Orthodixie

When I come before the judgment throne, I will plead the promise of God in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. I will not plead any work I have done, although I will thank God that he has enabled me to do some good. I will plead no merits other than the merits of Christ, knowing that the merits of Mary and the saints are all from him; and for their company, their example, and their prayers through my earthly life I will give everlasting thanks. I will not plead that I had faith, for sometimes I was unsure of my faith, and in any event that would be to turn faith into a meritorious work of my own. I will not plead that I held the correct understanding of ‘justification by faith alone,’ although I will thank God that that he led me to know ever more fully the great truth that much misunderstood doctrine was intended to protect. Whatever little growth in holiness I have experienced, whatever strength I have received from the company of the saints, whatever understanding I have attained of God and his ways…these and all other gifts I will bring gratefully to the throne. But in seeking entry to that heavenly kingdom, I will, with Dysmas, look to Christ and Christ alone.

Richard John Neuhaus (May 14, 1936 — January 8, 2009)

Source

Face it. Orthodox Christians can be just plain lazy — from Middle-Aged Cradles endlessly touting the glories of a bygone or foreign culture …

to the Young American Converts sporting ponytails and practicing really deep breathing with wool knots out by the Vegan food co-op.

As if there was no other way to live out one’s Orthodoxy.

There’s certainly value in preservation of the good in one’s culture – I mean, hello, I’m a Southerner!

And, yes, I fast and practice the Jesus Prayer with the Prayer Rope (even have a dwindling ponytail!).

But, the dichotomy of:

This is the way we did it in the Old Country …

versus

This is the way they do it on the Holy Mountain …

can be tiring.

It’s like one bishop once said, when commenting on why it is so hard for Orthodox to work together on social and ethical issues with Evangelicals:

“They keep saying – ‘Jesus is Lord, Jesus is Lord’ – Okay! We know already! Now can we get on with it?!!”

It does get old.

But, for many Orthodox, old is a good thing!

OLD, for some, equals TRADITION.

From my seminary days, I remember my Liturgics professor saying:

“In the local parish, TRADITION is whatever that parish has done for the past three years.”

And, believe me; some parishes have done boring for so long it has become Tradition.

Many groups, from small Missions in store-fronts, to Cathedrals-in-the-doldrums have fallen into a spiritual stupor …

The Orthodixie Podcast on Ancient Faith Radio.

(Or, just listen right here.)

Image Source – The Small Town Heroes.

Moscow, December 29, Interfax –

There will be no reforms in the Russian Orthodox Church when a new Patriarch takes office, Patriarchal Locum Tenens Metropolitan Kirill told the media in Moscow on Monday.

“I strongly oppose any church reforms. Besides, I do not think that any of the 145 archbishops that may be nominated for Patriarch have reform aspirations,” he said.

Russia has twice learned “the necessity of careful attitude to traditions, especially church traditions,” the Metropolitan said.

“The first lesson we learned was the church split by Old Believers. Our second lesson was the notorious innovations of the 1920s. Both processes caused agitation and divided people but neither of them reached the goals set by the reformers,” he told.

“Church reforms cannot attain their goals unless these goals are rooted in people’s life,” Metropolitan Kirill remarked.

“Our Church is strong with its ability to preserve the belief and the flawless moral paradigm and to pass them over from one generation to another,” the Metropolitan said.

“The Church is conservative by nature, as it maintains the apostolic belief,” he added.

“If we want to pass the belief from one generation to another for centuries, the belief must be intact. Any reform damaging the belief, traditions and values is called heresy,” he said.

Meanwhile, secular reforms that undermine traditions of “theological and moral values” are dangerous for the country, Metropolitan Kirill said.

“Life has shown that Russia accepts ideas that do not break its backbone. People rejected everything suggested in the 1990s as kind of an intellectual project,” he said.

Source (links added)

Image Source

How is it that my Creator comes to me?I’m not worthy.
To quench is my fate.
THIRST
All can relate.
Before Eden thou wast; even before the flood.
I parted for Thy people at the behest of Moses, Thy chosen one.
I’ve whetted e’ery path man’s trod; every field he’s plo’d.
At Thy command I came to be; my rest shall be in Thee.
Tell me Lord, what brings Thee to me? I’m not worthy,
I must confess.
Me? I cleanse from sweat, dirt, sand, and disease.
Washed away are cares and burdens — the soot of the day —
in my waves.
John calls forth the people.
In their salvation I participate.
Yet, to Thee, how can I relate?
For without, I’d not be.
Jest it seems!
(Agent of cleansing feels dirty in the presence of the King.)
Cleanse me, O Lord, that I may be worthy of Thee.
THIRST
I am water.
I lack nothing but Thee.
At Thy baptism, O Lord, Thou hast found me worthy.
Quenching, cleansing:
paths, fields, people,
salvation;
I
shall ne’er be the same.

Come Lord Jesus,
cleanse Thou me!

Published in 2005 on the Antiochian Webpage – click the link for other Epiphany offerings.

Image Source

In my opinion, this video should be required viewing for Orthodox Christians in America.