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Author: Neal Saye
Taizé Four 4/9/25 “Let All Who Are Thirsty”
Tonight was our church’s (Asbury Memorial, Savannah) fourth and final Taize service before the beginning of this Sunday’s Passover and Holy Week.
“Taizé is a meditative prayer service that incorporates simple repetitive song and chant, scripture readings, and periods of group silence in a setting of peace and soft light that fosters communion with God.” St. Mary’s of the Hill
After Pope John Paul Il visited the ecumenical, monastic Taizé community in France in 1986, he said:“One passes through Taize as one passes close to a spring of water. The traveler stops, quenches his thirst, and continues on his way. The brothers of the community do not want to keep you. They want, in prayer and silence, to enable you to drink the living water promised by Christ, to know his joy, to discern his presence, to respond to his call, then to set out again to witness to his love and to serve your brothers and sisters in your parishes, your schools, your universities, and in all your places of work.”
So come into this place of peace & let its silence heal your spirit; Come into this place of memory & let its history warm your soul; Come into this place of prophecy & power & let its vision change your heart. (From the service bulletin.)
Tonight‘s chant:
Let all who are thirsty come. Let all who wish receive the water of life freely. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
REMEMBERING OUR BAPTISM. You are invited to “Remember your baptism” by coming to the altar and receiving a stone from the flowing water of life. We encourage you to keep the stone with you throughout the seasons of Lent, Easter, and Eastertide. (From the service bulletin.)
May a Bit of Evening Peace be yours tonight.
Happy National Unicorn Day!
If it weren’t for this display near the entrance to Kroger, I might have missed this IMPORTANT CELEBRATION!
Monday Moaning or Monday Marveling? 4/7/25
This is a little late, but here’s what I’m moaning about this Monday.
SERIOUSLY?
I truly believe that the current administration has evil and dangerous elements.
Especially when it relates to African-American and minority populations in our nation.
And more especially when it comes to WHITEwashing history.
Just look at a few recent headlines …
Stop him. Stop him. Stop him. Stop him.
Lord in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Shhh … Silent Sunday. 4/6/25
My Saturday Evening Post: 3/29/25 “I Get Knocked Down”
Walking into The Fresh Market the other day, the first thing that greeted me was this, uh, spring display with, uh, colorful hyacinths.
Goodness!
Poor things.
I tried, but nothing I could say would cheer them UP.
I finally succeeded with this lively little ditty …
And that is my Saturday Evening Post.
Five Friday Happy Bringers 4/4/25
My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.
1. Morning Glory.
2. Simple Beige Beauty.
3. The inhale and the exhale.
And the oft-forgotten mindfulness of the inhale and the exhale.
4. The Breath of Fresh Air Robert and I are experiencing with the television reality series, “Love on the Spectrum.”
“Overview: Seven adults with autism dive headlong into a dating group to explore the unpredictable world of romance, tackling misconceptions about both themselves and how they want to live.” (Series Website)
We recently stumbled upon season two and are working through it now.
5. Playing hide and seek with a Japanese Flowering Cherry tree near us here in historic district Savannah.
May you experience a Bit of Play somehow this spring weekend.
200
Robert and I love reading together. Here’s how it most often works: probably 90% of our reading happens in the car, with HR driving and me reading to him out loud. We’re not picky in the type of books we read: fiction, nonfiction, biographies, science fiction, mysteries, coming of age, classics, poetry, self help, even children’s books.
We just finished our 200th book!
“The Message takes readers through Coates’ journeys all over the world, recounting his experiences in places like Dakar, Senegal; Columbia, SC; and Palestine’s West Bank. Each location is a springboard for reflecting on topics such as white supremacy, colonialism, and what it means to be a Black writer today.” oberlinreview.org
… and to love reading together.
I’m actually a TERRIBLE out loud reader. Sometimes I’ll get so caught up in the reading, that I’ll stop reading out loud and just read to myself more quickly, until Robert has had enough and yells, “NEAL, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”
Other times, when what’s happening on the page gets pretty emotional, I’ll get so choked up, I can’t continue. HR doesn’t yell during those times; he just waits impatiently until I have regained my composure.
He also tells me that (unbeknownst to me) I often weave in and out of pretty inauthentic dialects and reading styles trying to match the characters’ voices or the author’s “deep intentions.” I’m not sure I believe him.
Also, much to Robert’s consternation, I simply can’t say out loud the “F word.” Instead, when I get to that word, I’ll simply say the letter “F” or more commonly, switch it for another less dynamic word, knowing that he’s not seeing the page anyway.
For example, if the author has a character screech, “Just look at him! He’s an F-ing idiot!” I might read it to HR as, “Just looking at him! He’s a slightly less than intelligent, but probably well meaning, and soon-to-be much more mature and successful member of the human race!”
(Okay, I was kidding about that last part.)
I hope you love to read.
Is there a book you think we should read?
P.S. Because I’m sure you absolutely have to know, here’s what we’ve read. Yes, we’re nerdy enough to maintain an ongoing list of our reads …
Books We Have Read Together 4/3/25
1. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks – Skloot
2. The Art of Being Together – Wade
3. Happiness For Two – Stoddard
4. Choosing Happiness – Stoddard
5. Graces Notes – Stoddard
6. Time Alive – Stoddard
7. Make Your Bed -McRaven
8. Care as the Soul – Moore
9. Soul Mates – Moore
10. Simon and the Homo Sopiens Agenda – Albertalli
11. Ten Poems to Charge Your Life – Housden
12. Reading Lolita in Tehran – Nafisi
13. Opera for Dummies
14. The Ten Spiritual Laws of Success – Chopra
15. Vermont Afternoons with Robert Frast – Orton
16. Midnight in the Garden of Goad + Evil – Berendt
17. Ageless Soul – Moore
18. Cranberry Christmas – Devlin
19. A Cup of Christmas Tea – Hegg
20. Christmas Jars – Wright
21. A Stronger For Christmas – Peasson
22. Pride + Joy – Archambeau
23. Meditations From the Monk Who Dwells in Daily Life – Moore
24. Meditations From the Mat – Gates
25. Every Word Is a Bird We Teach to Sing – Tammet
26. Gullah: People of the Sea Islands – Faces
27. Stone Poems- Cellini
28. Candidates For Sainthood + Other Sinners – Cellini
29. Winnie the Posh- Milane
30. Fast Fond Genocide – Furman
31. Eat to Live – Furman
32. Johnathan Livingston Seagull – Bach
33. Chicken Soup for the Soul – Canfield + Hanson
34. The Houses on Pooh Corner – Milne
35. Grace Notes – Stoddard
36. Orphan Train – Kline
37. Marlon Bundo – Twiss
38. The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective – Rohr + Ebert
39. When We Were Very Young – Milne
40. Now We Are Six -Milne
41. The Wisdom of the Enneagram – Riso/Hudson
42. The Naked Now -Rohr
43. An American Marriage – Jones
44. More Happy Than Not- Silvera
45. Being Mortal – Gawande
46. The Dogs of Christmas – Cameron
47. What if it’s Us – Albetralli/Silvera
48. Happiness for Two- Stoddard
49. Harry Potter + the Sorcer’s Stone – Rowling
50. A Happy Pocket Full of Money – Gikarani
51. Harry Potter + the Cauldron of Secrets – Rowling
52. You are Your Choices – Stoddard
53. Harry Potter + the Prisoner of Azkaban – Rowling
54. Harry Potter + the Goblet of Fire – Rowling
55. Manifest Your Desires – Hicks
56. Harry Potter + the Order of the Phoenix -Rowling
57. Shortest Way Home – Buttigieg
58. Harry Potter + the HalfBlood Prince – Rowling
59. Holy Envy – Barbara Brown Taylor
60. Atlanta Then and Now – Rose
62. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Rowling
63. Max Makes a Million – Kalman
64. The BooK of Pride – Funk
65. Choosing Happiness – Stoddard
66. And the Pursuit of Happiness, Kalman
67. Everyday Positive Thinking – Hay
68. Why Is Blue Dog Blue – Rodrique
69. The pig of Happiness – Monkton
70. An Alter is the World – Taylor
71. Everyday Positive Thinking – Hay
72. Ooh lala, Max in Love – Kalman
73. Max in Hollywood, Baby – Kalman
74. Swami on Rye, Max in India – Kalman
75. Pride: The LGBTQ+ Rights Movement a Photographic Journey – Meason
76. New York: Not Only Buildings
77. Leaving Church – Taylor
78. Tao Te Ching – Lao Tzu
79. Smarty Pants, Pete in school – Maria Kalman
80. What Pete Ate – Kalman
81. Hiding My Candy – The Lady Chablis
82. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – Lewis
83. Disassembly Required – Wilett
84. The Magician’s Nephew – Lewis
85. Openly Bob – Smith
86. Savannah, Then and Now
87. Memory Rescue – Amen
88. The Orchid Thief – Orlean
89. The horse + His Boy – Lewis
90. Less -Greer
91. The Cat who Came for Christmas – Amory
92. Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend – Dicks
93. Prince Caspian – Lewis
94. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader – Lewis
95. Learning to walk in the Dark – Taylor
96. The Silver Chair – Lewis
97. Dancing on my Tears – Melita
98. The Last Battle – Lewis
99. David + Goliath – Gladwell
100. Eulogy of a Cracker Childhood – Ray
101. Becoming Nancy – Ronald
102. The soul of Money – Twist
103. Stillness Speaks – Tolle
104. Under the Rainbow – Laskey
105. White Fragility – Di Angelo
106. How to Be an Antiracist – Kendi
107. Names of God – Knight
108. Gay LiKe Me – Jackson
109. Between the World + Me – Coates
110. How the Penguins Saved Veronica – Prior
111. The Deviant’s Was – Cervini
112. Automatic Yall – Weaver
113. Mythology – Hamilton
114. I Have Something to Tell You – C Buttigieg
115. Lead Fran the Outbide -Abram
116. Pine + the Winter Spanow – Lumbard
117. Trust = Buttigieg
118. Huck Finn – Twain
119. Caste – Wilkerson
120. The Deal of a Lifetime – Backmon
121. Always a Guest – Taylor
122. Here where We Meet – Berger
123. Black Boy Out of Time – Ziyad
124. Hudson + Tallulah Take Sides – Kong
125. World of Wonders – NezhuKumatathil
125. Outside the Garden – Cellini
126. Getting the Love You Want – Hendrix and Hunt
127. The Velvet Rage – Downs
128. Antiracist Baby – Kendi
129. Stamped from the Beginning – Kandi
130. While Justice Sleeps – Abrams
131. Carry-on – Roswell
132. Wayward Son – Roswell
133. Any way the wind Blows – Roswell
134. Maybe You Should TalK to Someone – Gottlieb
135. Our Subway Baby – Espinso
136. Dancing with Daddy – Shulte
137. The Liars Dictionary – Williams
138. The Remaking of Corbin Wale – Parrish
139. In Defense of Food – Pollan
140. Here’s to us – Albertina and Silvia
141. Apples Never Fall – Moriarty
142. Dangerous Prayers
143. Stamped – Reynolds and Kendi
144. Nice Racism – DiAngelo
145. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm – Wiggin
146. South to America – Perry
147. On the Water – Brink
148. Calling Out the Gays – Larkin
149. This Way Out – Ahmed
150. The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle – Cain
151. The Black Flamingo – Atta
152. Ida B. wells – Duster
153. Baltimore – Then and Now – Mitchell
154. 1619 Project – Hannah – Jones
155. The Guncle – Rowley
156. Less is Lost – Greer
157. Boyfriend Material – Hall
158. Husband Material – Hall
159. Bright Winter Night -Brydon
160. The Universal Christ – Rohr
161. Boys Come First – Foley
162. The Book of Joy – Dalai Lama and Tutu
163. Anxious People – Bankman
164. Braiding Sweetgrass – Kimmerer
165. Remarkably Bright Creatures – Van Pelt
166. Patron Saints of Nothing – Riboy
167. God of the Hinge – Pool and West
168. Wild Spectacle – Ray
169. A Place for Us – Brandon J. Wolf
170. Pretty Perfect Kitty Corn – Hale
171. The Way Life Should Be – Dameron
172. Drifting into Darien – Ray
173. Wild Card Quilt – Janisse Ray
174. The Editor – Steven Rowley
175. The Mercies – Hargrave
176. The Old Place – Bobby Finger
177. Soil – Camille T. Dungy
178. The One and Only Ivan – Applegate
179. Happiness Falls – Angie Kim
180. Sleeping with the Ancestors – McGill
181. Christmas at Thompson Hall & Other Christmas Stories – Trollope
182. The Christmas Promise – VanLiere
183. The Nest – Sweeney
184. Gender Rebels – Locke
185. The Book with No pictures – Novak
186. A Winkle in Time – L’Engle
187. The Left Hand of Darkness – LeGuinn
188. Never Home Alone – Dunn
189. Y’all Means All: the emerging voices, Queering Appalachia – McNeill
190. The Silent Patient – Michaelides
191. Amelia Bedelia – Parish
192. The Cat WhoCould Read Backwards – Braun
193. The Heavenly Christmas Tree – Dostoyevsky
194. Cats Are Cats – Gorbachev
195. Jingle Bells: How the Holiday Classic Came to Be – Harris
196. Christmas by the Book – Ryan
197. Husbands – Gramazio
198. Detransition, Baby – Peters
199. Savannah: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure – Berinato
200. The Message – Coates
WHEW!
Taizé Three 4/2/25 “There Is a Balm”
Tonight was our church’s (Asbury Memorial, Savannah) third Taize service of the 2025 Lenton season.
Taize is a meditative worship service known for simple, repetitive chants, scripture readings, and times of silence, originating from the Taizé community in France.
Peacefully beautiful as usual, with the theme this evening of “There is a balm in Gilead.”
Whatever our faith (or lack thereof), we all probably need a balm from time to time, a gentle soothing.
The tranquil chorus we sang several times throughout the thirty minute service:
“There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole; There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul.”
May we all experience a Bit of Balm this lovely Springtime Season.
NealEnJoy 