I mowed a very simple prayer labyrinth in my yard to walk and pray and listen on.
I've been reading Seven Story Mountain by Thomas Merton. It's been a bit like walking a labyrinth: tiring, confusing, repetitive, good.
A friend of mine recently blogged about the movie Doubt and her experience in Catholic school which was not so good.
Another friend is working on a recording including catholic exorcism prayers read aloud.
Suddenly I'm bumping into catholicism. It's strange. I haven't been around it much since my early years in Latin America.
This weekend I was supposed to be at a Texan wedding, but got sick and one of my traveling companions backed out so we cancelled (the trip not the wedding -- it's going forward without us). I'm writing a song for the bride and groom, based in part by the idea of marriage as a "sacrament" (which I discovered in Merton).
A sacrament (according to wikipedia) is "a rite or event in which God is uniquely active", or an "outward sign of an inward grace"). I never heard about the "marriage sacrament" growing up annabaptist, but I had some feeling about its value to which has been added a depth of beauty, mystery and holiness through this recent bumping into Merton and co.
That's great, but If I'd been force fed theology growing up-- or taught it forcefully with little love -- I'd probably be writing something very different here, although love and patience can unwind the ropes that keep us wounded and afraid.
My big question regarding Catholicism (and most religious groups) has to do with how they build or relate to power structures, economics and politics, and what (if anything) that has to do with Jesus who lived and taught some crazy and beautiful stuff in that department.
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