An observation about the Contemplative Eucharist: it is a very naked liturgy. By that I mean that as a participant, lay or ordained, you feel exposed. There is nothing wordy to fall back on if your thoughts wander. Thus, the intention of mental attention becomes a really important part of the experience of the prayer. That's very cool, and also a bit treacherous--I can imagine people really beating themselves up about not being "focused" every second of the rite. Self-compassion is a must for any kind of contemplative discipline.
After that service I did some pastoral counseling and then went to Port Perry for a lunch meeting to discuss youth ministry with a couple of experience practitioners of that occult art. I spent the hour drive profitably--listening The Odyssey, unabdridged, on CD in my car. Why The Odyssey? I'm fond of epics and like to reread them from time-to-time. I read Dante's Inferno during Lent and listened to The Iliad unabridged on my trip to Holy Cross a few weeks back.
Anyway, at lunch we talked about youth ministry in this Diocese as well as how it is done in England. One thing that seems quite clear is that this Diocese is really behind the ball. There is a ton of work to be done educating parishes and individuals on how youth ministry can and ought to be done. And yet there are some very talented people in in the field doing great work. God bless 'em.
Last night Betsy and I finished watching seasons 1 and 2 of The Unit. I really enjoyed the depiction of NCO leadership. In fact, I used it as an example when I was talking to someone today about what good leadership looks like. Another favorite example of leadership for me is Captain Picard. Here's another instructive example: the Hagakure, which is a spiritual and practical guide written for Samurai Warriors. I know, that seems weird, but trust me, it has a lot of good insights.
-t
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