I

  Fr. Jon Braun's

Seven Reason Why We Go to Church

1 September 2010

Dear Souls -

        Mathematics and theology both boggle my mind . . . too much knowledge leads to confusion. List the facts in clear order, and you have my devoted attention. Complicated details set the world a-whirling, while distilling life down to necessary points clarifies the essentials and provides perspective.

        But please don't take my word for it, listen below to Fr. Jon Braun's homily:

                                                    Why We Go to Church

II

  Faith and Perseverance

4 September 2010

Dear Souls -

      A parallel sometimes strikes me out of nowhere, as this one did just a short time ago. Determination, perseverance, and steady steps forward along the same path. Sometimes you can't get around just plain old hard work.

                      Faith and Perseverance - Taking the Driving Test 960 times

                      Take a Look Here: Perseverance

III

  The Divine Liturgy

of Saint John Chrysostom

8 September 2010

Dear Souls -

      Though I peck away here on my keyboard, I've really no idea where in cyber-land these words may rest. If the Orthodox faith is foreign to you, then you may want to see the introduction I've assembled.

IV

 On Being and Becoming Orthodox

9 September 2010

Dear Souls -

       Being and Becoming Orthodox is simpler than you imagine no matter your background. You don't have to spend hours and hours reading Orthodox books purchased from Amazon, or borrowed from well meaning Orthodox friends. Finding the answer to every theological question doesn't help all that much, and may muddle up your heart even more.

      Being and Becoming Orthodox for generations all across the Christian world has involved one simple step, no matter your age, shape, or mental capacity. No, you need not be a brilliant Orthodox theologian, and you may even be illiterate. (In fact, this may be the one situation in life where illiteracy is an advantage.)

      Being and Becoming Orthodox does not involve membership in an exclusive trendy club, or purchasing a new wardrobe (unless you are a priest). You can wear your ordinary casual business attire, despite some indications to the contrary. Your physical condition matters not at all, even if you can't bend your knees to touch the floor on special occasions. Sitting is fine, standing is fine, and a mix of both is best (in my opinion). Dietary restrictions are most important if you decide to move into a monastery, but if you are an ordinary soul living and working everyday, then fasting is up to you, despite some indications to the contrary. (It is obvious elaborate fasting charts are not effective on their own.)

      Being and Becoming Orthodox works best with a balanced individual, but as with any faith you will find the extremes. Give them a nod and continue on your way seeking those with a mature Orthodox faith as your guide.

      Being and Becoming Orthodox involves treating with respect Christians everywhere, even if you don't agree with their brand. Within the Orthodox Church there are bishops, priests, deacons, and the people. These four roles are all important, though some wear vestments and stand at the altar during the services. But within the Orthodox Church, bishops, priests, deacons and the people, must all work together.

      Being and Becoming Orthodox Christian is . . . the Divine Liturgy.

                                               Audio: The Divine Liturgy

                                               Matins - A Morning Service of the Orthodox Church

V

 A Hot Cup of Tea

10 September 2010

Dear Souls -

        A hot cup of tea calms my soul, even on a hot day. I'm not content with just any brand of tea, and please never serve me an old Lipton teabag in a lukewarm tea stained mug. There is a ceremony to tea drinking, which I learned to appreciate while traveling through tea drinking countries outside our coffee drinking American borders. If you dine in a fine American restaurant, they often serve you tea in a tacky metal teapot with a pathetic looking teacup, and they are proud to bring you a tray of thumbed through wrinkled teabags. If you are lucky, then the tea won't have the taste of coffee residue. The same fine restaurant would never consider serving you lukewarm Folgers coffee in a chipped mug. But, in America tea drinkers are the minority, and we tolerate poor tea service even in our finest restaurants.

        At home I drink a specific tea ordered from Paris (yes, I'm a tea snob). For over a decade I've sent an order to the same tea shop, right in the heart of one of my favorite cities in the world, and two weeks later a package arrives at my door with delicious fresh tea. Just as coffee drinkers cherish their specific brand, I cherish my tea from a small, little known shop in Paris. While the most popular coffee brand here in America is recognizable on almost every corner in a major city, my tea shop in Paris has less than ten tea salons worldwide. This French tea company, established 130 years ago, was begun by someone with ancestors involved in the tea trade since the 17th century.

         The original tea salon is still in its original shop in Paris, and as you round the corner of the block you smell the fragrance of fresh tea lingering in the air. And if you are like me and spend most of your time lost in a big city, then you sigh with relief knowing you're on the right street at last. This tea company made a decision different from American coffee companies, and though they have expanded over the last decade (they now have products available at counters in various stores), they do not mass produce and mass market their tea. My cherished French tea company has not diluted their quality with commercial, corporate, and capitalist growth. They use a very un-American business model to maintain the original feel and taste of their tea.

        If you're wondering, I've had my hot cup of French tea this morning, but I'm thinking about more than just another cuppa. Branding the Orthodox faith in an American way has its disadvantages which cannot be overlooked. Reaching out with Orthodoxy is right (I love seeing visitors at this website from across the globe), but Americans have a way of taking the tea flavor right out of a teapot. And I'd rather not see the Orthodoxy taken right out of the Orthodox faith, even if this means expanding and multiplying the Orthodox Church here in America. Take a look at how you share the Orthodox faith, and ask yourself if you're serving tea in an American teapot. Sharing the Orthodox faith in an American way, is different than sharing the Orthodox faith . . . in an Orthodox way.

VI

 Complicated Courtesy

13 September 2010

Dear Souls -

      If I had more time and more wisdom I would rewrite this list, "Basic Principles of Attitude to the Non-Orthodox," in common people language. But for today, I'll just add that task to my own long list of

. . . maybe someday. These basic principles of complicated courtesy are from the Russian Orthodox Church - Department for External Church Relations:

                                       Basic Principles of Attitude to the Non-Orthodox

       "While rejecting views which are erroneous from the point of view of the Orthodox doctrine, the Orthodox are called to treat with Christian love those who confess these views. In their relations with the non-Orthodox, the Orthodox should bear witness to the holiness of Orthodoxy and to the oneness of the Church. In bearing witness to the Truth, however, the Orthodox should be worthy of their witness: causing offense to non-Orthodox Christians is inadmissible." (7.1)

VII

 Orthodoxy and Evangelism

VIII

 Liturgy and Communion as a Child

23 September 2010

Dear Souls -

        Every now and then when my mind is still, I conjure up clear images from my childhood. When I stand at the windows and peer inside my kindergarten classroom, I see the classroom as it was many years ago when I was a small child sitting in the tiny chairs. The sights, sounds, and scents swirl around in my mind. When I attend the Orthodox church where I sat in the pews as a child, I see and feel the Liturgy of my early childhood. The sights, sounds, and scents are present right there with me.

        My grandparents attended this same Orthodox church from its earliest days; the placard on the wall outside reads "Founded in 1948." My parents married in this church, it is where I was baptized, and each Sunday my family participates in the Divine Liturgy. On occasion I attend this Orthodox church of my childhood where I feel the past and present collide. The interior of the church has not aged visibly, the Liturgy has not changed (an unchanging Orthodox faith), and the scent of incense still permeates the air. And today glancing up at the image of Christ in the dome above, the sense of years passed vanishes.

        When I retrieve my early childhood memories of Liturgy and Communion, the past steps into the present with me. I feel the frustration of a child forced to stand, when sitting seems the better option. I hear the Liturgy with some complicated sounds in a foreign language (Arabic) and some in English, but in all, too long and too confusing. My head spins with lightheaded feelings of hunger; I dream of a cold glass of water and a large piece of toast . . . and I see my mother's stern look as I squirm and poke at my brother. Thinking how quickly I will change my clothes after church, I ponder how uncomfortable the ladies around me look in their fine dresses, all the while sneaking envious peaks at the older folks sitting down for most of the service; and I consider how an understanding God would not be upset with me for sitting when others are standing. Then for a moment I feel a sense of peace, as I glance up at Christ looking down from the dome above my head, and I remember to focus for a short prayer before Communion. 

IX

 EdifyEdifyEdifyEdifyEdify

25 September 2010

Dear Souls -

                                                                         Edify

                                                                     Enlightenment

                                                                               Improvement

                                                                           Enlightenment

                                                                                    Guidance

                                                                               Enlightenment

                                                                                         Teaching

                                                                                    Enlightenment

                                                                                          Edify

                     edify: to improve morally or intellectually, especially in religious knowledge