Dwarves are for the Dwarves

"They began eating and drinking greedily enough, but it was clear that they couldn’t taste it properly."

"They will not let us help them. They have chosen cunning instead of belief. Their prison is only in their own minds, yet they are in that prison; and so afraid of being taken in that they cannot be taken out."

+ The Last Battle

"O Master, Lord Jesus Christ our God, who said to his saintly, honoured disciples and holy apostles, Many prophets and righteous men have desired to see the things which you see, and have not seen them, and to hear the things which you hear and have not heard them. But blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear. May we be worthy to hear and to act according to your holy gospels through the prayers of your saints." 

+ The Prayer for the Gospel, Coptic Orthodox Rite

Orthodox Missiology: Kenotic Love in All Places

"Our love in Christ must reach all places, even to the hippies in Matala [in Crete]. I very much wanted to go there, not to preach to them or to condemn them, but to live with them, without sin of course, and leave the love of Christ to speak of itself, which transfigures life" 

+ Saint Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia (Precious Vessels of the Holy Spirit,
Protecting Veil Press, Thessalonica, Greece)

Archbishop Leo of Finland: Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches form fullness of Orthodoxy

From: http://web.archive.org/web/20140624122312/http://theorthodoxchurch.info/blog/news/2014/06/archbishop-leo-of-finland-eastern-and-oriental-orthodox-churches-form-fullness-of-orthodoxy/

and

http://web.archive.org/web/20140624122607/http://theorthodoxchurch.info/blog/news/2014/06/historic-meeting-of-patriarchs-of-alexandria-and-archbishop-of-finland-in-helsinki/

In his speech during the reception provided to the Patriarchs of Alexandria on 23rd June 2014, Archbishop Leo of Karelia and All Finland stated that Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches form the fullness of Orthodoxy. He also recalled that late lamented Patriarch Athenagoras, always stressed on the true essence and fullness of Orthodoxy in Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches.

Archbishop Leo stressed that the relationship between the Church of Finland and Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate is very deep. There are large numbers of Coptic communities living in different parts of Finland. He recalled meeting with the predecessors of Coptic (Pope Shenouda III) and Alexandrian Patriarchates (Parthenius III & Peter VII).

The Primate of Finnish Church thanked Pope Tawadros II and Pope Theodore II for their historical visit to Finland and blessed presence in the country.

Several Orthodox Prelates, faithful and high level delegations from different organizations attended the events.

Oecumenical Grace Series

Here's a wonderful series on Grace over at Fr Aidan's blog:

http://afkimel.wordpress.com/2014/06/10/grace-oecumenical/
http://afkimel.wordpress.com/2014/06/12/oecumenical-grace-eastern-orthodoxy-on-theosis/
http://afkimel.wordpress.com/2014/06/16/oecumenical-grace-roman-catholicism-and-created-grace/
http://afkimel.wordpress.com/2014/06/18/oecumenical-grace-catholicism-and-the-divine-life/
http://afkimel.wordpress.com/2014/06/19/oecumenical-grace-the-protestant-gospel/
http://afkimel.wordpress.com/2014/06/22/oecumenical-grace-comparisons/


Also reblogged in its entirety below:

Aim of Orthodox Mission

"Orthodox mission consists in giving the treasure we have, and leaving the other to decide whether he will take it or not. If the other wants to join the Orthodox Church, you will never say "No." Our aim is to transmit the tradition of the Gospel in all its fullness, remaining free from any anxiety to convert anyone. You cannot impose on anyone's freedom. You are there, you give your witness; you are a candle, lighted by paschal joy, and if the other wishes to take from your flame, then of course, you will not refuse him."

+ Archbishop Anastasios of Albania. From Understanding Orthodoxy: How to distinguish true mission from proselytism.

Trisagion in East Syriac (in the Georgian Orthodox Church)

Here is an amazingly beautiful setting of the Trisagion in East Syriac sung Georgian-style. It seems that part of the Assyrian population of the Republic of Georgia who belong to the Georgian Orthodox Church still use some Syriac liturgically. ( http://araborthodoxy.blogspot.com/2014/04/syriac-in-georgian-chant.html )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArO4CGG6EFY

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkZza4YeAJ4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjjnqlYwDvk

Taking the Fathers Back

Just read "Taking the Father Back" which discusses the challenges of reading the Fathers today and breaking out of the "Anti-East" or "Anti-West" rhetoric that can plague parishes today. Dr Adam also identifies how the Fathers are often misread in the same way that the Holy Scriptures are. 

What does this mean for readings of the Scriptures and the Fathers (and Liturgical Life) which use a reductionist, sentimentalist or Evangelical Protestant hermeneutic? What does it mean for Orthodox Parishes which embrace and perpetuate reductionism, emotionalism, pietism or pop-Christian methodologies?

Taking the Fathers Back

Reblogged from http://easternchristianbooks.blogspot.com/2014/06/taking-fathers-back.html

Liturgical Life of the Church

"In a very real sense the whole life of the Church in the patristic period was “liturgical.” There were no Christian schools or catechism classes, no popular missions or retreats. But there were the daily assemblies for morning and evening prayer, in which the Scriptures were abundantly read and commented. On the Lord’s Day there was the vigil and eucharistic synaxis, with lessons and homilies. And there was Lent, when the bishop prepared the community’s candidates for Easter baptism with long catechetical homilies such as have come down to us from John Chrysostom, Cyril of Jerusalem, and Theodore of Mopsuestia. Even the more mundane ministries were part and parcel of the liturgical assembly. Offerings for the sick and poor were brought there and given to the deacons who saw to their distribution; it was there that catechumens were instructed and baptized, penitents reconciled, the wayward corrected.

So to say that the whole life of the Church was liturgical does not mean the Church did nothing but “say mass.” Contemporary compartmentalization of life into clearly defined and mutually exclusive categories, and the even more recent limitation of parish liturgical life to the Eucharist, were foreign to the early Church, whose life was liturgical in that it was a community whose every activity was leitourgia', a public service of the one Body of Christ."

+ Fr Robert F. Taft, "Beyond East and West: Problems in Liturgical Understanding." 2nd Rev. Ed. (Rome: Pontifical Oriental Institute Press, 2001) 145.

A Proposition for Evangelism

A Proposition for Evangelism
By Fr. Jonathan Tobias
http://web.archive.org/web/20140619202025/http://janotec.typepad.com/terrace/2014/06/a-proposition-for-evangelism.html

Suffering and Christianity

Reblogged from Fr Ernesto's blog:

Suffering and Christianity
http://www.orthocuban.com/2014/06/suffering-and-christianity/

Mother Maria Gysi on the Saints

Mother Maria Gysi on the Saints

Although written primarily for monastic communities, Mother Maria Gysi's book 'The Hidden Treasure' has some beautiful observations concerning the saints that can be an example and of benefit to non-monastics and married couples.

Peace in our souls

"Peace in our souls is impossible unless we beg the Lord with all our hearts to give us love for all men. The Lord knew that if we did not love our enemies, we should have no peace of soul, and so He gave us the commandment, "Love your enemies." Unless we love our enemies, we shall only now and then be easy, as it were, in our souls; but if we love our enemies, peace will dwell in us day and night."

+ St Silouan

David Dancing Before The Ark: The Liturgical Theology Implicit In 2 Samuel 6:14

David Dancing Before The Ark:
The Liturgical Theology Implicit In 2 Samuel 6:14
by Fr Robert Barron

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNTSNxFbFxk


Transcript

Fr Tadros Malaty on Lived Theology

The decisions of the Church councils and the writings of the Church Fathers are insufficient in preserving the Church tradition.

The Laymen have an essential role in preserving tradition alive, by practising it in their daily life and their worship.

For traditional Church life cannot be transmitted by canons or through books but through practice and life.

Every true believer represents a living stone of the spiritual temple of God.

He is laid on other previous living stones, i.e., he ‘receives the traditional life Church from the past generations, and at the same time he bears other living stones, i.e., he deposits this life into the life of the future generations. Thus, he becomes a living ‘member of the Church of Christ, who transmits its traditional life by practising it daily.

Now, we can define the “traditional believers” not as those who study accurately the Church canons and acknowledge the details of the rites or recite the church hymns etc... but rather who discover their unity with God in Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit through preserving and practising the Church canons, rites, hymns etc...

+ Fr. Tadros Malaty, Traditon and Orthodoxy, 51

The faith that sings

Reblogged from The Cost of Discipleship Blog ( http://cost-of-discipleship.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-faith-that-sings.html ):

It seems difficult to enter into discussion with someone who, by the very slips they display in their challenges, demonstrates at the outset an irrational prejudice against things that are patently undemonstrable or arguable on the basis of discussion at all. Orthodox simply do not 'adore' ikons. To even pose such an inquiry begs the question and supplies its own answer.

Archimandrite Vasileios says something to the effect that dogma cannot be understood outside of worship. The same thing, in my experience, can be asserted of holy and divine scripture. Sitting somewhere and studying the bible can lead us to one set of conclusions, experiencing it in worship leads us to sometimes a very different set, sometimes diametrically opposed.

On The Unity of Theory and Practice

A beautiful and important quote reminding us not to separate or isolate practice and theology:

“He who seeks the inner kingdom of God and a living communion with Him, will naturally seek to remain continually in the thought of God. Turning his mind towards Him with all his might, his one desire will be to read only of Him, to speak only of Him. But these occupations alone will not lead to what is sought, unless accompanied by other, more practical activities. A certain type of mystic talks only of these occupations: the reason is that such teachers are people of theory and not of practice. 

This practice of reading and speaking of God will, used on its own, create a facile habit for such things: it is easier to philosophize than to pray or pay attention to oneself. But since it is a work of the mind, which falls so easily into pride, it predisposes a man to self-esteem. It may altogether cool the desire for practical effort, and consequently hinder sound progress by a flattering successfulness in this mental activity. 

For this reason sound-minded teachers warn their pupils of the danger, and advise them not to concern themselves too much with such reading and talk to the detriment of other things.”

+ St Theophan the Recluse, 

http://wingslikeagle.com/2014/06/10/philosophy-or-prayer/

The consumer’s “heaven”

"It is difficult to accept that God has placed limits in our lives for our protection. Our dreams and visions of “what would be good,” often exclude our salvation. We treat our salvation as a disconnected reward for the good choices of our life (the consumer’s “heaven”). The process of salvation, including the woof and weave of tragedy and rescue that form the purification and illumination of our lives, are beyond our planning (we wouldn’t dare). But God dares. He smashes towers and raises them up bringing the whole world towards His Kingdom."

+ Fr Stephen Freeman, The Babel Syndrome, http://glory2godforallthings.com/2014/06/10/the-babel-syndrome/

On Pastoral Methods

"The Church’s worship—the Eucharist, sacraments, prayer services, blessings, and other rites—are the very foundation of pastoral ministry. If we follow the ancient saying of Prosper of Aquitaine, lex orandi, lex credendi, then we must return once again to worship to help us prepare the leaders of tomorrow. Future pastors will certainly encounter a variety of people, problems, and situations in their ministry, and they will turn to the liturgy for comfort and assistance. Their preaching will take place in the context of worship. Their teaching will be based on the Lectionary readings that follow the feasts and fasts of the Church; their bedside prayers in the hospital will come from the breviary. All of this points to the obvious: rather than looking to the “new and improved” methods of pastoral care, why not return to the timeless, ageless liturgical life of the Church?"

+ Fr William C. Mills

The Comforter

THE COMFORTER: OUR SUPPORT AND STRENGTH FOR MISSION

by Metropolitan Anthony Bloom, http://masarchive.org/Sites/texts/1999-05-29-1-E-E-T-EM04-027ConferenceTheComforter.html

I feel more than slightly apprehensive, giving this talk in the background of a very theological theme. And so, you will forgive me, if my theological statements are untheological and if the rest is very different from what you may expect.

The Church: The Body, Mission and Life of Orthodox Christians

The Church: The Body, Mission and Life of Orthodox Christians

"So we will prepare for the coming Sunday, for the Big Feast of Pentecost, which as you know is the second, is the second big feast of the year after Pascha. And so let us truly partake of it, not just a little bit, you know God says “open your mouth wide and I will fill it.” So often when I give communion it’s important that a mouth is open so that communion can be given. So open your mouth and receive all that God has given you. So come feast, partake richly of the grace that comes when we stand in feast together and in the liturgies.

Doxa Patri Ke Eyo Epnevmati.

Christ is Among us. (Congregation: He is and ever shall be!)

To See the Face of Christ

"Christ is risen. (Congregation Responds: Indeed He is risen.) Christ is risen. (Congregation: Indeed He is risen.) Christ is risen. (Congregation: Indeed He is risen.)

You will forgive me for saying this so many times, but you've got to take advantage.... You never know you won't be able to say it. Today is the last Sunday of Pascha. Christ is risen. (Congregation: Indeed He is risen.)

On Wednesday we celebrate the Leavetaking. Christ is risen. (Congregation: Indeed He is risen.)

And then on Thursday we will enter the feast of the Ascension. It's gone so fast. I'm sure you all must feel that. It just was the other day when we began the paschal vigil. I ask you, has it been a blessed time for you? Have you grown in faith? In hope? In love? Have you paid attention to the Resurrection? Have you seen the Resurrection?

Crowns of Love

"It's always a beautiful reality in our world when two people love each other.  It gives everyone joy and hope and is always a reason to celebrate.  It is truly beautiful.  Love in this world is always a miracle and it is always something that fills everyone with great joy since love always comes from God. Even sometimes in imperfect ways but still love is always from God.

HH Pope Shenouda III on Partaking in the Divine Life

"God is glorified in His Godhead attributes.

God is glorified in His eternity, in His omnipotence, in His limitlessness as He is not limited by time or place. He is glorified in His greatness, in His indescribable beauty, in His holiness, in His wisdom, in His unlimited knowledge, and in His power to create. In short, God's Glory lies in His Godhead....

...If we glorify God on the earth, God will glorify us in heaven and here as well. “ For whom He foreknew, He also predestined… these He also glorified” (Rom. 8:29,30); “ If indeed we suffer with Him… we may also be glorified together” (Rom. 8:17) God even called us to His eternal glory (1 Pet.5: 10), so that we may be partakers of the glory that will be revealed, and receive the crown of glory that does not fade away (1 Pet. 5: 1,4), “bringing many sons to glory” (Heb. 2: 10). Yea, indeed, much glory has been, and is still, given us by God."

+ HH Pope Shenouda III, Contemplation 1 on John 17 

*(Thanks to Mina S  for finding this)