Celebration of Life Liturgy for Rev. Dr. Sydney Joan Condray Sylvania United Church of Christ, 11 a.m., June 28, 2024

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgzHWVhoCbk 

https://www.toledoblade.com/news/deaths/2024/06/23/rev-sydney-condray-obituary/stories/20240629001

Vaya con Dios Sydney Condray!

August 3, 1939 to June 6, 2024

Celebration of Life Liturgy for Rev. Dr. Sydney Joan Condray
Sylvania United Church of Christ, 11 a.m., June 28, 2024

 

Prelude Music: “Ode to Joy” by The Piano Guys (instrumental) (Link: https://youtu.be/zSbK_aHwImc?feature=shared)

 

Opening

 

Blessing and Transformation Rite

Opening Song1 “O Loving God” by Paulette M. McCoy sung by John Condray

Opening Prayer

First Reading - This reading is from Psalm 41 as adapted by Sydney Condray in her book of Psalms inspired prayers, O GRACIOUS ONE, read by Sydney’s daughter, Catherine.

Great and gracious One, we trust in you.

We trust you in the midst of woe.

We trust you to protect and sustain us.

We know you delight in the people who spend their lives helping others. 
You surround the compassionate with your care. 

Gracious One, be merciful!

Heal our minds and hearts.

You are truly gentle and kind. (pause)

(ALL) Gracious One we remember the blessings that Sydney brought to us.

Responsorial Song 2: “Psalm 23” by Bobby McFerrin (Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9fzWq-d8jU)

The Lord is my Shepard, I have all I need. She makes me lie down in green meadows. Beside the still waters, She will lead
2. She restores my soul, She rights my wrongs. She leads me in a path of good things. And fills my heart with songs
3. Even though I walk, through a dark and dreary land. There is nothing that can shake me. She has said She won't forsake me. I'm in her hand
4. She sets a table before me, in the presence of my foes.  She anoints my head with oil. And my cup overflows
5. Surely, surely goodness and kindness will follow me. All the days of my life
And I will live in her house
Forever, forever and ever
6. Glory be to our Mother, and Daughter
And to the Holy of Holies. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be
World, without end. Amen

 

 

Second Reading from 2 Timothy 4: 6-8, read by Sydney’s son, Mike.

 

For I am already being poured out as an offering, and the time of my departure has come.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;  in the future there is laid up for me the crown of blessings, which the Lord, Our Gracious One, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved.

 

(ALL) Thanks be to Our Gracious One.

 

Responsorial Song 3: “Eightfold Alleluia” sung by Jan Phillips (Link: https://youtu.be/IC4nbwmQDVw?feature=shared)

 

Gospel Reading from John 14:1-3 read by Sydney’s grandson, Charles.

 

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.

 

(ALL) Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

 

Homily (Remembering Sydney)

 

Sharing of memories of Sydney. After sharing each memory, we will say together:

 

(ALL) Loving God we remember the blessings that Sydney brought to us. 

 

Statement of Faith

 

(ALL) We believe in the Holy One, who is a Divine Mystery, 
beyond all definition and rational understanding, 
who is the heart of all that has ever existed, exists now, or ever will exist.

 

We believe in Jesus, the human embodiment of this Divine Mystery, 
who is the Manifestation of Divine Compassion, 
who brings healing and hope to all humanity, and 
who is the guiding star in the firmament of the Holy One's 
prophets, mystics, and saints. 

 

We believe that we are called to follow Jesus, 
to also be a vehicle of divine love,
to be a source of wisdom and truth, and 
to act as an instrument of peace in the world.

 

We believe in the Spirit of the Holy One, 
who is the source of our life, living in our innermost heart, 
who is the breath of our breath, moving in our inmost being, 
who is the depth of our depth, living in each of us.

 

We believe that the Divine kin-dom is here and now, 
stretched out all around us for those with eyes to see, 
hearts to receive it, and hands to make it happen.

 

This is our faith –This is what we believe, through Christ, our Lord.

 

Prayers of the Community (needs and concerns of the Community)

 

We will now bring our needs and concerns in prayer. 

 

You may start by saying, “I bring to the table, ….”

 

Then we all will respond, “Loving God, hear our prayer.”

 

(Leader) We pray for these spoken concerns and all the unspoken concerns in our hearts. Amen.

 

(ALL) Amen.

 

Liturgy of the Eucharist

 

Preparing for the Eucharist Song 4: “All I Ask of You Forever to Remember Me as Loving You” by Nikisha Godinho (instrumental version) (Link: https://youtu.be/J4l7Q9Ih9Po?feature=shared)

Chorus

All I ask of you is forever to remember me as loving you.

Verse 1

Deep the joy of being together in one heart and for me that’s just where it is.

Verse 2

As we make our way through all the joys and pain, can we sense our younger, truer selves?

Verse 3

Someone will be calling you to be there for a while. Can you hear their cry from deep within?

Verse 4

Laughter, joy and presence: the only gifts you are! Have you time? I’d like to be with you

Verse 5

Persons come into the fiber of our lives,
and then their shadows fade and disappear

 

Eucharist Prayer:

 

(ALL) Gracious God,

We offer you these gifts of bread and wine,
which Earth has given and human hands have made,
together with ourselves, our lives, our hopes,
our dreams, our loves, – our doubts and fears and failures too, –
uniting them with the offerings of all your people
wherever they may be,
for our good, and the good of all your people.

May you make of these gifts,
something which pleases you and gives you glory.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

(Leader) May the Gracious One be with you.

 

(ALL) And also with you.

 

(Leader) Lift up your hearts.

 

(ALL) We lift them up to our God.

 

(Leader) Let us give God thanks and praise.

 

(ALL) It is right to give God thanks and praise.

 

(Leader) Let us pray.

 

(ALL) Blessed be you, O Lord Our God
who walks with us and talks with us
and tells us we are your own.

 

(Leader) Blessed be you, 

 

(ALL) O Lord our God, Creator, Sustainer and Lover of all people
who comes to us in the most surprising ways.

 

(Leader) Yes, blessed be you, O Lord our God

 

(ALL) Who has Raised Up for us a Reclaimer and Advocate,
Jesus, Christ, our Brother and Friend.

 

(Leader) So, with all your angels and saints, we proclaim your wondrous goodness as we say: 

 

(ALL) Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of wonder, God of light,
Heaven and Earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed are all who come in your love, oh Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

 

(Leader)Yes, we bless and thank you, Holy One, for Jesus, our model, our mentor, – our Savior, the Risen One.

 

(ALL) We bless and thank you gracious God,
for Jesus, – ALIVE – and with us today.

 

(Leader) You speak – to us your words of truth and love. You open our eyes to see your goodness. You open our hearts to know your love.

 

(ALL) Your spirit inspires us to invite your Presence,
to ask you to come, and stay with us.

 

(Leader) And, amazingly – graciously – you do come and stay with us.

 

(ALL) How great – how respectful – how considerate you are.
How gentle your touch. How forgiving your heart.

 

(Leader) Like your disciples of old, our eyes are opened, our hearts assured, by the presence of Jesus – with us, especially through the Mystery of the Breaking of the Bread.

 

Prayer of Consecration

 

(Leader) So, once again, we remember Jesus. How he loved us to the end. How, on the night before he died, he gathered with his friends for one last meal. As he did then, so he does now. We remember when he took the bread, – He blessed and broke it, – saying:

 

(ALL) Take this, all of you, and eat it.
This is my body, which is given for you.

 

(Leader) And, when the supper was ended, He took the cup, again, He gave you thanks and praise, – gave the cup to his friends, saying:

 

(ALL) Take this, all of you and drink from it. This is the cup of my blood,
the blood of the new and everlasting covenant.
It will be shed for you and for all, so that sins are forgiven.
Do this in memory of me.

 

(Leader) Thus with immense joy and gratitude we declare this mystery of our faith:

 

(ALL) Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

 

(Leader) As we wait in hope for the final fulfillment of your promise.

 

(ALL) Take and transform us, Lord, by the power of your Spirit –
in the New Life of Jesus, the Risen One – our Savior and 
our Friend.

 

(Leader) Raises the plate and cup as all continue)

 

(ALL) So that, through Christ, and with Christ and in Christ, 
in the Unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory is yours, 
most Gracious God, now and forever. Amen

(Leader) Now, with great joy, let us pray the prayer that Jesus taught us:

 

(ALL) Our Father, Mother, Gracious One,
who is with us everywhere. Your kin-dom come,
Your will be done, on Earth as it is with You always.
Give us this day, whatever we need.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Help us in every temptation and deliver us from all evil.
For Yours is the kin-dom, the power and the glory, now and forever. Amen.

 

Sign of Peace

 

(Leader) Now, let us share with each other Christ’s greeting of peace. . 

 

All members of the congregation turn to one another saying, “Peace be with you,” and responding in turn, “…and also with you.”

 

Breaking of the Bread

 

(Leader) Jesus, Lamb of God,

 

(ALL) You take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.

 

(Leader) Jesus, Bread of Life,

 

(ALL) You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

 

(Leader) Jesus, Prince of Peace, 

 

(ALL) You take away the sins of the world, grant us your peace.

 

Invitation to Communion

(Leader) All are welcome at this table.

 

(Leader) Come forward in joy and receive the Body and Blood of Christ given for you.

 

Communion Song 5: “The Bookmark Prayer” by my Saint Theresa of Avila arranged by Simon de Voil
(Link: https://youtu.be/KveYUmm49XM?feature=shared)

 

Let nothing disturb you,

Let nothing frighten you.

Everything changes

I alone remain

Hold patience, for nothing is wasted.

Presence in all things

I’m with you in all things

Prayer of Thanksgiving

 

(Leader) We thank you Gracious God for all that you have done. We thank you for coming to us in this Eucharist. We will continue to remember Sydney and be here for one another. May this, our sharing in your life, be a source of strength and hope, as we go from here to love and serve you in our World.

 

(All) Amen.

 

Conclusion

 

(Leader) We are assembled here in faith and confidence to pray for Sydney Condray. Strengthen our hope so that we may live in the expectation of Christ’s coming. O Gracious One, in your mercy and compassion: hear our prayer, for Sydney, who in baptism was given the pledge of eternal life, that she may now be admitted to the company of the saints.

 

(Leader) Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord.

 

(ALL) And let perpetual light shine upon her.

 

(Leader) May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the compassionate mercy of God, rest with power in peace.

 

(ALL) Amen

 

Final Blessing

 

(Leader) May the Lord be with us in every need.

 

(All) Amen.

 

(Leader) May we see our Gracious God’s Presence and know God’s Peace in all the moments of our lives.

 

(All) Amen.

 

(Leader) And may the Lord continue to bless us and our loved ones, the Father-Mother, the Beloved Child, and Holy Spirit.

 

(All) Amen.

 

Song 6: “Oh When the Saints Go Marching In”

This service is concluded.

6