The Officiant's Manual

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The Officiant's Manual, 2nd edition

An indispensable resource for anyone interested in performing religious services and rituals from a humanist perspective, particularly if you are an ordained minister and have completed our ordination program. This new edition contains much updated material with information on the history of The Church of Spiritual Humanism, dates and times for equinox and solstices, and much more.

Includes samples and suggestions for weddings, commitment ceremonies, baby naming ceremonies, handfastings, invocations, other religious services and ceremonies, and guidelines on how to write your own religious services. Also includes master copies of reproducible forms and certificates and directions on how to complete them.

(92 pages)

Table of Contents

History of the Church 1
About the Church of Spiritual Humanism 2
Being a Spiritual Humanist Ordained Clergy Person 7
Essential Elements of Spiritual Humanist Ceremonies 8
Solstice and Equinox Ceremonies 9
Table of Solstice and Equinox Dates 14
Celebration of Summer, Remembering of Winter 15
Ceremony for the Consecration of Ritual Water 17
Baby Naming Ceremony 19
Child Dedication Ceremony 22
Baby Welcoming Ceremony 26
Handfasting Ceremony 27
Wiccan Handfasting Ritual 31
Commitment Ceremony 35
Nondenominational Ceremony of Marriage 38
Nontheistic Humanist Wedding Ceremony 41
Spiritual Humanist Wedding/Commitment Ceremony 49
Spiritual Humanist Marriage Vows 52
Funeral Service 53
Humanist Graveside Interment Ceremony 56
A Humanist Memorial Service 60
Graveside Service 64
Meal Blessings 65
Invocations 68
Spiritual Humanist Invocation 68
A Humanist Invocation 69
Sermons 70
Spring Equinox 2003 70
The Promise of Humanism 74
Sample Certificates and Forms 84
Completed Sample Certificate 84
Marriage Certificate 85
Affirmation of Love Certificate 85
Renewal of Marriage Certificates 86
Handfasting Certificate 88
Baby Naming Certificate 89
Ordination Postcard 90

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News
Minister Ordination for Lady Gaga
Tue, 07 Sep 2010
Lady Gaga has just announced she is seeking to become an ordained minister over the Internet in order to perform wedding ceremonies for her gay fans. Miss Gaga has not revealed which online church or seminary she is pursuing minister ordination with.

Presbyterian minister rebuked for same sex marriages
Mon, 06 Sep 2010
The Presbyterian Church seems to not be able to decide on the status of performing same sex marriages by its ministers. The Reverend Jane Adams Spahr, a Presbyterian minister, violated her church regulations in performing sixteen same-sex marriages in 2008.

Your Real Immortality
Sun, 11 Jul 2010

Last week I attended the funeral service for my aunt. She was not humanist let alone a Spiritual Humanist. As I sat in the pews listening to her minister repeatedly mispronounce my aunt's and my mutual last name (pro tip: there is no silent r)...

Academy of Natural Sciences
Fri, 25 Jun 2010

Despite the tragic history this is great place to start the discussion of the Law of Evolution (yes I have upgraded it!) with kids. Actually the bad history is just as important for kids because we as a civilization will not learn from our mistakes if we hide them from future generations. Truffala trees don't save themselves after all.