Bread for the Journey

On my walks near the beach this summer, I loved seeing and smelling the abundant salt-spray rose and catching sight of their seed-bearing fruit, rose hips. Besides helping to stabilize dunes, the tart fruit from these plants are used in many beneficial and delicious ways, like herbal tea, syrup, soup, wine, and bread. On Cape Cod, rose hips are frequently used to make jelly or jam. Green Briar Jam Kitchen in Sandwich, MA, is the oldest jam kitchen in America, and its staff produces over 20,000 jars a year in the vintage 1915 kitchen. In 1939, while visiting Green Briar, the setting for his children’s books, Thornton W. Burgess said to his jam making friend, “Tis a wonderful thing to sweeten the world, which is in a jam and needs preserving.”

The text below will be sung in worship tomorrow; thoughtful words, beautiful music, and passionate singers! I love how the writer speaks of someone hearing Jesus’ voice and then acting on what is heard; seeking and, then, finding. Sometimes, it’s hard to know if it’s truly Jesus’ voice speaking. If the answer is too clear, there is no mystery. I never ask for one; it just shows up, but I’ve learned to trust the voice and walk beside this companion for life.

I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Come unto me and rest; lay down , O weary one, lay down your head upon my breast.” I came to Jesus as I was, so weary, worn and sad; I found in him a resting place, and he has made me glad.

I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Behold, I freely give living water, thirsty one; stoop down and drink and live.” I came to Jesus, and I drank of that life-giving stream; my thirst was quenched, my soul revived, and now I live in him.

I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Come unto me, I’ll show the way.” I heard the voice of Jesus say, “I am this dark world’s light; look unto me, your morn shall rise, and all your day be bright.”

I looked to Jesus, and I found in him my star, my sun; And in that light of life I’ll walk till trav’ling days are done.

-Horatius Bonar, 1808-1889

Just writing about balsamic vinegar is causing the sides of my tongue to salivate. When I learned that adding a touch of balsamic vinegar to fruit, such as strawberries, brings out their flavor, I couldn’t believe it until I tried. Sure enough, it worked! Last year, I made peach ice cream with a balsamic vinegar swirl…wow! Guess what? The peaches are ripe. So excited to make it again.

A few days ago, the temperature outside “cooled” to a pleasant 85 degrees (with low humidity it almost felt like winter), so I thought about turning on the oven and making ginger snap cookies to go with the ice cream. But the timing wasn’t quite right. So, here I am beginning the weekend, with more time to bake, yet back to higher temperature and humidity. Oh, well. Sometimes you just have to bake. That should get our weekend off to a good start, as any delicious food will do. Bon Appétit!

After writing yesterday’s post: https://breadforthejourney.blog/2018/07/19/organ-limerick/, I realized the limerick subtly expresses Ora et Labora, the balance of work and prayer so important to the Benedictine way of life. As a Benedictine oblate, I seek to balance my life in all things; with a spiritual foundation of prayer, work and reflective reading of scripture (lectio divina). Yes, I have been challenged by playing the organ, but I have also been greatly nourished by participating in this work of the Lord. And once the notes are solidified, even as they are becoming more familiar, it too can be prayer.

In her book on The Rule of Benedict, Joan Chittister says, “Work is not what defines the Benedictine. It is the single-minded search for God that defines Benedictine spirituality…The Rule of Benedict treats work and lectio interchangeably. One focuses the skills of the body on the task of co-creation. The other focuses the gifts of the mind on the lessons of the heart…no matter how frail, no matter how old, no one is useless; every one of us is given a gift to give and a task to fulfill (to upbuild the house of God).”

Come, labor on! Cast off all gloomy doubt and faithless fear! No arm so weak but may do service here. Though feeble agents, may we all fulfill God’s righteous will.

Come, labor on! The toil is pleasant, the reward is sure, Blessed are those who to the end endure; How full their joy, how deep their rest shall be, O Lord, with thee! – Jane Laurie Borthwick (1813-1897)

Part of my anxiety over yesterday’s medical procedure was not knowing how it might effect practicing the organ for this Sunday’s worship. A friend reminded me to take it easy today even if I’m feeling better. So I also took it easy at the organ. I practiced meditatively, one voice line at a time, adding two, then three, then adding pedal with each. Slowly. Patiently. Prayerfully.

There once was a woman named Anne, who struggled to play the organ. She practiced each day; and pray, did she pray. ‘Til finally she could say, “I can!”

My face looked sallow after returning home from minor surgery today, but I really didn’t feel as bad as I looked. I was happy it was over, for sure. Sometimes preparing for something that never made our bucket list, and that we have no choice about, is worse than its recovery. Once beyond the waiting room, I awaited the necessary prep. I truly dislike needles so I won’t talk about it anymore except to say I ramble more than ever when this part comes. In uncomfortable situations, I become an expert in about anything that pops in my mind. I don’t pre-think the topics or they may not come out right. So I administer a huge burst of confidence and dive right in. Today, the story had to do with whale-watching on Cape Cod. This truly was not a random topic as, while the nurse asked me to make a tight fist, the doctor was asking if I ever get motion sickness. Yes. And then the story flowed… did it ever flow! I reminisced about Hurricane Bob. I told any listening ears, and probably a few non-listening ones, how we went whale-watching a few days after the hurricane hit Cape Cod in 1991. Because of the choppy waters, Dramamine was highly recommended by the boat crew and a plate of it was passed around. I took two. They were so tiny, and having never taken them before, figured I’d take the same dose as Ibuprofen. I never saw any whales. But when I woke up, most others on the trip looked quite green. By the time I shared the story of the whale-watching trip, my IV prep was in and the worst part was over.

Times like these I wish, oh do I wish, that I could whisk away things I worry about, just like that verse in the Bible about lilies in the field. I try to figure out why something so trivial, such as needles, brings such anxiety. I wonder if the one time I kept getting poked and had bruises up and down both arms, might have contributed to this fear. Maybe. But, sometimes, things just can’t be figured out. And that’s okay. But, I can do something about it. When I fear something, I try to brush the unpleasant thoughts away and focus on the positive. If I keep practicing, I have hope that things will get better. I am full of stories ready to be shared in an instant. And I will never give up practicing and praying.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today. – Matthew 6:25-34

Photo by Karen Gheesling Mullis

I didn’t know beach plums were so special until I read more about them. Maybe someday I will find a secret beach plum patch!

Beach plums are a coveted fruit that grows wild near the Atlantic coast. Native to that region, they can be found near dunes, along the road and in parking lots, and are a good source of nectar and pollen for bees. Residents who know where to find these plants usually keep their location a secret and deal with such picking hazards as brambles, ticks, and poison ivy. People typically make jelly from the red, purple, and green fruit, but the fruit is also used in sauces, chutneys and beach plum brandy. The amount of fruit to be harvested is unpredictable from year to year, which is why they are not mass produced. Although their taste varies slightly from bush to bush, the flavor of beach plums has been described as sweet and tart.

Mike Chesla speaks about his appreciation for the opportunity to pick wild fruit as a break from his busy life: “We often engage nature as something visual, something you look at. But this is encountering it on a whole different level. You’re ingesting it. It becomes part of you.’’

The vanilla bean “Milky Way” from yesterday has been transformed into ice cream, and using a “big dipper,” it was scooped onto fresh peaches with a touch of ginger syrup. What you don’t see in the picture is how quickly the ice cream melted, causing it to flow over every crevice of peach and crisp. I love a good, ripe peach on its own, but wow, what a treat when united with compatible ingredients. Some foods just seem to belong together; their tastes becoming one. This melding of flavors reminds me of how God searches our hearts and minds and knows every crevice of our thoughts. God is within us to be realized, not outside of us to be stumbled upon. ~ Benedict of Nursia

“How does a person seek union with God?” the seeker asked. “The harder you seek,” the teacher said, “the more distance you create between God and you.” “So what does one do about the distance?” “Understand that it isn’t there,” the teacher said. “Does that mean that God and I are one?” the seeker said. “Not one. Not two.” “How is that possible?” the seeker asked. “The sun and its light, the ocean and the wave, the singer and the song. Not one. Not two.” ~ Joan Chittister, O.S.B.

I have some delicious ripe peaches waiting to be eaten, but they don’t last long once ripe. So I tried to decide what to make with this fresh deliciousness that only summer produce can bring. I love crisps, especially with ice cream, and I had all the ingredients on hand to make vanilla bean ice cream. I’ve been storing vanilla seeds from the first batch of vanilla made two years ago, so this seemed like the perfect time to use some. It didn’t take long to mix the custard base, so now it’s cooling and will be ready to churn tomorrow. Viewing the custard, it looks a bit like constellations of stars in a creamy white sky. A version of the Milky Way? Maybe not. I may have overdone it a bit on the quantity of vanilla seeds, but I’m pretty sure that can only be a good thing.

When our family had a campfire at the beach last week, we watched the sunset; then layers upon layers of stars gradually appeared brighter and brighter. I love to experience this since I’m not usually in an area to view so many stars. It can be mesmerizing to gaze up at the night sky. It also reminds me of how tiny my life is in comparison to the universe. Even though I might be a small part of the world, like a vanilla seed, what I do in it can be huge. And that matters.

Well, I went to a party tonight and started writing late, so fell asleep. It’s now after 1:00 am. This happens to me on occasion and reminds me of times I fell asleep on the sofa as a child; then Dad would carry me into bed. Last year when on a pilgrimage across the county, I was so excited to meet a spiritual companion, I couldn’t sleep. Finally, in the middle of the night I searched YouTube for one of my favorite hymn tunes, AR HYD Y NOS. I found a version of this Welsh melody beautifully sung by Bryn Terfel: http://youtu.be/yWU07oVhF_4 Playing it over and over, I finally fell asleep. This familiar tune is set to several different texts; the poetic hymn text below paraphrases several traditional evening prayers.

Day is done, but love unfailing dwells ever here; shadows fall, but hope, prevailing, calms every fear. God, our Maker, none forsaking, take our hearts, of love’s own making; watch our sleeping; guard our waking; be always near.

Dark descends, but light unending shines through our night; you are with us, ever lending new strength to sight: one in love, your truth confessing, one in hope of heaven’s blessing, may we see, in love’s possessing, love’s endless light!

Eyes will close, but you unsleeping watch by our side. Death may come; in love’s safekeeping still we abide. God of love, all evil quelling, sin forgiving, fear dispelling, stay with us, our hearts indwelling, this eventide. ~ James Quinn, SJ