The Changing of The Guard-An Actor's Poem

If you are one of the few who may have been offended by the second-to-the-last sentence, spoken by the animated character, "Put that in your censor and smoke it," please click on "Comment" below for an explanation.

The Plight Of The Prophet

Where Are All The Orthodox Film Investors?

I recently ran across a blog article that asked the question, "Where are all the Orthodox filmmakers?" My response to the article was, "We are here!" I then added an alternative question, "Where are all the Orthodox film investors?" After many years as a professional filmmaker and producer, I have settled on this adage, "Filmmaking is not brain surgery, but film producing is harder than brain surgery."

There is no shortage of Orthodox filmmakers, though there would be many more if they had the resources. Many are actively working as good stewards of the gifts God has given them, even amidst well-meaning, but ignorant detractors who believe that filmmaking is inherently evil. Those who have a vision for reaching the non-orthodox world through the medium of film, clamor for projects, such as Moses The Black-The Motion Picture, which I and my partner are currently producing. They clamor and pray and ask questions-all good things, however, the pragmatic thing to do is to pull out their checkbook and financially support such ventures. Filmmaking is not brain surgery. Here is the simple equation:

Filmmakers + Investors = A Produced Film

I am thrilled when I hear someone take on the burden of wishing there were more Orthodox films via Orthodox Filmmakers. I would be even more thrilled if those same people would lead out to rally others to financially support those filmmakers.

Do you want to see the lives of Saint Moses the Black, Saint Mary of Egypt, and others, produced as feature films? Look at us and our project and see how you can be involved:

www.mosestheblack.com

The Order of Godly Rebuke

One of the most often forgotten or ignored words of Jesus is His clear instruction on how to deal with a brother whom we believe to be in sin. The key phrase here is "whom we believe", because it is not always certain that what we perceive to be the case is actually the case. The care and love for the one who may be in sin seems to be the focus of the 4-Step way of dealing with such matters. In this, Christ has shown us how to avert misunderstanding and how to gently guide one who may be in sin. Any other method or order, other than that which Christ gave us, can cause harm, and, ironically, will cause the one who notices his brother's sinful action to commit a sin himself.

The Words of Christ:

Matt. 18: 15-17

"If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won a brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church, and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."

THE 4-STEPS

Step One: Go to the brother alone, just you and him.

Benefit:

1. It saves the brother from embarrassment and from feeling attacked. It is less threatening.

2. It allows communication on a private level, so if there was a misunderstanding and you have wrongly perceived the brother to be in sin, then the issue is cleared up and the matter is settled. In this privacy, only you and your brother are aware of the issue, so there are no others involved with which to communicate or clear your brother's name.

3. If your brother is in sin, either one of ignorance or intent, it is easier to repent when one concerned brother comes with the love of Christ.

4. Once the issue is dealt with on Step One, the issue is settled and there is no need to go to Step Two. Most of the time,  Step One resolves the issue.

If it is still believed that the brother is in sin and he either, does not see himself to be in sin, or refuses to repent from the sin of which he is aware, then, and only then, the concerned brother may go to Step Two.

Step Two: Go back to the brother and take two or three others with you.

Benefit:

1. Taking two or three others with you will act to show the brother that what you have presented was not just your opinion, but that of others. The impact of having several brothers telling the sinning brother the same thing may get his attention.

2. If the original concerned brother was erroneous in his assumption that his brother is in sin, then the accompanying brothers may see that more clearly. In this, the matter may be settled and cleared up.

If all the concerned brothers find that the brother is indeed in sin and either refuses to repent, or fails to see the sinfulness of his actions, then, and only then, does Christ say to go to Step Three.

Step Three: Tell it to the Church

Benefit:

1. On this Step, the elders of the church, meaning the priests and bishops are FIRST informed of the brother's condition and his unwillingness to repent. The Bishops are the church and have the ultimate determination in the matter.

2. If the sinning, unrepentant, brother is brought before the church, he may realize the seriousness of the matter in a way that a few of his brothers or even a single priest did not impact upon him. If he has stood in pride in his sin, the weight of being brought before the church may be enough to break that pride and to allow him to repent.

If the issue has arrived at Step Three, then there is a serious matter involved with the brother that may not be an easy fix. It is only for the salvation of his soul and for the purity of the church that Step Four should come into play.

Step Four: He is to be treated as a Gentile- He is no longer in the Church.

Benefit:

1. The unrepentant brother, left to his own sinful arrogance and disobedience, outside the safely of the church, will either fall deeper in sin or will feel the weight of a life without the church. and come back to her.

2. By not allowing the unrepentant brother to remain in the church, the church is kept pure and others who may want to remain in their sin, fear God at the seriousness repercussions of an unrepentant heart.

A Relevant Question:

Q : Is a priest bound to follow this order?

A: Yes. A priest is especially bound to follow the order that Christ has set up. He has the sacrament of confession and forgiveness and the responsibility for pastoral care of the brother. He should show great restraint in the sharing any information concerning one of his brother parishioners even with fellow priests.  This is especially true if the issue is still on Step One. The damage that can be done to a brother parishioner if his sin is immediately taken to Step Two, or worse, to Step Three, can be irreparable and the priest, in doing so, commits his own sin. Though it is wise and often necessary for a priest to seek council in some matter, he should use the abstract in discussing it with others, not using the name of the brother or any particular identifying circumstances.

Q: Is a Bishop bound to follow this order?

A: Yes. Even more so, a Bishop should follow the clear words of Christ.

Too often, people forgo the 4-Steps Christ set out to deal with a brother in sin. The most common reason is ignorance of Christ's command. Concerned brothers use the reason of "being concerned" as to why they talk to others about their fallen brother, before talking to the brother (Step One). The result of their misdirected concern is that they sin against their brother by means of gossip. There is no control to rumors and gossip and Saint James illustrates that such talk becomes a raging fire out of control. The brother in sin is ultimately hurt and not helped. He is especially hurt if he was innocent of a sin to begin with.

When I was a protestant pastor, I was surprised by being called before the entire church committee. I had no warning or knowledge of what the issue was. No one had ever come to me at all. The issue was that they didn't like how I was leading worship. Now, this was not a sin issue, but the same 4-Step principals of Christ should have applied. Since no one came to me privately, the issue had built into an insurmountable conflict in their minds. Since there were several people in the room, there must have been much prior conversation and gossip around the subject in which I was not included. By the time we met, they had decided to ask me to resign my pastorate. What a sad result which failure to follow the clear command of Christ brings. Not only did I resign, but the entire staff of the church resigned, leaving the committee to their own devises and the local church weakened. How much different would it have been if the originator of the complaint had asked to speak with me? The issue could have been settled without such division.

Since becoming Orthodox, I have discovered that the same propensity to ignore the 4-Steps of the Order of Godly Rebuke also exists. There is no doubt that I sin both knowingly and unknowingly. There is also no doubt that it is in my heart to be righteous even as He is righteousness. In some of my failings, along my Journey To Orthodoxy, I have discovered, however, that, rather than a concerned brother or priest coming to me privately, according to Step One, I have been immediately taken to Step Three, as other parishioners, priests and bishops are made aware of an issue that should easily have been resolved privately with Step One.

This has been extremely difficult at times for me and my family. Being the subject of such disorderly communication, leaves one feeling distrustful, and violated. How does one go to those who have been made privy of an issue that you yourself  have not first had the opportunity to reconcile? How do you know who already knows and what they must be thinking of you? In such a situation, the peace and fellowship that you once had is robbed and replaced with suspicion and insecurity, and if the original issue or accusation is not true to begin with, or is a simple misunderstanding, how can it be quietly resolved with so many involved? There will always be the possibility that someone did not "get the word." It is especially difficult to clean up such a mess once it has been made, and not uncommon to be accused of pride, self-preservation, or lack of humility when you attempt to do so. One who has been put in this position by someone's failure to follow Christ's Four Steps, can only trust God and pray for those who have wronged them in this way, be they layman, priest, or bishop.

Our Lord is perfect and His words are perfect. If we would follow His words in regard to dealing with issues such as this, there would be less strife in the body of Christ. Laymen, Deacons, Priests, Bishops: What part of HIS WORDS do we not understand?

Matt. 18: 15-17

"If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won a brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church, and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."

Praise be to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who forgives all of our sins and bears all of our burdens!

Moses The Black-The Motion Picture Website Launched

Moses The Black-The Motion Picture website has been launched. The feature film is being produced by JTO author Nathan Lee Lewis. Please stop by the site and participate in this worthy project!

 www.mosestheblack.com

The Sacrament Of Marriage- Our 30 Years

Today is the 30th anniversary of our wedding ceremony-July 27, 1980. Last November 29, 2009, my wife, Cynthia, and I had our marriage sanctified in the One, holy, catholic and apostolic church. Just as the salvation of our souls has taken us on a journey so has our marriage done so.

We are real people with real human tendencies. There has never been a marriage free from human ups and downs, both good and bad, and ours is no exception, however, as two individuals bonded by the holy sacrament, and bound by our covenant before God, we have, by his grace, remained faithful to one another. Through the years, we have watched the dissolution of the marriages of some of our friends, and others forgo marriage altogether to live outside of God's sacrament. All of the sad examples we have observed have caused us work harder to remain free of the pit into which other relationships have fallen. Just in the last two months, two couples that we know have separated.

30 years ago, Cynthia and I agreed that we would adhere to three guidelines in the way we communicate:

ONE: We would never use cutting, negative humor, the kind which uses the other as the brunt of a joke or jokingly cuts the other person down. We determined that life was hard enough, and that we didn't need one another throwing jabs, even in jest. We would always attempt to be positive. This has come in handy when we went through seasons in which we didn't like each other very much or were in a state of selfishness.

TWO: We would never joke about, consider, or even talk about divorce. In fact, we would never even use the word relating to one another. Divorce would never be an option, no matter what. The world gives us too many reminders of that option, that "easy out". We agreed that we would fight such a temptation by not acknowledging it.

THREE: The worship of and service to our God would be the first and foremost determinate for every decision we made, great or small...period. Our lives were not our own but we were bought with a price. Our marriage is a tool for the Kingdom of God to be built in us and in the world.

Somehow, these three guidelines have helped us retain the fruit of long-suffering in seasons of intense stress. The idea of enduring happiness in marriage is overrated and not realistic. Marriage will not always be happy because life is not. The joy of the Lord is our strength, not happiness. Joy is unshakable. Happiness is fleeting.

"Through good and through bad, in sickness and in health, until death do us part."

When our daughters were young, they were part of a Protestant Sunday school. In one particular class, a young, newly-married young couple were the teachers. One of my daughters bonded with them and admired them greatly. They were an inspiration and example to her both humanly and spiritually. The news that, after only one year of marriage, they were divorcing, was devastating to her. I must admit that I had little compassion for the young couple. In fact, I was angry that their selfish actions not only effected them but had wounded the psyche of my daughter. Since that time, I have counseled many young couples to look beyond the current struggles that seem to be so insurmountable, and see the future. Imagine themselves as a couple, years in the future, who could say that they had worked through seemingly insurmountable odds and remained faithful to their marriage covenant. The tragedy comes 30 years from now when divorced couples look back at the event or events that led to their divide and realize that their unchecked, youthful immaturity, selfishness, and lack of forgiveness were the catylist to their divorce, and these could have, and should have, been prevented. The tragedy is especially intensified if there are children involved.

I once heard a fiery Protestant evangelist lower the boom on men by saying,

"Some of you men, here, get married and you are attracted to your wives. Then, a few years into the future, after your wife has had a few of your children and she doesn't look quite the same, you say, 'I'm just not attracted to you anymore. Our love has changed,' or some other lame excuse for your own selfishness. Then, you start looking in other places and find some other young woman to become attracted to and you decide to get a divorce. You men ought to get on your bellies and crawl out of here like a snake!"

Marriage is a life-long venture. The relationship will change over time. It is supposed to! A marriage relationship is to act as heavenly sandpaper, smoothing off the rough edges of our soul. We can always work through relational problems with time and effort. We can always find forgiveness in our hearts for our mate. It may take time, but it is worth the fight.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."

If there are seasons where you don't "feel" the way you once did about your mate, and there will be seasons, then fall back on the covenant and commitment you made to God..

"What God brings together let no man tear apart."

I love you, Cynthia...

Saint Moses The Black- The Motion Picture

Some may not know that I have spent most of my life in some aspect of the film industry, both in front and behind the camera, and as an instructor of film acting and film production. Since closing my film production company in 2008, I have devoted my time to writing. With this post comes the announcement of the launching of my project to write the screenplay and produce the life story of Saint Moses The Black into a motion picture.

The first phase of any good motion picture is the development of a good script. A good script is one that tells a good story, and for those of you familiar with the life of Saint Moses, you know that the story elements are strong.

I am gathering a limited number of individuals who will help make this project happen by investing in the development of the screenplay. This select group of individuals will have ownership in the screenplay and will be a vital part of the success of the project.

To learn more about this project visit: 

 www.mosestheblack.com

And express your interest on the CONTACT Page.

Okay, Try Not To Smile

Amazed

I stand amazed as I attempt to return to posting on JTO, following the death of my father. Being confronted by death causes one to assess much of life and practice. One of the most common assessments people endure is the fact that it is easy to take for granted the people and things around us. The temporal is temporary. This is a redundant statement, I know, but it helps to state the obvious sometimes; life is always in motion.

That being said, I want to take the time to thank all JTO readers for taking time to share in my journey. I do not want to take you for granted. Some 1000-3000 people a month visit the site from all around the world. That is a small amount in the cyberspace world, but profound since I do not promote, link, or in other ways promulgate this site. If you are a reader, you have found JTO through your own search or from the link recommendations of those who have already visited.

For some reason, unknown to me, 21 of you have subscribed to JTO so as not to miss a single word. Thank you. I do click on your name and read your profile, if available. I go to your sites and blogs and even go to the blogs you read as well. I welcome any of you to write me in person at  

journeytoorthodoxy@gmail.com. 

I would love to talk with you personally by email concerning any issue you like.

If you are a reader who has not subscribed, you may use the "Subscribe" button on the left column to do so.

Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.