With the New Year just hours away, millions of people are
filled with hope for the coming year. Social networks are streaming with best
wishes for the New Year, but what do YOU hope for in 2015? Do you hope for good
health? Do you hope for financial prosperity? Are you hoping for that new job
or house? Hope is a basic emotion of our human existence, but unfortunately it
is often misguided. It isn’t so much WHAT we hope for this is misguided, but
WHY we hope.
We hope for good health, SO THAT we can have time for
repentance of our many sins and glorify God.
We hope for prosperity, SO THAT we can do the work of Christ
and His Church and glorify God.
We hope for a new job, SO THAT we can support our family
with basic needs and glorify God.
If our hope is not focused on giving glory to God and
preparing our soul for eternity with Him, then our hope is misguided. So what
do YOU hope for in 2015?
In the days following Christmas, many people wait in long
lines to exchange the gifts they received for Christmas. Many exchange their
gifts merely because they wanted something different, rejecting the original
gift. Just as Herod rejected the original gift of Christmas by killing 14,000
innocent children, many times WE reject Christmas by killing our neighbors with
harsh words and thoughts. Has Christmas changed the way you live, or have you
rejected Christmas?
From the moment Jesus Christ was born, the world was
preparing for His burial. Herod the King tried to kill the new born King, while
the Magi came to worship Him. We have two options when we greet Christ; we can
choose the path of Herod and reject God, or join the Magi and worship Him. When
we choose the path of the Magi, we will join Him in death as the world will
reject our way of life. There is no avoiding death. It was the entire reason
for His birth. He was born to be buried.
Many people approach Christmas exhausted from the weeks of
holiday parties and shopping, but they miss the joy of birth of their Savior.
Jesus Christ has been born so that He might rescue us from the hectic and
painful life, and bring us to something better, life with Him in Heaven. If only we can follow the example of the
shepherds who left their work to go and meet the Lord, we too could join our
voices with the angels and sing, “Glory to God in the Highest!”
We want to hear from you! As 2014 is coming to an end, we want to give YOU the opportunity to let us know which video on Be Transfigured was your favorite this year? The only rule is your favorite MUST have been produced THIS year...any sermon, Bible study, or special event is eligible. For a complete list of Be Transfigured videos, goto www.YouTube.com/user/FatherAthanasios
Use the comment section below to post the link to your favorite Be Transfigured video from 2014. Voting ends at 11:59pm on December 31st.
We have all heard them, and we have all used them. Excuses
are a convenient way for us to “get out of” doing something we don’t want to
do, or going somewhere we don’t want to go. But when God invites you to join
Him, it’s time to put the excuses aside and join Him. Don’t be left behind when
the ship sails, just because you have an excuse. Otherwise, you will hear the
Lord say, “None of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.” Don’t
watch the ship sail away on the horizon. Put your excuses aside and live the
life Christ has for you in His Church.
Just days before Christmas, the Church invites us to
consider the righteousness of Abraham and Joseph the betrothed of Mary. These
two holy ancestors of God lived their life dedicated and loyal to the promise
of God, despite the reality they never set their eyes on God’s promise. The
Birth of God ushers in the beginning of God’s fulfillment for an end to death
and beginning of a new eternal life in Christ. Though Abraham and Joseph never
witnessed the fulfillment of God’s Kingdom, we too may not witness the fullness
of the Kingdom, but we are called to be righteous. God will fulfill His
promise, and our willingness to embrace the righteousness of Abraham and
Joseph, will prepare us to receive the fullness of God’s eternal comfort and
love. Do YOU what it takes to be righteous this Christmas?
With the recent public outcry and racial tensions in America
lately over a few (in my opinion) overly publicized legal cases, I have decided
to say a few words on the subject, because words matter. Language is a very
important element in any society as it defines how members of said society “agree
to interact” along personal, social and business transactions. In fact, within
the history of the Church, many deep theological arguments were waged over
nuances in language. Some arguments, such as the “nature” or “natures” of
Christ, resulted in centuries-long schisms with the Christian Church. I use
this simply for the sake of example since this post is NOT about theology, but
sociology.
In the recent racial outcry expressed in numerous protests
and riots throughout America, it has become obvious to me that we are
experiencing a language barrier that is so great, only the grace of God and
genuine Christian love will ever guide us through the muddy rivers of racial
tensions in America. One such barrier I have noticed is the term, “white
privilege” currently being bantered about. Reactions to a post by a close
friend of mine have been violent and plain old ugly. Using the tensions
surrounding Ferguson and New York City as a framework, the author attempted to
point out how many of our Churches experience a “tone” that might not be
welcoming to members outside our “natural” circle of members.
The author’s points about our Churches are quite accurate,
even as I have experienced them in 21 years of lay and ordained ministry. Many
of our Churches are NOT welcoming, and anyone suggesting otherwise is just not
making an honest assessment. But that alone shouldn’t be enough to create such
violent reactions. I figured there had to be more to the picture, so I did a
little reading on the term “white privilege” and realized we indeed had a
language issue.
“White privilege” is what I would call a politically “hot”
term, in that it is used in most cases to express a level of guilt and shame
against white members of the ruling class. What the term attempts to convey is
the reality that predominately white society has functioned, many times
subconsciously , to favor white people and some might consider “white culture”
if there really is such a thing in 2014. To deny this reality of any society,
whether it is white America or Asian China, would simply be dishonest at best
and ignorant at worst. I will state here that I am NOT referring to intentional
favoritism and policies though that is undeniably part of our history as well.
That would be for another blog post especially since the term “white privilege”
also makes that distinction.
As Orthodox Christians I believe a better word to convey the
same reality might be, “humility” since it is neither politically “hot” nor
racially descriptive. From an Orthodox Christian point of view, humility is
objectively acknowledging our current reality, and accepting that God desires
more for us and from us. It is also a term that looks inward rather than
outward, and calls EACH of us to repentance no matter what our starting point
is. Humility, used from this point of view would convey the realty that our
American society, being predominately white has certain subconscious realities
that give white members of our society an advantage. But that is only our
starting point. It also conveys that white members of our society, if they are
acting with Christian love, would not desire for non-white members of our
society to be overlooked, and therefore reach out to non-white neighbors etc to
bridge the gap.
But humility doesn’t stop there, because it also conveys to
non-white members of our society that many of these subconscious advantages are
neither intentional nor historically reversible. We cannot rewrite history but
we should study it and learn from it. If we learn anything from history, it
might be that racial tensions are painful. To simply allow the pendulum to “swing
the other way” to give non-white members of our society their fair share of
advantage, is only to expect the pendulum to eventually return, leaving pain in
its wake in perpetuity. Just as white members of society, if they are acting
with Christian love, would reach out to non-white members, similarly non-white
members of our society, if they are acting with Christian love, also would not
want to cause pain and suffering.
The point of Christian humility is that as Christians each
of us understands our sinfulness and we each desire to repent and grow closer
to God where “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free,
there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
(Galations 3.28)
If we really want to make improvements in American race
relations, a good starting point would be to stop using terms that “in
themselves” enrage either side. It also means that both sides, desiring to be
on the same side, must acknowledge the reality of the every side. We live in a
the greatest society on the face of the Earth, which depends wholly on ever
member of society acknowledging the value of the other, no matter which race,
economic class, or gender he or she may
be. That is nothing more than humility.
I must also admit that one of the most difficult virtues of
Christian love is to allow for free will. God doesn’t take away our free will
at any time, even allowing us to deny and hate Him. Neither can we, nor should
we even try to, take away anyone else free will. That means, some will choose
hate and racism. Humility allows for that too, since our love for God and each
other acknowledges that some will reject love, and there really is nothing we
can do to change it, but love them. If we see it in ourselves, we have been
given the chance to repent.
Christmas isn’t about gathering family together, although
many families do gather at Christmas...
Christmas isn’t about giving and receiving gifts, although
many give and receive gifts at Christmas...
Christmas isn’t about decorating, although many
decorate with lights and ribbons at Christmas...
Christmas isn’t about enjoying a banquet, although many will
enjoy a great banquet at Christmas...
Christmas IS about celebrating, IN CHURCH, with Divine
Liturgy, the coming in the flesh of the eternal Word of God for our salvation.
As Orthodox Christians we PREPARE for the celebration with prayer, fasting,
almsgiving, and Holy Confession. As Orthodox Christians we honor God’s Nativity
by living a holy life, free from the passions of wealth-building and
power-grabbing.
What about those “others things” we do during Christmas?
We gather as family at Christmas to worship God IN CHURCH. We give and receive gifts at Christmas to remember the Magi’s
offering to God. We decorate our homes at Christmas to welcome the King into
our lives. We enjoy a banquet to celebrate our new life in Christ.
Henry David Thoreau lived in the woods to discover what he
already knew to be true, human beings live through ritual. Whether it is
driving the exact same route through town to Church every Sunday, or flipping
light switches is a particular order when we open our business on Monday
morning, each of us has a ritual we follow. Most of us have several rituals that are
unique to certain events in our life such as work rituals, family rituals,
vacation rituals, and it seems EVERYONE has morning rituals. Have you ever
thought about your morning ritual?
I’m sure you have some sort of morning ritual, but does it
include morning prayers? One common mistake I have noticed in many “morning
rituals” is the lack of a dedicated Morning Prayer component. Many people
desire to pray in the morning, something taught through the centuries as being
central of a Christian life, but they can’t find the time to squeeze it in to
their morning ritual, simply because it isn’t PART of their morning ritual.
In the Didache (Teaching of the Holy Apostles to the
Nations) we were taught:
Neither pray as the hypocrites; but as the Lord commanded in
His Gospel, thus pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come. Your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. Give us today
our daily (needful) bread, and forgive us our debt as we also forgive our
debtors. And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one;
for Yours is the power and the glory for ever. Thrice in the day thus pray.
This basic ritual of prayer, what we Orthodox Christians
call a “Prayer Rule”, might be just the thing you need to successfully include
morning prayers into your morning ritual.
As we are quickly approaching the Feast of Christmas, and as
we have been invited by the Church to increase our daily prayer to God, this is
the perfect opportunity for you to rethink your morning ritual to include
morning prayers. Give your spiritual father a call and ask him to establish a “Prayer
Rule” for you to include in your DAILY morning ritual.
Then....go home and, following the advice of your spiritual
father, begin following your new morning ritual. It will take a few weeks for
the new ritual to take root in your life, but once established it will feel as
if you’ve always “done it that way” and you’ll be living a new life in Christ.
During the holiday season, our mailboxes fill with special
invitations from our friends and family to attend dinners and holiday
celebrations. As soon as we receive the invitation, we look at our calendar to
determine whether or not we can attend, that is, ‘IF’ we ‘WANT’ to attend the
celebration at all. Our reaction to an invitation, once opened is what ‘ACTUALLY’
determines whether or not we will ever show up in the first place.
Some possible considerations when we receive a special
invitation include:
Do we enjoy spending time with the host/hostess?
Would we rather be doing something else that evening?
Have we already been invited to attend a different
celebration that evening?
‘IF’ we have already received a different invitation, which
host/hostess do we prefer?
Have we already said ‘YES’ to a different invitation and now
we wish we had not?
Do we simply want to ‘keep our options open’ for that
evening for a better offer?
There are many other possible considerations, but I think
you get the idea.
Well...YOU HAVE BEEN INVITED to a special, the most special,
celebration...
God has sent you a personal invitation to join Him at the
table, not only for Christmas, but for every day for the rest of time. Will you
respond to Him?
It goes without saying that the trials of life can weigh a
person down. As every day passes, the weight of each small sin and mistake,
takes its toll on our backs as we feel our burdens heavy upon our shoulders.
Bent over under all the pressure, we just can’t seem to find the strength to
look up at God and sing His praise. We may even be ashamed by some of our
decisions in life, and we can’t lift ourselves up without God’s healing touch.
We all enjoy hearing the words, “Your sins are forgiven,” from our Lord, and we
all desire even more the healing touch of our Lord’s hand. Thankfully He has
given us His Church and the Holy Sacraments through which we can feel His
touch, and through the hands of our Father Confessor, we can not only feel
God’s Grace, we can hear the words, “Your sins are forgiven,” and we can
finally lift our eyes to God and give Him praise and thanks.
We live in a society that prides itself on independence. The
very fabric of our great Nation is woven by the threads of self-government and
self-accomplishments. Awards are given for “Man of the Year”, not “Group of the
Year.” But we all know there are just some times we need help. There are just
some things we can’t do by ourselves.
In the Gospel of Luke we hear, “There was a woman who had a
spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise
herself up.” (Luke 13.11)) It wasn’t until Jesus reached out His hand, touched
her, and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity,” (Luke 13.12)
that she was able to stand straight and praise God.
So many times, we are weighed down by the burdens of life so
much that it is all we can do to ‘get through the day’ let alone raise
ourselves up and look upward toward Heaven. When we spend our time bent over
staring at the ground, even the joy of birds singing can pass us by. We know we
need help, but we either can’t admit it, or we don’t know how to get help.
Thankfully for us, God STILL reaches His hand to us, through His Church, and
touches us and looses us from our infirmity. Jesus Christ has given us His
Church to help raise us up and praise God.
Turning to the Church Jesus said, “If you forgive the sins
of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are
retained.” (John 20.23) The Church has reached out her hand to us through the
Mystery of Holy Confession so that we can hear the words, “Your sins are
forgiven,” and we will be loosed from our infirmity and we can be raised up to
praise God. But we can’t get there by ourselves; we need the Church.
When the Apostle Andrew saw Jesus Christ for the first time,
he couldn’t help but run to his brother Simon Peter and tell him the Good News.
“We have seen the Messiah!” The Apostles joyfully spread the Good News of Jesus
Christ throughout the world, even though their personal lives were filled with
pain and suffering. Each of the Apostles, with the exception of Saint John the
Theologian was martyred for sharing the Good News. Sometimes we wonder....is the
news really good? Just like the lives of the Holy Apostles, our lives are
filled with pain and suffering, and we might wonder why Saint Paul told us to
imitate him. The truth is that God has saved us from this pain and suffering
and promised a NEW life with Him in Heaven. We haven’t been saved for this
world; we have been saved from this world. All our pain and suffering is
temporary. There’s Good News on the horizon; Come and See!
Moments after Saint Andrew, the First-called Apostle,
encountered Jesus Christ, he ran home and told his brother the Good News. “We
have found the Messiah!” (John 1.41) The news traveled throughout the city as
Simon Peter told Philip, who told Nathanael. Good News is hard to keep quiet.
When Jesus Christ sent His Disciples out share the Good News
(Gospel – Ευαγγέλιον), He
gave a simple commandment. “Go therefore and make disciple of all the nations.”
(Matthew 28.19) Saint Andrew traveled to a small port-town called Byzantium,
which would later become the center of the longest lived empire in world history.
While there, Saint Andrew obeyed the commandment of Jesus Christ and shared the
Good News about the Savior with the city, and made disciples of Christ. And
what did they do? They traveled throughout the known region and shared the Good
News they had received with others, because as we know Good News is hard to
keep quiet.
Just over two hundred years ago, Russian Orthodox
Missionaries arrived on what would become “American soil” and shared the same
Good News with the Native Peoples of Alaska. Around the same time, Greek
Orthodox faithful arrived on the East coast in Florida and later in New Orleans
to continue the history of making disciples of all the nations. Today there are
more than 500,000 Orthodox Christians living as disciples of Jesus Christ. Now it’s
our turn to share the Good News, and bring Orthodoxy to every corner of this
great American Nation. It’s the role of every disciple.
In the Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12.16-21) we witness
the result of a life void of peace. Rather than trusting that God would provide
for his family, the rich farmer panicked, tore down his already filled barns
and was about to build new larger barns when God called him. When we are unable
to trust in God’s willingness or abilities to provide for the needs of our
family, we run the risk of living in fear rather than peace. God has given us
numerous reasons to trust Him, even offering us the chance to test our trust in
Him. This week’s episode offers a chance to learn to trust God, and experience
for yourself, that trust leads to peace.
There is a temptation in American politics to separate our
spiritual lives from our political lives. It is growing ever popular to hear self-proclaimed
devout Christian politicians championing policies theoretically in opposition
to their personal spiritual beliefs. There is no limit, politically speaking,
to this trend as it exists “on both sides of the aisle” of Washington, D.C. But
have you ever wondered what would happen if politics DID become spiritual?
Realistically speaking it is impossible for our spiritual
journey NOT to interfere with our politics, but political hypocrisy may not be
as rampant as some may think. Every human struggles with the same fallen
reality, and the temptation to please the self rather than God and others. It
is why Jesus Christ commanded us to deny ourselves if we desired to follow Him.
Until we can stop the focus on ourselves, we cannot begin to focus upon Him.
The “self” is where ALL POLITICS is spiritual.
Politicians are nothing more than a skilled sales force, and
the product they are selling, is power and control. Everyone seems to want it,
and will do anything to get it. So, when a politician offers it, the votes just
come rolling in. Who could blame a sales force for altering the sales pitch if
product isn’t moving off the shelves? And who would blame a manufacturer for
making changes to a product to keep it “fresh” in front of the consumer. Shoe
styles change, so why shouldn’t political styles. Sales is sales.
Over the years certain products “go out of fashion” and are
ultimately removed from the marketplace. When was the last time you saw a LeCar
driving down your street? The consumer is in total control over what product
remain popular. The more the consumer wants to buy, the more items are made.
They call it supply and demand in business school. THAT’s where you and I come
in...
You are I are the consumers of politics. If the sales force
is successful in moving product, it is because we are the ones buying it. Consider
the last the political movement that you purchased. Was it not in some way a
bit of control and power over something or someone? And this is why politics is
spiritual...
Since we continue to struggle with our fallen condition, and
serving our selfish desires, what we “buy” in politics is integral to our
spiritual journey. If we seek power and control, we will purchase more of it
from the “sales force” offering more of it on the ballot. Every candidate is
selling it, so what brand we purchase makes little difference to the sales
force. Of course, every sales pitch comes with incentives. Power and control
with a bit of “cash back” thrown in, and the shelves empty - the trifecta of
politics.
As Orthodox Christians currently in the Nativity Fast, and
with Thanksgiving just a few days away, we should take more seriously our
spiritual struggle of selfish desire. This is the perfect opportunity, through
increased prayer and fasting and serving to poor, to work to defeat our
selfishness rather than sell it to the nearest politician. Something to think
about during the Fast.
In the parable of the Rich Fool, Jesus teaches us the deadly
result of a greedy heart. Faced with full barns and a banner crop, the Rich
Fool panics because he has no place to store his growing wealth. “I will do
this,” he says, “I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will
store all my crops and my goods.” (Luke 12.18) Unfortunately for the Rich Fool,
that was the night he would die and face judgment for the condition of his
heart.
Greed is a cancer that eats away at our heart, one dollar at
a time. Each of us has been blessed with material gifts from God. Each of us is
faced with considering how we will make use of the wealth that God has given
us. Will we panic and attempt to store our wealth for tomorrow thinking we will
enjoy comfort for years to come? This was the mistake of the Rich Fool when he
said, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat,
drink, and be merry.” (Luke 12.19) Will we be grateful for the blessings that
God has given to us and use them for His glory helping and serving others?
Greed is a cancer that turns the heart inward toward
darkness rather than upward toward the Light of God. Once our heart has been affected
by this cancer, it begins to spread to every other part of our body. A greedy
heart fills our minds with hate for our fellow human beings. A greedy heart
recognizes only cold, hard cash rather than the warmth of fellowship. A greedy
heart sends the cancerous poison of selfishness to our minds, hands, feet, and
eventually our very soul dies in darkness.
“So is he who lays up treasures for himself, and is not rich
toward God.” (Luke 12.21) Lucky for us...we still have time to be thankful.
Something to consider this year for Thanksgiving.
The Gospel of Christ is a comfort to sinners but can convict
the righteous. The invitation of Christ for all sinners to join Him at the
Table, is a comfort to when acknowledge our sinfulness, but it is should also
convict us to repentance. Christ has given us His Church as therapy to draw
closer to Jesus Christ, yet many who claim to believe, do not embrace the way
of life in the Church. If you truly desire to draw closer to God, then be
comforted that He has welcomed you to His Table, but be convicted and embrace
the way of life He has given to you for repentance. Draw near to God.
This past Saturday was the first day of the Advent Fast, a
preparation for Christmas. As Orthodox Christians, we prepare for Christmas by
fasting rather than shopping and parties. But that is not what I want to blog
about today. Rather, I want to share a miracle I, along with HUNDREDS of other
Orthodox Christians witnessed this past weekend in Charlotte, NC.
A holy Icon of the Mother of God was brought from Taylor,
PA. to Charlotte, NC. for people to venerate. This particular icon has been
exuding myrrh for three years, and has been directly attributed to numerous
miracle healings. I heard about this Holy Icon this past summer and was
thrilled to hear it would be so close to my home. I encouraged everyone I knew
to travel to Charlotte to witness for themselves the blessed event. The Church
was filled with faithful (and I’m sure some skeptics) from throughout the
region.
While in the Cathedral, the Priest who brought the Holy Icon
share many stories of the healings attributed to this Holy Icon. My eyes, and
the eyes of hundreds in attendance, witnessed myrrh miraculously dripping from
the Holy Icon in the hands of faithful in attendance. The strong sweet
fragrance from the myrrh filled the Church. I couldn’t help but think of the
story in the Gospel of the anointing of Jesus’ feet by the sinful woman.
I was blessed to able to assist in anointing the faithful in
attendance. I am thankful to God and His All-Holy Mother for allowing me to
witness this blessed event at the beginning of my Advent journey. I assure you
that this Advent will be different for me, thanks to God’s grace.
I invite you to make a pilgrimage to venerate this Holy Icon
in Taylor, PA. which resides in the Church of St George. The service of Paraklesis
and anointing is offered each Wednesday
at 6pm.
The Feast of Saint Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist celebrated this coming Sunday offers
an important perspective of the life of the Church. When Jesus called Matthew,
who was a tax collector and sinner, to be one of His Disciples, it opened to
door for all sinners to enter the Church. “Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the
table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat
down with Him and His disciples.” (Matthew 9.10) But the religious elite were
not happy with such riffraff sharing the same table with them.
Seeing their cold hearts, Jesus said, “Those who are well
have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this
means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the
righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Matthew 9.12-13) The very purpose of
the Jewish Law of sacrifices and prayers and daily offerings were so that the
people of God might grow more loving and more merciful. In the case of the
religious elite, the opposite had occurred. They had grown cold to those who
were not as “holy” as they were.
Jesus was quoting the Prophet Hosea in His response to the
elite. The Prophet was speaking about those who were quite “religious” but
their inner hearts were cold. The full quote says, “I desire mercy rather than sacrifice,
and the knowledge of God rather than whole-burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6.7) If the
Law of Moses was meant to purify their hearts, they had forgotten the purpose
of the sacrifices and offerings in the first place. This is why Jesus said, “Go
and learn what this means.”
The Orthodox way of life is meant to draw us closer to God
and purify our hearts. If we look at the Orthodox way of life as nothing more
than a list of chores we must check off before we die, we will have missed the
entire point. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen.
I’ve been giving a great deal of attention to suffering
lately in my sermons and blog posts. I have also referenced miracles within the
context of suffering and healing. It occurred to me today, that many of us use
the terms “healed” and “miracle” interchangeably. Just because we have been
healed from an illness, doesn’t mean we have experienced a miracle.
Webster’s Dictionary defines “miracle” as
A wonder or wonderful thing.
An event or effect contrary to the established constitution
and course of things, or a deviation from the known laws of nature; a
supernatural event, or one transcending the ordinary laws by which the universe
is governed.
I like that the dictionary implies, or least I infer, that
there is a difference between a wonder and an event that deviates from the
known laws of nature. Sometimes, we just don’t understand it, but that doesn’t
make it a miracle in the “God-sense” of the word. I have heard others suggest
that miracles DO conform to the natural laws – God’s laws. I like this vantage
point.
So that brings me to the point I want to make today. With
the countless advances in medicine, including pharmacology and technology,
human beings are being healed by many ailments that just twenty-five years ago,
would have required a “miracle” by God. And yet, today the blind can see, the
lame can walk, the deaf can hear. Are these miracles or a testimony to modern medicine?
That doesn’t mean I believe God has no hand in healing. I
believe He does. It is His Holy Spirit that whispers into the hearts of
researchers who discover the newest cure. It is His Holy Spirit that opens the
eyes of the observer to see the chemical reaction take place. It is His Angels
who guide the hands of the surgeon during organ transplants. But I would not
call these healings, miracles.
An oncologist once said to a priest-friend of mine, “We are
lucky to save 1 out of every 10 cancer patients we see.” He was quite proud of
his accomplishments against such a horrible disease. My friend responded, “I
have news for you. You haven’t saved ANY. They all still died, didn’t they?”
Sometimes we get so wrapped up in miracles, and wanting a
miracles, and feeling upset when we didn’t get a miracle, that we easily forget
we are going to die and THEN God will accomplish the REAL miracle...He will
raise us from the dead to live eternally with Him in Heaven. In the meantime,
let’s be thankful for the healing He does allow so that we have time to repent.
Since we will all die, we should remember the healing we do receive is granted
to us as a gift so that we can repent.
Priestly prayer for the sick in the hospital
O Lord Almighty, the Healer of our souls and bodies, You who
put down and raise up, Who chastise and heal also; do You now, in Your great
mercy, visit our brother(sister) who is sick. Stretch forth Your hand that is
full of healing and health, and get him(her) up from the bed of pain, and cure
him(her) of this illness. Put away from him(her) the spirit of disease and of
every malady, pain and fever to which he(she) is bound; and if he(she) has sins
and transgressions, grant to him(her) remission and forgiveness, in that You
love mankind; yes Lord my God, pity Your creation, through the compassions of
Your Only begotten Son, together with Your All-Holy, Good and Life-Giving
Spirit, with Whom You are blessed, both now and ever, and to the ages of ages.
Why does God allow suffering? Everyone knows firsthand that
people suffer, but do they have to suffer to be “good” Christians? What’s so
wrong with trying to avoid suffering? Why not strive for a life without
suffering? While everyone experiences suffering, nobody enjoys it, but God
blesses it especially when we endure it patiently with faith and prayer. With
the story of the healing of the woman with the flow of blood and the raising of
Jairus’ daughter as our “backdrop”, this week’s episode of Be Transfigured will
look at suffering and why God allows it and but rarely allows miracles.
I was having a conversation the other day with someone who
asked, “Why does God allow bad things to happen?” The person who asked,
believes in God, but wondered herself why, if as she said, “God is in control
of everything,” why He allowed sickness and death for young people. Death and
sickness is on our “collective” minds lately with the recent suicide of a young
woman who was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. My response to her
might surprise you...God ISN’T in control of everything!
WHAT!? Consider the story of Jairus’ daughter and the women
with the flow of blood, both of whom were healed by Jesus Christ. (read Luke
8.40-56) Both women suffered, one for twelve years, the other only twelve years
of age. Both were allowed by God to suffer, one even unto death; one the
daughter of a powerful leader of the synagogue, the other an unknown woman. Both
healed privately by God, but showed publicly to large crowds. Both received a
miracle from God while thousands of others continue in their suffering,
eventually losing their battles with illness. Why did God heal these two women,
while leaving so many others (down through the ages) to suffer?
The answer is that God has given up His “control over
everything” by allowing us to enjoy free will. The reality of life, so
painfully experienced by so many, and why I was asked this question just the
other day, is that God allows many more to suffer than healing them through
some sort of miracle. That makes EVERY miracle special; otherwise we would not
consider it a miracle. What we can learn about the purpose of miracles is in
what happens after the miracle has been made public. The crowd witnesses the
power of God, and they are given the opportunity to believe in Him.
Nobody can deny that we will all eventually die, so it
should be no surprise that Our Lord has provided many opportunities for us to
better understand what we should expect. One example of how we learn about our
eternal future is through parables. In the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus
found in the Gospel of Luke 16.19-31, Christ helps us to see that the condition
of our heart will have a direct impact on how we will experience eternity with
Him. If we want to avoid the torment of hell described for the rich man, we must
learn to see others with love and compassion, but time is clicking. We have
only until we die to change our hearts. We must take full advantage of every
opportunity for our hearts to learn to love others by serving the poor with
love and compassion. If we continue with a cold and selfish heart, our eternal
future will be consumed with torment.
In the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16.19-31) the
un-named rich man was in the torment of Hell because he refused to serve the
sick and poor man named Lazarus. Many times we think that it is the poor that
benefit from our charity, but according to Gospel, this is not the case. When
we feed the hungry their stomach might be filled, but it is our soul that fills
with the love of God and enjoys unity with Him. As an alternative, when we
refuse to help the poor, while their stomach might remain empty, their soul is
filled with the comfort and love of God. It is our soul that remains empty of
God’s compassion.
When we serve others, we are expressing our love for God and
our soul is rewarded with comfort and welcomed by God. If that is the case, we
could also say that serving the poor is actually ministering to OUR soul and is
therefore “just as” if not more important the every other parish ministry. Each
ministry our Church offers, from HOPE/JOY/GOYA to Sunday School & Greek
School; from Parish Council & Philoptochos to Church dinners at which WE
eat & serving the poor at which the POOR eat; each of these ministries has
the same effect. Our soul grows closer to Jesus Christ, our Lord God and
Savior.
The next time you are presented with the opportunity to
serve the poor, remember you are preparing your future. Will you serve the poor
and experience the comfort and welcome of God, or will you serve yourself and
experience torment and loneliness in Heaven? Just don’t forget this one urgent
point....the “great chasm” the rests between comfort and torment is created by
the choices you make today.
In a day when our world is frantically searching wealth and honor, Christians are daily called to choose between worldly priorities and a Godly life. Your willingness to live the faith of Christ through the choices of your life reflects the importance of God in your life, and will be a witness of your faith to those around you. You are a living martyr when you allow others to see your commitment to Christ in your choices, and your martyrdom will draw others to Christ in the same way martyrs drew believers to Christ. Are you willing, or even wanting, to allow your choices to be a martyr for Christ?
"It don’t think that means what you think it means." There is a BIG difference between 'I can’t' and 'I won’t' that it makes me believe this quote from one of my favorite movies is
appropriate. Here are some examples...
What you say: “I can’t come to Church.”
What you mean: “I won’t come to Church because I have no
intention making Church a priority. I’m just going to tell you I can’t come and
hope you won’t ask for details.”
What you say: “I can’t read the Bible every day.”
What you mean: “I won’t even try to read the Bible today. I
have too many other important things like posting on Facebook and watching
American Idol.
What you say: “I can’t tithe to the Church.”
What you mean: “I won’t give up anything I am currently
buying just to give more money to the Church. It’s my money, and I can do with
it what I want.”
What you say: “I can’t chair that Church event.”
What you mean: “I won’t chair that event, but I don’ have
the courage to tell you why.”
What you say: “I can’t fast.”
What you mean: “I won’t let the Church tell me what to eat.
It isn’t what goes IN your mouth but what comes OUT that matters.”
The list goes on, but this last one is the point. When you
refuse to be honest by telling someone you can’t do something, when you could
but you won’t, what is coming OUT of your mouth is not the truth. And you know
what not telling the truth is...
My recent sermon "It isn't about doing more, it's about being more" was recently translated into Serbian by a loyal fan. I offer it here for anyone interested! The video in English can be viewed here...
Није у питању "радити више" већ "бити
више"
Поздрав! Добродошли у још једну епизоду серијала
"Преобразите се", којим вас позивамо на нови живот у Христу. Зовем се
отац Атанасије Харос и ја свештеник сам у храму Преображења нашег Спаситеља
Грчке Православне Цркве (Florence, South Carolina). Знате, наши животи понекад
делују претешко, да више не можемо ништа. И баш тада Црква нас позива и каже:
"Уради још мало." Може бити разочаравајуће, зар не? Или бар много
исцрпљујуће, то сигурно знамо. Али када се препустимо Господу и кажемо:
"Без обзира, на Твоју реч учинићу то што тражиш од нас" тада примамо
благослов. Одмах се враћам.
Не знам јесте ли већ схватили или не али сваке седмице у
билтен додам нешто што наговештава о чему ће бити проповед. Не знам јесте ли то
већ приметили. И сваке седмице треба да смислим наслов који би одговарао
проповеди. Некакву фразу која повезује Јеванђеље са поруком, како бисмо нешто
упамтили и били покренути да живимо хришћански. И као што видите, у билтену
стоји "Само још мало", тако сам написао. Мислио сам да
напишем:"О! Не могу више да поднесем!" (^_^) То сам хтео да ставим
јер је то лик какав су имали апостоли у јутрошњем Јеванђељу. И знам да многи од
нас, заједно самном, кад чујемо како Црква тражи од нас да учинимо још мало
кажу: "Још!? Не могу више да поднесем и имам толико обавеза сваког дана.
Оче, молим те, не терај ме да чиним више!" Али то стварно нисам могао
ставити као наслов јер би било лоше. Нећемо да се жалимо на црквени живот, зар
не? Црква је ту да нам да покретачку поруку а не да се жалимо. Али ту слику
утучености сам хтео да уочимо у прочитаном Јеванђељу. Само да се подсетимо
приче. Знам да смо је управо чули али замислите ове околности. Ови рибари су
управо завршили ноћни посао и као у сваком занимању они су се пажљиво трудили
на свом послу целе ноћи али нису уловили ништа, то касније сазнајемо из приче.
Они су ту, јутро је и скупљају своје мреже, ушивају их на местима где су у току
ноћи оштећене, сав тај рад који је важан рибарима. А када се окрену Исус им
каже: "Хајде, имамо још посла!" Чак су рекли: "Господе, трудили
смо се читаве ноћи и не уловисмо ништа." Мора да су били утучени. И баш у
том тренутку Исус им каже: "Хајде, има још посла." Али Симон Петар
одговара: "Без обзира Господе, на твоју реч бацићу мрежу."
Зато желим да овог јутра задржимо пажњу на тој дивној вери
Симона Петра: "Господе, исцрпљен сам. Господе, уморан сам. Господе, све
сам то учинио и не улових ништа. Ипак, на Твоју реч отићи ћу корак даље."
Видите хришћански живот браћо и сестре... Мислим да се ми
понекад збунимо. Јер нам се Црква увек обраћа говорећи да треба постити Црква
нам каже да треба читати Свето Писмо, да идемо на ову службу, ону службу, и још
једну службу па још једну а онда треба да идемо и на веронауку, па да се
бринемо о сиромашнима. Црква нам увек даје нове задатке, док ми само желимо да
одговоримо као Петар:"Нисам ли већ учинио довољно?" Бог зна колико
смо ми заузети. Он зна како смо уморни. А веровали или не то и Црква зна. Зато
бих с надом покушао да вам данас објасним зашто Црква хоће од нас да у својим
животима учинимо мало више.
Црква не смишља те ствари, те праксе, на грчком их зовемо
"ἄσκησις", аскезе у множини... Ове делатности, вежбе за наш живот,
Црква не даје то само да би нас провела кроз гомилу бесмислица... У Хришћанство
није у томе да радимо више ствари већ у томе да будемо више од оног што смо
сад. Хришћанство није у схватању
да смо на неком нивоу и да је то све што можемо. Хришћанство
нам поручује да као свети Петар прихватимо Слово Божје: "Господе, на Твоју
реч тежићу да будем више него што сам сад. Не обавезно да урадим више већ да
БУДЕМ више."
А сад је питање: "Бити више ШТА?" Бити више као
Христос. Хришћански живот није у "радити" већ у "бити".
Тако све од ових делатности, све ове вежбе које нам Црква даје имају за циљ да
више БУДЕМО налик Исусу Христу. Тако, моја браћо и сестре, Хришћански живот
испробаван већ две хиљаде година успостављен самим Господом, објашњен Његовим
светим ученицима и апостолима имамо да бисмо постали сличнији Богу.
У нашој Цркви почиње нови период. Улазимо у недеље светог
Луке. Читаћемо Јеванђеље по Луки до Божића. Па ако се сећате претходних
неколико недеља порука је била о Крсту, порука да се одрекнемо себе, порука да
се уклонимо од земаљског и тражимо небеско. По чему је јутрошње Јеванђеље мање
од тог? Исус нас зове
да у тренутку кад смо најисцрпљенији да дамо још само мало.
И зато нас називају хришћанима. Не будимо задовољни оним где смо данас већ да
све више узрастамо и постајемо као Исус Христо све док смо живи. Зато нам Црква
даје пост. Не желимо ми тек тако да постимо већ постимо да бисмо научили како
да живимо по Божјој вољи. Зато вас ове недеље позивам на пост. Ако до сада
нисте постили покушајте, можда вам се свиди. Као што кажу... Покушај имајући
довољно самоконтроле. Кад се пробудиш средом и петком реци: "Данас ћу да
постим јер желим да будем сличнији Исусу Христу." И сам Христос нас је
учио да постимо.
Ове недеље узмите своје Библије. Ако не знате где су овог
поподнева идите кући и претражите полицу са књигама. Обришите прашину са
корица...
Знам како је то! Не заборавите да ја нисам увек био овде.
Пронађите своје Библије и после мале претраге дозволите да вам Божја Реч
говори. И у том вашем тренутку пуном умора имајте храбрости, сетите се шта смо
рекли о моћи Крста, смогните снаге да кажете Богу: "Без обзира на све, на
Твоју реч...", док својим ушима примате Његову Реч. Припремите се да
примите Свето Причешће јер је дар Евхаристије, моја браћо и сестре то што нас
чини целином, употпуњава нас. Нисмо у потпуности људска бића ако нисмо у
заједници са Богом. И то је тако важно да ћу поновити. Нисмо у потпуности
људска бића ако не живимо у заједници са Богом. Припремите се да примите Свето
Причешће. Сваке недеље дозвољавајте Божјим речима да вам улази у уши кад читате
Библију. И дозволите живом Божјем Слову да уђе у ваша уста и ваш стомак кад
примите драгоцено Тело и Крв нашег Господа Бога и Спаситеља Исуса Христа и
постаћемо више налик Њему. Потражите сиромашне. У данашњем свету нећете морати
да идете далеко. Донесите храну гладнима, одећу нагима. Имамо разна места на
која носимо те ствари, однесите их онима којима су најпотребније. Не онима који
понекад злоупотребљавају систем. У нашем граду имамо агенције са којима Црква
сарађује како би лакше препознала људе који су заиста потребити како би добили
подршку Цркве. Будите више налик Исусу Христу у свакодневном животу браћо и
сестре.
А постоји још један начин како да се уподобимо Исусу Христу.
Доведите своје пријатеље у цркву, чланове породице, доведите суседе у цркву.
Да, суседе! Ова црква није само за Грке, Русе, Румуне, Арапе... Она је за
сваког! Свако људско биће заслужује сусрет са Исусом Христом овде, у нашој
Цркви. И кад је Симон Петар имао толико вере да каже: "На Твоју реч, без
обзира на све..." и спустио мреже ухватио је толико рибе да му је требала
помоћ да их извуче, зар не?
А шта Исус Христос каже њему? "Од сада ћеш ловити
људе." Један од најбољих начина да постанемо налик Христу је да доведемо
своје пријатеље, суседе и породице
да дођу и заиста сретну Исуса Христа овде у Његовој Цркви.
Не можете у потпуности сусрести Бога само читајући о Њему. Не можете у
потпуности сусрести Бога
само говорећи о Њему. То се дешава када примамо Христово
Тело и Крв, кад смо у Његовом стварном физичком присуству, сусрећемо Га на
начин који се не може у потпуности објаснити. Али ако желимо БИТИ више налик
Исусу Христу тада ћемо бити неуморни доводећи људе да Га сусретну. Не мислим да
их вучемо, тучемо по глави, називамо их свакојаким именима... Али ви сви имате
пријатеље који би били благословени сусретом са Исусом Христом. Позовите их.
Начините тај додатни корак. И чак када сте у најтежем тренутку, кад мислите да
не можете постићи више ништа, предајте срце Богу и реците: "Без обзира на
све Господе, на Твоју реч постаћу више него што сам данас." Слава Богу за
све!
Ето, то је био мало другачији приступ, зар не? Гледање на
живот као да смо практично сви превише заузети, сви уморни... Али морамо бити
вољни да предамо живот Христу, имати веру као свети Петар и рећи: "Упркос
свему Господе, на Твоју реч..." и бити вољни да превазиђемо своје
(не)моћи. Не ради се о чињењу нечега већ о томе да будемо нешто. Бити хришћанин
значи бити као Исус Христос, свакодневно све више. Зар не желите да будете као
Бог?
Посетите нашу веб-страницу www.liveanewlifeinchrist.org, где
можете наћи више информација о Православној Хришћанској Цркви, а можете нас
пронаћи и на Православној Хришћанској мрежи myocn.net. Можете нас пратити
средом уживо на часовима веронауке. Средом у 19:00 часова по источном времену.
До следеће недеље Бог вас благословио и не заборавите да живите новим животом у
Христу.
All but one of the Holy
Apostles was martyred for standing up and living the Gospel of Christ. In the
earliest centuries of the Church, thousands of dedicated men and women were
killed in a thousand different ways, by those who refused to embrace the message
of hope that is preached by the Church. In many cases, these holy men and
women, refused even to pretend to deny Christ, in order to show the world that
the Kingdom of God is greater than any kingdom on Earth. The result of these
martyrs was the conversion of the world into Christ’s Holy Church. Their
willingness to die for the Gospel was an inspiration to thousands.
In our current political
environment, it is becoming clear that sooner rather than later, the Church
will again be in the position of standing up for the Gospel of Christ. In doing
so, we must understand that the society at large will work against the Church.
We may not be persecuted with death as in early centuries, but nonetheless we
will be challenged to choose between living the Gospel and pleasing society. Although
we cannot ignore that many are in fact being killed for their Christian Faith in
other parts of the world, already these new martyrs have inspired new converts
in the Middle East.
In America, our martyrdom
will be different. We will be called to give up comforts, tax exempt status,
wealth and other privileges that Churches have enjoyed since the founding of
our nation. In America, our martyrdom will be green rather than blood red. In
America, our martyrdom will include jumping through hoops to get buildings built
and marriages sanctioned. Like the martyrs of old, our willingness to lose
wealth and status and comfort will be an inspiration for others to embrace the
Gospel of Christ. America NEEDS more martyrs. America needs YOU!
Now that cooler weather has settled in and leaves have begun
to fall, many families are looking for activities to gather and enjoy
fellowship now that it’s too cold for beach fun. Among the many long-time
traditions for family fun is building puzzles. Puzzles come in all sizes and
shapes, and made for all ages young and old alike. Puzzles highlight beautiful scenery
and famous landmarks. After an evening of family fun, NOTHING is more
frustrating than have a missing piece to the puzzle. A puzzle with just a
single piece missing will inspire families to search for long periods of time,
overlooking nothing, to find that single missing piece. Everyone cheers when
the missing piece is found; much more than if the family had completed the
puzzle quickly without any missing pieces. Puzzles are great family fun...
We often hear life being compared to a puzzle that needs to
be solved, and our spiritual life and Church are no different. The Orthodox
Christian way of life is like a carefully crafted puzzle in which every piece
is perfectly interconnected. Without EVERY piece, the puzzle just isn’t
complete. It always surprises me that many, unlike game puzzles, have no
difficulty in leaving the pieces of the Orthodox Way of Life puzzle either
missing or not connected.
The pieces of the Orthodox Christian Way of Life puzzle
include:
Receiving Holy Communion
Prayer
Fasting
Caring for the poor
Reading and studying the Holy Scriptures
Reading and studying the Holy Fathers of the Church
Reading and studying books about the Faith and Church
history
Tithing to the Church
Attending Sunday Divine Liturgy EVERY SUNDAY ON TIME
Regular Holy Confession
Regular attendance at special Church blessing services
Regular attendance at special Church prayer services
Serving others (inside and outside the Church Family)
Reaching out to others and inviting them into the Church
Enjoying fellowship with others inside the Church
Like every puzzle, the most important piece is THE MISSING
PIECE, since without it, the puzzle is not complete. As we enter into the
Advent Season, and the Christmas Fast, take a moment and look over the puzzle
you’ve been working on. Is there a missing piece? Have you spent any time
recently working on completing your puzzle?
Like any puzzle, the Orthodox Christian Way of Life puzzle
is best worked on as a family, when each member searches for the next piece and
then rejoicing when each piece is carefully put into place. As a family, we can
only rejoice when the entire family is participating in building the puzzle. Take
it one piece at a time and, with dedication and unity, the entire puzzle will
be complete. Let’s complete the puzzle!
Many people think they don’t need to walk into a Church to encounter God, but you can only touch God in His Church. God could have called down from Heaven and forgiven all sins and welcomed humanity back into Paradise, but He chose instead to take on flesh and touch humanity. There are many ways to call out to God, but only one way to touch Him. When the Precious Body and Blood of Christ touches your lips, your sins are forgiven and you are healed, because the touch of God heals and you live forever.
So many times we struggle with whether or not we should
attend Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning. I’ve heard so many explanations in the
past twenty years about why people don’t need to be in Church to pray and
experience God. The Gospel offers us a different answer with the story of the
raising of the widow’s son in Nain. (Luke 7.11-17) In this story it was the
physical touch of Christ, along with His command, that healed the young man. He
touched the open coffin when He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” (Luke
7.14)
St Cyril of Alexandria said, “Why then did He not work the
miracle by only a word but also touched the bier? It was, my beloved, that you
might learn that the holy Body of Christ is productive for the salvation of
man. The flesh of the Almighty Word is the body of life and was clothed with
might.” Don’t you see? God could have called out from heaven and healed not
only this young man, but all humanity. But He didn’t. He came and lived among
us – in a real body, touching and blessing us.
THIS is why we must attend Divine Liturgy if we wish to be
saved from death. Christ commanded that His Body and Blood be offered in the
Eucharist, as life for the salvation of the world. You can’t receive Holy
Communion on the golf course. If you can’t receive Holy Communion, then you
cannot touch Christ. And the touch of Christ is life and heals all.
We live in a world, much like the Christians of the first
century, in which morality is based not on the teachings of Christ, but the
teachings of darkness. Daily, it seems, our world is stepping further away from
the way of life of Christ and His Church, as is evidenced in the daily news
reports. In a world in which the terminally ill are invited to take their own
lives with “dignity,” or in which there is no longer a distinction between
males and females, we must strive to hold ourselves to a higher standard. We
are encouraged by Saint Paul to coexist peacefully in this world, all the while
never faltering in our commitment to live a life worthy of Christ. Holding
ourselves to a higher standard doesn’t mean abandoning nonbelievers to hell;
rather it means being in a constant state of prayer that their hearts may be
softened. Of course, we understand the Gospel message will fall sometimes on
deaf ears, but that does not give us license to live according to the same fallen
standards of the world. We hold ourselves to a higher standard. “He who has
ears to hear, let him hear.”
With the recent decision of the US Supreme Court regarding
pending court cases, same-sex marriage licenses were being issued in
Charleston, SC amid celebrations and cheers. What is the Orthodox Christian
response? We state our opposition to such laws, but we understand that the gift
of free will given by God allows for each human being to either accept His will
or reject it.
As we celebrate the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the 7th
Ecumenical Council, at which the Holy Fathers defended the truth of Orthodoxy
in Holy Icons, we might learn a lesson from the willingness of ALL the Church Fathers
to stand up for
the truth within the Church, while acknowledging those outside the Church are
not bound by the same standards. Preaching about Titus 3.9, St John Chrysostom
said this:
“For when a man is perverted and predetermined not to change
his mind, whatever may happen, why should you labor in vain, sowing upon a
rock, when you should spend your honorable toil upon your own people, in
discoursing with them upon almsgiving and very other virtue.” (from Homily 6 on
Titus)
Our Orthodox Christian response must be to protect and
nurture the faith in our children. We must strengthen the faith within the
Church in order to defend against the attacks of the Evil One who will never
cease trying to destroy Christ’s Church. If such laws in South Carolina continue,
it will become increasingly difficult for our children to remain faithful to Christ
and His Church unless we “spend our honorable toil” to not only teach them the
faith, but teach them to LIVE the faith. “These things are good and profitable
to men.” (Titus 3.8)
When you were baptized and chrismated into the Church, you
became a child of God. Our God is the only God who allows His people to call
Him Father, and He has given us a Mother, the Church, to guide, protect, and
comfort us as we grow perfecting holiness as sons and daughters of God. Christ
invites us, “Be merciful like your Father is merciful.” Are you willing to live
as a child of God?
I am often accused of making EVERYTHING spiritual. In making
this accusation, people are suggesting that there are issues that can, and
should, be considered merely for the secular value the present. In fact this
spiritual vs. secular perspective is a common debate within youth ministry
circle. Can a basketball tournament “be” just a basketball tournament, or must
it always include spiritual discussion sessions? Indeed I believe it is better
to allow a basketball tournament to “be” just a basketball tournament, but does
that make it merely a secular event? THAT is where the debate rests, but it isn’t
limited to youth ministries.
How you view sports, education, work, family and friends,
economics, and even politics, is shaped by how you view the world. If you view
the world from a secular point of view (everything neatly placed in a box which
is not and should affect any other box) then sports is just sports. However, if
you view the world from the Orthodox Christian point of view in which
EVERYTHING is connected, then even basketball is not just basketball and
politics is NEVER just politics. The Orthodox Christian worldview, if it is
genuine, must affect every aspect of our life.
Let’s consider some of the presumed mundane issues of our
life. Sports and recreation are important leisure activities, but are they
purely secular? Caring for our physical bodies and our mental state of mind are
an important part of our spiritual journey, but only if we in fact engage in a
spiritual journey. Since Orthodox Christianity is a way of life journey, then
even sports and recreation are spiritual in so far as they play a balanced role
in our overall health. But what about politics?
I’ve been considering lately the economic politics of our
current American scenario. Multiple points of view are competing for our
attention and loyalty to possible solutions. Of course the two loudest, often
called conservative and liberal, seem to be on polar opposite points of view. However,
if you consider the question of economics from an Orthodox Christian point of
view, the liberal-conservative debate loses steam. Both points of view are
based upon selfish agendas. I won’t debate which agenda is correct, but suffice
it to say, no matter which side of the argument you find yourself, economics
are changing and so politics with it. HOW you maneuver through the economic
waters of the future will either be your salvation or condemnation.
Saint Paul urges us to be content with what we have. So long
as we have been united to Christ, all this ‘stuff’ we fight over during our
life will not be with us in heaven.
“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with
such things as you have.” (Hebrews 13.5)
And Jesus said
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth
and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where
thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart
will be also.” Matthew 6.19-21)
How can we choose sides of the political debates about the
economy when both sides fight are “getting more” or “keeping more” of what we
want.....MONEY AND WEALTH?!
The economy of the world is rapidly changing, and unless we
embrace the Orthodox Christian worldview of wealth and poverty, live and death,
legal vs. moral rights, etc., we will ultimately become lost and despondent.
What difference does it make if employers, insurance companies, or the US
Congress “pays” for our health care? Is it about how much MONEY we will control
or whether we will live or die? We WILL die and all money is ultimately left
for someone else to spend.
So consider this.....If Jesus Christ returns in the next
five minutes, are you ready to make an accounting of how you were a faithful
and loyal servant? Or will you beg for a few more minutes? Money is just money,
and basketball is just basketball. Most of all, politics is just another way of
arguing to get YOUR way rather than God’s way. How about putting it all aside
and searching out to make time for the Orthodox way of life? Christ GAVE you
the Church for a reason, not a burden.
When Jesus called His Disciples, He said to them, “You will
be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore
be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” (Luke 6.35-36) Saint Paul,
quoting the Old Testament, reminds us that God had promised to become our
Father long before He called His disciples. “I will be a Father to you, and you
shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6.18, 2
Kingdoms 7.14)
Once we are Baptized and Chrismated into Christ, we ARE the
children of God, but just like “normal” childhood, we still have some growing
to do. This is why Saint Paul said, “Therefore having these promises, beloved,
let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,
perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7.1) Our Christian life
is a journey from childhood to adulthood.
Every child is guided by teachers, mentors, and parents to
become the most they are meant to be, and in every way we are children of God. He
has given us His Church as teacher, mentor, and mother to guide and shape us as
we become children of God. We are never quite complete; as Saint Paul says, we
are “perfecting holiness” through the life of the Church. However, even though
we may still be children, we are STILL children of God, and He will never
abandon us on our journey.
You wake up every morning running at full speed even before
getting out of bed because you already know there are more things you need to
accomplish today than you have time to finish. But every day you wake up
committed to working hard for your family’s needs, and you don’t stop until the
moment your head hits the pillow, and the next day begins all over again before
you are even finished with today. The sense of exhaustion is real. Just when we
are at our most exhausted moment, the Christ calls to us, “Let’s go, there’s
more to do.” Just then you beg God, “Please, don’t ask me to do more.”
We live in a busy society. Our day never seems to stop from
the moment we wake until the time in which we finally lie down to sleep,
normally MUCH later than we would hope. We live in a multi-task society in
which we are expected to always be thinking about work and how we are going to
accomplish the next task on our agenda. We live in a society in which if we
dare to spend a few moments to reflect upon the “greater things of life” we are
considered lazy. When rest does come at the end of the day, you are finally
able to reflect upon the joys of life. Just then, you get a call: “Get up, go
back to work, you have more to do before you can sit down!”
I wonder if that might have been the reaction of the Disciples
when Jesus came to them that fateful day and said, “Put out into the deep and
let your nets down.” (Luke 5.4) They must have been very frustrated since they
had, like so many of us, worked all night long and needed a moment of rest. And
Jesus knew their frustration when He blessed their efforts with a catch larger
than they expected. Their willingness to “go just a bit more” was honored by
God.
Many times, just when we think that we can’t possibly do one
more thing, the Church calls out and challenges us to go just a bit more. We
are asked to fast when we struggle just to put food on our table. We are asked
to come to special Church services when we struggle just to get to Church on
Sunday morning. We are asked to read the Bible when we struggle just to find a
few moments to catch up on the important news of our world. And the Church
wants us to “go just a bit more?”
The blessing of a great catch was possible only when the
Disciples were willing to “go just a bit more,” and the blessing God has in
mind for us are only “just a bit more” away, but we may never know those
blessings.
The Christian path to salvation is freely given and must be
freely embraced. Jesus said, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny
himself, take up his cross and follow Me.” (Mark 8.34) In this invitation,
Jesus grants us the ability to choose to follow Him. For two thousand years,
holy men and women have desired Christ, struggled to deny themselves and
followed Christ. Orthodox Christianity is a “tried and tested” way of life that
will lead us to see God....IF we desire it.
In the year that King Uzziah
died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of
His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings:
with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he
flew. And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of
hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!" And the posts of the door
were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with
smoke. (Isaiah 6.1-4)
The majesty
which Isaiah witnessed when he saw God being worshipped in Heaven was also
expressed in the Temple which God commanded Moses to construct for His People
to worship Him on Earth. For a better description of how Moses was commanded to
construct the Temple, read Exodus chapters 25-28 all of which express the
majesty of God.
This
SAME majesty is expressed in Orthodox Christian worship. Golden candlesticks,
incense, Altars, Thrones, Vestments, precious metals and stone are all
integrated into Orthodox Christian worship for a reason – to prepare us for
being in Heaven.
Many Protestant
Churches today express quite a different atmosphere to their worship. Rather
than the majesty of heaven, many Church services Sunday mornings “feel” more
like a night club. Rather than bowing and reverencing the Altar of God, many
Church services Sunday mornings lift up the human passions rather than the
mantle of God. In fact many Christians validate this by using the expression “It
felt awesome today in Church!” or “I get so lifted up when I go to Church!”
On the
contrary Saint Paul and Saint John the Theologian had quite the different
reaction to seeing God being worshipped in heaven, much the same as Moses and
Isaiah.
And when I saw Him, I fell at His
feet as dead. (Revelation 1.17)
And I know such a man -- whether
in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows --how he was caught up
into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man
to utter. (2 Corinthians 12.3-4)
The
Orthodox Church has a centuries-long witness in the lives of countless holy men
and women who have had visions of God, ALL OF WHOM express similar stories as
we find the Holy Scriptures. So, if we are preparing as Christians to worship
God in Heaven for all eternity, why would we not express that same majesty in
our Earthly worship? Of course as Orthodox Christians, we do, are at least we should.
The
trend in mega-Churches toward the night club atmosphere is obviously attractive
to many in today’ entertainment culture, but does it REALLY prepare believers
for what is coming for all eternity? If God taught that the way to salvation
was in taking up our cross and denying ourselves, it would seem that Sunday
worship would focus, not on what makes us FEEL good, but the awesome majesty of
being in God’s presence. Would a believer, if they were in the presence of God,
REALLY worry more about feeling good than bowing in reverence at the Altar of
God?
When you
come to Church on Sunday, please consider the REAL reason you are worshipping
God. If you are focused more on how you “feel” rather than being in His
Presence and glory, you may not be preparing yourself and your family for what
is coming in Heaven. Don’t you want to be prepared?
When Jesus Christ said, “Whoever
desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, pick up his cross, and follow
Me,” (Mark 8.34) He was comparing our Cross to our Christian struggle. But does
God expect us to welcome every struggle? We all struggle, but not everyone
embraces their struggles nor should they. What types of struggles are we
expected to embrace if we are to follow Christ?
When we find ourselves in a struggle
that is beyond our control such as poor health or natural disaster, we would do
well to remind ourselves, that this sort of struggle is the result of our
fallen world, and is not necessarily punishment for poor behavior or a test
from God. Sometimes things just happen. These struggles should be embraced as
any other part of daily life and they strengthen us for tomorrow.
When we find ourselves in a
struggle that is the result of our Faith in Jesus Christ, either in the form of
temptation or persecution, we would do well to remind ourselves that the world
will forever fight against us to keep us from calling upon the Lord. We will
never avoid temptation or persecution so long as we are following Jesus Christ.
These struggles should be embraced as building spiritual muscles to fight
against the devil and our passions.
And then there are the struggles
that we bring on ourselves. We procrastinate. We eat poorly. We sleep when we
should be working. We work when we should be praying. We make all sorts of
decisions EVERY day that bring us struggle. HOWEVER these struggles should be
avoided because they are the result of our poor decisions. This type of
struggle is NOT your cross, but your consequence.
And THESE struggles can only be
avoided when we embrace the Cross and those struggles that strengthen our faith
SO THAT we can fight against temptation. Avoid the poor behavior and the struggle
fades away.
Ever since finding the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of our
Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ in 327 C.E. the Christian world has lifted it
high for all to venerate as a sign of victory and power. The Power of the Cross
defeated death two thousand years ago, and the Power of the Cross is sufficient
for you to defeat your temptations and struggles. All you need is to accept the
Power of the Cross into your life, and live a new life in Christ.
In a recent conference in Washington, D.C. a group gathered
to discuss the plight of Christians in the Middle East. It was held in
Washington, I suppose, with the dream that close proximity to our Nation’s
politicians would garner a certain amount of attention to the moral cause of
protecting an oppressed people. According to statements made by the organizing
committee, the discussion was productive. However, a US Senator, believing
(again I suppose) that American Foreign policy interests would be morally sufficient
for anyone to support the Nation of Israel, was booed off the stage by a
primarily Arab Christian group of people. Why?????because politics and morals
don’t mix.
In America it has become trendy to use expression such as, “Keep
your religion to yourselves,” or “Don’t force your religion on others.” In many
of these cases that I have experienced these expression are used in response to
a predominantly Christian moral being used as a basis for law. Of course the
most common moral issue debated nowadays is same-sex marriage. The Christian
Church (in general terms) has been characterized a gay-hating, middle-ages
loving, white men, which may actually be true in a few cases. But any objective
evaluation would reveal this is just not the case. In fact, if something is to
be voted upon, which is the American political way of assessing common moral
behaviors, how ANYONE chooses to come to their particular vote is a matter of choice.
This unfortunately is rarely the case. Why??????because politics and morals don’t
mix.
And yet, another popular trend today is for America to “force”
her morals upon other countries when it comes to issues of gender, sexuality,
citizenship qualifications, and even international borders. How is it, that a
population which demands to be left to their own moral choices chooses NOT to allow
other nations the same benefit? Why????because politics and morals don’t mix.
Even within America, those who cry freedom of moral
oppression from one party, acknowledge that OTHER behaviors are CLEARLY not
acceptable. Polygamy, Incest, Child-Adult relationships, bestiality...ALL these
are just as taboo as homosexuality used to be, and YET, the LGBT community
continues to demand their independent right while denying anyone else to
ability to vote on the matter. Why???????you got it....politics and morals don’t
mix.
So what is the solution? God gives each human being the free
will to choose Him or to deny Him. We live in a society which allows for the
public debate and participation in the setting of common morals. It seems
pretty clear to me that LGBT issues are quickly becoming the “norm” while
bestiality etc are not. I accept that I live in a land that allows for such
freedoms to be manifest in the very laws of our nation. In fact, I am thankful
for the freedom this country does allow for. However, I think it is high-time
for both sides to concede they will not convince the other. In the meantime,
can we at least acknowledge that both sides benefit when we allow freedom to
prevail?
That means.....if Christians want the freedom to not
support, participate in, or in any other way endorse same-sex marriage, we must
not forget it is that SAME freedom that allows others the choice TO marry.
Alternatively, if the LGBT community wants others to keep their religion to
themselves, they must not forget it is the SAME freedom they are attempting to
deny others in their choice. Freedom works both ways, and while politics and
morals don’t mix.......politics and freedom are a match made in heaven.
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