Waiting for Advent (Waiting Time)

God's blessed me with an empty church for the day, so I can pull body and soul together for the bittersweet season of Advent. Fr. Stan Ratai taught me the richness of "Quotidian Prayer" ---as you do the day-to-day mundane chores, especially if you are alone, it is easy through a little thought to turn them into prayers. Today with the Advent Wreath, and violet colors and  somewhat pensive music ready, I can pause, wish you a good Advent, with some quiet time away from retail and deafening commercials. God still comes with peace as his gift .
By the way, there's a lovely little book by Kathleen Norris , "The Quotidian Mysteries: Laundry, Liturgy and 'Women,'sWork" "[Paulist Press]. Men do more laundry and other chores than ever, so it applies to all of us..

                        God sleeps in stone,                                                            

                        breathes in plants,

                        dreams in animals

                        and awakens in man.

                        –Vedic proverb

After Listening All Day to a Revival-Style Retreat

I do not like being yelled at. Never have. Something must have happened when I was a child that I don’t remember, but I can’t stand someone shouting to prove their point, as if volume equals truth, especially when that person purports to be a person of God.

I feel if you have to scream your message to persuade or inspire, you don’t have much of a message. One speaking to a religious community should seek to inspire people to move in a unified direction and to feel they are not alone, but are supported by each other (including the speaker.)

But religious preaching and religion in general, shows its worse side when the goal is one of manipulation: to make everyone think the same, act the same, and feel the same (which is, of course the preacher’s set of belief.)

Churchill’s speech of “blood and sweat” was inspiring; any of the oratory of Hitler was manipulative.

Religious demagoguery convinces you that, not only do you face an evil enemy, but that enemy is YOU. Only by doing what the shouters and screamers say will you be spared.

“Don’t follow leaders. Watch your parking meters.”

 

Post by Frederick Buechner.

Pope Francis: 'Not Fooled For A Minute' By Pope Benedict's Disguise

Anyone who follows my many blogs, knows how God and I have not been on the best of terms. The feeling is mutual, I'm afraid. But Vonnegut taught me  to appreciate  moments of grace. Last week they cut off my WIFI due to lack of payment., realizing how much of an internal organ  my laptop has become. Suddenly yesterday God gave me a WIFI neighborhood connection, This got me back to normalcy, and I spent the day anxiety-free.