A Cup of Tea

Many of my days begin and end with a cup of tea, and in between a few other cups of tea. In Scotland, as a minister, drinking tea was an occupational essential. Of the many “tea” stories I could tell, I will settle on two. I recall the phone call 38 years ago as if it was yesterday. I had visited a church member and on finding no one at home I left my card. Later that day the member called on the phone expressing disappointment at not being at home but then followed a kind reprimand- “how you should have just gone in, the door is always open, and made yourself a cup of tea, the next time if I’m not home you must do that!” The second cup of tea followed a comment a church member on leaving church. As I shook hands, she said with a gracious smile “you don’t come up to the mark” As she watched my face turn ashen, she remarked “drop in for a cup a tea next week.” This I did, and as she served me a cup of tea she explained that as the new minister, from where she sat in church, my head did not come up to a certain mark on the brick wall behind me, proving that I was shorter than the previous minister! We both laughed! What memories do you have of cups of tea? Is it the place, the people, the occasion, happy or sad, the taste strong or weak, scented or spicy? Perhaps its time to pause and ponder with a cup of tea. And if it’s in reach read that short silly chapter from Alice in Wonderland of The Mad Tea- Party. https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~rgs/alice-VII.html

From an anonymous source:-
When the world is at odds
And the mind is all at sea
Then cease the useless tedium
And brew a cup of tea.
There is a magic in it’s fragrance
There is solace in it’s taste
And the laden moments vanish
Somehow into space.
The world becomes a lovely thing
There’s beauty as you’ll see
And because you briefly stopped
To brew a cup of tea.

Prayer:
Help me to pause,
and to ponder
Your holy Love,
Your holy Truth,
Your holy Peace.
In Your Love
help me to live.
In Your Truth
help me to know,
In Your peace,
embrace me
that I might embrace
others
and extend to all whom I meet
Your Love, Your Truth, Your Peace
Amen.