Why Should Your Heart Not Dance?

Posted on Sunday, November 2, 2014 by Mendicant Monk

DancersLarge There is a joke among recovering fundamentalist Christians. It goes, “Why is pre-marital sex so wrong? Because it might lead to dancing.” While most Christians can agree with the former prohibition against sex outside of marriage, the latter taboo has brought frustration to many a footloose Christian who begs for a definition of exactly what kind of dancing leads to moral degradation. As for this recovering fundamentalist, I have never been happier than the first time I witnessed centuries-old folk dancing going on right in the fellowship hall of an Eastern Orthodox church. You can even say it was one of the things that led me to the Church. Continue reading →

From Murder to Mercy

Posted on Wednesday, June 11, 2014 by Mendicant Monk

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.

— Epistle of Apostle James Chapter 5

The senseless murder of innocents has often in history followed godless greed and unholy desire for personal gain. Midway through the 20th century experiment of atheist communism in Russia, Joseph Stalin felt the need to purify the system and find new sources of blame for his failing policies. Finding no blame in himself, he and his minions sought secretly and indiscriminately to purge undesired members of society in numbers before unimagined. Continue reading →

Resurrection

Posted on Monday, April 28, 2014 by grandduchessgirl

O Pascha has come! Joyous feast, rejoice, O earth! The heavenly hosts sing: holy, holy, holy, hosanna in the highest. Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace toward men. We start with lighting our candles, then we circle the church outside, singing a Paschal song. The Priest knocks on doors three times because Jesus rose on the third day. The doors crash open. And we proclaim, “CHRIST IS RISEN” in all kinds of different languages.

24 Days of Christmas

Posted on Sunday, January 12, 2014 by Mendicant Monk

The secret is out or at least it should be. Those of us celebrating Christmas on the Old Calendar (O.C. January 7) are still very much within the season, the 12 appointed days of celebration after the event, which makes it a total of 24 if you count somewhat the 12 days celebrated after December 25. So if you are the type that thinks Christmas comes and goes too quickly, think about visiting a Russian, Serbian, or even a Bulgarian Orthodox Church on the Julian Calendar. Then hold on to your tree, keep up those decorations, and don’t throw away that fruit cake because the O.C. gives us another 12 days to party! Continue reading →

The Reluctant Orthodox – Volume 12 “By the Waters of the Maumee, We Sat Down and Wept”

Posted on Sunday, January 5, 2014 by Mendicant Monk

Quite honored to be featured on Marilyn’s blog. Hope you all will be strengthened by the account. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.

Marilyn R. Gardner

In my faith journey this past year, I’ve discovered some people who have walked the road before me and can offer wisdom, challenge, and comfort when I need them most. Aaron Friar is one of those people. He comes from a protestant background, has attended many churches in the past, and has a deep and abiding respect for the traditions of his past even as he is fully a part of the Orthodox church today. Today his post gives me joy and encouragement as I move into the ever-new (for me) yet ancient traditions of the Eastern Orthodox faith. You can read more about Aaron at the end of the post.

By the Waters of the Maumee, We Sat Down and Wept

Marilyn’s series on the Reluctant Orthodox has spurred me to share a bit of my own faith journey. I offer this in tribute to her present struggle to discover…

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Hello faithful readers… Wanted to let you know about a new paper I uploaded to my Academia page about a year in the life of an Orthodox Church my family and I attend. Would love to know what you think.