Poems, Prayers, and other words of affirmation are offered as a part of the Call the Name ritual. We encourage participants to draw on their own individual traditions in praying for the deceased.
A Word to the One Who Has Died (The Rev. Lisa Cook)
Dear __________,
Be free, be strong, be proud of who you have been,
know that you will be mourned and missed,
that no one can replace you,
that you have loved and are beloved.
Move beyond form, flowing like water,
feeding on sunlight and moonlight,
radiant as the stars in the night sky.
Pass the gates, enter the dark without fear,
returning to the womb of life to steep in the cauldron of rebirth.
Rest, heal, grow young again.
May you never be forgotten,
and may we who knew you continue to call out your name
until our own name is called.
Amen
A Prayer based on Psalm 139 (Rev. Jay Voorhees)
God of us all, we stand here today with _______________.
You have known them from their very beginning,
when you knit them in their mother’s womb.
You have known them both sitting and standing,
always familiar with their ways,
and there is no place where they could ever hide from you.
And now, creator of us all,
they return to your fold, knowing the fullness of your love.
Surround them with a light that cannot fade,
and help them to know that at this time
there are people gathered in love thanking you for their lives.
May they rest in your eternal peace.
Amen.