Having risen from sleep, we fall down before thee, O Blessed One, and sing to thee, O Mighty One – The Orthodox Russian Prayer Book

Photo of Grandma Helen right before she was married to Cal Davis who was headed off to war the next day.

Dear Grandmother.

I woke thinking of you. And I let the tears come that always come when I let it in— that I cannot call you right now. You always answered the phone in the morning.

Isaiah and I lit the candle and said our prayers – using the Orthodox Prayer Book and then I remembered I had your Russian/English Orthodox Prayer book – sitting on my bedside stand with my Grandfather’s Swedish Bible from my mom’s side. These two books reminding me that less than 110 or so years ago my family still lived on native soil in Russia and Sweden. I picked up the little white book with the gold cross and opened it, and I found this morning that I had said the same prayers that you and your mother said. The book, previously thought of as a family relic, now seems to be relevant and alive.

Little books on my nightstand, the white one is the Orthodox Prayer Book and the Brown one at the bottom is my Grandather's Swedish Bible

…The Comforter, The Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere and fillest all things,

The Treasury of Blessings, and the Giver of Life,  come and abide in us…

Russian/English Orhtodox Prayer Book given to my Grandmother from her Mother Mary

I felt relieved somehow seeing those words– connected to you and her, my great Grandmother, Mrs. Mary Yarosh. To my surprise I also found the Holy Card for her death July 15 1891-January 26, 1966. I also found the record of your vaccination when you were five, as well as an old recipe card for a dinner your sister Anne must have told you about over the phone. I touched it, as if I was touching somewhere your hand last touched. As if the DNA there on the recipe card would rub off on me. Then I put on your shawl, always the turquoise hand woven one Uncle Geoff gave you. Since I have never washed it, I know your shoulders and the side of your neck are still in those particles. I pretend I can smell your White Linen perfume still, and once in a while, back when I first got it, I could find one fine silver hair which was yours.

I try not to dwell on the times I didn’t get with you – and focus on the ones I did get, which in retrospect are among my fondest memories as a child, and are too countless to remember. Forgive me, for when I was older, not coming enough. I don’t know what I was thinking letting months go by. Seems a strange passage for a human between 14 and 34. 20 years of so of not really “getting” it. Forgive me. Even now, so busy am I with life, I have not gone to see my Father in his new home. After finishing this letter to you – I shall call him and make a date. Ok?

O God be Merciful to me a sinner, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, by the prayers of Thy most pure Mother, Theotokos, and all the Saints, Have Mercy on us.

It is amazing feeling like now that I am growing up I can know you still – that my love and understanding of who you are continues to unfold even though you are not here with me. I wish you were. You told me you were complete, when I told you we wanted you to live. You could have lived. I know that. I think everyone knows that, but you said you were done and wanted to go and be with Grandpa. I was so glad so many of us could be with you as you made your transition, what amazing light filled/dark filled days those were. Bittersweet. Right before the end, you had all of us get dressed in white, asked me for your lipstick and and we took a family photo.

You had barely spoken for days. You look like an angel in those photos. You asked me to take on the family tradition of photos – I said yes. But I confess. I have not.

Letting you and Grandma Eden go, is so far, the hardest thing in my life. Since I go to the Orthodox Church now, I finally understand how you got how you were. The sacredness, and the expansiveness. How I wish I had asked you more questions. When I am in church, I feel I am with you – and my family. I feel my roots and I have  a sense of understanding about the nature of my own soul as it relates to my blood line. Who knew I would find mother church, after you left. How I wish I could take you to Vespers tonight, I think how happy you would be – even though you left and went to the Protestant Church, I know your heart remained with the church “back home” in Lopez, Pensylvannia – where the church Grandfather Dimitri helped to build, still stands, 100 years later. The icon that was in your room when you died, is mine now and sits on one of my many altars.

Grandma's Icon

There is also a flower in the book – dried and preserved though I cannot tell what kind. And it is inscribed from your mother, to you and grandpa and dad and uncle. That I get to see Grandmother Mary’s handwriting and know she touched the page, feels a blessing.  I believe in particles – in essences – in momentary flahses of light and consciousness that link us to the past – and the present.

Do you remember that I used to “smell” your scent before you were going to call me? I would tell my mother when I was just 4 or 5, that I could smell you and that you were going to call.  Then I would get on the bus or in the car with my mom and come from Sonoma to Marin to see you. Our lunches were my favoritest, because you let me order whatever I wanted. You would order mostly apple pie alamode and black coffee no matter what time of day it was. Then we would go shopping and you would buy me dresses, then we would visit friends and then we would go to the grocery, and you would let me pick out whatever I wanted to eat to bring home, even if I was only with you for a day. Grandpa would be waiting for us – and always happy to see me. And you.

You taught me so many things, that are such a part of me that I cannot distinguish them, but suddenly it will occur to me, aha. I got that from her. One is my steady countenance and energy – and of course I look more like you all the time. You had this little soft swell where your hand and wrist connected which began the flesh of your arm – it was so round and soft and I would press on it with my finger underneath your silver bangles. The ones you gave me over lunch about 2 years before you died. Guess what?  I have the little soft curve, and I recognized it yesterday as the same as yours.  How amazing is it that we are still together through your blood being in my body? Incredible. And if what the Bible says is true, I shall be with you again someday. I miss you terribly.  I often look at the bangle your brother made you – and marvel that it is now on my wrist. It has a slight dent in it, you told me that happened when you fell down one time. That dent is evidence of your presence. I just looked at it. Your weight once pressed there. I cannot imagine you falling – though I have a record of that fall chinkling on my wrist every day.

Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

My husband just brought coffee to my writing table. The sun is coming up and the Raven’s are announcing the day. A big spider crawls across the floor, but I am too busy writing to you to care. I have to go to the gallery today, Electric Rose, and I am so glad you got to see so many of my galleries, and my work happen in the world. You were so proud of me, sending my work “back home” to the family. Thank you. Here is a recent painting I wish I could show you.

Presence of Peace by Shiloh Sophia McCloud

Thank you.

I think the thing, that struck me the most about you – both when you were alive and now, is your heart, and how you thought of others. You were Christian, but not like any other Christians I know. You brought me to church, but didn’t do any of the traditional “Grandma tries to save wayward child from evil world” stuff. You loved unconditionally – truly – and it was not something I experienced anywhere else in the way you did it. It felt, magical. As I grew in Christ, and later pressed you to tell me what you thought about how folks who were not Christians were saved and on and on – your answers were unlike any other Christian. You were SO LOVING. SO EXPANSIVE. SO NON-JUDGING and so, unconcerned really with how it would all turn out – you had a being-ness of trust about you – and you never ceased to do good for others. Those who know you would say, you were the best woman they ever knew. How you shined Grandma Davis! You are a glowing light! Now that I go to the Orthodox Church, I understand more of that glow.

In one of the most patriarchal conservative churches in the world – I have found folks who – like you – consider LOVE to the most important thing, and do not judge other Christians. Their worldview is so expansive and precious and intelligent, I finally have a glimpse into how you got how you are. Wow. That is all I can say. Wow. You passed particles of that understanding onto me, thank you – and now I worship with others who also consider love, and beauty, in a similar way I do, which I learned from you. They also, love the Mother. And, truth be told I cannot worship God where they do not recognize the Mother of God.

Our Lady with the Red thread at the Annunciation

The little altars and rituals you brought to me, came from there. Like you, I do not believe all of it, or take all of it on – but still, I go to be with God. I understand why you left now, and know you will understand why I am planning to stay. I will be baptized likely, by Spring, hopefully when the first daffodils rise. I know you will be there. I love how the church has these prayer cards – one side for the living and one side for the dead. Their relationship with those gone before, is so different than anything I have seen – and now I know why you planned to meet Grandpa so soon.

I haven’t made one yet, but when I do, your name will once again be said in church but those who hold the 2000 year ceremony that our ancestors practiced.

I miss you when I see the first daffodil of spring because you always always  called me on the day of the first daffodil. You also always sent cards for every occasion, and wrote me letters. Including Hallloween – which is in a  few days – I would always get the card a few days before – with a note – and I remember thinking how no one else I knew sent Halloween cards – sometimes there would be a fall leaf, or candy. I always remember you through every Holy Day – Holiday. And especially during the time of preparing for Dia De Las Muertos, when I shall make food and light candles and sing songs to honor you.

And now there is no card from you through the mail. (Sigh) I miss you.

Wait a minute….as I have been writing this journal entry I have wondered what the reason is – am I just being close to you through writing? Or do you have a message this Halloween as you always did?

I see now.

I did get a card – you sent me your Mother’s Holy card from her death in this little book. I had never seen the card before – but today – you sent it to me for All Hallows, All Saints, Dia De Las Muertas – just a few days before. Right on schedule!

I had a dream shortly after you died, I was looking everywhere for you – calling and yelling for you desperately – GRANDMA GRANDMA GRANDMA. Then you said, from a doorway where you casually stood – WHAT? (you didn’t approve of yelling).

I looked to see you – relieved. You said:

“I am right here. I am always right here.”

October 28, 2009

Last Saturday, it being Great Vespers for the Feast of St. Luke, there were Old Testament readings appointed for the service. I normally leave those to other people so as to save my voice, but I got asked to do one of them anyway since we were short some people we might otherwise have had. “Just read off of the printout of the liturgical guide?” I asked. Yes, I was told, since the parish doesn’t own a Prophetologion.

Well, long story short, nobody owns an English-language Prophetologion, because it doesn’t exist. There’s Archimandrite Ephrem (Lash)’s draft version online, and I’m increasingly coming to the conclusion that if I were to be involved in starting a mission I would argue passionately for the use of his translations, but obviously an electronic version just isn’t quite the same thing as actually having a printed liturgical book. Besides which, Fr. Ephrem has done the exactly right thing of translating liturgical texts as a self-referential whole, being aware of biblical references, internal references to other liturgical texts, and so on and so forth — and while this is exactly right, it also renders his liturgical texts somewhat difficult to use unless you’re using them exclusively.

Which gets us to the broader question of English language liturgical books, and the practical situation in various parishes.

The situation at All Saints is interesting, and I expect reasonably common — we use Nassar as the spine, but not everything is in there, and there has been cobbling together of things from various sources over the years. This effort has been by necessity a real “do it yourself” matter by many people, for reasons I won’t go into here but I’m going to assume can be guessed by a sufficient number of people in similar situations. As a result, we use one translation for the proper texts for weekday services, a different translation for Great Vespers, Sunday Matins and Sunday Divine Liturgy, and still another translation for some of our Lenten texts. Sometimes we use the HTM Psalter; sometimes we use the KJV/NKJV variants that are used in the Antiochian service books. For the epistle reading, we have the Holy Cross Apostolos, which we bring out during services, but we insert a sheet with the NKJV text into the book so that the reader is actually reading from that and the book itself is really for show. In other words, we have a fundamental disunity of English translations, thereby achieving a fundamental disunity in the texts themselves. It used to be worse; our Divine Liturgy music used to be a patchwork of things from all over the place, so that there was no textual consistency whatsoever within the service — “Thee/thou” in one section and “You who” in the next. I am also told that for awhile we were trying to use the Orthodox Study Bible liturgically, but since it’s not arranged as a liturgical book (i. e., no prokeimena etc.), that was a non-starter from a practical standpoint.

These are the moments when I see an excellent argument for sticking with ecclesiastical Greek or Church Slavonic.

(On the matter of the HTM Psalter — HTM obviously publishes liturgical books that a lot of people use. I will note for the record that I find the use of liturgical materials by schismatic groups problematic, but I know there are a lot of people who disagree with me.)

I’m not sure what the solution is; what I’d hate to see is the worst kind of “by committee” translation, where all of these texts which were composed by saints and monks are rendered into bland, inoffensive, artless English. There are good “by committee” translations, like the Thyateira translation of the Divine Liturgy, but on the other hand, their committee includes Fr. Ephrem as well as Metropolitan Kallistos.

Maybe if any of our seminaries start offering doctorates, the problem of establishing a fundamental unity of English language liturgical books, and doing it right, can be taken on as a dissertation — or rather, several dissertations, more than likely. Best of all would be if modern-day Ss. Cyrils and Methodiuses would make themselves known for the English-speaking world. I understand that a hundred years ago for the most part the books didn’t just exist, and thus we’re better off than we used to be, but I’d like to think that we’re at a point where we can respect the efforts that have been made, re-assess where we’re at and try to move forward from here nonetheless.

Is a unified English translation of all the liturgical books a realistic goal? Or is the hodgepodge one of those things where we need to accept that it’s not going to happen because Things Are Different In America?

The Prophet Moses

As is well known historically,  somewhere about 200 years before the time of Christ the Jews translated their Scriptures into the Greek language.  This translation was called the Septuagint  (normally abbreviated as LXX).     It was a well respected document throughout the ancient world including among the Jews themselves, especially among those who commonly used Greek as their language of communication.   In fact the Scriptures were translated into Greek to make them more accessible to the rest of the world which used Greek as the universal language of the educated people.  Many Jewish scholars themselves relied on the Septuagint in their own writings. 

About 100 years or so after the time of Christ, the Jewish rabbis began reconsidering the acceptability of the Septuagint for use by Jews.  This seems in part to have occurred because of the Christian reliance on the Septuagint for their own claims about Jesus being the Messiah and fulfilling Old Testament prophecies.

After the Protestant Reformation, Protestant scholars in an effort to discredit the Roman Catholic Church abandoned reliance on the Septuagint and began using only Jewish versions of their Scriptures for translating the scriptures into modern languages.  The Masoretic Text which became the official version of the Jewish Scriptures was finalized between the 7th-10th Centuries AD, and thus is not an older text than the Septuagint but a more recent text.  The Masoretic text does correspond closely to Hebrew/Aramaic texts from the 2nd Century AD but differs at points from the Septuagint, sometimes significantly.

Modern biblical scholars do consult the Septuagint even when they rely on the Masoretic Text because the Septuagint is more ancient than the Masoretic Text and because the Septuagint was translated from a more ancient Hebrew/Aramaic text and so allows us to know how Jewish scholars 200 years before Christ were interpreting and understanding their own scriptures.  The Septuagint was not translated by Christians as Christianity did not exist at that time, so the Christians had no influence over the translation into Greek of the Jewish scriptures.  It did happen however that the Christians found the Septuagint to be both a solid basis for Christian thinking and rather useful in polemics against the Jews of later Centuries.

Since the time of the Reformation some Protestant biblical readers have distrusted the Septuagint and don’t accept it as a legitimate bible for Christians to read.   Some feel it is too “Roman Catholic.”   Others think it an unreliable translation or interpretation of the Jewish Scriptures, even though it was done by the Jews themselves and honored

Old Testament Patriarchs

by the Jews at the time of Christ.  Additionally, many scholars feel that the New Testament authors were very reliant on the Septuagint as demonstrated by their frequently using the Septuagint when quoting the Old Testament.

As I was reading Robert Charles Hill’s translation of  ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM’S COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS Vol. 2   (pp 343-344), I came across two footnotes of his that actually lend credence to the importance of the Septuagint (LXX) for our knowledge of the Old Testament.   Both of these footnotes were in regard to Psalm 145.

“…though our (Masoretic) Hebrew text has one verse (13) missing, which the LXX supplies, an inclusion confirmed by the Hebrew manuscripts discovered at the Dead Sea.”

“This is the verse occurring in the LXX and a Hebrew ms found at Qumran; it is not in the Masoretic Hebrew text of this alphabetic psalm at the point where we would expect a verse beginning with the letter nun….”

 I have read various arguments about the reliability of the Septuagint version of the Jewish scriptures and arguments for why Protestant Scholars prefer the Masoretic Text when doing translation of the Old Testament.   But the Septuagint which is used officially by Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox has shown itself to be a good window into the ancient Jewish (Pre-Masoretic) Scriptures.    Some have argued that translators in the ancient world were more likely to eliminate parts of texts (accidentally or purposefully) than to add to them.  At least in the two instances Hill mentions regarding the Psalms, the Septuagint may be relying on a more ancient text of the Hebrew Scriptures than the Masoretic Text does and thus gives us a better glimpse into the sacred writings of ancient Israel.   The Septuagint preserved something the Masoretic text lost.

THE ORTHODOX STUDY BIBLE  itself bases its translation of the Old Testament scriptures on the Septuagint unlike Protestant versions of the Bible.   The OSB thus follows the ancient Christian and traditionally historic version of the Scriptures which was commonly relied on by the first Christians themselves.   This is not to say that common English versions of the bible are wrong, they simply follow Protestant principles in their translations of the Old Testament and thus have a less complete version of the Old Covenant scriptures.

Inspired by Christopher Orr’s post on Orrologion, I thought it might be positive to do my own Top 10 books for people looking into Orthodoxy.

It sounds like a relatively simple idea, of course, but it isn’t.  Any person looking into Orthodoxy has their own background from which they come – an Evangelical Christian may understand things entirely differently from a Neopagan, for example – and that’s notwithstanding things like cultural or gender differences.

However, my top 10:

The Orthodox Church, by Timothy Ware (now Metropolitan Kallistos of Diolkeia).

This was the first book that I read, and read a few times.  Considering I was 16 at the time, that’s not a bad start.

Christianity and Eros, by Philip Sherrard.

I know this one sounds odd, and seems to just be because I was 17 at the time, but I can explain .  In addition to being a flat interesting title, it completely changed my ideas on Orthodox views on the human person – and how they were sane and made sense.

Dancing Alone, by Frank Schaeffer.

This won’t win me many favours in the Orthodox blogosphere.  It didn’t win me many favours at the time, either, but for entirely different reasons.  But I stand by this choice: it’s a book that talks about Orthodoxy, and about how we aren’t living up to this yet.  The honesty – often ranging between brutal and obnoxious – was a good preparation.

The Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom.

Seriously, this is beautiful – and moreso when you know what the prayers are, and how much Scripture – Old and New Testaments – is infused in them.  And, it’s even better live.

After these four, though, I move from my foundational books to other fascinating books.  At the time of my conversion, I didn’t have enough money to buy many books…

The Orthodox Study Bible.

Oh, I know, not recommending the Bible – of all things – to a newcomer.  While this may seem silly, I stand by it.  The Church in the first century was subtly different to the Church today – for instance, they knew Jesus from walking around with Him and having chats with Him around the fireplace, watching His crucifixion and beholding Him resurrected, while we must rely on their letters and memoirs.

Orthodox Theology: An Introduction, by Vladimir Lossky.

A fantastic book.  Outstanding.  The fact that it’s a textbook in a distance-ed, applied theology course, though, makes me wonder if it’s really for newcomers; perhaps someone would be able to enlighten me about this.

Becoming Orthodox, by Fr Peter Gillquist

A fascinating, engaging story that many have found helped them understand and, sometimes, become Orthodox.  I read this long after I was Orthodox, though.

Christ the Eternal Tao, by Hieromonk Damascen

An incredible devotional book, in my mind.  I loved it, it sounded poetic.  Then again, I came from a fairly esoteric background – perhaps this would be a book that I would give to people of other backgrounds to learn about Orthodoxy.

Of Water and the Spirit, by Fr Alexander Schmemann

A textbook in my first year of theological study, but it changed the way that I thought.  For one thing, the book demanded that each person live up to their baptism, that baptism was a responsibility that we must take up.  For the Life of the World was a close second, and probably a good summary.

The Synaxarion, transl. Hmk Makarios of Simonopetra (Mt Athos)

I realise that this is a multi-volume text – I’m halfway through Volume 5.  I read a number of these early on in my life as an Orthodox Christian, and it was very beneficial.

If I was to recommend another, I’d go for the Octoechos; if I were to recommend non-Orthodox books, I’d go for The Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce, both by C.S. Lewis

So, there you have it.  Feel free to comment – criticise my choice, add more of your own, as you like!

I went to Barnes and Noble this weekend and got a chance to actually visit a bookstore since I normally do most of my shopping online. It was, however, nice to check out some of the various Bibles out there and actually look inside.

The first interesting one I saw was the Green Bible. I’m sure it was made in an eco-friendly fashion, but the oddest part was that it includes words about nature and the earth in green text. While it’s an interesting concept, it still strikes me as a waste of money, or better yet an attempt to get others to waste their money (I’m sure they’ll find quite a few takers).

The second “unique” Bible was the American Patriot’s Bible, which combines Scripture with themes from US history. I love Scripture and am generally proud of my country, if not a lot of my countrymen (and women)…but…this is way too much. Although it looks like the writers were as sensitive as possible, the whole endeavor strikes me as idolatry.

The final Bible that I examined was the new Orthodox Study Bible with the Septuagint translated for the Old Testament. It has many notes from an Orthodox perspective. Although it comes from an evangelical convert apologetic angle, it still looked helpful. It’s definitely the only one of the group that I’d buy if money were more plentiful.

I also noticed that someone had put little fundamentalist tracts in all of the Catholic Bibles. I took care of that.

I’m still getting used to using a Septuagint-based Old Testament.

It is one thing to deal with a different book order. It is another thing when the verses have been re-arranged. Of courser even saying “re-arranged” implies that it was one way and then changed to another. I have to remember to avoid an Masoretic-centric view.

Proverbs seems to be one book where there are quite a lot of arrangement differences. I was trying to see how Proverbs 16:18 in the Masoretic Text was translated from the Septuagint. However, clearly “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall,” is not the same as, “A man wise in his deeds is a discoverer of good things, but he who trusts in the Lord is most blessed.” Since I don’t have an concordance or electronic version of the OSB, I can’t find the verse for which I’m looking without reading the whole book.

It’s not that I’m opposed to reading Proverbs, but right now I’ve really enjoying Sirach. Speaking of which, this is an oddly named book. It contains the wisdom of Jesus ben Sirach as translated by his grandson. So really it should be called the Wisdom of Jesus, not the Wisdom of Sirach. Of course I could see where that might lead to some confusion.

Since it could be said that the Wisdom of Jesus ben Sirach is the wisdom of Jesus ben God, it could be called he Wisdom of the Two Jesuses. Admittedly, that would be even more confusing.

Anyhow. . . Before using the OSB to quote any Old Testament text, I will need to have my NKJV at hand (or Bible Gateway in a browser tab) so I don’t make a reference where all my faithful readers grab at Masoretic-based translation and collectively go, “Huh?”

A hearty Christ is risen! to my readers who are on the Gregorian calendar.

Just out of curiosity, yesterday I decided to check out how available Encountering the Mystery might be in a typical bricks-and-mortar chain store. I figured, it’s the day before Western Easter so Christian books will probably be prominently displayed, plus it’s the first Saturday since the book was released. If there was a day they would have it set out for the masses, it would have been yesterday.

Well, John Shelby Spong’s Jesus for the Non-Religious was set out with the books for Easter at my local Borders. The Patriarch of Constantinople got no such love, there being no copies set out in the front half of the store, either among the Christian books for Easter or in the display of new non-fiction. There were, nonetheless, two copies on the shelf back in the “Christianity: Catholic and Orthodox” section. And, actually, the Orthodox pickings were slim, but not totally absent. The following were also in stock:

• The Art of Prayer: An Orthodox Anthology by Igumen Chariton
• The Orthodox Church by Metropolitan Kallistos Ware
• The Way of a Pilgrim and The Pilgrim Continues His Way
• Mount Athos: Renewal in Paradise by Graham Speake
• One of the volumes of The Philokalia
• John Climacus: The Ladder of Divine Ascent

And then a couple of not specifically Orthodox books but church history books by Orthodox authors, such as The Christian Tradition: The Development of Christian Doctrine, Volume 1: The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition (100-600), by Jaroslav Pelikan (and yes, I know he was Lutheran, not Orthodox when he wrote it).

All in all — it’s not anywhere close to the equivalent of a well-stocked parish bookstore, but it could be a lot worse. Like, say, nothing. (No copies of the Orthodox Study Bible, however. It is listed as “on the way” in the digital customer service kiosks. Given you still have to pre-order it on Amazon, my guess is that copies have not yet actually gone out to distributors who are not named Conciliar Press.)

I’m still irked that Spong was out with the Easter books (a real irony, if you think about it) and the Patriarch wasn’t. I guess, if one uses as one’s thesis that part of the point of the Patriarch’s book is to raise awareness (well, generate awareness — you can’t raise what isn’t there) of the Patriarchate’s existence in the West, then this makes the point pretty clear. When an atheist who just happens to have a collar is able to get better display space among the Christian books than the Patriarch of Constantinople, that says something.

I’m two and a half chapters into the Patriarch’s book. I don’t have anything to say quite yet — I want to finish it first. All in good time. I will say only for now that I do not believe the average American who is already Orthodox is his intended audience for the book (although I think there is good that such a person can take from reading it), that it needs to be read through that lens, and therefore, with charity if he doesn’t put everything exactly in the language we would want him to use. But more on that later.

While today was not Easter for my little Orthodox parish, it was nonetheless a special weekend, as our bishop, His Grace Bishop MARK, was with us. More on that later as well.

Today is my grandmother’s 114th birthday. It is also the anniversary (31st or 32nd – I can’t be sure) of the first time I began reading the Bible cover to cover. Today I’m going to start again.

I got my Orthodox Study Bible today on the way home from work. A friend picked it up at Church for me on Sunday and we made the exchange at the petrol garage in the town through which we both travel on our way to our respective schools. Despite having been briefed ahead of time as to it’s shortcomings (with thanks to Michael) I am looking forward to reading all of the Bible for the first time.

It will take some time to get used to the differences. It’s not just that I’ve not read all the books excised by Luther or the bits edited out of others. I didn’t realise until today that in the Septuagint, Job comes after the Psalms and the major prophets come after the minor ones. Not that it really matters . It’s not like Job is where it is in Protestant Bibles for a particular reason. The only thing that makes prophets “major” or “minor” in popular nomenclature is the length of their writings. There’s no reason they have to be in a particular order. Neither collection is based on chronology, nor do they need to be. The only important chronological fact is that they come before the Incarnation.

While I intend to do the Genesis to Revelation thing, I am also going to catch up on what I’ve missed in the meantime.