March 2019 – Fr. Bill's Orthodox Blog – Orthodoxy from the Third Coast

112. The Icon, Part Two – Iconoclasm, the Seventh Council, and after that

Posted on March 29, 2019 by Fr. Bill

In the year 767 Stephen of Constantinople saw soldiers trampling an icon. He objected and was told it was ok – it was only a picture. So he took a coin with the image of the Emperor and trampled it, explaining it was only a picture. We celebrate the feast of Saint Stephen the New Martyr every […]

111. The Icon, Part One – Judaism, Early Church

Posted on March 22, 2019 by Fr. Bill

Did you ever watch a classic iconographer paint (“write”} an icon? This requires many layers of egg tempura paint, each properly prayed over. The iconographer begins with a plain board, correctly shaped and prepared. (I’m omitting much of the process here.) Along the way a layer of clay earth tone is used, then later white […]

110. The Triumph of Orthodoxy

Posted on March 15, 2019 by Fr. Bill

The Triumph of Orthodoxy? That sounds brash and prideful, as if we think we Orthodox have beat everybody else out in this “religious game”, that we have all the truth and others have none because we’re so smart and everybody else is so stupid (sounds like modern politics), or that we’ve taken over the world or […]

109. Pre-Lent: Fourth Sunday – Fasting, Forgiveness, Final Instructions

Posted on March 8, 2019 by Fr. Bill

In the Sunday Epistle: Romans 13:11-14,14:1-4 Saint Paul makes creative use of night/day, winter/spring imagery. “Brethren, salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is gone; day is at hand.” That’s the truth. Time is passing. We don’t have forever to wake up and shape up. How much time any of […]