Take the Bread

It is one of my most anchoring memories of childhood.  I was blessed to have my Gram Beale live with us in the house of my upbringing.  She was present, unassuming, strong, there. Frequently during the fall and winter she and my mother would make home made bread.  I can see clearly the big ceramic bowl with the blue and green painted stripes where they would place the dough and cover it with a white kitchen cloth to allow the dough to rise. It was bliss times a thousand to be handed a warm piece of homemade bread, buttered and the butter melting from the heat of the bread and drippping onto my fingers.

This whole ritual of making home made bread was a sensory overload --- the sights, the touch, the sound, the taste and the smell.  The smell of home made bread hearkens me to home and warmth, to nurture and security.

For me the central image of the church is a table. The sacrament of communion is what we are asked to uphold to remember the Christ with us... at table, present as we gather and eat of the bread and drink of the cup.  The conference gifts to the ordained elders is a small, clay chalice ---- sized to be easily portable so as to share the gift of table with many...with all.

In these days of  post-Easter, the many resurrection appearances are nudges to re-mind us that the miracle of Easter is an ongoing gift.  The celebration, the joy, the possibility remain.  The post-resurrection stories have the risen Christ making a fire on the beach and cooking a breakfast of grilled fish; walking through the door, showing his wounds, teaching, engaing in a mobile Bible Study while walking to Emmaus and ultimately being known in the breaking of the bread. 

In these times, as with seemingly everything, meals also are different.  For some, the meals are eaten alone.  For some the typical rush of mealtime is replaced by the time to prepare the meal and being strategic in one's plannning. How we will be changed as we journey through this and what lessons we will  have learned and will contiue to live will be fascinating.....those will be ours to shape. My hope is we maintain the simple yet amazing gift of being at table and seeing one another in the breaking and sharing of bread and that we make every effort to re-member those who will still eat alone, those who never seem to make it onto anyone's dinner guest list. See them, greet them, listen to them, learn from them, invite them.......

To the Bard

I've had one of those weeks so I missed posting on William Shakespeare's birthday.  Yet, good news is people think his birthday is April 23 and a lot of events and programs are held that day. Yet scholars don't know for certain; most say it was sometime in late April so I'm going forward with the post.

Being an English major it is required to read and like Shakespeare....I do.....a star on my paper, please!

Here are my Top 10 Shakespeare related moments:

10.     In high school English class hoping not to be called upon to read Shakespeare out loud and then doing so and the rush of getting the rhythm of the words and knowing that spark'd would be pronouncd "spark-ed"

9.     When Shakespeare's a Jeopardy category, I can answer at least 2 out of 5!

8.     Randomly quoting Shakespeare in entertaining ways (at least they make me chuckle).

7.     At Halloween, saying to someone overly made-up, "Woman! God gave you one face and you paint for yourself another!"  Try it.  Is a definite crowd pleaser.

6.    Dropping a sonnet on someone with whom you are smitten.  Trust me, you can't go wrong with "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate" (Sonnet 18) To really impress memorize and lay down the entire thing.  Summer's on the way.....time to memorize.

5.     Shakespeare-themed movies.  For the most part they are quite good.  Personally, I saw SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE nine times in the theater.....

4.     Attending the annaul high school students Shakespeare competition where students present passages or scenes they have memorized.  It's a good time, seriously,  I'm always intrigued with what play they select and what passage.  I'm even more impressed with their courage to stand on the stage and emote as they quote.

3.     My college Shakespeare professor, Dr. Baldwin, exhorted his students to write in our huge, 2 pound "Complete Collection of Shakespeare" text books.  "Write in the margins!  Highlight what moves you! Engage with the text! Show me you are connecting with the words!"  Ever since that course I am a confirmed one-who-writes-in-books.  Borrow a book from me and there is the added fun of my marginal commentary and symbols.

2.     As part of said college Shakespeare class going to Tornoto and the Stratford-on-Avon Shakespeare Playhouse to see their production of TWELFTH NIGHT.  There is a distinct rhythm to the words and to watch how the entire company responded to each phrase...it was like they were connected by strings.  Magical....

1.     In college for an elective I took Theater.  It was a blast and I met a lot of fun people.  We were encouaged to try out for the annaul production (that year it was "Miracle onf 34th Street"). My friend Eric and I decided to do the balcony scene from "Romeo and Juliet" (stop laughing).  I stood on a chair and said, "My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words of thy tongue's uttering. Yet, I know the sound, art thou not Romeo and a Montague?"  To this day if I'm standing on a chair for any reason: putting away the winter wear, reaching for the cocoa mix or changing a light bulb, I tell you I"m breaking out the iambic pentameter!

For those 10 reasons and more, I raise a glass to William Shakespeare!