A NEW COMMON MEAL
For the Year of Order Council
<BODY ...>COMMON MEAL SONG SHEET
The first song, to be sung during the DRAMA OF GRATITUDE:
THE NAMELESS ONE
Tune: Sooliamon
Earthrise has dawned,
New day born for everyone.
Future has come today,
Love reveals the human way.
(drums)
O Nameless One. O Thou who art the One in One! (x4)
Refrain: O we adore Thy life,
And we now serve, through Night,
And we now march the Long March into this world, this broken world.
O we adore thy life,
And we now serve, through Night,
And we now march the Long March into this world,
You call me!
Spirit breaks loose anew.
Trust Mystery lead the Way.
Courage to hope again,
On my care this world depends.
(drums)
O Nameless One. O Thou who art the One in One! (x4)
Refrain: O we adore Thy life.
And we now serve, through Night,
And we now march the Long March into this world, this broken world.
(add women's descant bere) O we adore....
And we now serve....
And we now march....into this world!
O we adore Thy life.
And we now serve, through Night.
And we now march the Long March into this world, this broken world.
O we adore Thy life.
And we now serve, through Night.
And we now march the Long March into this world, this broken world!
At the conclusion of the song the Leader shall say: Let us declare together our prcfound consciousness of the way life is for all people.
Community: I believe in the Final Mystery of all things, the giver and taker of life. And in the Final Event of profound possibility which is given in the midst of life's radical freedom, and seizes us in the struggle of daily living. This Event destroys all illusions, thus we experience death. This Event gives us our real lives, thus ve experience rebirth. Thia Event is the final judge of authenticity, thus it ia the standard of profound human living. I believe in the life style of radical Freedom, the hiatorylong, worldwide body of Those who Care, the depth oneness of the People of the Way, the fact of life's acceptance in spite of rebellion and estrangeaent, the continual renewal of the courage to be, and the everlastingness of sustenance by the Nbstery in both life and death.
THE DRAMA OF COMPASSION
Here a designated member shall offer a brief witness to the reality of profound humannes, after which the Leader shall context the drama of the common meal.
From the dawn of consciousness, people have shared the common meal as a symbol of their common humanity before the awesome Mystery of the universe.
Community: Thus is has been. It ahall be so!
Then shall the Leader pick up a loaf of bread and say while breaking it:
The brokenness of every life is symbolized in the breaking of bread in the common meal.
Here shall the Leader give the broken bread to the neighbors on either
aide while saying:
The secret of profound living is feasting on the brokenness of real life. Thus life itself is made new.
Community: We affirm the tremendous psradox of life: our lives broken as they are yet stand as whole. We receive our lives just as they are, whole and ready to embrace the new day.
In like manner. the Leader shall Pick up a flask of water and say while pouring it:
The spilledoutness of every life is symbolized in the pouring of water in the common meal.
Here shall the Leader pour a cup of water for the neihbors on either side while saying:
The secret of profound living is drinking of the spilledoutness of real life. Thus history itself is served.
Community: We present oureelves before the unsynonysous reality on behalf of all people everywhere aa an offering to the world. We render all that ve have and all that we are for the aske of all that ever ahall be.
The bread and water shall then be passed to the whole community with each person serving their neighbors.
As the community feasts on the bread and water let those who will lift up their concerns for the world and for those working towards its renewal. These may be seated as traditional prayers or in contemporary language. End the statement with "So be it" and the Community responds with "Be it so."
After all have been served the Leader shall say:
Let us celebrate the mystery, depth and greatness of life. Let us celebrate the glory of the life of service.
The community shall sing "The Journey of Your Serving".
After the song the Leader shall say:
Let us go forth to enact our care for the world.
Community: Be it so.
The second song, to be sung at the conclusion of the COMMON MEAL:
THE JOURNEY OF YOUR SERVING
Tune: Perhaps Love
And the journey of your serving starts with seeing human pain. When your caring shocks your consciousness, you know you're not the same For who you always thought you were turns meaningless and vain, The journey calls you to the Mystery's claim.
And the journey of your serving shows the suffering of all, And your strength turns into weakness, and your courage is too small, And yet the hopes of all the earth without your life will fall, The journey makes expenditure the call.
The journey then assaults you with life's absurdity, Each sacrifice seems futile, each sign, a mockery, You want to turn away from care, to live apostacy, And yet the journey's chosen you, your life's humility.
And the journey of your serving engulfs you with demand, Though unworthy, you submit yourself to Mystery's comand, And though you long for just one sign that history understands. In Being's trust the iourneY lets vou stand.
In the journey of your
serving you are always on the Way, Though despair is your companion, though
you're tempted to betray, And even if you wander far and all your hope
is gone. The journey of your serving journeys on.