Environmental influences, Reflector

For the past day or so, Arcade Fire's Reflektor has been rattling around in my head - alternately loud echoes of the refrain and quiet demands to be played again. The guys in the newsroom have rather more diverse (and, I have to admit, just plain better) taste in music than I do. I've learned a lot of stuff and started listening to bands I'd forgotten existed.

Yesterday morning, we finished layout on the paper over an hour early, so when the .pdfs had been sent, I headed down to Scripture Study, for the first time on time (or really at all) since the quarter started. It was... I shy away from the word 'edifying' as a general rule for various reasons, but... yeah. Spiritually fulfilling? God, I love these people. (Things to work on: loving the world outside the people I know. That's about a million times harder, I can't help but notice.)

It's strange how we can take solace, soul-nourishing fellowship, from such completely different settings. Sitting in a polygon circle talking about Jacob's blessing and arguing with God and the nature of pain with the church study group is an atmosphere that, on its surface, could not be more different from leaning against the brick wall outside of the newsroom, late at night or very, very early in the morning, talking through wreaths of smoke before we go back in to finish the week's edits. But there's something in my soul that craves both.

The Diocesan convention is this weekend. Our rector is having some minor (we hope) health issues. I'm trying to redirect static nervous energy into prayer instead of worrying... but worrying is a lot easier, comes more naturally, than prayer. Apparently no one bothered to inform humanity while it was evolving that worrying is a completely useless impulse. (Seriously though, what kind of an evolutionary advantage could anxiety possibly have? Bah.)

This was originally written longhand, and typed up over three different devices - two borrowed from school, and the last a two-inch touchscreen. I do humbly beg pardon for any loss of coherency. There was another paragraph written, about call-and-response, but I'll think leave it off for now and poke at that idea later.