sustain:if:able kiwi

living bread stations

I was asked to lead worship twice this week. Monday was with our Certificate in Bible and Leadership ESL course, which has 7 cultures present. Wednesday was with our regular College chapel. I wanted to link them both, so I sought to mirror the worship.

I also wanted to engage with weeks lectionary texts, with the focus on living bread. I had this creative spark, to actually write on bread. Some cocktail rolls, slightly overcooked, worked well. This then allowed different activities at different stations, people writing different things on the rolls. They became living, shaped by our prayer and our memory. These were then collected up at the end from each station as part of closing the worship, so our living bread coming together. Even better, the bread from Monday’s worship was added into Wednesday’s worship. In so doing, both communities are reminded they are part of a bigger story, the many diverse ways that College is engaged in teaching and growing people.

The full order of service is as follows:

Living bread
Worship stations
Proper 15, 2015

Explanation – Worship. We do it together. Yet each of us is different. We come with different needs and different concerns.
Stations is a spiritual practice that lets us worship both together but differently. At each station is something for you to do alone. Take as short or as long as you want.
You need to take 3 bread rolls. Each station there is something to do with one of bread roll. Pray. Ask. Remember.
What we do here, I will take back to College. At the Chapel on Wednesday I will tell them about you. They will participate in the same worship. They will add their bread rolls to your bread rolls. Each of different. All of us together.

Praise station

Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Eph 5:19

On iPad, Jesu, Gurrumul. This is the first single from the album: Gurrumul – ‘The Gospel Album’. Gurrumul is an indigenous man. Gospel songs were the first western music Gurrumul heard as a very young child when his family took him to the local Methodist church. Listen through the headphones. Think about the person who first took you to church? Write their name on the bread. Thank God for their faith. Place it in the coolamon (indigenous item for gathering food).

Ask station

He appointed a memorial for his marvellous deeds – Psalm 111:4

Write on the bread roll the name of a person you are concerned about that you want God to take care off. Hold the roll. Imagine God is holding them. Pray for them. When you are finished place it on the altar mat. This will be our “ask God” for marvellous deeds memorial.

Remember Living bread station

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. John 6:51

Hold the communion loaf. Think of about time when communion was very special for you. Who was there? Where were you? Why was it important? Thank God for that time. Write the place on the bread. Place it on the altar mat. In so doing, we are adding our memories

Together – Prayer
We thank you, Lord, for flour:
Who can find the flour – would you bring it please
flour made from wheat or other grain,
grown in the mystery of the earth,
ripened in the warmth of the sun;
ripened, then cut down at the hearvest by the farmer’s skill,
ground by the miller,
sold by the shop assistant,
placed in the bowl…
we thank you, Lord, for flour.

We thank you, Lord, for salt:
Who can find the salt? – would you bring it please
Jesus told us we were to be salt of the earth,
and we must never lose our flavour.
The salt, which adds flavour to our food,
is also antiseptic to our wounds,
reminding us of the challenge to our faith
and the healing power of Jesus …
We thank you, Lord, for salt.

We thank you, Lord, for yeast:
Who can find the yeast? – would you bring it please
that small yet living organism
that enables the bread to rise,
that reminds us of the fact that even small works done in Jesus’ name
can enable the kingdom to grow …
we thank you, Lord, for yeast.

We thank you, Lord, for water:
Who can find the water? – – would you bring it please
water, without which none of us could live,
water, which forms the other elements of our bread into dough,
which, having risen, and been formed and drawn into shape by human
hands, is baked to give us the staff of life;
water, which cleanses and renews us,
refreshes and revives us,
the water of baptism, which commits us to our faith …
we thank you, Lord, for water…

We thank you, Lord, for bread:
Who can find the bread? – would you bring it please
Bread, the basis of the food we eat,
bread for toast, for sandwiches, for bread and jam,
bread for bread pudding and bread for buns –
and bread that is broken and shared in communion with one another,
We thank you, Lord, for bread.

http://www.bathandwells.org.uk/

Benediction