Our grief is a holy thing. It is that proof that another life touched ours in a profound way. It is the mark of love, the mark of connection, and the mark of a life well lived. We will mourn, we will cry, we will miss (Name)....

Ours is a communion borne of words and welcome. Our communion finds expression in caring and commitment to our highest ideals. Our communion lives on in our hearts though this sacred hour is ended.

The flame is extinguished, but not our hope for the future, our courage in the face of crisis, or the love we share in all the world.

Remembering that the universe is so much larger than our ability to comprehend, let us go forth from this time together with the resolve to stop trying to reduce the incomprehensible to our own petty expectations, so that wonder—that sense of what is sacred—can find space to open up our minds...

Our eyes and minds turn now toward the ordinary. Leaving this space made sacred by our presence, take with you at least some seed of understanding, hope and courage and drop it into the confusion of the world....

May we go forth from this place thankful for the life that sustains and renews us, and open to the grace that surrounds and surprises us. May we go forth from this place with openness and with thanksgiving.

Go in peace. Hold in your heart the certainty That the spirit of life is with you always. When your heart is torn asunder Or when you soar with sweet joy, You are never alone, never apart, From the spirit that resides within us, That guides our lives and cherishes us always. Take comfort. Blessed...

May the prayers of our hearts and the songs of our lips shared in this holy hour of worship, be with us now in all the days to come. Amen.

May the love that gives to life its beauty, the reverence that gives to life its sacredness, and the purposes that give to life its deep significance be strong within each of us and lead us into ever deepening relationships with all of life. Amen.

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord keep all those whom you love, whether here or in some other place. May God be your companion and you be God's friend, as you walk together through all the days of your life; and at the journey's end, may you find the welcome of God's love. It keeps us all.

Worship need not cease. It can echo in our lives, in our words, in our deeds, in our moods, in our dreams. Carry worship with you wherever you may go. Be a blessing in your going out and your coming in.