All Saints/Samhain November 14, 2021

When we returned to 2nd Sundays after the summer break last year, we used a liturgical pattern with discussion occurring after the Benediction. Here I will share the liturgy and some thoughts that came up during the discussion. To see this in the original bulletin form, click here.

Gather within.  One DEEP Breath

Gathering Words

We come to this place with songs of the angels in our hearts

The Wheel of the Year turns evermore

We come to this place hearts on fire, warmed by memories of loved ones

The Wheel of the Year turns evermore

We come to this place knowing we are drops in the eternal ocean of Being

The Wheel of the Year turns evermore

We come to this place on solid earth; roots in those who have gone before

The Wheel of the Year turns evermore

One DEEP Breath

Invocation:

Ancient of Days, speak to us your ancient words of wisdom. It is the time of the final harvest, the last turn of the wheel before the darkness of winter. As we enter into this time, we remember those who have gone into darkness before us, crossing beyond the veil. Help us, Holy One, to hear again the message of love! Change our lives to follow the path of justice and mercy!

One DEEP Breath

Pray:

O Great Mystery, Depth and Breadth and Height of All That Is

Creator and Nurturer, Giver and Taker of Lives, Beginner and Ender of Generations. Forgive us our petty fears and our unworthy hatreds, for though in the darkness we forget the face of the one we have loved, we cannot forget the expanse of their heart, for in You we are One. Give us these moments of remembrance and love with those who we have missed these long days. Bring us together into the comforting Darkness of Your Holy Womb. Make us anew. So Let it Be

This is a time for remembering those we love who have passed away.

Here we take time to remember our loved ones.  Speak the names of those you wish to honor.

Let us take a time of silence, remembering.

The ancient Celts recognized this as the end of an old year and the beginning of the new. We recognize that old things are passing, we know there is a new birth promised at the end of the season.

Here we will take some time in silent prayer, considering our lives. When you are ready, walk to the table, take a card, and write down something you wish to let go of, or the name of someone you’ve lost and wish to remember. Return to your place until all are done.

Prayer: Bring us, Holy Divine, to the deep mystery within ourselves that we might bring into our lives the joy, love, peace, and purpose which we so desire. Amen.

Stand/sit in thoughtful meditation for a time. When ready, take the card to the cauldron, tear it up and throw it in, visualizing that which you wish to release becoming a thing of the past. (Suzy will burn the pieces later today and bury the ashes in the ground)

Suzy raises the Chalice and pours libation to those who have gone before, symbolizing the truth that we are all connected by love even after death. She raises the Cauldron as a reminder that we who live remember those who have gone.

Together we sing the “Benediction:”

For auld lang syne, my dear, For auld lang syne. We'll take a cup o' kindness yet, For auld lang syne.

Discussion topics: How do we remember those we have lost? Are there times we feel close to them? Thin times and thin places. When and where do you feel closest to the sacred?

DISCUSSION:

We all have different ways of remembering those loved ones who have moved beyond the veil. Part of this is informed by what we think about what happens to us when we die. There is no religion, no group, no individual who knows for certain what happens to our consciousness when we leave behind this shell we call our body. Many of us (who were raised Christian) find comfort in the simple answers we were given as children in Sunday School. Yet, now we have been introduced to other perspectives on both life on earth and the afterlife. Now, some of us question the importance of worrying about an afterlife, coming to believe that we should focus on our loved ones when we and they are walking on this earth. Still, we miss those who have gone before. So, as intelligent, thinking, spiritual individuals, we either fall back on what we learned as children or we spend some time considering all we have learned about spiritual growth and perspective, about all the many traditions, and we come to some conclusion of our own. I cannot speak for anyone else, so I will share this about myself: I believe that our spirits are made of energy and that energy is not destroyed, but changes. How it changes is not mine to know right now, but I feel that perhaps our loved ones leave behind a piece of themselves that is accessible to us as long as we remember them. As the Norse saying goes, "What is remembered, lives." I personally find myself closest to those I have lost at times when I am lonely, when I encounter something that reminds me of them, and during those times of the year when we traditionally focus on loved ones, such as All Saints/Samhain, and Christmas/Yule, and at those times of the year that once belonged to them - birthdays, Mother's Day, Father's Day. When I find myself feeling them close, I try to take the time to acknowledge the experience. Perhaps I light a candle, write a poem, or simply sit with my memories.

May you all be blessed as you remember.