Wyatt Graham

Faith | Books | Culture

Culture

The Chanting of Father Seraphim

by 11 Comments

Father Seraphim is an Assyrian christian living in Georgia. A former martial artist and one who was part of a Ukraine security force, Father Seraphim later committed his life to Christ, taking up the robes of a monk and ministering in a small village. That village, Kenda, hosts 2,000 Assyrians who speak Aramaic, the language that many believe Jesus spoke.

What makes Father Seraphim interesting is that he chants in Aramaic.

And in so doing, he lets hear a language that is 2500 years old. More than that, his scriptural chants allow us to hear what it might have sounded like when Jesus read and quoted the Bible.

Pope Francis visited Georgia in 2016, and the Syrian Orthodox church greeted him with a chant of Psalm 53, led by Father Seraphim. It is worth a listen for the above mentioned reasons but also because it is done so well.

The Embassy of Georgia in Lithuania hosts the video on their YouTube site. Since the page belongs to the Embassy of Georgia, I believe that they hold the copyright to host the video. Click here to see it.

Coptic Christians Construct the Perhaps Largest Cathedral in the Middle East But Will ISIL Attack It?

by Leave a Comment

The president of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, fulfilled a promise to Coptic Christians by constructing a cathedral in Egypt’s new administrative city. Jacob Wirtschafter and Mina Nader report that “The biggest church in the Middle East opens Saturday [January 6, 2018], a landmark date in the 2,000-year-old history of Egypt’s Coptic Christians.”

Hamza Hendawi notes, “The new cathedral can house up to 9,000 worshippers and is touted as the largest in the Middle East.” And worshippers gathered there for the nativity liturgy on January 7th, 2018. Even the president, Mr. el-Sisi attended to give a speech:

The jubilant spirit congeniality contrasts sharply with the threat of ISIL against Coptic Christians. [Read more…] about Coptic Christians Construct the Perhaps Largest Cathedral in the Middle East But Will ISIL Attack It?

The Church of Sweden Votes to Use Gender Neutral Language for God

by Leave a Comment

The Church of Sweden (AKA: The Evangelical Lutheran Church) voted on November 23rd, 2017 to use gender neutral pronouns to refer to God. On May 20th, 2018, the church’s decision will come into force  during Pentecost. The goal here is to modernize “its 31-year-old handbook setting out how services should be conducted.” Essentially, this will mean that priests will use, for example, the term God instead of he, choosing gender-neutral terms when possible.

Practically, the church’s decision means that priests will be allowed to say, “in the name of God and the Holy Trinity” instead of “in the name of the Father, son and Holy Spirit.” No longer is it neccesary to call God Father, Son, or Holy Ghost. [Read more…] about The Church of Sweden Votes to Use Gender Neutral Language for God

What Does LGBTQQIP2SAA Stand For?

by 18 Comments

Over the last decade, a number of terms have arisen that aim to describe people who do not follow traditional patterns of sexuality and gender. The most common designation used is probably LGBT or LGBTQ. But other terms exist like: LGBT*, LGTBQ2, LGBTQI2S,  LGBTTIQQ2SA, and LGBTQQIP2SAA. If you are like me, you have probably struggled to understand what each of these letters stands for. So here’s a guide to help you to understand accurately what these terms mean. [Read more…] about What Does LGBTQQIP2SAA Stand For?

Pope Francis Wants to Modify the Lord’s Prayer

by 2 Comments

Pope Francis wants to change the Lord’s Prayer to say “do not let us fall into temptation” instead of “lead us not into temptation” (Matthew 6:13; Luke 11:4.). Francis believes that the current translation (“lead us not into temptation”) “implies that God rather than Satan leads people into temptation.” The translation “do not let us fall into temptation,” according to him, conveys better that the idea that the Devil, not God, is the agent of temptation. The Daily Wire notes:

“A father doesn’t do that,” insists Pope Francis. “He helps you get up right away. What induces into temptation is Satan.” Francis suggests rewriting the final verse to read, “Do not let us fall into temptation” to better explain the role of Satan as tempter.

Is their biblical warrant in the Lord’s Prayer to translation the text in this way? [Read more…] about Pope Francis Wants to Modify the Lord’s Prayer

Can We Define Our Own Success?

by Leave a Comment

Can you we define our own success? Many certainly try. Some, for example, find success in wealth and prestige, while others find it in living the minimalistic life. In both cases, success is determined by us: either the culture who affirms that being “rich” equals success or by the subculture that argues that living minimalistically equals success.

But can success really be something that we define individually? [1]

How should we define success? Can we define it as individuals or should we let the broader collective of humanity define it? To my mind, stating the question this way creates a false dichotomy. [Read more…] about Can We Define Our Own Success?