In this episode we discuss: Atonement.

BEYOND JUSTIFICATION: An Orthodox Perspective by Valerie A. Karras. This is the first of a multipart series – maybe two or three parts total.

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In this episode we discuss technology: is there a place for iPad in worship?

In this Episode we mention:

iPad

St Gregory of Nyssa Church

And Music that makes Community mistakenly called “Music from the heart”. The teaching text/songbook is called Music by Heart

Shoutout to Nate @ OrganicFaith

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This we we discuss segregation in church: race, age, disabilities… This may be the first part of a multiple episode conversation.

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Every device of which man boasts as an invention of his mind is revealed by Divine Providence and every invented device has its two-fold significance one physical, the other spiritual. Even the clock is a wonderful device but it was not invented merely to tell us the time of day and night but also to remind us of death. This is its spiritual significance. When the small hand completes its rounds of seconds and minutes then the large hand arrives at the ordered hour and the clock strikes. So will the clock of our life strike when the days, months and years of our life are numbered. That is why St. Tikhon of Zadonsk counsels every Christian to reflect:

1. How the time of our life continually passes;

2. How it is impossible to bring back time that is past;

3. How the past and future times are not in our control but only that time in which we are now living;

4. How the end of our life is unknown;

5. How we must be prepared for death every day, every hour and every minute;

6. How because of that we must always be in the state of continual repentance;

7. How we must be repentant in every hour and spiritually disposed as we would wish to be at the hour of our death.

The common sermon, at this point (I grabbed these two paragraphs from this one) makes it clear that Jesus’ point was and is that we must relinquish our “rights” in order to advance God’s kingdom through sacrificial service — an idea captured well in a paraphrase of Matthew 5:41: “And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life” (The Message).

The common sermon is, roughly, right… but it totally misses something really deadly, really dangerous and shocking image in this passage.

Roman soldiers were forbidden to marry. There was a reputation (deserved or not) that continues to this day that a Roman soldier was, if you will, a sexual risk – and Jewish ideas about gentiles and forbidden sex furthered this image. Being left alone with this guy was dangerous. I have to admit that “oh, that’s ok, I’ll stay with you another mile, sir…” sounds like a come-on. Why would you tell your followers that they should go not just the required one mile but even volunteer for two?

Even if this is not an “authentically Jesus” statement (I know some want to doubt such things) the implied content – given the cultural perception of the soldiers – is very interesting. I think this, taken alongside the Centurion and his Boy (more here), also in the Matthew Gospel, brings us some interesting images to think about.

This week we hit on Church and State, voting (Huw: no, Drew: yes), taxes, Byzantium and the Supreme Court Decision against the Christian Law Students in San Francisco.

In this podcast we mentioned:

Village Beer Merchant

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This is the second part of Drew and Huw’s conversation about “Spiritual but Not Religious”. We also touch on what is the early church, how’s emergent getting there, and hookah smoking.

In this podcast we mentioned:
The Epistles of St Ignatius

St Lawrence Orthodox Church

Mezza

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Drew and Huw discuss “Spiritual but Not Religious”. We also touch on the big ugly statue of Jesus that burned up in a lightening strike. This is part one of this conversation. Come back for part two next week.

In this podcast we mentioned:
The Village Beer Merchant (of course)

The Epistles of St Ignatius

Touchdown Jesus

Roman-Era Egyptian Funerary Art

Frank Viola

In part two, next week, we’ll get to Emergents and “early church” issues as well as community.

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Huw and Drew discuss the question “What is theology?”. We also touch every so briefly and ranty on immigration. Enjoy :)

In this podcast we mentioned:

And also, The Village Beer Merchant…

Our facebook group is here…

And as we noted you can leave us a message at 716/462-5647

For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but the doers of the law who will be justified. When Gentiles, who do not possess the law, do instinctively what the law requires, these, though not having the law, are a law to themselves. They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts.

Last week was All Saints Sunday. Today commemorates the feast of all local saints – in Russia it’s All Saints of Russia, in Serbia, All Saints of Serbia. Here it’s All Saints of America. We loose site, I think, of the point, however in our youth. The church here is less than 200 years old and our American hymns list all the saints that have been glorified in our country and in Canada.

Rejoice, O continent of North America, illumined by the holy Gospel!
Rejoice, every province, state, city and town,
which raised up citizens of the heavenly Kingdom!
Rejoice, our venerable Father Herman, first saint of our land!
Rejoice O Martyrs Juvenaly and Peter,
for your blood has watered the seed of faith planted in Alaska!
Rejoice, O holy Hierarchs: Innocent, Tikhon, Nicholas and Raphael!
Rejoice, O holy Fathers Alexis, John, and all righteous priests!
Rejoice, All Saints of North America,
for your light has shone forth to the ends of the earth!
We beseech you to pray to Christ our God that our souls may be saved!

However, to list by name all the saints glorified in Russia or Greece, or any of the Elder countries of our faith, would take much longer than even we Orthodox are used to talking in Church! Today is not a day to celebrate just the actions of the local church body (one gets the sense that in America, the OCA is making political hay with this feast). Today is a day to celebrate all the holy men and women in out lands…

Rather than the saints who have “shown forth” in ways that we can see, who are the saints of America that the Church has not seen?

Be sure to weave in the verses from Saint Paul: this isn’t about Christians… ands this feast certainly isn’t about Orthodox Christians. This day is about all those who “do instinctively what the law requires”.

We probably need to ask what are the works that the law requires? Did St Paul imagine that there were gentiles who had gotten themselves circumcised and kept the Sabbath and a Kosher kitchen – even thought they had never heard of the Torah? Probably not: I doubt not but that the Gentiles he was thinking of we polytheists, “idolators” in the Jewish mind. But they manage to “do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God”.

And we, ourselves – I think especially of Orthodox Converts in America – might go looking for those who do what the law requires – as people who are venerating icons properly, who know how to fast keeping all the rules. Certainly that leaves out all the sloppy ethnic types who are, at least here in Buffalo, even now, celebrating their ethnic festival, eating meat and what not in ways that Ain’t Really Orthodox! Makes you feel good that you skipped the dairy in your coffee, eh?

My friend Ana Hernandez used to say to me, “sometimes the Pagans are better Christians than the Christians.”

Again: we’re not talking about “Works righteousness” here. We’re talking about men and women who show the power of God in their lives without even knowing it.

The Akathist of Thanksgiving, that we sing on the last wednesday of every month, says,

The breath of Your Holy Spirit inspires artists, poets, scientists. The power of Your supreme knowledge makes them prophets and interpreters of Your laws, who reveal the depths of Your creative wisdom. Their works speak unwittingly of You. How great are You in Your creation! How great are You in man!

And hearing that I think of the awe that I have watching the wonderful series, “Cosmos” by Dr Carl Sagan. Or any of the BBC or PBS series on animal life such as Nature or Life or planet Earth. I can not watch one of these things without singing (while sometimes weeping) “How glorious are thy works, O Lord, in wisdom hast thou made them all!” You – secular scientist – have brought me to my knees in awe as surely as the iconographer who painted the image of the Theotokos of the Cup. Even without desiring it or willing it, the light of God shines through your works!

Who else lets the light shine?

It is, perhaps, de rigueur to speak of Martin Luther King, but we might also wonder about others, even less popular. What about the founders of the Haight Ashbury free clinic or the Doctors who work there, what about the founders of soup kitchens or those who work with migrant workers and defend them from our racist attacks and greedy corporations? What about those who died to give peace or those who raised up the standard of peace when all cries were for war?

Who are the saints who shine in our lands?

Eleanor Roosevelt? Black Elk? Chief Seattle?

Who are they who – even not knowing the rules – manage to be better Christians than even the Christians?

Who showed a generous hospitality even when invaded and conquered?

Who turned the other cheek and prayed for their enemies even when the enemies were us?

Who lit the way when all was dark?

Who used their skills to improve the world even when we were not wanting their help?

And against all the yeses for people you might expect, I imagine the millions of slaves and indentured servants, the migrant workers and undocumented immigrants, chinese railroad workers and native american warriors who have through out our history and even to now are giving their lives in the gentle Christ-like ways of Passion Bearers.

As the hands of “good, white Americans” make martyrs of millions.

Today is All Saints of America. And our Icon shows – as you might expect – a handful of respectable men in clergy drag plus one young boy.

We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, however. Of every tongue and tribe and colour.

If we can only see.