Show us also Your Divine Theophany

On Christmas Eve during the Royal Hours of Christmas, a special prayer service offered on Christmas Eve morning, we sang the following hymn:

Today He who holds the whole world in His hand is born from a Virgin. (3)

He who in essence is impalpable is swaddled in rags as a mortal. God who established the

heavens of old in the beginning is lying in a manger. He who rained down manna for

the people in the wilderness is breastfed with milk. He who is the Bridegroom of the Church

is summoning Magi. And He, that Son of the Virgin, is accepting their gifts.

We adore Your Nativity, O Christ. We adore Your Nativity, O Christ. We adore Your Nativity, O Christ.

Show us also Your divine Theophany

Christmas has always been celebrated as part of the Feast of Theophany, and yet many of us pay little attention or make little effort to attend services for Theophany. The Feast in which God for the first time reveals Himself as Trinity is one of the greatest moments in human history. It is during the Feast of Theophany the Church extends the blessings of God to the entire created world. When Jesus entered the Jordan River to be baptized by John, He sanctified all of creation by His presence in the water. The Church continues the work of sanctifying creation when we celebrate the Great Blessing of the Waters on Theophany. Through the blessing of the waters, our homes, businesses, our own lives and the entire world receives the blessings of the Jordan – the blessings of God.

On the Third Day of Christmas

This year the Third Day of Christmas falls on a Friday, and that means….FAST FREE FRIDAY! I don’t know about you, but I like fast free Fridays, not ‘just’ because I can enjoy a juicy hamburger, but because it allows me to experience a glimpse of the coming Kingdom. When we fast according to the guidance of the Church, we appreciate the ‘small things in life’ like not fasting on a Friday. There are only a few fast free Fridays throughout the year.

Fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays is one of the oldest sacred Traditions of our Church established by the Holy Apostles. You can read about this in the Didache of the Holy Apostles to the Nations. While the main emphasis of fasting is a spiritual discipline, for me at least, it also provides an eternal lesson.

When we struggle HERE, we will be comforted THERE (in Heaven), so when we allow ourselves to struggle by fasting, we can enjoy a fast free Friday when it comes along. IF, on the other hand, you don’t fast, then today is no different from any other Friday, so there is nothing for you to enjoy today. Similarly, if you don’t struggle HERE, you won’t notice the comfort offered to you THERE (in Heaven).

Just a different point of view about fasting. 

On the Second Day of Christmas

The Church has a wonderful tradition of celebrating “main characters” of Feasts the day after major feast days. The day after Christmas, the Church celebrates the Theotokos. We shouldn’t look at this chance as a way to recognize “those left out” in the shuffle, since we NEVER consider the Panagia as one who has been left out of any celebration. In fact the Church insists on linking her to Christ as a way to keep the focus on Him.

It seems to me a popular trend, albeit not a healthy trend is to consider our friends and relatives on their feast days sometimes to the exclusion of the saint. For example, on the Feast of Saint George, many will call their brothers, cousins, and friends, but won’t go to Church to thank God for the Saint the Church actually is honoring that day.

So, how many Christians do you think “celebrated” Christmas without actually going to Church to thank Him? Maybe you are one of them.  If you ask me, Christmas without Church is just another day with dinner and presents. Of course, I understand some people in positions like police, firefighters, hospitals, etc., are sometimes unable to attend Church for Christmas. I’m not thinking about those who are UNABLE to attend Church.

I suppose our secular society has commandeered the celebration of Christmas. We are told by so-called celebrities that Christmas is about families putting aside their differences and coming together. Christmas includes giving gifts, decorating homes, listening to Christmas carols, and even having a HUGE feast with family and friends. But where does the Church – you know the place where God actually dwells on Earth – fit into our celebration? I know of several families who “couldn’t come to Church” because their families were visiting from out of town. If you ask me, that isn’t Christmas without Church!

Living a new life in Christ includes having Christ in your life. It includes attending Church to thank God for blessings He has given you, whether you recognize those blessing or not. It includes honoring those who have lived their lives dedicated to Him and His Church. It includes dinner with family and friends, giving gifts, decorating your house, listening to Christmas carols, but it ALSO includes singing Christian hymns, prayer, fasting, almsgiving, Holy Confession, attending Divine Liturgy and the other Church services.

Which Christmas did YOU celebrate?

Church – It’s Where Christmas Is

Orthodox Christianity has a long-tested and Sacred Tradition of worshipping God in the same fashion as the ancient People of God. According to God’s commands, the Temple (which is unquestionably the prototype for Orthodox Churches  to this day) was the location where the People of God encountered Him as their Creator. In the same way, we encounter God in the Church for Divine Liturgy. If we desire to encounter God at His birth, the only logical place would be in His House. Just as we would encounter any newborn child in his home with his mother, we encounter God in His House, the Church.

Today, we begin the celebration of Christmas with the Great Hours of Christmas. This evening we will celebrate the Vespers Liturgy of Christmas and tomorrow, the Feast of the Nativity in the Flesh of Christ, our Lord and Savior. Want to encounter Him? Go to Church!

This sermon (on our old camera) was from Christmas 2011. Please excuse the poor sound quality. Our new camera is MUCH better...

                                              

This post is written for the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge sponsored by the Preachers Institute. You may find other blogs participating in this challenge. I hope you enjoy this year’s Advent journey.

"Comfort, yes, comfort My people!" Says your God. (Isaiah 40.1)

When I read the topic for today’s blog for the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge, I was looking forward to a blog that I have wanted to write for a while. When we hear the word comfort, ‘most’ of us think of a state of emotion much where we are reassured by words such as, “That’s ok.” We also conjure up thoughts of being wrapped in our mother’s arms during the thunderstorm. I suppose I want to focus on our mother’s arms for the moment.

When we are hurt, anxious, sick, lost, confused, tired, depressed, and broken, what we need most isn’t “That’s OK,” but “I know it’s painful, but it will be better.” If our mother had told us our leg was “just fine” when in fact it was broken, instead of comfort, her words would have brought doubt. In a similar way, we need to be honest with the pain of the people we comfort, while reminding them everything will be better in the Kingdom.

This isn’t as easy as you might expect. There is a delicate balance between comfort and patronizing someone who is hurting, no matter what causes the pain. I have found true comfort rests in acknowledging the reality of the pain. I wonder sometimes if we have failed to prepare young people for failure and pain because, rather than being honest about failure, we lie to our young people allowing them to believe the world revolves around them. We have failed to be honest with the pain of our young people, who lose trust in us because they know the pain is real.

So when God commands us to comfort His people, He isn’t asking us to “sugarcoat” their pain. He wants us to acknowledge their pain. This is best by simply being with them and allowing them to express and experience their pain. I was reminded many years ago by a psychologist/counselor that I shouldn’t give a tissue to someone who was crying. It sends the message, “Don’t cry. You’re ok.” But it ISN’T ok. They ARE hurting. It’s better to have tissue nearby and allow them to reach for it or ask for it.

So why was our mother’s embrace such a comfort for us? It’s simple really. They simply hugged us until the pain wasn’t so bad, and then helped us put the pieces back together again. That’s comfort! So don’t be afraid to comfort a friend in their pain. It won’t be quick and easy, but it will be simple. In a way it’s really just like the Church. The Church acknowledges our pain and helps us pick up the pieces. At least that is how it is supposed to work.

                                              

This post is written for the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge sponsored by the Preachers Institute. You may find other blogs participating in this challenge. I hope you enjoy this year’s Advent journey.

Never

Never is a big word. Many times we use it with good intentions, yet with poor results. This shouldn’t surprise us, since by our own failures, we know “never” to be unachievable promise. Consider these few examples from the Scriptures.

Moses said, "You have spoken well. I will never see your face again." (Exodus 4.29) FAILED

The Apostle Peter said, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble." (Matthew 26.33) FAILED

So can we trust ANYONE to use the term? Just one…

God said, "I will never again curse the ground for man's sake, although the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.” (Genesis 8.21)

He also said, “Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." (Genesis 9.11)

He also said, "I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, 'I will never break My covenant with you.” (Judges 2.1)

There are many more where this came from. Just search “never” on your Bible app…God never goes back on His word. You can trust Him on that!

                                              

This post is written for the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge sponsored by the Preachers Institute. You may find other blogs participating in this challenge. I hope you enjoy this year’s Advent journey.

Candy Canes

They come in all sorts of flavors, but the most common is peppermint. They come is all sorts of colors, but the most common is red and white stripes. They don’t really come in that many shapes. I’ve only seen them as straight or as hooks. They’re great for decorating Christmas Trees. I’m not crazy about them myself, but my son enjoys them. But they are a symbol of Christmas, so I’ll just have to swallow my pride and eat as many as I can for the Twelve Days of Christmas. Sugar coma….here I come!

                                              

This post is written for the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge sponsored by the Preachers Institute. You may find other blogs participating in this challenge. I hope you enjoy this year’s Advent journey.

Hats

My wife keeps telling to me wear a hat when I go outside. It isn’t a fashion statement, but (she claims) a safety issue. You can see from my profile picture I’m losing my hair. It doesn’t bother me in the least to be going bald, since that’s what men do when the get older. But as far as my wife is concerned, I need to start wearing a hat so I don’t get skin cancer now that I don’t have enough hair to protect my scalp. I should be more obedient to my wife on this issue.

Of course, now that I live in the south, there is almost no need for a hat (except for a few short weeks in January) for me to worry about a hat even in the winter months. Today is supposed to be in the low 70’s. If you’re jealous, maybe consider a move to South Carolina!

Here are a couple of fashion pictures of me wearing a hat…

This post is written for the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge sponsored by the Preachers Institute. You may find other blogs participating in this challenge. I hope you enjoy this year’s Advent journey.

Chinese Gift Exchange: Strange or Little Known Christmas Traditions from Around the World

The 40 Days of Blogging Challenge has assigned quite the topic today. I don’t know many strange Christmas traditions from around the world, but I did learn of a tradition unknown TO ME a few years ago. Chinese Gift Exchange which I have since learned can be played a variety of ways, includes the ability for people to “swap” gifts within a group “during their turn” but they risk the gift being swapped by someone else on “their turn.” You end up not even knowing which gift you will receive with until the very end. When I saw it played in a close-knit family, I enjoyed watching the bargaining and maneuvering from one cousin to another.

Traditions can be fun and normally are associated with joyous memories. But there IS one Christmas tradition that is strange and not filled with joy whatsoever. It seems to have become a media tradition to air “Special Reports” on the possibility of “new and possibly faith shattering” information about Jesus Christ or the ancient Church. Funny part is, the Orthodox Church in the vast majority of cases was already aware of this so-called damaging evidence, and had already investigated it, and had already declared it bologna CENTURIES ago.

So we are only a few days away from Christmas…..get ready for the annual traditional shocking revelation by the media about Jesus Christ and the Church. I wonder what it will be this year. Maybe they will discover that Saint Athanasios, you know…the guy who gave the world the Creed and the Scripture Canon, was exiled by the Empire, and this will “prove” the Church that eventually agreed with him was covering something up…..It’s kind of like Chinese Gift Exchange, you never what you get until it’s all over!

This post is written for the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge sponsored by the Preachers Institute. You may find other blogs participating in this challenge. I hope you enjoy this year’s Advent journey.

Log Cabins

I remember traveling to Walden Pond when I was living in Boston, where Henry David Thoreau lived two years, after which he wrote his how famous thoughts about simplistic living. Seeking to leave the patterns of life, he unfortunately discovered he had created his own patterns. Since I have been asked to write about log cabins, I thought of my visit ten years ago, and our daily struggle as Orthodox Christians to live simply in a often chaotic society.

In our busy world, we are driven by unforgiving schedules, hard-paved roads, imitation nightlights, foods out of season from far away places, instant chat through the internet with family and friends on opposite sides of the world. There are theories that this way of life, considered by many to be a sign of superior human development, might be one cause, among others, of cancer. Whether it is or not, I don’t know, but I do know this hectic way of life is not health spiritually speaking.

We have exchanged family dinners with take out and drive through.

We have exchanged personal conversation with rapid text messages.

We have exchanged spending time reading the Holy Fathers and Holy Scriptures with 30 second sound bites of cable news networks.

We have exchanged going to Church with going shopping.

We have in fact exchanged God with the world.

Maybe it’s time for us to follow Thoreau into the wilderness and rediscover our true humanity.

Maybe it’s time for us to enter the forest and listen to God’s creation which was originally meant to assist in finding Him.

Maybe it’s time for us to allow the Church calendar and schedule of services to shape our daily and weekly routine.

Maybe it’s time for us to stand in front of our family altar (if we even have one) and converse with God.

Maybe it’s time for us to embrace prayer, fasting, and almsgiving and follow Christ.

It’s a thought anyway…..

This post is written for the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge sponsored by the Preachers Institute. You may find other blogs participating in this challenge. I hope you enjoy this year’s Advent journey.

Nog, Glog, Grog

I must admit that when I read the topic for today’s 40 Days of Blogging Challenge, I was a bit nervous. I LOVE eggnog; I’ve NEVER had grog; and I had NO idea was glog even was! These three winter season beverages have one thing in common: ALCOHOL! It always interested me to learn of regional and cultural traditions that seemed to link the world’s cultures together.

Have you ever noticed, EVERY culture has some sort of “sandwich” type meal?

Taco

Gyro

Panini

Sandwich

Eggroll

Etc

There are many common themes across cultures, so I shouldn’t be surprised when drinks such as nog, glog, and grog share a winter theme. It just goes to show you how much we all have in common.

This post is written for the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge sponsored by the Preachers Institute. You may find other blogs participating in this challenge. I hope you enjoy this year’s Advent journey.

Accountability

When God created humanity, He created TWO people, man and woman, to help each other. Some think of the help only in human terms; cooking, cleaning, sewing, you get the idea. BUT what was really taking place was a system of accountability that human beings would need in order to find Christ. Of course, Jesus Christ reveals Himself to us, rather than us finding Him. However, if left to our own devices, we imperfect human beings fall to temptation. Eve was alone with she fell to the devil’s temptation. Cain was alone when he killed his brother and hid from God. And most of us are alone when we sin, or at least momentarily not accountable.

There is an old Greek saying, “The celibate priest has his abbot, and the married priest, his Presvytera.” We are only truly human IN RELATIONSHIP with another human being. In this way we help each other remain faithful to Jesus Christ. If only Eve had remained at Adam’s side, things might be different.

As Orthodox Christians, accountability is taken seriously through the practice of a Spiritual Father, who through a relationship of accountability guides us in our spiritual life toward God. The Church, in her wisdom has established the practice of Holy Confession not only for the forgiveness of sins, but for the guidance of each member of the Church toward God. Jesus Christ appointed His Holy Apostles as Overseers (Bishops) of the Church to keep the People of God accountable. The Holy Apostles kept each other accountable by requiring ALL doctrine to be confirmed by the Church. The Clergy is accountable to the Laity, and the Laity to the Clergy. Priests are accountable to the Hierarchy. The Hierarchs are accountable to the Synod. The Synod is accountable to the global Church. The global Church is accountable to God. To whom are you accountable?

Before it’s too late, find a spiritual father who can guide your journey toward God.

This post is written for the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge sponsored by the Preachers Institute. You may find other blogs participating in this challenge. I hope you enjoy this year’s Advent journey.

Idolatry

How appropriate that the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge has given us this topic on a “Sunday” during football season. I strongly believe, that for many Americans, football has become an idol. Just think about it. God commands, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6.5) God also says, (about having idols) “you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.” (Exodus 20.5) But isn’t that what we do when we place such an unbalanced importance upon football that it keeps us away from our prayers, or from attending Church on Sundays?

It isn’t just football. Idols come in many forms:

Sports

Careers

Money

Statues

Politics

Relationships

But the biggest idol we tend to worship is OURSELVES! When was the last time you put yourself ahead of God? I bet it was today? In fact, our ego and pride are the worship services for the SELF. It isn’t a coincidence that Jesus said we had to deny ourselves in order to follow Him.

Something to think about!

This post is written for the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge sponsored by the Preachers Institute. You may find other blogs participating in this challenge. I hope you enjoy this year’s Advent journey.

S’mores

Who doesn’t LOVE s’mores? Today’s topic from the 40 Days of Blogging is a YUMMY “forbidden” fruit, or in this case a sticky, gooey, mass of chocolate, marshmallow and graham crackers. If only it were fruit, we could eat them, guilt free! We’re still fasting for Christmas, so many will not approve of eating s’mores, making today’s post a bit of an intrigue.

What are s’mores you ask? It’s combining three totally different items by adding a bit of heat with the result of a sweet union that is sure to please anyone who tastes it. So, I guess you could say s’mores is a symbol of the Church. In the Church you combine totally different people, many of whom have totally different talents, which when combined with a little bit of heat (the fervor of the Holy Spirit), the end result is sweet to those who “taste” the Church.

Think about it for a moment…

Combine egg, colored powder and the skillful and prayerful hands of an iconographer and you have Holy Icons.

Combine peanut butter, bread, a bit of jelly and the loving hands of a faithful cook and you have fed the hungry.

Combine silk thread, a few gold beads, and the skillful talented hands of a faithful seamstress and you have heavenly priestly vestments and Altar covers.

You combine just about anything talent, resource and faith in Jesus Christ and end up with an inspiring and “tasty” treat sure to spread the hope and love for Christ for Christmas. I know it sounds like a far leap, but it’s about all I could think of for today’s topic.

This post is written for the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge sponsored by the Preachers Institute. You may find other blogs participating in this challenge. I hope you enjoy this year’s Advent journey.

St Herman of Alaska

Hey! Look over there! Is that a Saint?

No. It couldn’t be. This is America, and all the Saints are dead people from Europe.

At least, that is what ‘most’ people think.

We are all called to be saints, but the attitude that “that was then, and this is now,” when it comes to the making of saints, is just not true. To say the Church is “constantly” identifying new saints would be an exaggeration, but the Church has identified saints more contemporary to us than Saint Basil and Saint John Chrysostom. There are even American Saints, seventeen of them actually, but today I we have been asked by the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge to write about Saint Herman of Alaska.

St Herman was among the very first Orthodox missionaries in Alaska. His love and dedication to the native Alaska people is still remembered to this day for his love and compassion and pastoral leadership. What I like ‘most’ about Saint Herman was his willingness to bring Orthodoxy to the native people AT THEIR LEVEL. He was able to make the Orthodox way of life real enough for them that they still remember his today as their father.

If Orthodox Christianity can be embraced by the Native Alaskan people of past centuries, it can be embraced by contemporary American men and women. All that is required is for us to bring it down to their level and allow them to see the functionality and healing power of the Orthodox Christian way of life. Of course, bringing it down to their level DOESN’T mean watering down the faith. Rather, it means helping them see where it can connect, when the rubber hits the road, and live a new life in Christ. It means helping everyday men and women to understand the Orthodox Christian way of life isn’t about punishing us and limiting us. Rather it is about helping us realize our true human potential….to be united to the Creator of the universe.

Sound difficult? Of course it is. Saint Herman suffered greatly in the wilderness of Alaska to prove to the native people then that God was not only worth following, but He would help guide them and heal them from their brokenness; something I think too many Christians have forgotten lately.

This post is written for the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge sponsored by the Preachers Institute. You may find other blogs participating in this challenge. I hope you enjoy this year’s Advent journey.

Monastics

The 40 Days of Blogging Challenge has asked us to blog about this important, yet often ignored, component to the Orthodox way of life. Monasticism is an ancient way of life that evolved out of the freedom granted ultimately by the Edict of Milan in 313. With the ending of often violent forms of persecution, many felt the need to separate themselves from the world as an offering and martyrdom for God. As the persecution, which led to martyrdom, offered the faithful an opportunity to be inspired by the faith and dedication of the martyrs, monasticism offered a similar level, albeit no unto death, of inspiration to the faithful who were struggling to maintain their Orthodox way of life in the world.

Over the centuries, monasticism has, due to its separation from the world, been able to assist the Church maintain the fervor of Orthodoxy without being “watered down” by the worldly influences. As a reader of this blog, you know my commitment to guiding Orthodox faithful to rebuilding a real practice of their faith. Thus, the subtitle of my blog, “Live a New Life in Christ,” so I am pleased to address this important topic of monasticism.

In the Church ecclesiology following the Edict of Milan, with the establishment of Monasticism, a dual ecclesiology developed which the Church referred to as “Monastic Rite” and the “Cathedral (or city Church) Rite” as two valid expression of the Orthodox way of life. BOTH were valid and BOTH were honored by the Church, and BOTH had their proper place in the greater ecclesiastical scene. It would not have been proper for monastics, for example, to enter into a city Church and expect the exact form of religious practice to take place as they would experience in the monastery. It would have also been improper for a city Priest to enter a monastery and expect the same experience.

This, I believe, is the single greatest difficulty in the contemporary Church, especially in America since there are very few monasteries, relatively speaking. It has become fashionable for monastics, or laity who may attend monasteries, to belittle the practices of the city Church as somehow lacking in spirituality. Likewise, many in the city comment about the fanaticism of the monastics. This tension is not always a good thing in an environment when the faithful are under constant attack by the devil and struggling in the society.

I think there is a blessing available for every lay member of the Church to visit an Orthodox Monastery as a spiritual retreat. It is in the monasteries, not bound by the secular limitations and expectations of the society, where every Orthodox Christian can leave the world behind, if even for a day, and devote that day to prayer and communion with God. Even the Lord went off to pray every now and then. Having said that, however, I’m not sure a monastic who is not completely aware of the daily struggle of “the city folk” are able to offer the most nuanced spiritual advice outside of the monastery. It isn’t impossible, as there have been many holy monastics, through whom the grace of God has been present, but not every monastic in a holy elder.

There is also a blessing when a monastic travels to a city Church to offer the witness of a pious and faithful Orthodox way to dedicate an entire life to God. It is still possible to “pray without ceasing” as Saint Paul urges every Christian. The Monastic way of life is not always possible for someone living and working in the world, but monastics can serve a vital role in the constant prayer of the Church.

So there should exist a mutual benefit between the city Church and the monastery, but we must remember that they are both valid expressions of Orthodox Christianity. It is not proper to expect a monastery in the city, nor is it proper to expect a city spirituality at the monastery.

This post is written for the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge sponsored by the Preachers Institute. You may find other blogs participating in this challenge. I hope you enjoy this year’s Advent journey.

Deborah, The Judge of Israel

When the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge assigned “Deborah, the Judge of Israel” as today’s topic I was a bit nervous, as I am not well versed in this aspect of the Old Testament. I quickly read the two chapters in Judges 4 & 5 that discuss Deborah.

When Ehud was dead, the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth Hagoyim. And the children of Israel cried out to the LORD; for Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and for twenty years he harshly oppressed the children of Israel. Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time. And she would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. Then she sent and called for Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, "Has not the LORD God of Israel commanded, 'Go and deploy troops at Mount Tabor; take with you ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun; 'and against you I will deploy Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude at the River Kishon; and I will deliver him into your hand'?" And Barak said to her, "If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!" So she said, "I will surely go with you; nevertheless there will be no glory for you in the journey you are taking, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman." Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; he went up with ten thousand men under his command, and Deborah went up with him. Now Heber the Kenite, of the children of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, had separated himself from the Kenites and pitched his tent near the terebinth tree at Zaanaim, which is beside Kedesh. And they reported to Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor. So Sisera gathered together all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth Hagoyim to the River Kishon. Then Deborah said to Barak, "Up! For this is the day in which the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the LORD gone out before you?" So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. And the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled away on foot. But Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth Hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not a man was left. However, Sisera had fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, "Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me; do not fear." And when he had turned aside with her into the tent, she covered him with a blanket. Then he said to her, "Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty." So she opened a jug of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him. And he said to her, "Stand at the door of the tent, and if any man comes and inquires of you, and says, 'Is there any man here?' you shall say, 'No.' " Then Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent peg and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went down into the ground; for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died. And then, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, "Come, I will show you the man whom you seek." And when he went into her tent, there lay Sisera, dead with the peg in his temple. So on that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan in the presence of the children of Israel. And the hand of the children of Israel grew stronger and stronger against Jabin king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.  Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying: "When leaders lead in Israel, When the people willingly offer themselves, Bless the LORD! "Hear, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I, even I, will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel. "LORD, when You went out from Seir, When You marched from the field of Edom, The earth trembled and the heavens poured, The clouds also poured water; The mountains gushed before the LORD, This Sinai, before the LORD God of Israel. "In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, In the days of Jael, The highways were deserted, And the travelers walked along the byways. Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel, Until I, Deborah, arose, Arose a mother in Israel. They chose new gods; Then there was war in the gates; Not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel. My heart is with the rulers of Israel Who offered themselves willingly with the people. Bless the LORD! "Speak, you who ride on white donkeys, Who sit in judges' attire, And who walk along the road. Far from the noise of the archers, among the watering places, There they shall recount the righteous acts of the LORD, The righteous acts for His villagers in Israel; Then the people of the LORD shall go down to the gates. "Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, Barak, and lead your captives away, O son of Abinoam! "Then the survivors came down, the people against the nobles; The LORD came down for me against the mighty. From Ephraim were those whose roots were in Amalek. After you, Benjamin, with your peoples, From Machir rulers came down, And from Zebulun those who bear the recruiter's staff. And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; As Issachar, so was Barak Sent into the valley under his command; Among the divisions of Reuben There were great resolves of heart. Why did you sit among the sheepfolds, To hear the pipings for the flocks? The divisions of Reuben have great searchings of heart. Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan, And why did Dan remain on ships? Asher continued at the seashore, And stayed by his inlets. Zebulun is a people who jeopardized their lives to the point of death, Naphtali also, on the heights of the battlefield. "The kings came and fought, Then the kings of Canaan fought In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; They took no spoils of silver. They fought from the heavens; The stars from their courses fought against Sisera. The torrent of Kishon swept them away, That ancient torrent, the torrent of Kishon. O my soul, march on in strength! Then the horses' hooves pounded, The galloping, galloping of his steeds. 'Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the LORD, 'Curse its inhabitants bitterly, Because they did not come to the help of the LORD, To the help of the LORD against the mighty.' "Most blessed among women is Jael, The wife of Heber the Kenite; Blessed is she among women in tents. He asked for water, she gave milk; She brought out cream in a lordly bowl. She stretched her hand to the tent peg, Her right hand to the workmen's hammer; She pounded Sisera, she pierced his head, She split and struck through his temple. At her feet he sank, he fell, he lay still; At her feet he sank, he fell; Where he sank, there he fell dead. "The mother of Sisera looked through the window, And cried out through the lattice, 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarries the clatter of his chariots?' Her wisest ladies answered her, Yes, she answered herself, 'Are they not finding and dividing the spoil: To every man a girl or two; For Sisera, plunder of dyed garments, Plunder of garments embroidered and dyed, Two pieces of dyed embroidery for the neck of the looter?' "Thus let all Your enemies perish, O LORD! But let those who love Him be like the sun When it comes out in full strength." So the land had rest for forty years.

The first thing that occurred to me was how this might be used by those who seek to turn against their enemies. People have often accused “The Church” and “Religion” to be the main cause of “most” of the world violence. They turn to such stories in the Old Testament to make the case that God can be violent to prove His point. To this I say, “Let God do what God will do. As for us, we should turn the other cheek”

The other thing that came to my mind was positive for women in positions of authority. Although FEW women have been in such high levels of authority in the history of Israel, they are not absent. And women should not be absent in our contemporary society either. Of course, there was, and still is, a difference between religious leaders and what I might call civic leaders, but ALL are called to be obedient to the will of God.

And it is the obedience, or lack thereof, where my two points come together today. As the open verse of Judges 4 states, Israel was doing evil against the will of God. They were therefore subject to turmoil. Today’s society continually moves further and further from the will of God, and THEN wonders why we struggle. The Old Testament is filled with stories of Israel obeying and disobeying God, and being blessed and struggling. One thing we can grasp, among many, from this pattern is that when we stray away from God’s will, we place ourselves at risk of suffering at the hands of His enemies. Away from Him, He cannot protect us. Close to Him, He can shelter us with His arm. So why would we, lead by men or women, continue to stray from the will of God? Your guess is as good as mine.

In the meantime, let’s strive to be the New Israel we have been called to be, and live for the will of God. If that includes Godly women, so be it. And when we find ourselves suffering at the hands of His enemies, let’s quickly JUMP back to His side and beg His forgiveness.

This post is written for the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge sponsored by the Preachers Institute. You may find other blogs participating in this challenge. I hope you enjoy this year’s Advent journey.

Sometimes I Think we Just Confuse Old with Tradition

Today’s topic from the 40 Days Blogging Challenge is “Oil Lamps." Following the ancient tradition of the Temple as commanded by God, Orthodox Christians bring an offering of olive oil to be burned in the Church lamps continually serving as a reminder of the presence of the Light of God.

And you shall command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually (Exodus 27.20)

Although olive oil has been offered to God for centuries, millennia actually, many Churches today have electric lamps in front of Icons and Icon Screens. Many have told me that this is done mainly for safety reasons, and quite frankly there have been TOO many Church fires this year. But is electric ok when it comes to the Church?

Allow me to take this topic in a different direction…Is it ok to swap ancient practices with new technology? Isn’t that all electric lights accomplish? Would God have commanded the Temple lamps to have 100 watt light bulbs if He could? There is something to be said about the offering part of the oil lamps, but aside from a parishioner bringing the oil, the PURE oil, as a gift to God; could the offering not be a check to cover the bulb and electricity? It’s not like WE press the olive oil, right?

I have to admit, as much as I prefer the original, I’m not sure where I draw the line. I do think there is a benefit to the discipline of lighting the oil lamps in the Church every morning. We maintain six in our Church, and there is a blessing in the daily practice, and prayers, of lighting the lamps, especially if you can remember that EVERY offering to God is an offering of prayer and devotion to God.

So, I’ll keep the oil lamps in our Church. We also have several electric lamps on the Icon Screen, which are “on” 24 hours a day, so I’m definitely NOT a purest when it comes to this issue. I was told once that an oil lamp is “alive” rather than dead electricity, but I’m not sure I buy that argument. The last time I stuck my finger in an electric socket, it felt pretty alive to me! Yes....I HAVE done that.

A few other examples of the “technology swap” include:

• Chanter stands with computer screens replacing traditional books
• Paraffin candles replacing pure beeswax
• Icons on canvass rather than painted on the wall
• Electronic or digital bells and speakers replacing bell towers

 Sometimes I think we Orthodox confuse “old” with Tradition.

  

This post is written for the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge sponsored by the Preachers Institute. You may find other blogs participating in this challenge. I hope you enjoy this year’s Advent journey.

Snowflake

Since moving to South  Carolina more than five years ago, I seem to have forgotten what a snowflake was, so when the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge topic was announced, (Snowflake) I had to look it up on wiki…

A snowflake is either a single ice crystal or an aggregation of ice crystals which falls through the Earth's atmosphere.^[1] They begin assnow crystals which develop when microscopic supercooled cloud droplets freeze. Snowflakes come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Complex shapes emerge as the flake moves through differing temperature and humidity regimes, such that individual snowflakes are nearly unique in structure. Snowflakes encapsulated in rime form balls known as graupel. Snowflakes appear white in color despite being made of clear ice. This is due to diffuse reflection of the whole spectrum of light by the small crystal facets.^[2]

OH! NOW I remember. It’s that cold white stuff that falls from the sky in July! J In case you didn’t know, I grew up in Colorado and it is “just” as likely to snow in July as it is in December. The “only” difference is that July snow doesn’t last more than a few hours and December snow might last a day or so in Denver where I grew up….

I miss snow. It has been since February 2012 that I watched snow falling fresh from the sky, so I REALLY miss it. And with all the snow falling the past few days up North (as I have learned to refer to all places above “the line”), I’m feeling more nostalgic for snow. “They” say this might the year it snows again in Florence. We’ll see. In the meantime, I’ll have to settle for sticking my head in the freezer and, using a spray bottle, hope something crystallizes….but I doubt it.

This post is written for the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge sponsored by the Preachers Institute. You may find other blogs participating in this challenge. I hope you enjoy this year’s Advent journey.

Zygote – Life is Life and ALL Life Should be Honored

Today’s topic assigned by the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge is “Zygote”, which is the term used to describe the initial cell established in the creation of life. In the creation of human life, the Church has always believed that the “zygote” is a full human being. Well, it is a human being in so far as any of us are fully human. The reality of life is that we are ONLY fully human being in Communion with God, and as a human life, must be treated with the utmost respect and honor.

There are many Christians and Christian organizations, including an Orthodox Christian organization known as Zoi for Life, that exert much energy in the defense of human life, as a zygote. However, I’m not at all convinced the same would defend life in other forms. Many, however, defend a zygote while encouraging the killing of other human beings in prison. On the other hand, some defend the life of the prisoner while protecting the right of women to freely have an abortion.

It would seem to me, if someone believes life is important, than ALL human life should be equally important. All life, whether human or not, is a gift from God and has a purpose. Human life has a singular purpose of being in communion with God, and nothing less. But the honor of life does not rest solely in end-of-life issues, and those should include those who suffer IN life.

Hungry, crippled, blind, deaf, naked, in prison, mentally ill, unemployed, underemployed, abused, abandoned, orphaned, divorced, depressed, homeless – all examples of human beings who suffer. It would be nice if ALL life was defended in our society. But in the meantime, at least some life is honored, and for that I suppose I should be thankful. I’ll have to settle for hopeful for the remainder.

This post is written for the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge sponsored by the Preachers Institute. You may find other blogs participating in this challenge. I hope you enjoy this year’s Advent journey.