A Christmas Present

Frederica Mathewes-Green's recent book, Welcome to the Orthodox Church has quite a generous portion on preview at Google Books.  

Doc Bubbles is shocked!

Shocked, she was, to discover after the four hour service that downstairs the Nativity Fast included a gigantic bottle of---bourbon?  Aren't Russians supposed to drink vodka?  What is this?  But she does not complain, since bourbon is the only liquor she enjoys straight.  And the merriment was true to her vision of the Russian soul. "You are my family" Father toasted those seated around the table, including, she felt, Doc Bubbles.

And Father was right:  the joy of the feast is only truly experienced by those who have fasted. At least that is the only way she can explain why she is the only one in the house awake and merry at 10:45 Christmas morning. (And she did not follow the fast strictly. She doesn't have to yet, since she can't take Communion yet. She can only imagine how she would be floating now if she had…)

Earlier, Doc Bubbles and Stepdaughter1 had gone to the 7 p.m. service at the Methodists, to hear Mr. Crackles last time singing in the choir. SD1 likes to sing carols though she won't say prayers. It was pleasant, and Doc B did feel wistful seeing everyone again (and there was only one prayer that was so poorly written her hackles had to raise.)

Then, back at the house, she packed up the quiche she had made for the feast and bid adieu to Mr. Crackles and SD1 who were sure she had to be completely mad. (It was the first SD1 heard about the practice of standing throughout the service. Though, as it happened, there was quite a bit of sitting during the first part, which was the Nativity of Christ Vigil. The Nativity of Christ Divine Liturgy began at 0:00 a.m. as per the schedule. She hadn't known there was such a time.) She tried to explain it to herself, standing there, listening and crossing herself. The best explanation she can offer is that the Orthodox Liturgy is more like a meditation than a performance.

Christ is born!
Glorify him!

Dr. Who on Christmas Morning

Well, perhaps Doc Bubbles would read the Gospel into any episode she happened to turn on this morning on the Dr. Who marathon, but "The Witch's Familiar" certainly seemed perfect for her first Orthodox Christmas. The word "mercy" is the giveaway that Clara is trapped inside the Dalek. Mercy should not be in the evil one's DNA/vocabulary and would not be if Dr. Who had not shown mercy to Davros. And of course, the whole capture the Doctor's regeneration energy (resurrection power) to use for evil purposes is the devil's plan that is, as always from eternity, thwarted.

Amen.

Christ is Born!
Glorify Him!

You go girl

So on Wednesday America had the first mass shooting apparently orchestrated by a female terrorist. On Thursday "Defense Secretary Ashton Carter ruled Thursday that women will be allowed to serve in all combat jobs in the U.S. military."  http://time.com/4135583/women-combat-marines-ash-carter/.  Am I the only person finding this  ironic? Or sad?