Blog

Revising History

Posted on by Fr. Peter

Constitution-We_The_People

In a recent Facebook exchange I was accused of being a revisionist historian mainly for my position on whether or not the United States was founded as a Christian nation, I do not believe it so.  My first reaction was one of pride for being called a historian and then I started to think about the revision part and I find it interesting that only someone who disagrees with your position would call you that.

I am a firm believer that one should not write about anything to do with history for at least 100 years after the event has taken place, and then it can still be a problem.  I am also a believer that historians should write history free of emotion, present the facts and let the facts speak for themselves.  Now I will admit that we all view history from our own place in history and that can be problematic.  But I do not think revision is always bad.

For example, in biblical scholarship we know far more about the way the people lived in biblical times today than at any other point in history.  The study of Scripture cannot truly be accomplished outside of the historical reality.  The Scripture we read today was written by someone to someone else at a different point in history then we are today.  The length of days were different, the way people lived and how long they lived were different, so we need a good understanding of what the time was like in order to understand that is being said.  We also need an understanding of the writer and what their influence was.  St. Paul was a Pharisee, a lawyer if you will, so he writes from a very legalistic view of life.  St. Peter was a fisherman and wrote in plain language from experience, and on and on we go.

In modern times, I believe that history has, and will continue to, treat Richard Nixon much different than when he first resigned from office.  Our historical view changes the further we get away from the actual event and the less emotion is placed upon that event.  Emotions only cloud our judgment and give us an irrational view of events and that is not good in historical scholarship.

When I research a particular event or time in history I also look at what was going on before and after the event.  What was in the newspaper of the day, what were people reading, the jobs they had, etc.  In order to gain a clear understanding of the issue there has to be a clear understanding of the day.

To say that the United States was not founded as a Christian nation does not diminish the role of our country in the world today.  We were, some think we still are, a shining beacon, a “city on a hill” if you will to other nations around the world to what true freedom looks like.  Was it founded on Christian ideals, sure it was, but was it founded as Christian, I do not believe so and if that is revisionist so be it.

The point of all of this is to say that we should not be afraid to take another look at history, even if it shakes the very ground we walk on.  We have to be open to where the journey will take us, a journey to new discovery.

Blog

Bringing Eastern Christianity into a direct conversation with the modern and postmodern West

Posted on by Fr. Peter

Red River OrthodoxI would like to draw your attention to a blog that has taken on a new direction.  Fr. Oliver Herbel has been writing a blog called Red River Orthodox that has mostly dealt with Orthodoxy in his part of the world and would also be used as his parish blog.  His direction has changed and he has enlisted the help of other authors to bring the Orthodox church into a conversation with the modern and postmodern west.  They have posted several essays and, if they are any indication of where this will go, it is going to be great.

The approach is much more academic than most will be used to and the essays are designed to elicit conversation around these topics and so far that has proven true.  For some the topics will raise their hackles and that will be fine as long as the discussion is worthy of Orthodox Christians (if you are not sure what that is please consult your spiritual father for guidance.)  The point is we should not be afraid to talk about these subjects and even critique what we do as an Orthodox Church in the modern and postmodern world.  Our faith is timeless but the way we present the faith needs to be updated (notice I did not say change) to fit the world we live in.

This is what Fr. Oliver has written about the purpose of the blog:

Red River Orthodox is taking on a newfound purpose.  In the past, this blog has been an extension of my parish’s web presence, focused on Orthodox issues that directly affect us here in Fargo.  At times, however, the posts have taken on larger issues within the OCA or American Orthodoxy of which we should be aware.  Because our parish webpage will soon be changing to a WordPress format, which will be much easier to update, I will be moving parish-specific posts to that site.  Therefore, Red River Orthodox will now shift in a new direction, one no other blog has taken on as its mission:  a commitment to bringing Eastern Christianity (whether Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, or Eastern Catholic) into a direct conversation with the modern and postmodern West.

I believe this is sorely needed.  There is much dialogue and scholarship that relates specifically to this but sadly, it has not been placed together in a central hub, in a format accessible to a wider audience.  Such a hub is needed.

Red River Orthodox will post essays, from a range of authors, that directly engage contemporary examinations of the typical topics interfering with a serious theological and historical appreciation of the West:  Augustine, Anselm, atonement, salvation, anthropology, philosophy, ecclesiology, morality, etc.  Therefore, the new Red River Orthodox will engage issues directly related to ecumenical relations between Eastern Christians themselves and between Orthodox and Catholics (and, at times, Orthodox and various Protestants). This blog will also include critiques of aspects of Eastern Christianity that seem to be hindering healthy Eastern Christian engagements with the West.

One feature on this blog will be a monthly atheist-Christian exchange between Jon Lindgren, professor emeritus of economics (NDSU) and former mayor of Fargo, and myself.  Originally conceived as a monthly column for the Fargo Forum, we will keep to the format originally intended for the paper:  a 400 word limit and a shared topic uniting each set every month.

At times, Red River Orthodox will also present essays engaging topics of cultural and theological importance that may be “hot button” issues.  Often, such issues are deemed unworthy of exploration (e.g. why would someone even ask/consider such a thing?).  Here at Red River Orthodox, they will be considered.  We will do our best to present such hot button issues in such a way that we do not present ourselves as merely presenting one side or ideology.  To assist us with this endeavor, we will enlist posts from guest authors.  This should not be construed as us necessarily agreeing with the posts, though perhaps some or all of us will.  Keep in mind that even amongst ourselves we differ on how to address some issues and concerns.

At times, this will mean that essays are posted with which I disagree, perhaps fundamentally.  The purpose of Red River Orthodox is not to roll out all of our ideas and views nor (on the other extreme) to cherry pick quotes from the Fathers of past ages but to do something more along the lines of what the Fathers themselves did—engage the issues and situations around them creatively.  Doing this, though, entails a willing to take risks.  We hope this will enable Red River Orthodox to take on a wide range of topics with integrity.  So, stay tuned!  If you like the first several essays, keep reading, you’re bound to find one you don’t.  If you don’t like the first several essays, keep reading.  You’re bound to find one you do.  Our hope is that this will be an insightful and dynamic website.

Blog

Do Symbols Matter?

Posted on by Fr. Peter

symbols

History is filled with very important symbols – not only people like George Washington and John Adams, but things like the flag and the Declaration of Independence.  But what is important – the actual person or document, or the spirit that these hold for us?  Of course these are secular symbols and for now, anyway, I will lay aside a discussion of sacred symbols as I believe we are talking about two very different things.  Or are we?

For the last several months I have been engaged in a research project concerning sermons that were preached at the time of the American Revolution, more specifically, on the days set aside in our land for humiliation, fasting, and prayer.  These were days, not usually a Sunday, when colonial Americans would come to their respective churches to hear patriotic sermons and to be called to a sense of reconciliation.  There was a shift in tone as we moved into military action against Great Britain, but the message was still the same:  In the words of Abigail Adams, “He who neglects his duty to his Maker may well be expected to be deficient and insincere in his duty towards the public.” Duty towards one’s maker made him a better patriot.

At Plymouth Harbor there is a Roman Doric portico containing a rock with the date of 1620 carved on it.  This temple contains a relic, a relic of the founding of our nation.  In the words of the Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville, “This Rock has become an object of veneration in the United States. I have seen bits of it carefully preserved in several towns in the Union. Does this sufficiently show that all human power and greatness is in the soul of man? Here is a stone which the feet of a few outcasts pressed for an instant; and the stone becomes famous; it is treasured by a great nation; its very dust is shared as a relic.”  It would seem, by its placement in a temple, that this rock is sacred and is deserving of veneration.  But what do we truly know about the history of those who first stepped foot on that rock?  Are their deeds and actions worthy of veneration or is it the desire to be free, free to worship however we feel called, the important part of the story?  If we lose the symbolism in the symbol it simply becomes an idol, and idols should never be worshipped.

During the American Revolution, and most wars for that matter, soldiers carried Bibles with them into battle.  Religion was very much part of the fabric of American life in the Colonies, and the soldiers believed that the Bible would protect them in battle.  They held the Bible in a very sacred position; almost more than the words and spirituality itself, the book was sacred and it protected them in battle.

At the National Archives in Washington, D.C., one can see the original Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.  These are displayed behind climate-controlled, bullet-proof glass that descends into a safe below ground when the Archives close to the public.  The room they are kept in has special lighting designed so that the documents do not fade, and special care and attention are given to preserve them from all harm.  Sometimes, it seems, we give more attention to the document then we do to what is written on it and the spirit that is contains.

Before Thomas Jefferson took pen to paper the words he wrote were created in his mind, based on and influenced by many things, religion being one of them.  He spoke in terms of biblical writers and of inalienable rights for all of humanity (I know he said all men) that would go forth into history.  He not only wrote these words for the American Colonies but for all of humanity for all time.  He set forth a sense of natural law that has influenced every aspect of not only the United States, but many other countries around the world.  Each and every word was chosen precisely for its meaning, a meaning that was termed treason by the government of Great Britain, and words that had never been written before.

But words only have meaning if they are put into action, and their transforming power is realized.  The Bible is truly sacred, but if all we do is carry it around it becomes just another book.  The words written on those pages have to become part of the fabric of our lives if they are to truly have the meaning that Jefferson intended them to have. Otherwise, his effort and the lives of many others was in vain.

Do symbols matter?  I believe they do, but only if those symbols go beyond the cloth and paper and stone and become part of each one of us.  Next time you hang your flag outside your home, consider the lives and the more than 200-year history that have brought us to this time, and take it into your heart and your mind.

This essay originally appeared in the Quaboag Current, and the Tantasqua Town Common.

Blog

George Washington and Army Chaplains

Posted on by Fr. Peter
James Caldwell, the "soldier parson"
James Caldwell, the “soldier parson”

On this day, February 7, 1776, General George Washington notifies his troops of a new policy regarding chaplains’ pay. He’d advocated for better treatment of his chaplains, and he’d succeeded!

Shortly after Washington assumed command of the American army during the summer of 1775, the Continental Congress approved its first act regarding chaplains. This act set chaplains’ salaries at $20 per month just above that of lieutenants. Washington was unimpressed. He wrote the President of Congress, noting that the pay was “too Small to encourage men of Abilities.” He asked that a way be found to increase chaplains’ salaries.

Congress approved Washington’s request. It passed an act providing for the appointment of one chaplain to every two regiments. The chaplains had more responsibility, but their pay was also increased. Instead of $20 per month, they were to receive a little more than $33 per month. Washington announced the change on February 7, 1776.

After a few months, Washington decided that the system (unfortunately) did not work for logistical reasons. If regiments were separated due to the demands of war, one regiment might find itself without a chaplain for a while. Washington wrote Congress again. He asked that chaplains be assigned one per regiment, with a salary “competent to their support.”

Congress initially agreed, but the new policy did not last. Eventually, fiscal concerns caused chaplains to be assigned one per brigade. A brigade was a much larger unit of the army; it could be composed of several regiments. In other words, there were fewer chaplains, overall, in the army.

Washington objected again. Interestingly, his main concern was for religious liberty. He wanted many chaplains of a variety of faiths. If there were fewer chaplains overall, then, by definition, there were fewer choices for his men. They were more likely, he wrote Congress, to be compelled “to a mode of Worship, which they do not profess.” Washington preferred the old system, with more chaplains and a greater likelihood that the men could have “a Chaplain of their own religious Sentiments.”

Perhaps what is most interesting about all of these events is the great importance that Washington placed upon the presence of chaplains in his army. He thought they served a valuable function, and he advocated for them consistently. Remember that Washington often faced shortages of supplies and funds. Yet he thought it important to spend some of these valuable funds on chaplains.

Blog

You are a Priest Forever

Posted on by Fr. Peter

thalassios

In the 1st Letter of St. Peter chapter 2 and verse 9 we read these words, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”  This passage is making reference not only to those of us who have been called out of the community and ordained to serve at the altar, but the community as a whole, all of us, we are all priests.

When we were baptized we were anointed with the grace of the kingdom of God, a spiritual kingdom and a spiritual priesthood.  This is different from the grace of the ministerial priesthood in many ways but at the same time it is the same.  As the body of Christ, we have a priestly ministry to the world that is fulfilling the very intercession and priesthood of the Lord Himself; we are to be the ones to bring light into the world.

The ordained priest is called from the community and ordained for a special ministry with the community.  The ordained priest is to offer prayers along with and for the people.  It is not his Liturgy but the Liturgy of the people, there is no such thing as a private Liturgy in Orthodoxy since the very nature of Liturgy is communal, the community must be present.

It is not the sacrifice of the ordained priest but he is simply the one who brings the sacrifice, he stands In Persona Christi at the altar and bring the sacrificial offering before the eternal High Priest, the simple elements of bread and wine that will be sanctified and become the actual Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, not by anything that the priest does, but by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

I mentioned in my sermon yesterday that the priest faces the same direction as the people to show that we are all worshiping together, we, the entire community, brings these gifts together.  During the Great Entrance, the gifts are brought out amongst the people and then the priest return them to the altar.  In a way he is gathering up the prayers of the people and placing them all on the altar of sacrifice, not a bloody sacrifice, but a perfect sacrifice not only for himself but for all the people present, and those, as the Liturgy of St. Basil makes clear, those absent with good cause.

Pay close attention also to the words “a holy nation.”  No longer is the kingdom of God here on earth, the chosen people are those who follow Jesus Christ, not an earthly kingdom but a spiritual one all of, are the members if you will, of this nation that knows no boundaries.  In the kingdom of God there will be no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female.  The new nation of God, the Commonwealth that we pray for during the service of the matins and in the Troparion of the Feast of the Holy Cross, is the spiritual kingdom that reigns inside of each of us.

There is a shift that takes place from the priestly ministry of the Tribe of Levi to the priesthood of all believers.  No longer is this ministry just for a select few but it is for all, and with that comes a tremendous responsibility that we must take serious.  We are all called to be witnesses of the light in a word of darkness.  We are called bring that light into the darkened world by our actions and by our words.  How we live our lives should be an example to this fallen world that because we are a holy nation we have risen above the darkness and are sons and daughters of the light.

Let us be attentive to the important work that needs to be done.

Blog

March for Life

Posted on by Fr. Peter

march-for-life

Today, January 22nd, is the Annual March for life in Washington DC.  As I write this thousands of pilgrims are descending from all over the United States to join their voices and their prayers in the hopes that the landmark Roe v Wade case will be reversed here in the United States.  I had planned to attend this year but I was not able to go but I join my prayers with theirs from a distance.

Although I believe abortion is an abomination I do not want to lose sight of what life is all about.  As an Orthodox Christian I hold to the belief that life starts with conception and continues until its natural end therefore we need to be concerned with life all along the spectrum.

If we are indeed supporters of life then we need to be concerned about poverty in American and around the world.  We need to be concerned about violence, war, intolerance and all of the other issues that cost people their lives.  We need to be concerned about hunger, education, health care in all phases of life.  What of the death penalty?  I am constantly surprised by the number of anti-abortion folks who support the death penalty, in my mind you cannot call yourself prolife is you support the state sanctioned end to it.  Sure one is an innocent life, but have we not progressed as a society passed the barbaric action of taking one’s life and blindly go along believing that this is somehow a deterrent to future murders?

What of mental health care in America?  In the last week there have been several reported school shootings.  When are we, as a society, going to have a conversation around improving mental health treatment in America?

Poverty is an ever growing problem in the richest country in the world.  We send troops all around the world in a vain attempt to force our sense of democracy on countries that have never, in their history, been a democracy.  We hope to bring freedom for all to these places while at home more and more people are becoming slaves to a broken system and are used by both parties as political pawns and punching bags.

If we as a church and a nation are truly concerned about life then we need to focus on life all along its spectrum.  Abortion is an abomination but so are children going to bed hungry and people not being able to find work or housing, or US Veterans waiting months for appointments at a Veterans Hospital.  All of these are an abomination and need to end.

At the conclusion of the 2012 meeting of the Assembly of Orthodox Bishops, a statement was released with three bullet points in the hopes that our Orthopraxy would attend to our Orthodoxy.  Two of these points directly related to the sanctity of life:

We must strive to eliminate the violence proliferated against innocents of every kind, particularly of women and the unborn. We call for responsibility by individuals, institutions and governments to ensure the welfare of every citizen.

We must resist the wastefulness and greed that dominate our consumer society, confessing that our spiritual citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3.20) in order that our witness be characterized by the compassion and mercy as well as the generosity and philanthropy that distinguishes our God who loves humankind.

Let us pray that this will be the case.

My prayer today is for sanctity of life, all life.

Blog

Making Fun of People

Posted on by Fr. Peter

I used to be a fan of talk radio.  I would listen constantly to what was going on as I wanted to stay on top of the news and be informed.  Then I came to the realization that all they were doing was making fun of people so I no longer listen.  What now passes for news is nothing more than entertainment, and in my opinion bad entertainment.

Recently a local blogger has made a big splash with comments that were made on his blog regarding the size of one of the politicians in our town.  I am not going to link to the story or the many stories on the Boston TV stations that followed because I do not want to bring any more attention to childish behavior then necessary.  I guess it started out innocent enough, and if you are at all familiar with this particular blog then you are familiar with the vitriol, but it took a nasty turn.

(FWIW I have come under fire from this particular blogger in the past)

When one is a public figure, and yes local politicians are public figures, then you are open to a certain level of criticism for your policies and things that you say and position you take, but, in my belief, your family and your personal life should be just that personal unless it has a direct influence on your public performance.  I believe that public officials at all levels are role models for the citizens they represent, so your public and private behavior can be brought into play but if it has nothing to do with your ability to perform your job representing the people then back off.

Part of this stems from allowing anonymous comments on the blog.  When I started this blog I decided that I would not allow anonymous comments for the main reason that if you are not willing to sign your name to it then perhaps you should not say it.  Hiding behind anonymous or a false name is the coward’s way out.  Sure, we have a long tradition of this sort of thing, Benjamin Franklin wrote many of his essays under a false name as did many of the patriots, but they were in fear of their life!

I do realize that making fun of people is an age old political tactic.  Read some of the things written about John Adams before, during, and after his presidency for some examples.  But, again in my opinion, these types of childish behavior distracts from the real issues and trust me, Southbridge has many issues, but deep down this is a good community with many caring people.  I do not always agree with decisions being made or by the way our elected officials act but, I appreciate the fact that they have done, what others will not do, and that is step out to serve their community.

Because of this blog attention has been taken away from the real issues in town and public officials have had to waste time on this.  Keep in mind they are all volunteers, none of the local elected officials in Southbridge get paid for their service to the town.

At issue if our inability to have a discussion, about anything, without it getting public.  Why can’t we simply have a discussion about issue without the race, religion, weight, gender or whatever being used in the argument.  Once you stoop to personal attacks you have lost the argument.

We have real issues in our community and in our country and it is time for serious people to step up and for those of you who only want to make fun of those who have stepped out and serve their community to take a seat your, 15 minutes is over!

On Monday, January 20th, we will celebrate the life of Martin Luther King and I will close with a quote that I came across the other day, “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear. Martin Luther King, Jr.”

Blog

Fear not Little Flock

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Parable of the Ten Virgins
Parable of the Ten Virgins

The Gospel passage selected in the lectionary for today is from the Gospel of St. Luke Chapter 12.  In the Orthodox Study Bible this passage comes under the heading Against Greed and Anxiety and lays out for out how we are to live our lives.  I have written before that Jesus did not, regardless of what some claim, hate rich people.  Jesus was concerned that our possessions would hold us back, in other words that we cared more about our possessions than anything else.  Although I do not believe in the Prosperity Gospel as preached by some Evangelicals like Joel Olsteen, we need to be mindful of our possessions.

In verse 32 we come across the title of this essay, “fear not little flock.”  We find that fear comes up again and again in Scripture and we are counseled not to hold on to fear for anything, about food, about clothing, about the future, that if we have total trust in God all will be well.  The interesting words for me are “little flock” what does this mean to us?  According to some who comment on this passage we, and by that I mean Christians, are called little because we are insignificant in the eyes of the world.  There seems to be this desire to get the world’s attention and its approval of all that we do.  Some Christians are locked in this constant battle with society on some kind of crusade to reform it when we should be concentrating on forming and transforming our own lives.  Jesus clearly told us that the world would hate us.  I am not interested what the world thinks of me, I am more interested in what my Heavenly Father thinks of me since He has, and always will, love me whilst the world has, and always will, hate me.

This passage is also a call to be vigilant, not in a doomsday preppers sort of way, but in a spiritual way.  Again, some Christians spend for too much time worrying about their earthly existence and store up all sorts of things for what they perceive to be a massive government attack on them.  What not spend that time and energy storing up spiritual things for the constant attack by the evil one that goes on around us all the time?

We are called to be virtuous at all times and to keep the lamps of spiritual discernment burning brightly and in order to do that we have to be like the wise virgins who had enough fuel for the long haul.  The government cannot and will not make you virtuous nor can it make anyone else virtuous, only God can do that and it take time, energy, and much preparation to make it happen.

“Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes.”  It is easy to be a follower of Christ in the daylight when all is going wrong but blessed are those who follow in the darkest hours of the night and they stand fast to what they believe.

Let us spend less time worrying about what the world thinks of us, we have already lost that fight, and spend time getting our lamps ready and living the virtuous life in Christ.

error: Content is protected !!