That’s my youngest. Her older siblings have been away at Camp St Raphael, Session 1, all week. As you can see, she’s getting older. Should the Lord tarry, she’ll be ready to fly the coup for camp next year. Theory is: Her Dad passed “camp age” long ago. But, every 2 years or so, he feels the urge to test this theory by, once again, attending … Trust me, he’s not quite aware of the fullness of his age yet,... Read more

Having been asked to help with Camp St Raphael, Second Session, next week — and, more specifically, to head down river in rafts with teens for an all day outing, I remembered … My last experience of all-day river rafting was 30 years ago. Well, it was supposed to be all day. But, for me, it was only a few hours; for my rafting buddies it was 8 hours longer. It was the summer of 1980. I was a college... Read more

The following is from AOL News. Call me old-fashioned but, for this post, I’ll let St Paul have the final word. (June 27) — The crucifix is the defining symbol of Christianity, a constant reminder to the faithful of the sacrifice and suffering endured by Jesus Christ for humanity. But an extensive study of ancient texts by a Swedish pastor and academic has revealed that Jesus may not have died on a cross, but instead been put to death on... Read more

I am not a “Jungian” (Carl Jung himself said: “Thank God I’m Jung and not a Jungian”), but I have always been fascinated by the life and work of the Swiss psychiatrist and founder of analytical psychology. Jung died 20 days before I was born. My birthday present for myself this year was to register for an evening lecture at The Jung Center on the significance of the recently released Liber Novus (The Red Book). As my son was at... Read more

The following snip is stolen from the website of John Sanidopoulos — The earliest written chronicle of the life of Saint David comes from his contemporary, Saint John Moschos, in his Leimonarion or Spiritual Meadow. Saint John together with his disciple and companion Sophronios the Sophist travelled to Egypt in order to record the great deeds and wise sayings of the Desert Fathers from the monastic authorities of the desert of the late 6th or early 7th century. He records... Read more

Over at Get Religion there’s a story about THIS STORY; as one commenter wrote: I remember an advertisement on the History Channel in which Sam Waterston recounted the story of Pope Joan as history … with a straight face. I also remember watching some movie about the Vatican manipulating to suppress the Gospel of Thomas, which would destroy Catholic Church if it came out. At some point I realized I’d had that document on my shelf for 10-15 years. It... Read more

Today is the birthday of Anna Akhmatova; it’s also St John’s Eve (aka Midsummer Night’s Eve). From The Voice of Another Don’t torment your heart with earthly joys,Don’t cling to your wife or your home,Take the bread from your childTo give to a stranger.And be the humblest servant of the oneWho was your bitterest foe,And call the beast of the forest your brother,And don’t ask God for anything, ever. December 1921, Petersburg, p.262. From Lamentation You are worshipping the LordIn... Read more

On a special edition of the Orthodixie Podcast, I interview the author of the new book Aidan’s Song – A Year in the Life of a Parish Priest. The book has been compared to the Far Side cartoon and the TV show Married With Children — but nothing quite compares to Father Aidan Wilcoxson’s singing a rather surprising number on this very podcast.Aidan’s Song is an insightful, moving, and often hilarious personal snapshot of a year in the life of... Read more

Hat tip to tmatt, apologies to the Eagles — and hoping for fruit from the Episcopal Assembly … DIASPORADO Diasporado, it’s time you come to your sensesYou been out buildin’ fences for so long nowThis land’s an odd oneGod knows you’ve had your seasonsBut things that once rent youAren’t dividing you now Don’t you build the house on diamonds, boyShe’ll fail you, she ain’t stableYou know the Queen of Hearts is always your best bet Now it seems to me... Read more

First, the old: Hellenism. At Sunday’s lunch I bumped into a man who had just returned from the “Hellenism & Orthodoxy” conference hosted by St Vladimir’s Seminary. Although this man is Greek, I’ve never understood him to be what I would call a Hyper-Hellenist. He said the conference was wonderful! He mentioned that one of his favorite quotes came from a representative of the Ecumenical Patriarch, who said (and I paraphrase): “Our expression of Orthodoxy should reflect not so much... Read more