Bonovox

How should the Church be governed?  Should the patriarchs act like emperors, issuing decrees which all believers must obey?  Should bishops see themselves as local governors, demanding unquestioning submission of the people?  Should the clergy be a kind of spiritual army, enforcing the will of the patriarchs and the bishops, and meting out punishment on sinners?  The first consideration for the Church is not how to punish sins, but how to prevent sins from being committed.  And when a sin has been committed, the task of the Church is to encourage the sinner to confess the sin and make amends--so that no punishment is required.  This is quite a different attitude to wrongdoing from that which the state adopts, and so requires a quite different style of government.  Moreover, each individual is answerable not to a priest, bishop or patriarch, but to God.  So the primary authority of those within the Church is not to issue decrees, but to stir up the souls and enliven the consciences of believers, so that by their own volition they will obey the laws of God.  IN short those in authority within the Church should see themselves not as rulers, but as preachers and pastors.

For whomever is interested, here's how our next couple of months shape up....

Fri 7/18 work

Sat 7/19 attend wedding

Sun 7/20 Sunday Divine Liturgy and attend wedding

Mon 7/21 Off, so much "moving work" at home

Tue 7/22 - Fri 7/25 Last week of work

Friday night 7/25  Retirement/going away party

Sat 7/26 "move work" and packing kids for camp

Sun 7/27 Leave home early, DL at Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Ellwood City, then oldest 2 to Antiochian Village and return home

Mon 7/28 & Tue 7/29  last 2 days for retirement paperwork and other move related red tape and finish packing

Wed 7/30  Last official day at BPD (turning in my gun etc.) and load truck.   Sleep in empty house on air mattress.

Thur 7/31  First Day of Retirement!  Close on the house.  (God -willing)  Drive U-hual and van (just Kelley and I, 2 youngest are staying w/ Nana) to vicinity of Crestwood.

Fri 8/1  Move into Lakeside Apt 33G at St. Vlad's.  Kelley and I can then breathe a little, as we have a week before we drive to Ligonier, PA to pick up kids from Camp.

Fri 08/08/08 Drive to Antiochian Village, pick up Colin and Hannah, then drive to Western New York for weekend.

Sun 8/10/08  Last DL at St. George and and going away party in parish hall.

Mon 8/11-8/13  A couple days at the Monastery of the Holy Myrrhbearers, at their farm near Oneonta.

Thurs 8/14 (or so) Take kids to their new home in Yonkers.

Wed 8/20  - 8/25  New Student Orientation at SVS

Mon 8/25   Classes begin.

Whew!  Prayers solicited...

Abba Anthony said, "I saw the snares that the enemy spreads out over the world and I said groaning, 'What can get through from such snares?" Then I heard a voice saying to me, "Humility.'"

It's scary.  How well things are going, that is. 

 Anytime you step out in faith, believing that God wants you to do something....you spend half your time, "looking for signs."  And how you look for them, and how you interpret them, has very much to do I think, with your understanding of God, the World and Salvation.  Adversity can either be interpreted as "a sign that God does not want us to do this."  Conversely it could be interpreted as, "This must be what God wants for us to do, as the Enemy is working so hard to make sure that it doesn't come to pass."  Or it could just be seen as "part of the process"; a difficulty that God wants you to get through, which will perhaps enable you to appreciate, utilize or whatever, the very thing He wishes for you to attain.

So I have some to the conclusion, that "looking for signs," is mostly a distraction.  It prevents us from keeping our eyes on "the one thing needful."  I am not saying, that God does not speak to us through our circumstance, and events that happen in our world.  ON the contrary, as a Christian I believe that everything in the world, and everything that happens to me carries great meaning.

So how DOES one discern God's will?  How DO we fulfill His purposes for our life?

I think it lies in "the here and now," not out there in the future.  "NOW is the moment of salvation."  "From THIS moment let us love God above all and Him only serve."  "The Devil says, TOMORROW....God says TODAY!" 

What person is in FRONT of me at THIS moment?  It is them that I have a responsibility towards.  What is my job at THIS present time?  Where am I at THIS instant?  I can fulfill God's will in the "here and now."  I don't have to wait (nor should I) for the "sweet bye and bye."

But we DO have a past and we DO have a future.  Good stewardship does mean that we consider, that at some point the future will BE the present.

This is of course personal to me, as this is what the Barbergs are going through right now.  In 15 more days (8 work days, but whose counting?)  I will be retired from the Buffalo Police Department.  God willing, we close on the sale of our house that day as well.  And on August 1st, Sh. Kelleylynn and I will be moving into Apt. 33G in Lakeside 1 at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, in Crestwood, NY.

While this has taken (and is taking) planning for the future, and has been influenced by everything that has happened in the past, this is really ab0ut living in the present.  We have been given SO much.  How much can you spend/use/utilize at THIS moment?  What are the needs of your neighbor, the Church, your family at THIS instant?

We are blessed beyond measure.  This process of retiring/moving/applying for School has had its struggles for sure, but the little things (and not SO little things), make it easy for us in our weakness....as we inevitably seek signs.  God in His grace DOES condescend to our weakness.    As a way of gratitude, it does seem right for me to list the things that have worked out so well for us:

1. The sale of our house.  We put the house on the market in October, knowing how bad the market is.  While we had plenty of viewings, we had no offers.  We were tempted towards questioning our decision.  But I told Kelley, "let's not worry, the perfect time to sell the house would be May, so we can close in late July early August."  We went on vacation in May, and forgot about it.  The house sold when we were on vacation.
2. We prayed for a Christian family, who would love our house as we have.  Keith and Kim are beautiful, and plan to use the place to raise foster kids!
3. New friends on campus.  We visited SVS in late winter and met the Dcn. Peter Robichau family.  Listen to this:  deacon.  Four kids.  Homeschool.  Left good job (no pension though). Guitar player.   OUr kids are excioted to know there are kids there age on campus.
4. New van.  Many factors here but mainly, low prices, friends in the sales and finance dept., life-time warranty, $2.99 gas for the next 3 years (all those trips back and forth to Buffalo)
5. Kelley's mom.  Her health a few years ago would have prohibited us from being able to leave.  By God's grace (and modern medicine), she is once again independant.  She is going to live in the south towns, closer to her son and other daughter.
6. Pension.  How many people have the benefit of being able to retire at 42 and do something as wild as this?
7. Scholarship.  Most of my expense at school are going to be paid for by the Antiochian Archdiocese.

The list can go on, but this should suffice.  We know that we are not worthy of any of these blessings.    As our Lord states, in His parable of the unfruitful servant, "to whom much is given,. much will be required."  Suffering and struggle will no doubt be a part of this process, and is what will ultimately give meaning to this whole endeavor.  Please pray for us so that we will utilize God's  gifts for his glory, and that we will dutifully bear our cross in imitation of Christ.  We don't know what will be required of from us.  I guess we'll just have to trust our heavenly father, through the good times AND the bad.