I love being married
Katherine and I were married three days after Christmas just this last December. The experience has afforded my life numerous blessings in ways more numerous than I could have imagined-- certainly more than I could recount here.
Our ability to spend time with one another in the humble, quiet luxury of our apartment is by far one of the most enjoyable aspects of our married life. Our meals together, our daily interactions that revolve around life's little responsibilities, such as our little conversations while getting ready for church, our grocery shopping trips, and above all our opportunities to pray together and to share in God's rich mercy through the Orthodox faith in practice have been the highlights of our existence together.
It's not easy to explain the joy and sense of peace that comes from arriving home to a warm welcome complete with my sweetie's soft skin, and her wonderfully prepared, hearty meals. God truly is good.
Certainly with the awesome blessings come new responsibilities, but these responsibilities, when met, only serve to edify and build up our faith and discipline. In short, working to constantly improve our marriage just is working on our sanctification...in so many ways marriage truly is (at least it can be) an aid to the Christian life.
I cannot overstate what joy my marriage to Kate brings to my life each and everyday. My prayer unto God is, "Lord grant us many years and continued growth in You."
A Hymn of the Church
What follows is the text to a hymn that was sung during Divine Liturgy last Sunday (Feb 16th):
The stone that had been sealed before Your tomb by the Jews and the soldiers guarding did watch o'er Your pure and sacred body. O Savior, the third day You arose, and unto all the world did You give life whereby all the heavenly powers did proclaim that You are the giver of life. Glory unto our resurrected Christ. Glory unto Your kingdom. Glory to Your dispensation, O You alone who loves all.
Protestant, Robert Morey on "Schism"
Here's a few excerpts from an article written by Dr. Robert Morey (Christian-radio listeners know him as "Dr. Bob"); to read the full article go here.
THE SIN OF SCHISM: A SOLEMN WARNING TO THE CHURCHThe first thing that ought to strike the reader is that Morey's choice of Scriptures is rather interesting (I think there is a lot of truth in what he says above); however, the reader ought to also be puzzled (at least a little bit) by the fact that Dr. Bob is a Reformed Protestant who proudly follows in the footsteps of Calvin and Luther, two of the most noteworthy schismatics in the past half century!by Dr. Bob Morey
Now I beg of you, my brothers, mark those who are actively causing schisms and occasions of stumbling contrary to the teaching you learned. Have nothing to do with them because they are not serving our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own agenda. By slick words and plausible speeches they are able to deceive the hearts of innocent people. (Rom. 16:17-18)
1. The peace and unity of the Church is a divine mandate of the highest priority: Psa. 133:1-3; Mat. 5:9; Rom. 12:18-21; 1 Cor. 7:15; 14:33; 2 Cor. 13:11; Eph. 4:1-6; 1 Thess. 5:12-15; Heb. 13:1; James 3:13-18; 1 Pet. 3:8-12
Note: Where is the divine mandate to destroy the peace and unity of the Church? To turn the happiness of the saints into sadness; their joy to weeping; their blessings to cursings; their love to hate; their contentment to anger? There is not a single verse in the Bible where God tells you to tear the church to pieces.
2. The sin of “schism” is such a heinous sin because it is committed against the Church, the Bride of Christ, and is thus considered more wicked than those personal offenses that occur between individuals or families. Christians may sin against each other in many different ways. But if someone splits a church by persuading members to join him in leaving that church, he is now guilty of the heinous sin of schism.
3. The sin of schism has always been condemned throughout biblical history and punished severely by God. In Num. 16 those involved in schism died when the ground opened up and swallowed them alive! Throughout biblical history and Church history God sent fire and plagues upon those who sought to disrupt the peace and unity of the people of God.
It seems Morey defines "schism" in a much different way than an Orthodox Christian would. For Morey, a "schismatic" is anyone who denies his (Morey's) faith. For example, a man interested in reading more about Easter Orthodoxy called into Dr. Bob's radio show. Dr. Bob proceeded to warn the caller that if the caller so choosed to become Easter Orthodox the caller would thence be an apostate. It seems Morey believes he has the prerogative to anathematize people, while the Orthodox Church, according to Morey, doesn't. All very interesting. It reminds me of a taped lecture I have in my possession where John Gershner says that if someone truly understands dispensationalism and still holds to dispensationalism, that person has ceased to be Christian.
What Orthodox find so sad about these types of cases is that you basically have schismatics (once removed) condemning other schismatics because the other schismatics don't hold to the same particular theology that the accusers hold to.
The Orthodox Church allows for Morey and Gershner to be Christain, even as schismatics. I think Morey and Gershner ought to exercise some humility and consider showing other Christian groups some similar generosity...especially when the claims made by Morey and Gershner are "Christianity according to Morey, according to Gershner, according to Seuss, according to _________." Who is your Christianity according to?