Greeting: Welcome to this circle of remembrance to celebrate the life of Jean. Just as a voice resounds with echoes and a stone jettisoned into a pond creates ripples in the water, so we know that Jean’s love and wisdom continues in echoes and lasting ripples. We trust that the sacred spark of life created in Jean, her Divine essence of unique gifts, obvious to us while she was physically with us, will not diminish with time, nor fade from the heavenly universe that is now her home. Amen.
Psalm 23: Let us pray:
O my Beloved,
You are my shepherd,
I shall not want;
You bring me to green pastures for rest
And lead me beside still waters
Renewing my spirit;
You restore my soul.
You lead me in the path of goodness
To follow Love’s way.
Even though I walk through the
Valley of the shadow and of death,
I am not afraid;
For You are ever with me;
Your rod and your staff
They guide me,
They give me strength and comfort.
You prepare a table before me
In the presence of all my fears;
You bless me with oil, my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me
All the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the heart of the Beloved forever.
Amen.(Translation by Nan Merrill, Praying the Psalms
Gospel: John 14:1-3
Don’t let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God.
In God’s house there are many dwelling places.
Otherwise, how could I have told you that I was going to prepare a place for you?
I am indeed going to prepare a place for you.
And then I will come back to take you, that where I am, there you may be as well.
Tribute to Jean Loving God, we now remember the blessings that Jean brought to us.
You are invited to share a thought, prayer, poem or brief story about Jean as we grieve her loss and celebrate her life.
Farewell Prayer:
Jean,
The hand of God holds you,
The peace of God enfolds you,
The love that dreamed and formed you surrounds you.
The light of God beside you, above, beneath, inside you,
The light that shines guided you home into the loving arms of God.
(Adapted from The Hand of God Shall Hold You by Marty Haugen)
Closing Blessing: Let us extend our hands in blessing:
Jean,
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May you be held in the palm of God’s hand. (Irish Blessing)
Concluding Song: Go in beauty by Robert Gas’s
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