Dear Folks -

I don't know if our "technical people" were able to capture what the
Joyful Noise Choir did at the Ordinary Life Gathering this week or
not. I know Richard Wingfield took pictures and I'm guessing they will
make it to the website. What a treat.

I am choosing the take a smidgen of a diversion during this time
leading up to Christmas to talk about what it means in spiritual
practice to wait. What is it we are waiting for and how are we to
wait. This week, in summary, what I said is that we can receive what
we wait for unless we are empty and we can receive what is at the
heart of spiritual reality if we are frightened. We live in fearful
times where the cultural message to us is to fill out lives with a lot
of worthless food of all sorts. I called the talk "Do Not Be Afraid."
What follows is the full text from which I spoke.