Thoughts on the Great Fast

The first paragraphs from what I thought was an enjoyable read from Reading Notes.

An Orthodox priest I know once said that the two most important questions in life are, “Does a bird fly because it has wings or does it have wings so it can fly?” and “What think ye of Christ?” I always thought it would be fascinating to ask a class full of contemporary students, though I doubt I will ever get the opportunity given my “field.” Maybe it’s unnecessary. I can already guess what some (most?) of the answers would be. Perhaps more distressing is the fact that so few would realize the central importance of both questions and that answering them ought to require more than passing reference to things “everybody” knows by the time they leave high school.

Today is Cheesefare Saturday for Orthodox Christians, but just a few days ago it was Ash Wednesday for the Catholics and some miscellaneous Protestant confessions. Being an employee of the U.S.’s “largest Catholic university,” it wasn’t terribly surprising to see so many blackened foreheads throughout the day. I had seen what I thought to be a surprising number when I was still a law student, though it seems like there are more than even three years ago. Perhaps it says something about the shifting demographics brought on by an admissions policy which favors “non-traditional” students (i.e., Hispanics), though their numbers are still paltry in college and graduate school. Maybe it’s just “cool” to be Catholic now in a way it wasn’t a few years ago when the talk of the town (every town!) was priest sex scandals. Not knowing as many Catholics as I once did, it’s hard for me to even make an impressionistic analysis of their religious mentalité. There’s a lot of reports out there. Everyone knows about the “cafeteria Catholics” and just this week I learned of the phenomenon of “a** mass”—the late Sunday service where all of the single young Catholics go after being too hung over from Saturday night revelries to make it to 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or noonday service. (I suppose if the Saturday night market yielded a low return, one could hope to get some digits while in the communion line.) But I do live in a “big city” and should perhaps be accustomed to such things. Then there’s also the whole, “What are you giving up for Lent?” breakout discussions which, on the one hand, should appall anyone who believes these things ought to be determined in advance by more competent authorities, though on the other are exponentially less harmful than the parallel bantering of (primarily convert) Orthodox talking about how hard it’s going to be for them to maintain the fasting rules outlined by Bishop Kallistos in the introductory material to the Triodion. Personally, I’d rather take as my model the guy with the shakes because he gave up cigarettes for 46 days than my “fellow believer” in the midst of a spiritual meltdown because they’re not sure if the Church Fathers would have approved peanut butter for the Great Fast. At least one of them is actually suffering for God. . .

Complete article here.

NFTU's take on the new Antiochian declaration on bishops

The below is referring to this declaration.

(NFTU) - Things just get more and more mind-blowing in Antioch.

Changes were made to the by-laws this week with effects on all the Bishops. According to the decision of the Holy Synod, all Bishops are now auxilliary Bishops to either the Patriarch or the Metropolitan. Articles #75 and #76 define the Patriarch and the Metropolitan as the "reference points" ("locus"? "primate"? The English translation of the Arabic was done by Metropolitan Philip of the Antiochian Archdiocese and is suitably unclear) and point #77 makes all Bishops into auxilliaries ("all bishops within the Antiochian see are auxilliary Bishops and directly under their spiritual authority.")

It would appear that the Antiochian Synod is submitting to Roman ideas concerning episcopal authority (That is, a universal or patriarchal jurisdiction of sorts). Further, it seems the self-ruled Archidiocese is now ruled solely by one "self"-- the Metropolitan. The canonical implications of this statement are amazing, and this author has no words that can adequately convey the outrageous implications of this text. Comments?

Godfather Patriarch attributed to boom in birth-rate

I am reminded of a story retold to me about a very influential local pro-lifer. In convincing Hispanic women - often through his pregnancy clinic - to have their children he was rewarded by being made a godfather. He took this as a wonderful honor and happily agreed to this quite a few times. All was fine until it was time for their quinceañeras. Imagine the surprise at being asked to give money in addition to scheduling with the church and coordinating the party for dozens of girls.

(SPC) - Georgia has stemmed a long-term population decline thanks to an unpredecented offer by the head of its Orthodox Church to be godfather to thousands of children, the civil registry agency said Friday. The agency linked a sharp increase in births and marriages to improved living standards and the offer by the patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church to become godfather to every third child born to a Georgian family.

In a statement, the agency said the number of births in 2008 had increased by 19 percent over 2007 and by 37 percent since 2005. The number of marriages grew by 20 percent last year and by 72 percent since 2005.

"The number of marriages and births has increased dramatically in Georgia... The demographic situation is significantly improved," the head of the agency, Giorgi Vasadze, said in the statement.

"The demographic growth is directly linked with the economic growth as well as the initiative made by the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia that he will be a godfather for every third child in a family."

The head of Georgia's influential Orthodox Church, Patriarch Ilia II, announced the initiative in late 2007 and has since become godfather to more than 2,000 children, the head of the patriarch's charitable foundation, Irakli Kadagishvili, told AFP.

The number of births and marriages had been falling every year before 2005 as Georgia suffered through economic chaos and civil wars following its independence with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

But living standards have improved as the country posted record economic growth over the last three years following sweeping free-market reforms by President Mikheil Saakashvili.

Government estimates put Georgia's current population at 4.6 million. The country is due to conduct its next population census in 2010.

Remembering God (mneme Theou)

Word Incarnate has a thought provoking post on the remembrance of God in prayer. It is not an easy read. Expect to leave the post up in another tab/window or bookmark it.

Just in case you’re already confused, that’s Greek for “remembrance of God.” In the practice of prayer in the Byzantine tradition, remembrance of God is really the foundation of all prayer. Often the Jesus Prayer is the principal way to do this, but remembrance of God is more fundamental than any particular form of prayer. It is simply a conscious, attentive being in the presence of God...

“…mneme Theou, remembering God, means something that is more than merely a ’subjective’ recollection. ‘Objectively,’ if one can say that, it means reconnecting oneself to God and His grace. The effort, the process involved, is very like that needed to remember a forgotten fact. It too sometimes succeeds and sometimes fails. It succeeds, paradoxically, when we ‘forget ourselves,’ forget our ordinary thoughts, our ordinary motives, our insistent but very personal hopes and fears. Then, when it fully succeeds, it connects us not only to something past… but connects us to something, to someone existing now… We must ‘Seek first God’s kingdom,’ and if we do this, He will do everything else that we need. What is involved, to put it another way, is to ‘remember with the heart'...

Complete post here.

Five reasons NOT to visit a monastery

Written by then Hieromonk Jonah (now Metropolitan) in 1999, this is an amusing and very on-point rendering of Convert Fever. Living where I do a lot of the parishioners I meet at Orthodox churches fit into some version of this effusive approach to Eastern practices. Torn Notebook writes on a similar topic as does This is Life (see #16).

The priest looked out of the altar, checking to see if the choir director was ready to begin the hours before the Divine Liturgy. Just as he was ready to say, "Blessed is our God," his newest convert, Bill, made a grand entrance into the church, having just gotten back from his latest pilgrimage to another monastery. Bill -- or Vasili, as he now insisted on being called -- had been a normal young evangelical convert, clean-cut, single, and working his first job out of college. Then he discovered Orthodoxy in a bookstore, and with great zeal embraced the Faith. He was chrismated after a usual six-month catechumenate, during which he read just about every book in print on the Orthodox Faith.

After a year or so, Bill had decided to go visit monasteries. This is where his change began. He became more pious and more serious about his faith, but also started to become, well, weird. Like this Sunday morning. Bill/Vasili was not content to come in like everyone else. Rather, prayer ropes flying from his wrists, he made grand bows at the entrance to the nave, and again, the entire congregation watching, with a flourish prostrated before virtually every icon in the church. It was such a display that no one listened to the hours.

Then, just before the time the Liturgy should have begun, Bill came up to the door of the altar and announced he must have confession, or he'd be in big trouble with the holy elders. Father, being patient with zealous youths, went to hear the confession.

"I am the worst of all sinners!" Bill began as usual. Then he read his list, only four pages this morning. "And I only could do two hundred prostrations, not my usual three hundred, and only read four akathists, so I am not fully prepared for communion," he said. "Besides, I just had to have a cup of coffee, but since everyone else does anyway, can I still go to communion?"

The priest had heard it all before. What does one say? "You did all those prayers, and still had to have a cup of coffee?"

"Well, the Elder said I had to do the prayers, but I couldn't stay awake to finish them all. So I had some coffee. But doesn't everyone in this jurisdiction even have breakfast before Liturgy? I heard that Bishop So-and-so even had coffee with those godless Catholics right before Liturgy. Besides, it was at three a.m. when I had the coffee, and it's almost ten now.

A little after, thought the priest. "Why didn't you start your rule a little earlier?"

"Well, the book I just read said it must only be done after midnight, as that is the time to battle demons. Besides, Madonna was on Saturday Night Live.' Uh. . . the video clips of hers really led me into a big temptation . . . so I did all those prostrations."

Father really did not know what to address first. "Father," Bill asked, "don't you think it's time to start being more traditional, to get rid of those paraffin candles and use real beeswax? It is more Orthodox. It really bothers me that the choir reads half the texts of the vigil, instead of singing them, like last night. And on the wrong calendar too. It took me three hours just to repeat the vigil on the right calendar! I'm afraid I am going to have to find another jurisdiction that is more Orthodox. Am I the only one in this parish who knows how to do things right? Besides, I have invited my Elder to meet you, and he'll set you straight on all this stuff. He told me we have to do everything correctly, like they do it, otherwise we'll all burn in hell."

Father was losing patience, looking at his watch, 10:20 and counting. "Okay, Vasili, look, there are a number of issues here, and we need to talk about them, but not while the whole church is waiting for you to finish. When did you go to confession last?"

"Yesterday, at the monastery. I think I have finally found a spiritual father worthy of my obedience."

"And who is he?"

"Fr. So-and-so, from the monastery in the mountains. He is coming to serve with you next Sunday."

"Bill. .

"Vasili."

"Okay, Vasili, then. That guy was defrocked years ago. I can't serve with him! Who gave you a blessing to go see him? Much less submit yourself to him? Much less invite him here?"

"Oh, so you too are continuing to persecute that righteous man! I know in my heart he is truly Orthodox! Besides he baptized me yesterday, making up for what you did not do by chrismating me. Actually," getting excited, "why am I here anyway? I should really go be with him as the true criterion of Orthodoxy. . . Not in this modernist, ecumenist jurisdiction. My spiritual father may have been defrocked, but he is obedient to God, not those godless bishops! I know it because I feel it in my heart. .

"So," said Father, rather irritated, "why do you want to go to communion here anyway?"

"What! You would deny me my right to go to communion!" he whined, as he stormed out...

Complete article here.

A letter to the Secretary of State

Normally I don't post political material, but this letter speaks to a larger context than the purely political. It speaks to the nature of mankind, the freedom of belief for a billion people, and the cost of inaction to a person's soul.

(China Aid) – On February 23, 2009, Congressman Frank R. Wolf (R-VA, 10th District) sent the following letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regarding her remarks indicating that human rights would not be a priority for her visit to China. The following is the full text of Congressman Wolf’s letter:

Dear Secretary Clinton:

I write to share my dismay, also voiced by a number of leading human rights organizations, at your comments during your recent Asia trip indicating that human rights will not be a priority in your engagement with China. These statements come on the heels of the U.S. failing to participate in the United Nations review of the human rights record of China, among other worst offenders. Both are deeply troubling commentary on this administration’s commitment to human rights, and are undoubtedly disheartening for scores of Chinese citizens, including the imprisoned Catholic bishops, persecuted house church leaders and repressed Tibetan Buddhists.

Certainly there is a place for pragmatism in diplomacy. It may be that the Chinese government, when confronted with its gross human rights violations, would dismiss U.S. concerns and tell us not to interfere in their “internal matters.” But we need look no further than the Sharanskys and Solzhenitsyns of recent history to know that it is equally pragmatic to believe that bold, public proclamations on the importance of liberty, freedom, and the absence of repression are cause for great hope to those political prisoners who languish behind bars.

In short, words have power. They have the power to inspire, or deflate; they have the power to give vision or to stifle hope. But for words to inspire the hope for a day when the Chinese people can worship freely, where the press is not censored, where political dissent is permitted — they must first be spoken.

Silence is itself a message. Martin Luther King Jr. famously said, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” America has always been a friend to the oppressed, the persecuted, the forgotten. Has our allegiance changed?

Words are, of course, strengthened by policy, and policy is shaped by personnel. You have a number of important decisions before you in this regard: Will the new U.S. ambassador to China be singularly focused on good bilateral relations, and increased trade — or will that diplomat tirelessly work to ensure that our embassy is an island of freedom in a sea of repression? Will the assistant secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor be someone known and trusted by the human rights community? Will the new ambassador for International Religious Freedom worship with the underground church and press the Chinese government to respect this first freedom?

This administration is young and finding its sea legs. My hope is that the solid rock of freedom will be your foundation, rather than the sinking sand of repression.

I urge you to change course, lest this country itself be changed.

I am reminded of a story told by Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel which speaks to this very point: “One day a Tzadik (righteous person) came to Sodom; He knew what Sodom was, so he came to save it from sin, from destruction. He preached to the people. ‘Please do not be murderers, do not be thieves. Do not be silent and do not be indifferent.’ He went on preaching day after day, maybe even picketing. But no one listened. He was not discouraged. He went on preaching for years. Finally someone asked him, ‘Rabbi, why do you do that? Don’t you see it is no use?’ He said, ‘I know it is of no use, but I must. And I will tell you why: in the beginning I thought I had to protest and to shout in order to change them. I have given up this hope. Now I know I must picket and scream and shout so that they should not change me.

Sincerely,

Frank R. Wolf
Member of Congress

Metropolitan Philip interviewed

Metropolitan Philip is always a joy to listen to. He doesn't overly embroider his words and you come away from his talks and interviews knowing what he believes and what he wants to do.

(AOI) In this historic interview on Ancient Faith Radio, Metropolitan Philip talks candidly about such things as Orthodox unity, music, our witness to the world, his most memorable accomplishments as well as his biggest disappointments. This two part interview was conducted by Fr. Peter Gillquist, Chairman of the Department of Missions and Evangelism in the Antiochian Archdiocese.

Ambon prayer for Cheesefare Sunday

Occasionally a prayer is read that speaks directly to you. If you'll indulge me, here is such a prayer I heard last Sunday:

Blessed are You, Lord, highly exalted and glorified and good. In Your divine providence You set the length of the year, and have anchored us in these days of inner peace. To Your servants give the good fruit of righteousness in all their works. Give them might and power for the destruction of sin, and for the renewal of soul and mind, that during the forty days of fast, we might overcome the crafty contrivances of the intruder, for You are our God.

Through prayer and fasting You have made men equal to angels, and the fasting Moses You entrusted with the tablets of the Law written by Your divine hand. Now, O Lord, return us to the safe harbor of the honorable passion of Your Christ, that with the wood of the Cross as our weapon, we may be victors over sin and worthy of Your joyful third-day Resurrection.

Through the prayers and supplications of the all-holy and pure God-bearer and ever-virgin Mary and of all Your saints, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Eritrean Orthodox procession in Chicago

Copts beaten then imprisoned for working on Ramadan

CAIRO, EGYPT (Worthy News) -- Six Christian brothers who refused to close their cafe during the Muslim month of fasting, Ramadan, were behind bars in Egypt Saturday, February 21, after they were sentenced to three years in prison with hard labor, a rights group confirmed.

United Copts of Great Britain, which represents Coptic Christians, said Ashraf Morris Ghatas, Magdy Morris Ghatas, Osama Morris Ghatas, Nabil Morris Ghatas, Walid Morris Ghatas and Hany Morris Ghatas were detained January 22 on charges of "resisting arrest" and "assaulting" authorities."

However the group said they only resisted an "unprovoked" police raid last September in Port Sa’id, a city in Egypt’s Nile delta, "motivated by religious zeal on the side of the Muslim members" of the Egyptian police force.

Video footage seen by Worthy News shows about a dozen police raiding the cafe and apparently attacking people. Soon after broken tables and chairs can be seen.

Police also smashed glasses and hookah pipes, and beat the brothers with sticks, leaving two with broken arms and a third needing 11 stitches for a head wound, said to the Coptic Christians’ lawyer Ramses el-Nagar in published remarks.

VIDEO SHOWN

"During the trial, the video tape of the attack was shown in court by the defense attorney but, obviously, the judges belong to the same category of the prejudiced police," added United Copts of Great Britain.

"This is just another evidence that the Egyptian authorities, not just the barbaric mobs, practice discrimination against the Copts." The group said the case underscores "systematic persecution" in Egypt and that Muslim "radicals have infiltrated the government agencies including police and judiciary."

However Egyptian officials have said the Christian can appeal the sentence within 30 days. The deadline was believed to be Sunday, February 22.

Before the latest sentence, the Christian brothers already spent one month in jail following their September 8 arrest. At that time, they were released on bail, set at 12,000 Egyptian pounds, nearly $2,200.

However this time Judge Mohammed Hassan El-Mahmody made clear they would remain behind bars, unless his ruling is overturned. "They were taken immediately to start serving their [three year] sentences," United Copts of Britain said.

SENTENCE OVERTURNED?

Rights groups still hope that the sentence will eventually be overturned, saying there are no clear laws banning business during Ramadan. There have also been signs Egypt's government has come under American pressure to improve its perceived poor human rights record.

Last week an Egyptian political dissident whose imprisonment had strained relations between Cairo and Washington for more than three years was unexpectedly freed, in an apparent goodwill gesture toward the new Obama administration.

Ayman Nour, who ran against President Hosni Mubarak in 2005 and was later jailed on widely criticized forgery charges, was driven home from Cairo's Tora Prison. "Why they did this is unknown," Nour told reporters. "I am coming out with an open heart and am ready to work and nothing has changed. A lot of things have been put on hold over the past years."

Nour's release came amid talk that U.S. secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is likely to visit Egypt for a donor's conference on the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. Nour had reached out to Obama during the U.S. presidential campaign. In August, he reportedly wrote President Barack Obama from prison, asking that Washington push for a Middle East that "embodies the dreams of Arab reformers for democracy and change."

Egypt receives nearly $2 billion annually in U.S. military and economic aid, according to estimates.

Pope Shenouda speaks to his flock

I have always found the way Oriental Orthodox hierarchs take their people to task refreshing. There is a bit of the firebrand mixed with an avuncular delivery. His Holiness is not in the best of health, but continues an active travel schedule.

(Coptreal) - As usual, Coptic Pope Shenouda III, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark's Church, delivered a sermon full of stinging remarks and thorny issues.

In his sermon on Sunday evening, he called for the quick formation of a committee of civil engineers to inspect the cracks on the walls of the Orthodox Church in Alexandria.

"If the engineers in Alexandria aren't happy, I'll send some of mine from here in Cairo. We won't wait for anything dangerous to happen to the faithful, will we?" he said.

When cheers and applauses went up from the audience, the Pope scolded them saying: "You can't do that. There are no applauses or cheers at Church". Bravo!

He also called on the church officials to make it easier for disabled and elderly people to enter it, as it was difficult for them to climb the stairs.

The Pope was then asked about his stance on the Israeli television's mockeries of Jesus Christ, especially after Catholic Pope Benedict XVI protested against these mockeries.

Shenouda said he had not heard about them, pointing out that the Church was studying these mockeries and the way to protest at and respond to them.

"By the way, why do you listen to this kind of radio stations?" he asked.

Shenouda also said he had noticed some mistakes in the religious education curriculum for the fourth year of elementary school.

He said such wrong information contradicted the teachings of the Gospels and called for correcting it, as they could have a negative effect on pupils. He also said that he would talk to the minister of education to correct these mistakes.

There was also time for sentimental questions. A 29-year-old girl asked the Pope about her bad luck, as she had not found a husband yet.

"Don’t be so upset. Girls used to get married at 15, then at 20. Now they do at 35 and one day they will at 44. You're still young. God will send you a person suitable to your age."

Ecumenical Patriarch on the Great and Holy Lent

(EC-PATR) - By God's Grace Archbishop of Constantinople,
New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch

To the Plenitude of the Church,

Grace and Peace from our Savior Jesus Christ
And Prayers, Blessings and Forgiveness from Us

"Come, all peoples, let us today welcome

The gift of fasting

The period of repentance granted to us by God"

(Monday, First Week of Fasting)

Brethren and beloved children in the Lord,

The fast proposed to us by our Holy Church is not any deprivation, but a charisma. And the repentance to which it calls us is not any punishment, but a divine gift.

When the Church urges us, through the words of Scripture, not to store up for ourselves treasures on earth "where most and rust consume" but instead to store up treasures in heaven, where there is no danger of corruption, it is telling us the truth. For the Church is not of this world, even though it lives in this world and knows it. It knows humanity: our real need and distress. It knows our time well: the time of great development and speed, the plethora of information and confusion, the time of maqny fears, threats and collapses.

This is why – with calmness and steadiness – the Church invites everyone to repentance. This is why it discourages its children from taking the wrong path by treasuring their labors and basing their hopes on unstable foundations. Rather, it encourages them to store up treasure in heaven; for where our treasure lies, there also our heart is.

The treasure that cannot be corrupted and the hope that does not shame is precisely God's love, the divine force that binds all things together. It is the incarnate Word of God, who stays with us forever.

He is the sanctification of our souls and bodies. For, He did not come to judge but to save the world. He did not come to criticize but to heal. "He wounds with compassion and demonstrates compassion with fervor."

He abolished he one who held the power of death, namely the devil. He annihilated the sorrow of death, namely the joyless form and dark presence of death, which darkens and poisons all of our life and joy.

This is why, when our heart and love are directed toward the divine-human Lord, who has authority over the living and the dead, then everything is illumined and transformed.

Indeed, when the Apostle exhorts us "not to set our hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment" (1 Tim. 6.17), he is assuring us that the true enjoyment of life is exactly what God offers us, while we simply receive it with gratitude and thanksgiving. Then, the little becomes abundant, because it is blessed; and the fleeting and momentary shine with the light of eternity.

Then, not only do the joys of life contain something eternal; but the troubles and sufferings become occasions of divine comfort.

The divine economy of salvation is certain. For, God is "the one who provides everything with depth of wisdom and loving-kindness." And the deposit of our labors is secure, for "we surrender all of our life and hope" to the incarnate Word.

So when the Gospel refers us to heaven, it is speaking literally. It brings us down to the reality of the earth, which has become heaven.

This is the certainty experienced and confessed by the Church.

Through your Cross, O Christ, there is one flock and one church of angels and human beings. Heaven and earth rejoice together. Lord, glory to you."

The Church grants us the opportunity to experience this miracle of earth-become-heaven. Our roots lie in heaven. Without the Church, we are uprooted and homeless.

For the Church is our home. So long as we return to the Church, we are returning home; we come to ourselves. So long as we are estranged from the Church, we are lost and meaningless.

So long as we approach the Church, we perceive the authenticity of what is true. We behold the heavenly Father awaiting us outside the house.

We are convinced by the sense of goodness and beauty; we sense the presence of God's powerful love, which overcomes death; we no longer sense the corruption and doubt, which mock the world.

Therefore, let us heed the divine invitation to enter the ocean of fasting in order to reach the harbor of light and resurrection with all the saints.

Holy and Great Lent 2009

Your fervent supplicant before God,

+ BARTHOLOMEW of Constantinople

Everything amazing, no one happy.

Why do you make it so hard to become Orthodox?

OrthoCuban has a first post in a multi-part series entitled, "Why do you make it so hard to become Orthodox?" A good question. My experience (with friends and family who have converted and having spoken to priests on the matter) is that the experience one catechumen has can differ wildly from another based on jurisdiction. I know a person who entered the Church after taking three classes and another who did so after almost a year and a half of classes and conversation with the Economos. Some of this is a result of a set formation process and some of it is the discretion of the priest.

In the West, the Latin Church has the RCIA program (a set, year long, class often attended weekly) that people are sent to. The Eastern Catholic Churches are much less structured (surprise!) and tend to follow the Orthodox practice of a parish-centric system.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the role of the priest, who often acts as the spiritual father for Orthodox catechumens, is much more personal and the variable timelines acknowledge the reality of a developing spiritual relationship.

Last week one of my readers asked me to comment on the year-long process to become Orthodox and be allowed to participate in the sacraments. Let me begin with a bit of contrast. Recently, an evangelical who worked on the Mike Huckabee presidential campaign, and is a blogger, wrote a posting listing ten problems with evangelicalism. Let me pick up on just one of them as an introduction to this topic...

Complete post here.

Technical note: Following

Blogger broke following status for some people today. If you happen to see that your following list is blank or half-visible then you have been affected. Simply set your following type (Anonymous/Public) again and it should repopulate.

The Divine Liturgy and the Bible

I was pointed to a website that has the Divine Liturgy outlined with the related Biblical passages below each line. It's quite handy. A quite common question from so-called 'Bible church' visitors is "Where is that in the Bible?" This can be a helpful resource. Here is the intro to that page.

There Biblical references for everything that is said during the Divine Liturgy. Below is the text of the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom. Under each line, you will see "Bible References:" along with the Book, Chapter and Verse(s). While many have studied why we say and do the Divine Liturgy as it relates to the Bible, we would like to acknowledge in particular the work done by V. Rev. Fr. Constantine Nasr of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese. The title of his book is called "The Bible In The Liturgy" (Not an easy to find book. Light and Life Publishing has it.), and it was published by Theosis Publishing Company. His work is thus far the easiest and most comprehensive on this topic when researching how the Divine Liturgy relates to the Bible.

Complete article here.

The Intl. Society for Orthodox Church Music website

(SPC) - The International Society for Orthodox Church Music (ISOCM) recently launched an expanded version of their website at www.isocm.com which will enable the Society to enhance the development of musical resources throughout the worldwide family of Orthodox Churches. quot;Orthodox musicians are found in all corners of the world today, and the ISOCM wants to reinforce the unity of Orthodox Christianity in tangible ways for those living in modern society," according to the Rev. Ivan Moody, ISOCM Board Chairman, "The expanded ISOCM website will serve as a portal to Orthodox music resources on the web."

The ISOCM was founded in June 2005 by a group of musicians and scholars with the blessing of His Eminence, Archbishop Leo of Karelia and all Finland, following the First International Conference on Orthodox Church Music held at the University of Joensuu.

"During the initial conference it became apparent very quickly there is a need for an organization like the ISOCM to help musicians throughout the Orthodox world in their discovery of materials, digital manuscripts, and the exchanging of ideas," said Father Moody, adding, "The newly expanded ISOCM website allows us to bring researchers, composers, directors, singers, and students together to meet and share their knowledge and experiences."

The website includes resources from musicians of diverse traditions within Orthodoxy. Among the collection are resources for review and purchase from the first two ISOCM conferences held in 2005 and 2007. The third ISOCM conference is currently being planned for June 2009, and will be hosted by the University of Joensuu, Finland. Information and registration details for the conference are available on the site.

In the coming months, the ISOCM website will be expanded further to include more resources, links, and information about conferences worldwide. The new website helps extend knowledge and foment creativity in the area of Orthodox Church singing and related theological and musicological fields.

"We live in an amazing time, where technology enables us to make exchange information in so many ways, it's only appropriate for the ISOCM to take the lead in the Orthodox world to provide a website which helps encourage contact, dialogue, and the sharing of ideas for Orthodox musicians and students," said Father Moody.

Membership in the ISOCM is open to anyone within any national church or jurisdiction. For more information about the Society and its efforts, visit their website at: www.isocm.com

St. Anthony on fasting "I die daily."

I began reading The Life of Antony and the Letter to Marcellinus this weekend. I mention this because Athanasius' book expresses an approach to asceticism I find quite approachable and gives succor to those of us now approaching the fasting time or who are already fasting. It is also worth mentioning that this book (whether the Paulist Press version or another) is not a difficult read. You can read through it with periodic stops to meditate or highlight, but it's not like reading On the Incarnation for example.

Two ideas seem central to his teachings: vigilance and the newness of today.

On vigilance:

More and more then he mortified the body and kept it under subjection, so that he would not, after conquering some challenges, trip up in others.

There is a reoccurring idea of posting guard at all avenues the devil might attack you from. He searches for a weak spot. Orthodoxwiki states, "Orthodox Christians are expected to pay closer attention to their private prayers and to say more of them more often. The Fathers have referred to fasting without prayer as 'the fast of the demons' since the demons do not eat according to their incorporeal nature, but neither do they pray." This struck me as a similar idea. In this time of preparation we are given grace to persevere, but are also advised by tradition that no single aspect (fasting, prayer, almsgiving) of the Fast can be maintained to the healthy exclusion of the other.

On the newness of today:

He observed that in saying today he was not counting the time passed, but as one always establishing a beginning, he endeavored each day to present himself as the sort of person ready to appear before God - that is, pure of heart and prepared to obey his will, and no other.

And in order that we not become negligent, it is good to carefully consider the Apostle's statement: I die daily. For if we live as people dying daily, we will not commit sin. The point of the saying is this: As we rise daily, let us suppose that we shall not survive till evening, and again, as we prepare for sleep, let us consider that we shall not awaken.

What a refreshing approach. It's "One day at a time." with more purpose than "getting through the day." Each day a new challenge. Each day a new opportunity. Should I look at the Fast in totality - counting the times I fall down - or should I act prayerfully today and see only today? As he says later:

If we think this way, and in this way live - daily - we will not sin, nor will we crave anything, nor bear a grudge against anyone, nor will we lay up treasures on earth, but as people who anticipate dying each day we shall be free of possessions, and we shall forgive all things to all people.

Baby dilemmas

In recent memory for most of us getting pregnant and then giving birth to a healthy baby was seen as a miracle. Not long ago people had large families and expected that many of their children would not survive their first years. These stories show how far we have fallen. One woman sues because she was accidentally given the wrong baby. Another woman killed the child in her womb because it wasn't what she ordered. If you replace 'baby' with 'car' or 'what I ordered for lunch' how different would the wording be? It doesn't seem like it would be very different at all.


Baby's mixed up after delivery at hospital:

Women given wrong egg during implantation:

(Telegraph) - The mistake happened when the woman, who is in her twenties, underwent IVF treatment at a government-run hospital in Kagawa Prefecture.

But medical tests during the early stages of pregnancy revealed the implanted egg was unlikely to have come from the mother.

Further investigations led to the discovery that the fertilised eggs of another patient had accidentally been implanted.

The woman decided to abort at nine weeks upon discovery of the blunder and are now seeking £149,000 (in compensation from the prefectural government.

Yuzo Matsumoto, director of Kagawa Prefectural Central, said: "She was very happy after undergoing such a difficult procedure and becoming pregnant, but unfortunately a mistake had been made."

"The in vitro procedures are carried out in sequence one after the other. In this case the eggs from one procedure may have accidentally been left over and used in the following procedure."

Fertility treatment is increasingly common in Japan with thousands of women undergoing IVF treatment every year, during which a women's eggs are removed, fertilised outside the womb and then implanted in the uterus to lead to pregnancy.

However, medical groups traditionally do not encourage raising and bearing children who are not related to the mother. As a result, surrogate births and adoptions are comparatively rare in relation to other industrialised nations.

The liturgy in sign language

H/T: Gladsome Light Dialogues

Making Athonite prosphora

Adventures of an Orthodox Mom posted on making Mt. Athos-style prosphora complete with step-by-step instructions and accompanying pictures.

Today I made prosphora and I decided to post how we do it here at the monastery. It's very different from the typical phrosphora used in most churches. This is the way they make it on the Holy Mountain and in other Athonite monasteries. The texture of this type of dough is very different from regular dough and usually has a sourdough sort of taste to it.

We use something called "prozimi" (starter) instead of yeast to make the bread rise. Prozimi itself is a miracle. On either September 14 (Exaltation of the Precious Cross) or on Holy Friday a bowl containing only water and flour is taken into the altar during the Gospel reading. The priest then blesses it. Afterwards our Gerondissa (female spiritual elder... compare "geronta" or "staretz") takes it into the kitchen and places it in the oven (the oven is not on) and leaves it there overnight. The next morning the bowl is overflowing with this "yeast". It is then separated and refrigerated in airtight containers and is used each time prosphoro is made. Every time you make a new batch of dough you tear a small piece off and set aside for next time...

Complete article here.

Lenten cookbooks. Anyone? Anyone?

As my wife is great with child and the due date nears I find myself in need of Lenten cookbook recommendations so I can help out in the kitchen. They don't have to be for complete beginners (she knows better than to leave me alone with fire and her cookware) so feel free to recommend your favorites via comment or email. Individual recipes also appreciated - they may end up reposted here.

To all men in a similar situation I recommend this post entitled 'Helping Your Pregnant Wife'. It begins:

Dr. Awesome,

I hear that Mrs. Awesome is pregnant with Dr. Awesome Jr. Congratulations! My wife is also pregnant with our second and she has not been her usually cheerful self of late, which is not surprising since she generally feels like death warmed over. Would you mind sharing some Awesome tips on being a supportive husband for your pregnant wife? I want to help her out and not lose my mind at the same time.

Dave

Sen. Pelosi meets Pope. Pope metes out doctrine.

From the American Orthodox Institute:

Ed. GOA leaders could learn from the moral courage of Pope Benedict. They remained silent when Orthodox Senators Olympia Snowe and Paul Sarbanes voted against a ban on partial birth abortion. See: Senators Sarbanes and Snowe Betray the Moral Heritage of the Orthodox Christian Faith.

VATICAN CITY (Pew Forum) - Pope Benedict XVI lectured House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the "dignity of human life" at a private meeting here on Wednesday (Feb. 18), a decidedly less cordial reception than is frequently given many U.S. leaders.

Pelosi, D-Calif., describes herself as an ardent Catholic but raised eyebrows last year by saying "doctors of the church" disagreed on when life begins and that abortion "continues to be an issue of controversy"
in the Catholic Church.

The comments earned her a public scolding from a number of U.S.
bishops, who said the church has believed abortion is wrong since the first century.

The wording of a Vatican statement suggests she received another reprimand from the pope over her support for abortion rights on Wednesday.

"His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural moral law," the statement read, "and the Church's consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death which enjoin all Catholics, and especially legislators, jurists and those responsible for the common good of society, to work in cooperation with all men and women of good will in creating a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development."

Conservatives were already nervous that a papal photo-op would enable Pelosi, and other Catholic politicians who support abortion rights, to say that Catholics can reject church teaching on abortion and remain in good standing.

Instead, the Holy See used the encounter to make its disapproval clear, releasing an official statement on what was discussed -- a relatively rare step, especially when the visitor is not a head of state.

Judie Brown, president of the American Life League, had earlier said the only photo she wanted to see was one of Pelosi "in the confessional line."

But after the pope's stern rebuke, Brown said she hopes U.S. bishops will be more willing to deny Communion to abortion-rights politicians like Pelosi. "We encourage our bishops and priests to emulate the same courage exhibited in Rome," she said.

In her own statement Wednesday, Pelosi made no mention of the papal lecture.

"It is with great joy that my husband, Paul, and I met with his Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI today," she said. "In our conversation, I had the opportunity to praise the church's leadership in fighting poverty, hunger, and global warming, as well as the Holy Father's dedication to religious freedom and his upcoming trip and message to Israel."

The papal reception for Pelosi was notable for its contrasts with the warm welcomes given to former President George W. Bush, who shared the Vatican's "culture of life" ideology even as he rejected church overtures not to invade Iraq.

Yet it would have been hard for Benedict to snub Pelosi altogether without straining diplomatic relations with the United States, since her position puts her second in line to the presidency after Vice President Joe Biden, also a Catholic who supports abortion rights.

Pelosi, whose grandparents were Italian immigrants, is on a week-long tour of Italy with fellow lawmakers. Included in her delegation is Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., who has led an effort among Catholic Democrats in the House to create room to disagree with the church on abortion.

DeLauro recently spearheaded a letter to the pope from nearly 50 House members, asking for "clarification" on why the pope lifted the excommunication on a schismatic bishop who not believe 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust.

Holy Resurrection Monastery on the move

The complete article is here.

Responding to an offer of monastic hospitality from the Benedictine community of St. Andrew's Abbey, Valyermo, CA, the brotherhood of Holy Resurrection Monastery is embarking on an exciting new venture. For the next three years the two communities will live side by side, while maintaining their own integrity, in order to give powerful witness to the possibility of deep unity in authentic diversity within the Catholic Church, east and west.

The future of Orthodoxy in America

(Fordham) - Though he lived more than 17 centuries ago, the Greek Orthodox saint Athanasius is an exemplary model for Orthodox Christians today, a scholar and theologian said at Fordham on Feb. 18.

"St. Athanasius stands as the supreme model of successful surviving, learning and living for Christians in a hostile world," said the Rev. Stanley Harakas, Archbishop Iakovos Professor of Orthodox Theology Emeritus at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology.

Father Harakas, a prolific author and priest of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, was the keynote speaker at Fordham’s Orthodoxy in America lecture, which took place on Fordham’s Rose Hill campus. His talk, "The Future of Orthodox Christianity in America: A Normative Approach," was the sixth in the annual series.

Father Harakas said St. Athanasius is a useful model for Orthodox Christians as they anticipate their future in this country because "his battles for the Orthodox faith, his acceptance of repeated exiles and his unrestrained resistance against opposing forces in high places earned him in history a description as Athanasius contra mundum, or 'Athanasius against the world.'"

Also, Alexandria, the city in which St. Athanasius was born and raised, was, in the first few centuries of Christianity, "a pluralistic place, full of variety and within the Christianfold of a wide range of contrasting beliefs, especially about the person of Christ," Father Harakas said.

"In that vital and pluralistic context so similar to our own, the life of St. Athanasius stands out as a model for the Orthodox Church to prepare for its future in the United States."

Father Harakas said Orthodox Christians have "a message and a way of life" that they must present as "an alternative to the morally and spiritually down-spiraling contemporary American lifestyle."

Christianity in the United States faces a challenge in that the secularizing spirit of Europe will continue to spread in the fabric of American life, Father Harakas said.

"It should not be perceived as the essence of America," he said of secularization. "It is one of many variant ideologies seeking expression in American life, but as a church and as Christians we must not succumb to it, but we need to engage with it."

In regards to whether Orthodoxy can be American, Father Harakas said:

"Being American is the acceptance of the fundamental principles of freedom in community as declared in our Constitution. We must believe that we are free to be Orthodox Christians and that we will be good Americans if we affirm our identity as Orthodox Christians, while acknowledging that others have the same right."

"Neither secularism, nor capitalism, nor socialism, or any other ‘ism’ is an authentic component of what it means to be American," Father Harakas added. "Freedom of belief, of worship, speech and political exercise are the only things that are authentically American."

Father Harakas emphasized the importance of teaching youth about the faith, referring to St. Athanasius, who was brought early in life under the immediate supervision of the church in his native city of Alexandria.

"One of the important keys to the formation of a strong Orthodox identity in children is the full immersion in the liturgical worship," Father Harakas said. "It is not everything, but if we do not immerse our children in the worship experience, unconsciously, semiconsciously and ultimately, consciously, there will be only a tepid future for Orthodox Christianity in America." Lex orandi, lex credendi.

Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, said the University has great ambitions to be a center of Orthodox study, thought and debate.

"This evening we were really quite fortunate in Father Stanley [Harakas]’s address to us did precisely that," Father McShane said. "It did not shy away from any of the difficulties that Orthodoxy in America faces. He examined and explored the topic with great honesty and with great breadth of wisdom as well as learning."

About 300 people attended the event, held at the McGinley Center Ballroom at Fordham’s Rose Hill campus in the Bronx. Archbishop Demetrios, primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, was present.

In addition, Fordham announced at the event that it has received a $2 million gift to establish the Archbishop Demetrios Chair in Orthodox Theology and Culture. The gift comes from the Jaharis Family Foundation, which provides grants to arts, cultural and religious institutions.

The Orthodoxy in America Lecture Series is designed to strengthen the ties that bind the Fordham and Orthodox communities and address the history, theology, spirituality and worship of the Orthodox tradition as it relates to contemporary American culture. Additional information about the lecture series is at www.fordham.edu/orthodoxy.

Fordham is the only university in the United States to offer an interdisciplinary minor in Orthodox Christian Studies, and has the only theology department in the United States with two graduates from an Orthodox seminary on its faculty. The co-founding directors of the Orthodox Christian Studies program at Fordham are Aristotle Papanikolaou, Ph.D., associate professor of theology and associate chair for undergraduate studies, and George Demacopoulos, Ph.D., associate professor of historical theology.

Founded in 1841, Fordham is the Jesuit University of New York, offering exceptional education distinguished by the Jesuit tradition to approximately 14,700 students in its four undergraduate colleges and its six graduate and professional schools. It has residential campuses in the Bronx and Manhattan, a campus in Westchester, and the Louis Calder Center Biological Field Station in Armonk, N.Y.

Consecration of seven Malankara Orthodox bishops

(ICON) - His Holiness Baselius Marthoma Didymus I consecrated seven new bishops today (February 19., 2009) at St. George Orthodox Church, Puthupally, the Oriental Georgian pilgrim centre of The East. HH was assisted by H.B Paulose Mar Milithios, Catholicate designate and all the other bishops. The new bishops are H.G. Yuhanon Mar Polycarpos, H.G. Mathews Mar Theodosius, H.G. Joseph Mar Dionysius, H.G. Abraham Mar Epiphanios, H.G. Mathews Mar Themothios, H.G. Alexios Mar Eusebios and H.G. Yuhanon Mar Dioscoros. More videos here.

Note the older practice maintained here of shaking the ripidia:

Church dialogue proves vital in Georgia-Russia relations

Feb 16 (Eurasianet) - With diplomatic ties between Georgia and Russia ruptured, the two countries’ shared Orthodox Christian faith has emerged as the primary conduit for dialogue between Tbilisi and Moscow.

That post-war connection first came into play on August 15, three days after the end of active fighting between Georgian and Russian troops, when the 76-year-old Georgian Orthodox Church Patriarch Ilia II traveled into the Russian-occupied territory to bring back the bodies of slain Georgian soldiers. He traveled at the intercession of his Russian counterpart, the late Patriarch Alexy II.

Nearly four months later, at Alexy II’s funeral, Ilia II again acted as intermediary. This time, he reportedly delivered a message from Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev concerning Georgia’s "territorial integrity." A Georgian church delegation again returned to the Russian capital for the February 1 installation of Alexy II’s successor, Kirill.

The Georgian government, however, has been circumspect about commenting on or publicly acknowledging the patriarch’s role in restoring some form of communication with Moscow.

In remarks to reporters in December, President Saakashvili stated that he had met with Ilia II on the eve of his departure for Moscow, and described himself as "very grateful" for the patriarch’s "diplomatic mission." Foreign Minister Grigol Varshadze later stated that Ilia II had shared some "very interesting" information about his conversation with Medvedev, but declined to elaborate.

"This was a public diplomacy effort meant to coax politicians to the negotiations table," commented Deacon Mikael, who also serves as the Georgian patriarch’s secretary. "The patriarch’s position is that we should be able to have neighborly relations with Russia, but not at the expense of giving up Georgian territories."

Moscow responded to Ilia II’s efforts in late December by dispatching to Tbilisi its own public diplomacy mission, led by Medvedev’s international cultural affairs envoy Mikhail Shvidkoy.

But with Ilia II now in Germany for medical treatment of a virus and a new, untested patriarch in Moscow, how those Georgian-Russian church contacts will further develop remains unclear.

Asked to comment in February on the Georgian patriarchy’s missions to Moscow, an official within the Georgian Foreign Ministry told EurasiaNet that the topic was "irrelevant," given the primacy of government concerns about the European Union investigation into the 2008 war with Russia.

Within Georgia, the greatest concern focuses on whether or not the Russian Orthodox Church will reverse its October 2008 decision to recognize the Orthodox congregations in Abkhazia and South Ossetia as still subject to the Georgian Orthodox Church. The Russian Orthodox Church and the Georgian Orthodox Church function as separate entities.

Religious history scholar Beka Mindiashvili believes that the Russian patriarchy will avoid antagonizing the Georgian church and, thus, inviting retaliation. In case of any reversal of Alexy II’s decision, Mindiashvili noted, "the Georgian church can then recognize the autocephaly of the Kiev patriarchy [an Orthodox church that rivals the Moscow patriarchy], which is not recognized by other canonical Eastern Orthodox churches." AKA: all hell breaking loose.

In a November 2008 interview with the Russian TV channel Vesti, Kirill said that a "temporary, transitional model" should be found to meet the needs of the Abkhaz and South Ossetian Orthodox communities without angering the Georgian church.

Mindiashvili, an outspoken church critic, contends, though, that the Kremlin’s doors are now open to the Georgian Orthodox Church since it is viewed as a natural partner in the fight against Western influence in the Caucasus. "While Russia is struggling against growing Western influence throughout its sphere, the church in Georgia is against Western-style liberal democracy’s taking hold, as it would inevitably lead to an erosion of the church’s powers," Mindiashvili argued. "This is one area where the two can cooperate, and the Russians view the [Georgian Orthodox] church as a potential foothold in Georgia."

Conservative religious publications have reinforced this view. In a recent editorial, Kvakutkhedi (Cornerstone), a magazine financed by Metropolitan Job of Akiashvili, wrote that Georgia should remain under the fold of "righteous" Russia and stop seeking integration with the "unorthodox" [West].

But the Georgian patriarchy’s Deacon Mikael takes a different position, regretting what he described as the United States and European Union’s "weak-willed" support for Georgia’s integration with Western institutions. The Georgian church, he said, completely supports the government’s campaign for democratic reform.

Aside from the patriarchy’s growing influence within Georgia, Ilia II, who has led the Georgian Orthodox Church since 1977, has longstanding influence within other Orthodox communities. During the Soviet era, he served as co-president of the World Council of Churches for six years and has received various honors from Orthodox churches worldwide.

One former Georgian ambassador to Moscow, however, notes that there are limits to the church’s actual influence on Moscow. Patriarchal missions can do nothing to reverse Russia’s recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states, said Zurab Abashidze, who served as ambassador to Russia from 2000 to 2004. "This leaves us in a bind that no cultural diplomacy can resolve," said Abashidze, who traveled to Moscow for Patriarch Kirill’s installation. "It’s next to impossible to imagine any real turnaround, when within 40 kilometers from the capital there is Russian artillery stationed and trained on Tbilisi."

But Abashidze believes that the church can help deter any resumption of hostilities by creating a backdrop that is conducive to negotiations. "Many in Moscow feel that in August the job was not completed," he said. "The threat of renewed hostilities is real, so Georgia should have recourse to all international and cultural means to bring the political temperature down."

Photos from the installation of Patriarch Ignatius Joseph III

As I reported earlier. Here are photos of the event unavailable at the time. More pictures available here.

Orthodox pen-pal program started

Adventures of an Orthodox Mom has started a pen-pal program for kids. I quite like the idea and signed my kids up.

Wow! I'm so excited that so many of you want to sign your kid's up for the Pen Pal Program! We have over 25 kids signed up so far and I'm planning on creating a flyer and sending it to different churches soon too. What I need from all of you who signed up is:

1. Your child's name and their patron or favorite saint
2. Birthdate (be sure to include the year)
3. Interests or hobbies (be specific)
4. Your email address or a way to contact you
   

Please get this information to me by this Saturday, February 21. I'm planning to partner them up and e-mail you their partners on Monday! Please spread the word to help this program grow! Thanks everyone!

Iraqi Christians discuss future of the Church in Iraq

(WCC) - In a meeting organized by the World Council of Churches in Dar Sayedat Al Jabal, Fatka, Lebanon, between 10 and 11 February 2009, twelve church leaders from all over Iraq discussed the current situation of its Christians community. Representatives from different Iraqi churches participated in the meeting together with bishops from the Syrian and Armenian Orthodox Churches and the Chaldean Church in Lebanon, and the General Secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches.

Participants agreed on the following points:

• Christians have belonged to Iraq since the nation’s birth; they are not merely a minority but an essential part of Iraqi society and deeply rooted in its history and civilization. As authentic children of this land, they have the right to live freely in it and enjoy equal rights and responsibilities along with all other citizens.
• The participants called upon Iraqi Christians not to leave the country, but to stay in their homeland and participate actively in its rebuilding and its development.
• They also called on the churches in the West not to encourage migration and resettlement programs for refugees outside Iraq, rather to focus their efforts on bringing back security and stability inside Iraq for all Iraqis. The solution to current conditions lies not in emptying Iraq of its human resources, but in providing a peaceful and safe environment, infrastructures, job opportunities, and in protecting all citizens. The goal is to enable Iraqis to work together, healing wounds and building a better future for themselves.
• It is essential that dialogue continue among Christians and their Muslim brothers and sisters in order to promote a constructive and peaceful co-existence based on mutual respect and good citizenship.
• Participants pledged to work together on establishing an ecumenical forum for all Iraqi church leaders that allows them to speak with a common voice to religious and political authorities inside and outside of Iraq.

Complete article here.

Upcoming homeschooling conference

Being a member of a lot of homeschooling groups online (Eastern Orthodox, pan-Eastern, local) I can attest to the rarity (non-existence) of Orthodox homeschooling conferences. From March 26th through 29th the inaugural St. Emmelia Orthodox Homeschooling Conference will be held at the Antiochian Village in Ligonier, PA. It is actually being put on by the people of the Orthodox Christian Classical Homeschool group and not by the Antiochian archdiocese so, if current discussion is any indication, I expect quite a few jurisdictions to be represented. Lots of speakers, workshops, and curriculum sharing.

Homeschooling and Orthodoxy are still not on firm ground in the US. Every week parents join online groups seeking solid Orthodox curricula to choose from. It's often the very first thing people ask about. Parents are largely reliant on other parents to try a program and give a critique of their experience - price, ease of use, appropriate age range, how well it can be integrated into other programs, and things like the infusion of overly "Catholic" or "Protestant" concepts or opinions.

While I can't attend, I do hope that a lot of what is presented will be made available to the public. I've asked the coordinators to put the information up somewhere as it is sorely needed and constantly requested.

A little wedding conjecture

An interesting post from OrthoCuban on something I had just pondered myself recently:

You can read it in any etiquette manual. In a Christian wedding, the left side is the bride’s side, while the right side is the groom’s side. But, where does this come from? Well, frankly, I cannot prove where this comes from. But, I have an interesting piece of evidence for you. Go into an Orthodox church sometime and look at the iconostasis up front. In the middle you will see an opening called the royal doors. On either side of the royal doors you will see two icons. On the left is an icon of the Virgin Mary. On the right is an icon of Our Lord Jesus Christ. There are additional icons, but just notice those two.

You see, the bride’s side is the side in front of the icon of the Virgin Mary, the Theotokos. The groom’s side is the side in front of the icon of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, the iconostasis itself was a rather late developement. But a communion rail with icons (or holy pictures) existed centuries before the iconostasis. And, the icons of Our Lady and Our Lord were in the traditional placement, given above, many centuries before the development of the iconostasis.

So, as the wedding ceremony developed over the first six centuries of the Church’s existence, I will argue that it developed to reflect the placement of the icons (or holy images) up in front. And, so, to this day, even Protestant wedding ceremonies reflect the ancient understanding that the “doors to the heavenly sanctuary” are flanked by the Lord on one side–the right side as one faces the altar–, and the Theotokos, the Virgin Mary, on the other side.

Of possible use to you tomorrow

Pope of Rome - Patriarch of Moscow meeting news

I've quit giving any sort of opinionated commentary on this topic - we won't really know anything until something actually happens. Every time news like this comes out one side will always cheer and the other side will always boo and hiss.

MOSCOW, February 13 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) will work to remove "obstacles" to a meeting between its new leader and the Pope, a senior Russian church official said on Friday.

Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria, the ROC representative to international religious organizations, said during a Moscow-Paris TV link devoted to the Church's policies under Patriarch Kirill that "Our objective is to organize the meeting as soon as possible."

The cleric, however, said the problems that had made the meeting impossible under the late Patriarch Alexy II remained unsettled, including attempts by Roman Catholics to expand in the former Soviet Union at the expense of the Orthodox Church and "the difficult situation in Ukraine."

Relations between the Orthodox and Catholic branches of Christianity have been strained in recent years as the Russian church accused the Vatican of stepping up efforts to convert believers in what it calls its canonical territory since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The Russian church also accused Eastern Rite Catholics, loyal to the Vatican but using Orthodox-style liturgy, of spreading beyond western Ukraine into eastern Ukraine and Russia.

Alexy II refused to meet with then Pope John Paul II, and said the disputes should be resolved before a historic meeting with the current Catholic Church leader, Pope Benedict XVI.

Asked to name a possible date for the long-awaited meeting, Bishop Ilarion said "it is not a matter of time, but a matter of the aim."

"We believe we should come to a common position and then organize the meeting. There is no point in holding a simply formal meeting in front of television cameras. We must prepare the meeting well," the cleric said. This is a statement that he has used many times.

He said if the meeting took place, it would be a breakthrough in relations between the ROC and the Holy See.

Ilarion said the two churches must strengthen their ties and join hands in protecting Christian values in Europe. "We need relations that will make Orthodox and Catholics allies, not rivals."

Kirill was crowned as Russia's new church leader on February 1. He replaced Alexy II, who died in December at the age of 79, after leading a revival of faith in Russia following the collapse of the officially atheist Soviet Union.

The choice of Kirill, who is seen as a liberal figure in the largely traditionalist Russian church, was welcomed by the Vatican. As head of the Russian Orthodox Church's external relations for more than a decade, Kirill led dialogue with the Vatican and other churches.

Ss. Cyril and Methodius

Predestination considered

Mind in the Heart has a good post on that always complicated and sometimes contentious topic of predestination.

Romans 8:28-39: In this section Paul brings to a close—and to something of a climax—the second part of the Epistle to the Romans (chapters 5-8), on the theme of the Christian existence of those who have been justified in Christ.

In verse 28 there is a textual problem respecting the word “God,” because the extant manuscripts vary on the matter. Depending on which manuscripts are followed (and sheer antiquity is not an adequate guide here, because the manuscripts come from various ancient Christian churches, and some textural mistakes seem to have been introduced rather early), the meaning of the passage is either “in everything God works for good with those who love Him,” or “God makes everything work together for the good of those who love Him,” or “everything works together for the good of those who love God.” All of these readings testify to God’s providential control of events in the lives of those who love Him.

That is to say, this verse introduces the theme of Divine Providence, by which God brings mysterious influences to bear on the direction of history. Paul now inaugurates this theme. He will continue it through the rest of this chapter, and then in chapters 9-11 he will apply it directly to the historical situation that the early Christians were facing—namely, the rejection of the larger masses of the Jewish people with respect to the Gospel. Why did that happen? Paul’s response will be: Because God had in mind some greater good that would ensue. God is the Lord of history. He knows everything ahead of time. Knowing everything ahead of time, He quietly and mysteriously arranges and prearranges circumstances in order to bring about the greater good.

Thus, Paul will continue the ancient theme of God’s providential ability to bring good out of evil. This thesis, which will form the substance of his argument in chapters 9-11, is a common one in the Old Testament. It is obvious, for instance, in the stories of Joseph. Paul will appeal to its presence in the stories of Esau and Pharaoh.

God’s knowledge of the future is the basis on which He is able to arrange for those circumstances that will influence the course of events. The English biblical word for this divine activity is “predestination,” which in context means “adjusting things ahead of time.” In Holy Scripture this category always refers to God’s historical adjustment (the word is chosen with some trepidation, for we have no idea how the Lord does these things), based on the divine foreknowledge. It never means an eternal decree that imposes itself on history. The latter concept, which is quite unbiblical, did not appear until fairly late in Christian history, and it is has been the source of endless theological confusion...

Complete article here.