"Weekly Recap" for Tuesday, April 19, 2016 of ProgressiveChristianity.org of Gig Harbor Washington, United States "Do you believe the soul lives on after death? This and more in our Free Weekly Recap of our most viewed and new resources from last week."
Last Week At ProgressiveChristianity.org ...
We delved into the topics of The Soul, How To Be Here, Love and Farewell Words.
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A Story Within A Story
Jean Dominique
Is it possible that the soul lives on after death just like Jesus? Why wouldn’t the story of Jesus Christ be a basic metaphor to symbolize the soul?
READ ON ... Is it a coincidence that the soul is so closely related to the story of Jesus? Does the idea of being born pure of a virgin hint to some basic truth that we’ve been missing about the nature of our true identity? Are the miracles that Jesus performs representative of the restorative properties of the soul? Does resistance indicate that we would not recognize Jesus if he stared us in the face? Would we therefore advocate crucifixion with the accusation of heresy and blasphemy? Is it possible that the soul lives on after death just like Jesus? Why wouldn’t the story of Jesus Christ be a basic metaphor to symbolize the soul?
When we do wake up to the life of the soul we start to feel like the blind man whose eyes were touched by Jesus. Our vision becomes sharp, clear and precise. The veil that was blocking the truth from our minds is lifted. What little goodness we think we have is multiplied as the fish and the loaves. We dance and sing as a cured leper and we realize we are exactly like Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead. We are the lady who was hunched over for 35 years brought to stand upright. If we could just touch the fringe of his garment we would instantly be healed from all of the unconscious infirmities that dwell in our heads.
Yet some resist accepting the soul out of fear of the religious and political leaders. Any threat to upset the order of established hierarchies carries penalties and few are willing to take a risk. Acceptance and approval from peer groups becomes more important than the chance to experience the reality of the soul as the manifestation of the words of Jesus: “No one goes to the Father except through me”. Quite frequently the result is rejection and shameful treatment of that which is not understood. The rooster crows for the third time. The soul is sentenced to crucifixion as an insignificant common criminal. We don’t think of this much.
But the soul lives on and does not die, just as Jesus was raised to life again. So what are the chances that the Assumption of Jesus into heaven would be the end of the story? If we were to insert the soul to pose as the main character in the story of Jesus, what would happen? Would it shed light on some misunderstandings? Would our religion make more sense? Could it enable one to gain a fuller understanding of God? Would it increase or decrease our faith in God? Can we actually apply the basic principles of truth in the scriptures to create and test a hypothesis about the existence of our Deity? Would we be willing to suspend the attachment to our beliefs for a few moments in order to explore? What could we possibly lose? What could we possibly gain?
Follow Jean Dominque’s Blog Here
---------------------
How to Be Here: A Guide to Creating a Life Worth Living
Is it possible that the soul lives on after death just like Jesus? Why wouldn’t the story of Jesus Christ be a basic metaphor to symbolize the soul?
READ ON ... Is it a coincidence that the soul is so closely related to the story of Jesus? Does the idea of being born pure of a virgin hint to some basic truth that we’ve been missing about the nature of our true identity? Are the miracles that Jesus performs representative of the restorative properties of the soul? Does resistance indicate that we would not recognize Jesus if he stared us in the face? Would we therefore advocate crucifixion with the accusation of heresy and blasphemy? Is it possible that the soul lives on after death just like Jesus? Why wouldn’t the story of Jesus Christ be a basic metaphor to symbolize the soul?
When we do wake up to the life of the soul we start to feel like the blind man whose eyes were touched by Jesus. Our vision becomes sharp, clear and precise. The veil that was blocking the truth from our minds is lifted. What little goodness we think we have is multiplied as the fish and the loaves. We dance and sing as a cured leper and we realize we are exactly like Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead. We are the lady who was hunched over for 35 years brought to stand upright. If we could just touch the fringe of his garment we would instantly be healed from all of the unconscious infirmities that dwell in our heads.
Yet some resist accepting the soul out of fear of the religious and political leaders. Any threat to upset the order of established hierarchies carries penalties and few are willing to take a risk. Acceptance and approval from peer groups becomes more important than the chance to experience the reality of the soul as the manifestation of the words of Jesus: “No one goes to the Father except through me”. Quite frequently the result is rejection and shameful treatment of that which is not understood. The rooster crows for the third time. The soul is sentenced to crucifixion as an insignificant common criminal. We don’t think of this much.
But the soul lives on and does not die, just as Jesus was raised to life again. So what are the chances that the Assumption of Jesus into heaven would be the end of the story? If we were to insert the soul to pose as the main character in the story of Jesus, what would happen? Would it shed light on some misunderstandings? Would our religion make more sense? Could it enable one to gain a fuller understanding of God? Would it increase or decrease our faith in God? Can we actually apply the basic principles of truth in the scriptures to create and test a hypothesis about the existence of our Deity? Would we be willing to suspend the attachment to our beliefs for a few moments in order to explore? What could we possibly lose? What could we possibly gain?
Follow Jean Dominque’s Blog Here
---------------------
How to Be Here: A Guide to Creating a Life Worth Living
Rob Bell
Do you ever feel like you’re skimming the surface of your own existence? The popular pastor and New York Times bestselling author shows us how to pursue and realize our dreams, live in the moment, and joyfully do the things that make us come alive.
READ ON ...
Do you ever feel like you’re skimming the surface of your own existence? Like you have more options and technology and places to go and things to do than ever and yet it feels at some level like you’re missing out? Like you’re busy, but it’s not fulfilling? That’s why I’ve written How to Be Here, to help us live like we’re not missing a thing. Because that’s what we all want, right-to feel like we’re fully present, here, and nowhere else, creating a life worth living.[Rob Bell]
The popular pastor and New York Times bestselling author of Love Wins and What We Talk About When We Talk About God shows us how to pursue and realize our dreams, live in the moment, and joyfully do the things that make us come alive.
Each of us was created for something great—we just need to figure out what it is and find the courage to do it. Whether it’s writing the next great American novel, starting a business, or joining a band, Rob Bell wants to help us make those dreams become reality. Our path is ours and ours alone to pursue, he reminds us, and in doing so, we derive great joy because we are living our passions.
How to Be Here lays out concrete steps we can use to define and follow our dreams, interweaving engaging stories, lessons from biblical figures, insights gleaned from Rob’s personal experience, and practical advice. Rob gives you the support and insight you need to silence your critics, move from idea to action, take the first step, find joy in the work, persevere through hard times, and surrender to the outcome.
Like Stephen Pressfield’s classic The War of Art, How to Be Here will inspire readers to seek the lives they were created to lead.
Reviews
“While reading this book, you get this crazy feeling that the matrix is being revealed, as infinite possibilities for your life start unfolding before your eyes. And all this miraculousness and excitement happens without a trace of darkness or danger; here is a wild journey that you can actually trust.” (Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Big Magic)
“Listing all the ways in which Rob has positively impacted my life would take up too much space; so I’ll simply say that he has inspired me to live life with a deeper level of appreciation and to love people with a greater awareness of our connectivity.” (Aaron Rogers, quarterback for the Green Bay Packers)
“Bell will be joined by the likes of Brian McLaren, James Martin, Diana Butler Bass and Carol Howard Merritt.” (Christianity Today)
“Forever grateful for the brilliant mind, boundless heart and fierce faith of Rob Bell. His work convinced me that it was possible–maybe necessary and thrilling–to be a person of both faith and intellect. . . . Please read everything Rob’s ever written and then go see him live.” (Glennon Doyle Melton, author of Carry On, Warrior)
“This book lays out concrete steps we can use to define and follow our dreams. Bell interweaves engaging stories, lessons and biblical figures, insights gleaned from his personal experience, and practical advice.” (Publishers Weekly)
About The Author
Rob Bell is a bestselling author, international teacher, and highly sought after public speaker. His books include The New York Times bestseller Love Wins, along with What We Talk About When We Talk About God, The Zimzum of Love, Velvet Elvis, Sex God, Jesus Wants to Save Christians, Drops Like Stars. At age 28 he founded Mars Hill Bible Church in Michigan, and under his leadership it was one of the fastest-growing churches in America. In 2011 he was profiled in Time Magazine as one of their 100 most influential people. Rob was featured on Oprah’s 2014 Life You Want Tour and has spoken at events all over the world. He and his wife Kristen have three children and live in Los Angeles. Contact Rob at info@robbell.com.
---------------------
We Wish You Love
George Stuart
Lives are enriched when love burns unrestricted;
We wish you love, the priceless gift to share.
READ ON ...
We wish you love, like soft and kindly blessings
We savor from a fire’s gentle glow;
Reminding us that life is good and friendly,
That warmth and tenderness can always flow.
We wish you love, like all consuming fury,
When fire rages out of all control;
Reminding us of passionate excitement
When we are joined in body, mind and soul.
We wish you love, like purifying fire,
As it refines with ‘purging’ in its heat;
Reminding us that all which is offensive
Does not belong when loving is complete.
We wish you love, like fire burning brightly,
Giving the light on which we can depend;
Reminding us that loving is a beacon,
Guiding and leading to a brighter end.In all our loving God is surely active;
When we receive it God is also there.
Lives are enriched when love burns unrestricted;
We wish you love, the priceless gift to share.
Tune: O Perfect Love
---------------------
Weekly Liturgy
Week of: April 10, 2016
Farewell Words
A memorial service is a curious creation... We all need reassurance that we will not be forgotten.
READ ON ...
A memorial service is a curious creation. On the surface, we behave as if the service is for the person who has just died. We try to honor their wishes, sing their favorite hymns, read their favorite poems, tell stories that demonstrate how we loved them and so forth. But really… really the memorial service is for the people who come to it. The people who need closure, who need comforting, who need to know that one is honored after death (even if not always before), who need to be able to imagine that “something like this will happen for me.” We all need reassurance that we will not be forgotten.
Worship Materials: Funeral Resources
We have come in the midst of life to grieve for the death of ____, to give thanks for his/her life and to bid him/her farewell. Death and life are one in the purposes of love. Jesus said ‘if you grieve with all your heart, you shall find healing’.read more
Worship Materials: Funeral Resources
From the Celebrating Mystery collection by William L. Wallace
PREFACES
We have come in the midst of life to grieve for the death of ____, to give thanks for his/her life and to bid him/her farewell. Death and life are one in the purposes of love. Jesus said ‘if you grieve with all your heart, you shall find healing’.
Life is like a circle. We are bound together to each other and to the earth. To deny this interconnectedness is to do violence to ourselves and to all that is:
We gather today to mourn the death of ___________
We are part of him/her and he/she is part of us
We bid him/her farewell, give thanks for his/her life and remember
that life and death are as one in the purposes of love.
Jesus said “If you grieve with all your heart, you shall find healing,”
We come to lace our grief with the humor of past days,
to interweave our sorrows and our joys,
to hold as one our thanksgiving and
our mourning;
for life and death are not enemies
but rather part of the cycle,
of this complex universe
of which we are a small
but significant part.
HYMNS
When the shadow of death. (can be sung as a solo)
http://www.methodist.org.nz/resources/hymns/the_mystery_telling
Through the rivers of our tears. (for a child’s funeral)
http://www.methodist.org.nz/resources/hymns/the_mystery_telling
May our friend. (STS1)
For all Christ’s friends. (STS1)
Though the earthly life. (Can be a solo with response)(STS2)
Through the love of God our Father. (STS2)
Singing the Sacred Vol 1 2011, Vol 2 2014 World Library Publications
REFRAIN
In the letting go. (sung as a solo) (BL)
READING
It is not suffering which destroys the spirit of human beings, it is the way in which they react to it.
We may view it as unrelieved tragedy, or, on the other hand, we can allow the presence of suffering to enrich our lives and enlarge our faith (for the tears of our grief can water our spirit and enable it to grow).
(Note: can be used by itself or as part of Leslie Brandt’s paraphrase of 1 Peter 4 in “Living through Loving”. Insert between last paragraph of page 68 and first paragraph of page 69.)
PRAYER OF APPROACH
Let us be silent and reflect on our shock, pain and loss at the death of __________
In the mystery of love
ALL: LIFE SPRINGS OUT OF DEATH.
Let us remember that
Tears are for the washing away of grief,
hope is for the building of dreams
and love is the tender life-force which conquers death.
In the mystery of love
ALL: LIFE SPRINGS OUT OF DEATH.
There are many things in life which we cannot understand,
many things we must accept.
May the power of love
enable us not to succumb to bitterness
or pointless questioning,
but rather grow to live life
with more tenderness,
courage and purpose
than ever before.
May this be for us all,
for in the mystery of love
ALL: LIFE SPRINGS OUT OF DEATH.
PRAYER OF REFLECTION, THANKSGIVING AND COMMITMENT
Let us reflect on the pilgrimage of life; on how we all come from the earth
and all return to its womb.
In death as in life
WE ARE ALL ONE FAMILY.
Let us acknowledge that we share this experience with all living creatures
through the unity of nature.
In death as in life
WE ARE ALL ONE FAMILY.
Let us give thanks for the life of __________
and for all the memories that his/her death brings to mind.
In death as in life
WE ARE ALL ONE FAMILY.
In the strength of (God’s) love let us determine
to keep alive in us those qualities which we admired in ___________
For in death as in life
WE ARE ALL ONE FAMILY.
LEAVE-TAKING
(all standing, preferably with close relations holding hands around the coffin.)
We take our leave of our sister/brother _____________
We acknowledge the great gap which his/her death leaves in the lives of those who mourn.
We commit ourselves to helping each other work through the process of grieving,
to new life beyond our shock, anger, guilt and tears.
Alternative
Good bye _________ Thank you for sharing your life with us.
We release you and send you on your way surrounded by love.
Good bye.
May healing flow from sorrow
hope emerge from darkness and
memories become even more precious
so that past and present be as one
in the mystery of (God’s) love.
THE COMMITTAL
In the presence of the living and the dead
We commit the body of our sister/brother
to be reunited with the ground/elements,
earth to earth/ashes to ashes,
dust to dust,
confident of the final victory of (God’s) love over suffering,
injustice, ugliness and death.
BENEDICTIONS
May the love which is stronger than death
and which binds us together in the unity of life,
energize our spirits with divine stillness,
now and forever AMEN.
May the stillness of God be in our minds,
the warmth of God be in our hearts,
and the wholeness of God surround our brother/sister and each of us forever more AMEN.
LOGO NOTE: At the heart of the mystery all the separate boxes disappear and all is one, all is love.
Text and graphic © William Livingstone Wallace but available for free use.
---------------------
Do you ever feel like you’re skimming the surface of your own existence? The popular pastor and New York Times bestselling author shows us how to pursue and realize our dreams, live in the moment, and joyfully do the things that make us come alive.
READ ON ...
Do you ever feel like you’re skimming the surface of your own existence? Like you have more options and technology and places to go and things to do than ever and yet it feels at some level like you’re missing out? Like you’re busy, but it’s not fulfilling? That’s why I’ve written How to Be Here, to help us live like we’re not missing a thing. Because that’s what we all want, right-to feel like we’re fully present, here, and nowhere else, creating a life worth living.[Rob Bell]
The popular pastor and New York Times bestselling author of Love Wins and What We Talk About When We Talk About God shows us how to pursue and realize our dreams, live in the moment, and joyfully do the things that make us come alive.
Each of us was created for something great—we just need to figure out what it is and find the courage to do it. Whether it’s writing the next great American novel, starting a business, or joining a band, Rob Bell wants to help us make those dreams become reality. Our path is ours and ours alone to pursue, he reminds us, and in doing so, we derive great joy because we are living our passions.
How to Be Here lays out concrete steps we can use to define and follow our dreams, interweaving engaging stories, lessons from biblical figures, insights gleaned from Rob’s personal experience, and practical advice. Rob gives you the support and insight you need to silence your critics, move from idea to action, take the first step, find joy in the work, persevere through hard times, and surrender to the outcome.
Like Stephen Pressfield’s classic The War of Art, How to Be Here will inspire readers to seek the lives they were created to lead.
Reviews
“While reading this book, you get this crazy feeling that the matrix is being revealed, as infinite possibilities for your life start unfolding before your eyes. And all this miraculousness and excitement happens without a trace of darkness or danger; here is a wild journey that you can actually trust.” (Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Big Magic)
“Listing all the ways in which Rob has positively impacted my life would take up too much space; so I’ll simply say that he has inspired me to live life with a deeper level of appreciation and to love people with a greater awareness of our connectivity.” (Aaron Rogers, quarterback for the Green Bay Packers)
“Bell will be joined by the likes of Brian McLaren, James Martin, Diana Butler Bass and Carol Howard Merritt.” (Christianity Today)
“Forever grateful for the brilliant mind, boundless heart and fierce faith of Rob Bell. His work convinced me that it was possible–maybe necessary and thrilling–to be a person of both faith and intellect. . . . Please read everything Rob’s ever written and then go see him live.” (Glennon Doyle Melton, author of Carry On, Warrior)
“This book lays out concrete steps we can use to define and follow our dreams. Bell interweaves engaging stories, lessons and biblical figures, insights gleaned from his personal experience, and practical advice.” (Publishers Weekly)
About The Author
Rob Bell is a bestselling author, international teacher, and highly sought after public speaker. His books include The New York Times bestseller Love Wins, along with What We Talk About When We Talk About God, The Zimzum of Love, Velvet Elvis, Sex God, Jesus Wants to Save Christians, Drops Like Stars. At age 28 he founded Mars Hill Bible Church in Michigan, and under his leadership it was one of the fastest-growing churches in America. In 2011 he was profiled in Time Magazine as one of their 100 most influential people. Rob was featured on Oprah’s 2014 Life You Want Tour and has spoken at events all over the world. He and his wife Kristen have three children and live in Los Angeles. Contact Rob at info@robbell.com.
---------------------
We Wish You LoveGeorge Stuart
Lives are enriched when love burns unrestricted;
We wish you love, the priceless gift to share.
READ ON ...
We wish you love, like soft and kindly blessings
We savor from a fire’s gentle glow;
Reminding us that life is good and friendly,
That warmth and tenderness can always flow.
We wish you love, like all consuming fury,
When fire rages out of all control;
Reminding us of passionate excitement
When we are joined in body, mind and soul.
We wish you love, like purifying fire,
As it refines with ‘purging’ in its heat;
Reminding us that all which is offensive
Does not belong when loving is complete.
We wish you love, like fire burning brightly,
Giving the light on which we can depend;
Reminding us that loving is a beacon,
Guiding and leading to a brighter end.In all our loving God is surely active;
When we receive it God is also there.
Lives are enriched when love burns unrestricted;
We wish you love, the priceless gift to share.
Tune: O Perfect Love
---------------------
Weekly Liturgy
Week of: April 10, 2016
Farewell Words
A memorial service is a curious creation... We all need reassurance that we will not be forgotten.
READ ON ...
A memorial service is a curious creation. On the surface, we behave as if the service is for the person who has just died. We try to honor their wishes, sing their favorite hymns, read their favorite poems, tell stories that demonstrate how we loved them and so forth. But really… really the memorial service is for the people who come to it. The people who need closure, who need comforting, who need to know that one is honored after death (even if not always before), who need to be able to imagine that “something like this will happen for me.” We all need reassurance that we will not be forgotten.
Worship Materials: Funeral Resources
We have come in the midst of life to grieve for the death of ____, to give thanks for his/her life and to bid him/her farewell. Death and life are one in the purposes of love. Jesus said ‘if you grieve with all your heart, you shall find healing’.read more
Worship Materials: Funeral Resources
From the Celebrating Mystery collection by William L. Wallace
PREFACES
We have come in the midst of life to grieve for the death of ____, to give thanks for his/her life and to bid him/her farewell. Death and life are one in the purposes of love. Jesus said ‘if you grieve with all your heart, you shall find healing’.
Life is like a circle. We are bound together to each other and to the earth. To deny this interconnectedness is to do violence to ourselves and to all that is:
We gather today to mourn the death of ___________
We are part of him/her and he/she is part of us
We bid him/her farewell, give thanks for his/her life and remember
that life and death are as one in the purposes of love.
Jesus said “If you grieve with all your heart, you shall find healing,”
We come to lace our grief with the humor of past days,
to interweave our sorrows and our joys,
to hold as one our thanksgiving and
our mourning;
for life and death are not enemies
but rather part of the cycle,
of this complex universe
of which we are a small
but significant part.
HYMNS
When the shadow of death. (can be sung as a solo)
http://www.methodist.org.nz/resources/hymns/the_mystery_telling
Through the rivers of our tears. (for a child’s funeral)
http://www.methodist.org.nz/resources/hymns/the_mystery_telling
May our friend. (STS1)
For all Christ’s friends. (STS1)
Though the earthly life. (Can be a solo with response)(STS2)
Through the love of God our Father. (STS2)
Singing the Sacred Vol 1 2011, Vol 2 2014 World Library Publications
REFRAIN
In the letting go. (sung as a solo) (BL)
READING
It is not suffering which destroys the spirit of human beings, it is the way in which they react to it.
We may view it as unrelieved tragedy, or, on the other hand, we can allow the presence of suffering to enrich our lives and enlarge our faith (for the tears of our grief can water our spirit and enable it to grow).
(Note: can be used by itself or as part of Leslie Brandt’s paraphrase of 1 Peter 4 in “Living through Loving”. Insert between last paragraph of page 68 and first paragraph of page 69.)
PRAYER OF APPROACH
Let us be silent and reflect on our shock, pain and loss at the death of __________
In the mystery of love
ALL: LIFE SPRINGS OUT OF DEATH.
Let us remember that
Tears are for the washing away of grief,
hope is for the building of dreams
and love is the tender life-force which conquers death.
In the mystery of love
ALL: LIFE SPRINGS OUT OF DEATH.
There are many things in life which we cannot understand,
many things we must accept.
May the power of love
enable us not to succumb to bitterness
or pointless questioning,
but rather grow to live life
with more tenderness,
courage and purpose
than ever before.
May this be for us all,
for in the mystery of love
ALL: LIFE SPRINGS OUT OF DEATH.
PRAYER OF REFLECTION, THANKSGIVING AND COMMITMENT
Let us reflect on the pilgrimage of life; on how we all come from the earth
and all return to its womb.
In death as in life
WE ARE ALL ONE FAMILY.
Let us acknowledge that we share this experience with all living creatures
through the unity of nature.
In death as in life
WE ARE ALL ONE FAMILY.
Let us give thanks for the life of __________
and for all the memories that his/her death brings to mind.
In death as in life
WE ARE ALL ONE FAMILY.
In the strength of (God’s) love let us determine
to keep alive in us those qualities which we admired in ___________
For in death as in life
WE ARE ALL ONE FAMILY.
LEAVE-TAKING
(all standing, preferably with close relations holding hands around the coffin.)
We take our leave of our sister/brother _____________
We acknowledge the great gap which his/her death leaves in the lives of those who mourn.
We commit ourselves to helping each other work through the process of grieving,
to new life beyond our shock, anger, guilt and tears.
Alternative
Good bye _________ Thank you for sharing your life with us.
We release you and send you on your way surrounded by love.
Good bye.
May healing flow from sorrow
hope emerge from darkness and
memories become even more precious
so that past and present be as one
in the mystery of (God’s) love.
THE COMMITTAL
In the presence of the living and the dead
We commit the body of our sister/brother
to be reunited with the ground/elements,
earth to earth/ashes to ashes,
dust to dust,
confident of the final victory of (God’s) love over suffering,
injustice, ugliness and death.
BENEDICTIONS
May the love which is stronger than death
and which binds us together in the unity of life,
energize our spirits with divine stillness,
now and forever AMEN.
May the stillness of God be in our minds,
the warmth of God be in our hearts,
and the wholeness of God surround our brother/sister and each of us forever more AMEN.
LOGO NOTE: At the heart of the mystery all the separate boxes disappear and all is one, all is love.
Text and graphic © William Livingstone Wallace but available for free use.
---------------------
Prayer at a memorial for an infant child
O Dear One, we are overwhelmed with frustration with the impossibility of fully accepting this unacceptable death.read more
Prayer at a memorial for an infant child by Jim Burklo
O Dear One, we are overwhelmed with frustration with the impossibility of fully accepting this unacceptable death. We also feel relief, knowing how much pain and discomfort this child had to suffer in his brief life, and how much more he would have had to suffer if he had lived longer, and knowing what suffering his parents would have had to endure for months or years. We are horrified at the existential injustice, the insult to our faith and our trust, that this death represents. We are also humbly grateful for the mystery and magic of his brief life, for the incredibly beautiful things that happened because he lived among us. O God, we lay all these feelings and questions before you, praying that you will find a place for his life and death in our lives; we pray that you will restore us to faith and hope and love even if you do not give us the answers we need for our most insistent questions — Amen!---------------------
Blessed Are Those Who Mourn
We come before you today in abject pain and anguish
There are no words to describe the distress of losing someone
You love very deeply
ALL: Jesus said “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted”read more
Blessed Are Those Who Mourn by Roger Courtney
We come before you today in abject pain and anguish
There are no words to describe the distress of losing someone
You love very deeply
ALL: Jesus said “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted”
We have lost someone
Who was a huge part of our lives
and it leaves such a gaping hole
ALL: Jesus said “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted”
Each of us is grieving in our own way
For some of us the only way to express our sorrow is through tears
Some of us are still in shock, or angry –
We are not ready for tears
For some of us it is a time for reflection and quiet
For others it is a time to keep busy with practical things
ALL: Jesus said “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted”
None of us can take away the grief
Or fill the whole that has been left in our lives
But we can lend comfort to each other
Not only over the next few days
But in the weeks and months to come
This is a time to really show real love and support for those who are hurting
ALL: Jesus said “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted”
In our grief when we experience loss we realise that
We not only feel the loss of that person
But the other people we have lost, too.
These earlier experiences are still part of who we are
ALL: Jesus said “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted”
Each of us have our own special memories.
The love we received will never die
But can be cherished as we in turn
Share that love with others
ALL: Jesus said “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted”
We don’t ask that you take away the pain of this loss
or that you fill the hole that has been left in our lives.
But we do ask that you help us have the strength
To bear the loss and over time come to be able
To celebrate a unique life and to be proud that
we were part of their lives.
ALL: Jesus said “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted”
AMEN
O Dear One, we are overwhelmed with frustration with the impossibility of fully accepting this unacceptable death.read more
Prayer at a memorial for an infant child by Jim Burklo
O Dear One, we are overwhelmed with frustration with the impossibility of fully accepting this unacceptable death. We also feel relief, knowing how much pain and discomfort this child had to suffer in his brief life, and how much more he would have had to suffer if he had lived longer, and knowing what suffering his parents would have had to endure for months or years. We are horrified at the existential injustice, the insult to our faith and our trust, that this death represents. We are also humbly grateful for the mystery and magic of his brief life, for the incredibly beautiful things that happened because he lived among us. O God, we lay all these feelings and questions before you, praying that you will find a place for his life and death in our lives; we pray that you will restore us to faith and hope and love even if you do not give us the answers we need for our most insistent questions — Amen!---------------------
Blessed Are Those Who Mourn
We come before you today in abject pain and anguish
There are no words to describe the distress of losing someone
You love very deeply
ALL: Jesus said “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted”read more
Blessed Are Those Who Mourn by Roger Courtney
We come before you today in abject pain and anguish
There are no words to describe the distress of losing someone
You love very deeply
ALL: Jesus said “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted”
We have lost someone
Who was a huge part of our lives
and it leaves such a gaping hole
ALL: Jesus said “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted”
Each of us is grieving in our own way
For some of us the only way to express our sorrow is through tears
Some of us are still in shock, or angry –
We are not ready for tears
For some of us it is a time for reflection and quiet
For others it is a time to keep busy with practical things
ALL: Jesus said “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted”
None of us can take away the grief
Or fill the whole that has been left in our lives
But we can lend comfort to each other
Not only over the next few days
But in the weeks and months to come
This is a time to really show real love and support for those who are hurting
ALL: Jesus said “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted”
In our grief when we experience loss we realise that
We not only feel the loss of that person
But the other people we have lost, too.
These earlier experiences are still part of who we are
ALL: Jesus said “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted”
Each of us have our own special memories.
The love we received will never die
But can be cherished as we in turn
Share that love with others
ALL: Jesus said “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted”
We don’t ask that you take away the pain of this loss
or that you fill the hole that has been left in our lives.
But we do ask that you help us have the strength
To bear the loss and over time come to be able
To celebrate a unique life and to be proud that
we were part of their lives.
ALL: Jesus said “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted”
AMEN
----------------------------
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Events and Updates
Continuing the Community Dialogue on Race
How many of us will stand up and say no to rhetoric and acts intended to demean another human being? Join us in Seattle on April 30th.
READ ON ...
Continuing the Community Dialogue on Race
How many of us will stand up and say no to rhetoric and acts intended to demean another human being?
“Simply punishing the broken—walking away from them or hiding them from sight—only ensures that they remain broken and we do, too. There is no wholeness outside of our reciprocal humanity.” ~Bryan Stevenson
Presenting Sponsors and Community Partners:
First AME Church, Seattle, United Black Clergy, Seattle/King County NAACP, Church Council of Greater Seattle, First United Methodist Church, Seattle, The Well, Queen Anne, Faith Action Network, Seattle University School of Theology & Ministry, Call of Compassion NW, No New Jim Crow, and other community groups.
“If we are wise, we will not allow any of us to treat the rest of us as though we were less than rather than more than.” – Reverend C.T. Vivian
Images
Start:
April 30, 2016 08:30 AM
End:
April 30, 2016 12:00 PM
Location:
First A.M.E. Church
1522 14th Avenue
Seattle WA
Contact:
John Hale
Website:
http://www.fameseattle.org/
Email:
info@callofcompassion.org
--------------------
View all upcoming events here!
News
Job Listings
Facebook
Twitter
Website
Email
YouTube
Events and Updates
Continuing the Community Dialogue on Race
How many of us will stand up and say no to rhetoric and acts intended to demean another human being? Join us in Seattle on April 30th.
READ ON ...
Continuing the Community Dialogue on Race
How many of us will stand up and say no to rhetoric and acts intended to demean another human being?
“Simply punishing the broken—walking away from them or hiding them from sight—only ensures that they remain broken and we do, too. There is no wholeness outside of our reciprocal humanity.” ~Bryan Stevenson
Presenting Sponsors and Community Partners:
First AME Church, Seattle, United Black Clergy, Seattle/King County NAACP, Church Council of Greater Seattle, First United Methodist Church, Seattle, The Well, Queen Anne, Faith Action Network, Seattle University School of Theology & Ministry, Call of Compassion NW, No New Jim Crow, and other community groups.
“If we are wise, we will not allow any of us to treat the rest of us as though we were less than rather than more than.” – Reverend C.T. Vivian
Images
Start:
April 30, 2016 08:30 AM
End:
April 30, 2016 12:00 PM
Location:
First A.M.E. Church
1522 14th Avenue
Seattle WA
Contact:
John Hale
Website:
http://www.fameseattle.org/
Email:
info@callofcompassion.org
--------------------
View all upcoming events here!
News
Job Listings
FacebookTwitterWebsiteEmailYouTube
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ProgressiveChristianity.org
4810 Point Fosdick Drive NW#80
Gig Harbor, Washington 98335, United States
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ProgressiveChristianity.org
4810 Point Fosdick Drive NW#80
Gig Harbor, Washington 98335, United States
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