Epicurean pleasures should be for every time!

Everything moving too slow today. Too slow.

He sounds like an amazing person. I'd never heard of his community before.

He was and they are. I know a number of people who've spent time there and found it life-changing. Fourth Pres here in Chicago, where an old friend is one of the ministers) does a Taize-style service on Tuesday Friday nights. Not that I've ever been. [Obviously]

Here's what 4th P has to say about Taize:

Taizé is an ecumenical community located near the small town of Taizé, France. Founded in 1940 by Brother Roger, who brought together brothers from all over the world, the community has long been committed to promoting and praying for reconciliation, peace, and unity. Each week it welcomes up to 6000 people, mostly young adults, from around the globe. They spend time in prayer, song, Bible study, workshops, discussion, and fellowship.

This community has developed a style of worship that reflects its lifestyle commitment. The worship is simple, beautiful, and more about praying and listening with the whole self than with the mind only. It is inclusive of all who wish to participate. By singing together simple chants that are short, easy to learn, and repeated many times, those worshiping in the style of Taizé are able to let go with their mind and to pray and listen to God with their heart. The chant becomes the prayer, and the chant becomes lost in the prayer. Brother Roger writes,

Nothing is more conducive to a communion with the living God than a meditative common prayer with, as its high point, singing that never ends and that continues in the silence of one’s heart when one is alone again. When the mystery of God becomes tangible through the simple beauty of symbols, when it is not smothered by too many words, then a common prayer awakens us to heaven’s joy on earth. Prayer is a serene force at work within human beings, stirring them up, transforming them, never allowing them to close their eyes in the face of evil, of wars, of all that threatens the weak of this world. From it we draw the energy to wage other struggles—to enable our loved ones to survive, to transform the human condition, to make the earth a place fit to live in.

Taizé has become a model for the formation of community all over the world. Many think that we need to come together as Christians and indeed as people of any faith. Joining in prayer together, as in the style of Taizé, is one small step we can take to begin the work of reconciliation, peace, and unity here in our community, even in our own lives.To learn more about Taizé, visit [link]

Is a toad blocker a kind of bojangler, do you think?

Character = Huck Finn, or that kid in My Side Of The Mountain, or Tip in Oz
First Movie = Mary Poppins
Actor Playing Me = Michael Keaton?

Lunch = So many options! The cuban sandwich at Birley's is unfuckingbelievable. I get the chicken tikka masala pretty often. Love the meatloaf sandwich smothered in mushroom gravy at the Ferry Building meat market. It has a core of molten cheese in the meatloaf. Roast pork at the Provencale place. Steak burrito at the fancy burrito place with the avocado salsa.

what's for lunch?

Today, it will be a portobello mushroom and turkey sausage. Unless I get inspired (and I might) to have something else.

My ideal workday lunch is a mixed greens salad with candied pecans and blue cheese crumbles with grilled chicken on top. A vinagrette would be nice as would bacon, but is not necessary.

Lunch Favorite is out bymyslef with decent food and a good book.

today- well I don't often eat a formal lunch. my netxt door neightbor took peaches off my tree and made a peach crisp - one for her family - one for us. that was breakfast.

next meal two of the tiny peaches from my tree.

then something with protien...eggs?

caeser salad with grilled chicken, and iced tea.

or, chicken and waffles!

mmmmm.

chicken and waffles.

Our church did a Taize service just this past weekend:

On Sunday, August 14, during the 10:30 am Festival Service, we will convene Taizé -style. What is Taizé (pronounced by many Americans as tih-ZAY)? Taizé is an Ecumenical Christian community based in the village of that name in southeastern France. Founded in 1940 by Swiss theologian Roger Schutz, it has been a communal centre for young Christians since the 1960s. Its community of monks is made up of members from the various Christian denominations all over the world. The Taizé community also works around the world among the poor.

A Taizé -style service is full of chants and songs which are repeated many times in a meditative fashion. Scripture is recited, prayers are said, and often candles are lit, but the music takes on power as it is repeated and varied and interspersed with silence.

Kat, I saw a cute wee townhouse rental thing I can afford, and it's close to you guys and is a one bedroom.

The church I used to work at dabbled in bringing Taize elements into the service. The serious liturgists went into various degrees of apoplecty.

Lunch today: I had some chicken salad salad, and then a chicken kabob pita sandwich.

Ideal work lunch: Hmm, I think that an Anna's Tacqueria carnitas burrito is the ideal lunch. Which is why I have it practically every day.