It's just like that out here at night

I just couldn't help but take a picture of the starry winter night's sky from my backyard, now that the moon has set. This is one of the two best things about living in the country. (The other is no traffic.)

Confirmation Sunday

This morning we had a baptism and two confirmations at Trinity Church in Dublin. Here I am with our bishop and new members Zack and Sarah Robinson.



We also had three confirmations at St Matthew's Church in Comanche. Here is our bishop with new members Dawson Hicks, Dominick Porco, and Melinda Megna. Thank you to Dawson for the picture. We were able to use his phone when the batteries on my camera ran out.

Snowing again

The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ

Christmas in Comanche

Come, thou long expected Jesus

Not just dreaming of a white Christmas

Kissers and Smashers

Here's a nice little article on iconoclasm from Christian History. I just have one question: If you are not a smasher, why aren't you a kisser?

For many in the West today, Orthodox devotion to icons seems odd, especially the practice of kissing them. And when we learn that for a hundred-plus years in the early Middle Ages arguments raged over pictures of Jesus, causing one of the greatest political, cultural and religious upheavals in Christian History—well, we just don't understand it. What is it about icons that created such a stir, and what do they represent to the Orthodox?

Read the rest here.

Is it worth the cost?

I captured this image at 1:30pm this afternoon. Check USDebtClock.org to see what it is now. Let us all consider whether we want to see this trend continue.

Grace and Hope in Christ

On this feast of the Conception of Our Lady, perhaps the Anglican-Roman Catholic Agreed Statement "Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ" merits some special attention, particularly the following paragraph:

59. Roman Catholics are also bound to believe that "the most blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and in view of the merits of Christ Jesus the Saviour of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin" (Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, defined by Pope Pius IX, 1854). The definition teaches that Mary, like all other human beings, has need of Christ as her Saviour and Redeemer (cf. Lumen Gentium 53; Catechism of the Catholic Church 491). The negative notion of ‘sinlessness' runs the risk of obscuring the fullness of Christ's saving work. It is not so much that Mary lacks something which other human beings ‘have', namely sin, but that the glorious grace of God filled her life from the beginning. The holiness which is our end in Christ (cf. 1 John 3:2-3) was seen, by unmerited grace, in Mary, who is the prototype of the hope of grace for humankind as a whole. According to the New Testament, being ‘graced' has the connotation of being freed from sin through Christ's blood (Ephesians 1:6-7). The Scriptures point to the efficacy of Christ's atoning sacrifice even for those who preceded him in time (cf. 1 Peter 3:19, John 8:56, 1 Corinthians 10:4). Here again the eschatological perspective illuminates our understanding of Mary's person and calling. In view of her vocation to be the mother of the Holy One (Luke 1:35), we can affirm together that Christ's redeeming work reached ‘back' in Mary to the depths of her being, and to her earliest beginnings. This is not contrary to the teaching of Scripture, and can only be understood in the light of Scripture. Roman Catholics can recognize in this what is affirmed by the dogma - namely "preserved from all stain of original sin" and "from the first moment of her conception."

People look east?

On December 1st, the Feast of St Andrew the Apostle delegations from the Orthodox Church in America and the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth met at St Seraphim Cathedral in Dallas to begin local ecumenical discussions. It was wonderful to make new friends. I look forward to the continuing dialogue.

I also visited with the cathedral's iconographer. He came from Ukraine to paint the walls and ceiling of the new church--a process which took ten years.

A day at the Seattle Aquarium

St Mark's in Portland

This Sunday, we went to St Mark's Church in Portland, Oregon (APCK).

The parish left the Diocese of Oregon (TEC) back in the 1990s. It is a wonderful Anglican Missal/1928 Prayer Book catholic parish in the heart of Portland.

We attended the 10am High Mass (not actually a high Mass, but only lacking the solemn vestments for the deacon and subdeacon).

The church was beautiful, an exquisitly ornamented Roman basilica-style church, full of color and images. The incense was pleasant and the minor propers sung by male voices was superb. But what really blew me away was getting to sing the "Amen" at the end of the hymns.

The sanctuary is separated from the nave by a marble screen topped with statues, reminescent of old St Peter's in Rome.

The church is dark and colorful, seating about 150 if you include the side chapel aisles. There were probably about 80-90 people there.

One of the most wonderful things was that the percentage of children in the congregation was probably the highest I've ever encountered.

The people were very nice as was Father Lillegard, the Rector.

It was great to hear the zimbelstern on the organ. The side chapel of the blessed Mother was very tasteful. In all, a great worship experience; a jewel of the pacific northwest. I wish it were closer so that we could visit more often.

Photos from Grandma's house

The view out Grandma's (my mother's) front door.

Mount Si in Snoqualmie, Washington.

Grandma's house.

Momma's baking some bread from scratch.