This post is going to be a bit more “devotional” (I guess) than what I normally write. I am not a priest, so I tend to avoid spiritual reflections, lest somebody think I know what I am talking about. (God help us!) But today is the Forefeast of Theophany. I was reading the Gospel for this morning (Luke 3:1-18) when I was particularly struck by the juxtapositional way Luke described the fiery preaching of John the Forerunner (aka John the Baptist). I have put some key phrases in bold to make the juxtaposition stand out. Continue reading “Serpents and Stones”
Category: Theology
Book Progress: My Demons are Straw Men
I made good progress on the book today. We traveled to Indiana, where our family is from, for the holidays. I was able to capitalize on my kids’ exhaustion and inability to deal with the time difference. I got quite a bit of writing done. This morning, I have had what one calls, “momentum.” Continue reading “Book Progress: My Demons are Straw Men”
On Trying to Stop Being a Theologian
To the Orthodox fussbudgets who get bunched-up knickers when I say, “theologian,” read this. Then go get a hobby.
The other day I got up at 1:50 AM. That is a bit early for me. Most days I am up around 3:15-3:30 in the morning. I get ready, drink my coffee, spend a few minutes waking up and reading my news, and then I write for an hour, by which I mean I write until my boys get up, promise to be quiet, break their promise, and then get scolded by me for not demonstrating behavior greater than I should expect of their age. So most mornings, my writing hour is more like a writing 40 minutes. Continue reading “On Trying to Stop Being a Theologian”
Rumors of my Excommunication
Rumors of my excommunication have been greatly exaggerated. The other morning I received a message from a Facebook friend saying that some folks over on the “TradOx” Facebook group were saying I had been excommunicated. When I found the conversation he was referring to, I realized he was not quite right. It was more like they were celebrating my excommunication. (Seriously! Who “Likes” someone being excommunicated?) The TradOx criticisms were more hurtful than the usual trolling I get from time to time, in part because the rumor apparently started with one of my fellow parishioners. It also brought back memories of the time when I really thought I was going to be excommunicated. Continue reading “Rumors of my Excommunication”
Fear of Gays and Episcopalians (and Bears, Oh My!)
Not long ago, Fr. Johannes L. Jacobse suggested that Fr. Robert Arida go become an Episcopalian. For those who don’t know, that’s the conservative Orthodox equivalent of, “Go f@#k yourself!” This sentiment was echoed by the always level-headed, never trollish, commenters of Monomakhos.com. The ostensible source of their outrage is an article that Fr. Arida had posted on Wonder, a blog for OCA youth. According to Fr. Jacobse, Fr. Arida attempts to “legitimize homosexual parings” in clear violation of “Orthodox self-understanding and practice.” That is a pretty bold accusation, one that demands a first-hand investigation. Unfortunately, the original article was censored taken down, but I found a PDF version. In it, Fr. Arida says the following about “homosexual pairings”…
Nothing!
Continue reading “Fear of Gays and Episcopalians (and Bears, Oh My!)”
A Confession
I sometimes give money or food to homeless people. I do not do it enough, and I do not talk about it (Matt. 6:1-4). But I need to tell you about something that happened yesterday. What could have been an act of charity became an act of robbery, and it was my fault. The desert fathers say that when you are robbed, if you can forgive the thief and relinquish your sense of ownership over what you gave, then you turn it into an act of charity. Yesterday, the opposite happened.