Nature. Silence. Darkness. Music. Fire.

When these come together, as they did in the Advent Garden a week ago at the Unitarian Church, they can inspire the imagination in truly spiritual or meditative directions. So said the minister in his sermon this morning; I wasn't there for that event, but I should make a point to go next year, because it sounds like my kind of event. I really prefer church services and church music at night.

I like this minister. Today I had gone to hear him speak on "Prayer and Praying." He's trying to help this mostly atheistic congregation* reclaim some of the elements of traditional religion. A month or two, he spoke about the "God word," and next week he's going to focus on Jesus, of all people. The room was especially beautiful this morning, surrounded by the outside storm: Warm lights and wood inside, with tall glass windows opening out onto young oak forest, the branches covered with winter's pale green lichens and swaying constantly in the wild winds.

Such winds that we may have taken down the cottonwood just in time.

What else? This afternoon, R. and I watched Knocked Up, which was rather sweet, even the uncut version. Harold Ramis looks old now. In the evening, the three of us watched The Santa Clause then decorated the tree. And I think I've finished my term paper on imaginativeness.

* Atheistic congregation: Not an oxymoron for Unitarians.