Wednesday, January 30, 2008

The Coffee Ceremony.


Mug: Hand-thrown ceramic bowl from Portugal. Two-tone glaze (inner bowl glaze made by swirling the liquid glaze around in it before firing). Notice the small handles for grasping the bowl to drink from. Can be adventurous to drink out of if too full (notice the half-fullness).

Coffee: No adventure. 100% Columbian Supremo beans from CM. Made just slightly weaker than usual (notice the transparency).

Note: The bowl (and a matching companion) was a gift from an old friend in a previous life. It was for several years part of the Communion Set we used at Christ in the Wilderness Eucharistic Fellowship at Thanks-Giving Square in downtown Dallas. It served as either a lavabo bowl (for the priest to wash his hands in prior to the consecration of the elements), or as a ciborium (the vessel in which the communion bread was placed prior to consecration). It also saw use holding ashes for Ash Wednesday services at Thanks-Giving Square chapel.

It was used by several priests, four bishops, and one archbishop (George Carey, the Archbishop of Canterbury, then head of the Anglican Communion and the Church of England).

It's also suitable for the morning coffee ceremony at the Summer House, a ceremony that forms part of the Daily Office.

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