Byzantine, Texas

I've been asked a few times why Eastern Christians don't employ statuary. In short, the Early Church (both East and West) identified statues with paganism. Not until the Middle Ages (though there have been even first century Christian statues found), with Christendom fully established, did statues come into the West. There is also some discussion about the two dimensional window of icons and the three dimensional representation found in statues - some will make mention of the separation of the deified, transfigured reality of those in icons as opposed to the natural quality of statues. As with any difference between groups, there will be some obnoxious, venomous name-calling and misinformation by those with an agenda. If you plan to read more on the history of these images expect the jaundiced eye here and there; consider the source when something sounds too definitive or damning. See my 31 flavors posting from way back in May for more on the blending of church practices.

First they deny him the ability to maintain church staff, then they deny his very role in the Orthodox Church, then they try and murder him. More at Orthodox News (requires login). A network of Turkish retired officers was planning even the murder of Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomew according to investigations conducted by Turkish judicial authorities. The network was dismantled last month when weapons and explosives were found near in a hovel near Konstantinopolis. "Aksam" newspaper says that evidence on the planning of Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomew assassination was found in the hard disc of the "National Forces Union" president, Bekir Ozturk. The same organization seems to have been planning assassinations of the Armenian Patriarch and Jewish businessman, Isaac Alaton, whose partner Gary was murdered under unknown conditions.

My children received Holy Illumination (1 Baptism and 5 Chrismations) this weekend. It was a well attended service, as not only our children but another child was illuminated at the same time. In the words of a protestant close relative, "After doing this, Roman Catholic mass is a snap." There is the pre-baptismal section in the narthex complete with breathing and spitting. I can't estimate the time that took as my mind circled around the fact that a lot of family had not yet arrived. Nothing like a good exorcism to get things going. Then we processed in and began what I cannot deny was a long, but beautiful baptism(many wet eyes and cheeks throughout). There were no shortcuts taken here as is often the case. The water went through the entire ritual for example. Then came the baptisms themselves. Complete immersion to the surprise (horror?) of the non-Eastern visitors. Nothing quite like thrusting a baby under water in a huge metal tub over and over to bring people to t...

Take a look at this church sign series from Kansas City Catholic . An instant classic.

Crisis Magazine is going to stop putting out a print version of their magazine and move completely online. The content will be free. Crisis has always been a joy to read, but what made it great for me was that it was just the right size. If I was taking our weekend drive and we stopped for a bit (drinks at the 7/11, visiting family, the inevitable potty break), I could just pick it up and read until it was time to move the caravan on. As a "perk" of my profession I'm on the Internet an eye straining 8 hours a day. I get RSS/ATOM feeds, read blogs, and news sites, but rarely read articles of the length that are published in Crisis. How many people have the patience or interest to read pages of text from a computer screen? I never have unless forced to by necessity (white pages, tech briefs). So this leaves me feeling rather put out even with the free, "we're sorry the change" CD pack being sent to print subscribers. I read other magazines of course, but now ...

In whatever enterprise, lest it be so perverse as to prevent discourse, people want to discuss their interests with others. For my part I'd love to have discussions with people about the faith - that particular faith of the Eastern Christian. The problem is that places like Orthodox Circle exclude me, byzcath.org forums depress me, and Catholic Answers enrages me. If I email Orthodox Circle for access as the Eastern equivalent of an Anglo-Catholic, the Orthodox (understandably I think) won't give me as a Ruthenian access no matter how much I wish to discuss Eastern thought with them. Five minutes of reading byzcath.org forums will make even the most stalwart believer shake his head in dismay. Sooo much whining and bickering... I am reminded of a comment made recently that whenever there is no outward pressure on a group it will fight amongst itself. Catholic Answers is a nightmare all its own. There is an Eastern section on Catholic Answers. Is it a place where people intere...

Normally I leave the secular out of this blog, but language being as important as it is to things liturgical and reverential, I find value in this bit of fluff. I got 54% Dixie. My Mississippi family might not open the door next time I visit. Must practice more... "Suppah (supper). Chil'en (children). Heyah (here). Say (Excuse me)!"

In a spasmatic fit I listened to an interview with a member of the radio liberal elite and an author of the same clan. Terry Gross from NPR's Fresh Air was interviewing the writer Peggy Orenstein on her book "Waiting for Daisy: A Tale of Two Continents, Three Religions, Five Infertility Doctors, an Oscar, an Atomic Bomb, a Romantic Night and One Woman's Quest to Become a Mother." Late in her child bearing years she attempted to have a baby by multiple means and during the process had a miscarriage. In a state of grief that haunted her for quite a while, she took part in a Japanese memorial ceremony called a mizuko kuyo (水子 供養). So far, nothing noteworthy save that she is Jewish (more from birth than from continued adherence to the faith it seemed) and involving herself in a ceremony rife with Buddhist ideas of the watery nature of birth and old age, reincarnations, etc. etc. It is when Ms. Gross asked the author this that I searched for the OnStar button. So in rec...

Save the OCA I was surprised to find a website entitled "Help Save the Orthodox Church in America." They have raised just shy of 42 thousand dollars for their efforts. I was not aware of any scandal in the OCA, but maybe that can be attributed to having my head firmly ensconced in the sand ... or not being in the OCA. Not sure really. So then I looked for site referencing a "scandal." I found a helpful site pretty quickly. Orthodox Christians for Accountability It seems to revolve around events beginning in the early 90s involving financial mismanagement, hidden discretionary accounts in the millions, covering up the problem, lots of retiring, firing, and hiring of new people, and the eventual outing of the affair in the news.

Something that you will come upon if you read enough Eastern Orthodox books are "Fools for Christ." They are called "iurodstvo" in Russian from the word for the crippled or salos (σαλος) from the Greek for deranged. I found an informative website on the subject. It even has good HTML mark-up; a rare occurrence in religious webbery. Go take a looksie .

If you're looking for some interesting topics with lively debate, I'd recommend stopping over at The Anastasis Dialogue . It's a blog of the monks at Holy Resurrection Monastery in southern California. Some of our parishioners visited recently and enjoyed their stay immensely. Wherever there is a comment field or forum available, there will also be the polemicist - though I see more real listening going on than I have seen on other sites. Here's their mission statement: Welcome to the latest ecumenical endeavour of Holy Resurrection Monastery . We have always been convinced that Eastern Catholic monastics have a special responsibility to work for the re-union of the Churches, especially those Churches with which they share their tradition of prayer, theological reflection and ascetic practices. Not only is this idea one we hold firmly, it is actually a demand made of us by our own Church, and made with special forcefulness by the late Pope John Paul I...

Istanbul, Jul. 16, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Turkish nationalists forced the cancellation of a musical concert organized by the Patriarchate of Constantinople in the latest sign of mounting public pressure on the Orthodox leadership, the AsiaNews service reports. Under pressure from nationalist groups, Turkish officials revoked permission for a public concert that was part of the Conference of Orthodox Youth. The move fell in line with a recent court ruling that the Patriarch of Constantinople is only a local religious leader, and cannot claim the status of "Ecumenical Patriarch" or leadership of an international religious group. The Patriarch of Constantinople-- traditionally recognized by other Orthodox patriarchs as the "first among equals" and thus the leading figure in the Orthodox world-- has frequently protested the failure of Turkey's government to provide authentic freedom of religion for the country's Christian minority. The conflict between the Ankara g...

Two men flying across the country settle into their seats and soon strike up a conversation. The conversation turns to religion. Paul, a devout Evangelical Protestant, asks Richard, "So, are you a believer?" "Um, yes. I’m a Catholic," replies Richard. "Oh. I see," says Paul. There is a brief, awkward silence. "I used to be a Catholic." "Really?" says Richard. "Yep. In fact, I used to be an altar boy back when everything was in Latin." Richard nods. "Well, my church doesn’t use Latin." "Yeah, that all changed in the 60s, didn’t it?" "What I mean is that my church hasn’t used Latin for centuries, if ever." Paul is puzzled. "Oh. Well, one reason I left the Catholic Church is because I believe that married men should be allowed to be priests." "My church has always had married priests," responds Richard. "What? Really? What about women priests?" Richard shakes his head. ...

This is a well-spoken, full, and compelling answer to the "I don't need to go to church to be a Christian" crowd. That opinion is a convenient one, only possible in a culture that has such religious freedom and material wealth that believers can devalue the power and importance of the Holy Spirit's interaction with the congregation. My words pale in comparison to the words in the liturgy itself (The liturgy being instructive, redemptive, and unitive). " We have seen the true light; we have received the heavenly Spirit; we have found the true faith; and worship the undivided Trinity, for the trinity has saved us. " This video comes from the Ss. Peter and Paul Romanian Orthodox Church.

Read this Ad Orientem post on the section of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's " RESPONSES TO SOME QUESTIONS REGARDING CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE DOCTRINE ON THE CHURCH ." In it there is a question and answer that reads as below. I tend to agree with Ad Orientem's opinion of the matter. Fourth Question: Why does the Second Vatican Council use the term "Church" in reference to the oriental Churches separated from full communion with the Catholic Church? Response: The Council wanted to adopt the traditional use of the term. "Because these Churches, although separated, have true sacraments and above all – because of the apostolic succession – the priesthood and the Eucharist, by means of which they remain linked to us by very close bonds", they merit the title of "particular or local Churches", and are called sister Churches of the particular Catholic Churches. "It is through the celebration of the Eucharist of the Lord in e...

Podcasts range from boring to the interesting. Rarely are they wonderful, but I've found three worthwhile blogs for those with the time to listen. Orthodoxsermons.org - This is from St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church of Washington, D.C. . I would recommend listening to the "Yellow Brick Road" series. The discussion is on unity and the Holy Spirit. Sublime. St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church - Listen to the introduction to Orthodoxy. The weekly homilies are good too. Frederica Here and Now - The famous author Frederica Mathewes-Green. It looks to be just starting, but the talk on vestments is quite informative.

The complete article is here . This is the part that spoke most to me - between the flowery address segments that normally adorn papal addresses of this auspiciousness. . . . At the same time, it is urgently necessary to find a new language in which to proclaim the faith that brings us together, a shared language, a spiritual language that can transmit faithfully the revealed truths and thereby help us to reconstruct, in truth and charity, communion among all members of the one Body of Christ. This need, for which we are all aware, impels us to persevere without being discouraged in the theological dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church as a whole. It leads us to using effective and permanent instruments to ensure that the search for communion is not interrupted or sporadic in our Churches' life and mission. As we face the immense task expected of us, whose implementation is far beyond human capacities, we must entrust ourselves first of all to prayer. This do...

I just finished reading Through Their Own Eyes: Liturgy as the Byzantines Saw It . [See the Touchstone article for their review .] It has something for everyone. For the experienced liturgical scholar it has pages and pages of background information with occasional references that reminded me of the Navarre Bible series ; 20% material / 80% background information. For someone who just wants to know more about why suchandsuch is done a certain way, how it developed, or when a practice faded into disuse there is a special section at the end of each chapter where Fr. Taft does a Q&A with the people that attended the lecture. It's at times intriguing and at other times amusing. He is not afraid to poke someone in the side or let loose a barb when the mood strikes him. A more detailed biography on this luminary can be found at the Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute , Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA where he has lectured in the past. Receiving on the tongue or hand? Wh...

Every morning I click click click down my browser's toolbar to peruse the goings-on around the globe. Occasionally I want to email an author to ask for clarification, send an encouragement, suggest a correction, or just chit chat. Bloggers don't make this easy. You have to search for a blogger's email like Allan Quartermain quested for the King Solomon's Mines. I'm sure this concept is not foreign to my blog-frequenting brethren. First, a quick scan down the sidebar. Chance of success: 20%. Then a look for an email in their profile. Chance of success: 10%. Then a look at earlier posts for mentions of their email address. Chance of success: 15% (They usually only do this in the early, "Please, SOMEBODY, read my blog!", phase of their posting). If that fails you can enter stalker mode and google for emails they might have sent, or just give up. I'll leave my preference to your imaginations.

In the continuing saga of syncretism and the Episcopal church, a lonely ray of hope shines down on the world. An article from the Seattle Times entitled "Priest drawn to Islam loses her collar for year" by Janet I. Tu. Normally I would cut this post in half, but it's just too extraordinary to redact. My commentary is in red. The Rev. Ann Holmes Redding, a local Episcopal priest ess who announced she is both Muslim and Christian, will not be able to serve as a priest for a year, according to her bishop. During that year, Redding is expected to "reflect on the doctrines of the Christian faith, her vocation as a priest, and what I see as the conflicts inherent in professing both Christianity and Islam," the Rt. Rev. Geralyn Wolf, bishop of the Diocese of Rhode Island, wrote in an e-mail to Episcopal Church leaders. Redding was ordained more than 20 years ago by the then-bishop of Rhode Island, and it is that diocese that has disciplinary authority over her. Duri...

Vatican, Jul. 4, 2007 from CWNews.com: Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) met on July 4 with Greek foreign minister Dora Bakoyannis (pictured left), for a conversation that included a discussion of the problems facing the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. After her meeting with the Holy Father, Bakoyannis said that she was happy to have the occasiont to speak with Pope Benedict about "the need for international support for the Ecumenical Patriarchate at a time that is particularly difficult, in the wake of the Turkish court's decision." Late in June a Turkish court ruled that Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople does not have the right to the title "Ecumenical Patriarch"-- a decision that restricts the freedom of the Orthodox patriarchate in Turkey. The Greek foreign minister told reporters that Pope Benedict expressed a keen understanding of the difficulties that the court decision created for the Orthodox leadership. During her visit to the Vatican, ...

The liturgical calendar is full of events and people I don't know. Today is one such day. The "Deposition of the Robe of the Theotokos." Here is a reading from Holy Transfiguration Monastery. I've added in some page formatting so that the eye is not offended by the typewriter-gone-mad big block of text. "During the reign of Leo the Great (457-474) two patricians and brethren on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land lodged with an old widow, a Christian of Jewish descent. Seeing the many miracles wrought at a small shrine in her house, they pressed her until she revealed to them that she had raiment of the most holy Theotokos kept in a small coffer. Our Lady had had two virgins in her lifetime who attended upon her; before her holy dormition, she gave each of them one of her divine garments as a blessing. This old widow was of the family of one of those two virgins, and it had come through the generations into her hands. With the permission of God, that this holy relic m...

I'm not sure what most people listen to on their way to church. Faced with choosing something, we went implemented a heuristic process (we guessed a lot) to stop the whining and best impressions of 'tooth for a tooth' cosa nostra-style paybacks for imagined slights like looking-at-me, won't-quit-singing, and kicking-my-seat. Local Catholic radio had no effect; it seemed to enrage the subjects with its talk radio banter. Classical music also failed to tame the enraged Nibelungen. Like snakes they continued to lunge at one another, teeth bared. Instead of mesmerized tongue flicking at the radio, they spat venom at the pseudo-religious organ music. Other radio options proved only partially effective as a sedative. The commercials were too frequent and vapid to keep the fur from flying. We turned to CDs. The CD changer buttons were pressed. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Wait! What is that sound? Are they... rocking out? They are. I see hair fluttering and hands slapping knees in percuss...