Saturday, February 28, 2009

Schedule stuff

Forgiveness Vespers starts at 5pm on Sunday March 1st

Daylight savings happens NEXT SUNDAY March 8th.

whoohoo!

Friday, February 13, 2009

Ezekiel Frank Veli Pasivirta


P1050763
Originally uploaded by pasivirta
Is looking forward to meeting you all! There are more pictures up on flickr so click the pic if you want to see more. And I think it will move on its own if you click play. flickr hosts little videos now too.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Ezekiel Frank Veli Pasivirta

Here he is!

Welcome Ezekiel!

David said he'd post here, but I suspect he's rather busy with his new, 9 pound, 51 cm baby boy, Ezekiel Frank Veli Passivirta.

Whooo Hooo! Congrats to Laurenn, hope it was an easy, smooth delivery and that Dave isn't in too bad shape!

Post pictures, quick!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

David's questions

I can only talk about the first one, and only from my own point of view and opinions. Yes, we are meant to be quiet in church.

The prayers after communion are supposed to be said (and heard) with the same reverence we give to the liturgy - we're thanking God for the gifts He's (he's?) given us, unworthy though we are. I dunno about you, but I can't really be thankful and concentrate on the prayers when I can barely hear them because everybody is chattering (please realize that I know I'm one of the chatterers a lot of the time. My monitor right now has a mirror over it and I'm talking to myself as much as everybody reading this.)

When we talk during service, we distract others from concentrating on the service, on the words and meanings and prayers that are being offered - on our behalf! - to God. So yes, it behooves us to shut up. Besides, I often get the feeling if God decided to answer back, we wouldn't hear Him (him?) for all the noise!

Grump grump grump. I'm being a bad tempered baba.

Lenten Recipe

Okay, yes, very stereotypical, but what the hey - it's almost Lent and I'm feeling about as Lenten as if it were the day after Pascha, so maybe this will help get me thinking about Lent instead of chocolate.

This is an incredibly easy and quick recipe, and I make it often for church functions - notably the icon workshop.

I don't know what it's called.

1 large can diced tomatoes.
1 or 2 cans black beans.
1 or 2 cans creamed corn (and yes, creamed corn is Lenten - they use cornstarch, not cream - that's why it's called "cream-style" corn.)

cumin seed - a little bit.
1 bay leaf.

Get a pot. Open the cans and put in the pot. Add the cumin seed and the bay leaf. Heat. Cut up some Italian loaf or French bread or a baguette or sourdough bread. Make a salad. Eat when the soup is hot.

See - easy.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Questions...

All Right,
I have some questions, and I seem to think I know the answers, but I want to hear from a few sources, maybe a deacon or two and whichever other liturgical authorities are out there...



I have two questions, maybe three:

1) are we meant to be quiet in the church? I mean, I was always taught that we were meant to be quiet while in the church, and do our chatting outside, but we seem to talk more and more inside the church during the veneration of the cross. and I do it too, I am not pointing fingers and anyone but the royal 'we'.

2) I was once told that liturgically it was not really the right thing to do to venerate the icon on the analogion right before communion, but I don't remember who told met that, and it seems as though it happens on a rather sporadic basis, so, what are we meant to do?

and and one more

3) kissing the robes of the priest, I know that is sort of a tradition, but isn't it meant to happen during the great entrance and
not the little entrance?

These are small details that won't make or break our life as a church, but I wonder about them quite often.

David



ps, no baby yet. trust me, you'll know. if fact, maybe this blog will be the first place I post...