11/18/2103
Fr. David C. Rucker
“The Lord reigns; He is robed in majesty. . . . The floods
have lifted up, O God, the floods have lifted up their voice, the floods have
lifted up their roaring. Mightier than the thunder of many waters, mightier
than the waves of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty. Thy decrees are very
sure; holiness befits Thy house, O Lord, forevermore.” (Ps 93:1-5)
It is one thing to recite this passage while preparing bread
and wine for the Divine Liturgy standing on the firm ground of a church
sanctuary. It is a different experience altogether to pray this Psalm while
preparing bread and wine for a Liturgy on the stern of a cruise ship
overlooking the dazzling Caribbean sea.
But I am getting ahead of myself. It all started a year ago when, with the
blessing of Metropolitan ALEXIOS, Pres. Rozanne and I were invited to be
“Chaplains” on the annual Opa! Cruise.
Parishioners from St. Mark Greek Orthodox Church, in Belleview, Florida
(serving the greater Ocala area) had dreamed up this cruise as a way for
Orthodox Christians to enjoy fellowship, raise funds for a good cause, and have
fun. Although I love fishing and playing in the water, cruises had never
interested me. I equated “cruising” with lavish excess and self-indulgent
luxury. When I found out my wife, Pres.
Rozanne, would be unable to get time off work to accompany me, it was an easy
decision. There was no way I would even consider going on a cruise alone.
Just when I was ready to give my polite regrets, my wife
commented, “You know, your mother has always dreamed of going on a cruise.”
Actually, I had no idea, but at Pres. Rozanne’s urging, I delayed turning down
the invitation, and decided to float the idea with my mom. My mother, in her
younger years, had been a well known speaker and world-traveler in the
Protestant church, serving for many years in mission administration with my
father. Normally, she would have jumped
at an opportunity like this. But she had been ill in recent years and had let
her passport expire. I really didn’t know if she would be up to the experience.
But when I called her, Mom was enthusiastic. My wife had been right—going on a
cruise would fulfill Mom’s life-long dream. So I decided to dive in!
From the time we boarded the ship until we walked off the
gangplank for the last time, every day exceeded my expectations. Yes, the food
was wonderful. Yes, the personal service on board was excellent, and the
amenities luxurious. Yes, waking up at a different port was an exciting
adventure. Yet those were not the things that got me hooked on the Opa! Cruise.
What made the voyage worthwhile was…
·
the privilege of serving the Holy Eucharist to
over 300 Orthodox Christians gathered together from all over the country to
enjoy each other and celebrate God’s marvelous creation;
·
beginning each morning with prayers at sea;
·
anointing with holy oil those praying for loved
ones back home;
·
sitting and listening without having to think
about the next appointment or commitment;
·
spending time with my mother in a setting that
allowed us to laugh and talk, during a stage of life that rarely allows for
such moments;
·
getting to share—with a captive audience!—what
God is doing in Guatemala and Mexico through Orthodox missionaries.
I have been asked to serve as Priest and Chaplain again in
2014 and this time, Pres. Rozanne will get to come with me! Our new missionary
assignment has us living and working in a remote mountain village in Guatemala
among an indigenous people group who are among the tens of thousands of Central
Americans “coming home” to the Orthodox Church.
We look forward to telling stories, sharing music, and showing pictures
to “take you there” during lecture sessions on board. We can’t wait to hang out with “old friends”
again, and to meet all the new ones. See
you aboard, God willing!
