2014 Seasons Greetings

Merry Christmas and Seasons greetings.  We hope you have a wonderful 2015! 

For us this past year has been full of events, many delightful, some tragic, and some bitter sweet.  I suppose this is much like any typical year for most of us.  But in any case, I feel thankful today for all blessings.  

On Christmas eve we did some time traveling.  We felt like we went back 1000 years or so, before the split between the Western Latin Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church.  Imagine a mountain hillside, a pitch black night with clear skies and bright stars; no electricity or plumbing.  All beeswax candle light, two small windows, beautiful freshly pained Icons with gold painted backgrounds glowing on the iconostasis (the wall separating the body of the church from the alter).  The church was about 25 feet by 40 feet with a barrel vaulted roof, inside were about 70 people.  Women sat on the left side facing the Iconostasis and men on the right. Monks chanting, priest chanting, no other sound from inside or outside the church apart from the rustling sound of the congregation rising and siting at mysterious intervals (mysterious to us).  There are no pews, only chairs, benches, and stools, and not quite enough of them for the entire congregation.  Some people stood outside the open door to the church.  Incense, church bells, real church bells.  We arrived after the service was in progress (about 10:30 PM), we stayed until about 1:30 AM.  The liturgy part of the service, that Roman Catholics would recognize parts of didn't start until about 12:30 AM, prior to that there were many prayers and traditions to fulfill.  We left before it was finished, but after the Host was consecrated.  So I don't know how long the entire service lasted.  These Christian traditions have been in practice for over 1,500 years without substantial change.  It was a very beautiful experience to witness.  And  it was enchanting to participate in something so old, yet still thriving, first hand.  It was an amazing transition from our current world to visit a much older world.  We are looking forward to the Easter liturgy.  From what we understand, that one is even more elaborate although we can't think how it could be more beautiful that this Christmas liturgy.   

Blessings and love to all for the coming year.

Here is a picture of the church in the daylight.  The church is new, but the Liturgy is old.   Maybe as old or older than the olive tree in the foreground.