![\"memorials](\"http:\/\/www.unitariancongregation.org\/ceremonies\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/memorials-green-300x211.jpg\")
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Celebration of Life<\/u><\/p>\n
Welcome to the celebration of life of our dear ________.\u00a0 Would you please check that all cell phones are turned to “celebration of life mode”.<\/p>\n
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Friends and Family:<\/strong> Imagine that your love and all your joyful memories of _______ are colors that you weave into a cord in your mind’s eye. And then envision your cord weaving a circle around this room with all of the other cords holding all of our precious memories of _______, and marking sacred space around this room.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Opening words:<\/u><\/p>\n <\/p>\n A human life is sacred.<\/p>\n It is sacred in its being born.<\/p>\n It is sacred in its living.<\/p>\n And it is sacred in its dying.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n May our time together today be filled with memories of a loving _______(Mum or Dad), a devoted wife-husband-partner, a cherished Grandmother-Grandfather, a sister – brother, an aunt-uncle, etc and a dear friend, who only such a short time ago walked the way with us.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We have come here today from places far and near, to gather ourselves in memory and hope; to be in community together. We come to honour, mourn and celebrate the life of one we cherished, and cherish still. The wheel of life has completed its circle for _______and those of us who are left behind, gather to say good-bye to her-him and to comfort each other.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It is clear that our lives take their meaning from interlacing with other lives. when one life has ended, those into which it was woven, are also for some time carried into darkness. Not our human desiring, but only time, slow-moving, yet sure and steady, will lift that blanket of darkness. Our task here and now is to celebrate the many strands of living memory that have been woven into our love for ______.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Responsive Reading<\/span><\/p>\n Please rise as you are able.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I ask that you repeat the refrain, \u201cWe will remember him\/her,\u201d after each line.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the rising of the sun and in its going down,<\/p>\n \u201cWe will remember him\/her.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the blowing of the winter wind<\/p>\n \u201cWe will remember him\/her.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the opening of the buds of spring<\/p>\n \u201cWe will remember him\/her.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the blueness of the summer sky<\/p>\n \u201cWe will remember him\/her.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the rustling of leaves in autumn<\/p>\n \u201cWe will remember him\/her.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the beginning of the year and when it ends<\/p>\n \u201cWe will remember him\/her.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When we are lost and sick at heart<\/p>\n \u201cWe will remember him\/her.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When we have joys we yearn to share,<\/p>\n \u201cWe will remember him\/her.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So long as we live, he shall live too\u2026For<\/p>\n \u201cWe will remember him\/her.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Reading<\/p>\n <\/p>\n You have been called from the place of your dwelling<\/p>\n After times, after duties, after separations.<\/p>\n May blessed soul-friends guide you,<\/p>\n May helping spirits lead you,<\/p>\n May the Gatherer of Souls call you,<\/p>\n May the homeward path rise up under your feet<\/p>\n And lead you gladly home.<\/p>\n and hold hands – across the aisle-ways and around the rows so that we may have as much of an unbroken circle as possible.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sing or play the deceased favorite song<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Eulogy \u2013 a summary of the life of the deceased.<\/p>\n The Lakehead Unitarian Fellowship has created an helpful\u00a0Memorial Planning Worksheet<\/a>\u00a0as well as\u00a0a personal history for obituary or eulogy worksheet<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Perhaps they are not the stars, but rather openings in Heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy.\u00a0 ~Author Unknown<\/p>\n Remembering and Celebrating<\/u><\/p>\n <\/p>\n We are happy to have those of you who wish, to come forward to share your thoughts and memories of______.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Various speakers come forward. It is always good to have asked one person to go first, in advance, to break the ice.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Now let\u2018s pause to gather individual feelings and thoughts, to reflect upon the meaning of this occasion, to remember the beautiful spirit of our beloved ______ and the many and varied ways her-his life touched our lives.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Blessing<\/u> to be said by all: Let us all start by saying her-his name<\/p>\n <\/p>\n ______-May the air carry your spirit gently. May the fire release your soul. May the water cleanse you. May the earth receive you. May the wheel turn again and bring you peace.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We have come together as a community of family and friends – the smaller circles have become as one large circle. _______we carry you in our hearts and minds as we continue on the journey of life with gratitude for having had you among us.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Closing reading <\/u><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/u><\/p>\n Life is eternal, and love is immortal, <\/p>\n Good-bye _______; you are deeply loved.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A long time I have lived with you<\/p>\n And now we must be going<\/p>\n Separately to be together.<\/p>\n Perhaps I shall be the wind<\/p>\n To blur your smooth waters<\/p>\n So that you do not see your face too much.<\/p>\n Perhaps I shall be the star<\/p>\n To guide your uncertain wings<\/p>\n So that you have direction in the night.<\/p>\n Perhaps I shall be the fire<\/p>\n To separate your thoughts<\/p>\n So that you do not give up.<\/p>\n Perhaps I shall be the rain<\/p>\n To open up the earth<\/p>\n So that your seed may fall.<\/p>\n Perhaps I shall be the snow<\/p>\n To let your blossoms sleep<\/p>\n So that you may bloom in spring.<\/p>\n Perhaps I shall be the stream<\/p>\n To play a song on the rock<\/p>\n So that you are not alone.<\/p>\n Perhaps I shall be a new mountain<\/p>\n So that you always have a home.<\/p>\n by Nancy Wood.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n I read of a man who stood to speak, at the funeral of a friend. He referred to the dates on his tombstone, from the beginning\u2026. to the end.\u00a0 He noted that first came his birth, and spoke the following date with tears, but he said what mattered most of all, was the dash between those years.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For that dash represents all the time, that he spent alive on earth\u2026<\/p>\n And now only those who love him, know what that little line is worth.<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n Those whom we have loved never really leave us.\u00a0 They live on forever in our hearts and cast their radiant light onto our every shadow \u2013 Sylvana Rossetti<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\nand death is only a horizon;
\nand a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.
\n~Rossiter Worthington Raymond
\nLove has gathered us. And love lets us depart.<\/p>\nOther readings<\/u><\/strong><\/h4>\n
The Dash \u2013 Unknown<\/h4>\n