Bye!

When I started this blog I meant for it to be a place to put my sermons and reflections as a seminarian (in the Episcopal Church) during my summer internship. It was just happenstance that Jennifer and I moved officially to Orthodoxy right when I started the blog. So, my main goal then was to share how our first year in the Orthodox Church went. And now that we’re just a month over one full year since our Chrismation, I bid you adieu. I don’t really care about blogging, and you don’t care about my blog, so let’s stop pretending!

Four Month Focus

My friend Bradley and I were talking last week about how we have dozens of irons in the fire, and we’re a little busy. Brad had an idea that I am now taking up. He said, why not take one thing that you want to do, and immerse yourself totally in it for four months? Spend your time learning every single thing you can about it and all of the various techniques or philosophies. Then at the end of four months, reevaluate and decide whether to spend another four months, or move on.

This is a great idea for me, because I’m extremely distracted. Always. Excluding my standard duties of fathering Adeline and editing video for the school, I buy and sell books, blog, lift weights, and because as part of my blogging, I play a ton of video games. I also just started a reading course at Nashotah House. I’m super interested in photography, relearning the guitar and I’m trying to learn Greek… the list goes on. It’s tough for me to spend the proper amount of time with all things.

What I’ve decided to do is spend the next four months focusing on lifting weights. I’ve lost a little over 50 pounds in the past few months, so I am going to do something I haven’t done in 10 years – make a concerted effort to get big and strong again. Then I will probably work on Greek. Or maybe the guitar. Oh, whatever.

Memory Eternal – Marilyn Grimes

At about this time, fourteen years ago today my Grandmother fell asleep in the Lord, holding my mother’s hand in the ICU in Iowa City. My relationship with my Grandma was very close, and very special. Not one day goes by that I don’t think about her. I love her so much, and I pray that she’s resting in a place where there is no pain nor sorrow. If I had planned better I’d have made some koliva. I’m sure she’d forgive me. Αἰωνία ἡ μνήμη!

Burlington Hawkeye, Sept. 13, 1996

Marilyn M. Grimes Griffin, 66, of 909 Willow Ave., Burlington, died Thursday, Sept. 12, 1996, at University Hospitals in Iowa City.

Born Aug. 9, 1930, in Louisa County, she was the daughter of Thurman and Ethyl Ogier Berkshire. She married Harold Grimes. He died in June 1987. She later married Marion Griffin on July 1, 1989, in Burlington.

Mrs. Griffin was a member of Grace United Methodist Church, where she was a secretary for 17 years, member of Peace Circle, United Methodist Women and Homebuilders Class, and a 40-year member of the church choir. She was also a member of Chapter P, PEO. She was a past president of Martha Cowles King’s Daughters.

Survivors include her husband; two daughters, Vicki Behtz of Birmingham, Ala., and Debra Moore of Davenport; two sons, Stephen Grimes of Knoxville, Tenn., and Randall Grimes of Charlotte, N.C.; four stepchildren, Charles Griffin of Centerville, Cindy Van of Laramie, Wyo., Marsha Griffin of Mason City and Pamela Griffin of Waterloo; six grandchildren; one great-granddaughter; and one sister, Lillian Anderson of Winfield.

She was preceded in death by her parents and one brother.

The family will receive friends from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday at Sheagren Funeral Home.

The funeral for Mrs. Griffin will be 10:30 a.m. Monday at Grace United Methodist Church, with the Revs. Milton Geisler and Larry Garrett officiating. Burial will be in Aspen Grove Cemetery.

The God of Reconciliation

A couple of weeks ago we went back to Davenport to visit family, hit up a ton of Goodwills, and hang out with our super great friends, The Spitzers. I also had a chance to meet up with my friend David. That’s significant because I hadn’t spoken to David in over two years, which I guess means we need a back story.

Teaching the Teens

Image by Feuillu via Flickr

This summer the director of Sunday school asked me if I’d be willing to co-teach the Orthodox teen’s Sunday school class. With the blessing of Fr. Dokos I eagerly accepted the offer. I enjoy working with teens; they’re the most interesting demographic, and I’m able to get along with them pretty well. Once I accepted my mind started blazing with ideas for the class, but I wanted to wait until I spoke with the other teacher about her ideas for the direction of the class.

Last night we held our first teachers’ meeting, and we discussed the upcoming year, curriculum guidelines, etc. It was so exciting because I’ve never actually led a class before; only an assistant moving along with whatever the teacher wanted to do. I met the other teachers for the year, but noticed that my co-teacher wasn’t there – she was out-of-town on business. In fact, I learned that she unfortunately is away for her work often, and I actually have a very unique opportunity to take the lead for this class. Frightening? Exciting is more like it! I can work with these teens, preparing them for adulthood as Orthodox Christians, and I’m able to implement my ideas for the class.

I know that God has kept us here for another year for several reasons, and I can’t help but feel like this is one of them. I feel so humbled and blessed that the Sunday school director and my priest, my spiritual father, believe I have what it takes to teach children at such an important phase of their lives. I can’t wait to teach and learn from them for this upcoming year. Hopefully they’ll feel the same way!

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Axion Estin – It Is Truly Meet

I found this few weeks ago while looking for examples of all the Byzantine tones, and showed Adeline when I found it. She’s really big into icons and took to it immediately, now running up to me and asking to see the ‘itons’. Since she’s into it, and this is actually my favorite tone for Axion Estin. It’s especially beautiful, and I thought I’d share it with you. Adeline can name most of the icons; can you? Well, %85 are either the Panagia or Jesus, but still!

It is truly right to bless thee, O Theotokos,
ever blessed, and most pure, and the Mother of our God.
More honorable than the cherubim,
and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim.
Without corruption thou gavest birth to God the Word.
True Theotokos, we magnify thee.

One Year Down

Last Sunday, one year ago, Jennifer and I attended our first Divine Liturgy at St. Georges in Rock Island, IL. We were sold immediately and began attending Annunciation the following Sunday. This last year has been such a blessing experience for my family and me. Orthodox worship and lifestyle felt very natural at the outset and the feeling continues as we settle into this new rhythm of life. Everyone we’ve come into contact with has been really awesome. Fr. Jim is so supportive and has guided us with a loving hand. Michael, our nouno, has become like a brother to me and Jennifer (and Adeline has asked for him a few times this week. She doesn’t get that Africa is really far away!) and his parents have been so great in teaching us more about the Faith and culture. We’ve had a great year, full of learning and fun, and I pray that we have many more years to come.

And Now For Something Completely Different

As the pater familias of this clan I have the duty and privilege to teach and edify my family in matters of faith. But sometimes I like to use my gift to teach my daughter utter nonsensical things for the amusement of her mother and me. This, actually, I didn’t mean to teach her. Jenny and I had just spent a half hour trying to convince Adeline that she needed to put her fork down when she wasn’t eating (as opposed to banging it on the table) and to keep her legs down, to no avail. So I just put my fist out and said, “Bones, Baby.” and Adeline looked right at me and said, “Bones.” and bumped my fist. Then she continued to do it, and it will forever be recorded in our video history.

You have Set upon their Heads Crowns of Precious Stones

Yesterday after Divine Liturgy Jenny and I had our marriage blessed in the Service of Betrothal and the Service of Crowning. It was such a beautiful service (I can’t understand why it’s not still used in all of Christendom), and we’re so blessed to have been able to do it. What I loved about the service was the symbolic richness (being crowned, having our rings swapped, all of the invoking God to bless us as the couples in the Bible) and how it served as a tactile lesson for us. If you want more info on some of the symbolism go here. There is a part of the service called the Dance of Isaiah, and it represents our first walk together as an Orthodox couple. Jenny and I walked around the table as the following was chanted:

O Isaiah, dance your joy, for the Virgin was indeed with child; and brought to birth a Son, that Emmanuel, Who came as both God and man; Day‑at‑the‑Dawn is the Name He bears, and by extolling Him, We hail the Virgin as blessed.

Hear us, you martyred Saints, who fought the good fight, gaining crowns: entreat the Lord to shed His tender mercy on our souls.

Glory to You, O Christ our God, Your Apostles’ proudest boast and treasure of Your Martyrs’ joy, Who to all proclaimed the Consubstantial Trinity.

We started off walking alone, but Fr. Jim called for Adeline to walk with us, so while we were all walking and Fr. Jim and the chanter were singing the hymn I heard “c’mon Mama, c’mon”. It was adorable. God willing, I will dance this dance again when I’m ordained, and become married to the Church. Until then our family will continue to walk in the Grace of God and keep the commandments, knowing that we’ve been fully embraced in the arms of the Mother Church.

Adeline just arrived for the dance.

Come on, Mama, come on!

Like a Phoenix Rising from the Ashes

Well, not so dramatic. I didn’t set out to not blog for a couple of months but it did happen. I started to wonder if maybe it looked like I was so crestfallen about having to wait another year for seminary I decided to stop blogging all together. The truth is Jenny and I had to scramble to figure out what we were going to do for another year. All of our housing and financial plans, relationships (we checked out on some things), and employment (the school had planned on Jenny leaving) were factored into a neat one year box. Had I known there was a significant chance of having to wait two years I would have found a job, and Jenny would have stayed home with my angel. Heck, we already had partially packed (and I assure you, it was slightly depressing to unpack again).

God has kept his hand on my family. The school didn’t think twice about letting us live here on campus for another year, and they’re letting Jenny stay on. It’s awesome because the rent is beyond competitively low. I’ve increased my hours in the refectory and am doing more digitizing of the archives. Right now I’m scanning some super neat 35mm Kodachrome slides from the 60s that were donated to us. I also have a really neat job prospect working in a pool of patient care specialists at the mental health hospital – which is awesome because I haven’t been able to use my degree in years! But as all the seniors leave we’re staring the face the fact we’re here for another year. It’s another year as Orthodox Christians on an Anglican seminary. It’s another year of not finishing my seminary. Tough to swallow, for sure.

Jenny and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary May 31st. We’ve had such an amazing journey together, and it’s been a long push to ordination. We’re going to continue doing what we’ve always done: love and support one another, participate in the life of our parish, enjoy the landscape (it is quite beautiful here), and keep the family strong.

I’ve got a handful of things I’m trying to write right now. I look forward to sharing them with you.