Nativity Reflections

One of the true joys of celebrating the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ is simply that: celebrating the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil on the 24^th and celebrating Orthros and Divine Liturgy on the 25^th.

This year I was asked to read and assist in the chant – a blessing for me, to be sure. As I read the lessons (and our priest wanted all the lessons) and joined in the chant, I was transported to the glorious event. Indeed, all the cares were laid aside as we repeated the ancient words again, focused on the singular and blessed event of our Lord's Nativity.

In my years as a Lutheran pastor, my focus was on the liturgical celebrations. But the difference is worth noting: those preparations always included choices, choices of readings, choices of hymns, involvement of soloists and choirs, and sometimes over the years that involved some wrestling with those who weren't so concerned about the historic liturgies.

As one lately come, now some three years, I truly appreciate the lack of the wrestling, the choices – for we join with the Church in repeating that which has been repeated for centuries. The Priest prepares, to be sure, but his preparation isn't tied up in who gets to sing what when. Receiving the Tradition handed down, we are focused on the Nativity. We step away to pray, to receive the Light, the Truth in the fullness of the faith.

What happens in the Temple isn't driven by the "popular Christmas,' but carried along by the Spirit.

Sadly, there are many who let "family traditions" keep them from the Church, who don't take the time to come and see, to receive this Holy Mystery. Gatherings with family, which are to be received with joy, often take the place of the One Thing Needful as the gifts and gatherings are scheduled in such a way as to preclude the gathering together of the saints. It is all too easy to allow the extended festivities of the season displace the fasting and prayer that are the prelude to the Feast.

This is the time to make every attempt to celebrate the Liturgies of this Holy Season. It is the time to pray individually and as families the prayers that have been handed down, to read the appointed readings even at those times that actually being present at the Temple is impossible.

What a joy it has been to participate in the services of the Church, to lay aside all the cares of this life, and to receive the King of all.

Come to think of it, that is repentance.

Christ is born! Glorify Him!

Ezekiel

Experiencing the Church

This post finds us in Goldsboro, NC, visiting daughter and hubby and grandchildren. This morning we drove the 60 or so miles to All Saints Orthodox Church in Cary, NC. What a thriving parish, blessed to have Father Nicholas Sorensen, Father Philip Pelikan, and Deacon David Keim "at the helm" so to speak!

In the past, we've attended Holy Trinity in Raleigh, but decided to take daughter Tracey to this parish, which serves liturgy and other services in English. However, it is decidedly a house of prayer for all nations -- Greeks, Russians, Serbs ... well the list goes on -- all joined in Christ our God! Some 300 families make up this growing parish, and they are looking to building a new Temple, dedicated to the glory of God.

But, more's to say: Father Nicholas was formerly a Lutheran pastor in the LCMS! He and his family came home some twenty years ago. Father Philip, a military chaplain who will be deployed to Iraq after the first of the year, is relatively new to Orthodoxy and new as a priest -- and a cousin of Jaroslave Pelikan ... know amongst Lutherans and Orthodox alike.

The great joy, however, is that we are all joined in the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church, visibly joined in Christ. On the way, our daughter, still looking East, and wishing there were an Orthodox parish in Goldsboro, asked "Will you, belonging to a Greek Orthodox parish, be able to commune at this parish?" Of course, the answer was yes ... for in spite of various jurisdictions and ethnic backgrounds, we are indeed in a Eucharistic fellowship (I suppose there are some exceptions ... but we are essentially one!)

Now, Tracey (our daughter) has some Orthodox contacts who live in and near Goldsboro -- which may be an encouragement as she seeks the Way -- and may help her to have more frequent contact with an Orthodox community!

What a joyful day!

I encourage all who may read these words to come and see --- to experience the living reality of Christ's Church!

Glory to God for all Things!

Ezekiel

Welcome, Father Achilles!

On this Sunday past, 2 November, I received a great birthday present. (That was 62 years)

Bishop DEMETRIOS of Mokissos presided at a Heirarchical Divine Liturgy welcoming our new priest, Father Achilles!

Father Achilles comes to us from St. Nicholas Parish in St. Louis, and is not a stranger to many of us. He was Deacon, then assisting priest at St. Nicholas, and now he comes to us with his lovely wife and children.

A young man, he is one of those men who humbly carries himself as a priest -- meeting him in public places is a joy as he radiates the love of Christ and His humility.

We certainly pray that God will bless Father with many years -- and we also pray that he will lead us at Sts Constantine and Helen to repentance and growing life in Christ our God.

Glory to God for all things!

Repentance

The mysteries of our Faith are unknown and not understandable to those who are not repenting.

~Archpriest Nicholas Deputatov, 'Awareness of God' in the Orthodox Word Magazine, July-August 1976

This little snippet from The Desert Fathers list seemed very appropriate as I pray this morning.

We are in the midst of national woes on many fronts, and the voices are crying out in increasing strident tones for many conflicting solutions, most of which ignore the "simpler" solutions that require admissions of guilt and greed. Some even realize that there is no "magic pill," but many are looking for one that doesn't exist.

Within Holy Mother Church, scandals and heresies would rip the heart out. Financial malfeasance, immorality, heresy, false teaching all raise their heads … and there are strident voices from every side seeking easy relief, a wink of the eye, or denial of the ancient faith so that "we can all get along."

One doesn't hear many calling for repentance though. Sometimes we are so busy looking at everyone else that we don't look within. We don't confess – and there is no true repentance, no metania, as we quickly mouth the words and then try to get on with life.

Within parishes, priests who truly call parishioners to repentance are soon marginalized as "not nice" or "too strident" and they are called to be "more pastoral" – as though salvation isn't that important in the whole stream of things.

Perhaps, in these very troubled times (which may well be those of which Jesus warned in St Matthew's Gospel), we would be well advised to shut off the TV, block out all the shouts and yells, all the maneuvering and posturing, and to cease those things within ourselves, to pray, fast, seek God and His blessing as we live "for the life of the world." It is time to receive the mysteries of Confession, of Unction, to indeed seek to live the commandments.

Perhaps the reason that so many seem not to know or understand the mysteries of the faith, even within the faithful are indeed summarized by Father Nicholas.

Jesus called His own to repent – and then sent them out with that same message. And that is the message of Holy Mother Church, Repent! The Hour is at hand! Repent and Be saved.

Pray. Fast. Receive the Mysteries. Love your enemy. Love your neighbor.

In all of these seek and serve God that the Holy Spirit will indeed work the life of Christ in you, and give you peace in these tumultuous times!

It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me!

God grant it for Christ's sake!

Ezekiel

Another joy noticed ....

When we attended St. George Church in St. Paul on vacation, the regular priest was on vacation.

We noticed immediately that the priest did nothing in Greek, a bit of a surprise to us, but we didn't think much of it.

Turns out he was one of the priests from Holy Trinity Orthodox in St. Paul -- serving in the place of the vacation priest. It was a joy to see that a priest of another jurisdiction was able to serve the Divine Liturgy. Now, that is a contrast for me: when I was a Lutheran pastor, one in the LCMS did NOT have pastors from the ELCA or WELS (Lutherans understand the different letters, they are different synods, different juridictions) serving, and oft times one only had select pastors within their own synod serving.

Something different for me, but certainly a joy! It is also a joy to see priests from various jurisdictions joining at special services and at Divine Liturgy.

One Wonders ....

Sometimes I wonder if those who have been embraced by Holy Orthodoxy for their whole lives realize what they have? After receving the mysteries at an Orthodox parish in St. Paul, MN, we were engaged in conversation with a delightful parishioner ... who soon launched into a monologue on this "great new Bible Study" he was part of. He went on to say how the participants didn't really deal with "theology" or "religion" but just studied the Bible. 400+ he told us, of "every denomination." Turns out it was the Bible Study Fellowship, which is apparently the rage in some places. I bit my tongue: even as a Lutheran Pastor, I viewed such things with alarm.

It serves the "I can read the Bible and believe whatever I want to believe" philosophy that permeates much of today's society. The Bible is viewed outside the Church, and anything goes.

One wonders. Of course, this often happens in any "tradition." Many times those who have "grown up" in the tradition haven't really learned it. Sort of taken for granted, they may not realize just what they have ... until one lately come points out the value and treasure of it!

The lovely bride and I were wondering, as we returned home from vacation with family, why no one really, seriously asks why we became Orthodox. After all, the move from the Lutheran pastorate wasn't made on a whim, or because of some political situation in a parish or synod.

I suspect that part of it is due to the fact that today "Church" is what you make it. In my family, there are Lutherans and Reformed and Evangelical -- in spite of the fact that we started Lutheran. No one bats an eye. Perhaps it is the "Well, at least they are going to church" syndrome. So, to become Orthodox is viewed as going to "another denomination."

I think that part of it also has to do with the fact that to become Orthodox, one must ask serious questions. One deals with the Truth, as Fr Gregory Hogg points out. For my family, it would mean asking very serious questions about where they are, and it would be costly to leave friends made over many years. It would also coming into a discipline far different from what they presently experience.

Of course, one wonders just who takes these things seriously in our age?!!

We have seen the true light, we have received the heavenly spirit ....


Ezekiel

Happenings

Not all that long ago, Nancy, a very long time friend of ours, married to Steve, was received into Holy Orthodoxy through Chrismation. For the first time in their marriage, she received Holy Mysteries with her husband! Rejoice!

Of interest also: in these last months, maybe a year, her study of Orthodoxy was to convince herself to remain a Lutheran. We were pleased to hear what happened.

We met Steve and Nancy when wife Katherine (Karon) was working at the LCMS headquarters in 1971-1972 ... Nancy worked there also. Our friendship has continued through the years and over these last twenty plus years has been very close, since we live not that many miles apart!

Just a couple of weeks ago, we learned that Ben, a young Lutheran pastor, "came home" to Holy Orthodoxy. Ben was, some years ago, one of the men from the Seminary in St. Louis who was under my care ... he left after a quarter to attend the Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN. Over those years, young Ben read and studied and prayed. So, after a very short while as a Lutheran pastor, he was compelled in his search for Truth to be received, with his whole family, into Orthodoxy. Ben was rejoicing via email that on the weekend of their Chrismation, he would receive the Holy Mysteries with all his family -- wife and children!

This Sunday, Pentecost, will be the last time that our priest, Father Dumitru, serves our parish. His future is unclear at this point, and we keep him and Presvytera Constanza in our prayers! We also pray that our parish, Sts Constantine and Helen, would be blessed in the coming months, and that our Metropolitan and those who deal with such matters would be used of the Holy Spirit to bring us another priest!

Christ is in our midst!
He is and ever shall be!