The a-MAZE-ing Orthodox Church

Having been traveling in the ecclesiastical maze of the Orthodox Church for eight years, half of that being in the Old Calendar maze, some air of reason has filled my lungs. This deep breath has given me the strength to ask a question in this public forum: What does the ecclesiastical disunity, independence, battles, conflicts, secluded sects, disputes over which bishop/jurisdiction is authentic and which isn't, say about the claim that the Orthodox church is that true, unified expression for which Christ prayed? 

The heart of my question is better illustrated, not by me, but by a convert to the Catholic Church. His article compares the disunity of Protestants with the central unity of the Catholic Church. Could the same be said of Orthodox disunity? Here is a section of his article with my contribution:

Unity: Jesus’s fervent prayer

Thirdly, the prayer of Jesus in John 17 had long haunted me as I surveyed the state of the Protestant [Orthodox] world. It records that Jesus intercedes for His disciples and repeatedly prays for their unity – a required ingredient if the world is to know the Gospel as truth. Consequently, unity and authority are of paramount concern, for unity is sustained and directed by authority. A Church led by the Holy Spirit, made up of Spirit-filled people, would by definition be consumed by these prayer concerns. There is then an inconsistency in claiming to be Spirit-led while furthering disunity and rebellion.

I once read the words of Sagoyewatha (ca. 1758-1830), also known as Red Jacket, a chief of the Seneca tribe. He responded negatively to the request of a Protestant [Orthodox] missionary to work amongst his people by saying, in part, “Brother, you say there is but one way to worship and serve the Great Spirit. If there is but one religion, why do you white people differ so much about it? Why not all agree, as you can all read the book?”

He further stated, “[Also] we have been told that you have been preaching to the white people in this place … we will wait a little while and see what effect your preaching has upon them.”

Sagoyewatha intuitively understood a painful fact: disunity and increasing fragmentation is a witness that brings disrepute to the Gospel. Jesus established a Church that was united under a hierarchy of bishops, whose authority is traced to the Apostles, and focused in its message and purpose, not a fragmented, chaotic entity that communicates to the unbelieving that the love of God is weak and His purpose in the Gospel is a failure. Those who remain divided are unwilling to consider how disunity has worked against the growth of the Kingdom. +

Well, I too have "waited a little while" in the doors of the Orthodox Church and I am not sure I am as settled in this question as I once was. What say you?

Pope Benedict XVI

Lighting strikes on the day of the announcement.

Do Good To Your Enemies

The exhortation to love your enemies is especially important for the self-appointed defenders of the orthodox faith, who have a presence on the internet. I have seen the propensity of some, especially in Old Calendar jurisdictions, to not only isolate themselves from others, but to consider others their enemies. In doing so they publicly and malevolently attack others in the name of righteousness. They do ignore that, though we may have enemies, and our God may have enemies, we are specifically instructed as to how to respond. 

Matthew 5:43-48
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect

Try doing good to your enemies, and in so doing, you will be more like the Christ you claim to defend.

I continue to pray for those who personally attack me publicly on the internet. I pray, and do not engage them. I do appeal to my priest and my bishop, not on my behalf, but on the behalf of others who must similarly endure the malevolent character assassination from other orthodox people. I pray for these clarions of hateful diatribe, but, rather than hope for their demise, I fear that the outcome may be that their own judgment will fall upon their own heads. May it not be so. May their hateful words be silenced by allowing the love of Christ to dwell richly within them. Only in this will they, themselves, find joy.

Has God Ever Spoken Directly To You? Part One -Updated

Just days after posting the JTO poll, "Has God Ever Spoken Directly To You?", The Blaze.com, a political news website, posed the same question to it's readers, "Has God ever spoken to you directly?". Could The Blaze editors be reading JTO? In any case, It seems timely to allow JTO readers to comment further than a click on a poll.

After voting in the Poll on the right column, go to the Comment section below and voice your opinion and experience. 

Has God Ever Spoken Directly To You?

UPDATE: The poll to the right show signs of being swarmed by Intergnats. These Intergnats apparently are voting more than once to attempt to prove their point. Such multiple voting is not honest, is evidence of the insecurity of their position, and only skews what is already an unscientific poll. To assure that the poll is balanced, please take time to click on the comment section and share your view and experience.

Part two: http://journeytoorthodoxy.blogspot.com/2014/06/has-god-ever-spoken-directly-to-you.html

The Art Of Questioning

Lesson # One: A question is not a statement.

A question is not a statement. It is a question. It does not conclude nor suggest a conclusion. It is a question, quite often to provoke discussion or to reason out a matter. A question is also not a doubt. It is a question. God loves those who diligently seek Him. To question is a vital part of that process. It is okay to question. "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed." Those who fear or are offended by questioning are either insecure or prideful in their knowledge or position.

Learn the art of questioning.

Grace Greater Than Our Sin

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,

Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!

Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,

There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

Refrain:

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that is greater than all our sin!

Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,

Threaten the soul with infinite loss;

Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,

Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.

Dark is the stain that we cannot hide;

What can we do to wash it away?

Look! There is flowing a crimson tide,

Brighter than snow you may be today.

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,

Freely bestowed on all who believe!

You that are longing to see His face,

Will you this moment His grace receive?

Julia H. Johnson 1910

Orthodox-o-meter: If you see doctrinal error in these lyrics or you are disturbed that they were penned by Protestant woman, rather than being moved by the thought of God's grace, perhaps you are Orthodox and not orthodox.

What is a Prophet?

A Christian prophet is one inspired by Holy Spirit to deliver a message for a specific purpose. A prophet is often associated with predicting future events, but in a broader sense, he or she is given the power to preach repentance to those who do not want to hear the message, and to warn of the spiritual results of disobedience. A prophet faces a lifetime of rejection, persecution, and abasement, thus, the prophet is given a unique charism of obedience and long-suffering, and a heart of self-immolation. God calls and anoints a prophet, not to elevate him or her for their personal glory, but for the glory of God, alone.

DICTIONARY: [prof-uh-see]

1. The foretelling or prediction of what is to come.

2. Something that is declared by a prophet, esp. a divinely inspired prediction, instruction, or exhortation.

3. A divinely inspired utterance or revelation: oracular prophecies.

4. The action, function, or faculty of a prophet.

APOSTLE PAUL:

"Power...to penetrate all mysteries and knowledge."

Authority And Role Of The Prophet

"He who receives a prophet will receive a prophet's reward"

A prophet carries no authority other than that which God gives him for the issuance of God's word. A prophet does not seek nor require the permission or approval of a priest, bishop or king for it is often to such that he is called to speak. Scripture allows, however, that the prophet recognize those that have "rule" and "authority" over the flock of which he or she is a part, and seek their counsel and guidance; therefore, those who speak from a prophetic platform are encouraged to be an active parishioner of a local Orthodox church and to be in regular communication with an Orthodox priest, as far as this is possible.

"A Prophet does not speak for God; he speaks from Him."

The Test of True Prophets

"You may be privately wondering, 'How are we to tell that a prophecy does not come from Yahweh'? When a prophet speaks in the name of Yahweh and the thing does not happen and the word is not fulfilled, then it has not been said by Yahweh. The prophet has spoken presumptuously. You have nothing to fear from him."

"Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus, that spirit is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world"

The Signs of False Prophets

"...the prophet who presumes to say something in my name which I have not commanded him to say, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die."

"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them."

"At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. . . . For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect – if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time"

"Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets"

"But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them – bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping"

Words Every Orthodox Blogger Should Recite Once A Day and With Vigor

1. I am not important because I blog.
2. I am not respected because I blog.
3. Fewer people care what I have to say than I might think.
4. The hope of the world does not rest on my posts.
5. God can get along just fine without me.
6. I am not more spiritual because I blog.
7. Blogging is not my life.
8. My sense of entitlement is a figment of my imagination.
9. My words can hurt individuals.
10. My words can hurt families.
11. My words can hurt churches.
12. My words can cause divisiveness.
13. I can find better ways to bring meaning to the world.
14. I am not in competition with other bloggers.
15. My relationships with other bloggers is pseudo, at best.
16. I can quit blogging at anytime.
17. I think I can quit blogging at anytime.
18. Maybe I can quit blogging at anytime.
19. I'm not sure I can quit blogging.
20. I might be hooked on blogging.
21. I am going to seek help.
22. I am going to google "boggers anonymous".
23. Maybe there is a support group at church for me.
24. No, I have already alienated all of them.
25. Perhaps I should just keep blogging.
26. Yes, it's good for me, really, kind of.
27. Oh. It's 12:30 a.m. and I am still blogging.
28. I don't think I will post this.
29. Orthodox people have no sense of humor and are so damn literal, so this post will put me in a bad light.
30. Out of all my words here, the word "damn" will be the most provocative.
31. WWJB: What would Jesus Blog if I gave him my password?
32. Does Jesus already have my password?
33. Perhaps Jesus is my password.
34. I think I will post this.

The Orthodox Layman's Position In Christ

"Clericalism can be lethal in our Orthodox Church. One evil it produces is the fact that the lay people in the Church become spiritually passive, indeed religiously helpless. Clericalism foments an inordinate dependence on the priest." 

"The result has been to reinforce dead religious formalism in the Church. How can such professional priests be called shepherds of souls? They serve the kingdom of darkness by quenching the fire of the Holy Spirit. Christ calls such religious leaders “workers of iniquity”. They lack the capacity of rejoicing with the angels when lives are regenerated and the name of Jesus is highly exalted. They feel threatened by anything religiously unfamiliar."

"Such promoters of clericalism and of our over-institutionalized Church are the first to champion the Church Fathers. Yet, in effect they violate their teachings and fail to embody in their pastoral ministry the basic principles and precepts of our Holy Fathers."

"In the teachings of the Church Fathers we find an unmistakable emphasis on faith rooted in a heart experience. They do not teach an intellectual theology. Christ as the object of faith is experienced with the personal indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s heart. The fact of personal communion with Christ is fundamental.

"Every man and woman who with faith is baptized in water and in the Spirit is qualified to be an active witness unto Christ. It is not Ordination that qualifies you to be active in ministry. But each believer who is not ordained is entitled, for example, to minister as an evangelist, prophet or teacher in the body of Christ. It is for performing the sacraments that ordination is necessary. But to minister the Word of God is not only the right of any believer, but also a mandate of Christ for every believer."

From Rev. Archimandrite Fr. Eusebius A. Stephanou, Th.D., Brotherhood of St. Symeon the New Theologian, Miramar Beach, Florida. Read the whole article HERE.

[JTO anticipates that some will focus on denouncing the source of these quotes rather than disputing the content. The reason? Because the quotes are truths that cannot be disputed so  the "attack the messenger" ploy is used. Such ploys will not be posted in the COMMENT section.)

Related Article: http://journeytoorthodoxy.blogspot.com/2012/12/spiritual-guruism.html

Another Protestant Gets It Right

"When I was growing up I thought a 'good' Christian was someone who went to church three times a week and abstained from a bunch of 'bad' stuff. But I've learned since then that a 'true' Christian is nothing more than a broken, fallen person redeemed by Jesus Christ and committed to following Him. He/she follows Him at their own pace. Christ is patient in His instruction and guidance. But bit by bit He is turning them into someone more like Himself. That is what being a Christian is: It is following Him continually, through failures and triumphs. It is modeling one's self after the One they're following. And what did He do? He healed the sick, gave compassion to the hurting, spread hope to the downtrodden, criticized the religious elite (who were puffed up with their own self-righteousness), spoke the truth, walked by faith, and of course much more that can't be listed here. That is what a Christian 'does' and if church attendance and abstaining from 'bad' stuff doesn't help one to do those things then they are pointless." RH