Thoughts vol.1

Just so you know it's a misty 68 degrees this July 1, 2009 at St. Joseph's College in Rensselaer, IN. I start classes today and have been immersed in reading. My desk in my dorm room has about 15 books stacked on it that I have to get through this summer!

I will be posting thoughts and reflections as well as some ideas that might be of interest to you, and will leave them for you to ponder. I hope that they challenge you to discuss with me. Some of this will work its way into rehearsals starting this Fall.

I am in the midst of reading Mark Searle's manifesto on the liturgy entitled: "Called to Participate: Theological, Ritual and Social Perspectives." One quote that jumped out at me is:
"We do not own the liturgy. Rather it is the liturgy of the whole Church that is given us by Christ as the means whereby we may enter into his liturgy..." and

Human worship that has any hope of being acceptable to God has to be the worship not of lips but of obedience: an offering of one's whole self, with and in Christ, to God. That is our participation in the paschal mystery of Christ's obedience unto death. Without that, we might as well stay in bed on Sunday morning; without that, all the praying and singing in the world is beside the point." (p. 28)

Do we act like we "own" the liturgy? Do we offer an acceptable offering unto God? I don't know the answers to these questions, but it does cause one to pause and think. I invite you into that same conversation and reflection.

Peace.