Winemaker's Liturgy

An Invocation: O gracious God, who made the heavens and earth in six days and rested on the seventh, we are grateful for the gift of fermentation you have given us, and for this day of rest after so many days of toil. We ask you to bless our work, and to bless the fruit of our efforts, that it may bring joy and happiness to others' lives. We ask you to remember the workers of the vineyard and the helping hands in the winery, to keep them safe and in good health. We give thanks for the wonderful vocation you have given us, and ask you to continue to bless the work.  Amen.

A Reading From The Book of Genesis: Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God....And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth...." Noah was the first tiller of the soil.   He planted a vineyard; and he drank of the wine....

The Gospel lesson from September 18th, 2005.  Matthew 20:1-16 Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.  After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and he said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.'   So they wnet. When he went out again about noon and about three o'clock, he did the same.  And about five o'clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, 'Why are you standing here idle all day?'  They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.'  He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard.'  When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.'  When those hired about five o'clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage....

This liturgy is a work in process ... if you have any suggestions, please contact us.

On Sunday September 11, 2005 we took a
day of rest after five days of fermentation and
a day of pressing.  It was a day to give thanks
for our blessings. And a day to remember
victims of terrorist attacks and natural
disasters.

A Reading From The Good News According
to John:

...There was a marriage at Cana in Galilee,
and the mother of Jesus was there; Jesus
also was invited to the marriage, with his
disciples. When the wine gave out, the
mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no
wine." ...Now six stone jars were standing
there, for the Jewish rites of purification, each
holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to
them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled
them up to the brim.  He said to them, "Now
draw some out, and take it to the steward of
the feast."  So they took it.  When the steward
of the feast tasted the water now become
wine, and did not know where it came from
(though the servants who had drawn the
water knew), the steward of the feast called
the bridegroom and said to him, "Every man
serves the good wine first; and when men
have drunk freely, then the poor wine; but you
have kept the good wine until now."  This, the
first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in
Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his
disciples believed in him.