No Condemnation

"There is now therefore no condemnation for 

those who love God and are called according to His purpose."

For the many who are beginning to see the truth of the apostasy of the World Orthodox Jurisdictions, but still remain afraid to leave. Here is the permission and encouragement you might need:

"...But as for those who...severe themselves from communion with their president, that is, because he publicly preaches heresy and with bared head teaches it in the Church, such persons are not only not subject to canonical penalty..., but are worthy of due honor among the Orthodox. For not bishops, but false bishops and false teachers have they condemned, and they have not fragmented the Church's unity with schism, but from schisms and divisions have they earnestly sought to deliver the Church. (Canon XV of the First-Second Council of Constantinople)"

A Suffering (ROCOR/MP) Monk

From Monk Theophan of Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville

October 2/15/, 2010

This letter is a concerned voice from a soul who has always belonged to the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCOR).

In 2001, the Synod of Bishops of ROCOR stated in an Epistle that,

"During these days of universal apostasy, which, through the pan- heresy of ecumenism, has even infected most of the Local Orthodox Churches, we must stand united, that the enemy of our salvation may not use our divisions to destroy the voice of our confession in the homeland and the diaspora." [1]

Sadly enough this voice of confession is not heard anymore. Instead, ROCOR/MP moves closer and closer toward the ecumenical Orthodox hierarchs and clergy, while rejecting the True Orthodox Christians, with whom we once confessed our unity. We promised to defend the Truth, but who reached out to support Vladyka Diomid in his lonely fight for the Truth? Who spoke up against the un-Christian World Summit of Religious Leaders in Moscow in 2006? Why are our spiritual leaders silent?

It is well-known that the Moscow Patriarchate together with World Orthodoxy participates in the ecumenical movement. It is also well-known that the Moscow Patriarchate still believes in the salvific act of the Declaration of 1927. And still our hierarchs state that ROCOR, under His Eminence Metropolitan Agafangel, together with all other True Orthodox Churches, who have walled themselves off "during these days of universal apostasy" are outside the Church and their sacraments invalid. How can this be when we ourselves just recently confessed our unity with them?

We are canonical and in the Church. That is our main argument. And yet, the soul is in dire agony, feeling that something is completely wrong. Fr. Seraphim Rose explains it the following way:

"The apostasy of our times, to a degree unique in Christian history, is proceeding not primarily by false teachings or canonical deviations, but rather by a false understanding of Orthodoxy on the part of those who may even be perfectly Orthodox in their dogmatic teaching and canonical situation. A correct ‘Orthodoxy’ deprived of the spirit of true Christianity - this is the meaning of Sergianism, and it cannot be fought by calling it a ‘heresy,’ which it is not, nor by detailing its canonical irregularities, which are only incidental to something much more important." [2]

Obviously, apostasy is not only a deviation from the canons, but first of all a deviation from the spirit of Orthodoxy. Besides the example of Sergianism, one can also mention the New Calendar. Neither of these two can, strictly speaking, be considered heresies. And yet, we know very well the damage they have both caused the Orthodox Church. Canonicity and apostasy can and do, therefore, easily go hand in hand.

Today obedience is no longer understood as a God-pleasing obedience to Christ and His Church, but rather as a complete submission to Church authority, regardless of its teaching. Salvation is no longer attained by following the conscience of the Church of Christ and one`s own conscience, but by blind obedience to the official Church authorities. To be, not in the Church of Christ, but in today`s World Orthodoxy, has become the absolute criterion for salvation. 

These Church authorities are, therefore, not interested in believers who follow their conscience according to the conscience of the Church. We are not only asked not to think, but made not to think.

In the Church of Christ, though, there can be no violence on the conscience. Such violence breaks people morally and creates a spiritual apathy, depriving them of the ability to freely and truly follow Christ. Every Christian must follow his conscience, should it be even unto death. One, though, must do so in a truly Orthodox manner with Christian love, humility and moderation.

We must try to understand that most of the believers, who are not following World Orthodoxy, are acting by their own conscience and the conscience of the Church. Seeing that World Orthodoxy does not have the correct and saving confession of the faith, many sober and pious faithful have walled themselves off not from the Church of Christ but from apostasy. The Old Calendar Movement is therefore not a heresy, neither is it a schism, but a walling off from falsehood.

Having accepted the position of the official Church leaders of the Moscow Patriarchate and World Orthodoxy, together with their spirit of apostasy and conformism, the spiritual leaders of ROCOR/MP have not only compromised themselves in the saddest way, but have also deeply disappointed many of its faithful, as well as many of our pious brothers and sisters inside the Moscow Patriarchate and World Orthodoxy itself, who expected to see this Champion of Truth courageously expose all falsehood. The pain of witnessing this fall is intensified even more when one is asked to accept it as a glorious victory. The tragedy of ROCOR/MP, therefore, is not so much its formal union with the Moscow Patriarchate and World Orthodoxy, but its wholehearted acceptance of their path and spirit.

If our Christian life is to be truly pleasing to God, both a Christian loving heart and a true confession of Faith must be present. It is not only a question of where, but also of how one confesses his faith. Without a Christian loving and humble heart, one`s "confession of Faith" will have no justification in the eyes of God, but will only harm oneself and the sacred unity of the Church. On the other hand, if we reject the salvific Truths, Traditions and spirit of the Church, or perhaps just indifferently follow along, then that will equally endanger our salvation. Both extremes lack the "spirit of true Christianity" - the divine Love of God ̶ and should be avoided. Apostasy, therefore, is simply the deviation from the Royal Path of Christian love towards God and man manifested in heresies and the lack of the spirit of true Christianity.

We observe that World Orthodoxy is getting more and more infected by "the pan-heresy of ecumenism," estranging itself from the spirit of Christianity, while preserving the outward forms of the Church. This has been prophesied by the Holy Fathers and Holy Scripture and the process began a long time ago. That is why many pious Orthodox Christians are quietly stepping aside, in order to protect themselves. Many faithful in World Orthodoxy itself are also slowly beginning to lose patience.

This letter is a concerned and quiet voice. Such voices, though, are labeled as proud, rebellious and full of self-deceit.

World Orthodoxy has taken its course. It is a course based on the wide path of love for this world. It is not the narrow path of the Cross and it is not a path which should be followed.

Monk Theophan Holy Trinity Monastery

Jordanville, NY USA Ss Cyprian and Justina, October 2/15, 2010.

[1] Living Orthodoxy, Epistle of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, 2001. #126, vol.XXI # 6, p.26, left column, last par., line 5. [2] Andreyev Ivan: “Russia`s Catacomb Saints, Lives of the New Martyrs”. Saint Herman of Alaska Press, Platina, California, 1982, p. 257, par. 2.

Phillip Saliba-The Tyrant

To all who have come under the heavy hand of the Tyrant, and Heretic, Phillip Saliba of the Antiochian Diocese., especially Bishop Mark, and Father David Moretti.

First: Watch this come to pass to the Tyrant Saliba:

"Let his days be few and let another take his office."

Second: Lest you think your ministry is over because you are separated from this Bishop: I offer the same exhortation and proclamation that Saint Maximus the Confessor did to Theodosius, Bishop of Caesarea in Bithynia. It is as relevant today as it was then. Only the names have changed,

“Let these offenses, introduced by Ecumenical Patriarchs Sergius, Pyrrhus and Paul into the Church, be removed; let those who have introduced them be deposed; and then the path to salvation will be cleared of all barriers, and you will walk on the smooth path of the Gospel, cleansed of all heresy! When I see the Church of Constantinople as she was formerly, then I will enter into communion with her without any exhortation on the part of men. But while there are heretical temptations in her, and while heretics are her bishops, no word or deed will convince me ever to enter into communion with her.”

If Saint Maximus can take such a stand, so can all under the Tyrant Saliba. I encourage ALL who are in communion with this errant Bishop to depose him or remove yourselves from him. Stand up and be counted, lest you fall when he does.

See: Why We Left, Where We Went

Do Orthodox Have Dirty Laundry?

Who Am I Lord, That You are Mindful Of Me?

Click Here To See The Universe

Still Think The One World Religion/Government Is Just A Conspiracy Theory?

Pope calls for "God Centered Global Economy"-led by the United Nations who must "have true world political authority with real teeth to manage the global economy with God-centered ethics."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-07-07-pope-encyclical_N.htm

The World Orthodox Churches, in communion with the heretic, Bartholomew (who does not believe that Jesus in the only way to heaven and calls "unorthodox" those who share the gospel with non-Christians),  are lock, stock and barrel in step with this "conspiracy".

Moses The Black-The Motion Picture Update

We continue to receive calls and e-mails from all over the world concerning the motion picture project, Moses The Black. Please continue to pray for this venture and decide how you may participate and/or support us.

 Go To:

www.mosestheblack.com

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!