Standing at the Feet of Your Master

Bring up these images in your head:  Anakin standing before the Jedi Council.  Luke standing before the Emperor on Death Star II.  The icon of the Samaritan Woman at the Well (this is the image included here, in case you don't know it). 

Fr Andrew 

My dear friend, Fr Andrew, was giving a lecture one time and noted that in the classical era, the teacher would sit and the people would stand to hear his words.  How much things have changed.  If a student stands in class now, you can bet his afternoon dance card will be full.  When I give a sermon, I stand at the front of the congregation and watch everyone else take a rest.  My parish is good, but in other places I see people go right for the bulletin, the bottom of the purse for the much-needed linty hard candy, or just plain doze off.  The sermon is there for illumination and to make clear the words of the Gospel lesson to today's challenges. 

Seduced by Idols of Our Own Design

It is easy to be seduced by anything. Sometimes seduction can come from something neutral or good.  When the Jedi became too secure in their power, it stultified and became the object of their veneration.  The Force is theoretically neutral.  Neither good nor bad.  And they came to worship the good side, the Light Side, to their own detriment.  By the time of Order 66 they were not fully in step with the Force because they had made it over in their own image.

            When we worship something, we give it utmost value and control over our lives.  When we worship ourselves or the next American Idol, they become our gods and drive us to their ultimate inherent end.  If I were to worship me, as Mrs Darth Father says, I would be 400 pounds, covered in Dorito dust, suffering from Nintendo thumb and living in my mother's basement.  Since my mom lives in a second floor condo, I have to reevaluate this option.  My god would be gross. 

A Villian Redeemed, Part II

Freedom From Himself

Anakin needs to find freedom from himself.  He needs to find freedom from his own selfish impulses.  In fact, when he realizes that he can give great benefit to himself through his Force-blessed powers, his slide to the dark side seems almost inevitable.  It didn't have to be, but he was manipulated from the outside - and from a trusted friend and mentor no less!  To explore this idea, let's take a short walk through a Psalm that has some wild imagery and surprise ending (No, I am your Psalter!).  Psalm 136 is used in the Orthodox Church throughout the year, but most notably on the Sundays leading up to the beginning of Great Lent. 

A Villain Redeemed, Part I

Perhaps one of the complaints about the Prequel Trilogy is that it makes Anakin, and therefore Darth Vader, a sympathetic victim and not the galaxy's most evil villain.  On this blog, you will not hear any PT trashing, so that is not where I am going here.  I will posit in these first few postings that we see the fall of someone to the uttermost depths of despair, hatred, self loathing and narcissism.  Darth Vader becomes the one who needs to be saved not only from his oppressor, but from himself.  In Part I we will deal with the former proposition.  

A New Blog

Binary Sunset - A beginning for redemption

There are a lot of thoughts in my mind, and I have wanted to share them with similar minded folks for quite some time now.  We are always told, find something you love and then find someone to pay you to do it.  Well, so far in my life that has worked out.  I am a priest of the Orthodox Church, and nothing can make me happier.  When I was ordained to the priesthood, I brought with me a beautiful young family and lots of other interests and hobbies.  Among these interests was a love for the Star Wars universe.  Well, it is only a galaxy really.  One very early child hood memory is being taken to see Return of the Jedi in Yeadon, PA.  I was only 5 when it came out, and I can still remember the Star Destroyer entering from the top of the screen and the rumble in the theater.