The Eighth Sermon to the Dead

“Theology, mysticism, spirituality, moral rules, worship, art: these things must not be kept in separate compartments. " - The Orthodox Church, Timothy Ware, p. 207 As I'm trying to write my paper on this book, and desperately seeking any distraction, I started to think a bit about separate compartments. Pauline Kilar writes a blog entry about unifying her mind, making sacrifices, and the voices that plague her with doubt. This also reminds me of separate compartments. I think our human, binary tendency to divide is not a good thing, all the time. Sometimes it is, and when it is it works well. Sometimes it is not, and when used at inappropriate times, it's horrendous. Heretical Ideas gives me a quote about separating the artist and the scientist. Again, this idea of the syncretic being superior to the individuated. The Angry Nurse asks "Why does one group have to be right and one group wrong?" in reference to the publication and furor around the Gospel o...

Well, I didn't post before Tuesday. Saturday we did the Easter Vigil Mass. I was able to assist as an acolyte, meaning I got to do the opening prayers, the readings, etc. Then came the ordination. There's something about laying face down on the ground, arms outstretched, that really puts things in perspective. You have some time to think as "The Prayer of St. Francis" plays in the background. You consider what you're doing. How this is the moment, and there's no going back. How after this, your life will be different. How from now on, you'll be conforming your own goals to a higher purpose. When the Bishop brought me to my feet, I could see my wife had been crying, and I was so moved myself. I knelt before the Bishop, and felt a glowing light enter me, or emanate from me. It was a very profound and life-changing moment. [Incidentally, it's kind of odd that the guy you were joking with and having a few beers with the night before, becomes THE ...

Right now, I'm taking a break from our activities to write a quick summary of the Conclave so far. This has been a great event, and I've enjoyed just about every minute of it. Thursday, we went up into the mountains, and had a great time. I'm from Wisconsin, so we don't see mountains much. It's amazing that big piles of rock can be so impressive. Later that evening, we had our Maundy Thursday service, and it too was impressive. The Patriarch was in great form, and I felt it was a very good service. Also during the service, the patriarch blessed oils for use as Chrism in the various rituals of the church, and ordained me in the minor orders (Doorkeeper, Reader, Exorcist, and Acolyte) Then, Thursday night, we had a Seder meal, which was delicious. Our hosts cooked a wonderful salmon meal, and the wine flowed freely. Friday, we did a little sight-seeing around Calgary, and then returned to Kenosis's house. The Friary met in it's Grand Session, and we...

I am sorry for the continuing political tone of the blog. However, unless we wake up a bit, my sermons will actually be directed toward the dead. Warrantless wiretaps This is, quite simply, against the 4th amendment of the Constitution of the United States. Past Republican presidents have lost their seats in the oval office because of this. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happin...