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Vasilopita Cutting at the FOS Kick Off

18 Jan

I recently wrote an essay that involved an experience I once had at a vasilopita cutting.  I look forward to sharing it with you sometime in the future.  In the meantime, I want to encourage you to come out to the vasilopita cutting at the FOS kick-off party Thursday night, January 20, 7-9 PM, at Kellari Parea.

In addition to the vasilopita cutting, there will be savory appetizers and a cash bar.  Admission is $25 in advance and $30 at the door.  $100 makes you an event sponsor.  Kellari Parea is located at 36 E. 20th Street in Manhattan.

The kick-off event will present Faithbook: The Orthodox Church as the Ultimate Spiritual Network as the next series topic for FOS, a Greek Orthodox fellowship led by Father Frank Marangos at Holy Trinity Cathedral.

You can listen to an interview about FOS at Radio NEO.

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Church Hopping on Martin Luther King, Jr., Day

17 Jan

During the March on Washington, in which Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., made his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, at what church in Washington, D.C., did more than 700 people meet?

Find out in my Church Hopping column, archived at Burnside Writers Collective.

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Throwing Crosses in the Hudson River

12 Jan

I once saw a priest in Brooklyn throw a cross into the muddy waters of the Hudson.  It was a frigid January day, yet a bunch of boys jumped into the river to save the cross.

What would possess a priest to throw a cross into the river?

Theophany; or, as most westerners call it, Epiphany.

The word “Theophany” comes from the Greek “τα Θεοφάνια,” which means “appearance of God,” and January 6 is the feast day that commemorates the incarnation of Jesus.  It celebrates His birth and baptism.

When St. John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan River, the heavens opened up and the Holy Spirit descended like a dove.  God spoke from the heavens, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matt 3:17, NIV).  It marked one of the very few times that all three characters of the Trinity—Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and God—revealed themselves at the same time to man.

Jesus’ baptism marks His first step toward Crucifixion, according to Orthodox theology.

And so, on January 6, Orthodox priests throughout the world throw crosses, symbolic of Jesus’ crucifixion, into bodies of water, symbolic of His baptism.  This is called the Blessing of the Waters.  Volunteers jump into the water to retrieve the cross.  The priest, according to tradition, prays a blessing on the person who gets to the cross first and brings it back to him.

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Does God Laugh at Our Resolutions?

10 Jan

This morning I posted here on the website about my blogging resolutions.  Over at Burnside Writers Collective I had another piece on resolutions published.  In the article, I questioned if the phrase “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans” means that God laughs at our resolutions.

You can read the full article here.

Take a Bite Out of the Big Apple with Asphalt Eden

6 Jan

After a few months’ hiatus, Asphalt Eden is back!  Asphalt Eden is a blog I founded in January 2009 that is a source for art, entertainment, sports, food, and Christianity in New York City.  It’s updated every week with event listings going on throughout the city.  You’ll find out about efforts to make the lives of the homeless more comfortable and dignified, major conferences that bring different churches and denominations together, and how faith and work are related.

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