The Joy Of The Lord Is My Strength!

I was in Tupelo Mississippi last week on business. To get there from Nashville, I took the Natchez Trace, a 444 mile historic road stretching from Nashville, Tennessee to Natchez. Mississippi. My trip from Brentwood, Tennessee to Tupelo, Mississippi, was 182 miles of the most peaceful, scenic, perfectly paved and manicured roads I have ever experienced. My drive home was particularly meaningful. I think in all of the hustle and bustle, the interpersonal conflicts and questions, the arguments and endeavors involved in making my way to the Orthodox faith, I forgot, momentarily, that the world is a beautiful place full of God's grace and joy. I had a 3 1/2 hour euphorically peaceful time. I remembered that the peace of the Lord is as near as is our breath. I returned from my business trip refreshed, full of joy and strength unlike I  have experienced in a long, long, time. It is true that The joy of the Lord is my strength.

The Truth About Facebook Friends

I recently reevaluated my participation on the social networking internet forum called Facebook. For those who may not know, Facebook allows a participant to set up a home page, including photos, personal information and then allow "friends" to view your page and all of your information. Facebook is most often used to post opinions, family happenings and other trivial items of interest. Your "friends' can comment on your page and you can comment on theirs. Friends of friends may view all of your entries depending on the security selections you choose. Many also use Facebook to promote issues, organizations or to comment on current events. Some pride themselves in how many "friends" they have on Facebook. The current number of Facebook friends is displayed on each person's homepage. I just culled out my friends list so that only relatives and close friends are included. Some that I "de-friended" took it personally. I explained to those who inquired, that my friendship with them is not based on Facebook encounters, but real life.

I have always taught my daughters to know the difference between friends and acquaintances. This lesson was promoted by their propensity to refer to acquaintances as friends and afford them the same confidences. Often they knew very little about the acquaintances. Especially lacking was knowledge of a person's character and motives ."I am going to visit my friend," they would say. "Well what do you know about them?", I would ask. The reply was telling, "Uhhh..." When I allowed my daughter to have a Facebook page, my supervision in such matters became even more important. With whom were they allowing access to their photos, personal information and day-to-day activities?

Just yesterday I saw a post where a young, blond female publicly posted her private cell phone number and a place where she was going at a certain time. I had never heard of her, but she was a "friend" of one of my "friends". That information went out to 100's of people.Would she, under any other circumstances, share her private cell number, and where she was going to be at a certain time, with 100's of strangers? But on Facebook everyone is a friend, right? That conduct is a tragedy waiting to happen. I am amazed at how often I am asked a personal question on my open FB wall. I never answer and always delete the question immediately.

Parents, do you know what your children are sharing with the world? I once had to inform an Orthodox priest of the FB activities of his daughter, including the provocative photos and videos that were being posted of her and her boyfriend, many taken in her bedroom. Under what other circumstances could I have seen her lying on a bed with a  teenage boy or embraced in a passionate kiss in front of 100's of people in public? But on FB it is somehow acceptable? Those photos and videos now exist forever in cyberspace and out of the person's control.  Even those "innocent poses" such as two girls in an embrace, posing with pursed lips, doing the glamor thing, is viewed by 100's of people as erotic and provocative. They are easily captured and saved for anyone's personal or public use. Many of these posers list themselves as "Christians" or "Orthodox". One thing is for certain, they are acting foolishly and have not counted the cost of their actions.

Be as wise as serpents but as harmless as doves. Do not post or say anything on Facebook that you would not want your closest friends or family to see, or at least make your privacy settings more secure, because FB friends are not all...friends.

The Religious Views Of FaceBook

I did a quick survey of my family and close friends on FaceBook. I found their profiles particularity interesting, especially where each listed their religious views. My Orthodox relatives aside, here is a snapshot of those who listed their "Religious Views":

"Christian"

"Baptist"

"I'm not religious and neither is God."

"Jesus Saves"

"Jesus is legit"

"nontraditional Baptist"

"Christian-Protestant"

"Left handed path"

"I love Jesus"

"Christian- Church of Christ"

"Christ follower"

"I follow Jesus Christ"

"Follower of Jesus"

"Jesus loves me this I love"

"Evangelical Christian"

"Christ=life"

"Lover of Jesus" 

"I love Jesus"

"born again Christian"

"of course"

"Christian-Pentecostal"

"yes!"

"Christianity is not a religion it's a relationship"

"Knowing Jesus & going to heaven"

"Go Jesus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"It's about grace"

"Christian-Southern Baptist"

"Christian-Catholic"

"Believing in God"

"Jesus is the way"
"I follow Christ while remaining accepting of all. Unlike a lot of other people I know."

and my favorite...

"This does not seem like enough space to give a religious view"

The Evolutionary Degradation Of Protestant Devises

This video, intended as a humorous parody, is actually a tragic truth of the evolution of  the Protestant Church as it follows its own devises. Missing here are the centuries of Tradition as given us by the great martyrs and fathers of the faith. Fortunately the faith of our fathers has been preserved for 2000 years and blessed are those who find it. The Orthodox Christian Church-Since 33 A.D.

UPDATE 1/10/2010 After this video was  posted for public consumption, the creator has made it unavailable. It is not uncommon, once exposed with truth, for a video to be taken down...

So You Will Understand-The Epic Natural Disaster That The World Ignored

Pray for Tennessee- Historic Floods- CURRENT UPDATES- "The 1000 Year Flood"

BREAKING NEWS...

Please pray for the state of Tennessee, especially the Nashville area, where we live. Historic flooding. Two months of rain in two days. Freeways and streets closed. Flash floods in neighborhoods. Many water rescues. Five lives lost so far. Watching a water rescue right now- man trapped by rushing water. Saw 30 cars overcome by rushing waters on a stopped freeway. One drowned. Texting friends in areas of Franklin, TN- Rising water within 4 feet of their house- they are trapped.

more later...

UPDATE... 12:00 Noon

We just finished our  Readers Service. I had to go out on the deck during the service, to stop water that was headed toward our door. We are warm and safe. The Tornado Warning is over for the time being. 1000's still stranded on the freeways in and about Nashville. Rain still pouring down. Eight have died so far. Train tracks caved in and washed out throughout the region. Red cross has set up at a large local Protestant church near us. Others throughout the region. Bridges buckling in Franklin. Downtown is waterlocked- only two roads in.

more later...

UPDATE...3 p.m.

It is still raining...for hours ...it won' let up. There is concern about downtown Nashville. The Cumberland River has not crested and is over 46 ft. The last highest  record in 1984 at 44 feet. At 50 feet portions of downtown will flood.

more later...

Update 3:20 p.m.

Just heard from our church members. All are fine though some are stranded by high waters. Another is braving the weather to pick up a friend whose house is without utilities...Pray for their safety.

more later...

UPDATE 8:30 p.m

City of Franklin is under curfew. Thousands of water rescues throughout the area. Working throughout the night. 11 deaths so far. Thousands homeless. Most have no flood insurance due to flooding in non-floodplain areas. Historic downtown Nashville may be flooded overnight if water rises another 1 foot. Freeways at a standstill. Thousands of motorists stranded. Water continuing to rise. Not expected to recede anytime soon. Power outages. Deviation and a very real current threat. One house burned down. God bless the rescue efforts...

Please continue to pray...

more later...

Monday 4 p.m. UPDATE

Titans Stadium flooded. Grand Ole Opry, Opryland Hotel, Opryland Mall-  under water. Cumberland River expected to crest at 52 feet later tonight. Parts of downtown Nashville flooded. New Performance hall flooded. Water still rising. 11 feet over flood stage. Estimates 20 inches of rain in 48 hours-unprecedented.

more later...

Tuesday Morning- Final UPDATE 

Water is starting to slowly recede in some areas. Electricity out in downtown Nashville.

It is being called, in some respects, the 1000 year flood.  10-15 feet above flood level. 20 inches of rain in 48 hours.

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR TENNESSEE. RECOVERY WILL TAKE YEARS.

I-24 These motorists were caught off guard. All escaped but one.

What Goes Straight Up Must Come Straight Down...Except Steel-Frame Buildings

UPDATE 1/10/2010 Although the video associated with this post has been removed, there are many like it available on You Tube.

A borrowed post from my friend, Sophocles Frangakis, at his BLOG, a..Sinner.

I ran across this clip on facebook today.  I have also seen Richard Gage discuss what he feels is the evidence against the official story on what happened on 9-11 on a much longer clip.  As well on the longer clip, there was someone who debated him and offered what I feel was good counter-evidence to refute Richard Gage's evidence.  However, I did and still do feel that what has been handed down as the official story of what happened on that day is seriously flawed.

That the buildings once stood where they were and no longer do is an indisputable fact.  But how they were taken down, by whom, and why are questions that continue to trouble me and many others.  In fact, the number of people who have begun to voice doubt is growing and I would say with good reason.

Let me just say up front that I love my country.  I pray for her and if need be, I would fight in her defense.

However, with that said, as I have progressed in the Life of the Church, the allure of this world and its kingdoms has been lessening to the proportion that I have begun to understand that Christianity is not a religion but a Kingdom.

And with this, I would have to say that the idea that outrageous things can and do happen in the world which go against all conventions of what we have in the West been raised to believe is fair and just is part of my own working knowledge of what constitutes the Fall and that evil demonic and spiritual powers are actively involved in the world.

To have a credible Orthodox Worldview, one must believe and know this otherwise the Gospel is something less than what it is meant to be.  Meaning, the Gospel does not merely offer "spiritual" solace, i.e. is not concerned with the material creation, but confronts evil incarnate, i.e. the fact that evil has real power in the creation and that there is an actual hierarchy of evil.

The Devil is not a myth.  Nor should we believe that there aren't those who wield great power and serve him actively and do his bidding.  Descending from this inner circle the true knowledge of the diabolical machinations become diffused and at some level it just merely means "the world system"i.e. what we all have brought up in and have come to consider as "normal".

Scripture and the Holy Fathers constantly bring our attention to the very real fact of this evil reality which in modern "enlightened" times has ceased to have people really take its existence seriously.

A Blessed Pastoral Visit To Tennessee

From the GOCTN.org Website

It was with great joy that we welcomed Father Anastasios Hudson for his first pastoral visit to Tennessee on April 10-11, 2010. It hardly seems possible that it was less than one year ago when a family from the Middle Tennessee area contacted Father Anastasios about entering the Genuine Orthodox Church of America through baptism. Since that time, the family has entered the church, been joined by another faithful Orthodox family from another Genuine Orthodox jurisdiction, another family who is seriously inquiring, and has continued to receive inquiries from both local and neighboring cities.

Father Anastasios was welcomed by 4 families to the Genuine Orthodox Church Middle Tennessee Mission Community, or what we more simply refer to as "GOC Tennessee." Saturday afternoon was a Meet and Greet fellowship with a Question and Answer time. No question was left unasked or unanswered. There was an atmosphere of openness, honesty, and hope for the future of the Church in Tennessee. The time of fellowship and questions was followed by the GOC Tennessee's first Vespers led by a priest.

The Mission Community saw more history being made on Sunday Morning when Father Anastasios led the same group in its first Matins and Liturgy. On this Saint Thomas Sunday, the group of faithful Orthodox and Inquirers had no doubt that Christ was in their midst and that they were experiencing his promised blessings. The Mission Community spent the rest of the afternoon in an extended Coffee Hour, enjoying what they knew would be the first of many to come.

The Genuine Orthodox Mission Community of Tennessee holds regular Matins and Typica Reader's Services in the Franklin/Bentwood area which are opened to all. Father Anastasios, who lives in North Carolina, will visit as often as possible to serve the faithful in person. In the mean time, he is available by phone, e-mail or video conferencing. Mission Coordinator, Nathan Lee Lewis is also available locally in person, by phone, e-mail or video conferencing to answer any questions about how one may become a part of this growing GOC Mission Community. Please see the GOCTN Contact Page.

Christ is Risen!

Paschal Greeting Around The World

English - Christ is risen! Truly, He is Risen!

Old English (Anglo-Saxon) - Crist aras! Crist sodhlice aras! (Lit: Christ arose! Christ surely arose!)
Middle English - Crist is arisen! Arisen he sothe!
Iyaric Patwa - Krestos a uprisin! Seen, him a uprisin fe tru!
Frisian - Kristus is opstien! Wis is er opstien!
German - Christus ist auferstanden! Er ist wahrhaftig auferstanden!
Yiddish - Der Meschiache undzer iz geshtanen! Avade er iz ufgeshtanen!
Dutch - Christus is opgestaan! Hij is waarlijk opgestaan!
Afrikaans - Kristus het opgestaan! Hom het waarlik opgestaan!
North Germanic languages
Danish - Kristus er opstanden! Sandelig Han er Opstanden!
Icelandic - Kristur er upprisinn! Hann er vissulega upprisinn!
Norwegian - Kristus er oppstanden! Han er sannelig oppstanden!
Swedish - Kristus är uppstånden! Ja, Han är verkligen uppstånden!
Latin - Christus Surrexit! Surrexit vere!
Italian - Cristo è risorto! È veramente risorto!
Catalan - Crist ha ressuscitat! Veritablement ha ressuscitat!
French - Le Christ est ressuscité! Vraiment Il est ressuscité!
Portuguese - Cristo ressuscitou! Verdadeiramente ressuscitou!
Romanian - Hristos a înviat! Adevărat a înviat!
Spanish - Cristo ha resucitado! Verdaderamente, ha resucitado!
Slavonic-- (Christos Voskrese! Voistinu Voskrese!
Russian - Христос Воскресе! Воистину Воскресе! (Khristos Voskrese! Voistinu Voskrese!)
Belarusian - Хрыстос уваскрос! Сапраўды ўваскрос! (Khrystos Uvaskros! Saprawdy Wvaskros!)
Ukrainian - Христос Воскрес! Воістину Воскрес! (Khrystos Voskres! Voistynu Voskres!)
Bulgarian - Христос Возкресе! Воистина Возкресе! (Christos Vozkrese! Voistina Vozkrese!)
Serbian - Христос Воскресе! Ваистину Воскресе! (Christos Voskrese! Vaistinu Voskrese!
Czech - Kristus vstal z mrtvých! Vpravdě vstal z mrtvých!
Slovak - Kristus vstal zmŕtvych! Skutočne vstal!
Polish - Chrystus Zmartwychwstał! Zaprawdę Zmartwychwstał!
Lithuanian - Kristus prisikėlė! Tikrai prisikėlė!
Old Irish - Asréracht Críst! Asréracht Hé-som co dearb!
Irish - Tá Críost éirithe! Go deimhin, tá sé éirithe!
Manx - Taw Creest Ereen! Taw Shay Ereen Guhdyne!
Scots Gaelic - Tha Crìosd air èiridh! Gu dearbh, tha e air èiridh!
Breton - Dasorc'het eo Krist ! E wirionez eo dasorc'het !
Welsh - Atgyfododd Crist! Yn wir atgyfododd!
Indo-Iranian languages
Sanskrit - (Krista uttitaha! Satvam uttitaha!)
Marathi - (Yeshu Khrist uthla ahe! Kharokhar uthla ahe!)
Albanian (Tosk) - Krishti u ngjall! Vërtet u ngjall!
Armenian - Քրիստոս յարեաւ ի մեռելոց՜ Օրհնեալ է յայտնութիւնն Քրիստոսի՜ (Christos harjav i merelotz! Orhniale harutjun Christosi! -- Christ is risen! Blessed is the resurrection of Christ!)
Greek - Χριστός Ανέστη! Αληθώς Ανέστη! (Christos Anesti! Aleithos Anesti!)
Turkish - Hristós diril-Dí! Hakíkatén diril-Dí!)
Chamorro - La'la'i i Kristo! Magahet na luma'la' i Kristo!
Filipino (Tagalog) - Si Cristo ay nabuhay! Siya nga ay nabuhay!
Indonesian - Kristus sudah bangkit! Dia benar sudah bangkit.
Carolinian - Lios a melau sefal! Meipung, a mahan sefal!
Hawaiian - Ua ala hou ´o kristo! Ua ala ´i ´o no ´oia!
Basque - Cristo Berbistua! Benatan Berbistua!
Malayalam - (Christu uyirthezhunnettu! Theerchayayum uyirthezhunnettu!)
Aleut - Kristus aq ungwektaq! Pichinuq ungwektaq!
Yupik - Xris-tusaq Ung-uixtuq! Iluumun Ung-uixtuq!
Japanese - ハリストス復活！実に復活！ (Harisutosu fukkatsu! Jitsu ni fukkatsu!)
Korean - 그리스도께서 부활하셨습니다! 참으로 부활하셨습니다! (Kristo Gesso Buhwal ha sho sumnida! Chamuro Buhwal ha sho sumnida!)
Navajo - Christ daaztsáádéé' náádiidzáá! T'áá aaníí, daaztsáádéé' náádiidzáá!
Tlingit - Xristos Kuxwoo-digoot! Xegaa-kux Kuxwoo-digoot!
Niger-Congo languages
Lugandan Kristo Azukkide! Kweli Azukkide!
Swahili - Kristo Amefufukka! Kweli Amefufukka!
Quechua - Cristo causarimpunña! Ciertopuni causarimpunña!
Syriac - (Meshiha qam! Bashrira qam!)
Arabic (Fus'hah, i.e., "standard") - (Al-Masih-Qam! Hakkan Qam!)
Maltese - Kristu qam! Huwa qam tassew!
Hebrew (modern) - (Ha Masheeha houh kam! A ken kam!)
Tigrigna - (Christos tensiou! Bahake tensiou!)
Amharic - (Kristos Tenestwal! Bergit Tenestwal!)
Mandarin - 基督復活了 他確實復活了 (Jīdū fùhuó le; tā quèshí fùhuó le!)
Georgian - ქრისტე აღსდგა! ჭეშმარიტად აღსდგა! (Kriste aghsdga! Cheshmaritad aghsdga!)
Estonian - Kristus on ülestõusnud! Tõesti on ülestõusnud!
Finnish - Kristus nousi kuolleista! Totisesti nousi!
Hungarian - Krisztus feltámadt! Valóban feltámadt!
Meadow Mari - Христос ылыж кынелын! Чынак ылыж кынелын!
A Nigerian language (of many spoken there) - Jésu Krísti Ébilíwõ! Ézia õ´ Bilíwõ!
Esperanto - Kristo leviĝis! Vere Li leviĝis!
Quenya - (Ortanne Laivino! Anwa ortanne Laivino!)

Where Are All The Clerics?

I was on one of my many trips to Walmart this week and I had an epiphany. Although I have lived in the Nashville, TN. area, specifically Franklin/Brentwood, just south of Nashville, for over four years, I have rarely seen anyone in clerics. In the four years that I have lived here, I have seen only one person, an Anglican Bishop, wearing clerics in public, and that was at an invitational event. My wife says she spotted the local Catholic priest wearing clerics, but he was on the sidewalk in front of his church. I did see two of my former Antiochian priests wearing clerics at a church luncheon at a hotel, but even they, when out and about as citizens, do not always wear their clerics. The one time I met with my former priest in a coffee shop, he wore black jeans and a black tea-shirt, although he was headed directly for a hospital visit from there.

This area of Tennessee is very "spiritual", with many churches of many types. We even have one of the most prolific anti-trinitarian pseudo-Christan cults firmly rooted here. It is a very politically conservative community, both fiscally and socially. The prevailing attitude is the Protestant idea that everybody is right and nobody is wrong, we are all Christians with some measure of the truth, so we can all just get along. I am wondering, however, with the entrenched protestantism, especially evangelical protestantism, (Musician Michael W. Smith has a church here) and the strength of the Church of Christ, if somehow the Catholics and the Orthodox  have decided to remain in the shadows. If this is the case, I can have no part of it.

I have seen what seems to be a compromise toward the shadows even in the Genuine Orthodox Churches. Some priests, who must be bi-vocational, use the excuse of their job to trim their beard or not wear one at all, when the Church and Canons are specific as to their appearance and Federal Law protects their rights of grooming for religious purposes. In these matters they say the Bishop has given economy for their job, when, in reality, it is their own fear of lack or fear of persecution that dictates their decision.

I have heard criticism directed toward laymen who dress in black and grow their bears according to the tradition of the Church. "What are they trying to be?" "They are trying to appears as monks when they are not." To the contrary: Perhaps they are correctly following the piety laid out in the Canons and the critics' own failure to do so is highlighted when this is observed.

I am not a priest, deacon or a tonsured reader, yet I have an uncut beard for the sake of my pursuit of piety. I do not wear clerics but I do go out in public. I am the delight of every child at Christmas time. I get a lot of free smiles and little fingers pointing my way. Many people strike up conversations, open doors for me, and the few in this area who are aware of Orthodoxy are drawn like a b-line to me. I met a very kind Coptic man the other day, a researcher at a medical facility. He could not pass me without showing his respect and talking with me. The only negative reaction I have experienced was having my way literally blocked by a black Muslim man as I tried to enter his open air shop at the local farmers market (God bless him).

I am wondering what the cleric-wearing men in this area are afraid of. Why do we not see clerics being worn here? Why do we not see cassocks worn in public? Why are they just relegated to services? Is this not a compromise in an effort to fit in? Isn't the desire to fit in to the culture, at the expense of age-old traditions, the bane of the Church? You can be sure the Muslims don't give a damn what others think. You can bet they don't give a damn about fitting in to this culture in the manner of their religious dress. I see them everywhere here. The Sikhs are here in full dress as well. Where are the Orthodox? Where is the concern over this matter? For instance, which of you readers are more disturbed with the fact that I have just used the word "damn" twice in this post,  than you are concerned with the fact that our conduct may be evidence that we are becoming ashamed of the gospel of Christ and of his Church?