The "Forbidden" Books

2 Ezra, Tobit, Macabees, Wisdom of Solomon, Wisdom of Sirach, Epistle of Jeremiah, Bel and the Serpent.

These are books in the Bible that were somehow overlooked, by-passed, or judged "non-biblical" by Protestant scholars hundreds of years ago. Today, most people in America don't even know they were ever part of the canon of Scripture. Does this strike anyone else as odd... or disturbing? History can disappear.

I don't even know what most of these books are about. Except Tobit. Raphael House got its name from the angel in that book, and we talked about this quite often in our little chapel. But what are all these other books about, and is it bad that there is more Bible than what the Protestants believe?

Yet another complicating factor of the Orthodox Church: the Bible's different.

Back from the void

I know it's been forever. This blog will only be read by "followers" who check their RSS feeds regularly.

To all three of you, hello from my long hiatus.

I have only a few things of note to say:

1) Since we've last spoken, I've listened through half the Bible. During my awesome 4-month run of steady work at the SF Opera shop, I picked up the habit of listening to audio books. In the twenty minute commute to and from work, it's surprising how much material it's possible to absorb. The Bible Experience is an amazing, theatrical reading by almost 400 African American actors, including people like Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson. I highly recommend it.

2) Since we've last spoken, I read through The Eastern Orthodox Church by Ernst Benz. The coolest bit for me in this was finally understanding the direct, unbroken line of Orthodox churches: Jesus to Greece&Rome to Constantinople to Russia to today. He also had some wonderful things to say about icons. (Icons are one of those things desperately missing from our Protestant brother-churches; I'm beginning to feel like I need to become an expert on the ecumenical council in which icons were officially blessed. More on this later.)

3) I've been working with St. Athanasius Orthodox Church in Goleta to develop a program/curriculum for their Jr. Highers. I can't publicly call the youth ministry by name yet (cuz it's super top secret) but it's pretty awesome. The program will get kicked off by an AMAZING weekend retreat in the wilds of Arrowhead. I'm totally stoked. Love this church.

4) My brain's buzzing with ideas for where my life needs to go post-grad school: St. Athanasius, maybe. Launching a new company, maybe. We'll see. USF's sucking money from me in exchange for meager inspiration, but I tell myself that having a Masters degree is a notable and necessary next step for any employment search in a cause-related org.

More later. Don't want to overwhelm you with a "I'M BACK BLOGGING!"

Celebration of the Paschal Season

Sometimes, importing images from your camera to iPhoto can feel like watching your life in fast-forward. Here are a few shots from Pascha. Ahhh, the San Francisco life...

I hope that you are enjoying the Paschal season as much as I am... Christ is Risen!

RHII Script Ending Ideas

I came across this passage from St. Epiphanios thanks to my fellow blogger at "Full of Grace and Truth."

I remember thinking in Redemption History II that my imagined "three days in the tomb" was a little weak. Jesus was gone. The audience was all just standing around, thinking "What the heck just happened?" Peter and other cast members were crying softly. The lights just went up and down three times. We were theatrically teleporting through time: "Hey, look, three days just went by..."

St. Epiphanios had a different focus for Great and Holy Saturday. In the Orthodox Church, there is a strong emphasis on the fact that Jesus went down into Hades on the day he was "asleep," waged a war with the demons, broke the gates of Hell, and rescued the first Adam together with all the saints of the Old Testament. Check out St. Epiphanios' imagined dialogue between Christ and Adam in Hades:

St. Epiphanios of Salamis on the Lord's Descent into Hades
Something strange is happening - there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness.

The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep.

The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and He has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began.

God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.

He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep.

Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, He has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, He who is both God and the son of Eve.

The Lord approached them bearing the Cross, the weapon that had won Him the victory.

At the sight of Him Adam, the first man He had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: "My Lord be with you all." Christ answered him: "And with your spirit."

He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: "'Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.'

I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by My own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake.

I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of My hands, you who were created in My image.

Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in Me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated.

For your sake I, your God, became your son; I, the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth. For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead. For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden, and I was crucified in a garden.

See on My face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you.

See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in My image.

On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back.

See My hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.

I slept on the Cross and a sword pierced My side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side has healed the pain in yours. My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell. The sword that pierced Me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.

Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise.

I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven.

I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am now one with you. I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them venerate you as a god.

The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager.

The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open.

The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity.

Theater and Church

THE QUESTION:
WHY am I not satisfied with just church or just theater, especially being a part of such a theatrical church? Should not my artistic bug be satisfied by the Church or my faith be satisfied by the act of creation? Why do I need both and not just one?

To me, Theology and Theater have always been circles of a ven diagram:
Church is not Theater and Theater is not Church, but they significantly overlap. "Ritualistic Theater" (a la Richard Schechner) is almost no different than religious practice, and the theatricality of some churches seems more fit for the stage than for the arena of worship. In fact, in San Francisco there are Stagehand Union calls for Church events.

Theatrics (the vestments, the scripted movements, the smell of incense) drew me into the Orthodox Church, yet I am now looking to places outside the church for theatrical stimulation. At times I feel guilty, like the Church isn't good enough or the church isn't fully satisfying. But I am coming to realize they are meant for very different things.

Theater exalts the work of the individual creator, allowing an artist to rise to significance out of a sea of other artists, or maybe just people. Art allows a man (or woman) to contribute his unique voice to society. His way of seeing. Around this individual artist or around a body of like-minded artists, a community forms, where meaningful discussion can occur around the "whys" of things.

Church exalts the ultimate Creator, and asks the individual artist to forget himself to become part of the cosmic family of Christ. The Church asks the man to leave his personal "way of seeing" behind, and submit his heart to wisdom earned over hundreds of years. One joins the Church not so much because the Church conforms to his or her views, so much as a man or woman conforms to the views of the Church.

Perhaps my confusion comes from creating the Redemption History Series in college. For me, during that time, Theater and Church were more the same than they were different. I was seeking to find Church in the Theater, but in the end, could only construct a liturgy of my own imagination. In Ven circles, Redemption History probably looked like this to me:
There were many essential pieces: community, themes centered around Christ and the Church, the joint declaration of working for "God's glory," and consistent prayer life.

I'm pleased that the circles are separating once again, encouraging me to see one in light of the other.