Stealing a page from #citrt (Church IT Round Table) playbook, I setup a 24/7 chat room we can use to discuss Orthodox Christianity and any other related topics.

http://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=orthodox

#orthodox on freenode

IRC Primer

I use xchat on Windows and Linux as an IRC client…

Login and we will go from there.

After the worst earthquake in a long time, Haiti needs your prayers first and foremost.  If you would like to support organization that do work there, here is few good places to start learning about them.

• Consumer Reports Money Blog – Haitian earthquake relief: What to know before you donate
• Good Intentions Are Not Enough – The DOs and DON’Ts of Disaster Donations

• International Orthodox Christian Charities – Relief for the Beleaguered People of Haiti
• Bread for the World – How to Help in Haiti
• Compassion International – Haiti Earthquake Response Fund
• Convoy of Hope
• Samaritan’s Purse
• Squashed – Responding to the Haiti Earthquake

I am sure most of my Coptic Orthodox Readers have heard about the StMarkDC Graduate Passion Retreat, but for the rest of you who haven’t this is not the event to miss!  The winning entry to the video contest says it all…

The retreat is from February 19-21, 2010 and will be held at Sandy Cove in North East, Maryland.

This retreat will prepare you for Holy Week and change your life if you let it. Discussions will be given by Bishop David, Father Bishoy Andrawes, Father Anthony Messeh and Father Paul Guirgis.

Registration Information and details at http://www.stmarkdc.org/en/gradretreat and on Facebook.

Growing up in today’s culture, our children are inundated with all types of media throughout the day, from tv to radio to print.  A lot of that media is negative or not appropriate for children, some Christians advocate having our kids grow up in a bubble, avoiding media completely.  I think that a more moderate approach is better for the children, with the understanding that you can’t take something away without replacing it.  That said, here is a list of wonderful resources where you can find positive, wholesome media for your kids.  Using these resources in a moderate way (growing up I was limited to 1hr/day of TV in the summer and 2hr/weekend of TV during the school year) can be a wonderful, educational and entertaining benefit for our children.

• LifeKids.tv – teachings, videos, worship music, activities to do at home and answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about a child’s relationship with Jesus.
• Jellytelly – A new, online daily show from the creators of VeggieTales.
• HisKids.net – positive. powerful. radio on-demand
• Adventures in Odyssey – original audio stories brought to life by actors who make you feel like part of the experience.

Plugged In Online is a good place to check for reviews and discussions of mainstream media before watching it with your kids.

What media resources for children do you use and recommend?

Let us consider those who serve under our generals and the order, obedience, and submissiveness with witch they perform the things commanded them.  All are not prefects or commanders of a thousand, or of a hundred, or of fifty, or the like, but each one in his own rank performs the things commanded by the king and the generals.  The great cannot exist without the small, not the small without the great.  There is a kind of mixture in all things from which rises mutual advantage.  Take our body for example.  The head is nothing without the feet, and the feet are nothing without the head.  The very smallest members of our bodies are necessary and useful to the whole body, but all work harmoniously together and are under one common rule for the preservation of the whole body.  Let our whole body, then, be preserved in Christ Jesus, and let everyone be subject to his neighbor, according to the special gift bestowed upon him.  Let the strong not despise the weak, and let the weak show respect to the strong.  Let the rich man provide for the wants of the poor; and let the poor man bless God, because God has given him one to supply his need.  Let the wise man display his wisdom, not by words, but through good deeds.  Let us consider, then, brethren, of what matter we are made.

-Clement of Rome

Taken from Day by Day with the Early Church Fathers, page 155.

We (StMarkDC) had a wonderful retreat earlier this month where we saw God answer prayers and work so many miracles.  Bishop David, Fr. Bishoy and Fr. Anthony delivered five amazing talks on trusting God in full.  Over 450 young adults attended the retreat from all over the world and every part of it was an amazing success, glory be to God!  Thank you for your prayers.

All the content from the retreat is now online:

• Audio and video of the talks are up on OrthodoxSermons.org.
• Gigapan shot of retreat attendees during Bishop David’s talk.
• Flickr photo album, if you additional have pictures send them to me.
• Download the retreat presentations and booklet.
• Download high quality videos: Talk 1 Talk 2 Talk 3 Talk 4 Sermon Talk 5

A few of the retreat testimonials:

• Thank you and God bless you for all that you do. This retreat helped shape my perspective and bring me closer to God during a challenging period in my life.
• I loved the retreat and benefited greatly from it. I never felt this way about retreat before…it was amazing! Thank you for caring.
• This one went deeper and deeper. Thank you for all of your preparation, tremendously hard work, service, and continued guidance. To Bishop David, Father Bishoy, and Father Anthony, we love you SOOOO MUCH!
• This was the best retreat I have ever attended
• The retreat coordinators did an excellent job. I’m sure it was not an easy task given the number of people attending the retreat. Thanks for all of your hard work and may God Bless you all!

Last week a post over at Sneakers and Books caught my attention, Nader was highlighting a BBC “Extreme Pilgrim” program featuring Fr. Lazarus Saint Anthony.  Back in the summer of 2000, I got to spend several weeks with Fr. Lazarus on a mission trip to Kenya and Tanzania.  At that time he was serving as a monk priest in Musoma, Tanzania.  At first he came off to our mission group as a strict ascetic , but as time passed, we all warmed up to him and looked forward to hearing his stories and wisdom at our nighttime gatherings.

Thanks to Mixahl at OrthodoxFathers.org for finding the video.

Wishing all my readers, the CITRT community, family and friends a Merry Christmas.  Our church is “old calendar” so we don’t celebrate the Nativity of Christ until January 7th (13 more days of festivities).  I leave you with a few beautiful nuggets.

• St. John Chrysostom’s Christmas Homily
• ORTHODIXIE – Word & Virgin, Mary & Child
• An Arabic Christmas Carol (Byzantine Hymn of the Nativity)

JellyTelly, a new Christian online video channel from Phil Vischer, the creator of VeggieTales, has launched. For those who are curious, they seem to be using Ooyala to for their video distribution.

Happy Thanksgiving!  While we are are on the subject of giving thanks, I am going to highlight this wonderful campaign, Advent Conspiracy, that is working to bring back the true meaning to Christmas.  The vision: Christmas was meant to change the world. It still can. Worship more. Spend less. Give more. Love all.

Watch the video, it hit home with me and I am sure it will for you. This season is a wonderful time to think about how I can give more to those who have less.