I'm religious but not spiritual. ;-)

I have had an unliturgical life for the last couple of weeks.  I had every intention of hosting a St. Nicholas Day party again this year but I didn't even put candy in anyone's shoes.  I had a high-minded idea that I could bake a St. Lucia's Day braid for my work's bake-sale that happened to coincide with her feast day but decided on banana bread instead.  Alas, the bananas are now in my freezer and all the bake-sale got from me was a donation.

I mock my friends (tongue in cheek) telling them that they have bought in to the media Christmas hype while I dutifully honor the Advent season.  About the farthest my duty extends is changing my Facebook profile picture to reflect the changing Advent wreathe from week to week.  Now that's spirituality.

My words seem idle and my prayer seems stale and I blame this on... lack of community.  I've missed church for the last couple of weeks and I miss the 'jump-start' and rejuvenation that I get from that.  Not to mention that it is a mortal sin.  :-)

Haha okay forget the mortal sin part... I was just trying to keep you on your toes.  But the lack of community part... I hope you don't forget that and I'll try not to either.  What burdens are not easier when shared?  "For where 2 or 3 are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

Many of my friends, many bumper stickers, and many of my friends that read bumper stickers all claim that they are 'spiritual but not religious.'  I think I've finally found a cliché that I don't fall in to!  Imagine me, not necessarily a walking stereotype for once.  I don't know where my spirituality would be without organized religion.  The last couple of weeks are of evidence of that.

Don't they say when you fall off the horse you get right back on?  Well this vegetarian is going to take that advice.  There's always next year to make a Jesse tree.  In the mean time I'm going to focus on the final week of Advent and look forward to those cowboy boots that I'm almost sure are going to end up under my tree this year.

O Come O Come Emmanuel.