Author: DrToni

Baby Blessings

Posted on by DrToni

Invisible Grandparenting: Leave a Legacy of Love Whether You Can Be There or Not

Dear Child of God:

I hope you will take advantage of the offer below.

 

A BABY BLESSING THE WORLD NEEDS NOW

by Pat Hanson, Ph.D.

– Soon to appear on GRANDMagazine.com

 

In this time of global upheaval and war, would that every family would use a ‘welcome blessing’ like this one. Can you imagine standing on the stage in the sanctuary of your choice; your family holding its newest member, and your community facing you with their arms outstretched repeating in unison:

 

We, your spiritual community, pledge to create a world that makes it easy for you to be all that you are intended to be.

We will mind our minds, be careful of what we create, and give you the freedom to grow. We will wage peace, protect the planet, and leave its resources in better shape than we found it.

Welcome to the world. We make a place for you.

 

Reverend Deborah Johnson’s Children’s Blessing (© 2005 – Inner Light Ministries, Santa Cruz, California)is beautiful in both its simplicity and the depth of its challenge.  Before she involves the entire congregation, she reads Khalil Gibran’s On Children from The Prophet, aboutreleasing any arrow from a bow, or child to its destiny.

 

On Children
 Kahlil Gibran

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

 

 

Then the parents and any support family and friends present circled my grandchildren Sierra and Ivan, and repeated this PARENTS’ PLEDGE.

 

We pledge to love, nurture and protect you.

We will invest in your future, but never at the expense of living today.

We will support your authenticity and model to you how to be in a healthy relationship.

We will encourage you to dream large and to partner with God in the fulfillment of those dreams.

We will listen to you, learn from you, laugh and play with you.

Our love is unconditional and we will be there for you always.

Thank you for the privilege of growing with you.

 

And there’s more!  As all children and teenagers present are invited to join the family on the altar, everyone repeats this chant three times directly to the young ones:

Yes you can.

I believe in you.

I am never, ever, giving up on you.

 

What a different world it might be should this kind of support be given to the children who are our future.

 

 

Christmas Eve

Posted on by DrToni

 Sunday Agape Liturgy – House Church

Christmas Eve Liturgy – December 24, 2021

 

Introductory Rites

 

(For private reading.  Mark, the first of the known Gospels to be written says nothing of Jesus’ life before his public ministry.  Matthew and Luke each add somewhat different infancy stories that place his birth in the family of Mary and Joseph (of the royal house of David) in the town of Bethlehem.  John, writing later than all three synoptics and with more developed theological language, begins the Gospel with the same words as Genesis, “In the beginning….”  In the beginning was the Word, who was God.  Through the Word came life and light.  The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.  John testified to this Word, who is Jesus.)

 

Prologue                                                                                                       – Joan & Jim

In the beginning was the Word, God’s Wisdom.

Wisdom was with God, and Wisdom was God.

Wisdom, God’s Word, was in the beginning with God.

All things came into being through the Word.

Nothing came to be without Wisdom.

What has come into being was Life.
This Life was the radiance for all creation.
This radiance was not like the lights of this world,

but an eternal radiance born of nurturing darkness,

a flaring forth that has never ended.

Although not recognized, Wisdom, God’s Word,

brought the world into being and dwelt in the world.

In the fullness of time, the Word became flesh;
Wisdom pitched Her tent among us.

We have seen this glory, the very glory of God,

full of grace and truth.

No one has ever seen the Holy One;

but Wisdom, God’s Word, has made God known.

 

We take a few moments of Silence to deepen our awareness of God’s Presence.

 

Opening Song  “O Come All Ye Faithful” (Martina McBride)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3egGjeiWEA

                       

Greeting and Sign of the Cross:

 

Leader:        We gather in the name of God, the Source of All Being,

Christ who is the Eternal Word, and the Holy Spirit who

accompanies us and guides us.

ALL:              AMEN!

Leader:        May the peace of Christ, the love of God our Creator,

and the friendship of the Holy Spirit be with you.

ALL:              And also with you.

 

Prayer of Praise – Magnificat (adapted)

 

Leader:        Together, let us raise our voices in praise to our God.

 

Our being proclaims the greatness of God and our spirits rejoice in God our Savior, who has looked with favor upon us in our lowliness.

 

From this day all generations will call us blest, for you have done great things for us and holy is Your name.

 

Your mercy is for those who fear You,

from generation to generation.

 

You have shown strength with Your arm; and have scattered the proud of mind and heart.

You have brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly.

 

You have filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.

 

You, O God, have helped your servant Israel, in remembrance of Your

mercy, and according to the promise You made to our ancestors,

to Abraham and Sarah and their descendants forever.  Amen.

 

 

Opening Prayer:

Leader:        Let us pray,

O Sacred Mystery, on this Christmas Day we remember and celebrate the birth of

Jesus into this world.  We remember that ‘in the darkness a Light is born’ in

Jesus the Christ who is always with us. We celebrate your gifts of hope, peace, joy

and love given to us this day.  In Jesus and through him you show us the Way

to love and live a life of abundance.  May this flaring forth of Your Wisdom lead

us into Your kin-dom, where we will know Your justice and Your peace.

ALL:              AMEN.

 

Light candles and a minute of silence in preparation for hearing the               Word of God.

Liturgy of the Word

 

(For private reading.  The historical context of this poetic text by Isaiah of Jerusalem may have been hope in a new king of Judah, perhaps Hezekiah, who would break the rod of the Assyrian oppressor.  However, the closing verses speak of a future child who is idealized and represents the fullness of God’s gifts, including a peace without end.  This whole reading has a thrust toward a future messiah/anointed.  It is traditionally read at Christmas Mass during the night or at midnight.)

 

First Reading:  A reading from the Prophet Isaiah (9:1-7)                     – Kate

 

In darkness, a light was born.
From deep darkness, a crest of dawn shines.

You enlarged life, and Your people were born.

 

Even though they knew pain and suffering, You increased their joy.

They rejoice before You as with joy at the harvest,

as children exult at play, and delight in sharing gifts.

 

For You have shattered the yoke that burdens them,

the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.

Every warrior’s boot that trampled in battle and every cloak

rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for fire.

 

For unto us a child is born. For unto us a child is given

on whose shoulders our future rests.

The child will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Strength of God,

Everlasting One, Voice of Peace.

And of the peace the Child brings,

there will be no end.

 

Reader:        The Word of Our God

ALL:              Thanks be to God

 

A Moment of Silence

 

 

(For private reading.  Psalm 96 imagines God enthroned in majesty ruling over the universe.)

 

Responsorial Psalm 96                                                                        – Geri

 

Response:  Let all the cosmos exult!

 

Sing a new song to God!
Sing a new song, all the earth!
Sing to God, and bless The Holy Name!

Response:  Let all the cosmos exult!

 

Great is God, and greatly to be praised,

revered above all,

for God is Creator, maker of the galaxies.

Response:  Let all the cosmos exult!

 

Splendor and mystery announce God’s presence!

Love and beauty are God’s sanctuary.
Say among all peoples, “God reigns!”

Response:  Let all the cosmos exult!

 

Let the cosmos resound in symphonic majesty!

Let Earth rejoice and be glad!
Let seas resound, and all that is in them!
Let plains and fields exult, and all that is in them!

Let the trees of the forests rejoice  before God who comes,
who comes to govern the earth,
to govern the world with healing justice,

and all peoples with faithfulness.

Response:  Let all the cosmos exult!

 

A Moment of Silence

 

(For private reading.  This is the exuberant beginning of the sermon found in Hebrews.  It echoes John 1 in recognizing that the Christ is the fullness of God’s being, the creative word of God that sustains the universe.  A quotation from Deuteronomy 32:43, “Let all God’s angels praise” is originally directed toward YHWH, the God of Israel.  The preacher accords the same status to the Christ.  We are led to anticipate the song of the angels in the Gospel that follows.  The second quotation is from Psalm 45:7-8, a royal wedding song, “Your reign will last forever….”  The ruler is anointed “with the oil of joy” which gives him the title of the anointed one/messiah/christos.  This reign reminds us of the reign of the child in Isaiah 9.)

 

Second Reading:  A reading from the Book of Hebrews (1:1-3, 6, 8-9)   – Connie

 

In times past, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways. In these last days, God has spoken to us through the Christ, the Messiah, whom God appointed heir of all things and through whom God made the cosmos. This Cosmic Christ is the radiance of God’s glory and the fullness of God’s being, sustaining all things by a powerful word. After Jesus’ life and death, the Cosmic Christ filled the majesty of the heavens.

 

When God brings a holy child into the world, God says:

“Let all God’s angels praise.”

About the Christ, God says:

“Your reign will last for ever and ever!

A scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kin-dom.
You have loved righteousness and shunned evil.

Therefore God, your God anointed you, Messiah, with the oil of joy.”

 

Reader:        The word of our God

ALL:              Thanks be to God

 

A Moment of Silence

 

(For private reading.  Having followed Luke through the announcements of the birth of John and Jesus, the meeting of their mothers, and the birth of John, we now come to the high point of the narrative with the birth of Jesus.  The event is situated in history, the reign of Emperor Augustus, whose oppressive power is shown in the command for people to travel long distances for a census.  Joseph takes his family to the city of David, his ancestor.  These were not wealthy people who could command a lavish room.  They are God’s beloved poor using a manger for a crib.  An angel messenger announces the birth of a Messiah/Anointed One/Christos in these humble circumstances and is joined by a host of angels.  All this splendor is presented to shepherds, who are also part of God’s beloved poor.  The shepherds return praising God (unlike the shepherd/leaders of Israel who will reject Jesus) and Mary is left to ponder these things in her heart.  Perhaps the author’s intent is that readers will do the same.)

 

Gospel Acclamation:          

                        Angels we have heard on high

                        Sweetly singing o’er the plains

                        And the mountains in reply

                        Echoing their joyous strains

                        Gloria, in excelsis Deo

                        Gloria, in excelsis Deo        

Gospel:  A reading from the Gospel of Luke (2:1-20)                               – Kay

                        This will be a sign for you:  you will find an infant wrapped

                        in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”

  1. Alleluia, Alleluia

 

Silently: May the Word of God be in my mind, on my lips, and in my heart.

 

In those days, a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first census and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David and Bathsheba. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was pledged to be married and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. She gave birth to her firstborn. She wrapped her newborn in swaddling clothes. She laid the baby in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

 

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night.  Then an angel, a messenger of God, stood before them.  The glory of God shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them,

“Do not be afraid. For behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy

            for all people:  Unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Messiah,

            the Anointed One. This will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped

            in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”

 

Suddenly, with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly host joined in, praising God and singing, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to all God’s people!”

 

When the angels departed from them, retreating into cosmic splendor, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which God has made known to us.” They went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.

 

Mary treasured all these words, and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned to their pastures, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, which was just as they had been told.

 

Leader:       The Good News of our Salvation

ALL:              Praise to you, O Christ.

Reflection followed by Faith Sharing –  “Silent Night”  (Mannheim Steamroller)

https://youtu.be/RwemohyMdew

 

Profession of Faith

Leader:  Let us together profess our faith:

We reject Evil, and all the works of evil, and all the empty promises of pride, greed, envy and jealousy.

We believe in God, the Holy Mystery and Source of All Being, who created the heavens and the earth.

We believe in Jesus, the Christ, the Incarnate Word of God who was born into the human condition, walked upon this earth forgiving and healing those who cried out to him.

We believe in Jesus who fed the hungry, comforted those mourning, and set captives free; who calls us to love one another, to do good to those who harm us, and to pray for our enemies.

We believe in Jesus who suffered, died, and was buried, was raised from the dead, and whose presence now fills the Universe in all its parts.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy People of God, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life in abundance.

This is our faith.  It is the faith of the People of God, and we joyfully profess it in Christ Jesus.  Amen..

Leader:  Let us bless ourselves remembering the water of our baptism.

 

Prayers of the Faithful                                                        – Pat & Lou Salcedo (petitions)

 

Leader:        O Creator God, You are the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.

Through You, everything came into being.  Awaken us to your Incarnate

Presence.  Hear our prayers and our longings, O Holy One.  Our response is…

May we trust in your Eternal Presence and joyfully bring your gifts

                        into the world.

 

We are called to be awakened to You, who is in our midst.  Every day You are loving us into something new, something more whole.  Guide us so we may place our hope in what matters and what lasts. We pray… May we trust in your Eternal Presence and joyfully bring your gifts into the world.

 

We are grateful for all those who bring the light of Christ into our lives. We thank them and we bless them for tenderly showing You to us.  Our joy is increased when we are aware of Your Presence.  We pray… May we trust in Your Eternal Presence and joyfully bring your gifts into the world.

 

As Jesus the Christ was born in a stable, and later became, with his family refugees from death threats, protect all those who flee their homes around the world seeking safety.

Hold all those who, like Mary and Joseph, try to sustain their families and keep them safe, despite the risk. Calm their desperation.  Pour out your love upon us so we become the home they seek,  the welcoming INN they need. We pray… May we trust in your Eternal Presence and joyfully bring your gifts into the world.

 

May we look upon this beautiful world you created with the wonder and awe of a baby. May we praise the joy of dancing, the beauty of music and song, the birds, the fish, the winds, the rivers, the oceans and mountains you majestically created and entrusted to us.

Prompt us to protect our earth so the little ones, yet to be born, have clean air and water and healthy soil to sustain them, and beauty to uplift them.  We pray… May we trust in your Eternal Presence and joyfully bring your gifts into the world.

 

For all of us gathered here this morning, may we be grateful for our many blessings.  Bless our families and our friends.  Bless those who are lonely.  Enliven this faith community and help us grow. As Mary pondered the word of God in her heart, may we too be thoughtful and contemplative, seeking your guidance in all our decisions.  Awaken us to greater truth, greater humility and greater care for one another.   We pray… May we trust in Your Eternal Presence and joyfully bring your gifts into the world.

 

For what else and for whom else shall we pray…

 

God of love, who have chosen to dwell among us.  Hear our prayers for our own transformation and the transformation of our world.  Help us to hear and respond to the voice that cries out in our hearts and make straight your path. We offer these prayers in the name of Jesus, whose

vision guides our lives.

ALL:  AMEN.

Breaking Bread

 

Presentation of the Bread and Wine

 

Leader:        Blessed are you, God of all Creation.

Through your goodness we have this bread to offer.

With it we place before you ourselves the creative actions of all people throughout the ages: their aspirations, their work, their accomplishments, and their joys.

May we who eat this bread, which earth has given and human hands have made, be bread for others.

ALL:              Blessed be God forever.

 

Leader:        Blessed are you, God of all Creation.

Through your goodness we have this wine to offer.

With it we bring forward the pain and suffering of our world at this time.

May we who drink this fruit of the vine and work of human hands, pour out our love.

ALL:              Blessed be God forever.

 

Prayer of Praise

 

Leader:        We believe in an Ultimate Reality,

a reality beyond our words and beyond our images,

a reality that grounds and sustains everything that exists.

 

We see this Reality at work in the immensity of our universe,

in the incredible display of life-forms on this planet

and in the development of consciousness in the human species.

 

All our collected human wisdom is a visible expression of this Reality,

active for millions of years in human development

active in all places, at all times, individuals and cultures,

seeking expression in the betterment of humanity.

 

We rejoice in the birth of Jesus.

In him we see the fullness of human possibility:

to make God visible in our lives.

In him we have seen the Ultimate Reality, God, Breath of Life,

Wisdom, come to expression in human form.*

We lift our voices as we acclaim in song your gracious love:

Sung Response:   We praise you, O God. For all your works are wonderful.

                                    We praise you, O God. Forever is your love.

                                    We give you thanks, God of Eternity,

                                    for revealing yourself throughout history,

and inviting us into relationship with you.

To you, we sing: sung response

                                    We give you thanks, God of Liberation,

                                    For Jesus, who freed us from sin

And anointed us as your beloved children.

To you, we sing: sung response

                                    We give you thanks, God of Hope,

                                    For the Spirit of Life who empowers us to proclaim the good news

and who accompanies and unites us on our journey to fulfillment.

To you, we sing: sung response

 

Leader:        Like all of us Jesus grew in wisdom as he aged.

He questioned, he searched for meaning,

he shaped his convictions, he experienced love

and came to know loves connectedness with his God.*

In the power of the creative Spirit, Jesus lived life to the full.
We, too, are blessed in the power of that same Spirit,
which we now call upon all gathered here,
to celebrate the transformative energy
symbolized in our gifts of bread and wine,
given to nourish and sustain us into the fullness of life.**

Prayer of Remembering

 

Leader:        We remember the night before Jesus died, when he shared a meal with his

friends.  He took bread, honoring the God of faithful presence in the ordinary

and in the ups and downs of life.  He gave thanks for all the blessings in his life,

and shared the bread with his friends, saying:

ALL:              “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

 

Leader:        After the meal, knowing his life was to be poured out, Jesus took the cup of wine,

gave thanks and shared the cup with his friends, saying:

ALL:              “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

 

Together, we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

ALL:              When we eat this bread, and drink this cup, we proclaim your death, Christ Jesus. Until you come again.

 

Prayer of Thanks*

 

Leader:        With hearts full of gratitude, we rejoice that Jesus led people to discover

the sacred in the ordinary:  in the crowd, in the lowly, in everyday life,

in human yearnings to be better people, and in being neighbor to one another.

 

We rejoice that his teaching sets us free to believe that we live in God and

that God lives and comes to wonderful expression in us.

We give thanks for this intimate connectedness that gives meaning to who we are.

 

We give thanks for God being with us in the love from family and friends,

in whatever has been, in the circumstances of life now,

and in whatever the future holds for us.

 

Our Christmas prayer is that we may recognize and actively acknowledge

the presence of the sacred in places we are reluctant to look:

  • in the stables of our own lives
  • among the downtrodden in our society
  • in refugees
  • in people who are different from us.

 

May we recognize God-in-us and allow the Spirit of generosity

that took flesh and moved so boldly in Jesus to move in our lives.

ALL:              Amen.

 

The Prayer of Jesus

 

Leader:        Together, we pray as Jesus taught us:

 

ALL:              O Most Holy God, who dwells in heaven and earth,

                                    Holy is your name.

                                    Your kin-dom come

                                    Your will be done throughout creation.

                        Give us today our daily bread

                                    And forgive us our sins

as we forgive those who sin against us.

                                    Do not let us fall into temptation

                                    And deliver us from evil.

For all we do in your love, all that your love brings about, and the fullness of your love to come are yours, now and forever.  Amen.

 

Sharing the Bread and Wine***

 

Leader:        Let us share this bread and wine as Jesus taught and has been handed onto us, knowing that our lives are forever changed by this and every breaking of bread.

Silent Reflection  – “Mary Did You Know”   (Kenny Rogers & Wynonna Judd)

https://youtu.be/sXoozHmO9pM

 

Closing Prayer and Blessing

 

Leader:        Let us pray together:

 

Grant us, O God, a vision of your world

as your love would have it:

            A world where the weak are protected,

            and none go hungry or poor;

            A world where the riches of creation are honored and shared

            so everyone might enjoy them;

            A world where different races, cultures and creeds

            live in peace and harmony, with equal regard;

            A world where peace is built with justice

            and justice is guided by love.

Give us the inspiration and courage to go forth with willing hearts,

minds, and bodies to build such a world, through Christ Jesus.  Amen.****

 

Leader:        And may the God of hope fill us with every comfort and joy in believing.
May the peace of Christ abound in our hearts and minds.
and may the Holy Spirit gift and guide us
(making Sign of the Cross) now and forever,

ALL:              AMEN

Closing Song   “O Holy Night”       (Josh Grogan)

https://youtu.be/jEWJlzgBpPM

 

 

 

 

 

*Adapted from Praying a New Story by Michael Morwood.

**From Eucharistic Prayer 2, Dairmund O’Murchu.

***Adapted from More than Word: Prayer and Ritual for Inclusive Communities by Janet Schaffran and Pat Kozak, pg 50-51.

****FutureChurch, Russ Petrus

 

Suicide

Posted on by DrToni

We gather to honor __________’s memory and to support one another in grieving a death that is the hardest death to grieve: death that is chosen. We may find comfort in this time that we live where the freedom to choose is no longer laden with guilt, shame and damnation, and has even become law.

 

And we come into this time with a range of emotions as deep and complex as the beloved we are remembering.

  • Here there is love – and the searing pain of separation.
  • Here there is anger – and the futile search to understand why __________ (name) chose freedom from this life.
  • Here there are questions – why, mostly. Why?

Some of you come feeling bruised by this death and asking what you could have done to prevent it. You are now as free as ________________, for this was not yours to prevent any more than a wave can defy the pull of the tide.

____________’s choice to die touches the fears that court many of us in our own moments of conflict and threatens the structures of meaning that affirm our own lives.

 

Let us remember that no single act can define a life.

 

No matter how stalked by pain, _________’s life also had its moments of delight and happiness, caring and friendship, sharing and love.

 

Death by choice is not a denial of life; it is the cry of despair for more life, Eternal Life. It grows from a deep personal alienation or profound suffering and is carried out alone, after a struggle within the self. And the Truth of Eternal Life is that it holds the promise of peace.

When a death such as this cuts across life in its fullness, we are left with a certain incompleteness.

 

We know that ________ leaves much unfinished, unfulfilled, unsaid. There are still other things you wanted to share with him/her, and he/she with you: Graduations, weddings, the birth of grandchildren; another walk on the beach at sunset, another shopping spree, another bridge game with the club. (Include interests)

 

This sadness for the loss of this life, full and blossoming, mingles with the sadness for the loss of possibilities not realized.

On [Sunday] morning, ____________ completed a decision.

 

Where there is pain and confusion, despair and doubt, we long for the end to suffering.

 

For some, like _____________, life no longer has any choices but one.

 

Life left scars that ______________ could not find the inner resources to heal.

 

The inner pain was too great – pain that he/she had contained within himself/herself for years, pain that often lashed out in anger, mostly at himself.

 

_________ chose to end the suffering for himself/herself.

 

The mind was exhausted, the heart frightened, and the end taken. And in that end, we must believe that the mind was free, the heart wide open and the anticipation of a new beginning filled the soul.

 

The suffering does not end, however, for those who have loved and cared for him/her.

 

Friends and family are left with feelings of shock, betrayal, anger, sadness, and – in time – compassion, forgiveness and understanding.

 

Those who are left ask and continue to ask, “What could I have done? Why didn’t I see it?”

No one knows. And nothing will bring him/her back.

No one is responsible for _________________’s choice but ________________.

 

It is a happy outlook to feel that we are born of eternal day and that the spiritual sun can never set upon the glory of the soul.  And it is a happy thing to believe that no man need prepare to meet his God; he is meeting Him every day and each hour of every day.   He meets Him in the rising sun, in the budding rose, in the joy of friendship and love, and in the silence of his own soul.  And as the crowning event of man’s experience here, the soul takes its flight to meet Him as Host in the higher realms of a sublime and eternal Reality — not apart from but One with God, for the highest God and the innermost God is one God.  Ernest Holmes, 10 Ideas That Make a Difference, 1966, p. 95.3.

 

We go from this world into another, and That which is us, being immortal, being eternal, goes on, carrying with It everything that makes for the warmth and color and responsiveness of human personality.  Just as when we entered this world we were met by loving friends and tender care, so in the next we have every right to believe the same condition will attend us.

Ernest Holmes, Science of Mind Magazine, April 1971, p. 14.

On Death
 Kahlil Gibran

You would know the secret of death.
But how shall you find it unless you seek it in the heart of life?
The owl whose night-bound eyes are blind unto the day cannot unveil the mystery of light.
If you would indeed behold the spirit of death, open your heart wide unto the body of life.
For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one.

In the depth of your hopes and desires lies your silent knowledge of the beyond;
And like seeds dreaming beneath the snow your heart dreams of spring.
Trust the dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.
Your fear of death is but the trembling of the shepherd when he stands before the king whose hand is to be laid upon him in honour.
Is the shepherd not joyful beneath his trembling, that he shall wear the mark of the king?
Yet is he not more mindful of his trembling?

For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun?
And what is it to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides,that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?

Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb.
And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.

 

 

“Prayer at the Funeral of Someone Who Chose Freedom from the Life”

Let there be no whispering, no secrets here:
Our hearts are broken.
_____ took his/her own life.
And even though it might appear
that s/he died by his/her own hand,
no one does this without great, coercing pain,
inner suffering that seems to have no end.

Source of compassion, we cry out loud,
to hold each other gently,
to live with unanswerable questions,
normal feelings of anger and guilt,
and this gaping hole of loss.
We reach out to others who are suffering,
to show them our love, to say the kind word.
We see the Divine Image in the lives of those who suffer.

The sun sets and rises.
We put one foot in front of the other.
We hold our hearts in our hands and lift them up to God’s Eternal Peace,
and to each other.
And So It Is

 

 

 

POEM by David Foster Wallace

The person who ends his life doesn’t do so out of hopelessness or any abstract conviction that life’s assets and debits do not square, and surely not because death seems suddenly appealing.

 

The person whose agony reaches a certain unendurable level will end his life the same way a trapped person will eventually jump from the window of a burning high-rise.

 

Make no mistake about people who leap from burning windows. Their terror of falling from a great height is still just as great as it would be for you or me standing speculatively at the same window– the fear of falling remains a constant.

 

The variable here is the other terror, the fire’s flames: when the flames get close enough, falling to death becomes the slightly less terrible of two terrors.

 

It’s not desiring the fall; it’s terror of the flames.

 

And yet nobody down on the sidewalk, looking up and yelling ‘Don’t!’ and ‘Hang on! can understand the jump. Not really. You’d have to have personally been trapped and felt flames to really understand a terror way beyond falling.

 

 

 

Memorial for a Child

Posted on by DrToni
  1. Choose your music and readings carefully. “On Children” by Kahil Gibran is best for a Baby Blessing or Christening. Bereaved parents don’t want to hear that “Your Children, are not your children…” Do play songs from parents who have actually lost a child, like Eric Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven” or “Forever Young”…
  2. Pronounce the child’s name correctly and often. They may not remember anything else but if you say it incorrectly, they will remember that forever.
  3. Don’t say they have lost a child. It’s not comforting to think of our children as lost and parents don’t like to think they’ve lost their child. Refrain from using the word “loss” or “lost”. Their child has died and it is the death of the child that really happened. The word “transition” may not match their experience and may feel minimizing. Ask directly what works for them.
  4. Speak to the child’s death not as a tragedy, as if the child’s existence or death was an error or somehow wrong. Let everything about the child be right and good.
  5. Do focus on the Truth of Eternal Life with conviction. This child will always be a Guardian Angel, a Spirit Guide, a Guru, whose teachings will benefit all in ways that are uplifting over time and that the child is as close as a breath, forever and always alive in God and available to the parents.
  6. Talk about the child rather than where the child has gone or the “goodness” of God. Parents don’t want to hear that God called the child home or that the child is needed in Heaven. That just makes them madder at God. Bereaved parents may very well be angry at God for a long time and it’s okay to ease their mind (and guilt) by letting them know that God is big enough to handle that.
  7. They will know no greater pain. Let them know that they will live through this even when they think they can’t.
  8. Warn them that people may say the darndest things to them out of ignorance and that they can actually be happy for them that they have no idea. The parents will be forced into understanding, compassion and gratitude, forced to accept the ignorance of others, which can be noted as a gift from their child.The community can help or hinder. The parents may be asked, “Aren’t you over that yet?” when they finally find a language to speak about it. Or they may get lucky and find people who will listen when they want to talk about it…again, for years.
  9. It is so important to encourage the parents to talk about the child forever. They may feel shut down and isolated otherwise.
  10. That they now join the parents whose child raises them and who blesses them with super-human strength, love, compassion, understanding and that they will be able to be with other parents and families with an understanding that very few have.
  11. Agree that they would trade it all in to raise their child.
  12. Eventually the pain will ease and they will be able to come back to life… tell them to just be with the experience of this child’s life –the greatest gift that this child will give them will be the gift like no other– give them things that no other child will be able to give them.
  13. These children that stay for such a short time leave the biggest impact. This child’s life is powerful and will be celebrated forever. Remind them to be sure to make a place in the family for a celebration of this child every year on birthdays and the anniversary of the child’s transition. Celebrate this life because it is a life that is so giving of itself that it moves and changes whole communities. You don’t forget these dates. They are pulled out of the calendar and saved for remembrance. Acknowledge that this life is so important and will impact this family and community forever.
  14. Let family and friends know that holidays and special occasions are important to remember. Put the birthday and the anniversary of the baby’s death on the calendar and remember them with a call and a card. Create a celebration–we always celebrate our daughter’s birthday at Easter by giving our living children gifts. We hang ornaments on the XMAS tree…etc.
  15. Let the parents know they can stop worrying about forgetting. No matter how much time passes, nothing about this child will ever be forgotten, not how the child looked, how the child felt or who the child was and will always be.
  16. (For opposite sex couples) Chinese Proverb: You cannot carry another’s burden when your burden is already too heavy. In other cultures, couples whose child has died are separated, the mother goes with the women and the father goes with the men, and they are comforted individually and then reunited when enough time has passed to heal from the initial tidal wave of grief. In our culture we have three days to grieve and then we are expected to move on. With a child’s death, the waves of grief may not be like the initial tidal wave, but the 30-foot swells and the crashing of the waves upon the shores of the heart make the sea of life unbearable for years. Encourage them to elicit the support of a group of people sharing the same experience.
  17. The biggest challenge: What do I say/not say to these parents?
  18. Don’t say, “Your baby is with Jesus” to the mother. Jesus is not a mother so this is quite disturbing.
  19. Don’t say, “Thank God your baby was so young so you weren’t attached.”
  20. Don’t say, “You can have another baby.”
  21. Do say, “How are you?” and be prepared to listen.
  22. Do say the baby’s name.
  23. All you have to do is listen. You don’t have to come up with anything to say.
  24. And if the parents are together, advise them to go to someone other than each other for comfort and support.
  25. For the future…do ask the parent if you can go to the grave with them if there is one. You can bring clippers and help to trim any overgrowth around the headstone. You can feel the honor of being included in the visit and the prayer that just may take place…if you’re lucky.

 

The most comforting person will be one who has lived through it. You can offer them this from a mother who has lived through it:

 

I have a Guru who has taught me more than anyone else in life.

I have a Spirit Guide who has always given me the guidance I need to transform my life.

I have a Guardian Angel who has taught me more about the eternality of life than anyone else.

I have a Way-shower who has shown me that I AM the strength of God

and I never have to be afraid of life or death.

I have a measurement to go by upon which I base all that I must endure,

ever reminding me that I can do anything.

I have living proof that our loved ones are never far away

and that comforts me always.

I have been able to share all of this wherever I am,

with whomever I am with and that is my ministry

and it has brought comfort to so many, especially me.

I have a Minister who mentors me in Spirit.

 

My daughter died at 4 1/2 months of Sudden Infant Death (SIDS). Our Catholic priest wouldn’t come because, though we had very good reasons, we hadn’t had time to baptize her. We buried her in a little white casket with a Seventh Day Adventist Chaplain presiding. We will be forever grateful to him. He didn’t know our child, and he misprounced her name. That’s all I remember about what he said. In 2007 the Pope ended the state of Limbo after 800 years.

 

My book, “We Bring Her Flowers” (Fithian Press) is in the reprint stage but may help if you can find a used copy

 

 

MEMORIAL SERVICE

“All of us must lose our hearts to a child…”

ENTRANCE

  • Greeter
    • Welcomes guests
    • Gives out programs—included in program is information on grief and infant loss
    • Directs guests to a Baby Book memorial register to sign in
  • Angelic Harp Music playing
  • Portrait on an easel is displayed up front surrounded by flower wreaths
  • Usher directs guests toward the front where a table of memories can be viewed if there are any:
    • Photos (There are agencies like https://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/ who will take pictures/family portraits of dying children or children who have died so that families can have a keepsake.)
    • Baby items: Shoes and socks, baby blanket, toys, poems, children’s drawings, letters and other heartfelt items
    • A lock of hair
    • A cast of baby’s handprint and footprint
    • An unlit candle, a palpable symbol of a life short-lived, offering a space for grief – an empty space bereft of the hopes for living life

 

PARENTS & FAMILY ARE SEATED IN THE FRONT ROWS

WELCOME ~ OFFICIATE

The way to being born is a miraculous journey. This amazing time of life is full of mystery, anticipation, joy, hope, and wonder.  Feeling the powerful energy of birth and new life, watching as a new family is born unto each other. These things humble and amaze. These are the things that we celebrate when a baby is born.  Infants are the most lovely and endearing people, sweet and fresh, brimming with early hints of who they will become.

But there is another aspect of this journey, an unexpected place where some families find themselves.  When a child dies, the world is turned upside down. There is confusion, deep sadness, fear, and uncertainty that cannot be explained. There is sorrow where there should be joy.  We have come to a place most people cannot even fathom, a place where life’s most joyful moments become the most heartbreaking, where babies die and families grieve.

On behalf of the _____________ family, I welcome you into this place, knowing full well that we cannot imagine such heartache…but we can stand in support and love of this family and we can be their strength as a community.

You might be wondering how to be that support and strength.  Certainly we must never tire of listening because this child will never be forgotten and this grief will find its home in the heart of these parents who will need their child’s name spoken aloud forever.  That name is _________________________ (pronounce the name correctly as that may be the only thing the parents remember of the memorial service).

All that is needed from any of us is to show up and just listen.  Get comfortable in the uncomfortable silence and the not-knowing.  If there is anything to do, this family will let us know.  For those of you who want more help with this, you can find helpful information in your program.

 

 

What we have to offer is Love and Love is enough.  On this day, we meet in a place that is made sacred with the spirit of love and memory, for we have gathered here today to give testimony to the power of the brief life that ____________ lived on this earth.  We gather also to mourn ___________’s death, to say goodbye to her/him, and to commit her/his spirit to eternal peace.

MUSIC ~ “Ave Maria” by Andre Bocelli

READING ~ from the book, “We Bring Her Flowers” by Sharon Dunn

 

BARGAINING

 

God

I wish

s/he’d come back

 

How

easy life

would be if

 

S/he

would please

just come back

 

God

let’s pretend

this never happened

 

I

promise not

to tell…honest

 

 

EULOGY ~ OFFICIATE

We come to this place with a range of emotions as deep and complex as the child we are remembering.  When a death such as this cuts across life in its fullness, we are left with a deep sense of shock and incompleteness. This unbearable sadness for the loss of this life, pure and sweet, mingles with the sadness for the loss of possibilities not realized.

  • Here there is love – and the searing pain of separation
  • Here there is anger – and the futile search to understand why

We remember her/him also in her/his moments of infant delight: to recall her/his first smile and her/his growing response to the people around her/him.  I’ve also learned some things about ____________ from her family.  I got to know this child because the nature of her/his death required more of me.  It requires more of all of us.

  • I got to know that this baby never took naps because s/he was afraid s/he’d miss something
  • S/he had the most beautiful purple-blue eyes and curly long, black eyelashes
  • S/he smiled out the side of her/his face
  • S/he loved to be in the center of the room with an audience and hated to be left alone

 

We gather also to mourn – to mourn for the loss of love growing into tomorrow, deepening and maturing through joy and conflict; to mourn the empty spaces in a home that has been prepared so that s/he might take her/his place among family; to mourn for the opportunities _________ (name) will not have to celebrate birthdays, reach milestones, and make more memories.

The death of an infant is often the death of the hopes and dreams of the parent(s).  These hopes and dreams should be named (either they can speak them or the officiate can name them):

  • She was the first girl born in our family after three boys
  • My dream was to have a daughter/son, a bond that grows stronger throughout life
  • Her/his children and their children
  • What would s/he have grown up to be?
  • What would s/he be like?

We are here to grow through an ending into a beginning – to let go of _________ (name) and, with memories and treasures gathered up for the journey, gain strength for moving through the days ahead.

MUSIC ~ “Tears in Heaven” by Eric Clapton

PRAYER ~ OFFICIATE

Daily we are touched by the rhythms of life and death, yet now we are out of rhythm, for birth and death have seized too closely on the same moment.  In sadness for the hopes that are not realized for __________ (name), we seek peace and hope.

READINGS

The mention of my child’s name

May bring tears to my eyes,

But it never fails to bring

Music to my ears.

Let me hear the beautiful music of thy name

It soothes my broken heart

And sings to my soul.

 

(Unknown)

 

There is a sacredness in tears. 

They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. 

They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues.  

They are messengers of overwhelming grief… and unspeakable love.

 

Washington Irving

 

 

 

(Include in Program by Sue Bohlin)

What Not to Say When Someone is Grieving

 

Don’t start any sentence with “At least. . . .”
• “At least you didn’t have time to really love her.”
• “At least he’s in heaven now.”
• “At least you have two other children.”
• “At least that’s one less mouth you’ll have to feed.”
• “At least it didn’t have to go through the pain of birth.”
• “At least you’ve had a good life so far, before the cancer diagnosis.”

 

Don’t attempt to minimize the other person’s pain.
• “It’s okay, you can have other children.”

  • “Aren’t you over that yet? “
  • “Oh, you’re not going to let this get you down, are you?”

 

Don’t try to explain what God is doing behind the scenes.
• “I guess God knew you weren’t ready to be parents yet.”
• “Now you’ll find out who your friends are.”
• “This baby must have just not been meant to be.”
• “There must have been something wrong with the baby.”
• “Just look ahead because God is pruning you for great works.”
• “God never gives you more than you can handle.”

Don’t blame the other person:
• “If you had more faith, your daughter would be here.”
• “Remember that time you had a negative thought? That may have caused this.”
• “You are not praying hard enough.”

Don’t compare what the other person is going through to ANYTHING else or anyone else’s problem:
• “It’s not as bad as that time I. . .”
• “My sister-in-law lost two children and you only lost one.”

Don’t use the word “should”:
• “You should be happy/grateful that God is refining you.”

Don’t use clichés and platitudes:
• “Look on the bright side.”
• “He’s in a better place.”
• “She’s an angel now.”
• “He’s with the Lord.”

Don’t instruct the person:
• “This is sent for your own good, and you need to embrace it to get all the benefit out of it.”
• “Remember that God is in control.”
• “Remember, all things work together for good for those that love God and are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 is powerful to comfort oneself, but it can feel like being bludgeoned when it comes from anyone else.)

 

 

What TO say:
• “I love you.”
• “I am so sorry.” You don’t have to explain. Anything.

What TO do:
• A wordless hug.
• A card that says simply, “I grieve with you.”
• Instead of bringing cakes, drop off or (better) send gift certificates for restaurants or pizza places.

And pray. Then pray some more. It’s the most powerful thing we can say or do. 

 

DO NOT WEEP

Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there, I did not die.

Unknown

 

Rev. Sharon A. Dunn, M.A., is the Senior Minister at the Sacramento Center for Spiritual Living in California. She is a published author and professional photographer and enjoys combining those two interests in her spiritual practice of Contemplative Photography. She is a mother of three, two living children, and “Tutu” to her first grandchild, Maverick. She and her husband, Chris, enjoyed celebrating their 41st wedding anniversary in May, 2015. She loves family and considers her spiritual community an extension of her family.

 

www.sacspirit.org

www.SharonDunnPhotography.com

revsharondunn@gmail.com

707.337.5566 c

 

Instalation of Senior Minister

Posted on by DrToni

Installation Service –Senior Minister

Emcee: Michelle Lang, RScP

Presiding Minister: Dr. Rev. John Waterhouse

Officiating Minister: Dr. Rev. Candice Beckett

 

Prelude Music (recorded or ?)

Procession?

Welcome and Invocation –Michelle Lang

Michelle:  Good evening.  Welcome to Rev. Jay’s installation as Sr. minister of the Napa Valley Center for Spiritual Living, this evening.  We are so glad everyone was able to make it out this evening.  I am Michelle Lang, practitioner and Rev. Jay’s spouse.  An Installation Ceremony is like a marriage of a minister and a center, except there are more people involved.  Both the minister, the board, the practitioners and the community will all have the opportunity to say ‘I do’ in this commitment of the heart.

Let us open this ceremony with prayer: Invocation

Before we begin, I would like to make introductions. Please hold your applause until all of the names have been read:  Please stand as I call your name.

Dr. Rev. John Waterhouse, President of Centers for Spritual Living and Presiding Minister;

Dr. Rev. Candice Beckett, former president of the Religious Science international, current Sr. minister of Ukiah Center for Spritual Living, Regional support Cordinator for this regions and tonight the Installing Minister:

Other visiting ministers,  (cards or sheet with names and letter of call)

(After all have been introduced) Please give them all a round of applause

 

NVCSL practitioners (as a whole), Please give them all a round of applause

NVCSL Board of Trustees (as a whole) Please give them all a round of applause

Now I would like to invite Dr. Rev. John Waterhouse to the podium as the presiding minister.

 

As Dr. Rev. John Waterhouse and on behalf of Centers for Spiritual Living, it is my honor to preside over this important moment in this celebration.

 

Ernest Holmes, with his vision and through his writing, lit the torch of Religious Science.  Those who have carried it since believed in the same principles which we have declared as our own today. They knew, as we know, that those principles are impersonal and universal — that they work for all, without exception.

 

And they knew, as we know, that the power of the Universe responds to the faith of all — regardless of the name by which that faith may be known, or the organization to which it belongs. God is no respecter of labels.  Religious Science does not own the corner on truth.

 

But we know, too, that an illuminated consciousness, a trained mind, and an open heart together create the greatest avenue through which the Universal Power can flow.

 

As so there is good reason to celebrate today the installation of those who carry the torch and declare the principles, as well as illumine consciousness, train the minds and open the hearts of those who come learn and apply the Science of Mind to their lives.

 

On the larger, more impersonal level, this Church is the natural outcome of the consciousness of men and women far removed from this place and this evening.

 

And, it is even more than that — this Church is, in fact, nothing less than the culmination of a Divine Idea in the Mind of God.

 

On a more intimate level, it is the direct result of an idea in the minds of those who dreamed it, established it, nurtured it and grew it — who have been willing to be its heads, hearts, hands and feet.

 

Today, we install another generation of leadership — one who by his willingness, will add to the already vibrant growth of this church

Ministers, Board of Trustees, Licensed Practitioners, Congregation, and Friends, we are gathered here today to install this Minister of Religious Science as an official minister of this member center.

 

Official notification has been received from the Centers for Spiritual Living in Golden, Colorado, that Rev. Jay Lang is a fully ordained Religious Science Minister.

 

As a Minister of this Center, Rev. Jay Lang shall act in the following capacities in fulfilling the Ministerial office:

 

  1. He serves as a pastor/spiritual leader/director/senior minister of the congregation and counselor to all who come to him/her for help.

 

  1. He serves as an official and accredited teacher of Science of Mind classes under the authority of a church covenant with Centers for Spiritual Living.

 

  1. Every Minister of Religious Science must first have received license and recognition as a Practitioner before they may be licensed or ordained as a Minister. Therefore, he serves always as a Practitioner to the needs of the people when the call is made.

 

  1. SPECIFIC DUTIES/CAPACITIES IN WHICH THE MINISTER SHALL SERVE.

 

 

Let us together re-affirm our conviction as Religious Scientists as I read the Declaration of Principles. (The congregation can be asked to join in this with responsive reading or it can be presented by another minister).

 

Declaration of Principles:  (Who reads?)

We believe in God, the living spirit almighty; one, indestructible, absolute, and self-existent cause.

This one manifests itself in and through all creation but is not absorbed by its creation.

 

The manifest universe is the body of God; it is the logical and necessary outcome of the infinite self-knowingness of God.

 

We believe in the incarnation of the Spirit in everyone and that all people are incarnations of the one Spirit.

 

We believe in the eternality, the immortality, and the continuity of the individual soul forever and ever expanding.

 

We believe that the Kingdom of Heaven is within us and that we experience this Kingdom to the degree that we become conscious of it.

 

We believe the ultimate goal of life to be a complete emancipation from all discord of every nature, and that this goal is sure to be attained by all.

 

We believe in the unity of all life, and that the highest God and the innermost God is one God.

 

We believe that God is personal to all who feel this Indwelling Presence.

 

We believe in the direct revelation of truth through the intuitive and spiritual nature of any kind, and that any person may become a revealer of Truth who lives in close contact with the indwelling God.

 

We believe that the Universal Spirit, which is God, operates through a universal mind, which is the Law of God.

 

We’re surrounded by this Creative Mind which receives the direct impress of our thoughts and acts upon it.

 

We believe in the healing of the sick through the power of this mind.

 

We believe in the control of conditions through the power of this mind.

 

We believe in the eternal Goodness, the eternal Loving-kindness, and

the eternal Givingness of Life to all.

 

We believe in our own soul, our own Spirit, and our own destiny.

 

We understand that the life of man is God.

 

INSTALLATION

 

I would like to invite Dr. Rev. Candice Beckett , the to the stage as the installing minister.

 

Installing Minister/Dr. Beckett: I,  present to the Board of Trustees, the Practitioners and the Congregation, to be duly installed as an official Minister of this Center. Rev Jay Lang.

 

{Minister comes to the podium and stands to the right of installing minister, who makes any desirable comment.)

 

 

Charge to Minister:

 

Do you accept these principles and promise to adhere to them and make them the basis of your teaching?

 

Do you so consecrate yourself to this ministry that you will do your utmost at all times to reflect the Christ within, in all that you think, say, or do?

 

Do you so dedicate yourself that you will be constantly aware of the Spirit within all people and that you will see only the perfect Spiritual person, perfect in mind, body and in Spirit?

 

Do you promise to minister faithfully and lovingly to the people now committed to your charge, and to seek ever to be an example of moderation, patience and loving kindness?

 

MINISTER: I do

 

May the Infinite Spirit who empowers you to do all these things, grace you with the strength faithfully to perform the same, and to live the principles of this teaching and our Centers for Spiritual Living organization?

 

 

Charge to Board of Trustees / Leadership Council (Invite Trustees to come forward)

 

To the Napa Valley Center for Spiritual Living Community,

 

We now present to you those individuals who have been duly elected to serve on your Board of Trustees.

 

Not only do these board members oversee the business affairs of your church center, but their individual and collective awareness establishes a consciousness for the entire congregation. Recognizing the authority you have entrusted to them, we now charge them with this responsibility.

 

Do you promise to follow the light of truth, seeking at all times to be aware of what is right, rather than who is right?

 

BOARD: We do.

 

Do you accept Rev. Jay Lang as a minister of this church, as a Spiritual leader and teacher?

 

BOARD: We do.

 

Will you support his vision, his ecclesiastic leadership and his ideas to foster, nurture and grow this Spiritual community.

 

BOARD: We Will.

 

Thank you. You may be seated.

 

 

 

Charge to Practitioners (Ask Practitioners to come forward)

We now present to you those individuals who are the licensed professional practitioners at this center. They not only have to completed numerous classes, they  also have been deemed to have the consciousness necessary to be effective in prayers they offer congregants, this center and the world as a whole.

 

Rev. Jay  knows and understands the role of the licensed Practitioner is to be part of the ecclesiastical team, establishing and maintaining a continual consciousness of the Spiritual vision of this church.

 

You also carry out most of your work in the great and powerful silence. The fruits of this work are manifested as demonstrations in the lives of yourselves, your clients and your church.

 

Do you consecrate yourself to this Spiritual vision and activity?

 

PRACTITIONERS: We Do

 

Do you accept Rev. Jay as a minister of this church center, as a Spiritual leader and teacher?

 

PRACTITIONERS: We Do

 

Will you support Rev. Jay and the community with your consciousness, your listening ear, your prayers, and your teaching?

 

PRACTITIONERS: We Will.

 

Thank You. You may be seated.

 

 

Charge to Members of the Church (Ask members to stand)

 

You are the voice of this church. You are the ambassadors of Religious Science in this community. You are the backbone as the volunteers giving service.

 

Do you promise to uphold and practice the principles of Religious Science moment by moment to the best of your ability?

 

MEMBERS: We Do.

 

Do you accept Rev. Jay Lang as a minister of this church/center as a Spiritual leader and teacher?

 

MEMBERS: We Do.

 

Will you support his vision, his ecclesiastic leadership and his ideas to foster, nurture and grow this Spiritual community?

 

 

MEMBERS: We Will

 

Thank you. You may be seated.

 

Charge to Ministers Present:  (If ministers from other churches are part of ceremony)

 

As colleagues, do you promise to give of your friendship, your love, and your affirmative prayers to this minister?

 

MINISTERS: We do.

 

Thank you

 

You may be seated.

 

Spouse/Partner:

We would like to invite Michelle Lang to the stage.

Michelle, your role is unique in this community as Rev. Jay’s spouse.

We know that you offer unwavering support for his ministry.

We ask the community to consider your support of her role in this center.

Keep her in mind in your thoughts and prayers for she offers a listening ear and a loving support without putting her own opinions above others.

We offer you this candle as a reminder that while you support the light of Rev. Jay’s ministry and this center, you need to remember to present the light that is within you and your own expression of the Divine.

Installation

Through the authority vested in me by the Centers for Spiritual Living organization, and as the Regional Support Coordinator and  and Spiritual Leader of  Ukiah CSL acting on behalf of this congregation, I do install you here and now as a minister of the Napa Valley Center for Spiritual Living with all of the rights, privileges, and obligations appertaining to your office.

 

 

Teach, heal, minister to the people.

Peace be with you.

The God of Peace dwell richly in your heart

through love, and make your labor fruitful unto eternal life.

Amen.

 

 

ANSWER TO CALL – (NAME)

 

Installed Minister shares comments on answering the “call” at the church/center.

Fight in my own armor, the thing is that I did not have to fight at all.

 

 

Installing Minister: Everyone please join me in acknowledging and congratulating Rev. Jay Lang as the Sr. Minister of the Napa Valley Center for Spiritual Living.

Closing Spiritual Mind Treatment/Benediction

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Celebration of Life

Posted on by DrToni

Celebration of Life

I’m Dr. Toni LaMotta, and it is my honor to  to Welcome you all to Sal Gaeta’s Celebration of life.  Today, we honor Sal whom many  have known as a loved one and true friend in every sense of the word.

We are also here to give consolation, comfort and support to Toni and to their children – Lisa, Steven, Michael….   Etc.

We affirm this memorial to be one of beauty, inspiration and comfort, and we join in this tribute NOT with a sense of loss, but with the thought that out of this memorial experience there comes something very precious, something that is, to each one here, a guiding light and eternal promise as we allow Sal to continue to inspire and give us joy through sharing memories of his life.

And, perhaps of greatest importance, we are here to deepen our awareness of life as eternal and immortal and to affirm our faith in God and in the Good that we know is in store for Sal now.

I’d like to officially open today’s service by playing one of Sal’s favorite songs – which I’m sure he meant to sing to Toni and perhaps to each of us here today

Let the vibration lift your spirits as we come today to celebrate his life!

play ….https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-norton-ext_onb&ei=UTF-8&hsimp=yhs-ext_onb&hspart=norton&param1=e00e67ac-bc59-43a2-9931-0e410bb259fb_2020-11-19_cr&param2=ds_nag_nov20&param3=nfm__wk47_2020&param4=1000&p=i+know+i%27ll+never+find+another+you&type=cr_ds_nov20_wk47_2020#id=2&vid=911367baae3ae8a17c1f2ffa46a23e57&action=click

 

 

Whatever good Sal  gave to you, you still retain.  It still lives with you and works for you.  So what we are doing here today is celebrating his life, rather than mourning his passing.  We are celebrating his love, his example and all of the wonderful, individual ways in which he touched all of us.

 

As each of you uphold the vision and memory of Sal with a firm belief that good expands and spiritual growth is unending, then it becomes easier for you to free her spirit.  Envision him as being radiant, healthy, whole, complete and at peace with the serenity that comes from the soul’s onward progression into greater good and rejoice with him in the promise that he has found.

 

In this attitude we then bless Sal with our love and support as she continues life’s journey in spiritual unfoldment.

 

Now, I invite you to take a moment and bring Sal’s spirit to your consciousness. I know that some of you never got to say goodbye and there might have been something you wanted to say… Take a moment now in silence to speak those words to him…For his Spirit is here and now and always present to us…

 

SILENCE

 

And, now take a moment and listen As ???  reads the words he might have said in return… a poem by Pete Gray.

 

Don’t cry for me. There is no need.

IF you did not say you loved me often…

I saw it in your eyes, Felt it in your touch,

Sensed it in our times together, even in the rush of Busyness

If I did not pledge my love enough…Forgive me.

The love was always there. Even when we were apart.

Even when we disagreed, I thought you always knew.

Don’t cry for me.

I chose this life to learn and play, and life’s been full

of such a wealth of times. of joy, of growth, laughter and pain.

Experience upon experience… To overflow the memory, And overwhelm the mind.  I would not change a day of it Except to say “I Love you” one more time.

Don’t cry for me… For where I’ve gone

IT is my choice to go. My task is done, my lessons learned,

My heart at peace.

So laugh with me, and raise a toast, and tell a joke.

And soon, your lessons learned, Your task complete,

We’ll pledge our love again.

 

And now I’d like to play a song that I believe is the way Sal would have us all remember him.

 

 

 

 

 

Someone has said that, “When we are born into this life, we die to another life.  But we bring with us into this life all the creative potential to grow and flourish, to be happy and productive in this world.  And likewise when we die to this life, we are born into another life, and carry with us into that life all we have learned in this one, and all the goodness we have experienced.”

 

We only can know people by what they give us. Not in a material sense but in the realm of the physical or the material but in the realm of the spirit of who they are. What came from Sal who we honor and whose life we celebrate today.

 

I now invite ???  up to give a Eulogy –and then we’ll all share  memories of Sal.

 

I now encourage Toni to come and share her memories with us – followed by ???? and then by anyone else who wishes to share.

 

 

RITUAL FOR SAYING GOODBYE TO Sal

And now, it is time for us to symbolically say goodbye to Sal as we have known her in this physical world.  But we also keep alive her spirit, her soul and her memory in our hearts, surrounded by love which can never die and which can never be taken from us.

 

We give thanks, not only for what Sal gave to each of us, but for what he was in truth and in Spirit, a wonderful expression of life.  He truly made a loving difference in the quality of our lives.

 

A FINAL READING: ETERNAL VISION By J. Sig Paulson

 

“They know me not, who think that I am only flesh and blood… a transient dweller on this fragile spaceship earth that gave me human birth.

 

FOR I AM SPIRIT eternal, indestructible, not confined to space or time.  And when my sojourn here is through, my roles fulfilled, my assignments done, I will lay aside this spacesuit called my body and move on to other mansions, roles, assignments in our father’s house of eternal life.

 

SO DRY YOUR TEARS, weep not overmuch for me, or for yourself.  Set me free, in the love that holds us all and makes us one eternally.

 

OUR PATHS will cross again, our minds and hearts will touch.  Our souls will shout with joy and laughter as we recall the lives we’ve lived, the worlds we’ve seen, the ways we’ve trod, to find ourselves at last in God.

 

And so it shall ever be. And so it is. Amen

 

Closing with Let There Be Peace on Earth

The Ship

Posted on by DrToni

THE SHIP (Author unknown)

 

I am standing upon the seashore, a ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean.

 

She is an object of beauty and strength, and I stand and watch her until at length she is only a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky meet and mingle with each other.  Then someone at my side exclaims, “There, she’s gone!”

 

GONE WHERE?  Gone from my sight, that is all.  She is just as large in hull and mast and spar as she was when she left my side- and just as able to bear her load of living freight to the place of her destination.  Her diminished size is in me, not in her.

 

AND JUST AT THAT MOMENT when someone at my side says, “She’s gone” there are other eyes watching for her coming and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, There she comes!

 

AND THAT IS DYING.

 

Because we see only one side of the experience, we are sorrowful as we watch the ship carrying our beloved into the horizon.  We suffer a personal loss, but consider this, To those awaiting her arrival, it is a gain.

 

 

 

Neale Donald Walch’s Wedding Ceremony

Posted on by DrToni

Wedding Ceremony= “Conversations With God”

Minister          _____ and _____ have not come here today to make a solemn promise or to exchange a sacred vow.

_____ and _____ have come here to make public their love for each other; to give noticement to their truth; to declare their choice to live and partner and grow together—out loud and in your presence, out of their desire that we will all come to feel a very real and intimate part of their decision, and thus make it even more powerful.

They’ve also come here today in the further hope that their ritual of bonding will help bring us all closer together.  If you are here today with a spouse or a partner, let this ceremony be a reminder—a rededication of your own loving bond.

We’ll begin by asking the question:  Why get married?  _____ and _____ have answered this question for themselves, and they’ve told me their answer.  Now I want to ask them one more time, so they can be sure of their answer, certain of their understanding, and firm in their commitment to the truth they share.

 

(Minister gets two red roses from table…)

This is the Ceremony of Roses, which  _____ and _____ share their understandings, and commemorate that sharing.

Now _____ and _____, you have told me it is your firm understanding that you are not entering into this marriage for reasons of security…

…that the only real security is not in owning or possessing, nor in being owned or possessed…

…not in demanding or expecting, and not even in hoping, that what you think you need in life will be supplied by the other…

…but rather, in knowing that everything you need in life…all the love, all the wisdom, all the insight, all the power, all the knowledge, all the understanding, all the nurturing, all the compassion, and all the strength…resides within you…

…and that you are not each marrying the other in hopes of getting those things, but in hopes of giving these gifts, that the other might have them in even greater abundance.

Is that your firm understanding today?

(They say, “It is.” )

And _____ and _____, you have told me it is your firm understanding you are not entering into this marriage as a means of in any way limiting, controlling, hindering, or restricting each other from any true expression and honest celebration of that which is the highest and best within you—including your love of God, your love of life, your love of people, your love of creativity, your love of work, or any aspect of your being which genuinely represents you, and brings you joy.  Is that still your firm

 

 

            Finally, _____ and _____, you have said to me that you do not see marriage as producing obligations, but rather as providing opportunities…

…opportunities for growth, for full Self-expression, for lifting your lives to their highest potential, for healing every false thought or small idea you have had about yourself, and for ultimate reunion with God through the communion of your two souls…

…that this is truly a Holy Communion…a journey through life with one you love as an equal partner, sharing equally both the authority and the responsibilities inherent in any partnership, bearing equally what burdens there be, basking equally in the glories.

Is that the vision you wish to enter into now?

(They say, “It is.”)

I now give you these red roses, symbolizing your individual understandings of these Earthly things; that you both know and agree how life will be with you in bodily form, and within the physical structure called marriage.  Give these roses now to each other as a symbol of your sharing of these agreements and understandings with love.

Now, please each of you take this white rose.  It is a symbol of your larger understandings, of your spiritual nature and your spiritual truth.  It stands for the purity of your Real and Highest Self, and of the purity of God’s love, which shines upon you now, and always.

(Minister gives [woman] the rose with [man’s] ring on the stem, and [man] the rose with [woman’s] ring on it.)

            What symbols do you bring as a reminder of the promises given and received today?

(They each remove the rings from the stems, giving them to the minister, who holds them inher/his hand as she/says…)

            A circle is the symbol of the Sun, and the Earth, and the Universe.  It is a symbol of holiness, an of perfection and peace.  It is also the symbol of the eternality of spiritual truth, love, and life…that which has no beginning and no end.  And in this moment, _____ and _____ choose for it to also be a symbol of unity, but not of possession; of joining, but not of restricting; of encirclement, but not of entrapment.  For love cannot be possessed, nor can it be restricted.  And the soul can never be entrapped.

Now _____ and _____, please take these rings you wish to give, one to the other.

(They take each other’s rings.)

(man), please repeat after me.

I, ­­­­­_____, ask you, (woman), ­­­­­ to be my partner, my lover, my friend, and my wife…I announce and declare my intention to give you my deepest friendship and love…not only when your moments are high…but when they are low…not only when you remember clearly Who You Are…but when you forget…not only when you are acting with love…but when you are not…I further announce…before God and those here present…that I will seek always to see the Light of Divinity within you…and seek always to share…the Light of Divinity within me…even, and especially… in whatever moments of darkness may come.

It is my intention to be with you forever…in a Holy Partnership of the S oul…that we may do together God’s work…sharing all that is good within us…with all those whose lives we touch.

(The minister turns to [woman])

(woman, do you choose to grant [man’s] request that you be his wife?

(She answers,, “I do.”)

Now, (woman,) please repeat after me.

I, ­­­­­_____, ask you, (man),  ­­­­­ to be my partner, my lover, my friend, and my husband…I announce and declare my intention to give you my deepest friendship and love…not only when your moments are high…but when they are low…not only when you remember clearly Who You Are…but when you forget…not only when you are acting with love…but when you are not…I further announce…before God and those here present…that I will seek always to see the Light of Divinity within you…and seek always to share…the Light of Divinity within me…even, and especially… in whatever moments of darkness may come.

It is my intention to be with you forever…in a Holy Partnership of the Soul…that we may do together God’s work…sharing all that is good within us…with all those whose lives we touch.

(man), do you choose to grant (woman’s) request that you be her husband?

(He answers, “I do.”)

Please then, both of you, take hold of the rings you would give each other, and repeat after me:  With this ring…I thee wed…I take now the ring you give to me…(they exchange rings)…and give it place upon my hand…(they place the rings on their hands)…that all may see and know…of my love for you.

(The Minister closes…)

            We recognize with full awareness that only a couple can administer the sacrament of marriage to each other, and only a couple can sanctify it.  Neither my church, nor any power vested in me by the State, can grant me the authority to declare what only two hearts can declare, and what only two souls can make real.

And so now, inasmuch as you, (woman), and you, (man), have announced the truths that are already written in your hearts, and have witnessed the same in the presence of these, your friends, and the One Living Spirit—we observe joyfully that you have declared yourselves to be…husband and wife.

Let us now join in prayer.

“Spirit of Love and Life:  out of this whole world, two souls have found each other.  Their destinies shall now be woven into one design, and their perils an their joys shall not be known apart.

            [Man] and [Woman], may your home be a place of happiness for all who enter it; a place where the old and the young are renewed in each other’s company, a place for growing and a place for sharing, a place for music and a place for laughter, a place for prayer an a place for love.

            May those who are nearest to you be constantly enriched by the beauty and the bounty of your love for one another.  May your work be a joy of your life that serves the world, and may your days be good and long upon the Earth.

            Amen and Amen.

I

 

 

 

Vow Renewal

Posted on by DrToni

Friends, we are assembled here today, in the presence of God, to witness the vow renewals of these people. There are no obligations on earth more sweet or tender than those you are about to assume. There are no vows more solemn than those you are about to take. There is no human institution more sacred than the home you have formed together.

Your commitment is a spiritual union. It is then the uniting of two souls already attuned to each other. When that bond exists, it is altogether proper that an outward acknowledgment be made. This then is the purpose of this ceremony; that those who love them bear witness to the entry into the closer relationship of committed partners, of these beloved couples who are already one in Spirit.

Today, your lives with their individual memories, desires, and dreams merge just as they did on your initial commitment to each other. Today, you once again join your life with the one in ll the world whom you love the best. It is a blessed privilege. Will you bring to this union, each for the sake of the other, the best that is in you? Seeking always to express the love that you profess today?

COUPLES RESPOND: “I will.”

This renewal represents the uniting of two souls in the most sacred of unions. It also represents the uniting of two circles of life and, as such, the families and loved ones of these coupled are called upon to acknowledge the spiritual nature of these unions. Will the parents, the families, and all the loving friends gathered here also agree to support these unions?

ASSEMBLY RESPONDS:  “WE WILL.”

Today, you stand in the charmed circle of love. But true love is not a total absorption in each other, it is rather, a looking outward, in the same direction together. Love makes burdens lighter because you divide them. Love makes joys more intense because you share them. Love makes you stronger individually so that you can reach out and become involved with life in ways that you might not have dared to risk alone.

There will come trials and challenges in your life together, but you can meet them all. Love’s quiet patience and tender wisdom will always prevail, for such is the power of love.

In scripture, it is written:

“Love is patient. Love is kind. Love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist upon its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, endures all things. So faith and hope and love abide, these three, but the greatest of these is Love.”

Let your faith in Love; and the sacred power of love, grow through the years so that you remain unchanged in your devotion. Two souls do have the power to love each other more, indefinitely. True love has been called a golden ring in a chain whose beginning is a glance and whose ending is eternity. May your relationship, through the years, bear witness to this truth.

All that Love is cannot be contained in words, to attempt to give definition to love is to realize the limitations of language. But words are the palette of the poet, and he has painted this picture for those who would see it:

Love gives naught but itself and takes naught from itself.

Love possesses not, nor would it be possessed,

For love is sufficient unto love.

When you love,  you should not say “God is in my heart,”

But rather, “I am in the heart of God.”

For Love, if it finds you worthy, will direct your course.

For love has no desire but to fulfill itself.

In the fulfillment then, of your deepest desires, which are the desires of the Spirit, which is love itself, will you join right hands. . .

Please turn to your partner and repeat after me:

I give to you my promise

That from this day forward

You shall not walk alone.

May my heart be your shelter

And my arms be your home.

May God bless you always.

Through all things

May you feel deeply loved,

for indeed you are.

May you always see your innocence in my eyes.

I give you my heart

I have no greater gift to give.

I promise I shall do my best.

I shall always try.

I feel so honored to call you mine.

May we feel this joy forever.

I thank God.

I thank you.

Amen.

Today, you begin anew, as you do every day, but today your lives have become part of a larger life, on that had its beginning before time.

Kahlil Gibran has written:

“You were born together and together you shall be forevermore. Aye you shall be together even in the silent memory of God. But let there be spaces in your togetherness, and let the winds of heaven dance between you. Love one another, but make not a burden of love. Let ti be rather a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Sing and dance together and be joyous. But let each of you be alone, even as the strings of the lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. And stand together, but not too near together, for the pillars of the temple stand apart, and the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow.”

The bond that we witness today has been forged in love and tempered in harmony. Let  today, _________________________________, be for you always a joyful memory and a reminder to the commitment of the love that you share.

Repeat after me:

This day I commit to my friend. . .  [pause, while the other repeats]

My friend that will laugh with. . . [pause]

Live for. . . [pause]

Dream with . . . [pause]

And, together, make these dreams come true.  [pause]

Have faith in each other. Fashion your lives together from the dreams that you bring to this day. And, above all, know that the blessings of God and of man are upon the vows that you have made here today.

There is faith and there is hope, and there is love. . . and the greatest of these is Love.

In love then, go, and live your life together.

###

QUINCINERA

Posted on by DrToni

An altar honoring Our Lady of Guadeloupe

Three chairs on the platform:  one for each parent and one for Rebecca

Rev. X takes place on platform and welcomes guests and says opening prayer and lights the candle on the altar, inviting all who have passed their Quincinera celebration to call their name into the sanctuary.

Music begins and Rebecca, wearing flat shoes, carrying a bouquet of roses, is escorted by her parents to the platform.

Rev. Georgia says:

Rebecca, your parents have escorted you through your life to this moment.  Now, while still performing the duties of mother and father, they do so now with a new understanding that you are becoming a woman of this community.

 

As we begin the sacrament of today’s transformational time for you, will you present your roses to Our Lady of Guadeloupe as a sign of your willingness to be a young woman of faith.

 

Will you continue to honor your parents as you have in the past?

Will you repeat after me:

Thank you, Mother and Father/ for being my light to find my way./

I will take the values you have given me/ and use them to light new ways for myself/ and to light the way for others./

 

TO PARENTS:  Oscar and Michele, will you commit this day to seeing your daughter as a young woman from this day forward, moving from childhood to adulthood.  Continuing to give her guidance and to begin taking guidance from her as well.  PARENTS WILL BE SEATED

 

 

 

 

 

Rebecca,

Will you continue to honor yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit: understanding you bring the divine feminine to the planet.

REBECCA WILL BE SEATED.

 

Rev. Georgia will say a few words about the divine feminine.

 

Rebecca, today you begin to move from childhood to the time of a young maiden.  Will you call your sister, Torianna forward.

 

Will you repeat after me:  Today, I give you this doll /as a symbol of my leaving childhood / and as a commitment to be here for you /as you continue in your childhood.  One day you will stand here /and I will be here for you then as well.  If you need me, please ask.

 

 

Rebecca comes back to front and Rev. Georgia sprinkles with water signifying a purification of her childhood and her coming into womanhood.

 

Rebecca’s mother gives her father a pair of heels, he takes them and kneels before Rebecca to help her change shoes.

 

Now, her closest male friend comes to the platform, offers his arm and walks her back down the isle, signifying she is no longer a child.

 

He parents follow and there is a reception line following the PARTY.