Thinking About The Apostle John. Quite A Sad Story In Some Ways. He Was Probably The Youngest Apostle,

Thinking about the apostle John. Quite a sad story in some ways. He was probably the youngest apostle, the baby of the group. After the ascension, when the church began, they all worked together from Jerusalem for some time, so full of fire and exuberance.

But things were very difficult for the fledgling church. The first apostle to be killed was his brother, big James.

After some time we're fairly sure he wound up in Ephesus, where he became a sage of the faith, training a new generation. He instructed Polycarp, Irenaeus, Ignatius. He refuted heresies. Appointed Bishops.

Over the coming decades, he would have read the completed gospel of Mark, as well as the early forms of the other gospels, if not writing one himself.

But one by one, his fellow apostles were killed in the line of duty. At some point, he became the last apostle.

He died in a world totally foreign to the one he was born in, one turned upside down by the movement he had been so instrumental in. He died leaving a legacy and so much clarity and wisdom for the church. He likely had students with him at his death, but he was likely in some sense alone.

Exiled in a foreign land, he was the last living witness to the greatest story ever told. A man who walked with Jesus. He remained, and for decades retold and affirmed what all his brothers and friends had died sharing.

He is held to be the only apostle who didn't die a martyr. But in many ways, he gave the most of himself for Christ. I can't imagine the faithfulness, the perseverance.

Also, he once went to the Ephesian bathing house, saw a heretic, and immediately left without bathing lol

Jesus Christ is Lord

Appalachian Orthodox Chant

Just a fascinating video description I found, written presumably by an American Orthodox Christian. Well worth the read:

"A snippet from "God Is With Us," an ancient Orthodox hymn based on the prophecy of Isaiah, chanted here in traditional Appalachian Bluegrass style. It's wonderful because it sounds ancient yet has an authentically Americana sound. Orthodoxy never subverts the cultures it comes across, but rather grafts the wholesome elements of those cultures onto Holy Tradition to give glory to God. In an age where Protestant and Catholic churches in America are hemorrhaging people, Orthodoxy is slowly growing, and this particular hymn provides a hopeful glimpse at what genuine American Orthodoxy could be. This actually makes me feel really patriotic. America has a great sin; a kind of prelest born out of its rejection of monarchy. The forefathers had their reasons and their good intentions for rejecting it, but they had an ignorance of the Orthodox understanding of the symbolic need for a submission to monarchal hierarchy, and the Protestant individualism that ensued has led to the present relativism, which could potentially be our demise. America stands in a quite ambiguous place. But God, who mercifully "desireth not that the sinner should die, but turn from his wicked ways and live," sees our good intentions and knows that America, despite our long-foolhardy ignorance of the Orthodox way, has always called upon the name of Jesus Christ. And maybe, for that, He could forgive us."

Here's the video if ur interested:

I particularly love the respect and love for good parts of American culture (which absolutely do exist), and the hope embodied in the overall message. I'm not orthodox and certainly no monarchist, but I think anyone can see that rampant individualism has made us angry, divided, and lost people. I hope you can take something away from it even if you don't agree with it all. Some beautiful and relevant prose there. Despite everything, God is truly with us. He is slow to anger and rich in love.

Also desperately need a book about the Orthodox influence on Celtic, medieval, and even modern Christianity in Britain. We have never been a fully Roman church.

Having visited a Celtic neo-monastery under the Anglican umbrella, I can confirm that tradition is still alive.

According to the most ancient (and understandably not well-documented) sources, our island was visited by Egyptian missionaries, before the east-west divide had even occurred. Centuries later the Roman Catholic Missionaries found Christianity already here, to their great surprise.

Despite nominally joining the west for a handful of centuries, I think Britain's role in the reformation shows it's discomfort there. I think Christianity is older and more wild in this country than we realise.

Saying something is a metaphor and then proceeding to ignore what was meant by it is still disagreeing with it!

If I say 'don't worry that 30kph sign is a metaphor' and then proceed to gun it through a residential area, I have still ignored the meaning of the sign!

Saying 'oh Jesus' sinlessness is a metaphor' 'the resurrection is a metaphor' 'the final judgement is a metaphor', and proceeding to live in sin/unrepentance still means you're ignoring the teachings of the Christian faith!

If you're gonna be Christian, actually believe the Christian faith. Heresy packaged as textual criticism is still heresy.

ok so basically u'know how superhero movies suck now? And also star wars? and a lot of the older franchises that they reboot?

I think, more than anything, its because that type of movie was for a very different culture - the world has changed in the last 30 years and superheros, or even heros in general, aren't relevant.

Our culture is all about deconstructing, taking off the rose-tinted goggles and being cycnical, skeptical, and pessimistic about the past present and future. We adore being angry. We don't really believe in good guys.

Those movies were for a time when someone could be a 'good guy' fighting 'bad guys'. Those labels are far too simplistic now - are the good guys really good? It feels wrong to suggest it - any kind of 'hero' who is genuinly good seems suspicious.

our culture loves stories of evil heroes, think the Boys, Acolyte, GoT, Succession. Rather than a good vs bad side, it's all a murky grey. moral relativism will do that for you

Recent stories that try to do the whole 'good vs bad' trope do it poorly and are poorly received, think newer star wars films, the latest marvel films. I think that when people who don't actually believe in 'good' try to make media like this, they really struggle.