10.21.05
Posted in Uncategorized at by mountzionryan
My friends,
On Friday my temporary job filling in for a maternity leave ended. The various Big Cheeses (BC) were all hopeful of finding a job for me within the company, but provided only optimistic possibilities.
On Tuesday I received a call from BC Sybil, asking me to an interview on Wednesday. The interview with BC Frank and two other BCs went quite well. Today BC Sybil called and offered my the job, a permenant one. Of course I accepted.
On November 1st I will begin my first permenant job since July of last year.
Praise the Lord!
Thank you for your prayers and the prayers of whatever Saints you petitioned, especially Saint Xenia of Petersburg.
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10.17.05
Posted in Uncategorized at by mountzionryan
See www.hubblesite.org
If you have never seen any of the Hubble pictures, you are really missing some of God’s most beautiful paintings. Words really do not do justice to these picutres.
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Part of this was originally written Sept. 29, 2001
Tonight is nearly a full moon. After a beautiful cloudless day with a high in the low 70s, tonight is cool, clear and absolutlely autumnal. The light pierces through the trees leaving patches of cool blue-white on the ground. I can actually see the glare of the moonlight on my skin.
What is there about clear nights with a full moon that so transfixes us? We are always amazed at how bright it is. It feels magical and otherworldly, possibly supernatural. It is a paradox: it is nighttime, midnight, yet under a clear sky we can see plainly. There are well defined shadows; the Sun is gone yet we see a radiant disc of sunlight above us. The viel which normally covers our eyes, or rather that we cover our eyes with, is forcibly removed. We can see a magnificence in creation which we normally ignore. Our Divine sight is brought into focus and the normal metaphors given to darkness and night do not apply on these nights. We see beauty where normally we see the frightening unknown.
The sermon today was about the Traditional (re: Orthodox) world view that says that all of creation sings out in praise of God. Not metaphorically or symbolically, but actually. If we had eyes to see and ears to hear, we would recognize the chorus of the rocks and the praises of the trees. The full moon tonight was singing praises and I could almost hear it, or at least I imagined I heard it. Either way, between the butterfly this afternoon (see previos post) and the moon tonight, there is no doubt that God created the Universe and said that is was Good.
[Post script: It was a great sermon (and long in the good Southern way) and I will post a link when it is online.]
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I don’t usually write “Daily Life” entries, but here’s one anyway.
Friday was my last day of employment, again. It was the second Maternity leave I have temped for with the company, a contractor with Dept. of Energy in Oak Ridge. As with the previous time, I did everything I could to make myself indespesible. I think it stuck this time. In my “exit interview” the contract manager said they have two positions which they would like to call me for. The details are still being worked out for both, but the first one might be available as soon as the middle of this week.
Also, I wrote a proposal for a new position that I saw a need for. I discussed it with the Public Affairs Director and he was absolutely gung-ho about it. It actually lines up with his idea about the direction he wants to move the Public Affairs office. Basically everyone who matters wants to get me back and I expect to be called back pretty soon.
Church today was nothing unusual, except that Paul received a birthday blessing. Later this afternoon, we had Paul’s birthday party with much family in attendence. I will have some really cool pics of a butterfly we found that was incredibly placid. It seemed unable to fly–probably at the end of its life.
The moon tonight, like the past couple of nights, is remarkably bright. Will post a reflection on that next.
Please pray for me as I look for a new job and hope for a call from the previous employer.
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10.11.05
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I’m too lazy to respond to every comment.
Regarding “Thank God I’m Orthodox” Philippa said:
I dunno Raphael. I’m not sure the phrase “Thank God I’m Orthodox” implies the rest of what you wrote. But then, perhaps for some it does.
Granted, I does not neccesarily imply the negative part, but 1) the temptation to continue the thought is strong and 2)it can easily sound like that was the intent.
At the very least we need to be very careful wne making statements like this.
Regarding “Jonah, the Pissy Prophet” Christina brought up Jonah, a Veggie Tales Movie. I’m a huge VT fan. The kids and I love listenting to the VT tapes in the car.
Now, what’s you favorite Veggie Tales Song?
“His Cheeseburger” (Madame Blueberry) and “Oh No! What we Gonna Do” (”Daniel and the Lion’s Den” on Where’s God When I’m S-scared)
The first is so much like a Meatloaf song that it’s scary. The second has They Might Be Giants written all over it. My favorite line is:
We could give him jelly doughnuts,/
Take them all away/
Or we could fill his ears with cheese balls/
And his nostrils with sorbet/
We could use him as a footstool/
Or a table to play Scrabble on/
Then tie him up and beat him up/
And throw him out of Babylon!/
The “Scrabble on” - “Babylon” rhyme is cracked genuis.
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Check out the pics from Alda at The Iceland Weather Report.
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10.06.05
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and not like that Publican.
I’ve heard more than one person on my OXWOMS group say something like “Thank God I’m Orthodox,” and, although they didn’t say it, the implication was “…and not like those other Christians.”
It immediately brings to mind the parable/story of the Publican and the Pharisee.
9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18: 9-14)
There are ubiquitous pitfalls when converting to Orthodoxy and Phariseeism is certainly a common one. Archbishop Averky, of ROCOR,
clearly saw the two dangerous extremes in church life today, both of which involve ‘playing a role’ and not letting Orthodoxy penetrate deeply into the heart: on the one hand are the ecumenists, playing the “role” of brotherly-love at any price, no matter how great are the compromises demanded of them; and on the other, the elitists, playing the “role” of knowing better than anyone what Orthodoxy is, of constantly correcting and belittling all that do not agree with their “party.” These are the ones, Archbishop Averky explained, that act as though there is no one to defend the Church but themselves, and to defend it they adopt or borrow quite worldly elements and passions “which are hostile to the Church and will rather hasten its fall.”
How to avoid either extreme? First, we can avoid the ecumenist pitfall simply by “standing fast in the truth”: “wherever the inherited spiritual link of grace going back to the holy Apostles and their successors, the Apostolic men and Holy Fathers, has been broken, wherever various innovations have been introduced in faith and morals with the aim of ‘keeping in step with the times,’ of ‘progressing, ‘ of not getting out of date and of adapting to the demands and fashions of this world.., there can be no talk of the True Church.”
Secondly, in order to avoid formalism and phariseeism we must keep in mind that we Orthodox Christians of the last times “have neither the strength nor the authority to stop Apostasy, as Bishop Ignatius (Brianchaninov) stresses: ‘Do not attempt to stop it with your weak hand.., But what then should we do? ‘Avoid it, protect yourself from it. and that is enough for you. Get to know the spirit of the times, study it so that you can avoid its influence whenever possible.”
We converts have a tendency to try and be most “orthodoxyist” Orthodox, which is sad. Fr. Thomas Hopko talked about this is one of his lectures (On Loving God). Fr. Thomas said he asked Elder Paisios about whether we should be “accommodating” and truncate the services or rigidly adhere to the Tradition. The elder said, “It doesn’t matter. You do what the people need to move closer to God.” [My horrible paraphrase, the original is much more interesting. Thanks to Karl for the fact checking]
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10.04.05
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These are my reflections alone. I have no idea how the Fathers read the book of Jonah. I aim to find out soon and report back.
I wont rehash the entire story of Jonah, but it’s really short–two pages in my RSV gift bible–so go and check it out for yourself. (Bible Gateway is where I get all my bible quotes online.) Instead I’d like to highlight a few spots.
In 1:11 the sailors asked Jonah what to do to calm the sea. He had previously told them he was “fleeing the presence of the Lord” (1:10) and that he fears “the Lord, the God of Heaven, who made the sea and the dry land” (1:9). In 1:12 he tells them to throw him into the sea. The men evidently balked at this and tried to row the ship to shore (1:13). Finally they relent and cry to the Lord, “Lord, he told us to throw him over so don’t hold us responsible for his death” [my paraphrase].
Growing up I always thought that Jonah was being brave and trusted that the Lord would not let him perish. Now I’m not so sure. Why didn’t he go to the ship’s master and say, “Cap’n this gale is blowing because I am fleeing to Tarshish, put about and head back to Joppa and it will subside.” I wonder if he was being brave at all. Perhaps he was thinking, “I’ll show the Lord, I’ll just drown myself and he can get some other bozo to go to Nineveh.”
So over he goes. Right into the great fish. I can hear Jonah now…”Oh flip, this is great. Just when I think I’ve escaped you, O Lord, you do this. Fine. See if I care.” It took Jonah three days and nights to relent (1:17).
When he does relent he prayed this really nice prayer (2:2-9) and all seems well. But it’s not. Jonah goes to Nineveh, preaches the doom that is to come and, much to his chagrin, the Ninevites repent. From the King to the cattle they sit in ashes and put on sackcloth, and fast.
But Jonah doesn’t get it. Instead he goes to a hillside and waits for the destruction. When it doesn’t happen, “it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry” (4:1). Then, oh man is he pissy, Jonah says, “Lord, I told you this would happen. Dern it, this is why I was heading to Tarshish. I just knew they’d repent and you’d show mercy, just kill me now.” [Again, my paraphrase]
And here’s the kicker. Jonah, having become angry about a plant that God caused to shade him, still doesn’t get it. God says, “You pity the plant; for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perish in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right from their left, and also much cattle?”
And so it ends. This may be the biggest cliffhanger in the Bible. What happened to Jonah? Did he get it? I doubt it. Did he really think that God was not to be found in Tarshish? He would rather die than do what God asks.
And there’s the rub. We are so much like Jonah. We try to run to Tarshish because we think God will not be there. Then we get into a tight spot and God rescues us, but we sulk and sit in darkness. We all live in the belly of the great fish. It’s warm and we’ve gotten used to the smell. Remeber, it took Jonah three days to decide he wanted some fresh air. The waves and winds do us no harm. But slowly, almost imperceptibly, we are being devoured. We are dying in the darkness on the belly.
And, if we make it out of the belly and back to shore, we are pissed when God doesn’t act exactly as we wish. “Look God,” we say, “those people are really sinful. I’ll bet you’re going to destroy them aren’t you.”
We need to be like the Ninevites, repenting and begging for God’s mercy. Instead we act like pissy prophets and set up a booth and get a chip on our shoulder. After all, we’re Christian, not like those stupid Ninevites.
Lord Have Mercy on us all. May we see the ridiculousness of sitting in the dark and being devoured. My we heed Our Lord’s warning and repent.
In the name of The Father, and The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Amen.
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Here are some more photos from Paul’s Baptism
This is (l-r) Fr. Justin, Fr. Stephen, Paul and me, Anthony, and Lainey (my wife).
Paul getting tonsured.
Sophie, my 9 year-old, playing with a blurry Anna.
Here is Paul bravely enduring all the attnetion.
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10.03.05
Posted in Uncategorized at by mountzionryan
My dear e-friend* Philippa has challenged me with a few topics to blog on. Oddly enough, Saturday night I came up with one of my own, and there are a few things from Sunday I’d like to touch on as well.
Philippa commenteth thus:
If you want some ideas to blog about, here are some. What else rolls around that brain of yours? What ideas do you have? What dreams (besides Iceland) do you have? What are your children up to? Or don’t you write about their antics?
So I’ll respond in turn.
“What else rolls around that brain of yours?”
Too much. I’ve written previously how my mind runs through topics. I’ll continue to write about topics that interest me as filler for when I don’t have a new topic.
What ideas do you have? What dreams (besides Iceland) do you have?
Sheesh. Okay Philippa. I’ll get back to these.
What are your children up to? Or don’t you write about their antics? Hmm. Well here’s the thing. Plenty of folks use their blog to tell us about their daily lives. I even read some of those blogs. Here’s one from Iceland called The Dinoia Family. The thing is that’s not what I do. I’m not interested in writing about the daily routine, and I am not interested in you reading it. Just my personal thing.
Having said that, I have to tell you about some of the things Paul said in Church on Sunday. Fr Stephen, as Dean of the Appalachian Deanery of the Diocese of the South, OCA, was away on Sunday. I told Paul that he would not be there, but Fr. Justin would be.
“Will there be another Pwiest?” asked Paul.
“No, just Father Justin,” said I.
Later, I told Paul it was almost time for Communion and he bolted up to the front in anticipation. He gets really excited about communion (hmmm…didn’t our Lord say something about the faith of a child…). I picked him up and we stood praying and singing along with the chior.
When the curtains opened and Father Justin came out Paul spoke up again.
“Is Father Stephen stiwl sweeping?” he asked.
“No. Remember he’s at another church.” I said.
“Is he at Grandpa’s church,” said Paul.
“No, he’s at a different church.” Grandpa goes to a big SoBaptist church, but Paul has no concept of there being anything other than Orthodox. (Man that’s nice)
A few minutes later we’re going through the line and singing “Receive the Body of Christ, Taste the Fountain of Immortality”
Paul asks, “What is a fountain of tea? Does it pour down your head?” I was really too cracked up to say much.
More to come. I promise. Here’s the upcoming topics:
- Jonah the Pissy Prophet,
- “Thank God I’m Orthodox”,
- Monks in the Mountains (a dream/idea for Philippa),
- More pics from Paul’s Baptism (with a good one of Sophie).
Stay Tuned.
*–I have known “Philippa” for several years and together we run the world famous OXWOMS group at Yahoo! I have not, unfortunately, met her face-to-face for coffee or a beer or some good bbq. Maybe someday we can remedy that.
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