Friday, November 09, 2007
Pray for Fr. Lawrence!
Pray for Fr. Lawrence - his retina is apparently coming detached again and so he is again going in for surgery at noon today. Lord, have mercy!
Saturday, October 27, 2007
I didn't think it would be like this
But it is.
When I became orthodox, I saw clearly the way I didn't want to be, how I wanted to continue in the overzealous manner of first love to be conscious of every move, every thought, and every day as being a sacrament and a gift directly from God. If I managed to do something without that consciousness, it was either obviously sin, or indirectly sin because I made it about the object or moment itself, not something to look through and see God on the other side.
When I became orthodox, I knew that merely being orthodox would push me to Godliness, towards Holiness, but that it was also risky because with that thought comes the temptation to think that I no longer have to pursue holiness, that it will come to me as long as I line up every sunday morning and have not eaten meat twice during the week. I saw what orthodoxy could be if it became about less than God when I was in ontario, attending a church that knew it was dying, but still couldn't do anything about it. I have become a part of that culture club (and it has nothing to do with the wonderful parish I find myself in currently, its a long process) and its not about ethnicity, though it often is because its such an easy place to find your identity, especially if you call yourself a member of any diaspora. But, I find that I am tempted to identify myself by many different things, perhaps material like my bike, or the possibility of earning lots of money, or my abilities or lack thereof, ego and lack of self esteem. Or more easily yet, in the midst of this beautiful time of my life where I am about to be wed to the most beautiful woman alive, I put my identity in my ability to provide, to love, to be sensitive, to plan, to commit, and to follow through.
Anywhere but Christ.
heaven forbid that I find my identity in the One place that is safe and secure and eternal and real, where everything else is fleeting and/or shallow (not my wife-to-be, mind you)
And, what does that mean? I think it means doing all of the things I do, but doing them because I trust that God is in them, and not doing the things that he is not a part of.
And, not thinking that anyone else is doing the work for me, I forget that it will take effort, spiritual struggle, which is such a strange thing to write out, let alone define, so who knows what I even mean? but I know that that is what it takes, spiritual struggle, which of course doesn't exclude all realms of existence because we are not dualists (or duellists)
I suppose I have gotten lazy and distracted, and from what I hear, life doesn't get any calmer.
When I became orthodox, I saw clearly the way I didn't want to be, how I wanted to continue in the overzealous manner of first love to be conscious of every move, every thought, and every day as being a sacrament and a gift directly from God. If I managed to do something without that consciousness, it was either obviously sin, or indirectly sin because I made it about the object or moment itself, not something to look through and see God on the other side.
When I became orthodox, I knew that merely being orthodox would push me to Godliness, towards Holiness, but that it was also risky because with that thought comes the temptation to think that I no longer have to pursue holiness, that it will come to me as long as I line up every sunday morning and have not eaten meat twice during the week. I saw what orthodoxy could be if it became about less than God when I was in ontario, attending a church that knew it was dying, but still couldn't do anything about it. I have become a part of that culture club (and it has nothing to do with the wonderful parish I find myself in currently, its a long process) and its not about ethnicity, though it often is because its such an easy place to find your identity, especially if you call yourself a member of any diaspora. But, I find that I am tempted to identify myself by many different things, perhaps material like my bike, or the possibility of earning lots of money, or my abilities or lack thereof, ego and lack of self esteem. Or more easily yet, in the midst of this beautiful time of my life where I am about to be wed to the most beautiful woman alive, I put my identity in my ability to provide, to love, to be sensitive, to plan, to commit, and to follow through.
Anywhere but Christ.
heaven forbid that I find my identity in the One place that is safe and secure and eternal and real, where everything else is fleeting and/or shallow (not my wife-to-be, mind you)
And, what does that mean? I think it means doing all of the things I do, but doing them because I trust that God is in them, and not doing the things that he is not a part of.
And, not thinking that anyone else is doing the work for me, I forget that it will take effort, spiritual struggle, which is such a strange thing to write out, let alone define, so who knows what I even mean? but I know that that is what it takes, spiritual struggle, which of course doesn't exclude all realms of existence because we are not dualists (or duellists)
I suppose I have gotten lazy and distracted, and from what I hear, life doesn't get any calmer.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Fr. Lawrence's message to the parish Oct 14th
Here I sit, all fluey, posting Fr. Lawrence's message, as those of you NOT home with the flu (and I know there are several of us in the parish this week!) are singing the opening antiphons. Looking forward to seeing you all next week-- Mat. Donna
Dear beloved in Christ:
Glory to Jesus Christ!
As I was sitting down and tucking into a delicious turkey dinner this last Thanksgiving Monday, I was thankful for many things (including the fact that I was not a vegetarian—or, come to that, a turkey. It’s a wonderful thing to live on the upper end of the food chain). However, I couldn’t help but wonder how many people actually gave thanks on Thanksgiving Day, and if the title of the holiday isn’t a bit culturally anachronistic, for we are not a nation that stresses gratitude to God for our blessings.
When one thinks of it, it is maybe a little odd to have a national holiday stressing a virtue; it would be like us having National Chastity Day, or National Patience Day. No bad thing, I suppose (I would pay money to see a National Chastity Parade along side a Gay Pride Parade). But the point is that we are to do our best to practice the virtues every day, and not just when the calendar mandates a special stat holiday for them. In this sense, for the Christian, every day is Thanksgiving Day.
Or, in the words of St. Paul, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”. All of life is a gift, and every day, even the wretched ones, are still packed with God’s mercies. And even on the wretched days, we can still give thanks as they end and say, “Thank God that’s over!” As disciples of Jesus, thanksgiving is to be our natural state. In theological terms, all of life is sacramental, to be received as a unique gift from God, the grateful enjoyment of which brings us into communion with Him.
Sin interrupts that communion, of course, and gratitude is a habit to be learned, often with difficulty. (It was otherwise in Eden.) Our own culture gives us no help with this. It teaches us, for example, that health and long life is our right, and we feel hard done by if we are sick or faced with shortened life span. It teaches us to regard happiness and prosperity and peace as things to which we are entitled, and we blame God if we experience sadness, poverty or turmoil. Other ages were manlier and hardier than ours. Suffering and misfortune were expected as the common lot of mortals, and no one blamed the Most High when they experienced them. One needed bravery to walk the earth: as CS Lewis reminds us, most of human history was spent without the benefit of anaesthetic.
The point is that we modern North Americans must strive to overcome the ingratitude and sense of entitlement built into our culture, and to give thanks to God for all things. To end with a prayer from Garrison Keillor (of Lake Wobegon fame): “Thank You, dear God, for this good life, and forgive us if we do not love it enough.”
All my love in the Lord,
Fr. Lawrence
Dear beloved in Christ:
Glory to Jesus Christ!
As I was sitting down and tucking into a delicious turkey dinner this last Thanksgiving Monday, I was thankful for many things (including the fact that I was not a vegetarian—or, come to that, a turkey. It’s a wonderful thing to live on the upper end of the food chain). However, I couldn’t help but wonder how many people actually gave thanks on Thanksgiving Day, and if the title of the holiday isn’t a bit culturally anachronistic, for we are not a nation that stresses gratitude to God for our blessings.
When one thinks of it, it is maybe a little odd to have a national holiday stressing a virtue; it would be like us having National Chastity Day, or National Patience Day. No bad thing, I suppose (I would pay money to see a National Chastity Parade along side a Gay Pride Parade). But the point is that we are to do our best to practice the virtues every day, and not just when the calendar mandates a special stat holiday for them. In this sense, for the Christian, every day is Thanksgiving Day.
Or, in the words of St. Paul, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”. All of life is a gift, and every day, even the wretched ones, are still packed with God’s mercies. And even on the wretched days, we can still give thanks as they end and say, “Thank God that’s over!” As disciples of Jesus, thanksgiving is to be our natural state. In theological terms, all of life is sacramental, to be received as a unique gift from God, the grateful enjoyment of which brings us into communion with Him.
Sin interrupts that communion, of course, and gratitude is a habit to be learned, often with difficulty. (It was otherwise in Eden.) Our own culture gives us no help with this. It teaches us, for example, that health and long life is our right, and we feel hard done by if we are sick or faced with shortened life span. It teaches us to regard happiness and prosperity and peace as things to which we are entitled, and we blame God if we experience sadness, poverty or turmoil. Other ages were manlier and hardier than ours. Suffering and misfortune were expected as the common lot of mortals, and no one blamed the Most High when they experienced them. One needed bravery to walk the earth: as CS Lewis reminds us, most of human history was spent without the benefit of anaesthetic.
The point is that we modern North Americans must strive to overcome the ingratitude and sense of entitlement built into our culture, and to give thanks to God for all things. To end with a prayer from Garrison Keillor (of Lake Wobegon fame): “Thank You, dear God, for this good life, and forgive us if we do not love it enough.”
All my love in the Lord,
Fr. Lawrence
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Message from Fr. Lawrence Sunday Oct. 7th
Dearly beloved:
May I share with you a lesson I learned last Sunday? On Sunday September 30, I stumbled downstairs after my prayers to while away the time until Matushka returned from church. I turned on the Crystal's Cathedral's "Hour of Power" (admittedly for all the wrong reasons), then watched some of "Mass for Shut-ins" to wash away the lingering taste of the "Hour of Power". Eventually Matushka returned from church, bringing with her some prosphora/ antidoran from the service, which she put into my palm and which I consumed immediately.
I have eaten such antidoran countless times, but this time was different. When I received the fragments of bread into my palm, it was like a hand extended from the Divine Liturgy, which seized mine in its firm and warm grip. Consuming the prosphora I felt an instantaneous connection to the Liturgy, and felt united to all of you: to the priest who cut the prosphora at the proskomedia, to the deacon who assisted him and carried the diskos in procession at the Great Entrance, to the subdeacons who held the bread for the people at the end of the service, to the choir and people whose Eucharistic praises sanctified the bread in this way, making it not merely bread, but church bread, a divine gift. It was as if I could almost hear the chanting and almost smell the incense. It could simply be that I am missing you more each Sunday, but I think there was something more to it than that. The physical bread became a spiritual link.
The reception of prosphora that Sunday reminded me of what I knew before, though never so clearly as at that moment: that the physical carries with it the spiritual, and that this connection unites us all.
It was ever so: in the early church, Holy Communion was taken by the deacons after the service to the sick who could not be present at the Eucharist. In the early church, holy relics were sometimes shared among churches, one community giving as a gift to another community a portion of the relics of its local martyr.
This sharing of a physical gift (whether of the Eucharist or of a transfer of relics) created a bond between the giver and the receiver. The sick Christian, absent from the Eucharist, did not merely receive Communion; he or she was thereby also united again with the celebrating community. The church receiving the gift of relics did not merely enjoy the sacramental presence of the martyr whose relics they received; they also enjoyed a renewed bond with the church giving them. My reception of the prosphora reminded me again of the strength of our union, in Christ, with one another. Because we belong to Him, we belong to one another as well.
Your loving papa and fellow-servant,
Fr. Lawrence
May I share with you a lesson I learned last Sunday? On Sunday September 30, I stumbled downstairs after my prayers to while away the time until Matushka returned from church. I turned on the Crystal's Cathedral's "Hour of Power" (admittedly for all the wrong reasons), then watched some of "Mass for Shut-ins" to wash away the lingering taste of the "Hour of Power". Eventually Matushka returned from church, bringing with her some prosphora/ antidoran from the service, which she put into my palm and which I consumed immediately.
I have eaten such antidoran countless times, but this time was different. When I received the fragments of bread into my palm, it was like a hand extended from the Divine Liturgy, which seized mine in its firm and warm grip. Consuming the prosphora I felt an instantaneous connection to the Liturgy, and felt united to all of you: to the priest who cut the prosphora at the proskomedia, to the deacon who assisted him and carried the diskos in procession at the Great Entrance, to the subdeacons who held the bread for the people at the end of the service, to the choir and people whose Eucharistic praises sanctified the bread in this way, making it not merely bread, but church bread, a divine gift. It was as if I could almost hear the chanting and almost smell the incense. It could simply be that I am missing you more each Sunday, but I think there was something more to it than that. The physical bread became a spiritual link.
The reception of prosphora that Sunday reminded me of what I knew before, though never so clearly as at that moment: that the physical carries with it the spiritual, and that this connection unites us all.
It was ever so: in the early church, Holy Communion was taken by the deacons after the service to the sick who could not be present at the Eucharist. In the early church, holy relics were sometimes shared among churches, one community giving as a gift to another community a portion of the relics of its local martyr.
This sharing of a physical gift (whether of the Eucharist or of a transfer of relics) created a bond between the giver and the receiver. The sick Christian, absent from the Eucharist, did not merely receive Communion; he or she was thereby also united again with the celebrating community. The church receiving the gift of relics did not merely enjoy the sacramental presence of the martyr whose relics they received; they also enjoyed a renewed bond with the church giving them. My reception of the prosphora reminded me again of the strength of our union, in Christ, with one another. Because we belong to Him, we belong to one another as well.
Your loving papa and fellow-servant,
Fr. Lawrence
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Sept. 30th message from Fr. Lawrence & weekly bulletin
I have taken all your hugs, prayers & good wishes to Fr. Lawrence today. Tomorrow the doctor will tell us what level of activity he can return to in the weeks ahead. Meanwhile, for anyone who was not able to be at church today, here is the message read out by Dn. Kurt after liturgy today-- Mat. Donna
My dearly beloved brothers and sisters in Christ:
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Events of the last month have given me lots of time for reflection, and I would like to share some of these reflections each Sunday as a way of keeping in touch during my time of medical exile.
I have discovered, for example, that many thoughts go through one's head while lying on a gurney waiting to be taken in for eye surgery. The first thought that went through my head was, "Help! I'm trapped in an episode of /Grey's Anatomy /and I can't get out!" The second (and more enduring) thought was, "Now I know what Zech. 2:8 means." Well, actually, the numerical citation eluded me. But there was no mistaking the words of the Scripture: "He who touches you, says the Lord of Hosts, touches the apple of My eye."
In its historical context, this refers to God's care for the city of Jerusalem, newly-restored after the Babylonian captivity. In its mystical context, it refers to His care for the Church, the heavenly Jerusalem, the People of God. God declares that, just as a man jealously guards the apple (or
pupil) of his eye, so God guards and protects His people. Lying there on that gurney, waiting for nice people to stick sharp instruments into the apple of my eye, I had a renewed appreciation of God's care for us.
I felt very jealous about the apple of my eye. It was comforting (in
retrospect) to know that the Lord regards us in the same way. He loves us, cherishes us, jealously guards and protects us from all harm. He who would harm us harms the apple of His eye.
This is an important lesson, even for those who are not lying on hospital gurneys. All that we now have and enjoy will eventually fade: health, riches, sight, even life itself. Yet our true life remains untouched by the relentless parade of years. The outer man, St. Paul reminds us, is decaying, but the inner man, touched and transformed by Christ, is being renewed day by day. In this saving renewal, all is preserved by God's power, and will be restored to us in the Kingdom of God. Death, darkness and disaster cannot harm us, for we have a mighty Protector: the Lord of Hosts. He protects us from all harm, and he who would touch us touches the apple of His eye.
Your loving papa and fellow-servant,
Fr. Lawrence
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Notes from the bulletin Sept 30:
Services this week:
Wed. Oct. 3—Vespers
Sat. Oct. 6—Vespers
Sun. Oct 7—Liturgy w. blessing of THANKSGIVING HARVEST
Please bring your harvest bounty (on Saturday night or early before liturgy) to decorate the temple and be blessed with holy water.
__________________________________________________________________________
October newsletter & calendar now available in the narthex.
To find the newsletter info online, click on the first link in the sidebar column on this page.
To have an item included in a future bulletin, please contact
Rhiannon G 604-726-0619 myotherleft@gmail.com
____________________________________________________________
Fr. Lawrence Farley, rector, is currently on sick leave.
For all inquiries at this time, please contact
Dn. Kurt Jordan, 604-824-1214 kurtedwardjordan@gmail.com
My dearly beloved brothers and sisters in Christ:
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Events of the last month have given me lots of time for reflection, and I would like to share some of these reflections each Sunday as a way of keeping in touch during my time of medical exile.
I have discovered, for example, that many thoughts go through one's head while lying on a gurney waiting to be taken in for eye surgery. The first thought that went through my head was, "Help! I'm trapped in an episode of /Grey's Anatomy /and I can't get out!" The second (and more enduring) thought was, "Now I know what Zech. 2:8 means." Well, actually, the numerical citation eluded me. But there was no mistaking the words of the Scripture: "He who touches you, says the Lord of Hosts, touches the apple of My eye."
In its historical context, this refers to God's care for the city of Jerusalem, newly-restored after the Babylonian captivity. In its mystical context, it refers to His care for the Church, the heavenly Jerusalem, the People of God. God declares that, just as a man jealously guards the apple (or
pupil) of his eye, so God guards and protects His people. Lying there on that gurney, waiting for nice people to stick sharp instruments into the apple of my eye, I had a renewed appreciation of God's care for us.
I felt very jealous about the apple of my eye. It was comforting (in
retrospect) to know that the Lord regards us in the same way. He loves us, cherishes us, jealously guards and protects us from all harm. He who would harm us harms the apple of His eye.
This is an important lesson, even for those who are not lying on hospital gurneys. All that we now have and enjoy will eventually fade: health, riches, sight, even life itself. Yet our true life remains untouched by the relentless parade of years. The outer man, St. Paul reminds us, is decaying, but the inner man, touched and transformed by Christ, is being renewed day by day. In this saving renewal, all is preserved by God's power, and will be restored to us in the Kingdom of God. Death, darkness and disaster cannot harm us, for we have a mighty Protector: the Lord of Hosts. He protects us from all harm, and he who would touch us touches the apple of His eye.
Your loving papa and fellow-servant,
Fr. Lawrence
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Notes from the bulletin Sept 30:
Services this week:
Wed. Oct. 3—Vespers
Sat. Oct. 6—Vespers
Sun. Oct 7—Liturgy w. blessing of THANKSGIVING HARVEST
Please bring your harvest bounty (on Saturday night or early before liturgy) to decorate the temple and be blessed with holy water.
__________________________________________________________________________
October newsletter & calendar now available in the narthex.
To find the newsletter info online, click on the first link in the sidebar column on this page.
To have an item included in a future bulletin, please contact
Rhiannon G 604-726-0619 myotherleft@gmail.com
____________________________________________________________
Fr. Lawrence Farley, rector, is currently on sick leave.
For all inquiries at this time, please contact
Dn. Kurt Jordan, 604-824-1214 kurtedwardjordan@gmail.com
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
In our very own Archdiocese-- the FIRST Orthodox "Quiet Garden" in the world!
I hadn't even heard of the "Quiet Garden" movement-- Oh, how we could use something like this in the neighbourhood of our church! If only we had more property......check out the links at the archdiocesan website to find out about the Quiet Garden movement...."Our Orthodox Quiet Garden
at Sifton, MB, Canada
On the grounds of the recently-restored, beautiful Orthodox Church dedicated to the Holy Resurrection, a simple Quiet Garden awaits visitors.
We invite all to drop by, sit for a bit and enjoy the greenery, flowers and birds. It is a lovely prairie spot.
It is affiliated with the Quiet Garden Movement world-wide. One of the Trustees of the Quiet Garden Movement is Bishop Kallistos (Ware).
We are the first Orthodox Quiet Garden in the world! "
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Fr. Lawrence's message to the parish
My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ at St. Herman's:
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Please forgive my absence from you as I recover from my second emergency retinal surgery in as many weeks. It is very difficult for me to be away from you: when the starting bell rings, an old race horse wants to bolt from the starting gate, and when Sunday morning comes, an old one-eyed priest wants to pray at the altar and preach from the ambo. But my surgeon has forbidden me to return to work for an entire month, and my bishop has ordered me to obey his medical advice.
In all this enforced absence, I am consoled by three things. (Here comes the three-point sermon after all.)
1. I am consoled by the hard work and dedication of Deacon Kurt, who is God's great gift to all of us. Being the interim pastor for an absent priest was /not /part of the expected job description when he was ordained, and this added burden is made all the more challenging by his extra domestic tasks during the week. Yet he has risen wonderfully to the sudden challenges and our community could not be left in better pastoral hands.
2. I am consoled by the presence of my dear friend and concelebrant, Fr.
John Bingham. This month has been more than interesting for him as well, and yet he has selflessly carved out the time to befriend a sick brother. I am grateful to him for his love, compassion and kindness, both me and to our community. It is my hope that we shall yet stand together at the same altar and serve together for many Liturgies.
3. Finally, I am consoled by your presence here in my absence, for it means that my words have not altogether been in vain. In all my sermons my aim has been to uplift the Name of Jesus, so that you, the holy people of God, come to Liturgy to meet, worship and exalt Him. He is our joy, the strength in our hearts, the breath in our lungs, and, (as I am discovering) the light in our eyes. You come to Church to commune with Him, as earthly members joined to our heavenly Head.
That is, you do not come to Liturgy because Fr. Lawrence is there, but rather because the Lord Jesus is there and because, as His people who belong to Him, you also belong to one another. Your absence from here on Sundays would tell me that you are failing one another as fellow-members of the same body, and therefore that I have failed you as your priest. (And how could I remedy that? By starting to preach
_four_-point sermons?) Therefore, as you meet together in the weeks to
come as the holy community you are, as St. Paul says, "I am filled with comfort, I am overflowing with joy in all my affliction". You are my consolation.
May God bless and keep you all.
Your loving papa and fellow-servant,
Fr. Lawrence
posted by Mat. Donna
please see post below for bulletin announcements
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Please forgive my absence from you as I recover from my second emergency retinal surgery in as many weeks. It is very difficult for me to be away from you: when the starting bell rings, an old race horse wants to bolt from the starting gate, and when Sunday morning comes, an old one-eyed priest wants to pray at the altar and preach from the ambo. But my surgeon has forbidden me to return to work for an entire month, and my bishop has ordered me to obey his medical advice.
In all this enforced absence, I am consoled by three things. (Here comes the three-point sermon after all.)
1. I am consoled by the hard work and dedication of Deacon Kurt, who is God's great gift to all of us. Being the interim pastor for an absent priest was /not /part of the expected job description when he was ordained, and this added burden is made all the more challenging by his extra domestic tasks during the week. Yet he has risen wonderfully to the sudden challenges and our community could not be left in better pastoral hands.
2. I am consoled by the presence of my dear friend and concelebrant, Fr.
John Bingham. This month has been more than interesting for him as well, and yet he has selflessly carved out the time to befriend a sick brother. I am grateful to him for his love, compassion and kindness, both me and to our community. It is my hope that we shall yet stand together at the same altar and serve together for many Liturgies.
3. Finally, I am consoled by your presence here in my absence, for it means that my words have not altogether been in vain. In all my sermons my aim has been to uplift the Name of Jesus, so that you, the holy people of God, come to Liturgy to meet, worship and exalt Him. He is our joy, the strength in our hearts, the breath in our lungs, and, (as I am discovering) the light in our eyes. You come to Church to commune with Him, as earthly members joined to our heavenly Head.
That is, you do not come to Liturgy because Fr. Lawrence is there, but rather because the Lord Jesus is there and because, as His people who belong to Him, you also belong to one another. Your absence from here on Sundays would tell me that you are failing one another as fellow-members of the same body, and therefore that I have failed you as your priest. (And how could I remedy that? By starting to preach
_four_-point sermons?) Therefore, as you meet together in the weeks to
come as the holy community you are, as St. Paul says, "I am filled with comfort, I am overflowing with joy in all my affliction". You are my consolation.
May God bless and keep you all.
Your loving papa and fellow-servant,
Fr. Lawrence
posted by Mat. Donna
please see post below for bulletin announcements
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
New Issue of Canadian Journal of Orthodox Christianity
The Fall 2007 issue of the Canadian Journal of Orthodox Christianity is out, and includes Fr. Lawrence's akathist to St. Arseny and my paper "Parables for Mission Planters: Principles of Leadership and Community (Drawn from Richard Adams' Watership Down). This is our very own Canadian Orthodox Theological Journal, published by the St. Arseny Institute in Winnipeg as a free download in PDF. Check it out!
Further surgery for Fr. Lawrence
all, we find unexpectedly that Fr. Lawrence must return to surgery on Thursday this week. Last week we were told the eye was healing well, but today it seems the retina is detaching again. Please continue to pray. If there are any changes in services, they will be announced-- otherwise just show up for church as usual! thanks-- Mat. Donna
Monday, September 10, 2007
now or never
well, I know its not THAT far, but still. I need you all to know how important you are to me, you hermanites. and Fr. Lawrence being laid up is a little nervewracking but a little relieving. I am glad he is taking a rest, but hopeful for his recovery.
anyways. that said, you all need to know that whenever Fr. John commemorates the wonderworking elder Herman I feel a large tug of "I MISS HOME" deep in the caverns of my soul, and I know that it really is the people who live and breathe through that lame little building in langley who have so deeply shaped me and helped me get over so many things that needed to be gotten over. not to mention hosting great parties and putting up with my incessant complaining.
so, as I have just gotten back from work, and I need to eat, and drink, I wish you all could see me raising my beer in a solemn salute intending it to mean that I love you all very much and I know that while I will see you soon, it won't be soon enough.
Nice driveways!
David
oh, and ps, the island really does have better coffee. I tried it, and I like it. I know some will say I don't drink coffee, but Its the caffeine I avoid, I tried it, it really is much much better.
anyways. that said, you all need to know that whenever Fr. John commemorates the wonderworking elder Herman I feel a large tug of "I MISS HOME" deep in the caverns of my soul, and I know that it really is the people who live and breathe through that lame little building in langley who have so deeply shaped me and helped me get over so many things that needed to be gotten over. not to mention hosting great parties and putting up with my incessant complaining.
so, as I have just gotten back from work, and I need to eat, and drink, I wish you all could see me raising my beer in a solemn salute intending it to mean that I love you all very much and I know that while I will see you soon, it won't be soon enough.
Nice driveways!
David
oh, and ps, the island really does have better coffee. I tried it, and I like it. I know some will say I don't drink coffee, but Its the caffeine I avoid, I tried it, it really is much much better.
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Reflections on Camp
Phil has told me some wonderful and inspiring things about camp, as well as reports from both parents and campers given after camp. I think it would be wonderful if we created a bit of a "reflections journal" here in which everyone and anyone (whether they attended camp or not) can reflect on the goodness that was and remains.
I, for one, would love to hear it.
What was inspiring?I, for one, would love to hear it.
What was uplifting?
What was funny or fun?
What was the best part?What was the first thing you heard about when the campers returned?
What were the workshops like?
What was learned?
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Camp Pix - Day 2
Pictures from our second day at camp are now up here. Thanks to Victoria and Matushka Sarah for documenting the experience. (I hope to get some pictures shot by others up soon too.) Enjoy, and keep keeping us in your prayers!
Thursday, August 23, 2007
First Camp Photos Are Up!
The first photos of this year's camp are up - with more to come each day! Check in here to see all the fun that your children and friends and priests are up to!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Animals at Orthodox Monasteries
I couldn't resist passing along this delightful news story. about animals at monasteries in Russia.
It is nice to know that our Vladika Seraphim also has peacocks, along with other creatures, at the diocesan centre in Ontario.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
am I famous yet?
I must be if I'm doing a podcast, right? ;-)
The AGAIN Audio Journal on Ancient Faith Radio has its first sampler up. There are readings from me and Fr. John Schroedel. Have a listen.
End of shameless self-promotion post.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Photos from the Lerche's 2nd annual Ryder Lake BBQ
The Lerche's 2nd annual Ryder Lake BBQ was on July 28th.
Special guest appearnce by: Victoria Jordan!
Thanks for having us all over Kai and Theresia!
Click on the photo above to see more pictures...
Monday, July 30, 2007
a small prayer request
as some of you may know, I am going to school in the fall to begin my PDP (or b.ed, whichever you prefer) at UBC.
the only way this is possible (outside of selling one of our children) is for a funding grant to come through. they are now in the process of reviewing my application for funding.
please pray that it comes through.
this would be so huge for our family.
the only way this is possible (outside of selling one of our children) is for a funding grant to come through. they are now in the process of reviewing my application for funding.
please pray that it comes through.
this would be so huge for our family.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
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