Guitar Reviews: Bedell THCE-28-G and Bedell TB-28-12
Posted: January 6, 2016 Filed under: Music and Guitars | Tags: Bedell Performance Series guitar review, Bedell TB-28-12, Bedell THCE-28-G 1 CommentIn two previous guitar reviews I have stated that the guitar buyer does not, I repeat does NOT, need to spend thousands of dollars to get a well made, great sounding, and highly playable guitar. Hint: I am not reviewing a Martin, Gibson, Collings, or a Taylor guitar to name just a few. Read the rest of this entry »
The Feast of Theophany: God Sanctifies Creation
Posted: January 5, 2016 Filed under: The Eucharist and Living the Eucharist | Tags: baptism, manifestation of the Triune God, sanctification of all creation by Jesus Christ's baptism in the Jordan River, St. John the Baptist, St. Paul, Theophany Leave a comment
Each year, January 6 commemorates Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River by St. John, the Forerunner, Prophet and Baptist. The Gospel text from St. Matthew reads,
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying “I need to be baptized by You, and You are coming to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Mt 3: 13 – 17)
Prepare the Way of the Lord!
Posted: January 3, 2016 Filed under: The Eucharist and Living the Eucharist | Tags: Genesis, re-creation in Christ, St. John the Baptist, St. Mark the Evangelist, Theophany Leave a commentThis Sunday, January 3, 2016 is the Sunday before Theophany. This Sunday sets the stage for Theophany, the baptism of Christ by The Baptist.
It is interesting to note how the Gospel writers begin their works. St. John begins with the pre-existence of Jesus Christ, the Word of God, as the second Person of the Trinity. Read the rest of this entry »
What is a New Year?
Posted: January 1, 2016 Filed under: The Eucharist and Living the Eucharist | Tags: concepts of time, ever present present, free will, philosophy of time, St. Paul, theory of time, time 1 CommentThe elderly woman was happy throughout our conversation, but her gaze went out to a point somewhere behind me when, in concluding the appointment, she added, “I sure hope the new year will be better than this one!” She exhaled and left my office with her daughter. It is a common comment and sentiment in December, and I gave it no thought until recently. Read the rest of this entry »
“Save the Babies and the Whales” or being Pro Pan-Life
Posted: December 19, 2015 Filed under: The Eucharist and Living the Eucharist | Tags: Advent, ethic of being, preservation of God’s creation, pro pan-life, St. Paul Leave a commentThis is not meant to be a seasonal posting. It has nothing to do with the “Happy Holidays” But, this posting is written in the last half of December, 2015. The Advent, or Nativity Fast, is in its final days. During Advent, Christians of liturgical and sacramental traditions are preparing for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. The Nicene Creed informs us: “…who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and made man…” The Creator of life was made manifest in the form of a baby. Christ came to give us life — new, redeemed life. He is the Giver of light and life and in this coming season I pray we extend our Lord’s light and life to all and all things. I pray we become advocates of life. Read the rest of this entry »
“The Eyes of the Righteous”
Posted: December 3, 2015 Filed under: The Eucharist and Living the Eucharist | Tags: Advent, re-creation in Christ, Rich Man and Lazarus, St. Onesimus, St. Paul Leave a commentIt is now the time of the Nativity Fast, also known as Advent. It is also known as the “Winter Fast,” or “Lesser Lent.” Like Lent, Advent is a penitential season. It is thus, a season of spiritual preparation. During Advent we prepare to perceive and receive Christ anew into our hearts and lives.
There are some similarities to Lent. The last Sunday before Lent is known as the “Sunday of the Last Judgment.” The Gospel reading for the day comes from St. Matthew 25: 31 – 46. In this reading we hear Jesus’ words: “…As you did it to the least of my brethren, you did it to me.” Who? The hungry, sick, naked, and imprisoned. As one reads along in the text, there is an element of surprise — even astonishment — in the query of the righteous. Read the rest of this entry »
To Become, You Must Do
Posted: December 1, 2015 Filed under: The Eucharist and Living the Eucharist | Tags: ethic of being, St. Paul, transformation Leave a comment
St. George the dragon-slayer
An axiom is set forth: “to do you must become, to become you must do.” An axiom is a proposition. The worth of it is self evident. I have used this axiom in sermons, papers, and as a guide for my own life for many years.
Let’s look at its first half: “to do you must become…” This involves an initiation. The initiation for the Christian is baptism. St. Paul informs us:
Therefore, we were buried together with him through baptism [dia tou baptismos] into death, in order just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, that also we might walk in newness of life (Romans 6: 4).
Nous Sommes Paris!
Posted: November 18, 2015 Filed under: Etcetera | Tags: free will, Paris, Russia, solidarity, suffering, thanksgiving Leave a commentEarlier this year in January the world, in solidarity with Paris, declared, “Je suis Charlie!” Now and again our hearts go out to the city (and also with Russia). This time the slogan of solidarity seems to be “Nous sommes Paris!”
Our Heroic God, Our Fantastic Mission
Posted: November 10, 2015 Filed under: The Eucharist and Living the Eucharist | Tags: Doxacon, Eucharistic life, thanksgiving Leave a commentClergy keynote address of Doxacon Seattle 2015:
A look at God and our Christian life as Hero and Mission. Christ is the victor in the cosmic dimension. We are enchanted (enabled) to live out our lives Eucharisticly. Read the rest of this entry »
“She is Mary”
Posted: November 8, 2015 Filed under: Etcetera | Tags: prayer, The Theotokos Leave a comment
She is Mary
She, the long prepared vessel,
The well fashioned holder of our healing, held our Hope.
Yet she is a hope herself.
Nearest to Perfection himself,
She, the perfected offering of creation, bore the one Offering for our perfection.
She is Mary.
Death Cab For Cutie — A Perspective
Posted: October 31, 2015 Filed under: Music and Guitars | Tags: Death Cab For Cutie Leave a comment
In all honesty, I am a bit hesitant to compose this posting. Although a fan of the group, I don’t want to gush with unbridled enthusiasm, nor pose as a bona fide professional music critic. This posting is an Eastern Orthodox priest’s perspective of a contemporary musical group – mostly focusing on lyrical content of their songs. There be will only a brief bio, and no musings about matters best left to gossip columnists.
“Journey to the Source” – Chapter One: Unexplained Vessels
Posted: October 17, 2015 Filed under: Speculative Fiction | Tags: "Journey to the Source", short story Leave a comment“Journey to the Source”
Chapter One: Unexplained Vessels
Zetophos descended from the ambo of the vessel Friendship’s chapel down into its nave: “Let us depart in peace,” he called out.
“To serve in love and thanksgiving the Giver of Light and Life,” replied those assembled for the Sacred Liturgy. Zetophos completed the liturgy with the dismissal and final blessings. He consumed the remaining Bread and Drink of the Sacrament, reset the Altar, then began to remove his vestments in the sacristy. Read the rest of this entry »
Eastman Guitars — A Review Of Two Models
Posted: October 13, 2015 Filed under: Music and Guitars | Tags: Eastman AC530-12, Eastman AJ816, guitar review Leave a commentIf you have not heard of Eastman guitars (www.eastmanguitars.com), you need to be informed! The company makes a variety of stringed instruments: mandolins, archtop acoustics, flat top acoustics, and electric guitars. They are a very well made import, and their acoustic flat top models are always well reviewed, e.g. their dreadnought models E20D, E10D, E20SS, and E10SS. Here, in this posting, I offer my own reviews of my own two models: the AJ816, and the AC530-12. Read the rest of this entry »
Practicing The Eucharist in the World (Part Four)
Posted: October 8, 2015 Filed under: The Eucharist and Living the Eucharist | Tags: St. Paul, The Eucharist: The Restoration of Relationship Leave a commentThe following paper was written in the year 2000. It was formative and powerful as all the pieces of everything I had been learning about the Eucharist were put together. It was written while a seminarian at Regent College in Vancouver, B. C., Canada. I was not yet an Orthodox Christian, let alone ordained. Note that the liturgical passages are mostly from western sources – I was a liturgical / sacramental western Christian at the time. Also, some of the citations are from Protestant authors – after all Regent College is an evangelical seminary, yet the quoted authors impart wisdom, and their insights were employed in this paper. It is a bit lengthy and will be posted in parts.
PRACTICING THE EUCHARIST IN THE WORLD
(PART FOUR)
+ * +
By means of the presence and the work of the Holy Spirit, the Eucharist transforms the people of God into priests who offer God to creation and creation to God. It also transforms us into a sacrament that bears Jesus Christ to the world, and into an offering of broken bread and poured out wine for the life of the world. Read the rest of this entry »
The Eucharist as Ecclesial Practice (Part Three)
Posted: October 7, 2015 Filed under: The Eucharist and Living the Eucharist | Tags: The Eucharist: The Restoration of Relationship Leave a comment+ * +
The following paper was written in the year 2000. It was formative and powerful as all the pieces of everything I had been learning about the Eucharist were put together. It was written while a seminarian at Regent College in Vancouver, B. C., Canada. I was not yet an Orthodox Christian, let alone ordained. Note that the liturgical passages are mostly from western sources – I was a liturgical / sacramental western Christian at the time. Also, some of the citations are from Protestant authors – after all Regent College is an evangelical seminary, yet the quoted authors impart wisdom, and their insights were employed in this paper. It is a bit lengthy and will be posted in parts.
THE EUCHARIST AS ECCLESIAL PRACTICE
(PART THREE)
+ * +
While breaking into this present brokeness, alienation, and chaos we are to see that all which is not yet finally gathered together has a secure promise. It is the Holy Spirit who makes all these mysteries real and present. The Holy Spirit is the Guarantor of this future: Read the rest of this entry »
The Eucharist: The Re-Presentation of the Recapitulation (Part Two)
Posted: October 6, 2015 Filed under: The Eucharist and Living the Eucharist | Tags: The Eucharist: The Restoration of Relationship Leave a comment+ * +
The following paper was written in the year 2000. It was formative and powerful as all the pieces of everything I had been learning about the Eucharist were put together. It was written while a seminarian at Regent College in Vancouver, B. C., Canada. I was not yet an Orthodox Christian, let alone ordained. Note that the liturgical passages are mostly from western sources – I was a liturgical / sacramental western Christian at the time. Also, some of the citations are from Protestant authors – after all Regent College is an evangelical seminary, yet the quoted authors impart wisdom, and their insights were employed in this paper. It is a bit lengthy and will be posted in parts.
THE EUCHARIST: THE RE-PRESENTATION OF THE RECAPITULATION
(PART TWO)
To participate in some activity, practice, or event is to experience that event. One cannot truly understand the sport of tennis until one actually plays the game. Unless one has had the exhilaration of hitting a crushing backhand winner, or knows the frustration of double-faulting at game point, one does not know tennis. In like manner so it is with Christ: one cannot know Christ until one participates in Christ, lives Christ, and walks as Christ walked – however faulty that may be at times. Read the rest of this entry »
The Eucharist: The Restoration of Relationship (Part One)
Posted: October 3, 2015 Filed under: The Eucharist and Living the Eucharist | Tags: The Eucharist: The Restoration of Relationship Leave a commentThe following paper was written in the 2000. It was formative and powerful as I was learning about the Eucharist. It was written while a seminarian at Regent College in Vancouver, B. C., Canada. I was not yet an Orthodox Christian, let alone ordained. Note that the liturgical passages are mostly from western sources – I was a liturgical / sacramental western Christian at the time. Also, some of the citations are from Protestant authors – after all Regent College is an evangelical seminary, yet the quoted authors impart wisdom, and their insights were employed in this paper. It is a bit lengthy and will be posted in parts.
THE EUCHARIST: THE RESTORATION OF RELATIONSHIP
+ * +
Then they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”
Naked and ashamed our first parents hid themselves. They withdrew; from loving communion with the One who created them for relationship. Here is sorrow. Here is loss and lostness. Their nakedness exposed their infidelity and their loss of covenantal, trusting relationship. Lost and scattered also was their relationship with all of creation: the priests ordained to maintain the holy structure and furnishings of creation had thrust it back into the deep, sorrowful groaning of chaos. Read the rest of this entry »
A Change of Season – A Reason for Thanksgiving
Posted: September 20, 2015 Filed under: Etcetera | Tags: finding beauty, prayer, St. Paul, thanksgiving Leave a commentI love the summer, and I dread its passing. I try to ignore the signs, but there are too many to ignore. There are natural witnesses which declare warm, longer day’s passing. The appearance of one of my favorite flowers, dahlias, announces the close of summer and the coming of autumn. The appearance of another, smaller bloom, cyclomen, also bears this news of passing and change. So, all is sealed and set in place. I cannot stop the orbit of earth around the sun.
“The Incorporation of Tresuios”
Posted: September 19, 2015 Filed under: Speculative Fiction | Tags: "The Day of Light", short story, St. Paul Leave a commentAnother Short Story which precedes in time “The Day of Light.”
He has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in heaven and on earth.
-St. Paul
“Tres, you’re daydreaming! We should hurry, the others are probably waiting for us by now.” Read the rest of this entry »
Father Irenaeus Williams 