Eastern Orthodoxy | Page 11

On the “Greeking” of the Church

27 February 2009 · by Fr. Ernesto Leave a Comment

In our ongoing conversation, Scott writes (again, with permission to post): What troubles me about that unanimity is the almost complete rejection (a sort of pseudo-Marcionism) of Jesus’ Jewishness. I think I can accept that the influx of Gentiles post-70 AD would lead to a “Greekening” of the Church. And certainly historical events and the […]

Would a first-century believer recognize the Orthodox Church?

26 February 2009 · by Fr. Ernesto 8 Comments

While Orthodox liturgy looks an awful lot like Jewish liturgy (Temple and Synagogue), some of Her theology and practices would appear completely foreign to a first century follower of the Messiah. So wrote Scott to me recently, and it is a legitimate comment and question. With his permission, I am reposting some of our conversation […]

Why do you make it so hard to become Orthodox? – part 03

25 February 2009 · by Fr. Ernesto Leave a Comment

OK, I understand much of what you have been saying, but why must I have a sponsor, or why is a baby expected to have godparents? Well, in the book of Hebrews, it says: For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of […]

Why do you make it so hard to become Orthodox? – part 02

24 February 2009 · by Fr. Ernesto 9 Comments

So, why is a catechumen encouraged to take on a “new” name when they are chrismated? What’s in a name? Taking on a new name is not necessary, but it is highly encouraged. The background to a name change goes all the way back to the beginnings of God’s special interactions with Abraham and continued […]

Why do you make it so hard to become Orthodox? – part 01

23 February 2009 · by Fr. Ernesto 17 Comments

Last week one of my readers asked me to comment on the year-long process to become Orthodox and be allowed to participate in the sacraments. Let me begin with a bit of contrast. Recently, an evangelical who worked on the Mike Huckabee presidential campaign, and is a blogger, wrote a posting listing ten problems with […]

Orthodox strengths and weaknesses

16 February 2009 · by Fr. Ernesto 5 Comments

Recently, InternetMonk asked a question of the several of us that form his panel of Liturgical Gangstas. The questions is listed below and then my answer. I know that there will be discussion on his blog, and there should be. However, I know that there are people who read this blog who do not necessarily […]

Mulligan Stew rather than Melting Pot

15 February 2009 · by Fr. Ernesto 1 Comment

What is Mulligan Stew? Well, there are a couple of definitions, but the one that I learned growing up was: Said to have originated in hobo camps during the early 1900s, mulligan stew is a sort of catch-all dish of whatever is available. It usually contains meat, potatoes and vegetables in just about any combination. […]

Groom’s side, Bride’s side

14 February 2009 · by Fr. Ernesto Leave a Comment

You can read it in any etiquette manual. In a ChristianÂ wedding, the left side is the bride’s side, while the right side is the groom’s side. But, where does this come from? Well, frankly, I cannot prove where this comes from. But, I have an interesting piece of evidence for you. Go into an Orthodox […]

The regulative principle

9 February 2009 · by Fr. Ernesto 6 Comments

Steve Scott just pointed out to me a fallacy in the regulative principle. The comment was to a post that I wrote back on 10 January. What is the regulative principle? Well, just to remind you, the Westminster Confession of Faith says: The light of nature showeth that there is a God, who hath lordship […]