Politicking in Jesus’ name

Posted on by Fr. Peter
By Paul S. Ropp
From http://www.telegram.com/
Mahatma Gandhi, the great apostle of nonviolence who sought to end British rule in India by peaceful means, once said in a moment of striking candor: “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
Admittedly, it’s not easy to live up to the ethical altruism that Jesus taught, but Gandhi thought that Christians, of all people, should at least exemplify the compassion of Jesus.
As the Christian right has risen to prominence in American politics, it has increasingly attacked the values that Jesus taught. Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann loudly proclaim their Christian faith, but the main point of their faith is that Jesus assures them of an eternity in Heaven while anyone who holds views different from their own is assured of an eternity in Hell. This turns Christianity into the narcissistic pursuit of personal salvation.
In the Gospel of Matthew in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says it is not those who say “Lord, Lord” but those who do the will of the Father who will inherit the kingdom of Heaven. He also makes it clear with his parable of the Good Samaritan that God’s will is for us to love our neighbors as ourselves, to be compassionate toward people we might not even know or like.
The biblical scholar Marcus Borg, in his book “Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time,” writes that Jesus attacked the religious purity system of his own day, and argued for a religion centered not on purity but on compassion. Samaritans were seen as impure in first-century Judaism, and so was death. A priest and a Levite pass an injured victim of robbery on a roadside in part because the man is near death, and death was seen as impure and polluting.
In making an impure Samaritan the hero of his parable of compassion, the one who throws caution to the wind and rescues the dying stranger, Jesus attacked the emphasis on purity and piety in the established religion of his day. He was criticized for socializing with sinners and the impure, “the least of these,” and for breaking the strict rules of the Sabbath.
My father was a farmer, a devout Mennonite who taught Sunday school, read the Bible daily, and frequently quoted Scripture to make sense of things or explain his actions and feelings. One of his favorite Bible quotes was the verse from Matthew 25 in the King James Version: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” I didn’t even understand this sentence the first time I heard it, but early on I became aware of its importance in my dad’s worldview.
The verse comes near the end of Jesus’ parable about people facing God’s judgment, and being judged, not by their particular beliefs, but by the degree to which they feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, befriend the stranger and visit the imprisoned. When the people being judged are puzzled, Jesus quotes God as saying, whatever you do to the stranger, the poor, downtrodden and imprisoned, you do to God.
Our politicians who shout “Lord, Lord!” with the greatest intensity proclaim their deep faith in Jesus as their personal savior, while they explicitly contradict the ethical lessons that Jesus taught. Their ire is directed at precisely those Jesus called “the least of these,” the stranger (undocumented immigrants), the poor (welfare freeloaders), and the imprisoned (criminals).
I don’t question the sincerity of Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann, but I see little evidence that they understand or believe the teachings of Jesus. They pray not in a closet as Jesus advised, but shout their prayers into megaphones from mountaintops. They frequently appeal to fear (of terrorists), resentment (of liberals and welfare cheats), and anger (at our first black president, at “socialized medicine,” at federal bureaucrats).
The Christian right has made Christianity into a civil religion where Jesus’ declaration, “The first shall be last” is replaced with “We are No. 1.” “Love your neighbor as yourself” is replaced with “Don’t tread on me.” “Love your enemy” is replaced with “Carry a big stick and don’t be afraid to use it.”
It may be effective politics to appeal to hate, fear and resentment in hard economic times, but it clearly contradicts the ethical teachings of Jesus.
Paul S. Ropp is research professor of history at Clark University.

Jesus is With the 99%

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Did that get your attention?  Thought so, now please read on.

The title of this post was the title of another post I read this morning that just got my blood boiling.  It is a clear indication of how bad proof texting can be.  For those of you who do not know proof texting it taking a passage of Scripture, out of context, and then using it to prove your point.

Maybe the Jesus that the author prays to is with the 99% but the Jesus that I know from Scripture and 2,000 years of Church tradition tells me He is with the 100%.  Jesus shows no partiality and loves everyone equally.  He might not like some of the things that we do but His love is eternal, absolute, and unconditional, end of story.  At the end of the post the author says this:

Is Jesus also with the 1%? Of course. But In a world that too often makes demi-gods of the ultra-rich, and politicians are telling tell struggling Americans to “blame themselves,” we all could use a reminder that Jesus paid special attention to the powerless and vulnerable in society and sharp words for the wealthy and powerful.

I would agree that Jesus spoke for the powerless and vulnerable in society but he also spoke for those who had a voice, Jesus speaks for all of us.  This is another example of using religion as a weapon and I find this disgusting.

Jesus did not hang on the cross for the 99% He hung on that cross for the 100%  As soon as everyone realizes that Jesus is not a political figure, and only cares about your eternal salvation, they will be better off.  Until them I for one would appreciate you just leaving Him out of it.

Chickens Part 3 ~ The Blessing

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Sunday last we held a blessing for the new chickens that arrived the previous week.  The prayer comes from the Priests Service Book and is attributed to St. Modestos.  It is a generic prayer for animals so I tailored it to fit for the Chickens.
O Lord Jesus Christ our God, compassionate and all-good, who fashioned in wisdom both the invisible and the visible creation; who pour your mercies upon everything that has been made by you; who, in your loving providence, provide for all your creatures, from the first to the last; hear my prayer and drive away and banish every injury and illness from all these *chickens* which are being used for the livelihood of your servants.

Yes, Lord, look down from your holy dwelling place and bless all these animals, as you blessed the flocks of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all your faithful servants.  Multiply them, grant them health, strength and productivity; render them robust and successful in the various services which they render.  So that their owners, having derived abundant benefits from them, may engage in all good works which are pleasing to you, and may glorify on earth your holy name, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

I Want to Spend My Life Mending Broken People

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Back in January of 1992, I met this family of Nazarene missionaries at Eastern Nazarene College.  Little did I know that this family would change my life forever.  It is because of them that I went to Romania where I found a spiritual home that eventually lead me to the Orthodox Church.  I am a priest in the Orthodox Church today because of Jon, Margaret, Andrea, David, Joel, and Nathan Scott.  I am not sure I ever told you but thank you for all that you did for me all those years ago.  I love you guys and I miss you everyday! Vă mulţumim pentru tot ceea ce!

In what seems like another life, when I was part of the Church of the Nazarene I used to be what is called a Song Evangelist.  I used to go around singing in churches and camps and even in Romania.  There was one sing that I sang that has really stayed with me in my life and I guess you could call it my anthem.  I have long since lost the tape of the music but I was able to find the words tonight online.  The title of the song is the title of this post.  I want to spend my life mending broken people.

I guess maybe I am feeling a little nostalgic tonight or something but here are the words to that song.  May they truly be my anthem and my life.

When I see my brother stumble and all his dreams crumble,
Let me be there for I, too, fell.
When I see his heart breaking from a wrong turn he’s taking,
Let me be there for I remember well.

I want to spend my life mending broken people.
I want to spend my life removing pain.
Lord, let my words heal a heart that hurts;
I want to spend my whole life mending broken people.

When I see a life that’s broken,
Lord, give me words that should be spoken.
For I well remember the pain.
When I see teardrops falling,
Lord remind me of my calling.
Help me restore their faith again.

I want to spend my life mending broken people.

I want to spend my life removing pain.
Lord, let my words heal a heart that hurts;
I want to spend my whole life mending broken people.

Simplicity of Life

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Yesterday after church, a few folks gathered around a table and we began a discussion about how we can support one another in the times that are a head. I have heard it said, “we ain’t seen nothing yet” in reference to the economy. More and more people are taking to the streets and the future does not look good.
If you read these pages, you know that this past week we purchased a few chickens for eggs and they seem to be doing well in their new home. (No eggs yet) But what else can we do?
I am a great reader of blogs, and I read many blogs of people who are trying to simplify their lives and go off the grid as much as possible. Yesterday, on a blog called Antiquity Oaks, I read a story about a women who purchased a patio set this year and it is already disintegrating. She has had it and will no longer support corporate America. This gave me pause to think and was part of our discussion yesterday.
In the blog post, the author said, that she would no longer purchase anything that was not produced locally. She would either buy it recycled or have a local craftsman make it for her. This is a good start. We throw a tremendous amount of stuff in the trash every day that can be useful in some way. Why not take it to Good Will or the Salvation Army. Why not shop at swap meets or second hand stores, talk about bargains. One of the reasons, for me any way, is it is easier to go to a Big Box Store and buy everything in one place then it is to shop in several stores to find what we need. That covers the stuff we might need, how about food?
We are lucky in our area that we have several farms. Yes I know the argument; you pay more from a farm then from the grocery store. Your right you do, but it is fresher and better for you then stuff from the grocery store and it helps support the local economy. Buying something from the person who made it or grew it is a wonderful experience. They can tell you where it came from and how they grew it. The grocer cannot do that.
Many farms in my area have what is called “Community Supported Agriculture” (CSA) where you can purchase a share of the farm. Maybe a meat share, or a dairy share, or a whole farm share depends on what you want. You get a box each week of what has been harvested that week. It is fresh, and it is local, and it is in season right from a local farm. Is it more expensive, sure, but things of quality always cost more than things of lesser quality.
Maybe you could grow things yourself? No space, there are plans for container gardens that can be grown in almost no space at all. Then there are community gardens. Last year, a group of folks in Southbridge, started a community garden on an unused patch of land that the town owns. They grow all sorts of things and what they do not use themselves they sell at the local farmers market. It has the added benefit of keeping that portion of the town clean!
There are many ways we can simplify our lives, it just takes a different mindset and a little more time.

Scripture Readings ~ 21st Sunday after Pentecost

Posted on by Fr. Peter
21st SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST — Tone 1 (4th of Luke). Commemoration of the Holy Fathers of the 7th Ecumenical Council. Martyr Longinus the Centurion, who stood at the Cross of the Lord (1st c.). Ven. Lóngin the Gatekeeper of the Kiev Caves (Far Caves—13th-14th c.). Ven. Lóngin of Yarensk (1544-1545).

John 20:1-10 (7th Matins Gospel)

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.

St. Paul’s Letter to Titus 3:8-15

TITUS, my son, the saying is sure. I desire you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to apply themselves to good deeds; these are excellent and profitable to men. But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels over the law, for they are unprofitable and futile. As for a man who is factious, after admonishing him once or twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is perverted and sinful; he is self-condemned.
When I send Artemas or Tychicos to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. And let our people learn to apply themselves to good deeds, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not to be unfruitful.
All who are with me send greeting to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.
Luke 8:5-15 (Gospel)
A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold. When He had said these things He cried, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Then His disciples asked Him, saying, “What does this parable mean?” And He said, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that ‘Seeing they may not see, And hearing they may not understand.’ Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.

Chickens Part 2 ~ The Arrival

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Monastery RI Reds
Yesterday I wrote about getting ready for the arrival of the chickens and yesterday afternoon they arrived. We now have 7 hens and a rooster all Rhode Island Reds!
They came from a family farm in Ellington, Connecticut. A nice family and a beautiful farm. It has been some years since I have actually had to handle chickens, other than the ones that come from the supermarket, but you learn quick.
When we arrived at the farm we need to catch the chickens and the rooster, this was fun. We were able to pen the up and it seems they just laid down on the floor of the barn and we picked them up. The farmers son came out to help us, I this he might have been 8 maybe younger! The rooster was the challenge but once we got him he was a very good boy and calmed right down. Maybe it was all the Jesus Prayer I was saying the whole time.
We put them in cardboard boxes in the back of the truck for the hour long ride home and they did just fine. They are now at home in their new coop and are happily scratching at the ground and eating all sorts of things out there. I have my concerns about the rooster (who I named Tikhon after Patriarch Tikhon) but only time will tell.
On Sunday I will bless the new members of the family and soon we hope to have eggs. RI Reds are good egg producers and should produce all winter unless the temp drops below freezing for an extended period of time.
So on the next project. The garden needs to be cleaned and I am planning on expanding the garden for next year so the beds will need to be built.
Stay tuned!

Chickens

Posted on by Fr. Peter
For some time now I have been planning to get a few chickens in the backyard.  Well it appears today is the day!

This past year I have been thinking about ways that one can reduces ones food cost as things don’t seem to be getting better in the economy.  This coming year looks like it will be tighter than the past year so we all need to buckle down and do our bit.

I have a garden out back, I did not plany anything this year but a few parishioners did, and I have plans to expland the planting beds next season as well.  We are exploring the idea of a community garden where folks in the church can come and plant some stuff and then have a share in the produce, and I believe th chickens will help.

I bought the coop in the spring and it has sat, unoccupided, since it arrived.  My 7 week sabattical this summer did not help the food production but it did help the spiritual production!  So now it is ready.  The picture above is the coop and the run that I have spent the last few days getting ready with some help.

Food insecurity has become a real problem and one that can be eased with a little bit of intentional planning.  Southbirdge started a community garden on an unused parcel of land owned by the town and several families planted crops.  The Towm also sponsors a farmer’s market on Friday afternoons on the Town Common.  These are all good things.  Good, local food is important and needs to be part of our diets for many reasons.

We need to get back to the practice of canning and root cellars and just living simply, the times are calling for it.

So the chickens come today, I hope, and tomorrow I will post about them.

Occupy Wall Street

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Occupy Boston
Let me state right at the top of this post, that I strongly support the right of any group of citizens to protest.  After all, America was founded by a group of citizens protesting, wait for it, taxes and representation.

With that said, I don’t support violent protest of any kind.  I agree with the Occupy Wall Street crowd as much as I agree with the Tea Party crowd, on their right to protest, but I draw the line when things turn nasty.  I disagreed with the Tea Party crowd when they started to call the President of the United States Hitler and I disagree with the Occupy Wall Street crowd when private and public property starts to get damaged.  Although the American Revolution was all about destruction of private property.  Remember the Boston Tea Party?

I have recently read posts, from friends on Facebook and other places, that call these folks Anarchists, Nazi’s, and other horrible comments, and some of these comments come from Christians.  These are the same people by the way who reacted in a negative way when folks called the Tea Party crowd names.

My point is this, the time for name calling is over, it is not helpful and needs to end now on both sides.  We have serious problems in this country that need serious people to fix them.  I do not care who it is, whether it is a political candidate sniping at their opponent, or someone making fun of people exercising their constitutional right to protest, name calling is childish and we need not participate in it.  Rise above it and work towards a solution.

It is easy to stand on a stage at a political rally or a debate and poke fun at the one who has the job you want.  It is another thing all together to actually come up with a solution and then make it work.  I call on all candidates for political office, of any party, to stop telling me what the other has done or will do and tell me what you have done or will do.  Put your money where your mouth is and show me results.

To the Occupy Wall Street crowd, keep on keeping on but keep it peaceful and respectful.  Once the violence begins you lose your message.  I know it is not all of you just like I know it is not all of the Tea Party crowd making the Obama is a Nazi comments, but you must condemn this violence because it is painting all of you in a bad light.

Our country grew from the very right of protest.  Sam Adams was called an Anarchist by the government of the day but a Patriot by the people.  Anyone who stands up for their rights no matter what they are deserve some respect.  I may not support what you are protesting about but I will give my last breath to support your right to do it!  We need to be celebrating our rights and not making fun of those who are exercising them. 

What Can the Saints Teach Us?

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Tikhon of Moscow
Yesterday on the Church calendar was the remembrance of the Glorification of St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, Enlightener of North America. Now that is a cool title!
St. Tikhon came to America in 1898 as the Bishop of the Aleutian Islands and Alaska. He encouraged the use of English as the language of the Divine Liturgy and was one of the people who encouraged Isabel Hapgood in her translation of the Divine Liturgy into English. This translation is still in use by many today.
But what can his life teach us?
By all accounts Tikhon was a steadfast pastor visiting parishes located in far flung locations. Traveling under some harsh conditions he made it his goal to find Orthodox Communities in North America and bring them together. There is one story of him sleeping on the tundra in a tent on his journey around Alaska.
The real mettle of St. Tikhon would be tested upon his return to Russia on 1907. The aftermath of WWI was clearly being felt and he ministered too many who had been displaced by this war. Also, war fever was on the rise in Russia. He was elected Patriarch November 5, 1917 at a time of political disunity in Russia and disunity in the Church.
Church property has started to be confiscated by the new Bolshevik government and Tikhon was very outspoken on the confiscation as well as the murder of the Czar’s family in 1918. In 1922 Tikhon was imprisoned for his opposition to government programs. He entered into an agreement with the government to cease the violence if he would stop his opposition. Some have faulted him for this.
On April 5, 1925 Tikhon celebrated his final Divine Liturgy. Worn out by years of protest it is said he gave his life for the Church and was hailed as a martyr. He was glorified by the Church of Russia in 1989.

Tikhon stood up when he was needed.  He spoke what needed to be said, and he protected his flock when it needed protection!  He was not a perfect man, but when his flock needed him God gave him the strength for the journey.  That is what we can learn.  Although we are not perfect we can be used by God if we are willing to follow him.

Looking back at what was happening in Russia at the time, and looking at events of today and how Christians are being persecuted in places like Egypt and other Middle Eastern Countries as well as what seems to be a move towards Atheism in our own country, we can find many things is common.
St. Tikhon had this to say about the times and about the struggle: “Devote all your energy to preaching the word of God and the truth of Christ, especially today, when unbelief and atheism are audaciously attacking the Church of Christ.”
At a time when the fastest growing religion in America is “None of the Above” we who preach the gospel need to pay special attention to the words of St. Tikhon. We need to preach the truth and love of Christ and we need to do it without wavering or backing down or becoming politically correct!
May St. Tikhon guide us and may his example shine like a bright light that we can all follow.
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