I think I picked another hard topic to cover in 140 syllables. :P I hope it's still decent.
The laws divine are broken, and by whom?
A lowly man, not angel, no, nor beast.
The Judge and lawmaker enters the room
His majesty ennobling e'en the least.
Now the Accuser stands and makes his case;
He says, "This man here broke your righteous laws.
He's vulgar, evil, damnable, and base.
He can't go free; he's full of sinful flaws."
But up stands now Defendant, Witness, all.
He speaks with voice like thunder, yet like dove:
"I take the blame for this man's sinful fall;
My suffering will take his place in love."
The man's acquitted, free to go his way,
But woe if he rejects that joyous day!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Orthodoxy
Today, for the first time, I attended a non-Protestant church: St. Barnabas, an Antiochian Orthodox church in Costa Mesa. It was an interesting change of pace from my usual church, and gave me some things to think about.
I mostly really liked having a liturgy. It gave set, high quality to the service which I would really like to see in combination with many of the elements I like at my current church. It was also an old liturgy with huge tradition behind it and a lot of good, biblically-grounded text. Very refreshing for me, since I like the more poetic, older language better than modernized text. The choir was very good, and I really enjoyed having simple a cappella music rather than music played by a band. The downside, however, to having a liturgy is that it has little flexibility and therefore misses the modern hymns from Protestant tradition, many of which are very good. I would like a service that had a definite liturgy, but perhaps with spaces for hymns from the last few hundred years.
I'm not really sure what to think of the homily. It was a guest speaker today, but the subject of the homily was rather strange. As far as I could tell, it was about the angels, and how the angels are always present when man is speaking to God, so man never speaks to God alone, but in addition, there's some point when man represents the cherubim. Not really sure what it was about. On the Orthodox theology as a whole, I don't know very much, but there are a few fairly major points that I don't think I agree on. Is it enough to keep me away from the Orthodox church in the future? I don't know yet. I want to look into this more thoroughly.
In other respects, the people were quite friendly. Only confirmed Orthodox are allowed to take communion, but they have a sort of fellowship bread that visitors are allowed to eat. I didn't quite feel comfortable, but the guy sitting next to me brought one back for me, which I quite appreciated even though my brother had already brought one back for me, too. This guy didn't know me at all, but he was willing to serve me.
One thing that came up fairly often was people making the sign of the cross or kissing the icon which the priest held. As far as the latter goes, I'm definitely uncomfortable with that at this point, and it's something that, even if I decided I like the Orthodox church in other ways, I would probably not do for a long time. The sign of the cross is interesting, though. Near the end of the service, I started wondering why people make the sign of the cross (it is usually done when the Trinity is mentioned, I think), and why they touch forehead, chest, and shoulders. It's entirely possible that it's just the most convenient way to make a cross on your body, but it also made me think: Head, Heart, Hands. (Shoulders instead of hands, close enough.) My brother said he thinks it may also be connected to Father, Son, Holy Spirit. I think there are very interesting and important parallels between these two trinities in connection with the sign of the cross, and I'm glad the service spurred me to think about it.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed a change from my regular church. Grace EV Free isn't a bad church by any means; there's a lot that I really like about it. However, I think the change from a usual Protestant style of church, which is all I've experienced in 19 years, was helpful for me. It opens me up to a broader spectrum of worship and church history and perhaps helps me to figure out a little bit more what I like in a service. For those who haven't been to an Orthodox service before, I would recommend going to one in order to broaden your experience and understand a little better those people who come from different religious traditions within the universal Christian church.
I mostly really liked having a liturgy. It gave set, high quality to the service which I would really like to see in combination with many of the elements I like at my current church. It was also an old liturgy with huge tradition behind it and a lot of good, biblically-grounded text. Very refreshing for me, since I like the more poetic, older language better than modernized text. The choir was very good, and I really enjoyed having simple a cappella music rather than music played by a band. The downside, however, to having a liturgy is that it has little flexibility and therefore misses the modern hymns from Protestant tradition, many of which are very good. I would like a service that had a definite liturgy, but perhaps with spaces for hymns from the last few hundred years.
I'm not really sure what to think of the homily. It was a guest speaker today, but the subject of the homily was rather strange. As far as I could tell, it was about the angels, and how the angels are always present when man is speaking to God, so man never speaks to God alone, but in addition, there's some point when man represents the cherubim. Not really sure what it was about. On the Orthodox theology as a whole, I don't know very much, but there are a few fairly major points that I don't think I agree on. Is it enough to keep me away from the Orthodox church in the future? I don't know yet. I want to look into this more thoroughly.
In other respects, the people were quite friendly. Only confirmed Orthodox are allowed to take communion, but they have a sort of fellowship bread that visitors are allowed to eat. I didn't quite feel comfortable, but the guy sitting next to me brought one back for me, which I quite appreciated even though my brother had already brought one back for me, too. This guy didn't know me at all, but he was willing to serve me.
One thing that came up fairly often was people making the sign of the cross or kissing the icon which the priest held. As far as the latter goes, I'm definitely uncomfortable with that at this point, and it's something that, even if I decided I like the Orthodox church in other ways, I would probably not do for a long time. The sign of the cross is interesting, though. Near the end of the service, I started wondering why people make the sign of the cross (it is usually done when the Trinity is mentioned, I think), and why they touch forehead, chest, and shoulders. It's entirely possible that it's just the most convenient way to make a cross on your body, but it also made me think: Head, Heart, Hands. (Shoulders instead of hands, close enough.) My brother said he thinks it may also be connected to Father, Son, Holy Spirit. I think there are very interesting and important parallels between these two trinities in connection with the sign of the cross, and I'm glad the service spurred me to think about it.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed a change from my regular church. Grace EV Free isn't a bad church by any means; there's a lot that I really like about it. However, I think the change from a usual Protestant style of church, which is all I've experienced in 19 years, was helpful for me. It opens me up to a broader spectrum of worship and church history and perhaps helps me to figure out a little bit more what I like in a service. For those who haven't been to an Orthodox service before, I would recommend going to one in order to broaden your experience and understand a little better those people who come from different religious traditions within the universal Christian church.
Wheatstone Sonnets
While at Wheatstone, I wrote a few sonnets. They're not very good, but I hope that to some extent they express some of the thoughts that were going through my head while there. But first, a haiku:
"I am unworthy,
My God," I cry in distress.
"Save me from my sin."
Heart in Turmoil
The fountain shoots up high into the air
As summer breezes blow across my back;
But on this summer afternoon so fair
My mind keeps running in its rutted track.
I listen to the water as it runs
And watch the branches sway with rustling leaves.
My thoughts go running, now by twos, now ones;
To God alone my heart, in turmoil, cleaves.
The Lord has made such high and wond'rous things,
And I so small can barely comprehend
How great His love for me. My soul, it clings
To Him whose holy love can have no end.
And though my mind has turmoil deep inside,
I know that God, my God, my paths will guide.
How Can I Learn to Love?
How can I learn to love with heart so frail
And full of want for what I do not need?
How can the little good in me prevail
When I your blatant signposts do not heed?
How can I learn to love the ones I should,
Those Thou hast set before me with intent,
And how can I influence them for good
When sin has left my heart in pieces rent?
O God, I need Thy pow'r to set me free
And strengthen feeble heart to love again;
I need Your healing pow'r so I can see,
And I will be a God-like lover then.
How can I love the one You've planned for me
When I am not the one I'm meant to be?
Wonder
How great the earth and sky that Thou hast made!
The running water, beautiful and clear,
The ruddy bricks and marble colonnade
Which man, with tools Thou givest, shapeth here.
I cannot help but wonder at the sun,
Which gives both warmth and light, and that to all;
The stars Thou makest, naming one by one,
As shimm'ring raiment for Your glorious hall.
I wonder, too, at man, beloved of Thee,
Whom blood of Jesus Christ, your Son, now frees.
I wonder that I, I have victory:
For I, of sinful men, am worst of these.
I wonder at the love and beauty shown
By Him who graciously made me His own.
"I am unworthy,
My God," I cry in distress.
"Save me from my sin."
Heart in Turmoil
The fountain shoots up high into the air
As summer breezes blow across my back;
But on this summer afternoon so fair
My mind keeps running in its rutted track.
I listen to the water as it runs
And watch the branches sway with rustling leaves.
My thoughts go running, now by twos, now ones;
To God alone my heart, in turmoil, cleaves.
The Lord has made such high and wond'rous things,
And I so small can barely comprehend
How great His love for me. My soul, it clings
To Him whose holy love can have no end.
And though my mind has turmoil deep inside,
I know that God, my God, my paths will guide.
How Can I Learn to Love?
How can I learn to love with heart so frail
And full of want for what I do not need?
How can the little good in me prevail
When I your blatant signposts do not heed?
How can I learn to love the ones I should,
Those Thou hast set before me with intent,
And how can I influence them for good
When sin has left my heart in pieces rent?
O God, I need Thy pow'r to set me free
And strengthen feeble heart to love again;
I need Your healing pow'r so I can see,
And I will be a God-like lover then.
How can I love the one You've planned for me
When I am not the one I'm meant to be?
Wonder
How great the earth and sky that Thou hast made!
The running water, beautiful and clear,
The ruddy bricks and marble colonnade
Which man, with tools Thou givest, shapeth here.
I cannot help but wonder at the sun,
Which gives both warmth and light, and that to all;
The stars Thou makest, naming one by one,
As shimm'ring raiment for Your glorious hall.
I wonder, too, at man, beloved of Thee,
Whom blood of Jesus Christ, your Son, now frees.
I wonder that I, I have victory:
For I, of sinful men, am worst of these.
I wonder at the love and beauty shown
By Him who graciously made me His own.
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