Celtic Odyssey

All loving and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see you in your one and eternal glory, our Father-Mother; who with the Child and the Holy-Spirit live an reign, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

Loving God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life to every people and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth, through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

As the title suggests, every third Friday of the month, there is a Celtic jam at a local music shop called ' Sonder Music '.  I have gone a couple of times and I went last night.  Only this time, I took my bodhran!  I told Mahina that I might not play it since I haven't been playing that long and playing in public is a bit un-nerving the first time out (for me, anyway).  But, I managed to get out my drum after a few moments and plaid for roughly and hour or so.  It was a great time! The key to drumming (any type really) is to blend in.  You only accent when needed.  You don't try to drown out the other musicians. The job of the drummer is to support the other instruments, to compliment the playing, not to play over them. I have seen too many drummers make every song a drum solo and it just ruins the music. Another aspect is to listen to the syncopation, the emphasis, and support that, to help emphasize that.  If there is a nice back beat ...

4 My Child, Remember [ 4:1 My child, remember day and night him who speaks the word of God to you, and honor him as the Lord. For wherever his lordship is spoken of, there he is.] 4:2 Seek each day the faces of the saints, in order that you may be refreshed by their words. 4:3 Do not initiate divisions, but rather bring peace to those who contend against one another. Judge righteously, and do not take social status into account when reproving for transgressions. 4:4 Do not waver in your decisions. 4:5 Do not be one who opens his hands to receive, or closes them when it is time to give. 4:6 If you have anything, by your hands you should give ransom for your sins. 4:7 Do not hesitate to give, and do not complain about it. You will know in time who is the good Rewarder. 4:8 Do not turn away from one who is in want; rather, share all things with your brother, and do not say that they are your own. For if you are sharers in what is imperishable, how much more in thi...

O God, our glorious Savior, you have exalted you only Child Jesus Christ with great triumph to your realm in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you an the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting.  Amen.

1 John 4.7-10 (NLT; adapted): [1] 7 Dear friends, let’s continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 8 But anyone who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love. 9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have the Life of the Ages through him. 10 This is real love — not that we loved God, but that God loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. This passage is quite shocking and I don’t think we really see the full impact of it. Notice that St John stated that followers of Jesus are to “continue to love one another.” To me, this reflects a possible issue with followers of Jesus today. With so many different groups (whether Protestant, Catholic, or Orthodox), some of us have an attitude that’s not the attitude of Christ (cf. Philippians 2.5-11 ). Perhaps we think more highly of ourselves than others ( Romans 12.3 ). Maybe we think that we have...

From last night's city council meeting: WHEREAS, the City of Norman annually spends taxpayer dollars purchasing food, apparel and other goods; and  WHEREAS, as consumers we have a responsibility to be cognizant of the impact that our consumption has on the communities that produce the goods that we purchase; and  WHEREAS, the City of Norman has a responsibility to ensure that city funds are spent in an ethical manner that promotes local economies both domestically and abroad whenever possible; and  WHEREAS, Fair Trade is a system that encourages fair labor practices and a healthy and safe environment and provides consumers with the opportunity to make a positive social impact in communities around the world through: providing decent working and living conditions and fair wages for workers guaranteeing producers a minimum price for their goods promoting direct, long-term trade relationships between producers and importers, allowing producers to develop competitive business...

This is a reprint from a post I wrote the year my Mother journeyed through the Valley of Shadows in 2006. ~~~ This is a hard post to write. I have put it off for days. It will be sporadic at best and completely discombobulated at worst. My Mom, after a long struggle with a very weird disease, passed from this dimension into the dimension of God on October 7th. She was only 60. This has been a very weird time for me and the rest of my family, especially, and obviously, for my Dad. They have been married for over 40 years. It is a very hard time for us. It has been said, by more than one person, that my Mom was the glue that kept the extended family together. She was the cog for the wheel. She was the 'wheel within the wheel'. And it's so true. Even when she was sick and in the hospital, she urged me and my family to go visit my Grandmother's sister ('Great Aunt'?) and her husband while they were visiting from California. (He was a famous artist.) She was ...

O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

For Peace Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one Father-Mother; to whom be dominion and glory, now and for ever. Amen. For our Enemies O God, the Father-Mother of all, whose Child commanded us to love our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth: deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you, through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. For Peace Among the Nations Loving God our heavenly Father-Mother, guide the nations of the world into the way of justice and truth, and establish among them that peace which is the fruit of righteousness, that they may become the reign of our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. For Our Country Loving God, who has given us this good land for our heritage: We ...

1.  In his section On Obedience , Abbott Columbanus quotes John 12.26 , "Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also." So then, where is Jesus?  Or, perhaps where was he while on earth?  Was he not with the "outcasts and sinners"?  Was he not with the "prostitutes and tax collectors"?  In other words, was Jesus not with those who were marginalized and all-but-fogotten in the social and religious world of his time?  I suspect that this is where we will still find him today.  And this is where we are to be as well if we say we are his followers. 2.  In the section On Silence , Abbott Columbanus quotes Isaiah 32.17 , "The effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust for ever." How unrighteous I am!  I have such a long way to go to "be peace".  I struggle constantly with anger and irritation.  And "quiet" or "silence" is so hard for ...

Loving God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know your Child Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ your Child our Savior, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.