[farmarrl]

Dear Michael Bauman,

I do and don't agree with you. Bishop Basil is also my Bishop down here in Houston. I love him as a grandfather. I agree is homilies are to the core of our being. I envy you being able to be in the cathedral. I too have allegiance to him over another bishop, yet I also know the heirachy of things and he as we still "report" to Metropolitan Phillip.

I have never met "The Met" and surprisingly hear more negative things about our archpastor than positive. As a whole, this is not right. Policy from "on high" is made by people more informed than we. We rely on him and the bishops to rightly divide the word of Truth. So let them. If their dividing is wrong, it will come to light soon enough.

What is obedience if not doing what we are told? It is not blind obedience we are told to endure, but until WE the laity have the full picture, yes, we need to do as they are telling us. We commemorated both the Met. and Bishop previously. Now we only commemorate the Met. unless the Bishop is present. To not do this is to put us in a similar situation as is happening on Athos with the EP.

I too regret we no longer commemorate Bishop Basil. It does not change his job description or our love for him. It is a title! He as the other Bishops are still governing their respective areas of responsibilities as before. Don't let titles get under your skin. Love him and pray for our heirarchy even to Antioch itself.

Paul