SHALOM

Recently I had the opportunity to lead a workshop on how liturgy can benefit from some of the ideas used by theatrical directors. One discussion concerned the Rite of Peace and I was reminded that Jesus would probably have said "Shalom". 

That in turn reminded me of the song of that title from the show "Milk and Honey". You might find these lyrics useful and even want to teach the song to some of your parishioners. The song is simple enough that it might be possible to use a children's choir as part of your preaching [including applause for them], even though the song is a solo in the show.

Shalom, Shalom,
You'll find Shalom
The nicest greeting you know;
It means bonjour, salud, and skoal
And twice as much as hello.
It means a million lovely things,
Like “peace be yours,”
“Welcome home.”
And even when you say “goodbye,”
You say goodbye with Shalom.

It's a very useful word,
It can get you through the day;
All you really need to know,
You can hardly go wrong,
This is your home as long as you say:
Shalom,
The nicest greeting I know;
Shalom,
Means twice as much as hello.
It means a million lovely things,
Like “peace be yours,”
“Welcome home.”
And even when you say “goodbye,”
If your voice has
"I don't want to go" in it,
Say goodbye with a little "hello" in it,
And say goodbye with shalom.

“Milk and Honey”Music: Jerry Herman
Lyrics: Jerry Herman
Book: Don Appell
Premiere: Tuesday, October 10, 1961

NO SACRED AND PROFANE

Poor Anonymous thinks the Christian community is profane.
Perhaps Anon. does not know that Jesus built a community of followers and taught a way of life and did not separate the "sacred" from the "profane" but proclaimed that the rule of God was at hand, immediately, in every day life.

Look at the actual content of  the Sunday Service.
It is all about God giving to us, not humans giving to God.

God gives us the Scriptures and we strive to accept, understand, and apply them to our daily lives.
God gives us the Body and Blood of Jesus under the forms of bread and wine.
This is all about God nurturing the mind and body and spirit of Christians in community.

The Sunday Word and Meal celebration is much more about God nurturing God's own people than about the people worshiping God.

I find it hard to imagine people receiving these gifts without thanksgiving [eucharistia] and praise [worship] in response, but God is the initiator of the feast, the host, and we Christians are nurtured, strengthened, for the difficult task of following the values of Jesus in a world which values competition, entertainment, and consumption more highly than love of neighbor.