Earthen Vessels
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In discussions on this blog, readers have averred that Orthodox Christians are arrogant because of the Church’s emphasis on the fullness of Christ’s revelation in holy Tradition and our ability to know it. Archpriest Leonid Kishkovsky writes that the recent crisis facing the Church in America reminds us that the glory of God is contained in earthen vessels.
Many people in the Church have been severely wounded during the months of crisis — bishops, priests, officials and staff of the church administration, laity in the parishes. These wounds are wounds to the Church, because they affect our cohesion and our credibility. In the midst of the pain, it is difficult — sometimes impossible — to find the way forward in pursuing the mission of the Church.
We are confronted by a truth which is actually an eternal, permanent truth about the Church, and not a truth limited to times of crisis, public scandal, and internal conflict. The treasure of our faith is held “in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us†(2 Corinthians: 4:7).
Nothing like some messiness to remind us that the truth, the goodnes, the beauty — the glory — of God’s revelation are his and not ours.
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One Response to “Earthen Vessels”
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April 17th, 2006 at 5:56 pm
I keep hearing things about this here and there but don’t really understand what the issue is. I’m not sure that it’s important that I know what happened either. I am a member of an OCA parish, but thankfully our Parish Priest has not made a big deal of it. My prayer is that if someone did something wrong, they will be healed and restored by our Lord.