Celebrating Food and Faith Together

A Liturgy for the Season of Creation 2021

For use anytime between September 1, 2021 and October 4, 2021 or at any other suitable time of year.

Territorial Acknowledgement

Territorial acknowledgement is a way that people insert an awareness of Indigenous presence and land rights in everyday life. Such acknowledgement can be a subtle way to recognize the history of colonialism and a need for change in settler colonial societies. It is now common practice across much of our Canadian Church. It is hoped that these acknowledgements open the door to other meaningful practices.

Sample language for most Canadian dioceses can be viewed here.

Gathering

The heavens declare the glory of God.
The firmament proclaims God’s handiwork.
The plants and trees show God’s presence.
Let us join with creation in praising God.
God of all creation, who moves and inspires us through every time and season,
we bless you and praise you for the gift of life in your good, created world.
Grant to us grace and humility to so order our lives that we may honour you among all peoples and nations,
create wholesome and right companionship with our fellow living creatures, and work for the healing of this world that you created.
Teach us to see and hear your power in the winds and waves, mountains and valleys so that we may glorify your goodness to us and live rightly in your creation.
We pray to you through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Spirit, Three in One, One in Three, now and forever. Amen.

Music

Guide me, O my great Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but you are mighty;
hold me with your powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me now and evermore,
feed me now and evermore.

Open now the crystal fountain,
where the healing waters flow.
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
ever be my strength and shield,
ever be my strength and shield.

When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside.
Death of death, and hell’s Destruction,
land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever sing to you,
I will ever sing to you.

In the public domain; alt. Psalter Hymnal; for a more traditional version use Common Praise 565

Digital Music Option

The British Gospel songwriter Graham Kendrick is best known in Canada for Shine Jesus Shine. There is however a quieter side to Graham, especially in the text Beauty for Brokenness, well suited to our Food-based Season of Creation theme.

Rest for the ravaged earth
Oceans and streams
Plundered and poisoned
Our future, our dreams
Lord, end our madness
Carelessness, greed
Make us content with
The things that we need

Collect

Holy God, gracious and merciful,
you bring forth food from the earth
and nourish your whole creation.
Turn our hearts toward those
who hunger in any way,
so that all may know your care;
and prepare us now to feast on the bread of life,
Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Amen.

Alternative collects, liturgy task force, ACC

Providing God,
by your Holy Spirit feed us with your Word,
that we might be filled with the bread of life. Amen.

A reading from the Book of Isaiah (55:1-2,6-7)

Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare …
Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
Hear what the Spirit says to all people
Thanks be to God

Psalm (145:14-21)

Lord, you are faithful in all your words
and merciful in all your deeds.
You uphold all those who fall
and lift up those who are bowed down.
The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord,
and you give them their food in due season.
You open wide your hand
and satisfy the needs of every living creature.
You are righteous in all your ways
and loving in all your works.
You are near to those who call upon you,
to all who call upon you faithfully.
You fulfil the desire of those who fear you,
you hear their cry and help them.
You preserve all those who love you,
but you destroy all the wicked.
My mouth shall speak your praise, O Lord;
let all flesh bless your holy name for ever and ever.

A Liturgical Psalter General Synod 2016 edition

A Reading from the Second Letter to the Corinthians (9:6-9)

The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. As it is written,

“He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.”
Hear what the Spirit says to all people
Thanks be to God

Music

For the fruit of all creation,
thanks be to God.
gifts bestowed on every nation,
thanks be to God.
For the plowing, sowing, reaping,
silent growth while we are sleeping,
future needs in earth’s safekeeping,
thanks be to God.

In the just reward of labour,
God’s will is done.
In the help we give our neighbour,
God’s will is done.
In our worldwide task of caring
for the hungry and despairing,
in the harvests we are sharing,
God’s will is done.

For the harvests of the Spirit,
thanks be to God.
For the good we all inherit,
thanks be to God.
For the wonders that astound us,
for the truths that still confound us,
most of all that love has found us,
thanks be to God.

Fred Pratt Green; Hope Publishing

Digital Music Option

In Bare to the Bone singer/songwriter Carrie Newcomer takes us on a walk through the world:

Walking wide eyed through this world
Is the only way I’ve known
Wrapped in hope and good intentions
Bare to the bone

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew (15:29, 32-38)

Glory to You, Creator and Saviour of all

Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down . . .

Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.” His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?” “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.” He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people.

They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children.

The Gospel of Christ

Praise to You, Food for the world now and always

Sermon/Homily

Notes on the texts and media resources are available on a separate document accessed here.

A time of quiet now follows

Affirmation of Faith

Hear, O Israel,
the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.

This is the first and the great commandment.
The second is like it:
Love your neighbour as yourself.

There is no commandment greater than these.

Prayers of the People

Lord Jesus, Teacher, Provider
this is what you want us to learn
not the world’s wisdom, but God’s
and so we pray:
awaken us to our need of you in our lives
And you will give us your life
Move us with sorrow for the sorrow of the world
And you will make us strong through our tears
Give us the humility to admit our failures
And you will bring treasure out of them
Make us hungry for justice
as we work to eradicate hunger for all
And you will give us food that lasts
Help us to see others through your eyes
that our vision will again and again be yours
And you will show us ourselves with love

Specific petitions and celebrations are offered at this time

Show us how to practise what we preach
And we will see good, and God in everyone
Support us in standing firm for truth and justice, even when it costs
And the truth will also make us free.
Amen, and Amen

The Pattern of Our Days: Liturgies and resources for worship; Edited by Kathy Galloway; The Iona Community; adapted kjg

Confession and Absolution

All creation invites us to join our voices in praise to God.
Trusting in God’s mercy and grace,
let us confess our sin to God and to one another.

Generous God,
you created us and placed us here to care for all of creation.
Forgive us for turning away from you
and for neglecting the earth.
Raise us up and make us again stewards of your creation
that we may see your presence in all that surrounds us;
through Christ we pray. Amen.

Hear and receive this good news to all who long to see and encounter Christ.
Today, salvation comes to you and the land beneath your feet. Know that you/we are forgiven and are free to live in peace with one another and with the earth. Amen.

Peace and Peacemaking

You shall go out in joy and be led back in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall burst into song,
and all the trees of the field
shall clap their hands. (Isa 55:12)

The Peace of our God, in Jesus be with us all.
With each other, with us all, and with all creation. Amen.

As the table is prepared, we return thanks to God through offerings and thanksgivings. Your support of your local parish and the PWRDF is encouraged and appreciated.

Music

As we gather at your table,
as we listen to your word,
help us know, O God, your presence;
let our hearts and minds be stirred.
Nourish us with sacred story
till we claim it as our own;
teach us through this holy banquet
how to make Love’s victory known.

Turn our worship into witness
in the sacrament of life;
send us forth to love and serve you,
bringing peace where there is strife.
Give us, Christ, your great compassion
to forgive as you forgave;
may we still behold your image
in the world you died to save.

Gracious Spirit, help us summon
other guests to share that feast
where triumphant Love will welcome
those who had been last and least.
There no more will envy blind us,
nor will pride our peace destroy,
as we join with saints and angels
to repeat the sounding joy.

Carl P. Daw; Hope Publishing

Digital music option

Winnipeg-based singer/songwriter Steve Bell is a gifted musician and storyteller. His song Kindness well embodies his title. We can, and will treat each other with kindness.

Christ has no body ,
here but ours
No hands no feet here,
on earth but ours
Ours the eyes
through which he looks
On this with kindness

The Holy Eucharist

If Holy Eucharist is still not permitted in your particular setting, please go to THE LORD’S PRAYER and then to DISBURSING below. The following Eucharistic Prayer is from the Salal and Cedar Watershed Community in the Diocese of New Westminster. It will be necessary to adapt language in italics below to match your local environment.

Bless these gifts and our lives, O God,
that we may share both food and faith with all people and all creation.
With our own hunger, feed the hungry;
with our doubt, inspire our faith;
and with our voice, we join other voices,
demanding justice, here and everywhere,
now and always. Amen.

May God be with you
And also with you
Lift up your hearts
We lift them up
Let us give thanks to God our Creator
It is right to give our thanks and praise

It is right in all times and in all places to thank and praise you Creator of all. We praise you here where the Thompson Rivers blend and flow, where city and farm, wilderness and industry are side by side. We praise you at a time when the body of earth is broken again and again.

We give thanks for our place in the story of salvation. Our ancestors journeyed with you in creation and migration. They depended on the land, were displaced from the land and displaced others from their lands. They knew you in tents and cities, on mountains and by wells, in families and in dreams, and through wilderness prophets who spoke of cedars and listened to ravens.

Together with angels and ancestors, eagle and bear, salmon and sheep, pine and wild rose, we join our voices with all creation in this ancient honour song:

O holy, holy, holy God, O God of time and space.
All earth and sea and sky above bear witness to your grace.
Hosanna in the highest heav’n creation sings your praise.
And blessed is the One who comes and bears your name always!

We give thanks to you for Jesus, whose first bed was a feed trough. He was baptized in the Jordan, tested in the wilderness, he traveled in fishing boats and told parables of farmers and seeds, labour and wages, yeast and bread.

On the night before he died, Jesus took bread, food of the poor, the work of field and hearth, he gave thanks, broke it and gave it to his friends saying: Take and eat, this is my body, given for you, do this to remember me.

Again after supper he took the cup of wine, fruit of the land, gave thanks and gave it to his friends saying: This is my blood, which is shed for you. When you do this, do it in memory of me.

Remembering Jesus’ life, death and resurrection and awaiting his coming kingdom, we offer you this bread and this cup.

Creator, send your Spirit on these gifts so that we know Jesus in them and are gathered together with everyone who shares this sacred meal of justice and community.

Fill us with the courage and love of Jesus, that we may strive for justice and peace, respect the dignity of every human being, and safeguard the integrity of creation.

Bring us with all your saints to your commonwealth of sparrow and lily, child and beggar which is both now and yet to come.

All honour and glory are yours, Creator, Christ and Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

As our Saviour taught us, let us pray,

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.

For a different experience of the Lord’s Prayer, spoken in Aramaic with appropriate visuals, view the video below.

Breaking of the Bread

Today, Christ meets us at the table.
Today, salvation comes to everyone, everywhere.
These are the gifts of God for the people of God.
Thanks be to God

Communion is shared according to local COVID-19 protocols

Disbursing

Help us to trust in you
and to share what we have with a hungry world.
They need not go away; you give them something to eat.

With all creatures we look to you for our food in due season.
May we do our part in restoring the balance of your creation
and deepen our commitment to follow Jesus
in ministries that feed and serve others.
They need not go away; you give them something to eat.

Our worship leads to the world
A world of ethnic groups, First Nations and other Indigenous peoples,
All nations, their citizen leaders,
that the hungry will be fed, and that refugees will return home in safety and peace.
They need not go away; you give them something to eat.

And the blessing of God, the Creator,
Source of All Being, Eternal Word and Holy Spirit
Be with the privileged and the poor,
Today and every day, now, and for ever. Amen.

Music

Joyful, joyful, we adore You,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flow’rs before You,
Op’ning to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day!

All Your works with joy surround You,
Earth and heav’n reflect Your rays,
Stars and angels sing around You,
Centre of unbroken praise;
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain
Praising You eternally!

Always giving and forgiving,
Ever blessing, ever blest,
Well-spring of the joy of living,
Ocean-depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father and our Mother,
All who live in love are thine;
Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the joy divine.
In the public domain; CP 425 alt.

Digital music option

Hope by Jaylene Johnson and Jim Kimball won a competition a few years ago from The Anglican Church of Canada. It’s a lovely song, general in focus but specific in spirit, necessary these days and relevant to our theme, for without hope, we are, well, hopeless!

After service Coffee Time option

In those places where folks remain present, even online, here is a 20-minute interview between The Rev. Dr. Cathy Campbell (Winnipeg, Diocese of Rupert’s Land) and the Very Rev. Ken Gray (Kamloops, Diocese of British Columbia). Enjoy, at this time or at any time.

In a lively discourse Dr. Campbell explains her passion for food justice and about the connection between Faith and Food itself. She explains the advantages of the close relationship between the PWRDF and the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. Finally she suggests how we can all have access to food, to good food, together.