Table Liturgy for December 29
In place of gathering together as a congregation on Sunday, December 29, we are meeting in homes to reflect over our year—celebrating the good and grieving the hard—as we receive communion, pray for one another, and reflect on the year to come. The following liturgy is written to be read out loud word-for-word, with facilitator notes in parentheses and italics. Before you begin your gathering, make sure you have communion elements (e.g. juice or wine and bread or crackers), two candles with a lighter/match, and something to keep time.
Read Psalm 133
As we begin our time together, we will take a moment to read Psalm 133 aloud. This psalm is among the 15 songs—historically known as the “songs of ascents”—that the people of God would sing together as they made their journey to the temple in Jerusalem for a holy festival. These songs reminded them about God’s faithfulness and justice, their own coming restoration and redemption, and the gift of community. Psalm 133 leans into the latter theme, using biblical imagery of Aaron being anointed as the Israelites’ first high priest. Oil is symbolic of God’s presence, favor, and delight. Hear these words of David:
How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!
It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe.
It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.
Reflect over the year with gratitude and grief
The communal prayer book of the Psalms offers all sorts of experiences—anger, gratitude, grief, joy, etc.—as worship to God, so we are going to enter a time of reflection to practice this ancient value of praying honestly. As we do, we will use two candles to help guide us. This first candle is lit for our first movement of prayer, representing the moments this year that brought us gratitude. (Facilitator Note: Light the first candle.) And the second candle remains unlit for our second movement, representing the moments this year that brought us grief. We will give space for the Spirit to call to mind memories from this last year that fit each prompt, and then we will respond aloud in prayer.
As we begin, find a posture that helps you open up to God—hands open on your lap or closing your eyes or focusing on the candles. Start to pay attention to your breathing, silently praying “Here, Lord” with each inhale and “bestow your blessing” with each exhale. Come, Holy Spirit. (Facilitator Note: Let people sit in silence for 30 seconds before continuing.)
Gratitude | First, as we think about the last year, ask the Spirit to bring to mind memories of events, experiences, and people that brought you joy. As God stirs your memory, do your best to fully inhabit that moment in time. What were you hearing, smelling, and feeling? Who were you with? We’ll take 3 minutes to let the Spirit guide us through these moments and stir gratitude in us. (Facilitator Note: Let people sit in silence for 3 minutes before continuing.)
Now, let’s pray out loud, one at a time, short prayers of gratitude, thanking God for a moment in this past year that brought us delight. As we do, feel free to use the prompt, “God, thank you for…” (Facilitator Note: Give people at least 10 minutes or so to pray.)
Jesus, thank you for these experiences you gave us this year. Thank you for letting us live them then and for letting us relive them now. Every good and perfect gift comes from you.
Grief | Next, as we think about the last year, ask the Spirit to bring to mind moments of grief for you. Where did you experience loss, disappointment, or difficulty of some sort? What brought sadness or pain? As these things come to mind, do your best to stay close to the Spirit, who is our Comforter. We’ll take 2 minutes to let the Spirit guide us through these moments. (Facilitator Note: Let people sit in silence for 2 minutes before continuing.)
Now, let’s pray out loud, one at a time, short prayers of lament and grief. These prayers are sensitive, so it’s ok to hold back some details. As we pray, feel free to use the prompt, “God, I bring to you the grief of…” (Facilitator Note: Give people at least 8 minutes or so to pray.)
Jesus, we offer you our moments of grief and pain from this last year because we know that, while they were not your will, you will still redeem them. Thank you that you are as you say: gentle and humble in heart. Help us know the hope of resurrection as we grieve and wait.
Receive Communion together
At this point, with our gratitude and grief before us, we are going to receive communion. On the night that Jesus was betrayed, he took bread and broke it into pieces for his disciples to eat, symbolizing his own body that was about to be broken so that they (and we) might feast at the resurrection. He then poured wine for his disciples to drink, symbolizing his own blood that was about to be poured out so that they (and we) might be washed clean. He invited his disciples (as he invites us) to eat and drink, holding both the grief of life alongside the gratitude of life.
As you pass the plate of bread/crackers, I invite you to say, “The body of Christ, broken for you.” We will hold onto the elements until each person has them and then, after a moment in silence holding our grief and gratitude before God, we will eat and drink together. (Facilitator Note: After each person has the elements, hold 30 seconds of silence)
The body of Christ, broken for you. And the blood of Christ, shed for you. Take—eat and drink— and remember him.
Hope for the coming year
For the next movement of our time together, we will turn our attention from the year behind to the year ahead: dreaming together about the next year with hope and desire. We’ll begin with 3 minutes of silent reflection on a few questions, letting God guide our attention and imagination, and then we’ll share our desires for the coming year with each other.
How do you want God to heal you this year?
What word, phrase, or Scripture verse is God offering to you for the coming year?
What do you want to be true of you next year that wasn’t true of you this year?
(Facilitator Note: Take 3 minutes in silence to let the Spirit speak.)
Now we’re going to share these dreams, desires, and hopes for the coming year out loud, as a way of bearing witness with each other to what God might be up to in our lives. As we share, do your best to be fully present to each person’s words, giving them your attention and focus. We’ll take a good chunk of time for everyone to share something. Sharing hope or desire may be vulnerable for some, so assume that if people are sharing vaguely, they are doing so on purpose. What are you hoping for, dreaming about, or wanting in this coming year? (Facilitator Note: Take enough time for everyone to share, thanking each person afterwards.)
Pray together
Before we close, we are going to lift these hopes up to God together, asking that we would receive all the good that he has in store for us. To do this, we are going to break into groups of 2 or 3 to commission each other into the coming year in prayer for each person’s hopes, desires, and dreams. We’ll take 10 minutes to pray in these groups and then I’ll call us all back to end our time. (Facilitator Note: After 10 minutes, call everyone back. It could be helpful to give everyone a 2 minute warning before closing.)
God, thank you for bringing us all together today for this time. Thank you for helping us engage our gratitude, grief, and hopes together, in each other’s presence and yours. Thank you for the vulnerability we witnessed and the community we experienced. We covered so much ground today, so let each of us go in peace, filled with your love. We love you, Jesus, and we’re so grateful for your presence to us in and through each other. We give you praise for this last year and head into this next year with as much hope as we can muster. Help us to love you and one another well. Teach us, guide us, and guard us. Thank you, Father, Son, and Spirit. Amen.