Here you will find original responsive readings created for particular Sunday celebrations, illustrating one way I like to bring liturgical arts into worship. Also included below are a Ceremony of Child Dedication and a Graveside Service.

Responsive Readings

RESPONSIVE READING FOR A SUNDAY OF LONG-TERM MEMBER APPRECIATION
Keepers Of The Chalice

We give thanks for gifts of talent, for those who give that our life together might be more beautiful, more dynamic, graced by colors of the earth and sounds of the spheres.

Keepers of the chalice, they remind us that life is worth loving.

We give thanks for gifts of vision, for those who give that our community may sustain itself in the present and shape itself for the future, held through its birth by the hands of loving commitment.

Keepers of the chalice, they lead us in following the spirit.

We give thanks for the gifts of steadfastness, for those who give that our members and friends, our children and grandchildren may be nourished in spirit, mind and body.

Keepers of the chalice, they witness to the divine spark inside us.

We give thanks for gifts of action, for those who give that our community might move the world toward greater justice, a world that needs deep and loving commitment.

Keepers of the chalice, they turn evil and apathy into good.

We give thanks for gifts of the spirit, for those who give that together we might be more whole, made so by witness, insight, and invitation to All That Is.

Keepers of the chalice, they bind us together in our special purpose.

We give thanks for all those who choose to be here, part of a long and proud tradition, which will be kept alive for generations to come by our choices and the choices of those who follow.

Keepers of the chalice, we shall keep it burning, free.

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RESPONSIVE READING FOR CELEBRATION OF STEWARDSHIP
We Are The Church

The people are the church.  However grand or small a building, however long or short its history, the people are at its heart.

We are the church; it is here we find belonging.

It is the people who live the faith, who test it through their words and deeds.

We are the church; it is here we seek truth.

The prayers of the people express their pain; their struggles form the foundation of community.

We are the church; it is here we confront life and death.

The songs of the people fill the rooms; their joy witnesses to the truth that to be human and to be alive are gifts.

We are the church; it is here that we remember and give thanks.

The gifts of the people, their time, energy, love, make the community vital and real.

We are the church; it is we who form its very life.

The donations of the people, freely given and freely received, keep the church free, make possible the search for truth and meaning, give sanctuary to all.

We are the church; it is we who build it and care for it.

Our stewardship of this tradition and this community assure that it will be here for our children too, to catch their dreams and nurture their spirits, to dedicate their children and celebrate their unions, to mourn their deaths and to say that it all matters.

We are the church.  It is we who pass it on.

All:  WE ARE THE CHURCH.  MAY WE KEEP IT WELL AND IN FAITH FOR TODAY AND FOR TIMES YET TO COME.

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RESPONSIVE READING FOR THE COMMISSIONING OF PASTORAL CARE ASSOCIATES
Let Us Be A Caring Community

The ministry of this congregation belongs not just to its professional minister(s), but to all of its people.  Each of us offers, one to the other, comfort, care, and understanding.

When we are grieving, let us embrace one another; when we are ill or alone, let us attend one another; when we are hungry, let us feed one another.

In the ministry of this congregation to its own, it is given to some people to lead our members and friends in caring.  It is their gift not only to serve, but also to call the rest of us into compassionate service.

Today we recognize these leaders as having a special ministry among us, one that helps to make us a whole and caring community.

Our visitor team has spent hours reflecting on the importance of being present and listening and serving.  Its members are ready now to take something of our life together to those of those who cannot be among us.

(To visitor team):  Today we commission you as our representatives in the home, the hospital, the care facility, anywhere one of us needs to be remembered and reconnected to our religious community.

Our care giving team considers the needs of our members, how best our passages might be acknowledged and their way eased.

(To care giving team):  Today we acknowledge your commitment to the welfare of our people. We ask you to call us into service as we are needed.

In turn our servant leaders ask from you never to hesitate to offer a helping hand or a kind word, never to leave unto others what each of us must do for the whole.

We accept our part, and we join with you in the work of the heart. Together let us be a caring community.

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RESPONSIVE READING FOR THE CELEBRATION OF GRACE
Whatever You Call It

We give thanks today for what comes to us by grace. For the love which we cannot buy, for the friendship we cannot sell, for all that escapes the commerce of life and finds its reward in the heart and the soul,

We give thanks that we should be so profoundly enriched.

For the sun and stars which we did not create, for the oceans which made a home to breathing, growing life, for the daffodils that wave in the April breeze,

We give thanks that we should be part of it all.

For the every-day wonder of a child, for the hope that survives disappointment, for the appreciation that comes with age,

We give thanks for the chance to see, and to name, and to call them our own.

When in rare passage, we catch sight of a comet streaking across the sky, or hold new life trembling in our hands, or realize, yes, this is a moment of truth,

Then we stand, full of wonder, aware of life and one with All That Is.

Call it the grace of God, call it the graciousness of the universe, call it a graceful spirit,

Whatever you call it, open your heart to its coming and sing praises of its presence.

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Rites of Passage

CEREMONY OF CHILD DEDICATION
Minister: In the free church, a ceremony of dedication celebrates the entry of children into the human community and into this congregation. In our words and acts, we will dedicate these children to all that is gracious and good, just as their parents will dedicate themselves to the sacred task of caring for these young lives. And, as a congregation, we commit ourselves to the religious instruction and nurturing of these spirits, acknowledging that truly it takes a village to raise a child. All the children are our children; every family is one of our families; we honor each and all.

DRE: Reading “Poem of Thanksgiving”

With all our heart, with all our soul, with all our might
We are thankful for the gift of these wonderful children.
We pray for their continued health.
We pray for them to be strong in mind and body,
To grow steadily and sturdily in a home filled with joy.
We pray for them to become people who greet the world
With passion, courage, humility, humor, and patience.
With all our heart, with all our soul, with all our might
We pray for their families to be blessed,
To be able to nurture and love these children,
To provide for them and educate them,
To understand them and allow them the freedom to grow.

Minister calls parents forward.

Minister to parents:
Do you as parents promise to the best of your abilities that you will nurture and instruct your child in ways of life that are just and loving, honorable and true? That you will endeavor to live your lives as worthy examples for them in their own growth? That you will love and support him in both his achievements and his needs? And that you will guide him and raise him by your best understanding of the paths of wisdom and love, teaching him to respect the greater web of which we are a part? If so, say, “We do.”

Minister to parents:
What have you named this child?

___________________, with the touch of this water, universal symbol of consecration, meant to anoint the beauty of spirit that is already there, I dedicate you in the name of all that is sacred, and I affirm your life among us.

DRE: _____________, with the touch of this rose, symbol of a beautiful life unfolding, we dedicate you to the spirit of truth, justice, and love.

Susan holds the child before the congregation and says his or her full name.

After all the children have been dedicated, Minister asks congregation to join in Commitment printed on insert.

Commitment of Congregation
We rejoice with these parents in the promise that their child bears.
We take upon ourselves the privilege and responsibility of helping to nurture the life and spirit of this child.
We pledge our love and care in teaching him, and we welcome him into our congregational family.

Commitment of Children and Youth
DRE asks the children of the congregation to stand

You are the closest to this child in age and will be working and playing in the same world. It is important that you surround him with your good wishes. It is important that you are here, too, because the words we speak are also meant for you.

As this child grows he will look up to you. Will you be friends to him? Will you speak to him with kindness and treat him with fairness? Will you show him the best that is in you and help them discover the best that is in him? If so, please answer, “YES.”

Children, please be seated.

(DRE gives certificate to the parents)

Minister: Now, may the Power of Love shine upon you and be gracious unto you. And may the Spirit of Life turn its face upon you and goodness and mercy be with you always. Amen.

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GRAVESIDE SERVICE FOR EILEEN J. DUNNE

Opening
We gather together today to commit Eileen J. Dunne to her final resting place on this Earth. Although we have been brought here today by death, it is really Life that has gathered us: the life that was Eileen Dunne’s and the Life we share.

A human life is sacred.
It is sacred in its being born,
It is sacred in its living.
It is sacred in its dying.

A human life is also part of the greater cycle into which all of us are born and come to rest. As the ancient preacher of Ecclesiastes observed:

For everything there is a season
and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to rend and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.

But if Life draws us here, so does Love. Because Eileen loved the people here, and because you loved her, we meet to accompany her on this final journey. It is not easy. No words can erase the loss of a living, breathing, and much loved human being – a partner, a sister, a friend – nor would we have them do so. The love that you felt for Eileen and the love she felt for you, the love that exists among you as we go from here today, give meaning to life.

Her life was meaningful. It was a life of hope, courage, and persistence. This is the way we will always remember her… that she lived as an example to each and every person she met that we have choices in how we live and what we embrace: that we can choose honesty and dignity, that when we do hearts are opened and lives are blessed. The practice of giving ourselves to these aims is the truest way to honor our friend.

As we honor Eileen’s memory, offer her spirit this turn on a traditional blessing from her native birth place of Ireland:

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and the rains fall soft upon your fields.
Until we meet again
may the Spirit of Life hold you in its sweet embrace.

PRAYER
Spirit of Life and Love, which lasts from everlasting to everlasting, and before which our generations pass as shadows, we offer thanks today for the life of this woman, Eileen J. Dunne. May those who gather in honor of her remember all they shared with her: the joy, the struggles, the decisions, the discoveries, the tenderness. In their sorrow, grant her loved ones steadfast hearts and quiet minds that they may receive the blessing of peace and appreciation. May the mind, soul, and heart of Eileen become One with All That Is, lifted into the Divine Spirit. May she and all who loved her be blessed. Amen.

READING : We Remember You
Please join me in a litany by answering, “We remember you” each time I pause:

In the rising of the sun and in its going down…
Response: We remember you.
In the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter…
Response: We remember you.
In the opening of buds and in the rebirth of spring…
Response: We remember you.
In the blueness of the sky and in the warmth of summer…
Response: We remember you.
In the rustling of the leaves and in the beauty of autumn…
Response: We remember you.
In the beginning of the year and when it ends…
Response: We remember you.
When we are weary and in need of strength…
Response: We remember you.
When we are lost and sick at heart…
Response: We remember you.
When we have joys we yearn to share…
Response: We remember you.
At our hearts’ deep center especially in this place…
Response: We remember you.

BURIAL
As we hold Eileen in our memories from this day forward, we commit ourselves to carrying her with us always. We honor her memory by the following promises: to face life with the courage Eileen did… to insist on dignity and free will as Eileen did… to move through life with keen questioning, quick wit, and a resolute heart.

To Eileen, we now say, “Thank you for all you have given us in your long and loving life. What good you have shown us, we will show to others.”

Now, forasmuch as her spirit no longer dwells in this mortal form, we commit her remains to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, in the sure knowledge that her life continues in us and that her works abide upon the earth. Anyone who feels so moved may now come forward to add earth to Eileen’s final resting place.

BENEDICTION
Now may the the peace which passes all understanding,
the peace which the world can neither give nor take away,
abide with us,
this day and forever more.
Amen.

Thank you all for coming. And you are all welcome to attend the memorial service in celebration of Eileen’s life at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 15 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Medford.