The Daily Query

This should actually be titled "The Daily Rant" but I thought that title might put you off. Could someone, anyone, out there, please explain to me the modern fascination with AMBB??? (Amplified "music" with Booming Bass). Even praying to go stone deaf is not a solution because it is the vibrations that are so disturbing and follow you even from blocks away. Is the attraction actually in those same invasive vibrations, that reach right inside you? It feels like audio assault to me. Today (Sunday, Pentecost, a great celebration in the Kingdom of God)at 8:45 am, the incredible booming and disc jockey voice started up, right outside our house. No, I'm not exagerating. When I looked out to discover if it was the Music Lovers behind us, no, they have actually toned it down recently. It was THE CHURCH ITSELF! They are holding a fund raiser in the courtyard, selling tacos etc. to raise money to reroof the church, offices, and priests' houses, including ours!
As much as I hate a leaky roof, I think I'd prefer that to 16 hours of this kind of torture. Have we ever heard of the Money changers in the Temple? We found out that it will be off during Mass, 3 hours out of the 16 or so. These things tend to go on into the night.

We can't even crank up stereo wars in defense since all our radios, cd players etc, had to stay behind so we could bring clothes and computer. Our only defense is to leave and spend the day somewhere else, hoping wherever we go don't also have AMBB.

Work and Study: The resident Student here has finished the work for Spring Semester and is starting on prerequirements for the two summer courses. I tried to attend a 3 day retreat-workshop on Visiting and Caring for the sick, but discovered that the speaker was giving these folks, many with only elementary education, the same sorts of things I spent a year and a half learning in CPE, plus the 4 years to get two Master's degrees. I lasted one evening, then chickened out. Low threshold for boredom.

Last night we spent well over two hours, invited by the pastor who is also diocesan chancellor, giving a talk to folks attending a Pre-Liturgy vigil for Pentecost. The rain cut attendance, which doesn't bother us. But hearing the same old songs from 35 years ago, with modern AMBB but little spiritual content or depth, that did. They did not need a polite teaching about Pentecost; they needed New Fire. I like to think if we had realized that before starting, we would have had the guts to preach what was really needed. Can someone tell me how to preach prophetic fire and not Rock the Boat, not "irritate" folks, not end up tossed into a dry well?