Psalm 62: “In you alone is my soul at rest. My help comes from You.”

Three examples of my correspondents. Names are altered and liberties taken with expression for clarity. These three raise issues that may drive us to some thinking.

Brad does “crit’r-calling, smoke jumping, trapping, writing books on wildlife.” He says: 99% of the people I have spent my life with would not be oriented toward life as you articulate it in Musings*.  They are focused on hands at work and play without time spent in prayer and contemplation. They choose cold, heat, dirt, the simple, the physically challenging and dangerous over contemplative pursuits.  Religion would be 1% of their lives, not 25%. Weddings and funerals 98% of their religious investment. If they can’t eat it, herd it, hold it, then they’d let a coyote defecate on it. I have not pondered much why I chose this path. I like the adventurous outdoors, challenging human endeavors. Hopefully I’ll drop dead chasing elk or falling through the ice, trapping beavers. -- (Musings is available at: https://litpress.org/Products/Search?query=musings&filter=all.)

Dave:  Recently I attended a funeral in a Catholic church. The order of service stated that if you are not a practicing Catholic you are not allowed to receive communion, but you can come to the priest for a blessing. That was repeated before communion. I certainly did not want a blessing from the same person who excludes me from the table. I am an ordained Presbyterian Minister. Whenever I celebrate the eucharist I state, "It is not a Presbyterian table, Catholic table, or Lutheran table; it is the Lord's table and anyone who believes is welcome."  Jesus gave the bread and wine to Judas and to the Jewish disciples.  We all believe in the same Jesus, same Father, same Trinity, and the same Sacrament.  I reject exclusionary dogma and theology and will stick with Jesus, breaking bread with sinners and welcoming anyone to his table.

Pam: I absolutely love my new group of fourth graders! My husband says: if you had to have a class of 35 kids, this is the class to have. I can’t call it ‘going to work’; I love what I do.  E.g., When we discuss a book they like, they applaud. -- Early this fall I woke up with a very compromised right eye. Praise God, the MRI, cat scan, blood work, etc. revealed nothing lethal. Retinal damage. With time it may repair itself. -- Where there is life there is hope, and where there is grade four, there is love. My students and their families are praying for me. My one good eye allows me to function well, e.g., drive a car, etc. God has been good to me, so I’m reluctant to pray for my own healing. But, praise God, the left eye remains good, and the fourth grade is still wonderful!

Psalm 27: “I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness / in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord; be strong; / be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord!”

Reply to Fr. Don at: DTalafous@csbsju.edu

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