W
e give you thanks and praise, almighty God, for the gift of a world full of wonder, and for our life which comes from you. By your power you sustain the universe. At your command all things came to be: space, galaxies, suns and our planet Earth. We worship you, Lord our Creator.
Lord in your mercy…
The celebration
This is the fifth (and final installment) in a series of short reflections on our communion liturgy, in which the insights of several writers will be shared. This series will help us to lay a firmer hold on what it is we do together on Sunday night.
I
t is not uncommon for people who are new to saint benedict’s table to ask about our 
theology of communion. Many of these, of course, come from various evangelical protestant backgrounds for which communion is generally a strictly memorial act. Some will have some vague sense that while the Anglican tradition has not taught the Roman Catholic perspective known as transubstantiation (which is a slightly more nuanced understanding than many protestants think, but that is another story altogether!), it does believe that more is going on in communion that a narrowly symbolic act.
L
et us call the community to a time of prayer:
Creator Our God it is you we turn to as we ask for the spirit of love, wisdom and compassion for it is what defines us as church. May all those at every level of the organized church bishops, priests, deacons, heads of ministries and the people seek to work together in peace, and be providers of care, compassion and action that meets the needs of their communities and the larger church.
Lord in your mercy…
Doing the dishes
This is the fourth in a series of short reflections on our communion liturgy, in which the insights of several writers will be shared. This series will help us to lay a firmer hold on what it is we do together on Sunday night.
In our communion liturgies, after everyone has shared in the bread and wine, and before we offer our closing doxology, there is one important piece of work to which I 
need to attend. In the lingo of the tradition, it is what is known as “the ablutions,” which means nothing more than the washing-up, the doing of the dishes.
The communion table is cleared and the remaining wine is consumed, bringing to completion the meal we have just shared. If I am aware that there is someone in the community in hospital or housebound, I will set some of the bread and wine aside so that I can take it to them during the week, but otherwise everything will be consumed before we leave the church that night. (more…)
I
call the community into a time of prayer.
God, we thank you that you are ever loving and trustworthy. Your word is nourishment to our hungering spirits. May we be obedient in our living, seeking you first in all things. When we are unsure, let us lean wholly upon you, living the faith we speak of so readily, and trusting well that your will be done.
In your mercy…
The sweet smell of incense
This is the third in a series of short reflections on our communion liturgy, in which the insights of several writers will be shared. This series will help us to lay a firmer hold on what it is we do together on Sunday night.
I
f you’ve joined us on a Sunday night, you’ll know that at two points during our liturgy we light incense, but other than seeing this as a kind of generally “religious” ritual you may not have much sense of why we would do this.
For anyone reading this who has not yet joined in with us in worship, I should explain that we have an urn sitting on the corner of the communion table. At the gathering and then again as we sing the Sanctus – the “Holy, holy, holy Lord,” which is part of every communion liturgy – we add grains of incense and produce fairly significant clouds of smoke. (more…)
Larry’s report from Uganda
O
n August 16 saint benedict’s table member Lola Eidse married Rogers Mugabi in Uganda. Larry Campbell was there. Here are some of his memories of the day.
There were about 75 to 100 invited but the church is in a poor area of town (actually, almost all the areas of town are poor except the business section), therefore almost everyone from the small area and certainly all the children, seemed to be there. The church had no windows so people were looking in through the windows, doors and many came in and sat at the back. It was hot and dusty and we never noticed.
Lola’s leg (which she injured before leaving Winnipeg) was painful at times and she probably should have stayed off it more than she did, but she walked slowly, which looked quite stately and statuesque.
W
e call the community into a time of prayer.
God, another Sunday has come, and once again we meet with you and each other; as people who bear your image and your name. We seek to be renewed and fed in heart and soul. Here, in this place, we remember the old stories of the faith. Here, in this place, we hear again how you have been present and active in the world. During this time together, open our eyes, hearts and minds to your presence and your possibilities, and send us out as people of hope, ready to face the future. Remind us that amongst the busy-ness of the present we need to be mindful of the past and the future as well. Help us to be people of memory and of hope.
Lord in your mercy…
The collect for purity
This is the second in a series of short reflections on our communion liturgy, in which the insights of several writers will be shared. This series will help us to lay a firmer hold on what it is we do together on Sunday night.
O
ne of the first bits of liturgical prayer that is offered in our Sunday liturgy is something called “the collect for purity.” The word “collect” means just what your instincts are telling you it means; it is a prayer to collect us into common worship. The words of that prayer, which we either say together or sing in the setting Gord Johnson has written for our use, are:
Almighty God,
To you all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from you no secrets are hidden.
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Lots to do
S
eptember is upon us, and so it is a good time to take a look at the various ways in which you can get involved in
the life of saint benedict’s table in the coming year. You can actually get more information on most of what is listed here by exploring this website, but here is the short version of things: