We Have A Winnah

Last year One won a prize for creative writing at our Diocese's yearly Parish Life Conference. This year it was Two's turn: he won third prize for his grade for Creative Arts with a drawing of the cross circled around with the words of the Lord's Prayer. Yesterday was the first day of Sunday School at church, and the awards were handed out before the priests blessed the children and teachers at the start of the new school year.

Here is the proud prize winner with his certificate:

Congratulations, sweet Two.

Our Church Home

Since I took the camera to church today to record the glories of the boys' Christmas pageant I took the opportunity to take a few pictures in the sanctuary itself. Cameras aren't a strange sight in an Orthodox church, so this really wasn't weird of me. Seriously: when the Bishop visits people take pictures of him as he's celebrating the Liturgy. Yup, they just hold up their camera in the middle of the service (yes, they are already standing - we're Orthodox) and snap away. So since now you know I wasn't being weird, you can enjoy the photos even more. Here you go.








Oh, and pictures of the pageant? Nope: the camera went all wonky on me as soon as we sat down in the hall, so it's taking a trip to the camera hospital tomorrow.

Church as Family

Today was the last day our church family will enjoy the presence of our Father Joseph at the altar; he is moving to another church - fortunately one still in town, so perhaps we will still see him and his family now and then. We missed church last week and so were unprepared for this; it wasn't until the end of the liturgy, when the church gave Father Joseph three rousing verses of God Grant You Many Years, and Father John our archpriest started to cry, that we realized what was up. As Husband and I wiped away a few tears of our own, I thought about the beauty of watching this family of ours eat together - or rather, take communion - each week. This Sunday we were up in the balcony: the perfect place to watch the throngs of people gather at the chalice (or chalices, in the case of our rather large church) each week. Some with babies in arms, others with arms crossed firmly across their bodies, they each tilt back their head a bit, bend a knee and receive Christ Himself each week. All from the same tiny spoon, and somehow there is always enough, even when the church is filled with people standing from one side to the other as it was today.

We are still in the midst of joining this family officially, although they have treated us as their own from the first. When we are one day down in the throng, waiting to be given that beautiful, holy food, I will miss - a little - the view from the balcony. The sight of the crowds of people, quietly and gracefully coming forth to taste and see Him, is a balm to my spirit. So have Christians gathered and ate together for so long, and in those moments all of them throughout the ages seem to be there with us, part of that family that will last beyond eternity.

"... Not unto judgment nor condemnation, be my partaking of thy Holy Mysteries, oh Lord, but unto the healing of soul and body. Amen." - St. John Chrysostom

Proud

At the end of the school year, One wrote a composition that was placed in the creative writing competition at our Parish Life Conference held in June. The awards were presented today on the first day back to Sunday School for the new school year. Aaaannnd:

We have a winner!

Here is One, with his second prize in creative writing for fourth grade in the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America. He was additionally excited because his good buddy, A, won third prize, so he had an extra person to celebrate with.

Way to go, son. We're proud of you.