Rosemary Catalano Mitchell and Gail Anderson Ricciuti have put together an evergreen collection of worship services. They see them "an expression of the longing of a great many women to understand and worship God that can integrate a deep spirituality with a commitment to inclusiveness in the church and justice in the world. We hunger for worship to be a transforming experience adequate to sustain us in the life of faith." Even though this resource was written in 1991, the vigor, authenticity, and creativity still shines through!

We were especially moved by the treatment of darkness in the Advent Service, " the Benediction in the service for Epiphany titled "Sophia the Wisdom of God," a Blessing Service, one for Reformation, and a New Year's celebration. To give you a sample of the high quality of these services, here are "The Gathering Words" for an Advent Service titled "The Journey Is Home."

Gathering Words:

Leader: Life is a journey with others;
We travel as a people, on a winding road.
We share our lives,
our experiences,
our hopes,
our fears.

People: With joy and hope we welcome other travelers
to share our lives.
We learn from each other.
We laugh and cry with each other.
We are at home with each other.

Leader: Life is a series of hellos and goodbyes.
There are those who arrive to be with us.
There are those who move ahead of us
beyond death.

People: Both in the laying-hold and letting-go
We celebrate God's goodness.
We affirm the Spirit's presence
in the journey
in being home."
— Rosemary C. Mitchell, Gail A. Ricciuti

Try a Spiritual Practice on Grace