It was not a silent night. It was a night of labour; the effort and pains to bring a new life into the world. It was a night of chaos; the struggle to find a safe place for a family and the fear for the health of a mother and infant boy. It was a night of oppression; the force of a mighty army and the whims of an arrogant dictator that forced a nation to crisscross the land; the oppression of sin that separates a creation from it’s Creator.

It was a night of change; the night when the whole earth shook at the sound of an infant’s cry; the night when hope of peace shattered the shroud of despair; the night of joy and reconciliation; the Divine night when mercy brought God himself to live among us.

May the hope of that night bring you joy and peace so that on this night we, too, may rejoice in the presence of our Savior. Amen.

I’ve been writing microerotica for 5 days, adding a line each day to the vignette. I’m not sure how long it will be. (Tantric microerotica?) It’s a challenge to write one sentence a day that has some impact. Writing stories, paricularly novel-length, allows for a lot of “waste”: sentences and paragraphs that give the writer time for nuance or getting at a scene from different paths.

This is more like poetry, where each word is loaded, or hopefully so, in order to expand the story rather than shrink it, like many words and more control over the scene do. Sometimes writers deny the reader her own imagination by filling in too much.

The tricky thing about writing on Twitter is that the story is in reverse order unless you read it daily. In case you’d like to be caught up, here it is so far:

Chestnut hair cascades its gentle weight, sways with her laughter. My pale eyes dilate in the darkness where I masquerade as her friend.
I want to breach the intimacy of her lips, fill my mouth with her heat. I want to touch her. Just touch her.
The amaretto-soaked cherry pauses at her lips. From behind the amber cellophane of my glass, I drown my desire in sublimation.
I’ll write a Western, and she’ll be a saloon whore. She’ll wear a bodice and her hair in a ribbon, and men will ask why she isn’t married.
She doesn’t know her own heart, doesn’t see that I can’t stop myself. I take her home. My hands insist.
With a touch, I possess her, my lips to hers, a first trespass, an unraveling.
Her breath fills me as her mouth receives my tongue. Night settles on our skin. Mingled breaths eclipse the day as we befriend the night.
Reckless touches follow. With an easy glide, her moisture admits my intrusion, and her breath leaves in a startled gasp.
My hands covet the wet flesh pulsing with warmth. She moans and spreads her legs. I stroke inside her, loving the soft walls.
She trembles as my fingers grope. She makes blind my desire, like a spike in my vein. I slide down, my greedy tongue tasting soft flesh.

(twitter.com/teresawymore)

As you probably noticed, WoW turned 5 last Sunday. We all got an Onyxian Whelpling (which is cute, but it’s kinda hard to use it given everyone has it), and a wave of nostalgic interviews and posts about the game that absorbs us all. Couple of themes seem prevalent, when people think back about the past 5 years. One is the amazement we all felt at the beginning of our journeys into Azeroth. From the introductory cinematic (which is pretty engaging), to the arrival to the majestic Gates of Ironforge or the entrance of Stormwind, I think we can all agree that “immersion” and “epic scale” are two things that Blizzard did right. (You will notice that I mentioned the Alliance capitals – I think the Horde original capitals are nice, but not epic at all, or not in the same scale).

The other is storytelling. Blizzard has been a master to actually use the game to tell stories, and to push forward the lore. In fact, I think one of the biggest changes – and one of the best, in my opinion – from vanilla to Wrath is the movement from simple quests (“kill x wolves”) to storyline quests, which somehow either fit the theme of the expansion, or develop a secondary plot. Vanilla didn’t really have a single, unifying story – while BC had the progress of the fight against Illidan (and then Kil’Jaeden, which was summoned in our world by a disgruntled Kael’Thas) and Wrath chronicles the fight against Arthas. In my view, this storytelling device increases the involvement of players into the world – thus building on the charms of the world.

From my part, I have some fantastic memories: first run of Scarlet Monastery (when I understood what it meant to be a healer for an instance), first run of Molten Core (the panic about keeping tabs on the health of 40 people), first kill of C’thun (with all the priests smiting because we were out of time), first kill of Kil’Jaeden (after a crazy, 2-month run of Sunwell to get it done before Wrath). The best memory I have, though, is the day I obtained my Benediction. This is probably something anyone who has not played a priest in vanilla cannot understand – but let me give you a quick rundown.

Creating Benediction required three elements: the Eye of Shadow, the Eye of Divinity, and the Splinter of Nordrassil. The Eye of Shadow dropped from Kazzak, a world boss spawning about twice a week in the Blasted Lands. Because he was in the world, there was some serious competition to get him while he was up, as well as some serious griefing between Alliance and Horde. The Eye of Divinity was a drop off Major Domo’s chest, in Molten Core. Once you had the Eye of Divinity, equipping it allowed you to see the ghost of Eris Havenfire, a Human Priestess, who had failed to save the city of Stratholme from the Scourge and from Arthas subsequent razing. Eris asked you to do what she couldn’t – to save the plagued citizens of Stratholme. The reward? Nothing less than a splinter of the World Tree (and it’s not clear how that’s got into Eris’ hands, but we’ll gloss over that). As soon as you accept a quest, a wave of Stratholme peasants spawns nearby. Some of them are diseased, and you need to cure them or they will die quite quickly. Skeletal archers will also shoot them, so it’s important that you keep the peasants’ health up. Finally, skeletal warriors will swarm you and prevent you from doing your job.

Now, to make things slightly more complicated, you cannot have any outside help – no buffs, no auras, no heals from party members. Also, this is when the 50g respeccing fee was a MAJOR deal – so much so that, for all the importance of this quest, I decided to do it as shadow, which was my current spec at the time. All the web walkthroughs were mentioning that Holy Nova was essential to do this – but Holy Nova, at that time, was the 31 pts talent in the Holy Tree (no comment about the talent trees of the release version). So, after getting both Eyes from my raid, I spent about a week collecting all possible consumables: Mana potions, of course, but also Flasks of Distilled Wisdom, Oils of Immolation, Whipper Root Tubers and the other Felwood herbs, Cerebral Cortex Compound and the other Blasted Lands buffs, all possible food (because all the different food stacked), the Dire Maul drinks… Then I got a mage, warlock, druid and shaman friends to come with me: they were supposed to give me their buffs, and then stand on the hill Eris was on, and not move at all – because if they did move, they would be counting as intruding, and this would spawn the demon who would insta-kill all of us. So after all this preparation, I got to the questgiver, started the event – and failed. Badly.

After you failed, Eris would despawn for 2 hours – so of course you would have to restart all your preparation and come back possibly another day. I tried three times: twice I failed because I just couldn’t triage the peasants, once because an overeager friend moved to “try to see what was happening” (which of course he couldn’t, because he would not see all the ghosts I was fighting) and spawned the demon. The fourth time, I decided to forego all the player buffs. I had all my potions and foods and juices, but I just couldn’t face asking my friends to travel to Eastern Plaguelands, just to watch me fail. So I just went, one morning before work, not feeling confident at all – and I got it. I don’t know how many peasants I lost, but I had found my rhythm, and was abolishing, renewing, shielding and shackling all I could, drinking all the potions on cooldown, killing the skeletons on cue. And Eris gave me the Shard of Nordrassil.

At that particular moment, I felt on top of the world. I had conquered the most difficult challenge for a priest – I was worthy of the most awesome weapon that was available. I had also saved a city – a city that was damned by the Kel’Thuzad’s plague, and that Arthas had to destroy in his attempt to save the whole Kingdom of Lordaeron. I may not have had the full Prophecy Eris was wearing (in fact, I think I was hardly in full Devout) – but I had done it. In other words, the challenge of the mechanics in-game (triaging waves of friendly units, which were actually hard to target, while enemy units beat on you) combined with a very powerful story to make me, Tsark, the Mediocre Priest, a true Hero.

Invoking God’s presence — the invocation.

Speaking good words (from God) — the benediction.

—————————————————————–

I have never been a member of a “high church” church, but I’ve heard my share of invocations and benedictions. Usually, the words are fairly well crafted, and/or are thoughtful.

Three OT passages in the NASB use the word “invoke”:

1. Num. 6:27 is invokes God’s action for blessing.
2. Is. 48:1 calls out Israelites who invoke God but are obstinate.
3. Jer. 44:26 also puts invoking in a negative light.

In no English Bible passage (NASB, NIV, KJV, NCV, or even The Message) is the word “invocation” used. And yet it is a thing, a practice of some Christian “services” (another abiblical creation).

In only one English Bible passage (and that, in The Message, a paraphrase) is the word “benediction” used. It would appear that this use is a capitulation, a nod, to modern practice rather than an account of a historical one. Today’s “benediction” also is a thing, a practice that has been created and infused into Christian experience without much, if any, biblical foundation.

Both these practices seem inherently God-focused, which is good. It’s not that they’re wrong in their intent, or even in their content. But they have taken on lives of their own. Perhaps if they were less ritualized, the intent could be realized more often, by more people.

Receive the benediction!

Thanks again so much to Oscar Raymundo and the staff at A Different Light in SF. The reading on Saturday went great and it was wonderful to be in such an iconic space, too! Short post as I’m on the road for Thanksgiving, in the winter wonderland that is Salt Lake City this morning.

Oscar Raymundo introduces Jim Arnold (right)

Bénir, c’est simple et c’est compliqué !

Simple car le geste qui accompagne la parole de bénédiction est facile à exécuter. La parole elle-même peut tenir en quelques mots: « je te bénis au nom de Dieu », ou: « sache-le, Dieu te veut du bien, sois en sûr, Dieu t’aime ».

Ainsi bénir, ce n’est pas donner un jugement de valeur ou une approbation morale de ce que les gens vivent, mais c’est bien dire: « Dieu n’est pas exclu de ce que vous vivez, il vous accompagne ».

En ce sens, l’Eglise célèbre des cultes et bénit les personnes à l’occasion d’événements importants qui marquent la vie: le 11 novembre, des obsèques, une « désalliance » (divorce), des noces d’or, des fiançailles, des confirmations, etc.. .

Mais en même temps, bénir est compliqué, car : qui bénir? Tout le monde, comme le dimanche matin, à la fin du culte? Et pour le domaine qui nous occupe: tous les couples ?

De la bénédiction d’un couple

Rappelons que la bénédiction d’un couple hétérosexuel n’est pas non plus évidente! L’attestation de certificat de mariage délivrée par l’autorité civile ne donne pas « droit » à la bénédiction du couple, elle rend les choses envisageables.

Ainsi, lorsque des époux demandent la bénédiction de leur mariage, ils découvrent fréquemment que la réponse qui leur est faite n’est pas immédiate, ni formulée en oui ou en non: ils sont invités par le pasteur à entrer dans un cheminement spirituel, à (re)découvrir le sens du mariage chrétien et de la bénédiction. Ils sont invités à prendre le temps d’une pause, d’une mise à distance pour lire leur vie de couple même si celle-ci est encore à vivre, à réfléchir s’ils sont « prêts à prendre les engagements contenus dans la liturgie ».

En chemin, certains époux peuvent être amenés à réaliser eux-mêmes qu’ils ne sont pas prêts à s’engager.

Ce cheminement spirituel est aussi celui d’un couple homosexuel. Mais qu’est-ce qui fait que la bénédiction d’un couple homosexuel peut faire problème ?

Le problème réside notamment dans le risque d’assimiler la bénédiction d’un couple homosexuel à une bénédiction d’un couple hétérosexuel. Ce risque sera levé si la bénédiction est l’occasion de nommer la particularité d’un couple homosexuel et d’en dire la spécificité.

Nommer la spécificité de la bénédiction d’union homosexuelle

En effet, comment refuser une parole de bénédiction et des signes sur l’union de deux personnes qui s’engagent dans la durée, la fidélité, et l’amour ?

La demande de bénédiction d’un couple homosexuel doit être reçue, écoutée, travaillée avec autant de sérieux que l’est une demande venant d’un couple hétérosexuel.

La responsabilité de l’Eglise est alors de rappeler que la relation à deux est une affaire complexe qui demande élaboration et vigilance quant à la qualité des enjeux pour chacun; ceci est vrai pour les hétérosexuels mais aussi pour les homosexuels: qu’il y ait bénédiction ou non relèvera d’un travail de discernement.

Mais d’autre part, arrivé à ce point, il sera de la même responsabilité de l’Eglise de dire clairement cette bénédiction, mais aussi de dire la spécificité de la reconnaissance de ce couple : cette bénédiction ne sera pas une bénédiction de « mariage ».

La bénédiction d’une union homosexuelle n’est pas une bénédiction de mariage, dont l’expression doit être gardée pour désigner une alliance de contraires (hétéroi) ayant la possibilité de s’inscrire dans la succession des générations.

Pour une bénédiction d’un couple de semblables (homoïoï), on pourra parler de “bénédiction d’union”.

Toute cette réflexion ouvre sur la question de la prise en compte (et d’une bénédiction éventuelle par l’Eglise) des nouvelles formes de vie de couple.

Texte d’ Antoine Noui, extrait de L’Eglise et les homosexuels, part. 1.1-1.2, document rédigé à la demande du Conseil National de l’Église Réformée de France (ERF), version révisée, été 2002.

JIm Provenzano reviews Benediction ahead of the reading in San Francisco this Saturday (7:30 pm, A Different Light, Castro near 18th):

“Arnold’s writing style is straightforward with occasional bursts of dry wit, through post-operative appointments with a hunky doctor whom he eventually beds, and even when Ben ends up locked in a cell post-blackout at a police station. His various encounters with backstabbing coworkers, flirtatious festival presenters, and perhaps the novel’s largest symbolic object, his bulging apartment wall, gradually build to a breaking point.”

See entire review here:

http://www.ebar.com/arts/art_article.php?sec=books&article=493

Soup kitchen / unemployment line

Originally uploaded by bacharachblog

I might as well self-publish the story, an interesting one since I have no idea how it will turn out, and no real outline for it – yet. I spent an inordinate amount of time yesterday updating my picture on linked-in, where the software would not take my Frank Mullaney portrait, then finally did. They must have a cross-promotion with amazon.com because they asked for a book list, so naturally, I posted my own book Benediction and gave it a great recommend. Yesterday in the mail I got the health insurance cancellation notice from my former employer, hence the early morning wake-up call – something that strikes a low gut-blow to any cancer survivor, and probably everyone else as well…

Open letter to Bishop Thomas Tobin 

If you had been the priest instructing me during my conversion to the Church, which happened before you were born, I would still be a Protestant. At that time I learned that being a Catholic was committing oneself to Christ and his teachings. It meant devoting one’s life to love of God and love of all others. Joining the Church would entitle me to receive the Eucharist and benefit from the other Sacraments.

          In your letter to Congressman Patrick Kennedy, you imply that when one becomes a Catholic, this person relinquishes freedom of thought and action. As demanded by the four most prominent dictators of the last century, all must conform to the dictates of authority.  Back then, citizens who did not commit to ordered thinking, talking and acting were considered traitors. Your requirement for membership in the Church calls for mandated conscience. And in your opinion, Catholic laypeople should be like robots, which nod in unison when Church leaders press the button. I have never studied theology, but I doubt if that is what Christ had in mind when he initiated the Church.

          You would like for Catholics to act as do pawn Congresspersons who vote as instructed by their Party, regarding of what they think of the merits of pending legislature. Although this is effective in cramming through legislation, I don’t think it should have a role in our Catholic religion.

          I pray for you.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, the whole group of   disciples joyfully began to praise God at the top of their voices for the miracles they had seen.

                                                                                      Luke 19:37 

Pray with a Broad Brush 

Never underestimate the effectiveness of your prayer.  In this world of unseen magical mystery, no one knows by what means one’s thoughts can affect another person.  But it can and often does. So, recognize this fact and put it to good use.  In my six-man prayer group which has been meeting for over a dozen years, we have had so many healings for those on our Special Intentions List that we refer to it as our Miracle List.

          One summer, I was at a “Salvador Dali Happening” in a town in the Costa Brava region of Spain. The event was staged in the large market center where a string of bed sheets had been strung from wires.  When the great maestro appeared with his perfected waxed moustache, he took hoses filled with different colored waters and playfully sprayed designs on the hanging sheets and also splattered some of us in the crowd. Then he laughed and shouted, “Now you can tell your grandchildren you were painted by Dali!”

          That day, rather than painting on a small canvas, this artist created large patterns on the sheets.  In the same way, I find it invigorating to expand a secret prayer for many people. It can be done anywhere.  Often when I am on a plane or bus, I will pray for all the passengers.  While waiting in a crowded bustling airport, I might pray for everyone there.  I can imagine an anxious soul seated at the other end of the building, suddenly getting a tingle of comfort from my prayer, never knowing where it came from. This makes me feel like a generous and anonymous billionaire.

          So throughout the day, test your power of prayer by using it generously for all within your area of being. Be aware of your prayer-power and don’t be stingy.  Also, realize that out-going prayers have a boomerang effect.

          In 1550, Blosius the Venerable, abbot of a Benediction abbey in Liessies, France, wrote, “Each man, without any exception whatever, must sincerely love as himself all others spiritually, desiring for them the grace of God and everlasting happiness. He should look upon all as bothers and sisters, called to the same happiness as himself.”

Admired sayings

“A church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.”

                                      Abigail “Dear Abby” Van Buren

Haiku time

          A joyful Catholic

          gives joy and love to all, so

          joyful Catholic be!

(Send me yours: joyfulcatholic@comcast.net)

Current news

          In response to an atheist appealing to a Florida judge for an Atheist Holy Day, the judge told his attorney, “The calendar says April 1 is April Fools Day. Psalm 14.1 states, ‘The fool says in his heart, there is no God.’ Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that, if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1 is his day. Court is adjourned!”

Joyful Catholic Quiz

The first winner of a gift copy of Light Reading for Good and Wayward Catholics, who clocked in at 8:40AM on November 10^th, is Luella Margarita in Key West, FL.

1.     Saint Luke died by hanging in Greece as a result of his tremendous preaching to the non-believers.

2.     At the Vatican, Saint Peter’s Basilica was built in the 16^th century as a replacement of the original structure.

3.     Saint Jane Frances de Chantal is the saint who was married, had seven children; she established the order of Visitation nuns and eight-five monasteries before her death in 1641.

Chuckle time

Elderly parishioner: Oh, Father Moran, you have had such an interesting life, you should write your autobiography.  

Father Moran: As a matter of fact, I have been recording my life story. But I am so busy, it probably will be published postmortem.

Elderly parishioner: Well, the sooner the better.

My favorite priest

 Father John Mericantante,

Pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Pahokee, Florida.

Pahokee is a small agricultural community on the shores of Lake Okeechobee in central Florida.  The earth is rich and black, and from December to June it brings forth wonderful crops of vegetables and sugar cane. Later in the year an occasional September hurricane or a freeze in January/February can destroy those wonderful crops.  The people doing the back-breaking work to raise these crops are mostly poor migrants who came from Central and Latin America and are trying to eke out a meager living for themselves and their families.  The majority of them are Catholics. 

Father John was sent to St. Mary’s 10 years ago, without speaking Spanish, and he has submerged himself totally in their culture and needs, helping in every way possible.  For example, the water in Pahokee is very often not drinkable and he shares the clean water from the rectory’s filtering system with whoever needed it.  He has assisted in completing paperwork, obtaining housing etc. for his parishioners whenever asked. 

St. Mary’s Church is tiny and behind it there are two small wooden sheds, one for food and one for clothing and appliances.  People from other communities, members of the Knights of Columbus and unaffiliated private citizens bring the above-mentioned items to St. Mary’s.  Some are given away, some are sold at very low prices and any “profits” are then used to pay such things as electric bills for the needy.  When we bring a van full of items, Father helps unload the bags and boxes.  He has also arranged to have a clinic on the premises where doctors give their time without charge to give medical aid to the poor people in the area.  

He was recently offered a transfer to another parish but he chose to remain in Pahokee with the community that needs him so much.  In the midst of all this poverty a very special thing occurred last year: an anonymous donor gave $750,000 to St. Mary’s Church so that a new, larger Church can be built.  Hopefully, there will be a ground-breaking soon.  Fr. John is a very special person and a very special priest.

Submitted by Anita and Bob Kehlhofer in Atlantis, Florida

(Submit your favorite priest to joyfulcatholic@comcast.net)

Special Intentions

As you pray with a broad brush, please include these loved ones, who have been submitted by our readers. You, too, are invited to send me names of your special persons who are in need of prayer. My address is joyfulcatholic@comcast.net. They will be on the list for 60 days. At the end of that time, if prayers are still needed, you merely have to renew the name.

Juanita Caldwell, David Abbey, Amie Ellis, Linwood “Skip” Williams, Gerry Paradiso, Nick DeCarlo, Tom Medved, Bob Haines, Eileen Grotsky,

Rebecca Matthews, Roseanne Somlock, Nicholas Gallagher, Tom Lewis,

Susan McGahee, Violeta Zepeda, Rev. Joseph Healy, John Aylor,

Rev. Joseph Marini, Enrique Portillo, Sharon McPike, Joe Berger, Tom Ryan

Interesting to see that 7 of the 12 titles listed as of today for the Gay Debut Fiction category (Benediction included) are P.O.D. titles, 6 from BookSurge and 1 from iUniverse. I imagine that is a graphic illustration of just how much the traditional publishing business is changing as well as evidence of authors taking the reins of the process, following in the footsteps of what’s happened in the music business over the last ten years or so. As beneficial as this “democratization” of the ways to introduce artistic products to the masses is, I for one hope there will always be at least a few movie theaters and brick-and-mortar bookstores around.

http://www.lambdaliterary.org/awards/current_nominees.html

Wow, this sure brought back memories of Saturday nights in the 70s. The litany was MTM, then Newhart, then a beer run, then SNL, and then out to get laid commune with fellow college students. Chuckles was written by great TV writer David Lloyd, who died this week from prostate cancer. They just don’t make – or write – stuff this good these days. Thanks for the laughter, David.

Elisa reviews Benediction below:

“When Ben had everything, he didn’t know what he really wanted, now that he is on the edge to loose everything, he will have the chance to understand what is really important for him. In a way tragedy helps Ben, freeing him from all the unnecessary things, he will have an enough clear view to see what it really matters.”

http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/864572.html

Have a great Monday, everyone.

I wrote a piece on prostate cancer (what your doctor won’t tell you) and it’s on the Daddyhunt blog linked here (warning, it’s NC-17!!)

Daddy Hunt Blog

Two weeks ago, at the feast of St Luke, I officiated at a solemn evensong with benediction of the blessed Sacrament. It was the first benediction I had officiated at. I remember attending benediction for the first time as an undergrad at Durham and being moved by the experience, but without the theological literacy to unpack the experience. A few years later I attended another benediction in Cardiff. It was one of those ‘precious’ high churches, with bevies of ordinands trying to out do each other in the laciness of their cottas, and the smartness of their genuflections. That event put me off benediction for over a decade.

Personal experience must be at the heart of religious faith. One bad experience made me theologize that the efficacy of the eucharistic Sacrament is in the eating and drinking, leaving benediction high and dry from sacramental grace. I think this is the mainstream Protestant view of benediction. However, my recent experience, on the other side of the humeral veil, put me back in touch with my first, positive experience of benediction.

Never having had officiated at benediction before, I was in a state of blessed ignorance, totally focused on remembering what I was to do next. I was weighed down by what felt like half-a-ton of grade-one ecclesiastical drapery round my shoulders that constantly pulled my stole and cotta out of place. I also had to struggle to keep a football of a thurible under control while still making it smoke sufficiently. However, the slowed pace of benediction put me in a place of meditation, concentrating on the ritual practicalities kept the usual distractions away. As I lifted the Sacrament in the monstrance, heavy cope and humeral veil obscured me, making me suitably faceless to the congregation at the point of benediction, and plunging me into a private tabernacle of grace. The organ crashed and bells shimmered.

I have been reflecting on this experience since. There is something in it that reminds me of worship I’ve experienced in various Eastern Christian churches, a sense of heaven come close. There is something specifically iconic about the exposition of the blessed Sacrament. There is something here that we miss in the parish eucharist, with its packed hour of word and sacrament, hymns and prayers, notices and neighbourliness. We need all those things, but we miss this meditative space where we come before a window on the Eternal.

Toute découverte comme le moyen d’agir qui en découle, peuvent constituer aussi bien une bénédiction qu’une malédiction.
Ce moyen est neutre en soi, qu’il s’agisse de la hache de pierre de l’homme paléolithique ou d’une bombe.

la voix prophétique

Here’s the link to the podcast ReaderViews did earlier this week for Benediction.

http://insidescooplive.com/author-pages/Arnold-Jim-interview_Benediction.html

Thought it went well, though it was first thing in the morning after an evening flight back from New Orleans, the usual 45 minute wait for the Union Station FlyAway bus, the Redline back to Los Feliz and then the gravelly walk past the Cheetahs bar (which is right across the street from Goodwill, and a short block from the Fire Station) – there’s a plot there somewhere. But I digress. It’s Friday and I’m looking forward to the weekend.

Thanks to Otis and Amos Lassen for the good word – did the first-ever (well, outside of class, anyway) reading of Benediction. It was a beautiful if cool day in NOLA, on the street in front of the Faubourg Marigny Art & Books, which has been in that location for 30 years. There was a bit of competition from a sewer vacuum truck, but that didn’t last long. It’s pretty interesting who will stop and listen when you do something like this on the sidewalk.

Books for Sale

Fabourg Marigny Art & Books

The author in the black shirt

Shocked at the frankness.

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thiruvadikkae

No Spiritual Master is comparable to any other master. Each Spiritual Master is so unique that he is incomparable. If you start comparing, you will miss the whole point; you will miss their reality. That reality is unique. Spiritual masters cannot be compared.

You just look into him, and then you will be surprised. Masters are unique in their manifestation and they are one in their innermost core. Each Master is unique, and yet represents the universal.

The Master lives in the present. To live in the present, the basic need is to withdraw yourself from the past, to withdraw yourself from the future. Then there comes a concentration of energies (Universal energy – Divine Energy); then this small moment becomes luminous, you pour your total energy into it. Then there is joy and benediction.

]]> http://jimarnoldla.wordpress.com/2009/10/14/nola-reading-on-saturday/ Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:48:10 +0000 jimarnoldla http://jimarnoldla.wordpress.com/2009/10/14/nola-reading-on-saturday/

Details in the Times-Picayune about the Benediction reading on Saturday.

http://www.nola.com/living/t-p/index.ssf?/base/living-14/125549776555580.xml&coll=1&thispage=2

http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-10-06-voa28.cfm

but I bet they don’t write novels about it. Find out how Ben deals with PCa radiation in Benediction.

We will be closing our blended service on 10/11 with a new song from the hymnal supplement called “May the Peace of God”.   It’s a benediction song and you can see one of the songwriters (Stuart Townend) perform the song here:

He wrote it together with Keith Getty.  It’s also interesting to note that Stuart likes to transpose a song in the key of E to D and capo it at the second fret; same as me (scroll down the page to see my post about the dropped D Capo position.)