the garrett blog

Number 4

I mentioned to the hairdresser tonight that I am pregnant with my fourth child. Her immediate response was "Why do you want to have four children?" What a strange question. 

I told her "God gives them and I love them, duh." (ok, I didn't know how to say "duh" in Azeri, but I wanted to.)

Any woman who has been blessed with a surprise pregnancy or any woman who has tried unsuccessfully to carry a baby to term realizes that we are not in charge of the miracle of life. It's simply not in our hands. 

A good friend of mine gave me an icon of the Theotokos and Jesus this week, and it has continually reminded me that the call of every mother is the same as that of the Theotokos. God gives and we say "yes." Every human is an icon of God, no less this tiny little icon in my womb. Yes, God, Thank You!!!

(The following excerpt is taken from http://www.roca.org/OA/155-156/155h.htm)

"We must be careful, however, not to over-emphasize this whole business of having children, having a certain number, etc. Saint John Chrysostom says, "Giving birth to children is a matter of nature. Far more important is the parents' task of educating their children's hearts in virtue and piety." Indeed, this puts the emphasis back where it belongs, rather than on negative things about birth control and family size. For what the Church wants us to understand and remember is that the children we bring into the world do not belong to us; they belong to God. We did not give them life; rather, God, using us as His instruments, called them into existence. In a certain way, we parents are really only babysitters for God's children. And so our greatest responsibility as parents is to bring up our children "in the Lord," so that they come to know, love, and serve their Heavenly Father."

Nervous Anticipation

I'm nervous. Not "filled with anxiety" nervous... just nervous anticipation over the future. I'm okay with not knowing where we will be living next year or what we'll be doing. I know that we'll be okay. But I know in the next few weeks we'll have to make some decisions about our future... hopefully, some decisions will be made for us.... but we're in a waiting period to hear about that. 

At the end of this month we'll be moving into a one-bedroom apartment back on campus. Last time I lived on campus, I had a two year old and a newborn, I wasn't working yet, and I was filled with loneliness and post-partum depression. This experience has seriously clouded my feelings toward moving back on campus. In reality, it will be a good experience for us. We'll have the opportunity to save a whole lot of cash, but beyond that, I'll actually be next door to a friend of mine who has a baby the same age as Turner, I'll be downstairs from another friend, and I'll have the opportunity to experience a little more simplicity in living and a more ascetic lifestyle. I do not say that tongue-in-cheek at all.  

A few nights ago I saw the cave where St. Antony the Great lived in Egypt.  He was a very rich man who passed by the temple one day and heard the words of the Gospel read:  "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven; and come, follow Me."

St. Antony took these words literally, sold everything, and wandered into the desert. He walked for three days until he came to a mountain with a source of water at the foot and a natural cave - really just a hole in the rock - up the mountain. He lived there and became one of the first ascetic monks to live completely cut off from civilization. A monastery was established at the foot of the mountain, and other monks would bring him one loaf of bread a week to live on. He lived the rest of his life that way, and died at 105 yrs old.

Please, please, do not think I am comparing moving my family into a small apartment to St. Antony's life in a desert cave of Egypt. Of course I'm not! But St. Antony and the other desert fathers have so much to teach me... and I do hope that one day I will learn a little more about living with less. Not one loaf of bread a week less, but less. Certainly his life can teach me about quieting my soul and waiting upon the Lord. My soul is a noisy chatterbox. I imagine it would be a noisy chatterbox even if I lived in a cave. But I don't live in a cave, do I? I live in my very real, very loud world. A world that pulls at me from all corners. A world of needy babies and kids, a world of "gimme gimme gimme, buy me, buy me, buy me," a world of teaching and grading papers and taking online classes. 

How do I quiet my soul and calm my nervousness in the real world? 

Altar in St Antony's Cave 
A simple altar in Saint Antony's Cave supports an icon of Antony, a wooden cross and a collection of offerings left by visitors.

Saint Athanasius, who knew Anthony and wrote his biography, said, "Anthony was not known for his writings nor for his worldly wisdom, nor for any art, but simply for his reverence toward God." 

Orthodoxy and Football

Orthodoxy and Football

Dear Team members,

Since we have just begun a new year, I thought that I would send you a note. Last year, we had some defeats and some victories, but all in all, I feel pretty good about it. However, there are some areas that have been brought to my attention that we need to discuss.

Practice

During the last season, some of you began to miss practice on a regular basis. I thought that perhaps there was some scheduling conflict, so I offered more practice opportunities hoping that this would help. Unfortunately, this didn't work. Attendance at practice has become so dismal that now there are only 3 or 4 who come faithfully. I admire them, because they practice hard, and it shows. However, I don't think that these faithful few can carry the whole team. I am told that attendance at practice is so low because you feel the practices are too long. Well out of an entire week, we only wanted 5 hours of your time. Then, it seems that practice conflicts with your other activities. Some of the team are now dating, or have joined clubs, or have family concerns, or need to relax and watch tv, have a new hobby, or whatever. Therefore, I am letting everyone know that they are no longer required to attend practice. I hope that this makes everyone feel a little better. Sadly, during the year, some promising new prospects dropped by. They heard that we were the team to beat and had the best record. Yet when they saw almost no one at practice, they soon became discouraged and left. My major concern is that the opposing team practices all the time. They are a tough squad and know how to play.

Playbook

I know that all of you have a playbook, but it seems to me that few of you are reading it. How do I know? Well, when you do come to practice, you seem a bit confused. You act as if you don't understand the plays or the signals. It seems that everytime we try to run a play, many of you are offside, or simply standing with a blank look on your face. Please read your playbook and study it. Some say that it is too hard to read, and that you don't have time. Are you sure you want to be on the team? How can we run a play successfully if we don't all think alike and understand the calls? Our opposition studies hard, and they know exactly what their quarterback wants them to do. They even know some of our plays. No confusion there!

Uniform

Many of you are telling me that you don't like to wear our uniform. Its too old fashioned. It seems that it restricts your freedom, and you find it too bulky. You would rather play without one. These outfits have protected our players for years, and there have been few injuries, but if you don't want to wear them, then be my quest. Of course, the other team is fully geared with helmets, pads, etc. I don't think any of them plan to get hurt, even though they do plan to hit hard.

Training table

In the past, we have recommended that you follow a careful regimen concerning food. We asked that all players eat at the training table, so that we could help you attain your goals of strength and fitness. Some foods cause you to be lethargic, while other foods give you energy. Large amounts of any kind of food will make it difficult to concentrate while playing the game. Many say the regimen is too hard, and that the food is plain and boring. And so, everyone feel free to eat what you want, as much as you want, and anytime you want. Of course, I have noticed that many of you are now gaining weight and find playing more difficult. Make no mistake, the opposition is lean and muscular, fit and disciplined. They can run for hours without becoming the least bit winded or fatigued. We used to be like that, but now most of us find it difficult to run even ten yards without panting.

Exercise

We had a schedule of recommended exercises, but some players tell us that they don't want to do them. They take too much time, make you sweat, and make sore muscles. You even tell me that if there is not time to do them all, you feel that it is better not to do any. Therefore, we are dropping the exercise requirements. I suppose I don't need to tell you how much the other team is working out, lifting weights, etc.

Conclusion

It has always been our intention to help you have a successful and victorious season. However, I hope that these concessions will make all of you feel better about being on the team.

The game is about to begin. The stadium is filling with spectators, many of whom are former players and all stars. I am sure that they will cheer us on. I will do what I can as your coach. Yet, with no practice, no playbook, no uniform, no exercise, and no training table, I don't know how we will beat the opposition. Frankly, I think we are going to get creamed this year.

Signed,

The Coach and his staff

via www.allsaintsofamerica.org

What Does Orthodox Mean?: The Doctrine, Worship and Values of the Church | Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese

by Frederica Mathewes-Green

 

The word “orthodox” means “right belief” or “right praise.”

The “Orthodox Church” is also known as the “Eastern Orthodox Church.”

Orthodox Doctrine

In the years after Jesus’ Resurrection, apostles and missionaries traveled throughout the known world spreading the Gospel. Soon five major locations were established as centers for the faith: Jerusalem, Antioch, Rome, Alexandria, and Constantinople. In the year 1054 the Roman church broke from this united Church, and five hundred years later Protestant churches began breaking away from Rome. But the original Church has remained united in the Apostolic Faith since the first century. This is Orthodoxy.

One of the tasks of the early Church was defin­ing, and defending, orthodox theology against the battering waves of heresies. These heresies often appeared in disputes over the nature of the Trinity, or how Jesus could be both God and Man. Church Councils were called to search the Scriptures and put into words the common faith, forming a bedrock of certainty that could stand for all ages. From this time, the Church has been called “Orthodox,” which means “right belief” or “right praise.” The Nicene Creed (see reverse) originated at the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325, and is the central Orthodox statement of faith, a preeminent example of the work of the Councils. Built on the foundation of Christ and His Apostles, nothing has been added to our faith, and nothing can be added. It is complete.

Orthodox Worship

Orthodox churches still use forms of worship that were practiced in the first centuries. Our worship is based to a great extent on passages from Scripture. We sing most of the service, joining our voices in simple harmony to ancient melodies.

Our worship is focused on God, not on our own en­joyment, fulfillment, or fellowship. We come into the presence of God with awe, aware of our fallenness and His great mercy. We seek forgiveness and rejoice in the great gift of salvation so freely given. Orthodox worship is filled with repentance, gratitude, and unend­ing praise.

We try, as best we can, to make our worship beautiful. The example of Scripture shows us that God’s design for tabernacle worship (Exodus 25, 26) in­cluded gold, silver, precious stones, blue and purple cloth, embroidery, incense, bells, and anointing oil. Likewise, in Saint John’s vision of heavenly worship (Revelation 4) there are precious stones, gold, thrones, crowns, white robes, crystal, and incense. From the beginning to the end of Scripture, worship is offered with as much beauty as possible. While a new mission’s finances may call for simple appointments, our hearts come to worship seeking to pour out at the feet of Christ all the precious ointment we possess.

A common misconception is that awe-filled, beauti­ful worship must be rigid, formal, and cold. Orthodox worship shatters that stereotype. The liturgy is not a performance, but an opportunity to come together as a family of faith before our beloved Father. True Orthodox worship is comfortable, warm, and joyful. It could be nothing less in His heavenly presence.

Orthodox Values

Values that are usually termed “Judeo-Christian” have never left Orthodoxy. We believe that sexual expression is a treasured gift, one to be exercised only within marriage. Persons with homosexual or other extramarital sexual impulses are welcomed as fellow servants of God, receiving loving support as they make an offering to God of their chastity. Marriage is a commitment for life. Divorce is a very grave action, and remarriage after divorce a concession to human weakness, undertaken with repentance.

Orthodoxy has stood against abortion since the earliest days of the church. The Didache (circa A.D. 110) states, “Do not murder a child by abortion or kill a newborn infant.” In the midst of a culture which freely practiced abortion, i

via www.antiochian.org

The B-I-B-L-E, yes, that's the book for me!

 

I wrote a nice long email to two great friends of mine about Bible Versions... specifically why the Orthodox Bible has more books in it than the Protestant Bible. I rarely take the time to sit down and write a nice long (thought through!) email that I thought I'd share it with the world! :)

Here you go.... what I know and what I googled regarding Bible versions...

The Septuagint (LXX) is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures which was translated around 3rd - 2nd century BC.

It is the oldest translation of the bible into Greek and it is the translation quoted in the New Testament and used by the Apostolic Fathers. The Early Church (which is the Orthodox Church) has continuously used the LXX over the much newer Masoretic Text (MT). 

One reason the Early Church preferred this translation, is that it was written BEFORE the time of Christ, and in some places, is more christological than the MT (which was written between the 7th and 10th centuries AD by Jews who did not want their text to be fuel for the Christian religion). One example is Isaiah 7:14 which states in the LXX that the virgin will conceive but states in the MT that the young woman will conceive. 

Jews today use the Masoretic Text. Some reasons for this - the Early Church used the LXX as their Bible (in the beginning, there was no New Testament) and so it fell out of favor with the Jews as belonging to a "rival religion." And after the Jews fled from the Roman Empire, they did not retain their Greek or need for a Greek translation. They began using Hebrew/Aramaic transcripts collected by the Masoretes and voila! The Masoretic Text.

Why do the Orthodox and Roman Catholics have more books in their Old Testament than the Protestants?

The Early Church included ALL the books of the LXX - but the Jewish canon was not standardized until AFTER the time of Christ. The Protestants (thanks to Luther) follow the Jewish canon. Catholics use some of the LXX books while Orthodox use them all except Psalms of Solomon (different from Songs of Solomon.)

Martin Luther thought that the earliest Hebrew manuscripts would be the best source to translate the Old Testament into German. So, he looked to the MT instead of the LXX. In so doing, he threw out part of the Church's canon... and gave the Protestants the Bible you have sitting in your living room today. Interestingly enough, he also wanted to throw out Jude, James, Hebrews and Revelation because they went against certain Protestant doctrine ("Grace alone" and "Faith Alone" according to Wikipedia), but was unsuccessful and he settled for putting them at the end of the Bible where they still are today in Lutheran German translations of the NT. He also did a little tinkering around with the Scriptures... adding the word alone in Romans 3:28: justified by faith alone.... 

As the Bible has been translated many times into English (New King James, Revised Standard, New Living, New International Version to name a few) both MT and LXX as well as other manuscripts (dead sea scrolls, for example) have been consulted. That's why, in my protestant bible Isaiah 7:14 once again reads "virgin." :)

One other point that I believe is significant - and especially pertinent to me as an Orthodox Christian attending a Protestant Bible Study - is the concept of sola scriptura. This idea started with Luther and is a fundamental part of Protestant theology. Sola Scripture - the belief that Scripture is self evident. I can read it, you can read it, Little Boy Blue can read it and we will all eventually end up with all we need for salvation and holiness. Orthodox, on the other hand, do not believe in sola scriptura. We do not believe everything in the scriptures is self evident. Instead, the Scriptures is equal among two other authorities: the Church and Holy Tradition. This is important because when it comes down to "what do you think" "I don't know, what do you think" kind of discussions, ultimately, we should be looking to the Church and to the centuries of thought and theology that has been passed down to us from the Apostles and Church Fathers. 

I like the way this website puts it:

The Church is NOT Based on the Bible. Rather, the Bible is a product of the Church. For the first few centuries of the Christian era, no one could have put his hands on a single volume called "The Bible." When the Council at Laodicea specified the content of the bible as we know it - 39 years after the First Ecumenical Council (325 AD) and 17 years before the second Ecumenical Council (381 AD) - the Liturgy was pretty much well-defined and established and had been "canonized" by common usage the reading from these books.  It was not until the invention of the printing press in Western Europe, coinciding with the period of the Protestant Reformation of Western Christianity that "The Bible" was widely disseminated as a single volume.

Advent Thoughts

I am excited about advent. Not just Christmas-shopping-cookies-baking-reminiscent-of-my-childhood kind of excited. I am excited to celebrate advent as part of the Orthodox Church. Since converting to Orthodoxy, the seasons of the Church calendar and the holidays seem so much richer and full of meaning. Easter this past year was an experience that I've never had before (even after 30 something years of dying Easter eggs and wearing my Sunday best and eating a big Easter lunch.) Celebrating the resurrection of Christ as a part of the Church was - mystical and exciting and full of joy. And I can't wait for the celebration of Christ's birth.

Part of the anticipation for Christmas is the Nativity Fast. It should be the usual strict Orthodox fast of no meat, dairy, olive oil or wine. Being a nursing mother (and a vegetarian anyway) I am only fasting sugar. Giving up my morning cup of coffee (which I cannot truly enjoy without 1/2 cup of sugar dumped in!) alone is tough for me, not to mention my mid-afternoon and late evening sugary treats that I've become so accustomed to. :)

But it's not just the fast that is building anticipation in me. I have "permission" to take a little time to slow down and focus on the coming of Christ. I feel a little like I'm walking around with a big secret - He's coming! He's coming! Can you feel it? Do you know it? Christ is coming!!! 

Just 35 more days to go until the celebration begins! The coffee, the candy, the family togetherness - but most importantly, the sheer joy of Christ's birth. He's coming.... do you feel it??

Christ is Risen!

It's been a long, long time since I pulled an all-nighter. ORU days probably. But, last night, along with our friend Maggie, we did just that. Here's how it happened:

6:00 am: The Garretts get up and get ready for church in Hong Kong. Annabelle complains of a tummy ache.

7:00 am: Josh and Ava Raye leave for church, Annabelle and I wait for her tummy to feel better.

9:00 am: Josh and Ava Raye almost arrive at church, realize diaper bag/wallet was left on the bus. (Annabelle and I leave Shenzhen.)

9:30 am: Josh miraculously retrieves bag/wallet/credit cards from bus station.

10:00 am: Josh and Ava Raye arrive at services. An hour late, but services were only just starting.

11:00 am: Annabelle and I arrive at services, 2 hours late, but with about an hour of service left.

These services are held at the Russian Orthodox Church of St. Peter and St. Paul. This little community of believers is really wonderful, and it was amazing to get to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord with them! The morning services were terrific - the priest changed vestments mid-way through the service from red gowns to sparkling white gowns, the curtain of the iconostasis changed to red midway through, there was a blessing of the bread and of Easter Eggs... including a great shower of the congregation by Holy Water... which was totally unexpected by me and I had JUST moved from the front, near the priest, to the back of the room. The whole service Ava Raye sat quietly in the back and Annabelle did great as well. No disturbances! 

12:30-ish pm: The Garretts have lunch at The Outback. Maggie Turner joins us for a long and leisurely lunch and coffee. The girls BOTH get a short nap at The Outback!

 

3:00 pm: We go play in a park nearby the Outback. Good to get some of the girls' energy out!

  

4:00 pm: We  wander around a nearby mall. Hang out for quite a while at Starbucks. Maggie teaches Annabelle how to play "I Spy" which she would be really good at, except she points to the object when she says "I spy something... black!" 

 

6:00 pm: We try to take some Easter photos of the whole family. This is the best we could do (thank you Aunt Maggie):

 
 

We are kneeling in this funny pose because, moments before, there were two little girls beside us. They quickly ran away, and this was all that was left of our "family photo."

 
 

8:00 pm: Service starts at the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Luke's. It is a beautiful service that includes darkening of the church to remember the darkness when Christ was Crucified followed by each Congregation member lighting candles. The service itself, full of chanting and singing, lasted 3 hours. THE GIRLS WERE PHENOMENAL!!!!!!!!! (Mostly) quiet and contained the entire time!

11:00 pm: Feasting begins! The church community breaks the long lenten fast together by eating Greek food! Beef and chicken kebabs, baba ghanoush, rice, pita bread, and, of course, Easter Eggs! Everyone made lots of new friends...

 
  

12:00 am: Finished yet? NAH!!!! We head BACK to the Russian Orthodox church. I'm positive that the church, being completely packed with people almost to the point of not being able to move, was violating some some sort of fire code. Wish I'd taken a picture! Did I mention that there are no pews in the Church and everyone stands for the entire service?? The girls were COMPLETELY SACKED OUT for almost the entire service!

Here's a snapshot taken after service. The girls camped out in the back of the church and they stayed in this position for several hours. 

2:00 am: After another amazing service, including "Christ is Risen! Indeed, He is Risen" in about 5 different languages about 200 hundred times, it's time to break the Lenten Fast once again! This time with traditional Russian food! 

Maggie, after the service ended. 

3:30  - 5:45 am: Breakfast and sleep at a 24 hour McDonalds. At one point, a manager told Josh "NO SLEEPING HERE" to which Josh replied, with eyes wide open, but without getting up out of his vertical position, "I'm not sleeping - I'm drinking my Coke!" 

  

 

Maggie kept me company with her funny stories about traveling to Panama and her frequent time updates "only 45 more minutes till we can start leaving for the subway...." I think she's playing sudoku on her phone in this snapshot.
 
7:30 am: Finally home. Even though the girls (mostly) slept from midnight till we got home, the entire family sacked out together. 

1:30 pm: I woke up starving. Ate a couple of snickers' bars and started writing this post. Josh and the girls are still out like lights (3:00 pm)! (Maggie is a rock star... she went to the Shekou Protestant Fellowship service at 9:30am!)

CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED, HE IS RISEN!

"There would be no need for sermons, if our lives were shining; there would be no need for words, if we bore witness with our deeds. There would be no pagans, if we were true Christians."- St. John Chrysostom