Behold, Thy (Ever-Virgin) Mother; Μαρια η του κλωπα, ιδε η ἀδελφή σου

A few days ago, I celebrated the tenth anniversary of the first divine liturgy I ever attended. The Feast of the Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple happened to be on a Sunday in 1999, so this Baptist boy was "baptized by fire" with what is possibly one of the most hard-to-swallow Marian feasts of the Church year. The Mother of God, however, in the totality of her life and her role in our salvation, was not really a problem for me. Meditating on her, however, reminded me of something I recalled a couple of months ago, when the Church celebrated the memory of the Holy Evangelist and Theologian, John, also spoken of in Scripture as "The disciple that Jesus loved." In the gospel reading for the feast, we read of the women who stood at the foot of the Cross, faithful to Christ when all others, save St. John, had fled Him. Something I noticed as a side note (and what Blessed Theophylact picks up on as well) was when St. John refers to the "sister" of the Mother of God, also called Mary of Clopas. This was something I had never "heard" before, though I had indeed read the passage in the past. Tradition has it that Joachim and Anna, the parents of the Mother of God, had only her, and that at a very late age by divine intervention. How, then, could the Mother of God have a sister--the word in Greek is η ἀδελφή --and be an only child at the same time?

Furthermore, how could the Mother of God herself be said to only have one Child when the masculine form of the above word -- ὁ ἀδελφός -- is used to refer to "the Lord's brothers"? Why would Catholics and Orthodox insist so much on the Mother of God's being a virgin, even after giving birth to God in the flesh?

I'll take the issue from a couple of angles. First, I'll explain why the objections to the Mother of God's being an only child (as was her Son) don't hold water. Secondly, I'll show how to reconcile who the women at the Cross were so that the familial relationship between Mary the Mother of Jesus and Mary of Clopas becomes plain. Finally, I'll stress the reasons for (as well as the importance of) the Mother of God's being ever-virgin. I owe a pretty big H/T to Fr. John Hainsworth; his little booklet Mary: Ever Virgin? from Conciliar Press compiles some of this very well. Off we go.

The argument against seeing the Mother of God as ever virgin is that the words ὁ ἀδελφός and η ἀδελφή should be taken at face value; extra-biblical traditions should not be taken as a "trump" over and above what a plain reading of Scripture will tell us, namely, that Mary had other male children who were referred to in Scripture as "the Lord's brothers." Too much, however, is made of this, for the word ὁ ἀδελφός can be used to refer to male kinsmen that are not direct, blood brothers. Indeed, the Septuagint (that is, the Greek translation of the Old Testament which the Orthodox Church uses and which provides for the vast majority of the Old Testament citations in the New Testament over and above the Hebrew text) uses ὁ ἀδελφός to refer to a brother, a kinsman, a cousin, a fellow believer, or a fellow countryman (cf. Gen. 14:14-16; 29:12; Num. 20:14; Deut. 1:16, along with many others). This is useful to know when told that the word ὁ ἀδελφός means "from the same womb," for we can see from the above verses that to say that ὁ ἀδελφός must refer to a male who shares both parents with another person is to deny the biblical use of ὁ ἀδελφός in referring to various other relationships. The "same womb" referred to may very well be that of the tribal matriarch and not that of a woman who, herself, has borne two children. The point is this: While this term does not conclusively prove that the men who were called "the Lord's brothers were not Mary's children, neither can it be pointed to conclusively that they, in fact, were such.

The same applies to the Theotokos. Putting aside the people at the Cross who are named by some gospel writers and not others, let us focus on the woman St. Matthew calls "Mary the mother of James and Joses" (27.55), St. Mark calls "Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses" (15.40-1) and St. John calls Christ's "mother's sister, Mary, wife of Clopas" (19.25). If we insist that Clopas' wife is the direct sister of the Mother of God and "the Lord's brothers" are direct progeny of the Theotokos, we run into real problems. "James and Joses," the sons of the Mary at the Cross, are mentioned in Matthew 13.55 as οι αδλελφοι σου -- His (Christ's) brothers -- yet they are obviously the sons of a woman other than the Mother of God, and therefore not his blood brothers, but more distant male relatives. Αδελπφος, then, is not "brother" as we think of it, at least not here.

What then, of η αδελφη -- "the sister" of the Mother of God? The Jewish Christian historian Hegisippus sheds some light on this, for he relates (as quoted in Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History iv:22) that Clopas is ο αδελφος of Joseph, the foster father of Christ. Whether the term refers to Joseph's blood brother from the same biological parents or a closer relative, it's clear from what is generally considered a fully-reliable historical reference that Mary, wife of Clopas was not another child of Joachim and Anna, but rather an in-law of some sort to the Theotokos. Thus, through the Matthew/Mark emphasis on the Lord's family ("mother of James and Joses") and the Johannine emphasis on the Theotokos ("Behold, thy mother," and mentioning her at the Cross), we can see that it is entirely possible to claim that the Theotokos was an only child, as we can also claim with her Son.

The question will come, however, as it should: Why should we claim, much less insist, that the Theotokos and her Son were both only children? It should be stated at the outset that Mary's being an only child has nothing, really, to do with the gospel, per se, as the gospel is not about Mary but about her Son. Nevertheless, we would say that, as with other examples within the Bible where a child was granted in an otherwise impossible situation--Isaac to Abraham, Samuel to Hannah, John the Baptist to Zechariah and Elizabeth, Christ to the Theotokos--such a miraculous gift of God is meant to stress that the wonders of God can only be realized on this earth when men believe the word of the Lord to them and He, through His life-giving Spirit, brings them to pass. That the Mother of God would be such a wondrous birth, a sign that the one who would come from St. Anna's barren womb would be the New Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, the Burning Bush, and the Gate Facing East--such an arrival would very much merit a remembrance of God's mercy and power in bringing His Word to pass.

As I said, however, the conception and birth of the Theotokos is important to Orthodox, ultimately, for a more minor reason than that of her first (and only-)born Son. While it is an unwritten tradition of an apocryphal nature that is at stake concerning the Nativity of the Theotokos (which we Orthodox yet hold to be true and a great Feast of the Church), we would say that it is of vital importance to insist that the Theotokos was ever-virgin, for teaching otherwise would amount to denying prophecies in Scripture itself which point to that very thing.

The Prophet Ezekiel wrote of a vision he received in what we now know as the 44th chapter of the book bearing his name. This passage is read during the Vespers service the night before major feasts of the Mother of God:

¹And he brought me back to the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary, which looked towards the east: and it was shut.

²And the Lord said to me: This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall pass through it: because the Lord the God of Israel hath entered in by it, and it shall be shut

³For the prince. The prince himself shall sit in it, to eat bread before the Lord: he shall enter in by the way of the porch of the gate, and shall go out by the same way.

⁴And he brought me by the way of the north gate, in the sight of the house: and I saw, and behold the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord: and I fell on my face.

This passage is interpreted by many fathers as a reference to the conception of Christ apart from any man's seed ("no man shall pass through it") because of the holiness of the Prince who has been placed there to eat bread and pass out again of the house of the Lord which is full of His glory. Saint Ambrose asked:

"Who is this gate (Ezekiel 44:1-4), if not Mary? Is it not closed because she is a virgin? Mary is the gate through which Christ entered this world, when He was brought forth in the virginal birth and the manner of His birth did not break the seals of virginity."

The blessed Augustine also stated,

"It is written (Ezekiel 44, 2): ‘This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall pass through it. Because the Lord the God of Israel hath entered in by it...’ What means this closed gate in the house of the Lord, except that Mary is to be ever inviolate? What does it mean that ‘no man shall pass through it,’ save that Joseph shall not know her? And what is this - ‘The Lord alone enters in and goeth out by it,’ except that the Holy Ghost shall impregnate her, and that the Lord of Angels shall be born of her? And what means this - ‘It shall be shut for evermore,’ but that Mary is a Virgin before His birth, a Virgin in His birth, and a Virgin after His birth."

While there are other Church Fathers who speak of these prophecies and others ("At Thy right hand stood the queen," for example), the question comes up among those who, having not lived and worshipped in a tradition who interprets these prophecies in this way, question why we deem it so important to emphasize something that is not, in and of itself, a part of the gospel. Fr. Thomas Hopko is fond of stating that, while the gospel has nothing to do with Mary, Mary has everything to do with the gospel. Fr. John Behr says in his work The Mystery of Christ: Life in Death:

"...as Origen points out, Christ does not say, 'Woman behold another son for you in my place,' but 'behold your son,' or, as Origen paraphrases it, 'this is Jesus whom you bore.' Those who stand by the cross, and are not ashamed of it, receive as their mother the one who embodies this fertile, generative, faithfulness, and they themselves become sons of God, for they have Christ, the Son of God, living in them (p. 128).

The Church has seen in the Theotokos an icon of all Christians individually and of the Church generally. Christ's famous reply to the woman's cry of "Blessed is the womb that bore you" is telling, for it informs our view of the Mother of God: "What is more (μενουνγε, usually translated misleadingly as "rather," cf. Phil. 3.8), blessed is he who hears the word of God and keeps it." Rather than a denial of His mother, the statement redirects us to a full understanding of who she is: the one who most completely heard the word of God and, with her "Let it be," literally kept it. And as she kept it, so are we to keep it, virginally, with no giving of ourselves to another who is not God in order to attempt to bring forth life. To sum up with another quote from Fr. John:

"[In] the preaching of Jesus Christ--the proclamation of the one who died on the cross--interpreted and understood in the matrix, the womb, of scripture, the Word receives flesh from the Virgin. The Virgin in this case, Hippolytus later affirms following Revelation 12, is the Church, who will never cease 'bearing from her heart the Word...' while the male child she bears is Christ, God and man, announced by the prophets, 'whom the Church continually bears as she teaches all nations.' The Virgin Church continually gives birth to Christ by her pure teaching, the gospel proclaimed according to scripture, so that the Word is made flesh in her children. Or, as St. Maximus puts it, 'Christ eternally wills to be born mystically, becoming incarnate through those who are saved and making the soul which begets him to be a virgin mother.'"

St. Katherine

Troparion - Tone 4

By your virtues as by rays of the sun you enlightened the unbelieving philosophers,
and like the most bright moon you drove away the darkness of disbelief from those walking in the night;
you convinced the queen, and also chastised the tyrant,
God-summoned bride, blessed Catherine.
You hastened with desire to the heavenly bridal chamber of the fairest fairest Bride-groom Christ,
and you were crowned by Him with a royal crown;
standing before Him with the angels, pray for us who keep your most sacred memory.

Kontakion - Tone 2
Let all of us who love to honor the martyrs
form a great choir in praise of the most wise Catherine,
for she preached Christ and trampled the serpent,
despising the knowledge of the orators!

Many years to my little one, Katherine Ruth. Through her heavenly matron's prayers, Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on her and save her.

Russian Priest Shot in Church for Speaking Out Against Islam

From the NY Times:

November 20, 2009

Russian Priest Killed in Church

By SOPHIA KISHKOVSKY

MOSCOW — The Rev. Daniil Sysoyev, a priest in the Russian Orthodox Church who was known for promoting missionary work among Muslims, was shot and killed in his parish church late Thursday night, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.

Father Sysoyev, 35, died at a Moscow hospital of gunshot wounds to the head and chest, RIA Novosti said. The Web site of the Moscow patriarchate confirmed his death. The parish’s choir director was wounded in the shootings at the Church of St. Thomas by the unidentified assailant.

A Moscow Patriarchate official called Father Sysoyev a “talented missionary” whose work among Muslims, including Tatars, might have been the motive for the shooting.

“I don’t exclude that the murder is connected to the fact that he preached among and baptized those who belong to Muslim culture,” the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk with the news media, said in a telephone interview.

Father Sysoyev had spoken out in opposition to Islam and had warned Russian women against marrying Muslim men.

Anatoly Bagmet, an official of the prosecutor’s office, said there was reason to believe that the shooting took place “on religious grounds,” the news agency reported.

Kirill Frolov, a prominent Orthodox missionary activist, said that Father Sysoyev had said that he had been receiving threats for several years.

“Over the course of two, three years Father Daniil, who was famous for his active missionary work, periodically received e-mails stating that if he didn’t stop his theological polemics with Islam, then he will be dealt with like an infidel,” Mr. Frolov told the Interfax news agency.

Missionary work and outreach to young people and non-churchgoers has become a keystone of the Moscow Patriarchate since Patriarch Kirill I became its leader 10 months ago. The church has been organizing rock concerts and trying to reach out to people through blogs.

Officials of the Russian Orthodox Church have complained in recent years about violence directed against churches and priests.

**********************************

I'm not sure what the "grass-roots" procedure is for starting veneration of new martyrs, but if this can be definitely linked to Islamic terror, I'm about ready to ask for this brave, amazing priest to offer his prayers on our behalf. Would that more Christians of all stripes be known for the kinds of things Fr. Daniil was. May his memory be eternal.

Good Days

Please forgive the long absence of a blog update. An email to a dear friend made me realize how long it'd been since I'd updated. It's good to know we're being remembered. Seminary is definitely tough; had this new template a timestamp, one would see that I'm up rather late. That's pretty standard these days.

The girls are doing well. Still lots of smiles and laughter. They are in church a LOT, due to Audra's working in the mornings and my having to watch them AND be in chapel. Many, many hats to wear.

Studies are good. A's on both midterms, B+ on major paper in another class -- by and large, doing well academically. Enjoying having a "do-able" prayer life, prayer rule in conjunction with a priest here in charge of spiritual life. Ever-present battle to control thoughts, especially on days where fatigue sets in heavy. Very taken aback by the very different emphases put forth by different profs; at times the confusion can reach a bit of a fever pitch. With regards to biblical interpretation, Antioch and Alexandria, it would seem, are both alive and well at SVS. A fellow seminarian from my former stomping grounds of Tulsa, OK and mutual friend of the dear friend w/whom I was corresponding this evening (and whom I think will be an excellent pastor, if God wills and my first impression of the man holds up) had a great analogy regarding what to do when all these seemingly conflicting and, thus, quite confusing, takes on theology come at you all at once; he said a biology prof of his once told him that when things get overwhelming and confusing, "tie a knot" where you know you've got a handle on things, and "hang on" to that. That way you've always got a reference point to go back to. Right now, mine is anchored in simplicity. Pray the Psalms. Read the Gospel. Pray the Gospel. Be regular in your prayers. Do your chores. Do your reading. Touch base with Audra as much as you can (date night is Friday night -- woo hoo!). Tickle your daughters and read to them. And, yes, marry them if they ask...we've had a couple of wedding ceremonies--crowns, processions, two-foot-tall priest and all--in our obscenely small living room area already (see right). These are good days.

Things are beginning to take shape in ways we hadn't anticipated, but regardless, it's been eye-opening. This is a pressure cooker, but there's grace here. Keep us in your prayers.

The Beginning and the End of It

"If anything, I think that both among Catholics and Orthodox Christians (at least in the US) our liturgical life suffers[...]because we have neglected the whole rest of our Christian lives. First and foremost this neglect[...]flows not from a lack of commitment to our respective theological or liturgical traditions but a general lack of repentance. But running a close second are those in both communities who assuming, simplistically and wrongly, that commitment to tradition—essential for salvation though it is—is the same as a personal commitment to Christ. It simply isn’t."

From Fr. Gregory Jensen, who consistently, accurately, and lovingly gets to the heart of all things pastoral. Read the whole post HERE. Please.

Last night, the SVS Men's Chorale sang at the United Nations Prayer Service, a Vespers service presided over by His All Holiness, BARTHOLOMEW, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. Very thankful for the opportunity.

Mid-Terms Begin

Tomorrow I'll take one of two mid-terms (the other classes don't have them; papers will substitute for these tests). Old Testament is tomorrow, and Church History 101 will follow on Wednesday. Your prayers are always coveted.

Holy Prophet Joel, pray for us as we prepare and as we work. Lord, have mercy.

Here in America

To the right you can find today's festal hymns and the life of this great saint and martyr of the Church.

Following today's festal liturgy, I've been thinking about the saintly bishop's sacrifice; we need his prayers very much. He toiled to bring the gospel to a relative few in this land, serving both Russian and Syrian faithful, as well as establishing a monastery and pushing for English in the liturgy so as to reach all those around us.

There is a priest in North Dakota who worked with the Syrian archdiocese, now with that of the sons of the Russians, and in a manner reminiscent of the tireless hierarch commemorated today. and, while time will tell if the good Father endures to the end (may God grant), his current life of sacrifice and fidelity does not go unnoticed. Read more, and that excellently written, HERE.

Grateful for All Favors, Great and Small

Life here has been a challenge over the past month or so, to be sure. Audra's work situation and my study time have had to dance repeatedly as we struggle to find something resembling a balance for life as a family in this first semester. In spite of all of that, the willingness of those in the community has repeatedly impressed us; indeed, we're very thankful for it.

Also, we are thankful to those who've chosen to help us out financially rather spontaneously; that has been a great help, and we appreciate it.

Weather here has been rainy and cool; perfect conditions for "the crud," which seems to be working its way through (and out of, thankfully) the community. I went with the St. Vlad's octet (an honor to be asked to sing in said group) to Connecticut and sang the Akathist to the Mother of God for the feastday of her protection. Sacred Heart University had invited us to sing in a week-long celebration of the dedication of their new chapel. Since, however, I was asked to sing second tenor (I'm a baritone), my voice was a bit raw following the service. Couple that with the weather, and you have a very froggy voice come today's liturgy in the seminary chapel. Today, it just so happens, was my turn to read the hours and the post-communion prayers. Just my luck as well, there was only one deacon serving, so Reader David gets to read the epistle, too.

Favors, however, come without warning, be they via PayPal or ways more mysterious. I had chanted the hours about an octave lower than what I normally chant, yet when I opened my mouth to sing the first response to the epistle reading, out, unbidden, came my normal baritone voice. Just for the epistle. Post-communion prayers were similarly tough afterwards. However it happened, thanks be to God.

Orthodox Education Day was yesterday; I served as a "gatekeeper" (welcoming visitors and directing traffic), so I didn't really get the "feel" of the day with all of the worship celebrations and different cultural booths, speakers, etc. I did hear, however, that Metropolitan JONAH's talk with the teens was very well-received, with many insightful questions and comments from the youth. Thanks be to God, as this is probably the area of parish life (youth and young adult) in which I'm most interested, at least right now.

In talking on the phone with someone from my parish back home tonight, I hit on something about my time -- all, what, five weeks? -- here so far at SVS that seemed to express something I'd been feeling but not able to articulate. First the bad news: the pastoral aspect of an M.Div seems to be lacking in comparison to other aspects of the degree; this is obvious enough to someone looking at the curriculum on the SVS website. What's encouraging is that this is mentioned specifically by the administration; it's obvious that the "work in progress" mentality is in place here, and that this is a known area of need at the moment.

While it's not at the level I'd prefer (as if our 'druthers dictate anything), it seems like the approach to pastoral life at present which comes from the faculty is much like the approach to comportment of teachers in the classroom which I received during my time getting an education degree at ORU (one of several departments in that university that provided a very satisfactory academic experience, by the way). Namely, as we had "teachers of teachers" in ORU's Ed Department, we seem to have "pastors of pastors" here. The idea of formation doesn't seem to be (again, this being against my 'druthers) an academic approach of teacher-and-student but rather of father-and-son, complete with the subconscious, in-between-the-lines type of imitation that comes from living in proximity and gleaning from observation. While I may have to check out some counseling syllabi from other graduate programs to see about doing some remedial reading on pastoral counseling or what not (if the program does not change during my time here), the pastoral concern of the faculty here towards us is apparent, even given the opportunities we (and, I'm sure, they) have to complain due to financial difficulties faced by the seminary (which reflect those of the whole country at large).

Keep us in your prayers.

The Seventh Prayer, Of St. Symeon the New Theologian

From lips tainted and defiled,
From a heart unclean and loathsome,
From a tongue befouled and filthy,
From a soul bestained and soiled,

O my Christ, receive my pleading
Yea, disdain me not, nor shun me,
Nor my words, nor yet my manner,
Nor my shamelessness and boldness.

But with freedom let me tell Thee,
O my Christ, what I desire;
Rather, do Thou now instruct me
What I need to do and utter.

I have sinned more than the harlot
Who, on learning of Thy lodging,
Went and purchased myrrh most precious,
And with boldness she approached Thee,
To anoint Thy feet and lave them,
O my Christ, my God and Master.

Even as Thou didst not shun her
When she came with heartfelt fervor,
Thus, O Word, do not disdain me.

Nay, but rather do Thou grant me
To embrace Thy feet and kiss them,
And with streams of tears to wash them,
As with precious myrrh most costly,
With great boldness to anoint them.

Wash me with my tears, and thereby
Cleanse me, Word of God, and lave me.

Grant remission of my failings,
And bestow on me forgiveness.

All mine evil deeds Thou knowest,
And my wounds Thou knowest also,
And my bruises Thou beholdest.

But my faith Thou knowest likewise,
And mine eagerness Thou seest,
And my groans Thou hearest also.

There doth not escape Thy notice
Even one tear, O Redeemer,
Nor a fraction of a teardrop,
O my Lord God and Creator.

Yea, Thine eyes did see my being
While as yet it was unfashioned.

In Thy Book all thoughts and actions,
Even those not yet enacted,
Are inscribed for Thee already.

See my lowliness and toil!
Lo, the greatness of my suffering!
And, O God of all, forgive me
All the sins I have committed.

So that with a cleansed and pure heart,
And a mind with fear atremble,
And a soul contrite and lowly,
I may draw nigh to partake of
Thine all-pure and spotless Myst'ries,
Whereby all who eat and drink Thee
With a heart sincere and guileless
Are both deified and quickened.

For Thou sayest, O my Master:
He that eateth of my Flesh and
That doth drink of My Blood also
Doth abide in Me most truly,
And in him am I found also.

Wholly true is this word spoken
By my Lord and God and Master;
For whoever doth partake of
These divine and hallowed graces
Which impart deification
Is alone, in truth, no longer,
But is with Thee, Christ, Thou True Light
Of the Hallowed, Triple Daystar,
Which illumineth the whole world.

Lest, then, I remain alone now
And apart from Thee, Lifegiver,
O my Breath, my Life, my Gladness,
The entire world's Salvation,
For this cause do I approach Thee
With a soul contrite and tearful.

O Thou Ransom of my failing,
I entreat Thee to receive me,
So that I may now partake of
Thy life-giving, blameless Myst'ries,
And not suffer condemnation; That as Thou didst say, Thou mightest
Dwell with me, who am thrice-wretched;
Lest that foul deceiver find me
All bereft of Thy divine grace,
And most guilefully seduce me,
And with scheming cunning lure me
From Thy words which make me Godlike.

Wherefore, I fall down before Thee,
And cry out to Thee with fervor:
As Thou didst receive and welcome
Both the prodigal and harlot
Who drew nigh to Thee, so likewise,
O Most Merciful, receive me,
The great profligate and sinner,
The most prodigal and vile one,
As I dare now to approach Thee
With a soul contrite and humbled.

Savior, well I know that no one
Hath sinned as have I against Thee,
Nor hath wrought the deeds which I have.

Yet again, I know this also:
Neither greatness of transgressions,
Nor enormity in sinning,
Can surpass my God and Savior's
Great long-suffering and mercy
And exceeding love for mankind.

For with the oil of compassion
Thou dost cleanse and render shining
All those who repent with fervor;
And Thou makest them partakers
Of Thy light in all abundance,
And true sharers of thy Godhood.

And--O marvel for the Angels
And for human understanding!--
Thou hast converse with them often
As with friends most true and trusted.

These things now do give me daring,
These things give me wings, O Christ God;
Trusting, then, in the abundance
Of Thy benefactions toward us,
With rejoicing, yet with trembling,
I partake now of the Fire.

Though but grass--O awesome wonder!--
Yet bedewed am I past telling,
Like that bush of old on Sinai
Which was unconsumed, though burning.

[Therefore], with a mind most thankful,
And a heart most thankful also,
Thankful also in the members
Of my soul and of my body,
I adore and magnify Thee,
O my God, and glorify Thee,
As One verily most blessed,
Now and ever, to all ages.

(Taken from The Service of Preparation for Holy Communion, transl. by the Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Boston, Mass., 2006)

Between Two Comings

"Thou hast smitten me with yearning, O Christ, and by Thy divine love hast Thou changed me. But with Thine immaterial fire, consume my sins and count me worthy to be filled with delight in Thee, that leaping for joy, O Good One, I may magnify Thy two comings."

(A hymn before communion)

Doors open for us today. Through those doors come cups, vessels which give contour to the Blood of God, which carry the Bread of Life. On one side of that portal is an image of She whose "Yes" untied the ancient "No" of Eve, and the "Ear of Wheat which knew no husbandry" which came out of the good land of her sealed, silent soul and chaste body.

On the other we see the glory of the one God and Father, shining in a human face, coming with the eastern clouds, armed both with an imminent blessing for the refinement of His Creation and a New Law which will pierce all hearts, at last lancing the long-festering hatreds within.

(Lord, have mercy)

We who stand between these two images see them not as on a timeline but as arching up together into timelessness with us, for they are happy reflections (chronology be damned) which converge at the Crisis which lifts us up, as well, and upon which He was lifted up. It is in that split Body and spilt Blood that we know Him; the One who came is the Coming One.

Eastern Errancy...from a Western Mind (A Retraction of Sorts)

The past few weeks have been momentous, to be sure; we've sold a house, driven cross-country, and begun life as a seminarian family, all in less than a month. During that time, however, I have been thinking intermittently about a post on biblical innerancy which generated quite a bit of (sometimes snarky) commentary, as well as a spinoff of sorts between two of the commentators in the form of a formal debate which I greatly look forward to reading (opening statements HERE and HERE).

This post, however, is concerning the former link to my own writing and is a retraction, to a degree, of what is written there. This retraction will, no doubt, not be to a sufficient degree for some, but will serve, hopefully, as a means of expressing my own hastiness in formulating my initial thoughts.

One of the most common ways in which people tend to highlight Scriptural difficulties is through chronological inconsistencies. My initial take was to assign said differences to the realm of theological emphasis -- for example, I would have said (and have) that John's placing of Christ's cleansing of the temple at the beginning of His ministry is more to make a theological point, while the synoptic gospels' report of the cleansing directly before the Passion was meant to reflect the more chronological view. The idea, presented by conservative Evangelicals mostly, that there were two Temple Cleansings -- one at the beginning of Christ's ministry and one at the end -- was, in my opinion, laughable, for of course there was only one. This presupposition led to my viewing the harmonization accounts as stretching reports of an event to absurd degrees.

Likewise, the chronology of Christ's being called "The Lamb of God" in John and His baptism in the synoptics are followed by very different events; my initial response was to conclude that such a discrepancy was chronologically incompatible but theologically justifiable (which is still the more important factor, in my opinion).

I was quite surprised, then, to find that men such as St. John Chrysostom and the Bl. Theophylact both insisted that our Lord did, in fact, cleanse the Jewish Temple twice, and thought such a position was in no way unreasonable. This gave me pause, for my initial question would be how the Jewish leaders would have ever stood for such an outrage twice, for, indeed, they killed Him after one instance. Yet, as one of my professors is known to point out quite frequently, our liturgy has a sort of pedagogical correction which serves as a key to our confession of Who Christ is: Christ was not "given up" on the night of His Passion; "rather [He] gave Himself up for the life of the world." No man takes His life from Him; His is the ability to pass through the midst of those who would throw Him headlong off a cliff for a claim to have come before their father Abraham. Likewise, if He had been directed by the Father to cleanse the Temple daily, it would not have been in the least bit difficult for Him. Likewise, a closer reading of the gospels cleared up the baptism chronology with a possible harmonization.

These two giants, then, confirmed what I had neglected to do: give the Scripture the benefit of the doubt and seek to find a harmonization when such was possible (as in the above cases).

I do not contend that one need to go to the degree of Tatian's Diatessaron, a second-Century work in which all four gospels were harmonized into one volume, wherein differently-worded parts of the gospels were distilled into one, dogmatic "version" of what happened. One might cement into Holy Writ (as was the case with the Diatessaron in some syriac-speaking sections of Christendom) the idea that the sign on Christ's Cross said, "This is Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews" when what we can have, at the most, is an educated guess, based on incomplete information from the authors' selective reporting. Likewise, undue harmonization of the accounts will lead to a twisting of St. John's gospel at the time of Christ's death, wherein Tatian states that

"when Jesus had taken that vinegar, he said, Everything is finished. 5 But the rest said, Let be, that we may see whether Elijah comes to save him. 6, 7 (Luke 23:46a) And Jesus said, My Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and said, My Father, into your hands I commend my spirit. (John 19:30b) He said that [i.e., the quote from Luke], and bowed his head, and gave up his spirit" (emph and ed. mine)

while St. John stated that Christ simply "said, 'It is finished!' And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit." While I am not opposed to the use of the biblical texts to form plausible harmonizations (even if such harmonizations might seem at first unlikely), the forcing of one "final" phrase into the midst of a second "final" phrase is uncalled for and violence against the Scripture. While I would maintain, in the spirit of my former post, that this information is insufficent to state definitively what was the final word of Christ from the Cross (as Matthew and Mark themselves confess only to having heard "a loud cry," while John and Luke only report one statement each, and a different one at that), I would not call this a contradiction, but neither can it be said to be clear. I would still say that this needs to be admitted for one to hold to a reasonable view of the Scriptures, and an admittance of this nature does not diminish the divinity of the Scriptures; it merely highlights the limited knowledge inherent in their authors' humanity. Those hearing the Voice at Christ's baptism weren't sure what they heard; we may never know, then, if the Voice was speaking to His Son or merely about Him to others. Again, the lack of clarity is there, but immaterial to inspiration.

«Sigue, sigue...»

From the writings of the Blessed Elder, IERONYMOS of Aegina +1966
On our need to be watchful against both the
idle and demonic thoughts which assail us

"Be heedful of your thoughts. Oppose them. They do not easily leave a person. They come over and over again, and war against him. But you, strive to chase them away. There comes an evil thought, and it tells you to do something. You counter saying, 'No, I will not do it.' The thought insists: you also insist. See to it that you have strength to chase it away. If you don't do what the thought tells you, it's not a sin. Sin is the act, not the assault of the thought."

(H/T to Fr. John Mikita of St. John of Damascus Church in Tyler, TX)

Last night, after evening prayers, my daughters and I went into their bedroom for lights out. Customary song sung and night light lit, we were ready for sleep. Hope, however, didn't want to be by herself up on the top bunk.

"Well," I said in Spanish, "do you want to sleep with the icon of St. Elizabeth or your guardian angel?"

"I want the Cross, but it's broken," she replied, referring to the ceramic cross which, indeed, had hung above them before falling off the wall recently and splitting in two. Then she added, "And I stepped on it. I just keep thinking of stepping on the Cross. The thought comes in my head. And it comes and comes and comes, all day and all night and it never goes away."

"Ohhhhh," I replied. "You know, I have thoughts like that, too, that don't leave me alone. You know what I do?"

"What?"

"I pray the Jesus Prayer looooots of times. And the thought doesn't go away right away, but as long as you keep asking Jesus for help, He'll chase the thought away. Then, if it comes back, just keep going, keep going («sigue, sigue») until they leave again. They don't like Jesus."

"OK, but I'm gonna do it in English."

"Well, that's fine, mami."

With the Feastday

Translation of hymn (Slavonic/Bulgarian):

We magnify you, O most holy Virgin /
And we honor your holy parents /
And we glorify /
Your all-glorious nativity. (Megalinarion of the Feast, Slavonic)

Remember, Lord, King David /
and all his sadness, Hallelujah /
how he swore to the LORD /
'I will not give sleep to mine eyes /
till I find a place for the Lord.' Hallelujah." (Ps. 131, Bulgarian)

“Sometimes the best way to kill a tradition is to follow the externals without truly understanding the contents. Living tradition involves that kind of change and adaptability which preserves its continuous relevance; otherwise the Church becomes a museum of pomposity and ritualism, quite acceptable in the framework of a pluralistic and basically superficial society but actually unfaithful to Orthodoxy itself. Thus, in order to be practically helpful, our historical research should seek out the meaning and purpose of the Byzantine liturgical tradition, discover its permanent theological dimension and provide for a pattern off discernment between what is truly essential and what is historically relative.” John Meyendorff, “The Liturgy: A Lead to the Mind of Byzantium” in The Byzantine Legacy in the Orthodox Church

I know, I know..."Well...he's definitely in seminary..."

St. Elizabeth

Tonight at Vespers, and then later around the dinner table, we sang the hymns of the Church commemorating Ss. Zechariah and Elizabeth, the parents of the Forerunner. My elder daughter, who has the name Elizabeth spoken over her as she approaches the Chalice, was excited tonight; we'll have to plan a little trip or pick her up a little something for the day (not surprisingly, this was not planned out beforehand, given the hectic days as of late).

We read from the girls' Children's Bible Reader tonight of the Visitation and the birth of John the Baptist; Hope took it very seriously that 'twas her saint that first uttered the hymn of "Rejoice!"; she went to the prayer corner determined tonight to sing with four-year old gusto the hymn of her matron. May she know the One who dwelt in the womb of Mary, as well.

"Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.'”

Blessed Feastday to all those who have St. Elizabeth as their heavenly matron.

New Year

Tonight at Vespers we welcomed the new Church year, which for us begins on Sept. 1st. May God grant us all many more blessed years in His Vineyard. I thought it fortunate that these hymns coincided with the end of the first day of classes here at St. Vlad's:

O timeless Word and Son without beginning,
united with the Holy Spirit,
Co-maker of all and Co-creator of all things visible and invisible:
bless the beginning of this year;
bring peace to Your Orthodox people,//
through the prayers of the Theotokos and all the saints!

Christ our God, Who in wisdom fashioned all things,
and out of nothing brought them into being,
bless the crown of the year, and preserve our city unharmed;
and make our faithful glad by Your power,
granting them victories over their adversaries,//
through the Theotokos bestowing upon the world great mercy!

O pre-eternal Word of the Father,
Who in wisdom fashioned all things,
and established the whole creation by Your all-powerful word,
bless the crown of the year with Your goodness,
and overthrow heresies, through the Theotokos,//
for You are good and the Lover of mankind!

You, O King, Who remain forever and are everlasting unto the ages,
accept the supplication of sinners asking salvation,
and grant abundance to Your earth, bestowing temperate weather, O
Lover of mankind!
Be the ally of the faithful Orthodox in battles against the ungodly
barbarians,
as once you were to David;
for they have come into Your tabernacles and defiled Your all-holy place,
O Savior!
Grant victories, O Christ God, by the intercession of the Theotokos,//
for You are the victory and boast of the Orthodox!

O Creator of the Universe,
You appointed times by Your own power;
bless the crown of this year with Your goodness, O Lord!
Preserve in safety Your rulers and Your cities://
and through the intercessions of the Theotokos, save us!

Getting Settled

We're two weeks into life at St. Vlad's -- I say this, and "real life" hasn't even begun -- and the house is beginning to resemble less what you see to the right (wherein merely traveling from one end of the apartment to another involved sliding four boxes around so one could pass) and more of an actual living space. A couple with only one child generously offered to look into trading our smaller apartment with their larger one, but the prospect of another move, albeit a small one, was both unappealing and, really, unnecessary. We have what we need, even if we don't have all we want. As Stacy quoted from St. Antony a couple of days ago, "Let none among us have even the yearning to possess. For what benefit is there in possessing these things that we do not take with us? Why not rather own those things we are able to take with us -- such things as prudence, justice, temperance, courage, understanding, love, concern for the poor, faith in Christ, freedom from anger, hospitality?" Sounds romantic, right? It's different when you ask for those things and God gives you four hundred square feet to do it in...together...knowing how to push all each other's buttons...

I swear...Westchester County's streets are the most insane thing I've ever encountered. The picture to your left is not one I took, but it's something that wouldn't surprise me if I saw it here. I want to know what the guy who drew up the streets here was drinking when he did it and, once I find out, I want a pint of it. Streets that curve around only to dead end and emerge, unannounced, three blocks later, only to become a one-way street (again with no warning) against you and under a completely different name...Google Maps probably just tried their best and said "Ah, the heck with the rest. Let 'em circle the block a couple more times." Seriously: if you are going to the Big Apple, ask someone who's been there to verify your travel instructions. A matushka here emailed me directions from the Tappen Zee Bridge to St. Vlad's on the day I arrived, and they were wonderfully clear (meaning I could ignore all the other flotsam and jetsam around me as I looked for my street sign).

Orientation was long, but informative. Much appreciated was the "glass half full" mentality regarding seminary. I don't think any punches were pulled regarding how hard, how draining, how long a process seminary was, but they weren't trying to scare any of us newbies off (though I have heard that in previous classes the glass during orientation was not only half- but mostly-empty). Metropolitan Jonah spoke for two nights, and other staff members have reminded us that this is the way of the Cross, of ridicule, of crushing one's ego for the sake of service to one's God.

Tomorrow is OT Lit. Prayers are appreciated. May it be blessed.

Happy Namesday

This evening my dear wife opened her namesday gift before prayers: a booklet which contained the lives of Saint Adrian and his wife, Natalia (click on the image in the sidebar to read from the OCA website).

I can remember standing in St. Antony's with her on August 25, 2001 at Vespers. I had been Orthodox for a few months and she, perhaps just barely a catechumen, was listening to the entry from the Prologue of Ochrid for the evening, which was read after the service. She read of Natalia's uncompromising attitude towards her Savior, even if it meant losing her beloved husband to apostasy, as well as her steadfast support of her husband while he, confessing Christ as a Roman guard, was stripped of his station, imprisoned, and martyred. Her care for him and for the other martyrs -- from anointing their maggot-infested wounds to gathering up their precious relics -- prompted Audra to think, "I want to be that kind of wife."

While life has not dealt us circumstances as dramatic as these, she has certainly been a rock of support, a source of prayer, and an example of fidelity and work. She accepted a martyrdom of sorts when she married a man whom she knew had not only entered a Faith she found strange and difficult, but who had also seriously considered pursuing a call to ministry therein. While it is not my decision in the slightest whether or not I will, in fact, be ordained anything at all in the Church, my wife has been an image of love for our God and for man, a gentle direction against my periodic tendency towards listlessness, and an ever-willing woman of faith; if I am ordained, she will make a fantastic matushka.

May God grant my dear Audra, though the prayers of her holy matron Natalia of Nicomedia, many, many blessed years.

Tabouli

(H/T to s-p) -- My time at St. Antony's Orthodox Church, the Antiochian parish in Tulsa, OK, in addition to providing for several "it's a small world" moments at St. Vlad's already, made me appreciate this hilarious video all the more.

St. Titus

Today churches on the Revised Julian ("New") Calendar commemorate both Ss. Bartholomew and Titus. I commend reading St. Paul's epistle to the latter, especially on the day the recipient is remembered. It is an exhortation to all of us; this is how the churches of God should be.

Also of worthy mention are the recent posts of Fr. Jonathan Tobias over at Second Terrace. Some of the most recent are meditations on the lectionary gospel readings. Well worth your time.

On The Road, Arrival, and Unpacking

Sorry about the delay in keeping folks updated. In short, I arrived at St. Vlad's on Monday and have spent the past day and half (with the help of the seminary community, who've extended me such a warm welcome and many, many helping hands) trying to make a dent in the way-too-many boxes that now need unpacking and storing...somewhere...

After leaving Arkansas, we went through Tennessee and into Kentucky. The girls, being in a minivan, went ahead of me, and right as I was about to enter my in-laws' little town, a guy pulled up beside me on the highway and did that little wave-and-point bit that is the universal signal for, "Something's wrong with your tire." Upon pulling over, I saw, with a bit of gratitude, that the tires on the truck were not flat, but rather a (smaller) tire on the trailer was. A quick call to Penske brought William, a man off-duty and not on call at the moment, but who was closest to me, and who dutifully and professionally changed the tire. God bless William.

The wait for the tire change, however, saw me in well past dark, so we didn't get to move the trailer and truck until Sunday morning. Consequently, we were too late to go up to St. Michael's in Louisville. We went to my mother-in-law's Vineyard church instead and, really, thought the sermon was quite sound. It was familiar to me, yet it took me aback, however, to walk into a darkened room, illumined only by a screen with the words from the songs, which blared loudly from speakers. It reminded me of the youth conferences and mission trips I'd been on with Teen Mania. It's also very hard to pray the Jesus Prayer in such a venue, but I was grateful, not for some "Orthodox vestige in a heterodox gathering," or some such, but for the reminder that I am, really, the sinner, as the prayer goes in Greek.

I saw a smattering of people that Sunday -- really about the same size as our parish in Ft. Worth -- and I looked at the fervency of the people who worshipped. While I don't want to go back to such a style of worship, it serves to remind me that there is a bedrock idea that somehow, youth must be introduced to a culture wherein those who worship do so out of a heartfelt desire to do so. I'm not advocating emotionalism during the Divine Liturgy, but anyone who's been present in a liturgy where the priest is focused and deliberate, and the people are determined, doggedly focused on what they are there to do -- namely, to offer themselves to God so that He would accept them, change them and the gifts into a Body, a single Loaf to be broken and given to the World -- knows that such a culture speaks the right words to those present, though some may not like what they hear. I know that many youth in the Vineyard congregation have grown up to be youth who, on their own, read their Bibles and sing to God. This is undoubtedly due to the adults in their lives who consistently live out their own, similar desire. Are there those in the congregation who have grown up to go a different way? Yes, for there is no "silver bullet" in raising children, and no amount of youth ministry, children's church, retreats or camps can force the Spirit's hand to keep one's children "in the fold." This is not to say one shouldn't have these -- they can be excellent events wherein kids can encounter God -- but simply that they are ultimately dispensable means to an end.

I'm rambling on about my thoughts in the service. Things I admired about the sermon:

The "debt of sin" was not something owed to God the Father.
The "law of sin and death" was acknowledged to have been replaced by another law (Love). Too many antinomian charismatics out there; this was a breath of fresh air.
The Kingdom of God was acknowledged not only to be "coming" (though that was the main stress of the sermon) but also "within you," now.

Definitely not things you hear normally in many Protestant sermons.

After church, I left everyone in KY and hit the road, sans trailer, for West Virginia.

Oh, my. The hills are alive. One who is used to seeing the curvature of the earth in all four directions when he goes home to meet his family is NOT prepared for the hills of Wes' Virginny. Especially when he is driving a loaded-down Penske truck. My trip took much longer than expected -- as did the portion spent in Maryland on Monday -- due to the truck's only going about 55 mph while going up a hill and my riding the brake at 60 going down (A 70 mph speed limit? In a truck like this?? In the dark??? Shoot....). Most wonderous, however, was the service known as Google Maps. For, in looking solely at my next step, I was waiting for exit 67. Nevermind that I had seen the name of the town with my hotel back at exit 62; I was getting off at 67, for I had time only to focus on one step while riding the WV roller coaster. Having exited, I saw instructions to promptly turn around and return -- on the highway -- to exit 62.

Sometimes you just gotta laugh.

The rest of the trip was, thankfully, flatter and uneventful, due to long stretches of easily mappable highway and excellent directions from seminarians regarding what to do when you get into New York State. I have already met other seminarian families who have made the same mistake we did -- namely, moving a house into an apartment. Consequently I am presently chest-deep in boxes (but, thankfully, there are now rooms in the house where such is no longer the case) and wondering where it all will go. My money's on Craigslist.

I have supped the previous two nights with generous seminarian families; one is a returning family, the other got here at the very beginning of August. Both extremely warm and helpful in my unpacking. Prayed this morning -- for the first time in several days, really! -- and set up our small table with a couple of icons on it (still haven't figured out where to hang it all). It was so good to stop and pray. Prayer, I know, is no longer a way to feel good or excited, but it does seem that a day without prayer has me feeling haggard at the end, even if the day went without incident, while a day filled with activity is usually undergirded with some sort of well-oiled Presence if begun with prayer. Doesn't take away the circumstances, mind you, but rememberance of God tends to make them bearable.

And now, back to unpacking. Thanks to all who prayed. Please continue to do so, as the girls are set to arrive sometime this afternoon. We've still a lot yet to unpack, not to mention the preparation for the upcoming school year. Emmanuel....

Packing, Closing, and "On the Road" -- Day 1

This past Sunday was our final Divine Liturgy before the move to New York. St. Herman of Alaska, pictured to the right, was the saint commemorated on that day (for revised Julian churches), and I felt it a fitting day for our "farewell." St. Herman has always been an inspiration to me; as someone who sought and seeks to serve the Church in a missionary capacity (foreign or domestic), St. Herman was a pivotal saint in my entry into the Church, for in him I saw a man wholly devoted to living an authentic, Christian life in an area where such a life was unknown and, thus, witnessing to and spreading the saving life of Christ. This story concerning his life comes back to me often:

"Father Herman was once invited aboard a ship that had docked in Kodiak and during a conversation with those on board he asked them what it was that would bring them the most happiness. Some wanted wealth, others wanted a top ranking job in the Navy another wanted a beautiful wife etc. 'What could be better, higher, more worthy of love and more splendid than Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Who created the world, adorns, gives life, sustains, nourishes and loves everything - Who is Himself love. Should we not love God above all things, and wish for and seek Him?' The reply was, 'Why that's obvious, how can we not love God?' And Father Herman responded 'I, a poor sinner, have been trying to learn how to love God for more than 40 years, and I cannot say that I yet love Him properly. If we love someone, we always remember them, we try to please them continually. Day and night we are concerned about them. Our mind and our heart is concerned with the object of our love. How do you love God? Do you turn to Him often? Do you always remember Him? Do you always pray to Him and keep His commandments?' The crew admitted that they did not. 'Then, for our good and for our happiness, let us all make a vow: at least from this day, this hour, this very minute, we should strive to love God above all else and do His will!'" (H/T to St. Herman's Orthodox Church, Fairbanks AL).

We rented the Penske truck on Monday and began loading it up. This was the first time we had ever done something like this, so we followed the advice of a knowledgeable man from our parish: Pack all the way up to the top in the very front of the bed. When that's done, start a new "level," packing all the way to the top. Pack it so tight that you can't fit a piece of paper in between any of the boxes." Between that and some ratchet straps to hold some random items that don't fit properly anywhere, I'm thankful to say that not a thing looks like it's moved from where a half dozen of us put things after a full day of driving, thanks be to God. And MANY thanks to the Rovny boys, John, Brad and Charles for their help in packing the truck. Also, ever ready to help, was my mother, whose boundless energy amazes me; this is a woman who works with 2-4 year olds all day, every day, and has energy to spare afterwards to come help us box up things in the evenings, sweep up a garage, etc. Let me be clear in saying that we would not have been packed up and ready to go in time for our deadline had she not been helping us. She is also accompanying the girls in the van while I drive the Penske truck.

Ah, the Penske truck. Twenty-six feet of driving pleasure, plus the added bonus of a trailer for towing my pickup. There's definitely a learning curve involved with driving one of these things, but all in all, it's not qualitatively different from driving, say, a large van. You have to take into account that it doesn't accelerate as quickly nor stop as quickly, but mostly the same rules apply regarding how to position yourself in your lane, how to change lanes, etc. Our normal travel pattern is to drive most of the way (or, sometimes, all the way) to Kentucky in one day, which kills pretty much everyone involved. Today we drove around six or seven hours, which will be what we do for the next few days. This, to me, is an excellent budget of driving time per day, as we're not exhausted at the end of the day.

Closing on the house went off without a hitch (moving truck pun not intended). We are so very thankful to God for this blessing, as we are not in the least bit entitled to His making it this much easier for us to "make a clean break" and head up to New York. It is a strange thing, being "homeless." You can read my wife's newly resurrected blog post HERE for her thoughts on this and other things, as well.

Please keep us all in your prayers as we travel and make adjustments to our new life as a seminarian family in New York. Our insurance scare (see wife's blog for details) has been resolved satisfactorily for now; again, God is "doubly good" to us where He does not have to be "singly good" in the first place. Thanks be to Him.

A blessed feast to all. An excellent festal meditation is HERE. Please pray for incoming and current Antiochian seminarians.

Eastern Errancy Answered

My friend Rhology has cross-posted an inquiry about Orthodox views on inerrancy both at his blog HERE and at a corporate blog to which he contributes, Beggars All, HERE. I chose to respond on the latter blog but am posting my response here as well. I've altered the original post so that it will not look like a response to an inquiry but simply to stand alone and present the content of said response.

------------------------------

In debates with conservative or fundamentalist Protestants (the two terms are not synonymous), Orthodox are charged with "acting like liberal Protestants." What is ironic here is that liberal Protestants accuse us of being fundamentalists. What was that Chesterton said about orthodoxy again...?

I understand that certain camps within Protestantism label themselves as "conservative" and others as "liberal," while other camps label themselves as "liberal," while still others resent the label of "liberal" given them by the self-appointed "conservative" wing of Protenstantism. Certain hot-button issues seem to be the litmus test for this (inerrancy of Scripture, satisfaction atonement, authority of Scripture, for example), and said issues come complete with lexical definitions for each issue, provided as well by the self-appointed "conservative Protestants" themselves, thus framing the debate before it even gets started.

I would state at the outset that I view their rather arbitrary claim to be the, well, arbiters of "conservative orthodoxy" (little "o") to be rather unfounded and, therefore, not pertinent to this debate. The more I read of the way the Church Fathers (most particularly Chrysostom, Irenaeus, and Basil) interpreted and read the Scriptures, the more I'm convinced that the labels "conservative" and "liberal" -- and, in particular, the way they are arbitrarily used within some Protestant circles -- means very, very little to an Orthodox Christian. I do not mean to cast aspersions on the desire of so-called "conservative" or fundamentalist Protestants to be faithful to the Scriptures or to the saving events to which they attest. Rather, I would state that the degree to which they are forced to stretch in order to do so sufficiently (at least, to their own satisfaction) is misguided and unnecessary.

We are accused, when stating that minor factual or historical errors may exist in the biblical text, of confusing the roles of God and man, or as Rhology put it, making "a strong distinction between God and man," This dichotomy, however, often drawn by fundamentalist or "conservative" Protestants between God and men is not based on a sound Christology. A sound Christology demands just such a distinction between divine and human natures, as the human and divine natures of Christ were, in fact, sharply distinct one from another, though they were never separate. As a man, Christ needed to sleep. As a divine One, however, He "neither slumbers nor sleeps." As a man, Christ thirsted. As a divine One, He has no need of any sustenance.

Likewise, as a document written by humans, the Scriptures contain minor, inconsequential inconsistencies, such as exactly what was written above the cross.A commenter in Rhology's combox (Seth, whose comment can be found HERE) looked to harmonize the four accounts by distinguishing between a τιτλος (a title, as in, Christ's name and town of origin) and a επιγραφη της αιτιας (an accusation made of Him), but such a resort misses the point of a biblical account entirely.

From the Orthodox point of view, it makes no difference whatsoever if the precise words on the sign are reported incorrectly. What is important here is that there was a Cross onto which said sign was nailed, and that a divine Savior hung on said Cross for our salvation. This major event was reported by all four evangelists with σταυρωσαντες δε αυτον (Matt.) and εσταυρωσαν αυτον (Mk., Lk., Jn.), and all four are translated to mean "He was crucified" and "They crucified Him." It is clear to us that we may never know what the sign said, as the gospel writers, being men, reported different things. Yet this (ultimately inconsequential) detail does not get in the way of the Scriptures providing a faithful witness, consistently, to the fact of the Crucifixion. One may also refer to the details of the sign as inconsequential since the discrepancies in question are not ones of contradiction but rather mere addition or subtraction of details; the former would be a much more severe charge than the latter.

Just as we do not see every minor detail in Scripture as needing to be airtight, neither do we see every detail in icons as needing to be historical; Mary is depicted in the Ascension icon. St. Paul (and, sometimes, even Mary!) is present at Pentecost. These are included to make theological points. While, granted, the differing inscriptions (and/or "accusations," if one prefers) make no other theological point than the fact that He was accused of being the "King of the Jews" (which He was, of course, the Church Fathers nevertheless later preferring to place the title "The King of Glory" over icons of the Crucifixion), the fact that minor discrepancies were present in no way invalidates the divinely inspired proclamation of our Lord's suffering on the Cross. Any skeptic who would dismiss the unanimously attested-to latter proclamation based on the former inconsistencies is so insincere a searcher and so blindly dismissive of Christianity at the outset that it would be fruitless, in my opinion, to engage such a person in the first place.

Just as both Christ -- who experienced weakness and humiliation as man yet was ever omnipotent God -- and Scripture -- which contains minor, inconsequential inconsistencies yet remains god-breathed and inspired -- simultaneously show forth divine and human natures, so the Church manifests itself as theanthropic, both vulnerable to horrible abuses within it, yet still guided by the Holy Spirit into all truth. Bishops engaged in power struggles, they anathematized whole swathes of Christendom out of sheer ego…yet the council of Nicaea declared Christ to be ομοουσιους with the Father and with us.

The idea of an incarnate Lord, susceptible to weakness and death, Who is yet the unchanging Source and Ground of all Being…is scandalous.

The idea of a Bible written by men who got some details wrong yet preserved a Holy Tome breathed by God…is scandalous.

The idea of a Church whose very shepherds have beaten and neglected the sheep in shameful ways and to shameful degrees yet which has yet been led into all truth and continues to be the Pillar and Ground of said Truth…is scandalous.

Yet there it is: Divine. Human. Incarnate. Salvific.

Name That Saint

My aunt and uncle threw a going away party for us at their house this past weekend; we were blessed with the company of about fifty friends from family, church, and work. The icon to your right was given to us by a couple from our parish; if you click on the image to enlarge it, you'll see something unique to this icon; below the Theotokos and Child is a glowing, red footprint. A little digging identified this icon as the Theotokos of Pochaev icon. The "IOB" to the right of the Mother of God, then, would obviously be St. Job of Pochaev, but the identity of the monastic on the left eludes me. What I can make out comes out to something like "MBFOLIEH," and I'm guessing that's not it.

The only "google-able" Pochaev saint that comes up regularly is Amphilochius, but the lettering on the icon 1) is in Cyrillic, so unless it's simple like "IOB" or close to the Greek I'm pretty much outta luck, and 2) is very tiny and smooshed together.

Any help would be appreciated! I'd like to know whose prayers I'm asking for, here....

"...the Eucharist is an 'ultimate mystery,' a sacramental consummation, 'the goal and term of life.' The Eucharist is the summit of Christian pilgrimage. And when this final stage of sacramental life has been achieved, there is nothing else that man may desire or need. In this mystery or sacrament, not only are the gifts of the Spirit granted and received, but the Risen Lord Himself is present. One cannot move farther. When Christ is in us, what else can we seek? Christ abides in the communicants. This is a 'perfect sacrament,' more perfect than any other, the beginning and the end of all blessings, the ultimate goal of all human aspirations. God is united with us 'in a most perfect union,' and nothing can be more perfect than this marvelous conjunction..." ~ Fr. Georges Florovsky

Prophet Elias

Happy namesday to little Elias, son of our good friends John and Mandy! Many years!

Troparion - Tone 4

An angel in the flesh and the cornerstone of the prophets,
the second forerunner of the coming of Christ,
Glorious Elijah sent grace from on high to Elisha,
to dispel diseases and to cleanse lepers.
Therefore, he pours forth healings on those who honor him.

Kontakion - Tone 2

Prophet Elijah of great renown,
seer of the mighty works of God,
by your command you held back the rain!
Pray for us to the only Lover of mankind!

Rest

In our household, we try to set aside Sunday as much as possible as a day of rest, refraining from all unnecessary work. This week has been a challenge for us, as temperatures had been in the triple digits for a couple of weeks straight (we've been granted a reprieve for the past three with a "cool front" in the upper 90s and even some rain today!), and the days had been taken up with boxing, packing, craigslisting, and creating towers of boxes in our 1.400 ft³ storage unit. Nowhere near what Steve has been enduring, but the work and heat is definitely taking its toll.

Interesting, then, what a "forced" day of rest will do. While it's a given that the day will be appreciated by the body (give it some time to heal up), it also forces one to concentrate one's work even more tightly into the other six days of the week.

Tomorrow: the final week of summer school instruction before finals. Plus more packing. Vitamin C, Advil, and heating pads are definitely in order...

Konstantina's Question...

A good while ago, a woman named Konstantina commented on my post about our recent trip to the Holy Archangels Monastery in Kendalia. She asked what might cause traditions now confined mostly to monasteries and certain parishes (in the comment in question, head coverings and separation of the sexes in worship were mentioned). Finally, I responded to her, but thought that she might notice a response better through a new post. That, and I find it something worthy of a post. So...

"My apologies for not responding earlier. My parish priest generally says that, if you want to effect change in a parish, embody the change you wish to see. If God blesses it, it'll spread. My wife prays with her head covered. No one prompted her to do this (especially not I, though I was happy when she said she'd start doing it). A Syrian woman and several Russian/Ukrainian women in our parish do, as well. Most don't, and that's fine, in the end, I suppose.

"If women start to see a trend developing, perhaps more will take up the practice. Perhaps more men will start to "shift to the right" if more men do so (especially in family situations, with fathers on right, mothers on left).

"An increased exposure to monasticism in America is absolutely essential not only to customs such as these, but to an entire Orthodox prayer life and tradition of the surrender of one's heart to Christ. We are babes in this country and need to drink as deeply from these monastic waters as we can (knowing, of course, that monastics are not perfect, either, and are, at times, even ruled by their sinful passions -- another monastery that no longer exists in Texas is proof of that -- but by and large, where the tradition is upheld and kept, we are blessed to be exposed to them). By their increased witness here -- may God grant! -- I think we'll see the biggest leaps forward in preserving and passing down an authentic Orthodox identity.

"Thanks for your comment."

Who's on First -- Shakespeare Style

My favorite playwright meets my favorite comedy sketch. Brilliant.

Jibril

My sister's baby boy, Jibril, is the son of a Muslim man. Today (7/13) is a commemoration of the Archangel Gabriel. Jibril will grow up with a reverence for his namesake, but not for the One Whom he announced to the Theotokos. Pray that the good Archangel would reveal the True God to my nephew.

Troparion - Tone 4

Gabriel, commander of the heavenly hosts,
we who are unworthy beseech you,
by your prayers encompass us beneath the wings of your immaterial glory,
and faithfully faithfully preserve us who fall down and cry to you:
"Deliver us from all harm, for you are the commander of the powers on high!"

Kontakion - Tone 2

You look upon God's glory in heaven,
and bring grace from on high to earth,
wise Gabriel, leader of angels,
minister of God's glory, and divine defender of the world!
Save and preserve those who cry to you:
"Be our defense, so that no one can be against us!"