New ‘Wine Before Breakfast’ community encountering Christ
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Cathedral community launches innovative Eucharistic service space so people can gather and grow in faith
The St John’s Anglican Cathedral community recently launched their trial of a Eucharistic service called ‘Wine Before Breakfast’, one of a variety of spaces across the week where people can gather together, build relationships and grow in faith.
The ‘Wine Before Breakfast’ (WBB) team adopted the name (with permission) from a similar WBB gathering at the University of Toronto in Canada, and involves community members gathering for Eucharist at 7am and then meeting for breakfast.
The Rev’d Sue Wilton said that she was inspired by the Canadian program and the effectiveness of the initiative to provide an alternative interface for worship, reflection, prayer, dialogue and friendship.
“When I recently met some members of the Canadian Wine Before Breakfast Community, I was attracted by the idea of a day that starts with a Eucharist and good friends, but also creates an alternate worship offering seeking to bring current issues into dialogue with tradition and contemplative prayer,” The Rev’d Wilton said.
At the 7am Friday services, the readings are interspersed with poetry and musical reflections and the prayers connect the liturgical calendar to the global events of the week.
The Rev’d Canon Bruce Boase of the Green Hills Anglican Community said that the opportunity for an alternative worshipping and fellowship experience opens people up to new ways of exploring faith and encountering Christ.
“Any liturgy ought to be able to create a style for the kind of worship to enable people to explore their faith,” Canon Boase said.
“To be moved away from the norm a little may mean that the people worshiping may have to navigate to find just where it is they are…we must always be open to new encounters with Christ.”
The Wine Before Breakfast initiative has been welcomed by a number of Anglican community members.
“The highlight for me is taking this sense of belonging beyond the walls of the Cathedral into the street and the coffee shop,” parishioner Glynis Jenkins said.
“The highlights of the morning gathering were the music played at Eucharist and having breakfast with people when I usually have breakfast alone,” Ananda Rashell said.
Wine before Breakfast is running for a trial period and starts at 7am on Friday mornings in the Holy Spirit Chapel of St John’s Cathedral.
Community members meet for breakfast afterwards at a local café and everyone is welcome.
For more information on Wine Before Breakfast, please email cathedral@stjohnscathedral.com.au or call 07 3835 2222.
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