Fishbowl Part Two: My Fellow Fish

In my previous post I was in no way being critical of my "fellow fish".  I believe that all that has come before in my life has prepared me for where I am today, especially my personal relationships.    As far back as I can remember I have always had a yearning for God.  Short of God making an appearance  before me  (as He has done for others)  and what I could learn from nature (as the Apostle Paul points out in Romans)  I would have  remained with my yearning and little else,  without the help of those people around me.  My mother is the obvious start.    As a young boy,  I remember seeing a picture of the Great Flood.  A hand is pushing upward through the waves, from the top of a mountain, with the rain coming down and the lightening flashing.  In the distance one could see the Ark, bobbing along on top of the waters.  I was horrified by this picture, but my mother  was quick to turn to the Gospel of John and relate how God loves us, and how Jesus had  gone to prepare a place for us.   This was the type of reassurance and nurturing that I got at home.  

 At the Baptist Church it was the same:  matriarchs like Louise Lewis  provided  spiritual nurturing.   My pastor, John Farrar,  spoke with dignity from the pulpit, and modeled a respect for God and the scriptures.  My youth pastor, Dennis Knight,  was a humble man  who  always pointed toward Christ.   We read the Bible, prayed, and were encouraged to memorize scripture.

As part of the Son House  I experienced the joys of Christian fellowship, was encouraged to open my Bible, and share its contents with the world around me.  Here was where I saw the  need for the Holy Spirit in our lives.   When  I think of Sandy Young in those days  the Apostle Paul comes to mind: his zeal, intelligence,  perseverance, conviction, and faith are an inspiration to me.  Mason Hutcheson is like an Old Testament patriarch: he exudes righteousness. 

 At Dallas Theological Seminary some names come to mind.  Walter Bodine  was a loving man, who used to frequently say, "all truth is God's truth".  Edwin Deibler was an older gentleman near the end of his days as  professor of church history.  He loved the early church fathers, and he had a light in his eyes that could only have come from God.  Beyond his words in class, he   provided me with valuable personal counsel.

I could go on and on about the people who have had an influence in my spiritual life.  I will always be indebted to these people, and countless others.   These people gave me all that they knew.    May God bless all these dear people, and have mercy on their souls.

But, what I have since  learned is that I was not completely equipped to live the Christian life.  I had much knowledge and experience.  And, there is no question that I could have done a better job at applying what I did know.  I am a sinner, and I prove that each day.

I was encouraged to go into spiritual battle, but I didn't have all the weapons.  St. Basil speaks of Adam in the garden: "...he preferred what appeared delightful to the fleshly eyes to the spiritual beauty and considered the filling of the stomach more valuable than the spiritual enjoyments.  And immediately he was outside paradise and outside that blessed way of life, becoming evil not from necessity  but from thoughtlessness."  

In the protestant world we are left to our own devices  to fight the good fight.  And, what we are constantly battling within ourselves is  thoughtlessness toward our God.   It is up to us to get to church, read our Bible,  decide to fellowship,  decide to give..... etc.  But, it is up to us.  And, generally speaking, there is no master plan for us to follow, nor is their anyone looking over our shoulder to make sure that we are  following through.   And, any mix of bad theology that we ascribe to only leads us to bad decisions, especially if we are well intentioned.

Orthodox believers have the tools to remain thoughtful about  God every second of the day.  There is a cycle of church life that corresponds to the year,  the season,  the week, the day.   These cycles keep us thoughtful and vigilant if we exercise due diligence.  Praying the Jesus prayer, with or without a prayer rope,  keeps Christ elevated in our hearts, and keeps us  mindful of our need for mercy.   Using the sign of the cross, which is documented as standard Christian practice back to the first century,  is an outward sign of an inward  disposition.  It is a reminder of our own spiritual need, as well as a witness to those around us.    Personal prayer, either extemporaneously or with the aid of the prayers of  some of the great saints, as well as personal Bible study, and readings from the lives of the saints, or the great sermons from the early church fathers,  all help to direct us toward our God.

St. John Chrysostom was the first to make note that the church is a hospital for sinners, not a hotel for saints.  He also said this:  "Be aware of  God's compassion, that it heals with oil and wine.  Do not lose hope of salvation.  Remember what is written--the one who falls shall rise again, and the one who turns away shall turn again, the wounded is healed, ,the one caught by wild beasts escapes, the one who confesses is not rejected.  For the Lord does not want the sinner to die, but to return and live.  There is still time for endurance, time for patience, time for healing, time for change."

Therapy for the person, body and soul,  is built into the life of the church .  Confession done in the Orthodox  manner (as opposed to the Latin version),  and  participation in the Divine Liturgy and the other services of the Church all aid in the day to day healing of the body and soul.   Everyone in the church has a spiritual father  (whether you are of the laity, the priesthood, or a bishop).  This person also provides spiritual therapy.  

But, let me stop.  I have outrun my story.  Next, Lord willing,  I will detail the path  that I traveled to get to the Orthodox Church. 

Through the prayer  of our holy fathers,  may God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit bless this, and all who read it.