Church History

Yeah, I haven't posted in a while.
It's for a specific reason. I got stuck.

For a while, my fingers punched away peacefully at the quiet keys, feeling a sense of positive release - and maybe even a positive addition to an important discussion.

I decided over 2 weeks ago that I wanted my next post to be a general overview of church history. I wrote a post....and then I stopped. I couldn't click "publish." I just couldn't.

My once peaceful fingers felt fretful and tense. The words seemed to stick in my throat like an unwanted fishbone swallowed too hastily.

And that's when I cornered it: I had been hasty. I had wanted to be compelling, perhaps even convincing, on a topic about which I'm not even qualified to write an introductory statement. Ah, the humility. Praise God for showing me.

I still want to write about church history....but this time, instead of trying to tell you "all there is to know" and to be convincing about it, I'll just share my personal experience and some of the things that grabbed hold of me. This is my humble experience, to which I'm sure volumes could be added.

Most people I know who converted to Orthodoxy did so in part because of church history. 

I suppose I’m no different, except that I didn’t really want to pull at that thread, because doing so threatens to unravel the fabric of much of my understanding about which church doctrine is true and trustworthy. 

Pulling at the “church history” thread is a slippery slope.

Growing up, I knew basic church history from the time of the Reformation onward. For many years, I assumed that all reasonable Christian people, those who really know God, agreed that the Reformation was the start of the “true church.” That somehow, the church had become irreparably marred before that time, and that our only hope (and God’s intent) was to withdraw from all "vain tradition" and focus solely on the Bible (sole scriptura), from which we could draw all REAL truth about Christ and avoid any pitfalls of “dead religion.”

Looking further back, however, raises some questions. Here is the another (simplified) timeline that is similar to the one used in an earlier post. I think it's helpful to have a visual:

Assuming the above is basically correct, here are some things I started to wonder about: 

Who changed what, and when?

The Catholic Church added to the faith throughout the years, as documented here. It is those additions that I, like most Protestants, used to rail against. It is those additions that fuel our passion to hold true to the Bible ALONE, lest we be swayed by add-on doctrines of all kinds. However, Protestants notably took away from the original faith. Some things I always assumed were "add-ons" (venerating Mary, praying to the saints, using icons) were actually original. When "cleaning house" after Catholicism, we did away with anything that smelled of dead tradition. Perhaps when we were pruning the faith, we cut and trimmed too much.

One way an Orthodox person would summarize this is as follows: the Catholic Church has added to the faith, the Protestant Church has removed things from he faith, but the Orthodox Church has maintained the original faith. 

When peeling back the layers of doctrine, it's remarkable to see that many of them I reject actually find their origin in the original church and (even more remarkably) have been maintained throughout several thousand years since that time.

Where do I fit - and is that a good place to be?

In the end, that title looming to the right that says "Thousands of Denominations" applies to me. I could give an argument about why MY denominational beliefs are sound. But - couldn't all those around me? How are any of us certain that we're standing on solid ground? I used to feel pretty good about the approach of "teaching the Bible" - surely you can't go wrong if you base everything off the inspired Word of God! But we all know of people and churches around us who have some pretty nutty ideas that they claim are "based on scripture." Who is right?

And what is more, I became amazed to see that the Orthodox church is teaching from the Bible as well...Each practice, belief and tradition can in some way be supported by Biblical text, even if it is also supplemented by Tradition. It's the lens you bring to the text that seems to make all the difference.

The stuff I feel icky about might actually be cornerstones of original faith. (!) 

It's interesting to note that some things we Protestants reject (like Papal infallibility) were added after the Schism between the Catholic and Orthodox church, but MANY things we reject were actually foundational beliefs since the beginning of Christianity - things like praying to saints, using icons, and a deep honor for Mary.  Could it be that we "threw out the baby with the bathwater"?

For roughly the first 1500 years of church history, even with the split of Catholic and Orthodox, ALL Christians believed things that we Protestants firmly reject. Some examples:

Mary:  The importance of Mary's role in the gospel story and our appropriate response to her.

Saints: The reality of the "communion of saints" including a dialogue via prayer with saints who have died, requesting that they pray to God for us. (It's not "worshiping saints" - a sticky misconception.)

Icons: The validity of the use of icons as a way to treasure our God and remember the inspiring stories of his saints, capturing in a photo what words alone could not do, and inspiring our visual senses.

Sacraments: The inherent importance of sacraments in our worship, and the affirmation that sacraments are sacred and are more than just "outward symbols."


When I, as a Protestant, firmly reject many or all of the above, I adhere to a Christianity that is a mere shadow of the original. 

Praise God for the Gems! 

I say this not to weaken the value of those gems that I HAVE been given: the truth of God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, and the life-saving work of the Holy Spirit. Praise God that we have those truths!

But in doctrine and practice, my Christianity doesn't look much like that original model. Perhaps it's time to go back home.

Prayer of the Optina Elders

I used to think that all prayer had to be original in order to be genuine and pleasing to God. But upon discovering the vast treasury of prayers in Orthodoxy, I can see how much I was missing by adhering to a firm policy of originality. The below morning prayer is a good example. It succinctly summarizes everything I need to ask for in the day, and it gently steers my wandering mind back to God's will. While I still value originality in some prayers, I am increasingly valuing the power in these ancient words - words that I wouldn't come up with on my own, but do my heart good.

Prayer of the Optina Elders

Grant unto me, O Lord, that with peace of mind I may face all that this new day is to bring.
Grant unto me to dedicate myself completely to Thy Holy Will.
For every hour of this day, instruct and support me in all things.
Whatsoever tidings I may receive during the day, do Thou teach me to accept tranquilly, in the firm conviction that all eventualities fulfill Thy Holy Will.
Govern Thou my thoughts and feelings in all I do and say.
When things unforeseen occur, let me not forget that all cometh down from Thee.
Teach me to behave sincerely and rationally toward every member of my family, that I may bring confusion and sorrow to none.
Bestow upon me, my Lord, strength to endure the fatigue of the day, and to bear my part in all its passing events.
Guide Thou my will and teach me to pray, to believe, to hope, to suffer, to forgive, and to love.

Amen

Akathist of Thanksgiving recording

My brother Fritz supplied me with the Akathist of Thanksgiving on my phone before my iE trip to Costa Rica last fall. I listened to it in the airport waiting for my flight, and I was blown away by not only the beauty of the singing, but also by the words that strike at the heart of our human experience in a remarkable way. It seems to be a living manifestation of the command to "give thanks in all circumstances." (1 Thes. 5:18)

One of my favorite parts goes like this:
"The storms of life are not frightening to one in whose heart shines the light of Your fire. All around the weather is bad; there is darkness, horror, and the howling wind. But in the soul of such a one there is peace and light - CHRIST IS THERE! And the heart sings alleluia."

Here is a youtube clip that, as far as I can tell, mirrors the recording I have on my phone. Listen when you have about a half hour to kill, preferably at a time when you can look out a window at the beauty of creation. :) Sunset is a nice time for this, but I listened at about 3:00 a.m. in an airport terminal and was just as touched. :)

Oh, and FYI, "Theotokos" refers to Mary. It literally means "God-bearer." (More on that one later...)

Can it really be TRUE?

Can it BE?

I think it's normal to be skeptical of the idea that one church claims to be "the true church" of Christ. Goodness, many denominations try to make that claim without a leg to stand on, and those of us who have enjoyed a "nondenominational" status get sick of hearing about it. 

But....what if, just as a child waking on Christmas morning to discover they really did get a pony - that unthinkable dream - what if we could imagine for a moment that the original church of our Lord and Savior still exists today? What if we can say prayers and sing songs that were spoken by the apostles in the early years of the Christian church? What if we could put down our defenses and trust without question (the way we trust the Bible!) that our church doctrine and tradition is sound and full of life. The first time I imagined this idea it took my breath away! I realized I had become a bit cold and calloused, assuming that it was just our lot in life to wrestle with doctrinal discrepancies, hoping to make the best of them with as much wisdom as we could muster. 

But when I was shown another path...it was such a delight. I hope, somehow, I can communicate that delight in small ways through this blog. For starters, it feels as though the secret wish I never dared to utter has been fulfilled: there is a Church that stands firm before me, as it has since its inception. My heart leaps to think that I could dare to trust that Church as a gift from God, just as I trust the Bible as being divinely inspired. 

I Always Thought we NEEDED Reform...

I always believed that the early church was a mystery to us, except what we are able to perceive by reading about it in the Bible. I believed that the church had been obscured and marred by man's own purposes - that the Catholic church took liberties outside of God's will and created a "works-based" religion that removed Christ from his rightful place at the center. 

The goal, then, was to "make it right." This is what the Reformers set out to do, and this was our task as well. Since sinful man will always stray away from the truth, we must "always be reforming" to be sure that we come back to our "true North" - the Bible. So, we're always reforming and re-reforming....until we've re-reformed ourselves into several thousand different Christian churches across the country. 

While I did always recognize that this was a little bit crazy, I didn't really think there was anything we could do about it. I mean, if the early church was still around, then there'd be no question of who is right, how to structure the church, and so on. But it's not around, so we just have to come before God with humble hearts and do the best we can using the Bible and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. (Interestingly, 1000 people can come at that same goal, using the same resources, and land on different results. And this is exactly what has happened.)

Here's the game-changer: What if the early church DOES still exist today? 

Each individual Orthodox church across the world can trace its lineage directly back to the time of the Apostles. (Can you believe that?) And what's more, while there HAVE been human failings and disputes, the original faith and the common practices of that faith seem to be completely in tact. Those disputes have not resulted in a broken and dismantled Orthodoxy. It's my understanding that they have been confronted and settled, with the common goal being to clarify existing doctrines and to defend original truth, but never to change them or add a new "more relevant" interpretation.  Even today, the original faith marches on. 

This sounds a good deal like Jesus's own description of his Church: "On this rock I shall build my church, and the gates of Hell shall not overcome it." 

This post, in a nutshell, is why I feel it's so important to explore Orthodoxy: If the claims of Orthodoxy are true, it's a game-changer for the rest of us.  

Illumined

We turn 

to shield our eyes from Truth

as from the bright blare of sharpest sunlight.

Comfort from our own hands. 

Familiar. 

But - 

a cautious glance (and then another - if we dare) 

will not burn us up, as we so quietly fear. 

We become illumined. 

We become. 

Prayer Before Reading the Holy Scripture

Illumine our hearts, O Master Who lovest mankind, with the pure light of Thy divine knowledge. Open the eyes of our mind to the understanding of Thy gospel teachings. Implant also in us the fear of Thy blessed commandments, that trampling down all carnal desires, we may enter upon a spiritual manner of living, both thinking and doing such things as are well-pleasing unto Thee. For Thou art the illumination of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God, and unto Thee we ascribe glory, together with Thy Father, Who is from everlasting, and Thine all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

- Orthodox Church in America 

"We can do whatever we want."

You know how some moments of your life seem to stick with you? It's as though your brain randomly selects those moments and locks them into a permanent holding tank that doesn't fade even as other memories slip away.

I have one such memory of a conversation that has since become meaningful to me as I consider Orthodoxy.

A church I once attended was going through a transitional period, to say the least. There had been some rough patches, but the leaders and the congregation truly wanted to serve God and the people around them.

I remember being part of a group of people who were discussing possible changes. How should we orient the seating? Where should the "stage" be? What about having couches in the back, or lounge style tables with tall chairs, like in a coffee shop? What about the art on the walls - perhaps something artistic that depicts God's love in a creative way?

One of the leaders - a young, cool guy who we all generally liked and respected - said this (and yes, I oddly remember his quote verbatim):

"We're starting fresh here. We can do whatever we want."

The implication of course was meant to be a positive one. We can really go the extra mile to make our service more "user-friendly." More "seeker-centered." More "relevant." Those are all good things, right?

But there's a dark and shifty danger in the idea that "We can do whatever we want." It is born when we start to imagine that we could (or should) use our own measuring stick to assess the worship of God. It grows out of infancy when we begin to apply our own wisdom and skills to define what worship truly should look like. And it becomes a tyrannical monster when we feel we've achieved (by our own decisions, our own choices, our own talent) the pinnacle of what church was really meant to be.

Of course, people largely have the best of intentions. At least, that's what I believe. But that's what's so sneaky about evil. It doesn't come charging in with a battering ram to announce itself. It slips quietly through the back door, perches imperceptibly on the shoulder, and whispers half-truths that have the sound of genius about them. If we let it in, it clouds the mind and sedates the heart, lulling us into submission when we didn't even realize there was an enemy about.

Today at Redeemer Pesbyterian, Rev. Cassidy spoke about "me-centered worship" vs. "God-centered worship." I appreciated the truth he shared and feel he is probably right on. What I wonder about is this: Are we even able to see just how rooted we've become in the "me-centered" worldview?

We're a culture of rebels. (Hey, that's not entirely bad!)

In a recent book (you'll have to forgive me - I believe it was Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy but I'm fuzzy on the details and can't go check for a reference at the moment) - the author of said book pointed out that in America, we have been brought up in a  worldview that champions revolution. Our great nation was born out of revolution (something we see as a positive) - our brave forefathers kicked off the constraints of England and worked to create their own, better state (again, a positive). The Reformation was seen similarly, and the Reformers became saintly figures (without the title, of course - because that would be too Catholic). :)

While other cultures might inherently have a deep respect for time-honored tradition, our culture was created by men and women who were willing to question the old ways. We are always striving for change - for the next best thing.

So, naturally, being an American leads me to have a natural propensity to value the new and to be cautious of the old.

It was amazing the first time I was able to step outside of myself for just a moment and to look at myself, at my neighbors, at our culture. We really do seem to be a culture of "reformers" and "revolutionists!"

Why am I bringing this up?

I think it's helpful to recognize that much of what we may deem to be "common sense" may actually be "cultural sense." We perceive only what we are able to perceive through the filmy lens of our cultural perspective.

So when a small internal voice says, "We can do whatever we want," it sounds a lot like wisdom to our culturally-trained ears.

"Whittled to fit the same shape..."

I want to close with another excerpt from The Illumined Heart. This little 100 page volume gives us a lot of good things to think about. :)

In a chapter titled "Why we don't like repentance," Frederica Mathewes-Green talks about the me-centered, consumer-based culture that we live in. Whether we like it or not, it colors how we see ourselves, God, and the world around us. We believe (because everbody seems to believe) that our personal happiness and wellbeing is central to our life's purpose. We are at the center.

Unfortunately, we can easily apply this same worldview when seeking God. And the scary thing is that we have no idea that we're doing it.

Please note that the emphasis added below is all mine.


...... 
Excerpt from The Illumined Heart by Frederica Mathewes-Green, pg. 33-35

I call this the Frosting Cycle. Imagine the person who decides to comfort herself with a can of chocolate frosting. For a whie it tastes very, very good, and she feels better - and then she starts feeling a good bit worse. Submerged in bad, icky feelings, what can she do? Then the can's bright label catches her eye, and she thinks, "Chocolate makes me feel better." 

This cycle of excessive consuming just adds to our lousy feelings. It is debilitating to see ourselves as passive, nonproductive gluttons. But even to the sickness of too-much we can't see any solution except buying, acquiring, seducing, viewing, eating, or drinking more. Self-esteem is wrecked by self-indulgence, because a million self-indulgences add up to a person you can't respect very much. 

Thus, when we face eternal questions like "Why is the world so messed up?" and "How am I part of the problem?" we have a reduced pack of available answers. The quick answer, "Buy something and forget about it," is supremely seductive. It's also a more available solution than it was for our forebears. 

Many well-intentioned sources try to help by addressing the symptom rather than the disease, offering advice on gaining self-esteem or losing guilt or becoming more assertive in our quest for extra frosting. A good bit of the self-help section of any bookstore will be filled with titles about consoling and pampering ourselves, self-pity titles, and advice on getting others to give us what we want. 

Unfortunately, if we move over to the Christian bookstore, we will find much the same tone. Here, I'm sorry to say, Jesus is too often offered as a consoler whose only purpose is to meet our needs. His focus is on us, and we are invited to take the role of unhappy child and bask in that doting care. 

I can understand where this approach comes from. It's true that Jesus is the only answer to this eternal problem, the problem of meaninglessness and loneliness. When the surrounding culture thinks in terms of "What can meet my need?" or "Where can I get the frosting I deserve?" it's natural for Christians to say, "What you're really looking for is Jesus. He does what frosting does, and more." 

But the basic attitude of "How can I get what I want?" has still not been questioned. It hasn't even been recognized. "Jesus" may be a different answer from the one given by advertising, entertainment, and the consumer culture, but it's been whittled to fit the same shape. 

.....

Though we have the best of intentions, modern Christians are at risk of using Jesus as the answer to the self-serving question of "How can I get what I want?" instead of putting ourselves aside and asking "What does God want of me?"

But there is hope...

While church in American continues to be shaped in quiet ways by the surrounding culture, there is a church that has transcended culture for several thousand years.

It can show us, if we dare to look, what worshiping God looked like in the original church, before it was tainted by our judgments and corrections.

When we "try on" this new church perspective, some of it will itch and scrape. But we shouldn't be persuaded by the voice on our shoulder that those feelings of discomfort betray a falsehood. In actuality, it's just the discomfort we find in trading one worldview for a completely different one.

After all, we must recognize that any "me-centered" message ("I should prioritize my own comfort") is more likely a dangerous enemy than a trusted friend.

Glory to Thee Oh Our God, A Glory To Thee! 

Nuggets of Truth

In Orthodoxy, there is the lovely idea that, since man is made in God’s image, we are literally incapable of being 100% wrong all the time. (woohoo!) J 

Because of that, there are nuggets of truth everywhere. So when we learn a tidbit about Hinduism that sounds fitting in our experience and our worldview, and so silently tempts us to question our faith, we need not become anxious. There is a ready explanation: 

That Hindu nugget is just one little piece of truth that we can embrace while rejecting the things we know to be false. And that nugget can be affirmed as a testament to the truth of Christ that springs up in all cultures and across all continents, unintended and undirected by the people who may be ignorant of its full message. 

Likewise, Orthodox would say there are likely nuggets of varying sizes throughout all religions. Perhaps the Buddhist nugget is quite small, while the Lutheran nugget is quite large. 

I find it helpful to think about these nuggets, because otherwise we might get locked into a debate about absolutes when it comes to "who is right" and "who is wrong." 

We can instead start on common ground by standing firmly on our "nuggets" and moving forward from there. 

Praise God for showering the earth in so many ways with His Truth and His Glory!