The first Orthodox undergraduate liberal arts college in the United States has been started in San Diego.
The name of this new college is Saint Katherine College.
The link is here: http://www.stkath.org/
Blessings,
Columba Siluoan
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Positive Parish News
In the vein of sticking with Antioch, there is positive news to report about life at the parish I attend.
In recent weeks, we've instituted a "children's sermon" during the 10:00 AM Divine Liturgy, a monthly Holy Unction service, and a monthly Intercessory Prayer session during the Adult Sunday School hour.
I also have hopes to preview "The Way" Orthodox evangelism program at some point in the future.
My hope to see more Orthodox churches planted in our region is nothing more than a dim and flickering dream at this point in my life. I have a wife and two young children and I work 40 plus hours a week. There isn't much time left over to work with in pursuing the evangelism dream.
Perhaps when the time comes in my life when my schedule opens up a bit, the "mess in Antioch" will be nothing more than a distant memory.
My prayers still include a future Western Rite Orthodox Church in Parker and elsewhere around the state of Colorado. Perhaps years of prayer can help to lay a foundation for actual later concrete results in this area.
In the meantime, I shall continue my endeavor to be "Orthodox in Parker."
Blessings in the Holy Trinity, One God
Columba Silouan
In recent weeks, we've instituted a "children's sermon" during the 10:00 AM Divine Liturgy, a monthly Holy Unction service, and a monthly Intercessory Prayer session during the Adult Sunday School hour.
I also have hopes to preview "The Way" Orthodox evangelism program at some point in the future.
My hope to see more Orthodox churches planted in our region is nothing more than a dim and flickering dream at this point in my life. I have a wife and two young children and I work 40 plus hours a week. There isn't much time left over to work with in pursuing the evangelism dream.
Perhaps when the time comes in my life when my schedule opens up a bit, the "mess in Antioch" will be nothing more than a distant memory.
My prayers still include a future Western Rite Orthodox Church in Parker and elsewhere around the state of Colorado. Perhaps years of prayer can help to lay a foundation for actual later concrete results in this area.
In the meantime, I shall continue my endeavor to be "Orthodox in Parker."
Blessings in the Holy Trinity, One God
Columba Silouan
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Metropolitan Philip
This is probably a bit risky, but I'm going to weigh in on the controversy concerning Metropolitan Philip.
After the first round of controversy over "Auxiliary Bishops" I had hoped things had blown over.
When the second round surfaced, I was discouraged.
Having been a part of the movement to combat liberal revisionism in the Episcopal Church in the late 1990's and early 2000's, I thought I had made a clean getaway from controversies over Primates and Bishops.
My family and I followed a church plant started by an Episcopal priest who would later become a Bishop in the Anglican Mission in the Americas.
Our reason was the same as the rest of our fellow church members: The ordination of a practicing homosexual Bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire was unacceptable.
Personally for me, this didn't mean that I believed homosexuals in other fields besides ecclesiastical fields shouldn't have full equal rights. Homosexuals make fine Doctors, Dentists, Lawyers and Businessmen.
But I believed and still believe that the office of Bishop and the state of being a practicing Homosexual don't go together. My attitude was "Fine. Be a homosexual if that is your choice, but choose another career besides Christian Priest or Christian Bishop."
Such a person can even choose something similar, like Professor of World Religions or Psychologist. But I've always been against the ordination of practicing homosexuals.
Scripture and Tradition are against the ordination to Holy Orders of those with sexual standards that differ from those believed in by the Christian Church for two thousand years.
This is every bit as non-negotiable to me as the Ordination of Women to the Holy Priesthood and Episcopate.
The Priests are Icons of Jesus Christ. The Icon has to be a faithful representation.
Leaving ECUSA for the AMIA was a decision based on conscience.
Leaving the AMIA and journeying to Eastern Orthodoxy was a matter of belief.
Once my family and I joined the Antiochian Archdiocese, we hoped we were home.
In spite of the recent problems, I've come to believe that we are STILL home, even in Antioch.
Am I happy or pleased about the current controversy? Not in the slightest.
In recent weeks, I went through a bit of a panicked state about the controversy.
I even posted a comment on www.ocanews.org. This is not the safest thing to do if you're a member in good standing of the Antiochian Archdiocese. I was frustrated and discouraged about the controversy, however, and on a lark, I posted my comments. I realized later that for me personally, this action might have been sinful.
My comments likened the current situation with Metropolitan Philip to the situation of the owner of the Denver Broncos, Pat Bowlen.
My analogy was that Pat Bowlen, who is an aging NFL owner nearing the current age of Metropolitan Philip, has made some bad decisions as of late.
Hiring Josh McDaniels has set off a chain reaction that has led to the current mess the Broncos are in. McDaniels might be a good coach in the future, but he was too young to be given the power and responsibility that Mr. Bowlen gave him.
There are persistent rumors that Pat Bowlen is battling short-term memory loss or possibly Alzheimers Syndrome.
I put forth the theory that Metroplitan Philip's advancing age might be causing him problems in a similar vein. Some of his recent decisions have also caused chain reactions.
In the past, the Broncos have been to many Super Bowls and have won two. I suggested that right now, the Denver Broncos are a real mess, but that they will survive it.
I also said that the Antiochian Archdiocese will also survive our current troubles. Metropolitan Philip has also presided over the winning of some "super bowls." But right now our "team" is having a bad season in light of some of his recent decisions.
Running away again is not the answer.
Taking up the Cross of Christ, as Father Stephen Freeman argues in Glory to God for All Things is a better course of action.
I was tempted to look to other Orthodox jurisdictions for "a way out" of this crisis.
But my parish is really "home" for me. I realize this every time I serve at the Altar as an Acolyte or Reader.
I'm still "home" even with these controversies which are "above my pay grade."
Metropolitan Philip was not the first Metropolitan of the AOANA and he won't be the last.
And the story isn't over yet. The Holy Spirit can still reach Metropolitan Philip and lead him in a different direction then the one he is currently pursuing.
This is a different sort of controversy than the one I faced in ECUSA. Issues of the faith are not in question. Issues about the Bishops won't last forever. The AOANA is part of the Holy Orthodox Church and I believe the Orthodox Church is self-correcting over time.
So I need to bloom where I'm planted, and wait this time of troubles out.
Metropolitan Philip has done many good things in the past. Paving the way for Fr. Peter Gillquist and others to enter the Orthodox Church was one of those good things. That one was a "super bowl win."
The present doesn't undo those things.
I hope and pray MP "lightens up." Nevertheless, this is God's issue, and not mine.
As penance for posting on OCAnews.org, I decided to actually read the book Metropolitan Philip, His Life and Dreams to balance out the things I've been hearing and reading about.
All of this is an issue of Loyalty. Will I be loyal to my Archdiocese even when things are difficult?
It's good spiritual therapy for me.
I began to learn the sin of disloyalty when my parents were divorced in the 1970's.
I thought of my dad as a "tyrant" at the time.
What I failed to realize was that I was still to maintain a measure of loyalty to him because he was still my father. "Honor your Father and Mother" is not a commandment that is easily abrogated.
If a parent tries to get a son or daughter to forsake God, then that son or daughter must obey God first. But the son or daughter of divorcing parents is seldom put in such a position.
Learning loyalty now through this hard situation is penance and therapy for past sins.
Taking up the Cross, being patient and loyal and waiting for God to move the heart of our "king" and "father" is a better course of action then rebellion and disloyalty.
So I'm staying put in Antioch. No more church hopping or jurisdictional hopping to escape problems and challenges.
May God have mercy on me a sinner, and may God save the Antiochian Archdiocese and the Western Rite!
Blessings in the Holy Trinity, One God
Columba Silouan
After the first round of controversy over "Auxiliary Bishops" I had hoped things had blown over.
When the second round surfaced, I was discouraged.
Having been a part of the movement to combat liberal revisionism in the Episcopal Church in the late 1990's and early 2000's, I thought I had made a clean getaway from controversies over Primates and Bishops.
My family and I followed a church plant started by an Episcopal priest who would later become a Bishop in the Anglican Mission in the Americas.
Our reason was the same as the rest of our fellow church members: The ordination of a practicing homosexual Bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire was unacceptable.
Personally for me, this didn't mean that I believed homosexuals in other fields besides ecclesiastical fields shouldn't have full equal rights. Homosexuals make fine Doctors, Dentists, Lawyers and Businessmen.
But I believed and still believe that the office of Bishop and the state of being a practicing Homosexual don't go together. My attitude was "Fine. Be a homosexual if that is your choice, but choose another career besides Christian Priest or Christian Bishop."
Such a person can even choose something similar, like Professor of World Religions or Psychologist. But I've always been against the ordination of practicing homosexuals.
Scripture and Tradition are against the ordination to Holy Orders of those with sexual standards that differ from those believed in by the Christian Church for two thousand years.
This is every bit as non-negotiable to me as the Ordination of Women to the Holy Priesthood and Episcopate.
The Priests are Icons of Jesus Christ. The Icon has to be a faithful representation.
Leaving ECUSA for the AMIA was a decision based on conscience.
Leaving the AMIA and journeying to Eastern Orthodoxy was a matter of belief.
Once my family and I joined the Antiochian Archdiocese, we hoped we were home.
In spite of the recent problems, I've come to believe that we are STILL home, even in Antioch.
Am I happy or pleased about the current controversy? Not in the slightest.
In recent weeks, I went through a bit of a panicked state about the controversy.
I even posted a comment on www.ocanews.org. This is not the safest thing to do if you're a member in good standing of the Antiochian Archdiocese. I was frustrated and discouraged about the controversy, however, and on a lark, I posted my comments. I realized later that for me personally, this action might have been sinful.
My comments likened the current situation with Metropolitan Philip to the situation of the owner of the Denver Broncos, Pat Bowlen.
My analogy was that Pat Bowlen, who is an aging NFL owner nearing the current age of Metropolitan Philip, has made some bad decisions as of late.
Hiring Josh McDaniels has set off a chain reaction that has led to the current mess the Broncos are in. McDaniels might be a good coach in the future, but he was too young to be given the power and responsibility that Mr. Bowlen gave him.
There are persistent rumors that Pat Bowlen is battling short-term memory loss or possibly Alzheimers Syndrome.
I put forth the theory that Metroplitan Philip's advancing age might be causing him problems in a similar vein. Some of his recent decisions have also caused chain reactions.
In the past, the Broncos have been to many Super Bowls and have won two. I suggested that right now, the Denver Broncos are a real mess, but that they will survive it.
I also said that the Antiochian Archdiocese will also survive our current troubles. Metropolitan Philip has also presided over the winning of some "super bowls." But right now our "team" is having a bad season in light of some of his recent decisions.
Running away again is not the answer.
Taking up the Cross of Christ, as Father Stephen Freeman argues in Glory to God for All Things is a better course of action.
I was tempted to look to other Orthodox jurisdictions for "a way out" of this crisis.
But my parish is really "home" for me. I realize this every time I serve at the Altar as an Acolyte or Reader.
I'm still "home" even with these controversies which are "above my pay grade."
Metropolitan Philip was not the first Metropolitan of the AOANA and he won't be the last.
And the story isn't over yet. The Holy Spirit can still reach Metropolitan Philip and lead him in a different direction then the one he is currently pursuing.
This is a different sort of controversy than the one I faced in ECUSA. Issues of the faith are not in question. Issues about the Bishops won't last forever. The AOANA is part of the Holy Orthodox Church and I believe the Orthodox Church is self-correcting over time.
So I need to bloom where I'm planted, and wait this time of troubles out.
Metropolitan Philip has done many good things in the past. Paving the way for Fr. Peter Gillquist and others to enter the Orthodox Church was one of those good things. That one was a "super bowl win."
The present doesn't undo those things.
I hope and pray MP "lightens up." Nevertheless, this is God's issue, and not mine.
As penance for posting on OCAnews.org, I decided to actually read the book Metropolitan Philip, His Life and Dreams to balance out the things I've been hearing and reading about.
All of this is an issue of Loyalty. Will I be loyal to my Archdiocese even when things are difficult?
It's good spiritual therapy for me.
I began to learn the sin of disloyalty when my parents were divorced in the 1970's.
I thought of my dad as a "tyrant" at the time.
What I failed to realize was that I was still to maintain a measure of loyalty to him because he was still my father. "Honor your Father and Mother" is not a commandment that is easily abrogated.
If a parent tries to get a son or daughter to forsake God, then that son or daughter must obey God first. But the son or daughter of divorcing parents is seldom put in such a position.
Learning loyalty now through this hard situation is penance and therapy for past sins.
Taking up the Cross, being patient and loyal and waiting for God to move the heart of our "king" and "father" is a better course of action then rebellion and disloyalty.
So I'm staying put in Antioch. No more church hopping or jurisdictional hopping to escape problems and challenges.
May God have mercy on me a sinner, and may God save the Antiochian Archdiocese and the Western Rite!
Blessings in the Holy Trinity, One God
Columba Silouan
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Updated Comings and Goings
This is on the Eastern Orthodox Evangelism and Adult Sunday School front:
Things are going really well at Saint Marks. Fr. Falconi and I have the blessing of our clever and witty Arch-Priest to conduct regular prayer sessions and Holy Unction sessions. I believe this will be a source of real blessing and support for our class members.
Also, there are two really exciting recent developments on the Evangelism side of things.
First, there is a new Eastern Orthodox evangelism program called The Way that is similar to the Anglican Alpha program.
I've always said that we need an Eastern Orthodox version of Alpha, and now we have it. It has been approved by Bishop Kallistos Ware, among other Orthodox leaders and the pilot program was successful. Now, with the permission of your local Bishop and Priest, you can use this program to win people to Jesus Christ.
Also, God paved the way for a Youth for Christ leader in our area to address our Adult Sunday School class about his upcoming Mission to Cyprus.
The presentation was a smashing success. This YFC leader's objective is to address nominalism in Cyprus, which is a predominately Eastern Orthodox country.
Pairing the Evangelical zeal of organizations like YFC and Eastern Orthodoxy has been a hope of mine. Now the potential to see this hope realized is starting to take shape.
The objective of YFC is to plug new Christians and revived Christians back into their churches. This means the revitalization of the faithful in Cyprus.
Blessings in the Holy Trinity, One God
Columba Silouan
Things are going really well at Saint Marks. Fr. Falconi and I have the blessing of our clever and witty Arch-Priest to conduct regular prayer sessions and Holy Unction sessions. I believe this will be a source of real blessing and support for our class members.
Also, there are two really exciting recent developments on the Evangelism side of things.
First, there is a new Eastern Orthodox evangelism program called The Way that is similar to the Anglican Alpha program.
I've always said that we need an Eastern Orthodox version of Alpha, and now we have it. It has been approved by Bishop Kallistos Ware, among other Orthodox leaders and the pilot program was successful. Now, with the permission of your local Bishop and Priest, you can use this program to win people to Jesus Christ.
Also, God paved the way for a Youth for Christ leader in our area to address our Adult Sunday School class about his upcoming Mission to Cyprus.
The presentation was a smashing success. This YFC leader's objective is to address nominalism in Cyprus, which is a predominately Eastern Orthodox country.
Pairing the Evangelical zeal of organizations like YFC and Eastern Orthodoxy has been a hope of mine. Now the potential to see this hope realized is starting to take shape.
The objective of YFC is to plug new Christians and revived Christians back into their churches. This means the revitalization of the faithful in Cyprus.
Blessings in the Holy Trinity, One God
Columba Silouan
Answered Prayers
Answered Prayers are usually a good RX for the spiritual blues.
God recently answered a prayer of mine regarding the new hire that was slated to join our shipping team at work.
Not only do we get along famously, but I see the potential for a real friendship.
This goes beyond a "bare minimum" answer. This is a yes answer in spades!
Thanks be to God.
Columba
God recently answered a prayer of mine regarding the new hire that was slated to join our shipping team at work.
Not only do we get along famously, but I see the potential for a real friendship.
This goes beyond a "bare minimum" answer. This is a yes answer in spades!
Thanks be to God.
Columba
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Holding Off The Wolf Within
Scripture warns us Beware of those who appear in sheep's clothing, but who inwardly are ravenous wolves.
"Hey sweetie, Father P has sent us a letter asking for our support."
My wife handed me a fancy and well-done appeal letter.
The heading said "Church of the Advent" in bold, red lettering.
Father P, Wheaton Graduate, Denver Seminary Graduate, and pastoral assistant to the priest-in-charge at our former AMIA parish church felt called to plant a new AMIA church in the downtown Denver Baker neighborhood.
Strike that. He felt called to plant a new church and 19 additional churches.
He called it 20 churches by 2020.
20 Anglican "Almost Orthodox" churches.
That last is an editorial comment.
Additionally, Fr. P. wrote that he felt called to mentor six additional people to do the same thing.
Since our time at the AMIA parish, he had become a full-fledged Anglican priest.
I wondered if one of these future churches would end up in my hometown of Parker.
My dream, of course, was planting a Western Rite Eastern Orthodox Church in Parker. Or to see it planted. It's harder to plant a church when you aren't a priest.
And the "my dream" part was an issue. Was this God's dream or just "my dream?"
This was the perennial question.
As an Orthodox Reader, I reasoned that perhaps as a lowest ranking member of the Priestly order, I might still take a shot at it.
I thought to myself "When it comes down to it, how different are these Anglicans from us Western Rite Orthodox besides our icons and incense?
I answered my own question: "They have a much bigger heart for evangelism and church planting."
"Oh, and they really don't have a sense of the wisdom of our monastics. But other than that . . ." I mused.
"Wheaton college. Now THAT'S where I should have gone to school. Attending a Christian college in the conservative midwest instead of in loopy Southern California."
I dove into the letter. If I had been a rainbow trout, the letter would have been a juicy fly in season and I would have swallowed the hook as well as the bait.
Fr. P started off with a popular Saint Irenaeus quote: The Glory of God is a human being fully alive.
Okay, of course he was using gender inclusive language here for the sake of marketing purposes.
Know your audience, I guess.
I knew the quote really said: The Glory of God is Man Fully Alive.
It was the John Eldredge / Saint Irenaus quote all over again.
And I knew the rest of the quote which most fail to add when they use it.
And the Glory of Man is the Vision of God.
The Vision of God. Something we Eastern Orthodox are supposed to excel at. Why do people always leave that harder part of the quote out?
Again perhaps for marketing purposes. Pehaps they figure they can deliver the harder news of the second half of the Saint Irenaus quote later down the line.
After the trout swallows the fly AND the hook.
Anyway I felt immediately wistful and envious.
I tried to calm myself down with a Fr. Stephen Freeman quote.
"The blessings that others experience are not at our expense."
Unlike me, Fr. P had remained in the AMIA, become a full-fledged priest (which had always been my own dream), and now he was going out to "captain his own."
I, in the meantime would remain an Orthodox Lay Reader, Acolyte and Adult Sunday School Teacher.
Fr. P was going to plant a church in a downtown neighborhood where one of our Western Rite Orthodox churches was already present.
It would probably grow to 300 people, too, like our former AMIA parish. And Saint Augustines would probably remain stuck around 100 people, just scraping by.
However, I comforted myself with the thought that Saint A's would continue to have their beautiful and historic Orthodox temple with beautiful Christian artwork, icons, stained glass, music and a pipe organ. Church of the Advent would probably start off in rented space, have a worship band, overhead projector and bare, white walls.
But my thoughts returned to my own situation.
Here I was, working in a corporate shipping department. Again.
Don't get me wrong. It's a blessing to have a job at all in this tough economy where the unemployment rate is hovering near 10%.
But still . . .
This wasn't the only example of someone else doing "full time ministry" that came my way in the Summer and early Fall of 2010.
Our neighboring family down the street was raising funds for a Youth for Christ Mission to Cyprus, which is a predominately Eastern Orthodox country.
This young couple were invited by my wife Dianna to come on over to dinner to give us their appeal for support.
Their children and our children attend the local chapter of AWANA at Fellowship Community Church.
I said to myself: "Okay God. Here are TWO people working in full-time Christian service while I continue to need to work full-time for the guaranteed money."
Fr. P said he felt prompted to plant a church by seeing a horse of all things. And by reading his appeal letter, I just knew he was being strongly influenced by one of my idols: John Eldredge.
John Eldredge. Another person working in full-time ministry. We were now up to three examples of men doing what I wish I could be doing.
While Fr. P said he was inspired by a horse, I felt like a donkey.
I understood completely where he and the Youth for Christ were coming from, however.
Our neighbor felt called to bring non-Christians and nominal Orthodox Christians to a deep commitment to and relationship with Jesus Christ. Fr. P felt called to plant a new church in a downtown neighborhood where in the words of his appeal letter "the existing churches are in decline both numerically and financially"
And here we continued to be, at Saint Mark's Antiochian Orthodox Church, drinking deeply at the deep and wonderful fountain of Western Rite Holy Orthodoxy, yet witnesses to our own backwardness in some areas where the evangelicals seemed to have us totally licked.
We pledged our financial support to both men and I taught an Adult Sunday School Class on the necessity of doing effective Eastern Orthodox evangelism.
My parish priest was a bit taken aback. "I hear you don't think we're doing a good enough job with evangelism." He said in response to the Sunday School class.
My answer? "I'm just afraid our competiton is going to snap up all the potential converts."
I could have answered more honestly:
"Hell yes we're doing a miserable job of evangelism!! We're getting our asses kicked by the AMIA and Youth for Christ for crying out loud!! And in TWO countries, for heaven's sake!!"
Lord have mercy.
At least there's the new Orthodox Evangelism tool called The Way, modeled after the highly successful Alpha program. I could have focused on this positive.
But there was a deeper issue in my life to look at.
I was seeking to fill the empty places in my heart with religious activities.
Was this a good thing to do or a bad thing to do? Even if I was, did this mean I should go "cold turkey" and cease and desist, or should I go ahead anyway and seek to do these good works?
I came to the conclusion that I should continue to do as many good works as I could. But I also concluded I needed to see my spiritual father / confessor as well.
It was time to go back to my Greek Orthodox Father Confessor, Fr. Lou for the sacrament of Holy Confession and Penance.
I came to the conclusion that I needed to combat the "ravenous wolf" of selfish needs that continued to dog my every step.
Didn't the Holy Scripture itself warn Christians to beware of those who come disguised in sheeps clothing, but who inside are ravenous wolves?
The solution seemed to be to find a balance between the impulse to be busy for God and doing so from inner emptiness.
How could I continue to be busy for God and at the same time try to consciously do it for unselfish reasons?
The answer came to me:
Try to intentionally put yourself and your thoughts entirely out of the picture and focus on others while in the midst of doing good works and constructive things.
Get your mind out of the gutter of selfishness.
Perhaps this way I would be putting aside the ravenous wolf inside and truly be on my way to being a lamb of God in imitation of The Lamb of God.
I thought back to my recent Facebook activities.
My mistakes with former classmates I had contacted.
Trying to do good with sin right there with me.
Where was this persistant sin coming from?
This was indeed my problem:
Doing anything good while still thinking and feeling about myself.
This was indeed an answer, and it was all about intentional focus.
Like the Orthodox discipline of Nepsis, you put yourself out of your mind when you seek to help others.
Focus exclusively on the other persons of God and your neighbor.
This may seem totally obvious, but it's harder to do than you might think.
Only with this proper focus is it possible to freely do good works from your deep heart.
Good works paired with self-centeredness are merely the sound of clanging cymbals.
There is a balance to be found:. Don't give up in despair and fail to do good works because you are naturally self-centered.
Instead do any good works, forgetting about yourself completely while in the process of carrying them out.
And be sure to run doubtful things past your spiritual father first.
Go away, wolf! Beat it!
Blessings in the Holy Trinity, One God
"Hey sweetie, Father P has sent us a letter asking for our support."
My wife handed me a fancy and well-done appeal letter.
The heading said "Church of the Advent" in bold, red lettering.
Father P, Wheaton Graduate, Denver Seminary Graduate, and pastoral assistant to the priest-in-charge at our former AMIA parish church felt called to plant a new AMIA church in the downtown Denver Baker neighborhood.
Strike that. He felt called to plant a new church and 19 additional churches.
He called it 20 churches by 2020.
20 Anglican "Almost Orthodox" churches.
That last is an editorial comment.
Additionally, Fr. P. wrote that he felt called to mentor six additional people to do the same thing.
Since our time at the AMIA parish, he had become a full-fledged Anglican priest.
I wondered if one of these future churches would end up in my hometown of Parker.
My dream, of course, was planting a Western Rite Eastern Orthodox Church in Parker. Or to see it planted. It's harder to plant a church when you aren't a priest.
And the "my dream" part was an issue. Was this God's dream or just "my dream?"
This was the perennial question.
As an Orthodox Reader, I reasoned that perhaps as a lowest ranking member of the Priestly order, I might still take a shot at it.
I thought to myself "When it comes down to it, how different are these Anglicans from us Western Rite Orthodox besides our icons and incense?
I answered my own question: "They have a much bigger heart for evangelism and church planting."
"Oh, and they really don't have a sense of the wisdom of our monastics. But other than that . . ." I mused.
"Wheaton college. Now THAT'S where I should have gone to school. Attending a Christian college in the conservative midwest instead of in loopy Southern California."
I dove into the letter. If I had been a rainbow trout, the letter would have been a juicy fly in season and I would have swallowed the hook as well as the bait.
Fr. P started off with a popular Saint Irenaeus quote: The Glory of God is a human being fully alive.
Okay, of course he was using gender inclusive language here for the sake of marketing purposes.
Know your audience, I guess.
I knew the quote really said: The Glory of God is Man Fully Alive.
It was the John Eldredge / Saint Irenaus quote all over again.
And I knew the rest of the quote which most fail to add when they use it.
And the Glory of Man is the Vision of God.
The Vision of God. Something we Eastern Orthodox are supposed to excel at. Why do people always leave that harder part of the quote out?
Again perhaps for marketing purposes. Pehaps they figure they can deliver the harder news of the second half of the Saint Irenaus quote later down the line.
After the trout swallows the fly AND the hook.
Anyway I felt immediately wistful and envious.
I tried to calm myself down with a Fr. Stephen Freeman quote.
"The blessings that others experience are not at our expense."
Unlike me, Fr. P had remained in the AMIA, become a full-fledged priest (which had always been my own dream), and now he was going out to "captain his own."
I, in the meantime would remain an Orthodox Lay Reader, Acolyte and Adult Sunday School Teacher.
Fr. P was going to plant a church in a downtown neighborhood where one of our Western Rite Orthodox churches was already present.
It would probably grow to 300 people, too, like our former AMIA parish. And Saint Augustines would probably remain stuck around 100 people, just scraping by.
However, I comforted myself with the thought that Saint A's would continue to have their beautiful and historic Orthodox temple with beautiful Christian artwork, icons, stained glass, music and a pipe organ. Church of the Advent would probably start off in rented space, have a worship band, overhead projector and bare, white walls.
But my thoughts returned to my own situation.
Here I was, working in a corporate shipping department. Again.
Don't get me wrong. It's a blessing to have a job at all in this tough economy where the unemployment rate is hovering near 10%.
But still . . .
This wasn't the only example of someone else doing "full time ministry" that came my way in the Summer and early Fall of 2010.
Our neighboring family down the street was raising funds for a Youth for Christ Mission to Cyprus, which is a predominately Eastern Orthodox country.
This young couple were invited by my wife Dianna to come on over to dinner to give us their appeal for support.
Their children and our children attend the local chapter of AWANA at Fellowship Community Church.
I said to myself: "Okay God. Here are TWO people working in full-time Christian service while I continue to need to work full-time for the guaranteed money."
Fr. P said he felt prompted to plant a church by seeing a horse of all things. And by reading his appeal letter, I just knew he was being strongly influenced by one of my idols: John Eldredge.
John Eldredge. Another person working in full-time ministry. We were now up to three examples of men doing what I wish I could be doing.
While Fr. P said he was inspired by a horse, I felt like a donkey.
I understood completely where he and the Youth for Christ were coming from, however.
Our neighbor felt called to bring non-Christians and nominal Orthodox Christians to a deep commitment to and relationship with Jesus Christ. Fr. P felt called to plant a new church in a downtown neighborhood where in the words of his appeal letter "the existing churches are in decline both numerically and financially"
And here we continued to be, at Saint Mark's Antiochian Orthodox Church, drinking deeply at the deep and wonderful fountain of Western Rite Holy Orthodoxy, yet witnesses to our own backwardness in some areas where the evangelicals seemed to have us totally licked.
We pledged our financial support to both men and I taught an Adult Sunday School Class on the necessity of doing effective Eastern Orthodox evangelism.
My parish priest was a bit taken aback. "I hear you don't think we're doing a good enough job with evangelism." He said in response to the Sunday School class.
My answer? "I'm just afraid our competiton is going to snap up all the potential converts."
I could have answered more honestly:
"Hell yes we're doing a miserable job of evangelism!! We're getting our asses kicked by the AMIA and Youth for Christ for crying out loud!! And in TWO countries, for heaven's sake!!"
Lord have mercy.
At least there's the new Orthodox Evangelism tool called The Way, modeled after the highly successful Alpha program. I could have focused on this positive.
But there was a deeper issue in my life to look at.
I was seeking to fill the empty places in my heart with religious activities.
Was this a good thing to do or a bad thing to do? Even if I was, did this mean I should go "cold turkey" and cease and desist, or should I go ahead anyway and seek to do these good works?
I came to the conclusion that I should continue to do as many good works as I could. But I also concluded I needed to see my spiritual father / confessor as well.
It was time to go back to my Greek Orthodox Father Confessor, Fr. Lou for the sacrament of Holy Confession and Penance.
I came to the conclusion that I needed to combat the "ravenous wolf" of selfish needs that continued to dog my every step.
Didn't the Holy Scripture itself warn Christians to beware of those who come disguised in sheeps clothing, but who inside are ravenous wolves?
The solution seemed to be to find a balance between the impulse to be busy for God and doing so from inner emptiness.
How could I continue to be busy for God and at the same time try to consciously do it for unselfish reasons?
The answer came to me:
Try to intentionally put yourself and your thoughts entirely out of the picture and focus on others while in the midst of doing good works and constructive things.
Get your mind out of the gutter of selfishness.
Perhaps this way I would be putting aside the ravenous wolf inside and truly be on my way to being a lamb of God in imitation of The Lamb of God.
I thought back to my recent Facebook activities.
My mistakes with former classmates I had contacted.
Trying to do good with sin right there with me.
Where was this persistant sin coming from?
This was indeed my problem:
Doing anything good while still thinking and feeling about myself.
This was indeed an answer, and it was all about intentional focus.
Like the Orthodox discipline of Nepsis, you put yourself out of your mind when you seek to help others.
Focus exclusively on the other persons of God and your neighbor.
This may seem totally obvious, but it's harder to do than you might think.
Only with this proper focus is it possible to freely do good works from your deep heart.
Good works paired with self-centeredness are merely the sound of clanging cymbals.
There is a balance to be found:. Don't give up in despair and fail to do good works because you are naturally self-centered.
Instead do any good works, forgetting about yourself completely while in the process of carrying them out.
And be sure to run doubtful things past your spiritual father first.
Go away, wolf! Beat it!
Blessings in the Holy Trinity, One God
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Goodbye Biola and Regent
I've decided to change my Facebook profile today.
Under "Education" I dropped Biola University and Regent University from my list of schools.
I've added Colorado Christian University.
My reason for this is that after 20 plus years of regretting Biola, I've come to the conclusion that my religion would counsel me to forget what lies behind.
I've concluded that I need to press forward to the things God has for me now.
This doesn't mean I'm going to drop my four Biola friends I currently have on my Facebook page. They are worthy friends and I'm glad I knew them back then and I'm glad to be in touch with them now.
It does mean that I no longer consider myself a Biolan. I'm not worthy of the title and for me, personally, Biola is not an association I need anymore. I'm not an Eagle. I'm a Cougar.
My Alma Mater is the school I actually graduated from. That school's current form exists in and through Colorado Christian University.
Colorado Baptist University was absorbed by Colorado Christian College, forming Colorado Christian University in the fall of 1989.
I graduated from Colorado Baptist, then a branch of Southwest Baptist University, in the spring of 1989.
Merger talks happened over the course of that Spring Semester and the decision to merge was finalized before I graduated.
Thus, I am an Alumnus of Colorado Christian University. I never once set foot in Bolivar Missouri, where Southwest Baptist University is located.
But I did take two classes from CCU during the time I was away from Biola recovering from a bone marrow illness.
That combined with my graduation from an original CCU founding institution makes me a CCU Alum.
Go Cougars!
Biola and I were mismatched from the beginning. I realize now that I would have been better served in attending college somewhere else. Wheaton College comes to mind. Or perhaps Rockmont college close to home . . .
Or maybe even CU or CSU.
Regent University was just my attempt to recapture something that was irretrievably lost to me. Those graduate level classes rounded out my education, but I didn't graduate from Regent either, so I don't deserve to be associated with this graduate school in Virginia Beach.
Listing either institution as though I am an Alum of either one of them just doesn't make sense.
It is better to leave these places in my past and not to dwell on that past anymore.
My loyalty as an alum is to Colorado Christian University.
May God richly bless this local Christian University to be everything to its students that Biola failed to be for me. May all CCU students be everything to CCU that I failed to be for Biola but succeeded in being for Colorado Baptist / CCU.
And may the graduate programs of CCU grow to be everything Regent University is now.
My true undergraduate accomplishment was graduating from CBU / CCU with a "B" average and editing News and Views and Wings of Promise.
My graduation happened after "coming off the mat" from a tough ending at Biola and the loss of my best friend of the time, Rona Williams, who died in a car accident in the summer of 1988.
This was the true accomplishment. Attending Biola and Regent really wasn't.
It isn't enough to just survive a place. I did more than survive at CBU / CCU.
I pray that someday, an Eastern Orthodox University in this country will be founded to equal all the best Protestant and Catholic universities that currently exist.
Blessings in Christ, the Absolute God,
and in the Holy Trinity of which He is a loving part,
Columba Silouan
Under "Education" I dropped Biola University and Regent University from my list of schools.
I've added Colorado Christian University.
My reason for this is that after 20 plus years of regretting Biola, I've come to the conclusion that my religion would counsel me to forget what lies behind.
I've concluded that I need to press forward to the things God has for me now.
This doesn't mean I'm going to drop my four Biola friends I currently have on my Facebook page. They are worthy friends and I'm glad I knew them back then and I'm glad to be in touch with them now.
It does mean that I no longer consider myself a Biolan. I'm not worthy of the title and for me, personally, Biola is not an association I need anymore. I'm not an Eagle. I'm a Cougar.
My Alma Mater is the school I actually graduated from. That school's current form exists in and through Colorado Christian University.
Colorado Baptist University was absorbed by Colorado Christian College, forming Colorado Christian University in the fall of 1989.
I graduated from Colorado Baptist, then a branch of Southwest Baptist University, in the spring of 1989.
Merger talks happened over the course of that Spring Semester and the decision to merge was finalized before I graduated.
Thus, I am an Alumnus of Colorado Christian University. I never once set foot in Bolivar Missouri, where Southwest Baptist University is located.
But I did take two classes from CCU during the time I was away from Biola recovering from a bone marrow illness.
That combined with my graduation from an original CCU founding institution makes me a CCU Alum.
Go Cougars!
Biola and I were mismatched from the beginning. I realize now that I would have been better served in attending college somewhere else. Wheaton College comes to mind. Or perhaps Rockmont college close to home . . .
Or maybe even CU or CSU.
Regent University was just my attempt to recapture something that was irretrievably lost to me. Those graduate level classes rounded out my education, but I didn't graduate from Regent either, so I don't deserve to be associated with this graduate school in Virginia Beach.
Listing either institution as though I am an Alum of either one of them just doesn't make sense.
It is better to leave these places in my past and not to dwell on that past anymore.
My loyalty as an alum is to Colorado Christian University.
May God richly bless this local Christian University to be everything to its students that Biola failed to be for me. May all CCU students be everything to CCU that I failed to be for Biola but succeeded in being for Colorado Baptist / CCU.
And may the graduate programs of CCU grow to be everything Regent University is now.
My true undergraduate accomplishment was graduating from CBU / CCU with a "B" average and editing News and Views and Wings of Promise.
My graduation happened after "coming off the mat" from a tough ending at Biola and the loss of my best friend of the time, Rona Williams, who died in a car accident in the summer of 1988.
This was the true accomplishment. Attending Biola and Regent really wasn't.
It isn't enough to just survive a place. I did more than survive at CBU / CCU.
I pray that someday, an Eastern Orthodox University in this country will be founded to equal all the best Protestant and Catholic universities that currently exist.
Blessings in Christ, the Absolute God,
and in the Holy Trinity of which He is a loving part,
Columba Silouan
Monday, August 23, 2010
Saint Francis of Assisi in Estes Park
We just returned from a weekend in Estes Park where we had a wonderful time away at a condo some church friends let us use.
We attended church on Sunday Morning at Saint Francis of Assisi Anglican Church, which is in the Anglican Province of North America.
Saint Francis is an Anglican Catholic parish and the service was much like the one at our home church which is in the Western Rite.
We refrained from taking the Eucharist per the rules of the Holy Orthodox Church, but we went forward for the priestly blessing and were indeed blessed, nevertheless.
The building was designed by a previous rector named Fr. Wells. He designed the church, the stained glass windows, the bronze work and the grounds.
This building would make a perfect Western Rite Orthodox Temple. I wish we had ten more like it.
The people were very friendly and we felt right at home.
We attended church on Sunday Morning at Saint Francis of Assisi Anglican Church, which is in the Anglican Province of North America.
Saint Francis is an Anglican Catholic parish and the service was much like the one at our home church which is in the Western Rite.
We refrained from taking the Eucharist per the rules of the Holy Orthodox Church, but we went forward for the priestly blessing and were indeed blessed, nevertheless.
The building was designed by a previous rector named Fr. Wells. He designed the church, the stained glass windows, the bronze work and the grounds.
This building would make a perfect Western Rite Orthodox Temple. I wish we had ten more like it.
The people were very friendly and we felt right at home.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
More on Kujami Coffee
From the website of the coffee shop I plan to visit:
"Unique and absolute occasion for the senses, Kunjuani Coffea is a true retreat in every manner of the word. From the moment you set foot amidst the friendly, old-world setting you’ll be captivated by the difference.
Every freshly prepared espresso is individually hand-pulled by a trained and experienced barista – not a machine. The exquisite, full-flavored whole beans are skillfully roasted in small batches from a Colorado artisan roaster. The sumptuous pastries are delivered fresh daily from a local bakery. And the gracious ambiance and free WiFi invite you to settle in and stay. (Even the convenient drive-thru offers a prompt and pleasant experience.)
Come indulge yourself with a perfectly prepared beverage, relax by the large, stone fireplace and lose yourself completely among the comfortable and lovingly created environment. Then discover what it truly means to ‘get Kunjani’d’."
The free Wi-Fi should mean that I can pack up a used laptop recently purchased from my company and write and report from there. This should be fun and a bit of an adventure. Stay tuned.
Columba Silouan
"Unique and absolute occasion for the senses, Kunjuani Coffea is a true retreat in every manner of the word. From the moment you set foot amidst the friendly, old-world setting you’ll be captivated by the difference.
Every freshly prepared espresso is individually hand-pulled by a trained and experienced barista – not a machine. The exquisite, full-flavored whole beans are skillfully roasted in small batches from a Colorado artisan roaster. The sumptuous pastries are delivered fresh daily from a local bakery. And the gracious ambiance and free WiFi invite you to settle in and stay. (Even the convenient drive-thru offers a prompt and pleasant experience.)
Come indulge yourself with a perfectly prepared beverage, relax by the large, stone fireplace and lose yourself completely among the comfortable and lovingly created environment. Then discover what it truly means to ‘get Kunjani’d’."
The free Wi-Fi should mean that I can pack up a used laptop recently purchased from my company and write and report from there. This should be fun and a bit of an adventure. Stay tuned.
Columba Silouan
Looking for the Nebuchadnezzar
Last week's goal of camping out at a local coffee shop had to be put on hold because my wife was under the weather.
The plan is to try again tomorrow.
In the meantime, I've written a letter to Craig McConnell of Ransomed Hearts in an effort to locate the house church formerly known as The Nebuchadnezzar.
This house church has since been renamed Imago Dei.
I hope to supplement my spiritual activities with periodic midweek visits to this group for possible Bible Study and prayer.
This in no way means I'm giving up on Holy Orthodoxy, but in my opinion I do need Christians of other stripes to keep me healthy and sharp.
Perhaps I can find some allies down in Colorado Springs.
Blessings in the Holy Trinity, One God.
The Tentmaker
The plan is to try again tomorrow.
In the meantime, I've written a letter to Craig McConnell of Ransomed Hearts in an effort to locate the house church formerly known as The Nebuchadnezzar.
This house church has since been renamed Imago Dei.
I hope to supplement my spiritual activities with periodic midweek visits to this group for possible Bible Study and prayer.
This in no way means I'm giving up on Holy Orthodoxy, but in my opinion I do need Christians of other stripes to keep me healthy and sharp.
Perhaps I can find some allies down in Colorado Springs.
Blessings in the Holy Trinity, One God.
The Tentmaker
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Future Efforts
Tomorrow, July the 15th, will be the first evening I spend a couple of hours at a local coffee shop.
This will be the beginning of an attempt to find potential converts to Orthodoxy, as well as potential church planters.
The approach will be simple: go to the coffee shop with Orthodox Study Bible in hand and do some reading. I will be praying that God will send me contacts and set up divine appointments.
And I may rotate from the coffee shop to the local Celtic Tavern which is pretty much across the street from the coffee shop.
If I do this long enough and pair these locations with the Steaming Bean next fall, some positive results may take place.
The bottom line is that a local Orthodox parish would provide a better opportunity for greater involvement for those of us who are Parker residents.
I firmly believe that there should be an Orthodox parish in every suburb of all major cities in the U.S.
For a city like Denver, that would mean suburbs like Aurora, Parker, Highlands Ranch, Englewood, Littleton, Thorton, Westminister, Wheatridge and Lakewood. It would also mean nearby towns such as Franktown, Elizabeth, Castle Rock, Brighton, etc.
That would mean 13 parishes for those municipalities listed directly above.
Ambitious? Unrealistic?
Probably so.
But thinking in these terms beats the complacent alternative.
The Anglican Church in North America isn't waiting around and has pledged the planting of hundreds of new parishes across the country.
Should we be any less ambitious than they are?
Blessings in The Holy Trinity, One God and the Divine Community of Love.
Columba Silouan
This will be the beginning of an attempt to find potential converts to Orthodoxy, as well as potential church planters.
The approach will be simple: go to the coffee shop with Orthodox Study Bible in hand and do some reading. I will be praying that God will send me contacts and set up divine appointments.
And I may rotate from the coffee shop to the local Celtic Tavern which is pretty much across the street from the coffee shop.
If I do this long enough and pair these locations with the Steaming Bean next fall, some positive results may take place.
The bottom line is that a local Orthodox parish would provide a better opportunity for greater involvement for those of us who are Parker residents.
I firmly believe that there should be an Orthodox parish in every suburb of all major cities in the U.S.
For a city like Denver, that would mean suburbs like Aurora, Parker, Highlands Ranch, Englewood, Littleton, Thorton, Westminister, Wheatridge and Lakewood. It would also mean nearby towns such as Franktown, Elizabeth, Castle Rock, Brighton, etc.
That would mean 13 parishes for those municipalities listed directly above.
Ambitious? Unrealistic?
Probably so.
But thinking in these terms beats the complacent alternative.
The Anglican Church in North America isn't waiting around and has pledged the planting of hundreds of new parishes across the country.
Should we be any less ambitious than they are?
Blessings in The Holy Trinity, One God and the Divine Community of Love.
Columba Silouan
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Well That Didn't Work
So I put my Rose Window T-shirt on, donned my "I Love Orthodox Missions" button, and put on my celtic cross and headed out to the Steaming Bean with my Orthodox Study Bible.
It was closed. Turns out they have "summer hours."
So next week, I'll try Kunjuani Coffee, which is a secular coffee house up the street.
Maybe that will be better, anyway.
Blessings,
Columba Silouan
It was closed. Turns out they have "summer hours."
So next week, I'll try Kunjuani Coffee, which is a secular coffee house up the street.
Maybe that will be better, anyway.
Blessings,
Columba Silouan
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
An Experiment: Camping out at the Steaming Bean
It's time to take the plunge.
It's time to go to the Steaming Bean with my "I Love Orthodox Missions" button and sit there for an hour or two.
It's time to see what God might do with such a step.
Tomorrow evening after the kids are in bed, or maybe before, I will take a trip to the Steaming Bean Christian Coffee Shop at Mainstreet and Parker Road in Parker.
I will blog the results of this first evening.
I've been meaning to do this for a long time.
Let's see what and who God sends my way.
Prayers Coveted.
Blessings in The Holy Trinity, One God
Columba Silouan
It's time to go to the Steaming Bean with my "I Love Orthodox Missions" button and sit there for an hour or two.
It's time to see what God might do with such a step.
Tomorrow evening after the kids are in bed, or maybe before, I will take a trip to the Steaming Bean Christian Coffee Shop at Mainstreet and Parker Road in Parker.
I will blog the results of this first evening.
I've been meaning to do this for a long time.
Let's see what and who God sends my way.
Prayers Coveted.
Blessings in The Holy Trinity, One God
Columba Silouan
Are House Churches and Eastern Orthodoxy Polar Opposites or Compatible?
I've been reading about the growing popularity of "house churches" and as an Eastern Orthodox Christian I have some questions about them.
Is it possible to have an Eastern Orthodox "house church?"
Do "house churches" as they are currently comprised tend towards iconoclasm?
Can a "house church" be developed that checks in with an Orthodox Bishop and can a hypothetical "house church" have Priests and Deacons involved in it?
Would an EO "house church" movement bear a lot of fruit even with the necessities of Liturgy, Sacraments, Vestments, and so on?
On the surface of things, the current Protestant version of "house churches" would seem to be a direct rebuke / challenge to the Orthodox Church, but looking beneath the surface, is it possible to adapt this idea and use it to spread The Faith?
And finally a Western Rite question: Would it be easier to do an Eastern Orthodox House Church using the Western Liturgies?
Questions, questions.
Columba Sillouan
Is it possible to have an Eastern Orthodox "house church?"
Do "house churches" as they are currently comprised tend towards iconoclasm?
Can a "house church" be developed that checks in with an Orthodox Bishop and can a hypothetical "house church" have Priests and Deacons involved in it?
Would an EO "house church" movement bear a lot of fruit even with the necessities of Liturgy, Sacraments, Vestments, and so on?
On the surface of things, the current Protestant version of "house churches" would seem to be a direct rebuke / challenge to the Orthodox Church, but looking beneath the surface, is it possible to adapt this idea and use it to spread The Faith?
And finally a Western Rite question: Would it be easier to do an Eastern Orthodox House Church using the Western Liturgies?
Questions, questions.
Columba Sillouan
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
The Mixed Bag that is Facebook
I've been doing some thinking tonight on my forays into the world of Facebook.
After being involved with Facebook for about a year now, I can say that my experience with it has been a mixed bag. I have learned some things.
My original intent was to use Facebook as a tool to promote the new Saint Laurence Retreat Center and Western Rite Orthodoxy, as well as Orthodox Church Planting.
Instead, I was bitten by the "Facebook Bug" and attempted to contact old college associates.
The positive thing is that I gained two lasting contacts from my college days at my first college, Biola University.
I didn't graduate from Biola. I graduated from Southwest Baptist University after transferring to the SBU Colorado Branch Campus known as Colorado Baptist University.
The most intense college experiences of my life happened at Biola. Biola was the place where my hopes were white hot before being dashed by "The Divine Thwarter."
I had high hopes for a number of reunions and the restoration of some lost friendships. I was looking for absolution. In some ways I found that absolution. In other ways, loose ends remained.
I gained / regained two lost colleagues as a result.
And for this I am thankful to God and grateful.
However, I contacted at least ten former classmates. I only received feedback from four and only two of those had staying power.
It's interesting to look at the nature of the hopes that Facebook generated in me.
I hoped for a lot. I hoped, as John Eldredge writes, "for things the way they should be, not for things the way they are."
I've concluded that the hope I felt properly belongs to a new world, and not to this one.
In the new world that God is creating for all faithful Christians, hopes for joyful reunions will be realized.
In this present world in most respects, such hopes will have to remain deferred.
I can hang onto my hopes for the coming new world. I need to let such hopes in this world go.
The new world can witness the restoration and purification of things I hoped for back then. Those hopes were dashed, but maybe not forever. Maybe those hopes will get replaced by new and better hopes.
Should I reach The New Heavens and The New Earth, I will be able to enjoy the friends I thought lost forever. I will be able to do this as a New Creation. The old will pass away and everything will become new.
I will be able to enjoy all my friends from a sound position of sinlessness and wholeness.
That will be heavenly indeed.
Blessings in the Holy Trinity, One God
Columba Silouan
After being involved with Facebook for about a year now, I can say that my experience with it has been a mixed bag. I have learned some things.
My original intent was to use Facebook as a tool to promote the new Saint Laurence Retreat Center and Western Rite Orthodoxy, as well as Orthodox Church Planting.
Instead, I was bitten by the "Facebook Bug" and attempted to contact old college associates.
The positive thing is that I gained two lasting contacts from my college days at my first college, Biola University.
I didn't graduate from Biola. I graduated from Southwest Baptist University after transferring to the SBU Colorado Branch Campus known as Colorado Baptist University.
The most intense college experiences of my life happened at Biola. Biola was the place where my hopes were white hot before being dashed by "The Divine Thwarter."
I had high hopes for a number of reunions and the restoration of some lost friendships. I was looking for absolution. In some ways I found that absolution. In other ways, loose ends remained.
I gained / regained two lost colleagues as a result.
And for this I am thankful to God and grateful.
However, I contacted at least ten former classmates. I only received feedback from four and only two of those had staying power.
It's interesting to look at the nature of the hopes that Facebook generated in me.
I hoped for a lot. I hoped, as John Eldredge writes, "for things the way they should be, not for things the way they are."
I've concluded that the hope I felt properly belongs to a new world, and not to this one.
In the new world that God is creating for all faithful Christians, hopes for joyful reunions will be realized.
In this present world in most respects, such hopes will have to remain deferred.
I can hang onto my hopes for the coming new world. I need to let such hopes in this world go.
The new world can witness the restoration and purification of things I hoped for back then. Those hopes were dashed, but maybe not forever. Maybe those hopes will get replaced by new and better hopes.
Should I reach The New Heavens and The New Earth, I will be able to enjoy the friends I thought lost forever. I will be able to do this as a New Creation. The old will pass away and everything will become new.
I will be able to enjoy all my friends from a sound position of sinlessness and wholeness.
That will be heavenly indeed.
Blessings in the Holy Trinity, One God
Columba Silouan
Joint Anglican Orthodox Worship Workshop?
This past Sunday, I became involved in a discussion about the frustrations of some local young men who have aspirations for the Holy Orders in a local AMIA church I used to attend.
According to a source at my home parish who has a family member who is an AMIA communicant, some of these young men want to go deeper into Liturgy and reverent worship but are being stymied.
At this point, an idea came to me.
As an Eastern Orthodox Christian in the Western Rite, and with a new conference center at Tallahassee Creek in Fremont County, we have an opportunity to address this need.
We could host a worship conference where we train these Anglicans in how we worship in the Western Rite. We could also expand the conference to be a men's retreat.
The new basilica at Tallahassee Creek can be used in this way because it is not strictly an Orthodox building.
We couldn't pull this kind of thing off at our own parish church because our Eastern Orthodox canons wouldn't allow non-Orthodox Christians behind our altar.
At Saint Laurence, however, a full Western-Rite service with Anglicans could easily be pulled off. The Orthodox wouldn't be able to commune with the Anglicans, but could help them through all the steps of the Liturgy.
Establishing friendly ties with the local Anglicans in our area is a good idea. After all, not too many years back, most of us were together in Episcopalian parishes before the final apostasy of the Episcopal Church.
If we teach young men like these deeper ways of worshipping God, it will lead the AMIA in our area closer to Orthodox norms while truly bettering Anglican parish life.
And some Anglicans will be drawn to convert to Holy Orthodoxy.
We get the best of both worlds. Anglicans who are more Orthodox and new Orthodox Christians who decide to come all the way home.
And here's an absolutely crazy dream, while I'm at it.
Wouldn't it be a hoot to invite John Eldredge to speak at any "Men's Conference" portion of such a weekend?
I would love to see John exposed to the way we worship. He attended an Episcopal Church in the Springs for a period of time according to his own writings.
Pulling all of this off would be a huge coup for the new retreat center and I think would bear lasting fruit.
Blessings in the Holy Trinity, One God
According to a source at my home parish who has a family member who is an AMIA communicant, some of these young men want to go deeper into Liturgy and reverent worship but are being stymied.
At this point, an idea came to me.
As an Eastern Orthodox Christian in the Western Rite, and with a new conference center at Tallahassee Creek in Fremont County, we have an opportunity to address this need.
We could host a worship conference where we train these Anglicans in how we worship in the Western Rite. We could also expand the conference to be a men's retreat.
The new basilica at Tallahassee Creek can be used in this way because it is not strictly an Orthodox building.
We couldn't pull this kind of thing off at our own parish church because our Eastern Orthodox canons wouldn't allow non-Orthodox Christians behind our altar.
At Saint Laurence, however, a full Western-Rite service with Anglicans could easily be pulled off. The Orthodox wouldn't be able to commune with the Anglicans, but could help them through all the steps of the Liturgy.
Establishing friendly ties with the local Anglicans in our area is a good idea. After all, not too many years back, most of us were together in Episcopalian parishes before the final apostasy of the Episcopal Church.
If we teach young men like these deeper ways of worshipping God, it will lead the AMIA in our area closer to Orthodox norms while truly bettering Anglican parish life.
And some Anglicans will be drawn to convert to Holy Orthodoxy.
We get the best of both worlds. Anglicans who are more Orthodox and new Orthodox Christians who decide to come all the way home.
And here's an absolutely crazy dream, while I'm at it.
Wouldn't it be a hoot to invite John Eldredge to speak at any "Men's Conference" portion of such a weekend?
I would love to see John exposed to the way we worship. He attended an Episcopal Church in the Springs for a period of time according to his own writings.
Pulling all of this off would be a huge coup for the new retreat center and I think would bear lasting fruit.
Blessings in the Holy Trinity, One God
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Summer Thoughts
The first official day of Summer just came and went. This is my first posting on Orthodox Parker since April the 13th.
That's quite a long time between postings. Too long, in fact.
Since my last posting, I've set up a "trading months" situation for the Adult Sunday School Class at our parish. The other teacher is our assistant priest, Fr. John Falconi.
I've settled in to my second position at Dish Network, which is a Materials Handler position at Corporate Headquarters. In this position, I have all the old duties I used to have when I was a corporate mail clerk for ten years.
Lord willing, this position looks to be stable and long-term.
Between my last posting in April and this one, I briefly kicked around an idea for an Ecumenically shared ministry. I learned about a new Lutheran denomination called the LCMC which came about as a direct result of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's decision to ordain actively homosexual pastors.
A local Lutheran church in Parker voted to stay in that denomination, prompting the orthodox (with a small "o") pastor to leave, move down the street and begin a new parish.
So now there is a Lutheran version of the Anglican Mission in the Americas.
I had the novel idea of a ecumenically shared parish made up of an AMIA group, an LCMC group, and an Orthodox group.
The idea is especially novel because it is the least likely to happen from the Eastern Orthodox side of things.
The fictional parish would be created along the lines of the Church of the Apostles parish in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. That parish is shared by Episcopalians and Roman Catholics. They do communion apart, but do everything else together.
My concern is that christianity is getting more and more subdivided into smaller and smaller groupings. This means less impact on our culture, more unproductive competition with each other, and diminished opportunities for growth and stability.
I am a sucker for christian architecture and art. I have a nostalgia for "good old days" when a more united christendom built churches like the Hagia Sophia and the great cathedrals of Europe.
The smaller we are, the harder we fall?
This may seem like a silly concern, but as an Eastern Orthodox Christian, I am, by definition, not an Iconoclast in any way.
Christianity has a visible and physical presence in the world. Jesus Christ came in the flesh to save us. This means it is a-okay to have a Christianity with maximum amounts of sacred images and art.
Of course, from the Orthodox perspective, The Church is not divided. This is true, but christianity with a small "c" is certainly divided whether we acknowledge it or not.
The divisions in christianity still harm the Orthodox, even if supposedly we're "not involved" in those
divisions per se.
Divide and Conquer. I'm sure our enemy the devil is still using this time - tested strategy against us to great effect.
I'm tired of the balkanization of christianity. I dream of the time when christianity is more unified, even if some of the groups have to remain apart during communion.
If we could marshall our efforts as much as possible, what might be accomplished?
I would like to see what Dr. Francis Schaeffer once called "an ecumenicism of orthodoxy."
The splits between conservative christians and liberal christians have created an unbridgeable chasm between Lutherans and Episcopalians, but perhaps the conservative Lutherans and Anglicans could work together with Western Rite Orthodox Christians . . .
If only there was the vision for it.
Blessings in the Holy Trinity, One God.
Columba Siluouan
That's quite a long time between postings. Too long, in fact.
Since my last posting, I've set up a "trading months" situation for the Adult Sunday School Class at our parish. The other teacher is our assistant priest, Fr. John Falconi.
I've settled in to my second position at Dish Network, which is a Materials Handler position at Corporate Headquarters. In this position, I have all the old duties I used to have when I was a corporate mail clerk for ten years.
Lord willing, this position looks to be stable and long-term.
Between my last posting in April and this one, I briefly kicked around an idea for an Ecumenically shared ministry. I learned about a new Lutheran denomination called the LCMC which came about as a direct result of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's decision to ordain actively homosexual pastors.
A local Lutheran church in Parker voted to stay in that denomination, prompting the orthodox (with a small "o") pastor to leave, move down the street and begin a new parish.
So now there is a Lutheran version of the Anglican Mission in the Americas.
I had the novel idea of a ecumenically shared parish made up of an AMIA group, an LCMC group, and an Orthodox group.
The idea is especially novel because it is the least likely to happen from the Eastern Orthodox side of things.
The fictional parish would be created along the lines of the Church of the Apostles parish in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. That parish is shared by Episcopalians and Roman Catholics. They do communion apart, but do everything else together.
My concern is that christianity is getting more and more subdivided into smaller and smaller groupings. This means less impact on our culture, more unproductive competition with each other, and diminished opportunities for growth and stability.
I am a sucker for christian architecture and art. I have a nostalgia for "good old days" when a more united christendom built churches like the Hagia Sophia and the great cathedrals of Europe.
The smaller we are, the harder we fall?
This may seem like a silly concern, but as an Eastern Orthodox Christian, I am, by definition, not an Iconoclast in any way.
Christianity has a visible and physical presence in the world. Jesus Christ came in the flesh to save us. This means it is a-okay to have a Christianity with maximum amounts of sacred images and art.
Of course, from the Orthodox perspective, The Church is not divided. This is true, but christianity with a small "c" is certainly divided whether we acknowledge it or not.
The divisions in christianity still harm the Orthodox, even if supposedly we're "not involved" in those
divisions per se.
Divide and Conquer. I'm sure our enemy the devil is still using this time - tested strategy against us to great effect.
I'm tired of the balkanization of christianity. I dream of the time when christianity is more unified, even if some of the groups have to remain apart during communion.
If we could marshall our efforts as much as possible, what might be accomplished?
I would like to see what Dr. Francis Schaeffer once called "an ecumenicism of orthodoxy."
The splits between conservative christians and liberal christians have created an unbridgeable chasm between Lutherans and Episcopalians, but perhaps the conservative Lutherans and Anglicans could work together with Western Rite Orthodox Christians . . .
If only there was the vision for it.
Blessings in the Holy Trinity, One God.
Columba Siluouan
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Modern Language Liturgies Pro and Con
Recently, the subject of Elizabethan English language usage in the Western Rite was discussed on westernriteorthodoxy@yahoogroups.com. The question about the possibility of a Modern Language version of the Western Rite Liturgies was raised, and this wasn't the first time.
I mentioned this discussion in our Adult Sunday School class at our parish, where I am currently the teacher. I had two ideas at the time. The first was to develop a Modern Language version of the 2009 Book of Common Prayer published by Lancelot Andrewes Press for the purpose of a one year "transitional period" for new WR parishes. This idea wasn't enthusiastically received.
My other idea was for us to develop an "Elizabethan English for Dummies" booklet for new convert parishes. This idea was well received.
My current thoughts on this subject are as follows:
On the one hand, I have a question. Why is it that many people are eager to discard the Old English for the Liturgy of the Church, when those same people would probably object to attending a Shakespearian play that was done in Modern English? Isn't part of the charm of experiencing Shakespeare wrapped up in the cadences and beauty of the older language?
On the other hand, I've concluded that a carefully produced and thoughtfully rendered Modern English version of each Western Rite Liturgy would be a good idea in light of the fact that less and less people have been exposed to an Old English version of scripture.
Also, those of us in the Western Rite ought to produce a Modern Language version while we have control over such a project and before it might be taken out of our hands.
I believe that at some point in the future, this issue will stare us squarely in the face. if the Saint Chrysostom Liturgy is being used in Modern English, pressure will someday be brought to bear on us to do the same with our Liturgies.
Grist for the mill, to be sure.
Columba Silouan
I mentioned this discussion in our Adult Sunday School class at our parish, where I am currently the teacher. I had two ideas at the time. The first was to develop a Modern Language version of the 2009 Book of Common Prayer published by Lancelot Andrewes Press for the purpose of a one year "transitional period" for new WR parishes. This idea wasn't enthusiastically received.
My other idea was for us to develop an "Elizabethan English for Dummies" booklet for new convert parishes. This idea was well received.
My current thoughts on this subject are as follows:
On the one hand, I have a question. Why is it that many people are eager to discard the Old English for the Liturgy of the Church, when those same people would probably object to attending a Shakespearian play that was done in Modern English? Isn't part of the charm of experiencing Shakespeare wrapped up in the cadences and beauty of the older language?
On the other hand, I've concluded that a carefully produced and thoughtfully rendered Modern English version of each Western Rite Liturgy would be a good idea in light of the fact that less and less people have been exposed to an Old English version of scripture.
Also, those of us in the Western Rite ought to produce a Modern Language version while we have control over such a project and before it might be taken out of our hands.
I believe that at some point in the future, this issue will stare us squarely in the face. if the Saint Chrysostom Liturgy is being used in Modern English, pressure will someday be brought to bear on us to do the same with our Liturgies.
Grist for the mill, to be sure.
Columba Silouan
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Another Summer's Approach
Spring begins on Monday, March the 15th. It won't be too long before another Summer is here, with new opportunities to write about Orthodoxy and promote a potential church plant in Parker.
Going into this new Spring and Summer I have some advantages that I lacked one year ago at this time.
The first new advantage is that my new job is much more secure than it was even a few months ago. May the Lord continue to have mercy.
With my transfer to the Facilities department at my company with duties I have performed well in previously, I can turn my attention back to projects such as Growing Up Christian in America and Saint Ambrose Orthodox Church.
To get a new church going won't be easy at all. But I still believe the goal is worthwhile.
One need I see is to find a younger point man to help with this effort.
I'm not old by any means at the age of 44, but a younger person might be more inspirational than a middle aged and balding forty something.
This will be a matter for prolonged prayer.
If this Spring and Summer season is to be any more productive than last Spring and Summer, time will need to be spent once a week in Parker promoting the idea for a new parish.
Again, the model for a new Orthodox parish in Parker is as follows: The Parish will be a "Western Rite" parish and can either be an Antiochian, an OCA, or a ROCOR parish. The most likely home for such a parish would be in the Antiochian Archdiocese, but if the opportunity presents itself, membership in the OCA or ROCOR might also work very well.
Rumors have persisted for months that the OCA is looking at opening up a Western Rite of its own, and ROCOR already has a Western Rite presence.
The local diocese of Antioch has an excellent bishop as its head, Bishop Basil Essey. Any church under Bishop Basil would be blessed to have him as Bishop.
However, at the present time there continues to be controversy within the larger Archdiocese, and perhaps a new start under a different Orthodox jurisdiction would be a fruitful move for the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in this area.
Whatever God allows to happen will happen.
My hopes for the "DNA" of a new Parker mission parish are as follows:
1. A thriving church school program with excellent classes at all levels of the parish.
2. A strong and sustained small group Bible Study program where the scriptures are studied from an Eastern Orthodox perspective using The Orthodox Study Bible and various Orthodox Bible Study guides by authors such as Fr. Patrick Henry O'Reardon and others.
3. A strong and sustained small group fellowship setup where people can meet on a regular basis and share their lives with each other.
4. A monthly or twice-monthly praise and worship session that stands apart from the Divine Liturgy as a means of ongoing encouragement and inspiration for the faithful.
5. Maintaining an excellent liturgical and musical life for the parish during the central service of the Mass, along the lines of the venerable tradition at Saint Mark's Orthodox Church.
6. Practice of the Divine Liturgy using the 2009 Book of Common Prayer and the Saint Dunstan's and Saint Ambrose Psalter and Hymnbook. All services will be in English. Those who desire Latin Masses are free to repair to Saint Mark's Orthodox Church.
7. Continued use of the discipline of Morning and Evening Prayer / Matins, again using Anglican Plainchant as found in the Saint Dunstan's Psalter.
8. Faithful Observance of all Orthodox Holy Days and Feasts as possible at the new parish, but if not possible, encouragement of mission members to attend the same events at Saint Mark's.
9. Outreach to the surrounding community including establishing a regular presence at the Steaming Bean Christian Coffee Shop at the intersection of Parker Road and Mainstreet.
10. The eventual construction of an Orthodox Temple friendly to Western forms while maintaining the iconographic and liturgical standards that Eastern Orthodoxy requires.
11. A parish that reaches out to unchurched people as well as to disaffected christians of all stripes.
12. A parish that practices hospitality.
13. A parish that has regular prayer services during the month where healing is sought for the sick and all night prayer is available.
These are some starting points to ponder and this is not meant to be an exhaustive list.
The Peace of Christ be with you!
Columba Silouan
Going into this new Spring and Summer I have some advantages that I lacked one year ago at this time.
The first new advantage is that my new job is much more secure than it was even a few months ago. May the Lord continue to have mercy.
With my transfer to the Facilities department at my company with duties I have performed well in previously, I can turn my attention back to projects such as Growing Up Christian in America and Saint Ambrose Orthodox Church.
To get a new church going won't be easy at all. But I still believe the goal is worthwhile.
One need I see is to find a younger point man to help with this effort.
I'm not old by any means at the age of 44, but a younger person might be more inspirational than a middle aged and balding forty something.
This will be a matter for prolonged prayer.
If this Spring and Summer season is to be any more productive than last Spring and Summer, time will need to be spent once a week in Parker promoting the idea for a new parish.
Again, the model for a new Orthodox parish in Parker is as follows: The Parish will be a "Western Rite" parish and can either be an Antiochian, an OCA, or a ROCOR parish. The most likely home for such a parish would be in the Antiochian Archdiocese, but if the opportunity presents itself, membership in the OCA or ROCOR might also work very well.
Rumors have persisted for months that the OCA is looking at opening up a Western Rite of its own, and ROCOR already has a Western Rite presence.
The local diocese of Antioch has an excellent bishop as its head, Bishop Basil Essey. Any church under Bishop Basil would be blessed to have him as Bishop.
However, at the present time there continues to be controversy within the larger Archdiocese, and perhaps a new start under a different Orthodox jurisdiction would be a fruitful move for the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in this area.
Whatever God allows to happen will happen.
My hopes for the "DNA" of a new Parker mission parish are as follows:
1. A thriving church school program with excellent classes at all levels of the parish.
2. A strong and sustained small group Bible Study program where the scriptures are studied from an Eastern Orthodox perspective using The Orthodox Study Bible and various Orthodox Bible Study guides by authors such as Fr. Patrick Henry O'Reardon and others.
3. A strong and sustained small group fellowship setup where people can meet on a regular basis and share their lives with each other.
4. A monthly or twice-monthly praise and worship session that stands apart from the Divine Liturgy as a means of ongoing encouragement and inspiration for the faithful.
5. Maintaining an excellent liturgical and musical life for the parish during the central service of the Mass, along the lines of the venerable tradition at Saint Mark's Orthodox Church.
6. Practice of the Divine Liturgy using the 2009 Book of Common Prayer and the Saint Dunstan's and Saint Ambrose Psalter and Hymnbook. All services will be in English. Those who desire Latin Masses are free to repair to Saint Mark's Orthodox Church.
7. Continued use of the discipline of Morning and Evening Prayer / Matins, again using Anglican Plainchant as found in the Saint Dunstan's Psalter.
8. Faithful Observance of all Orthodox Holy Days and Feasts as possible at the new parish, but if not possible, encouragement of mission members to attend the same events at Saint Mark's.
9. Outreach to the surrounding community including establishing a regular presence at the Steaming Bean Christian Coffee Shop at the intersection of Parker Road and Mainstreet.
10. The eventual construction of an Orthodox Temple friendly to Western forms while maintaining the iconographic and liturgical standards that Eastern Orthodoxy requires.
11. A parish that reaches out to unchurched people as well as to disaffected christians of all stripes.
12. A parish that practices hospitality.
13. A parish that has regular prayer services during the month where healing is sought for the sick and all night prayer is available.
These are some starting points to ponder and this is not meant to be an exhaustive list.
The Peace of Christ be with you!
Columba Silouan
Monday, February 15, 2010
A Final Piece of the Puzzle?
Well it's finally happened. Be careful what you wish for.
After two years of career upheaval and struggle in my life, an Internal Transfer to a Materials Handler 1 position at Dish Network Corporate Headquarters has been approved for me. I started my new position last week.
I've done most of these duties EXCEPT for driving the corporate mail van to locations all around town. This aspect of the position is sure to be a challenge for me. Two other major challenges will be working with three other mail clerks (in my previous mail clerk position, I was the only mail clerk), and the high volume, faster pace of the Dish Network mail center.
Lord willing, this can be my last job stop for quite a while.
There is a Deacon at my parish who works for UPS while serving the church. His example is one to emulate for me.
As far as my hopes and dreams for deep involvement in church activities are concerned, I will need to take this as it comes to me. For now, I will continue to teach our Adult Sunday School at Saint Mark's, as well as serve as an Acolyte and Tonsured Lay Reader.
May anyone who reads this have a blessed and Holy Lent.
Sincerely in the Holy Trinity, One God
Columba Silouan
After two years of career upheaval and struggle in my life, an Internal Transfer to a Materials Handler 1 position at Dish Network Corporate Headquarters has been approved for me. I started my new position last week.
I've done most of these duties EXCEPT for driving the corporate mail van to locations all around town. This aspect of the position is sure to be a challenge for me. Two other major challenges will be working with three other mail clerks (in my previous mail clerk position, I was the only mail clerk), and the high volume, faster pace of the Dish Network mail center.
Lord willing, this can be my last job stop for quite a while.
There is a Deacon at my parish who works for UPS while serving the church. His example is one to emulate for me.
As far as my hopes and dreams for deep involvement in church activities are concerned, I will need to take this as it comes to me. For now, I will continue to teach our Adult Sunday School at Saint Mark's, as well as serve as an Acolyte and Tonsured Lay Reader.
May anyone who reads this have a blessed and Holy Lent.
Sincerely in the Holy Trinity, One God
Columba Silouan
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Qualifications of a Bishop or Priest
Good day, readers.
Even though he's ticked me off in recent days, the Ochlophobist did post a link to a superb new Orthodox website:
This was a convicting post and the website as a whole is sorely needed.
I fall short in a number of ways according to this post.
I've never really blown the doors off of a secular career, as one example.
Time to seek greater mercy and repentance.
This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. (1 Tim. 3:1-7, NKJV)
Columba Silouan
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