21 February
Dear All,
We’re all familiar with the motivational quotes that adorn the walls of local cafés. One of my personal favourites is, “Life begins after coffee.” After Esbé and I began our working lives, we quickly realized that we would often only see each other before sunrise and after sunset. As a teacher, she starts her day early, while my meetings typically run into the evening. To counter this contactless routine, we established a deliberate slow coffee ritual in the mornings.
There’s something sacred about those early hours: grinding the coffee, slowly pouring the water, hearing the satisfying click of the gas stove igniting, and waiting for the coffee to fill the moka pot. We’ve considered switching to an electric coffee machine several times but always come back to our trusty moka pot. It has accompanied us on camping trips, hikes, and even day trips to the park. Using an electric machine seems to undermine the very ritual we are trying to create—a moment of pause before the day’s worries begin to creep in, before checking the news, scrolling through social media, or reading emails to review the day’s agenda.
I understand that not everyone enjoys coffee, but whatever your rituals may be, it’s essential to protect these sacred moments in our day. The group Every Moment Holy creates liturgies for everyday events, and this week I was particularly inspired by their Liturgy for Morning Coffee, which aligns beautifully with our Sunday theme of resurrection.
A Liturgy for the Ritual of Morning Coffee
Meet me, O Christ,
in this stillness of morning.
Move me, O Spirit,
to quiet my heart.
Mend me, O Father,
from yesterday’s harms.
From the discords of yesterday,
resurrect my peace.
From the discouragements of yesterday,
resurrect my hope.
From the weariness of yesterday,
resurrect my strength.
From the doubts of yesterday,
resurrect my faith.
From the wounds of yesterday,
resurrect my love.
Let me enter this new day,
aware of my need,
and awake
to your grace,
O Lord.
Amen.
Marius Louw