Peacebang challenged me to explain why I introduced her to a picture of the Rev. Michael Zelnaronok.
An odd choice on the face of it. Father Zelnaronok was the first priest of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church (OCA) in Sarasota, California. He had harrowing experiences with both the Nazis and Soviet Communists before settling on these shores. A hard-working, parish-building churchman, he “lived there until he feel asleep in the Lord” in 2003. The kind of cleric that is little regarded by the world but deeply needed in it. May his works go before him.
The only reason I found out about him was because the parish uses phpWebsite for its content management system, and theirs is one of the better examples out there.
But that’s not why I introduced him to PeaceBang. It’s because I might well end up looking like Fr. Zelnaronok, and that wouldn’t be a bad thing. (You should see my widow’s peaks.) There’s a crisp earnestness with a touch of modernism (popular period eyeglasses, a less than comprehensive beard) that points to a vital, appealing man.
I was asking PB if I could pull off the look, which tickled her.
Now, here’s the question: can I pull off a ministry of devoted service like him?