All of this is just so different from the pablum that one hears from even the best of priests and pastors these days.

I agree, and I find it terribly sad, given that the books of Job and Ecclesiastes are about this almost exclusively. Jesus gave the parable of the talents, too! I had to leave Christianity to learn some of these essential lessons that they have to teach.

I've kept little of my childhood, but one thing that has stuck with me was a saying of one of my pastors (a great old Jesus Freak hippie): "Don't let people mess you up about God: let God straighten you out about people." I wonder what might have happened had I understood that earlier... no, perhaps not. I'm sure Seneca has things to say about dwelling on the past!