Orthodox Community of Saint Drostan

Continued blogging

2008-08-10T20:45:00.001+01:00

I have, with encouragement, restarted blogging at my new location. Find me at Orthodox Northampton

Fare ye well

2008-04-20T13:43:00.002+01:00

I have just celebrated my last Divine Liturgy at the Chapel of Saint Drostan. As my family and I prepare to move to England for new jobs and new pastoral work, I would like to thank especially Nan and Fr John Ross (of blessed memory) for being there with Claire-Marie and I as we explored the riches of the Orthodox Christian faith. We were received into the Church by Father John, and I served my first Liturgy in that beautiful little chapel in Fetterangus.

We leave behind a small group of dedicated folk and I ask you all to pray for Rachel, Jeff, Yerasmimos, Nicola, Alexei and Olga, and (especially) Nan as they continue to pray together and meet in fellowship. I pray that a new priest can be found who can take the community on to new horizons.

I will keep this blog going, and hope to draw others into contributing and I hope to be reporting from Northampton in due course. We will be celebrating a last Liturgy in the Chapel of the Transfiguration at Rathen (which, unfortunately will have to be closed) on the 10th of May 2008, after which we will have a garden party to say goodbye to our friends.
May God be with you, now and always
Fr T

Images of St Drostan's Orthodox Community

2008-04-05T21:08:00.000+01:00

Christ is Risen- Serbian Folk tune

2008-02-28T16:40:00.000Z

Extra's for Homilies

2008-02-25T15:17:00.001Z

My friend, Katherine, over on Lamp of Beauty has passed on this extract from Orthodixie. I must remember to use some of these in my homilies!

....
I have a few announcements to make before today’s sermon.

First of all, if you see my daughter, or any child for that matter, acting up in church, teach her – them – how to pray. We come to church on the Lord’s Day to pray. There’s a whole week in between to learn behavior and behave. Here, let’s pray. (The same thing goes for adults.)

If you see me with a frown on my face, forgive me. It speaks more of my sins than it does our relationship. If you’ve time, help me out. A smile alleviates a frown every time.

If you want more things in church: more activities, more fellowship, church school supplies, carpet – whatever it may be – give more money. That’s just the way it works.

Want more people in church? Invite them.

If you see me sinning, don’t encourage me. Like a child in need of attention, I’ll often show off in a rather ill manner. Perhaps your loving me, in spite of myself, will help to exorcise the demons with whom I’m all too familiar. Besides, if you join me in sin, we’ll be doubly miserable.

If you catch me entering gossip, stop me. For I pray each day "forgive me, O Lord, the same way I forgive others.” You’d be a great help to me, yourself, and everyone if you’d lovingly hush me up.

If you see me feasting on Wednesday, Friday, or during Seasonal Fasts ... forgive and reprove me with love. For in so doing, I show my kinship with Judas and those who crucified the Lord Jesus. Yet, with your help, I can repent and experience the God of Resurrection and Light.

Please don’t sit throughout the Liturgy unless you have a physical ailment that requires it. We’re a lazy people in this modern age, but true prayer has always been hard work. All able bodies should stand in remembrance of the Resurrection & the Day of Judgment. Let us attend.

By all means, if you hear me speaking heresy – please, quail my tongue with love. For the Saviour has sacrificed too much for me and my salvation for me to forfeit the Kingdom with lying lips. God forbid that I should drag you with me.

If you observe me being patient in a time of trial, give thanks to God for it is His Spirit that guides me.

If, however, you see me being impatient, forgive me. I come by it naturally, even from Adam and Eve.

If my way of life is not the same as yours, it does not mean that we are not of the same Christian family. It just means that God in His wisdom has fashioned us in a unique manner – yet, with the same Lord as God and Father of all.

If you know that I’m in need, help me. For God surely will bless those who bless Him.

If you find my attitude, my words, my every way of life leaves you cold, please don’t abandon me. I’m lonely. Perhaps your presence, love, forgiveness, and long-suffering will help to melt my frozen heart.

If you think you have sacrificed enough, it is often at that very moment that God asks the most of you.

If you’re not tithing to the church [giving at least 10% of your income], please don’t complain. Because God Himself answers our plea with a challenge “Give me 10%, and I’ll fill your storehouses.” (By the way, for some reason, those who tithe complain less.)

If you make a mess, clean it up. Otherwise you manufacture enemies as well.

If you notice someone absent from church, call them. They may need you.

Most of all, if you see me walking on water, help me back into the boat. For, by myself, I shall perish.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Divine Liturgies -Spring 2008

2008-02-10T16:05:00.000Z

FEAST OF THE NATIVITY

2007-12-09T15:40:00.000Z

The Feast of the Nativity will be celebrated from 7pm on December 24th at the Chapel of the Holy Transfiguration, Rathen. Directions are here

All are welcome.

The next Liturgy in Aberdeen will be on the 15th of December at St Ninian's Church, King St, Aberdeen at 10am. There will be an opportunity to make your confession from 09.30. In addition, there will be a community supper at St Ninian's from 5pm to 8pm. There will be some teaching for the children on the Nativity and an opportunity for the grown-ups to investigate the Liturgy in more detail. Afterwards, there will be an opportunity to make your confession before the Nativity.

We will also be celebrating the Liturgy in Inverness on the 22nd of Dec at the RNI Chapel in Inverness. Confessions from 10.00 and Liturgy starts 10.30.

The feast of the Theophany will be upon us soon, so please start maiking your preparations for the blessing of the homes. Please let me know if you would like a visit and when.

A happy, holy and restful Nativity to you all!!
Fr T

I was enjoying myself, honest!

2007-12-09T15:39:00.001Z

Glen Affric

2007-12-09T15:38:00.001Z

New Media

2007-12-09T15:35:00.000Z

This reminds me, talking of the new media. I got a 'shout' recently from a new friend and fellow priest in the US. Fr Michael Preble and I are both on Facebook and have been skyping each other about various things. He and Fr Greg Christakos have a podcast here.

If you listen to episode 11, I get a mention! Hopefully, Fr Michael and I can set up a transatlantic podcast in the near future.

He mentioned us living in the Highlands, so I thought I'd post a couple of pictures of the real Highlands (Aberdeen is in the highlands, but not very 'Highlands' if you know what I mean!). I recently went to Cannich, north of Inverness to see Sister Petra-Clare. I was there for a couple of days of silence and rest, so I went for a hike up a hill!! In typical Highland winter weather- cold, wet and dreich! I had fun, despite the rather pained look on my face!

Feast of St Nicholas

2007-12-09T15:15:00.001Z

It's been a long time since I have blogged, but today we have just finished celebrating the Feast of St Nicholas. We had a carol service last night, organised by Lucia and Virgil, which brought many people from the Romanian community in Aberdeen together for carols in Romanian and English.

My mobile phone camera is not very good, but here's a few photos.

We had a really nice time, with plenty of Romanian food and the singing was so good that I hope that they will all come back to swell the church choir!!

I did try to do a little video of the choir, but it didn't work- I'm not so clever with computers as I think I am!

Prayers by the lake

2007-09-07T08:57:00.000+01:00

Thanks to Reader Ioanni Fortoma for bring this to my attention

"For all the sins of men I repent before Thee, Most Merciful Lord. Indeed, the seed of all sins flows in my blood! With my effort and Thy mercy I choke this wicked crop of weeds day and night, so that no tare may sprout in the field of the Lord, but only pure wheat.

I repent for all those who are worried, who stagger under a burden of worries and do not know that they should put all their worries on Thee. For feeble man even the most minor worry is unbearable, but for Thee a mountain of worries is like a snowball thrown into a fiery furnace.

I repent for all the sick, for sickness is the fruit of sin. When the soul is cleansed with repentance, sickness disappears with sin, and Thee, my Eternal Health, take up Thy abode in the soul.

I repent for unbelievers, who through their unbelief amass worries and sicknesses both on themselves and on their friends.

I repent for all those who blaspheme God, who blaspheme against Thee without knowing that they are blaspheming against the Master, who clothes them and feeds them.

I repent for all the slayers of men, who take the life of another to preserve their own. Forgive them, Most Merciful Lord, for they know not what they do. For they do not know that there are not two lives in the universe, but one, and that there are not two men in the universe, but one. Ah, how dead are those who cut the heart in half!

I repent for all those who bear false witness, for in reality they are homicides and suicides.

For all my brothers who are thieves and who are hoarders of unneeded wealth I weep and sigh, for they have buried their soul and have nothing with which to go forth before Thee.

For all the arrogant and the boastful I weep and sigh, for before Thee they are like beggars with empty pockets.

For all drunkards and gluttons I weep and sigh, for they have become servants of their servants.

For all adulterers I repent, for they have betrayed the trust. of the Holy Spirit, who chose them to form new life through them. Instead, they turned serving life into destroying life.

For all gossipers I repent, for they have turned Thy most precious gift, the gift of speech, into cheap sand.

For all those who destroy their neighbor's hearth and home and their neighbor's peace I repent and sigh, for they bring a curse on themselves and their people.

For all lying tongues, for all suspicious eyes, for all raging hearts, for all insatiable stomachs, for all darkened minds, for all ill will, for all unseemly thoughts, for all murderous emotions--I repent, weep and sigh.

For all the history of mankind from Adam to me, a sinner, I repent; for all history is in my blood. For I am in Adam and Adam is in me.

For all the worlds, large and small, that do not tremble before Thy awesome presence, I weep and cry out: O Master Most Merciful, have mercy on me and save me!"

- From "Prayers by the Lake" by St. Nikolai Veilemeirovich the Bishop of Zicha

"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner" - Fr. Jonah from the Holy Monastery of Pochaev, Russia praying in the field.

Orthodox Saints in Britain confirmed

2007-09-03T21:22:00.001+01:00

Russian church to annually honor early British Isles saints

MOSCOW. Aug 21 (Interfax) - The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church instituted a holiday to honor Christians who lived on the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and were canonized before the 1054 schism that divided Christendom into the Western Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.

The holiday will be an annual event observed on the third Sunday after Pentecost in the Julian Calendar.

The Synod, which met on Tuesday, also ordered that these saints' names be included in the Menology after their Christian exploits have been studied.

The Synod's decision follows an appeal of March 3, 2007, in which the diocese of Sourozh, a Russian Orthodox Church diocese having the islands of Great Britain and Ireland for its territory, asked the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Alexy II, and its Holy Synod to institute a holiday for pre-1054 British and Irish saints.

A clarion call on the Feast of the Dormition

2007-08-15T16:59:00.001+01:00

Father Gregory Hallam, of the St Aidan's Orthodox Church in Manchester has posted a powerful statement of faith on Facebook, and I want you to be able to read some of it here. The full text rightly calls for action against phyletism- this heresy that aligns Holy Orthodoxy with a particular national character. There is a desperate need for more pan-Orthodox mission work in the UK.

"..I truly believe that this is the one holy catholic apostolic Church that we see in the New Testament and unfolded through Christ in the Old. I cannot even begin to imagine being anywhere else. I shall die in this Church.

I say this because I want you, dear reader, to understand how much the Orthodox Church means to me. It is here that I have discovered the full depth and riches of the grace of God in Jesus Christ. It is my God-bearing family, and I a sinner find myself here amongst saints. It is a humbling thing to come home to God in Orthodoxy, knowing that if I can only repent, I also shall see the glory of the Lord.

Please also understand that I am a thinking, feeling, striving man, flesh and blood. I did not leave my critical faculties, my God given mind at the door upon entering holy Orthodoxy. I am no crypto-fundamentalist. I submitted to God as one who heals and strengthens me, who calls upon me to love him with all my heart, my mind, my soul, my strength. I cannot do that if I am an automaton, if submission simply means blind belief, unquestioning practice and a disabled conscience. God did not give me all my faculties for them to remain dormant. Serving Him means using them, transformed by His grace to their fullest extent."

I often struggle to say what I mean on this blog- so I praise God that He sends eloquent people like Fr Gregory to speak on my behalf.

Different translations- different insights

2007-07-08T21:18:00.000+01:00

It is interesting how different translations of the Bible lend different insights. Take Romans 12:6-8 from today's readings in the Divine Liturgy.

King James Version "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright 1989
"We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

The NRSV is more direct in its language (notwithstanding the 'teacheth' bits), the meaning is the same in both editions, but the NSRV's directness shouts out a subtlety in the English language.

Where we might have read before that we are given gifts like prophecy and teaching, this version makes it clearer that we have such gifts 'in proportion to the grace given us'.

Thus, one's prophetic abilities are given in proportion to the faith of the prophet, the minister is enhanced in ministering, the teacher gets better the more she teaches. As the husband of a teacher, I know that the more a teacher actually teaches the better they get- they get to learn more themselves, about their subject, but also about what they don't know.

The flip-side also happens, in teaching, the teacher is taught. So, in ministering, the minister is ministered to- in propoertion to the ministry given. The more the generous the giver, the greater and more generous is the return. Thus we become not just creators of 'good things out there' by doing good things, but by participating in the grace of God, we get, in return, what we have given.

And so, the compassionate one, the one who enters into the worlds of pain and suffering of other people might be expected to be a solemn and burdened person. Certainly many people are burdened and solemn in their care for others, lacking the sense of being ministered to by those being helped.

When we participate in the free gift of Grace, we find, says Saint Paul, that we gain cheerfulness! In pain, suffering, hatred and grief, we find cheerfulness! How is that? Unless we are open to the thought that our ministries in Christ are for our good, as much as the people we are wokring for, we are lost. If we think that we are doing good things for the 'objects' of our ministry, they remain just that- objects- receiveing assistance from a rapidly drying well of care.

If we see that we too are receiving ministry in proportion to our ministering, then we will become channels for the unDying Love and we will never become dry and exhausted. In ministering to others, through prophecy, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading and compassion, we are minister to by those we help- by the God of Love in each of them- there is an equality of ministry.

We are not superior to those we help. We are as broken as they are, we have nothing to offer them- except the Offered- the Lamb. In offering ourselves, broken, to those who need us, we have the opportunity for wholeness.

Equalities conference

2007-06-25T22:00:00.000+01:00

I have just come from a good conference organised by my friends at GREC on the issue of race, and other equalities issues. I was asked to be on the question and answer panel. When asked whether the fact that the UK does not have a fully equal workforce, despite all the legislation, stems from a lack of will or lack of clarity, I replied that it was from fear.

By which I mean a fear of the people with whom we are seeking to engage. We find it difficult to reach beyond our comfort zones to people in real need. We end up reverting to policies, strategy documents, monitoring and blaming the government for a lack of action, or enabling policy.

Despite all the wonderful work being done by so many people, this is undermined by other people who fear and disdain those who are different from them. So the eastern european worker is dehumanised because he/she does not speak English well, the man is cerebral palsy can't get a job despite his skills and qualifications because we are afraid to engage with the whole person. We prefer folk to turn up at work, fully formed, fully autonomous, without a discernible family or personal life- ready made to fit into the jobs we have designed. Those who don't fit into this model of worker get excluded, because we are too afraid that this person might be a bit too difficult to handle- too difficult to understand. It's difficult to re-arrange our workplaces to fit these people, so we dehumanise them.

We must reach out to those in need, regardless of the cost. It is incredibly hard, but therein lies true spiritual growth.

"…from inhumanity to almsgiving, you have stretched forth the hand that was withered. If you withdraw from theaters and go to church, you have cured the lame foot. If you draw back your eyes from a harlot, you have opened them when they were blind. These are the greatest miracles."

St. John Chrysostom

New Calendar of Divine Services

2007-06-11T17:55:00.000+01:00

The new calendar for Divine Liturgies and other services is now active and can
be found here

The permanent link is also located in the box on the right.

Visit from St Petersburg

2007-06-10T20:13:00.000+01:00

I know that this is out of date order, but I am only just now getting round to adding news to the blog!

It was a joy to welcome Fr Artemiy Skripkin from St Petersburg in May 2007. Fr Artemiy is well known for his work with the deaf community in St Petersburg, especially in devising liturgical translations for the community. There is also a great deal of interest in early Christian (Celtic) saints in Russia at the moment, and Fr Skripkin's church has an icon of St Patrick.

Fr Skripkin and I did a 'cooks tour' of St Drostan's world, with a visit to New Aberdour beach to the St Drostan's well, which marks the landing place of St Drostan, through to the area where his monastery may have been located in Old Deer and finally to the Book of Deer project office to see high quality images of the Book of Deer. We also had a chance to look at the Chapel of St Ethernan in Rathen, and the gravestone of Edvard Greig's great-grandparents.

It was a quick visit, only one day, but we were blessed greatly and wish Fr Skripkin well in the pastoral work.

Community News June 2007

2007-06-10T20:07:00.000+01:00

We are deeply grateful to his Eminence, Archbishop Gregorios and His Grace Bishop Basil, that they have blessed Fr Timothy to assist the Community of St Andrew, Edinburgh in their pastoral work in Aberdeen and the Highlands. For a trial period, Fr Timothy will be celebrating an additional Liturgy on the 3rd Saturday of each month in St Ninians, Aberdeen and the 4th Saturday in the RNI chapel in Inverness.

PLEASE SEE SCHEDULE OF SERVICES IN THE POST BELOW

In Rathen or Fetterangus the celebrant is normally Fr Timothy, assistant priest of the Community of Saint Drostan, Aberdeenshire

Please refer to the notices of the Edinburgh and Highland Orthodox Communities for further liturgies and divine services, especially outside Inverness.
All liturgies in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire begin at 10am. Liturgies in Inverness begin at 10.30am.

Confessions may be heard before the Liturgy, or by appointment. On Liturgy days, the last confession should start before 09.30 to allow the priest to complete the service of preparation and begin the Liturgy on time.

All are welcome to our services, but we may only give Holy Communion (and other sacraments to members of the Orthodox Church. Other Christians are invited to receive the blessed, but unconsecrated, bread at the end of the Liturgy.

2007-06-10T20:00:00.000+01:00

How strange Orthodoxy

2007-03-22T19:27:00.001Z

‘O strange Orthodox Church, so poor and so weak, at the same time so traditional and yet so free, so archaic and yet so alive, so ritualistic and yet so personally mystical, Church where the pearl of great price of the Gospel is preciously preserved, sometimes beneath a layer of dust — Church that has so often proved incapable of action, yet which knows, as no other, how to sing the joy of Easter.’

– Fr Lev Gillet, ‘A Monk of the Eastern Church’

Schedule of Paschal Services 2007

2007-03-18T19:21:00.000Z

Apr 1^st	Palm Sunday	Divine Liturgy	10am
Apr 4^th	Great Wednesday	Service of Anointing	7pm
Apr 5^th	Great Thursday	Vespers and Liturgy of St Basil (Mystical Supper)	10am
		Service of the Passion of Our Lord (12 Gospels)	7pm
Apr 6^th	Great Friday	Service of the (Descent from the Cross	10am
		Service of the Epitaphios (Burial Shroud)	7pm
Apr 7^th	Great Saturday	Resurrection Service and Liturgy in ABERDEEN	2pm
Apr 8^th	Easter Day	Divine Liturgy	10am

Reception into the Episcopal Vicariate of Great Britain and Ireland

2007-02-12T14:22:00.000Z

Today, 12th Feb 2007, Fr Timothy was received and ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Basil. This means that the Orthodox Community of St Drostan is now within the Exarchate of Parishes of Russian Tradition within Western Europe under the Ecumenical Patriarch. It is a joy to be fully in communion with Bishop Basil and we look forward to working with our brothers and sisters in Christ in Dunblane, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness to care for the souls of local people in Orthodoxy as well as new migrants from eastern Europe.

Visit to Romania October 2006

2006-12-31T13:07:00.000Z

In October I was taken by the New Hope Trust, a charity for whom I volunteer, to Romania to visit some of the work they have done with orphanages and to look at new projects and a new strategic direction now that Romania is a member of the European Union. I met many good and holy people and was treated with great love and friendliness.

Here is the Chief Exec, Mrs Wendy Smith (to my right) and two Romanian volunteers.

2006-12-31T12:49:00.000Z

We prayed the offices in the (now) Presbyterian church in the old graveyard and gave thanks for our safe travelling and for the company of our fellow bikers at the Aberdeen Cruiser Club - this is a great ministry amongst people often neglected by the Church, but even the Orthodox Church blesses bikers!