by Rob Plummer
Most mornings, I get up and prepare three large mugs of hot tea (two for me, one for my wife). I set out my favorite mugs.
I boil the water in a kettle. I scoop the aromatic loose-leaf tea into a strainer and then pour the boiling water over the leaves. After 5-minutes of steeping, I add sugar and milk (British style). I start a crackling fire. (Well, I press “play” for a crackling fire video on YouTube.)
I settle down on the living room couch while it’s still dark and quiet to sip my tea and read my Greek New Testament.
The New Testament only gives us two sacred rituals or ordinances—baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Yet, by consciously embracing other non-sacred rituals, we attach the totality of ourselves to a habit, directing our lives towards things we choose to value.