Controversy in the Church

Controversy in the Church


I suspect some may be tempted to consider the recent controversies - specifically in the OCA - as perhaps showing evidence that the ecclesiological claims made by the Orthodox Church are untrue. One would have to be utterly ignorant of the Church's history to suggest such an absurd thing. From the very beginning, people have been a part of the Church and as such we can expect human failings to be overtly expressed in the day to day life of the Church. Saints are few and far between and we recognize then as such for a REASON!

Can you imagine the blogs and Facebook back when the Ecumenical Patriarch John Chrysostom was exiled and it gave way to riots in the streets and the burning down of the Hagia Sophia? Fun times, I'm sure.

We really should get used to controversy, as we humans are good at it. So good in fact that we can speak it literally into existence.

Comments

bob said…
The truth doesn't change, but it sure has to be maintained. We have a very disappointing bunch of clergy sometimes and bishops often. But they all start by being disappointing laymen. Cure that and the things that we do with some laymen later on will be more fruitful. The grace divine that heals what is infirm and makes up what is lacking isn't magic -- I've encountered clerics who think they never have to crack a book or lift a finger after ordination, that it's all "done". Same with laymen and baptism.
9:17 PM
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