Lord of the Loving, Hear Our Prayer.

We welcome you God, however you intersect our lives – in art, in music, in conversation, in silence, in the circle of the sacraments.  We pray for the Sisters of the Church in Burlington who pray for us, Agape Table whom we pledge to support, and for reciprocity that represents balance in the giving and taking, the empty and full, the solitary and the collective.  As we strive for fulfillment and authenticity in life, we know happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed.  Give us that sense of happiness being the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.  Make us keen to give and take, to hold close and set free, to see visions and dream dreams.

Lord of the Faithful, Hear Our Prayer.

Today, we remember and honor those who are no longer with us.  We affirm their worth, their lives, and their stories.  We remember Sarah Burke, pioneer skier, and Kaitlyn Fraser – both young lives lost in senseless accidents.  For ongoing war, political unrest and ethnic clashes, we pray for Iran, Iraq, Syria and South Sudan.  We also remember the tragedy of the Costa Concordia in Italy, for natural disasters and adverse weather conditions.  We need not look far to appreciate our safe cocoon on our prairie landscape.

Lord of the Bereaved, Hear Our Prayer.

We pray for our leaders – that they will be guided by virtues of honesty, integrity, and transparency as they lead at the national, provincial, and civic levels.  We pray for equitable distribution of resources in our province in some First Nation communities – for basic running water and plumbing.  For those experiencing trauma from last summer’s flood relocation, we pray for suitable housing.  Globally, for those likewise dislocated because of war, we pray that their needs of food, safe water and shelter be met from agency donations that are not diminished by administration fees.  As we look ahead to our planet’s preservation, please give us an ongoing renewal of commitment as stewards of the earth.  Instill in us a consciousness, a sharp awareness, a personal philosophy in our daily use of things like water, choice of products and modes of transportation.  May we never ‘take for granted’ the plethora of resources we enjoy.

Lord of the Nations, Hear Our Prayer.

Our focus moves to those around us and among us needing our love and support.  For those suffering from shattered dreams, broken relationships, loss of employment, separation from loved ones, or experiencing any dis-ease of body, mind or heart, we commit their needs to you.

Please take a moment to name those in need……

We pray for the gift of science in ongoing research and development of cures and prevention of heart disease, cancers, and juvenile and geriatric infirmities.  May we seek balance in our lives in adopting healthy lifestyles but may we never lose sight of you – the ultimate healer and finisher of our destinies here on earth.

Lord of the Brokenhearted, Hear Our Prayer.

Lord of the Suffering, Hear Our Prayer.

It is by your grace that we surround your endless, inclusive, table this evening, O Lord.  Again and again, we are invited to give and receive your peace, to share bread and wine at no cost, to reflect on the privilege and freedom we have in worship.  God of this New Year, we are walking into mystery.  We face the future not knowing what the days and months will bring to us or how we will respond.  Instill vision, empower action, raise hope and BE LOVE IN US as we journey into 2012.

Lord of the Compassionate, Hear Our Prayer.

AMEN.

Written by Nancy Constantine and offered in Worship on January 22, 2012

Singing we cry out to you; …blessed be God forever.

God, we thank you for the various faith communities both near and far who desire to have an impact in your name.  From around the world to around the block, may your blessing pour out upon your people as they seek to be a blessing to others.

Singing we cry out to you; …blessed be God forever.

We pray for this community of st. benedict’s table.  Thank-you for the opportunity to gather and worship together.  Despite the busyness of our lives, may we remain committed to you and in-turn each other, striving to be obedient to your call and loving each other as we have been loved by You.

Singing we cry out to you; …blessed be God forever.

We pray for the needs of the world, and particularly those places that continue to be torn by war and violence.  May we be constantly mindful of the world beyond our horizon, cautious to never grow stale in our own comforts.  For losses had, sacrifices made, and those who mourn, may the peace longed for by so many, one day be known to all.

Singing we cry out to you; …blessed be God forever.

We pray for this city and all those who live here. During the winter season, we are made readily aware of the wants and needs of many within our greater community.  May we strive to be generous in our living, so that no one would go without.

Singing we cry out to you; …blessed be God forever.

We pray for the needs of those known to us; for those who are sick or suffering, alone or isolated, or who have other needs and challenges.  (I invite you now to pray aloud the names of those known to you.)  For those named aloud, those spoken in the silence of our hearts, and for the ones we have forgotten,

Singing we cry out to you; …blessed be God forever.

Written by Brett Schmall and offered in worship on January 8, 2012

Lord, in your mercy…Hear our prayer.

We pray for your Chosen People of Israel and for the peace of Jerusalem. By your grace we have been grafted onto this holy tree of life. Honour your eternal covenants with your Chosen Ones so that your glory will be revealed in Zion & all nations will know that YOU are God.

Lord, in your mercy… Hear our prayer.

Merciful God, we pray for all souls that struggle at this particular time of year – those who feel sad, lonely, lost, or out of place; those who face the season for the first time after divorce or death of a loved one; those who have lost jobs or suffer a health crisis; those gripped by addictions or poverty. Anoint them with the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and wrap them in a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

Lord, in your mercy… Hear our prayer.

Father Almighty, we hold up to you the nations of the Arab Spring. At this critical time, may emerging leadership respect the social, religious & political rights of all its citizenry. Protect & strengthen the Christian minorities of these countries as they enter a very anxious and uncertain future at this time.

Lord, in your mercy… Hear our prayer.

As the European debt crisis continues to send shock waves into world financial & labour markets, we pray that world leaders act with wisdom & prudence, setting policies that will bring long term economic & social stability. Help us all to live within our means & be good stewards of the gift bestowed on us, to the benefit of those most vulnerable in our world.

Lord, in your mercy… Hear our prayer.

Faithful One, we give thanks to you for the lovely December weather & social gatherings we’ve been enjoying, the colourful lights that surround us in the darkness – a sign of the nearness of your love in this bleak world. Come, Lord Jesus – we watch, we wait, we long for your presence in our lives and the glory of your second coming.

Lord, in your mercy… Hear our prayer.

We pray for this community of St. Benedict’s Table and our priest, Jamie Howison. Bless the mission we’re connected with – Home Uganda, Agape Table & other core ministries in Winnipeg. We pray for the community of El Shaddai Baptist Church in Haiti – for their medical, educational & pastoral ministries. We entrust in your loving care all who are anxious or distressed in mind or body, especially those we name before you..

For those named aloud, and those held in the quiet of our hearts, and especially for those for whom we have forgotten to pray, comfort & relieve them in their needs and strengthen them in their struggles.

Lord, in your mercy… Hear our prayer.

We remember those near to us who have departed, & we pray for all those who mourn loved ones or experience other losses in life. Ease their pain, & bring them your enduring peace.

Lord, in your mercy… Hear our prayer.

Into your hands, oh Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN

Written by Rhonda Roman and offered in Worship on December 11, 2011

Lord, as we wait expectantly for Your son and as our hearts long for what is to come, grant us mercy and hear, the prayers of Your people on this winter’s eve.

Heavenly Father, Your church reaches to the farthest corners of the earth, we ask that With Your mighty hand You would remove the barriers that keep us from one another. May we live as one body always seeking to glorify You. Plant within us the knowledge that we are a people set apart by You and forever bound together in Your name.

Lord in Your mercy… hear our prayers.

Lord, we pray for the needs of this world. For those who hunger and those who are oppressed, those who are trapped and those without hope. Lord, remind us that you will one day bring us into a good land, a land with streams and pools of water, a land with wheat and barley. A land where bread will not be scarce and we will lack nothing. Let us seek this land.

Lord in Your mercy… hear our prayers.

Holy Father, comforter of Your people, speak tenderly to those who suffer. Gently lead those who are weak and gather those who are without hope into the safety and peace of Your arms. Bring us out of our dark night and awaken us to the dawn.

Lord in Your mercy… hear our prayers.

We speak aloud now the names of those known to us who suffer

God, be not far from them.

Lord in Your mercy… hear our prayers.

Heavenly Father, we ask that You would bless the members of St. Benedicts table. May we be a community that loves and worships You well. May we be a church that seeks not only to share the gospel with strangers, but with one another.

Lord in Your mercy… hear our prayers.

We pray now for those who have died. In the season of advent, when the sorrow of death is felt deeply, we ask that You would comfort those who have lost a loved one. Remind us of the ways You were present in their lives and allow us to grieve the gift that person was to us. Comfort Your people O Lord.

Lord in Your mercy… hear our prayers.

Lord we ask that as we prepare our hearts for the coming of Your son that Your glory would be revealed. Plant in us a hope that is not of this world, a hope of a new heaven and a new earth, a hope of a baby boy born to be the prince of peace.

Amen

 Written by Kate Schellenberg and offered in worship on December 4, 2011

Watch, then, because you do not know when the master of the house is coming – it might be in the evening or at midnight or before dawn or at sunrise.  If he comes suddenly, he must not find you asleep.  What I say to you, then, I say to all.  Watch! O God, we are watching – as our liturgical calendar suggests, we await with anticipation.

We watch and wait for you, O Lord.  In your mercy, Hear Our Prayer.

In late November, our landscape has a new backdrop of snow transformed with tinsel, lights and animation.  We are moving from the bleak month of Remembrance of our war heroes to the season of Advent initiated many centuries ago by the coming of a Baby Boy.  Our senses will be distracted by secular consumerism and religious traditions but we call on our informed spirituality, capacity for discernment and your guidance to filter and shape this journey.  May we choose a path that feels less stress, invite creative ways of giving, and be open to the unexpected, O God, as we look amongst the crowd, around the corner, and amidst the mayheim for this Christ Child.

We watch and wait for you, O Lord.  In your mercy, Hear Our Prayer.

During this season, we are fiercely aware of the imbalance of resources and the Occupy Movement challenges us to rethink how Capitalism works in this country.  Could there be a day when equity is achieved, when we actually do not rest if we know of someone in need?  Could we consider giving to a charity rather than that gift exchange at work – for the sake of giving?  Father – as we are the Clay and you are the Potter, make us malleable enough to reshape our worldview, to invite change to long-held tradition, to join the dance of reciprocity.  Thank you for the efforts of Marc and Craig Kielberger – founders of the WE Movement.  In our Mission Outreach, we continue to pray, support and visualize whole the recipients of Agape Table, Home Uganda, and the work in Haiti.

We watch and wait for you, O Lord.  In your mercy, Hear Our Prayer.

Globally, we pray for strategies for calm in Cairo and for protection from seasonable weather patterns.  Locally, as we continue to enjoy beautiful weather, we ask for safety in travel, protection from flues and viruses, and opportunities to welcome healthy minds, active bodies and open spirits in the days ahead and even as colder temperatures ascend.  We pray for an end to ongoing turmoil in parts of our city where gangs, drugs, and violence prevail.  We remember the Sisters of the Church in Burlington and  St. John’s Baptist Church and Rout Bah in Durham.  We pray for our national and diocesan leaders as well as Jamie, Helen, Larry, and Jaylene.  At this time, we are called to offer up our brothers and sisters in need – for those experiencing ill health, economic or employment changes or loss of loved ones.  Please take these moments to mention aloud or in your heart those for whom we pray.  For every breath we take, every move we make, every step we take, thank you that you watch and care for us.

We watch and wait for you, O Lord.  In your mercy, Hear Our Prayer.

For all the tables this community surrounds, thank you for the table we will approach in our endless, inclusive, circle of the sacrament.  The bread will fill us, the wine will calm us, and we will be reminded that we are not alone.  We remain open to that awesome power that can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.

As we move into busy weeks, May the light of God surround us; The love of God enfold us; the power of God protect us; the presence of God watch over us; For wherever we are, God Is……as We Watch, We Wait, and We Long for You.

AMEN

Written by Nancy Constantine and offered in worship on November 27, 2011

or some time now we’ve been offering a twice-monthly 4pm Sunday liturgy, geared to families with young children. Though it had been set for the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month, for various reasons we’ve now shifted it to the 1st and 3rd Sundays, so the next one will take place this Sunday, November 2o. We’ll offer two during the season of Advent – December 4 and 18 – giving us the opportunity to mark together this wonderful season of preparation.

We’ve just begun to incorporate a simple teaching time for the young children, and during those weeks of Advent we will be helping them build toward the telling of the nativity story.

This liturgy is usually about 35 or 40 minutes in length, with a smallish congregation of between 20 and 30 people. We gather in a circle at the front of the church, and use a simplified version of our communion liturgy, complete with music.

Even if you don’t have children, you are more than welcome to join us for this service. You might even end up colouring a picture or working with a bit of play-dough…

We Cry to you……

Teach us to number our days;
Grant us Your wisdom and peace.

God you have called the leaders of the church, all bishops especially Bishop Don Phillips, all priests especially Jamie Howison and Helen Mansfield, all deacons, and all lay ministers especially those who serve the community of St. Benedict’s table to follow you and accept their roles and ministries in your church.  Also we pray they continue to serve by being blessed with your wisdom, discernment, zeal, joy, imagination, compassion, and those spiritual gifts and earthly resources which meet their greatest needs.

We Cry to you……

Teach us to number our days;
Grant us Your wisdom and peace.

God remember all the needs of Home Omuka in Uganda, the clinics of Haiti, the sisters of Burlington Ontario, Agape Table, and the ministries represented here throughout the city of Winnipeg.

We Cry to you……

Teach us to number our days;
Grant us Your wisdom and peace.

God we remember Veterans week, we remember the stories of lives lost as well as those left to mourn, and generations left to heal where war has taken place.  God may we all remember these stories so we may strive for peace internally and externally.   For by remembering the sorrow of lives never lived but sacrifices that they will never be forgotten. Lest we not forget

We Cry to you……

Teach us to number our days;
Grant us Your wisdom and peace.

God we ask that all of us, citizens and government representatives, all over the world, be open to hearing to your wisdom on how to heal our unstable economies especially in Greece and Italy.  May we be able to provide for those most marginalized, may work be plentiful, and may we all reflect on what each of us can do in our own lives in support of a just and economically fair world.

We Cry to you……

Teach us to number our days;
Grant us Your wisdom and peace.

God we are called at this moment to speak the names of those we hold in our hearts at this time__________________________________.

For all those names spoken and unspoken, and for those we many have forgotten, we ask you God to take our prayers and may it be your will that is to be done.

We Cry to you……

Teach us to number our days;
Grant us Your wisdom and peace.

God we are called to remember all those who have die, especially the young people who tragically drowned near Garden Hill, may we keep the community in our prayers as they experience healing in their mourning.  We also remember our own friends and family who have died, and may we always reach out to those seeking comfort in their loss of a loved one.

We Cry to you……

Teach us to number our days;
Grant us Your wisdom and peace.

Written by Helen Mikolajewski and offered in Worship on             November 13, 2011

W

e really wanted to post this audio clip from this past Sunday night, which captures the congregation singing Alana Levandoski’s wonderful song, “Felix Culpa.” Alana is currently living and working in Edmonton, but her impact on our liturgical life continues. And if you like the way this sounds, you should hear the version she recorded in collaboration with the Zimbabwean writer and poet Ignatius Mabasa… that one will soon be released on CD by saint benedict’s table as part of their three song collaboration. In fact, after you’ve listened to the congregational version, scroll down a bit further to hear an excerpt from this new version.

Now for an excerpt of the version Alana recorded with Ignatius Mabasa. Ignatius is performing a poetic form he calls “gospoetry,” and speaking in the Shona language of his home country. This is how he describes the subject of his poetic contribution to the piece:

This is a song about the political violence happening in Zimbabwe. It graphically paints the pain and suffering that one of the victims who has been bludgeoned goes through. Yet, in all the violence – there is a need to look up to God for protection, for justice, for love. The poem ends by encouraging Africans not to murder each other.

We’re hoping to take delivery of this CD within the coming week, and will soon have copies available for sale at the church and through iTunes. We’ll keep you posted.

“The house lights go off and the footlights come on. Even the chattiest stop chattering as they wait in darkness for the curtain to rise. In the orchestra pit, the violin bows are poised. The conductor has raised his baton. In the silence of a midwinter dusk, there is far off in the deeps of it somewhere a sound so faint that for all you can tell it may be only the sound of the silence itself. You hold your breath to listen. You walk up the steps to the front door. The empty windows at either side of it tell you nothing, or almost nothing. For a second you catch a whiff of some fragrance that reminds you of a place you’ve never been and a time you have no words for. You are aware of the beating of your heart…The extraordinary thing that is about to happen is matched only by the extraordinary moment just before it happens. Advent is the name of that moment.”

Frederick Buechner

The Advent Wreath

The daily use of the Advent wreath can help to set this season apart from the rest of the year, and serve as a steady reminder that we don’t have to buy into all things associated with a heavily commercialized Christmas.

The Advent wreath comes to us from the Lutherans of northern Europe. While they have been using it in their shops and homes for the past several hundred years, it is only in the last fifty years that it has become a common tradition throughout the Christian Church. It usually consists of an evergreen wreath with four candles, one for each week of Advent. You can also use an artificial wreath, or simply four candles in ordinary candle holders.

While in Europe the candles are usually everyday red or yellow candles, when the wreath was taken into the church, initially they used one pink and three purple candles to match the liturgical colours of Advent. The pink candle was lit on the third Sunday of Advent, called “Gaudete Sunday” (meaning “joy”), after the opening sentence in the Latin liturgy for that day, while the purple candles were used for the other three Sundays. In recent years we have attempted to distinguish between the quiet observances of Advent and the more austere tone of Lent and so the use of blue is becoming more common as the liturgical colour for this season (leaving purple/violet for Lent).

You will now see blue Advent candles in common use for the wreath, but whatever colour(s) you choose will be the “correct ones” for your home, and will become part of your family’s tradition.

The Advent wreath is normally lit immediately before the evening meal each day, followed by the grace/blessing/thanksgiving for the meal. On the first Sunday of Advent and throughout the following week, one candle is lit, during the second week two candles are lit and so on, until the last week of Advent when all four candles are lit each night. (If you use small candles, it is advisable to have several replacements available as you will be burning one of them for the better part of four weeks). You may wish to incorporate a recent addition this practice by lighting a white candle set in the middle of the wreath on Christmas Day, representing “Christ, The Light of the World” coming into our midst on that first Christmas.

The Crèche

A crèche or manger scene can be assembled gradually over the season, which gives accent to the idea of preparation. It is a good thing to punctuate the building of the crèche with readings, beginning on the first Sunday in Advent with Luke 1:26-56.

Week 1 | Put out the stable with just the animals and the manger (if you have one from which the baby can be removed…). You can also place the shepherds and sheep in some out of the way place, signifying “the fields.”

Week 2 | Place the Mary and Joseph figures across the room; their journey has begun.

Week 3 | Move the Mary and Joseph to a place closer to the stable, leaving the shepherds in the fields.

Week 4 | Mary and Joseph are now in the stable with the animals, but there is no baby yet. Read Luke 2:1-5.

Christmas Eve | The baby is placed in the manger, and the shepherds are moved to the stable. Read Luke 2:6-20. You can also place the figures of the three magi somewhere else in the house… they’ve just seen the star, and begun the journey to Bethlehem.

During the 12 Days | Leave the family in the stable, but move the shepherds back to the fields. Bring the magi to a place closer to the stable.

Epiphany (January 6) | Bring the magi to the stable, and read Matthew 2:1-12.

Liturgies and gatherings for the season:

November 27 – 1st Sunday in Advent

• 7pm liturgy
• our new website launches!

December 4 - 2nd Sunday in Advent

• 4pm and 7pm liturgies

December 9 – one of our monthly LivingRoom Liturgies; contact us for more info.

December 11 – 3rd Sunday in Advent

• 7pm liturgy

December 13 – ideaExchange at Aqua Books, 7:30pm – Jamie Arpin-Ricci on The Cost of Community

December 16 – Don Amero and Jaylene Johnson in concert at the Ellice Theatre

December 17 – 7pm Hear the Silence for the season of Advent

December 18 – 4th Sunday in Advent

• 4pm and 7pm liturgies

December 24 – 8pm Christmas Eve liturgy

December 25 – Merry Christmas! Enjoy the evening at home with friends and family.

January 1 – 2nd Sunday in Christmastide

• 7pm liturgy

January 8 – The Feast of the Epiphany

• 7pm liturgy

his past Sunday, Al Fehr sat at the piano and led a slightly reduced version of his normal ensemble, with Charles Garinger on bass and vocals, Larry Campbell on guitar and vocals, and Bob Hobson on percussion. It turned out to be a really strong and cohesive night musically, with incredible singing being offered up by the congregation. We ended the liturgy with Gord Johnson’s song, “We Go Walking,” which you can hear by clicking the arrow. And if you’re wondering what it is that Bob is playing with such style, it is called a Cajón, which is Spanish for “box.”