Speech Therapy - Part One

The good work our philological experts have already done in the corruption of human language makes it unnecessary to warn you that they should never be allowed to give [a] word a clear and definable meaning.

-- C.S. Lewis - The Screwtape Letters.

A recent re-reading of portions of this wonderful work of C.S. Lewis reminds me just how delightfully entertaining it is and how much wisdom hiding beneath the surface can yet be discovered.

One thing that came back to mind was my initial reaction to the above notation: how our language has indeed been corrupted. I do not mean just common foul slang and vulgarity - obviously there is that! But more to the point of perfectly good words and phrases, some of which have been around a very long time, whose classical definitions have been perverted, degraded or stripped from them altogether and if used in context with their classical meanings would now cause serious confusion if not outright hostility in some cases.

I am certainly and by no means a linguistic scholar but I find it so dreadful to observe how modernity can usurp otherwise perfectly legitimate words (or phrases) and distort them into meanings they never originally had and we just march right along with it off a verbal cliff like linguistic lemmings.

Take first, for example, the words conservative and liberal.

The word 'conservative' is pretty simple - to conserve or preserve something, or one who seeks to conserve or preserve something. For the most part, that simple meaning is still somewhat in place but unfortunately has also been married to other words that do not necessarily belong to it, such as right-wing, etc. These types of word compounds can tend to take on any meaning the speaker wishes to assign to them in any given context and the result is what the speaker intends and what the hearer perceives most often are two different things.

Much the same can be said for the word liberal, and I was happily surprised to find one classical meaning to be "pertaining to the arts, considered worthy of a free man".
How delightful! And how very sad that we predominately don't use it with that meaning anymore. The use of these two words now in our common PC vernacular serves only to promote a connotation of contention. And yet they fly through our airwaves like fiery darts setting people at odds with one another - even in the Church.

Perhaps we ought to pick better words and start over.

Although it would seem some have already tried by labeling themselves progressive.

I suspect this usage has come into play in order to imply some sort of distancing from the negatively employed usage of "liberal". Honestly I don't know what it's supposed to mean in PC-speak; progressing towards ... what?

I read the definition as "onward march; forward movement". Simple enough.

Someone wants to move forward and another wants to conserve. In the context of the Church it is entirely possible to do both but in terms of modern American politics I suspect the real problem lies in the recognition of the reality that one is usually always going to overide the other. Thus it becomes a competition, a power struggle, which is anything but what it ought to be.

There is a significant scene in the movie Star Wars-Revenge of the Sith where the young Anakin Skywalker is talking with Senator Palpetine (who is really the Sith Lord and becomes the Emporer). The Senator is drawing Anakin closer to the Dark side of the Force by suggesting there is a secret knowledge available there that he cannot learn from the Jedi because they suppress the Sith ideology. Anakin says that the Jedi use their power only for good to which Palpetine responds, "All who gain power fear to lose it - even the Jedi."

Replace the word Jedi with the name of any political party, corporation or "religious" institution and the statement still holds true.
We would do well to remember this, especially when we vote.

Another word, a beautiful word - Religion.

This is a word that carries both a classical and a theological definition.

The theological meaning is simple and can be found concisely in the Letter of the Blessed Apostle James chapter 1 verse 27. From this it should be clear (and so say the Church Fathers) that Religion is a Virtue and has always been regarded as such, which even the classical definition reinforces: "state of life (as of monks) bound by vows and a rule; religious order or rule".

This is simple and non-problematic.

The problem, so it seems, emanates from the latter portion of the classical definition: "system of faith in and worship of a divine power". From this (unfortunately) has emerged the modern consensus of Religion as an institution. There are most certainly other contributions to this mis-conception as well, not the least of which is the distortion of Christian ecclesiology (especially since the Reformation).

The descent of Religion as virtue to Religion as institution has continued for so long unanswered that now the word itself evokes negative responses from both Christians and non-Christians alike. For some (predominently the atheist sort) it is responsible for wars, terrorism and needless suffering and should therefore be eradicated or at least controlled and concealed. Others (predominently the Evangelical Christian sort) see it as an impediment to true spirituality. I cringe when I hear good-natured, well-meaning Christians blurt out, "I don't have a religion, I have a relationship!" If only they understood what they were really saying they wouldn't really say it. At least I hope they wouldn't.

Likewise, those who are quick to say, "I don't like organized religion" whenever the subject comes up are, I suspect, really using the statement to avoid revealing the state of their own heart which has more than likely been wounded in some way by involvement or encounter with some institutional 'church' or group that has perhaps failed to show the Face of Christ adequately. In all such cases the Body of Christ - the Family of God is diminished. And this is a great sadness.

Religion is a Virtue not an institution.

It is an operative Grace given by God in our state of life as monastics but is not necessarily restricted to a monastic state of life. God does not withold virtues from those who seek
to cultivate them but we must be willing to exorcise this modern myth of religion as institution from our thinking and begin to live what has been revealed to us.

May God give us Wisdom to un-learn what we think we mean.








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Essentials For the Journey

I want to draw attention to this most wonderful essay by Metropolitan Jonah of the Orthodox Church in America:

http://www.monasteryofstjohn.org/abbatialessays/Do_not_react.pdf

I believe the spiritual principles he expounds on herein are absolutely essential to our monastic life.

The absolute Spiritual Truth is plainly seen.

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Challenging Enough and More

Pastor John Roop, whose sermon writing I admire and enjoy tremendously, has posted a most wonderful, inspiring and challenging piece on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord:

euangelion: Family Matters: Sermon on the Baptism of our Lord

I wholeheartedly and enthusiastically agree with what he has said about the good folks at St. Demetrios! I love them dearly! They are themselves a Theophany in place and time.

I heartily recommend the reading of it in it's entirety.

Now some might think that I would disagree with certain points presented in Pastor Roop's post. I do not.


In fact, it stirs to mind some additional points I would like to offer, perhaps as challenging:


Can a Christian support government actions or policies that effectively results in the extortion of the property/possessions of another against their will, be they known to be a fellow Christian or not?


Can a member of the Family of God, knowingly and deliberately, vote for a political candidate who has by their own public admission and record demonstrated their support of and intent to implement policies that undermines the integrity and sanctity of marriage and erodes the foundation of the traditional family by granting special "rights" and/or priviledges to homosexuals?


Can any Christian with an informed conscience, knowingly and deliberately, vote for a political candidate who has by their own public admission and record demonstrated their support of and intent to implement policies that promote, sanction and allow greater access to abortion and the allocation of public funds for the use thereof?


Pastor Roop goes on to say,


The family of God doesn’t really acknowledge separation of church and state.


I am delighted at such a statement!
Because the current understanding of that small phrase is a contrived interpretation of Thomas Jefferson's usage, given legal import by those who would reduce the U.S. Constitution to some sort of "living" document that can be distorted by popular opinion instead of the foundation for Rule of Law that it was written to be.


The Second Century Letter to Diognetus states, "Christians dwell in the world but do not belong to the world."



I don't think it takes a theologian to understand what "dwell in the world" means; we do it every day, we are faced with the circumstances and stresses of it every day.
But to not "belong to the world" is a bit more vague. Or is it?
I think Pastor Roop used the best and right word - loyalty.



Are we loyal to Christian morals or political correctness?
Are we loyal to the Kingdom and Family of God or do we belong to the world of ideology?
I do not think we can be both at the same time. Not without something being compromised.

Our vocation is lived out in the world but let's make sure we take our shoes off before we step onto Holy Ground.

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When the Christmas Lights Go Out

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, in the liturgical cycle of the Divine Office, officially brings the Christmas Season to a close.
Among many things, here at the Abbey, this means the Christmas lights and decorations are taken down and packed away for another year.
We are always the last ones on the street and even the entire area to still have the lights going a week after New Years.

I always feel a bit sad having to turn off the Christmas lights.
It always looks so dark afterwards.
It's almost as if, for a few weeks once a year, even those of little faith or not of the Faith unwittingly participate in displaying the Light of Christ, even if only through otherwise secular and commercial means.

In my area, the inflatable yard decorations are the popular thing - eight foot tall Santas, snowmen, nutcrackers, Nativitys, Charlie Brown & Peanuts characters and the Grinch - abound.
Some folks display their Christian Faith more profoundly with lights that spell out "Happy Birthday Jesus".

It's a lot of fun and pretty to look at.
Lights shining in the darkness.
And then they all go out.
And the houses and the streets are dark once again.

Of course the Christmas Cards we send and receive encourage us with sentiments of keeping the Spirit of Christmas alive in our hearts throughout the year.
I wonder how many of us actually do that.
More often than not, I suspect most of us give no further thought to Christmas or any spirit thereof until we see the Christmas decorations go up on display in the retail stores after the Halloween decorations come down.

That's the consumer trend.

The Christian 'trend' is different.
Especially if one participates in the liturgical cycle of the Church.
We move with Christ from His Birth to His Baptism, from the Manger to the waters of Jordan, to the first miracle at the Wedding in Cana, the beginning of His earthly ministry, and on to the season of Lent and Pascha.

The sanctification of time.

Even in the in-between seasons called 'Ordinary Time', there is always something happening because Christ's life is always happening in us and through us. We eat His Flesh and drink His Blood as often as we do and we have His Life within us in every season and at all times.
The Christmas lights may go out but His Light in us never goes out.
And we need to make sure (as far as it depends on us) this Light is visible and perceptible.
Christ's Incarnation, Birth, Baptism, every event and season of His Life as well as those who shared in it - our Lady Theotokas, His Mother and our Mother - the Apostles, disciples and Saints, His brothers and friends - our brothers and friends.
All of this Life and Light has happened, is happening, and we must remember and keep it ever in mind, while driving to work or shopping in Walmart.

Christians should never be people who need retail reminders.
We should not be people who say, "I’m so glad Christmas is over".
Nothing is over. It is ever beginning, ever continuing. Never ending.

"Christ is bathed in light" writes St. Gregory of Nazianzus, "let us also be bathed in light.
Christ is baptized; let us also go down with Him and rise with Him.
Be cleansed entirely and continue to be cleansed. Nothing gives such pleasure to God as the conversion and salvation of men, for whom His every word and every revelation exist. He wants you to become a living force for all mankind, lights shining in the world. You are to be radiant lights as you stand beside Christ, the great light, bathed in the light of Him Who is the light of heaven. You are to enjoy more and more the pure and dazzling light of the Trinity, as now you have received - though not in its fullness - a ray of its splendour, proceeding from the one God, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to Whom be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen."

The Christmas lights have been turned off but we have been bathed in the light of the Incarnation.
The Christmas tree ornaments have been packed away but we are decorated with a ray of Theophany.
We’ve stopped singing Christmas Carols but we must never stop singing ‘Glory to God in the Highest’.

Keep shining!
Keep singing!
The darkness can’t stand it!

StartUp and An Answer

I had anticipated something a bit different for the first posting of this blog but will just kick things off with New Year's Blessings to all members and friends of the OCB.

At the same time, I would like to offer this response to a query posed by my dear friend, Fr. Gregory, on his blog ( VagantePriest: A Question... ) some time back.
Though a little less than timely, I hope it is still somewhat relevant.

Why is it that we cannot, in all good conscience, say with St. Paul, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ"?

Initially this brings to mind something from the Fathers I read about the advice an old abbot gave the new abbot of a community. When the younger asked how he should guide the brothers, the old abbot said, "Be their example, not their legislator."

As one who occupies such a position, I can definitely attest that it is much easier to legislate than to be an example.

But it is not nearly as effective.

I think perhaps there are a variety of reasons why we do not in good conscience say this with the Great Apostle. And I say do not rather than can not because I think the lack of saying it is born more of fear than of inability.

One reason that comes to mind is that we (clergy), in a constant effort of pretended humility, are so busy reminding people that we are not superhuman, we are not sinless, we are not perfected, etc, that we inadvertantly stifle the mystery and power of the Grace the indelible mark has imprinted upon us.

"Now to Him Who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen (Eph. 3:20-21).

I believe we are exhorted to "fan into flame" the gift bestowed on us through the laying-on-of-hands, not to stifle.

To fully acknowledge what we know we are without pretense or excuse while at the same time not being afraid to speak and act with the absolute power of conviction is a delicate balance and an Apostolic characteristic - one that has been diminished over time.It has not gone away entirely (God forbid!) but it has been diminished, to the degree that the empowerment manifested in the Holy Apostle Peter saying to the lame man, "Look at us ... in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk" (Acts 3:4,6) is in our times rarely to be found and if it is found it is immediately rendered suspect.

Similarly, "Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, yet for love's sake I rather appeal to you ... [ ] Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say." (Philemon 8: 21).

Many deacons, priests and bishops have forgotten the mystery, power, responsibility and authority of their vocation.

We have forgotten a lot of other things too, I think.
And all of these things are simple things, which is exactly why we forgot them.
We either fear simplicity or we mistakenly equate it with reductionism.
"Imitate me as I imitate Christ" is simple, but we do not say it because we have forgotten what it means out of fear for what it means.
It's so much easier to distract ourselves with imitating other things.

Of these other things, there are a few I can readily posit as decidedly distracting if not outright delusional.

Many clergy, especially those of us of the vagante sort, fall into the materialism trap because we allow ourselves to believe that people will not come to our Service/Mass/Liturgy unless there is a climate controlled building with a parking lot and bright, shiny, pretty things to look at. If these things are missing then we are not legitimate clergy in the eyes of the world. So by default we are a church based on whatever passes as the model in public opinion.As someone has already pointed out, ours is a society that values opinion more than truth.
But it is Truth, Love and Goodness from the heart of imitating Christ that will draw people to the church of our presence and His Presence.
If we proclaim the reality of our Baptism and live the Liturgy of our First Love, the need for actual words will become less and less.

Idealism can be a clever trap for many of us - myself included.I should say I refer more to a mis-directed idealism because there is no problem in the tendency to envision things in an ideal form or to regard the ideas of truth, right, goodness, beauty, as attributes and active energies of God. But there is a real and present danger for clergy when one's idealism marries itself to a particular ideology, makes the leap to social activism and directs its energies towards effecting what it idealizes.I say this is a trap because once one makes that leap it becomes all too easy to justify each move - compromise a little principle here, overlook a little there - as long as the subjective 'greater good' is served. And the 'greater good' is always subjective - it is subject to the particular ideology of which it is the end.
The result is that one becomes enmeshed in a virtual web of grey areas where the lines are blurred and simple things are obscured in complexities.
Any ideology, social teaching, personal opinion, etc, religious or secular, that creates an atmosphere or allows for eminent Christian moral principles to be compromised for the sake of the possibility of achieving some perceived 'greater good' is delusion.

As Fr. Jonathan of Second Terrace has brilliantly noted:

"Every modern battle (i.e., fought for policy or ideology instead of morals) is really an incantation."

Too many Christians and clergy alike have allowed themselves (perhaps unwittingly) to imitate an ideology in the name of Christ rather than Christ Himself.

I think now of a profound statement I heard from an Anglican bishop from Kenya (his accent was very thick so please forgive my typing it as I heard him say it): "We hear and speak of this culture and that culture; of diverse cultures and multi cultures and how we must respect these things ... but I say to you ... we are Christians! For us there is only one culture and that is Christianity ... that is our culture."
The good bishop's words positively resonated with me; they resonated with absolute conviction and apostolic authority; as one who has a firm grasp of his unique and authentic Christian cultural identity.

I think also of David Barton, a notable American historian who has remarked on many occasions that Americans do not know their own history - specifically the role Judeo-Christian tenets and values played in its foundation - and that what is being taught in modern schools is largely revisionist. I have only to recall the comment of my 18 year old nephew at Thanksgiving dinner who said he thought the greatest thing about America was it's technology, to agree with Mr. Barton's assessment.

America, through complacency and ignorance, no longer recognizes what has always made it unique so it has bought into the lie that it can imitate every other thing and ought to become just like everything else; "The grass is always greener over the septic tank" syndrome.

Christianity, to a great degree, has followed the same pattern: sacrificing its own unique cultural identity by meddling in worldly schemes and trying to effect the outcome of history under the guise of implementing a perceived "Christian" goal.
Whatever perceived leveling effect on the playing field this may have is imaginary and one loses a little of one's Christian identity in the process.
Active involvement in all this multi-culturalism/ socio-political/ideology mishmash malarky only serves to put one Grand Inquisitor after another in the seat of Caesar.

I do not suggest that we not be informed or that we cannot have a particular set of opinions (is it even possible not to have a particular set of opinions?)
But there is a fine line between this and allowing oneself to be reduced to a receptacle for modernity.

I believe the old adage, 'Shepherds don't make sheep; sheep make sheep' is a true one.
We shepherds must be willing to let go of all that distracts us from He Who is our Life, our identity. We must be willing to allow Him Who is our Peace give us peace amidst all those social problems that trouble so many.

Do we Christians care about the poor? Of course we do.
Do we care about justice? Of course we do.
Do we care about the country we live in? I should hope so.
What, then, is our response?
Fr. Stephen remarks, "... the Christian response is not a response to the actions of man; it is a response to the actions of God."
"God matters and what matters to God matters. [ ]
There are many things that do not matter - because they do not matter to God. Knowing the difference between the two - what matters to God and what does not requires that we know God. And this is theology - to know God."

St. John of Damaskos writes: "All human affairs, all that does not exist after death, are vanity." (Philokalia Vol. 3).

It is vanity, folly and arrogance to be so sensitive to social symbols and "issues" such that it colours our theology and degrades our conduct.
If we cannot maintain a balance and a clear distinction between our opinions and our doctrine, between modern social constructs and authentic Christian Tradition, we risk becoming harbingers of sentimentality rather than heralds of the Gospel.

If the shepherds do not stay the course, maintaining a certain distance - a certain detachment from social affairs, the sheep will not be able to distinguish what exactly it is they are expected to imitate and will go astray, as indeed they are doing and have already done.

We shepherds are human indeed. And we are weak.
But we are not spiritually disabled nor unable to reflect something that can be imitated.
In fact, I believe we are imitated, more than we would care to admit and such that it renders the question of actually saying it with St. Paul, somewhat moot.
People will imitate what they recognize about us as reflecting qualities of Christ, whether we are aware of this or not. They will also imitate our less than desirable qualities.
It behooves us, therefore, to be attentive to how we reflect Christ and make sure, inasmuch as it depends on us, that we do not taint that reflection with vain ideologies and agendas, be they 'progressive' or 'conservative'.

I am not an advocate of 'resolutions' because they are usually of a selfish nature and are rarely kept, but if I had one it might be this:

Be True - to our Faith and our origins;

Be Simple - it's easier to imitate;

Be Real rather than correct.

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