As a follow up to my previous radio program, I am presenting this MiniCast of Shepherd of Souls recorded on the Eve of the Great Feast of Theophany on the theme of the significance of water in baptism. I hope you enjoy.
Podcast: Baptism: What It’s All About
Show Notes
“Through Baptism we are placed into a radically new relationship with all aspects of life and with the ‘world’ itself… a radically new understanding of life. Baptism is the starting point and also the foundation of a Christian ‘philosophy of life’ a permanent sense of direction guiding us firmly throughout our entire existence, supplying answers to all questions and solving all problems.” Fr. Alexander Schmemann “Of Water & The Spirit”
Baptism is the first of the Sacraments and is the Mystery of the re-creation of man by “being clothed in Christ.” (Galatians 3:27)
Baptism is a fleeing from “this world” that has been stolen from God by the Enemy and has become a prison.
An escape from darkness and despair
Restoration of “true life” the life that has been lost to sin
Baptism is a recognition of evil in the world and a renunciation of that evil and a promise to follow the narrow way of God.
We turn our back on the world!
Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration
A Personal Pascha
A Personal Pentecost
An integration into the people of God
A passage from the old man to the new man
Baptism is performed through a triple immersion in water in the name of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.)
Preparation is an integral part of not only Baptism but all sacraments.
The Church is preparation
Liturgy is preparation
The very essence of the Liturgical life of the Church
Baptism is the celebration of Pascha (Easter) in our lives and in the life of the Church.
Pascha is the “feast of feasts” and is the fulfillment of Baptism.
Baptism is tied to Pascha through the Liturgy, we have all but removed Baptism from an association with the Liturgy.
The Evening Service of Pascha, now celebrated on Saturday morning, is the Baptismal Liturgy.
The Mysteries (Sacraments) of the open the door to the Grace of God
Grace is:
His Love
His Mercy
His Compassion
His Activity in our Lives
Leadership Lessons from St. Paul
In his letter to the church at Ephesus, St. Paul lays out the various leadership roles in the Church. He says that “some will prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.” He goes on to say that these positions exists for the purpose of “equipping the saints” that is, the people of God. This passage, from the 4th chapter, lay out the leadership roles in the church the he calls gifts, they are gifts given by the Holy Spirit to those whom God has called to leadership.
I have said this in the past, the Orthodox Church is not simply another denomination or a religion it is, and it has to be, a lifestyle and the beliefs of the faith have to permeate ones entire life and this especially true for leaders. If someone is not living the faith they will not be an effective leader for followers model the leaders. You want to change your followers that change begins with yourself.
So these are the leaders but what values should these leaders have?
- Courage
The Church requires leaders, at all levels, to have courage. This is the courage to stand for what is right and not for what is popular. The Church, thorough her leaders, needs to influence society not the other way around. We have far too many leaders who are all about being popular but popularity is not what it is all about. Jesus did not come to win a popularity contest He came to transform the world and He did this with the courage of His convictions and everything He did and everything He taught came from that.
- High Standards
This flow comes from the previous value and it means that leaders hold to the standard and are not willing to easily compromise. Sometimes compromise will be necessary but this change should not come easy and it should only come after long study and prayer. We do not change with the direction of the wind. Consistency in leadership and belief is what people need. Your followers want to know what you stand for not only when things are going well but in times that are difficult. Just like with the previous value, we have far too many leaders who are willing to compromise to make life easy on them, it is not about the easy road it is about the narrow, less taken road.
- Compassion
Leaders, especially those called to leadership in the Church, need to be servant leaders. Church leadership should not put themselves above those they lead. Church leaders exists to serve those they lead not the other way around and Jesus is the prime example of this because He came to “serve and not to be served.” Leaders should not seek the prime seat or to get something out of being the leader, but the leader needs to set the example by showing compassion for those around them that they seek to serve.
- Commitment
There is no better example of this then “let your yes be yes and your no be no.” Leaders have to not only be committed to those they serve but to the organization they serve. The leader has to set the example of what it means to be a church member and will be held to a much higher standard than those who follow. If you wish to be a leader then you have to be willing to give 110% of yourself to the Church. The Book of Revelation tells us that the lukewarm will be “spewed forth from the mouth of God.” We have far too many lukewarm leaders in the Church what we need are dedicated men and women who are willing to give their lives for the Church and for those they follow, this is the essence of commitment and is what is necessary now more than ever.
True leadership is all about transforming the lives of people and investing in them and their lives. The Church needs leaders, both clergy and lay, whose only motivation is for that, transformation of people’s lives.
What is Your Legacy?
One of the conversations I most often have in my work as a hospice chaplain is how will people remember their loved one; in other words, what is their legacy? As we start the new year I think it is usual for all us to look back over the year that we have just completed and see what we have done and perhaps what we have left undone. When we look back do we see deep and lasting footprints or are they just on the surface, leaving no lasting impression?
I am not a great one for making resolutions mainly because I never seem to keep them past the 3rd or 4th day of the New Year, and this year is no different. What I am doing this year is being intentional about how I am going to change my life, not simply for the sake of change but that life can and will be different moving forward.
In his book The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, John Maxwell writes that the first law is the Law of Intentionality. The idea behind this law is that life does not just happen; we cannot just sit there and wait for something to happen we have to be intentional about it. If we want our lives to change we cannot just wait for change to happen we have to make that change happen.
I think most of us just sit and wait for life to make its move rather than moving life in the direction we want it to go in. If you want to lose weight, you cannot just sit on the couch and wish the pounds would drop off. If you want to take a class to improve your job performance, you cannot just sit and hope that the teacher comes by and teaches the class in your living room. If we want anything in life to happen we have to make it happen. But to make life happen, we need to have a plan.
Anything that we do has to be done with a plan in mind. Last summer I drove to Florida for a family reunion. Prior to leaving the house I had contacted AAA for a Triptick to make the job easier on me. Even though I have a GPS I still like to have a road map handy as I travel. I also plotted out where I was going to stop and where I would stay. I also made reservations at the hotels I was going to stay at along the way. I could have simply got in the car, started it up, pointed it south and set off but the trip was much smoother because I had a plan.
Life is the same way. Sure, we can drift along day in and day out and hope that eventually we get to where we are going, but drifting along aimlessly will never bring us to where we want or need to be in life. We not only need to know the destination – we have to know the route that we are going to follow. If something comes along that derails us, we need to get back on track as soon as possible.
Creating the plan means doing just that – sitting down and creating the plan for what you want to accomplish. Don’t wait for someone to do it for you. Get the plan down on paper and chart the course, locate the stops along the way, and give yourself time to look around and make the course corrections that you need.
The start of the New Year is a great time not only to look back but to also cast our gaze forward. We stand in the threshold of a new year and the possibilities that lie ahead of us are endless. We can go anywhere and we can do anything if we have a plan and we are intentional about how we are going to accomplish that plan. It takes work but it can be accomplished.
What is your legacy? How will people remember you? These are questions that we should ask ourselves every day and if we do not know then we need to spend the time creating the answer.
The Lone Walk of the Massachusetts Governor
On January 3, 1884 Massachusetts Governor Benjamin Butler left his office in the Massachusetts State House for the last time and began a tradition that has come to be known as the Lone Walk.
Since that date each departing governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has left his office, walked down the Grand Staircase, through the Hall of Flags, containing flags of all of the cities and towns in the Commonwealth, into Doric Hall and out the main doors of the State House.
By tradition the main doors are only opened when a governor leaves office, a head of state comes to visit the Commonwealth or the flags of Regiments from Massachusetts return from war. On January 7, 2015 those doors were opened when Deval Patrick made the lone walk on the eve of the inauguration of Charlie Baker who will become the 72 Governor of the Commonwealth on January 8, 2015. When Benjamin Butler made the lone walk in 1884 he kicked the front doors open and left. It should be noted that he did not leave office by his own choice, as Governor Patrick is, but because he lost the election to George D. Robinson.
Prior to the new governor being sworn in there is an exchange of symbols. The ceremonial pewter key to the governor’s office door, the Butler Bible, the gavel that will be used when chairing meetings of the Governor’s Council, and a two volume set of the Massachusetts General Statutes inscribed with a personal note from the departing governor and all previous governors. The Governor elect is then escorted to the House Chamber where he is sworn in by the Senate President.
As the Governor walks down the steps of the State House guns from the 101st Field Artillery of the Massachusetts Army National Guard will fire a 19 gun salute. The Governor will cross Beacon Street and enter the Boston Common symbolically joining the ranks of the everyday citizens of the Commonwealth.
Governor Patrick will continue the tradition begun in 2007 by his predecessor Mitt Romney and will take the lone walk the day prior to the inauguration of the Governor elect. In an interview Patrick remarked that he wanted the day to be about the Governor elect and not about him.
It has been said that it is lonely at the top so it seems fitting that the departing chief executive leaves the State House for the last time alone.
Podcast: The Marks of a True Disciple
In this episode I discuss the marks of a true follower of Christ. Leave your comments below.
5 Keys to a Better Spiritual Life
I am often asked the question, “how can my spiritual life be better?” My answer varies depending on the person but I have found there are 5 keys to a better spiritual life. Each one of these keys will be expanded upon in coming essays but for now here they are. Let me say right from the start, none of this possible outside of a church community. We need the supportive love of a church community to keep us on track. “Spiritual but not religious” is a tool of the deceiver and will cause you great harm.
- Do Not Hold Grudges
As one who hears confessions I encounter this in most people who come to me for confession. So and so did this to me and so and so did that to me. I like to call this remembrance of wrongs and it all stems from pride. Pride is one of the most destructive of all of the vices; in fact it is what led to the expulsion from Paradise of our first parents and thus the root of all other sins.
If we do not deal with these wrongs as they come up then they can lead to anger, vainglory, envy, and jealously not of which are healthy in our lives. Resentfulness can lead to depression, the desire to have what others have (covetousness) and can lead us to additive behavior and abuse of substances such as drugs or alcohol. This is why I list this one first.
- Forgiveness
Not holding grudges leads directly to the second key and that is forgiveness. If you have been a long time reader of these pages you know I write and speak about this a lot. In my mind forgiveness is essential in the spiritual life. Not forgiving will hamper our spiritual growth and, like hold grudges, will lead to anger and the rest.
However, forgiveness does not mean excusing or justifying. We should not say “he abused me because that is who he is.” His sin is his sin and that is for him to deal with how we react to that abuse is what I am talking about here. For the sake of our soul we have to forgive him for what he has done, but we can be on guard against it in the future.
One of the hardest parts of forgiveness is that we need to forgive even if the other person does not think they were wrong or they do not apologize. Again, their sin is their sin and they have to deal with that. We have no control over another person we only have control over ourselves. We forgive and we pray that the other person might find a way to make things right with you but until that happens we forgive, and move on.
- Do Not React
Following on forgiveness is not reacting to what others do to us. This is the “turn the other cheek” thing that Jesus speaks about.
We are responsible for our own actions and need to take on that responsibility. Putting the blame on someone else for how we react is justifying our behavior when there is no justification for sin. I have encountered far too many people who lie in the tall grass just waiting for their chance to strike back. They plot and scheme their revenge on the person or persons who have harmed them and justify it with “tit for tat.” If we are practicing forgiveness this becomes unnecessary and it is a much healthier expression of our spirituality and we can put that energy into moving on.
But there is a deeper aspect to this one.
Do not react to our thoughts. Thoughts in and of themselves are not sinful it is how we react to them that can be. I would place this one caveat on this, if we harbor resentment against someone or we have bad feelings or wish them hard, these are sinful. Again, there is no excuse for our sins and we have to be responsible for the choices we make.
Our thoughts and temptations surround us, and learning to deal with them as they come along will go a long way in improving our spiritual life.
Not reacting to our thoughts requires what the ancients call “inner watchfulness” always being aware of our thoughts and, working with your spiritual father, dealing with them as they come along. We focus on God and are always aware of His presence in our lives. We move into a living communion with God and our thoughts will gradually turn towards Him.
As I mentioned at the start of this essay, I will be expand on each of these in future essays this is just to get us thinking and moving us in the right direction. Like everything, our spiritual life needs preparation and work.
- Confession
I come from a tradition that practices Sacramental Confession but perhaps you do not. One of the healing aspects of confession is sharing our failures with another person. Spiritual healing, and even psychological heal, takes place when we put into words, and sharing them with a person we trust. Allowing ourselves to be vulnerable with another person makes our behaviors real and brings them to the forefront of our minds.
In Sacramental Confession there is the assurance from the priest that God has heard you and forgives the sins that you have confessed the other part of this is forgiving yourself. Forgiveness of self is just as important as forgiving others. The relationship we have with ourselves will greatly enhance our relationships with others. If we can forgive ourselves we should be able to forgive others and if we cannot forgive others we will not be able to forgive ourselves.
- Spiritual Parenting
The 4 pervious keys all come to completion in this 5th and final key that of spiritual parenting. This comes in many forms but in essence it is finding another person who can guide you along the path of your spiritual life. We cannot do this alone and if you think that you can then you are deluding yourself and will fail. Even spiritual parents have spiritual parents! One rule of spiritual parenting, if the parent does not have a parent then do not seek their advice.
I do not like the term “spiritual direction” because I am not directing you, you need to seek your own way I just guide you by asking questions and pointing out the signs along the way. This is a journey we are on together and sometimes I am in front of you and other times I am behind you but we are in this together.
This is an intimate relationship that develops over time and becomes the place where we share the most intimate thoughts that we have. In essence it is therapy, but therapy for the spirit and not just for the mind. Finding a spiritual parent will take time but if you are serious about improving your spiritual life this is essential.
There is not magic here and all of this takes work. We will not get to our goal by drifting along we have to be intentional about it and we have to make the decision to make it happen. We cannot just sit and hope that our spiritual life improves we have to make it happen. Just as we cannot sit on the couch and hope that we can run the marathon we have to get up and get moving.
The Power of Forgiveness
In a recent column I wrote about the need for all of us to find forgiveness and reconciliation in our lives. It is my sincere belief that this is central to our spiritual life and holding back forgiveness, even for small things, will hamper that growth and harm us in the long run. Just a few days ago in Rome we saw the power of forgiveness play itself out.
Wednesday, May 13, 1981 is a day that will long stay in my memory. I am not sure exactly what I was doing on that day but it is the day that Pope John Paul II was shot in an attempted assassination attempt while he rode through St. Peter’s Square after his weekly Wednesday audience. He was shot four times and suffered massive blood loss and if it was not for the skills of the doctors who treated him, and lots of prayers, he would have died on that day.
Mehmet Ali Ağca, a Turkish citizen, was 23 years old when he drew the pistol that he had hidden in his jacket and took aim at the Pope as he drove by in an open jeep. He pulled the trigger four times and hit his target. He was later apprehended and taken to jail. He describes himself as a mercenary with no political connections who has been charged with murdering a journalist in 1979.
In July of 1981 Ağca was found guilty in an Italian court and sentenced to life in prison for his actions in the assassination attempt. On that day, Pope John Paul II said, “pray for my brother, whom I have sincerely forgiven.” In 1983 the Pope traveled to the prison that had become the home of Ağca when he met privately with him. It was widely reported after that the Pope assured him of his forgiveness. The two stayed in contact during his incarceration and the Pope even had contact with Ağca’s family.
After serving 20 years of his life sentence Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi pardoned his and he was deported to Turkey and after fleeing the country was returned where he served more time in prison for other crimes he had committed. Upon hearing of the death of John Paul II Ağca grieved deeply at the loss of his friend.
This is a shining example of the power of forgiveness. At some time, after the visit of Pope John Paul to the prison, Ağca converted to Christianity. I have no doubt that this would have happened if it was not for the example of forgiveness. Pope John Paul did nothing more that all Christians, dare I say all people, are required to do and that is offer forgiveness to those who have wronged us.
When we withhold forgiveness we injure ourselves twice and we give power to the person who has harmed us. As long as we hold on to the anger associated with the lack of forgiveness we will not heal emotionally or spiritually. Sure the physical scars will fade overtime but the dame that is being done to us on the spiritual level will continue long after those scars heal. Spiritual healing is just as important, if not more important, than physical healing. There is no pill or operation that can be given to aid in this healing only the power of forgiveness can do this.
I will note here that although Pope John Paul forgave his attempted assassin he did not ask for his sentence to be reduced or forgiven in any way. Forgiveness does not include forgetting what happened and the person who has harmed us still must face the consequences of their actions. Forgiveness starts the healing process for all involved but the person must still be held accountable for their actions.
The end of the story came just a few days ago when Mehmet Ali Ağca returned to the Vatican and placed flowers on the tomb of his friend and now Saint in the Roman Catholic Church John Paul. December 27th was the 33rd anniversary of the meeting of the two men in a Roman prison and he came to honor the man who forgave him for what he had done.
How many of us need to let go of the anger that we hold deep inside and offer forgiveness for wrongs that have been done to us. Perhaps the person is no longer with us so we cannot forgive them face to face but forgiveness still needs to be offered. Spiritual health is important to our physical health and if we are withholding forgiveness that health will not be achieved.
Sunday Links Roundup
Here is a list of some of things I have found interesting this past week.
Passion for the Past ~ A Colonial Christmas (with a brief history of how our Christmas came to be)
Fr. Ted’s Blog ~ The Icon of the Nativity of Christ
Fr. John Peck ~ AXIOS!
Emerging Civil War ~ 2014 in Review: General Grant and the Rewriting of History
Emerging Civil War ~ Acquiring General Lee’s Headquarters
Gettysburg Blog ~ Gettysburg, The Good the Bad and the Ugly
Faith and History ~ Learning from the “War on Christmas”
History of Massachusetts: The Sons of Liberty: Who Were They and What did They do?
Top Posts of the Last Week
Here is a list of the Top Posts of the Past Week.
What Have we Done with our Freedom
Christmas During the Civil War
Patriarch Daniel’s Nativity Message
Archbishop Nicolae’s Nativity Message