Alumnus Bradley Nassif (Master of Divinity, 1985) has a distinctive calling: he’s peacemaker, educator, and liaison between Orthodox Christians and Evangelical Christians. He also has a distinctive position: he’s the only Orthodox professor of Bible and theology working full time at an Evangelical institution of higher education, that is, North Park University in Chicago. Additionally, he has a distinctive background: born and raised in the Orthodox Church, Lebanese ethnically but a native U.S. citizen, he experienced an enlivening of his ancestral faith within the context of the Evangelical community.
The New Republichas described Dr. Nassif as “the leading academic expert on Eastern Orthodox and Evangelical dialogue.” He has been a keynote speaker for both theWorld Council of Church’s Orthodox-Evangelical dialogueand the internationalLausanne-Orthodox Initiative. He has published numerous articles and served on the editorial board of the five-volumeEncyclopedia of Christianity in the United States,which was edited by George Thomas Kurian and Mark Lamport, and contains a foreword written by Martin Marty (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016). Moreover, he serves as a consultant and writer on Orthodox subjects forChristianity Today(CT) magazine, and he has also served as an Orthodox consultant forThe New York Times, with his comments being published in that newspaper. As well, annually, he administers a grant from the John C. Kulis Foundation, titled, “Engaging Orthodoxy,” which is designed to strengthen Orthodox witness in America.
Most recently Dr. Nassif published an article in the December 2017 issue ofCT, in recognition of the 500th anniversary of theProtestant Reformationthis year. Titled, “The Reformation Viewed from the East,” the article assesses Martin Luther’s famous doctrine ofsola fide(=faith alone), and encourages a re-examination of the doctrine by both Orthodox and Evangelicals “with more informed negotiations free from awkward encounters and inhospitable historic conditions.” In the article, Dr. Nassif finds a possible touchstone of unity between the Orthodox and Evangelicals in the writings of Mark the Ascetic (c. 430–535), in particular in a treatise titled, “On Those Who Think They Are Made Righteous by Works.” (Read the full CT article here.)
Dr. Nassif and his wife, Barbara, are parents to their daughter, Melanie, who is studying theology at Union University (TN). Brad and Melanie are chanters and, with Barb, sing in the choir at Holy Transfiguration Antiochian Orthodox Church in Warrenville, IL.
St. Vladimir’s Seminary thanksChristianity Todayfor its permission to post Dr. Nassif’s article, “The Reformation Viewed from the East,” onsvots.edu.
On December 3, 2017, our alumnus,Archbishop Benjaminvisited our campus. His Eminence is the archbishop of San Francisco and the West in the Orthodox Church in America and now presides atHoly Trinity Cathedral in San Francisco. Currently four seminarians here at St. Vladimir’s hail from His Eminence’s Diocese.
Metropolitan Tikhon’s remarkable legacy included his extremely difficult labor as head of the Church of Russia from 1917, at the start of the Bolshevik Revolution, until his repose in 1925. It also included his earlier evangelical ministry as head of the Russian Orthodox Diocese in North America in the early twentieth century.
The Church of Russia glorified Metropolitan Tikhon as a saint in 1989, and Orthodox Christians of many jurisdictions in North America equally venerate him. During his tenure in North America, he envisioned a future Orthodox Church in the New World, that would include all the national Orthodox communities—Russian, Arabic, Greek, Serbian, Romanian, et cetera—united in one Archdiocese.
During his visit Archbishop Benjamin served the Divine Liturgy in Three Hierarchs Chapel and delivered a homily, reading the Salutatory Address offered by St. Tikhon on December 23, 1898, in San Francisco, upon his accession to the Episcopal See of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. (Read the entire text of St. Tikhon’s address, titled, “On Cooperation in the Church,” here.)
We thank our alumnus, Archbishop Benjamin, for his visit, and wish His Eminence “Many Years.”
On Sunday, October 22, 2017, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) awarded our Alumnus, Protopresbyter Leonid Kishkovsky, the miter, in recognition of his many years of service to the Church of Our Lady of Kazan, Sea Cliff, NY, and to the OCA. The honor was granted to Fr. Leonid during the Divine Liturgy, which was concelebrated by His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), and His Eminence, the Most Reverend Michael, archbishop of New York, and of New York and New Jersey. Archbishop Michael placed the miter on Father Leonid during the service, on behalf of the Holy Synod. The day also marked the parish’s 75th Anniversary, so additionally, a Synodal Gramota was presented to Fr. Leonid, the Parish Council, and the faithful of Church of Our Lady of Kazan at the conclusion of the Liturgy.
Father Leonid was born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1943. His parents fled from Warsaw with him in 1944, just before the Polish Warsaw uprising, and they became war refugees in Germany. They immigrated to the United States as Displaced Persons and settled in Los Angeles, California, becoming members of the Holy Virgin Mary parish.
After completing undergraduate studies in history and political science at the University of Southern California, Fr. Leonid studied at St. Vladimir’s Seminary. He and his wife, Alexandra (Mimi) Koulomzine, met at a student retreat at the seminary and married in 1969. Ordained as a priest in November 1969, Fr. Leonid was assigned to San Francisco’s Holy Trinity Cathedral to build an English-language community in the Cathedral’s St. Innocent Chapel. He and Mimi were actively engaged in Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) campus work with college students in the San Francisco area.
In 1974 Fr. Leonid was called to serve the Church of Our Lady of Kazan in Sea Cliff, and at the same time to work in the Chancery of the OCA in Syosset. During his long service at the Chancery Fr. Leonid has represented the OCA in Orthodox, ecumenical, and inter-religious settings. He has been President of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA; Moderator of Religions for Peace (international) and Religions for Peace USA; Moderator of Christian Churches Together in the USA; a member of the World Council of Churches governing bodies; and a member of the Board of Directors of International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC). He continues currently asDirector of External Affairs and Interchurch Relations for the OCA.
On Sunday, October 8, 2017, in the Orthodox Church of Ss. Peter and Paul in the city of Siemiatycze, a historic event for the Orthodox regional community as well as the entire Orthodox Church in Poland occurred. Archimandrite Warsonofiusz (Doroszkiewicz), became Bishop of Siemiatycze. His was the first episcopal ordination in the 586-year-old history of the parish.
Archimandrite Warsonofiusz (then Fr. Basil Doroszkiewicz) graduated from St Vladimir's with a Master of Theology degree in May 1987. His thesis was "The Problem of Unification of the Easter Orthodox Chalcedonian and Oriental Orthodox Non-Chalcedonian Churches."
On the eve of October 7, the new bishop, who is under the omophorion of His Eminence Metropolitan Sava, met with the Holy Council of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in Poland. First, the decision made by the Holy Council of Bishops of Church on August 24, 2017, regarding the appointment of Archbishop of Warsonofiusz as the Bishop of Siemiatycze was read. A service of thanksgiving (Molieben) followed, and then Archimandrite Warsonofiusz addressed the worshippers:
Your Eminence Wladysko, and Fathers, Your Excellencies!
With great emotion and inner fear, I stand before your Eminence and wise archpriests who gathered in this temple. My anxiety is to you, a spiritually experienced bishop, who knows and understands.
In accordance with the decision of the Holy Council, I was chosen to accept, through the chancellery of the great, saintly, and awakening of the service of the Archbishopric. The merciful God calls me to a new, heavenly and very responsible ministry.
How can I answer this decision of our Orthodox Church? First and foremost, I confess to you with all my heart the extreme unworthiness and human impotence. As the Apostle Paul says, "I shall not glory for myself, except of my weakness" (2 Cor 12.5). Understanding my unworthiness and the depth of the episcopal service disturbs me and confuses my sinful soul.
At the beginning of my monastic life I promised obedience to the Holy Church. So today I can once again testify my readiness to follow this path. With full humility I accept the will of God, the decision of Your Eminence, the Council of Bishops of our Orthodox Church, and enter the new path of the Archbishop's ministry.
Looking back on my life’s path, I can continually thank God for everything I have experienced and received from life. For the multiple mercies I did not deserve. Thank you for the people who God has sent to me, who have solidified and taught me. After graduating from high school I decided to join the Warsaw Seminary. To this day, my venerable teachers, such as Fr. Mikołaj Lenczewski, Sr., Mikołaj Sendulski, Piotr Domańczuk, Ks. Vyacheslav Rafalski, and Fr. Athanasius Semeniuk. In 1976 our seminary was moved to the monastery of St. Onufrego in Jabłeczna. This was my first meeting with the Orthodox monastery, at which time the vicar and rector of the seminary was Archimandrite Sava, the present Metropolitan of our Orthodox Church.
In 1979 God again brought me to the monastery of St. Onufrego, but already in the role of a monk. The monastery became my spiritual haven, where under my Wladysko’s direction I began to learn the monk's life.
Years spent in the seminary and the Christian Theological Academy gave me the opportunity to start exploring theology. With the blessing of our clergy authorities I continued to study theology abroad.
In those days, I had the opportunity to learn and gain spiritual wisdom, and knowledge and life experience, from the great fathers of the Orthodox Church. Protopresbyter John Meyendorff expounded the mysteries of patristic theology in front of me. Father Alexander Schmemann deepened my liturgical knowledge.
Divine Providence also directed me to Greece. God has allowed me many times to go to the Holy Mountain of Athos, where I had the opportunity to meet the great old Paisius the Hagrid and other wise monks. Their ascetic life has become for me a living and true testimony of the action of Divine Providence and the endless love of God to man. Their activities confirmed me on the belief that a true monk should reject his own will and stay in constant prayer.
I also recollect fond memories when I return to my time in the Warsaw seminary. Therefore, I cordially greet all of my colleagues and graduates who are currently engaged in pastoral work in our Orthodox Church.
With great pleasure and joy, I tried to fulfill the duties entrusted to me by your Eminence in the established monastic community in the Sakas. Under the protection and patronage of the great martyr and miracle worker Dmitri Solovinski, I devoted myself to the service of the local parish and the monastic fold. I was fortunate enough to pray, and to create a community in this sacred place for almost ten years. Thanks to these years, I gained invaluable pastoral experience in contact with our faithful.
With the blessing of your Eminence, I dedicate my humble work to the good of our Orthodox Church. Under the care of the Supra Icon of the Mother of God and with the active help of the governors of Lavra and the brothers there, I was able to deal with all this.
You too, Wladysko, sent me three times to the Holy Land, where I could experience the great miracle: the descent of the Holy Fire. It was a special blessing and happiness that will remain in my heart and soul for the rest of my life.
I think back to my childhood. I cannot but remember my dear parents today, Wlodzimierz and Helena. They are the seed of love for our Orthodox faith. They were the true heroes of the spirit and servants of the Church of Christ. I give them my low obeisance.
Greatly contributing to the process of my development and close to my heart is the late Archpriest Athenazy Semeniuk. His boundless love for the people serves me as an example of pastoral service. I will always remember his instruction and guidance as a humble and good shepherd.
All my life and all the events in it were filled with spiritual contact and saving me wisdom from each of today's bishops. Distinguished Archbishops and Fathers, all of you are dear to my heart, thank you for the help and support you have shown me in difficult times.
Your Eminence! I would especially like to thank you for the honor and the choice of me as Bishop of our highly knowledgeable Orthodox Church. You, as a wise and loving Father, have looked after me, directed me and raised me unworthy—and here I am—I am sinful standing before you, and I only dare hope for your archpastoral prayers so that I may carry the cross worthily and properly. Church of Christ, hope in me.
Divine Providence decided that my ordination fell on the day of the memory of the great St. Sergius of Radonezh. He is also a patron of the Orthodox Theological Institute in Paris, where I also studied.
Before his death St. Sergius instructed his disciples: "Brothers, take care of yourself. First of all, have the fear of God, the purity of the soul, and the undying love. " These words speak to me— as a newly elected bishop —with a loud echo and as a main motto.
We pray to you, the Blessed One, the Most Merciful Archbishops and Pastors of Christ, the Orthodox monks living on our earth and those carrying on their monastic work on Holy Mount Athos, and all of the monks in this temple today; the heavens and the Advocate, and especially to St. Sergius of Radonezh, for I am very sinful and weak.
Pray for the descent of the Holy Spirit on me, who am unworthy and sinful. I ask for intercession and support so that I can serve God and our Orthodox people in a dignified and impeccable manner.
It is good to ask, at certain stages of our life, who we are. It is an opportunity to take stock of oneself, what you are doing, and how you are measuring up to the vision or vocation that you have. Each of us must do this as a person, and we must corporately do it as a body of persons – the Church. In this instance, we are doing it as that local body of the Church that is known as the OCA. Who are we?
I teach a class at St. Vladimir’s Seminary called “Orthodox Christian Identity,” and it is a good opportunity to explore some of the things we take for granted about ourselves. We look at how we define “Orthodox” – sometimes in opposition to “the West”, sometimes through external elements such as vestments, sometimes through intricate theological definitions, sometimes through liturgy. And we think about where we would most *want* to see Orthodoxy, in other words, what really matters most about Orthodox Christian identity. And that inevitably comes to: the right knowledge and praise of God, through his Son Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit – all expressed through a right and loving relationship with people and with the world. In short, it means being a true Christian!
If we want to come to the essence of our identity, we want to tease apart the essentials from the non-essentials. But this is not as easy as it sounds. I will take here just one example that has accompanied the entire history of the OCA, namely the “ethnic” question: the OCA has decisively Slavic roots. To what extent should these roots be part of our ongoing life and identity as Orthodox Christians in America?
What makes this a complicated question, apart from the crucial pastoral issues (the needs of the people, on the ground), is that the Orthodox Church, and more-so all the local Orthodox churches, are products of history. They are all embedded in cultures. This makes it more difficult to identify some of the “non-essentials.” Some would say that all ethnic trappings are in that category of expendables, but how realistic is that? All theology, and all right-living, is expressed in specific contexts, in specific times and places. Would you strip off the ethnic and cultural trappings of the Gospel narrative? Our Lord spoke in terms that could be understood by farmers and fishermen: sheep, seeds, and nets. He spoke in terms of first-century near-eastern social customs too, and we have to come to know some of those customs if we are to understand his parables.
The marks of history – the influence of Greek culture on our theology and our Creed, the influence of Jewish customs on our liturgy – are indelible. We simply do not have theology without them. Likewise, think of the inevitability of Syrian, Slavic, and other cultural vessels – earthen vessels – that carry the treasure of the gospel (see 2 Cor. 4:7).
All of this is a long way of saying that when we consider OCA identity and vision, we are right to ask questions of how long, how much, and in what ways our Slavic heritage is to remain a part of who we are. But the centuries of our life in America have shown that they do not have a simple or uniform answer.
Perhaps in our day, the question has changed, or is changing in ways that we ought to encourage.
It’s no longer a matter of whether we are Russian, or were Russian; it’s no longer about whether we hold on to the musical, iconographic, liturgical traditions that are particularly Slavic. They’re with us; they are beautiful and time-tested vessels of the Right Praise of God. Even the language issue is slowly dissolving, as more and more parishes rightly adopt the language of the community, which is in most cases English. The question now is about attitude and attachment. Just as the problem with money and riches isn’t the stuff itself – as Luke 18 shows us, it is our attachment to the stuff – so it is with Slavic forms. They can be cherished vehicles, but not idols.
In my current parish, where I help direct the choir, we are talking about reintroducing bits of Slavonic, for pastoral reasons. There were times when this would have been seen by some people as a sad retreat to the past; I see it as a healthy and unforced move forward, with the past. “Forward with the past” describe a lot of what Orthodoxy is about.
As we pursue a genuine Orthodoxy in our land, it helps to remember that, really, there is no other “American Orthodoxy” than the Orthodoxy that bears its ethnic roots. In fact, what can be more American than a Church with multinational roots?
My hope and prayer for the OCA in the 21st century is that it is well on the road to a healthy – detached, free, realistic – relationship with its roots. We had to go through strongly Slavic periods. Then, especially in the lead-up and aftermath of our autocephaly in 1970, we had to be in turmoil about casting off our Slavic identity. Here we are now, in post-modern America. Let’s deal with it as sanely as we can, and let’s always keep our eye on the prize: the right praise of God, stemming from and leading to a God-pleasing life in service to the world. That’s what it’s about. And as we keep our gaze fixed on Our Lord, let’s shun idols wherever we find them.
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Dr. Peter Bouteneff (SVOTS ’90) teaches courses in theology, patristics, and spirituality at the St. Vladimir’s Seminary, where he is Associate Professor in Systematic Theology and Director of Institutional Assessment. After taking a degree in music in 1983 he lived and worked in Japan, and traveled widely in Asia and Greece. Together with Prof. Nicholas Reeves, he is co-directing the Arvo Pärt Project, an exciting collaboration with the great Estonian Orthodox composer.
This piece first appeared as a publication on the OCA Wonder Blog. Our thanks goes to the Managing Editor, Mr. Andrew Boyd, for permission to republish this material.
This week, as our nation commemorates the terrorist attack of 9/11 and reels from the tremendous economic, ecological, and emotional destruction wreaked across the southern part of the U.S. from bothHurricane HarveyandHurricane Irma, one particular alumnus needs to be recognized: Father Raphael Barberg, who is Associate Pastor atSt. Elijah Orthodox Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Why? Because he was a first responder both at Ground Zero sixteen years ago, and in Houston shortly after Hurricane Harvey hit on August 25 this summer, as a Team Member of theInternational Orthodox Christian Charities’ (IOCC)Emergency Response Network known as the “Orthodox Frontline.”
During the aftermath of 9/11, Father Raphael utilized his counseling expertise in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), both while at Ground Zero and in the family centers set up around New York City.
In Houston recently, Father Raphael showed up onsite in various locations to meet volunteers and to provide homeowners with emotional and spiritual care (ESC), while occasionally offering a helping hand with the continuous grunt work of repairing damage done to dwellings. He spent the majority of his time at the Red Cross shelter at George R. Brown Convention Center providing ESC, and both his pastoral training and experience as a former Police Training Instructor and a former Police Lieutenant in the City of Buffalohelped him to serve others in a unique way.
While in Houston, he posted several bits on his Facebook page, which provide a brief but fascinating, touching, and sometimes humorous log of his days and nights there:
August 29:Left Oklahoma City this afternoon and currently in Dallas rendezvousing with other IOCC Frontline clergy. We are planning our entrance into Houston tomorrow. Prayers requested.
Sept 2:People are asking how I am doing in the work we are doing. Thank God it is a blessing to serve others. Don't have time to reply to all the nice notes. My apologies for not being able to give you more at this time. But the situation is improving here.
Sept 4:Flood victim Mustafa Herby: “The worst day in Texas,” he said, practicing his drawl, “is a better day than anywhere else in the world.” God bless these folks!
Sept 4:I missed being at St. Elijah's yesterday, but what a blessing to be with the good people at St. George, in Houston, as they lick their wounds and minister to their community.
Sept 4:The parishes here, which are victims themselves, are not letting anything stop them from serving their neighbors.
Sept 5:Nathanael turns 7 today. I'm sad to be away from you buddy, but Poppa loves you and will be home soon....
Sept 6:Can't say enough about cleanup buckets. Received joyfully and gratefully from residents who need every little bit of hope we can muster to give them.
Sept 6:Our team's gutting homes. Hard dirty work, but what a blessing to the victims.
Sept 7:[Eve of the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos] "Thy nativity, O Virgin, has proclaimed joy to the whole universe! The Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, has shone on thee, O Theotokos! By annulling the curse, He bestowed a blessing. By destroying death, He has granted us Eternal Life!"
Sept 8:Hygiene kits are still desperately needed. And deodorant. LOTS of deodorant.
Sept 8:Missing Liturgy for the Feast due to “logisticizing.” If you can go to Church, please do so and pray for me. Heading home later today.
Sept 9:Back home after a 10-day deployment with IOCC. I cannot be prouder of the work being done down there, and trust that the Bravo team will continue that foundation. Folks, I've seen first hand how the money donated to IOCC makes a difference. I've seen the hygiene kits and muck-buckets received eagerly and put to good use. The good work you do, does make a difference in your neighbor's lives!
Sept 9:Our partner Church World Service has informed us there is a tremendous need for hygiene kits and clean-up buckets to replenish the supply at the warehouse. Instructions on creating and shipping kits can be found here: iocc.org/kits.
Sept 11:The following list of Orthodox Christians who lost their lives in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks may not be complete, but it is the list that has been most widely circulated during the past decade. “With the saints give rest, O Christ, to the souls of your departed servants, where there is no pain, no sorrow, no sighing, but life everlasting!”
Our seminary community thanks Father Raphael for his inspiring example, and we wish him Godspeed and Many Years!
P.S. Father Raphael also offered counseling following the traumatic mass shootings at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University, and in the wake of the destruction of Hurricane Sandy.
P.P.S. Our seminary community is still collecting for IOCC’s work in Texas, following Harvey’s harsh landing, and we’ll announce the final figure representing donations soon. If you would like to donate to IOCC, which is doing its part to assist all those adversely affected, please visit www.iocc.org.
Alumna Nancy Holloway is a retired chaplain and adjunct professor from Berea College. She has a Master of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School, and she is the first woman to earn a Doctor of Ministry degree from St. Vladimir’s Seminary (Class of ’91). She attendsSt. Andrew Orthodox Church in Lexington, KY.
Dr. Holloway recently published a book,The Maternity of Mary, the Mother of God, which she wrote for use in small group study, and an excerpt from that book is currently featured on our seminary’sSynaxis Blog. She has also published articles in several journals.
In the below article, we’re offering a glimpse into her current ministry to women at a local jail—and how she’s discovered God’s presence in that space.
“Women in Prison: On the Glory Road”,
“Do the time, don’t let the time do you.”
These are the words I hear from the women I visit each week at the local jail. The ones who come out for Bible study are the ones who have chosen to believe that our time together can be the beginning of an experience that can offer profound meaning to their lives. They are open to the possibility that God is trying to reach them, and they are willing to let go and be found. Some are more serious, committed, and further along in their journey than others, but all would share in the perspective that a jail cell can be a “womb of transformation.”
When I open the Bible study session every Monday, I suggest to the women that they see their cup half full rather than half empty: even in jail, there surely are some good things in their lives. They share their statements of gratitude with the group. More often than not, a number of them will say, “I’m grateful for being here,” or, “I thank God that he put me here,” or, “I’m thankful I’m away from the drug dealer” (or the abusive husband, the battles with family members, addictions, prostitution, and so forth). For them, prison offers a “time out” to enable them to begin to go in a different direction.
Lessons I offer address several major themes, presented in various ways and using many different scriptural references. These themes include: prayer, God’s infinite love, forgiveness, deification, and suffering. As I relate the themes to their lives, I place a strong emphasis on getting into a church (preferably Orthodox) when they finish their prison terms. I bring in icons of the feast days, when appropriate, and give every woman I encounter an icon of Christ, with a scriptural verse on the back: ”Be not afraid, for I am with you” (Is 41.10).
We commence each study session with a Psalm. (I encourage them to read a Psalm daily.) Then I include about 6–7 Scriptures related to the lesson’s theme, as well as several other readings, either from contemporary sources or from the church or desert fathers. Each lesson also includes a beginning prayer and an ending corporate prayer, with each woman voicing her special request to God, while praying in shared concern for others.
I strongly emphasize that our time of prayer presents a great opportunity to grow in conversation with God. And, I urge those with separate cells (being “high risk” prisoners) to do as the desert fathers say: “Stay in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything.” I urge them to pray for each other, their families, the guards, the judges, their victims,andtheir enemies.
At the close of each session, I ask them to tell me one thing they would want me to pray for, to be included in the time of my private prayer, when I pray for my own children. Their requests have included: “Pray that my little children will remember me when I get out”; “I want to be given wisdom to see my role in life and what God wants me to do when I leave here”—this came from a woman whose child was murdered; “Protect me from those negative influences in my life”; “Ask God to protect and nourish me”; “More than anything, I want to do God’s will’’; and finally, “Pray that I won’t give birth to my baby in jail.”
Sometimes I sense, in the prison, that I'm entering the “real world,” full of real people who have hit bottom, who admit they have done wrong: facing it, owning it, and now willing and eager to grow, and hungry and thirsty for righteousness. When I leave the jail and head home—encountering the chimera surrounding me: myriad addictions, denial, false selves, rampant materialism, and an unholy drive for sensual satiety, I sometimes wonder: Who are the real prisoners?
Workers in prison ministry whom I know always stress that they receive far more than they give. I certainly have experienced that in my decade of ministry to the women at the Fayette County Jail.
TheNational Boy Scout Jamboree, held July 19–July 28, 2017, drew more than 35,000 scouts from across the country (and globe) to West Virginia, for training, service, and loads of fun—and our Alumnus, Archpriest Eric Tosi (M.Div., 1996), played a major role in that hugely rewarding effort. Father Eric acted as Assistant Chief Chaplain at the gathering, which means he organized and assigned 87 other chaplains, dealt with the procedures, and interacted with the leadership of scout activities during that week.
In this interview, he describes his involvement with the scouts throughout his childhood up to the present, and gives us a window into this year’s national jamboree: witnessing youth grow in confidence, faith, and strength as they tackle everything from archeological restoration projects, to building houses, to cleaning schools—over 100,000 volunteer hours in 10 days!
And, at the next national jamboree in 2021, Fr. Eric will be even more heavily involved. He has been asked to be the Chief Chaplain for the boy scouts. And, he’s calling for helpers for that event! (Chaplains and/or priests may contact him:egtosi@oca.org.)
Enjoy Father Eric’s interview, as he provides a bird’s-eye view of scouting both in words and images—literally, since he was also able to survey the event from the vantage point of a helicopter!
INTERVIEW
1. When did you begin your involvement with the Boy Scouts of America, and for how many years did you participate as a scout? Did your involvement go back as far as being a Cub Scout?
I started as a cub scout when I was 7 years old and was involved in scouting until I was a senior in High School. I received the Arrow of Light award (which means I completed all of the Cub Scout/Weblo requirements).
I made Eagle Scout in my junior year of High School (the highest award in the Boy Scouts), and I also earned the Alpha Omega medal. I was also a senior patrol leader, Brotherhood member of the Order of the Arrow (the Scouting Honor Society).
Actually my son became the 8th Eagle Scout in the family when he finished the award requirements in his junior year. So scouting is a big part of my family.
2. Is your highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America "Eagle Scout"?
Yes...cant go any higher!
3. I see you served as Chaplain at the National Boy Scout Jamboree in Summit, WV, in 2013, and at the World Scout Jamboree in Yamaguchi, Japan in 2015; now you've just attended theNational Boy Scout Jamboree July 19–July 28, 2017, at the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve in West Virginia. How are the National and World Jamborees related?
The National Jamboree happens every four years and is now in the new home at the Reserve. It is a remarkable place in that it was a converted strip mine and now has become a nature reserve with every activity you can imagine. The World Jamboree happens every four years, but like the Olympics it occurs during off years, so every two years you either have the national jamboree or the world jamboree. The next world jamboree will be 2019 at the Summit, and I will be heavily involved with that as well. At the next national jamboree in 2021 I will be the chief chaplain for the Boy Scouts.
4. What's been your role at these jamborees? Has it been the same each year, i.e., as Chaplain? And, what do chaplains do at these Jamborees?
A chaplain serves in an important role for scouting, as a scout is "reverent," in accordance with theBoy Scout Law. Part of a Scout’s duty is his duty to God. So we help connect the youth to their faith traditions.
But we also serve as a counselor, advisor, and worship leader. Most of our work is pastoral, in that there are always a host of issues and concerns regarding the scouts. You get 35,000 and 5,000 staff together in one place: well you can imagine the pastoral challenges! I was constantly on the move throughout the camp dealing with issues ranging from getting a scout to a local hospital, because a relative had suffered a serious heart attack, to bullying, to working with Orthodox scouts on earning their “Duty to God” badges. On top of that we had Vespers one evening and Liturgy on Sunday morning.
As well, all the chaplains took turns serving in the hospitals and medical centers that had been set up. Those were often intense, as kids came in with all sorts of medical matters, ranging from broken bones to medication issues. We also interacted with the mental health personal and dealt with issues such as homesickness as well as more serious issues. Plus we worked with staff and dealt with their concerns, which ranged from delivering news about a loved one reposing, to overwork and stress. Personally, I dealt with just about every problem you can think of, while meeting and working with a whole number of amazing scouts and adults.
As Assistant Chief Chaplain, I had a more managerial role. I helped manage 87 chaplains from all denominations at this jamboree, organizing and assigning them. I also dealt with procedures and interacted with the leadership of other scout activities. Moreover, I worked with the many other denominations (about 50 or so represented), checking on activities and assigning resources as needed. Additionally, I acted as the emergency contact person and had a team ready to deal with emergencies.
I have been asked to be the Chief Chaplain at the next National Jamboree, and I will deal with recruitment, organization, and the operations of the entire jamboree as regards chaplain services. This usually takes over a year of work prior the Jamboree. So any one who is interested in being a chaplain, let me know, as I can use the help!
5. What's your most memorable moment from this year's Jamboree?
My best memory was serving the Liturgy and having over 100 Orthodox scouts gather from around the country (and the world, as we had Orthodox Christians from Ethiopia, Egypt, Azerbaijan and Poland), and being able to bring them together. Since we comprise a small number among all scouts, many of us Orthodox never get to meet one another, so it wonderful to gather. And they were all shocked that in many cases I knew personally either their priest or their parents! Those relationships form a strong connection between scouting and Orthodoxy.
My other most memorable moment occurred when the scout leadership invited me to survey the site by helicopter. It was amazing to see the size of the Summit and the entire nature reserve!
6. What positive growth have you noted over time in the organization of the Boy Scouts, as witnessed at the jamborees? Does anything strike you in particular?
The amazing thing is to watch these young men become self-reliant and confidant. They look so young (and they are) but as the days go by, I watched them tackle everything from zip lines, to climbing a wall, to kayaking, to STEM projects. They are not the same when they leave the jamboree.
Another amazing aspect is that every scout does a day of service. So think about this: 35,000 scouts spread throughout West Virginia and working for a full day, on everything from archeological restoration projects, to building houses, to cleaning schools. Over 100,000 volunteer hours in 10 days! That is astounding. When they get off the bus and they are hot and sweaty and tired...they have the biggest smiles on their faces and can't wait to tell everyone what they got to do that day. That is extraordinary, and something we can all emulate in our lives.
7. Over the course of the years, you've continued your involvement with the Boy Scouts. Can you tell me why your involvement is important personally for you? And, how do you continue to contribute to the Boy Scouts of America by your presence at the jamborees? Are you involved in any other Boy Scout activities on a regular basis, besides the jamborees?
Scouting gave me so much personally and contributed to the person I am today. I am giving back to them. Granted, sleeping in a tent after a hot, sweltering day is not for everyone, but to me, it is great fun. I love being around the youth and helping them to develop into the next generation of leaders. I am energized by being with them and by seeing some amazing young men being developed. So if I can contribute back, then I am doing my duty. There is a common phrase you see everywhere (It was on a big sign in the Eagle Scout area.): once an Eagle Scout, always an Eagle Scout. That is how we are trained and wired; we give back to our community. Just read the statistics on the accomplishment of Eagle Scouts, and you will be amazed at what they have done. I am proud that this part of my family and my own tradition.
I am involved on a local level to a degree. Once my son graduated high school, I stepped back to allow the other parents to have the same experience with their own son. But I still advise and assist as I can. Clergy have a hard time, because when the scouts are out on the weekends, we are in church doing the services, so we have to find that balance.
Currently, I am working with theEastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting(EOCS), which is under theAssembly of Canonical Bishopsand going through some changes. I also have begun work withDESMOS, which is the International Orthodox Scouting movement. So my work is now on a national and international level.
I would encourage all former scouts out there to get involved with your local troops. I especially would like to recruit some younger clergy who have scouting experience to start working with me, so the next generation of Orthodox scouts can continued to be served.
8. Tell me how your involvement with the Boy Scouts, from the days of your youth up to the present, is entwined with your spiritual life as an Orthodox Christian. How do the influences of each overlap and/or enhance each other?
A Scout is reverent (part of the 12 points of theScout Law), and so my faith was always intertwined within scouting. I had the opportunity to earn the different religious medals and learn about my faith.
As an adult leader and priest, I’m required to give in a different way, and the spiritual aspect takes a new turn: I become part of the scouts lives, both Orthodox and non-Orthodox scouts. (Scouting is a great complement to any youth program. The Methodist Church, for example, has made it their official teen program.) All scouts look to me as an example, and I pray I can live up to that ideal.
Also, I have chaplain friends in every denomination, and we look forward to getting together and working with the youth. (You should witness the routine I have with my roommate and friend for the past 2 jamborees, Rabbi Joseph!) We chaplains all support one another, and we remember: this not about us but about the scouts, the youth. We are raising the next generation of leaders and are humbled and motivated by that thought.
If you know the music of Arvo Pärt, chances are you like it. A lot. In fact, chances are, you connect with it on a very deep level, perhaps a “spiritual” one. But love him or not, the fact is that Arvo Pärt is the most widely performed living composer in the world today. He is a big deal.
He is also an Orthodox Christian, who draws on texts from the Eastern and Western Christian traditions for most of his music.
So it would make sense that St. Vladimir’s Seminary, whose vocation rests in making theology and spirituality something real in people’s lives, would be interested in exploring the connections between the cultural phenomenon of Arvo Pärt and his Orthodox Christian roots. One of the seminary’s latest and most potent tag-lines is “Engaging the world with Orthodox Christianity.” The seminary’s Arvo Pärt Project fits perfectly with that.
Doesn’t it?
I would think so. But we’ve heard some puzzlement about this endeavor. Here are two objections:
“The seminary needs to do more for the parishes, for the Church on the ground, rather than hobnob with the cultural elite. That isn’t going to reach our people.”
and
“What does this have to do with the seminary’s mission?”
In response to both of these, I’d say that the seminary’s mission impels it to operate on a lot of different levels at once, both internally and externally. We prepare clergy and lay ministry for the Church, in the parishes, on the ground. We train scholars. We train church musicians. We form our students into the life in Christ. As for the wider constituency, the seminary maintains a schedule of events that seeks to reach audiences from many walks of life and of diverse views. We host conferences, we perform choral music. In all of this, we are seeking to bring people into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, specifically through the tradition of the Orthodox Christian Church.
The Arvo Pärt project itself operates internally and externally. We have always had a music program that has emphasized beautiful Church singing. Through this project our students and the Church that they serve can see all the more that the Church is more than a cultural artifact, it is more than a typikon, it is more than academic theology. It is the locus of great beauty. It is a place where the best of culture can emanate from, and where it can come back to.
Furthermore, consider the missionary possibilities. Consider an audience of people of different faiths and of no faith, the “spiritual but not religious,” who are already won over by the music of Arvo Pärt. Here is an audience who would not be the slightest bit interested in hearing about Orthodox Christianity on its own, but who will give you its undivided attention if it comes to understanding what makes Arvo Pärt’s music so spiritually potent.
We are planning concerts at places like Carnegie Hall, and lectures in venues such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, places that don’t generally give Orthodox Christianity a close listening. These venues will be filled with audiences who will hear, sometimes for the first time, about our faith, which is also the faith of their beloved composer.
This project has such immense potential for our school, for “Engaging the world with Orthodox Christianity.” Still have doubts? Write us! But in any case we need your prayers and support to make it happen. And if you haven’t heard any music of Arvo Pärt, now’s the time to give him a listen.
Dr. Peter Bouteneff (SVOTS ’90) teaches courses in theology, patristics, and spirituality at the St. Vladimir’s Seminary, where he is Associate Professor in Systematic Theology and Director of Institutional Assessment. After taking a degree in music in 1983 he lived and worked in Japan, and traveled widely in Asia and Greece. Together with Prof. Nicholas Reeves, he is co-directing the Arvo Pärt Project, an exciting collaboration with the great Estonian Orthodox composer.
Psalm 137 is a brutal psalm. To some, it may sound more like an SEC fight song gone wrong. How on earth are we to get “good news” out of a psalm that ends talking about the murder of children? Why on earth would anyone sing this psalm as part of worship? How could they?
Well, in my tradition, we do: Orthodox Christians sing Psalm 137 as part of our worship. Now it is read every Friday morning as part of a block in which we read through the entire book of Psalms every week, but it is chanted solemnly, on the three Sundays before Great Lent, at the All-Night Vigil in preparation for the Divine Liturgy. This service commemorates the resurrection of Christ, and in this period, before we begin 40 days of fasting, penance, and prayer, we give this rather harsh psalm a key position.
But why? Why sing a spiteful song about the fall of Jerusalem and the beginning of the Babylonian exile at a service highlighting the resurrection of Christ? No matter how much you spiritualize the text or highlight the hyperbole, it’s a rough psalm; and a hard one to sing, much less pray.
I’ll be the first to admit that it isn’t one of those that you stick to the mirror or refrigerator. It’s not a mantra or a promise of God that you’ll see touted in an Evangelical bestseller. It’s not on the Royal Ambassadors Scripture Memorization list. It’s not listed in your teen reference Bible as a place to go for comfort.
But it’s one of the most powerful expressions of love for one’s city, one’s homeland, and the feeling of despair that comes when you’re separated from it, perhaps forever. The Psalm concludes in a surprisingly visceral and dramatic way. It’s pretty harsh … not something you’d expect to be sung in church. It’s about the city, sure, but what does that have to do with the Gospel? What does it have to do with Christ?
Everything… This psalm has everything to do with the Gospel. This psalm was written in the context of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Exile to Babylon in 586 B.C., but this story has more to do with the Gospels than we might think.
The Psalm opens to a scene of Jerusalemites, inhabitants of what was Zion, that great city. They are no longer there, protected by the walls of their city, the womb of their mother, Zion. But they are instead sitting on the bank of a foreign water way, the Euphrates river valley, and they’re weeping, crying rivers of their own in remembrance of the siege that they feel cursed to have survived.
They hang up their lyres, their harps, their musical instruments on the trees, like prisoners on the gallows, for they’d rather have them be silent, dead, and without movement than be used for the amusement of their captors, those who crushed their city and slaughtered their families without remorse.
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” they laugh, but the captives cry out, “How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land…?”[1] For the song of Zion is the song of the Lord for the psalmist, that holy city that couldn’t fall, for God was with it. Or so they thought…
The psalmist then makes a series of remembrances. He calls to mind his memory of Jerusalem, invoking a curse on himself if he forgets Jerusalem, if it doesn’t remain his highest joy and the pinnacle of his highest hope. But his calls for recollection take a darker turn; he calls out to God: “Remember O Lord, how the Edomites, the descendants of the supplanted Esau, on the day of Jerusalem said, ‘Raze it! Raze it down to its foundations!'”[2] He concludes in a roar, lashing out at the great city of Babylon: “O daughter of Babylon, You devastator! You destroyer of our life; Happy shall he be who requites you with what you have done to us! Happy shall he be who takes your little ones; and dashes them against the rock!”[3]
Whoa… There is of course a bit of a revenge fantasy here, but there’s more than just a desire for the attackers to be paid back in spades; it’s more than just the well-worn tit-for-tat of the Middle East. It’s hyperbole, but it’s hyperbole that is used to make a specific point and to make it abundantly clear. This is about the destruction of a city, the end of existence, at least for the psalmist. This exile and its scriptural component in Jeremiah and Ezekiel is unlike anything else in history. The story of God’s destruction of Jerusalem is unique. It’s not just any city. But then, what is a city? What is its purpose?
In the Ancient Near East, any government, nation, or tribal coalition had a city, the center of that people’s universe. People went out during the day, farming the land outside the city, grazing their animals, fishing and felling trees; but at night, they came back to the city and the gates were shut. The walls, the gates, were about protection. But even more powerful than the stone walls was the temple of stone that housed your god, the god that protected your city. He was the creator of your world.
That God brought you rain, kept your women and cattle fertile, and kept the storm and sickness at bay. Now that God is the Father of your City. And God placed a person in charge, a king, and the king became his son, for lack of a better term. He was his emissary. This king’s job is to uphold the God-given laws; he issues decrees and enforces them. At the palace you bow before the king, but everyone, the king leading the congregation, bows down to God. So this is your world: your city, your king, your God.
And in the story of Judah, the king and the people get lax. They pay lip service to the deity. When their prayer isn’t answered, they try something else. The king focuses not on the law given to him by God, but on the regional politics. And slowly, God is forgotten, a vestige of our cultural milieu. But when a neighboring king leads his army from another city to your city and sacks it, tears down your idols and your temple and places the idol of his own god, your world is turned upside down.
You rationalize: obviously their god was stronger than mine. But with Israel, it’s different. Scripture tells us that the destruction of Jerusalem is not a battle that God has lost to Marduk or any other Babylonian idol. No, the desecration of his temple wasn’t proof of God’s weakness to protect his people, but rather was a show of his strength.
God destroyed his city. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob sent the Babylonians to desecrate his temple and to devastate his people. God did that to his people, because they forgot God. They forgot that their God was The God, the God of heaven and earth, the Most High, the God over Jew and Gentile. Instead of living according to the Law, and being a light to the Gentiles, a glory to God and an example to the nations, they became just like the nations.
God says of them: “my people have forgotten me, they burn incense to false gods.”[4] Jeremiah warns, “You have eyes and heart only for dishonest gain, for shedding blood and for practicing oppression and violence.”[5] And in Lamentations: “The Lord has done what he purposed, has carried out his threat, as he ordained long ago.”[6] Still, no one expected it or knew how to cope. And this story of God getting our attention with the unexpected, the unthinkable, continues.
Jesus, tells his disciples about the coming destruction of Jerusalem and after it happens, the writers of the New Testament reflect on it: the utter shock of Jerusalem being wiped away, the order that they knew, gone. This is not what they expected. Where was this Messiah that was to bring an end to Roman oppression? What of this Messiah that was to bring the Kingdom of God? Now what they thought was his throne is shattered: no more.
The people of Israel in Psalm 137 are blinded by rage and pain; they’re lost. They had an ideal, an expectation, in their head, one of unending peace and prosperity (despite their lack of love for God and their neighbor), and it’s shattered. Similarly, the disciples in Acts, who ask Christ at His ascension, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?,” had built up a city in their own minds with a throne and a king of their own making—a palace and a temple of their own design.
Scripture is at times like a mirror held up to our human condition. We see our fears, our doubts, our deepest and darkest thoughts. In Psalm 137, though we may look away at the ending, we are not so far from the exilic writer.
That desire to feel safe, to believe that God is somehow on our side, is in our corner, is there for us, is just as strong today in this great, pluralistic, democratic nation. We’re still worried, stressed, and scared about our future. And the reality of revenge, of anger, against those we see as Babylonians, our perceived enemies, can still drive us to hate those we are called to love.
Increasingly, I hear from other Christians, across denominational and geographical lines, about a perceived war against them, that they are victims of bigotry, prejudice, and intolerance, that there’s a war on Christianity and family values.
And these “evil” people, fighting against God’s chosen ones (us, of course), become the targets of our anger, of our vitriol, of our contempt, and we think we’re doing God a favor. We feel that we somehow have to defend God and His Church; that He needs us to save everyone else and get them to start acting right; that we’ll somehow save the day. We spend millions of dollars supporting this candidate, or that cause, or this ministry, but forget that Christ has overcome the world.
And too often we describe ourselves, our life in Christ, by using negatives instead of positives: we don’t do this, we don’t support this, and we’re “pro-this” (when the opposite is meant), we’re against this or that segment of the population. They just won’t fit in our city.
We too build up a city for ourselves, a city made up of us and ours, with walls and gates built not as a sanctuary for all who seek life, but as a bunker for those we think deserve to live. But when this shelter is threatened, when disaster strikes, when crisis comes into our live, and that illusion of a calm haven is shattered, we despair, or worse, we lash out and fight to protect what’s ours.
Just before the armies of Babylon arrived, Jerusalem, the walled city, was happy in their comfort zone, and they didn’t feel the need to uphold or share the Law they’d been given. They became insular, greedy, and distrusting of anyone who wasn’t them. And only when God smashed their very foundations were they forced, or perhaps given the opportunity, to live amongst those they had despised, those whom they’d hated—those whom they didn’t know.
We are so focused on our ministry or our cause, we’ve hijacked the Gospel as a vehicle, forgetting our first love.
We are so riled up about this or that issue in society that we have forgotten that, no matter what their sins or proclivities, their soapbox or political party, They, the people we don’t agree with, are made in the image of God, sinners just like us.
We’re just plain scared. We’ve been beaten and bruised, hurt by so many horrible events in our lives, that we just want to be safe, even if it means staying inside our fortress: our church, our circle, our home, our own mind.
But there’s so much more that God has in store for us. Remember what God spoke to those in exile through his prophet Jeremiah: “…build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. … Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”[7] It is in seeking the welfare of our neighbors, of those who hate us, our enemies (whether real or imagined), that we find our peace, not in any elaborate make-believe Christian bubble that we create for ourselves, to protect us from “the world.”
St. Paul, the persecutor turned preacher, writes to new exiles, the Diaspora: “So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go forth to him outside the camp, and bear the abuse he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city which is to come.”[8]
Our Lord suffered outside the gate; he was hung upon a cross and died. He was buried and was raised to life by his Father, so that we might become heirs to his Kingdom, his everlasting city; that we might be able to live forever with His Father, as our Father, co-heirs of this inheritance. However, it means suffering outside the gate of our city, today; it means bearing the abuse he endured in order to enter into that city which is to come. We can’t build it ourselves, but must rather heed the Shepherd’s voice and enter the door that He has opened: the door of the Cross.
Today, deconstruct the city that you’ve built with your own stones. Better yet, leave it behind and sit down by the waters of Babylon—The World, the seductive world, that we love and desire, yet hate and fear—and sob, cry, weep, and wail. They won’t know that you’re weeping over your lost castle of pride, of self-satisfaction, of religiosity. Indeed, they might not notice at all; there are a lot of tears out here in Babylon.
But once you catch your breath, get to know the people of Babylon, outside your city walls. And instead of dreaming of their destruction, fantasizing about their failure, or hoping for their harm, let go! Instead of boycotting and bullying this group or that, befriend them and be a blessing to them, not in order to trick or convince them, but because it is an opportunity for you. You can encounter Christ where you least expect it. Be around them; get to know them; learn to love them.
Because only by suffering with them, outside the gate of your city, will you find Jesus Christ.
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Fr. James Parnell is a third year seminarian at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary.
