The Villager Voice

I admit, last Sunday’s poem time was a tad longer than usual – it’s what happens when you read the same poem twice, sandwiched around annotations (more about sandwiches this Sunday).  So I’m sharing this poem by The Rev. Dave Long-Higgins, Conference Minister of the UCC’s Heartland Conference, which is being used as part of this year’s Stewardship materials in printed, rather than oral form.  It links the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper with community-building, and you may read it at your leisure!

The Sacrament of Giving – A Prayer

Generous God / form in me a feasting Spirit

Broadening every daily table / fashioning a holy communion

With You and the world /radiating gracious generosity

Replacing every breakdown / with a breaking open / to your deep abundance.

Yes, Love / multiply your gift in me / for sharing with others

That the delight and joy / You yearn for everyone / may rise into fulness.

Let every morsel and drop / awaken in me a prayer / grounding and consecrating

A sacrament of self-giving / forming my life as a sign / made real in simple acts

Strengthening the world / of others unknown to me / but made close by You

Who joins everyone / and everything in eternal / mysteries often hidden

Except as bread shared / makes us visibly one.

Let no illusions of scarcity / tempt me to smallness of vision / narrowness of thinking

Shrinking of spirit / coldness of heart / or paralysis of action.

Instead help me trust / Your power to multiply / my best gift for Your vision

Of a beloved community / well-fed and flourishing / rising up in resurrections

Forming a frequent dance / of delight at Your amazing / way of renewing the world.

Yes, Love / Let this Holy motion of You / made known in Jesus Christ

Be formed in me / and let it be / more than enough.

* * *

PS  Don’t forget to set your clocks back an hour Saturday night.

The links to this week’s bulletin and service are here:

Link to Bulletin

LInk to Bulletin Insert

Link to Service