breath, ruach, spirit, Word
At this age of life one's awareness blossoms, of things I should have been noticing all along; one reason being that I served for some years on the bishop's Commission on Aging, where our attention was called to things I'd never seen before: font size in typed material such as church bulletins; markings on steps and stairs to make them more visible; grab bars in places such as steps and stairs where someone might trip and fall; thick area rugs that elderly people could trip over; low toilets that can be hard to get up from. In fact, a parish needs a Safety Person to be alert to such matters, otherwise it's easy to get the feeling that others not only can't be bothered noticing, but actually just don't give a good holy damn; though it isn't really that, it's that people are naturally oblivious to things that are non-issues for them.
Also, naming a Safety Person who's responsible to the parish Vestry could help avoid lawsuits and insurance claims from falls and could avoid the extreme inconveniences involved in Workers Compensation situations. It's a thought that will die with the setting sun, but that occurs to me more as I age.
On a related but more personal level, some of the blogs I read are delicate, light and lovely font that I cannot see and have to enlarge greatly to clarify; and so, therefore, even though it's plain and ugly, because it's large, bold, and common, my Blogger font is "Arial Rounded" and I publish it in the largest type size. It's for myself, but it's also for others, an absurdly simple example of minding the law "Love thy neighbor"!
We'll be in the Holiday Season through the next week and New Years Day, but Christmas is winding down. Beloved family company fading away, after Boxing Day dinner today (not leftovers, tenderloin roast and I'm closely monitoring the temperature and Time, take it out at 115°F center, cover for maybe 20 minutes and watch the thermometer as it continues to cook), planned, seared, and cooking at 250° to serve dinner at 12 noon.
Vegetables from Christmas Dinner yesterday, heating in the oven alongside and on the shelf under the tenderloin.
And, perhaps finally or maybe not so final, I sliced a bit of turkey and put it aside so to enjoy my turkey sandwich tomorrow.
Well, I will report on yesterday's dinner. Jeremy was in charge of the turkey, splayed and roasted to perfection. For my part, I ate the dark crispy skin and gnawed the two thigh bones. As my favorite is the dark meat, I had two extra turkey thighs, neither of which I've cut or bitten into yet; the upshot being that, unlike Thanksgiving, I'd bought a five pound larger turkey plus two extra turkey thighs; so all set, nomesane?
Our finale excellence at our Holy Commotion service on Sunday (this is Tuesday, how did that happen) was Sharon Carroll singing "Breath of Heaven." The song's title particularly strikes me theologically. Several facets, thoughts that I would explore in Sunday School discussion if I were still doing that. Sort of rambling, Breath is ruach, which is Spirit, which moved over churning chaos in The Beginning. Two, we believe in the Holy Spirit, the giver of life, Genesis 2: God breathed into ha-adam The Earthling, to give life. Another, the breath of God may be the activated will of God, impregnating the Blessed Virgin Mary with the fetus of Jesus, the Christ, the Word of God; all of which perhaps, where will and word and breath are One, God's own Self.
Breath of Heaven: I went online, copy and pasted the song's lyrics for myself, and also to share. As the lyrics show, it's Mary singing, Mary's prayerful song:
"Breath of Heaven"
I have traveled many moonless nightsCold and weary with a babe insideAnd I wonder what I've doneHoly father you have comeAnd chosen me now to carry your son
I am waiting in a silent prayerI am frightened by the load I bearIn a world as cold as stoneMust I walk this path alone?Be with me nowBe with me now
Breath of heavenHold me togetherBe forever near meBreath of heavenBreath of heavenLighten my darknessPour over me your holinessFor you are holyBreath of heaven
Do you wonder as you watch my faceIf a wiser one should have had my placeBut I offer all I amFor the mercy of your planHelp me be strongHelp me beHelp me
Breath of heavenHold me togetherBe forever near meBreath of heavenBreath of heavenLighten my darknessPour over me your holinessFor you are holy
Breath of heavenHold me togetherBe forever near meBreath of heavenBreath of heavenLighten my darknessPour over me your holinessFor you are holyBreath of heavenBreath of heavenBreath of heaven