Holy Women Of Orthodoxy Unite!

[Nathaniel Kapner]

"The mighty men failed in Israel until I Deborah arose, until I arose a Mother in Israel!"

IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN.

My dearly beloved Orthodox Christians, this morning I would like to speak to the women amongst us. There has been something dear ladies that has been weighing so heavily on my heart lately that I am like a wineskin about to burst.

What is it then that has been robbing me of my sleep these last few days? Simply this. It is time for the women to take over. Why do I say this?

Let me put it this way. Sometimes in the history of "man" it is the wo"man" whom our Great God and Saviour calls upon to do the work that the men just aren't doing. Certainly this was the case in the times of the Judges as quoted above and I quote again here:

"Deborah sent for Barak and said to him, "The Lord commands you to wage war against Sisera and his army. There the Lord will give you the victory over him."

Barak replied to Deborah, "I will not go unless you go with me."

"Very well," Deborah replied, "but since you have made this choice, you will receive no honor. For the Lord's victory will be at the hand of a woman!" (Judges 3)

Yes that is the truth indeed. Men today have made their choice. And what a choice they have made. To put "their swords back into their scabbards when the Lord hath given it a charge against the nations." (Jeremiah 47:6)

Men today have not fulfilled their calling to watch with their heels the head of the serpent. And what is this serpent writhing itself around this morning? That old serpent which is the Devil, and Satan is even now writhing itself around the nations of the ROCOR parishes that they may "give their power and strength and kingdom unto the MP beast." (Revelations 17)

Woe the day when the ROCOR "bishop-men" vote for the MP UNION! For on that day "the light of the candle shall shine no more on her; and the voice of the Bridegroom and of the Bride shall be heard no more at all in her. For her merchants will be the great men of the earth, the MP State-Politic in which are found the blood of the prophets, and of the saints, and of all the Holy New Martyrs of Russia that were slain upon the Russian soil."

For "neither has the MP repented of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornications, nor of their thefts."

Holy Women Of Orthodoxy Unite! Take up the sword against the nations that fight against the Church, even the sword of the Spirit and let it slash and cut and wound with the Word of God that many shall repent and flow into the Church of the Living God. You can do it. You've got what it takes. "Arise Oh Deborahs for the mighty men have failed amongst us and be for us like Deborah the Judge of old - the new and courageous "MOTHERS IN ISRAEL!"

FOR THE HOLY NEW MARTYR GRAND DUTCHESS ELIZABETH OF RUSSIA NEW MARTYR OF THE COMMUNIST YOKE

ROAC Subdeacon Nathaniel Kapner
The Eleventh Hour
October 24/6/2005
St Tabitha the Holy Woman of Orthodoxy
"Intercede for our holy women of Orthodoxy St Tabitha."

[pjhatala]

Oh, those "bishop-men"!
I'm pretty sure you could find a way to bring up the MP/ROCOR situation while discussing a bowl of oatmeal.

[Nathaniel Kapner]

"I commend unto you our sister Phoebe who is a Deaconess of the
Church in Cenchrea that you should assist her in whatsoever business
she hath need of you, for she hath been a succourer of many and of
myself also." (Romans 16:1)

IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
AMEN.

My dearly beloved Orthodox Christian, this morning my heart is
pained and sore afflicted because the words of St Paul have been
mocked by some fellows who some 700 years later thought they knew
better.

For instance, some one decided that St Paul was all wrong in
prescribing that bishops should be married men who proved themselves
in the world. Instead this know-it-all decided that bishops should
only come from the ranks of the monastics and alas! we are paying
for it now.

For we in the Church who are just as wise as the children of this
world are not fooled by some sanctified ignoramus who would have
us believe that "monks" have got something over the rest of us "2nd
class Christians."

Fact is, the whole lot of them have never attained to St Paul's
criterion, "having a good report from those without." For sure,
most "monks" are social misfits with "strange" preferences for which
they would be stoned in the Old Testament.

Of course we are now in New Testament days. But why then don't we
have the office of "Deaconess" any longer? Lord knows we need them
for there are no longer "men" in the offices of the Church, just
glory seekers and self appointed sermonizers who are out of touch
with the issues and don't have a clue who are the present enemies of
the Church. For in every generation God raises up a demon to attack
the Church that "those who are approved amongst us might be made
manifest." The demon of our generation is the MP and all the OC
bishops and priests are in hiding. What are they afraid of? The KGB?
Cowards!

Yesterday I spoke about Deborah the Judge who mocked the "men" of
Israel by boasting, "The mighty men failed in Israel until I Deborah
arose, until I arose a Mother in Israel."

We can begin to have "mothers" in Israel once again by reinstituting
the Biblical office of the "Deaconess." Well I'll be a suckering
catfish - " 'tis simply not the Tradition of the church," our
sanctified ignoramuses will tell us. Not so. Up until the 6th
Century Church historians attest to the office of "Deaconess" in
their accounts of:

1. St Maria Deaconess of Rome
2. St Olympias Deaconess of Constantinople
3. St Susanna Deaconess of Palestine
4. St Theosebia Deaconess sister of St Basil
5. St Eupraxia Deaconess of Tabenna

Holy Women Of Orthodoxy Unite! Bring back to us impotent men the
office of Deaconess once again! And show us all that we like Barak
to Deborah of old must relinquish all honor and glory unto you our
sisters in the Lord.

And because "Fathers" are no longer with us in our Israel of God,
may God now raise you up, ye Holy Women Of Orthodoxy to be
our "Mothers" in the Lord.

Through The Prayers Of The Holy New Martyr Grand Dutchess Elizabeth

Feodorovna

Subdeacon Nathaniel Kapner
The Eleventh Hour
October 26/November 28/2005
New Martyr Leptina

[Nathaniel Kapner]

"Even as the deacons hold the mystery of The Faith, must the women
be teachers of good things that they may teach..."
(I Timothy 3; Titus 2)

IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN

My dearly beloved Orthodox Christians. This morning may I
demonstrate to all that in no way were the women of New Testament
times "second class citizens."

Yesterday we read in St Paul's Epistle to the Romans, that he
commended to the Church at Rome: "Phoebe a diakonos of the Church
which is at Cenchrea."

St Paul continued with these instructions: "Assist Phoebe in
whatsoever business she hath need of you, for she hath been a
succourer of many and of myself also."

Now we know that one of the functions of the "Deaconess" was to
assist the women at their baptism. We don't need to go into a long
drawn out exposition of all the details of how the Deaconess helps
women into their swimsuits.

What I wish to show is that New Testament Deaconesses were given
authority and they wielded that "authority." It is obvious that "our
sister Phoebe" had the authority to request of the Romans that which
was consonant with the proverb: "When in Rome, do as Phoebe orders
you to do." (Milton's Book of Proverbs)

For even as Deborah of old wielded an authority over "mighty men" so
we see the same in the book of Acts:

"A certain Jew named Apollos, a mighty man in Scriptures spake
knowing only the baptism of John. When Aquilla and Priscilla heard
they expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly."

Later on St Paul writes: "Salute Priscilla and Aquilla and the
Church that is in their house." (I Corinthians 16)

And so my dearly beloved Orthodox Christians, the Deaconesses were not only
dressers of women's swimwear, but teachers of both women and men, commanders,
expounders, builders, and pillars of the New Testament Church.

Holy women of Orthodoxy unite! Come and help us reestablish the
office of the Deaconess. And show us impotent man, not as Pricilla
to Aquilla in how to expound the word "more perfectly," but feed us
first with milk not your strong meat.

For we have need that a Deaconess teach us again which be the first
principles of the oracles of God. And begin with the bishops!

Through the prayers of our Holy New Martyr of Russia, Grand Duchess

Elizabeth Feodorovna

Subdeacon Nathaniel Kapner
The Eleventh Hour
October 28/November 10/2005
Holy Martyrs Terrance and his wife Neonilla

[Justin Kissel]

This is a total straw man, Nathaniel. Who in the world denies that there were Deaconesses for centuries? You act like you are uncovering some hidden secret that nasty guy-creatures hid from all the wonderful women folk, just to keep them pregnant, barefoot, and in the kitchen. You know, I agree with Chesterton: women are the glue that holds society together. I also agree with Chesterton that we shouldn't destroy traditions or rules just because we don't like them, but we should (at least!) try to understand why they are there in the first place. To be frank, you seem to have done very little research on what deaconesses actually did (and would presumably do if they were around today), and why exactly the usage of deaconesses fell away. You also seem to have no real reasons to offer for them being brought back. I don't claim to be an expect on the subject, but I have read articles and books on the subject from a few different vantage points, and your neo-renovationist rantings can only be matched by the most liberal (pro female priest) of these supporters of restoring the office of deaconess. That is not to say that I am against looking into possibly restoring it, I am only speaking of the the content of your posts.

[Subdeacon Jerjis]

Deaconesses Were Teachers

Thank you dear Sbn. Nathaniel for your greatly
eloquent exposition of the role of deaconesses!

There is no doubt that the Holy Scriptures teach us
that these "women servants" of God (deaconesses) were,
in your own words, teachers of both women and men,
commanders, expounders, builders, and pillars of the
New Testament Church.

We all know that St. Paulforbade women to speak
in church or have anyliturgical roles, but outside
the worship services,St. Paul is very clear on the
important role thatwomen in general, and
Deaconesses in particular, didplay in providing
spiritual support and guidance toother women and
to the Church community.

In The Christ,

Sbn. Jerjis/Dr. Alajaji

[ioannis]

Justin wrote:

I have read articles and books on the subject from a few different vantage points, and your neo-renovationist rantings can only be matched by the most liberal (pro female priest) of these supporters of restoring the office of deaconess. That is not to say that I am against looking into possibly restoring it

I understand the "renovationist" (your words) State Church of Greece did in fact restore deaconesses recently. What they will presumably do and what role they will play is anyones guess - and I'm almost afraid to guess. I mean its not like they "baptize" many adults in Greece??