Morning Ritual…

Over the years, we have established a simple morning ritual. The first to truly be awake calls out ”Tea!” in drawn out, anguished tones 😊 Then someone (usually Pete) puts the kettle on to boil and the fine china cups we delight in grace the table, together with a little jug of fresh milk and the old tin of good South African rusks (my mom’s proven recipe, tweaked by me ). Our favorite tea goes into the old teapot to steep for the obligatory 4 minutes under a tea-cozy because we both like HOT tea! 😊 Also on the table are books of poetry, marked by the years, well-thumbed and falling apart, and my late parents’ copy of Streams in the Desert. And with the new year, it’s time to start listening to the Gospels again, read by the mellow-voiced David Suchet. The older we become, the more important this ritual has become, and it sets up our day with quiet thanksgiving for our Father’s generosity.

Ritual often is testimony to a relationship. So, our Lord Jesus, breaking the bread and drinking the cup, says to his disciples, “As often as you do this, do it in remembrance of me” and 2000 years later, we, the church, birthed out of his death, love to remember him in just this way. It is part of our church ritual – we take time, we eat, we drink, and we meditate on that Day of all Days, the Man above all men. Of course, the problem with any ritual is that if what we do becomes disconnected from our hearts, it becomes rote, a mere habit. Saying a grace at table can be a moment of soaring gratitude, or lifeless Christian culture – being mindful in the moment will always make the difference.

I really like the subtle allusion to action the concept of “mindfulness” can bring to our daily living. As usual, God set the example, way back in Psalm 8:6 (NIV): “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” Things happen when heart and mind are in harmony. Maybe this is why King David said: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.” He understood that when the things we talk about flow out of the things we meditate on, goodness and mercy flow from us too.

I am so grateful for my early life, when the Word of God was poured into me in a multitude of ways. Now, in my late life I can truthfully say: “Your word I have treasured and stored in my heart, that I may not sin against You….. I will meditate on Your precepts and [thoughtfully] regard Your ways… Psalm 119:11 AMP.

“For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of…”

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