The collection of resources for the Eucharist and Holy Communion offer
several links to sites with Communion bread recipes, history and information.
There is also a long list of book suggestions that include recipes, devotionals
centered around bread, and historic background. A small collection of
images is also available.
With a few exceptions, these resources are provided
free to local congregations and parishes. For further information please
consult the
Copyright and Use information prior to reprinting or using these resources.
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Links: |
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Altar Bread |
A list of
sites that offer recipes for communion bread and related discussions.
http://www.osb.org/liturgy/altarbread.html |
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Bread 101 |
A
comprehensive help site for baking. Offers countless tips and
suggestions for baking quality bread.
http://www.baking911.com/bread/101_rise.htm |
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Prosphora |
A site
dedicated to the baking of Eucharistic Bread (called Prosphora) in the
Eastern Orthodox tradition. Several recipes and step by step
instructions as well as much more.
http://www.prosphora.org/ |
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Winemaking |
A good first
site to visit for learning how to make wine. The instructions are
easily adapted to making Communion wine. A search for "winemaking"
or "wine kits" will generate numerous additional sites.
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/ |
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Safe Home Canning |
If your
tradition prefers unfermented juice for Communion then here are general
canning instructions and two recipes for grape juice. Freezing is
also an option. Simply follow the instruction, but place the
finished juice in freezer safe containers and freeze instead of following
the canning instructions.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/ distribution/nutrition/DJ0516.html
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Books |
Books
are made available through amazon.com. Your purchase helps to support
the ongoing work of the Guild. |
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(No image available) |
Eucharistic Bread Baking as Ministry by Tony Begonja
This is a fine little book that is one of the few, if only
books, available specifically on the topic of baking bread for the
Eucharist. The book offers several different recipes and techniques.
It is written specifically from a Roman Catholic perspective but is
appropriate for other traditions. Unfortunately there is less
information on how this is a ministry or how to make it a ministry than I
would have liked. But the recipes are good. This book is
especially good if you are looking for a good unleavened recipe. |
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The Bread Book by LindaCollister and Anthony Blake
There are many good cook
books that focus on bread; this is one of them. If you don't already
have a bread cook book this one offers many good recipes and clear general
instructions. |
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Home Winemaking Step by Step by Jon Iverson
A good
complete reference to making wine at home. This a clearly written
beginners book that will also serve the ore experienced person as a
reference. If you are interested in making wine for Communion, this
is a good text to introduce you to the process. |
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From Vines to Wines : The Complete Guide to Growing Grapes and Making Your
Own Wine
by Jeff CoxThis
text offers guidance for both growing grapes and making wine. If you
goal is to grow the grapes and make the wine, this is a fine single text
that will cover it all. Like most all-in-one books, it is not as in
depth as purchasing books that focus on each aspect of the process.
But the information contained within in will more than serve all but the
most serious of growers and vinters. |
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Winemaking Kit
This kit includes everything
needed to make wine. The equipment can be used again and again with
juice concentrate kits or fresh grapes. The kit also includes a
concentrate kit for a Cabernet Sovingon, a nice red wine suitable for
Communion. The kit will make 6 gallons of wine or over 30 bottles.
A nice basic instruction booklet is also included that will teach the
fundamentals of winemaking and serve as a good reference. |
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The Feast: Reflection on the Bread of Life by Gregory Post & Charles
Turner.
A collection of short reflections that center around the
topic of food and spirituality. The book is divided into three
parts: Food for the Journey, By Way of Hunger, and A Table Prepared.
It is amply seasoned with quotes from Scripture and various other
literary sources. These reflections can offer an appropriate read
during the time one is baking Communion bread. |
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Leaven for Our Lives by Alice Downs
This book is a collection of recipes and writings. Most of the
recipes are for bread, but there are few for soup as well. The writings
are reflections on spirituality. This book is weighted a bit more on
the culinary side than the reflection side as compared to some of the
other suggestions in this list that are very light on culinary advice and
instruction. |
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Fresh Bread and Other Gifts of Spiritual Nourishment by Joyce Rupp
A book of spiritual reflections that is ordered by the
month of the year. Each month contains its own reflection.
Only the introduction speaks specifically of bread, the remainder use
other themes such as seeds, snowfall, and leaves. Each reflection
contains a long list of scriptures to read, a poem, prayer, short
reflection, and questions for journaling. |
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Breaking Bread: the Spiritual Significance of Food by Sara Covin
Juengst Seven
chapters that look at the role food plays in our lives. Each chapter
focuses on a specific quality of spirituality such as stewardship,
hospitality, and compassion. The chapter are a bit more lengthy than
some of the other books suggested here, around 11 pages. The
reflections are a bit more in depth and provide the opportunity for good
reflection and thought. |
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Bread Upon the Waters by Peter Reinhart
A delightful blend of recipe and reflection, Reinhart uses
the metaphor of bread baking to share his spiritual journey and challenge
the reader to do the same. The recipes are good and are certain to
teach the reader something new about baking bread. The text is
challenging and engaging. This book is designed to be read from
cover to cover, but could be used over a series of weeks reading one
chapter each week as a person bakes the bread for Communion. Some
but not all of the recipes would be appropriate for Communion. Of
all of the devotional books suggested, this is my personal favorite. |
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Bake and Be Blessed: Bread Baking As a Metaphor for Spiritual Growth
by Father Dominic Garramone
Similar to Peter Reinhart's book suggested above but from a
slightly different perspective. Father Garramone is know by many for
his television cooking show. In this book he uses the process of
bread baking to guide the reader. This book is more practical than
the above mentioned one in that each chapter has the goal of developing
something specific in the reader. |
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The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon
A very different book that defies classification. Capon is a well
respected theologian with many book as well as a respected cook. The
book claims to be a cook book, but is written in narrative and is as much
a discussion of contemporary culture, life, and God. The reading is
fairly demanding but quite sarcastic and humorous. Reading this book
is certain to offer you a new perspective on cooking, food, life, and
world. |
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Words Around the Table by Gail Ramshaw
This book offers 18
reflections on the acts of Sunday worship. Each reflection offers
scripture and a five or six page meditation on that specific act of
worship, offering numerous scripture reference as well. The book is
well written like of of Ramshaw's books and is simply illustrated.
It is written from a formal liturgical perspective that would be most
familiar to Lutherans, Episcopals, Catholics, and some United Methodists
and Presbyterians. |
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A Sensual Faith: Experiencing God through Our Senses by Ian Price
This book offers "five studies for reflecting on the ways
God comes to us." Each study focuses on one of the senses and
presents a way of experiencing God through that sense. The study on
smell and tastes both use bread a a part of the experience. These
studies could be combined and adapted for a group experience around baking
bread. If the goal is to focus on the role of bread in experiential
spirituality, this book offers some ideas, but would require some work to
change and tweak the experience. The studies are more like class
discussion experiences than worship experiences. |
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Feasting With God: Adventures in Table Spirituality by Maria Harris
A book of 16 Feasts - meals that present an aspect of
spirituality. In addition to the larger feasts there are also 6
shorter Interludes that offer more focused and brief experiences.
One of these interludes is entitled "Making and Baking Bread." This
interlude can be used as is for a group experience. The suggested
recipe is a poppy seed quick bread that would not be appropriate for
Communion, but this could easily be replaced by an unleavened recipe or a
more appropriate quick bread, such as Irish soda bread. |
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From Age to Age by Edward Foley
This is a history book on the development
of worship and the Eucharist in the Church. Each chapter looks at a
given period of time and addressed various aspects of worship from the
words that are spoken and the music that is used to the type of bread that
was eaten. It is a very helpful in understanding how worship has
developed and changed over the centuries. It is also helpful in
remembering that worship is an ever evolving entity that continues to grow
and develop even today. Looking back over the centuries can both
ground current practice and liberate it.
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Articles |
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Bread & the Eucharist - May 2005 Guild Newsletter Article. This
issue contains two articles of relevance. The symbol of bread is
discussed in the column Simb'l. Then the question of bread
for the Eucharist is discussed in a special article. |
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Recipe - a honey spice bread recipe for festive occations |
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Images |
These images are provided free of charge for
use in worship in local congregations. If you choose to use any of
these images in your art, please send a copy of it back to the Guild so that
others might see what is being done. Have an image you would like to add?
click here |
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Scroll through the images by moving
your mouse left or right while on top of the pictures Clicking on any of the images will
open a new window with a larger image that can be saved for printing or
projecting. To save right click the image and select "save picture"
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