Orthodixie

Rarely do I link to Fr Stephen Freeman’s Glory to God for All Things, though I try to keep up with him (no small task), because I assume most of you read him already. The following entry, however, deserves a read (tell your non-Orthodox friends — even your pastor) …

The Bible is not God’s revelation to man: Jesus Christ is God’s revelation to man. The Scriptures bear witness to Him and are thus “true” as a true witness to the God/Man Jesus Christ.

Thus the import of Noah’s flood is to be found in Holy Baptism and not the other way around. Creation as shared in the first chapter of Genesis is an unfolding of the Paschal mystery and it is from that mystery that it derives its value. I could multiply such examples. When this principle is forgotten, Christians find themselves arguing over points of geology or archaeology and not over the triumphant resurrection of Christ. If Christ is risen from the dead, everything else becomes moot. If Christ is not risen from the dead, then all Christian statements become moot.

Christ is risen from the dead.

Grab a cup of coffee, sit back and read it all.

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With help from my daughter, I try to stay on pitch while singing Dan Idzikowski’s “Superchristological and Homoousiosis” — here’s the lyrics (below); tune in and sing along!

(Might wanna turn my part down, however.)

The Orthodixie Podcast on Ancient Faith Radio.

Or, just listen right here.

To the tune of “Supercalafragalisticexpialadocius”

Um diddle diddle um diddle ay
Um diddle diddle um diddle ay

Superchristological and Homoousiosis
Even though the sound of them is something quite atrocious
You can always count on them to anathemize your Gnosis
Superchristological and Homoousiosis

Um diddle diddle um diddle ay
Um diddle diddle um diddle ay

Now Origen and Arius were quite a clever pair.
Immutable divinity make Logos out of air.
But then one day Saint Nicholas gave Arius a slap–
and told them if they can’t recant, they ought to shut their trap!

Superchristological and Homoousiosis
Even though the sound of them is something quite atrocious
You can always count on them to anathemize your Gnosis
Superchristological and Homoousiosis

Um diddle diddle um diddle ay
Um diddle diddle um diddle ay

One Prosopon, two Ousia are in one Hypostasis.
At Chalcedon this formula gave our faith its basis.
You can argue that you don’t know what this means,
But don’t you go and try to say there’s a “Physis” in between!

Superchristological and Homoousiosis
Even though the sound of them is something quite atrocious
You can always count on them to anathemize your Gnosis
Superchristological and Homoousiosis

Um diddle diddle um diddle ay
Urn diddle diddle um diddle ay

Now freedom and autonomy are something to be praised,
But when it comes to human sin, these words must be rephrased,
For Pelagius was too confident that we could work it out–
And Augustine said *massa damnata* is what it’s all about.

Superchristological and Homoousiosis
Even though the sound of them is something quite atrocious
You can always count on them to anathemize your Gnosis
Superchristological and Homoousiosis

Um diddle diddle um diddle ay
Um diddle diddle um diddle ay

Heresies are arguments that you might find attractive,
But just remember in this case the Church is quite reactive.
So play it safe and memorize these words we sing together,
‘Cause in the end you’ll find, my friend, that we may live forever.

Superchristological and Homoousiosis
Even though the sound of them is something quite atrocious
You can always count on them to anathemize your Gnosis
Superchristological and Homoousiosis

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When you come to Scripture, you can’t just find some text and come up with some interpretation that no one has ever thought of before and have a plausible argument that it’s true. There’s a saying that I like to quote: “All that’s old might not be gold, but if it’s new it can’t be true” — and when it comes to Scripture that’s certainly true.

If you read Scripture and you find something that after 2,000 years no one has ever thought of until you came along, you know it’s wrong.

— Fr John Whiteford

Father John Whiteford, my son’s Godfather (pictured here from 2001) has an excellent — a must hear! — interview with Kevin Allen of The Illumined Heart on Sola Scriptura (the Protestant belief in “Scripture Alone”).

Listen here … or here.

Excellent, excellent, excellent!

Incidentally, the pic is from a post titled Иоанн Whiteford & the Pips — just before Fr John left for Russia for the Reconciliation of the Russian Church.

If posting poetry is, forgive me this, like posing nude — Seminarian Michael goes streaking.

Perhaps he should see a priest — like Fr John Hainsworth — who is nuts (about poetry).

Or, a good confession (ala Patrick Kavanagh) might be in order …

Having confessed he feels
That he should go down on his knees and pray
For forgiveness for his pride, for having
Dared to view his soul from the outside.
Lie at the heart of the emotion, time
Has its own work to do. We must not anticipate
Or awaken for a moment. God cannot catch us
Unless we stay in the unconscious room
Of our hearts. We must be nothing,
Nothing that God may make us something.
We must not touch the immortal material
We must not daydream to-morrow’s judgment—
God must be allowed to surprise us.
We have sinned, sinned like Lucifer
By this anticipation. Let us lie down again
Deep in anonymous humility and God
May find us worthy material for His hand.

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Finally, there’s lots of good verse in the Bible … and you can read it this year with a little help.

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CONCORD, N.H. – The first openly gay Episcopal bishop will offer a prayer at the Lincoln Memorial at an inaugural event for President-elect Barack Obama …

“It’s important for any minority to see themselves represented in some way,” Robinson told the newspaper for a story in Monday’s editions. “Whether it be a racial minority, an ethnic minority, or in our case, a sexual minority. Just seeing someone like you up front matters.”

Clark Stevens, a spokesman for the inaugural committee, said Robinson was invited because he had offered his advice to Obama during the campaign and because of his church work. When asked whether Robinson was included to calm the Warren complaints, he said Robinson is “an important figure in the religious community. We are excited that he will be involved.”

Robinson, 61, said both Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden will attend the event, and Obama is expected to speak. As for himself, Robinson said he doesn’t yet know what he’ll say, but he knows he won’t use a Bible.

“While that is a holy and sacred text to me, it is not for many Americans,” Robinson said. “I will be careful not to be especially Christian in my prayer. This is a prayer for the whole nation.”

Robinson said his prayer will be reflective of the times.

“I think these are sober and difficult times that we are facing,” he said. “It won’t be a happy, clappy prayer.”

Full article here.

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