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"Feeding the Spirit Through the Senses"

Roger Dick not only gave the homily this Lenten week, but he had a hand in the Wednesday night Lenten Service of February 20th. The theme for the service was "Feeding the Spirit Through the Senses" and was inspired by a talk given by the Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Naht Hanh two weeks after the September 11 tragedy. He spoke about "Mindful Consumption" at the Riverside Church in New York City on September 25, 2001:

"All things need food to be alive and to grow, including our love or our hate. Love is a living thing, hate is a living thing. If you do not nourish your love, it will die. If you cut the source of nutriment for your violence, your violence will also die. . . Mindful eating can help maintain compassion within our heart. . . [but there is a] second kind of food that we consume every day-sense impressions- the kind of food that we take in by the way of the eyes, the ears, the tongue, the body, the mind. When we read a magazine, we consume. When you watch television, you consume. When you listen to a conversation, you consume. And these items can be highly toxic. There may be a lot of poisons, like craving, like violence, like anger, and despair. We allow ourselves to be intoxicated by what we consume in terms of sense impressions. We allow our children to intoxicate themselves because of these products. That is why it is very important to look deeply into our ill-being, into the nature of our ill-being, in order to recognize the sources of nutriment we have used to bring it into us and into our society."
Because we are constantly being bombarded by images of violence, sex, noise, speed, we tend to ignore much of the very goodness of life. At the service we took a few minutes just contemplating a list, a catalog, a litany, of images that we normally overlook. The first list was almost 60 years old, from a group of Marine Corps Officer Candidates during World War II. The second was from teenagers of the last 10-15 years. Both groups were asked to jot down instances of private enjoyment (most of them turned out to be sense impressions) that made them happy, nourished their spirits. Later the congregation was asked to compose its own "litany." Here is a list (but not everything) of what our parishioners came up with. It's delightful:

Feeding the Spirit Through the Senses

sitting on the dock, feet in the water, minnows nibbling my toes
smelling the air after a rain
driving a newly washed car
laughing heartily at a great joke
a warm bath on a cold night
coming home to my dog rushing excitedly to me with a wagging tail
smelling, then rubbing a nice round baby's head
the smell of freshly baked bread
a blue jay, cardinal and goldfinch at my feeder all at the same time
using tools my ancestors made 150 years ago
making it down the hill on a snowboard without falling once
going through a car wash
laughter through tears
waking up before you have to and having another hour of sleep
being part of a long volley in tennis or racquetball
crossing off the last item on a long "to do" list
listening to a child's giggle
walking in the woods and hearing the squeak of snow
the smell of a baby after its bath
cuddling baby animals
walking into the house and smelling homemade apple pie
lying in the grass watching clouds on a summer day
listening to a Strauss waltz
the stillness by a creek early in the morning
a soft kiss on the forehead
popcorn before bed
the crunch of sweet corn
the warm breath of a baby asleep on your shoulder
the smell of a new box of crayons
seeing a red fox on a cold winter morning
smelling freshly-ground pungent horseradish
the sound of waves breaking against rocks
the warmth of the sun on a crisp fall day
my mother brushing my hair when I was a teenager
the spontaneous kiss of a grandchild
on a dock at sunrise watching the fog lift and pink sky turn blue
walking my dog after dark, hearing the sounds of the neighborhood
a glass of cold milk with chocolate chip cookies
the chill after a cool swim
a powerful backhand stroke that stays in the tennis court
sunlight shining through wet leaves after a summer rain
giving my daughter upside-down belly kisses
the crunch and crackle of crisp autumn leaves
mid-afternoon naps
ice cream on a summer evening
to go to bed after cleaning late, knowing you'll wake to order
taking backroads from work to see winter sights and holiday lights
turning on the radio at the start of a favorite song
a sunrise that colors the entire sky
the feeling of being hugged
leaves dancing in an autumn breeze
digging in the garden, moving worms out of my way
peanut butter melting on hot corn-on-the-cob
the smell of lilacs
finishing a crossword puzzle
puppies and kittens
loons on the lake
the hiss and fragrance when opening a fresh can of coffee
the wet, slobbery kisses of a grandbaby
making four stop lights in a row without speeding
getting a front-row seat at a play when they aren't reserved
a stranger's smile
the sound of migrating geese returning in the Spring
receiving an unexpected letter from a friend
my twelve-month-old sighing, cuddling in to me
laughing until you're out of breath
rolling over and going back to sleep
biting into a summer strawberry
the sound of sharp ice skates on smooth ice
watching a student "light up" because he/she 'got it'
coming up with the solution to a problem
the rhythm of two canoe paddles dipping into the morning's silence
the hot fudge in a banana, hot fudge sundae
lying in bed at night and seeing the city skyline through the window
hearing the door open when waiting for a teenager to come home
watching your spouse sleep
watercolor sunsets
sweet parsley sprigs
the smell of a hardware store
wooden pencils
flannel sheets on a cold night
building snow animals
the first smell of earth during a springtime walk in the woods
"How Great Thou Art" sung in French at the Grand Canyon
getting up early, before anyone else, and enjoying the quiet
the first snowfall every winter
a former student knocking on my classroom door
feeling tranquil when staring into a fire in the fireplace
looking for star constellations
newly-sawed wood
the intimacy felt when reconciling after a lover's quarrel
visiting my daughter and a grandchild exclaiming "Grandma's here!"
seeing a cardinal at my birdfeeder
hot tea in a pretty tea cup
gliding along on smooth tracks cross-country skiing
sleeping beside my husband's warm body
playing basketball with friends in the rain
running on a windy day
a cat's meow, asking to be let under the covers
waking up on a boat on the ocean
my dad's flattop
a long walk at dusk
swimming in a lake at night on a hot summer evening
curling up with a book you can't put down
watching a good movie with my wife
sitting alone in a deer stand
crawling under covers in a cold bedroom, my wife already there
someone scratching my back
clean sheets that have been dried outdoors
the warm, rough tongue of my cat giving me a kiss
the joy during the first dance with my husband at our wedding
mooing at cows in a field as you drive by
warm wind in my face
holding my dad's hand
having breakfast after church with our family
the hour before dawn at Lake Harriet
having my feet massaged by my husband
kneading and baking bread
the feel of a beautiful book
skiing on an empty street after a heavy snowfall
the strike of a bass on a top water lure
stuck in the house on a snow day
listening to Dan Chouinard sing and play "Piano Man"
dancing to our song
hearing my daughter's voice from a third-world country
reading poetry
the aroma of a pot roast
watching the color of fireworks and hearing all the "ahs"
sitting beside a rustling brook
climbing a tree and swaying in the wind
the smell of a glass of wine
the smell of warm cinnamon rolls
writing on the first page of a new notebook
ginger snaps baking on a crisp fall day
walking in the snow under a full moon
walking in a warm, light rain
making snow angels in newly fallen snow
when all my coffee cup handles face the same way
having a really really good day and overflowing with myself-I shine
sleigh rides
learning a new piece of music
playing football in the rain with friends
reading in bed with mom and dad
running when the rhythm is just right
making a perfect omelet
getting a tight hug from a one-year-old
hitting a baseball with a wooden bat

Amen!

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