Althouse: "Help, Thanks, Wow."

November 19, 2012

"Help, Thanks, Wow."

Prayer, distilled by Anne Lamott.

102 comments:

Kevin said...: I've never been a fan of World of Warcraft myself, preferring Dungeons and Dragons Online. Wake me when there is a book called Help Thanks DDO.; 11/19/12, 9:18 AM
YoungHegelian said...: I heard this interview on NPR this morning and I thought 3 things:

1) If this had been a conservative blathering on about the power of prayer it never would have gotten on the air.

2) Is Anne Lamont's head going to explode if the mentions the name Jesus Christ?

3) With all the incredible writing on prayer in just the Christian tradition alone, NPR puts on this vapid piece of crap.

Some people say that NPR is Lawrence Welk for baby-boomers. That is just so unfair to Lawrence Welk.; 11/19/12, 9:29 AM
Scott said...: Is she trivializing religious experience in order to strike a wise and morally superior posture?

Or is she just inarticulate?; 11/19/12, 9:31 AM
edutcher said...: If you are really in need, grateful, or awed, you want to say a bit more.; 11/19/12, 9:31 AM
Scott said...: (arrgh, talk about inarticulate... I meant either "strike...a pose" or "affect...a posture."

Need
more
coffee); 11/19/12, 9:36 AM
Farmer said...: I know it's not very Christian of me, but what a dingbat.; 11/19/12, 9:41 AM
Paddy O said...: Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, Υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐλέησόν με τὸν ἁμαρτωλόν.; 11/19/12, 9:55 AM
YoungHegelian said...: @Paddy,

Don't go all hesychastic on us, guy!

Snap out of it!; 11/19/12, 10:00 AM
Wince said...: "Thank you, God!"; 11/19/12, 10:04 AM
kjbe said...: If you are really in need, grateful, or awed, you want to say a bit more.

Not necessarily.; 11/19/12, 10:11 AM
Smilin' Jack said...: ""Help, Thanks, Wow.""

But surely the most common and widely known prayer is "Damn", as in "Goddamn it!"; 11/19/12, 10:34 AM
McTriumph said...: What Big Jim's Boobie Bungalow said.; 11/19/12, 10:47 AM
KCFleming said...: It's been decades now, and she's too old and scrawny; she needs to lose the dreadlocks.

I've read some of her books. She's a bit of a goofball, but I appreciate her faith efforts.; 11/19/12, 10:54 AM
Christy said...: The short desparate version of the serenity prayer: "F- It!"; 11/19/12, 10:56 AM
mishu said...: White person wearing dread locks - why should I take her seriously?; 11/19/12, 10:57 AM
Eric the Fruit Bat said...: I pray to God every single day but I still think it's completely bonkers for me to believe He can read my mind only when I want Him to.; 11/19/12, 10:59 AM
Paddy O said...: YH, sorry about that, once I get started, and the genuflections get under way, it's hard to stop.

How's this:

Hasten, O God, to save me;
come quickly, Lord, to help me.; 11/19/12, 11:08 AM
Carol said...: "White person wearing dread locks"

With Compassionate Head Tilt, to boot.; 11/19/12, 11:19 AM
YoungHegelian said...: @paddy,

In our part of the kingdom of Heaven that's "Domine, ad adjuvandem me festina" to you, pilgrim!; 11/19/12, 11:19 AM
Paddy O said...: Ah, very good YH. What I know I've picked up through wide liturgical travels, much from the deserts of Egypt and into my decidedly low church traditions.

I'm a bit of a gypsy in the kingdom of heaven...; 11/19/12, 11:24 AM
Paddy O said...: This also reminded me of something that was going around a few years ago in my circles.

A challenge was given to present the Gospel in 140 characters.

Here’s the evangelistic Gospel I wrote in 109 characters:

Be whole. Jesus came to show us how. More than that. His dying, his rising, gives us the ability to be whole, to be who we really can be.

Here’s the theological one in 140 characters:

God made man. Man tried to be God. Didn’t work. Still tries. That’s sin. God loves. Sent Jesus. Jesus died. Jesus lives. Overcame the sin that we might live with God. Yay!

I added a couple notes when I first posted it:
1) Sorry about the gender non-neutrality. Man is just a shorter word than humanity.

2)The Yay at the end is my ecclesiology and eschatology.

Lamott's "wow" reminded me of that "yay".; 11/19/12, 11:30 AM
hombre said...: I'm sure it's a rare privilege to read a book on prayer by a person who says: "I do not know much about God and prayer."

NPR deserves a round of applause for continuing it's pursuit of excellence. LOL!; 11/19/12, 12:02 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: At 9:29 AM YoungHegelian covered my thoughts.

(Number three and the final two sentences especially.); 11/19/12, 12:05 PM
Kensington said...: Does she go more than two seconds without bashing conservatives? If so, it will be the first time in her life.; 11/19/12, 12:17 PM
Lydia said...: Lamott calls herself a "progressive Christian." Whatever.

Anyway, she sees no difference between sea horses and human fetuses and is all in for euthanasia.; 11/19/12, 12:27 PM
Kensington said...: Are there any "progressive" Christian positions at odds with regular old secular Democrat Party positions?; 11/19/12, 12:33 PM
hombre said...: Leslyn wrote: "I knew this would be snarky. Why does it have to be snarky?"

Maybe a better question would be: "Why does the liberal community have to attempt to trivialize God?"; 11/19/12, 12:33 PM
MadisonMan said...: leslyn, your dogs were very very lucky.

Knowing it's time to let go of a dog is one of the hardest things to be sure of.; 11/19/12, 12:43 PM
Paddy O said...: Leslyn, the key is to put it in Latin or Greek, then it sounds more spiritual and thus acceptable.; 11/19/12, 12:44 PM
Paddy O said...: And thanks for sharing your stories about your dogs and your own moment with prayer.

There is a form of "thanks" embedded in that, a sensitivity to life and to its hopes and hurts.; 11/19/12, 12:45 PM
rcommal said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 11/19/12, 12:55 PM
rcommal said...: Romans 12:3-7
I Corinthians 12:12-27; 11/19/12, 12:58 PM
David said...: You have to remember that Anne Lamott is and always has been totally full of shit on almost every subject.

Sample"

Bananas are great, as I believe them to be the only known cure for existential dread. Also, Mother Teresa said that in India, a woman dying in the street will share her banana with anyone who needs it, whereas in America, people amass and hoard as many bananas as they can to sell for an exorbitant profit. So half of them go bad, anyway.

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/anne_lamott.html#IqW8QBIIu6soBDAL.99; 11/19/12, 1:01 PM
hombre said...: Leslyn wrote: "'Be kind to one another, even when you disagree.' Ephesians 4:30-5 (sic.) ."

This is evidently from Eph. 4:30-5? In Leslyn's "Secular Progressive Distort-a-Quote Version" of the Bible.

Try this, Leslyn:
"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions." 2 Tim. 4:3.; 11/19/12, 1:04 PM
Rick67 said...: She's basically right. Biblical scholars when talking about the Psalms often divide the psalms into different genres or Gattung. Psalms of praise, thanksgiving, lament are the three biggest categories. There are also wisdom psalms, royal psalms, and a few others. Different genres of psalm generally have different structures and patterns and contain certain elements.

When I teach on the Psalms, I distinguish the three biggest this way. Praise = praise G-d for who he is and what he does. Thanks = praise G-d for what he *did*. The *did* is important - thanksgiving psalms point to concrete acts of G-d in response to a prayer/crisis. Lament = things are not right and complaining to G-d and/or asking G-d to save the psalmist (or community - there are communal psalms of lament) in some way.

One of my seminary professors put it this way:

Psalms of wisdom and to a certain extent psalms of praise (if you follow the work of Walter Brueggemann) = God.
Psalms of lament = God?
Psalms of thanksgiving and to a certain extent psalms of praise = God!

Lament is the dominant form by the way. Which is interesting and significant.

So for Lamott to speak of prayer as "Help Thanks Wow" roughly corresponds to God. God? God! Or to psalms of lament, of thanksgiving, and of praise. Royal and wisdom psalms don't fit her schema quite as well.; 11/19/12, 1:05 PM
rcommal said...: John 14:2; 11/19/12, 1:05 PM
Rick67 said...: Now that having been said let me clarify I am not a huge fan of Anne Lamott, especially not since she seems to have gone down the Progessive Christianity road. I used to like Brian McLaren also but not any more and for similar reasons.; 11/19/12, 1:07 PM
YoungHegelian said...: @leslyn,

Your dogs are lucky they got you, leslyn.

As hard as it is to help them out of their suffering (and I've done it with 3 cats between 17 & 18 yrs old), take comfort in the fact that you have done your moral duty for them & then some.

I certainly hope that when our lives are weighed in the balance at judgement, that the creatures we have loved and cared for will be called as witnesses for us.

I can use all the help I can get.; 11/19/12, 1:07 PM
Lydia said...: Luke 11:

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Father,
hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.”

Or, like, “wow”?; 11/19/12, 1:10 PM
rcommal said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 11/19/12, 1:12 PM
Rick67 said...: Just one more. (Sorry but this is a huge topic for me.) I probably teach/preach on prayer more than any other subject. I emphasize the Jesus Prayer which some kindly quote above: "Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on me a sinner" and its shorter forms including the simple "Lord have mercy" which I often describe as our Primary Prayer. It can also be expressed as "Help! Save me!" Our Second Prayer might be "Thanks!" which is very Pauline. Not quite sure where "Praise!" fits in. Our Meta Prayer?

Kudos for Paddy and YoungHegelian for both the Jesus Prayer *and* the reference to Hesychasm.; 11/19/12, 1:13 PM
rcommal said...: αββα ο πατερ !

Galations 4:6; 11/19/12, 1:19 PM
hombre said...: Leslyn wrote: "Why politicize this? God's politicization is found in the Gospels...."

Thanks, Leslyn. I will share this with my pastor. I'm sure he will want to include it in next week's teaching. (Along with your version of Eph. 4:30 ....); 11/19/12, 1:20 PM
YoungHegelian said...: @Rick67,

Prof. Althouse runs a high class operation here chez Althouse.

That is, when we're not calling each other commie or fascist wingnuts or stupid cunts/pricks.; 11/19/12, 1:22 PM
rcommal said...: @Rick67 re: 1:05 comment:

Nice job!!!; 11/19/12, 1:23 PM
rcommal said...: @Rick67:

Ditto, re: your 1:13 comment.; 11/19/12, 1:24 PM
Michael said...: Philo of Alexandria said something along the lines of "Be kind for they too are engaged in a great struggle."; 11/19/12, 1:28 PM
Methadras said...: Fucking NewAge quackery.; 11/19/12, 1:37 PM
Amartel said...: You have to use small words to communicate with small minds.; 11/19/12, 1:47 PM
Known Unknown said...: You forget "like' and "wipeout"

Help, Thanks, Like, Wow, Wipeout.; 11/19/12, 1:54 PM
Anonymous said...: Amartel, it's communication with God, whose mind is quite large and all encompassing, I suspect.; 11/19/12, 1:55 PM
Amartel said...: Small minds favor small words. Unexpectedly.; 11/19/12, 2:13 PM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 11/19/12, 2:24 PM
Unknown said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 11/19/12, 2:55 PM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 11/19/12, 2:56 PM
Paddy O said...: "wasn't that already done?"

Not in the example you gave. That's the summary of the law.

What if I don't love God or my neighbor? What if I don't want to? What if I can't.

Don't be so dismissive about people being a**holes, when you're so simplistic one yourself.

You sound like an undergraduate philosophy major or precocious high schooler who has thought Big Thoughts and so can feel elitist while getting most stuff wrong.; 11/19/12, 3:10 PM
Ameryx said...: Seems to me that Ms. Lamont is missing a key element of prayer: "Sorry".; 11/19/12, 3:11 PM
Paddy O said...: By the by, I don't really care for Anne Lamott. I get her place in Christian writing, but think while her early stuff was interesting, it's not really quite as helpful now.

But, I'm not her target audience. People besides people like me are seeking for God too.; 11/19/12, 3:12 PM
Ameryx said...: Seems to me that Ms. Lamont is missing a key element of prayer: "Sorry".; 11/19/12, 3:13 PM
Amartel said...: "Wow! (sic) You guys are such assholes!"

Wow! That's mighty Christian of you! Thanks! and Help!; 11/19/12, 3:15 PM
Paddy O said...: Rick @1:05, very nicely put.

"when we're not calling each other commie or fascist wingnuts or stupid cunts/pricks."

Sometimes we try to do this in a high class way. Some of us, at least.; 11/19/12, 3:19 PM
YoungHegelian said...: @ambien,

Ms Lamont seems to be a very good person, even saintly, in her private life. That doesn't mean she's real good at theology. It means even less that her political views are to be trusted because of it. I mean seriously, listen to that interview. Does it impress you?

There is also in this thread not just criticism of Ms Lamont, but also of NPR & its coverage of religion. For any believer who is knowledgeable of their religious tradition, both of the Sunday religious shows on NPR, On Being & Speaking of Faith, are simply a teeth grinding experience.

On Being is about as New Agey & space cadety as its name suggests. It seems to have no other direction than its producers' whimsy.

Speaking of Faith should be renamed the Social Gospel Hour. In spite of years of listening and its host being supposedly Catholic, it has never, ever discussed ANYTHING doctrinal. Of any faith. I mean even something newsworthy like "What's the difference between Sunni & Shia Islam?"

The best thing I've ever heard on NPR on religion was a a few years back when Steve Roberts (who's Jewish) guest hosted the Diane Reihm show and had a Jesuit & Lutheran theologian discuss the recent Catholic/Lutheran concordat. These two guys were clearly old fishing buddies, and Steve Roberts had the sense to just let them go at it. Sadly, it is not in the show's archives.; 11/19/12, 3:21 PM
m stone said...: establishing connection ... to a power greater than ourselves — or something in the next concentric circle out whose name is not me

That will keep Paddy searching for a long time.

Hint: He's right there. All we have to do is surrender and die to our silly, sinful selves. Pride is the greatest sin and it abounds.; 11/19/12, 3:55 PM
Paddy O said...: "That will keep Paddy searching for a long time."

I've already been found.; 11/19/12, 3:58 PM
Amartel said...: "Why politicize this?"

Ask Ms. Lamott. She politicizes religion all the time. It's what she's selling. Who listens to Lamott? Look in the comments of the article. Sanctimonious atheists who want props for "tolerating" occasional religion-lite pieces on their NPR and Christians who want the atheist stamp of approval. One of the nit-wits actually says "Thank god I'm an atheist." OMG that's like soo totally funnay! Bible! Small words for small minds.

So don't blow a gasket in your current emotionally vulnerable state finding short words from the Bible. You're missing the point. I'm "snarky" about Lamott's simplistic approach to prayer because I suspect her motives are entirely political, extra lite on the Christian, heavy on the prog. Because that's what sells to small minds.; 11/19/12, 4:13 PM
Lydia said...: Anne Lamott on Jesus, grace and forgiving President Bush

I've always belonged to the same church, St. Andrew, and it's always been a church that believed in the Jesus of Martin Luther King. It's a social gospel church and totally inclusive — It's a big Jesus-y "Shalom" (welcome) — that's how I ended up there, drunk and hung over for a year before I got sober. So I've never been instructed — I've never taken extensive Bible study. I read a little Bible every day, but I don't believe it to be the literal word of God ... I don't even particularly have a relationship with God or God the Father. If I think of God, I think of God, the Mother-Father God and Creator, you know? The Big You. And I really have a relationship with Jesus. I'm one of those very rare Protestant girls who has a real affiliation with Mary. I wear a Mary around my neck. I think of Mary more like Bette Midler, a rich, juicy Jewish woman of 18, instead of the anorexic, meek, Lutheran blue-eyed Mary of the Sunday school posters.

The Big You. And the Divine Miss M!; 11/19/12, 4:31 PM
James Pawlak said...: AT MEAL TIME: Good good, good drink, good God, let's eat.; 11/19/12, 5:09 PM
tiger said...: Her version of Christianity is shallow and narrow-minded.

In her version hating Conservatives and Republicans is fine because Christ 'forgives' her. And yeah, this is basically what she believes; I know because I've read her books and interviews.

This view is an incredible distortion and her using it shows that she fails to grasp the most fundamental aspects of believing in Christ.; 11/19/12, 5:26 PM
tiger said...: hombre said...
I'm sure it's a rare privilege to read a book on prayer by a person who says: "I do not know much about God and prayer."

NPR deserves a round of applause for continuing it's pursuit of excellence. LOL!

Not sure if serious but if you are all I can say is 'oh, bullshiate'; NPR gives her time more often than when she releases a book.; 11/19/12, 5:28 PM
Tom said...: If she wants to boil down the essence of prayer as Jesus taught us to pray, it should be, "Wow. Help. Thanks."; 11/19/12, 5:35 PM
Tom said...: If she wants to boil down the essence of prayer as Jesus taught us to pray, it should be, "Wow. Help. Thanks."; 11/19/12, 5:36 PM
Methadras said...: tiger said...

Her version of Christianity is shallow and narrow-minded.

In her version hating Conservatives and Republicans is fine because Christ 'forgives' her. And yeah, this is basically what she believes; I know because I've read her books and interviews.

This view is an incredible distortion and her using it shows that she fails to grasp the most fundamental aspects of believing in Christ.

Christian leftards are the problem. They muddy the waters with their collectivist crap. They are the same nitwits who will say that Christ is a collectivist/socialist himself and then go on to justify their rantings as a function of their 20th/21st century projections and mores onto him who lived 2000 years ago.; 11/19/12, 5:38 PM
Methadras said...: Kevin said...

I've never been a fan of World of Warcraft myself, preferring Dungeons and Dragons Online. Wake me when there is a book called Help Thanks DDO

I liked DDO for a while, but i lost my interest in it. Try Rift instead. A much much better experience.; 11/19/12, 5:39 PM
Joan said...: She has misappropriated the traditional Catholic daily examination of conscience, which I distill for my third grade sacrament prep class as three words, "Thanks - Sorry - Help."

Wow is a big part of Thanks. Leaving Sorry out of the picture is a mistake.; 11/19/12, 6:12 PM
Anonymous said...: I'd much rather read Heather King, thanks.; 11/19/12, 6:16 PM
I Have Misplaced My Pants said...: I practice ACTS--adoration, contrition, thanksgiving, supplication. The Rosary has five decades and thus four spaces in between, and I pause between decades to focus on each aspect.; 11/19/12, 7:11 PM
hombre said...: Tiger wrote: "Not sure if serious but if you are all I can say is 'oh, bullshiate'...."

I thought the "LOL" was enough to illustrate sarcasm.; 11/19/12, 7:31 PM
hombre said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 11/19/12, 7:39 PM
PianoLessons said...: Anne Lamott does not politicize religion - she writes best when writing about writing. "Bird by Bird" is an essential book for anyone interested in the writer's craft - as much as is Stephen King's "On Writing".

Sometimes the best evangelical work a person does is by writing their own story - and this is what Lamott does.

A lot of judgmental and resisting folks here...she's not the be all or New Age whatever. Just a voice in our culture among so many other voices. Calm down.

As for the absence of "I'm Sorry" - I kind of think that probably gets talked about when we ask for help, give thanks or just say WOW when prayers seem to open up new doors.

Good grief folks. In a world where Drudge says "45% would rather do without Christmas" and Israel is about to engage in a bad war with the Palestinian/Iran folks that don't believe Israel should even exist....get serious.

It wouldn't hurt any one of us to probably read her book about praying.

I'm gonna. But like I said - she is a great writer and if for nothing else - if you want to become a bteer writer - buy her "Bird by Bird" on Amazon for ninety-nine cents used and learn about the craft. It's seminal in the composition field for a good reason that has nothing to do with New Age or religion or politics.; 11/19/12, 7:40 PM
reformed trucker said...: "I used to like Brian McLaren..." - Rick67

I was going to say stay away from anything Emergent, but you seemed to recognize it for the tripe that it is.; 11/19/12, 7:51 PM
hombre said...: "It wouldn't hurt any one of us to probably read her book about praying."

So says the "American Woman" who uses Mother Angelica as an avatar.

Try "How To Pray" by RA Torrey instead. I suspect you need it.; 11/19/12, 7:51 PM
PianoLessons said...: Hombre - I love the work you recommended but my whole point is that....it never hurts to listen to other voices in our culture on the topic of prayer. There are so many voices selling us, spinning us, seducing us, addicting us, confusing us....about life.

An open mind is a good thing. There's not just one book written about the Art of Praying.

Why not read a lot of them?; 11/19/12, 8:11 PM
PianoLessons said...: Also Hombre - you are a bit mean to say that you suspect I need a better book about praying.

A little - you know - Puritan like.

A little - you know - bit of a jerk.; 11/19/12, 8:13 PM
reformed trucker said...: "Grief is a hole from which pretty words are foolish to be expected." - leslyn

Sometimes grief and sorrow are so deep that we can't vocalize our feelings; it merely comes out as a groan, but that doesn't stop the Spirit from interceding for us.

I know how you feel about your beloved dogs (and I had to get a tissue to wipe my eyes while reading that because I couldn't see the screen). We had to put down 2 dogs we had for 13 & 14 years about 6 months apart. The second one was the wife's "little buddy"... she's a stay at home mom, and he would follow her from room to room. It's been over 7 years now, says she doesn't want to be "tied down" with another pet, but I still don't think she's over it.

Those dogs were lucky to have you, even if only for a short time. I hope the grief doesn't stop you from having others.; 11/19/12, 8:21 PM
Joan said...: On the subject of books advising how to pray, I'm fond of "Prayer for Beginners" by Kreeft.; 11/19/12, 8:39 PM
reformed trucker said...: "A little - you know - Puritan like." = AW

Dang, why all the hating and misrepresenting on the Puritans? I have a whole shelf of Puritan parerbacks, not to mention volumes from various Puritan writers. Very sound, theologically. BTW, the Puritans enjoyed the arts, sex and drinking, just not in a perverted way.

I do agree about reading many books about prayer. Even though I'm Reformed, I have books from many other traditions/denominations.; 11/19/12, 8:43 PM
PianoLessons said...: To Reformed Trucker...Shakespeare lived in the most amazing times where being a Catholic meant taxes (for not attending Anglican services two times a year) - then loss of land - then - unless one spoke the Oath of Supremacy - prison in the Towers and - without swearing the fascist Oath - death. All true history. It was the Puritan mindset that challenged Shakespeare's "marry me bury me" Catholics who loved to sin six days a week and be absolved at Sunday Mass to finally face the hard pews and seve days a week of prayer that the Puritans became. Religious division in England - the strife between the Puritan hardliners (hard pew folks who did not engage in sex and rivalry, trust me) that gave birth to the United States of America. The first immigration laws ever in America were to deny Catholics entry - they were "cavalier, carnival, "marry me bury me" parading, drinking, disingenuous sinners who thought they could get away with sinning as long as indulgences and confession would absolve all sin.; 11/19/12, 8:58 PM
Anonymous said...: Lamott is a writer, and popular, and a woman, and thoroughly modern and post-modern in many ways, hence the NPR schtick. They'll give her some air time.

Other religious folks however, are bad, reactionary, repressive, generally getting in the way of (S)cience and progress, and freedom.

On to some Putumayo world music and Nina Tottenberg!; 11/19/12, 9:22 PM
reformed trucker said...: Well, AW... at one time in this country they didn't want Catholics to hold office because they figured they would be beholden to the Vatican. Glad we got past that.

Heck, most "good Catholics" don't even hold to the tenets of their own faith now.

"disingenuous sinners"

Meh. We're all sinners... some are constantly running towards it, while others get caught by it. We all have our own demons, so I won't point to the skeletons in your closet if you don't point to the ones in mine. :); 11/19/12, 9:32 PM
Craig said...: Looks like a spinoff from Elizabeth Gilbert's 'Eat, Pray, Love'.; 11/19/12, 9:35 PM
Craig said...: The immortal word of Maynard G. Krebs. Work?

Based on his philosophy. Like wow is me.; 11/19/12, 9:39 PM
PianoLessons said...: To Reformed Trucker: True Dat. We all need to stop judging each other - that time may come later :-0; 11/19/12, 9:41 PM
reformed trucker said...: "marry me, bury me"

I never heard that term before, but it sounds equivalent to the "twice a year" evangelicals we have today (Easter and Christmas).

BTW, I was raised Catholic. Guess I pulled a "reverse Newt"... went from Catholic to Southern Baptist... to Reformed Baptist. Theological journeys.; 11/19/12, 9:44 PM
Unknown said...: "Prayer is not about saying, 'Oh, I think I'm going to pray now.' Or, 'Oh, I see I've made a notation here to pray at 2:15.' It's about getting outside of your own self and hooking into something greater than that very, very limited part of our experience here — the ticker tape of thoughts and solutions, and trying to figure out who to blame. ..."

And that something would be what? Does she call it God at any point?; 11/19/12, 9:57 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: "On to some Putumayo world music and Nina Tottenberg!"

Heh.; 11/19/12, 10:24 PM
PianoLessons said...: Reformed Trucker - It is just so useful to research the times Shakespeare lived in. His family was actually taxed for not "signing in" to the Anglican ( a British religion Henry VIII created when the Pope refused him a divorce and he was the father of Shakespeare's reigning Queen Elizabeth - the supreme fascist who re-invigorated the citizen's duty to swear to the Oath of Supremacy malarkey) Easter and Christmas mandates - all must attend or be taxed.

Catholics were to be crushed out of existence in Shakespeare's times - and what is so great about Shakespeare's plays....is that he was a closet, hidden Catholic all the time....and in front of everyone for centuries beyond.; 11/19/12, 10:50 PM
rcommal said...: If devout folks actually were praying without ceasing there'd be less time and energy devoted to attacking others with prayer notions and habits different from their own.

Just sayin', for what it's worth.; 11/20/12, 1:30 AM
rcommal said...: Also, just for the record, various folks of all stripes commenting in this thread appeared to be far more interested in doing all sorts of things else, including attacking others (it seems inspired by knee), other than considering all manners of Scripture and so forth put forth.

How naked.; 11/20/12, 1:47 AM
rcommal said...: Pause. (In other words, αββα ὁ πατήρ .; 11/20/12, 2:21 AM
Amartel said...: Shorter Sister Mister:
I judge your judgmentalism.
Mean praying Puritans bad, happy carefree Catholics good. Because Shakespeare.
Now, stop resisting and read your goodthink.; 11/20/12, 11:54 AM
Amartel said...: Also, it's unlikely that Shakespeare was written by a lower middle-class layabout with a third grade education who never left England. It's a nice fantasy, but no.; 11/20/12, 11:56 AM
Unknown said...: Burn the book even if you haven't read it; trash the author (her hair? Really?) before you've read or met her? No doubt your bitter jibes will have no affect on her growth, just sit there festering in you. Maybe writing some successful books of your own would take the gall out of your own soul?; 12/5/12, 1:53 AM