Finished: Leaving Microsoft to Change the World

Yesterday I finished reading Leaving Microsoft to Change the World: An Entrepreneur's Odyssey to Educate the World's Children, by John Wood (2007: Collins Business) ISBN-13 978-0-061-12108-1.  It was a very enjoyable, moving, and inspiring story of the founding of the Room to Read educational charity. 

I became interested in Room to Read because of the American Express Members Project, which included in the top 25 proposed projects for 2008 "6,000 Girls' Scholarships in the Developing World", which would fund 6,000 long-term scholarships for especially needy girls through Room to Read.  At the Room to Read web site, I downloaded the first chapter, read it, and was hooked on the book; that same Saturday, I found a copy at the Borders Books in Columbia, MD, reserved it, and went and bought in less than 6 hours.  John Wood's story has challenged me to consider how I can make a difference.  (Perhaps a library -- and school -- in South Africa as a memorial to my mother?)

Preparations for the OCA 15th All-American Council

As part of my continuing preparations for the Fifteenth All-American Council of the Orthodox Church in America, I have bought the following materials which I hope to read and to listen to before my wife Karen and I attend the council.

1. On the Prayer of Jesus, (St.) Ignatius Brianchaninov; translated by Fr. Lazarus Moore (2006: New Seeds Books) ISBN-10 1-59030-278-8
2. The Book of Pastoral Rule, St. Gregory the Great; translation and introduction by George E. Demacopoulos (2007: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press) ISBN-13 978-0-88141-318-2
3. Beginning to Pray, (Archbishop) Anthony Bloom (2004: St. Anthony Messenger Press) ISBN-10 0-86716-633-9

My wife will attend as the alternate lay delegate from our parish -- St. Mark Orthodox Church --since she is the Vice-President of the Parish Council, while I will attend as a registered observer.

My hope is that between the instruction from St. Gregory the Great, St. Ignatius, and Archbishop Anthony, of blessed memory, will give me more clarity concerning how the clergy and laity of the OCA should handle the results of the various scandals in the Church.

1. Who should we choose as the new Metropolitan?  Why?
2. What should happen to the men named in the report of the Special Investigative Committee (SIC)?
3. How should we respond to the "Town Hall Forum" and the "Act of Repentance" scheduled for Monday evening, 10 November 2008?

The only current hierarchs that interest me mentioned by people posting comments to OCA News or on the Orthodox Forum at Yahoo Groups are Metropolitan Philip and Bishop Basil of the Antiochian Archdiocese.  As I have posted numerous times in comments on OCA News, I think that all of the current hierarchs, and two retired hierarchs, of the OCA should be deposed.  My preference is for a primate chosen from one of the Orthodox hierarchs in the USA or Canada, who has served for an extended period on this continent.  (I only exclude any hierarchs serving in Mexico because I only know of one -- His Grace Alejo -- and I don't believe that he has enough experience yet for the post of Primate in these quite difficult times.)

At present, my thoughts concerning those named in the SIC report are a jumble.  I will cogitate and pray more before I post on that subject.

Similarly, I need to give more thought and pray to how I will respond to activities scheduled for the first two days of the 15th AAC, which focus on the scandals and other aspects of the recent past.  I will also post my htoughts on those subjects at a later date.