Shocked Reactions

I’m reading a book outside of my religious paradigm, and more than half-way through, it dawned on me that I should write some of my reactions down, which I decided to start today.  Don’t you just love run-on sentences?

Here’s the first “note”:

In the Protestant Church, it is true that a pastor is “only as good as his last sermon.” It always made me wonder, as a former protestant, what they do in their off hours (when they’re not giving sermons).  Maybe some counseling here and there – but not much – isn’t that what “Christian counselors” are for? Maybe some administrative duties. But it seems as though there’s nothing for a pastor to do but make his next sermon.  It’s all about teaching, learning, intellectualizing.  I didn’t realize or necessarily have a problem with this when I was a protestant, but during my searching and conversion to Orthodoxy, it was wonderful to not have my value placed on how well I could do intellectually, but in what place my heart was.  (Note that I am not perfect, or even try to be some days.)

However, in the Orthodox Church, the real admiration for a priest comes from who he is as a person. We interact more deeply with a priest (than I ever did with a protestant pastor – and sometimes it wasn’t even for a lack of my trying). We have Confession, where we offer our sins and brokenness to God in the presence of a priest, and he gives encouragement and council.  Granted, there are few who take advantage of this sacrament, but it’s wonderful.  We are aware of holiness because it’s around us all the time – in icons – and in the people around us. We have monastics in our midst, those who strive after God their entire lives. No, they’re not perfect, that’s not exactly the point, but they love God and desire communion with Him. They make little improvements here and there and eventually they will be a little closer to God. And isn’t that what we all want?

Second more shocking reaction:

The most horrible, well, maybe not the MOST, thing is that some people, some protestants see the heart as a bad thing. We need to understand that our temptations and our passions are corrupt, yes, but it is not who we are.  This is not what God meant for us. To be truly free is to be free from the things that enslave us and be in freedom in communion with God.  The nous is commonly translated “heart” and sometimes “intellect” and is the deepest part of a person (see other posts on nous).  This is where we commune with God.

Part of what I had written before was about how the western half of the world separates heart and mind because the concept of nous is very foreign to them… which I’m sure I’ve talked about elsewhere and leave that to your own reflection and infer whatever you will.

The book I was reading mentioned that ‘the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?’  which is Jeremiah 17:9, I found out as I searched for it in the ESV.  I went downstairs and got my roommate’s Orthodox Study Bible, hoping to find some sort of study note that would explain that verse.  To my surprise and utter shock, I found that Jeremiah 17:9 (17:5)says this, “the heart is deep beyond all things, and it is the man. Even so who can know him?”  I sat there in utter shock, not even knowing what to say or what I would post here.  I will leave that to your own interpretation, I suppose.  But I will add two things that might help you, if indeed anyone reads this.  The note says, “St. John Chrysostom labors the point that only God  an know men’s hearts, citing Psalm. 7:9; 1 Kings 16:7, 2 Chronicles 6:30, and Matthew 9:3,4.”  Also I should mention that the Orthodox Study Bible is using the first English translation of the Septuagint, translated by St. Athanasius Academy.  I’m not going to comment further on that because it’s complicated and I’m sure if someone wanted to know there are plenty of resources out there that are more reliable than a blog.

Today we commemorate Hieromartyr Haralampos

Readings for today:

Wisdom 3:1-9

1: But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them.
2: In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure is taken for misery,
3: And their going from us to be utter destruction: but they are in peace.
4: For though they be punished in the sight of men, yet is their hope full of immortality.
5: And having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded: for God proved them, and found them worthy for himself.
6: As gold in the furnace hath he tried them, and received them as a burnt offering.
7: And in the time of their visitation they shall shine, and run to and fro like sparks among the stubble.
8: They shall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people, and their Lord shall reign for ever.
9: They that put their trust in him shall understand the truth: and such as be faithful in love shall abide with him: for grace and mercy is to his saints, and he hath care for his elect.

2 Peter 2:9-22

9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, 11 whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord. 12 But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, 13 and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, 14 having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. 15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16 but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.17 These are wells without water, clouds^[b] carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.^[c]
18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped^[d] from those who live in error. 19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. 20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,”^[e] and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”

“A common misunderstanding of liberty or freedom is to see it as standing apart from all moral restraints, to say there is no such thing as sin.  But this results in slavery of the worst kind, bondage to egotistic and sensual passions. True Christian freedom begins with freedom from sin, freedom from immoral activity. A Christian is called to live in purity in an impure world.”

“The attraction of this approach [rationalizations supporting lewdness, perversity, and indulgence] for the unwary is a permissiveness that makes no demands for purity, holiness, or struggle. The true Faith teaches otherwise, as St. Thalassios describes: “…the keeping of God’s commandments generates dispassion. The soul’s dispassion The soul’s dispassion preserves spiritual knowledge.

In addition to blatant self-indulgence that attracts some to heresy, there is the appeal of “self-will” and “freedom” promised by despising authority (see vs. 10). If one chooses to be “free” of direction and rightful authority, then the spiritual, moral, and reasonable safety provided by Holy Tradition and the Fathers is removed. Recall the bumper stickers that invite you to “Question Authority.” Beloved of Christ, affirm and seek the godly protection and shelter of wise pastoral authority, following in the footsteps of the Holy Fathers.” – from Dynamis

John 15:17-16:2

17 These things I command you, that you love one another. 18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. 25 But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’^[c]
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning. 1 “These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.

“While, with respect to God’s work in the world, the Son will give or send…the Spirit…from the Father, with respect to His divinity, the Spirit originates or proceeds from the Father alone: The Spirit receives His eternal existence only from the Father. In conformity with Christ’s words, the Nicene Creed confesses belief “in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father.” By contrast, the Son is eternally begotten of the Father. The source, the fountainhead, of both is the Father.”

2 Tim 2:1-10

1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 3 You therefore must endure^[a] hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. 5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. 7 Consider what I say, and may^[b] the Lord give you understanding in all things.
8 Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, 9 for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

“The gift of God is the grace of the Holy Spirit, or charism, given to Timothy at his ordination. This grace fills up that which is lacking and gives authenticity to the priesthood. But it is not automatic. We must stir up and rekindle it.”

“Our salvation and calling are based on His grace and love, not on anything we have done to merit God’s favor.”

“The second-century Letter of Barnabas notes that: “He submitted [to suffering] so that he might break the power of Death and demonstrate the resurrection from the dead- thus it was necessary for him to be manifested in flesh. Also [he submitted] so that he might fulfill the promise to the fathers and, while he was preparing the new people for himself and while he was still on earth, to prove that after he has brought about the resurrection he will judge” (Barn. 5:6,7).”

Saint Haralampos, intercede to Christ our God for us, that our souls be saved.

Romans 6: part 2

15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.

“Baptism frees us from being slaves of sin and makes us servants of God if we continue with a willing spirit and submissiveness to God. For (1) the form of doctrine, the basic teach of the Church, calls us to love God and to obey from the heart. But (2) without the assistance of God, to whom we were delivered, we could neither understand doctrine nor do virtuous deeds.”

20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

“Slavery to God, initiated in baptism, is true freedom. The fruit of baptism is holiness, or sanctification, and it ends in everlasting life. Thus salvation is a process of transformation from sinner to saint. We are saved through baptism, and we are being saved, that is, being transformed by the uncreated grace of God to be like Him, in anticipation of eternal life…. We cannot earn eternal life. We do, however, participate in it, and must not become listless in our Christian life.”

Oh Lord, let my will be conformed to yours.