All I want for Christmas

Since childhood I have prayed for peace on Earth and goodwill towards men. I wake up each Christmas morning and the world seems the same. People continue to be people. Life remains a violent struggle for survival, superiority, wealth, power, and dominion. The gift of Jesus is to see that a life can be lived without these desires, and when life is lived in this way, we find ourselves following God's desires instead of our own. When we follow the way of Jesus, we respond in peace where others respond with violence, and goodwill when others respond with hate. So as I evolve in my Faith, my prayers are being answered, just not in the way I expected.

Make Straight the Way of the Lord

According to today's lessons and anthem we are exhorted to do the above roadway maintenance. Mary Kat, if made Prioress of the Abbey, would have us be silent for the 24 days of Advent. And you thought Lent was tough! Actually John did a whole lot more exhorting than is recorded and which unfortunately is only alluded to in the lesson. I suspect he would not be invited to many Christmas parties. We are happy that he is present only in the past, because he likely would be exhorting us to stop being silent! In all truth, I agree with Mary Kat that we should spend more time in silent meditation (although she did not say this directly). I cannot listen to God when I am too busy listening to myself. Silencing the thoughts is a challenging and rewarding experience. Give it 20 minutes a day and maybe you will hear God praying for you.

Good Things come in small packages

We have to thank Charlie for his early Christmas present. I am referring to his record setting 11 minute sermon. Maybe he is feeling the pressure of the season. Let us all slow down and appreciate the reason for the season lest in our rush to get through it we lose our focus. (Hopefully, Charlie will not take this as an excuse for a longer sermon).

The Second Coming

On this the first Sunday in Advent, Charlie touched on several themes. Some of these we have heard before (such as the voices of the Prophets coming from left field). He again took a shot at individulism, and I have to fire back. The Episcopal Church is standing on shakey ground if it tries to be the voice of prophesy. It can't point it's finger and say "do this," or "don't do that," until it gets it's act together. Until then, we individuals need to keep thinking, and talking since we are the Church. Will the Episcopal Church expire before me? Will there be a second coming of the Episcopal Church? The end of the world or the Apocalypse may be further in the future, but as an individual, I am facing "the Day of the Lord" or "the second coming" when I anticipate my own time of death. All this serious stuff can make my head spin, and when that happens, it is time to look to Bethlehem, clear my mind and focus on the promise of God's Gift to us. If we all do, maybe then we will use God's Gift as Charlie suggests, to create the promised land ourselves (my words not his).

christian Bloggers?

We were invited to link to this site. I still think we should be using a little "c" as we are all trying to be Christian, and none on earth can lay claim to a capital "C."