.
[Concerned at his rising popularity], Jesus said to the disciples:
'How happy are you who are poor; yours is the kingdom of God.
Happy you who are hungry now; you shall be satisfied.
Happy you who weep now: you shall laugh…’

'But alas for you who are rich: you are having your consolation now.
Alas for you who have your fill now: you shall go hungry.
Alas for you who laugh now: you shall mourn and weep.

Alas for you when the world speaks well of you…’

Contemporary word

Silence for personal reflection

AFFIRMING

A litany: Choose life
In response to the word reflected on, let us stand
and share litany affirming our faith in life.
The people stand

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.  (M T Winter/wpws)

The peace
We enter as strangers.  We leave as friends.
Let us greet another as a sign of God's peace.

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
“Sing of a sacred circle” (Tune: ‘Sacred circle', 75 65)     23 TMT
Sing of a sacred circle
round the sky and earth,
binding plants and creatures,
linking death and birth.

Sing of that ring of mystery,
changed by fearsome greed;
pawned for Judas silver,
sold for idols' needs.

See how a people's loving
greens the Mammon ring;
hear the people's sharing,
help creation sing.

Sing of the Gospel ring-time;
love embracing earth;
vibrant sphere of our living,
circle death and birth.  (WWallace)

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?  (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
In joy and in sorrow
All  We do not walk alone  (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 God, lover of us all, most holy one.
Help us to respond to you.
To create what you want for us here on earth.

Give us today enough for our needs.
Forgive our weak and deliberate offences,
just as we must forgive others
when they hurt us.

Help us to resist evil and to do what is good.
For we are yours, endowed with your power
to make our world whole.
Amen.  (LWinkley/cw)

CELEBRATING COMMUNITY: THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION
The offering  Offerings/gifts are presented
Let us bring our offerings and gifts of bread and wine,
as a symbol of our ministry in this place and beyond.

The presentation The people stand as the offerings/gifts are brought forward
We give these gifts as an act of celebration.
We celebrate our own new life, and the worldwide proclamation
of the good news to all people, everywhere.
Offerings/gifts placed on the table. People sit

The invitation
Our tradition says at the Last Supper Jesus,
sharing bread and wine, invited the disciples to share his journey.

Here today, through bread and wine,
we renew our journey with Jesus and his disciples.
Here today, through bread and wine,
we renew our unity with one another,
and with all those who have gone before us in this place.
Here today, through bread and wine,
we renew our communion with the earth
and our interwovenness with the broken ones of the world.

The story
We are reminded again of the tradition that surrounds this story.

Long ago, on the night of his arrest,
Jesus took bread, gave thanks, and broke it:
'This bread is broken, as my body will be'.

And he handed it to his friends, and invited them to eat:
'Remember all that I have been to you'.

Long ago, on that same night,
Jesus poured a cup of wine, offered thanks for it, and gave it to his friends:
'This wine is poured out, as my life will be.
Remember me and give thanks for all I have given'.

Thanksgiving
God is the heart of life.
All And we are the heartbeat.
May our hearts be filled
with thanks and praise and songs of joy.
All We rejoice in the miracle of life
and delight in our participation.  SWeinberg

Creating God, Source of Life, we offer our thanks.
The smell of gums after rain,
The surprise of ducks in flight,
The taste of peach and plum and nectarine,
For all gifts simple and profound,
in country and city,
in paddock, or back yard and on lake:
We give thanks.
All We give thanks.

We who hold all such good things in trust give thanks to you as Good Creator,
joining in the praise of all your people:
All Holy! Holy! Holy!
Heaven and earth are holy and good.
Holy is peace.
All Holy is truth.  Holy is love.

In this season of transition
as the leaves begin their subtle change of colour
and our hearts cling to the warmth as the days shorten,
once again we are reminded,
that new possibilities can rise from our failures
or disappointments
or what has come to an end.

We give thanks for all the influences in our lives
that have helped us to see beyond the present:
that teach us to combine labour and rest,
that bring us the cycles of time and season,
that sustain us when we are in need.
All God loves in us;
God cares through us;
God laughs in us;
God cries in us, as nowhere else (MMorwood/pns).

Especially we give thanks for Jesus of Nazareth,
gatherer of folk,
teller of stories,
breaker of bread,
pourer of wine,
weaver of lives.

In his life, wisdom, stories and social vision
we recall the words he spoke to call forth in us
love, care and respect for one another:
All And we believe the same Spirit of God
that came to visibility in Jesus
yearns for visibile expression in us (MMorwood/pns).

So now we take this bread and this wine...

May they be a constant presence of the Spirit of Life and Love
healing,
renewing
and making us whole.
All Together we remember our past.
Together we discern our present.
Together we shape our future.

Bread and wine
The bread is broken... the wine poured, in silence.

Bread broken.
Wine poured out, for the life of the world.

Communion
So come, taste of this same bread and wine...

Gifts of the earth.
Work of human hands.
Distribution of bread and wine, in small groups around the Table

After Communion
May the bread and the wine and the remembering
be a blessing on us all.

SCATTERING

Guardian rock above, before us,
strong foundation where we build,
landmark through the haze of doubting,
shelter where our fears are stilled.

Words of mission
Time has now come for us to leave this sacred place.
As we do, may we embrace the challenges
of our lives and our world...
The candle is extinguished

Remembering that the universe is much larger
than our ability to comprehend,
All let us go from this time together with the resolve
to allow wonder - that sense of what is sacred -
to find space to open up our minds
and illumine our lives. MLeaming

Blessing words
And now may the rhythms of our coming together,
the melodies of our worship,
and the harmonies of our farewells,
make musical our living,
soothing our spirits
and uplifting our souls,
This day and into the beckoning future.  (RS Gilbert)
All Amen.

Hymn (Cont.) “God of unexplored tomorrows” (Tune: ‘Marching’, 87 87. 165 TiS)    27 (v3-4) FFS
Be the cleansing, quenching water,
irrigate, disturb and move,
stir us from our easy shallows,
current of refreshing love.

God of rock and flowing river
now and ever with us stand,
to transform our land of promise
into each one's promised land.  BJones
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 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.
Faith forever singing. Songs for a new day. 2000.  NZ: Raumati. New Zealand Hymnbook Trust.
Fox, M. 2000.  One river, many wells. Wisdom springing from global faiths. NY: New York. Tarcher/Penguin Publishing.
Funk, R. W; R. W. Hoover. 1993.  The five gospels. The search for the authentic words of Jesus. NY: New York. MacMillan Press.
Inclusive readings. Year C. 2006. QLD: Brisbane. Inclusive Language Project. In private circulation.
Iona Community. 2001.  Iona abbey worship book. GtB: Glasgow. Wild Goose Publications.
Morely, J. 1992.  All desires known. Expanded edition. GtB: London. SPCK.
Morwood, M. 2003.  Praying a new story. VIC: Richmond. Spectrum Publications.
Nelson-Pallmeyer, J; B. Hesle. 2005.  Worship in the spirit of Jesus. Theology, liturgy, and songs without violence. OH: Cleveland. The Pilgrim Press.
Patton, K. 1967.  Services and songs for the celebration of life. MA: Boston. Beacon Press.
Prewer, B. D. 1983. Australian prayers. SA: Adelaide. OpenBook Publishers.
Roberts, E; E. Amidon. 1996. Life prayers from around the world. 365 prayers, blessings, and affirmations to celebrate the human journey. NY: New York. HarperCollins.
Singing the living tradition. 1993.  MA: Boston. UUA.
Stuart, G. 2006. Singing a new song. Traditional hymn tunes with new century lyrics. Second edition. NSW: Sydney. CPRT Sydney.
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.
Ward, H.; J. Wild, J Morley. (ed). 1995.  Celebrating women. New edition. GtB: London. SPCK.
Winter, Miriam T. 1987.  Women prayer. Women song. Resources for ritual. CT: Hartford. Meyer Stone Books. 
Withrow, L. 1995.  Seasons of prayer. Resources for worship. GtB: London. SPCK.

Web sites:
Sherri Weinberg. St Paul's Presbyterian Church. NZ: Devonport.
L Bruce Miller. Edmonton, Canada.
Andrew Pratt eMail service. UK. Direct from the author.