“Tea is quiet, and our thirst for tea is never far from our craving for beauty.” - James Norwood Pratt
"Don't forget to show love to strangers; for some have thereby entertained angels unawares." - Hebrews 13:2
There is something about tea that lends itself to beauty and the contemplation of beauty. The enjoyment of tea involves all senses and is multiplied by sharing it with others. Drinking tea with friends - and strangers - often seems to make time stand still, as we forget our worries and simply experience the gift of creation as it is.
Tea also offers us many ways to experience it, from simple steeping in a cup to the intricacies of a Japanese tea ceremony. And, of course, tea itself comes in so many forms and flavors: black, green, oolong, white. Each one has its own personality and evokes a different mood.
It is very important to use high-quality loose tea leaves. If you don't know much about tea, start by visiting a local tea store. You can also find great information online. If you already know about tea, be adventurous and try something new to expand your tea horizons.
Also familiarize yourself with the specific temperature and steeping times associated with each type of tea—as well as the different types of pots, timers and other paraphernalia associated with the making and enjoyment of tea.
Tea Tasting
Once you’re comfortable with tea, you may want to invite your friends to a tea-tasting get-together. Choose at least three teas that you like. They should be different from and complementary to each other. Write a description of each tea—as well as perhaps a little something about tea generally—as a handout.
To ensure a comfortable atmosphere for your guests, have everything ready before they arrive. Make sure that your seat is closest to the sink and the stove—and that all utensils are within your reach to avoid any disruption. Prepare a seat for each guest with a spot to put their cup down. Have your kettle filled with water ready on the stove, your strainers in place in your teapots, your measuring spoon placed near your chosen teas, and your timer already set for the first tea.
Rather than using a matching set of teacups, I prefer to offer my guests a selection of different ones. Their choices will be a great conversation starter!
Once everyone gets settled, pour a spoonful of dry leaves from the first tea on a flat dish and pass it around so your guests can smell and touch them. Share with them what you have learned about this tea.
Then heat your water to the right temperature, pour it into the teapot with the first tea, and set the timer.
If you are using a glass tea pot, the steeping time becomes a wonderful display as the leaves unfurl in the hot water, float, and then sink slowly to the bottom—coloring and infusing the water in the process. The Chinese call this “the agony of the leaves."
After the brewing time, remove the tea leaves with the strainer to avoid bitterness. Pour tea for your guests. Ask them to describe the smell and taste. Encourage positive conversation. Repeat the same process with the other two teas.
Don’t forget to take pictures. You are creating a happy memory for your community. You will want to look at the glowing faces later on and remember your tea time together.
Materials needed:
· Kettle or pot to heat water
· Three different teas
· Measuring spoon
· Three teapots with big strainers
· One tea cup for each guest
· Timer
. Printed handout (optional)
To best experience the pure flavor of your tea, avoid sugar and cream.
Ideas for tea events:
· Have a tea merchant come and do a presentation
· Invite a lady from the Japan Society to perform a Japanese tea ceremony
· Ask an old-timer from a Chinatown to do a Gong-Fu tea ceremony
· Have a tea expert teach about Pu-erh at a men's meeting
· Have three different paintings and ask your guests to pair them with your three teas
· Serve your own blend of tea at your gallery to those who love to linger
· Serve English afternoon tea with scones and sandwiches at a women's meeting
· If you’re in a book club, choose a tea related to the country the story is set in
· Have a picnic with the youth group in summer and do a tasting with iced tea
· Do a tea-themed fundraiser at your church
My sons invited me to celebrate the Swiss National Day in New York City. Both of them have sweet memories of their vacations in Switzerland. We enjoyed the food and each other's company. This year, Switzerland is 720 years old; and I am proud to have grown up in this beautiful country. As the Swiss national anthem was performed, tears welled up in me. For the first time I truly listened to the words. What a statement of faith!
As soon as I got back home, I looked up the translation of the anthem into English. I was shocked to see it had been 'cleaned up,' stripped of much religious imagery. Was it for the sake of rhymes? So I set out to do a literal translation. Here it is:
When You enter in the morning's red glow
I see You in the radiance of the light
Thou, highly exalted, glorious One
When the alps grow bright with splendor
Pray free Swiss, pray
For your quiet soul senses
Your quiet soul senses
God in our noble fatherland
God, the Lord, in our noble fatherland
When You enter the evening's gleam
I find you in the host of stars
Thou, human friendly, loving One
In the heavens illuminated halls
I can dream with joy and bliss
My quiet soul senses
My quiet soul senses
God in our noble fatherland
God, the Lord, in our noble fatherland
When You move through the fog's bloom
I search you in the sea of clouds
Thou, unfathomable, eternal One
Through the dark grey shroud
Breaks the mild, clear sun
Our quiet soul senses
Our quiet soul senses
God in our noble fatherland
God, the Lord, in our noble fatherland
When You drive in a wild storm
You become both sanctuary and defense
Thou almighty ruler and savior
In thunderstorm and horror
Let us childlike trust in You
Our quiet soul senses
Our quiet soul senses
God in our noble fatherland
God, the Lord, in our noble fatherland
My own tea “ritual” begins by choosing the right tea for the moment. Do I want to try one of the new teas that I brought home from China—or do I want to stay with one of my favorites? Do I feel like a strong tea or a mild one? Something smokey or something delicate? Once I’ve made my choice, I open it up and savor its earthy aroma already anticipating the taste.
I put the water in the kettle and set about choosing which teapot I will use. With more than 30 in my collection, I have a wonderful selection. I scoop just the right amount of tea into the strainer and put the strainer into the teapot. Then, just before the water comes to a boil, I take the kettle off the stove and pour the steaming water through the strainer into the pre-warmed teapot—setting my timer for the right amount of steeping for my chosen tea.
While my tea is steeping, I prepare the spot where I’m going to sit and enjoy my tea. If I’m using a glass tea pot, the steeping time becomes a wonderful display of what the Chinese call “the agony of the leaves"—the unfurling of the dried tea leaves in the hot water. The leaves open up, float and then sink slowly to the bottom, coloring and infusing the water in the process.
The timer beeps. I remove the strainer, add the lid to the pot, and pour the first cup. The aroma is pleasant, reminding me of the many cups of tea I have enjoyed before, alone and with friends. As I settle in the comfort of my chair, I blow the heat off the cup to take my first sip. Delightful! Holding the warm tea cup, I take a deep breath and let my gaze wander out the window into the open space beyond my home.
I relax. I talk to God a little. I think about whom I might share my next pot of tea with.
My love for marbling goes back more than 30 years. Lenny and I were living together on East 92nd Street, and we really needed money. I had learned about marbling before, so I bought some paper and cardboard and paint and string —and turned our little apartment into a book factory. I sold some of them to Pearl Paint, and Lenny sold the rest on the street. I can still remember him calling out to the passersby “Check ‘em out! The perfect Christmas gift! Handmade books! Check ‘em out!” I still have one of those books. See the first photograph above.
This is one of the things I love about art. I only wound up doing this because my package didn’t arrive. But now, thanks to that happy accident, I had lots of fun and can now consider marbling for my banner project. Plus, I got to recall distant, happy memories of that first year of romance with my husband.
At first, my “Daily Cross” project felt merely playful to me. It was fun to bring my camera with me everywhere and search for hidden crosses. I started in my backyard and on walks with my dog. Then I took some photographs on my trips to South Jersey and New York City. It was always surprising where I found them. And there were so many crosses everywhere! Soon my everyday life began to feel like one continuous game of “Where’s Waldo!”
But, in searching for crosses all the time, another aspect of the project began to emerge. I began to think more often and more tangibly about the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The project constantly reminds me that Jesus acted physically in the material world to grant us His life. He carried His Cross through the sweltering streets of Jerusalem. He felt real, soul-wrenching pain as He was nailed to and hung on the Cross. He suffered – and He died a horrific death. He did this for the joy that was set before Him: His creation brought to the fullness of its intended good. That's us.
Everywhere I look now, I see reminders of this great life-giving love, this beautiful divine mystery. And tomorrow I will be reminded again.
