Comparative Religion

So I am taking this Comparative Religion class at Red Rocks Community College. I need all kinds of Religion and Philosophy credits for Regis University’s CHOICE B.S.N. program, and the Comparative Religion course had a self paced option, so I jumped on it. So far it’s pretty good, lot’s of reading and a DVD lecture series. I have three big projects due; a workbook and two papers. I received approval to write the one paper on Orthodox Monasticism in America, specifically under the Spiritual Guidance of Elder Ephraim of Philotheou and Arizona. Consider this paper a slam dunk. The other paper, however, proposes a bit of a problem. And I quote,

“The course is designed to give you objective skills in understanding and interpreting human religious activities. These skills need to be practiced. Sometime during the semester you need to visit at least one religious ritual and report on it using the skills learned in the class. One main requirement of this visit is that it NOT BE TO A RELIGIOUS SERVICE WITH WHICH YOU ARE ALREADY FAMILIAR. In other words, if you are a Muslim, you cannot attend a mosque or if you are Jewish you cannot attend a synagogue or temple. If you are a Christian, it cannot be any variety of Christian denomination unless it is substantially different enough that I approve it ahead of time. The Yellow Pages, if read carefully, can give you a wide variety of options. Most of the world’s religious traditions have an institutional presence in Denver. There are also a variety of new religious movements that are not established enough to appear in the Yellow Pages. You could also visit one of their rituals.”

Yikes? Yeah, that’s what I said. I seriously have no idea what I am going to regarding this. The only viable option I can think of is going to the Medhane Alem Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Denver, as a spectator of course. I think that the fact that they are Non-Chalcedonian, and from what I gather, their form of worship is significantly different, qualifies it as something I am not familiar with. I like their devotional music and iconography, so I guess it’s a good option.

But what should I wear? When I’ve seen their women at the Greek Churches, they wear those large white shrouds. I would wear one, out of respect, except I would feel like a complete poser. I guess my Serbian style марама (scarf) will have to do.

Oh, am I going to stick out like a sore thumb.

Wish me luck, and I’ll post my paper when it’s completed.

Пресвета Богородице, Спаси нас!

(this is the Church)

“Бог високо, a Русија далеко”…а барем није Руска Црква толико далеко :)

Well it’s been a while since my last blog entry. I sincerely apologize, not only to my meager audience, but to myself. I’ve found blogging to be somewhat therapeutic. Anyway, it was a rough last few months in 2009, with lots of drama. Among other things, I formally left my parish and returned to the Church I attended before the Serbian mission received its full-time priest.

The aforementioned Serbian proverb and title of tonight’s blog means, “God is high above, and Russia is far away.” (Meaning that help is far and unlikely.) I added, “at least the Russian Church is not that far away.”

You see, dear reader, I began to feel like a stranger in a strange land. Here I’m trying to teach my children one thing, and everything is being negated at the one place that those same teachings should be reinforced.  One day in early December I remember driving home from Church, and instead of having that peaceful feeling that you have after Liturgy, I was literally nauseated. Although I’m not one to believe in feelings, etc., something was definitely amiss.

So, we returned to the Russian Orthodox Church.

Imagine me, the Serbophile, leaving the Serbian Orthodox Mission Parish here in Denver when she needs me most? Scandalous, perhaps. But it feels so right.

So maybe this blog entry is some sort of rhetorical apology to my Serbian brothers and sisters in the greater Denver area. I’m just thankful that there is a place that my family and I can call our Spiritual home.

*Having said that, though, I will still never eat blini smeared with caviar, nor will I ever understand Snegurochka.

A Good Time to Be Serbian in Colorado

Last week, two days before Vidovdan in fact, Saint John the Baptist Serbian Orthodox Mission Parish purchased a building to be converted to an Orthodox Church. Much like the Israelites wandering in the desert, we Colorado Serbs have been in the Spiritual Desert, without a Church of our own. Many fellow Orthodox have been more than accomodating, and we thank them for their hospitality. But finally there will be a Serbian Orthodox Church in Colorado, in the Serbian Diocese of the West.

our Church before renovations

The following is from a brochure from our Parish Priest:

Our History

Serbs have inhabited the Denver Metro area since the late nineteenth century, where they worked as miners and mill workers. At that time there was no Serbian Diocese established in the U.S., and Serbs were willing to cooperate with other Slavic peoples in order to create a church life in Colorado. Serbs were among the founding fathers of still existing churches in Globeville, Pueblo and Calhan. To this day, many Americans who are ethnically Serbs are scattered around Colorado and involved with other Orthodox Churches. It wasn’t until a new wave of refugees from the former Yugoslavia settled in Colorado, that the creation of a truly Serbian Orthodox Church was insisted. Thus, the Saint John the Baptist Mission was formed in 1999. The dream of a church of their own, through much labor and struggle, was finally realized last month. They have fulfilled their aspirations, and the aspirations of their Serbian forefathers, to finally have a Serbian Orthodox Church in Colorado.

Assuring Our Faith & Future

Our parish intends to completely renovate the new church so that it will proudly represent our Orthodox Faith and Serbian Culture. The first steps have already been taken in organizing and planning the entire project. Our goal is to raise $80,000 from not only our local faithful, but from the greater fellow Serbian-American community as well. These renovations will not only ensure our presence and ministry in the Denver Metro area, but carry out to preserve our Faith and Tradition by providing our community with a place to gather, worship and celebrate as well.

Our main renovation goals are as follows: build a new bell tower, new concrete floor inside of the church, renovate one classroom, renovate two bathrooms & kitchenette, complete HVAC and electrical repair, replace all windows and doors, build an Altar, repair parking lot, improve the landscape and sidewalks around the church, and remove the asbestos ceiling.

We call upon all of you to help us in this God-pleasing undertaking, and to contribute to our parish to the best of your ability. It is said that by helping the church in this life, we ensure a place in the heavenly church. Only in unity, and with one mind and one heart can we bring this endeavor to fruition. Thank you all, and may God bless you for your time and devotion to help give our church a new look.

Dear Reverend Fathers and Church Board Members,

We are delighted to share with you the exciting information about our future. Politely we ask that you read this brochure and seriously consider our appeal. After many years of struggling, our young mission parish recently purchased a church that will fit our religious needs.

However, hard work continues today and will continue in the future. Due to the poor condition of the building, we have a great need to renovate the current church and give it a new look and shine. The remodeled church will be fully used not only by us, but by future generations as well. We have paid $130,000 cash for this church, and have drained 95% of our financial resources. Currently we are undertaking the projects of renovation and financial fund-raising. Both tasks are extremely difficult for our parish alone. So we are turning to our fellow Serbian Orthodox Churches and the Serbian-American community at large for financial assistance in completing the renovation of the Church.

Kindly consider making a donation to our parish. Donations in any amount are greatly appreciated and largely needed. Please do not hesitate to call us if you have any questions. We thank you in advance and may God bless your efforts in helping us to realize this goal.

303-730-2975

St. John the Baptist Serbian Orthodox Mission Parish

PO Box 24899, Denver Colorado, 80244
www.stjohndenver.org

Insubmissive Serbs

I go to a mission parish, with a very young, new priest. He’s a great guy, but sometimes I just wish he would say more. It’s hard, I’m sure; and he can’t be all things to all people. But just when I thought all hope was lost, he gave specific instruction after Church one day regarding proper etiquette in Church.

My heart began to pound, the chorus from Handel’s “Messiah” played in my head. “Women are to stand on the left, and men are to stand on the right.” (That’s me paraphrasing what he said, from the Serbian.) He also asked that women cover their heads in Church, especially when approaching the chalice. My heart smiled. And my 8 year scarf wearing daughter looked up at me in happy disbelief.

Most…MOST of the people in our parish immediately began to follow at least the segregated “seating”. A few women began to cover their heads before communing, ripping the scarves off, of course, as soon they return to their places after partaking. But at least it’s a start. One lady, (who I would never have expected), began covering her head in Church exclusively. For those that submitted themselves to Father’s request, it is probably reminscent of some sort of order back home (код нас). I for one, was elated.

Finally our dear Father was finding his voice, guiding his flock according to the teachings of the Church.

However, to my chagrin, not everyone shared the same sentiments.

There are those “Insubmissive Serbs”. I use the word insubmissive rather than defiant; it seems a more fitting description as they are unwilling to submit their will to the Spiritual Father of the Church, and more importantly to God.

“He must be crazy!”

“He’s discriminating against women!”

“This is not 150 years ago in Serbia!”

Insubmissive Serbs

Yes, dear friends, these are just a few of the responses to Father’s new advice. I was shocked, saddened, and quite frankly, disgusted to hear such things coming out of the mouths of otherwise seemingly pious, churchgoing people.  And not only were they saying these things, but they were saying with anger, fury. People’s faces were getting red. They started to stutter. And what’s worst of all, suddenly everyone and their mother (literally) has become an expert on Canon Law.

“There’s no Canon that says women should have their heads covered!” one old woman who doesn’t even attend our parish, hissed!

But question is this folks:

Isn’t the fact that Saint Paul ADMONISHED women to cover ther heads during in I Corinthians enough?

May God bless our dear Father R., and may he give him strength as he tries to guide us in the right direction!

TM

Obedience to the Priest

I heard alot of stories when I was growing up about the split. My grandfather remained loyal to the Mother Church and Patriarchate while many of the clergy and laity went into schism. It must have been awful. People screaming at you. Trying to kick you and your family out of the Parish home. Slanderous things said about you. Death threats. At one point, someone had to keep watch in my family’s living room with a loaded pistol while they slept above. That’s how bad it got. Hard to imagine, eh?

Go to Church

That’s what makes me sad now when I see the fighting in Serbia over the Liturgical “reforms” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGV3r6JsTFQ&feature=PlayList&p=2C95DF2A9C97512E&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=3

I was really confused about the whole thing until I saw Vladika Atanasije’s explanation, and also, until I thought about in the perscpective of the experiences of my own family. I’ve heard elsewhere that, that, the man instigating all of these protests and confrontations in the Churches lived the better part of his life as a communist police officer. I don’t know whether that’s true or not, but from what I saw of the раскол movement here, it sure sounds about right. Vladika Atanasije is right about one thing though: this is all the work of the Devil. It’s bad enough that they are slandering the Priests and Bishops there; but all this civil disobedience in the Churches: the shouting, the pushing, the kneeling (on Sunday even, mind you). It all smells like Protestantism if you ask me.

In his book, “Counsels From the Holy Mountain”, Elder Eprhaim has this to say regarding obedience:

“It is characteristic that one who does not have obedience does not have humility either, and he is secretly robbed by pride. And how is it possible for pride to result in correct judgement and decisions beneficial for the soul? Therefore, we must be humble for divine enlightenment to come, for the humble gain wisdom and discernment, while the proud aquire evil and a warped conscience. For this reason they also misunderstand the texts of the sacred Scriptures and of the holy Fathers, since humility, with a pure and enlightened conscience, is absent.

“A self-advised man is his own enemy.” That is, one who listens to what his thoughts tell him and does not listen to the advice of his superiors, becomes his own foe. “

and a few pages later he writes:

“The Apostle Paul, even though he was teaching Christians, stressed the basic virtue, obedience-that we must give joy to the spiritual Fathers with out spiritual progress, for they watch our souls, as he said.”

It seems to me that these should be words to live by for the people in the Churches where all this trouble is going on.

“We always side with the priest,” my now reposed father had said, as we made our way to Church when they were trying to oust our Father “M”. Later that day I found out he had brass knuckels in his pocket; too many bad memories from Youngstown I guess? But I think what he said was right. The priest has the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Another thing I’d like to transcribe is from a cassette series, “Greek American Monastacism” available here: http://www.pigizois.net/arxodariki/In_English.htm It talks about an occurence in Canada when Elder Ephraim performed an Excorcism on a possed girl, in front of hundreds of people. Anyway, the devil spoke through the girl, in a voice not her own, saying that he was the one who institutes schism; he is the one who encourages them to slander the modernist priests, etc. etc. Hundreds of people saw this, from New Calendar Canonical and Old Calendar Non-Canonical Greek Orthodox Churches in Canada.

I close with one more passage from “Counsels From the Holy Mountain”:

(go ahead and substitute Bishop/Priest for spiritual guide-this was written for monastics)

“Skillfully and diligently maintain your faith and love for your spiritual guide, for herein lies the life and death of the soul. Do not grieve your father in Christ, if you desire to behold the face of God. He who grieves him grieves Christ. So then, how will we behold Christ when he dies?”

In Christ,

РабаБожија TM

Coincidence? I think not…

stranger than fiction

Here are a few stranger than fiction facts about my life:

 

• I was Baptized at the Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos; seventeen years later I married a man who celebrates this as his “преслава” (lesser slava).
• My крсна слава is Saint Nicholas, so is my husband’s.
• My godfather’s last name is Eframo (Russian: Јефремов), and my spiritual life became heavily influenced by the Elder Ephraim’s teachings and monasteries.
• When my dad was sick with leukemia, I prayed to Saint Nektarios; that year I gave birth to my daughter on his feast day, several days after my due date.
• When I received a prayer rule, it was suggested that I use the HTM Prayer Book because it has the service of Small Compline. I didn’t have it yet, but hoped to purchase it. Two days later, I was at Vespers and the (obviously) clairovoyant Archimandrite told me to wait after the service. He came out later with two books: the HTM Prayer Book I had wanted to purchase was one of them. (He had no way of knowing that this book was recommended to me by a Father in another state and jurisdiction.)
• Once I hurt my back very badly. I was in terrible pain for weeks, and nothing would help, not even manipulation or prescription medication. I attended the Liturgy on the Feast Day of Saint Nektarios at the small Chapel to Archangel Michael in Tarpon Springs, FL. I wasn’t particularly thinking or praying about the pain, but rather just getting through the service. I was wearing a silk shirt.  As I was driving home, I started to feel an intense burning sensation all through my lower back. I seriously thought maybe my shirt caught on fire or something, that’s how intense the burning was. It went on for several minutes and then diminished and became all tingly. When I arrived to work, I stepped out of the car and all the back pain was miraculously gone. I have never had a back problem since; it’s been four years.
• As my grandmother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, my dad cried and said, “you’re going to get a double whammie” (indicating that they would die at the same time); they died two days apart from each other.
• Once, my husband lost his wedding ring. He had looped it on a bracelet  and placed it in a bag that I gave away to Good Will. I was distraught-it was the band blessed by the Priest on our Crowning. Several months later, we had to move and were cleaning out our old apartment. As I was vaccuming, in the heat register along the floor I could see a glimmer of something gold . I squeezed my hand in, and pulled out two things: the bracelet with the wedding ring and a button with a photograph of Saint Nektarios that I had purchased at Annunciation Monastery in Florida.

Glory to God who is wondrous in His Saints!

to be continued…

 

Death and Dying

Some comments that I posted on Father Milovan’s Blog got me thinking. We’re all going to die. Here are some signs that may or may not occur before death:

rapid (or diminished) pulse

labored respiration/dimished respiration

sweats/chills

motteling (the skin of the extremities develops a marbled look)

a look of terror (or rarely, peace) on the dying

This is something I see on a regular basis. It’s not like in the movies. It’s different. Sometimes people die quickly. Often times, they do not.  Sadly, the majority of people in institutions die alone. If and when the family does come, they act strange regrading the body of the deceased person. I’ve seen people leave the room, and even refuse to see the body. Are they disgusted? Are they scared? When my grandmother died, I helped the nurse wash her emaciated little body and prepare her for transport. My mother couldn’t watch. Two days later, my father died, surrounded by my brothers and sisters, along with his ex-wife. All I could do was listen to them wail over the phone when his heart stopped beating. What I wouldn’t give to have been near him at that moment.

All is Vanity

 

In the book, “Counsels From the Holy Mountain”, Elder Ephraim has this to say:

“Our life is short-dust, ashes, a dream-and in a little while, we shall taste corruption. Today you have your health; and tomorrow you lose it; today you are laughing and tomorrow you are sullen. Now your eyes are shedding tears from an abundance of joy, and soon they will be shedding tears from pain and grief; today the economy is stable, and tomorrow misfortune strikes; today you receive good news and in a littlw while bad news replaces it.

In vain we trouble ourselves. Life is but a shadow and a dream. Where are our parents, our siblings, our grandparents? The tomb has received them all; they have all decayed and have been eaten by worms. The tomb and decay await us also!”

Elder Ephraim

Помаже Бог!

Ok, so a friend of mine wanted me to start a blog…