When I first became Orthodox, there seemed to be a lot of emphasis on extending grace to children and including them in the Church at their own level. Certain factions always grumbled about this, though, and they usually seemed to be wealthier people who had contributed to the parish for a long time and wanted things to be “nice” for their worship experience in return. No bothersome children, please. Now I feel as if the institutional church in general is currently swinging toward more strictness. Perhaps the recession has given… Read more A Note on Children in Church →
My family was part of something like an ICC, and I was talking about a refinement of the idea, a “monastery for families,” at least 12 years ago. Most of… Read more My Reaction to the Benedict Option →
The more that happens and becomes clear to me, the less there is to say. It would be easy to speak of the unease I feel at certain trends in the Church; far more difficult to speak of the immeasurable river of grace I find there. Easy to criticize individual or parish or even jurisdictional examples of Orthodox Christians forgetting to some extent that they are the Church (and not a social club or a foundation for the preservation of culture or a center of activism for some favorite “issue”… Read more Reflection →
I’m always trying to think of ways to contact and minister to the inner city folk, without hosting Operation This-Time-We’re-Hip-Enough or whatever. What are we, after all, if we can’t help the worst off ones? It struck me that we might hold events in which Priests bless inner-city children. We could let mothers know that they can bring their children to be blessed at a certain time and place. And women and priests can be there, maybe some fathers since most of these kids don’t have any. And the children… Read more A Quick Idea →
My dear readers, Forgive the incoherence that follows; hopefully it explains itself. We celebrated Epiphany a day early for various reasons. I botched the early part of the Liturgy; all… Read more Exhaustion, Grace, Sons, and Chanting…Not Necessarily In That Order →
One of our lovely Arab churches in this area, St. George’s by name, boasts a very learned presbyter, Fr. Joseph Antypas. Having attended there for a few months, we still get their newsletter, in which one of Fr. Joseph’s sermons is printed weekly. Here’s an excerpt from this week. It is the conviction of the Orthodox that Christ is the only priest, pastor, and teacher of the Christian Church. He alone guides and rules his people. He alone forgives sins and offers communion with God, his Father. It is also the Orthodox conviction that… Read more From Fr. Joseph Antypas →
What song can I sing? I have not a word to say; Full of emptiness, in wordless prayers I pray toward formless forms and heatless burnings toward Flyers In The Heaven without wing and know – it is not You! You are not these! O! (Whom shall I address?) To what bright center shall I press, and truly say: Ah, it is You! At last? (When will I be strong enough to grip you fast?) Should I form pictures in my mind? And say: this homely glow upon these yellow leaves, this pale pink… Read more A Very Poor Effort →
Mark 14 (NASB) 3 While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head. 4 But some were indignantly remarking to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted? 5 “For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they were scolding her. 6 But Jesus… Read more Expensive Worship →
Slow Literature 