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Saturday, April 28, 2007
More House Pix
Enter at your own Risk
Thursday, April 19, 2007
The Kitchen Saga Continues
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Memory Eternal, Little Katie
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Play the Notes, or Make the Music?
M*A*S*H devotees will recall the episode where Charles brings real healing to a concert pianist who had lost the use of part of his right hand. Charles captured the essence of the difference between a true musician, and those of us who are mostly hacks when he tells the pianist, "I can play the notes, but I cannot make the music."
I've had occasion of late, to ponder the adoption of some Orthodox practices, doctrines, etc., without actually becoming Orthodox. My parents were telling me about this story in their newspaper that described Tsoureki . I made the comment that I'd been making it for years, as we had been Orthodox for longer than the last year since we joined the Orthodox Church. My wife kindly corrected me. We merely pretended to be Orthodox.
A common mistake is to view Orthodoxy with medieval Western eyes. That is, as a group of doctrines and practices. So, we adopted some (but not all) practices, and taught/held many(but not all) of the doctrines. We had learned to play the notes. Unfortunately, Orthodox Christianity has never held that mere assent in some body of beliefs constitutes the faith by which we are saved. Nor has it held that the mere adoption of externals or practices does either. Rather, Orthodox Christianity is an organism, that is, the body of Christ. It is within this body that our souls are healed, we are able to partake of God's divine nature, and through which we have the hope of ultimate salvation. Doctrines and practices guide us through this healing process. This is not to say that doctrines, in particular, are somehow optional. Rather, it would be safe to say that these doctrines serve to guide us in developing our understanding of God. For instance, if we believe Jesus to be merely a created being (per Arius ), then we will never be able to develop the depth of appreciation for what he did, and this will forever limit our relationship with God. Just as we can imagine our relationship with any person being limited by what we either don't know about them, or, more importantly, by what we misunderstand about them.
Practices are more, well, practical. That is, we can understand how the practices help heal us. They are the medicine which the Church prescribes for our healing. But just as prescribing our own medicines is both less than effective, and sometimes dangerous, prescribing Orthodox practices while not under the care of a physician (the Church and the father confessors) can be either non-effective, or sometimes outright dangerous. The example which comes to mind immediately is in the case of fasting, which can lead to pride, especially if you are the only one in your church keeping it.
Several years ago, when I was singing with the St. Michael's choir, we had the occasion to really practice some intense pieces and perform them at the Cathedral, or in other settings. On these occasions, I got be part of a group that was actually making music. Describing the experience is difficult, frankly almost impossible for me. It was very much different from simply playing some notes. As we have lived in Orthodoxy for the past 10 months or so, I've discovered its much more like making music, and less like playing the notes like we did before.
(the picture is a loaf of Tsoureki I made back in 2002, when we were playing the notes).
More House Pix
The project continues apace. Here is the
progress of the packing for our move to the rental
house:
Following is a series of photos Catherine took for me of the garage and roof. Sort of fun to have an outdoor garage?:
Following is a series of photos Catherine took for me of the garage and roof. Sort of fun to have an outdoor garage?:
Enter at your own Risk
I've spent the last several days trying to master
a small portion of the Orthros (Matins) service in our Church, known as the
Evlogetaria - a series of hymns about the resurrection with the chorus of
"Blessed are you O Lord, teach me your statutes." So, if you're willing to take
the risk, here is me chanting the first one:
Its a bit rushed, and the breathing is off in places, so please forgive.
Its a bit rushed, and the breathing is off in places, so please forgive.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
The Kitchen Saga Continues
When last I blogged on the subject, the kitchen was dried
out, but in need of some help. Well, we rendered it somewhat functional, but
since that post (posted at the end of July of last year), we've been fighting
the remodel fight. Mostly centered around getting plans drawn up and approved
by the city. Well, the destruction construction began in
earnest this past week.
We now have amoat trench around the
back:
A nice pile of rubble that was stucco:
And, as for the kitchen, well here's the outside wall:
And here's the interior:
Somewhat functional, but it will sure be nice to have a full on kitchen again.
We now have a
A nice pile of rubble that was stucco:
And, as for the kitchen, well here's the outside wall:
And here's the interior:
Somewhat functional, but it will sure be nice to have a full on kitchen again.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Memory Eternal, Little Katie
Just about a week ago, our niece was born into
this world several months before her time. Unfortunately, her soul had passed a
couple of days before.
When the life of someone who has lived a good many years, comes to an end, we all shed a tear for the loss of someone who we will not have a chance to speak with again this side of eternity. When that someone is a child, we wonder about all of the events of their lives that we will not experience, and risk plunging into despair. God, in his providence, allowed Katie's birth to occur on Pascha, the celebration of the passing from death to life of our Lord and Savior. It is fitting because we are reminded that Katie has now completed a race that we are all still running in earnest. Where we aspire to be, she has arrived. When we need someone's prayers, she is before the throne of God doing just that. Along with her sibling and many cousins.
This points us not to despair, but rather to hope, and to thankfulness. For during all of the trials we will face in the many years ahead, there is yet one more person praying for us. When we come the resurrection that is the hope of our faith, we will at last have the longed for chance to meet Katie, along with all of the other children in the family we have not really been able to meet. God's timing is wonderful, because in this season we will sing, again and again, the great Paschal hymn, "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and bestowing life to those in the grave."
Aionia Mneme. Memory eternal.
When the life of someone who has lived a good many years, comes to an end, we all shed a tear for the loss of someone who we will not have a chance to speak with again this side of eternity. When that someone is a child, we wonder about all of the events of their lives that we will not experience, and risk plunging into despair. God, in his providence, allowed Katie's birth to occur on Pascha, the celebration of the passing from death to life of our Lord and Savior. It is fitting because we are reminded that Katie has now completed a race that we are all still running in earnest. Where we aspire to be, she has arrived. When we need someone's prayers, she is before the throne of God doing just that. Along with her sibling and many cousins.
This points us not to despair, but rather to hope, and to thankfulness. For during all of the trials we will face in the many years ahead, there is yet one more person praying for us. When we come the resurrection that is the hope of our faith, we will at last have the longed for chance to meet Katie, along with all of the other children in the family we have not really been able to meet. God's timing is wonderful, because in this season we will sing, again and again, the great Paschal hymn, "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and bestowing life to those in the grave."
Aionia Mneme. Memory eternal.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Play the Notes, or Make the Music?
M*A*S*H devotees will recall the episode where Charles brings real healing to a concert pianist who had lost the use of part of his right hand. Charles captured the essence of the difference between a true musician, and those of us who are mostly hacks when he tells the pianist, "I can play the notes, but I cannot make the music."
I've had occasion of late, to ponder the adoption of some Orthodox practices, doctrines, etc., without actually becoming Orthodox. My parents were telling me about this story in their newspaper that described Tsoureki . I made the comment that I'd been making it for years, as we had been Orthodox for longer than the last year since we joined the Orthodox Church. My wife kindly corrected me. We merely pretended to be Orthodox.
A common mistake is to view Orthodoxy with medieval Western eyes. That is, as a group of doctrines and practices. So, we adopted some (but not all) practices, and taught/held many(but not all) of the doctrines. We had learned to play the notes. Unfortunately, Orthodox Christianity has never held that mere assent in some body of beliefs constitutes the faith by which we are saved. Nor has it held that the mere adoption of externals or practices does either. Rather, Orthodox Christianity is an organism, that is, the body of Christ. It is within this body that our souls are healed, we are able to partake of God's divine nature, and through which we have the hope of ultimate salvation. Doctrines and practices guide us through this healing process. This is not to say that doctrines, in particular, are somehow optional. Rather, it would be safe to say that these doctrines serve to guide us in developing our understanding of God. For instance, if we believe Jesus to be merely a created being (per Arius ), then we will never be able to develop the depth of appreciation for what he did, and this will forever limit our relationship with God. Just as we can imagine our relationship with any person being limited by what we either don't know about them, or, more importantly, by what we misunderstand about them.
Practices are more, well, practical. That is, we can understand how the practices help heal us. They are the medicine which the Church prescribes for our healing. But just as prescribing our own medicines is both less than effective, and sometimes dangerous, prescribing Orthodox practices while not under the care of a physician (the Church and the father confessors) can be either non-effective, or sometimes outright dangerous. The example which comes to mind immediately is in the case of fasting, which can lead to pride, especially if you are the only one in your church keeping it.
Several years ago, when I was singing with the St. Michael's choir, we had the occasion to really practice some intense pieces and perform them at the Cathedral, or in other settings. On these occasions, I got be part of a group that was actually making music. Describing the experience is difficult, frankly almost impossible for me. It was very much different from simply playing some notes. As we have lived in Orthodoxy for the past 10 months or so, I've discovered its much more like making music, and less like playing the notes like we did before.
(the picture is a loaf of Tsoureki I made back in 2002, when we were playing the notes).