I finished reading The Brothers Karamazov two or three weeks ago. Recently on vagrant someone brought it up and I think I have to admit I'm part of the consensus that it's a tough book to really write about. I'm not really sure why that even is...I'll probably try one of these days.
One of the parts of the book that really resonates with me is the idea that everyone is responsible for everyone else. Intriguing concept, even more intriguing implications. On the other hand, we're responsible for ourselves, he says, as well. After Fr. Zossima's repose and what happened next, I kept expecting that somehow everything would be vindicated and proven, yet it never was. Of course, that's the whole point...that it doesn't need to be. Anyway, the book is a lot to get one's mind around.
Thanks for the Godspy link...I'll definitely check that out.
I'm glad to hear Peter's doing much better. Hopefully you and B. can get over your colds and everyone will get good sleep again soon! And yeah, bladder stone surgery is no fun trip, but I guess at least he's getting taken care of and should be on the mend from here on out. Your dad's a lot older than my dad, but even so, it's tough to watch parents age. My dad has something called Transverse Myelitis (spelling is probably off...he calls it TM for short but that always makes me think of transcendental meditation, and while my dad's a spiritual guy, he doesn't exactly transcendentalate just like ringing a bell!) that basically makes him numb or tingling from the chest or waist down much of the time. After regular medical doctors haven't been able to do much for him (this started around April, I think), he's finally seeing a chiropractor type guy who is much more into natural healing and "alternative medicine." Funny thing is that a number of people from my folks' very conservative Baptist church are really happy clients of this guy, who is up in Michigan somewhere around Kalamazoo. Anyway, he seems to be helping my dad a bit already. Watching parents and grandparents age is tough, though, and makes me wish I lived a lot closer.
RE: Bishops and such...
Yeah, in Orthodoxy what's going on there is generally frowned on. I have not much of an idea on whether much of Orthodoxy would even recognize the newer group as canonical...the impression I get is that they don't, but it's hard to say sometimes. I know that a big deal within the Episcopal/Anglican Church right now is that conservative parishes that find themselves under more liberal bishops are going and switching themselves to more conservative bishops, many of whom are from Africa and Latin America. Interesting situation.
re: the package
You all are very very welcome for the gifts...we really do love sending along little things now and then, it's just a blast shopping for kids! We had a feeling Cecilia would really like the "wild thing" to play with. Stacey saw the Molly Melon book at this fundraiser book sale at the university library and knew it was something right down her alley, as well...It's funny, that and another book we bought for Becca (my niece), one about naughty little monkeys (there are 26 and the little stories correspond with the alphabet, I'm sure you've seen it) we found out when we gave them that they were already well-loved by the recipients. I guess our instincts (well, Stacey's at least!) are good.
Uncut is definitely one of my favorite magazines. Exchange rates being what they are, it's not really worth it for me to subscribe but I get it pretty much every month. There's always a free CD that comes with it. The deal with the Neil Young issue is that they put out two different CDs. My plan was and is to rip them and send you the contents of both -- stymied by my computer situation but I'll send you some of that sort of thing here in the next month or so, anyway. What's funny is that I saw on their website that their latest edition has a Dylan cover (and cover story) and so my original intent was to get that one for you, but we always get the issues a bit later here in the States. In fact, I saw the new Dylan issue at a record store the other day finally but Borders still only has the Neil Young issues. They've decided to go with 2 different CDs to accompany the Dylan issue, too...which makes for a financial decision! The CDs are generally good enough that they make the magazine more than worth the money every month...but buying it twice is a tough call, perhaps. I think one of the discs might be "stuff that influenced Dylan," though, in which case we've probably both heard almost all of it and have access to it anyway. Shoot, you and I could probably come up with a better compilation, hehehe. Anyway, yes, I really do enjoy reading the magazine every month. The music writing is generally on a really high level and what I very much appreciate is their attention to not only the new, hip, independent music (which I love to follow and check out), but their attention to the classic stuff, blues, "americana" and folk...and other various things across the spectrum. I read some pretty good music magazines both in print and on the web, but none of them pull off both the quality and variance that Uncut does. Not only that, but they're also really good about film reviews, reissue stuff, and so on. The new issues are definitely a monthly highlight, even if it often takes me more than a month to get through them.
As far as films go...Miracle on 34th St. is definitely a classic, and one kids enjoy too, which is nice. I'll definitely have to check out that Hitchcock film...I think I've seen at least parts of The Bishop's Wife, which was remade a few years ago, but not as well. I think it starred Whitney Houston and was called The Preacher's Wife.
What's your soulseek name? I go by "familiarvagrant" on there.
That's interesting about mysteryplay and his sending you stuff...interesting indeed. I do think he's sincere, you know, and a fairly intelligent, nice guy. I don't really know too much about him or know him too well, really. I know he's a good friend of Chris Estey, though, and he's someone I've corresponded with quite a bit and really respect...one of the better writers I've read as far as modern rock writing, and someone who's grown into a friend.
As far as Epiphany goes...we celebrate that January 6. I know we're doing something related to that not this coming Sunday but the next, for the kids. Well, Fr. Theodore's (our new priest) wife is...something about baking a cake, I don't totally remember, though I should. She's going to once in a while teach a class here and there because she knows a lot more about the Western Orthodox tradition and has good ideas on what to do with kids....in February I think she's doing something about St. Brigid's Cross, and so on. Anyway, I know January 6 is the day we officially celebrate Epiphany and such.
Thanks for that article link, Jeff.
Yeah, the alignments are pretty much what I'd expect them to be. Wishing the Orthodox would stay out of this one is ridiculous, given the fact that the majority of people there ARE Orthodox, but...
The only reason I know much of anything about this situation is from reading up on information regarding Fr. Walker's alignments and such.
Here's the thing...Bishop Filaret (according to whomever put together http://www.samford.edu/groups/global/ewcmreport/articles/ew05306.htm) and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate (UOC-KP) (and with whom Fr. Walker aligns) are very much a Ukrainian Nationalist group. I can't and don't want to judge regarding their authenticity, etc., but that's what appears to be their main reason for breaking away...that the "official" Ukrainian Orthodox Church is still a part of the Moscow patriarchate and therefore, in a lot of ways, still aligned with Russia itself (politically, as well). The thing is is that Bishop Filaret himself is fairly suspect, as are the methods employed by the UOC-KP.
On the other hand, the likely now-former (as of yesterday) Russian-backed Ukrainian government and affiliated oligarchy are hard for me (or most in the West, it seems) to see as a good thing and supportable. Yet that's who (according to the article you posted) the canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine appears to be supporting, which honestly is hard for me to get.
Really, the whole thing blows my mind. Honestly, I think it's a huge mess and probably nobody's doing themselves well in the situation. It's hard to say which Orthodox church Yuschenko himself really is a part of (he and his wife spent sometime in Chicago so perhaps some people there would know better).
This article, toward the end, gets into the religious situation a bit, as well.
My own thought on the situation (for whatever that's worth):
The Russian Orthodox Church has a bit of a history being slow to recognize the need for autonomy in other nations. One of the (few, probably) good things to come of the 1917 Revolution and subsequent Soviet regime is that the Russian Orthodox Church in the U.S. was forced into autonomy, thus bringing about the "Orthodox Church in America," which, while still definitely celebrating its Russian ties, enjoys the elements of autonomy. However, the Russian Orthodox Church, now that Russia is no longer Soviet, was really pushing for a "reunion" of sorts. Luckily everything's fairly ironed out now. However, I really think that when 90% of Ukrainians, most of them no doubt being Orthodox, voted for Ukrainian political independence, steps should have started being made to work toward Ukrainian Orthodox autonomy while retaining a link, communion, etc. with the Russian church. They really could have headed off a lot of problems that way. But, then, that's only MY opinion. There are good reasons for them doing things the way the have, too, no doubt. However, while I really can't fully endorse or align with the breakaway Ukrainian Orthodox, I definitely understand and agree with the nationalist sentiment...maybe that's just the American in me, though, hehe.
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Thanks for that card, by the way...tell Cecilia that we absolutely LOVE her illustration...we laughed quite a bit about that. Conciliar Press sent us the first issue of Again today, as well...thank you! I've looked at old issues quite a bit that are just sort of sitting around at church. We order stuff from Conciliar Press now and then for the bookstore.
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If you do decide to use soulseek, my username is "familiarvagrant." With having just gotten the new hard drive for my computer, I'm pretty deficient on files right now but could share some good stuff with you. I'm going to send some via mail, actually, once I get back what I had before.
That's about it for now. Let me know how your dad and Peter are doing, if you get the chance...I hope and pray both are continuing to regain health.
Lots to write but I'm exhausted. Then again, who am I to talk? I mean, you and B. are very tired because of kids' sicknesses. I am because I'm, well, not terribly responsible as far as getting to bed at decent times. I was up before 8 yesterday (and that because I forced myself to "sleep in") and up til 3 last night...then up around 8:30 this morning. Stacey crashed a long time ago...I don't even know when, around 6:30 or something she just fell asleep while we were watching a movie on the couch and has been asleep since.
The movie we stayed up to watch last night after midnight mass is a pretty good one...The Shop Around The Corner (stars Jimmy Stewart). Lately I've really taken to getting into watching old movies. Forced relaxation, partly, but also because thematically they're much more interesting than most of what's readily available these days. Then again, these are the classics that I check out, mostly, so I don't know that they're representational of the general direction of films in their respective time periods. Anyway, I'm tired and my mind isn't sharp at all, it's wandering and I can't focus.
I also blame the sugar. Too much of it, that is. That and too much caffeine.
Anyway, main reason I wrote is to let you know I'm praying for both your dad and Peter...glad to hear they're at least both on the upswing.
I sent a package earlier this past week...it was supposed to be 2-day mail and get to you on um, Friday...hopefully you all got it.
As far as Simpsons episodes go...I see them around a bit on Soulseek. It's a file sharing program that I've found works better than most stuff I've tried. You can get it at www.slsknet.org.
No worries...I think of it this way. The plan is/was to send some stuff for the kids (including some late stuff! That's the stuff I won't bother to wrap, haha!) and I plan to send some stuff for you that's burnt on disc. So while we're certainly not trying to institute a "gifts for everyone in the family" mentality, I don't know, I just figure it keeps everything balanced. I also know that it's just, I don't know...in appreciation, if that makes sense. Like, we appreciate everything she is to you and the kids and it's appropriate, this time around, anyway, to drop her a little something since everyone else gets "stuff." Next year we'll stick to the just the kids, hehe, especially since one more is on the way there plus I'll have a nephew almost a year old by then, as well (he's coming in February, they say).
The one thing is that my computer is currently not experiencing the joy of the season. In fact, it's infected and I may have to reinstall everything. If THAT is the case and I can't salvage any of the music files, we'll just send the package off without those and I'll send those your way later on.
Yesterday I was out driving in the late morning, something I rarely do due to work schedule (I went out and picked up coffee people wanted, the boss sprang for some bagels). I heard on the local NPR station a show called Studio 360 and Randall Balmer was on there talking about evangelicals and culture. I find it funny that he, as a former evangelical, is the one they'd go to, but his authorship and professorship at Columbia help things along, I'm sure. I only listened to a little bit of it but here it is: http://www.wnyc.org/studio360/archive.html (show #550)
I read an interesting couple of lives of saints (commemorated tomorrow, actually). Here's the text:
St. Flannan of Killaloe, Bishop---------------------------------------------------------------7th century. Legend says that Prince Flannan of Thomond was the discipleand successor to Saint Molua (f.d. August 4), founder of Killaloemonastery. He had been born in the fortress castle on Craig Liath nearKillaloe. His father, King Turlough, sent him to the monks of Saint Luafor his education for the Church. Eventually, he became its abbot. Hislate "vita" relates that Flannan made a pilgrimage to Rome against theadvice of his friends and family. According to Irish hagiographicalfashion, he is said to have been carried on a floating stone to Italy,where he was consecrated as the first bishop of Killaloe by Pope JohnIV.Like so many Irish monks before him, Flannan was a missionary who rovedthe countryside preaching the Good News. He founded churches at LoughCorrib and at Inishbofin, and spent time on the Isle of Man. Flannanlaboured in the Hebrides and gave his name to the Flannan Isles (theSeven Hunters), west of Lewis and Harris in Scotland, where the ruins ofFlannan's chapel may be found today. In spite of all his toil, hemanaged to recite the entire Psalter daily--often while immersed in icywater. Several great miracles are attributed to Saint Flannan.Although one source says that, inspired by his son, King Turlough becamea Christian late in life, he is believed to have started the customamong Irish princes of retiring to a monastery near life's end to dopenance. He was a monk under the austere rule of Saint Colman atLismore. Three of his sons having been killed, Turlough asked Colman fora special blessing on his family. At his death Flannan buried him in thechurch at Killaloe, which became the principal church of Brian Boru'skingdom.Flannan was afraid that the chieftainship would fall to him (althoughColman had predicted that seven kings would spring from Turlough'sloins--all named Brian). Saint Flannan thereupon decided to pray for adeformity that would make him ineligiblefor the role, according to Irish law. His biographer relates thatimmediately "scars and rashes and boils began to appear on his face sothat it became most dreadful and repulsive."About 1180, King Brian Boru's descendent, Donal O'Brien, built a newcathedral dedicated to Saint Flannan. The church was incorporated into anew one in the 13th century, restored in 1887, and is now a Protestantchurch. "Luxuriant with ivy, Gothic in style, with a massive bell towerrising from the centre of the building, its elaborate, richly carvedRomanesque doorway, dated about 1180, is one of the masterpieces ofpre-Norman Irish architecture. Built into the stone wall surroundingthe cathedral grounds is another antiquity, a fragment of a bilingualstone cross inscribed with runes and oghams from about the year 1000"[D'Arcy, pp. 61-62].Saint Flannan is the patron of Killaloe diocese where his relicsformerly rested in the cathedral next to his stone oratory. His feast iskept throughout Ireland, and he also has a cultus in Scotland on thesame day (Attwater 2, Benedictines, Coulson,D'Arcy, Farmer, Kenney, Leask, Montague, Moran, Walsh).St. Mawnan (Maunanus) of Cornwall---------------------------------------------------------------Date unknown; another feast is shown on December 26 in Ireland. There isa town in Cornwall named Mawnan. One source also identifies him withMagnenn of Kilmainham, an Irish roving bishop who had a pet ram, wasgiven to cursing his enemies, and favoured unusual austerities. Mawnanonce asked counsel from Saint Maelruain (f.d. July 7), who roundlyrefused to administer absolution to a man who did not work for his dailybread, but instead lived on alms. A prophecy is attributed to Mawnan:"A time shall come when girls shall be pert and tart of tongue; whenthere will be grumbling and discontent among the lower classes and lackof reverence to elders; when churches will be slackly attended and womenshall exercise wiles."His life has similarities with the "fools for Christ" of Greece andRussia. The exact identity of Mawnan is uncertain; he may be this saintor simply a local founder of whom nothing is known (Farmer).
(1) I've not seen that film but it looks really interesting. With a title like "With God On Our Side" for a film showing the power of Bush's Christianity and such...hmm, I just don't know. It's something a few people in our church would get really excited about, I'm sure, though it's probably something that would just work my patience. It's funny how people who are Orthodox or RC will get really excited and adamant about Bush's Christianity one minute and seem to forget that he's right in the same exact line of people they otherwise can be pretty vocal about in a less than positive way. Not that I'm without my own contradictions and inconsistencies, I think we all have them, but it's very interesting to observe.
(2) Your St. Nicholas Day celebrations sound absolutely fantastic and so much fun! Stacey and I and another lady commandeered an "intergenerational" Sunday School (adults and kids both) this past Sunday and during coffee hour St. Nicholas came and brought gold (chocolate) coins to the children.
(3) That guy from Indy does sound pretty cool. Yeah, Fr. Don Hock is a well-respected priest and someone I think pretty highly of. The Russian girl I dated attended/attends (not sure where she is now) St. Mary's, which is on what used to be the northwest side of Omaha (but with all the expansion here, isn't so much anymore), so I have been to a fair number of masses and vespers over there. I also went with her a few times to a college ministry thing they have so I've talked with him now and then. His wife is actually the "Marriage and Family" Director for the whole Antiochian North American Archdiocese, as I understand it. I'm not sure how recently they came to Omaha, my understanding is that he's officiated over at St. Mary's for a number of years. I see him now and then at various things so I'll try and mention to him the interesting connection. That's really interesting you got to talk to him about the liturgies and such...I've been to enough services over there that I at least have a familiarity and grasp of how the Byzantine Rite liturgies go. A lot of people get caught up in trying to promote one liturgy type over the other but really, I love them both, feel at home in both, and while the Western Rite liturgy is much more familiar to me now, I don't feel as if it's what I'm most connected to overall. There's sometimes a bit of a slant against Western Rite folks, and while often people use uneducated or unfair reasonings to justify it, the truth of the matter is that some WR folks are pretty adamant on their own style more because that's what they brought with them from RC or Anglican/Ep backgrounds than anything else and are sometimes hesitant or even balk at other elements of Orthodoxy that are anything but marginalized in the Byzantine style experience. On the other hand, the people who say that the Western Rite "isn't really Orthodox" are often purposefully ignorant of its roots and have issues themselves. Not sure how I got on that tangent, but whatever. I love both liturgies and cultures. The advantage of the Western Rite, I'd say, is that people who may be somewhat or very familiar with the Mass of St. Gregory or the Book of Common Prayer will understand pretty well what's going on. Some people assert that the Byzantine Rite (Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom being the main one there) is more focused on the mystic aspects but really, so much of that is in how one approaches the experiences...the liturgies themselves ALL very much lend themselves to that.
(4) Advent also gets a bit into the differences between Western and Byzantine Rite. The Byzantine Rite Advent starts a bit earlier, I think goes for 40 days. Western Rite observes an Advent Season along the same dates as RC or Anglican. In addition, our Advent (and even Lent) aren't quite as strict. One issue that's coming up this year with our new priest is that while Advent is based around repentence and "the Coming of the Lord," it IS also a time of joy and celebrating the Nativity. Some Orthodox tend to be pretty harsh regarding the celebration and joy aspect. I definitely understand why that is and agree with a lot of it, but sometimes the carryover is a bit (IMO) excessive and stark...for example, putting ONLY icons of martyrs on a Christmas tree is a neat idea, but perhaps a bit much when those who do it are overbearing about it. One of our parishioners was telling me about a parish where that happened. I think that the key, really, like in so many things, is balance. Not that I'm an expert or anything, hehe. But anyway, yes, same Advent schedule as yours (though Pascha is quite different and I think a month apart this upcoming season).
(5) One thing I should mention since we're talking about my parish so much and our new priest. We really really like him and his wife and more importantly, they're doing a great job. Fr. Stephen is still around now and then but is very careful to not have too much of a presence, for obvious reasons. I miss him a lot and it's good to see him when he's around. One of the big things is that Fr. Stephen was really intent on being a Western Rite parish and being Orthodox, but at the same time he came to all that officially only about 13 years ago, when he was already almost 60 and had been for years in the Anglican and Lutheran churches. As a result, there were a lot of things that were more or less just his habit and custom and way of doing things. Those things weren't by any means harmful or bad and most of the time were really great aspects of his being priest. Fr. Theodore, however, comes having just been ordained as priest and having spent years at a parish that is more Western Rite "by the book," so to speak. For example, certain aspects of the Divine Liturgy or Office are now being approached from the standpoint of doing them more uniformly...not even for the sake of homogenity so much as wanting everyone at our parish to be on the same page...because a lot of people were doing things they learned various ways at various places, and especially when visitors would come for the mass, they'd be lost because so much of it is sung and there's no way to follow along with the music of it. For example, during Advent now we're using the Missa Marialis setting/mode for the mass. It's been a bit difficult to learn but really quite beautiful.
Anyway, I should really end this so I can do some work.
Jeff: I hope to respond to your last post sometime this weekend but thought I'd alert you to a couple things.
First, Bob Dylan is going to be on 60 minutes this coming Sunday night.
Second, there's some other stuff (in addition to that) you may be interested in reading that i linked on the front page of the vagrant cafe. I was going to ask you about David Spottswood and see if you've heard his radio show at all...looks pretty good.
