Sharing a Bottle of Wine

The closest thing Linda and I have to what you would call a "religious ritual" is sharing a bottle of wine.

Psalms suggests, "He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate— bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart". Psalm 104:15

We open the bottle of wine and give it time to breathe. We always play the same two discs (Nickel Creek's first album and an Alison Krauss album)... these were burned for us by Linda's dad Larry years ago.

The study of wine- viticulture, terroir etc. - is one of the few bodies of knowledge over the years that has seemed as rich to me as the study of theology, psychology, or philosophy.

As our wine breathes we prepare plates with cheese and crackers... we then drink our wine as we eat our cheese and crackers and listen to our music.

It is rare that we don't end up in a bonding soul conversation... about our selves... our upcoming week... our spiritual/soul pilgrimage at this time...

This experience, sharing a bottle of wine with Linda in this way, feels like a sacrament to me.