Periodically, I feel that it is my responsibility to practice a little “tough love”. As a parent, I am called upon to do this on occasion (about 16-17 times per day); and as a Christian, I must recognize that a big part of loving my neighbor means taking the time to tell him or her that they are a raving moron and that they are in serious need of a reality check. (Message to any Progressive Episcopalians, read Neo-Unitarians, who might be reading this: love does mean sometimes having to tell people the truth whether they want to hear it or not. Sorry, but that’s the way it goes.)
Today is the First Sunday of Advent; the beginning of the season of the Church meant to focus our attention on preparing for the arrival of Sweet Baby Jesus (curse you, Will Ferrell). More than that, however, Advent is a penitential season that gives us an opportunity to prepare ourselves for that day when we will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. It is a time of prayer and, hopefully, of peace. It is a time of preparation and anticipation. But there is one thing that Advent is not……..
ADVENT IS NOT CHRISTMAS!!!!!
Christmas lights and decorations go on sale in the stores a week or two before Halloween. People are up on ladders hanging said lights and decorations all over their houses the day after Thanksgiving. That same day, hundreds of thousands of crazed, credit card wielding fiends descend on shopping venues all over the nation; driven to a frothy, consumeristic furor by well dressed advertising men whose sole purpose in life is to convince every person who bought an I Phone a year ago that if they don’t buy the new I Phone that just came out, they are a complete loser.
THIS IS NOT CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!
Christmas begins on Christmas Eve, and like that funny little song goes, it lasts for twelve whole days. So, contrary to the popular wisdom that drives people to take down their trees and decorations on December 26 and compels radio stations that have spent the last month playing nothing but “Jingle Bell Rock” and “All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth” by Alvin and the Chipmunks to switch back to their former oldie and moldy pre-programmed programming…………
CHRISTMAS DOESN’T END UNTIL JANUARY 6!!!!!!
But we’ll talk about Epiphany another time. Happy Advent, y’all.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Welcome To My Cave
Greetings and salutations. Indeed, I am a self-professed knuckle dragging Neanderthal, and I am okay with that. It’s the rest of the world that is messed up. That is my humble opinion, anyway.
Since everyone and their grandmother currently posts their thoughts on the InterWeb (don’t scoff, this has been scientifically proven by a secret government initiated study conducted by the same people who collate ASA figures for ECUSA), I felt that it was necessary for the benefit of all mankind for me to periodically post a prodigious plethora of positively profound prose. Nice alliteration…huh?
In the days and weeks and months and years to come, I will chime in with overly well reasoned thoughts and/or rants regarding the various things in this world that make absolutely no sense to anyone who chooses to think about it. Very often, these musings will be centered around life in that wacky collection of semi-autonomous entities that we optimistically call the Anglican Communion.
As a practicing Anglican (yes, some day I will get it right), my life revolves around my Faith and my love and devotion to God. About that, my Faith and love of God, I will make no jokes. The Father, Son and Holy Ghost are the most important Three in One person in my life. The Church of my fathers is vitally important to me (even though it doesn’t seem to be that important to many in ECUSA nowadays) but rest assured, many a wisecrack or outright snide comment will be made at the expense of many who claim to be “leaders” of the Church.
What part of my faith does not revolve around my Faith and the Church is devoted to my family: my wife and all the little Neanderthals. My wife is actually a Cro-Magnon so she’s far more advanced than me, but she doesn’t have a blog, ha!
Mostly, this site will be a way for me to blow off steam and wax poetic about a whole bunch of stuff that nobody else really cares about too much. If you like it – great. If you don’t – great. If you read it – great. I appreciate comments, both good and bad (although I doubt I’ll spend much time reading the bad ones), so please say something. I like discussions, even the banal (hey, the Neanderthal owns a thesaurus) ones.
May God shine His light upon you and illumine the path upon which He has set you.
BYW: I am in no way shape or form connected to or subsidized by that insurance company that objectifies small amphibians or abuses gentlemen of culture who through no fault of their own live in caves.
Since everyone and their grandmother currently posts their thoughts on the InterWeb (don’t scoff, this has been scientifically proven by a secret government initiated study conducted by the same people who collate ASA figures for ECUSA), I felt that it was necessary for the benefit of all mankind for me to periodically post a prodigious plethora of positively profound prose. Nice alliteration…huh?
In the days and weeks and months and years to come, I will chime in with overly well reasoned thoughts and/or rants regarding the various things in this world that make absolutely no sense to anyone who chooses to think about it. Very often, these musings will be centered around life in that wacky collection of semi-autonomous entities that we optimistically call the Anglican Communion.
As a practicing Anglican (yes, some day I will get it right), my life revolves around my Faith and my love and devotion to God. About that, my Faith and love of God, I will make no jokes. The Father, Son and Holy Ghost are the most important Three in One person in my life. The Church of my fathers is vitally important to me (even though it doesn’t seem to be that important to many in ECUSA nowadays) but rest assured, many a wisecrack or outright snide comment will be made at the expense of many who claim to be “leaders” of the Church.
What part of my faith does not revolve around my Faith and the Church is devoted to my family: my wife and all the little Neanderthals. My wife is actually a Cro-Magnon so she’s far more advanced than me, but she doesn’t have a blog, ha!
Mostly, this site will be a way for me to blow off steam and wax poetic about a whole bunch of stuff that nobody else really cares about too much. If you like it – great. If you don’t – great. If you read it – great. I appreciate comments, both good and bad (although I doubt I’ll spend much time reading the bad ones), so please say something. I like discussions, even the banal (hey, the Neanderthal owns a thesaurus) ones.
May God shine His light upon you and illumine the path upon which He has set you.
BYW: I am in no way shape or form connected to or subsidized by that insurance company that objectifies small amphibians or abuses gentlemen of culture who through no fault of their own live in caves.
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