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A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Ann Memmott, national and international adviser on inclusion for churches, with a focus on disability, autism and other neurodiversities

Good morning.

I am reliably informed that this is an animal charity’s Tea Party Day in some parts of the world. Those who know me from social media will appreciate that a nice cup of tea is a central part of my life. It’s also part of the life of so many other people across the world.

For me, a nice cuppa is more than just an opportunity to stop for a few minutes, in a life that whirls between my national autism and church work, and attempting further Post Grad studies. It’s also very much part of a needed pattern and structure to the day for me as an autistic person. The familiarity of sound, and fragrance, and warmth, and refreshment, is like a mini oasis in the midst of complicated situations.

But it’s more than that. It’s a chance to connect with others, something that, of course, has been so difficult and so precious during lockdown. Even sharing a cup of tea via online meetings with others has been its own joy, and, more recently of course, in real life from a safe distance. A chance to hear their stories, to share their lives. To listen to what is really important to them. In a crisis, a moment of certainty. If there’s cake as well, even better

As a Christian, I’m mindful of Bible verses about cups – admittedly normally of wine rather than tea - overflowing with God’s abundant love.

A prayer I have valued is this one:
Loving God, on days when my cup of life seems empty, and the future seems bleak, help fill me with the warmth of your blessing, the fragrance of healing and the peaceful stirrings of hope. Now and forever.

Amen.