Updated June, 2025
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Food is one of the cornerstones of God’s good creation. It nourishes and sustains God’s creatures. Its richness and diversity brings joy to many who delight in the bounty of gardens and grocery stores. But whenever food is hoarded, over-consumed, scarce, or withheld, it can also be emblematic of the brokenness of humanity. When access to nourishing food is lacking, justice is also lacking.
A few years ago, as part of an effort to hear and respond to God’s call to justice in our lives and in our corporate worship, Calvin Christian Reformed Church in Ottawa, Ontario, considered the theme of hunger in a series of worship services. We began just before Canadian Thanksgiving (the second Monday in October) and ended the Sunday after World Hunger Sunday (the first Sunday in November), thematically bookending our services with thanksgiving and remembrance of those who suffer from injustice.
Our morning services explored the biblical images of food and hunger, ranging from creation, fall, and redemption through kingdom work and celebration. Evening services followed a format that was new to our church: everyone gathered in our fellowship hall around tables for discussions that were led by guest speakers and church members.
Outlines of these services follow. Feel free to adapt them to your specific congregational, local, or national issues.
Week 1
Creation
For our first service, we focused on God’s creation and providence of food. Food is a good gift, created to nourish and sustain us. Like any good thing, we need to cultivate a healthy relationship with it. Because food is necessary to human well-being, lack of food has a negative impact on the dignity of human beings created in the image of God. Hunger always has a human face and a human story. Food production is also a part of creation and requires good stewardship of God’s earth.
This service led thematically into Canadian Thanksgiving (the following day) in its emphasis on the goodness of God’s creation.
Scripture
Genesis 1:1-2:3; Psalm 104
Confessions
Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 125
Our World Belongs to God, paragraphs 10, 13
Westminster Confession, IV-V.1
Song Suggestions
“We Sing the Mighty Power of God” Watts
“All Creatures of Our God and King” Assissi
“We Bow Down” Paris
“Lord Most High” Harris;Sadler
Week 2
Fall
For this service we looked at the causes and effects of hunger. In particular, we considered hunger from the perspective of human fallenness: greed, selfishness, conflict, sexism, and racism. We talked about the impact hunger has on those who suffer from it, including limited opportunities, undernourishment, disease, and despair.
Sunday evening provided a deeper exploration of the face of hunger. Members of our congregation shared their very personal stories of hunger. A Dutch immigrant who had lived through the “hunger winter” of World War II in the Netherlands told us of her experience. A Sudanese refugee described his escape from conflict, his trek to safety, and his life in a refugee camp, all on a severely limited diet. One of our deacons reminded the congregation that some families in our congregation and our community experience challenges in finding enough food to feed their families. Zakka Chomok of the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee outlined the work of our denomination in Africa—in particular how the issue of AIDS is related to hunger. The congregation was challenged to consider hunger as a problem with complex personal, social, and structural causes.
Scripture
Genesis 3; Psalm 10; Psalm 51
Confessions
Canons of Dort, III/IV.1
Our World Belongs to God, paragraphs 15, 16, 17
Westminster Confession, VI
Song Suggestions
“O Christ, the Lamb of God” Anonymous
“Psalm 51” Carlson
“Prayer of Confession 1” Anonymous
“Children from Your Vast Creation” Robb
“Perdón, Señor/Forgive Us, Lord” Lockward
“In An Age of Twisted Values” Leckebusch
Week 3
Redemption
In this service we examined Old and New Testament stories of salvation. In the Old Testament, the Exodus story recounts God’s delivery of his people from oppression. They in turn are called to look after those among them who suffer or are oppressed. In the New Testament, Jesus calls those he saves to “Follow me” and “Feed my sheep.” Likewise, our response of gratitude for salvation and God’s providence must be to impart grace to others. We have a biblical mandate to care for those in this world who are suffering and oppressed, to do justice and to love kindness.
On Sunday evening, we were joined by Jim Cornelius, executive director of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. Jim helped us understand the landscape of hunger internationally and the work of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank in ensuring that people have food today and access to food in the future.
Scripture
Genesis 12:1-9; Psalm 67; Micah 6:1-8; 1 Peter 2:1-10
Confessions
Belhar Confession, Article 2
Westminster Confession, VII-VIII
Song Suggestions
“Lord, Speak to Me That I May Speak” Havergal
“Church of God, Elect and Glorious” Seddon
“Open Our Eyes, Lord” Cull
“Our Cities Cry to You, O God” Clarkson
“You Are a Chosen Race” Anonymous
Week 4
Kingdom Work
This service focused on our calling to be prophets. We looked at our responsibility to usher in the kingdom of God by considering the importance of our work for justice. It is not enough for us to feed people today; we must work to change our society and our world to reduce hunger and eliminate the causes of hunger. God calls us to be advocates for the oppressed.
On Sunday evening we welcomed a representative of the Ottawa Food Bank as we considered the face of hunger locally. We asked ourselves questions like these: Who are the hungry in Ottawa? What are the gaps in our system of caring for the hungry? And what is our response as Christian individuals and as a Christian community?
Scripture
Psalm 99; Amos 5; James 2:14-26; 5:1-6
Confessions
Belhar Confession, Articles 3-4
Our World Belongs to God, paragraphs 42, 46, 52, 54
Song Suggestions
“Lord, You Give the Great Commission” Rowthorn
“Will You Come and Follow Me” Bell
“Here I Am, Lord” Schutte
“O God, Your Justice Towers” Stuempfle
“Go to the World!” Dunstan
Week 5
Celebration
This Sunday was a day of gratitude, repentance, and expectation. We gave thanks to God for the gifts of food and nourishment, repented of the ways we have subverted and perverted what God intended, and acknowledged the “already but not yet” coming of God’s kingdom that will bring justice to all.
Our evening service included communal prayers and litanies to commemorate God’s providence of food and recognize God’s call to do justice. We ended together with a potluck, practicing hospitality together and sharing the goodness of food as a community.
Scripture
Leviticus 25; Psalm 145; Luke 4:14-21
Confessions
Our World Belongs to God, paragraph 58
Song Suggestions
“In the Lord I’ll be Ever Thankful” Taize
“Canto de esperanza/Song of Hope” Schutmaat
“Let All Things Now Living” Davis
“Now Thank We All Our God” Rinkart
“I Will Exalt My God, My King” Cardenas
“In the Power of God’s Own Spirit” Bayly SNT 65
“Jesus Sets Free” I-to Loh SNT 64
“No Night There” Ciemenis SNT 260, TH 548
Week 6
World Hunger Sunday
God’s Greeting
Hymn:
“I Will Extol You, O My God” Anonymous
Opening Psalm
Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
O Lord, you preserve both great and small.
How priceless is your unfailing love!
Both high and low among the peoples of the earth
find refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house;
you give them drink from your river of delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
In your light, we see light. (Adapted from Ps. 36:5-9)
Hymns
“My Song Forever Shall Record” Anonymous
“God of Justice, Ever Flowing” Moore
Prayer of Confession
God of justice and grace, we come to you, hungry for your forgiveness.
We confess the brokenness of our world, manifested in hunger; the injustice that allows some to go without enough food while others have more than enough. We mourn the poverty that robs many people of their daily bread.
You are the Bread of Life. Empower us to share in that life by sharing your love and justice with others.
Help us to see you in the people we meet; your grace in the relationships we share. Help us to give bread, love, and hope to a world that longs for these things. Help us to move past our indifference, our selfishness, to practice your love. Help us to feed your sheep. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
Our God is a God of mercy. Those who seek forgiveness will find it.
Our God is a God of plenty. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be satisfied.
Our God is a God of abundance. Those who are blessed by grace are inspired to share.
Our God is a God of love. Rest in God’s love, and be transformed.
Hymn:
“Song of Mary” Anonymous (st. 1, 3-5)
Sermon
Hymn:
“Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread” PH 290
Prayer
Offering
Hymn of Sending:
“Bring Forth the Kingdom” Haugen
Closing Prayer
God of all creation, we praise you for your gifts of beauty and plenty in a world that surrounds us with signs of your loving care.
We will answer your call to let justice flow like a river, “to deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help.”
May your good creation become a banquet where all your children are fed and nourished and where your hospitality is practiced.
Guide us as we work for your kingdom; fill us with joy in your service. (Based on Ps. 72:12)
Hymn:
“Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service” Bayly
Blessing