Oddwalk Ministries

Category: advent

advent, announcements, catholicism, friends, JesusJusticeJoy, Joy, liturgy, ministry, music, NPM, prayer, quote, reflection

We Cannot Do Everything

The wreath, with a candle marking each week of the season, is a traditional symbol of the Advent. (CNS photo/Lisa A. Johnston, St. Louis Review)

This morning, I (Orin) was briefly interviewed by Matt Reichert, who hosts the NPM Ministry Monday podcast, and is co-host of the great “Open Your Hymnal” podcast on Catholic liturgical music. Matt is reaching out to several parish music directors – who this time of year have 12 or 14 irons in the fire – to ask them, “What do you do to remain sane during Advent?” It’s such a busy time for folks in church music, so the question and the podcast episodes could not come out at a better time. It will likely be split into two parts, with my part likely airing a week from today, or possibly in the next one. We’ll be sure to let you know!

One of the things we briefly talked about was a few lines from what is commonly known as the “Oscar Romero Prayer,” even though he didn’t write it. Check the endnotes at the link above:

This prayer was first presented by Cardinal Dearden in 1979 and quoted by Pope Francis in 2015. This reflection is an excerpt from a homily written for Cardinal Dearden by then-Fr. Ken Untener on the occasion of the Mass for Deceased Priests, October 25, 1979. Pope Francis quoted Cardinal Dearden in his remarks to the Roman Curia on December 21, 2015. Fr. Untener was named bishop of Saginaw, Michigan, in 1980.

The line that came up is this:

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.

This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.

For me, it’s very freeing, perhaps even joyful, this particular sense of liberation. I, and we, do the best we can with the time, energy, and resources available to us, knowing that we can’t do it all – and that there is a broad Christian community who is also working very hard to build the reign of God on earth.

If you don’t know the whole prayer, please do take a moment to read it and pray it, perhaps even make it a daily part of your advent spirituality.

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Advent Vinegar or Sugar?

It is hopefully no surprise to anyone by now that the Church has entered another new year, as always beginning with the season of Advent.  It should also surprise no one when I (Orin) observe that some places have been in full-on Christmas mode since November 1, if not before.

Many of our peers in Church life, be they youth ministers, liturgists, priests, or the faithful baptized are bothered, perhaps even perturbed by the rush into the Christmas celebrations, and that by 7pm on December 25, some trees have already been kicked to the curb.  “One thing at a time,” they exclaim.  “We need more stillness, silence, waiting, expectation in our lives.  We need to remember the Lord is coming again!  We need to remember our traditions and our history.”

I suspect I can speak for Shannon too, but I certainly don’t disagree with any of that.  I am at the same time not so sure how much the angsty “Waaaaaaaah it’s still advent and also get off my lawn” sorts of statements and social media posts help.  Perhaps it’s just venting among friends, but I don’t think it’ll “convert” anyone to a certain way of seeing things, in this case the need we all have for a few weeks of advent in our lives.

A few days ago I posted this as a comment on a friend’s facebook status – a status that was more tongue-in-cheek than anything – but was still one about how Christmas had begun too soon.

Working at a Catholic shrine where a christmas drivethru of lights began a week (or sometimes more) before thanksgiving and the first thing one saw was a giant arch that said “Merry Christmas” across the top, I feel your pain. I used to be rather “vinegar” about it all; I try to be a little more “sugar” these days.

So, to that end, We at Oddwalk crafted a little video, one that is itself goofy and tongue-in-cheek, but attempts to use humor to remind folks, “Hey, don’t forget it’s still Advent around here.”  Hopefully this little bit of sugar will go further than some folks’ vinegar this time of year.  We are better evangelists when we do so with joy, after all.  So, check out what happens when you take some cheery advent songs and change them from major to minor.  Advent blessings to you all.   Orin

 

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Make a Home Now

All, We’re excited to share this video with all of you today. It’s a composition of Orin’s that has become very important to both of us.

In Orin’s words:

I know we are in politically-charged times; I really don’t mean the piece to be a political statement, but rather an observation of the challenges of Christianity and how we view those around us made in the image and likeness of God.

The video is not only here but on YouTube and SoundCloud as well, and Orin has a webpage set up where one can find the score, a wonderful discussion guide for the video written by Shannon, and a link to make donations to CRS in their efforts dealing with this refugee crisis.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7zEPAEKav0
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/orinjohnson/make-a-home-now
Orin’s site: https://orinjohnson.com/make-a-home-now/

Thanks to many along the way for their help with this project, notably Michael C., Shannon C., Erin H., Rick T., and Emily B.

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Another Publication! “An Advent Fantasia”

10868190_10152607335186309_4580600600644399850_nOrin learned today another piece of his is now in print, back at GIA for this one: “An Advent Fantasia” which combines several advent tunes and texts into what the cool kids a couple years ago called a mash-up.  Seriously, it is a prayerful merging of musical and textual ideas, and could even be appropriate as a first prelude on Christmas Eve – you know, not this year, but probably next!

No samples (sheet music nor audio) are posted yet, but you can see the page for the piece and order it by clicking right here!