Introduction
Remember the Blessing of the Seeds back in the beginning of spring? This is the mirror image ritual six months later as we begin autumn. the first wave of harvests. I don’t expect many folks to grow their own grains, mill their own flour, and then bake bread, but this again is to remind us of our ties to the land. However, in many agricultural cultures, this is the time when people start harvesting grain. And while the grain eaten may vary from culture to culture, the importance of grain itself is pretty ubiquitous, whether wheat, rice, corn, millet or others. Moreover, the making of bread requires many different steps – planting the grain, tending, harvesting, milling, the making of other ingredients – all go into a loaf of bread. Thus, the Blessing of the Loaves gives us an opportunity to recognize these things.
Personal
Whether you bake or not, this ritual can be performed on a personal level. You will need some bread. Light your chalice or candle. Hold the bread, breaking off a piece, and say:
Seeds planted in spring and tended over the summer have come to fruition.
This sustaining food, whether baked or bought, is the tangible result of my efforts.
But even so, I know that I could not accomplish this alone.
I give thanks for the fertile earth, the sun and rain,
I give thanks to those who grew, tended, harvested, milled, and baked.
Eat, thinking both of what you’ve accomplished and what you owe to the help of others.
Communal
In addition to the basic communion ritual, ask folks (beforehand) who do bake to bring “bread.” (Interpret “bread” *loosely.* This can include tortillas, steamed buns, cornbread, whatever. In fact, there should be something present without gluten in it for those with sensitivities.) Those who do not bake should being seasonal dishes as usual. (If no one bakes, you will have to buy some bead.) Place the food on the altar table as usual. Make sure that everyone has washed their hands before this ritual because there is going to be touching of food involved. After the invocation of the ancestors but before the communion blessing, insert the Blessing of the Loaves.
Take a large loaf of bread turn towards the group and break the bread, saying:
Seeds planted in spring and tended over the summer have come to fruitiion.
This sustaining food, whether baked or bought, is the tangible result of our efforts.
But even so, we know that we could not accomplish this alone.
We give thanks for the fertile earth, the sun and rain,
We give thanks to those who grew, tended, harvested, milled, and baked.
Give half a loaf each to pre-designated people on each side. Invite folks to form lines to come up and tear off a piece of bread from the halves, but ask them not to eat it yet. Depending on how many people are involved and/or there are people with gluten sensitivities, you might have to take a second, different type of loaf, and break that in half as well, giving each half to two more pre-diesignated people. Make sure that someone is still holding bread for you. When everyone has a piece of bread, finish the communion blessing by breaking off some bread from the person still holding it and placing it on the plate. Pour the libation, etc. Break off a piece of bread for yourself from the person still holding bread. Then invite everyone to eat, thinking both of what they’ve accomplished and what they owe to the help of others. If there is a variety of different kinds of “bread,” invite folks to try something they don’t normally eat during the potluck communion meal.