Traditioooooon, Tradition!

From Russian-born U.S. theologian Fr. Georges Florovsky:

"Tradition is not a principle striving to restore the past, using the past as a criterion for the present. Such a conception of tradition is rejected by history itself and by the consciousness of the Orthodox Church... Tradition is the constant abiding of the Spirit and not only the memory of words. Tradition is a charismatic, not a historical event."

At the risk of second-guessing a great theologian(!), let me just add for clarity's sake that o/Orthodox Holy Tradition is neither slavish adherence to the past as relic, nor to subjective religious emotion as a substitute for the corporate and personal indwelling of the All-Holy Spirit of God, One of the Trinity. Tradition is a verb, the "handing-down" (Latin traditio, Greek paradosis) not only of data - written or oral - but also of God Himself in His Uncreated Energies, by His Graciousness alone and none of our deserving - in fact (the Orthodox Church experiences) by the direction and action of God's Spirit. Holy Tradition is God's Life, God's Living, in the Orthodox Church ... not just theoretically, but "empirically."

St. Nicholas movie update

Hey, check out the latest in the ongoing production of what may indeed be shaping-up as an "epic motion picture" as Hollywood says, the biopic of the REAL St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Asia Minor, VERY Orthodox Father of the First Ecumenical Synod (at Nicea), Miracle-worker, philanthropist, defender of teens' chasteness, rescuer of the storm-tossed, etc etc etc! Here's the main page, click through till you see "Updates," and go there. (The website has two versions, so I won't prejudge which "Updates" link you'll want to follow.)

Recent highlights include a mini web-documentary, and a moving photo-montage with new music from the sountrack.

This was my first post on it, and this was my second. I just hope I won't have to shuffle up to Buffalo from Philly to see it - hoping for Xmas '08 - lake-effect snow and everything!!!