Many of us experience a sense of awe at the natural world, and want both to mark our connectedness with Nature and to express our thanks for her sustaining goodness. Particular points in the turning year may also be understood as corresponding with different stages of our lives - which may help us to make some sense of our life experiences, and to go onwards more cheerfully and with greater trust.
Lammas,
Loaf Mass, celebrates the beginning of the Harvest season, especially
the harvest of grain, on 1st August in the Northern
Hemisphere and 2nd February in the Southern Hemisphere -
although some celebrations start on the eve and continue through to
the next day!
This
festival of the Moon also marks the descent of the year towards
Winter, as the evenings grow shorter, and the leaves on the trees
will soon begin to change into their glorious autumn colours. This is
a time of fulfilment and of thanksgiving for the fruits of the earth
- and a time both to remember that we will reap what we have sown and
to delight in our accomplishments.
The
short responsive liturgy, below, is appropriate for use by any group
of people, especially before sharing a meal together – a
bring-and-share picnic would be great, weather permitting! If
possible, sit in a circle. You will need a small, easy to tear loaf
of bread to share during the liturgy (please check if this needs to
be gluten-free or lactose-free), a big bag of sunflower seeds, and
some smaller bags or large envelopes, one for each person present.
Everyone is invited to join in saying the responsive words in bold
type. There may be one leader to say the biddings, or you
can take it in turns, round the circle.
The
liturgies, celebrations, ceremonies, prayers, and reflections offered
on this blog are the result of my thoughts, reflections, and
experiences, woven together using my own words and sometimes adapting
words others have used: I am indebted to their wisdom. Please use
these liturgies freely, altering them as suits your own context. I am
always pleased to hear from people who have used them.
The
Gathering and Thanksgiving:
Welcome
to everyone!
We
gather today to celebrate the beginning of the Harvest,
and
to give thanks for the beauties of this season,
for
the grains and fruits that will be harvested
to
provide nourishment through the winter,
and
for the colourful beauty of the trees:
We
offer thanks!
We
give thanks for our homes, which provide shelter for us,
and
enable us to offer a welcome and hospitality to others:
We
offer thanks!
We
give thanks for our own achievements,
and
for the opportunities to achieve still more in days to come:
We
offer thanks!
A
time of quiet is kept during which you may choose to name one thing
which
you are glad to have achieved during the past year, using the words:
I
give thanks that I have...
to
which everyone will respond:
May
you be blest in this always.
The
Sharing:
Harvest-tide
is a time of warmth and plenty,
and
the earth yields enough for us all;
but
many people and creatures are in want.
Our
hearts are glad that we are able not only to receive,
but
also to give.
We
share this bread as a sign of unity and thankfulness.
Grain
was planted, harvested, milled and baked to make this bread:
We
are thankful for the labours of others
that
satisfies our hungers.
May
those who hunger be given bread:
And
may those who have bread
be
given the hunger for justice!
Bread
is passed from hand to hand for all to tear and share.
Eat
it now.
The
Distribution:
Harvest
cannot happen unless seeds fall to the earth
and
rise again the following year:
Plants
grow and change with the seasons, and so do we.
As
seeds take root in fertile soil, so
too we find our roots
for
growth and development:
As
the
smallest seed may grow into a huge plant,
so
too we may accomplish great things.
As
grains are harvested and set aside for winter:
So
we can set aside that which we can use later.
The
seeds of yesterday's plants are the provision for today and tomorrow:
That
which is past results in that which is now,
and
that which is now enables that which is to come.
Everyone
takes a handful of sunflower seeds.
They
may be eaten later, fed to the birds, or planted.
The
Closing Blessing:
May
the blessings of the harvest be upon us and all creatures:
The
blessings of water, warmth, and air,
the
blessing of earth, its nurture and its beauty.
May
we have time to re-discover the world of joy:
The
blessings of friendship and bread to share,
the
blessings of music and laughter and love:
these
blessings be given us all. Amen!
Food
for the Feast:
Lammas
has traditionally been celebrated as a feast of bread and beer, to
mark the grain harvest, but summer fruits may also be at their peak
now – tomatoes, melons, peaches, sweetcorn, beans.
This
would be a great time to try out different grains that you may not
have eaten before, such as quinoa, spelt, or buckwheat. It would also
be good to make summer fruit jams, bake your own bread, and brew your
own beer – and to learn how to make corn dollies (but don't eat
them!)
If
you celebrate with a picnic away from home, please make sure there
are designated drivers who abstain from the beer or other alcoholic
drinks.
Here
are some suggestions for your Lammas picnic meal:
- Home made breads, such as seeded rolls, flat breads, corn bread, barley bread + herb butters
- Summer vegetable & barley broth, veggie noodle miso soup
- Vegetable pies, tomato or sweetcorn quiches, fruit/jam tarts
- Grain based salads such as tabbouleh, quinoa salad, corn & bean salad
- Lavender shortbread, fruity scones or muffins
- Beer (ale or lager), non-alcoholic fruit cup
There
are lots of recipes online, but if you would like any of mine, please
leave a comment and I'll post them up as soon as possible.
