My apologies for the mewing from Luna during the final prayer….
Prelude: Melodia Africana I by Ludovico Einaudi
Opening Words: by Rabindranath Tagore
I ask for a moment’s indulgence to sit by Thy side.
The works that I have in hand
I will finish afterwards.
Away from the sight of Thy face
My heart knows no rest or respite,
And my work becomes an endless toil
In a shoreless sea of toil.
Today the summer has come at my window
With its sighs and murmurs;
And the bees are plying their minstrelsy
At the court of the flowering grove.
Now it is time to sit quiet
Face to face with Thee,
And to sing dedication of life
In this silent and overflowing leisure.
Chalice Lighting by Yvonne Aburrow
As we light this transitory flame,
May a perpetual flame burn in our hearts.
As we lift up this earthen chalice,
May our hearts be filled with living waters.
Opening Prayer from the Chinook Psalter
The garden is rich with diversity
With plants of a hundred families
In the space between the trees
With all the colours and fragrances.
Basil, mint and lavender,
God keep my remembrance pure,
Raspberry, apple, rose,
God fill my heart with love,
Dill, anise, tansy,
Holy winds blow in me.
Rhododendron, zinnia,
May my prayer be beautiful
May my remembrance O God
Be as incense to Thee
In the sacred grove of eternity
As I smell and remember
The ancient forests of earth. Amen
For this service, I am going to use the Language of Flowers, and have chosen eight different roses which have different meanings. The first rose is the Rose generally, which means beauty. Some words by John O’Donohue:
Reading: from Divine Beauty: the Invisible Embrace by John O’Donohue
When we awaken to the call of beauty, we become aware of new ways of being in the world. We were created to be creators. At its deepest heart, creativity is meant to serve and evoke beauty. When this desire and capacity come alive, new wells spring up in parched ground; difficulty becomes invitation and rather than striving against the grain of our nature, we fall into rhythm with its deepest urgency and passion. The time is now ripe for beauty to surprise and liberate us. Beauty is a free spirit and will not be trapped within the grid of intentionality. In the light of beauty, the strategies of the ego melt like a web against a candle. As Frederick Turner puts it, ‘Beauty … is the highest integrative level of understanding and the most comprehensive capacity for effective action. It enables us to go with, rather than against, the deepest tendency or theme of the universe.’
Prayer by Ishpriya R.S.C.J.
O Holy One, I ran through the fields and gathered flowers of a thousand colours –
And now I pour them out at Your feet.
Their beauty and their brightness shout for joy in Your Presence.
You created the flowers of the fields and made each one far more lovely
Than all the skill of man could design.
Accept my joy along with theirs,
This field of blossoms at Your feet.
Holy One
As the wind blows through these flowers
Till they dance in the ecstasy of creation,
Send Your Spirit to blow through my being
Till I too bloom and dance with the fullness of Your life. Amen
Our second rose is the Multiflora Rose, whose meaning is grace. Some words by the late Jane Barraclough, former minister of Cross Street Chapel, Manchester:
Reading: Grace by Jane Barraclough from With Heart and Mind 2
To experience grace is not about virtue, it is not about any sense of having worked for the blessings that we have. Nor is it about being abjectly humble, as some religious traditions would have you believe it is. Augustine argued that we were such miserable sinners that we could only be saved by the intervention of God, which he called grace. I think he missed the point of grace because he went on determined to be deserving all his life, in a rather life-denying way. Whether we deserve it or not, has nothing to do with it.
The world is simply here for us as a gift. We can choose to receive the gift with gratitude, or we can decide it is never enough for us, or we can decide that we receive what we receive in life because we somehow deserve it. The last has always been a favourite among those most privileged in society. Those with an overpowering sense of their own entitlement to all the good things in life are also often the most difficult to satisfy. Those who can live their lives in a state of gratitude are more likely to know when they have enough.
To experience grace we have to be open to the possibility of its existence. The winds of grace may always be blowing but we need to have our sails up if we are to make any headway.
Prayer by Jane Barraclough
Spirit of Life and Love,
Open my eyes that I may see the grace of the world:
the beauty of a human gesture,
the curve of the horizon, the sweep of feathers.
Allow me to inhabit, even if just for a moment,
the perfection of the world,
the abandonment of a child laughing,
the rumble of a purring cat.
Let me abandon self-consciousness … just for a while,
and join in the dance. Amen
Our third rose is the Deep Pink Rose, whose meaning is gratitude. Some words by Nicky Jenkins, former minister of York Unitarians:
Reading: Gratitude by Nicky Jenkins from With Heart and Mind 2
To accept and be thankful for our blessings requires a proper humility, not a false one, which is in any case a form of arrogance. By acknowledging the many good things already in our lives, we are better able to let go of that striving for even better, even more possessions, which seems to have become a part of our western society. When we are able to acknowledge that we do indeed have an abundance of material wealth, perhaps we will be able to give more away, and to share our resources.
And it is not only our material possessions that we should be aware of, but also the rewards of the spirit. If we set aside time daily to be thankful for our material possessions and spiritual growth, then we start to change. I have found that remembering with gratitude the gifts of the day before I sleep, counteracts my anxiety and concerns, and keeps me in touch with the truth that I am loved, and helps me to trust in life.
Prayer by Nicky Jenkins
Spirit of Life and Love,
Too often we focus on what is wrong.
Teach us to focus on what is right,
and to finish each day in gratitude.
Too often we look to the future with fear.
Teach us to expect joy,
and to look forward to what may come.
Too often we try to control our lives.
Teach us to trust in life,
and to welcome the gifts without fear.
Too often we close down the doors of our hearts.
Teach us to risk opening them,
and to receive love.
Amen
Musical Interlude Melodia Africana III by Ludovico Einaudi
Our fourth rose is the Red Rose, whose meaning is love. A reading from the First Letter of John:
Reading: from First Letter of John, Chapter 4.
Let us love one another, because love is from God. Whoever does not love God does not know God, for God is love. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us.
God is love, and those who abide in love, abide in God, and God abides in them. There is no fear in love, for perfect love casts out fear.
Those who say “I love God” and hate their brothers and sisters are liars, for those who do not love a brother or sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, who they have not seen.
No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us.
Alternative Lord’s Prayer
Spirit of Life and Love, here and everywhere,
May we be aware of your presence in our lives.
May our world be blessed.
May our daily needs be met,
And may our shortcomings be forgiven,
As we forgive those of others.
Give us the strength to resist wrong-doing,
The inspiration and guidance to do right,
And the wisdom to know the difference.
We are your hands in the world; help us to grow.
May we have compassion for all living beings,
And receive whatever life brings,
With courage and trust. Amen
Our fifth rose is the the Rose Leaf, whose meaning is hope. Some words by Katie Kandarian-Morris:
Reading: Hoping, Trusting, for so many things by Katie Kandarian-Morris (adapted)
Here we are in this sacred space—
quieter now with our readiness
Hushed voices, hoping, trusting for so many things:
For connection, for communion
For inspiration, for information
For healing, for wholeness,
For words, for music,
For celebration and consolation,
Here we have come into this space bringing all of who we are,
Let us be willing… however we are changed.
Time of Stillness and Reflection (words by Andrew Usher, adapted)
We have gathered in this Oasis of Peace from many places, with many thoughts. We pause together now, to allow ourselves to settle into this place at this time, letting the cares of the outside world relax their grip.
As we take the time to reflect on our presence here, let us give thanks for all the small moments which make our lives so special. May we recognise in those small moments that divine grace which is present at all times, if only we would be aware of it.
We acknowledge with regret the moments when we have been less than we would wish to be: the moments when we have forgotten the divinity within ourselves and within others: the moments when life is hard on us, when we cannot face the world, when our sorrows seem too much to bear.
May we have the strength and the courage to affirm that there is divinity in these moments too. May our hearts be turned, that we might see divine grace working wherever we look, and may that recognition lighten our burdens. And where we still cannot see that grace, may we be filled with the spirit to bring love, grace, compassion and hope ourselves to those places where it is needed.
[silence]
May we find peace and renewal in this place, and may we take that peace with us, that it may fill the world.
Amen
Our sixth rose is the Lavender Rose, whose meaning is enchantment or awe. Some words from the Book of Exodus.
Reading from Exodus, 3:1-6
Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” He said further, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
Prayer: by Tess Baumberger (adapted)
Divine Spirit,
healer of our hurts, consoler of our sorrows,
vibrant light of happiness,
birther of all life and gentle way of death,
hear our prayer.
We praise and thank you for our lives,
gifts of body and essence,
gifts of eyes and heart
gifts of ears to hear
our voices to sing out praises,
to speak our truths and visions,
to share ourselves with others.
We praise and thank you for our lives.
gifts of all our senses,
rhythm of our heartbeat,
rise and fall of our breathing,
the will to live with passion, serenity, joy.
Spirit, guide us to a deeper knowing
of your presence in the world.
Show us the deeper meanings
of the patterns of our years.
Help us regard ourselves and others
with eyes of calm compassion.
Teach us to learn patience
with their failings and our own.
Help us accept the mould and fashion
of our lives through marching years.
In the names of all who perceive
your transcendent presence
in trees and brooks and mountains,
in work and play and resting,
in all moments and places between,
Amen.
Our seventh rose is the Coral Rose, whose meaning is desire or longing. Some more words from Eternal Echoes: Exploring Our Hunger to Belong by John O’Donohue:
Reading: from Eternal Echoes by John O’Donohue
Our hunger to belong is the longing to bridge the gulf that exists between isolation and intimacy. Distance awakens longing; closeness is belonging. Everyone longs for intimacy and dreams of a nest of belonging in which one is embraced, seen and loved. Something within each of us cries out for belonging. We can have all the world has to offer in terms of status, achievement and possessions, yet without a true sense of belonging, our lives feel empty and pointless. Like the tree that puts roots deep into the clay, each of us needs the anchor of belonging in order to bend with the storms and continue towards the light. Like the ocean that returns each time to the shore, a sense of belonging liberates us and empowers us to trust fully the rhythm of loss and longing. Like a welcoming circle of friendship, it also shelters us from the loneliness of life.
Prayer For belonging by John O’Donohue
May you listen to your longing to be free.
May the frames of your belonging be generous enough for your dreams.
May you arise each day with a voice of blessing whispering in your heart.
May you find a harmony between your soul and your life.
May the sanctuary of your soul never become haunted.
May you know the eternal longing that lives at the heart of time.
May there be kindness in your gaze when you look within.
May you never place walls between the light and yourself.
May you allow the wild beauty of the invisible world to gather you, mind you and embrace you in belonging.
Amen
Our final roses are the White and Red Rose Together, whose meaning is unity or harmony. This is beautifully illustrated by Douglas Taylor’s prayer, The Symphony of Life.
Reading: The Symphony of Life by Douglas Taylor (adapted)
Eternal Spirit, from whom all things come and to whom all things return,
We gather today in community seeking to live in the harmony.
Each of us here gathered lives out our lives knowing our own story, our own private melody.
Life – at its highest and its sweetest – is a sharing.
Life is a sharing of our melodies, of our love and interest, of our yearning and questions.
We gather today as individuals creating harmony in community together.
May our different ways of knowing and naming the holy blend together.
May our voices be added to the holy chorus of life.
May we practice our scales that we may better improvise and recognize
where we come in when it is our time.
The world is rife with discord and trouble.
Injustice and suffering weigh us down and trip us up and stop our voices.
May we learn to trust in love, in God, in our own voices,
in the trembling faith of our forebears
to trust that we have a part in this symphony and
we can join this chorus and bring some beauty to the cacophony around us.
May there be times of gentle tones and soothing melodies
May there be rhythms upon which we can rely to rally our spirits at need
May there be teachers and band mates, fans and good companions to help call our best music out of us.
May there be moments when we are transported,
moments when we discover we are not playing the music
so much as the music is flowing through us, the music is playing us.
O Spirit of Life, may our song be among the songs of the spirit
May there be beauty in our song and in our living,
May there be meaning and power in our song
And may our individual voices blend into the chorus,
The chorus that is Thee, O Spirit.
This we ask, in the name of all that is holy
May it be so.
Benediction by Sarah Lammert
Go in peace, embraced by the light and warmth of our gathering.
Go in love, ready again to struggle on.
Go in beauty, shining forth like a lamp for freedom.
Amen!
Postlude: Stella del Mattino by Ludovico Einaudi