ORTHODIXIE ... Southern, Orthodox, Convert, Etc.

Someday, should the Lord tarry and faith continue to wane, archeologists will discover ruins of churches, holy objects, hardware, cloths and chalices -- and exclaim: "What a weird people! They consumed what appears to be wine, bread and a certain measure of pig fat and whale blubber."

I'm paraphrasing, but something like this was said to me by a Russian Orthodox Protodeacon as he attempted to cleanse the spoon and chalice of lipstick.

Similar thoughts come to mind, I can't explain why, as I read the following piece (swiped from the Writer's Almanac).

Before we get to that, however, a question:

Are there any Old Calendar Halloween revelers? I mean, where are the traditionalist pagans on this? Since the Pope later changed the calendar, wouldn't you think the true Halloweeners would celebrate on November 12th? Or, am I missing something?

---------

Today is Halloween, one of the oldest holidays in the Western European tradition.

Today, 70 percent of American households will open their doors and offer candy to strangers, most of them children, 50 percent of Americans will take photographs of family or friends in costume, and the nation as a whole will spend more than 6 billion dollars. In terms of dollars spent, it is the second most popular holiday of the year in this country, after Christmas.

For the Celtic people of northeastern Europe, November 1st was New Year's Day and October 31 was the last night of the year. Celts believed it was the night that spirits, ghosts, faeries, and goblins freely walked the earth. It was Pope Gregory III in the eighth century A.D. who tried to turn Halloween into a Christian holiday. Christians had been celebrating All Saints Day on May 13. Pope Gregory III decided to move the holiday to November 1st, to divert Northern Europeans from celebrating an old pagan ritual. Instead of providing food and drink to the spirits, Christians were encouraged to provide food and drink to the poor. And instead of dressing up like animals and ghosts, Christians were encouraged to dress up like their favorite saints.

In the United States, Puritans tried to outlaw Halloween, in part because of its association with Catholicism. So it was the Irish Catholics who brought Halloween to this country, when they immigrated here in great numbers after the potato famine in the 1840s. By the late 1800s, Victorian women's magazines began to offer suggestions for celebrating Halloween in wholesome ways, with barn dancing and apple bobbing. And by the early 20th century, it became a holiday for children more than adults. In 1920, The Ladies' Home Journal made the first known reference to children going door to door for candy, and by the 1950s it was a universal practice in this country. By the end of the 20th century, 92 percent of America's children were trick-or-treating.

Halloween no longer has any real connection to the festival it came from. Unlike most major holidays in this country, it is not a religious holiday, it does not celebrate an event in our nation's past, it does not involve traveling to visit family, it doesn't even give us a day off work. But it gives us the chance to try out other identities. For one day, people can feel free to dress as the opposite gender, as criminals, as superheroes, celebrities, animals, or even inanimate objects.
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We love Mary so much we made her blonde!
Don't gasp, there is a tradition within the West of the Virgin Mary being honoured with blonde hair.

(Pic to the left is of the altar at the Anglo-Catholic Parish of St Mary, Grove Park, Asheville, North Carolina.)

Yesterday, a blog commentor first posted a quote of mine, then responded, and repeated the process. He's referring to this old post. New comments follow ...

ME: "In short, Orthodox believe that Mary was conceived just as any other is conceived; the Immaculate Conception is not a 'dogma' of the Orthodox Church."

COMMENTER: I, too, believe that Mary was conceived in the same way as other people. Such is the teaching of the Catholic Church. However, we don't believe that Mary inherited alienation from God as other people do. The difference is in the effects of conception, not in how it came about.

Now, Orthodox tell me that Mary was conceived in a state of alienation from God. However, they celebrate her conception and birth. Why would you celebrate her conception and birth, if she wasn't already a saint (thus no alienation from God present within her)? This appears like a contradiction to me.

ME: "Perhaps I am misunderstanding your use of 'grace.'"

COMMENTER: By "grace" here, I mean no more than the presence of God in the soul of Mary at her conception, allowing her to be in union with God (or "born again") from the first moment of her existence.

In poking around for a reply, I actually came upon some statements from a Roman Catholic priest that said, and I paraphrase: "But wait! We love the Blessed Virgin so much -- The Immaculate Conception has to be true!"

And that's fine. It's just not Orthodox.

From other sources ...

Why don't Orthodox believe in the Immaculate Conception?

Mary (like all of us) was born mortal as a result of the Fall, but without Adam's guilt. But for Roman Catholics, a "special" birth for Mary was necessary so that Christ could be born to a spotless vessel. So the Immaculate Conception is a natural consequence of the Augustinian doctrine of Original Sin in the West, but is not needed in Orthodoxy to explain how mortal Mary could have given birth to her All-Holy Son.

Source


We can refer to Mary as "immaculate" in the sense that her obedience to God was so marked that she may rightly be declared as pure as any sinner might be. Her holiness has never been matched or exceeded. However, we do not believe in the Immaculate Conception as understood in Catholicism. We do not believe that she had to be herself conceived free from any taint of original sin. Our objection, substantially has to do with St. Augustine's characterisation of original sin. As Bishop Kallistos has observed (also John Meyendorff and other Orthodox theologians) ... if we believed what St. Augustine taught about original sin then the Immaculate Conception would be a logical outworking of that in terms of Mary's holiness and obedience. However, since we do not believe that original sin is transmitted sexually, conception is irrelevant to this issue.

Source


While I would love to be able to fully answer your question, it is far beyond the scope of an e-mail, especially because full understanding of the Orthodox position, based on the tenor of your question, on the Virgin Mary requires a thorough explanation of some of the secondary issues to which you refer, such as original sin, the Immaculate Conception, supernatural grace, etc. As such, I would highly recommend that you meet in person with the parish priest at the Orthodox Church you have been visiting -- he will no doubt be glad to answer the question at some depth.

I can say, in short, that the Orthodox Church believes that Mary, as a human being, could indeed have sinned, but chose not to. In the Roman Catholic understanding, it seems that Mary, who according to Roman doctrine had been exempted from the guilt of original sin [the Orthodox do not accept that humans share the guilt of the first sin but, rather, only the consequences] before all eternity, and thus could not have sinned. This is where the complexity comes in on a number of levels and which puts your question beyond the scope of an e-mail.

Source


Even Patriarch Bartholemew:

In consequence, according to the Orthodox faith, Mary the All-holy Mother of God was not conceived exempt from the corruption of original sin, but loved God above of all things and obeyed his commandments, and thus was sanctified by God through Jesus Christ who incarnated himself of her. She obeyed Him like one of the faithful, and addressed herself to Him with a Mother's trust. Her holiness and purity were not blemished by the corruption, handed on to her by original sin as to every man, precisely because she was reborn in Christ like all the saints, sanctified above every saint.

Her reinstatement in the condition prior to the Fall did not necessarily take place at the moment of her conception. We believe that it happened afterwards, as consequence of the progress in her of the action of the uncreated divine grace through the visit of the Holy Spirit, which brought about the conception of the Lord within her, purifying her from every stain.

As already said, original sin weighs on the descendants of Adam and of Eve as corruption, and not as legal responsibility or moral stain. The sin brought hereditary corruption and not a hereditary legal responsibility or a hereditary moral stain. In consequence the All-holy participated in the hereditary corruption, like all mankind, but with her love for God and her purity -- understood as an imperturbable and unhesitating dedication of her love to God alone -- she succeeded, through the grace of God, in sanctifying herself in Christ and making herself worthy of becoming the house of God, as God wants all us human beings to become. Therefore we in the Orthodox Church honor the All-holy Mother of God above all the saints, albeit we don't accept the new dogma of her Immaculate Conception. The non-acceptance of this dogma in no way diminishes our love and veneration of the All-holy Mother of God.

Source

Then, the comments regarding the above quote on OrthodoxyToday get really interesting. Here's a few ...

Fr Hans Jacobse:

Fr. Thomas,

Actually the Patriarch is correct since the Immaculate Conception relies solely on Augustinian anthropology. The doctrine doesn't make sense otherwise. In fact, if you look at the theological rationale behind the doctrime at the time it was dogmatized, you find Augustinian thinking. The inheritability of "original guilt" is precisely why the "special grace" was necessary -- according to Catholic thought.

Again, Fr Jacobse:

The Immaculate Conception confers the salfivic "merits" of Christ onto Mary at the point of her conception to remove the "stain" of original sin. It's a cosmic transaction that takes place before the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. See: The Catholic Encyclopedia.

This is Augustinian juridical soteriology, pure and simple.

Sadly -- and I've even met Roman Catholics who believe this -- many misunderstand and think the term "Immaculate Conception" refers to our Lord's birth. Wait! Come to think of it, I've got a Catholic icon of the Crucifixion whereon our Lord sports a blonde mane. Hmmm.
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John Adams said, "In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress."

Source

Heh heh. A most worthy read may be had
H E R E.
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Thanks to my ol' pal Roxanne I've just learned that, well, as the title of this posting indicates, there's actually a ...

Beverly Hillbillies Bible Study!

I had no idea that THIS existed when I posted this.


Lord.

(That's LORD with two syllables.)
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DETROIT -- As a child, Mary Ann Rice considered Our Lady Help of Christians Church a second home.

A daughter of Polish immigrants, she attended its elementary school and worshipped there in Masses said in her native tongue.

After 83 years, the church will celebrate its final Mass on Sunday and become the first church in the Archdiocese of Detroit sold to a mosque. It will cater to a new crop of immigrants -- from Bangladesh, primarily.

"It's going to hurt," said Rice, 68. "There are a lot of memories there. But you've got to go with the times."

Watching the mosque take down the crosses, Polish icons and other Catholic symbols is going to be difficult ...

As sad as it may be for some people, Our Lady Help of Christians' neighborhood is no longer dominated by Polish Catholics so it makes sense for the Islamic community to move in, said the Rev. Andrew Wesley.

MORE.

HT: NewsForum
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Hello--how are you
Have you been alright, through all those lonely nights,
Thats what I'd say, I'd tell you everything,
If you'd pick up that telephone.

Can you guess it?

Oh yes I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to, I can do anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman

Name that tune!

Okay, so I tricked you on that last one. But, you know it's coming. Soon. To a theatre near you. Jesus as Jessica. (Or something like that.)

But, I digress.

There was funky Billy Chin and little Sammy Chung
He said here comes the big boss, lets get it on
We took a bow and made a stand, started swinging with the hand
The sudden motion made me skip now we're into a brand knew trip

I can name that tune in three notes!


Can you imagine singing THIS in church?

[HIM:] I got you to hold my hand
[HER:] I got you to understand
[HIM:] I got you to walk with me
[HER:] I got you to talk with me
[HIM:] Igot you to kiss goodnight
[HER:] I got you to hold me tight
[HIM:] I got you, I won't let go
[HER:] I got you to love me so

Oops! Wrong Bono. Perhaps, "I Got U2 Babe" -- ?

Anyway, she started it.

Speaking of chicks. Mollie done got 73 comments, last I checked, on this egg story.

No comment on these Chicks.
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Back in August, I posted the sudden passing of Mary Stolzenbach. Last night I was informed that her husband, Conrad, collapsed Monday after listening to a violin concert and, within minutes, was gone. His death followed Mary's by 80 days. The funeral is today at St. Ignatius Antiochian Orthodox Church, Franklin, Tennessee.

Please pray for their sons, Fritz & John, and all those who mourn.

May his memory be eternal!

The title of this post is explained in the above link.

PS (from a parishioner): Father Stephen was saying ... last night that in many ways the past two months have been the strange months, for we never referred to just Mary or just to Conrad, it was always Mary and Conrad or Conrad and Mary and now it is Conrad and Mary again.
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Doctor's check-up, waiting room, time to spare. I found myself -- finally -- reading last month's issue of TOUCHSTONE magazine. Lately, my nighttime recreational reading consisted of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. I finished it last night; it was a bit troubling. Then, dawn came in the morning!

David Mills, most-times mild-mannered editor of TOUCHSTONE, has a spot-on nutty piece, Puff the Maverick Dragons (about "scholars" falling all over themselves to support the Gospel of Judas), in the September '06 issue. I just about laughed out loud in the doc's holding tank. I hope Mr Mills will forgive my posting a few excerpts. (And, just to sweeten the deal, if you're not already subscribed, you should be. TOUCHSTONE is the meeting place for right believers -- Prots, RCs & EOs -- winding their way through troubled times toward the Kingdom.)

Now, his words ...

"'Christian mavericks find affirmation in ancient heresies,' declared the Christian Science Monitor headline ... Gosh, what a surprise. The story was, as you might guess, about this year's major media choice for The New Insight That Knocks Down Christianity Forever, the Gospel of Judas ...

For those who don't know about Christian Science, the 'Christian' in the newspaper's title has nothing to do with Christianity, but is simply half the name of the gnostic religion invented by that crackpot and conwoman Mary Baker Eddy at the end of the nineteenth century. Which may, now that I think of it, partly explain the newspaper's interest in a story about the Gospel of Judas.

You have to think them Christian or the reporter does not have a story. 'Marxist denies Incarnation' is not a story. 'Buddhist denies Incarnation' is not a story. 'Christian affirms Incarnation' is not a story. 'Christian denies Incarnation' is a story.

But the subjects can't be any old Christian. There's no drama in picking up some skeptic from off the street. No one cares if Mortimer P. Daffodil, the third person interviewed coming out of the grocery store, calls himself a Christian but says he thinks Jesus was just a really great guy.

To work, the story has to announce that 'Official Christian denies Incarnation.' That's a story.

Whom do they find you may ask?

The main subjects -- the story's good guys -- are a Unitarian minister, the dean of the Episcopal cathedral in Boston, the pastor of a homosexual church, and the Episcopal Church's 'social justice' officer (which means, in this case, promoter of great income redistribution, a near-pacifist foreign policy, and legal abortion). These are the daring mavericks who find affirmation in ancient heresies.

A Unitarian likes the Gospel of Judas! Gadzooks! An Episcopal cathedral takes out of the Scripture readings and the liturgy all the un-p.c. bits. Shocking! The pastor of a homosexual church rejects the Atonement! Well, knock me down with a spoon! The Episcopal Church's social justice officer thinks the idea of one truth oppressive! Oh, will such horrors never cease!"

Anyway ... It's a funny read. Get a copy. Here's his (shorter) blog entry about it back in April.

But, just for the vast veracity of it, I've got to leak one more quote:

"The effect of such writing is to make you think well of the 'mavericks,' even if you don't agree with them, and feel that the conservatives are just cold-hearted jerks with short, easy answers."
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"Jethro! Come on in here, boy. Mr Drysdale's got a question fer ya."

Jethro enters with customary high-water pants, too small long-sleeved shirt, and, oddly enough, tin foil wrapped around his head with antennae sticking out.

JETHRO: "Golly, Mr Drysdale! You sure know how to make a mess of things! I was just about to speak in them there tongues that Mr Tent Revival done showed us last week!"

MR DRYSDALE: "Jethro, I've been thinking about your recent conversion and ..."

"Oh Chief!"

MR DRYSDALE: "Yes, Miss Jane? What is it?!"

Mr Drysdale's secretary enters.

MISS JANE: "I just got off the phone with Reverend Mattingly and he's on his way over right now. He wants to pray with you and Mr Clampett."

JED: "Pray with us you say, Miss Jane? Wheee doggies! Jethro, go get Granny! She won't want to miss this."

Jethro runs out one way as Granny enters opposite bearing a shotgun and yammering and yelling ...

GRANNY: "If I ever lay eyes on that vermin, I swear I'm gonna fill his pot with musket meat ..."

JED: "Now hold on a minute, Granny. Why's yer dander up?"

GRANNY: "Jed, it's horrible. That there Tent Revival Man done got Jethro speaking a foreign language. I cain't understand a word the poor li'l feller's saying these days." Granny's mouth turns downward and her eyes start to tear up. "I remember when he was just a little tyke, climbing up my petticoats and speaking that cute li'l gibberish ..."

JED: "Well hold on a minute, Granny. I thought you said it was the gibberish that done boiled your blood --"

GRANNY: "No, Jed, the gibberish I can handle, it's the ..." (noises in the background) "Listen to that!"

From off in the distance you can hear Jethro ... "Who stolla ma Honda! I bought a Toyota when I shoulda bought a Honda. Yahoo! Tooty-frooty, Yahoo, Google, google, google!"

MISS JANE: "Why, Granny, that's not a foreign language. That sounds like glossolalia."

GRANNY: "Why I never! What did you say?"

MISS JANE: "Glossolalia ... it's a ..." (her eyes widen in shock)

GRANNY (jumping in the air and chasing Miss Jane with her musket, yelling): "Bite your tongue li'l miss! I'll not have such nasty talk in my house young lady! A woman of society and sophistication ... why, I oughtta ..." (they exit running).

JETHRO (re-enters): "Dag-nabitt, Paw! I can't find that ol' lady nowhere. Hey! You and Mr Drysdale wanna hear my private prayer language?"


(Forgive me, but I've always thought "glossolalia" sounded like a word that should not be spoken in polite company. Click the above link to see what all the fuss is about.)
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Can Anything Good Come Out of Hollywood?

It’s Hollywood not Tradition; and, after all, it’s just a movie. But having had the opportunity to read the script for New Line Cinema’s The Nativity Story, I can honestly say: It’s pretty good. Really! I enjoyed it.

Earlier reports of the movie could lead one to believe that Hollywood was tinkering with the glorious story of the birth of Christ. For example, the Hollywood Reporter stated that The Nativity Story was "to be told with a strong female perspective" (March 17, 2006). One reviewer, who mentions a Catholic upbringing, praises the script as "a reverent recounting of the biblical story that also added an insightful socio-political dimension to the world Mary would have been brought up in."

Given these reports, I expected something entirely different from the Gospel accounts of the birth of the Saviour. Yet, Christianity Today claimed it was faithful to the Gospels, and then I received the public relations blurb:

The Nativity Story is based on the greatest story ever told. But as familiar as audiences may be with the story, they have never seen it on the big screen. This is the first time in over 50 years that a biblical story has been released by a major motion picture studio. The filmmakers ... are Christian and New Line Cinema sincerely wants to make a film that is historically and biblically accurate. To that end, numerous Catholic and Protestant experts and scholars have read the script and are acting as consultants on this film.

Having read the script, I'm apt to say: If you are looking for holiday entertainment that’s family friendly with a virtuous message, you won’t be disappointed. If you are hoping to see unadulterated Eastern Orthodox Tradition on the silver screen, something essentially catechetical, you’ll have to wait a little longer.

Other than a few timeline discrepancies, the main thing that jumps out at an Orthodox Christian is the age of St Joseph the Betrothed. In New Line Cinema’s The Nativity Story, he’s portrayed as a handsome young 20-something. But, think about it: How else would Hollywood portray the intended beaux of the beautiful young maiden from Galilee?

We all know St Joseph was old, right? He was a widower with children, a man of means, by the time he became the guardian of our Lord. This is the tradition of the Church.

Yet, the fact that the movie includes characters portraying the parents of the Theotokos, Joachim and Anna, shows that the writers were not ignorant to Church Tradition. However, look at any icon and you’ll see: Joachim and Anna are old. They are portrayed differently on the big screen; the script lists Joachim as 45, Anna as 34. The Bible doesn’t specify their age, nor name Mary’s parents. So, what’s the big deal?

Well, the same source within Tradition that provides the names of the Virgin Mary’s parents also mentions the advanced age and station of Joseph, the story of Mary’s birth, mention of Joseph being a widower with children, Jesus’ being born in a cave, the entry of Mary into the Temple, the murder of the Righteous Zacharias in the Temple gates -- and more. This is all found within the same ancient document that attests to the perpetual virginity of Mary: The Protoevangelium of James.

This is important with regard to this movie because the filmmakers have selected information from this ancient source that was helpful in making a Hollywood film. They have also disregarded that which would betray bias toward any particular "Christmas tradition" -- even more so what we Orthodox call Tradition.

Yet, it is obvious by movie’s end that there’s hope that this movie will have mass appeal. Making a movie that only made sense to Orthodox Christians would not serve Hollywood’s purpose nor, most likely, would it get produced.

Again, it’s Hollywood not Tradition; and, after all, it’s just a movie. But, even if in small ways (such as naming the Virgin’s parents) the masses are being introduced to portions of the ancient Church Tradition, that’s a good thing.

What’s good and paramount for Christians, Orthodox or not, at least as far as this movie is concerned, is that Jesus is proclaimed as the Saviour. It’s not every day that the masses hear such good news -- especially coming out of Hollywood.

The Nativity Story opens in theatres December 1st.
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Clocks here run on Byzantine time, which starts at sunset. Dates are calculated according to the Julian calendar of the Roman Empire, which varies by 13 days from the modern Gregorian calendar you're used to. Some settlements are supplied solely by mule teams, and the flags of Byzantium still fly.

Radio? Television? Newspapers? Paved roads? If they didn't exist in the year 972, you probably won't find them here.

And if you're a woman, you'd better make other plans. Females have been strictly forbidden here for a thousand years. Not even female animals are permitted.

Read MORE!
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Blame the Irish? The following is from a priest outside the United States.

Dear Father Joseph,

I am concerned that the Orthodox ... are offering falsehoods on their websites. We are called to the disciples of truth and not to spread misinformation.

There was no deity called Samhain who was the Lord of Death and needed appeasing.

Yes, let us take up arms against the resurgence of paganism but not by equipping our people with false "truths". We are doing them a disservice by offering them weapons of untruth and we are making ourselves look foolish and ignorant in front of the neo-pagans.

Samhain is simply Irish Gaelic for the end period of the year which more or less covers our modern month of November, the season of the end of the harvest.

The myth of a god called Samhain first appears among the English, in the year 1770 when Col. Charles Vallency wrote a 6 volume set of books which attempted to prove that the Irish people came from Armenia!

Geoffrey Higgins then promoted this error of a supposed god called Samhain in a book in 1827 when he attempted to prove that the Druids originally came from India.

The error might have originated in confusion over the name of Samana, an ancient Vedic/Hindu deity. I have located a website which may not be everyone's favourite but it will provide a resource if anybody has the interest in dealing with this modern myth of a god named Samhain.

H E R E.

On reflection I think that what irritates me is that the modern abomination of Halloween is an American creation, but the blasphemy of it all is being unfairly laid upon my Irish ancestors!

In pre-Christian Ireland the festival of Samhain was nothing as wicked as what occurs with the modern America celebration of this day.

In Ireland it provided the occasion for the great weeklong Feis (Parliament) at Tara where all the kings and druidic scholars (olamhs) gathered to revise the laws and make new laws and to oversee the writing of another chapter into the Annals of Ireland.

Admittedly there were animal sacrifices at this time, but they were no worse than the animal sacrifices being offered in Jerusalem during this same pre-christian period.

There was no cowering at home in the dark, afraid of ghosts and ghoulies. Instead there were great bonfire (bone-fires) in all the villages which people lit to dispose of the bones and carcases of the animals they had killed and salted away to provide their food for the coming winter. There was celebrations and happiness around these bone-fires as they celebrated the end of all the hard work of summer and autumn.

The Irish (whose ability to create mythology is irrepressible) believed that the High King Ollamh Fodla who started these Samhain gatherings was none other than the great Psalmist King David come from Israel. Of course they also believe that the Prophet Jeremiah ended his days in Ireland, together with his daughters, and they can show you his grave today at Loughcrew, as well as Jacob's Pillow, the Stone of Destiny, which Jeremiah brought to Ireland!

And did I mention the Ark of the Covenant which every Irish child knows rests under the ruined chapel on the hill of Cashel? :)


Sigh. I've flipped and flopped over the years regarding this "holiday;" as once reported, I'm a halloween hypocrite.
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BREAKFAST !

Okay, so ... it wasn't just me and ol' Max Lucado heading to -- say, TeleWink's -- for breakfast together. Nope. It was a Do slated for the Westin at the Galleria, sponsored by a funeral home group, and a whole bunch of other mens in cloth (womens, too, I assume) were invited. For fun, I was tempted to wear a dress cassock.

But, dear and faithful readers, y'all know I just moved. And -- hey! I'm right near the Southwest Fwy! That's the ticket!

Not.

At least not yesterday.

Three successive wrecks within the span of my 20 minute drive resulted in a 50 minute drive that garnered only a few miles.

Max missed me, no doubt.

Had I met him I was going to be sorely tempted to ask about the "Joseph took cold showers for nine months" quote from one of his books.

Sad part, to boot: It was Thursday and, had I not been under the impression I was going to be fed well, I was looking forward to a breakfast of Grape Nuts with 1%.

Simple pleasures.

C'est la vie.
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Blogging for over two years & then taking a two week hiatus ... interesting. Thanks to all the folks who sent me stories, many stories. It wasn't so much the lack of material, but circumstances that prevented my updating the blog:

1) Our 2Wire modem decided to die one week after the warranty expired.
2) We bought a house & moved.
3) I really wanted a break.

And, hey, maybe it was coincidental, but it was good for book sales. :)

Now, through the wonders of dial-up, on to a couple of those stories ...

Those whacky Anglicans. Tell me this ain't 'bout the nuttiest thing you've read today. Speed dating! Or, maybe it'll make for speedy conversions.

The bishop said the event would give people "a chance to see if there is any chemistry between them and a church".

Good heavens.

Wait. What? Orthodoxy in the South?

With some 2 million believers in North America, Orthodox Christians remain a minority in the U.S.

But Orthodoxy in the South is on the rise. Over the last three decades, Orthodox churches in the southern U.S. have multiplied from a handful of congregations to more than 60 churches and missions stretching from Virginia to New Mexico.

I was, like, FOUR when this man became Metropolitan. Unbelievable!

Take a look at Metropolitan Philip Dot Com.

While we're at it, AGAIN magazine announces its Fall 2006 issue, "Living Stones," and a special Nativity Gift Opportunity ... check it out.

"Again magazine is the front porch of American Orthodoxy, the place we gather from all our different backgrounds to discuss issues, learn new things, and encourage each other. Pull up a chair." - Frederica Mathewes-Green, award-winning author, syndicated journalist and radio commentator

The folks at AGAIN also hope you read THIS.

Okie doke. Gotta go. Having breakfast this morning with Max Lucado. God and dial-up willing, I'll tell you all about it tomorrow.
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"The anger of a friend toward a friend, and the anger of parents toward their children - and of God toward men - is not a storm that uproots the tree, but a wind that strengthens the tree, and rids it of rotten fruit, so that the healthy fruit will increase in number and beauty."

-- St. Nicholai of Zica

Thanks to FWD from Fr Josiah Trenham
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A well-known writer got collared by a university student who asked, "Do you think I could be a writer?

"Well," the writer said, "I don't know ... Do you like sentences?"

-- Annie Dillard in The Writing Life.


Two boys were walking home from Sunday school after hearing a strong sermon on the devil. One said to the other, "What do you think about all this Satan stuff?"

The other boy replied, "Well, you know how Santa Claus turned out. It's probably just your Dad."

-- Taken from one of my mom's forwards.
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As the Huneycutts shall be moving over the next two weeks, blogging will be sporadic (at best).

So, hold the fort down and ...


of course ...


if you haven't already ...


hit the PayPal button in the side margin and ...


buy my book!


;)

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One of these days, it is said, at least eight of the diverse American churches with ties to the ancient patriarchs of Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem - but do not accept the authority of the Pope - will form one single Orthodox Christian church.

The biggest obstacles are resistance to the idea by "old land" patriarchs who fear a loss of prestige, income and turf - and fears by some Orthodox bishops, and laity, that a merger might weaken their ethnic identity and links with the past.

Metropolitan Philip, primate of the Antiochian church, reminded like-minded bishops of their goal. "Our dream for a united Orthodoxy in America," he said, "will never fade away."

Read it all H E R E.
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Just last week, following our Greater Houston Clergy Association meeting, I offered Fr John Whiteford, a ROCOR priest, one of my white clergy tabs saying, "Hey, Fr John ... Here, welcome to SCOBA." He, and other clergy, laughed. We'd just finished our quarterly lunch meeting at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral (festival this weekend!) -- where the clergy attire was about 50/50: Greeks & Antiochians in suits and collars; OCA, ROCOR and Serbs in cassocks. We usually have around 15 clergy at these gatherings and we often joke about such things as clergy attire and calendars. But, thanks God, at least we meet together. We iron out local problems, share information, and ... actually talk to each other! But, believe me, if someone showed up to the meeting dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, a business suit and tie, or, God forbid, a woman in a clerical collar ... well, let's just say, some things are not allowed.

I knew that excerpting Fr Thomas Hopko's recent remarks would provide fodder for comments. Indeed, it did. One comment in particular (below) stood out for me. For those who might have missed it, I'm posting it here as worth a look:


It appears that many of the immigrant clergy who come from the middle east have an aversion to wearing the hat and the exorasson because for them it is a sign of Muslim oppression (Dhimmitude), not Orthodoxy. I have even heard a Syrian priest express his distaste for wearing a long beard because it reminds him of the extremists Muslims who live in his former country. He looks like an Arab and if he had a long unkempt beard he would be mistaken for an Arab Muslim in this country. Since 9/11, he has been especially sensitive about not appearing to look Muslim.

Now on the other hand, many clergy who come from Protestant or Anglican backgrounds seem to find that western clergy clothing represent heterodox doctrine and all that is wrong with western Christianity. I have even heard a few Orthodox priests from evangelical backgrounds almost express an aversion to being mistaken for a Roman Catholic priest because of all the recent scandals in their church. So for them, putting on the exorasson, various hats, growing their hair or not trimming their beard allows them to express visibly their new found faith.

Since it is obvious Orthodox beard styles, hair length, and clergy attire has not been stagnant in its evolution perhaps we could be tolerant of a variety in our clergy's choices and realize these things will continue to evolve in the New World because that is what has happened whenever Orthodoxy has come to a new culture.

Finally, in my humble opinion, I believe we should respect all of their choices because what they each decide to wear is a result of personal conscience. God will be the judge of what is in each man's heart.

-- Tamara Hanna Northway
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The Pope may be about to abolish the notion of limbo, the halfway house between heaven and hell, inhabited by unbaptised infants.

According to the BBC's Religion and Ethics site, the church held that before the 13th Century, all unbaptised people, including new born babies who died, would go to hell. This was because original sin - the punishment that God inflicted on humanity because of Adam and Eve's disobedience - had not been cleansed by baptism.

Then came LIMBO.

Story H E R E.

Thanks to FWD from Jean-Michel.
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"This country is in a moral free-fall. For over two generations, the public school system has taught in a moral vacuum, expelling God from the school and from the government, replacing him with evolution, where the strong kill the weak, without moral consequences and life has no inherent value.

We teach there are no absolutes, no right or wrong. And I assure you the murder of innocent children is always wrong, including by abortion. Abortion has diminished the value of children. Suicide has become an acceptable action and has further emboldened these criminals. And we are seeing an epidemic increase in murder-suicide attacks on our children.

Sadly, our schools are not safe. In fact, we now witness that within our schools. Our children have become a target of terrorists from within the United States."

Who said this?

Here's the story.
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"When you are not married, you have rights and obligations. When you get married, you have fewer rights and more obligations. When you have children, you have no rights, but only obligations."

-- Elder Epiphanos of Athens (1989+)

Thanks to FWD from Fr Josiah Trenham (father of eight).
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It does not bother me that the Bishop arrives in Turkish robes and changes to Byzantine. That is quaint. It shows we have history. It unites us to believers in past ages. But it does bother me that one aspect of the dynamism of the early Church is suppressed, that is the Spirit led witness and ministry of every layman, the Photinis and Mary Magdalenes, by a centralizing legalism that is papal, and western and imported into the Church. That is perhaps why, after two hundred years of Orthodoxy, most Americans don't know who we are; but after a hundred years of Pentecostalism, the charismatic church has acquired six hundred million members worldwide, more than twice the size of moribund Orthodoxy; while, the evangelicals have translated the Bible into more than six hundred languages, we have yet to get the Septuagint into English. Lord, have mercy.

-- Sent from a blog reader via email regarding this post (note the lengthy, occasionally edifying, discussion in the Comments).

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“Many of us have never even seen a Russian,” says Gary Kompkoff, the elected village chief in Tatitlek, letting out a small laugh. “Most of us are full-blooded Aleut. It was very long ago that the Russians were here, of course.”

The diocese’s modest growth is almost all in the Anchorage area, where it has opened five new churches in the last decade as well as a museum that tells the tale of the faith in Alaska. The church’s leader here is the Right Rev. Bishop Nikolai, the bishop of Sitka, Anchorage and Alaska. . . .

The bishop, who formally uses just one name ... (More).

Humph! You mean, like Madonna & Prince? Ren & Stimpy?

Staggering.

By the way, the image here is of a man who now uses two "names" ... Saint Herman.
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"I enjoy driving the backroads, savoring the small towns and the occasional cafe where the waitress might still call you "Hon." In these places, you catch glimpses of the unique, the off-beat, and sometimes, the downright bizarre.

Somewhat in that context, I always pay special attention to the churches I pass along the way: their archetecture (or lack thereof), their sloganeering, and especially their names. The Jesus Christ is the Answer, Inc. Church, painted in large red letters on the church roof is hard to miss, or forget. Somehow I suspect someone didn't really think this one through...."Hi, I'm with the Jesus Christ is the Answer, Inc. Church and I'd like to tell you that Jesus Christ is the Answer"....it just doesn't flow. I found the Little Zion Jerusalem Baptist Church, an odd juxtaposition, but then I found the Mother Zion Missionary Baptist Church completely baffling. I am familiar, of course, with the biblical usage of the word "Zion," but what is meant by "Mother Zion?" I don't get it."

Read it all H E R E.
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Thanks to Pay Pal Tech Support, the online purchase button (in the side margin) is back in operation for signed copies of
One Flew Over the Onion Dome.

Now ... as you were.
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Orthodox Hierarchs Meeting in Chicago

List of participating bishops.

A bleak forecast.
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If you've ever read Gone With the Wind you might tire of folks saying, "No ... but I've seen the movie!" The book reads like literature, the movie reeks like Hollywood. Sure, you could do worse with your Blockbuster dollar, but there's really no comparison between the two. In similar fashion, for the younger crowd, think of Harry Potter the books and HP the movies. Hands down, case closed. If you don't like these examples, think of your own (till you get the picture).

Now comes The Nativity Story.

I've mentioned the forthcoming movie before (and here). As with The Da Vinci Code movie, I've been invited to participate in this movie's "Christian" promotion. Here the PR plug:

The Nativity Story is based on the greatest story ever told. But as familiar as audiences may be with the story, they have never seen it on the big screen. This is the first time in over 50 years that a biblical story has been released by a major motion picture studio. The filmmakers ... are Christian and New Line Cinema sincerely wants to make a film that is historically and biblically accurate. To that end, numerous Catholic and Protestant experts and scholars have read the script and are acting as consultants on this film.

For one, I'd hope the Catholic experts would object and say that Joseph looks, oh, about a generation younger than he should! Since they're making him young and handsome, I shudder to think of what else might lie ahead.

From the Protestant Balcony: "But, Fr Joseph, where do you get off on claiming that Joseph was an old man?"

Fr Joseph: "The same place I get Sunday as the day of worship and knowledge of Peter being crucified upside down!"

But, I digress ...

Was Tradition even considered? I doubt it. After all, it's just a movie. When it's ended, tomorrow's just another day.
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She said: "What a pathetic thing the Holy Spirit must be, in Father Hallinan's view, that it has only enough power to sway the odd female here and there — and has such weak and occasional influence over the Magisterium."

He said: I hear the devil does a mean Holy Spirit impression.

It is said ... THAT.
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The following (on Galatians 6:2-10) is taken from the September 27th edition of DYNAMIS:

First, we are to "bear one another's burdens" (vs. 2). How contrary this Apostolic rule is to the modern heresy of self-fulfillment, a way of life that minimizes a need for Church and Faith in the Lord, promoting instead independence, with minimal reference to anyone else. True apostolic Faith, of course, knows Christ in the Church, in that close-bonded family (see Gal. 4:28) in which we are children of one Father and brethren to one another (Gal. 3:28; 4:6).

Second, "each one [is to] examine his own work" and not to compare himself continually to others (Gal. 6:4). Foremost, we are accountable to Christ and to our Father, as the Holy Spirit reveals the will of God to us. In Christianity, which binds our lives to our brethren, always there is a temptation to judge ourselves by the standard of others around us, rather than to struggle toward the goal which the Lord has established for us: "Therefore you shall be perfect just as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Mt. 5:48). Each one stands before his Master (Rom. 14:4). We are presumptive if we take up God's role as Judge - either of ourselves or of others.

Third, as each of us is to examine himself, so also "each one shall bear his own load" (Gal. 6:5). Let us not be burdens to others, as long as we are capable. Our Master has assigned to each one his own tasks and burdens in life. Others should not have to support us needlessly.

Fourth, concerning the case of those who serve the entire Church full-time, such as Pastors and teachers, the Apostle ordains, "Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches" (vs. 6). Those who feed their brethren the "bread of the word" depend on the rest for their "daily bread." The exchange is fair and just.

Fifth, a godly harvest does not come to those who fail to sow, cultivate, and labor. What if some workers come late in the day and are paid handsomely along with us (Mt. 20:1-15)? We are to fight against weariness "while doing good," and "if we do not lose heart," but persevere in the tasks assigned to us, God Himself promises, "we shall reap" (Gal. 6:9).

Sixth, "let us do good to all" (vs. 10). God does not hold us accountable for every human need in this world by this command. Rather, He sweeps away all human criteria for giving help. The Apostle's meaning in saying "to all" is the point made in the parable of the Good Samaritan. The one we are to help is the one we find on the road. He is our neighbor (Lk. 10:29).

Finally, given the kinship we have in Christ with our brethren in the Church, our first obligation in helping is to assist "those who are of the household of faith" (Gal. 6:10).

O Lord, by Thy grace, may we not stand idle nor apart from the harvest while it is day.

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