2007 11 April 2007: CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED HE IS RISEN! Greetings to all on the Holy Great Feast of Pascha, of Easter!
I have been in the Greek Archdiocese for a year and a half now... and you know what? I like it here. Yes, tehre are some really very Greek parishes... but here at my parish:
1) We don't use an organ;
2) Most of the Sunday Liturgy is in English;
3) Services other than the Liturgy - Orthros, weekday Vespers - are almost entirely in English;
... and in our Metropolis:
4) We just had an Altar Servers' retreat - the first of its kind and the first of many- and ALL the instruction - including a Teaching Liturgy with the Proskomide done out in front for all to see and learn - and services done entirely in English.
All this is done with the knowledge and blessing of Metropolitan Alexios.
27 November 2005: As of this date I have returned to the full communion of the canonical Orthodox Church, joining St. Philothea Parish of the Greek Archdiocese in Athens, GA. Initially I did this because it had proven impossible for me to connect and coordinate with Fr. Cuthbert, the priest of the parish in Jacksonville FL where I was a member, so that I can have a regular church life with regular confession and communion. I spoke with my bishop about this and he could not foresee the possibility of having anything else down here such that a regular church life could happen. He agreed with me that having such was the priority, and when I asked him for permission to transfer to he gave it.
However, thought and reflection which I was able to do once I could be active again in a real Orthodox community setting led me to realize that *any* separation from the full communion of the Canonical Orthodox Church is wrong and ultimately destructive. I will not say that the Milan Synod and the Florinite Old Calendarists are *not* Orthodox... though that is a statement I make for the sake of the moderates, such as the Milan Synod, rather than the extremists. Were it just a matter of the extremists, I would be more than willing to let their own judgments of "Gracelessness" which they wrongfully and ineffectually toss at the Local Orthodox Churches rebound on their own heads. And that is also not a statement I make to any longer attempt to justify *any* separation - even of the moderates, Orthodox though non-canonical - from the full communion of the Orthodox Church.
I've given a lot of thought and prayer to this, because I'm at the point in my life where I need to settle down and I will not keep jumping from bishop to bishop anymore. I realize that some may with good reason be dubious and wary about such sentiments from me. I did return to the OCA once before... then went to the Jerusalem Patriarchate. The difference is that at that time I hadn't really changed my thinking on the Old Calendar and I was still committed against the Revised Julian Calendar. Moreover, I still essentially believed in what Fr. George Washburn of the Antiochian Archdiocese has aptly described as "Puritan Perfectionist Separatism" ie the idea that those who desire to hold fast to Orthodox Tradition (itself an admirable thing) must separate from the Church which has both wheat and tares, those who are ecumenists and those who are not. I wished to be in a place that used the Old Calendar and "uncontaminated" with ecumenical entanglements. I have realized that is wrong, and such is no longer the case. Someone on one of the internet lists I'm on presented a particular argument for the Revised Julian Calendar such that I could accept it. I now accept and believe that the Revised Julian (New) Calendar is fully legitimate.
I do still think that there is a calendar problem in the Church, since the use of two calendars disrupts the unity of the corporate feasting and fasting of the Church, and I will continue to put forth that we should all be on ONE liturgical calendar.
Also I must clarify, as to the issue of "corrective baptism" which I have undergone and spoken of in the past in person and on various Internet discussion lists:
I do not now and have never endorsed or supported the idea that converts received by oikonomia are "unbaptized members of the Church" or second-class Orthodox or deficient in Grace which they "must" receive through a baptism after their entrance into the Church. I believe that this is a false theology which I have seen some espouse, and I have publicly repudiated that in the past and will do so again.
Heretofore I have allowed the possibility of the *form* of baptism being administered later, understanding it in the sense of the Church's replacing the heterodox "form" with her own at a later time, the fullness of Baptism's grace always being present from the moment of one's entrance into the Church under whatever form of oikonomia was used. BUT I bow to the fact that the Church as a whole has not accepted this thinking, and moreover the performance of the form of baptism subsequent to one's Baptism in the Church under oikonomia is too easily misunderstood as that false theology.
THEREFORE I promise that I repudiate "corrective baptism" and will never advocate or endorse it in the future.
I *do* believe that the Dioceses and Local Churches have discretion to use - or not use - oikonomia as the personal situation of the catechumen dictates, and promise to abide by the diocesan bishop's determination as to whatever form of oikonomia under which he may specify converts to be Baptized.
I regret leaving the canonical Orthodox Church, and most especially His Eminence Archbishop Dmitri, both the first and the second time.
* 12/25 April 2005: Started work on the evolution section of the website. It's always amaxing to me how many people can imagine that Christ demands that we throw out reason and intellectual understanding and exploration when we embrace the saving and deifying Faith of His Holy Orthodox Church. He doesn't! Reason is a part of us and Christ does not ask that we cut off half of ourselves! He created us humans with reason and intellect and we honor and fulfill God's image in us when we use that reason and intellect rightly.
* 24 October/6 November 2004: Up until now I was attached to the JP parish in Bellingham WA (with which I am still on good terms) in anticipation of moving up there.
Since I have realized I am now stable and called to settle and work here in Georgia, it does not make sense to remain attached to a parish in WA... so I transfered to a (relatively) more local parish, St. Augustine of Canterbury Mission in Jacksonville being only seven hours by car (as opposed to three days) from Athens.
* 6/19 July 2004: Cosmetic redesign to the main page. Working now in the Georgia Newspaper Projct of the UGA Library and contemplating a career in library work.
* 2/15 January 2004: GREETINGS ON THE EVE OF THEOPHANY! OK, there's going to be a delay in getting to New York or wherever I'll be settling permanently. Man proposes but God disposes, and all that. I've updated my personal info page... I'm back in Athens GA finishing my second MA in religion.
* 10/23 June (APOSTLES' FAST): Hi all! I decided to redesign the main page to eliminate all the scrolling & develop the website sections further. As of this writing I am preparing to move back East, ulimately to New York City, where God willing I hope to settle for good... work as a paralegal and freelance proofreader... participate in Church life at Holy Cross Jerusalem Orthodox Church on Long Island... raise a family... and have fun doing all of this. My sincere appreciation do I express to the clergy and parishioners of St. Lawrence Jerusalem Orthodox Church in Felton, Santa Cruz area, California, for making me welcome and giving me a home in the community for the past year.
* Mid-January 2002: After speaking with the local OCA dean in Atlanta and with his permission, I have transferred to the Jerusalem Patriarchate in order to be in an official Old Calendar using and promoting church. The OCA does have OC parishes, but as a whole the OCA does not *promote* the Old Calendar... it is presented as something "for the ethnics/Russians/Old Country people" and not for Ameicans. (But the Old Calendar should be for all!) Moreover, Archbishop Dmitri here in the South does not permit the OC at all, although to his credit he believes in the New Calendar for non-ecumenistic reasons.
This has to do with the issue of obedience. I have a friend, a classmate from St. Vladimir's who is an OCA priest in Florida, who told me: "I am a closet supporter of the Old Calendar, but I must be obedient to my hierarch." He's right - he must be. I wished to be in a place where I could be a supporter and promoter of the Old Calendar "out of the closet" (for all, and not just tied to a particular ethnicity) and yet still be obedient to my hierarchy. This reason was acceptable to my dean in the OCA, and he gave me a release to go to an Old Calendar using church in communion with the OCA and the world's Orthodox Churches, *which Jerusalem is*. And since Jerusalem is in communion, the OCA and the GOA are not my "former" affiliates, but rather they are *still* my affiliates, for we are all *one* Orthodox Church participating in *one* common Eucharist.
In the end, there's only *one* aim whether for jurisdictions or for us as individual Orthodox: to work out our salvation in the Orthodox Church by living the Orthodox Faith.
Period.
* 2/15 April: CHRIST IS RISEN! LET US CELEBRATE THE JOY OF HOLY PASCHA!
On a personal note, after much soul-searching and prayer and reflection on the way I have lived my life these past eight years, I have realized that I sinned greatly in abandoning the hierarch under whom I came into the Holy Orthodox Church, Archbishop DMITRI of Dallas and the South of the Orthodox Church in America. I and sought to be restored to communion with him, the OCA and the community of the world's Orthodox Churches, and soon will ask his forgiveness. The way in which I dealt (or rather, did not deal) with grave and legitimate issues facing our Orthodox Church was wrong, and some of my actions and writings of late, particularly on the Internet, have not been exemplary at all. For this I ask forgiveness of everyone, in whatever Orthodox jurisdiction but most especially the OCA and the Russian Orthodox Church.
* 27 January/9 February: MAJOR redesign to the whole website.
* 30 August/12 September: Updated biographical information. I have moved back to Georgia and am living in Athens once again. I have taken up a new job teaching at a high school in DeKalb County.
* 27 December/9 January: I have moved to Orangeburg SC where I have taken a position teaching high school Latin. Pages have been updated to reflect this. I have joined the parish of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad in Summerville SC, Ss. Cyril & Methodius.
* 25 December/7 January: CHRIST IS BORN! GLORIFY HIM!
* 12/25 JULY: These webpages have moved to a new server, Tripod.Com. Color (in honor of the Holy Theotokos) has been added, as well as a guestbook which all visitors are welcome to read and sign. Expect more improvements soon.
* 25 December/7 January (1998): NATIVITY IN THE FLESH OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST - CHRIST IS BORN! GLORIFY HIM! I have begun adding the photographs to the Photo Gallery. The Iconostas at Our Lady and Liturgy at Our Lady are on.
ALSO: I have discovered a wonderful new service, AltaVista's Translation Service (link to it below under PERSONAL ITEMS). Since the translations are computer generated, they can initially be a little strange and require some cleaning up. However, it goes a long way to furthering the mission work of our Holy Orthodox Church among the diverse nationalities and ethnic peoples which inhabit this country. I will be making translations of the articles on this website soon.
* 6/19 October (Apostle Thomas): Created new section on the Church Calendar. It will feature articles and patristic sources on the benefits of adherance to the Festal Old Calendar of the Orthodox Church.
* 4/17 October: Added the Decrees of the First Oecumenical Synod on the dating of Pascha.
* July 31/August 12 Beginning of the Dormition Fast: Added many new links.
* 21 May: Article THE WEDDING GARMENT OF THEOLOGY is online.
* 17 May: Article ORTHODOX MATCHMAKERS is available now.
* 29 March: The Village of the Tall Pines story I'm working on is on the page now. (Below under PERSONAL ITEMS) Feel free to make comments and suggestions!
* 22 March: New link to an EXCELLENT homesteading site, http://www.homestead.org (Below under ORTHODOX RESOURCES)