Exercising Religion- not Exorcising Religion

(Written in response to a ministerial musing by Rev. J. T.)

We seem far from the days of the Church as State. Or do we? I appreciate your thoughts and emphasis.

I always feel a sense of "lacking", for want of a better term, when I think of the WWJD bubble of recent times. He would do what he did. And most of us would not have liked what he did. Or would do. Or will do. That's why we need Him.

Anyway, I digress a little. But, it makes me smile and cringe to think of the things that Jesus would do and to imagine the faces of We the People listening and watching.

Back to your article/musing. The State- our State- was created in the throes of spiritual and political subjugation. We know that. It was admitted by most and touted on the walls of humble taverns and city meeting places. The problem was fairly obvious but the answer to that problem was not. Fair-minded people disagreed about the course of action. But it was the Country-in-the-making which empowered the ultimate response.

At this point in our communal existence, we have no revolution at hand to overthrow a foreign power. We've suffered an interior injury to the body. We are hurting even if the left leg doesn't want to admit that the right eye is bruised and the left arm is in a sling. Oh, and the pancreas is inflamed. It is so much easier to band together when there is a common enemy attacking us from without. There is an enemy attacking. And to plagiarize Pogo,(yes, I'm going there) we have seen the enemy and he is us. When our eyelids droop and our heads nod, things happen. And dear old Sgt. Schultz always had the last laugh, didn't he:"I see Nothing!"

Exercising religion- not exorcising religion. And to throw in one final cliche, we all need to practice, practice, practice. Me especially.

Getting it early and getting it late

I received Sgt Pepper as a gift from my older cousin in 1966. I was 11 and was blown away. I somehow missed the album Pet Sounds when it first appeared. I finally bought it and at the time wondered why my favorite band had put out an album of animal noises. I was very literal, I guess. And once again I was blown away. Both were monsters albums.

A combination of the two albums would have been fun to hear. Think of the Grey Album by Danger Mouse but with a very different twist.