Those few precious readers who read my meanderings and ponder them, wondering if I have anything truly wise to say, will remember that on several occasions I have made it clear that I am quite interested in the Orthodox faith.  To be short, I have found that only in the Orthodox faith is there the faith of the Early Fathers without addition (Roman Catholicism) or subtraction (Protestantism).  I am not saying that Orthodoxy is perfect – it is, after all, filled with human beings! – but that the corporate worship and expression of the Orthodox faith most closely dovetails with the writings and dogmatic statements of the earliest of Christians. I also am drawn to the expression of God as loving Father willing to heal us rather than angry Judge ready to pounce upon sinners.

This said, things have come to a head recently. There were two things holding up my transition to Orthodoxy. They have both been resolved. The first was my wife, who, upon hearing of my interest in Orthodoxy, ran down the road screaming with her hair on fire. Figure of speech, of course, but she was plenty upset. You see, see was raised an 1950’s pre-Vatican II Roman Catholic. The kind that are taught that only Roman Catholic go to heaven and the rest go straight to hell. Over a period of time, my mentions of Orthodoxy to her appear to have softened her stance.  The final blow to her opposition was when I mentioned that a new Orthodox mission parish had started up just five minutes from us.

“And where, dear Elizabeth, do you think they are meeting?” 

It turns out they are having Vespers in the “Old Church,” the historic Church in which Clara Barton tended the wounded from the Battle of  Bull Run. She looked surprised, then asked, “Really?” as her facial features softened. Well, if Fr. Barkett, her priest (and a wonderful man) thinks they are okay, then I guess Orthodoxy isn’t that bad, eh?

The second is that I have tended my letter of resignation to the UCC parish I was attending after a run in with my priest. That’s all you need to know.

Today I sent an Email to the group mailbox for the mission parish, asking when it would be opening up. I received this in reply:

Subject: Re: [Fairfax Orthodox] Starting up Vespers and Divine Liturgy

Hello, Ed.

We will likely not begin again until we receive something of an “all clear.” Several churches, not Orthodox ones, have started back only to experience outbreaks. I am in dialogue with the archdiocese and our mission station counsel about this, yet no definitive call to start services immediately has been issued. We are moving carefully. It seems unlikely that we will gather again before the Fall, allowing the Summer for the hopes for leveling off and then decline of the virus problem in Northern Virginia.

I owe the mission station supporters an email, and will draft it today. We are looking into starting an online Scripture Study Fellowship in the very near future (staring not later that the first weekend in June). More to follow.

Christ is Risen!

Fr Sean

I was kind of stunned by the answer I got.  About an hour later, I sat down and typed out this reply to Fr. Sean:

Dear Fr. Sean –

I realize that this message will most likely make an absolutely atrocious “first impression” by which I might introduce myself to you, nonetheless, I want you to know how deeply saddened and troubled I am to hear that the mission may not open till the Fall. I was looking forward with great anticipation to entering into the catechumenate of the OCA, only to have my hope quite thoroughly dashed by your note today.

In addition, you mentioned that things will probably not start back up until an “all clear” is sounded. Surely you must know that the lying liberal media is already prepping us for “round two” of this virus, which is supposedly to start in September of this year. They like keeping the churches closed (remember, these are the same people who booed God at the Democrat Convention a couple of years ago!). The goal is nothing less the tyrannical control under the guise of “public safety,” as if we are not mature enough to make our own health decisions, as if we couldn’t figure out that those who are in high risk groups should be encouraged to stay home and the rest of us make our own decision regarding this. In short, there is no plan for any kind of “all clear.” The God haters have managed to close the Church and they are enjoying their illegitimate power over us,with plans to keep it going as long as possible. If somehow president Trump is defeated, I believe this will be only a foretaste and persecution will begin in earnest. Then what?

Worse than this is the constant barrage of lies we are being fed. There is a cure – oxyhydrocloroquine. We are lied to about it (its untested and  ooooh dangerous!) and the media is silent. The death figures are being artificially enhanced by hospitals that in their greed want to get the $39,000 of federal money given to them for treating a Covid death as opposed to the regular $5,000. So the figures are off by as much as 25%. The chance of dying from the virus is about 1%, yet to listen to the media in the first weeks of this scam, I got the impression that if I put a single foot outside my door, I would be struck dead. But we follow the One who said “I am the truth” and we are supposed to be beacons of truth. Why do our hierarchs not know these things? They are easily found on social media. Why are they not calling out these liars publicly and promoting respectful but firm disobedience to these ungodly and unconstitutional laws? The history of Christianity is filled with men and women who made life miserable for their oppressors, not by revolting against them in anger, but simply standing for the truth and refusing to bend the knee to that which was evil, wrong, and a lie. By now, the actions of people like Governor Gavin Newsome or Governor Ralph Northam should have made it crystal clear to our hierarchs that they are directly attacking the Church. We are told we cannot have over 10 people in church, yet the Lowe’s and Wal Mart stores are packed with people. It is just one lie after another, and the gullible public are lapping it up in fear.

But here is the worse thing of all: I am far from being a strong believer or the best Christian I can be. This is why I look to those who are light years ahead of me for guidance and inspiration to press forward in the often hard and difficult work of theosis. How do I overcome my fear of death when I see my leaders acting like the godless, fearing death themselves by their actions? How do I live fearlessly for Christ when I see a response in which they act as if the world, its quislings in political office, and the thinking of the world, i.e. saving your life, is more important than being willing to die for Christ? I understand you are a military man. You must know that the BEST leaders are those who have either taken the bullets, or who are right at the front of the fighting with their men, inspiring them with their leadership and courage. Making disciples is the act of teaching one how to live by living that life yourself with them. I see NONE of this in the actions of all Christian hierarchs of all faiths. It is … distressing.

For the record, here is what I posted on Facebook today:

I found out this morning that the Orthodox mission parish near my house probably is not going to restart until the Fall. What absolute unbelievable nonsense!! The bishops, priests, deacons, and laity of the Middle East must be shaking their heads at our cowardice in the face of a 1% or less chance of dying from a flu-like virus and a phony “pandemic” caused by lying media and lying politicians with an agenda of destroying the economy, taking away our freedom, and ultimately wrecking the Trump presidency and re-election chances. Every time a church opens its doors in the Middle East they have a very, very good chance of being blown up by Muslim extremists, yet they don’t stop the Divine Liturgy for “prudential reasons”. I am stunned, and I am not the only one. I have read blogs and writings from other priests and a few bishops who are also appalled that we are acting like our faith is more of a charade than a real belief that death is the doorway to eternal life and eternal joy. Quite frankly, it makes me wonder about the seriousness of the whole religion. Roman citizens who watched the Christians die in the Coliseum with a smile and hymns on their lips were converted by this powerful witness. What kind of witness to the truth of eternal life is it that we cower in a corner over a bad case of the flu? Yeah, that’s a real testimony to our belief that there is some beyond this life that we are looking forward to. How am I supposed to believe the faith is life-important when I see it treated with such disrespect? The martyrs must be spinning in their graves!!

The faithful from Communist countries met underground, defied the Communist thugs, and were willing to die for the faith rather than “play it safe.” Now their immigrant sons and daughters cower in fear over the mandates of a government gone mad and run by godless thugs, using the threat of a disease which is, as I said, no more than a bad case of the flu. It is as if the immigrants to this country from the slavery of totalitarianism have forgotten the faith that made their forefathers die rather than obey godless thugs. I think the threat of being arrested and losing all the wonderful goodies that our lives have is a cudgel which keeps us from really obeying Christ and defying these man-made and obscene laws. We have adopted the thinking of the world rather than the thinking of Christ.

I have sat here for several minutes, hesitant to send this to you, but in light of my constant desire to know and live truth (which searching and study has brought me to see that Orthodoxy alone is the Church of our Lord, faithful to the Early Fathers) I feel that you deserve to honestly know what kind of pain in the ass person will be applying to your parish for membership. Especially since you have the awesome responsibility of being a pastor. People who know me know that I am very transparent and what you see is what you get. The one word I have had people use to describe me is “intense.” and I think it fits rather well. When I do something, I am either all in or I don’t bother. I play to win, and sometimes that bothers the heck out of people who just want to have a good time. Life is fun but life is also serious and should be taken as such. And the Christian life, above all, is the most serious part of the time God allots us here on earth. I am trying to live it that way.

I ask your kind forgiveness if this Email is offensive.

Indeed He is Risen!

Edward Hara

I wonder if I will be deemed “personna non grata” after he reads it. We shall see.