Author: SusannahDB

Thoughts on Communion Bread

2 Comments

Thoughts on Communion Bread

In my lifetime, I’ve taken communion more times than I can remember or count. I’ve presided at communion tables with my Dad, with other colleagues, and by myself. I’ve served children, youth, and adults. I love the act of gathering around a table with a group of people who seek to live lives of justice and need a reminder that each of us is loved by God.

Throughout my ministry I have spent much time talking about communion, and you won’t be surprised to know that some of the conversation has contained complaints. Do you know what the number one complaint I hear about communion is? The Bread! The body of Christ (the church) spends too much time complaining about that which represents the body of Christ.

Here are some of the concerns I’ve heard and some tips for helping you navigate the difficulty of eating communion bread that is not your favorite.

Wafers-
If your church uses wafers for bread, you might have complained that they taste like Styrofoam. This leads me to wonder if all church people are eating Styrofoam or we are just imagining what Styrofoam tastes like.
I grew up with these tasty morsels. In fact, it was the tradition in my home church for each person to break the wafer in half before eating to symbolize the breaking of Christ’s body for each of us.
You have two choices with this type of bread.
FAST-The fast method is to chew it up as quickly as you can and swallow it.
SLOW-The slow method is to let it dissolve on your tongue.
If you are lucky enough to be using a wafer for intinction, take an extra second dipping the wafer into the wine/juice. Any extra liquid you can get with the wafer will help with the taste and ease of eating.

Breads-
Communion breads come in all shapes, sizes, and textures. Some churches use the same bread each time while others love to mix it up.
If you get to select the size of your piece of bread, pick it in proportion to how much you enjoy the bread. If your piece is given to you, just eat it.
If you are dipping your bread into juice/wine and some of your bread drops off in the cup, do not fish it out. Whatever is floating in the cup needs to stay in the cup.
And if you know you are going to dip your bread into a cup, please take a decent sized piece of bread. If your bread is big enough then only your bread goes into the cup and not your fingers.

This writing was inspired by a statement I heard in a church. I loved what I overheard the person sitting behind me say so much that I wrote it down. Unfortunately, I do not know who said it nor even what church I was in when I heard it. Chew on these wise words from an anonymous churchgoer.
“Remember this if you do not like the communion bread. No one is asking you to make a sandwich out of it. Just take a little!”

We are invited to this table to remember. So I invite you to remember that we are all welcome at this table because it is Christ’s table. The next time you come to this table and find your favorite bread and beverage or your least favorite, remember you are loved and forgiven. It is okay to smile and think on these words-no one is asking you to make a sandwich out of it.

 

This is the communion table at St. Giles Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Green Gunpowder Tea

Leave a Comment
Green Gunpowder Tea
 
My husband has been enjoying this new to him tea recently. While his favorite remains Gyokuro, he reports this is a tasty second place. He ordered Green Gunpowder Tea from our favorite tea shop, McNulty’s. He describes this tea as more full-bodied than Gyokuro. He warns you not to steep this one too long or it will become bitter. He recommends a maximum of one minute. The price of this tea is significantly less expensive than his number one choice which makes this tea a great entry level loose green tea. 
McNulty’s website shares this information about this tea, “As its name suggests, Gunpowder is a tea that is rolled up into tiny pellets resembling gunpowder, and unfurls as it is steeped. The tightly rolled tea leaves keep very well, and produces a light green-yellow liquid and has a slightly smoky undertone due to it being pan-fired over wood.” 
All of you green tea lovers should give this one a try and let us know what you think. 

Scripture to Guide the Week

1 Comment
Psalm 20:1

This week as I was reading Scriptures with a patient I read Psalm 20:1 from the CEB. “I pray that the Lord answers you whenever you are in trouble.” This verse has stayed with me. It has been my prayer this week for all I meet. And it is my prayer for all of you reading this. “I pray that the Lord answers you whenever you are in trouble.”

What Scripture has been sustaining you this week? What word or phrase has stuck in your head and heart this week?

Guest Post-The Strength to Move Forward

2 Comments

My sister was asked by her company, Allsup, to write about her experience with cancer. Here is her story which she titled, The Strength to Move Forward.

In November 2015, I went to my doctor because I just did not feel right. I had a lot of dizziness and headaches. I thought it was just that I needed new glasses. The doctor suggested that I go to the hospital and get a blood panel done. I got a call about 30 minutes after I left the office that I needed to go directly to the ER and get a blood transfusion.

My hemoglobin was a six (about half the normal amount). I was so scared. I called my husband and we went directly to the ER. They did a blood transfusion that night. I saw a gastrointestinal doctor the next day and they recommended a colonoscopy.

I had my colonoscopy on November 11, 2015. That was my diagnosis day. I had colon cancer stage 3A. I had a colon resection surgery two weeks later.  They removed 12 inches of my colon. I was able to go home on Thanksgiving Day. We definitely had a lot to be thankful for.

I had a clear PET scan in early December. My doctor suggested doing preventive chemotherapy. I started 12 rounds of chemotherapy in January. I was able to return to work part time in February 2016 and it was a great feeling to be able to return to “normal.” I was able to work every other week while I finished treatment.

My chemo weeks were always a struggle. It was very challenging taking care of two small children and receiving treatments. I had four to six hours of treatment on Mondays and then had an infusion pump that I had to wear until Wednesday. It was very draining. My energy levels were very low, but with the support from family and friends I was able to move forward.

I finished my treatment on June 8, 2016. This was a very exciting day! My husband and my kids were able to go with me for my last time, and that made it all worthwhile. I had another clear scan later that month. My family and friends were my strength to keep going. I cannot thank everyone enough for being my strength during this difficult time and giving me the encouragement to move forward.

 

Searching for Sabbath

Leave a Comment

Just as I was steeping a cup of tea and preparing to sit down for a time of reading and writing my phone rang. The caller did not give me the news I wanted to hear. Instead I heard bad news that instantly annoyed me. The news I heard was not bad health news and my loved ones are all fine. It was nothing like that. It was not the news I wanted to hear, and I was annoyed. I needed my cup of tea and quiet time more than ever.

And the cup of tea, Earl Grey Creme, is not warming my soul as it normally does. I’m having trouble concentrating on my reading. My intention of writing about taking time for Sabbath took a slight change as I now had to reorient my thinking. How can I shut out the distractions of daily life so I can be fully present in Sabbath time? While each person has a different method for clearing out thoughts that distract, here is what works for me.

I write down what is distracting me. The physical work of writing it down allows me to transfer it from my brain where it is swirling around onto a piece of paper where I can pick it up later if needed or leave it there on that piece of paper.

I change my surroundings. I move outside if the weather is cooperating or move to where I have a view of the outside. I find a place to sit that is comfortable and not where I felt so distracted.

I remind myself that grace abounds. If now is not the time for quiet prayer and reflection, how else might I be present to God’s presence? Is now a good time to take a walk and envelop myself in God’s creation? Is now a good time to tackle a project that is long overdue? Is now a good time to write a letter to someone who is on my mind?

Whatever direction your Sabbath takes, I hope you’ll remember that grace abounds and you are loved more than you know.

40 Things in 40 Days

Leave a Comment

40 Things in Lent

 

Each year in Lent I strive to give away 40 things. This practice combines my love of making lists with my love of giving things away. I have very few rules around what constitutes a “thing” I give away. One day I might clean out my t-shirt drawer and donate what I do not need. Another day I might sort through the pantry and collect a box of food to share with someone else. If the opportunity presents itself, I’d love to give away a lunch to someone who is hungry. Often I give away many things to the recycling containers too. And I love to surprise a friend with something I give away in a package I send.

I use Lent as a time to give away and get rid of stuff so I can start new in Easter. And in response to my statement I was challenged by this thought from my friend, Brad. “Great idea but the real transformation would be to not start new in Easter with replacing what you cleaned out!” And the challenging thoughts continued with Jim’s statement, “I wonder if that would affect what I give away.”

I am seeking transformation this Lenten season, and so I am going to give away 40 things in Lent with no plans to replace them when Easter comes. I’m going to seek to inspire my sense of giving over these next 40 days.

How are you observing this season of Lent?

Waiting Through This Season of Lent

Leave a Comment

Since I am not serving a church this year, it feels like the season of Lent snuck up on me. I’ve known it was coming, and yet, I no longer need to prepare for the next church season months in advance. So, Lent is here and I’m just beginning to think about how I’ll observe this season.

While wondering how best to observe this season, I read the newsletter from St. Giles Presbyterian Church. Each Sunday in Lent, they will be singing one of my favorite songs from Taize, “Wait for the Lord.” As I read these words, I realized this is exactly what I need this year. I need to pause. I need to stop. I need to wait.

Wait for the Lord,  whose day is near.

Wait for the Lord: keep watch, take heart!

Every day of Lent I plan to sing this song. I will work on waiting and watching for the Lord. How will you observe this season?

Book Review-The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick

Leave a Comment

You will like Arthur Pepper. He is a man trying to find his place in the world after his wife dies. He begins to question everything he thought he knew about his wife after discovering a unique piece of jewelry she owned. This discovery leads him on a quest to know his wife better. It makes him question how well he knew her. It makes him wonder why she married him. Arthur reminds us that grief and learning to live again look different for each of us. Join Arthur as he grieves the wife he lost, the changes in his life, and the chances he takes to live again.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves to read a good book. This book is written for anyone who is grieving the loss of someone you love or wants to support someone who is grieving. You should read this book because you need to meet Arthur Pepper.
Someone else’s review ended this way, “The author’s outlook remains relentlessly upbeat, and in the end, this sentimental novel is as cozy and fortifying as a hot cup of tea on a cold afternoon.” So, I recommend you fix yourself a cup of tea and read this book!

God’s Promise of God’s Presence

Leave a Comment

God’s promise of God’s presence.

Transfiguration Sunday

Matthew 17:1-9

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

 

Words to Ponder This Week-

Deep down one thing we all want is something constant. Too much of our life is moving in fast forward at all times. We relocate (also known as move away from all that we know and all whom we know). People we love die. Relationships end. Jobs end. And we want a continued presence in our lives. And that is why God’s presence is the perfect promise on which to end this series. Even though Peter couldn’t build a booth to house Jesus, it didn’t mean Jesus wasn’t still with him. In all the changes of life, God is constantly with us.

Lenten Countdown with Post-its

4 Comments

Lenten Countdown with Post its

 

Those of you who know me well will know that I love post-its. I keep (at least) one pack in my purse in case of a post-it emergency. When I was doing youth and children’s ministry, I found many ways to work post-its into my lessons. Here is one example I first used a few years ago at St. Giles Presbyterian Church.

 

You will need 47 purple post-its for each person.

An Easter Sticker for each person.

Sharpie or pen to write.

 

Helpful Hints-

If you can find purple post-its that have 50 sheets, use those! I found 100 sheet purple post-its and split them in half.

I did this as a children’s message one Sunday morning and created all the countdowns myself. It took some time! If you have friends, a committee or ministry team, or a way of copying onto a package of post-its, I highly recommend doing it another way.

 

We are creating a countdown to Easter for our children/youth/families or yourself. Now the tricky part is that the 40 days of Lent do not include Sundays which is why you need 47 post-its. On the first post-it, you’ll write 40. On the second post-it, you’ll write 39.

 

Here’s the countdown for you-

40, 39, 38, 37, Sunday, 36, 35, 34, 33, 32, 31, Sunday, 30, 29, 28, 27, 26, 25, Sunday, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20, 19, Sunday, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, Sunday, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, Sunday, 6, 5, 4, 3 (Maundy Thursday), 2 (Good Friday), 1, Easter!

 

After creating all these countdowns, you’ll be ready to hand them out or you could have people make their own at a Lenten Fair. I recommend giving them out the Sunday before Ash Wednesday (February 26) and having some available on Ash Wednesday (March 1) and the first Sunday of Lent (March 5).

 

If distributing them to families during the children’s message, talk with the children about the season of Lent and how they’ll observe it. Talk about how we are all preparing for Easter in these 40 days and Sundays. Since 40 days is a very long time for most children to understand, this is a visual example of how long we’ll be waiting and preparing.

If you’d like to give this a try and your Lenten plans are already done, make one for yourself and try it out this year. See if the daily act of taking one more number off the pile helps you to visualize and live into this holy season.