And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.  Matthew 16:17-1

"The Soviets, understanding tourism, spent many, many millions renovating and refurbishing old cathedrals, churches, monasteries and palaces. Some of these places, with a few exceptions, are museums and not working places of worship. And the way they worship in the working churches is the same way I did as a child. The liturgies and chants were preserved by word of mouth and prodigious feats of memorizations for 80 years! There were left only four active churches in all of Russia until Perestroika.

"Saint Isaac's in Sankta Peterburg is adorned inside (with no space left) with the most gorgeous religious art! Most of the churches shown are in Moscow. Moscow is ringed by 14 monastery-fortresses (with walls about 4 meters (14 feet) thick, built to protect Moscow from the Mongol and Tartar invasions. Notice the blue and gold minarets? The gold is real gold leaf! And, the blue minarets are in the "Marian" colors for the Virgin Mary. Been there, seen them.

"Today there are more active Baptist churches than of the Orthodox Christian. It is so very sad that much of the Russian cultural spirit and soul was denied and almost lost entirely. The Russian Jews never lost their label, just their religious practices, souls and culture.

The prayer at the end of this devotion is part of "Built on a Rock the church doth stand". The Orthodox Christian believes that in response, in the earlier verses, to Jesus' question to Simon bar Jonah (Peter) "Who do the people say I am?" Peter answered "Verily I say unto you that you are the Christ, the living Son of God.." says it all. In the Greek used at that time for the original recording of the Gospel (Note: NO capital letters, NO punctuations and words run into each other without spaces) that "petros" could have meant EITHER "Peter" or "rock". To the Orthodox, the truth that Jesus WAS the Son of God is the ROCK or foundation of the faith! To deny that is to deny Christ! To deny that PETER is the "rock" is equally valid - depending upon how that bit of original writing is read and interpreted!

We are God's house of living stones,
     built for his own habitation;
He fills our hearts, his humble thrones,
     granting us life and salvation.
Were two or three to seek his face,
     he in their midst would show his grace,
blessings upon them bestowing.
(Evangelical Lutheran Worship #652)

Catherdrals of Russia Slide Show (www.scribd.com/doc/3220734/Termplos-de-Rusia)
This wonderful collaboration grew from an exchange of emails by Rosemary and Mike about the Cathedral slide show, with Mike supplying most of the factual information and Rosemary organizing everything. Mike, and wife Nancy, have enjoyed visiting several of the places seen in the slide show.

The first three pararaphs are quoted from Nikolai Grundtvig, 1837; tr. Carl Doving, 1909. This is an appropriate devotion for today because the Russian Orthodox Church Calendar begins with the Birth of the Holy Virgin Mary (Theotokos) on September 21 according to the Gregorian Calendar.

Contributed by Michael and Rosemary
Published Sunday September 21, 2008
Week 43 of Liturgical Year A
Sunday Gospel reading: Lectionary 25 (Proper 20)
Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost