Thursday, November 09, 2006

Reflections on life in Russia (from Will)

I love Russia. I love living in Russia. I believe God has given me this love. However, sometimes I realize that I have become ‘too Russian’ in my thinking or outlook. Life can be hard here. Russian history has hardened the people of Russia. I myself, I shouldn’t be hardened, though. God has given me a love for these people, to the extent that I would rather live here than in the country I was born in. And I need HIM to constantly renew, to deepen that love, to RE-sensitize my heart to those who are literally dying in their sin, without hope, without a future, without God.


I want to introduce you to friend of mine, Kolya. Nikolai Sergeyevich, to be proper. Kolya lives in our apartment building, the next entrance over from us. Almost a next-door neighbor, you could say.
Kolya is a character, but a classic, modern Russian character. He is definitely one of a kind, but he also embodies many common characteristics of the men of his generation. He’s his mid fifties, but could pass for 65 or so. A hard life and hard living have had their toll on him.

Kolya is a true ‘Kovrovan.’ He was born in somebody’s vegetable garden right here in Kovrov, on the way to the hospital. His mother was fairly poor and later gave her son into the tender arms of a state institution. Kolya grew up in one of Kovrov’s Orphanage/Boarding schools, and matured into a tough, rough, self-made man. The army was where he really ‘became a man,’ like so many others. He served his time and then some, as a sergeant, and a good one, to hear him tell.
After retiring from the army, Kolya went to work for the city, maintaining and repairing electrical systems all over the city. (Much of that including residential work, here.) He’s still working, and is a hard worker.

It’s good he’s still working. He’s also a hard drinker, and more than likely, work keeps him from drinking himself to death. Not too long ago, coming home after a long time of ‘counseling’ a buddy on woman troubles over a few drinks, Kolya tripped, fell... and fractured three ribs. Maybe more than a few drinks, come to think of it. Kolya did a ‘watch this’ kind of trick in front of me once. He showed me a little bottle of ‘red pepper extract,’ sold at the pharmacies for heart problems. ‘See this, Will? This here is 90% alcohol!’ he says, as he pours it into a small glass half full of water. He was already a little under the influence, but as he downed his cocktail at one gulp and walked away, he wasn’t staggering any more than usual. Impressive? I don’t quite know.
He recently said he’d just come back from the hospital, and the doctor had given him orders to drink at least every day. He said that his blood pressure was so bad when he didn’t have any alcohol in him that the doctor had actually said it would be better for him to stay a little drunk at all times! I think I miiiiiight believe that. I do know that there are various medicinal ‘extracts’ sold in little bottles at the pharmacies for only 6-9 rubles, and they’re quite popular with all the neighborhood drunks. Doctor’s orders! It’s good for the heart! Hey, and it’s 40-90% straight ethanol, too... will wonders never cease!


My friend Kolya is one of the building’s ‘official’ electricians, and is called on to fix things fairly regularly, so we see him around a lot. As I’ve spent time outside cleaning up, working on things around the building, I’ve gotten to know Kolya better. He loves to walk up and just talk for a while, educating me on everything from politics to history to child raising.

When we had some fairly serious electrical problems recently, we had the whole building up in arms because we called in an ‘outsider.’ We had checked and none of ‘our guys’ were home, so we got a newspaper and called the first ad that looked promising. Oh, and what widespread admonishment, reproof and scorn there was!!
The ‘outsider’ came and went, promised to return another day...and never returned, wouldn’t answer phone calls, wasn’t available, etc. for days. Finally we tired of the glares from Kolya and all the other old men, repented of our foolishness, and asked him to help! Having come to our senses, we were given the ‘neighbors know best’ lecture, along with many others aimed to strengthen our communal spirit.

Kolya then spent several days trying to set things straight, figuring out what had gone wrong where, and trying to fix it. (Half the apartment was without electricity.)
Having spent time thinking about our problems, he evidently was inspired... or something! The next morning he came knocking at the door and blearily informed Phyllis: “I have the solution -I know what’s wrong in your wiring! God revealed it to me last night when I was drunk!!” How do you reply to something like that?!
As Kolya himself said one evening, “Russians are amazing people, huh, Will? Might be drunk, but we still want to work! I want to get the job finished that I started here, a little drunk or not!” Of course, with Kolya, sadly, ‘a little drunk’ describes him roughly 45 percent of the time.
We don’t really mind helping Kolya, by letting him do this work for us. We didn’t want to at first, but we changed our minds. It’s always good to keep peace with the neighbors. We did wonder what his wife thought about it, though. I’m sure she minded. Extra money can only mean extra ‘medication,’ or at least larger amounts. That is where our second thoughts come in, of course.


Sometimes Kolya refers to God around us. He knows we are believers, after all. He himself wears a cross, and swears by St. Nicholas the Wonder-Worker. He goes on about how St. Nicholas the Wonder-Worker keeps him safe. “Every day, when I’m working with high voltage, or right before I open an electrical panel, I always cross myself and pray to St. Nicholas the Wonder-Worker. Once I forgot, and well, lemme tell you, I had a pretty bad accident! Never again!”
Hmmm. I guess with the falling and fracturing his ribs, he had forgotten to cross himself before setting out for home. It’s rather sad, but that’s really about as far as Kolya’s conception of faith in God has gotten. And that’s about the extent of any discussion of spiritual truths. I talk about God... and he talks about good old St. Nicholas the Wonder-Worker.

I try to point Kolya to God, but a self-made man anywhere in the world tends to be hard of hearing spiritually. Not to mention a man hardened by a hard life and an army career in Soviet Russia. Aside from that, everyone knows that a serious, ‘sincere Russian Orthodox believer’ categorically turns away from any semblance of worldly pleasures and goes around looking serious and sad all the time. They forsake everything that the common man finds comfort in: drinking, smoking, drinking, dancing, drinking, partying... and what kind of life is that??? (Religious options outside of Russian Orthodoxy are not considered viable by the common man here. All else is seen as heresy and dangerous cultish groups, thanks to general ignorance and effective propaganda.)

So what do I say? What do I do? Pray he doesn’t kill himself by alcohol poisoning before he understands that he needs God on a personal level, and not just the intervention of his favorite ‘intercessor,’ St. Nicholas the Wonder-Worker? I do pray. The heartbreaking tragedy of it all also hurts me, makes me take another look at ‘that old drunk.’ This is a man who has had a full life. A full life of hardship, both self-inflicted as well as simply a byproduct of the times he’s lived in. His grandfather spent 14 years in Siberia for a chance comment made in the workplace. He doesn’t talk about his father, probably didn’t know him, and his mother handed him off for the government to raise. All he has known in hardness. Jack London is one of his all time favorite authors. ‘He writes about real life, don’t he... survival of the meanest! I understand that... I’m tough, I’m mean.”
Still, even with such claims, Kolya is friendly, open, faithful to his word, faithful to his own understanding of right conduct. He goes on about how faithful his men in the army were to him. “Didn’t lose a single one of them, took care of them like my own children.”
His friendship is unfeigned, even if it has a healthy dose of self interest in it. “You can always rely on me for help, Will. Don’t ever call any of those dishonest ‘professionals’ in the newspaper again. We’re moving soon, but here’s my new number... call me and I’ll be over to help as soon as I can!”
I can have him help with electrical problems, sure, but how do I help him with the need of his own heart and soul which just cries out to me? Kolya has no hope for the future. He has no trust in the leaders of his country. He sees nothing to plan for, to look forward to. His children don’t respect him or understand what he’s lived through. Life is just existence to exist. Recently he told me “What really scares me, Will, is when I think about my children, about my grandchildren - what future do they HAVE? What do they have to look forward to in life? What can I tell them? Nothing!”


I can only pray that God changes his heart, that the Holy Spirit will convict him of God’s righteousness, of his own sin, and of the coming judgment; that God will show Kolya his very own personal need of a Savior. Maybe God will see fit to use me in some way. I don’t know. I do know that He has used Kolya to begin RE-sensitizing my heart once again to the crying need of those around me.

Pray for hearts broken by the needs around us, for lives always ready to be used to display God’s love. Most of all, pray that God would work in us, through us, and use us to draw needy people to Himself.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope I’ve helped give you a better picture of our life, ministry and our daily challenges here. Thank you for your prayers, and for your support of us. We treasure you and want to communicate better and more often to you our needs, our blessings... our life here in Russia.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Will, thanks for writing that. It was really good to read, and made me want to pray!

Alissa Maxwell said...

Thanks Will. This was a beautiful description of the needs you are facing, the challenges, and the internal struggles you go through in seeking how to best minister to people like Kolya. I think your entry shows so clearly why you are there - you are willing to wrestle with the issues and embrace those around you, even as you are learning how best to do that. Be encouraged that in your words we see how clearly you are doing the right thing in the right place.

Loving Life said...

I wondered about the 'neighbor' Phyllis mentioned not too long ago. Its wonderful to have a few pinpointed specifics when hearing about other cultures and individuals you are around. We'll be praying much more specifically for you in your apartment complex and in your 'every day adjustments'. In a culture like that it makes me wonder how they view you and your intigration into their 'old country'.
Thanks Will!

Anonymous said...

Will I have so much running through my head right now. I know you find it strange but to me this man in his own way, even though he is a drunk, does have faith in God and in Christ. Just because he doesn't express it in a Protestant America way doesn't mean his faith is dead. I am reminded of St. Seraphim of Sarov you said, "Acquire inner peace and thousands around you will be saved." Is our sin any less then Kolya's? He believes in God because he believes in St. Nicholas the wonderworker, who died for Christ and lived a life in Christ. Kolya may of never answered an alter call or "been Saved" but he does have an idea of faith. The cross is an ancient Christian symbol and I would not poo poo his expression. This expression is very real. This expression of faith is what has separate Christians through all of Christian history. Are you not falling into sin when you mock his faith?

I respect your efforts, continue to keep in mind the words of St. Seraphim as you work. Only the Holy Spirit can save another. Your inner peace and the light of the spirit is essential to your ministry.

I know you went to Bible college with some friends that are now Orthodox Christians. It may help to talk to them to get a better understanding of Orthodoxy. It seems to me the only experience you have with the Russian Orthodox is through secular people or corrupt people. I promise you though that Russia is full of pious Orthodox Christians who live a pure life in Christ and know how to enjoy the beauty of this world. You just haven't met them yet, praying you do someday. They are wonderful people, who live for the same God you do.

May Christ our Lord continue to bless, protect and guide you and your precious family in your service to the Russian people. Lord Jesus Christ Son of God and all His Saints pray to God for us!

Anonymous said...

Tears are a good way to begin the morning, when they are tears for a reason. Thank you for painting a portrait of this man you're learning to love and for allowing us to love him with you. He may never know of our love half a world away, but that's okay. We are praying!

Mrs said...

You write beautifully, Will! Thank you for that.

This may be an odd question, but how would you describe your neighborhood as far as a "class" system? Lower, middle, upper? Do you find this typical throughout Russia (everyone drinking) or only in the blue-collar areas? Is there a so-called upper class anywhere near you?

Anonymous said...

Dearest Will,

I do appreciate you taking the time to write to me. I want you to know first off that I don't write to you and Phyllis to be polemical. I love to read about your life in Russia and I consider Phyllis a friend. I have respect for you and Phyllis and Phyllis has never showed me anything less then kindness and Christian love.

I write to you out of love and interest in your life. Not to judge you in anyway.

Fr. and I are cradle Orthodox and we have served in Orthodox communities both here and abroad, Fr. has been a priest now for 10 years. We are 38 years old and continue to grown in our faith, in our walk in the Lord and in our service to Christ and His Church. My life in the Church has taught me a few things. You can't save those that don't want to be saved, the Holy Spirit is always at work and that our responsibility is to continually show love to others. We must save our own souls so thousands around us will be saved- to paraphrase St. Seraphim.

On some level you sound tortured by the fact that this man and others aren't saved or express their faith in Christ as you do. I would say , stop trying to shove a square peg in a circle. Meet Kolya where he is and let the rest go.

Orthodoxy is not just another denomination, for the Orthodox it is THE church , there is no other option, it is the fullness of the faith, the Church Christ left us here on earth, the Church the Holy Spirit founded on Pentecost. Now I would not imagine the average Russian even understands this. But Church officials and pious Orthodox Christians do and they find it offensive to offer anything less. I am not in anyway demeaning your walk or your beliefs, just sharing that we start at different points.

I probably have shared about Mother Gavrilla- a missionary to India. Reading her life story was profound to me. She just loved people, she did not try to convert people. She just loved as Christ loved. I think when we can get over trying to change people or waiting to hear certain expressions from people we are much more effective in our efforts to become Christ like. The process of Theosis, which is the goal for an Orthodox Christian. Everyone's journey to Christ is different and God will be the judge. In attempting to judge the relationship of another we jeopardize our own relationship with Christ.

I know you long to see progress and I assure you there is progress as long as you and Phyllis continue to shower people with Christ like love. Which in my opinion you do very well.

You are a blessing to the people you come in contact with.

Let go of some of your Protestant understanding of what it means to have a personal relationship with go and just live the mystery of what it means the be a Christian, for it is indeed a mystery! There is no formula. Orthodox spiritual is not something you can put into words or a tidy package. It is much more of the heart then outward emotions.

I say out of love to you to stop trying so hard and just love, like Christ loves you. I think you will have much peace in doing this and you will grow in your own personal faith. Love surpasses any kind of theological conversation or demanding that one comes to know Christ the way you know Christ.

Be grateful for the knowledge of Christ that the people you come in contact with have. Don't be so harsh or quick to criticize. Just meet people where the are and show them love without having an agenda.

Read some Orthodox authors. Russia is a country with a rich Christian history. Don't waste your life over there being frustrated with the sins of the world. Grow in your own faith. I am sure there are things that you are missing out on because you are seeing Christ and Christianity through a certain lens. Open yourself up to experience Orthodox Russia. Go to find Orthodox believers that understand the lost people in Russia. (There are monasteries and Churches full of such people.) In doing so I think you will have a greater love for Christ and His Church and the persecution it has endured in Russia. You will come to love Russia and her people even more and you will have great peace about your life and work there. Millions in Russia have died for Christ. Read their stories to gain an understanding of what it means to die for Christ. The Saints are great examples for us on what it means to live a life in Christ. St. Xenia of St. Petersburg, St. Seraphim of Sarov, St. Herman of Alaska, St. Sergius - they were all real people just like you and you are living in their land. Take the time to get to know them and read about their lives, you will be profoundly changed and inspired as you grow in the Lord.

May Christ our Lord continue to bless, protect and guide you and your precious family.

I will leave you with one of my favorite prayers,

Prayer of St. Philaret
Metropolitan of Moscow


My Lord, I know not what I ought to ask of Thee.
Thou and Thou alone knowest my needs.
Thou lovest me more than I am able to love Thee.
O Father, grant unto me, They servant, all which I cannot ask.
For a cross I dare not ask, nor for consolation;
I dare only to stand in Thy presence.
My heart is open to Thee.
Thou seest my needs of which I myself am unaware.
Behold and lift me up!
In Thy presence I stand,


awed and silenced by Thy will and Thy judgments,


into which my mind cannot penetrate.
To Thee I offer myself as a sacrifice.
No other desire is mine but to fulfill Thy will.


Teach me how to pray.
Do Thyself pray within me.
Amen.



With love in Christ,

Presyvtera Lisa

Anonymous said...

Gee Will, does Kolya know you are writing such "edifying" things about him, that you use him as an OBJECT lesson to your readers? Your near contempt, your patronizing attitude towards Kolya (Kolya, btw, is the diminutive of Nikolai, aka Nicholas) shine forth brighter than your alleged "love" for him and Russia. Who are you to broadcast his shortcomings to the world? Who does not struggle with sin in his/her life?

May God forgive you for libeling this man's devotion to God and ridiculing his relationship with his patron Saint.

What may look "pathetic" to you may be a struggle of the most heroic kind in the eyes of the Lord Jesus Christ. You may try to judge, but you cannot judge the judgement of the Righteous Judge.

May the Lord bless Kolya in his struggles and protect him from your "evil eye" and your judging of his sins.

I was once an Evangelical Protestant like yourself, but was received into the bosom of the Orthodox Church through the missionary efforts of the Russian Orthodox diaspora here in the United States.

I envy situation there in Russia. What tremendous spiritual wealth is surrounding you in the land of the Holy Russia and the New Martyrs! I'm saddened that you are either too blind or hardened in heart to appreciate the riches all around you. May God help you.

Anonymous said...

Wow... so sorry for the negative responses you have received on this wonderful example of reaching out to those who are obviously lost and truly need Jesus! :-( I was inspired by your testimony and have begun interceding more for your family, ministry and specifically for this man's salvation. May the Lord continue to give you HIS incredible wisdom as HE places people in your path to reach out with the love of Christ!

I have been following your family's testimonies for a long time and I have to say that the more you share the more I am feeling not only burdened to continue adopting from the slavic countries but, also to find ways to support the missions work within those countries. The last time we were in Ukraine I had a very hard time leaving! Like you we love the life, the culture and the people. We also have seen with our own eyes and hearts the great spiritual need.

Thank you for you honest transparency! Be encouraged and please keep the world in which you live and the spiritual needs before us.

Anonymous said...

I'm concerned about your posting Kolya's full name, his location, and details about his life on a public Internet site. IMO, that presents a safety concern for this man, who may not even be aware that his neighbor is posting this information about him on the internet.

The world is full of all kind of people, some of whom may not have kind intentions when gleaning personal information off the Internet. Did he issue his express permission for this information about him to be posted to a public Internet site?

Anonymous said...

10 November 2006, 14:23
The number of Orthodox churches in Russia increased four times for the last twenty years; the number of monasteries - nearly 40 times

Moscow, November 10, Interfax - The number of Orthodox churches in Russia has increased four times for the last twenty years, says Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia.

He gave statistics in his interview to Paris Match published Thursday. There were only 6800 Orthodox churches and 18 monasteries in the country in 1986. They are 27,000 and 680 respectively. The number of priests and the monastics has increased in the same proportion. There are 1,700 priests and deacons in Moscow, Alexy II noted.

He said the Church had differences with the official authorities, for instance, in the matter of religious instructions in school. Alexy II called the normalizations of relations between the Church and the state in Russia and in the CIS countries ‘a major achievement of the last fifteen years.’ ‘The Church and the state have overcome alienation of the past and assist each other at all levels.’

Commenting on his high status in the country (the Patriarch occupies the fifth official place after the President, prime minister and two speakers of the Parliament), Alexy II called it a sign of respect not for him, ‘but for the Church with a thousand-year history, the oldest institution of civil society for all its actions. This is an esteem for the Orthodox faith, for our brothers and sisters.’

Source:

http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=2244




Now who could be against the revival of the Orthodox Church in Russia, the triumph of the New Martyrs over satanic Communism?

Answer: Missionaries who would spread the mess and disease of cheap grace easy-believism mixed with consumerism that mark American Evangelical Protestantism.

It isn't enough that the Evangelical Protestant denominations in America and the West are imploding and scattering themselves to the winds of heresy and irrelevance,but they feel compelled to spread their cancer into Russia and Eastern Europe.

God save us!

Anonymous said...

It astounds me and breaks my heart that someone who calls themselves a Christian would post such mean-spirited gossip about a fellow human being for the entertainment of their friends and family.

Does he know that you've written these things about him?

God knows Kolya's heart. He and He alone is the only true judge of us and our faith in Him.

Lord have mercy on us all.

Phyllis said...

I would say that there are two classes in Russia: average and grandiose. I've been told that one particular village just outside Kovrov has been taken over by "New Russians." They have huge, new houses and cars; that would be an example of grandiose. Everyone else is average. :-) Drinking is a problem across the board. Of course, not all Russians drink, but. . . there was even a recent president with a drinking problem.

Now, I'll see if Will says anything different. :-) Or anyone else?

Will's answering other comments himself.

Will said...

Wow!  Feedback and discussion is always encouraging, I at least know that people are reading our web log, whether or not we're all in agreement. I appreciated most of the comments, and we would be glad to have anyone who has posted comments write us personally to get to know us better.

A few responses: 

-Kolya himself TOLD me that I should write about him, write down the stories he's always telling me, and publish a book someday! =) He will find the discussion he's inspired somewhat amusing when I have the chance to tell him, I'm sure. 

-I only consider myself to have any right whatsoever to share such 'insights into Russian life' because I live here. (I have spent over 8 of the past 12 years living here in Russia.)
I think it would be WONDERFUL to have Orthodox Christians who are concerned about Russia move here, live among the average man, love them. encourage them to return to their historical Russian Orthodox Church! I would welcome such people and benefit greatly from dialogue with them and shared ministry to the Russian people. 

-"We are not who you think we are!" Sound cryptic enough? =) I'm afraid there are some misconceptions in general. We are not traditional missionaries, we have no 'mission,' we are not trying to build an American church, in fact, we are the least 'American' we can be without changing our citizenship! 
True, our church is not Russian Orthodox, and I will be glad to discuss in detail why not with anyone who wishes to write us personally. However, our church is a completely Russian entity and has a rich history, being an offshoot of Russian Orthodoxy, having the Russian Orthodox Church among its spiritual ancestors, so to speak.


This is a personal response I wrote to a friend who also had questions about my 'Kolya post' that I feel is appropriate to share with readers in general now:

Some thoughts:
I know for sure that I am no less of a sinner than Kolya. God knows my heart, my thoughts, and my sins that no one else sees, and pronounces them every bit as ugly as addiction to alcohol. 

I would love to meet some more sincere Russian Orthodox believers - I have met some, of course! One of my friends here in Kovrov (who is as much Orthodox as anything else... he doesn't associate himself with any one denomination or church) has shared good Orthodox-influenced music with me... and was surprised to find that I already had as much as he did! He also acquired a wonderful book of Russian Orthodox poetry for me. 

As far as faith...
Faith must have an object, right? Our faith is only important on the basis of WHOM we believe in and WHAT we believe about Him!!
To believe that there is a God, to acknowledge that there was a historic Christ who died on a cross is only a start. I thank and praise God that Kolya speaks of God, thinks of God, asks "what has Russia done to deserve being cursed by God like it has been?" 

Here's my question, though... this is what makes me hurt for Kolya: Does he know in WHOM he believes, is there any PERSONAL RELEVANCE to him in his faith? Or is it more like a charm against misfortune?
I would never mock what people say they believe in, I just want to help them progress to understanding God as a personal Creator Who has personal relevance to each and every human being. I pray to see them come to know a God Who longs to have an intimate relationship of love with His creation, Who desires to receive the worship and praise and glory that He is infinitely worthy of from His creation! (and sadly, I just haven’t seen that many times at all in the ‘average man’ here who calls himself a believer).

The fact that Kolya and others like him ‘believe in God’ is wonderful! That makes it much easier to reason from the Scriptures with them. But how I long for them to know and LIVE by faith in the Son of God who died for their sins, who offers them salvation, and wants them to know Him personally!!

Here’s a quote from a book I’m reading currently. Interesting and unusual book, written by a Russian Orthodox author, called About Assurance of Salvation
“ Assurance of salvation depends first and foremost, not on one theological position or another, but on the person of Jesus Christ: this is not assurance that rests on a theological doctrine, but assurance in the faithfulness and omnipotence of God Himself!”

I pray that the people around me would be able to say together with the apostle Paul, 
and with me...
“Therefore, having been justified by FAITH, we have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we also have access BY FAITH into this grace in which we stand, and REJOICE in hope of the glory of God...
now HOPE does not disappoint, because the LOVE of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:1-2,5


Ok, concerning Russian culture,
contributions made to Russian culture by Russian Orthodoxy, my approach, etc.

I LOVE Russian culture! I have agreat respect for the Russian Orthodox culture, and how it has shaped this country. I have found that in trying to understand as much as possible about this country that I live in, learning more about the Russian Orthodox Church has been invaluable. I have only gained from what I have learned, and learning more about Russian Orthodox culture has helped me live and minister here much more effectively. I know that I have much more to learn in this area. I make no claims of knowing a great amount, or having met many faithful representatives of the sincere Orthodox faith, although I would welcome such friends.

I personally have come to know Russia and the Russian culture much more closely through the music of Russia. I enjoy the Russian Orthodox choral tradition, and the Easter liturgy is simply and profoundly moving and beautiful. I have even sung arrangements of Russian Orthodox hymns in choral ensembles and church choirs.
One of my current favorite Russian musicians, Sergei Trofimov, is a man who spent several years in a monastery choir, and of course, his music is heavily influenced by that experience.
I have everything I’ve been able to find of the spiritual songs of Hieromonach (arch-monk) Roman, and treasure them for their honesty, simplicity and expression of deep and personal faith.
Also, one of Russia’s best rock bands, DDT, has been more and more influenced by the Orthodox faith. Their expression of this in their songs is a moving insight into the thinking of the modern Russian.

I want to LEARN, to RESPECT, to try to UNDERSTAND, to GRASP every part of Russian culture possible. If I don’t approach Russia this way, then WHY am I living here in the first place?!  =)
(Unfortunately there are plenty of westerners here who don’t think like this.)


This might help you understand more of our approach to life and ministry here. I just wrote this in response to a ‘missionary interview’ questionnaire:

How long did it take for you to adapt to the culture and to learn the language?
“By the end of the first 9 months I spent in Russia, I didn’t want to go home. 
By the end of the 3rd school year spent here, I no longer knew where ‘home’ was! “Home is where the heart is,” right? 
Attitude makes a huge difference. I saw and understood that I would not be effective if I did not adapt. I therefore made a continuous, concerted and conscious effort to learn as much as possible of Russian culture, Christian and non-Christian: history, music, clothing style, humor, customs, mindset, beliefs, etc., etc. I WANTED to learn, wanted to adapt, and I did. My entire life since those first 3 years has been a continuation of that learning process.”


What suggestions do you have for someone to prepare more adequately for cross cultural ministry? 
“I personally think one of the best possible ways to be prepared for long term ministry in any country is to get to know that country intimately -by complete immersion in it’s culture, language, and life. However, for that, you have to have a certain mindset first of all. This is what you absolutely must have:

1- FLEXIBILITY!! The DESIRE and READINESS to LEARN... and the WILLINGNESS to ADAPT are essentials to cross cultural ministry. 
 2-HUMILITY!! Knowing and being CONVINCED that you as ‘the American’ do NOT have all the answers, do NOT understand everything that the country you’re in has faced during it’s history, needs now, or will need in the future.
3-AVAILABILITY!! Being willing to be used anywhere, for anything, to meet the needs of anyone, no matter who they might be. Especially when you have your own goals to meet, your own ‘mission’ to accomplish.”




Hmmm...
Probably enough said, yes?  =) I hope this all helps you get a clearer picture of our thinking and our approach to Russian Orthodoxy, Russian culture, etc. We appreciate your comments and insights, and we treasure your prayers for our family!
 
PLEASE feel free to write us with personal questions that you wish to discuss, we will be glad to hear from you! But maybe this is enough on the web log... it's supposed to be dedicated to our daily life, children, etc. ;o)

s Bogom - God bless,

Will  =o) 

Phyllis said...

I took his last name out of the post, for the person who was concerned about that.

Mrs said...

I had to smile at the anonymous poster who stated your desire to spread consumerism. Will and Phyllis are the LEAST materialistic people I know!

I thank all the anonymous posters who took the time to chime in. It has given me much to ponder. I agree there are many "Christian" organizations who would fit exactly into what you have posted. I can also assure you, as Will has done so well, that they are not among them. This is why their friends and family could so quickly see through to the heart of his post and offer prayers on their behalf.

Leah said...

Will and Phyllis,

Thank you for giving us insight into your daily life and ministry...we can identify with many of your feelings, as we deal with much the same thing here where we are. Last night we had a drunk man knock on our door (a local who we know well and have tried repeatedly to reach out to) and tell us that he has never had a drink in his life. It does give us a sense of urgency--almost desperation, sometimes--to reach them with the Gospel before more are killed by alcohol poisoning or in drunk driving accidents. Our prayers are with you and with Kolya.

Leah (from the WS:))

Anonymous said...

If you're interested in the basic primer on Orthodox Christianity written in English, you can do no better than the 'Orthodox Faith' series by Fr. Thomas Hopko.

See it here:

http://www.oca.org/OCorthfaith.asp?SID=2

Fr. Thomas may some day be commemorated as "St. Thomas Enlightener of the Evangelicals" because of his work in bringing the fullness of the Christian Faith to Evangelicals in the West.

Anonymous said...

We Orthodox can only pray that God changes the heart of the poor, spiritually impoverished evangelical Protestants, that the Holy Spirit will convict them of God’s righteousness, of their own sins, and of the coming judgment; that God will show evangelical Protestants their very own personal need of a Savior.

Maybe God will see fit to use me in some way. I don’t know. I do know that He has used Will to begin RE-sensitizing my heart once again to the crying need of those around me.

Pray for hearts broken by the needs around us, for lives always ready to be used to display God’s love. Most of all, pray that God would work in Orthodox Christians, through us, and use us to draw needy people to Himself.

P.S.

Some more American Orthodox stuff. Here, a basic presentation of the Gospel by Khouria [Priest's Wife in Arabic] Frederica Mathewes-Green of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese in America:

Christ's Death: A Rescue Mission, Not a Payment for Sins
Because we don't owe a debt of guilt for Adam's sin, Jesus' suffering wasn't a payment to the Father.

Every day, Christians pray "deliver us from evil," not knowing that the Greek original reads "the evil," that is, "the evil one." The New Testament Scriptures are full of references to the malice of the devil, but we generally overlook them. I think this is because our idea of salvation is that Christ died on the cross to pay His Father the debt for our sins. The whole drama takes place between Him and the Father, and there's no role for the evil one.

But for the early Christians, the evil one was a very real and malevolent presence. Temptation coaxes us toward sin, and sin leads to sickness and death, and ultimately confinement in the realm of the evil one. The devil's main purpose is not to scare us, in a horror-movie way; when we're scared of him we're alert to him, and that might undermine his plans. Instead, he wants to quietly, subtly lure us into stepping away from God. Sin leads to death, but death also leads to sin. Hebrews 2:14 explains that the evil one has always controlled the human race through fear of death; that's what most deeply terrifies us and makes us grab at earthly security. But "whoever would save his life will lose it" (Matthew 16:25). That's the bitter trick. Desperate, selfish clutching lands us in the realm of death.

But God sent Christ to rescue us; He took on human form (showing us that these humble human bodies can bear the presence of God, like the Burning Bush bore His fire), lived a sinless life, went into the realm of Hades like all human flesh, and then blasted it open by His power. Death could not contain Him, because He is Life. When we join ourselves to Him and begin to assimilate His Life, we too are freed from the control of the evil one.

This is not a "ransom" paid to the Father; the Father wasn't holding us captive. It is an offering, but not a payment. Look at it this way. Christ suffered to save us from our sins in the same way a fireman suffers burns and wounds to save a child from a burning home. He may dedicate this courageous act as an offering to the fire chief he loves and admires. He may do it to redeem the child from the malice of the arsonist who started the fire. But his suffering isn't paid to anyone, in the sense of making a bargain. Likewise, God redeemed His people from the hand of Pharaoh when He rescued them in the Red Sea. But He didn't pay Pharaoh anything. He Himself was not paid anything. It was a rescue action, not a business transaction, and our redemption by Christ is the same.

There are some things that developed in Western Christianity that don't appear in this account at all. As you can see, there's no concept that our sins put us in God's debt legally: No idea that somebody has to pay something before He can forgive us. He just forgives us. When the prodigal son came home, the father was already running toward him with his arms open. He didn't say, "I'd like to take you back, son, but my hands are tied. Who's going to pay this Visa bill?"


This means that something else is missing—guilt. Now, of course we are responsible for our sins, and guilty in that sense. But we're not born carrying the debt of guilt for Adam's sin. That's what the fourth-century theologian Augustine of Hippo meant by the term "Original Sin." But his theory was not widely accepted in the early church (in fact, not all Eastern Christians call him a saint, and he was far from the towering figure that he became in Western thinking later on.) The idea of inborn debt compelled Augustine to say that, logically, a baby who died before baptism would have to be damned.

Instead, although early Christian spiritual writings are continually focusing on sin and repentance, the concepts of guilt and debt rarely appear. St. Andrew, like most writers of the age, views sin instead as a self-inflicted wound. Likewise, he sees God as compassionate rather than wrathful. God is always described as rushing to meet us like the father of the prodigal, or coming like the good Samaritan to bind up our wounds.

In Orthodoxy, there is less of an emphasis on discrete, external acts of sin, and more a sense of it being a pervading sickness. Christ didn't come to save us just from the penalty for our sins, from death and eternal misery. He came to save us from our sins, now, today--from the poison that flows in our veins, that alienates us from the Light, that marches us toward death. He saves us like the fireman carrying that child from a burning building. We are as helpless as that child; nothing we do saves us.

+ + +

Narnia: Deeper Magic

Christians savor this story as one that retells the drama of our salvation on the Cross, but there’s something puzzling about that: this Narnian story doesn ‘t quite track with the one Western Christians have traditionally upheld. According to that popular understanding of atonement, God could not forgive our sins without punishing us, because that would constitute ‘injustice.’ But if the sinless Son dies in our place he pays a debt he does not owe, and can then ’ make over the claim He had on God to man,’ as Anselm of Canterbury said. This is termed the ‘Satisfaction’ theory of the Atonement, and has been dominant in Western Christianity since it was developed by Anselm in the 11th century.

But in the case of Aslan’s death—contrary to the "Satisfaction" theory—there’s no suggestion that Edmund’s treachery incurs a debt with Narnia’s Creator, the ‘Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea’ (a vague figure who never appears, but who apparently parallels God the Father; one thing the Narnia stories aren’t strong on is the Trinity.) Aslan’s death on the Stone Table is not presented as a way of satisfying Edmund’s offense against the Emperor.

Aslan’s heroic act is aimed at the Witch, not the Emperor, and he defeats her by using information she does not have. This sounds like the understanding of salvation that held sway for the thousand years before Anselm, still preserved in the Christian East, which echoed the earlier story of the Exodus. According to this understanding, God does not require any payment for our sins, but forgives us freely, just like we’re supposed to forgive each other. We are helpless in the grip of evil forces, like the Hebrews in Egypt and the beasts in Narnia. God rescues us by a mighty act, by his power alone.

This victory trounces evil. In the Exodus story, Pharaoh and his army are drowned when they try to recapture the Hebrews fleeing to freedom. *In the Christian story, the Devil is smashed when he seeks to imprison Christ, Life itself, in the realm of Death. And in Lewis’s story, the Witch’s power over all Narnia is destroyed when she greedily snatches at Aslan’s innocent life.

In each case this is a rescue story, not a payment story. The hint of trickery is distasteful to Western Christians, but was not to believers in the early centuries. St. Gregory of Nyssa (d. 395 AD) said that Christ’s divinity was hidden under his humanity like a fishhook under bait, and Satan ‘like a ravenous fish’ gulped it down.