Sword in the Fire

In Judges, there is a disturbing story in the midst of a heroic and praiseworthy leader.  This man, Jephthah, was an illegitimate child, was rejected by his brothers, excommunicated from the presence of his clan, and forced to live in a land of foreigners.   In contrast to the judges surrounding his story, he did not have multiple wives and prolific numbers of children, as if to create a ruling dynasty memorializing his own heroism.  Jephthah did not even have a son who would carry on his name, only a daughter, a daughter who appears precious to his very soul. Out of fear from invading armies, his brothers called him back from the exile they imposed upon him to lead them into victory over their enemies.  Jephthah's only condition was future acceptance and continued leadership of his clan.  They agreed.   Jephthah cries to God for victory and out of zeal or desperation makes a vow to God, unthinkable to modern ears.  If victorious, he will ...

St. Ephrem's The Pearl 4:3 Not as the moon does, thy light fill or wane ; The Sun whose light is greater than all, Lo! of Him it is that a type is shadowed out in thy little compass. O type of the Son, One spark of Whom is greater than the sun! The pearl itself is full,       for its light is full ; Neither is there any cunning worker who can steal from it ; For its wall is its own beauty, Yea, its guard also! It lacks not, since it is entirely perfect. And if a man would break thee To take a part from thee, Thou art like the faith which with the heretics perishes, Seeing they have broken it in pieces and spoiled it : For is it any better than this To have the faith scrutinized? The faith is an entire nature That may not be corrupted. The spoiler gets himself mischief by it: The heretic brings ruin on himself thereby. He that chases the light from his pupils Blinds himself. Fire and air are divided when sundered. Light alone, of all creatu...

This was originally published for the Anglican journal Forward in Christ The Bible - The Director’s Cut           There are a group of books of the Bible with an image problem.  It is as if some budget conscious movie editor kept cutting for the right length and content, leaving the scraps on the cutting room floor.  Then along comes the offended director, collecting each scrap together, compiling them for the curious, calling it the “director’s cut” for rabid fans.  These extra books are commonly known as the Apocrypha, and while not considered canonical by many Christians they are profitable and should not be ignored.               Many Bibles today do not have these books, and the ones that do have placed them in an appendix between the Testaments.  The English Bible Tradition originally contained these books, and from 1549 onwards the lectionary attached to the Book of Common Prayer contained l...

The Orthodox Christian Network (OCN) is a great resource, and its blog The Sounding is about to get new life.  Melinda Johnson has been given the task of collecting writers from every spectrum of life to contribute, and the reboot will take place on Feb. 1. Here's a guide to iconography in Lexington, KY. Did you know that an Orthodox Baptism took place in the house of US President John Quincy Adams?   Nicholas Chapman gives the details at OrthodoxHistory. It's hard to beat this photo, especially if you are Orthodox and a Potter fan: ht:   Byzantine, TX

In the book of Joshua, upon crossing the Jordan and entering the Promised Land, Joshua commands that 12 stones be taken from the Jordan to be set as a memorial of what God accomplished, perpetuating the faith and instructing future generations.  The 12 Great Feasts of the Church serve this same purpose, as we celebrate and remember the works of God in the past, present, and the future.   Several years ago, our class went through each feast looking at the Scriptures and hymns that make up these celebrations, and out this study this guide was created.  This is a starting point to deepen the celebration of each feast and increase the memory of God in our lives.   1.  Sept. 8  Nativity of the Theotokos Gen 28:10-17; Ezek 43:27-44:4; Prov. 9:1-11; Lk 1:39-49,56; Phil 2:5-11; Lk 10:38-42;11:27-28 Keys Thoughts:  Wheel of Salvation Begins to Turn/ Prepare our Hearts for God 2.  Sep. 14   Exaltation of the Cross Ex...

St. Ephrem's The Pearl 4:2 Because Balaam was foolish, A foolish beast, an ass spoke with him, Because he despised God Who spoke with him. Thee too let the pearl reprove      In the ass's stead. The people that had a heart of stone, By a Stone He set at nought, For lo, a stone hears words. Witness its work that has reproved them ; And you, ye deaf ones, Let the pearl reprove to-day. With the swallow and the crow did He put men to shame ; With the ox, yea with the ass, did He put them to shame ; Let the pearl reprove now, O ye birds and things on earth and things below.

The sun beat down on his head as he trudged along the rocky path to bring presents to his oppressors.  Ehud was chosen from his people to be the tribute-giver, and had somehow gained a measure of trust from the enemy, but he felt like a traitor.  Regularly gathering the first-fruits and prime livestock for this back-water Moabite empire that had managed to enslave his people, he loaded his cart and camels with extortion.   Entering the palace, the guards grabbed him, two brutes rifling his sacks, removing them from the pack animals, laughing at his ringlets of hair, hanging down his face in front of his ears, the marks of the devout or patriotic among his people, marks most cut long ago hide their true heritage.  Ehud's small tribe had a greater secret to hide than the edges of their hairlines, for this secret forced them to embrace a clumsy existence, marking them as slow and stupid.  Most of his people were cursed with the left-hand.   Some, o...