What Keeps You Away from God?

We like to think we want to be with God in heaven, but when we hear what is expected of us, how many times do we turn away from God and walk away? We hear of a rich man in Matthew 19.16-26 who said he wanted eternal life, but when God told him he had to sell everything and give it all to the poor, he left sad. For this man, it was money. What keeps you away from God?

 

Are you alive?

Each of us likes to think we are alive. As a population we spend trillions of dollars in fact to stay alive. Most of us try our best to eat healthy food and to live active healthy lives in order to be alive longer. Many of us even have memberships to fitness centers. Some of us actually use those memberships. We are consumed with being alive and being alive as long as possible. And yet....most of us are dead.

Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6.53-54) We spend so much time and energy feeding and nurturing our bodies, we forget our soul may be dead.

The call of Christ is quite clear. If we do not receive Holy Communion (the body and blood of Christ) we HAVE NO LIFE. We may think we are alive. Our bodies may be walking and talking and earning lots of money, but we are nothing more than spiritual zombies. I often hear people confess, “My faith in very important to me,” but can’t remember the last time they received Holy Communion. We pride ourselves in knowing the Scriptures (some even attend non Orthodox Christian Bible studies which is VERY dangerous) but never receive Holy Communion. Need I remind you that Cleopas was face to face with Christ but could not recognize Him until they had Communion? (see Luke 24.18-35)

The Orthodox Christian way of life is not about memorizing facts and historical dates. Nor is it about learning which of the Apostles lived in which cites, although it is all helpful. The Orthodox Christian way of life is a life IN COMMUNION with God, which at its core is celebrated in the Holy Eucharist-Holy Communion-the Divine Liturgy.

Next time you consider how important your faith is, ask yourself, “When was the last time I received Holy Communion in Church?” Then turn to the Church and begin to live the life given to us by Christ and His Church. It is the way of life. If it has been a long time since you received Holy Communion, I invite you to contact your local Orthodox Christian priest and schedule Holy Confession and a discussion about returning to a life in communion with God. 

Salvation is more than just eternal life

There are many who challenge the Orthodox Church on the question of salvation. We are asked, “Are you saved?” The normal Orthodox response is something along the lines of “I was saved. I am saved. I am being saved.” For Orthodox Christians the question of salvation is a question not of a single moment in time, but a process of the heart. I recently offered a sermon, “Are you saved? I hope so.” You can watch it here.

But what if salvation wasn’t about eternal life? What if you lived forever whether or not you were saved? It really all depends upon what you are hoping to be saved from in the first place. Are you hoping to be saved from death? Then that part was already accomplished when Christ died and resurrected. Maybe you are hoping to be saved from the struggles of life? Every day Christ saves us from the struggles of life. Even in our most severe pain, Christ reminds us that pain is only temporary and comfort is just around the corner.

Here is today’s Gospel Reading: John 5:24-30 (RSV) - The Lord said to the Jews who came to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself, and has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. I can do nothing on my own authority; as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of the Father who sent me."

Maybe you want to be saved from hell. That is a different story. Physical salvation is guaranteed to all who hear the word of God, as we hear in today’s Gospel “all who are in the tombs will hear his voice.” Once we are in our tomb we will hear God’s voice. What will matter then is whether or you not you want to hear His voice, whether or not you desire to see His face, whether or not you have chosen to love Him. Whether we experience His voice as salvation or hell will depend only on our heart, and how our heart has governed our life.

This is the truth we celebrate when we proclaim Christ is Risen! This is the Good News, that Christ has conquered death. I guess the “not so good news” is that salvation is more than just eternal life.

Communion is the Center of Life

 When it comes to Holy Communion, there are many different opinions about how often, when, how and is what spiritual condition we should receive. This week’s “Ask Father” sermon returns again to topic of Holy Communion, this time more with a more functional perspective. But if Holy Communion is left to a Sunday only experience, then instead of life-giving and life-saving, it can become condemning and a source of death. If we want life then we will live the entire Orthodox Life of prayer, fasting, reading the Holy Scriptures and being in a state of constant preparedness for Holy Communion, as Saint Basil said, every Sunday, and every Wednesday and every other day it is offered. It will be the center of life.

Life with just a Word

Remember way back to the first day of Great Lent? For the entire first week of Great Lent we read the Creation stories in Genesis. Each day of Creation included the phrase, “Then God said...” and whatever He spoke came to be. Today heard something similar.

Here is the entire reading for today:

Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. "But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up." Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well." However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. "And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him." Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him." So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Then Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. "But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. "And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you." As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there." Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!" And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?" Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. "And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go." Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. (John 11.1-45)

It was by the spoken word that life first came into God’s Creation, so we should be surprised that it was through His spoken Word that life would re-enter into Lazarus. Jesus had performed many miracles in His three year public ministry, but it was the raising of Lazarus that revealed His true divinity to the witnesses. This is why the Church sets this miracle on the day after Great Lent and before the Feast of Palm Sunday.

Just as witnessing the miracle of the raising of Lazarus, who had been dead for four days and was already decomposing in the grave, brought many to believe in Him, it can do the same for us. Tomorrow we will hear just how many heard about the news, but for today....rest in the knowledge that Our God brings life through His spoken word. When you join yourself to Him, you join yourself to life and NOTHING can bring the return of death expect if you separate yourself from Him.

Doctrine Matters

Today’s Epistle Reading: St. John's Second Universal Letter 1:1-13 - The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth, and not only I but also all who know the truth, because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever:  Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father's Son, in truth and love. I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children following the truth, just as we have been commanded by the Father.  And now I beg you, lady, not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning, that we love one another.  And this is love, that we follow his commandments; this is the commandment, as you have heard from the beginning, that you follow love.  For many deceivers have gone out into the world, men who will not acknowledge the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh; such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.  Look to yourselves, that you may not lose what you have worked for, but may win a full reward.  Any one who goes ahead and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God; he who abides in the doctrine has both the Father and the Son.  If any one comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into the house or give him any greeting; for he who greets him shares his wicked work. Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink, but I hope to come to see you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete. The children of your elect sister greet you.  Amen.

During a discussion yesterday about the sacredness the human body as it relates to the understanding of the Incarnation of Christ and the body as the Temple of the Holy Spirit. In short I was explaining why Orthodox Christians are called to treat the human body, even after death, with dignity and respect because the Body is in Communion with God. This discussion took place in our Orthodoxy 101 Class which is why I am sharing it here. After explaining why we don’t cremate and why we frown upon our bodies being divided up and sold off the pavement during a car accident (but we consider it a blessing to donate organs in a planned and holy way), a comment was made, “Ok, it’s nice that you treat the body with respect but that doesn’t have anything to do with salvation.”

But it does as I explained last night. In Orthodoxy words matter. Theology matters. IF we truly believe that God came and dwelt among us; IF we truly believe He entered the waters of the Jordan and sanctified all life; IF we believe we truly receive the BODY AND BLOOD of Our lord in the Holy Communion; IF we truly believe our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit as the Scriptures confirm; THEN as a matter of salvation that belief MUST have an impact on how we treat the human body. If we discard the human body without regard after physical death, or purposely abuse our bodies while we are alive, I suggest with might not REALLY believe what we claim about Jesus Christ. Words matter. Theology matters.

In today’s Epistle Saint John writes, “Anyone who goes ahead and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God.” While I appreciate the human desire to wish away consequences, the Church has ALWAYS believed doctrine was important, not because it affects God, but because proper doctrine affects our daily life. According to the doctrine of Jesus Christ, when we join ourselves to Christ through Holy Baptism, and when we receive the Precious Body and Blood of Christ during the Divine Liturgy, we are in REAL PHYSICAL union with God. That is the doctrine. Do our lives reflect THAT doctrine or another? If it reflects another doctrine, then go back and read the Epistle again. Doctrine matters!

It is absolutely a matter of salvation.

Do we even NEED God anymore?

Today’s Gospel Reading: Luke 6:17-23 - At that time, Jesus stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured.  And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came forth from him and healed them all.  And he lifted up his eyes on His disciples, and said: "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.  Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied.  Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh.  Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of man!  Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven."

I often wonder if the ancient world had the many medical technologies and drug advances that we are blessed with today, if people would have even felt the need for God. Today’s Gospel reading is another example of crowds gathering around Christ to be healed. Most of them never knew they would receive anything more than physical healing. If people could have approached their village doctor and received a prosthetic limb, would the lame have approached God? If people had a local optometrist, would the blind have ask Jesus for their sight? If Jerusalem had an oncology department, would the woman with the flow of blood ever have reached out and touched the fringe of His garment?

 If God is nothing more than a healthcare professional, then science and technology have made our need for Him obsolete. Don’t get me wrong, science is a great gift of God, and I would never suggest otherwise, but we can’t ignore that it creates a false sense of security among human beings. If there is no perceived “need” that cannot be met by either popping a pill, or calling the nearest university research department, what is left that draws us to God? AND.....is the constant longing for eternal life inherent in the human soul the cause of our, at times, neurotic obsession with curing illness?

These are the questions that sometimes land in my mind as I review and prepare for various classes and sermons. This coming Sunday’s Gospel lesson is about a blind man who is healed and follows Christ worshiping Him. When we are healed by our doctors, do we go to the Church and light a candle and thank God? Have we forgotten that every perfect gift is from above? (James 1.17) Do we even NEED God anymore?

And who is my Neighbor?

The Gospel tells of a certain lawyer who “stood up and tested” Jesus trying to trick Him. He asked a question many of us ask either directly or in the secret of our prayers, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10.25) Our contemporary society seems to be preoccupied with this question. In hospital waiting rooms every day, family members of terminally ill patients are asking doctors, “What can we do to save his life?” Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent each year, mostly during the last few months of life trying to achieve eternal life, or at least prolong death indefinitely.

The answer Jesus offers to us is not at all what we might expect. Following a dialogue with the lawyer and offering the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus says, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10.37) What exactly are we supposed to do? The Good Samaritan was the only one who actually went TO the dying man and co-suffered with Him, while all the others kept their distance. It was the Good Samaritan whom Jesus defined as our “neighbor” – turning upside down the hypocrisy of the lawyer. In order for us to have eternal life, we must go up close to those who are suffering and bear their suffering along with them.

The Samaritan “went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care o him.” (Luke 10.34) This was not at all what the lawyer had in mind when he proudly asked, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10.29) presuming he had no equals, and that he was above the others. Eternal life was not something he would do for himself, but what he would do for others. So the next time you find yourself asking what can be done so you can live longer, consider the answer....and then go out and co-suffer with someone in need.

Orthodox Christianity Shouldn’t be Tolerated; It Should be Embraced

In more than twenty years of ministry (both as a non-ordained youth director, and as an ordained clergyman) I have met many, too many really, people who seem to approach Orthodox Christianity from the attitude of tolerance. Many Orthodox Christians, especially those who have been Orthodox since their birth, view the life of the Church with an unfortunate perspective of, “Why must I do all this stuff to be a Christian?” All this “stuff” can be a number of things including: fasting, attending Divine Liturgy weekly, reading and studying the Holy Scriptures, serving the poor, participating in the many sacraments and blessing services, not the least of which praying daily. To a world which focuses more and more upon pleasure, the Orthodox Christian Way of Life can seem a burden to difficult “to be worth the effort.” As a result of this attitude of tolerance, most view the life of the Church with the attitude of, “If I have nothing else to do, then I’ll go to Church.”

Unfortunately, this attitude of tolerance is based upon a terribly incorrect understanding of the “stuff” that we tolerate. We don’t fast, just to fast. We don’t attend Church merely to be in Church because it is where we are supposed to be on Sunday morning. The “stuff” we DO as Orthodox Christians has a purpose.

The purpose of the Orthodox Christian way of life is to train ourselves to spend eternity with God. Whether it is the Sunday Divine Liturgy, fasting in honor of the Holy Apostles (we’re doing this one now....) or scheduling a time for Holy Confession with our Spiritual Father, all this “stuff” helps us to prepare our souls for eternity with God in heaven. The Orthodox Christian way of life presumes we desire to be with God in heaven. The Orthodox Christian way of life shouldn’t be tolerated; it should be embraced with zeal......IF we desire to be with God. If not.....

If you thirst for God, you will be satisfied

“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’" (John 7.37-38) The response from those gathered in the Temple was not surprising. Many said, “Truly this is the Prophet!” (John 7.40) Unfortunately others were not convinced. Many within the Jewish elite, the respected leaders of the community, instead of thirsting for God, thirsted instead for their own power and authority.  “Then the Pharisees answered them, ‘Are you also deceived? Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.’" (John 7.47-49)

Each of us must determine for ourselves whether we thirst for God, or whether we seek our own power and authority. If we thirst for God, only then will our thirst be quenched and we will be satisfied. If we thirst for power and authority, then anyone and everyone who has either becomes our enemy, and our thirst will never be satisfied.

The Holy Apostles taught, “There are two ways, one of life and one of death; but a great difference between the two ways.” (Didache) The way of death is constantly being thirsty but never having enough water to drink, while the way of life is nurtured by the Holy Spirit and a river of cool refreshing water gushes from our heart for all eternity. 

Avoiding the Torment of Hell

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.

Serving the Poor Helps YOU, not the Poor

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.

Don't Allow Pain and Suffering to Distract You from God

Sometimes the pain of life can seem unbearable. Sometimes you are tempted to dwell upon your pain and suffering rather than the promise of God that you will live forever. The reality is, despite all the pain and suffering in this life, God promised that so long as you keep your focus on Him, you will not only be healed, but will live forever. Are you ready to trust God enough to not allow your pain and suffering to distract you from His promise?

Rollercoasters and Incense

The other day, while discussing the painful reality that so many Orthodox Christians “just don’t enjoy being in Church” I was asked an interesting question. “Father, if you ask children which they would prefer, going to the amusement park or doing homework, which one do you think they would choose?” OF COURSE they would choose the amusement part, so would I. The problem with this question, all too common to the struggle of Church attendance, is a false option. Let me explain...

There is a campus (they don’t use the term perish) of New Spring Church in Florence that after only six years (the same tenure of my time in Florence) has grown to over 2,000 every Sunday. They are currently building a brand new multi-million dollar church complex that literally dwarfs the bank next door. The Worship experience of this particular Church has become quite popular in Evangelical Protestant circles, with rock music, light shows, no dress code expectations, and a sermon. BUT.....there is no preacher in Florence. That’s right; the “featured” sermon is ON SCREEN from the mother campus elsewhere in South Carolina. Others have characterized the Sunday worship as attending a concert. So, it should come as no surprise that youth (and adults who wish to pretend they’re still youth) flood in from all directions to attend a weekly “free” concert.

And there lies the false choice. Orthodox worship is NOT a rock concert. It is NOT a light show. It is NOT even a sermon, though we do preach. But the false choice is much more than just the style of worship. Orthodox worship is HEAVEN ON EARTH, where we are graced to physically become one with God through the Holy Eucharist. Orthodox worship is directionally opposite from this form of Protestant Worship. What do I mean by directionally opposite?

Where we as Orthodox direct our attention, characterized in the fact that the celebrant clergy FACE THE ALTAR, is toward God. Protestant worship is directed inward toward the self. We speak to God. We sing to God. We bow to God. We worship God with the proper understanding that we are in the presence of His glory. Protestant worship speaks to the heart and, by design, seeks the rush of adrenaline, which explains the “I just FEEL good when I leave that Church” emotion of Protestants. What examples do we have to follow?

Moses hid his face. Exodus 3.6

Isaiah cried out in fear. Isaiah 6.5

John the theologian fell to the floor as though he were dead. Revelation 1.17

Orthodox Christian worship is based upon this example of humility in the face of God. And YET, we are allowed to approach the chalice standing face-to-face with God to receive His most precious Body and Blood into our very bodies. Orthodox Christian worship is a foretaste of how God is being worshiped in Heaven as witnessed by Prophet Isaiah and Saint John.

They didn’t see rock bands. They didn’t see light shows. Of course this should be obvious, but they DID see an Altar, golden candles sticks, smoldering incense, majestic robes, pious processions, praiseful singing, and bowing....lots of bowing. These are the characteristics of Orthodox Christian worship, as they were Jewish worship before us, SO THAT we can prepare to spend eternity doing the same thing in heaven.

Life isn’t about feeling the rush of adrenaline storming down the hill of a rollercoaster. Life IS about preparing to worship God in Heaven. Worship isn’t about feeling the rush of adrenaline during a rock concert. Worship is about offering God incense and bowing at His glory before the His Altar.

Rather than asking our children if they would prefer the adrenaline of an amusement park to homework, maybe a better question would be, “Do you want to be with God?” If so.....forget the rock concert and go to Divine Liturgy. The real problem is that most Orthodox Christians are still comparing the “fun factor” of our worship to the excitement of Protestant worship. And that’s just a false choice.

It’s time to exchange rollercoasters for incense.

You Can’t See Heaven if You Stare at the Earth

Jesus said, “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” (John 3.12) When Christ speaks about earthly things, He is speaking about the things that give us pleasure, in other words our passions. For example: if we focus upon our material wealth, we are focusing upon earthly things rather than heavenly things. Jesus said, we can’t successful accomplish both. So......we have to make a choice.

Jesus also said, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” (John 3.15) When the Jews were bitten by the serpent, they had to believe in the power of God enough to stare UP at the golden serpent and all it represented, and they would be healed. If we want to have everlasting life, despite the biting pain of life’s struggles, we have to believe in the power of God enough to stare UP at the Cross of Christ and all it represents. So.....we have to make a choice.

Jesus again said, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3.17) When we spend our time staring down rather than UP toward God, we can’t see His Cross. When we spend our time staring at the wounds of life rather than UP at the Cross of Christ, we can’t see Christ calling us to heaven. So....we have a choice to make.

Which way will YOU look?

The Honor of Baptizing

I was again honored today to celebrate a baptism in which another human soul was forever united to God. As Orthodox we believe quite literally that upon baptism we are not only outwardly affected, but inwardly as well. We believe that we die with Christ and are born new with Him in His Resurrection. But....you probably already knew that.

Today I wanted to share what a honor I consider it to be as a Priest to be the celebrant during any baptism, but today was a bit more special for me. The boy was 9 ½ years old. He wasn’t sick. He wasn’t a pagan. He wasn’t neglected. He was born into a loving Christian family. The reason he was not yet baptized is because his family has been on a journey. For more years than he has been alive, his mother who is a recent convert to Orthodoxy, was searching. Many years ago, through friends, she was introduced to the mystery of Orthodoxy, but it wasn’t until early last year that she deeply in her heart understood what the Orthodox Church was......”what she had been searching for all along.”

Sometimes God allows us to search and long for Him before He fully reveals Himself to us. He allowed the Jews to wander for forty years in the desert. He allowed the gentiles to revel in their various pagan religions for centuries before He revealed Himself to them.  He continues to allow millions of human beings to live in spiritual darkness. Why?

Of course we don’t know why God does everything He does. We are after all His creation. If we understood everything He did we would be God. But sometimes He allows the darkness because we are not ready for His Truth. Remember Moses had to be shielded from His glory for his own safety. Sometimes, which is why I feel so honored when I am allowed to celebrate a baptism, He allows the darkness because some of us choose the darkness. Some of us actually prefer the darkness, and He never forces anyone to accept Him or follow Him.

That is why before the baptism takes place, the candidate must first reject the devil, and then embrace Jesus Christ as Lord and as King. Then through the act of free will we are united to God in Baptism. We are forever joined into union with the Holy Trinity. And being a part of that awesome reality can be really humbling sometimes, especially when it occurs in the life of family in the midst of a great journey. That was the case today. Not every member of this particular family is Orthodox, but they are all believers in Christ. Maybe someday, by God’s grace, they too will choose to follow the Orthodox Way of Life. And maybe, that day, I will again be honored to welcome into God’s Church, freely.

End of Summer; End of Self

September 1^st is the first day of the New Ecclesiastical Year, and with it a sense of newness. A new calendar, a new series of Gospel lessons, a new cycle of Feast of Christ and the Theotokos, but most of all it brings us a sense of reflection on the end, not of summer but of our time on earth.

The Gospel lessons at the end of summer are filled with reference to the end of time, the kingdom of heaven, and eternal life. “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” (Matthew 19.16) This all-too-often question initiates a conversation with Jesus during which some people are filled with joy, while others “went away very sorrowful” (Matthew 19.22). What could cause such a drastic difference in the reaction to Jesus message?

The common denominator EVERY time someone departs Jesus sorrowful is, SELFISHNESS. It was because King Herod was selfish for power that he murdered thousands of innocent infants after he heard of Jesus’ birth. It was because the Scribes and Pharisees were selfish for the power of Rome that they betrayed their own Savior to be crucified. And it was because the rich man “had great possessions” that went away sorrowful at the words of Jesus.

Selfishness ALWAYS gets in the way of our relationships, between us and God, and among our fellow human beings. It was to help us defeat selfishness that God first established the commandments. So when Jesus answered, “If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments,” (Matthew 19.17) He wasn’t suggesting that merely keeping a set of rules would get anyone into heaven. It was THROUGH following the commandments that selfishness is defeated. THEN, once we have defeated selfishness, we can enter into eternal life free to love God above all others.

Suicide is the Ultimate Sacrifice at the Altar of Self

I’ve been holding off, trying not to really, blog about the recent news of the suicide of popular actor and American hero Robin Williams. It was quite clear in the minutes and hours that followed the news of his death that anyone who dared to speak harshly about him or suicide should be prepared for a plethora of criticism with statements such as:

“You don’t know anything about depression.”

“How can you say such cruel things at a time like this?”

Some of the comments I’ve seen online have been downright cruel against anyone who chose NOT to honor the man for taking his life. HONOR? That’s what I said. Let me explain...

In a prepared statement his widow said,

“Robin's sobriety was intact and he was brave as he struggled with his own battles of depression, anxiety as well as early stages of Parkinson's Disease, which he was not yet ready to share publicly.”

From this statement we are to understand that his suicide could only be characterized as part of his brave fight with depression and other struggles. That is when I realized I had something to say. Giving up hope is NEVER brave.

But I don’t want to write specifically about Robin Williams. I only mention his situation since it was his suicide that brought it yet again into the public conscience. What bothers me deeply, and has for quite some time, which if you read my blog might be obvious, is that our society continues to run full speed ahead into a world dedicated to self.

People celebrate abortion as an expression of self rights.

Sexuality has devolved into pleasing the self through pornography, gender reassignment, same-sex marriage.

And now suicide is a brave example of self expression in the throngs of depression and other illness.

In a society which honors the self above all other relationships, I suspect we shall see an increasing trend toward this horrific end to life. And why not? After all, for almost thirty years life itself has been a matter of personal choice. Why not death? And if the media coverage of Robin Williams is any indication, it shall be seen as just another example of how we have the right to do whatever we feel is in our best interest. If we don’t want to suffer; no problem. It wouldn’t even surprise me if suicide became part of health care “management” to assist those who no longer want to suffer.

Christ said, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me” (Mark 8.34) That includes suffering and especially NOT thinking of the self above all other relationships.

So why did I finally decide to blog about this? If you have any love for your family and friends, you will fight the temptation to characterize this suicide as anything other than what it really is; a tragic and cowardly expression of the loss of hope. It is NEVER brave to give up hope. Our hope is in Christ who conquered death for us, so that we might live with Him in a place where there is no pain, suffering or sighing, but life everlasting. Anything else is just simple selfishness.

Of course I would be remiss if I ended this post without reminding you the Church teaches that the state of our heart when we die is permanent. If we enter into death in a state of desperate hopelessness, THAT will our eternal condition. This is just one reason why the Church frowns upon suicide. We don’t what anyone to be eternally hopeless. That would be, and is already, hell.

What are You Willing to Do to Make Your Dreams Come True?

All of us have dreams; dream vacations, dream jobs, dream homes, even dream families. We invest our resources of money and time preparing ourselves to accomplish our dreams. When we are faced with choices, any choices, we painfully weigh our options against their potential to help us accomplish our dreams. If any choice either works against our dreams or doesn’t at least lead toward our dreams, we quickly opt out for fear that our dreams won’t become a reality. We will do ANYTHING to make our dreams come true.

As we begin another Church year in September, I would like you to consider this question, “Do you dream about being in Heaven when you die?” If you do, and I presume you do, what are you willing to do make that dream come true? The Orthodox Christian Way of Life is designed to help you make this dream a reality. Here are some examples:

Attending Church Services as often as you can – We read of two glimpses into Heaven in the Holy Scriptures in both Isaiah (chapter 6) and Revelation (chapter 1). Moses was commanded by God (told to us in Exodus) to shape Old Testament Worship (the model for New Testament Orthodox Christian worship) with the understanding that when we are worshiping God in Church, we are preparing to experience Heaven. SO....the more time we spend in Church for worship, the more we will appreciate the reality of Heaven. Heaven isn’t a good day fishing, it isn’t a good day at the golf course, it isn’t a peaceful field of bright colored flowers. Heaven IS the angels and saints (that includes us) worshipping God ALL THE TIME. If you dream about being in Heaven, but you don’t enjoy being in Church, spending more time IN Church will help make your dream come true.

Living the Fasts and Feasts of the Church – Jesus Christ commanded, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 8.34) The only way you will be able to enjoy Heaven is to learn NOW how to deny yourself and take up your cross. When you live the fasts and feasts of the Church, you are learning how to focus your entire existence around having a relationship with Christ. The Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, has established a CALENDAR which focuses your time, daily-weekly-seasonally, on growing closer to Jesus Christ. If you dream about being in Heaven, allowing your life to be shaped NOW by the Church to focus upon God all the time will help your dream come true.

Caring for the Poor – Christ directly connects our entrance into Heaven to serving the poor in the Gospel of Matthew (chapter 25.31-46). Caring for the poor is an act of love. God IS love, and He commanded “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.” (Leviticus 19.18, Luke 10.27) If you cannot love your neighbor, and your enemies (Matthew 5.44), it will be impossible to enjoy Heaven. If you dream about being in Heaven, learning NOW to love your neighbors and enemies by caring for them, will help your dream come true.

Participating in the Whole Life of the Church – The life of the Orthodox Christian Parish is dedicated at all times to helping you make your dream of being in Heaven come true. The Divine Services, Bible studies, opportunities to serve the poor, fellowship through social events, house blessings, the Mysteries (Confession, Holy Communion, Unction, etc) special blessings (hospitals, newborns, adoption etc), special classes (Orthodoxy 101), and Parishes are always considering new ways to help you make your dream come true. The only part missing is YOU. What are YOU willing to do make your dream come true? It’s YOUR choice.

Judgment is Coming; Do You Know the Criteria?

On the Third Sunday of the Triodion, the Church commemorates “Judgment Sunday” during which we hear the Last Judgment as found in Matthew 25.31-46. We all know the story, “I was hungry and you fed me….” But do we know WHY the Church offers us THIS story on THIS particular Sunday?

Many people believe that God is going to judge using a scale with “sins” on one side, and “good deeds” on the other. So long as the “good deeds” outweigh the “sins”, many believe, we will be saved. THIS IS FALSE, and the based upon an incorrect interpretation of the story. First, we must realize that Jesus Christ is not just telling us a story. He begins with the words, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory…”indicating that these are events THAT WILL take place, and we should be fully aware of them.

Second, and the main point of Judgment Sunday, is that God will judge every person based upon how much they love the Lord. If we love the Lord enough to “see Him” in the poor and destitute, we will be saved. Christ identifies Himself with the poor and destitute. In the Gospel, we understand that “the sheep” (those who were saved) expressed their love for God in how they treated the lowest of society. It would be easy to love God, but because they could love others who were outcasts, they inherited the Kingdom of God.

As we draw closer to the Great Fast, the Church is urging us to search deep within our hearts. Do we love God enough to love the homeless strangers in prison? Great Lent isn’t “just about” fasting. It is about purifying our hearts, using the spiritual tools of the Church, so that we “see Him” in all people. THEN, and ONLY THEN will we inherit the Kingdom of God.