The Catalog of Good Deeds

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (II Tim 3:16)

There are passages of the Apocrypha that many Evangelicals find disturbing or problematic. And yet, if we are honest, those passages have counterparts in the Old Testament.

For instance, much has been made of what seems to be an occultic use of animal parts in the book of Tobit. But before rejecting this story, pause for a moment. Think of how Jacob bred his flock (Gen 30:25-43). Doesn’t it seem that Jacob used folk magic and dowsing techniques? If this story had not been included in the canon and we read it for the first time today, wouldn’t we react just as strongly? Don’t Jacob’s actions seem to smack of God-sanctioned occultic practices just as much as Tobit’s do? Possibly our reaction to these kind of stories result from our being raised in a secular culture that scoffs at the miraculous and God working through the physical.

There are unusual things waiting for new readers of the Apocrypha. Yet there is much that is already familiar to us. It is genuinely Christian. Some Evangelicals find that, after reading these books, they return to familiar Scriptures and discover a new depth and authenticity to them. Others begin to realize that the Old Testament canon is not as black and white issue and they were taught.

All Scripture is Not Equal

Such a statement may come as a shock. If anything sounds like an attack on Scripture, this does.

Some background is necessary. In pre-Christian synagogue worship, when Scripture was read, the congregation responded differently to various sections of the Old Testament. The historical books “ranked” lowest, and above that came the Psalter and the Prophets. But when the Law was read, everyone in the synagogue stood. Here, for them, was the core of God’s revelation and, above all other books, the Law of Moses merited full attention.

The same happened in early Christianity after the Apostles died. But instead of the Law, it was the Gospels that compelled the faithful to stand in respect. The words and deeds of Jesus were seen as the pinnacle of the revelation of Scripture. The early Christians’ hermeneutic of the rest of the Bible began and ended with the words of Christ. The Gospels were the core of their canon. St. Paul was understood in the light of Jesus, not vice versa.

Is this ordering of Scripture so strange? We do it ourselves, although we do not readily admit it. If we consider all the sermons we have heard, cataloguing the references used, we will find that some books typically merit more thought and discourse than others. In many Protestant churches Romans and Galatians are focused upon while II Peter, James, and Jude are not. In the Old Testament, the Psalms are read more frequently than Numbers. If any church or tradition really sought to cover Scripture equally they would have to slate four times more sermons on the Old Testament than on the New!

By Joel Kalvesmaki

***

Joel Kalvesmaki is Editor in Byzantine Studies at Dumbarton Oaks, overseeing the production of Dumbarton Oaks’ flagship Byzantine publications, print and digital. He is active in the digital humanities and his research covers intellectual history in late antiquity, with a focus on ancient number symbolism and the writings of Evagrius Ponticus.

Source: http://pemptousia.com/2015/01/all-scripture-is-inspired-by-god-problems-in-the-apocrypha/

On Saturday night (March 15, 2008) I got home from choir practice rather late, and stayed up much later than normal as I had a very late dinner. I had finished eating and was reading a book at about 11:30 p.m. when my roommate came in and asked if I knew why the Cathedral bells were ringing. He had been in his bedroom, which like mine faces the street and has a view of the Cathedral a block away. In the kitchen, a couple of rooms away, I couldn't hear the bells, but I agreed that it seemed strange for them to be ringing at that time of night. I went to bed about a half hour later and thought nothing more about it. At church on Sunday, we were all shocked to hear that Metropolitan Laurus, the leader of the Russian Church Outside Russia, had reposed. Our priest got a telephone call from a former parishioner just before the service started at 9.00 a.m.

We heard about the chronology of events later on Sunday from the matushka of one of the Cathedral priests, whose son is at the Seminary in NY. Sometime on Sunday morning, when Metropolitan Laurus was noticed to be absent, someone went to his house and discovered that he had reposed in his sleep. The police were called etc., and people there began notifying the rest of the world. No one here in SF knew about it until 8.00 or so on Sunday morning (11.00 a.m. New York time). As the day went on, word about his death continued to spread. People here were discussing going to the funeral in NY on Friday.

As we talked about these events, the issue of the bells came up.! Others living near the Cathedral had heard the bells ringing late on Saturday night. When they came to the early service at the Cathedral (it starts at 7.30 a.m.), they found the bells tied up in the normal way, which seemed puzzling. Someone had to have gotten into the locked place where the bells are untied them, rung them (very beautifully, my roommate said), and tied them back up, all in the darkness of near midnight. No one in the group I was talking to, which included the wives of both Cathedral priests, knew who could have done it. But then as we were talking, we also learned that the NY police estimated that Metropolitan Laurus had died between 2.00 and 3.00 a.m. That's between 11.00 p.m. and 12.00 midnight here. And then everything seemed obvious.

"I attest that I had just begun reading the pre-communion canons when I heard bells....Orthodox Bells...ringing with the melodies familiar to us at the Cathedral. I first thought it was my CD player...when I checked, I found that it was off. David was reading in the kitchen and I went and asked him if he was playing music. We weren't. Others in the vicinity heard the bells at the same time, roughly the time when Vladyka Metropolitan passed away."

(Note the bells are behind two locked security gates and everyone who has access and who knows how to properly ring the bells have all sworn that they did not ring them).

His Eminence Archbishop Kyrill told us that the bells had been rung by the angels.

Eternal Memory!

Written by Mr David Jepson,

Dean of the St John's Orthodox Academy in San Francisco

Source: https://www.stgeorgehermitage.org/modernmiracles.html

I can remember the moment clearly. My husband and I watched, slightly nervous, as our priest took our son from his godfather’s arms. My firstborn began to howl immediately – a howl which was silenced as he was plunged into the water not just once, but three times. Baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Our son sputtered with a slightly shocked expression on his face, and that same shocked feeling resonated in my soul.

I was a mother. An Orthodox mother. My husband and I, under the guidance of our spiritual father and with the help of our son’s godparents, were responsible for raising this child in a Faith that we ourselves were just beginning to understand.

Every day in the eight years since that day, this remains my prayer: Lord have mercy. Have mercy on my children. Have mercy on our family. Grant mercy to me, your unworthy servant, as I seek to serve you as a wife and a mother.

If this is your prayer as well, and if you are wanting to raise your infants in the Church, here are a few ideas and tips gained from not only my experience but the wisdom of many mothers and spiritual fathers.

1. Have Your Infant Baptized

Obviously, this is by far the most important thing that you as a parent can do for your infant. Speak to your priest in order to find out all the details and learn what is entailed at your parish. You will also want to take your time in selecting godparents for the child, so that you can choose people who will pray for and guide your child spiritually throughout life.

2. Take Them to Receive the Eucharist

The importance of take your child to receive the Eucharist on a regular basis simply cannot be overstated. In the Orthodox Church, a baptized child is fully part of the Church and receives the Body and Blood of Christ along with the rest of the parish. The Eucharist is spiritual nourishment for your baby and works within them in ways that are beyond our ability to comprehend.

3. Bring the Baby to Church

I know, I know. It is REALLY hard to bring a baby to Church. There are feeding and napping schedule to consider, diapers to change, and, let’s face it, even just getting out the door can be hard to do early in the morning. But, it is worth it. When a child grows up in the Church and is accustomed to being in church each week, the Church and the Faith become part of life.

A much-loved mother of older children in my parish often tells me that she wishes she had brought her children to church when they were younger. However, because it was difficult, they didn’t start going until the children were in elementary school. By that time it was even more difficult because the children didn’t know how to behave, were resistant, and just had a hard time adjusting. (Though, they are both lovely young adults who are involve in their parishes now. So, don’t give up or become discouraged if your older children resist going to Church!)

For more on this subject, see my articles on Engaging Young Children in Church and How to Help That Young Mother in Church.

4. Pray for Them

Pray daily for your children. This could be simple, short prayers throughout the day such as, “Lord have mercy on my son. Keep him safe and help him to love You.” When you have more time, you can also pray the Akathist to the Mother of God Nurturer of Children, which is a heartfelt, beautiful prayer of a mother.

5. Pray with Them

You can also bring your baby in to your family prayer time. Some of my sweetest memories of my oldest son’s first months are of family prayer times together in our small icon corner in our tiny apartment. My husband and I stood side-by-side, holding our newborn, praying the Morning Prayers or Evening Prayers together each day. Now as we have more children (3) and they are older (8, 5, and 3), it can be harder and a lot more chaotic. So, savor those quiet moments together!

6. Fill the Nursery with Icons

Many young couples spend hours planning the perfect nursery. They agonize over every piece that will fill it from the crib to the sheets, the paint color to the rocking chair in the corner. While you are designing a lovely nursery, don’t forget to add icons. You may want to include an icon of Christ and the Theotokos, an icon or two of your child’s patron saint, an icon of Christ blessing the children, and any other icons that have meaning to your family.

7. Have “Tummy Time” in the Icon Corner

Another super easy way to integrate the life of Faith into the home is to have “tummy time” in the icon corner. When putting your baby down for their daily dose of tummy time, why not place them in front of an icon or two so that they can look at (and perhaps venerate) the icons? I am always amazed at how much young children are drawn to icons. Perhaps God works in their souls in ways that we don’t understand whenever they see an icon of Christ or the saints.

8. Make an Icon Book

You can also make a little icon book very easily. Simply purchase a small photo album. Then fill the pages with paper or laminated icons. This is a wonderful first book and is great to bring along to Divine Liturgy on Sundays!

9. Create an Orthodox Children’s Library

In addition to your icon book, add other Orthodox children’s books to your child’s library. Some of my favorite board books for young ones are Goodnight Jesus by Angela Isaacs, What Do You See at Liturgy by Kristina Tartara, and Josiah and Julia Go to Church by Kelly Ramke Lardin.

10. Play Orthodox Music

With so much quality, streaming music available now, it is really simple to fill your home with the sounds of Orthodox church music. We often stream Ancient Faith Radio’s music throughout our day, and I just discovered the music of Eikona and am really loving it!

11. Sing Church Songs as Lullabies

One of my favorite times of each day is that sweet time right before bed, when I get to cuddle my little ones (even my eight-year-old will let me get in a few hugs before bedtime!). Singing lullabies has always been part of our bedtime ritual, and those lullabies come from the music of the Church. I have sung the Trisagion Hymn, the Hymn to the Theotokos, the Lord Have Mercy in various languages, O Taste and See, and O Give Thanks Unto the Lord to my children. But, whatever hymns that you know in whatever musical style that you know with whatever amount of musical ability that you have is wonderful!

12. Live a Faithful Life Before Them

Finally, most of these ideas won’t mean very much at all if you aren’t trying to live a faith life before your child. Model your faith, live out your salvation, be the image of Christ in your home. The rest will follow.

Lord have mercy on us all.

Source: http://www.orthodoxmotherhood.com/creating-orthodox-home-baby-tips-parents/

The African-American community is being drawn to Orthodox Christianity, inspired by its roots in Africa, claims to authenticity, and reverence to black saints.

The Rev. Moses Berry, an Orthodox priest and pastor of Theotokos “Unexpected Joy” Orthodox Mission, Ash Grove, Mo., began his career as a Protestant preacher, a family tradition reaching back into the 1800s. He grew up in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Then, in 1983, he visited an Orthodox church in Atlanta and was so moved that he retrained to become a priest in the Orthodox Church in America. He also helped to organize the coalition of clergy, scholars and lay leaders coming to Detroit.

Fr. Moses Berry

“Reconnecting with the Orthodox tradition connects us with the earliest Christian traditions,” Berry says. “It means that, when our ancestors were brought here as slaves, they didn’t arrive here with just a collection of tribal religions. They didn’t all discover Christianity here. In fact, many Africans already were part of the ancient Christian church.”

Karl Berry, now known as Father Moses, is one of a few black Americans to be ordained an Orthodox priest.

He said he’s “always had a love for Jesus,” but he wasn’t sold on the Christianity he was being exposed to.

In 1983 Berry walked into an Orthodox Church for the first time and was surprised by what he saw: icons of black saints.

“My first thought was that these were just some very liberal white people who were doing some outreach and trying to appeal to black people,” Berry told The Daily Beast.

The priest told him that they were actually replicas of third century icons, linking back to a Christianity that originated hundreds of years ago.

“And that was my first introduction to the universal church, not just in theory or in words but in actual depictions of saints from different countries who were always part of the development of Christendom,” he said.

In 2015, the Pew Research Center found that an increase in racial diversity also applies in the Church. The number of people of color ascribing to Orthodox Christianity went up by 6 percent between 2007 and 2014.

“I think that the generation of younger people are looking for something more substantial. They don’t want necessarily a feel-good religion,” Berry said. “They want something they know will have to be a little difficult in order to be transformative.”

African Americans Turning to OrthodoxyThat was especially true for Africans with roots in the eastern part of the continent, Laike-Mariam Misikir, 50, says. An automotive engineer from Ann Arbor, Mich., Misikir is from a family of Orthodox priests that extends back many centuries in Ethiopia. In Detroit, Misikir serves as a subdeacon, assisting priests during liturgies.

The Brotherhood of St Moses the Black is a pan-Orthodox nonprofit organization. Its mission is to minister to Americans the gift of Orthodoxy. In an effort to be good stewards of the manifold grace of God (I Peter 4:10), the organization presents an annual conference that targets those who have little exposure to Orthodoxy as well as the African roots of Orthodoxy. Its vision is to bring Americans closer to Jesus Christ.

Mother Katherine Weston, an Orthodox nun, told The Daily Beast that outreach to African-American communities began in the early 1990s with a series conferences on the ancient church and the African-American experience which continue to this day.

Eventually, Berry and some other conference attendees founded the Brotherhood of Moses the Black in 1997 when he lived in St. Louis. The city was seeing an influx of Orthodox refugees from Africa who lacked support networks, and the Brotherhood sought to provide them with aid and community.

“Our tradition does not begin with slavery. It’s a part of it, and it’s a major part of our tradition in this country. But it also began with our church in Africa. And people need to know that,” he said. “If you don’t know anything about your heritage, you run the risk of not being too stable.”

Several hundred people attended the latest Moses the Black conference in October, Berry said, which was held to inform people and to connect those who might sometimes feel isolated within the church.

But they weren’t all black. In fact, the attendees were about evenly split, and many of them were young.

“They really don’t suffer the same way that my generation did with race,” Berry said.

Source: http://journeytoorthodoxy.com/2016/09/african-americans-drawn-orthodox-church/

Subscribe to: Posts ( Atom )

Search This Blog

featured Slider

Judging Others as Losing the Battle with Sin

All Scripture Is Inspired by God: Problematic Passages in the Apocrypha

Metropolitan Laurus and the Bells of San Francisco

Tips for Parents on Creating an Orthodox Home for a Child

Doing the Impossible

Why More African Americans Are Turning to the Orthodox Church

Partners