In the inbox

Jeffrey (and all the people on your blog; you may publish this if you wish),

I am writing for two reasons:

1) to assure individuals (who spend too much time on the internet) that my previous and only contribution to a blog (supporting Tom Stehle for using the eucharistic acclamations from Mass of Creation) on April 1st was genuine, and to say that

2) I pray for us all, (especially) for those who think my prayers might not be heard as well as theirs. Don't we all want God's Reign to come? My music is not at the heart of what we seek and do as Christians. What we sing is not as important as how we live.

If you need a reason to verify this, or if you (or anyone who reads your blog) would like to communicate with me for any reason, my e-mail is

Quietbreezemusic@aol.com

Blessings to you in this wonderful season of Pentecost (when all voices and cultures were understood and heard by the grace of the Holy Spirit).

I have no illusions about the qualiity or the longevity of my music but, as i said, earlier, I trust God's Spirit to "hold our faith together" into the future.

As you will probably appreciate, I won't respond to any blogs again. It is hard to engage with people who dislike you so much.

What I would ask is that, if you want to put this on your blog, please give me the gift of publishing it in its entirety, without any additional italics or boldface.

God's peace (that passes all understanding),

Marty Haugen

This email is a reference to a previous post of mine when Marty Haugen posted at Catholic Sensibility.

Well that was interesting, if rather strange such as the assertion that those who don't think his music is appropriate for Mass think that his prayers prayers might not be heard as well as ours. While he has certainly been a lightning rod I certainly can't remember anybody making such an assertion. I really can't blame him for starting out a little snarky with "who spend too much time on the internet" considering how much snark has been aimed in his direction. But he seems a bit thin skinned since in his original email he had said that God's people had suffered because the Catholic Church won't ordain women. I guess it is okay to attack our faith, but wrong if we question the appropriateness of his music during the Mass. I really don't hate his music and think it is fine as far as Praise and Worship music goes outside of Mass, though I might quibble about the lyrics at time.

As a side note I was going to post on Jimmy Akin's Why is Christian Art so bad, but I don't want to get any emails from Thomas "Painter of Blight" Kinkade.