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The Orthodox Parish of
St Aidan
& St Chad,
Nottingham


FATHER DAVID’S LETTER:

Beginning of the Church’s Year.

 At the beginning of this new year (the Church’s year begins 1 September), I think that the wisdom of Mark the Monk (who lived in the fifth century A.D.)  gives us a profound ‘secret  weapon’ which can help us keep strength and continue to be faithful. He says this: ‘God is hidden in His commandments. In doing what God wants, there is an encounter with Him.’
This is the great truth for the loyal disciple. When we become attuned to God’s Will and we try to follow it to the best of our ability and with a good intention, we not only find God with us but we become clearly aware of His presence in a very tangible way. It is this which keeps all of us on track and faithful. It is the strength of the martyrs who confidently witness to God’s presence and His goodness even unto death. They find themselves only able to stand up for that which they know to be true.
This does not mean that the path is always easy. Charles Williams, a theologian, courageously entitled his autobiography, ‘Some day I'll find you!’ He was aware of the presence of God in his life despite all the uncertainties, the doubts, the turmoil, the feelings of abandonment, and the distress— and he was sure that at the end of his life’s journey he would find Him, and be found by Him, in a complete and tangible way.
The wisdom of Mark the Monk and our witness to the truth can be difficult for many reasons. The Fathers put it the following way (I quote from Metropolitan Hierotheos’s book: ‘Orthodox Psychotherapy’):
‘Before the Fall, man’s soul was open to God and nourished by God’s grace, becoming a “soul filled with grace”. Since the Fall, the soul separated from God, seeks nourishment from the body... (whilst) the body, not finding life in the soul, turns  towards external things and... becomes enslaved to matter and imprisoned in the cycle of corruption. Thus pleasure-loving bodily passions appear, whereby man struggles to draw life and joy from material things.’
We should not be surprised, therefore, that our times, despite all wealth, easy pleasure, and all the benefits of science and technology, is also an age of unfulfilment and despair. Former National Theatre Director Richard Eyre  describes  our age as ‘The Noughties’, an age ‘familiar with melancholy and grief but also obsessed with celebrity and marinated in narcissism.’
There is a great task ahead for us as we seek to allow God to restore in us ‘a soul filled with grace’. We may well find that the surest way is the use of Mark the Monk’s ‘secret weapon’, God hidden in His commandments. Of one thing we can be sure, as we go forward, God will be with us at every turn, He will never let us down and we shall find Him as the completion and fulfilment of our lives.
May God grant you a most fulfilling  and blessed year ahead.
Father David
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Our Life
Congratulations and Many Years!
Barry Dryden and Katharine Greer were married in splendour on 5th July, 2008. Afterwards we enjoyed a delightful reception.
Father David attained his 70th birthday on 30th July. The parish gathered for a  celebration party at Monica’s house in Southwell. The food, including a magnificent birthday cake, and the ambience were superb. Fr David was presented with a large box of chocolates and a very valuable voucher for theatre tickets. He also received a  beautifully made, lightweight, Greek-style vestment for traveling—and is most grateful to all for their kindness and support.
Christopher Knight was ordained as deacon on the feast of St Seraphim, 19/1 August in the Chapel, Lesser Walsingham.
Deacon John Musther will be ordained priest at St Bega’s Church, near Keswick, on 18th October. This is St Luke’s day, according to the new-style calendar.
Our thanks to Margaret Handley,  who has assumed the duties of Parish, Warden and also our thanks to John Moore, who relinquished this post at the recent Parish AGM.
We would also like to express our thanks to the group who gathered on Saturday, 12th July, to begin to clear the Church garden, which had become quite overgrown. Another gathering is  planned for Saturday, 16th August. Two skips were filled: now the garden is looking much tidier and has become less of a fire hazard.


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A Word from the Desert:

 A layman who had a son came to see Abba Sisoes on Abba Anthony’s mountain.  On the way, it happened that his son died.  He was not troubled y this, but brought him with confidence to the old man and bowed down with  his son, as though making prostration, so that he would be blessed by the old man.  Then the father stood up, left the child at the old man’s feet and went outside.  The old man, thinking that the boy was bowing to him said, ‘Get up, go outside.’  For he did not know that he was dead.  Immediately,
 the boy stood up and went out. When he saw it, his father was filled with amazement and went back inside.  He bowed before the old man and told him the whole story.  When he heard it, the old man was filled with regret, for he had not intended that to happen.  So the disciple asked the father of the  child not to speak of it to anyone before the old man’s death.
A brother asked Abba Sisoes the Theban, ‘Give me a word’, and he said,
 ‘What shall I say to you?  I read the New Testament, and then I turn to the
 Old.’
Abba Ammoun of Rhaithou asked Abba Sisoes, ‘When I read the Scriptures, my mind is wholly concentrated on the words so that I may make elaborate  comments and so to prepare myself to answer questions on it.’ The old man  said to him, ‘That is not necessary; it is better to enrich yourself through purity of spirit and to be without anxiety and then to speak simply.’
St. Sisoes the Theban, commemorated 6 July.
(Taken from ‘Orthodox-Theo’ at orthodox-theo@snet.net, courtesy of Fr David.)

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Orthodox Theological Research Forum, St John’s College, Durham, 12-15 August

The OTRF is intended as a forum for discussion for the benefit mainly of students in higher education, lecturers, professors, and clergy of the Orthodox Church. The Forum has been meeting since 2003, on an annual basis, in order to discuss theological topics from an Orthodox Christian perspective.
The topic this year was ‘Liturgy and Theology’ and it proved to be a rewarding one. The lecturers included Metropolitan Kallistos, speaking on the topic, ‘A Priest Forever: The Eucharistic Sacrifice in Byzantine Theology’. Metropolitan Kallistos focused in this talk on the concept of the Eucharist as a sacrifice which recalls Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross, with Christ’s priestly role in heaven representing the link between the historical event and the daily or weekly celebration of the Eucharist. He discussed especially the 12th-century Byzantine theologian, Nicholas of Methone, who has been little studied or appreciated by scholars to date.

Father Kyril Jenner followed this talk with a discussion of the importance of music in the liturgy—a topic that is also sometimes neglected. He demonstrated that music sometimes reveals links between events that are not apparently associated, i.e. when the same tune is adopted in two entirely different services.

We then had a fascinating talk by Father Ephrem Lash, on ‘Liturgy and Theology: Myths and Reality’. This was a down-to-earth discussion of how the Orthodox services, including both offices and the Divine Liturgy, have changed in the course of history. Father Ephrem opened our eyes to the meaning of parts of the Liturgy (which may not always be appreciated by priests or laity), and to the importance of understanding what we are saying and doing in our services.

Father Andrew Louth then gave a fascinating talk on the 19th-20th c. Russian theologian, Fr Sergei Bulgakov, in which he emphasized not only the teachings of this controversial theologian, but also his importance as a priest and spiritual father. A lively discussion followed on what Fr Sergei actually meant in his study of the role of Holy Wisdom (Sophia) in God’s dispensation—and whether this concept in fact differs from the more mainstream Orthodox understanding of the work of the Logos.

The final talk, on ‘Liturgy and Christian Cosmology’, was delivered jointly by Drs George and Elizabeth Theokritoff. These two eminent scholars, who reside in the United States, have written some distinctive publications on the place of creation in God’s Kingdom, and humanity’s role in offering creation back to God, in Orthodox worship and theology.

The main papers were supplemented by communications delivered by postgraduate students and other participants. Many of these were illuminating: all of them dealt with the central theme of the conference and were followed by good discussions. We also celebrated morning and evening prayers each day, and the conference culminated in the Vigil and Liturgy for the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God (new style).
Another meeting of OTRF, this time probably to be held near Oxford, will be held in the summer of 2009 on the topic, ‘Orthodoxy and the Problem of Evil’. It will be organized by Dr Mary Cunningham (the Editor), with help from Elena Draghici-Vasilescu. Please see the former for further details.
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Parish Study Group
The Parish Study Group, led by Father David and Mary Cunningham, will resume on the second Wednesday of October at 7.30 p.m. in the parish rooms, Carleton. We hope that all who are interested in discussing theological and spiritual topics will be able to attend. For more information, see either of the Study Group leaders.

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Book Review
The Sign of the Cross. The Gesture, The Mystery, The History
 by Andreas Andreopoulos
This is a delightful, short book, written by the current lecturer in Orthodox Studies at the University of Lampeter, Wales. Dr Andreopoulos begins with an anecdote about his beloved grandfather, a Greek priest who bore the same name, who first taught him to read and then instructed him (often non-verbally) in the sacred traditions of the Orthodox Church.
Dr Andreopoulos covers the history of the making of the sign of the cross in Orthodox tradition, tracing its biblical origins and usage in the Patristic and Byzantine periods, with full emphasis on the theological significance of this powerful, physical sign which Orthodox Christians make as a gesture of reverence, protection, and supplication. He then examines the semiotic importance of the cross and Christians’ need for a physical act of remembrance of both Christ and His sacrifice for humankind. The book also includes chapters on prayer and on the cosmic significance of the Cross.  It is available from Paraclete Press, Brewster, Mass., U.S.A., at $19.95 (hb), or at about half that price in pounds sterling via Amazon. (Editor)

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We are grateful to Tatiana Yudina-Butler for permission to reprint the following article.

Icon “Weep not for Me, Mother…”

On the Palms Sunday of this year I received a precious gift from Fr David. This was a small reproduction of one of the 16th century icons from Mount Athos: Christ in a tomb held by His Mother. It reminded me of another icon with the same subject, painted in XX century by Sr Joanna (Jullia Nikolaevna Reitlinger), a Russian artist, who after the Revolution of 1917 fled to Paris (via Warsaw and Belgrade) became there a nun and an icon painter. I’d like to share my thoughts about it with you.  


”A photo of my icon “Weep not for me, Mother”* was placed on the first page of the journal “Russia and the Slavs.” (The public, who were not well enough acquainted with our iconography, called me “the foundress of the Russian Pietà”, although I did not have the idea for this composition myself, but only interpreted it in my own way).”

*The icon’s subject derives from the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus and from the liturgical texts of the services for Good Friday and Holy Saturday. The theological meaning of the icon corresponds to the words of the irmos of the ninth song of the canon for Holy Saturday: “Weep not for me, Mother, seeing in the grave the Son who was conceived in your womb without seed, for I shall rise and be glorified, and, as God, shall exalt those who praise you, with faith and love, in glory everlasting.” (9th Irmos of Canon for Holy Saturday.) The Byzantine iconography of “Christ in the Tomb” had great influence on the composition of this subject – the dead Christ with crossed hands. The representation was made on shrouds (embroidered onto the cloth of the icons). In the monumental paintings of the XIV century, such a composition would most often be found in an altar niche, which symbolised Christ’s tomb, and served as a place for preparing the bread and wine for the offering. In this way, the liturgical meaning of the image was also emphasized.
However, the content of the icon “Weep not for Me, Mother…” is essentially different from the similar “Mourning…”. Its iconography was widespread in Russia as early as the XVI-XVII centuries. It does not relate to any of the passion events of the Gospels: the dead body of Christ, with eyes closed, pointed out his real death in the flesh, although it is shown as if standing in the grave, vertically and not nailed to the cross. All the details of these icons do not compare directly with the events of the passion, - the cross behind the dead Christ serves only as a reminder of his crucifixion, the tomb of his burial and the Theotokos of mourning. In this way the ideas were expressed of Incarnation (bodily death), Sacrifice (the cross) and Resurrection (“…I shall rise and be glorified…”).
The image of the Theotokos has a special significance in similar icons. She is portrayed not facing the dead Christ, as in scenes of the “Crucifixion” but holding Him in her arms. In this way the present type corresponds not just to the words of the Canon of Simeon Logothete “The crucifixion of the Lord and the tears of the Theotokos”, but also to the services of Easter week, when the theme of the marriage of God with His Church is predominant. The Theotokos, as personification of the Church, takes her Son and is joined with Him, united in sacrifice. This was the image of sacrificial love of Christ and Church. And so the image of the grave often became a symbol of the marriage bed of King and Queen, when it is shown horizontally extended; and sometimes a symbol of the feast to which all the faithful are invited, when it is square in shape.
The subject of Julia Nikolayevna’s icon is noticeably different from the ancient Russian ones, in that her particular aim was to show the special theme of the Eucharist. No other figures are present in the icon except the important ones: Christ and the Theotokos. The background is yellowish pistachio (a symbol of the Resurrection) and a funereal-black cross; and on it: at the centre left is Christ, and at the right, the Theotokos. Her hands are entwined about the body of her Son; one, passing under His arm, holds His figure in a vertical position, and the other embraces His shoulder. The Theotokos rests her head on Christ’s left shoulder, so that their nimbi, faces and figures flow into one. (Here is a remarkable inner resemblance with “Tenderness” icons, only the Infant and Mary have as it were “changed places”). The tomb of Christ has several symbolic meanings here. It is almost square in shape, and in this can be likened to an altar – “the holy meal is the grave” (Simeon of Thessaloniki), and on its background, the white burial clothes stand out especially (a symbol of the prosphora). Here the cross recalls the cross that usually stands behind the throne of the altar: where the offering is, there too are the means of sacrifice. At the same time, the tomb also recalls the sacrificial cup.
The Theotokos’ marthoria is of the same colour, royal purple, as the lower parts of the tomb, into which the marthoria seems to “pour out”, and which symbolise that separation from Christ of the church’s sacrifice: “…I shall not leave Him alone, I shall die here and be buried with Him”. (Simeon the Logothete). And again “Yours of Your Own we offer You, in all and for all” (Prayer of Institution, Liturgy of the Faithful) – Christ’s hands are placed in the pose characteristic of those receiving communion. He is the sacrifice, and at the same time he became the first to partake in immortality – “first-begotten of the dead”. The earthly and the heavenly are united once more, as they had previously been in the Incarnation – in sacrifice and the acceptance of the sacrifice – beyond the bounds of death – for life Eternal.
A review of the exhibition: “Deadly, motionless... if it were not for Reitlinger’s icons”.
When the canon is understood only as an external rule, an immutable law, which demands only passive observance, it is turned into a kind of spiritual caesura, a disciplinary principle; whereas:
“The icon is a work of art, which knows and loves its shapes and colours, comprehends their revelation, is able to use them, and is obedient to them. But it is also a theurgic act, in which supernatural revelation is witnessed in natural images, the spiritual life in images of the flesh. In it God reveals himself in human creativity, and accomplishes the theurgic act of unifying the earthly and the heavenly. For this reason iconography is at the same time an artistic and a religious endeavour, full of prayerfully ascetic effort (which is why the Church recognizes a special category of iconographer-saints, and thereby canonizes in them art as a way of salvation). […] the nature of art [including iconography] is creative freedom, not copying […] It is always moving, because it lives. […] if it were to turn out that all the possibilities of iconography could be encapsulated in photographic reproductions of a few admissible classic originals […] that would be idolatry in respect of those originals, which alone were held to have iconic quality. Besides, limiting the task of art to simple copying of existing originals is false in religious terms, because it perverts the idea of church tradition. In particular, so far as the religious content of one icon or another is concerned, the history of the icon shows that the icon has its own distinctive life within the Church. [This life, just like] the Church’s life has never been confined to the past, but embraces the present and the future, and at all times alike has been moved by the Holy Spirit”.

The power for good of Julia Nikolayevna’s icons consisted not only in her professionalism, but chiefly in the fact that they were made by hands that were inseparable from Bible and prayer book. She lives in the tradition of the fathers, a living tradition revived in her images. In her icons there is not much of “her own”, departing from the generally accepted spiritual tradition, but at the same time, everything is independent: in as much as the Icon is the visible part of prayer; prayer, even when using common words, is always individual.

Tatiana Yudina-Butler, Lent 2008


Extracts from Parish Newsletter, September 2008