Autumn Rambles Day 8: Cups and Mugs
Autumn Rambles is an online resource adapted, and used with permission, from Prayerbench.ca
Day 8 – Cups and Mugs
I (Rev. Gail) know that a cup or a mug is not something that you find when you ramble – but today is more about the warm drink that we might need when we come in from the cold. Cups and mugs! Perhaps you have a china cabinet that holds some cups and maybe a teapot that once belonged to a loved one. Of course, being British, teacups play a big role in my heritage. They speak of love and comfort and shared experiences. They speak of hope. There’s a saying in England: ‘there’s nothing that can’t be solved by a good cup of tea!’ I remember many times sitting down with my grandma in England, or my mum, and sharing stories over a cup of tea, telling one last story and lingering over the comforting ritual of drinking tea together.
Janice, from the Prayer bench, reminds us that across cultures and ages the brewing of a hot beverage has been a familiar simple task. The process provides comfort and warmth and hope. The cradling of a cup in our hand is familiar and reassuring. IN North America, it is often the morning cup of coffee. The ritual preparation of the hot drink becomes a comforting daily rhythm. We can lean into the process. It provides us space and time for reflection, a pause for a rest and a response, an opportunity to gather our thoughts, calm our fears, imagine a new way. It provides room for us to pray. It gives us hope.
The ceremony of drinking can be formal or informal, celebratory, consoling, or companionable. Into this space of time spent drinking a hot drink with another person, wonderful things can happen. Good or bad news is shared, and comfort is both found and given. Disagreements are resolved and conflicts are avoided. Plans and dreams are shared and allowed to grow freely. We find God at work.
Before or after you go rambling, take part in the ritual of making yourself a hot drink. Wrap your hands around your favourite mug or cup. Enjoy the warmth of the cup and let your thoughts guide you into a prayerful moment.
Practice
Bring your cup of tea or other hot drink with you and sit in your chair. Hold your cup in your hand. Before you pray, use your senses to observe your hot drink and what is happening in your body as you hold it in your hands. Take a sip and observe what happens when you drink your tea.
Here’s some prayer starters
God this cup of tea is warm to touch… I pray for your warmth to bring comfort in these things in my life…. God this cup of tea is warm to drink… I pray for your warmth to fill me and provide me strength in these things in my life… God this cup of tea is fragrant to smell…. I pray for your fragrance to permeate these things in my life… God this cup I’m holding is breakable…. I pray for these fragile and breakable things in my life… God this cup of tea heavy in my hands…. I pray for these things which are heavy in my heart right now… God this cup of tea tastes familiar… I pray with thanks for these familiar things in my life right now… God this cup of tea makes me feel…. …. and I give these feelings and my thoughts to you.
From 5 Senses to Prayer Virtual Prayer Room available from www.kererupublishing.com
If like me, you have a favorite cup or mug, then send me the photo (gfricker@rogers.com) and we will create a page of ‘cups and mugs’ in the Shorelines. Here is I my morning mug:
And …For the gardeners out there – you might enjoying learning how to grow your own tea by watching this video: How to grow your own tea