Strict interpretation or not strict interpretation, that is the question. Actually, it is the question that we have been debating for many years. With Judge Sotomayor the question came back to the fore. No, I am not going to take a position on the judge herself, lest you lose the point of these next couple […]
Archives for July 2009
His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP Announces the Establishment of the Convent of St. Thekla at Antiochian Village
It is with great joy that His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP announces the establishment of the Convent of St. Thekla at the Antiochian Village. The Acting Superior of the convent will be Mother Alexandra (Magan), and we welcome her with joy to the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America. Mother Alexandra will take up residency at the […]
Gidget the Chihuahua has left us
Father Orthoduck wishes to communicate the sad news that Gidget the Chihuahua, star of several Taco Bell commercials in the 1990’s has left us at the age of 15 after a massive stroke. News of the passing of Gidget was released yesterday evening through the Associated Press. News of the passing of Gidget rapidly spread […]
Duck Dodgers, to space and beyond . . .
Father Orthoduck can remember being a duckling and watching anxiously as now-Senator John Glenn orbited the Earth in Friendship 7 on 20 February 1962. At that point Father Orthoduck was still an immigrant duckling having arrived in the USA only 13 months before. He can remember the great wonder he felt when he watched those […]
May or may not be small hiatus in posting
My long-postponed outpatient surgery looks like it will finally take place. It had been postponed by the anesthesiologist for cardiac testing. The cardiac testing was eventually done and I was passed. Then, it took a while longer to re-schedule the elective surgery, and, now, finally, it will take place tomorrow. I have heard different things […]
Why do the Orthodox not use instruments in worship? Part 05
Father Orthoduck is happy to present a well-considered answer from another Orthodox reader, Mr. Nathan Speir. He is a chanter at my Orthodox parish, has a Bachelor of Music degree, and is also an instrumental composer. So, he is not against musical instruments, per se, but does consider that instruments do not belong in worship. […]
Why do the Orthodox not use instruments in worship? Part 04
Let me quote from a modern Jewish article on musical worship in the synagogue: . . . Until the nineteenth century, the prevalent modality of Jewish worship through musical expression was through the cantor or hazzan—the prayer leader who would improvise elaborate musical lines within the context of the musical guidelines passed aurally from generation […]
Why do the Orthodox not use instruments in worship? Part 03
Psalm 150 1 Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. 2 Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. 3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, 4 praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise […]
Why do the Orthodox not use instruments in worship? Part 02
I am happy to say that someone from the Western Rite Vicariate of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese made a comment on the part 01 post on instruments in worship. This is a very important post because it mentions that the Western Rite Vicariate is allowed to use the organ as part of their worship service. […]
Why do the Orthodox not use instruments in worship? Part 01
As most of you can tell, the server that hosts this blog was down, or at least unreliable, for several hours, so this is getting posted several hours later than normal. We often get asked why the Eastern Orthodox do not use instruments in worship. While it is true that some of the Greek Orthodox […]
