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09/08/2010 10:20 VATICAN – CHINA Cardinal Zen: Catholic Church in China, dialogue or confrontation with the government

Generous Orthodoxy — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:32:12 +0000

09/08/2010 10:20 VATICAN – CHINA Cardinal Zen: Catholic Church in China, dialogue or confrontation with the government
» by Card. Joseph Zen Zekiun, sdb Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong comes out against the temptation towards total subservience to the religious policy of the Chinese government, marginalizing the experience of the suffering and underground Church.

Greek Orthodox church IMG_5969

Generous Orthodoxy — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:25:20 +0000

Orthodox Church image taken by OZinOH.

Orthodox Wedding at Villa Poggio Ai Merli, Tuscany Historical House

Generous Orthodoxy — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:25:13 +0000

A Orthodox Wedding

The Orthodox wedding ceremony is an ancient and beautiful service. The holy matrimony is a one of the Mysteries of the Holy Orthodox Church in which a man and woman and united by the Holy Trinity. The Mystery of marriage of the Holy Orthodox Church is steeped in ritual and symbolism. Each of the acts has special meaning and significance.

The ceremony consists of two parts which are distinct and separate from each other: the Service of Betrothal and the Ceremony of the Sacrament of Marriage.

Each part of the ceremony has a special meaning and is significant in the joining of husband and wife.

This is especially true of the repetition of each act three times to symbolize and to invoke the mystical presence of the Holy Trinity.

Some important elements of the Greek Orthodox ceremony include that the couple must have a religious sponsor(s). They are called Koumbaro (male) or Koumbara (female). They serve as an important witness to the union.

If a couple wishes to be married in the Greek Orthodox church, there are a few thoughts to keep in mind. One member of the couple must be Greek Orthodox. The non-Greek Orthodox partner must be baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity. Also, the couple cannot get married on certain holy days. The three greatest ones that come to mind are Lent, the first two weeks in August, and January 5th, the eve of Epiphany. Easter is the greatest holiday in the Greek Orthodox church, and Lent is a time of prayer, remembrance, and worship. August 15th is the Assumption of the Virgin Mary; the day believed to be when Mary ascended into Heaven after her death. Epiphany principally commemorates the revelation to the Gentiles of Jesus Christ as the Savior, as portrayed by the coming of the Three Wise Men.

Villa Poggio Ai Merli is an amazing location to get married.

Chaplain, I beg to differ

Generous Orthodoxy — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:31:36 +0000

Chaplain, I beg to differ
In his Aug. 25 column “Chaplains in no-win situation on ‘don’t ask,’ ” retired Army Reserve chaplain and Orthodox priest Alexander F.C. Webster claims that rescinding the military’s discriminatory “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy will “shred the social and moral fabric of our armed forces,” subject straight servicemembers to a threatening lack of privacy, and lead to “a universal vulgarity and …

Did the Roman Catholic Church or the Eastern Orthodox Church come first?

Generous Orthodoxy — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:25:12 +0000

Both claim that they are the first and original churches. Which one is correct, and what’s the evidence? Oh, and evangelicals, don’t give me the bull about Protestantism being first, everyone knows that’s a joke; Catholicism and the Orthodox Church were the first Christian churches.

The Orthodox Church – A visual journey

Generous Orthodoxy — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:22:38 +0000

This video presents some sights and sounds of the Orthodox Church.

The Encyclopedia of Eastern Orthodox Christianity

Generous Orthodoxy — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:48:07 +0000

With a combination of essay-length and short entries written by a team of leading religious experts, the two-volume Encyclopedia of Eastern Orthodoxy offers the most comprehensive guide to the cultural and intellectual world of Eastern Orthodox Christianity available in English today.

An outstanding reference work providing the first English language multi-volume account of the key historical, liturgical, doctrinal features of Eastern Orthodoxy, including the Non-Chalcedonian churches
Explores of the major traditions of Eastern Orthodoxy in detail, including the Armenian, Byzantine, Coptic, Ethiopic, Slavic, Romanian, Syriac churches
Uniquely comprehensive, it is edited by one of the leading scholars in the field and provides authoritative but accessible articles by a range of top international academics and Orthodox figures
Spans the period from Late Antiquity to the present, encompassing subjects including history, theology, liturgy, monasticism, sacramentology, canon law, philosophy, folk culture, architecture, archaeology, martyrology, hagiography, all alongside a large and generously detailed prosopography
Structured alphabetically and topically cross-indexed, with entries ranging from 100 to 6,000 words

Relics of Russian saint, icons stolen

Generous Orthodoxy — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:31:02 +0000

Relics of Russian saint, icons stolen
A Russian news agency is reporting that three ancient icons, one of which contained relics of Russia’s most venerated saint, have been stolen.

The Jesus Prayer: The Ancient Desert Prayer that Tunes the

Generous Orthodoxy — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 03:19:59 +0000

In the earliest centuries of faith, Christians in the deserts of Palestine and Africa sought a short prayer that could be easily repeated, in order to acquire the habit of “prayer without ceasing.” The result was The Jesus Prayer:

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.”

This jewel of Eastern Christianity aims at enabling a person to be in God’s presence, rather than to focus on feelings or thoughts about God.

The first section of The Jesus Prayer offers a concise overview of the history, theology, and spirituality of Orthodoxy, so that the Prayer can be understood in its native context. Following, is a conversational question-and-answer format that takes the reader through practical steps for adopting this profound practice in everyday life.

The Jesus Prayer: The Ancient Desert Prayer that Tunes the Heart to God

Stained Glass Window and Icons in St Dunstan’s Church

Generous Orthodoxy — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:20:50 +0000

Orthodox Church image taken by Maxwell Hamilton.

Palestinians to fund renovation of Nativity Church

Generous Orthodoxy — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 00:31:13 +0000

Palestinians to fund renovation of Nativity Church
Bethlehem’s Church of Nativity renovation ‘first of its kind’ in ‘modern history of Palestine’.

What do American Evangelicals think of the Orthodox Church?

Generous Orthodoxy — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 00:26:02 +0000

The Orthodox branch of Christianity is little understood by most American born-again Evangelicals. Do you think it is right to “witness” to Orthodox Christians when if fact this historic church has its roots planted in the time of Christ and the Apostles?

Question: Do Churches Do Anything To Help Haiti In This Disaster? Yes & Yes (Two Examples And More) By Peter Menkin

Generous Orthodoxy — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 00:23:15 +0000

By Peter Menkin

This writer entered into a discussion with an acquaintance friend in San Francisco’s Bay Area, and the surprising question Does the Church do anything for Haiti, donate money or such to help with the disaster?

How shocking. Of course, churches of various denominations make donations of various important kinds in money, aid, direct help, and even in action for larger economic questions. Though my acquaintance and this writer had neither time nor other mutual interests to enter into a fuller conversation, this article is an attempt to name just two ways Haiti is helped by churches.

Needless to say, shocked by my acquaintance’s ignorance, it occurred to me that others might not realize that so many Christians make an effort of large measure to help those in need experiencing and living with a natural disaster. Haiti is a significant focus of this kind of activity and concern. Organized religion does and has responded.

The Presbyterian Church USA has a hospital in Haiti and just recently that denomination announced: “Hôspital Sainte Croix (Holy Cross Hospital) and an affiliated nursing school in Léogâne, Haiti, have been approved to receive a $200,000 grant from Louisville-based Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA).”

In a specific way, denominations work together. The grant request was sent to PDA, and the much-needed funds were approved within two hours. The hospital and nursing school are ministries of the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti and have been a major focus of Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) mission in Haiti. Léogâne is near the epicenter of the Jan. 12 earthquake and both facilities sustained serious damage.

Here is a quote from the Presbyterians:

“We’ve been told by our Episcopal partners in Haiti that despite the damage, the nursing school began operating as a makeshift hospital within a half-hour of the quake,” said Randy Ackley, PDA coordinator. “In addition, nursing students have established 10 first-aid stations around the main part of Léogâne. The people on the ground are working hard to help one another and this grant is one way we can support their live-saving efforts.”

News media have reported that 80 to 90 percent of the buildings in the main part of Léogâne were destroyed. The PDA grant will support electrical power and distribution needs, water and sanitation facilities, fuel for generators and vehicles, and salaries for local staff involved in the cleanup.

This is specific, ongoing, hands-on, on-the-ground and at-the-scene help that includes significant coordination and work and a significant sum of money.

Gifts by congregations and members sent to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) for response to the earthquake in Haiti total more than $2.7 million through Jan. 29, according to ELCA Treasurer Christina Jackson-Skelton. Nearly 16,000 individual gifts have been sent to the ELCA, she said.

Politico-Economic matters are being raised by churches, and The World Council of Churches (WCC) recently joined with their many church voices to request cancellation of Haiti’s foreign debt. They say:

An “immediate and full cancellation” of Haiti’s foreign debt would be “only an initial step”, as the quake-stricken country needs a broader “plan to support recovery, poverty eradication and sustainable development”.

In fact, as part of the January statement, general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit has called on the international community to cancel Haiti’s foreign debt.

The WCC press statement offers a genuine stance of economic reform of this kind of aid, in a concerted effort by its members to take action on the world stage:

In addition to debt cancellation and short-term emergency relief, Haiti needs “reconstruction and sustainable development in the medium and long term.” But “any financial assistance should come in the shape of grants, not loans that would burden the country with more debt”, the WCC statement says.

Haiti, the most impoverished nation in the western hemisphere, is also a heavily indebted country. In spite of having had some 1.2 billion US dollars of foreign debt written off last June by international financial institutions, the country still owes some 641 million US dollars to multilateral banks and countries. This year Haiti is scheduled to pay some

10 million US dollars to the International Monetary Fund.

As a caption to the picture of a woman feeding a child in this story, WCC offers a strong remark: “Obliging Haiti to make debt payments at the expense of health care, education and other critical social programmes is illegitimate.” The photo is by Paul Jeffrey/ACT.

In the second picture is seen: A survivor of the earthquake engaged in cleanup efforts in the Port-au-Prince neighbourhood of Belair. Photo: Paul Jeffrey/ACT.

The World Council of Churches is a fellowship seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. The WCC brings together 349 churches, denominations and church fellowships in more than 110 countries and territories throughout the world, representing over 560 million Christians and including most of the world’s Orthodox churches, scores of Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist and Reformed churches, as well as many United and Independent churches. While the bulk of the WCC’s founding churches were European and North American, today most member churches are in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East and the Pacific.

As an end note, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America reports, The Haitian people are “living with hope,” says Louis Dorvilier, a member of the churchwide staff of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). He said despite many difficulties for
survivors of the Jan. 12 earthquake, Haitians living in temporary shelters can be heard singing and worshipping — similar to eyewitness reports of other ELCA members in Haiti in the days after the disaster.

Addendum:

This series of facts on Haiti is published by WCC:

Population

8,549,254

Surface area:

27,750 km2

Capital:

Port-au-Prince

GNI per capita:

400 US$

Classification:

Least developed country

Languages:

French

Creole

Religions:

Christian: 96.00%

Spiritist: 3.00%

Other: 1.00%

Christianity:

Catholics: 6,628,000

Protestants: 1,607,500

Anglicans: 115,000

Independent: 479,900

(double affiliation)

Heaven: An Orthodox Christian Perspective

Generous Orthodoxy — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 09:49:54 +0000

Heaven is the aim of all mankind. Our hearts long to attain it. We fervently hope to posses it. We struggle to reach it and be blessed by it. Contemplation on the glories of heaven and what awaits its saints gives those who struggle for it a spiritual push forward and makes them forget all their toils.

This book, written by the late Bishop Youannis, Coptic Orthodox bishop of Gharbeya, of blessed memory, examines several aspects of Heaven from an Orthodox Christian perspective. First published in 1991, this work has already become a spiritual classic offering a comprehensive understanding of Heaven and the afterlife.

Orthodoxy: Centennial Edition

Generous Orthodoxy — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 00:57:35 +0000

G. K. Chesterton’s memoir of faith was named “one of the 10 indispensable spiritual classics of the past 1500 years.” This beautiful new edition of ORTHODOXY celebrates the 100th anniversary of its publication. [See also the companion volume, a centennial edition of THE MAN WHO WAS THURSDAY.]

Build church and mosque

Generous Orthodoxy — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 00:34:13 +0000

Build church and mosque
View full sizeStar-Ledger file photoPedestrians walk by 45 Park Pl. in Lower Manhattan, the proposed site for an Islamic center and mosque.Regarding the Greek Orthodox church to be rebuilt at Ground Zero and the proposed mosque/cultural center (op-ed Aug….

Eastern Orthodox Church | Orthodoxy | Russian | Greek

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