To subscribe to the Daily Office West, go to http://dailyoffice.org – there’s a little spot in the upper right, “Subscribe by e-mail,” which will get you started. The same box also allows a subscriber to opt out. Just unclick here and go there, you should be fine. If not, write to me again, we can solve this.

We have over 900 subscribers in the West, and about the same number who belong to our Facebook group. They keep me going, I don’t want to disappoint them. Every day, whether I’m feeling “religious” or not, whether I’m motivated or not, I post the prayers because people need them and want them, as a means to speak to God and to listen. I’m glad to have the chance, to provide a little mechanism, which is mostly Tom Cranmer’s doing and not mine. People have been praying this way for 453 years, yet all he did was simplify and translate the prayers of the previous 1500 years. He was a genius; I am a scribe.

Then, without asserting myself too much, there are the “asides.” I like them too. I’m sorry to anyone I offend, and I’m proud to anyone who’s inspired. I do want us to know there are soldiers giving their lives, whether we agree with the war or not; Jesus said, “No greater love has a man than this [or a woman], that he lays down his life for his friends.” That’s what Esther did, and Mordecai, and our soldiers do, and Jesus did; it’s what we’re all called to, though few of us have to pay the ultimate price.

All those 900 e-mail subscribers and 900 Facebook members signed up to work and give and pray for the Kingdom of God. So now we know how Esther and Mordecai managed to take the big risk and save the people of God. They were working for others; Esther called a three-day fast.

That was some kind of woman. And the risk she took was Christlike.

Sometime ago I subscribed to this site in error. I wish I had subscribed to the one timed for the West, but haven’t discovered how to make this change. If you can help me that would be great. If not, that’s okay. This wasn’t my first choice, but it’s working well.

I appreciate your making Morning and Evening Prayer available to us. I also appreciate the other “asides” you include from time to time.

When you list those who have died in battle, your notation “They have names.” brings it home to me as nothing else has.

Thanks for all you do.

I wanted to write: Do they look unhappy to you, as if they made the wrong choice in life? Are they worse off, having given up the normal world? Would they do better watching videos or moving money all day? Are they frustrated, or are they fulfilled? What does it mean to give up everything and follow God, or what some call the Flying Spaghetti Monster? Are these women just fools, or do they know what others do not?

I love the picture, and I ask the questions to encourage you in your spiritual life. I don’t think those women are wrong at all; they look like a pretty happy bunch. Surely at times their life is hard, but they may en-joy what they do and who they are as much as or more than the rest of us.

I think you’re right to come here and pray – or go out in the woods, or up the street to church. I think you’re living a religious life too, whatever your other callings are. We feature monks and nuns every week on this site because… they’re you; you’re them. God is real, and once we find that out, Christ’s invitation to “Follow me” makes perfect sense. *How* we follow may differ – but not who.

Go well today. Keep climbing. Jesus will give you a hand up if the way gets too hard.

Josh

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