Rev Rex A E Hunt, MSc(Hons)

CELEBRATING COMMUNITY IN THE TRADITION OF THE MEAL… WINTER

Thanksgiving
May it be well with you.
All   And also with you.
Life is a gift and we its celebration.
All  May we rejoice in the beauty that we are.  Gretta Vosper/wwg

We give thanks and praise for all that is good in the world.
For that mystery we name G-o-d...
For the sage we name Jesus...
For the renewing strength and freedom of the Spirit...
(Silence)

G-o-d of winter, the unpopular, slandered season,
G-o-d of lightning, wind and storm,
G-o-d of brisk winter mornings, frosted back lawns
and stark hillsides;
of warm socks, coats and gloves,
raincoats, umbrellas and warm fires,
we open ourselves to all the possibilities life offers us.

So we join our celebration to all people, saying:
All  Holy, holy, holy, re-creating G-o-d,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
All  Hosanna in the highest.

Bread and Wine
We remember the time when Jesus faced difficult decisions and destructive forces:
- in the days and nights of his searching,
- in finding ways to free others from images and ideas
that kept them captive and dependent and fearful of God,
- in breaking down social and religious barriers,
- in facing failure,
- in facing death. (Michael Morwood/pns)

When we too experience the winter of our lives
may we find the courage to let go
and trust in your guiding, warming light.
(Silence)

And as we eat together at this table
we remember the importance and the words and the actions 
of all meals in the tradition of Jesus...

He took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to his friends.
Bread

He poured a cup of wine, offered thanks for it, and gave it to his friends.
White Wine

Response
Everyone is welcome to be here.
All  In this way, we lift up a world of inclusion,
where all people live with respect and dignity.
Everyone present will receive a share.
All  In this way, we lift up a world of generosity,
where, as in the examples of Jesus,
abundance overcomes scarcity so all are fed.
Everyone is invited now to take a portion,
and to see others also receive.
All  In this way, we lift p a world of sufficiency,
where entrenched systems of privilege are challenged,
wealth is shared equally, and all are satisfied with enough.  (JNelson-Pallmeyer/wsj)

Communion
So in the meal tradition of Jesus
we break and share bread and drink wine,
pledging ourselves to allow the spirit that moved in Jesus
to move freely in our lives.
The Bread and White Wine is served in the pews

After Communion (Optional)
God of amazing grace, in the cold of the winter months
we are grateful for your presentness, warming us.

We pray this presence will strengthen us
to follow in the way of Jesus, in this city.

Some of the Resources used in Shaping this Liturgy:
Morely, J. All Desires Known. Expanded edition. London. SPCK, 1992.
Morwood, M. Praying a New Story. Richmond. Spectrum Publications, 2003.
Nelson-Pallmeyer, J. & B. Hesla. Worship in the Spirit of Jesus. Theology, Liturgy and Songs Without Violence. Cleveland. Pilgrim Press, 2005.
Prewer, B. D. Australian Psalms. Revised and expanded. Adelaide.  OpenBook Publishers, 2000.
Vosper, G. With or Without God. Why the Way we Live is more important than What we Believe. Canada: Toronto. HarperCollins, 2008.
Withrow, L. Seasons of Prayer. Resources for Worship. London. SPCK, 1995.