Food for the Soul | October 15th, 2020
10/14/2020
Dear Friends,
I don’t know about you, but I am tired of our current situation. Tired of the restrictions, tired of the political atmosphere, tired of the insults that people spit at each other. I so long for a different climate. The fall is supposed to be beautiful, full of color, peaceful, contemplative, inspirational. But all of that has fallen by the wayside. We are heartbroken. And yet we know that it is only through heartbreak and suffering that we mature. It is inescapable and we might just as well accept it and learn from it.
I can hope for and dream of better times. I want to see into the horizon and get a glimpse of the end of these nightmares. I remember standing once on a high elevation in New Mexico and I could see the mountains in the distance and clouds resembling more mountains. The storm had just passed and there was a glimmer of light shining through. I wish we could be in that place where the end is within reach and new possibilities open up. I hope to offer an antidote to our current situation in the prayer and the poem I chose.
PRAYER
Waken in Me a Sense of Joy
O extravagant God, in this ripening, red-tinged autumn, waken in me a sense of joy in just being alive, joy for nothing in general except everything in particular; joy in sun and rain mating with earth to birth a harvest; joy in soft light through shyly disrobing trees; joy in acolyte moon setting halos around processing clouds; joy in the beating of a thousand wings mysteriously knowing which way is warm; joy in wagging tails and kids’ smiles and in this spunky old city; joy in the taste of bread and wine, the smell of dawn, a touch, a song, a presence; joy in having what I cannot live without — other people to hold and cry and laugh with joy in love, in you; and that all at first and last is grace.
—Ted Loder, Guerrillas of Grace
PRACTICE
Let’s do a very simple exercise: Drinking Tea Meditation. This will help us restore our attention to simple pleasurable activities while letting go of what causes stress.
Put aside all distractions, and pour a cup of tea. Perhaps you’ll want to make brewing the tea a meditative ritual. Slowly fill the kettle, listening to the changing tone of the water as the level rises, the bubbling as it boils, the hissing of steam, and the whistle of the pot. Slowly measure loose tea into a strainer and place it in the pot, and inhale the fragrant vapor as it steeps. Feel the heft of the pot and the smooth receptivity of the cup.
Continue the meditation as you reach for the cup. Observe its color and shape, and the way its color changes the color of the tea within it. Put your hands around the cup and feel its warmth. As you lift it, feel the gentle exertion in your hand and forearm. Hear the tea faintly slosh as you lift the cup. Inhale the scented steam; experience the smoothness of the cup on your lip, the light mist on your face, the warmth or slight scald of the first sip on your lips and tongue. Taste the tea; what layers of flavor do you detect? Notice any leaf bits on your tongue, the sensation of swallowing, the warmth traveling the length of your throat. Feel your breath against the cup creating a tiny cloud of steam. Feel yourself put the cup down. Focus on each step in the drinking of tea.
You may notice that many judgments come to mind: I chose the wrong tea. I drink too much tea. I don’t give myself enough time to enjoy tea. I should be paying bills, not sniffing tea. Am I running out of tea? Note these thoughts and let them go. Simply return to the direct experience unfolding in the moment. Just now; just drinking tea.
From Real Happiness by Sharon Salzberg
POEM
The old story of my spirit has wearied itself out.
It has long ago been learned by heart.
It repeats itself over and over,
Bringing no added joy to my day or lift to my spirit.
I will tell a new story.
I must learn the new story for the new needs.
I must fashion new words born of all the new growth
of my life – of my mind – of my spirit.
I must prepare for new melodies that have
never been mine before,
That all that is within me may lift my voice unto God.
Therefore, I shall rejoice with each new day
And delight my spirit in each fresh unfolding.
I will tell, this day, a new story unto the Lord.
Adapted from Howard Thurman’s Sing a New Song