What is your excuse?

We all make them and we all think ours is the best. Excuses seem to be a part of our everyday life. Whether late for an appointment or delayed in completing a task, we all make excuses as to why we haven’t done something. Of course we don’t normally call them excuses. For us they are reasons. The word choice is crucial because rationalizing something creates the illusion that it may not have been within our control. For example, “I’m sorry I’m late, but I chose to spend a few minutes on a project that I knew I wouldn’t finish because I figured you would cut me some slack,” sounds much worse than, “Sorry I’m late, but I had to finish something.” Of course, that’s not to say that real obstacles to our agenda don’t exist. Traffic accidents, bad weather, illnesses, and other unexpected circumstances can always stand in our way to what we had planned. But let’s face it....MOST of the time it is just an excuse because we made a choice. Consider today’s Gospel Reading:

Luke 9:57-62 (RSV) - At that time, as Jesus was going along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head." To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." But he said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home." Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

How many times have we CHOSEN to be absent from Church by making excuses as in today’s Gospel reading? “I’m sorry Father but I had to do some paperwork for the restaurant,” when what we really mean to say is, “Listen Father, I know you want me in Church but I want to have a life outside my restaurant so I get my paperwork done on Sunday morning. It allows my family to go an enjoy life every once and a while.”

If we are honest with ourselves we can admit that making the time (on average two hours) on a Sunday morning to attend Divine Liturgy isn’t enough to ruin any plans we may have for enjoying an outdoor day with family. Nor is it enough to suggest that there isn’t a “different” two hours we can find for paperwork. So let’s quit with the excuses and plan to attend Divine Liturgy EVERY Sunday and find time for the other things after Church. Until we make spending time with God actually FOLLOWING Him we won’t be “fit for the kingdom of God.”

One Thing is Needful

With less than two weeks until Election Day, it can be difficult keeping focused on what really matters. We get wrapped up in polling data, TV and internet commercials, and social media arguments between friends no less that we too easily forget that our salvation is not to be found in staying busy with politics but in the Lord. Consider today’s Gospel...

Gospel Reading: Luke 10:38-42, 11:27-28 (RSV) - At that time, Jesus entered a village; and a woman called Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving; and she went to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve you alone? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her." As he said this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that you sucked!" But he said, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"

Have you lost sight of what is really important in your life? Now is your chance for a fresh start. Now is your chance to sit at the Lord’s feet and choose the one thing needful. It won’t be taken away from you.

Special note: Today is the Feast of the Protection of the Theotokos in the Greek Orthodox Church and those Churches which have an ethnic connection to Greece. The Feast was originally celebrated on October 1^st but was “moved” to coincide with the Greek National Holiday OXI Day which commemorates the day on which Greece stood up to tyranny during World War II. The Greek people love the Panagia so much, the Feast was moved to remind them of her dedication, love and protection. The Feast is celebrated on October 1^st throughout the remainder of the Orthodox world. 

The Fruit of Political Rhetoric

I have chosen for many months to remain silent on the recent various blog posts and news stories about the “Black Lives Matter” movement and numerous response slogans which were, depending upon all positive discretion, expressed with good intentions. But as I awoke this morning to the details of last night’s violence in Dallas, Texas, I can no longer remain silent.

The political rhetoric of recent months is bearing fruit, and I’m sure it is fruit worthy of consumption, as the Lord said, “The tree is known by its fruit.” (Matthew 12.33) The fruit of so much political rhetoric proves to me the intentions have not been as innocent as we may have first been led to believe. Among the acceptable definitions of rhetoric, Merriam Webster includes, “insincere or grandiloquent language.” Either the rhetoric has been insincere, or the desired affect was violence in the first place. Either way, the fruit has been the same, rotten.

So what is the solution? Clearly it cannot be more insincere rhetoric, unless we desire more violence. In order for our conversation to heal the wound of hatred and racism, we must begin with the Love of Christ and the peace that comes through living a life dedicated to Him rather than our own agenda. A life dedicated to Christ is a life filled with the Holy Spirit, and that life also bears much fruit. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5.22-23)

Having just completed the 43^rd Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and being inspired by the many inspiring words of Archbishop Demetrios, Geron (Elder) of America, throughout the Congress, he inspired us with the challenge, “You are the Voice of Christ in a Changing World” If we are going to heal any of the violence and hatred of recent months, as a society we must – one conversation at a time; one person at a time – speak the truth and love of Christ.

So long as there remains a difference between the voice of Christ and the voice of political rhetoric, not only will the violence not end, it will increase. We either eat the fruit of political rhetoric which is rotten, or we are filled with the fruit of the Holy Spirit. I choose the Holy Spirit, and you can too. It begins when you Live A New Life In Christ, and it can begin today. Find the closest Orthodox Christian Church, enter the Church and ask God to fill your heart with the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Then share that fruit with the next person who is struggling - one conversation at a time; one person at a time.

We are not without hope

With all the commotion about gun control and hate speech debates I bring you this little story to show that we are not without hope. As you know I hear stories from fans all the time from throughout the world. I received this message from someone today about an incident at work.

"Last week I took over a large portion of accounts from a coworker. Of course many of the clients were not happy with the change, and one client in particular came to me to close her account. She walked in my office and immediately saw my icon on my desk and then told me her prayers were answered. She was so moved that I displayed my faith even when some of my clients may be offended. Now I might not get that reaction from all my clients but at least I made a difference to one."

My brothers and sisters THIS is what changes hearts. It wasn't court proceedings. It wasn't congressional action plans. It wasn't a public media campaign. It wasn't a TV commercial. It wasn't some sort of street corner evangelism. It wasn't even a letter to the editor or a Presidential speech. It was a single life dedicated to living the Orthodox Christian life that moved the heart of another person. This is what it means to live a new life in Christ.

May Our Lord God bless and keep you. May He cause His face to shine upon you. May He have mercy on you.

It is about time we start listening to the Church and ignore the world

When it comes to our physical health we would never tolerate a doctor not being honest about a serious illness. But when it comes to our spiritual health, many would rather ignore or deny that our soul is suffering with serious illness. Like the paralytic found in John 5.1-15 who says, “I have no man to put me into the pool,” many of us try to go it alone by dragging ourselves along while the healing is right in front of our face. Christ healed the paralytic and He can heal our soul when we take full advantage of the life of the Church He has given to us. Just as a medical doctor prescribes treatment, the Church has a treatment available to heal our soul. One problem seems to stand in the way. The world continues to lie to us about how sick our soul really is. We wouldn’t allow our friends to convince us to ignore our doctor; why do we allow society to convince us to ignore the Church?

 

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT:

Hello, my name is Father Athanasios Haros, and I'm the Pastor here at the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church in Florence, South Carolina, and I'm your host for Be Transfigured Ministries. Here at Be Transfigured, as we say, we invite you to live a new life in Christ. We feature our sermons and our Bible studies and other special events in the life of the Church. We do it to inspire you to join us living a new life in Christ. I'll hope you'll join us. I'll be back in a moment after this video to share some information about our ministry.

Just as if we were going to the doctor's office and we had done all of our blood work and we have gone through all of these different tests, and we're sitting and we're waiting in the doctor's office, and we're waiting to hear the detailed report from the doctor. Is our blood work okay? Is our heart okay? Is this okay? Is that okay? We sit there in the doctor's office paying very close attention to the doctor. That's the kind of attention I want you to give today to the Gospel, because just as we go to the doctor to hear about our physical illness, we come to the Church to hear about our spiritual illness. I'm going to say that again. Just as we go to the doctor to hear about our physical illness, we come to the Church to hear about our spiritual illness.

The reality is my brothers and sisters we are all sick. We are all very sick, and if we had gone to our physical doctor and we were very sick, and we went in and we sat in the office, and the doctor came and he sat down next to us, "Hello, how are you doing? How was your morning? How was your garden?" We would say, "Fine, thank you. Now, get to the important things." The doctor said, "Good to see you. Okay, I'll see you next time." We would want our money back, or at least maybe our insurance company would want their money back, but we wouldn't tolerate that kind of behavior from our doctor. We would not stand for it one moment. We would go find another doctor, because what doctor in his good reputation would sit us down in his office just to say hello and to send us on our way. We want to know what's wrong with us inside.

That's the kind of attention we have to give to this morning's Gospel and to the Church. We are here to hear about our souls. We are not here this morning my brothers and sisters simply to have a nice conversation, "Hello, how are you? How is your garden? We'll see you next week." The reality is we are sick. Our souls are very sick, and I would hope that you would want the Church to be as honest with you as you would want your doctors to be. I would hope for the glory of God that if the Church came to us and listed the various spiritual sicknesses that are affecting us, we would want the Church to be honest. We wouldn't want the Church to lie to us, just like we wouldn't want to go to the doctor and have the doctor know that we have a terminal disease. We don't want to go to the doctor and have the doctor not tell us that we're dying of cancer. We want to know what's wrong with us.

So my brothers and sisters, this morning I'm here to tell you our souls are very sick. I'm sorry, but that's the truth. We are not like the man in this morning's Gospel. For 38 years, he was sick and had no one to help him. The cure was there waiting for him. All he had to do was get into the Pool of Bethesda. At certain times of the year, the Holy Spirit would go and he would turn up the waters, and according to the tradition, the first person in the pool would be healed from whatever disease he had, and so for this man, for 38 years, the cure was right in front of him, but he said to the Lord, "I have no man to put me into the pool."

He was all alone. We are not alone. We have the Church. We don't have the excuse any longer to say, "We don't have anyone to help us get better," so I am going to work on the understanding that we want to get better. I am going to work on the understanding that we are here today to hear how our soul can be healed by God, deal? You don't have to answer because that's the understanding I'm going to have anyway.

Here's the deal, our soul is suffering, and the world around us is playing games with it. The world around us my brothers and sisters continues to tell us that our soul doesn't matter. The world around us continues to tell us that there's no relationship between our body and our soul. The world here to tell us that men can interchange with women and women could become men. This is a lie. It is an absolute lie my brothers and sisters that these things don't matter to our eternal soul. It's about time we start listening to the Church and ignoring what the world has to say.

We wouldn't go to our doctor who tells us and shows us the Cat Scans and shows us the MRIs and shows us the blood work, and he says, "Look, you have cancer of the liver, you have to do something," and then we go outside and we have a cup of coffee with our friends, "Don't worry about your liver. You don't need your liver." We wouldn't do that, but that's exactly what we do when we're talking about our soul. We ignore the advice of the Church. We ignore the diagnosis of the Church, and I understand, none of us wants to be sick. You go to your doctor's office on a regular visit, and you hope that the checkup is okay. You hope to hear everything is just fine, but as we get older, we know that more and more things are going to go wrong with us. Our bodies begin to wear out.

As Greeks we say, γεράμετα. We have old age. We have the things that are simply part of getting old, but when the doctor gives us advice, we listen to it. If the doctor says, "You have to start going to the gym," we go to the gym. If the doctor says, "You have to stop eating sugar," we stop eating sugar. If the doctor says, "You have to stop eating red meat," we stop eating red meat. We do everything the doctor tells us to do, and we do almost nothing the Church tells us to do. Why is that? Is it simply because we don't believe that we are sick? Okay, but sometimes we go to the doctor thinking we're healthy, and this is the case especially with women who have been blessed in their annual exams to discover very early that they might have cancer. The doctors will tell us even before the symptoms are there, if we can catch certain illnesses early enough, we can be cured from them.

There are even times we go to the doctor thinking we're not sick, and the doctor finds something hidden in there. The doctor says, "Thankfully we found it early, and we can go and get it taken care of." The same is true with our soul. Even though we may not think our soul is sick, my brothers and sisters, it is in a terminal condition. If we do not begin taking seriously the life that God has given us in the Church, and that is the therapy, that is the way of life, that is the medicine of our soul. If the doctor tells us to take pills, we take pills. The doctor says, "Get exercise," we get exercise. The doctor says, "Change your way of life," we change our way of life.

The Church is telling us this morning my brothers and sisters all those same things. The first question that Christ asked the paralyzed man, 38 years he had been sick, Jesus says, "Well, do you want to be healed?" As if Christ is challenging the man. 38 years, you haven't done anything about this. Are you sure you want to be healed? Then once he is healed, Christ says, "Go sin no more, lest something even worse happens to you," and so we merely reiterate Christ's question this morning. My brothers and sisters, do you want your soul to be healed?

If you do, it's time to listen to the Church, and this is what the Church has to say. The way of life that has been going on for 2,000 years in the Church, fasting every Wednesday and Friday. If we're not even trying this, my brothers and sisters, we are ignoring the medicine and the therapy of the Church. The Sacramental Life, Holy Confession, Holy Communion, this is the therapy and medicine of the Church. If we are not participating, if we are not taking advantage of the Sacramental Life of the Church, we are ignoring the therapy and our soul continues to get more and more sick, the way of life of the Church, taking care of the poor, living a holy life.

Unfortunately, many of us struggle with greed and selfishness. The poor can take care of themselves. I did it, they can do it. Nobody helped me, why should I help them? Those lazy good-for-nothings, let them get up their feet and get a job. All of these answers my brothers and sisters is ignoring the therapy of the Church. Those answers are not helping our soul. Ultimately, coming to Church as often as we can, participating in all of the services of the Church not just Divine Liturgy once a month or once every couple months, but Divine Liturgy every Sunday, Orthros, Paraklesis, Great Vespers, the Blessing of the Waters that we celebrate most months on the First of the month.

The services of the Church my brothers and sisters is the therapy for our soul, and we wonder sometimes why we struggle with depression. We wonder why we struggle with anxiety. We wonder why we struggle with these struggles, because God is not a real part of our life. We are like this man thinking that we can simply drag ourselves along and we're thinking we're going to get better, but we need God, and God has given us His Church, and so brothers and sisters, we are in this wonderful Pascha season and we are greeting each other with Christos Anesti, Christ is Risen! In this greeting, it's supposed to bring us joy and hope that the sickness and the struggles of the world have been conquered once and for all.

We don't have to sit by the pool and drag ourselves along. We can be made better by God, but we have to cooperate with him. We have to take advantage of the tools that he has given us in his Church, and so my challenge for you this morning my brothers and sisters, summer is coming, I know some of you are planning to travel to Greece. I know when you're there, you're going to have Churches there to go to, but for those of us who are still here, don't take the summer off from Church. If it's Sunday morning, be in Church on time, and if you just start there, making a commitment to God and to yourself, if it is Sunday morning, I am going to be in Church unless I am physically ill or unless something is completely beyond my control.

If we're not willing to make that level of a commitment for our soul, then it's like telling the doctor, "Don't worry doc, I think I know how to deal with this cancer thing myself. I don't have to worry about your therapy." We wouldn't do it with our bodies, and I'm asking you that we don't do it any longer with our soul. We owe it to our soul to give it the attention that it needs so we can be cured by God as well. Christos Anesti! Christ is Risen! Christos Voskrese! Christos a Inviat! Chistos Anesti!

Well, I'm back, and I hope this video was an inspiration to you. I hope it helps you live a new life in Christ. Please share our message of hope with your friends and family, and invite others to live a new life in Christ. Find more information about Be Transfigured Ministries by joining us on our website at LiveANewLifeInChrist.org. You can also find many of our videos on the Orthodox Christian Network, our partners at MyOCN.net. As we say at Be Transfigured, until next week, God bless you and don't forget a new life in Christ.

Be Transfigured is a production of the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church in Florence, South Carolina and presented by the Orthodox Christian Network. Contributions in support of this ministry may be sent to Be Transfigured 2990 South Cashua Drive, Florence, South Carolina 29501 or online at our website at www.LiveANewLifeInChrist.org.

Pride can be a Dangerous Thing

Since yesterday was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I watched the movie Selma last night and was struck with a strong sense of pride. During a moment of intense struggle between whites and blacks in the South, Greek Orthodox Archbishop IAKOVOS participated in the March on Selma. His involvement was depicted also in the movie. My personal pride peaked while I watched the scene which depicted a brief dialogue between MLK and IAKOVOS.

MLK: “You came!” (smiling and embracing)

IAKOVOS: “You called, and I came.”

What struck my pride was that this was the ONLY interaction between MLK and other religious leaders that the movie chose to depict. I have no idea what other interactions MLK had with national religious leaders that day, but I was quite proud that the movie’s director felt strong enough sense to include the brief interaction. There are many possible reasons for the director’s choice, but I don’t want to dwell on that. Instead, I want to consider the role pride plays in how I watched the movie last night, and how Greek Orthodox Christians react to the, now famous march and presence of IAKOVOS on the cover of Life Magazine, story.

At the time, many Greeks were very upset at the decision of the Archbishop to participate in the march. Several of his advisors at the time advised the Archbishop not to participate, but he insisted. Following the march, many Greeks turned against the Archbishop and several protests took place among southern Greek communities.

Fast forward to 2016 and almost every Greek publicly announces that OUR ARCHBISHOP marched with MLK, with puffed up chests and pride. Admittedly, I doubt most people who speak proudly today were active in the Church fifty years ago, but what changed? Is the pride I felt last night based upon the same aspect of pride for those who boast today, 50 years later? I must admit my pride was based upon the director’s choice to include what otherwise would have been insignificant piece of film that would have not affected the movie in any way if it ended up on the cutting room floor. My pride seemed to be generated by the presumption, on my part, that the director recognized the value of the original interaction, if it actually historically occurred in the first place. My Archbishop was bold enough to stand up to his own advisors and many within the Church for the truth of the Church – all people should be treated with dignity. I was thankful for his boldness.

But what causes a population to protest against their archbishop one year, and then fifty years later with pride proclaim how proud they are of their archbishop. The only difference between today and fifty years ago is the public perspective on the situation. So long as other Americans were protesting the march, the Greeks felt pressure to protest as well. They felt they could not risk gaining the reputation of being pro-black in the South. I can’t ignore that organizations such as the KKK burned crosses in many front yards, not just black front yards, and many of those yards were Greek!  The 1920’s must have been fresh in the mind of Greeks who had only recently (by the 1960’s) raised their own stature among America’s elite white class. Today with very few exceptions, the March on Selma is considered an important turning point in race relations. Now from the comfort of social acceptance many Greeks find themselves able to show pride in their Archbishop.

One thing still sits uneasy in my mind....is the pride of today and the protest of yesterday the same issue? Are we just trying to stay with the majority in an attempt to be seen as normal? Are we simply not willing to stand up for what is right, whether or not the elite white class agree? What do we really have pride in; the boldness of an archbishop or the acceptance of the elite? Pride can be a dangerous thing. 

Don't waste another moment

Today’s Gospel Reading: Luke 17:26-37; 18:8 - The Lord said, "As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of man. They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was in the days of Lot -- they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all -- so will it be on the day when the Son of man is revealed. On that day, let him who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away; and likewise let him who is in the field not turn back. Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it. I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding together; one will be taken and the other left." And they said to him, "Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

Many Christians bewail the fact that morals continue to erode in our society. Consumerism is at an all-time high. The sexual revolution and abortion rights advocates have turned God’s gift of sexual intimacy into nothing more than a one-night stand with the same privileges as selling goods in the marketplace. Obscene wealth builders look with disdain at those around the world struggling for a slice of bread. The world truly has returned the days of Lot and Noah. “Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?” There is still hope! So long as we awake with the ability to breath and repent, there is hope. But time is short as Saint reminded us.

Now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. Romans 13.11-14

During these weeks of the Christmas Fast, TAKE the time (you won’t find it easily) to rededicate your life to growing closer to God. Rather than extra shopping trips during your lunch break, stop by the Church and light a candle, venerate the Holy Icons, and pray. Make an appointment with your priest for Holy Confession. Don’t waste another moment.

What is the cost of following Christ?

Gospel Reading: Luke 14:25-35 - At that time, great multitudes accompanied Jesus; and he turned and said to them, "If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build, and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an embassy and asks terms of peace. So therefore, whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is fit neither for the land nor for the dunghill; men throw it away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

As we continue on our “Advent” journey to Christmas to welcome the King of Kings into our hearts, we can’t forget to calculate the cost first. Are we willing to leave everything behind to follow Him in to Heaven? In the coming weeks the Church will ask us to spend more time in prayer, reading the scriptures, fasting, going for Holy Confession, serving the poor, and learning to place Him first in our lives. Being and Orthodox Christian in today’s America, especially during the so-called Holiday Season, offers an excellent opportunity to place God first.

Our society celebrates the “Holiday Season” for many weeks of shopping, parties, parades, banquets, and more shopping for gift exchanges. HOWEVER.....the Church asks us to spend the same weeks preparing for Christmas. We will celebrate AFTER Divine Liturgy on Christmas. It won’t be easy politely rejecting invitations to Christmas parties so we can attend Great Vespers on Saturday evenings. It won’t be easy fasting in an office filled with holiday desserts. It won’t be easy, but it will be worthwhile. It is the cost of being Orthodox Christian in America. Now you know the cost....are you willing to join the journey?

True Diversity Requires True Tolerance

I was recently appointed to serve for one year on a "Faith and Values Advisory Board" for our local newspaper. We meet once each month to discuss life in the community and how people of faith might be "view the issues" facing our community. This month was my first column, and I thought I would share it with my fans here as well.... I pray my words are a source of comfort and hope to anyone in our city who might read them....and you never know......by God's grace maybe someone will be inspired to Live A New Life In Christ by the column.

For the past four years I have been blessed with the opportunity to participate on a diversity panel along with several religious leaders from the Pee Dee area. The panel is part of the Building Bridges program sponsored each spring by the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce. Each of the four years, I was asked to speak about what was needed to build bridges of diversity for the greater community, and each of the four years, I have responded with the same answer. “We need to be OK with allowing each other to be who we genuinely are.” The reality of being genuine requires something that, quite frankly, goes against our immediate impulse.

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A Not-so-New Temptation

Many American Christians can be heard waxing and waning over the persecution of the Church in America. Arguments around the water cooler about gay marriage and religious freedom are but the most recent example of how politics becomes spiritual in our nation. But I want to talk about a different type of persecution, what I see as a not-so-new temptation of secular praise.

Many Christians in America expend a great deal of thought and effort into their decision process, especially when it comes to their children. What preschool will best put them on the right path to success? What school will give them the best education? What education will best prepare them for college? What college will be prepared them for a stellar career? What career will earn them the greatest income? What image will the family have in the world in which their children are raised? Will their children be considered prudish or small minded? Will their children have out-dated ideals about family and the social welfare? And these are just the obvious questions. Then there are agonizing questions about the “extra-curriculars” that are presumed a requirement to earn prestige and the all-coveted scholarship to college. All this in the name of, “I want my children to be well-rounded.”

When was the last time you heard a parent include their child’s spiritual health in their life-plan? Why don’t we ask questions about faith? How will this particular extra-curricular prepare my son for heaven? Will that school encourage my daughter to turn against her Church? Will this Sunday soccer league teach my son that it is ok to be absent from Divine Liturgy for three months? Will attending boy scouts or girl scouts, two organizations which promote moral choices against the teachings of the Church, create too much temptation for my children? Will my children grow up thinking their Church is out of touch with the modern world? Have I taught my children that attending Divine Liturgy is more important than sleeping in on the “only day” available?

I could go on and on about the questions we SHOULD be asking, but I think you get the idea. Christians of the 21^st century are faced with a choice that is neither new nor is it unique to any time of Christian history. Parents (and just parents) are faced with preparing for the world or preparing for heaven. WE CANNOT prepare for both as Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6.24) When the first followers of Jesus were faced with this same reality, many refused to confess their belief in Him, “For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” (John 12.43)

Extra-curricular activities are not necessarily sinful or dangerous in themselves. What IS dangerous is the reason we insist upon placing them above the life of the Church, “so that our children are well-rounded.” EVERY time our children are faced with a moral choice that conflicts with the Church, they are tempted to choose against the Church. It is high time that we begin to live the words of the Lord’s Prayer, “Led us not into temptation, but deliver us from Evil.”

v  BEGIN with faith by asking questions about faith rather than the world, and commit to always placing the life of the Church “first on the list” of importance ahead of “being well-rounded” according to worldly standards.

v  CONTINUE with avoiding temptation at every step.

v  FINISH by making a choice that being prepared for heaven is infinitely more important that any college scholarship.

Why Bother?

If you have been a reader of this blog for any length of time, you know that my goal is for us to LIVE the Orthodox Christian life rather than just use the label on hospital records. With last week’s SCOTUS decision to extend legal status of same-sex marriage, it occurred to me ask a simple question of my readers....

Why bother being Orthodox?

I mean, really, if the moral teachings of the Church are not considered formative for our life in Christ, then why bother calling ourselves Orthodox Christian? I’m not talking about rights here, but conscience. Why do you (if you do) insist on considering yourself Orthodox Christian if you casually refuse to accept her moral teachings? Granted, the Divine Liturgy is AMAZING, if it is well performed, but from most of the Churches I’ve witnessed over the years, it CAN’T be the awesome performances. I’ve found much better choirs in the Baptist and AME Churches. It can’t be the kneeling for an hour on Pentecost. There IS the food....the food is delicious, no matter what ethnic Church you enter, but you can always visit the local Church festival to take some home for later. So why bother?

If there is no commitment to following the Orthodox Way of Life, which is an admitted struggle against the passions...ALL THE PASSIONS... then why not just become a member of one of other 42,999 Christian denominations? 21^st Christianity has become a “have it your way” religion, and many in the Orthodox Church have embraced this mentality under the guise of freedom. But freedom comes with consequences.

The truth of the matter is this; Orthodox Christianity is the Way of Life established by Christ and His Disciples IN ORDER to assist us in defeating the passions which separate us from God. As Saint Paul said,

For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God -- through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. (Romans 7.15-25)

If we are not committed to defeating the passions, and therefore defeating sin, then why subject ourselves to all the rigor of the Orthodox Christian Way of Life? It becomes a meaningless exercise. If, on the other hand, we desire to grow ever closer to God, then we will embrace the moral teachings and way of life of the Church, as weapons of war.

Ultimately it boils down to the ever-present ego, a battle that humanity has been fighting since the first day in the Garden. We tend to want things OUR way, rather than God’s, and anything (including the Church) that stands in our way of self-indulgence, we will readily reject. Here is a reminder...

Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. (Genesis 3.4-6)

Sounds like a good reason to bother....if you ask me.

It’s Not about Love....It’s about MONEY

With yesterday’s SCOTUS (that’s the Supreme Court of The United States for those like myself still behind in the acronym game) decision that same-sex marriage will now be completely legal in all 50 states, it occurs to me to share a few words. I offer my words, simple and few, to the many and complex of others in responding to the court decision.

It isn’t about love. When I turned to social media yesterday, it seemed my screen had been taken over by rainbows – rainbow flags, rainbow corporate logos, rainbow pictures of The White House; there’s even a Facebook app to shade your profile picture rainbow. Just short of the rainbows was the slogan “Love Wins” running a close second. I’ve got news for you.....it isn’t about love. The LGBT community has been allowed to love anyone they wish since the beginning of time. No law legalizing marriage changes that fact. The LGBT community had been celebrating “non-legal” marriage for quite some time in several mainline Christian Churches. No law legalizing marriage changes that fact. The ONLY thing that really changed yesterday was the money.

It’s all about the MONEY. I have several friends who have been fighting for LGBT rights since I knew them in college, and I can remember quite vividly being told, “We don’t want to be allowed to marry, we just want to visit our friends in the hospital.” This mantra ended shortly as the demand for inheritance rights and other “end of life” issues seemed (to my perception) to consume the LGBT community which at the time understandably was falling victim to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. But then things changed...

Our society began to respond to the call of LGBT community activists by changing various laws which previously had limited financial equality among the LGBT community. A term had been coined, “Civil Unions” which allowed for insurance companies and the like to extend health care and survivor rights etc to LGBT partners. But it still didn’t end with civil unions. Very quickly it became about the legal status surrounding the term marriage and it’s privilege in the tax code. Those who were married, and therefore only heterosexual couples, could take advantage of various deductions and other tax benefits. Something had to change! And change it did yesterday.

But the money doesn’t stop with the LGBT victory at the Supreme Court. The pendulum is always moving. Already yesterday various high profile columnists within the LGBT community had already pushed ahead with posts warning others that the fight was not over. There have been, and I expect will continue to be, calls for Churches which refuse to support the new law to be stripped of their tax exempt status. See.....? It’s all about the money.

Because I don’t recall reading ANYWHERE that those who support traditional marriage offering to give up their various tax benefits. I don’t recall hearing of a single Church offering to pay property taxes in order to be allowed to not support same-sex marriage. It’s ALWAYS about the money. Well, maybe not always, but I haven’t witnessed many times when it has not been about the money. Let’s face it. How many Christians in 2015 love God enough to continue financially supporting their Church if their donation wasn’t tax deductible? How many Christians who, WITHOUT COMPLAINT, would forgo their vacations, beach houses, flat screen TVs, and other luxuries, in order to logarithmically increase their donations to the Church in order for the Church to pay property taxes? If the lack of financial support for Orthodox Churches today, and that is WITH all our tax benefits, is any indication, I believe we have our answer.

I wonder.......if there was no money on the table, if we would even be having this debate... 

Has Pascha Changed the Way You Live?

A couple weeks ago we were blessed to come together and celebrate another Pascha – the Feast of Feasts – the Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We prayed, we sang, we lit our candles, and we feasted. But has your life changed at all? Other than spending a few hours in Church during Holy Week, is your life different this month than it was last month? If the answer is, “NO,” then you’re missing something in the celebration of Pascha.

As Orthodox Christians, we believe that Jesus Christ, the Eternal Incarnate Word of God, took on human flesh, lived as a human being for thirty-three years, was crucified, died and was buried, and was RESURRECTED on the Third Day – all so that death no longer had any power over the rest of us humans. This is the Good News that we sing at every service for forty days after Pascha.

Christ is Risen from the dead

By Death trampling upon death

And to those in the tombs

He has granted life!

For the first Christians, this Good News gave a new hope that life, despite its challenges (and there are many) is greater than what we experience on Earth. Life begins here on the Earth, but last for all eternity (thanks to Pascha) with God in Heaven. This new hope changed the way the first Christians lived their daily lives. It changed the way the first Christian interacted with other members of society. It changed the way the first Christians understood the Love of God. Has it changed you?

The Christian Way of Life, the Orthodox Way, is a life dedicated to living in total communion with God AT ALL TIMES. It is a life in which God’s love shines in the way we interact with others. Do we guilt, shame, force, or otherwise trick others into certain behaviors or situations? God would never use guilt or shame to force us to love Him. OR do we show respect for the freedom of others and live OUR lives honoring God. Do we share our financial blessings with those who are in need? Do we share our time with others who are lonely? Do we share our knowledge with others who are struggling? The first Christians were known for the love and assistance they shared with others, including the very enemies who were killing them.

The first Christians lived a life that was radically different than at any other time in human history BECAUSE of Pascha, and the hope that the Good News offered. The Good News hasn’t changed....has it changed you?

Can You Hear God Calling?

The world is filled with distractions, from busy street sounds to hectic lifestyles, many of which can stop us from hearing God’s voice. The story of Zacchaeus teaches us the benefit of filtering through all the commotion in our life so we can focus on God. Until we can eliminate the clutter from our lives, we will continue to be lost, unable to hear God calling us to safety. The Orthodox Christian way of life offers us an opportunity to learn to filter through these distractions of wealth and comfort, and welcome God into our hearts.

When Politics Becomes Spiritual

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.

Suffering

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.

We Hold Ourselves to a Higher Standard

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.”

Responding to Contentions about the Law

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 7^th 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)

It’s All About Family

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?

A Spiritual View of Politics

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.