The Truth

“In Christianity truth is not a philosophical concept nor is it a theory, a teaching, or a system, but rather, it is the living theanthropic hypostasis - the historical Jesus Christ (John 14:6). Before Christ men could only conjecture about the Truth since they did not possess it. With Christ as the incarnate divine Logos the eternally complete divine Truth enters into the world. For this reason the Gospel says: ‘Truth came by Jesus Christ’ (John 1:17).”

-- St. Justin Popovich

Description of the Icon "Jesus, Lover of Humanity"

This icon (4 feet x 2 feet) depicts Jesus, the Compassionate One with open arms embracing the Father's creation. His standing in a dynamic position signifies His ongoing and sacramental presence to the Church by the Holy Spirit.

In keeping with the Syriac art tradition of the monk Rubbula from 586 A.D., the arches and dome represent the life of glory in the heavenly kingdom, the immortality and the incorruptibility of eternal life.
The Rubbula cross, (a cross within a circle) symbolizes 1) that all life comes from and returns to God; and 2) that our earthly existence is divinized by Jesus, the Savior of the world.

The icon's panels on each side of the Lord represent two miracles He performed. The left panel represents Christ healing the paralytic man and restoring him to wholeness and health of body and spirit. The right panel depicts Christ with the apostles performing the miracle of the loaves and fishes and feeding His followers, a theme which has overtones of Christ's feeding the Church in His Eucharist.

Christian Video Game? To be or not to be..?

Wow! Any thoughts out there in cyberspace? Things are getting crazy out there!

Groups urge chain to drop Christian game
By Hiawatha Bray, Globe Staff December 13, 2006

A coalition of liberal groups has launched an effort to persuade Wal-Mart to stop selling "Left Behind: Eternal Forces," a Christian video game in which players can kill unbelievers.

"It's very dangerous for civilized society and for constitutional democracy itself," said Frederick Clarkson editor of Talk2Action.org, a liberal religious website. Clarkson has joined forces with two other groups, the Campaign to Defend the Constitution and the Christian Alliance for Progress, to urge Wal-Mart to halt sale s of the game.

"Left Behind: Eternal Forces" was inspired by a series of novels that have sold more than 60 million copies. The books describe "the Rapture," a concept from fundamentalist Christian theology in which all true believers in Jesus Christ mysteriously disappear and go to heaven, leaving Earth inhabited only by unbelievers. In the books, many of those left behind become Christians, while others join forces with an evil politician who is eventually revealed as the Antichrist, enemy of all religions and all virtue.

In the game, Christians travel through New York City, converting "neutral" citizens to the faith, and trying to stay out of the clutches of the Antichrist's minions. The game encourages players to use prayer and the singing of hymns to defend themselves. But they can also create military units that can kill the Antichrist's forces.

This aspect dismayed Timothy F. Simpson, a Presbyterian pastor and interim president of the Christian Alliance for Progress. Simpson said "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" was "antithetical to the gospel of Jesus Christ" and urged Wal-Mart to withdraw "a dangerous and immoral game."
But Wal-Mart shows no sign of bowing to the game's critics. "As always, the decision on what merchandise we offer in our stores is based on what we think our customers want the opportunity to buy," said a statement issued by the company.
Left Behind Games co founder Troy Lyndon said the game is presently sold in only about 200 of Wal-Mart's 3,800 US stores. "It really wouldn't affect us much if they took it out of Wal-Mart anyway," he said.

Indeed, Lyndon said he resisted selling the game in more Wal-Mart stores, because he doesn't like the way the giant retailer is marketing it. Lyndon said that Wal-Mart puts the game in its computer gaming section. That would normally make sense, but this game is intended for Christian consumers who aren't avid gamers and usually don't visit that part of the store. That's why Lyndon's company is also pushing the game in Christian bookstores. Lyndon said that early sales of the game have been "terrific," but refused to provide specific data.
Lyndon said the campaign against the game could boost sales. "We're excited in some regard about the press, because it's getting people to say, 'What's up with this thing?' " But he also worries that over time, the criticism could depress sales. "If they . . . start ranting and raving," Lyndon said, "it could be damaging."

Lyndon rejected his critics' claims that the game celebrates violence and religious intolerance. "There's no killing in the name of God," he said. While players can use violence to achieve objectives, repeated use of deadly force will cause a player's soldiers to desert to the enemy. Lyndon said avid gamers would never play "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" if it had no violence. But he said the game gives its greatest rewards to those who use nonviolence to win.
But Talk2Action's Clarkson said the game, which is rated T for teenagers and older, teaches intolerance and brutality in the name of God. He called it "an instructional video for religious warfare."

© Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company

forgive us. . . as we forgive those who trespass against us

Prayer Regarding Critics and Enemies by Serbian Orthodox Bishop

By Bishop Nikolai Velimirovic, Serbian bishop who spoke out against Naziism, was arrested, and taken to Dachau.
Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.
Enemies have driven me into your embrace more than friends have.
Friends have bound me to earth; enemies have loosed me from earth and have demolished all my aspirations in the world.

Enemies have made me a stranger in worldly realms and an extraneous inhabitant of the world.
Just as a hunted animal finds safer shelter than an unhunted animal does, so have I, persecuted by enemies, found the safest sanctuary, having ensconced myself beneath Your tabernacle, where neither friends nor enemies can slay my soul.

Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless and do not curse them.
They, rather than I, have confessed my sins before the world. They have punished me, whenever I have hesitated to punish myself. They have tormented me, whenever I have tried to flee torments. They have scolded me, whenever I have flattered myself. They have spat upon me, whenever I have filled myself with arrogance. Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.

Whenever I have made myself wise, they have called me foolish. Whenever I have made myself mighty, they have mocked me as though I were a [fly].

Whenever I have wanted to lead people, they have shoved me into the background.
Whenever I have rushed to enrich myself, they have prevented me with an iron hand.
Whenever I thought that I would sleep peacefully, they have wakened me from sleep.
Whenever I have tried to build a home for a long and tranquil life, they have demolished it and driven me out.

Truly, enemies have cut me loose from the world and have stretched out my hands to the hem of your garment.

Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.
Bless them and multiply them; multiply them and make them even more bitterly against me:
So that my fleeing will have no return; So that all my hope in men may be scattered like cobwebs; So that absolute serenity may begin to reign in my soul; So that my heart may become the grave of my two evil twins: arrogance and anger;
So that I might amass all my treasure in heaven; Ah, so that I may for once be freed from self-deception, which has entangled me in the dreadful web of illusory life.

Enemies have taught me to know what hardly anyone knows, that a person has no enemies in the world except himself. One hates his enemies only when he fails to realize that they are not enemies, but cruel friends.

It is truly difficult for me to say who has done me more good and who has done me more evil in the world: friends or enemies. Therefore bless, O Lord, both my friends and my enemies. A slave curses enemies, for he does not understand. But a son blesses them, for he understands.
For a son knows that his enemies cannot touch his life. Therefore he freely steps among them and prays to God for them. Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.

a quote and a picture

“And if any were to cast in prison a person who owed ten mites, and not the man himself only, but wife and children and servants for his sake; and another were to come and not to pay down the ten mites only, but to give also ten thousand talents of gold, and to lead the prisoner into the king’s courts, and to the throne of the highest power, and were to make him partaker of the highest honour and every kind of magnificence, the creditor would not be able to remember the ten mites; so hath our case been. For Christ hath paid down far more than we owe, yea as much more as the illimitable ocean is than a little drop.”

- ST. John Chrysostom, Epistle to the Romans, Homily X, Rom 5:17

Jeffrey Dahmer: Citizen of Heaven??

I found this article on belief.net. I found the concept quite fascinating. Any thoughts out there?
--------------------------------------

Saving Jeffrey Dahmer
The world knew Jeffrey Dahmer as a hardened killer. But one pastor knew him as a forgiven sinner.

By Roy Ratcliff with Lindy Adams

When Wisconsin minister Roy Ratcliff received a phone call that an inmate at a nearby prison wanted to be baptized, he had no idea that the prisoner in question was Jeffrey Dahmer--a man known worldwide for his crimes of murder, dismemberment and cannibalism.
After performing the requested baptism in 1994, Ratcliff began traveling to the prison for weekly one-hour meetings with Dahmer. In a new book, Ratcliff discusses his experiences--and whether Dahmer's conversion was genuine.

One of the most common questions put to me about Jeff has to do with the sincerity of his faith. And I usually hear this from Christians. They ask if Jeff was truly sincere in his desire for baptism and in his Christian life. My answer is always the same: Yes, I am convinced he was sincere.

This question bothers me. Why question the sincerity of another person’s faith? Baptism represents a change in lifestyle. A person is expected to change after being baptized. When people don’t change, we begin to wonder. Why were they baptized? Did they did not fully comprehend what was involved?

I can understand those kinds of questions.

But Jeff’s circumstance was different. The people asking me didn’t know about his post-baptismal life. They were basing their question on what he did before he was baptized, not after. That bothers me.

Jeff was judged not by his faith, but by his crimes. The questioner always seemed to hope I’d answer: “No, he wasn’t sincere.” The questioner seemed to be looking for a way to reject Jeffrey as a brother in Christ instead of seeing him as a sinner who has come to God. The subtext of such questions was simple. They didn’t want to think of Jeff as a brother. Such ungraciousness is contrary to the Christian spirit.

Was Jeff saved? Were his sins taken away? Is he a Christian believer? Did he repent of his sins? Or was the blood of Christ shed on the cross somehow too weak, too thin, too anemic to cover his sins? Did Jeff mean it when he said, “I’m so sorry for what I’ve done. God help me, I’ll never do that again”?

Why was it inconceivable that Jeffrey Dahmer could come to faith?

I became convinced of Jeff’s sincerity by one happening. On a certain visit we came to the end of our study time together. The prison guard had given us the signal, but right then, before I stood to leave, Jeff bared his soul.

“I feel very, very bad about the crimes I’ve committed. In fact, I think I should have been put to death by the state for what I did.”

“I agree with you,” I said. “You should have been put to death by the state for the crimes you committed.”

He replied, “If that is true, am I sinning against God by continuing to live?”

“Boy, you sure picked a time to bring this up,” I answered. “We can’t go into all this now, but I can see where you are going.” I asked him to read the first half of Romans 13 (13:1-7) before my next visit. “That passage relates to your question,” I said.

“I will. Take care – I’ll see you next time,” he said as I left.

On the drive home all this ran through my mind. Jeff was thinking of suicide. Would he take matters into his own hands and kill himself? Did he feel so bad about himself that he no longer wanted to live?

At my next meeting with Jeff, I began with his question, “Am I sinning against God by continuing to live?”

I told him, “Romans 13 does say God has placed a sword in the hand of the governing authority. That’s why I agreed with you last week when you said you thought the state should have put you to death.”

“Yes,” he replied. “But has the state failed its duty by not putting me to death?”

“I can’t answer that question. I can say that God has put a sword in the state’s hand, and the state has that right from God. This state has apparently chosen to lay down its sword and take up a rod instead.

“What is our responsibility to the state?” I asked him.

“Well, it says the Christian must submit to the governing authority,” Jeff replied.

“Right. We aren’t to judge the state for what the state has decided to do, but submit to the state. By continuing to live, you are submitting to the state.”

“I see,” he said, thinking about what I had said.

“What that means is that you must try to be the best prisoner you can be. You must not disobey the rules, nor subvert the system. You accept your position as a prisoner of the state for life, and serve God as best as you can for as long as God allows you to live.”

“Okay,” was all he said.

But I wasn’t finished with him yet. “When you ask, ‘Am I sinning by continuing to live?’ are you implying that you are thinking of suicide?” I pressed.

“Yes, I admit I’ve thought of suicide. But when I thought I should take my life, I just couldn’t do it,” he confessed. "My main concern is that I do the right thing,“ he replied.

After that, how could I question Jeff’s sincerity? Jeff wanted to please God. He knew he had done terrible things, and he needed me to tell him that his life mattered regardless. I could relate to how he felt. I understood his heart.

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/203/story_20399_1.html

A Good Dose of C.S. Lewis

"Prostitutes are in no danger of finding their present life so satisfactory that they cannot turn to God: the proud, the avaricious, the self-righteous, are in that danger."

--The Problem of Pain (200)

Narnia and the Atonement?

Many people were moved in the last few years over the newly done "The Chronicles of Narnia." I know I was excited to see it, as many others were, Christian and non. I particularly was excited to see it because I was interested in seeing the spiritual truths and analogies used by C.S. Lewis in his classic that I wasn't at a younger age probably keen to pick up.

So, upon the release, I went with the masses to see this beloved story made film. I can say that it touched me in a way beyond my expectations. For it was here in the "Chronicles of Narnia" that I was deeply moved by the offering of Aslan of himself in place of the boy Edmund, so that he might be freed from the White Witch and her dominion. Aslan took the place of the "traitor" and was killed by those in the Witch's kingdom. I was so struck here by the picture of Christ giving Himself as an offering for me. Edmund, the boy who should have been the one killed, is spared by the love of Aslan. So it is that Christ gave Himself, to be put to death by the kingdom of darkness, so that the enemy could be satisfied. But as Christ rose from the dead, so does Aslan. Aslan shows that the White Witch has no power over him and his kingdom. The movie ends with the "daughters of Eve" and the "sons of Adam" being crowned as kings and queens of Narnia. In this picture, I was moved by the love of God displayed in the offering of Christ.

I later discovered that Lewis was in fact bringing words and pictures to something that many of the early Christians believed about the Christ's atonement for us. And Disney took Lewis' work and displayed the magnificence of this "rescue"also known in theology as the Ransom View of the atonement. It was in this film that I was stunned by the deep love of God, something that I understood for that moment in time.

Many of my protestant friends, as I have been looking in Eastern Orthodoxy, interestingly enough bring up the atonement quite often. They don't "agree" with the Orthodox and are "concerned" about my views. Funny, many of them went to see "The Chronicles of Narnia" and saw Christ. And when I think about the atonement, it is this ransom of Christ giving Himself as an offering so that the Evil One might be defeated, that I rest my faith. Many of these friends would agree with me until they hear that it isn't the modern understanding of the atonement.

It wasn't until the 11th century that a Western theologian brought further details to this that were not what the Church seemed to believe for the first 10 centuries. Up until Anselm, an archbishop of Canterbury, Christ' death had been chiefly understood as a ransom from the devil. Frederica Matthewes-Green explains, "The wages of sin is death,' and due to our sins we were enslaved by death, poisoned and helpless to resist sin. Christ comes on a rescue mission, and in the process he suffers.....As a human, he dies and gains entrance to Hades; once there He blasts it open, as God, and sets the captives free."

What is interesting is that in western theology, in 'Satisfaction Theory', the Father is the one who needs to be appeased and it is the Father who demands this. However, Gregory of Nazianzus in the 4th century (closer in proximity to the apostles) protested that the question of "Who received the payment?" should not be pressed hard. Matthewes says regarding this, "No matter what the debt the Devil was owed it could not possibly have included God himself. On the other hand, the Father could not have been the recipient of the ransom, since he was not the one holding us captive. And if the blood of Isaac had not please him, why would he desire the blood of his beloved son? In fact, Nazianzus sums up: the Father accepts Christ's sacrifice without having demanded it; the Son offers it to honor him; and the result is the defeat of the Evil One. 'This is as much as we shall say of Christ; the greater portion shall be reverenced with silence.' "

In closing, I feel that Frederica sums it up well here,

"Anselm took aim at the exaggerated versions of the ransom theory, but didn’t agree to leave the greater portion to silence. He theorized that the payment *was* made to God the Father. In Anselm’s formulation, our sins were like an offense against the honor of a mighty ruler. The ruler is not free to simply forgive the transgression; restitution must be made. (This is a crucial new element in the story; earlier Christians believed that God the Father did, in fact, freely forgive us, like the father of the Prodigal Son.) No human would be adequate to pay this debt, so God the Son volunteers to do so. "If the Son chose to make over the claim He had on God to man, could the Father justly forbid Him doing so, or refuse to man what the Son willed to give him?" Christ satisfies our debt in this, the "Satisfaction Theory.""And that has made all the difference," as a tousled Yankee poet liked to say. Western Christian theology marched on from that point, encountering controversies and developments and revisions, but locked on the idea that Christ’s death was directed toward the Father. When Western theologians look back at the centuries before Anselm they can’t find his theory anywhere (well, there are some premonitions in Tertullian and Cyprian, but it wasn’t the mainstream.). You can read St. Paul to support the "satisfaction" view, so Anselm is hailed as the first theologian to understand St. Paul.That’s a stretch, though. Would Christians really have misunderstood their salvation for a thousand years? Did the people Paul wrote his letters to have no idea what he was talking about? Did the early martyrs die without understanding the Cross that saved them? Why would the Holy Spirit permit such a thing, if He was sent to lead them into all truth? Is the "plain meaning of Scripture" is so obscure that it couldn’t be discerned for a thousand years, and then only by someone from a culture utterly different from its authors?Western theologians search the pre-Anselmian millennium and can’t find the theory they’re after, but fail to see the theory that permeates there. Before Anselm, the problem salvation addresses is seen as located within us. We are infected by Death as a result of Adam’s fall. This infection will cause us be to spiritually sick and to commit sin, both voluntarily and as a result of the Devil’s deceptions. Christ offers to rescue us in accord with the Father’s will, like the young police officer above. In this action, God the Father and the Son are united: "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself."That’s the "before" snapshot. With Anselm, the problem salvation addresses is between us and God (we have a debt we can’t pay). After Anselm it is even sometimes formulated as *within* God (His wrath that won’t be quenched until the debt is paid). This theory loses the unity of will between the Father and Son; it can appear that the Son has to overcome the Father’s resistance. It loses the idea that the sickness is within us, and we need to be healed; it can appear that a legal acquittal is sufficient and a transformed life a nice afterthought at most."

I have decided for myself that the next time someone wants to be concerned about the eastern view of atonement, and my life, that I am much more comfortable, biblically, siding with that of the earliest Christians.

*If you would like to read all of Frederica Matthewes-Green's article that is quoted from here, here is the website: http://www.frederica.com/writings/the-meaning-of-christs-suffering.html

Some thoughts on Ted Haggard

I have read some interesting and note worthy thoughts by Christians on what has happened with Ted Haggard. I offer two below. The first is taken from a post from Scott McKnight's Blog www.jesuscreed.org. He has some noteworthy thoughts regarding the evangelical Christian world and what can be learned from it. Below that, is an article taken from Frederica Matthewes-Green's website www.frederica.com and was found, as well, on First Things website www.firstthings.com.

Most who know me, would know that this story would be of special interest to me.

Scott McKnight on Ted Haggard
"And I wonder what we can learn from yet another moral collapse of an evangelical leader.
What is perhaps saddest is that this has gone on for a long time in his life. I’m not sure making more or new accountability structures for leaders is the place to start, though I’m quite sure we will all begin to think about this more.

But, what I find here is what I want to call the evangelical environment. In evangelicalism, and the charismatic stream in which Ted Haggard swims, sin is bad and sin by leaders is real bad. This leads to a complex of features that creates a serious problem:

1. Christians, and not just pastors, do not feel free to disclose sins to anyone;
2. Christians, including pastors, sin and sin all the time;
3. Christians, including pastors, in evangelicalism do not have a mechanism of confession;
4. Christians and pastors, because of the environment of condemnation of sin and the absence of a mechanism of confession, bottle up their sins, hide their sins, and create around themselves an apparent purity and a reality of unconfessed/unadmitted sin.
5. When Christians do confess, and it is often only after getting caught, they are eaten alive by fellow evangelicals — thus leading some to deeper levels of secrecy and deceit.

What we saw with Haggard is not just about leaders; it is about all of us"

Ted Haggard and Suffering Frederica Matthewes-Green
Posted Tuesday, November 7, 2006
[First Things, November 7, 2006]
I was in Denver for about a hundred minutes this weekend. I hadn’t planned it, but when I arrived at the airport Friday morning to begin my journey to Calgary, I was surprised to see that’s where I would change planes. The story about Ted Haggard had hit the news the night before, and I had been for some reason really moved by it. I walked through the Denver airport praying the Jesus Prayer for him: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on Ted.” That whatever needed to happen would happen, and that it would be used for Ted’s ultimate healing. And I prayed for his wife, Gayle, and their five children. I cannot imagine their pain.

I was probably not the only person who found his initial response suspicious: “I did not have a homosexual relationship with a man in Denver.” Imagine that you’re a guy, and a male escort you’ve never heard of suddenly announces to the press that you two have been in a sexual relationship for years. After you got through screaming “WHAT?!?” for a few hours, you would say, “This is really sick and creepy and repulsive. I have never met this guy. It is scary to think anyone could have this kind of full-blown delusional fantasy going on. This is some kind of John Mark Karr thing. I’m disgusted, and I feel stalked, and am talking to the police about protection.”

So “I did not have a homosexual relationship with a man in Denver” was pretty feeble. “In Denver”?

But in the rush of travel, I didn’t catch any images of Haggard until the return trip Saturday; I didn’t know what he looked like. An airline rescheduling unexpectedly brought me back through Denver on the way home — that had the looks of something God-arranged. This time while praying my way through the airport I spotted some newspaper dispensers with Haggard’s name in the top headlines. I knelt to read the stories and saw that sad truths were coming to the surface.

But I also saw a photo of Haggard, and for the first time connected a face with the name. So that’s the guy! I had seen this face before, I guess in photos of evangelical leaders. It sure had struck me as a crazy-scary one – somebody I’d instinctively step away from. The zones of his face are sending out conflicting messages. It looks like both terror and attack. The overall effect is frenzied.

Ted wrote in the letter read to his church on Sunday: “There is a part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I have been warring against it all my life.”

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, we speak of the impulses that move us toward any kind of sin as “passions.” You shouldn’t think of this term as related to “passionate.” It’s more like “passive.” (As in “The Passion of Christ;” his passion is what he endured.)

These impulses beat us up. They originate as thoughts, sometimes as thoughts that evade full consciousness. The roots are tangled with memories, shame, anger, fear—and the thoughts are also very often inaccurate.

All this mess damages our ability to see the world clearly. We go on misreading situations and other people, and venture further into confusion. The illness compounds itself, to the delight of the Evil One who nurtures lies and has no compassion on the weak. To him, the weak are breakfast.

Eastern Christianity speaks of this as the darkening of the nous, that is, of the perceptive center of a person. (Most English bibles translate nous as “mind,” but that’s not quite it; the nous is not the rational intellect, but a perceiving faculty. Thoughts and emotions are subsequent reactions to the nous’ perceptions.) The damaged nous is like a pair of glasses fitted with distorting lenses. It needs healing.

The Greek word represented by this kind of “passion” is “pathos.” It means suffering. It is because we are helpless in our suffering that Christ came. He took on vulnerable human form, and went into the realm of Death and defeated the Evil One. Now we are invited to gradually return to health, by fully assimilating the truth that sets us free – by assimilating the presence and life of Christ himself. “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me,” St Paul said. This life fills and changes us like fire fills a piece of coal.

In the Eastern Christian understanding, sins are not “bad deeds” that must be made up in order to satisfy justice. They are instead like bad fruit, which indicates a sickness inside the tree (the analogy Jesus uses in Matthew 7:7-8). Sin is infection, not infraction. And God not only forgives freely, but sent his Son to rescue us when we were helpless.

With God’s help, we begin to heal. Like an athlete striving for the prize (I Cor 9:24, Phil 3:14, 2 Timothy 2:5) we resist succumbing to lying thoughts. The ancient spiritual disciplines – continual prayer, fasting, and love of others – are like the exercises in a time-tested workout routine. They make us stronger. When we fall, we get up. This is a life of continual repentance – and you can see in that word re-pent, “re-think.” Salvation is health, and health comes from knowing the truth and resisting lies. This gradually heals the nous so that it is restored to its original purpose: to perceive God’s light permeating all Creation.

St. Paul writes, “Be transformed by the renewal of your nous.” The biblical word for repentance, meta-noia, means literally the transformation of the nous. We are welcomed into God’s kingdom in an instant, as we see in the story of the Good Thief; but full healing comes slowly, and will continue every day that we live.

So it is a mistake to present Christianity the way some churches do, as if it is the haven of seamlessly well-adjusted, proper people. That results in a desperate artificial sheen. It results in treating worship as a consumer product, which must deliver better intellectual or emotional gratification than the competition. And that sends suffering people home again, still lonely, in their separate metal capsules.

What all humans have in common is our “pathos.” Getting honest about that binds us together. And then we begin to see how the mercy of God is pouring down on all of us all the time, just as the Good Samaritan bound the wounds of the beaten man with healing oil. May God give this healing mercy to Ted and Gayle, and to their children. May God reveal his healing mercy to Michael Jones, who told the truth. May God have mercy on all of us.

What Good Is it to Me?

What good is it to me
if this eternal birth of the divine Son
takes place unceasingly
but does not take place within myself?

And, what good is it to me
if Mary is full of grace and
if I am not also full of grace?
What good is it to me for the Creator to give birth to his Son
if I do not also give birth to him
in my time and my culture?

This, then, is the fullness of time:
When the Son of God
is begotten in us.

-Meister Eckhart

church?

Sometimes it's hard to not give up hope. I don't know about you but there are times when I just feel so hopeless. My experiences with the body of Christ has been less than desirable over the last few years. When I drive by a church, I often think, "what does that word mean now days anyways?" It seems that anyone can slap that name on anything and people will come. It is so sad to me. It is so sad to me that so many people who are genuinely looking for something more, have a spiritual interest/need, are going to "churches" that are not even anything like what Christ had in mind. I don't know who these people are. I guess I just think of the general masses. I especially think of the power there is in words like "church," "pastor," or even "God" for that matter. It is unfortuate that even Satan has entered so many of these "churches" and used them for subtle evil. Many are just clubs with very little depth of belief or faith. Others are filled with zealous followers looking for someone to look up to. Many of these people find manipulative "pastors" who speak for "God" to feed this need to feel secure. When I think of the hypocrisy and deception that can go on in the church, I feel worse. Unfortunately so much "good preaching" is birthed from charismatic, manipulative pastors (don't get me wrong I'm not saying ALL). In some "churches" truth is found hidden only in one small corner of the room and becomes something that has very little substance anymore. I guess all of this, at times, makes me wonder if it is all worth it. I never thought that this is what being a Christian would involve. Lord have mercy!

Proselytizing in Orthodox Lands?

This article (linked below) by Frederica Matthewes-Green addresses a subject that has been a concern of mine these days. It brings out many of points of why I, myself, have a hard time with the tactic that some evangelicals take in sharing the gospel. Read it and feel free to comment here on my blog your thoughts regarding the subject matter.

http://www.frederica.com/writings/proselytizing-in-orthodox-lands.html

God's Hospitality

Recently, I was impacted by an article on hospitality of Abraham and Sarah. Rublev's icon here of the Trinity, I learned, is also known as the "Hospitality of Abraham and Sarah." In the article I read, the author shared a story about a woman who kept a copy of this icon in her room. This image became a picture to her of God's hospitality towards us. There are three angels sitting at a table, representing the Trinity. The fourth place at the table is empty--the one facing us. This place is for you and me. They are making room for you and I to come in. I was deeply moved by this--God's hospitality towards us. He makes room at His table for us. That is amazing to me! Closing Quote from another article on the subject of hospitality reminds me of the call of the Christian to mimic or imitate the hospitality of God. St Maria of Paris wrote,

"At the Last Judgment I will not be asked whether I satisfactorily practiced asceticism, nor how many prostrations and bows I have made before the holy table. I will be asked whether I fed the hungry, clothed the naked, visited the sick and the prisoner in jail. That is all I will be asked."

More Spacious than the Heavens

The title of this icon is "More Spacious than the Heavens." I love the celebration of the incarnation in this icon. The symbolism touches my soul. My first reaction to an icon similiar to this in meaning was "wow! that's a big picture of Mary." This of course was followed up with "hmm....I don't know what I think about that." As a protestant, in some of the denominations I was exposed to, Mary was to me no different than any other person. She held no special value and in fact I was to beware of anyone who held her as anything more than average. But, my heart towards her has begun to change. I am not devoted to Mary, nor do I 'worship' her, but I love Mary. I love the Theotokos, "the God bearer" because she is essential to the plan of my salvation. Her obedience to God by bearing the Savior of the world allowed me to come into the Kingdom. I love her because she said "yes" to God, when my sister Eve back in the garden said "no." She was the hallow temple of the Lord Jesus Christ for nine months. I value her as such. She is more than average. So when I see this icon, I am reminded. The womb in which Christ resided is more spacious than the heavens.....for it held not the creation per se but the Creator, The God-man Jesus Christ, the Word of God. Her womb contained more than all the heavens could---the Word of God, the Incarnation. To me that is significant and that is valuable.

a hymn

This hymn of the 17th cent. St., Dimitrii of Rostov struck me today.

Come, my Light, and illumine my darkness. Come my Life, and revive me from death. Come, my Physician, and heal my wounds. Come, Flame of Divine Love, and burn up the thorns of my misdeeds, kindling my heart with the flame of
your love. Come, My God, sit upon the throne of my heart and reign there.
You alone are my God and my Lord. amen. May it be.

window into heaven

The Orthodox describe an icon or "image" as a "window into heaven." It is for me that this icon has become. I sense a glimpse into heaven through what this image represents. There is something about the bond of the truly Incarnate Lord Jesus with His mother that makes an impression on my soul. There is a comfort in knowing that I am a part of a living faith, with a living God, Savior, and Church. This day I am reminded of the comfort of His presence in His Holy Spirit and in His church.

May this "image" be a window into heaven for generations to come!

Sacred Space

I thought that this would be an interesting website to pass on. Check it out!

http://www.sacredspace.ie/

Also, if anyone is interested.....I saw a very inspiring film this week called "Mother Teresa." It is on her life and although she is a catholic nun (which can bring up various reactions to people) she is truly an example of Christ that convicts my heart. I would encourage every Christian to see this film.

Friends?

I am reminded of the verse in the Scripture that says that there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Somedays, I feel an "amen" in my spirit, appreciating times I have felt a glimpse of this kind of friend in my life. Often though, lately, I find myself thinking about how rare this kind of a friendship is. When one finds it, one wants to treasure it because it is out of the ordinary. I notice the verse is referring to one kind of friend. I assume then (don't take this as interpretation) that there must be other kinds of friends then as well. So the verse is encouraging in that it reminds me that there is a kind of friend that sticks closer than a brother. It is also a reminder though of the discouraging reality that there are other kinds of friends as well....that don't stick so close. It has made me think about what a true friend is then. What kind of friends do I want in my "garden" moments (ref. to Jesus in the Garden of Ges.)? I want those kinds. The kind that stick when I am suffering to accept the will of God in my life and questioning if He could do things any other way. My sufferings or reasons to question are nothing compared to the Lord Jesus Christ but it would be nice, as I'm sure He thought in His humanity, to have the friend spoken of in Proverbs. I also remember that even Jesus didn't have that.....He did find His friends sleeping on the night of His agony instead of praying. Anyhow, I've been discouraged at times lately by how quickly those I thought were true friends turned out to be less sincere than originally thought. I am thankful that I share in one small ounce of Christ's sufferings in this.

Things I love

So yesterday I was thinking about how I wrote the other day about something I hate. Today I started thinking about some things I love. So if you're interested here are my thoughts..........

Things I love:
-looking at the ocean, walking along the cliffs, and feeling the fresh air
-the clean,crisp air in the morning where silence is golden and the only real sound is that of the birds
-the smile of a baby and cuddling with them
-stained glass windows in a vaulted cathedral
-beautiful music
-the feeling of the sunshine on a spring day
-the sound of a stream or babbling brook
-a good romance movie
-a good comedy movie
-spring days: not too hot and not too cold!
-contemplation of a work of art
-conversation with a friend
-spring flowers!
-the smell of gardenias and roses
-a good book
-a cup of coffee with a piece of chocolate
-avocados
-spinach salad at claim jumpers
-candles
-parks with lakes
-hummus!!!
-walking a sweet dog (not that I have one =()
-Jesus, who He is---He is truly the most amazing and challenging person I have ever met!
-the sound of a piano
-love!
-learning about lots of things
-europe
-a new pair of earrings or jewelry
-pralines&pecans frozen yogurt from golden spoon
-watching Pride and Prejuiduice
-a roaring fireplace on a cold eve or morn
-the sound of an acoustic guitar
-virgin strawberry margarita from islands
-coca cola zero
-light double fudge brownie ice cream by dryers
-captain kidd's cookies from trader joe's


okay, that's all for now....toodles.

things i hate

So I am discovering that there are some things in life that I hate. One of those is division amongst those who claim the name of Christ.

I just got done reading a blog comment from another site by one of those who claim His name. I was so saddened by the dogmatic beliefs that were espoused with authority from an uneducated, common human. I don't say this to insult this person but I wonder where they believe they get such authority. So often people who claim Christ divide over everything.....not only that but lack such humility and love when doing it. It seems to me that humility and love are predominant characteristics of Christ Jesus. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I hate this spirit of pride and division.

The person's blog was talking about how God doesn't love all the world because we must define the "world" properly. Instead this person thought it would be "edifying", to use their term, to let all us know that God indeed hates people. He doesn't love everyone. Well, I'm not sure that is the message that Christ left for us to proclaim.....but of course I'm sure even the blogger would have some response for that. Most undoubtly the blogger would "teach" me from the Scriptures how I've erred. Anyways, that's my two cents about something i hate. I'll just continue to pray "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have mercy on me, a sinner" and I have confidence that He will.....that He will save me and continue to save me, by His grace empowered by torrents of love.

Saint Nina of Georgia

I learned a lot about this woman's life,depicted of course in this icon, and was inspired. Check it out if you want. Here are some links:

www.comeandseeicons.com/klv03.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nino

www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/saints/nina_georgia.htm

Frederica Matthewes-Green also mentions here in her article "Orthodoxy Tradition, yesterday and Today"
www.frederica.com

God's mercy

Lately I have been thinking a lot about God's mercy. Partly this is because I have been visiting an Orthodox church for the last few months in which the liturgy has an anthem, it seems, of "Lord, Have Mercy." One cannot walk away without being reminded of God's mercy. At first, I wondered why they ask God for mercy so much. But then I realized that this is probably a correct view of oneself. I am a sinner and He is God. He is holy, I am not. His desire is to give mercy to me, a sinner. I pray "Lord Have mercy" because of who is He and because of who I am. I am reminded over and over that God's love and mercy pursue me. I pray for it because it is His desire. More than that, I pray for it.....because I am acknowledging that I need it. Some scriptures come to mind today. I thought I would simply post them here.

Psalm 103:8-14,17
"The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust. . .
But the mercy of the Lord is
from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children's children...."