Going to Heaven...
I'm Very, Very Interested In Going To Heaven!
If any person really thinks about the alternative, They would be interested in going to heaven too!
What more can I say about this?
If our reason for being Orthodox Christians is anything other than a desire for true repentance, a desire for a good death and along with this a loving desire to dwell with and look upon the face of our Sweetest Lord Jesus Christ and to partake of and not be separated from His love eternally, then we should reexamine our motives for being called Orthodox Christians.
It's what this life is all about.
Other than Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Heavenly Realm
The main earthly interest for me is:
My Children...
Alexis Lavrentivitch Ignatius Eldred,
Alexis' Wife Elizabeth Victoria Jean,
Seraphima Lavrentievna Eugenia Irene,
Seraphima's Son
Elijah Benjamin Lund
(My Grandson),
Shaunna Lavrentievna Ioanna Maxima Marie,
Alexandra Lavrentievna Francis Xenia,
Amateur Radio...
KB7BNW - Personal callsign,
KF6ZSY - Blessed Seraphim Hermitage Station,
E.M.E. (Moonbounce),
Amateur Satellites,
Rag Chewing,
Wholly Rollers
(Pigeons, that is)...
Birmingham Rollers,
Parlor Rollers.
Photography
I have been involved with photography in one way or another since I was 20 years old. I'm an old 35mm SLR man and I still have a five enlarger darkroom [all packed up and stored away]
I was privileged to to be one of the persons to take a great deal of photographs of Father Seraphim Rose during the last two years of his life in this world. While taking photographs of him I would like to say that it was always with a feeling of urgency that I worked. This didn't always go over to well with Father Seraphim. The first pictures of Father Seraphim that I printed in the darkroom after his death, even while at the enlarger during focusing, I felt the Grace of God and the prayers of Father Seraphim in a miraculous way. It was so intense that I broke into a period of very hard sobbing. From that moment on I never doubted that Father Seraphim had found boldness to pray for us before the Throne of God, a fact verified soon thereafter by the words and actions of Righteous Bishop Nektary (Kontzevitch) of Seattle.
As of lately I have been trying Digital Photography. While I really miss the Darkroom with all the smells and stains that I had learned to love, I have finally come to a peace with what I believe will be the photography of the future. If I could get someone or some manufacturer to donate about $4,000.00 worth of Digital equipment [camera body, lenses, flash, and all that is necessary to produce a outstanding image] I would be more than happy to delve deeper into the digital world. Even though the methods of capturing light have changed I still maintain that
"Photography is man's best method of capturing and preserving a moment in history".
HOW I LIVE!
The Hermitage is where I live. I am Semi-Eremitical. That means
I'm not a
TOTAL HERMIT
I leave The Hermitage once in a while but only with a Blessing to do so. If anyone wishes to visit me I must also obtain a Blessing for them to do so. If you wish to visit please inform me 6 weeks in advance so that I may have enough time to ask a Blessing for you to visit. If no Blessing is given for you to visit I will inform you well in advance.
Check Out The Hermitage Website!
The Hermitage
If you want to contact me privately because you have a spiritual matter to discuss with me or for any other confidential matter you can send a private Email to me at:
Email Father Lawrence
And, seeing that this is the section that deals with Interests I think that it may be of Interest for you to know that I will be forced to
DISALLOW
AND
DELETE
Any Friends or Friend's Comments that are:
CRUDE
RUDE
AND
SPIRITUALLY
OR
SOCIALLY
UNACCEPTABLE
The reasons for this are self-evident.
Thank You
for
Understanding!
I'd like to meet:
I'd like to meet DEATH having been
able to sufficiently prepare myself for this inescapablereality that is the lot of all humankind. By "preparing"myself I mean that I would pray that God would give mesufficient time to repent by prayer, confession and thereception of Christ's awesome and immortal medicine - HisBody and Blood. Do I fear death? Yes! I fear death becauseI have seen it so many times. I fear the physical pain,such pain as I have never known. Do I fear God? Yes! But Ifear Him not out of thinking He is angry with me butbecause of Who He is and who I am and being aware of mydeeds. It's true that repentance brings forgiveness. But doI offer God "True Repentance"? I have seen so many peopledelude themselves and think their standing before God is asif they were the first created and greatest resplendencenext to the Holy Trinity itself. I wish this were so, bothfor those who believe it and for myself. However, I am notan Orthodox Christian because it agrees with and supportsthe beliefs that I hold. Rather, I am an Orthodox Christianbecause it is the “Absolute Truthâ€, the “UltimateRealityâ€and the “Fount of All Knowledge.†Sure ... I like agreat deal of the doctrines and man made teachings thatpeople think they discover in the “Bible.†If I were goingto start a religion I would make it as easy and convenientas it could possibly be. But “Truth†doesn’t have anythingto do with us as far as our perception of it goes. That is,with our personal preferences and Pipe-Dreams. “Truth†issomething totally outside ourselves. It doesn’t depend onus to believe in it for it to be true. “Truth†will betruth no matter how much we believe it or not and if I havelearned anything it is that “You can not change “Truthâ€with time. So... I’d like to meet DEATH with a true conceptof what it is, why it is and how it is. DEATH! I know onereality, I will meet you! Now, truthfully I would like tomeet DEATH with "fruits worthy of repentance" Saint Luke 3:8.
Music:
Music
Music is like eating food. Music should be used or eaten.
My Father once told me the following:
“Son, there is no bad whiskey;
Some kinds are just better than others.â€
Can you imagine a person eating food 24 hours a day? I don't mean being undisciplined and grazing all day just to satisfy the flesh. What I mean is eating at a meal for the entire 24 hours of the day. It's unimaginable. It is the incorrect use of food. The correct use of food is almost Eucharistic, if it is used in a dignified manner with the proper thanksgiving to God our creator. Eating in a refined and devoted manner can be a totally religious experience.
Music is like food. It too should be used.
Music is connected with the living human soul.
It sure doesn't take any brains to figure this out.
Music is so connected to the soul that the African American Peoples call it SOUL Music.
If you don't eat food your body will eventually die. In the same way, if you don't have some form of music, even if it is not the kind you like ... you will die. If you don't die physically something inside you, inside your soul will die. However, as with food, so with music. You don't listen to music 24 hours a day. This too is unimaginable, the 24 Hour a Day listening to or making music is in reality a lack of temperance. If a person were to do this [24/7 music] the same fate would eventually befall them as would befall the person who eats 24 Hours a Day.
Use Music!
It is the current that can recharge the batteries of your soul.
But, don't overdo it. If you overdo it, the music will become devoid of its specialness, its religious experience.
So, to take another spin on my father's advice, let us say,
There is no bad Music;
Some is just better than Others.
So, for myself I would have to place at the top of the list
Orthodox Church Chant.
Other than that the other forms of music I will list are not prioritized in any manner at all.
Orthodox Church Chant Is the Purist Form Of Music.
Russian Orthodox Chant,
Greek Orthodox Chant,
To this we could add any local Orthodox Church Chant that there is and it wouldn't matter if it was chanted in the Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Russia or in a small grass Hut-Church somewhere in Africa. And, for me, I may enjoy the African Chant more because;
AFRIKA IZ DA BOMB!
Other artists and musical forms I like are listed below and this is by no means a complete list because there is no bad whiskey.
Nigel Kennedy,
Jimi Hendrix,
Cream,
West African Music,
North African Music,
Blondie,
Diana Krall,
Tony Bennett,
Nate King Cole,
Natacha Atlas,
Bob Dylan,
Tracy Chapman,
Bob Marley,
Give me any Violin Concerto. I love concerti.
Need I go on?
Music-God-Soul-Truth-CHRIST- GOD.
My Hope Is The Father,
My Refuge Is The Son,
My Shelter Is The Holy Spirit.
Oh Holy Trinity Glory To Thee!
Jesus Christ is at the same time Fully God and Fully Man.
Jesus Christ is GOD! How can we not sing?
Movies:
Movies?
Do you know where I live?
Do your realize I am a monk?
I'm a person of "little means".
I can't afford to go to movies.
Even if I could afford to attend movies I would have to travel at least 180 miles round trip to get to a theater that is capable of producing a quality high enough to meaningfully have a good movie experience. The gasoline cost alone would make going to see a movie a futile venture.
That being said I think I should say that my Kalimovkion (a monks formal hat) is off to those who are in the movie making industry. I know that many people will say that movies are bad for a religious person to watch.
But, please! ... what is wrong with people who say such things? Acting is honorable and honorable are those who act. It's an amazing thing these people [people in the movie industry] do in making a movie from start to finish.
BUT, movies should be used just like food and music. If I am going to watch a movie it is because I want a period of what could be called A-Muse (Muse=think-A=negation [not] so Amusement is "not to think". That doesn't mean "lack of thought." It's lack of stressful modern lifestyle thought. As the young people say ... "CHILL."
It's the same thing a person does when they read a fiction novel. It's a temporary type of distraction from our overloaded lives this society makes us live. And this same society tries to convince us this way of life is progressive and normal. Oh! If we would have only learned from the American Indians rather than cramming European, post Great Schism views of reality and lifestyle on them.
But for this reason (A-Muse) must be used within reason.
This gives me all the more veneration for the saints who were able to attain to "Constant Remembrance of God". This, of course, is also very at odds with Western Civilization's mode of "progress and prosperity." Those who attain to the "Constant Remembrance of God" are awesome humans. They never "A-Mused" but with Christian sobriety and watchfulness (Greek = Nepsis, ie; Teachings of the Neptic Fathers) coupled with an Orthodox World View they prayed, even in their sleep. And this sober watchfulness is the reason we don't do other things 24 Hours a Day. We should strive as much as possible toward the Constant (24/7) Remembrance of God.
Use movies not people. Watch yourself and be sober. This is Nepsis.
Television:
Television!
I imagine you think I am going to say that Television should be used as food, music, movies and other things. Well, I'm sorry ... that is what I'm saying. Why am I saying this? Because of everything I have just said about movies ... just copy and paste it down here. There is one difference - I do use TV. And because I do that's why I will give you a list.
Once again there is no order of priority here. Well, I do kind of have a favorite. See if you can guess which show I think is the most professionally done and has the best actors and music and stories. Here's a list.
24,
BBaattttlleessttaarr GGaallaaccttiiccaa!,
Did I mention Battlestar Galactica?,
House,
Bones,
Prison Break,
X-Files,
The News,
The True News that is.
Not the Liberal Lies Network.
Being a liberal once you get past your 17th or 18th birthday is no longer the youthful peace and goodwill of childish ignorance. If you are an adult and are still liberal you should see a psychiatrist as soon as you can because you probably need to be taking Haldol (the decanoate ester haloperidol decanoate) or something else for you paranoid schizophrenic mental health disorder.
Anyway, I digress.
Can you guess which Television show I prefer? You may be surprised. It's
BBaattttlleessttaarr GGaallaaccttiiccaa!
BBaattttlleessttaarr GGaallaaccttiiccaa!
BBaattttlleessttaarr GGaallaaccttiiccaa!
BBaattttlleessttaarr GGaallaaccttiiccaa!
BBaattttlleessttaarr GGaallaaccttiiccaa!
Battlestar Galactica, Battlestar Galactica,
Battlestar Galactica, Battlestar Galactica,
Battlestar Galactica, Battlestar Galactica,
Battlestar Galactica, Battlestar Galactica,
Did you guess correctly?
The answer is:
Battlestar Galactica.
Books:
THE CHRISTIAN
HOLY SCRIPTURES
Yeah! Looks like I will have to express some preference on this subject - and I am not even a Bible Thumper. I supposed I had better express some facts about the Holy Scriptures that are "Little Known" in Western Europe and the so called "Americas." However I have decided this is not the place to do that.
I have written on the section, re-written it, formatted it, lost it and then entered it again. I was trying to give an explanation as to what the Holy Scriptures are, how they were originally used, where they came from and why it was decided they would comprise what writings were in or out of the canon. But, as mentioned above, I finally came to the realization that this section is not for such comment. When I will make up and post a section to the Blog concerning this? I can't know. For the sake of this section on "Books" I will just say that I read and prefer the Holy Scriptures to many spiritual texts, probably I even prefer these writings to all others. The Orthodox Church does not teach the doctrine of the Plenary-Verbal word by word inspiration of the Holy Scriptures but something quite more wondrous. Oh! The Orthodox View! Because they saw the inspiration happen in Real Time. WE WERE THERE! Even with Moses. And further, Moses was with Saint Paul as he also wrote.
No! We are not the Church of Time-Travel.
But We Were (Are) There.
How can it be you say?
It's organic.
Come touch it!!!
COME AND SEE!!!
So to end up here before I get carried away again. I leave you with the time old question:
Which Came First; The Chicken or the Egg?By that, I mean of course Which came first; The Canon of Scripture or The Church?
So watch for a Blog Post
I know not when.
If God wills maybe soon.
Just know that I read the Holy Scriptures.
They are Orthodox Writings par excellence.
Other books I have come to like the most are...
THE SOUL AFTER DEATH
A wonderful book - however I am personally involved here. None-the-less the book is very good.
ORTHODOXY AND THE RELIGION OF THE FUTURE
Father Seraphim saw the neo-Pagan mess of today and said so. We are Orthodox Christians and if we don't have a message for all mankind, God help us. This is the future. We are here now!
NOT OF THIS WORLD: LIFE AND TEACHING OF FR. SERAPHIM ROSE
If you take this book and the book directly below together you are apt to come to a more rounded position of the truth of the matter dealt with. Otherwise, someone is telling lies.
FATHER SERAPHIM ROSE: HIS LIFE AND WORKS
If you take this book and the book directly above together you are apt to come to a more rounded position of the truth of the matter dealt with. Otherwise, someone is telling lies.
THE SIN OF ADAM
A most inspiring explanation of who we were, who we became, and how and why we are to become what we could be if we want.
THE PHILOKALIA
It's way beyond me. Some of it I find inspiring, some of it I find depressing but most of all I wish the English translation would have come more from the monasteries and less from the academies. I have been told and had always suspected that the original Greek and Russian manuscripts would provide more of a flesh and blood experience of Orthodoxy rather than the lean proper English translation that we have today.
ARCHIE AND THE STRICT BAPTISTS
One of my favorite books and it is a quick read.
THE VICAR OF NIBBLESWICKE
Who says we don't have SOME things in common with the Anglicans? This book proves we do and shows it clearly.
AND MUCH, MUCH MORE
Heroes:
REV HIEROMONK FATHER SERAPHIM ROSE
AND
REV HIEROMONK FATHER HERMAN PODMOSHENSKY
While it certainly can be said that Father Seraphim Baptized me thus making him my spiritual father it must at once be noted that the ever so constant watch of Father Herman over me after the death of Father Seraphim has to earn that title for Father Herman as well. If I could have only as much of Orthodoxy as dwelt in one whisker of these two men I would feel that my life had reached its fullness.
These two Priest-monks, while working and worshiping together reached a degree of Orthodoxy that was and is unparalleled for their time or for any time we can see in our future. These two monks, singlehandedly were American Orthodoxy. If Orthodoxy in America ever has a future it will be in the emulation and parroting of these two gems of the Faith of Our Fathers. I long to return to the fullness of worship that I experienced when I would be with them freezing in that small chapel - that Heaven on Earth of Orthodoxy in remote Northern California.
The death and burial of Father Seraphim was the graduation ceremony for all of us who God had called and taught through Father Herman and Father Seraphim. These are my heroes! Such men have I known and such men will I tell you that I have known and seen and touched in this world. They brought me the Faith - the One Faith - the Faith of the Fathers - The Fathers of The Church - The Orthodox Church - The One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church that was planted on a hillside in Northern California within plain view of my childhood home. And, I always knew there was something special in the remote hills and mountains to the west of my home. I always looked into those hills with longing but I knew not what it was until I stood in the Monastery Church of Saint Herman and watched Father Herman come out from behind the iconostasis - vested - censer in hand and smoking - singing the 103ed Psalm in Slavonic. I then knew I was where I was suppose to be. There were Russians in Beegum and my heart melted as my mind whirled around and around in rejection. But, it was to late, my heart had come home. I had been sent there years before when I was in Jerusalem sitting on the Mount of Olives. God sent me from the Holy Land to a Holy Monastery nestled in the remote areas of my own home, Northern California. It was a long and winding road and much, so very, very much can be said about the journey Our Lord Jesus Christ had sent me on. And now, may God have mercy on me if I ever fail to tell others about the God Who took flesh from a Virgin and dwelt in her womb and was born and touched the earth we walk on today and has elevated the human dough by His becoming man. These men are my Fathers and may I never cease from telling others what they, my heroes, taught me.
