It is a good Good Friday

I work in the office of an Episcopal church, and this week has been the culmination of Lent, which in the Christian tradition is a time for reflection, for slowing down and focusing on God. My own faith journey has led me through teachings from yoga, practices from different Buddhist traditions, back to Christianity and into the garden. Nothing has quite stuck, except for the quiet voice inside me without a name, which I honor through silence and attention, poetry and forest and ocean and field.

Still, there is something about the Lenten journey, and the nice round number of 40, and the practice of making room for mystery. Working in the office, formatting the service bulletins with their formalized ritual and prayer, I have been witness to a palpable and building excitement as we moved into what is called Holy Week. The culmination, of course, happens at midnight on Easter Day.

Human-I-Tea

Beyond my work in the office, I didn’t really participate in the Lenten journey this year. So I was glad to hear of an extension of sorts.

Yesterday my partner and I joined in a 40 day love-and-thanks meditation initiated by a good friend, Mr Lee Giove. “Lovelee,” as he is also known, shares this with us about his 40-day pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago, and how you can participate:

“Love & Thanks presents: The event: Human-I-Tea Remembrance and Celebration: a 40-day, 10 minutes per day committed meditation, prayer, infusion, etc.

It is not at a specific time, but participants offer 10 minutes per day, each day, for the entire 40 days of the event to offer love and thanks and honoring the precious gift and miracle of our own lives, each other´s lives, the creator (of all there is, has been , and will be), our ancestors, and the future generations to come.

During the 40 days of April 1st through May 10th participants will become like a human tea and infuse (or steep) themselves with the energy and thoughts of beauty, love, thanks, inspiration, and feel these sensations in their bodies. As this is done it influences the energy of life and the vibration of creation harmonizes with our intentions, hence we co-create beauty in this world for each other, all living beings, honoring our creator, our ancestors, and the children of now and the future.”

This is the kind of steeping I want to do, something I’ve been thinking about and writing toward in public and private.  Lee has the kind of life-given, life-giving energy and spirit that is positively infectious. He was our good neighbor and friend in Santa Cruz, delighting us with songs and silly sounds and a laugh that seemed to bubble up from the earth itself. Now he is far away in Spain, making music wherever he goes, and we are glad to join in his journey.

As with anything, it’s good to start small.

10 minute meditations.

Thumbnail photos.

Haiku.

Love & Thanks for…

Friday afternoon off

the quiet of a house

before visitors arrive

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new life stretching toward the light

tiny promises

tomato season

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forging on

the cold garage temporary

visions, band-aids, fire

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the tapestry

my tribe’s spread out

a phone call like a blanket

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what would I do without you?

boots from estelle, and

tessa’s  old raincoat

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Thank you!

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