Devshirme

I have never, in my 30 years of following sports thoroughly and knowledgeably, seen such hate from the sports media and others directed at a player as is directed at Tim Tebow.  I should qualify this by saying directed at a regular player who has not gotten into trouble – this is not a case of someone who has committed a career-ending error or some heinous crime.  Yet Tebow seems to get people’s gizzards.  My specific reference points are things like the Sports Hub 98.5 FM where Felger and Mazz, among others, trash Tebow regularly, and websites like Deadspin and KSK, which I read regularly.  Callers to the radio shows seem to really dislike him as well.  Why is he so polarizing?

Tebow is a committed Christian who speaks about his faith often and truly lives it.  He is also a successful athlete competing in the NFL in an unconventional way.  Read the wiki article to get an idea on his background and activities.  The trashing of Tebow usually harps on two things:

-His arm.  The criticism is he cannot throw at a pro level, and this may well be legit.  The Broncos have committed to an option offense and he is running it with success, although most games have him struggling and then pulling off a win in the 4th quarter.  Again, this is a decent and fair criticism and may well play out.  For now, the team is winning and his teammates have his back.

-His faith.  Tebow gets hammered on being a Christian in a way I never saw Kurt Warner of Hakeem Olajuwon get attacked for their strong Christian and Islamic faith.  The guys on the local sports shows are ridiculous.  They will side with him, when a caller says he is a fraud, by pointing out, truthfully, that he is not a hypocrite and backs up his beliefs with action, but they then say he is “insufferable” and “hammers us over the head” with his faith.  Does he?  He is not grabbing the mic from a reporter and with wild eyes shouting about Christianity; he talks about it as part of his normal life, answers questions about it, etc.  That is all.  We have become such an effete society that we fear talking about things on a normal level.  If religion is important to someone why can’t he mention it, among other things, in an interview?  This is not the same as trying to forcibly convert someone.

I find myself here in the interesting position of defending an evangelical Christian when, in my experience, most evangelicals don’t even consider Orthodox people to be Christians.  I have no idea what, if anything, Tebow thinks on this issue – I have certainly seen nothing that tells me he looks down on Orthodox or Catholics.

Tebow seems like a good guy who is enjoying success in the NFL.  Who knows how long this will last, but for now let’s enjoy the competitive games and his spirit.

The “40 Days Of Blogging” project is a spiritual exercise, so it may seem strange that I am writing about my garden.  But food, and its cultivation, is a spiritual thing for a Christian.  If you are taking communion and ingesting the body and blood of Christ, then it makes sense that whatever else you put down your gullet should be as clean as possible.  Gardening, with the expected end product of healthy and healthful organic food is naturally related to this.  I normally do an end-of-the-garden report sometime at the end of September or beginning of October but that didn’t happen this year due to slacking off on my part.  But another reason is that the garden is still going on.

I miss my time each morning in the garden when the season is done.  I try to fill the void by homebrewing, growing mushrooms, etc. but it is very different than the normal warm weather routine.  But as I mentioned above, the garden is still a growing concern, although to a much lesser extent.  I decided to try to extend the growing season for a few crops by using cloches.  These plastic bells are basically mini-greenhouses, and allow the growing season to continue as long as there is sunshine.  I purchased three cloches and used them for the following crops – my parsley and oregano pots, which were transferred to the garden proper, and, on a whim, a random tomato plant that sprouted in the compost heap.  The tomato plant didn’t survive the early snowstorm, but the herbs are doing great – the oregano is particularly thriving.  These are minor things but it is nice to keep gardening at this late date.

I was driving through Lincoln Square today when I saw a crew representing Occupy Worcester.  There were about 5-7 people on the sidewalk near the WWI monument.  One of the demonstrators carried a large red flag with the famous image of revolutionary icon Che Guevara.  I normally do not engage people in political talk, but when I saw Che’s face I had to say something.  Fortunately, due to late afternoon Worcester traffic, I was able to idle for a minute and chat with the gentleman bearing the Che flag.  I rolled down the window and he came over.  I had to ask – why do you have Che on your flag?  He answered that he was for “the people” and his philosophy was in line with the Occupy Worcester people.  I told him the reason I asked, and I disagree but respect his politics on this, is that Che, for all his revolutionary fervor, was a brutal mass murderer.  I did not get into whether Che’s actions were beneficial for those on whose behalf he advocated.  At this point the light changed and I had to drive; I wanted to continue the chat so I said I would park and come back.  I found a legal space several blocks away and did my usual  quick-walk back to the encampment.  The small group gathered around me as my new friend and I continued our conversation.

I am not sure if this group is representative of the whole Occupy movement, but our discussion, which was calm and cordial, was distressing.  I said that Che committed violence not just in the theater of warfare but for political means, including the lining up of political enemies and their summary execution (he also executed priests!).  This pretty much amounts to killing those with whom you disagree.  The occupy group made the argument that the “kleptocracy” (to use their term)  keep people from having health care or homes, and they are really killers in their own right and may well deserve death.  This is scary stuff.  I asked them if they thought violence was justified in their struggle and they said it may well be necessary and that the incidents of violence at other Occupy events throughout the country were “caused by the cops”.  I tried to point out that killing those with whom you merely disagreed on political matters, no matter how serious, was just plain wrong, but they resisted this line of argument.  After saying that, as a clergyman with a flock entrusted to my care I am a (minor) authority figure, I asked them if I may be a target.  They said that if it came to that I may well be.

Things ended cordially – I had to go visit someone in the hospital and left.  I may well return to engage them in more conversation on the Che matter.  I did ask them if they would carry banners with Stalin, Mussolini or other such figures, all of whom were for “the people” but did many unsavory things.  For articles on Che as a mass murder check out Jay Nordlinger’s writings here, and for the same from a left-wing perspective check out this from the New Republic.

Below is the November message from His Eminence.  I absolutely cannot believe Thanksgiving is less than a week and a half away!

November 2, 2011

To the Reverend Clergy and

Devout Faithful in the Metropolis of Boston,

Beloved in the Lord,

As we prepare to celebrate the great American holiday of Thanksgiving, let us thank Almighty God for the many blessings that He has bestowed upon us.  Indeed we are truly blessed! This year, as we “gather together to ask the Lord’s blessings,” let us be especially mindful of our brethren throughout America- those who have lost their homes and those who, together with their children, go to bed each night with little or nothing to eat.

I thank our Parishes and Philoptochos Societies for all you do to help alleviate the pain and misfortune of our suffering brethren.  I call upon you to enhance your efforts this winter by participating in local food bank programs, by supporting homeless shelters in your towns or cities, by collecting winter clothing for the needy, etc.

The entire Parish should open its embrace to our needy brethren. Everyone, including our GOYAns and Sunday school children, should be encouraged to volunteer their time in order to get a personal glimpse into the suffering in our midst.  I submit to you that it is not enough to make a monetary donation to a particular organization.  We need to experience first hand the tragedy faced by our fellow human beings.

Let us be mindful of our Savior’s words, “Come you blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me.”  Matthew 25, 34-36.

Praying that God bless you and your families during the Thanksgiving holiday, I remain

With Archpastoral love,

M E T H O D I O S

Metropolitan of Boston

Here are remarks from His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios from today’s Metropolis of Boston Clergy Laity conference.  He delivered the address after the opening hymn and prayer.

Clergy – Laity Conference

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Welcome & Keynote Address

His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios

In a recent Archpastoral reflection, I shared a story told about a number of frogs which were placed by scientists in a tub of water whose temperature was exactly the same as the pond from which they were taken.  The scientists slowly increased the temperature and were soon astonished to see that, even though the water gradually became warmer, the frogs did not react.  It was only when the temperatures were increased to a boiling point that the frogs reacted. It was too late.  Before they knew it, they burned to death.  Had they realized the slow increase in the water temperature, they would have reacted and thus spared their lives.  The frogs grew accustomed to the slow rise in temperature and adapted.  The change in water temperature occurred slowly but deliberately, and because of this process, the frogs failed to pay attention.

The theme of today’s conference is, “The Ministries of the Church: Archdiocese, Metropolis and Parish.”  We gather in order to discuss the ways in which we can effectively minister to the spiritual needs of the faithful entrusted to our care in the 62 Parishes throughout New England.  I submit to you that the story I just read is important, because we need to constantly adapt to new realities which we face as an Archdiocese, as a Metropolis and as communities.  I submit that we need to keep abreast with an ever changing reality in our communities which affects attendance in our liturgical services, participation in parish programs and even interest in Orthodoxy itself.  If we do not address these issues, I’m afraid we will share the same fate of those frogs.

Our parishioners are fully integrated into the religious and societal landscape of America and as a result, they live their Orthodox Faith quite differently than did our parents and grandparents. More and more differentiate their religious and moral beliefs from the teachings of the Church.   This is the result of their interactions with people of different religions, race, culture and ethnicity.  People today fashion their own beliefs, integrating Orthodox and non-orthodox elements.  Without realizing it, they become, “cafeteria Christians.”  Just as they do not partake of every food item on a cafeteria line, but only those foods which they like, in the same way they feel they can pick and choose from what Orthodoxy has to offer. As Orthodox Christians we run the risk of falling into and being totally consumed in the cultural melting pot of America, thus losing our Greek Orthodox Christian identity.

The changes in the moral standards in our society have occurred so slowly that they have become imperceptible.  Just as those poor frogs, we have become so accustomed to the slow deterioration of moral life in society, that we have adapted to the moral decay in our midst and taken it for granted.  We live in a world of moral and ethical relativism, hedonism and selfishness.       We live in a world in desperate need of spiritual renewal.  Sunday is no longer the day that we worship Almighty God and then sit as a family at our dinner table to enjoy fellowship.  Rarely do we pray or read the Bible, regrettably even those of us who serve on parish councils and other leadership roles in our parishes. Prayers are no longer offered in our Public schools. The Ten Commandments have long been removed from our civil courts. Lifestyles previously kept in the closet — where they belong — are now championed as reputable and worthy of emulation.

The other day while driving to a liturgical service, a fellow priest pointed to a decal placed prominently on the bumper of the car in front of us.  It was the symbol of a new atheist group in America.  Fr. Chris Moody, who recently returned from Afghanistan where he served as a chaplain, informed me that atheists in the Armed Forces are requesting chaplains to be appointed for the growing number of soldiers who are atheists!  Unquestionably, the world around us has changed and the Church has to adapt itself to this new reality — not by changing its Theology. Not by ignoring its long Patristic Tradition. Not by abandoning its moral and ethical principles, but by helping today’s Christians to embrace Holy Tradition because it meaningfully interprets their lives in the modern world.

The National Ministries of our Archdiocese are focused on addressing these realities and providing our parishes — especially our priests and lay leaders — with ministerial tools to effectively serve the needs of our people.  We have invited some of the departmental heads of the various national and Metropolis ministries to share with you the tools the Church provides our parishes.

Thanks to the faithful and generous stewardship of our communities, the Archdiocese has been able to develop innovative programs to address the needs of our parishes. I am sure you will be impressed with the quality of the materials that are continually produced and distributed to our communities by mail and through the internet.

These materials — whether produced by the Religious Education Department, the Department of Family Ministries, the Internet Ministries, in fact all the Departments of the Archdiocese — are aimed at educating us concerning the tenets of our Faith (about Holy Tradition and the Bible, the teachings of the Fathers of our Faith) and how these teachings address the needs of the Faithful, most importantly of our children.  You’re going to hear about our Philoxenia House Ministry, our summer and winter Camp programs and the meaningful experiences shared by the children at our Faith and Heritage Center.

You will receive financial reports from the Metropolis and Archdiocese, detailing how monies generously contributed to the various programs are invested.

Prayerfully, at the end of our conference and after being informed of the scope of the Archdiocese and Metropolis ministries, you will return to your communities able to answer the question often asked, “what does the Archdiocese do with the assessment contribution of our parish?”

You will be able to advise our faithful parishioners throughout New England not to permit themselves to fall victims to the negativism promulgated by certain individuals.

I end by taking the opportunity to thank you, our dedicated priests and lay leaders, for all you do in your communities.

I want you to know that I sincerely appreciate your dedication and faith commitment.

I am proud of the many accomplishments of our communities that I see firsthand as I travel throughout New England. Keep up the good work.

Enjoy today’s conference!

The story is told about a number of frogs which were placed by scientists in a tub of water whose temperature was exactly the same as the pond from which they were taken. The scientists slowly increased the temperature and were soon astonished to see that, even though the water gradually became warmer, the frogs did not react. It was only when the temperatures were increased to a boiling point that the frogs reacted. It was too late. Before they knew it, they burned to death. Had they realized the slow increase in the water temperature, they would have reacted and thus spared their lives. The frogs grew accustomed to the slow rise in temperature and adapted. The change in water temperature occurred slowly but deliberately, and because of this process, the frogs failed to pay attention.

For us Orthodox Christians, the changes in the moral standards in our society have occurred so slowly that they have become imperceptible. We have adapted to the slow deterioration of moral life in society to the point where we have adapted to the moral decay in our midst and have taken it for granted. Sadly we live in a world of moral and ethical relativism, hedonism and selfishness; in a world in desperate need of spiritual renewal. Sunday is no longer the day that we worship Almighty God and then sit at our dinner table to enjoy fellowship. Rarely do we read the Bible. Prayers are no longer offered in our schools. The Ten Commandments have been removed from our civil courts. Lifestyles previously kept in the closet are now championed as reputable and worthy of emulation. The other day while driving to a liturgical service, a fellow priest pointed to a decal placed prominently on the bumper of the car in front of us. It was the symbol of a new atheist group in America.

The admonition of Saint Paul addressed to the Ephesians should echo in our hearts, “no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.” (Eph.4:17) We need to re evaluate our lives and ask ourselves how the way we live differs from the way others live who have no faith. Do we differ as Orthodox Christians from our secular and oftentimes atheist neighbors? How do we live our Orthodox Faith?

I am concerned that we have become so accustomed to sin and immoral behavior, that we do not notice it. We must not accept the prevailing permissive immoral and unethical standards of modern day society which are clearly at odds with the tenets of Holy Scripture and the teachings of the Fathers of the Church.

Remember the frogs in the experiment, and be wary of their mistake of growing accustomed to an environment which eventually caused their demise.

+ Metropolitan Methodios of Boston
October 2011

It is that time of the year – registration for Greek School at the Cathedral today and tomorrow, with the traditional Sept. 14  agiasmo service kicking off the year and classes starting the next day.  Greek School can be tough for parents – everyone’s schools seemingly get out at different times, some parents live several towns aways, etc.  But I think it is well worth sending our children to the Cathedral’s Greek Afternoon School.  Here are a few reasons:

-First of all, it is a good thing to learn a foreign language.  Americans are not great at this, but I think a big reason is that each state speaks the same language (think Europe, where most neighboring states speak different languages and people tend to know more than one).  Greek is a heritage language for many of us at the Cathedral, but learning modern Greek opens the door to learning one of the great classical languages.  I can tell you that I did very well on my verbal SATs partly because if I didn’t know a word I could figure it out from Greek roots.

-Our school is accredited, and the teachers are certified in teaching Greek.  Our students can receive credit in school for these classes.  I should also mention that our teachers are awesome – tireless, dedicated, super-smart and able to make every day fresh and interesting.  Unlike my Greek School experience many years ago, our students are tracked – those who speak Greek at home go on one path, and those who don’t are put on another so they learn at the appropriate pace.

-Greek School at the Cathedral is more than just language.  The students learn religion, history and cultural stuff like dances and poems.  It is a great supplement to Sunday School and other ministries – time spent with fellow students in Greek School means more time at the church and more time with their church friends.

-The various performances during the year get the students comfortable with public speaking in high-pressure situations.  I know that memorizing and reciting poems as a little kid helped prepare me for what I do now; I am very comfortable speaking in public, and I am sure that those early performances (which I dreaded back in the day) were part of it.

I could go on with reasons.  Greek School is worth the driving and time commitment – we are blessed to have such a program.

September 1, 2011

To the Rev. Clergy and Faithful in the Metropolis of Boston

My Brothers and Sisters in the Household of God,

I am saddened to announce that Sophia Nibi has decided to retire on September 1^st.

Back in April 1984 – just a few days after I assumed responsibilities as Bishop in Boston, Fr. Dean Paleologos suggested I meet Sophia whom he recommended to become the secretary of the Diocese. When Sophia asked me what she would be responsible for, I responded EVERYTHING. Indeed, Sophia has been more than a secretary. She has literally administered the Diocese (now Metropolis) for more than 27 years, working tirelessly 24 hours per day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Earlier this year, Sophia was blessed with a granddaughter when her daughter, Theresa, adopted a delightful one year old little girl. Sophia wants to spend more time with her family, enjoy her granddaughter, and pursue her hobbies of reading and writing. She will remain an active part of our Metropolis family, and be involved in our Philoxenia House ministry and our St. Methodios Faith & Heritage Center and its programs.

As we begin the new Ecclesiastical year, I pray God bless Sophia and her family with every heavenly gift.

With Episcopal love,

M E T H O D I O S

Metropolitan of Boston

His Eminence has asked us to distribute the letter below concerning IOCC and the situation in Somalia.

August 2, 2011

To the Rev. Clergy and Faithful in the Metropolis

Dearly Beloved Brethren,

Reading this morning’s N.Y. Times, I was greatly saddened to see a picture of a starving young child in Somalia. Over 500,000 children are at the risk of starvation. This is one of Africa’s worst humanitarian disasters in decades. Millions will die by the end of this year. The magnitude of suffering cannot be imagined.

Whether in Somalia or Haiti or other parts of the world, it is incumbent upon all of us Orthodox Christians to respond to the best of our abilities. We cannot ignore what is happening throughout the world – not to say in our very own cities and towns in America.

Please send whatever financial assistance you can to the IOCC – International Orthodox Christian Charities. You can be sure that your donation will reach the starving children of Somalia. Each child is the icon of Christ placed in our world to remind us that, “if you did it to one of these the least of my children you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:41)

With Episcopal love,

M E T H O D I O S

Metropolitan of Boston

Is the summer meant to be a time of vacation from church?  It is a natural question to ask, since many people are, in fact, away, and church attendance is definitely way down during these hot summer months.  Most priests would answer “of course it is not!” and yes, I do not think that summer should be vacation from church.  But there is, as always, more to the story…

It is not just people who are away who are not coming to church.  Many take the summer off, for various reasons.  And this is to some extent understandable.  This may sound weird, but going to church at St. Spyridon can be very hard work, especially if you have children.  The church is crowded, everyone is talking to everyone after church, and a typical Sunday, even in the summer, often has lots of stuff happening.  Going to church can be stressful.  It is natural for people to seek a break from this.  The Cathedral also inadvertently encourages the vacation mentality.  Ministries like GOYA and Philoptochos largely go on hiatus during the summer months because they are so active that indeed a break is needed.  We also all sort of take for granted that “it is summer, everyone is away, etc.”, and don’t really blink an eye that attendance is down.

The flip side of this is that church is great during the summer.  It is more relaxed, and there is more of an opportunity, I think, to have a fulfilling spiritual experience than a typical raucous fall or spring Sunday at the Cathedral.  The weather is nice, so everyone is happy, and there are many cool saints and events celebrated – the blessing of the grapes on August 6, the saints we celebrated last week, the feast of the dormition which is many people’s favorite, and so forth.  Also, going to church is part of our normal life as Orthodox Christians.  Sunday liturgy is foundational to our lives, and to take off for 3 months is to equate church with school and work and other things that are not, perhaps, our favorite things.  Do we want to send the message that church is just something we do when we have to?  Will our children come to church when they are older if they see it is not a huge priority?

So, where to go from here?  If you generally skip church in the summer, try to come.  I always advise people who don’t go to church but want to to start coming once a month, invite family and friends, and make it a fun day with brunch after service.  If you normally come faithfully but take the summer off you can make it more than just once a month – I think you will find yourself pleasantly surprised at the service.  If you are away, seek out a local Orthodox church.  It is fun to go to a new place where you don’t know anyone and meet the locals.  Most places in the US will have a church nearby, and if you are in Greece, well, there you go.  Tomorrow is August 1, and we begin our services leading up to August 15.  A month after that is when things “start up again” at the church, with the feast of the Holy Cross.  Get a head start on coming back from vacation – start now!