Bowing from the waist or from the knees (part 1/3)


Bowing from the waist or from the knees? (part 1/3) 

I read this story in the humorous book by Fr Joseph Huneycutt,  “We Came, We Saw, We Converted: The Lighter Side of Orthodoxy in America.”  (https://www.conciliarpress.com/products/We-Came%2C-We-Saw%2C-We-Converted.html). 

There was a debate in one of the churches about how to worship God. As the title shows, the two teams quarreled with each other, almost becoming physical in their fight, and at the end they decided to go to Elder Hermit Sosimas. When they revealed their argument,  “Holy father, as you see , during  the holy season of  Lent, we have almost come to blows, our parish is being rent at the seams, we are at war with each other. Tell us, what is the ancient way of the Church?” The elder looked at them with tears streaming down his face, his heart aching, and said, “ But, my dear children, this is the ancient way of the Church!” 

So quarreling also was in the ancient church. This reminds me of the fact that St. Cyril of Jerusalem would warn the catechumens during the Great Lent who will be baptized on Easter (literally after the Bright Saturday), he said if you see bishop quarrel with a priest or priest with the deacons, do not be upset as this happened during Jesus time when His disciples quarreled with each other about who should be the first, and  when one of his disciples betrayed Him. Again, this was the ancient church.

My beloved if you are wasting your time in these arguments, assuming that you follow the ancient way, then you will take the ancient “woe to you” which Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees. Which is also an ancient “Woe.”

Let us get rid of these arguments and focus on Him.

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