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Australian Christian Resources |
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Renewing the Religious Cycle of Festivals
For many people today the intimate connection that exists between the human being and the seasonal rhythms of the year has been lost. Emancipated from nature by the progress of modern technology, we have at the same time become alienated from the Earth's cyclical patterns. Our religious life, once so deeply embedded in and supported by the natural world, has increasingly lost awareness of the profound rhythm in the festive year. Only perhaps at Christmas time and at Easter does a vague memory survive of the inter-relationship between earthly and cosmic events. In this collection of festival meditations, Emil Bock explores ways to deepen our understanding of the Christian festive year. An active renewal of the festivals today can not only heighten our appreciation of the Earth as a living organism, but can provide new energy for humanity's social life. Above all, the festivals are opportunities for new understanding of the Christ mystery that is breaking through in our time - the revelation of Christ in the ethnic world. Nature is awaiting its own redemption through the work of man. In this sense, Bock's meditations are a clarion call for humanity to awaken to the spiritual task of our age.
Published 2000