Today we are honoring the gruesome martyrdom of “the greatest man ever born of a woman,” (Matthew 11.11) as a warning against pride and greed. John the Baptist stood as a bold and public defender of truth and morality when he reminded Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." (Mark 6.18) Later as Herodias’ daughter danced for Herod, he was so taken by her beauty that he swore to give her anything she wanted. Since it was Herodias that Herod desired, and whom John the Baptist reminded that he could not have, Herodias convinced her daughter to ask for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. As if this was not enough, scripture says, “And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.” (Mark 6.26) Herod allowed his lust, pride, and ego to dictate his actions. According to the Scriptures Herod did not want to kill John the Baptist, “knowing that he was a just and holy man.” (Mark 6.20)
How many times do we allow our pride and ego to dictate our actions? Too many times! What is the worst thing that would have happened if Herod had refused Herodias’ daughter and saved John’s life? He wouldn’t have been able to have an affair with her for one thing, but Herod’s lust could not allow that to happen.
We must watch carefully because our passions lurk around every corner to urge us to some immoral act, but we must deny the passions and remain faithful to God and His commandments. We must control our passions rather than allowing our passions to control us. This is why we must fast! Today the Church calls for a strict fast day in honor of the martyrdom of John the Baptist and also as an opportunity for us to take control of our passions. Is it too much to fast today, or is eating meat more important than controlling our passions? We know the result of Herod’s passions…what will be the result of our passions?
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Are We Lucky or What? We Have Inherited God’s Kingdom!
Just the other day, like happens so often, I was asked who I was. This time the conversation went something like this:
I have conversations like this almost every day but what made this one stick out was that I was working on today’s sermon. That’s when it occurred to me that this morning’s Gospel is actually the answer I should have given the young man.
Our Lord begins, “There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.” (Matthew 21.33) This in essence is the answer to this young man’s question. The Orthodox Church is the vineyard planted by God and we have been given the Church, as a gift, until He returns.
This gift we call the Church has a very long and grand history. The Church was established by God in the Garden of Eden when He created humanity. When He originally created humanity, it was His desire for us to live in total communion with Him but we fell short. Almost immediately, humanity fell to temptation in the Garden and the rest of history is the story of God’s rescue mission to restore us to our original glory: to live in communion with God.
And I bet you thought the Church was started only 2000 years ago by the Apostles. I even used those same words with the young man I was speaking with the other day. But in fact, the Church was started by God in the Garden long before Peter and Andrew the rest of the Apostles met Jesus Christ. That’s what makes this morning’s Gospel so amazing. Just listen to this…
“Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.” (Matthew 21.34-36) These servants were the Holy Prophets and Righteous of the Old Testament. Despite every effort they were unable to rescue the fruit from the vineyard. The fruit is us, humanity – men and women, which God has been trying to save ever since the devil tricked us in the Garden of Eden.
The Lord continues with the parable: “Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.” (Matthew 21.37) And we all know what they did to His Son! And STILL God didn’t give up trying to save us. “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their season.” (Matthew 21.41)
That’s where we come in! Ever since God started the Church as His mission to save humanity from death, He has never given up nor forgotten us. Even after they killed His Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, God never stopped trying to save us from death. We, Orthodox Christians, have been given the vineyard to care for until His returns. What an awesome gift! We have inherited something priceless from the Jews, the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God has been described in many ways by Christ: A field of seeds; a mustard seed; leaven; hidden treasure, a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, a fishing net, a king who wants to settle accounts, a landowner who went to hire laborers for his field, a king who arranged for the marriage of his son, a man traveling in a far country. (Matthew 13.24-52, 18.23, 20.1, 22.2, 25.14) Do you see what a great inheritance we have? The Church is the Kingdom of God in all these ways and we have been given the gift of taking care of it until He returns and finally we are saved from death.
If the Church is the vineyard, then WE are the fruit and just like any other vine we have to be watered and nurtured so we can produce good sweet fruit. Jesus says to the Jews, “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruit of it.” (Matthew 21.43) Just think of what this gift really means.
Throughout human history, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3.23) And still God never stopped, He never gave up, He never let our sins get the best of us. He continued, and still continues to today and will continue until He returns, with His mission to rescue us from death. Saint Paul really set the record straight when he said, “God has passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3.25-26)
Faith is the only thing God asks from us. Not “do-nothing” faith but active faith. All the images Jesus gives for the Kingdom of God are active images: a working king, fishing net, a traveling man. None of these images suggests that our faith is lazy. We are a vineyard and if we are going to bear fruit for God we have to work! But at what?
We must cultivate our fruit – the Fruit of the Holy Spirit. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5.22) If we are going to bear fruit for God we must cultivate these traits in our lives and we only have until God returns to produce fruit!
Don’t be afraid my dear brothers and sisters. We human beings have been making mistakes for thousands of years and we will continue to make mistakes. I know I have made more than my share of mistakes. But God is good and He will never give up on us.
So the next time someone asks you what the Orthodox Church is remember…we are God’s vineyard – the Kingdom of God, and we have been given this great inheritance…are we lucky or what?
Young Man: “Are you a preacher?”
A few minutes later the young man approaches me again…Me: “Yes, I’m the Priest from the Greek Orthodox Church on Cashua.”
Young Man: “Where?”
Me: “You know….the Church across from CreekRats.” His friend new exactly where that was…
Young Man: “I don’t know where that is.”
Me: “Where do you go to Church on Sundays?”
Young Man: “###Church.”
Me: “Where is that?”
Young Man: “I don’t know. On Palmetto I think.”
Me: “But you go right? So do you know where it is?”
Young Man: “I don’t know where it is. I don’t drive.”
Me: “Oh, as long as you go.”
Young Man: “So what is the Greek Orthodox Church?”Me: “The original Church. You know…before Baptists and Protestants. The first Church that the Apostles started.”
Young Man: “What’s the difference.” This is a question I always get more often than who am I.
Me: “Well, in a nutshell….” And I spent about two minutes explaining that all the other Churches are in some way changes to the original but that the Greek Orthodox Church hadn’t changed ever.
Young Man: “I’ll have to stop by some time.”
Me: “Please do. You are welcome to come anytime.” And we parted ways but not before saying a polite goodbye.
I have conversations like this almost every day but what made this one stick out was that I was working on today’s sermon. That’s when it occurred to me that this morning’s Gospel is actually the answer I should have given the young man.
Our Lord begins, “There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.” (Matthew 21.33) This in essence is the answer to this young man’s question. The Orthodox Church is the vineyard planted by God and we have been given the Church, as a gift, until He returns.
This gift we call the Church has a very long and grand history. The Church was established by God in the Garden of Eden when He created humanity. When He originally created humanity, it was His desire for us to live in total communion with Him but we fell short. Almost immediately, humanity fell to temptation in the Garden and the rest of history is the story of God’s rescue mission to restore us to our original glory: to live in communion with God.
And I bet you thought the Church was started only 2000 years ago by the Apostles. I even used those same words with the young man I was speaking with the other day. But in fact, the Church was started by God in the Garden long before Peter and Andrew the rest of the Apostles met Jesus Christ. That’s what makes this morning’s Gospel so amazing. Just listen to this…
“Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.” (Matthew 21.34-36) These servants were the Holy Prophets and Righteous of the Old Testament. Despite every effort they were unable to rescue the fruit from the vineyard. The fruit is us, humanity – men and women, which God has been trying to save ever since the devil tricked us in the Garden of Eden.
The Lord continues with the parable: “Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.” (Matthew 21.37) And we all know what they did to His Son! And STILL God didn’t give up trying to save us. “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their season.” (Matthew 21.41)
That’s where we come in! Ever since God started the Church as His mission to save humanity from death, He has never given up nor forgotten us. Even after they killed His Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, God never stopped trying to save us from death. We, Orthodox Christians, have been given the vineyard to care for until His returns. What an awesome gift! We have inherited something priceless from the Jews, the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God has been described in many ways by Christ: A field of seeds; a mustard seed; leaven; hidden treasure, a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, a fishing net, a king who wants to settle accounts, a landowner who went to hire laborers for his field, a king who arranged for the marriage of his son, a man traveling in a far country. (Matthew 13.24-52, 18.23, 20.1, 22.2, 25.14) Do you see what a great inheritance we have? The Church is the Kingdom of God in all these ways and we have been given the gift of taking care of it until He returns and finally we are saved from death.
If the Church is the vineyard, then WE are the fruit and just like any other vine we have to be watered and nurtured so we can produce good sweet fruit. Jesus says to the Jews, “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruit of it.” (Matthew 21.43) Just think of what this gift really means.
Throughout human history, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3.23) And still God never stopped, He never gave up, He never let our sins get the best of us. He continued, and still continues to today and will continue until He returns, with His mission to rescue us from death. Saint Paul really set the record straight when he said, “God has passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3.25-26)
Faith is the only thing God asks from us. Not “do-nothing” faith but active faith. All the images Jesus gives for the Kingdom of God are active images: a working king, fishing net, a traveling man. None of these images suggests that our faith is lazy. We are a vineyard and if we are going to bear fruit for God we have to work! But at what?
We must cultivate our fruit – the Fruit of the Holy Spirit. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5.22) If we are going to bear fruit for God we must cultivate these traits in our lives and we only have until God returns to produce fruit!
Don’t be afraid my dear brothers and sisters. We human beings have been making mistakes for thousands of years and we will continue to make mistakes. I know I have made more than my share of mistakes. But God is good and He will never give up on us.
So the next time someone asks you what the Orthodox Church is remember…we are God’s vineyard – the Kingdom of God, and we have been given this great inheritance…are we lucky or what?
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Are We Too Busy to Choose Christ?
The following story is fiction. Any similarity between the characters of this story and real people is purely coincidental. In other words, if you think this is about you, it’s just your guilt speaking to you.
A mother woke upon one Sunday morning exhausted from a week of taxi service for her three children. As her eyes adjusted to the sunlight peaking through the blinds, she glanced at her icons across the room. There was no way she was going to make it to Church this morning she thought, “It’s been a long week and God will understand if I stay home and sleep-in this week. I am a good mother after all and this is the only morning I have to rest from all the activities my children participate in.” She rolled over and fell back asleep. Moments later her three children stormed into her room. “Mom, we’re going to be late for Church! Did you forget that it’s your turn to sponsor coffee hour?” She dragged herself from bed, got her three children ready for Church and pulled into the parking lot just as the other children were leaving the Church for Sunday School. “See, you’re not late!” she said to her children as she began to unload the supplies for coffee hour. “11:30, right on time!” She was just finishing making the coffee as the rest of the congregation arrived for coffee hour. Later that afternoon, still exhausted, she thought, “I will never sponsor coffee hour again….someone else needs to do their share of work around that Church!”
This poor mother never made it into Church that Sunday morning and I know many parents feel this way on a Sunday morning. Many others feel it too because whether we are busy parents playing taxi for our children or working six days a week at our own businesses, it’s really easy to see Sunday as a ‘day of rest’. I can’t tell you how many times I wish I could eliminate that phrase from our book of sayings.
In the Gospel we hear of a similar situation: A woman so preoccupied with busy work that when it comes to Jesus Christ, she’s too busy to sit down for a while and listen to His word. Jesus had come to the home of His friends Martha and Mary for dinner. “But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?’” (Luke 10.40) We know she loved the Lord. This is the same Martha that runs to Jesus Christ after her brother Lazarus’ death, (John 11) but she was too preoccupied with being busy serving.
My brothers and sisters life in 2010 is busy, very busy. School starts this week (next week for some) and right about now every parent is wondering how we’re going to find the time to get everything done. Our children are involved in so many activities we struggle every day to teach them the proper choices and priorities. But we must admit that just because our life is so busy that doesn’t make it any more valuable. In fact when our busy schedule keeps us, like Martha away from spending time with Christ, simply put, we are too busy.
Life may be busy but we cannot sugarcoat the message Christ gives us in the Gospel. “And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.’” (Luke 10.41-42) There is time for serving and there is time for sitting and spending time with God. And when the time comes for spending time with God, then all other things must stop.
Life may be busy but as Christians it is never easy. Either we are working, as Christians, to care for our families and friends and God’s children, or we are spending time with God in worship. This is the message of Gospel. Jesus doesn’t chastise Martha because she was serving but that she was allowing her serving to distract her from Him and spending time with Him. Mary understood the difference and made the right choice.
We always have a choice in life and our choices are not always easy. Either we choose to spend time with God or we don’t. God calls us to a life of difficult choices. When we wake up each Sunday morning exhausted from a long week, we get to make a choice whether or not to come to Church. In our parish, for example, as parents we have a choice to either bring our children for Sunday School on Wednesday nights or not. There is always a choice, but God’s desire for us is clear: “One thing is needed.”
One thing is needed my brothers and sisters and while I don’t begrudge the activities we or our children are involved in, I do get concerned when people think that Sunday is the only day we can spend with God. Monday through Friday is for work and school. Saturday is for having fun or doing yard work. That leaves Sunday for God….but only if we got everything else done we wanted to accomplish during the week.
Being Orthodox Christians means that God is at the very center of our lives, not just someone we allow to see us on Sunday morning. The very first Christians found time to spend with God every day. “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.” (Acts 2.46-47) The least we could do is come to Church on Sunday morning and during the week either for Sunday School or Bible Study or Saturday Great Vespers.
I’m not going to sugarcoat the choice….it’s a difficult choice to follow Jesus Christ as Lord but God will bless us when we do choose to follow Him. The mother in my story never made it to Church that Sunday morning even though she made it to coffee. She made the wrong choice that much is clear. Our choice is no easier than her choice but we have another mother to follow. Today we celebrate the Feast of the greatest women ever to walk the Earth. A little girl at the young age of fifteen made the difficult choice to put God at the center of her life.
The Virgin Mary made that difficult choice to allow God to be born of her and God blessed her. She risked humiliation and divorce to allow Jesus Christ to be born of her for our salvation. She wasn’t humiliated and Joseph never left her; rather she has been exalted for over two thousand years as the greatest Saint of the Church. What choice will we make to place God at the center of our lives? Will we limit God to whatever time is left over and spend the entire week being distracted by our busy schedule or will we choose to spend time with God in His Church on Sunday and bring our children to Sunday School each Wednesday? I know the choice isn’t easy but our Christian choices never are just like the Virgin Mary.
Will we choose the one thing needed? The good portion will not be taken away from us. God will bless us every time we place Him at the center of our lives. Sometimes that means eliminating other activities from our busy schedule so we have time for God. Sometimes it just means waking up early on Sunday morning to be in Church before 10:00am. God will bless us for this as He said, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11.28)
A mother woke upon one Sunday morning exhausted from a week of taxi service for her three children. As her eyes adjusted to the sunlight peaking through the blinds, she glanced at her icons across the room. There was no way she was going to make it to Church this morning she thought, “It’s been a long week and God will understand if I stay home and sleep-in this week. I am a good mother after all and this is the only morning I have to rest from all the activities my children participate in.” She rolled over and fell back asleep. Moments later her three children stormed into her room. “Mom, we’re going to be late for Church! Did you forget that it’s your turn to sponsor coffee hour?” She dragged herself from bed, got her three children ready for Church and pulled into the parking lot just as the other children were leaving the Church for Sunday School. “See, you’re not late!” she said to her children as she began to unload the supplies for coffee hour. “11:30, right on time!” She was just finishing making the coffee as the rest of the congregation arrived for coffee hour. Later that afternoon, still exhausted, she thought, “I will never sponsor coffee hour again….someone else needs to do their share of work around that Church!”
This poor mother never made it into Church that Sunday morning and I know many parents feel this way on a Sunday morning. Many others feel it too because whether we are busy parents playing taxi for our children or working six days a week at our own businesses, it’s really easy to see Sunday as a ‘day of rest’. I can’t tell you how many times I wish I could eliminate that phrase from our book of sayings.
In the Gospel we hear of a similar situation: A woman so preoccupied with busy work that when it comes to Jesus Christ, she’s too busy to sit down for a while and listen to His word. Jesus had come to the home of His friends Martha and Mary for dinner. “But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?’” (Luke 10.40) We know she loved the Lord. This is the same Martha that runs to Jesus Christ after her brother Lazarus’ death, (John 11) but she was too preoccupied with being busy serving.
My brothers and sisters life in 2010 is busy, very busy. School starts this week (next week for some) and right about now every parent is wondering how we’re going to find the time to get everything done. Our children are involved in so many activities we struggle every day to teach them the proper choices and priorities. But we must admit that just because our life is so busy that doesn’t make it any more valuable. In fact when our busy schedule keeps us, like Martha away from spending time with Christ, simply put, we are too busy.
Life may be busy but we cannot sugarcoat the message Christ gives us in the Gospel. “And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.’” (Luke 10.41-42) There is time for serving and there is time for sitting and spending time with God. And when the time comes for spending time with God, then all other things must stop.
Life may be busy but as Christians it is never easy. Either we are working, as Christians, to care for our families and friends and God’s children, or we are spending time with God in worship. This is the message of Gospel. Jesus doesn’t chastise Martha because she was serving but that she was allowing her serving to distract her from Him and spending time with Him. Mary understood the difference and made the right choice.
We always have a choice in life and our choices are not always easy. Either we choose to spend time with God or we don’t. God calls us to a life of difficult choices. When we wake up each Sunday morning exhausted from a long week, we get to make a choice whether or not to come to Church. In our parish, for example, as parents we have a choice to either bring our children for Sunday School on Wednesday nights or not. There is always a choice, but God’s desire for us is clear: “One thing is needed.”
One thing is needed my brothers and sisters and while I don’t begrudge the activities we or our children are involved in, I do get concerned when people think that Sunday is the only day we can spend with God. Monday through Friday is for work and school. Saturday is for having fun or doing yard work. That leaves Sunday for God….but only if we got everything else done we wanted to accomplish during the week.
Being Orthodox Christians means that God is at the very center of our lives, not just someone we allow to see us on Sunday morning. The very first Christians found time to spend with God every day. “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.” (Acts 2.46-47) The least we could do is come to Church on Sunday morning and during the week either for Sunday School or Bible Study or Saturday Great Vespers.
I’m not going to sugarcoat the choice….it’s a difficult choice to follow Jesus Christ as Lord but God will bless us when we do choose to follow Him. The mother in my story never made it to Church that Sunday morning even though she made it to coffee. She made the wrong choice that much is clear. Our choice is no easier than her choice but we have another mother to follow. Today we celebrate the Feast of the greatest women ever to walk the Earth. A little girl at the young age of fifteen made the difficult choice to put God at the center of her life.
The Virgin Mary made that difficult choice to allow God to be born of her and God blessed her. She risked humiliation and divorce to allow Jesus Christ to be born of her for our salvation. She wasn’t humiliated and Joseph never left her; rather she has been exalted for over two thousand years as the greatest Saint of the Church. What choice will we make to place God at the center of our lives? Will we limit God to whatever time is left over and spend the entire week being distracted by our busy schedule or will we choose to spend time with God in His Church on Sunday and bring our children to Sunday School each Wednesday? I know the choice isn’t easy but our Christian choices never are just like the Virgin Mary.
Will we choose the one thing needed? The good portion will not be taken away from us. God will bless us every time we place Him at the center of our lives. Sometimes that means eliminating other activities from our busy schedule so we have time for God. Sometimes it just means waking up early on Sunday morning to be in Church before 10:00am. God will bless us for this as He said, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11.28)
Friday, August 13, 2010
Are You Martha or Mary?
When faced with the anxiety of serving dinner to Jesus and His disciples, Martha became frustrated with her sister for not ‘doing her fair share’ of the serving. She said, “’Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.’ And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part.’” (Luke 10.40-42)
When faced with the daily struggles of life our temptation just like Martha many times is to ‘bunker down’ and ‘put our nose to the grind stone’ and ‘dig in our heels’ until ‘the job gets done,’ and then to complain about everyone else who is not doing their fair share of the work. This can be very common during Greek Festival season or when the hall needs to be cleaned after a Sunday School luncheon. But today our Lord gives us a chance to make a better choice.
There are times in our lives where simply digging in our heels isn’t enough and we are just too blind to see a better option. Like Martha, we are blinded by our own pride. We ask ourselves, “Why isn’t anyone else doing their fair share?” when what we should be asking is, “Am I really doing what I should be doing?” Mary knew the difference when Jesus was in her home and she “sat at Jesus feet and heard His word.” (Luke 10.39) Martha should have been next to her at the feet of Jesus.
As Christians in 2010 we cannot allow the busyness of the world to distract us from what is really important. “Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10.42) Which part will you choose? I leave you with words from the Divine Liturgy, “Let us lay aside all the cares of life that we may receive the King of All invisibly escorted by angelic hosts.” (Cherubic Hymn)
When faced with the daily struggles of life our temptation just like Martha many times is to ‘bunker down’ and ‘put our nose to the grind stone’ and ‘dig in our heels’ until ‘the job gets done,’ and then to complain about everyone else who is not doing their fair share of the work. This can be very common during Greek Festival season or when the hall needs to be cleaned after a Sunday School luncheon. But today our Lord gives us a chance to make a better choice.
There are times in our lives where simply digging in our heels isn’t enough and we are just too blind to see a better option. Like Martha, we are blinded by our own pride. We ask ourselves, “Why isn’t anyone else doing their fair share?” when what we should be asking is, “Am I really doing what I should be doing?” Mary knew the difference when Jesus was in her home and she “sat at Jesus feet and heard His word.” (Luke 10.39) Martha should have been next to her at the feet of Jesus.
As Christians in 2010 we cannot allow the busyness of the world to distract us from what is really important. “Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10.42) Which part will you choose? I leave you with words from the Divine Liturgy, “Let us lay aside all the cares of life that we may receive the King of All invisibly escorted by angelic hosts.” (Cherubic Hymn)
Friday, July 23, 2010
There is no Need to Panic; Just Keep Focused on God
In the Gospel we read of doubt and fear in the Apostles of Jesus Christ. In a raging storm at sea in the middle of the night, Jesus approached their small boat. The Apostles were so consumed by fear during the storm they believed they were going to die so when they saw Jesus walking on water toward them they thought He was a ghost. “And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.’” (Matthew 14.26-27)
Peter responded with a hint of doubt, “’Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ So He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.” (Matthew 14.28-29) Peter’s willingness to have faith, even in the midst of doubt and fear, was blessed by God and Peter was able to walk on water so long as he kept his focus upon God. “But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’” (Matthew 14.30)
Fear and doubt have a way of consuming our lives especially in difficult economic times. With the worst economy since the Great Depression and the constant threat of job loss and unemployment, it is easy to be overwhelmed by fear and panic. We begin to sink into debt hoping that our situation will turn around but the waves of life keep crashing against us and we begin to lose hope. Like Peter we try to remain focused on God but the storm keeps distracting us until we feel like there is nothing left…
Just then we remember…Jesus is there for us. We only need to see Him and ask for help. “And immediately Jesus will stretch out His hand and catch us.” (Matthew 14.31) Don’t panic, just keep focused on God.
Peter responded with a hint of doubt, “’Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ So He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.” (Matthew 14.28-29) Peter’s willingness to have faith, even in the midst of doubt and fear, was blessed by God and Peter was able to walk on water so long as he kept his focus upon God. “But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’” (Matthew 14.30)
Fear and doubt have a way of consuming our lives especially in difficult economic times. With the worst economy since the Great Depression and the constant threat of job loss and unemployment, it is easy to be overwhelmed by fear and panic. We begin to sink into debt hoping that our situation will turn around but the waves of life keep crashing against us and we begin to lose hope. Like Peter we try to remain focused on God but the storm keeps distracting us until we feel like there is nothing left…
Just then we remember…Jesus is there for us. We only need to see Him and ask for help. “And immediately Jesus will stretch out His hand and catch us.” (Matthew 14.31) Don’t panic, just keep focused on God.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Learn the Language of God or Risk Being a Foreigner in Heaven
Thursday of the Ninth Week after Pentecost
We often read this passage from Saint Paul and think of “the language issue” in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America or the tradition of speaking “in tongues” in Pentecostalism. But have you ever considered this from the perspective of the “language of God?” God doesn’t speak in languages of the world, despite what ethnic loyalists believe or those who subscribe the “Three Holy Languages” of Greek, Hebrew and Latin, unless of course you’re Russian and you believe in “Four Holy Languages.” etc etc etc.
The Language of God is LOVE and if we cannot learn and speak the language of LOVE we, “will be speaking into the air and we shall be foreigners to God who speaks and He will be a foreigner to us.” (cit 1 Corinthians 14.9,11) We need only to remember Saint Paul’s famous passage in 1 Corinthians 13, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal….” Saint John the Theologian and Evangelist said, “If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (1 John 4.20)
When we finish our journey on Earth and are face to face with God and He is speaking to us, will we understand Him or will we be foreigners in Heaven? The choice is ours to make.
Embrace Christ and Be Transfigured! Live a new life in Christ.
6 But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching? 7 Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played? 8 For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare himself for battle? 9 So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. 10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance. 11 Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me. 12 Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel. 13 Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. 16 Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say "Amen" at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? 17 For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified. 18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; 19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue. (1 Corinthians 14.6-19)
We often read this passage from Saint Paul and think of “the language issue” in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America or the tradition of speaking “in tongues” in Pentecostalism. But have you ever considered this from the perspective of the “language of God?” God doesn’t speak in languages of the world, despite what ethnic loyalists believe or those who subscribe the “Three Holy Languages” of Greek, Hebrew and Latin, unless of course you’re Russian and you believe in “Four Holy Languages.” etc etc etc.
The Language of God is LOVE and if we cannot learn and speak the language of LOVE we, “will be speaking into the air and we shall be foreigners to God who speaks and He will be a foreigner to us.” (cit 1 Corinthians 14.9,11) We need only to remember Saint Paul’s famous passage in 1 Corinthians 13, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal….” Saint John the Theologian and Evangelist said, “If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (1 John 4.20)
When we finish our journey on Earth and are face to face with God and He is speaking to us, will we understand Him or will we be foreigners in Heaven? The choice is ours to make.
Embrace Christ and Be Transfigured! Live a new life in Christ.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
The Danger of Pride and “Going It Alone”
Tuesday of the Ninth Week after Pentecost (1 Corinthians 12.12-26)
These words of Saint Paul cause me to dwell upon those who decide they have no need for the Church, or as many say it, “I believe in God but not organized religion!” For many who profess this belief the root cause rests in some disagreement over theology of moral behavior or theological teaching that the Church “holds over its membership” or at least that is how it is often characterized. But I wonder what Saint Paul, arguably one of, if not the, greatest missionaries of Christian history, would have said as a response to this claim.
In my personal ministry experience, I often encounter this mentality when people differ over biblical interpretation with the Orthodox Church on many of the ancient Holy Traditions of the Church such as anointing with Holy Oil called the Mystery (Sacrament) of Holy Unction. The practice of Holy Unction has its roots in the ancient Church, specifically mentioned in James 5.13-15, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” The reference to elders is in reference to Presbyters, or Priests, and is a clear liturgical reference from Saint James and not a suggestion to call simply upon the “old people” of the community. Living in the “Bible Belt” I often hear comments such as laying on of hands by elders and other believers, also based upon this citation in Saint James, but to claim this as the ancient practice is just not being honest with Church history.
But I’m not debating the accuracy of anointing today. Maybe that will be for another day. I’m thinking of the logic behind the mentality that if I disagree with what the Church teaches then I have the right to maintain my own teaching with as much validity as the Church’s teaching. And this clearly isn’t in keeping with Saint Paul.
We only have to consider the actions of Saint Paul directly to understand how he would view this mentality. When Saint Paul was at odds with the teachings of the Church he and those with him were sent to Jerusalem to plead their case to the Apostles and Elders (Presbyters/Priests) there. Acts 15 describes this historical gathering of the early Church, which has served and continues to serve as the model of Church Councils to this very day. Saint Paul was bound by the decision of the Church and from then on taught accordingly. If he, Paul the great missionary, had to abide by the teachings of the Church why wouldn’t we have to do the same in 2010?
So when we find ourselves at odds with the teachings and Holy Traditions of the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church – The Orthodox Christian Church – we can either follow the model of the ancient Church and Saint Paul or we can “go it alone”…. It’s clear what Saint Paul would have done.
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body -- whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free -- and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. 15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
These words of Saint Paul cause me to dwell upon those who decide they have no need for the Church, or as many say it, “I believe in God but not organized religion!” For many who profess this belief the root cause rests in some disagreement over theology of moral behavior or theological teaching that the Church “holds over its membership” or at least that is how it is often characterized. But I wonder what Saint Paul, arguably one of, if not the, greatest missionaries of Christian history, would have said as a response to this claim.
In my personal ministry experience, I often encounter this mentality when people differ over biblical interpretation with the Orthodox Church on many of the ancient Holy Traditions of the Church such as anointing with Holy Oil called the Mystery (Sacrament) of Holy Unction. The practice of Holy Unction has its roots in the ancient Church, specifically mentioned in James 5.13-15, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” The reference to elders is in reference to Presbyters, or Priests, and is a clear liturgical reference from Saint James and not a suggestion to call simply upon the “old people” of the community. Living in the “Bible Belt” I often hear comments such as laying on of hands by elders and other believers, also based upon this citation in Saint James, but to claim this as the ancient practice is just not being honest with Church history.
But I’m not debating the accuracy of anointing today. Maybe that will be for another day. I’m thinking of the logic behind the mentality that if I disagree with what the Church teaches then I have the right to maintain my own teaching with as much validity as the Church’s teaching. And this clearly isn’t in keeping with Saint Paul.
14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. 15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? 1 Corinthians 12.14-16
We only have to consider the actions of Saint Paul directly to understand how he would view this mentality. When Saint Paul was at odds with the teachings of the Church he and those with him were sent to Jerusalem to plead their case to the Apostles and Elders (Presbyters/Priests) there. Acts 15 describes this historical gathering of the early Church, which has served and continues to serve as the model of Church Councils to this very day. Saint Paul was bound by the decision of the Church and from then on taught accordingly. If he, Paul the great missionary, had to abide by the teachings of the Church why wouldn’t we have to do the same in 2010?
So when we find ourselves at odds with the teachings and Holy Traditions of the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church – The Orthodox Christian Church – we can either follow the model of the ancient Church and Saint Paul or we can “go it alone”…. It’s clear what Saint Paul would have done.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
The Reason for Living
“For of what use is existence to the creature if it cannot know its Maker? How could men be reasonable beings if they had no knowledge of the Word and Reason of the Father, through Whom they had received their being? They would be no better than the beasts, had they no knowledge save of earthly things; and why should God have made them at all, if He had not intended them to know Him?” Saint Athanasios the Great
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
"No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man." 1 Corinthians 10.13
Reading for Wednesday of the Eighth Week after Pentecost
1 Corinthians 10.12-22
What great inspiration and hope from St Paul! Every day we are tempted and so often we not only forget that God is watching out for us, we try to tackle the temptation on our own. This is impossible! Our ability is only manifested in our communion with God, a reality brought vividly by St. Paul in his reference to the Eucharist in verse 16. God has to power to hold us up and bring us to glory no matter what our temptation and struggle is BUT we must unite with Him in the Eucharist. Otherwise we are just simple men trying to get along. “With men this is impossible but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19.26)
Embrace Jesus Christ and begin a new life today!
1 Corinthians 10.12-22
12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. 18 Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? 19 What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? 20 Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons. 22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?
What great inspiration and hope from St Paul! Every day we are tempted and so often we not only forget that God is watching out for us, we try to tackle the temptation on our own. This is impossible! Our ability is only manifested in our communion with God, a reality brought vividly by St. Paul in his reference to the Eucharist in verse 16. God has to power to hold us up and bring us to glory no matter what our temptation and struggle is BUT we must unite with Him in the Eucharist. Otherwise we are just simple men trying to get along. “With men this is impossible but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19.26)
Embrace Jesus Christ and begin a new life today!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
"Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" 1 Corinthians 10.12
1 Corinthians 10.5-12 (reading for today, Tuesday of the Eighth Week after Pentecost)
Here Saint Paul is speaking to us about the past behavior of Israel as a teaching and warning to us in the Church. As we read this in 2010 we can further read it as confirmation that not all who profess Christ live a Christian life which was of utmost importance for Saint Paul and the ancient Church. We make choices every day whether or not to heed the warnings in Scripture, but it is never too late to begin anew…
Embrace Christ in your life and find an Orthodox Christian Church in which to pray and be united to Christ. Find a local Orthodox Christian Church in which you can begin a new life dedicated to Jesus Christ and communion with Him. If you haven’t been to church in “a while” make the effort to attend the next available service. It may be a morning Orthros or Matins (morning service) or Sunday Divine Liturgy. The longer you wait the longer it will take to begin to heal from the pain and suffering that the worldly life, such as sexual immorality etc, inflicts upon each of us.
Life in Christ is freedom from death and sin.
For an Orthodox Christian Church near you click on the link to the right…
5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
Here Saint Paul is speaking to us about the past behavior of Israel as a teaching and warning to us in the Church. As we read this in 2010 we can further read it as confirmation that not all who profess Christ live a Christian life which was of utmost importance for Saint Paul and the ancient Church. We make choices every day whether or not to heed the warnings in Scripture, but it is never too late to begin anew…
Embrace Christ in your life and find an Orthodox Christian Church in which to pray and be united to Christ. Find a local Orthodox Christian Church in which you can begin a new life dedicated to Jesus Christ and communion with Him. If you haven’t been to church in “a while” make the effort to attend the next available service. It may be a morning Orthros or Matins (morning service) or Sunday Divine Liturgy. The longer you wait the longer it will take to begin to heal from the pain and suffering that the worldly life, such as sexual immorality etc, inflicts upon each of us.
Life in Christ is freedom from death and sin.
For an Orthodox Christian Church near you click on the link to the right…
Friday, July 9, 2010
Stages in the Development of Passions
I don’t normally do this, but this chapter was so good I wanted to share it in its entirety….
Stages in the Development of Passions
Letter 57 in The Spiritual Life and How to be Attuned to It, by Saint Theophan the Recluse
That the passionate shows itself within us in not an inescapable misfortune. It signifies that we are impure, but it does not make us guilty. Our guilt begins from the point when we favorably incline ourselves toward a passion that has been observed; that is, we do not rush to acknowledge the enemy and do not arm ourselves against it with anger. On the contrary, we accept it and begin liking it, delighting in the impulse in which it appeared. This already shows that we have no objection to being familiar with the passionate, and, subsequently, enemies of God. “Because the carnal mind – [the passionate] – is enmity against God.” (Romans 8.7)
Where assent begins, there also begins guilt, which increases by measure of its involvement in the passionate. I will describe for you how all of this happens. Our usual state is this: The thoughts wander about every which way; the emotions and desires, although they go back and forth, are without definite direction. This is how it is most of the time. Sometimes entire days pass like this. These thoughts are for the most part vain, being attached to routine everyday affairs and tasks at hand. Among these empty thoughts or daydreams about nothing often erupt. Both empty and vain thoughts throng, for the most part, on the surface of the soul. You have been told more than once how to subdue and regulate this disarray of thoughts that impeded remembrance of God and Godly things.
But look here, some object with a certain peculiar form has come among the others and demands attention. Note this point specifically: It has come and demands attention. Never let it pass without attention. Conduct an interrogation at once: Who is this, where is it from and what does it want? You yourself will find the answers to these immediately, after a mere glance at this object that has presented itself. Let us suppose that it is a person who has offended you at some time. It is obvious that by engaging your attention with this person and the association you have with him, someone desires to create within you indignation, anger and even the desire for revenge. This is what will happen if you do not adopt the necessary measures. What measures should you adopt so as to drive away this idea? It wants to bring you to a bad state. Consequently, it is your enemy. You will treat it, then, in a hostile manner, that is, not with respect, but in the way which we spoke about last time, namely, with scornful rejection.
If you do this, you will completely thwart the enemy’s ruse or trap. If, however, you focus your attention on the person who has come to your imagination, then this idea, though ordinary and isolated at first, will become surrounded by a number of other thoughts and images that will paint a very vivid picture in your imagination as to how that person offended you, with all the details of the incident. Along with this, the previous feeling of offense, indignation and anger will arise in the heart. The passionate object or thought about it engendered the passionate feeling. The passionate became more entrenched. If you come to your senses and acknowledge that it is bad to allow yourself to be roused by passion, then, of course, you will see the enemy in this and treat it with hostility, after having expelled the wicked feeling from your heart and driven the very object that engendered it from your thoughts. The confusion will pass and peace of mind will be restored.
If you do not do this, however, then other passionate feelings will gather around the one that has already arisen and exacerbate it. These feelings will begin rationalizing to you, “How dare he do that? Who does he think he is, someone important? I am no worse than he is. It is impossible to ignore this. I do not know how I let it slip by me. If I were to allow everyone to treat me like that, I could not live. I will certainly have to prove to him that he cannot act like that and get away with it.” Your desire for revenge, whether that vengeance is great or small, it is all the same, is at the ready. The passionate become even more deeply entrenched within. This is already the third stage. If you come to senses at this point, you can drive off the desire. For the desire does not yet signify resolution. It arrived one moment, and it can leave the next. If you take proper action, it will be for the better; if you do not, then your torment will continue further.
Observe how the thought engendered the feeling, and the thought with the feeling engendered the desire. The mind is filled with passion. All this, however, is still mental impurity and sinfulness. It is still a long way to the act. Between the desire and the act there is always the resolution to act, and premeditation as to how to carry it out. How the resolution takes shape is not always apparent. It is already within the desire in a weak form; it then grows along with premeditation of the act, that is, with the selection of the means and establishment of methods and circumstances. When everything has been premeditated, the resolution is complete. Then the act has already been accomplished within. The sin has already been committed in front of God and the conscience; the commandments have been disregarded, the conscience violated. Sometimes a lot of time passes between the desire and the resolution with the premeditation of the act. The fear of God takes hold, the commandments are remembered and the conscience is not silent. But all of their saving suggestions are rebuffed by disregard. That is why there is already transgression and sin in the resolution. The thought, feeling and desire, although they have already occupied the entire soul, seemingly take place on the surface of the soul. There is still no strong inclination toward sin, only an urge. Strong inclination begins from the point when the soul begins deliberating whether it should satisfy the passion and how it do so. Here the soul has already set out on the path of sin.
While the resolution is forming, freedom is checked, the soul feels as if it were absolutely obligated to do what it intended. But there is no such obligation. It is a sort of inner self-delusion that is taking place. What has been decided may remain unfulfilled because of some obstacle that is suddenly encountered. Perhaps it is abandoned because the person himself has second thoughts about carrying it out, because of some consideration or because of the conscience and fear of God, if they should happen to rise up in full force.
At last, everything has been arranged and the deed done. You got your revenge as planned. The passion has been satisfied, the sin finally committed. What more could be added to the resolution that developed at first? Seemingly nothing, for here the premeditated plan has only been carried out. That is how it seems; but, in the essence of the act, the wrongdoing increases up to the last step. First. Up to this point, the fear of God and the conscience were merely dismissed and disregarded, now they are violated. Up to now, the situation has been like a mother who is trying to persuade her son not to do something wrong, and he brushes her aside or runs away from her. Now the son answers his mother’s pleas by hitting her or slapping her in the face. Second. Now inner activity has been introduced into the course of outward events and is bound to be accompanied by the consequences, which are also outward and worldly. You will not cross it out of the circle of events by a stroke of the pen or verbal denial. It will remain there forever and will always be attached to the person who did it, forcing him to taste its fruits. Third. The Divine grace deserts him, and the person leaves the realm of God and enters the realm of the enemy of God. He drops down, is burdened and feels himself crushed under a kind of weight. The parable about the unclean spirit returning with seven more is fulfilled in him. [Matthew 12.43-45] Gloom, uneasiness, burden – this is the reward of any satisfied passion. Amazing! Until the passion is satisfied by the act, the person expects Paradise from its satisfaction: For you shall be God. [Genesis 3.5] As soon as the passion is satisfied, however, the delusion falls from his eyes, the phantom dissipates, and there is left only emptiness, anguish, upset and burden; the person sees that he is impertinent. He took revenge on his enemy; he expected to be rejoicing, but things have turned out quite differently.
You see what the path is of tormenting yourself with some passion and falling into sin on account of it. Now we shall turn to you. What is possible in you from all that has been said? If your resolution to work for the Lord is sincere; if, having made this decision, you follow the advice given to remember God at all times with fear and reverence; if you watch after yourself strictly; then any inclination within you toward the satisfaction of passionate desire, and all that follows it, will be impossible. However, thoughts, feelings and desires are possible. These are objects of your inner struggle.
Passionate thought, feeling and desire sometimes pass through the soul in a single instant before we know what has happened. In this case they do not make us guilty, if as soon as we recover our senses at the appearance of what is by now desire, we banish them through hostile anger toward them. Our guilt in the intention, feeling and desire is dependent on our procrastination; that is, after observing them we have failed to drive them away, and we dwell on them instead. Drive away the thought, and there will be no feeling or sympathy. Drive away the feeling and with intention, and there will be no desire. Drive away the desire, and there will be no danger or inclination toward the passionate. If, after observing a passionate intention, you dwell on it with attention voluntarily, you are guilty. Why did you occupy yourself with something that you know is God’s enemy and yours? If, however, your attention is involuntarily attracted to the intention, you are not guilty, as long as you immediately turn your attention away from it and drive it out. If, as a result of your willful attention toward a passionate intention, a passionate feeling is engendered, then your guilt is increased a little. But if after detecting the birth of a passionate feeling, you continue to be occupied with the passionate intention, and, consequently, voluntarily provoke the feeling, then your guilt increase to twice what it was previously. If, after detecting a passionate feeling, you rouse yourself and drive it out along with the intention, then you would be guilty only in the fact that you voluntarily occupied yourself with a passionate thought; you are not guilty of the feeling, because such feelings are created through the action of the thoughts. If through the actions of the passionate thought and feeling that have been voluntarily allowed, there is born within you the desire for a passionate action (for example, revenge), then your guilt is increased a little, because desire is created involuntarily from thought and feeling. Your previous guilt remains; why were you occupied with the passionate object, and when a passionate feeling was born from this, why did you allow the feeling to persist and the thought that gave rise to it? Therefore, your guilt is twofold. But if after detecting the passionate desire, you allow it to linger inside you, and do not immediately arm yourself against it, then your guilt increases by one more step; it will be threefold.
I will not go further, because I suppose this is sufficient to warn you.
You see for yourself that if you immediately drive away the passionate thought, then you put and end to the entire struggle. There will be neither feeling, and even more, there will be no desire. Make the decision to act in this way. Why would you draw on yourself the unnecessary labor of struggle, and sometimes even danger, when you have already decided not to allow the passionate being ungodly? If the feeling begins to stir involuntarily along with the thought, immediately chase out the feeling with the thought. If desire involuntarily clings to them, immediately chase out the desire along with them. The moment you discover a passionate impulse within yourself, chase it out. Make this your rule: Do not voluntarily praise either passionate thought, feeling or desire, and immediately chase them away with complete hatred as soon as you detect them. You will always be innocent before God and before your own conscience. There will be within you the impurity of the passions, but also innocence. You will carry out the act of purification (cleansing), laboring diligently at the purifying of your soul.
May the Lord bless you!
The preceding was taken in its entirety from “The Spiritual Life and How to be Attuned to It” by Saint Theophan the Recule, as translated by Alexandra Dockham. St. Herman of Alaska Press. 1995.
Stages in the Development of Passions
Letter 57 in The Spiritual Life and How to be Attuned to It, by Saint Theophan the Recluse
That the passionate shows itself within us in not an inescapable misfortune. It signifies that we are impure, but it does not make us guilty. Our guilt begins from the point when we favorably incline ourselves toward a passion that has been observed; that is, we do not rush to acknowledge the enemy and do not arm ourselves against it with anger. On the contrary, we accept it and begin liking it, delighting in the impulse in which it appeared. This already shows that we have no objection to being familiar with the passionate, and, subsequently, enemies of God. “Because the carnal mind – [the passionate] – is enmity against God.” (Romans 8.7)
Where assent begins, there also begins guilt, which increases by measure of its involvement in the passionate. I will describe for you how all of this happens. Our usual state is this: The thoughts wander about every which way; the emotions and desires, although they go back and forth, are without definite direction. This is how it is most of the time. Sometimes entire days pass like this. These thoughts are for the most part vain, being attached to routine everyday affairs and tasks at hand. Among these empty thoughts or daydreams about nothing often erupt. Both empty and vain thoughts throng, for the most part, on the surface of the soul. You have been told more than once how to subdue and regulate this disarray of thoughts that impeded remembrance of God and Godly things.
But look here, some object with a certain peculiar form has come among the others and demands attention. Note this point specifically: It has come and demands attention. Never let it pass without attention. Conduct an interrogation at once: Who is this, where is it from and what does it want? You yourself will find the answers to these immediately, after a mere glance at this object that has presented itself. Let us suppose that it is a person who has offended you at some time. It is obvious that by engaging your attention with this person and the association you have with him, someone desires to create within you indignation, anger and even the desire for revenge. This is what will happen if you do not adopt the necessary measures. What measures should you adopt so as to drive away this idea? It wants to bring you to a bad state. Consequently, it is your enemy. You will treat it, then, in a hostile manner, that is, not with respect, but in the way which we spoke about last time, namely, with scornful rejection.
If you do this, you will completely thwart the enemy’s ruse or trap. If, however, you focus your attention on the person who has come to your imagination, then this idea, though ordinary and isolated at first, will become surrounded by a number of other thoughts and images that will paint a very vivid picture in your imagination as to how that person offended you, with all the details of the incident. Along with this, the previous feeling of offense, indignation and anger will arise in the heart. The passionate object or thought about it engendered the passionate feeling. The passionate became more entrenched. If you come to your senses and acknowledge that it is bad to allow yourself to be roused by passion, then, of course, you will see the enemy in this and treat it with hostility, after having expelled the wicked feeling from your heart and driven the very object that engendered it from your thoughts. The confusion will pass and peace of mind will be restored.
If you do not do this, however, then other passionate feelings will gather around the one that has already arisen and exacerbate it. These feelings will begin rationalizing to you, “How dare he do that? Who does he think he is, someone important? I am no worse than he is. It is impossible to ignore this. I do not know how I let it slip by me. If I were to allow everyone to treat me like that, I could not live. I will certainly have to prove to him that he cannot act like that and get away with it.” Your desire for revenge, whether that vengeance is great or small, it is all the same, is at the ready. The passionate become even more deeply entrenched within. This is already the third stage. If you come to senses at this point, you can drive off the desire. For the desire does not yet signify resolution. It arrived one moment, and it can leave the next. If you take proper action, it will be for the better; if you do not, then your torment will continue further.
Observe how the thought engendered the feeling, and the thought with the feeling engendered the desire. The mind is filled with passion. All this, however, is still mental impurity and sinfulness. It is still a long way to the act. Between the desire and the act there is always the resolution to act, and premeditation as to how to carry it out. How the resolution takes shape is not always apparent. It is already within the desire in a weak form; it then grows along with premeditation of the act, that is, with the selection of the means and establishment of methods and circumstances. When everything has been premeditated, the resolution is complete. Then the act has already been accomplished within. The sin has already been committed in front of God and the conscience; the commandments have been disregarded, the conscience violated. Sometimes a lot of time passes between the desire and the resolution with the premeditation of the act. The fear of God takes hold, the commandments are remembered and the conscience is not silent. But all of their saving suggestions are rebuffed by disregard. That is why there is already transgression and sin in the resolution. The thought, feeling and desire, although they have already occupied the entire soul, seemingly take place on the surface of the soul. There is still no strong inclination toward sin, only an urge. Strong inclination begins from the point when the soul begins deliberating whether it should satisfy the passion and how it do so. Here the soul has already set out on the path of sin.
While the resolution is forming, freedom is checked, the soul feels as if it were absolutely obligated to do what it intended. But there is no such obligation. It is a sort of inner self-delusion that is taking place. What has been decided may remain unfulfilled because of some obstacle that is suddenly encountered. Perhaps it is abandoned because the person himself has second thoughts about carrying it out, because of some consideration or because of the conscience and fear of God, if they should happen to rise up in full force.
At last, everything has been arranged and the deed done. You got your revenge as planned. The passion has been satisfied, the sin finally committed. What more could be added to the resolution that developed at first? Seemingly nothing, for here the premeditated plan has only been carried out. That is how it seems; but, in the essence of the act, the wrongdoing increases up to the last step. First. Up to this point, the fear of God and the conscience were merely dismissed and disregarded, now they are violated. Up to now, the situation has been like a mother who is trying to persuade her son not to do something wrong, and he brushes her aside or runs away from her. Now the son answers his mother’s pleas by hitting her or slapping her in the face. Second. Now inner activity has been introduced into the course of outward events and is bound to be accompanied by the consequences, which are also outward and worldly. You will not cross it out of the circle of events by a stroke of the pen or verbal denial. It will remain there forever and will always be attached to the person who did it, forcing him to taste its fruits. Third. The Divine grace deserts him, and the person leaves the realm of God and enters the realm of the enemy of God. He drops down, is burdened and feels himself crushed under a kind of weight. The parable about the unclean spirit returning with seven more is fulfilled in him. [Matthew 12.43-45] Gloom, uneasiness, burden – this is the reward of any satisfied passion. Amazing! Until the passion is satisfied by the act, the person expects Paradise from its satisfaction: For you shall be God. [Genesis 3.5] As soon as the passion is satisfied, however, the delusion falls from his eyes, the phantom dissipates, and there is left only emptiness, anguish, upset and burden; the person sees that he is impertinent. He took revenge on his enemy; he expected to be rejoicing, but things have turned out quite differently.
You see what the path is of tormenting yourself with some passion and falling into sin on account of it. Now we shall turn to you. What is possible in you from all that has been said? If your resolution to work for the Lord is sincere; if, having made this decision, you follow the advice given to remember God at all times with fear and reverence; if you watch after yourself strictly; then any inclination within you toward the satisfaction of passionate desire, and all that follows it, will be impossible. However, thoughts, feelings and desires are possible. These are objects of your inner struggle.
Passionate thought, feeling and desire sometimes pass through the soul in a single instant before we know what has happened. In this case they do not make us guilty, if as soon as we recover our senses at the appearance of what is by now desire, we banish them through hostile anger toward them. Our guilt in the intention, feeling and desire is dependent on our procrastination; that is, after observing them we have failed to drive them away, and we dwell on them instead. Drive away the thought, and there will be no feeling or sympathy. Drive away the feeling and with intention, and there will be no desire. Drive away the desire, and there will be no danger or inclination toward the passionate. If, after observing a passionate intention, you dwell on it with attention voluntarily, you are guilty. Why did you occupy yourself with something that you know is God’s enemy and yours? If, however, your attention is involuntarily attracted to the intention, you are not guilty, as long as you immediately turn your attention away from it and drive it out. If, as a result of your willful attention toward a passionate intention, a passionate feeling is engendered, then your guilt is increased a little. But if after detecting the birth of a passionate feeling, you continue to be occupied with the passionate intention, and, consequently, voluntarily provoke the feeling, then your guilt increase to twice what it was previously. If, after detecting a passionate feeling, you rouse yourself and drive it out along with the intention, then you would be guilty only in the fact that you voluntarily occupied yourself with a passionate thought; you are not guilty of the feeling, because such feelings are created through the action of the thoughts. If through the actions of the passionate thought and feeling that have been voluntarily allowed, there is born within you the desire for a passionate action (for example, revenge), then your guilt is increased a little, because desire is created involuntarily from thought and feeling. Your previous guilt remains; why were you occupied with the passionate object, and when a passionate feeling was born from this, why did you allow the feeling to persist and the thought that gave rise to it? Therefore, your guilt is twofold. But if after detecting the passionate desire, you allow it to linger inside you, and do not immediately arm yourself against it, then your guilt increases by one more step; it will be threefold.
I will not go further, because I suppose this is sufficient to warn you.
You see for yourself that if you immediately drive away the passionate thought, then you put and end to the entire struggle. There will be neither feeling, and even more, there will be no desire. Make the decision to act in this way. Why would you draw on yourself the unnecessary labor of struggle, and sometimes even danger, when you have already decided not to allow the passionate being ungodly? If the feeling begins to stir involuntarily along with the thought, immediately chase out the feeling with the thought. If desire involuntarily clings to them, immediately chase out the desire along with them. The moment you discover a passionate impulse within yourself, chase it out. Make this your rule: Do not voluntarily praise either passionate thought, feeling or desire, and immediately chase them away with complete hatred as soon as you detect them. You will always be innocent before God and before your own conscience. There will be within you the impurity of the passions, but also innocence. You will carry out the act of purification (cleansing), laboring diligently at the purifying of your soul.
May the Lord bless you!
The preceding was taken in its entirety from “The Spiritual Life and How to be Attuned to It” by Saint Theophan the Recule, as translated by Alexandra Dockham. St. Herman of Alaska Press. 1995.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
"For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20
Truly the Lord has been with the Greek Orthodox Church these past few days as the Holy Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has been gathered for the 40th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress and Philoptochos (Friends of the Poor) Conference. We have concluded this great event with a fantastic banquet with not only delicious food but God-inspired presentations throughout the week on the life of the Church and the mission to carry the Gospel of Our Lord to all nations.
The theme for this year’s Congress was, “Gather My people to My home, Come and See” based upon John 1.46 and numerous presentations and seminars were offered to inspire our faithful to spread the Good News of Christ’s saving mission to humanity.
It has been a truly inspiring four days gathered as the Body of Christ for worship, fellowship, education and inspiration as our Church looks to the future of our Church. For those who are regular visitors to this blog you know how strongly I feel about sharing Orthodox Christianity as the ancient Christian Faith with everyone but not just for the sake of knowledge. As the Lord says, "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.” (John 15:22) It would truly be a sin to hear the Good News of Christ and not respond.
“Come and see” my dear brothers and sisters. Come and see that the Lord is Good. Come and visit an Orthodox Christian Church near you! Follow the link to the right and search for an Orthodox Church near you and GO AND SEE for yourself!
God bless you!
The theme for this year’s Congress was, “Gather My people to My home, Come and See” based upon John 1.46 and numerous presentations and seminars were offered to inspire our faithful to spread the Good News of Christ’s saving mission to humanity.
It has been a truly inspiring four days gathered as the Body of Christ for worship, fellowship, education and inspiration as our Church looks to the future of our Church. For those who are regular visitors to this blog you know how strongly I feel about sharing Orthodox Christianity as the ancient Christian Faith with everyone but not just for the sake of knowledge. As the Lord says, "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.” (John 15:22) It would truly be a sin to hear the Good News of Christ and not respond.
“Come and see” my dear brothers and sisters. Come and see that the Lord is Good. Come and visit an Orthodox Christian Church near you! Follow the link to the right and search for an Orthodox Church near you and GO AND SEE for yourself!
God bless you!
Monday, June 28, 2010
“It has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” Matthew 13.11
Jesus was known for telling parables during His earthly ministry. It was He preferred method many believe because we understand truths given as stories much better than as a list of facts. We grow up attending school reading and solving “word problems” for this same reason. Jesus said to His Disciples, and therefore to us, “Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear.” (Matthew 13.16)
We have been blessed to receive the truth of God from His own lips in the person of Jesus. This truth has been maintained and protected by the Church since the days of the Apostles as they were commanded by Jesus after His resurrection. “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28.18-20)
This Great Commission, as it is called, commands the Church not only to make disciples of Jesus Christ but gives the Church the responsibility to protect the truth and hand it down to succeeding generations within the Church. We believe this process is being protected by the Holy Spirit as Christ said, “When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth.” (John 16.13)
We have been blessed to receive the truth of God from His own lips in the person of Jesus. This truth has been maintained and protected by the Church since the days of the Apostles as they were commanded by Jesus after His resurrection. “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28.18-20)
This Great Commission, as it is called, commands the Church not only to make disciples of Jesus Christ but gives the Church the responsibility to protect the truth and hand it down to succeeding generations within the Church. We believe this process is being protected by the Holy Spirit as Christ said, “When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth.” (John 16.13)
Friday, June 25, 2010
Who’s Got Your Back? Jesus, That’s Who!
CSI, NCIS, Law and Order…the list goes on. Wherever you turn there is a “cops and robbers” TV show playing. In fact, ½ of the current favorite television programs are based upon this concept and each week partners struggle to fight crime or solve murders. What makes the shows so successful is the partner interaction from show to show and crime to crime where partners “go all out” to watch their partner’s back.
Did you ever wonder, “Who’s got my back?” In the Gospel we hear, “There met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.” (Matthew 8.28) These two men were overcome by such wild demons that they lived among the graves in the wilderness. Even their families could not protect them. I bet they ask themselves, “Who’s got our backs?” every day!
The answer is simple. God does! The demons said to God, “If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.” (Matthew 8.31) God gave them permission and the two men were healed from their struggle and worshiped God. Even though their families were unable to protect these men, God was always watching out for them and never let the demons hurt them beyond their ability. We know this because the men had enough self-control to approach Jesus in the first place.
Just when we think life is out of our control or we have been abandoned, let’s think of this story in the Gospel and remember, “God has our back” and that’s all that really matters.
Did you ever wonder, “Who’s got my back?” In the Gospel we hear, “There met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.” (Matthew 8.28) These two men were overcome by such wild demons that they lived among the graves in the wilderness. Even their families could not protect them. I bet they ask themselves, “Who’s got our backs?” every day!
The answer is simple. God does! The demons said to God, “If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.” (Matthew 8.31) God gave them permission and the two men were healed from their struggle and worshiped God. Even though their families were unable to protect these men, God was always watching out for them and never let the demons hurt them beyond their ability. We know this because the men had enough self-control to approach Jesus in the first place.
Just when we think life is out of our control or we have been abandoned, let’s think of this story in the Gospel and remember, “God has our back” and that’s all that really matters.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
There are some things I just don't get...
There are some things I just don’t get and I don’t mean I don’t understand the science. I actually do. I don’t get the logic. Science is a gift from God and is (or at least is used to be) based upon our ability to observe certain things. For example, as long as we observed that the Sun revolved around the Earth science believed it to be so. Now that we can observe that the Earth revolves around the Sun we know it to be true. The need to absolutely prove facts with empirical evidence is the very foundation of science……until it comes to creation.
Creation is the one area of science that seems to absolutely ignore observation. I was recently watching the Science Channel and a program about creation. The program was discussing Inflation Theory (for more information on Inflation Theory see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflation_(cosmology) ) which attempts through complete fabrication to explain why the universe defies our own observation and logic. In a nutshell scientists can’t figure out why, based upon how we observe the universe NOW, the average temperature throughout the universe is nearly constant. Based upon the current rate of expansion of the universe (that’s the part we can observe) temperature couldn’t possibly be the same if the universe has been expanding ever since the so-called big bang. One of the preeminent authors on this theory, Alan Guth, in The Inflationary Universe, A Quest for a New Theory of Cosmic Origins, wrote, “In the late 1970’s Linde independently invented much of the inflationary universe theory.” (emphasis mine).
Admittedly there are many things about how our world works that we don’t understand nor can we observe them. However, if science is to maintain any sense of integrity, it should remain loyal to empirical evidence. At least the theory of evolution is based on what is observed to be mutations in the fossil record though I reject that also on the basis of having no empirical evidence when it comes to cross-species evolution. There just isn’t any evidence of half-ape/half-man…..there just isn’t. Nor is there any evidence that a fish with a single bad fin could find itself surviving walking on shore.
So I just don’t get it…..God acting in creation is just as observable to science as inflation. Why can’t we just accept that God did it…..it answers many more questions than it raises.
Creation is the one area of science that seems to absolutely ignore observation. I was recently watching the Science Channel and a program about creation. The program was discussing Inflation Theory (for more information on Inflation Theory see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflation_(cosmology) ) which attempts through complete fabrication to explain why the universe defies our own observation and logic. In a nutshell scientists can’t figure out why, based upon how we observe the universe NOW, the average temperature throughout the universe is nearly constant. Based upon the current rate of expansion of the universe (that’s the part we can observe) temperature couldn’t possibly be the same if the universe has been expanding ever since the so-called big bang. One of the preeminent authors on this theory, Alan Guth, in The Inflationary Universe, A Quest for a New Theory of Cosmic Origins, wrote, “In the late 1970’s Linde independently invented much of the inflationary universe theory.” (emphasis mine).
Admittedly there are many things about how our world works that we don’t understand nor can we observe them. However, if science is to maintain any sense of integrity, it should remain loyal to empirical evidence. At least the theory of evolution is based on what is observed to be mutations in the fossil record though I reject that also on the basis of having no empirical evidence when it comes to cross-species evolution. There just isn’t any evidence of half-ape/half-man…..there just isn’t. Nor is there any evidence that a fish with a single bad fin could find itself surviving walking on shore.
So I just don’t get it…..God acting in creation is just as observable to science as inflation. Why can’t we just accept that God did it…..it answers many more questions than it raises.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Holiness is a Process We Call Theosis
Saint Paul said,
For me this is a reminder that just as we got deeper and deeper in sin over time, it will take time for us to become deeper and deeper (or more properly higher and higher) in holiness. Since we did not become totally depraved overnight we should not expect to become totally sinless and holy overnight. This process of becoming holy, what we call Theosis, is a gift of God for repentance but takes genuine effort on our part.
Our effort is what is blessed by God in our decision to obey His desire for us. We must choose to walk in the Light of Christ and be led out of darkness by His Light.
“We have fellowship with one another,” is another way of expressing our intercommunion with each other and Christ within the Church. When we maintain our life within the Church of Christ, we walk in His light. When we depart from the Church we risk walking on our own and becoming lost in the darkness. The Church has been established by God to guide us on our journey toward holiness. The Church offers us tools established by Christ Himself with which the work of Theosis is accomplished.
Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are the three tools that shape our human life modeling our desires and actions after Christ. Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are used to re-train our bodies out of darkness and into the Light of Christ. But these tools are without meaning on our journey to holiness without the Eucharist – Holy Communion. Without Communion prayer is just words, fasting is just a diet and almsgiving is just a tax deduction.
Engage the journey to holiness and embrace Christ!
“And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.” (Romans 6.18-19)
For me this is a reminder that just as we got deeper and deeper in sin over time, it will take time for us to become deeper and deeper (or more properly higher and higher) in holiness. Since we did not become totally depraved overnight we should not expect to become totally sinless and holy overnight. This process of becoming holy, what we call Theosis, is a gift of God for repentance but takes genuine effort on our part.
Our effort is what is blessed by God in our decision to obey His desire for us. We must choose to walk in the Light of Christ and be led out of darkness by His Light.
“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1.5-9)
“We have fellowship with one another,” is another way of expressing our intercommunion with each other and Christ within the Church. When we maintain our life within the Church of Christ, we walk in His light. When we depart from the Church we risk walking on our own and becoming lost in the darkness. The Church has been established by God to guide us on our journey toward holiness. The Church offers us tools established by Christ Himself with which the work of Theosis is accomplished.
Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are the three tools that shape our human life modeling our desires and actions after Christ. Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are used to re-train our bodies out of darkness and into the Light of Christ. But these tools are without meaning on our journey to holiness without the Eucharist – Holy Communion. Without Communion prayer is just words, fasting is just a diet and almsgiving is just a tax deduction.
Engage the journey to holiness and embrace Christ!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Is Christian Humility Un-American?
It has become popular in recent years to speak of the selfishness of Americans. Throughout the world Americans are considered wasteful and greedy when compared to other nations based upon our consumption of natural resources but the ridicule isn’t limited to other nations. Indeed in recent months, United States government officials across our great nation have become very vocal against huge corporations such as BP for caring more about profits and less about the “little people” that make America such a great country. On the surface it might seem even honorable to speak out against such examples of greed and extreme wealth.
However a closer look at both the politicians and others protesting across the country reveals a much different picture. What was once a nation of hard-working honest citizens, has become a nation of lazy “I want it my way” protestors. Even “American Religion” can be characterized as selfish. We want church services to last as long (or more importantly, as short) as WE want them. We want them to look like WE think they should. We even want the church to teach what WE declare to be true. And if anything is said or done that I disagree with the church is wrong and must be corrected!
Christian humility is quite different however. “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof.” (Matthew 8.8) These are the words of a military leader and very powerful member of society. “I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” (Matthew 8.9) In today’s society it would be unheard of for such a powerful man to admit he wasn’t worthy of anything…..let alone a visit from God.
And God honors his humility, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” (Matthew 8.10) True Christian humility understands that, despite our extreme wealth and power (or lack of it) Christ still honors us with life and His blessings. When we show this level of humility to God and those around us, He will say to us, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” (Matthew 8.13)
It might be un-American, but it’s true!
However a closer look at both the politicians and others protesting across the country reveals a much different picture. What was once a nation of hard-working honest citizens, has become a nation of lazy “I want it my way” protestors. Even “American Religion” can be characterized as selfish. We want church services to last as long (or more importantly, as short) as WE want them. We want them to look like WE think they should. We even want the church to teach what WE declare to be true. And if anything is said or done that I disagree with the church is wrong and must be corrected!
Christian humility is quite different however. “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof.” (Matthew 8.8) These are the words of a military leader and very powerful member of society. “I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” (Matthew 8.9) In today’s society it would be unheard of for such a powerful man to admit he wasn’t worthy of anything…..let alone a visit from God.
And God honors his humility, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” (Matthew 8.10) True Christian humility understands that, despite our extreme wealth and power (or lack of it) Christ still honors us with life and His blessings. When we show this level of humility to God and those around us, He will say to us, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” (Matthew 8.13)
It might be un-American, but it’s true!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Fear is not Worth the Worry
At a time when our country was suffering great difficulties a newly elected President said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” When President Franklin D. Roosevelt said these words he wasn’t trying to boost faith in God, admittedly. In the Gospel our Lord says, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” (Matthew 6.32-33)
We gain nothing by worrying. Anxiety cannot heal us. It cannot put food on our table. It cannot put gas in our car. It cannot pay our bills for us. On the other hand doctors have shown us that anxiety DOES put stress on our hearts and can cause high blood pressure and a number of other physical illnesses. Jesus said, “Which of you by your worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” (Matthew 6.27) God has promised to take care of our needs when we choose to obey Him and follow Him.
Our role in our relationship with God is not to sit back and let God pour blessing over us, but to follow Him to His kingdom and to love Him. President Roosevelt led our country into action to work and rebuild a struggling society in 1933 which despite his efforts continues to struggle today. God has sent His Son to lead us into action and rebuild our struggling faith and promises that when we follow Him all our needs will be met and we will inherit eternal life. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6.33)
Fear not…have faith instead!
We gain nothing by worrying. Anxiety cannot heal us. It cannot put food on our table. It cannot put gas in our car. It cannot pay our bills for us. On the other hand doctors have shown us that anxiety DOES put stress on our hearts and can cause high blood pressure and a number of other physical illnesses. Jesus said, “Which of you by your worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” (Matthew 6.27) God has promised to take care of our needs when we choose to obey Him and follow Him.
Our role in our relationship with God is not to sit back and let God pour blessing over us, but to follow Him to His kingdom and to love Him. President Roosevelt led our country into action to work and rebuild a struggling society in 1933 which despite his efforts continues to struggle today. God has sent His Son to lead us into action and rebuild our struggling faith and promises that when we follow Him all our needs will be met and we will inherit eternal life. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6.33)
Fear not…have faith instead!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
God is Calling Us – Are We Even Listening?
He doesn’t know it, but Bill Cosby helped me understand two things: what it’s like to have children and the concept of obedience. And I doubt very seriously if he realized then, or now nearly thirty years later, that both concepts are theological truths. One bit he used to do was called “The Come Here” bit which included yelling, “come here… come here… come here… here here here here here here here here…etc” to his children before they would obey him and come. I have a friend though who has learned how to combat this reality in children. Since his daughter was just a toddler he would call her to come to him. She would come and clean up a mess she had made but sometimes it was just because he needed someone to share ice cream with. The daughter learned that by hearing her father’s call and obeying his call she might get ice cream just as easily as she might have to clean the kitchen. That is one family that has proven Bill Cosby wrong…at least some of the time when their daughter hears and obeys.
At certain times in our lives we all have the opportunity and blessing to obey someone’s call. It may be our parents when we are children or it may be our commanding officer in the military. But one thing is clear; we cannot obey that which we do not hear. That is what made Bill Cosby so funny, not the pain of disobedience so much as the humor of getting his children to hear him in the first place.
In this morning’s Gospel we hear Jesus Christ calling His first Disciples. “Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’” (Matthew 4.19) Peter and Andrew were hard at work fishing when Jesus called to them from the shore. Think of the image for a moment: they were on the water “casting a net into the sea.” (Matthew 4.18) I doubt they were expecting someone to call from the shore and but I’m sure they expected what happened next: “They immediately left their nets and followed Him.” (Matthew 4.20)
Peter and Andrew were disciples of John the Baptist so they were prepared for the Messiah. They were well versed in the Scriptures (Old Testament) to recognize the Lord when He appeared and called to them. They were prepared to drop everything and obey God, and immediately God made good on His promise. “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria.” (Matthew 4.23-24)
John the Baptist was a preacher of repentance and high moral living. His disciples were called to a life dedicated to austere spiritual preparation to receive the Messiah. John the Baptist preached “Repent! Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.” (Matthew 3.3 quoting Isaiah 40.3) When Peter and Andrew heard the voice of the Messiah coming from the shore they dropped everything and followed Him. We can be sure that they didn’t expect ice cream but a life of spiritual discipline and obedience to God.
And their obedience to God was rewarded just like my friend’s daughter is rewarded when she obeys her father. “I will make you fishers of men.” If they obeyed the Lord then they would gather people as plentiful as they used to gather fish in their nets. The Gospel tells us, “Great multitudes followed Him – from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.” (Matthew 4.25) In fact, as we just celebrated two weeks ago on Pentecost, it was Peter who spoke to the multitudes. “And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation.’ Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” (Acts 2.40-41)
My brothers and sisters, the same call goes out to us to be saved from this perverse generation and follow the Lord. Any cursory reading of the daily newspaper reveals a society that has lost its way. Our society has turned away from humility and embraced self-serving pride; turned away from chastity and embraced sexual immorality; turned away from modesty and embraced opulence. It makes one wonder if Jesus were to return today if the newspapers would even run the story for fear the story wouldn’t sell enough newspapers.
Jesus is calling us today to follow Him. Whether we are restaurateurs or lawyers or bankers or teachers or priests, no matter what profession we are, the Lord is calling us today to follow Him and He is expecting us to obey Him. And when we do He will reward us with eternal life. Remember what we heard in the Gospel last week: “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or fathers or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundred fold, and inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19.29)
After the Lord called Peter and Andrew, He called James and John, the sons of Zebedee, “and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.” (Matthew 4.22) James and John left not only their fishing business like Peter and Andrew; they left their father behind. They were willing to be totally vulnerable, without any business to “fall back on” just to be near the Lord and follow Him. Jesus said, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matthew 10.37) James and John loved the Lord more than their fishing business and their father and they were blessed by God for their obedience to follow Him.
Jesus is calling us today my dear brothers and sisters and He will bless us when we obey Him and follow Him. He will bless us like He blessed the Saints we remembered last week for the Feast of All Saints. He will bless us like He blessed Peter and Andrew, James and John. He will bless us when we obey Him so let’s get going.
The time has come for us to drop our fishing nets and follow Jesus Christ to the kingdom and we will become fishers of men and women who will “gladly receive His word” and embrace the Church and a life dedicated to God above all else. Let’s face it; God has already blessed us in our Community. In our Community we have successful business owners, teachers, nurses, bankers, landlords, developers, the list goes on…and that’s just the material blessings. He has blessed us with many healthy, dedicated and loving families who support each other through hard times and sing and dance with each other during joyous times. But He wants more for us. He wants us to welcome Him into our lives gladly and full of love. He wants us to truly live in communion with Him.
He desires for us to know Him intimately through Holy Communion but during the summer there will be many distractions and temptations that will try to draw us away from God. We MUST be willing to follow God and put God FIRST in our lives during the fun-filled summer months. Maybe the words of Saint John Chrysostom will inspire us this morning. He says, “Because such is the obedience which Christ seeks of us, as that we delay not even a moment of time though something absolutely most needful should vehemently press on us.” (Homily XIV on Matthew)
Peter, Andrew, James and John all had VERY IMPORTANT things to do when Jesus called them but they chose to hear and obey His call and immediately followed Him and they were blessed by God. Today the Lord has called us. Will we hear and obey Him or will we make Him call and call and call. Something tells me it won’t be as funny as Bill Cosby’s comedy act and this isn’t for ice cream….it’s for real.
At certain times in our lives we all have the opportunity and blessing to obey someone’s call. It may be our parents when we are children or it may be our commanding officer in the military. But one thing is clear; we cannot obey that which we do not hear. That is what made Bill Cosby so funny, not the pain of disobedience so much as the humor of getting his children to hear him in the first place.
In this morning’s Gospel we hear Jesus Christ calling His first Disciples. “Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’” (Matthew 4.19) Peter and Andrew were hard at work fishing when Jesus called to them from the shore. Think of the image for a moment: they were on the water “casting a net into the sea.” (Matthew 4.18) I doubt they were expecting someone to call from the shore and but I’m sure they expected what happened next: “They immediately left their nets and followed Him.” (Matthew 4.20)
Peter and Andrew were disciples of John the Baptist so they were prepared for the Messiah. They were well versed in the Scriptures (Old Testament) to recognize the Lord when He appeared and called to them. They were prepared to drop everything and obey God, and immediately God made good on His promise. “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria.” (Matthew 4.23-24)
John the Baptist was a preacher of repentance and high moral living. His disciples were called to a life dedicated to austere spiritual preparation to receive the Messiah. John the Baptist preached “Repent! Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.” (Matthew 3.3 quoting Isaiah 40.3) When Peter and Andrew heard the voice of the Messiah coming from the shore they dropped everything and followed Him. We can be sure that they didn’t expect ice cream but a life of spiritual discipline and obedience to God.
And their obedience to God was rewarded just like my friend’s daughter is rewarded when she obeys her father. “I will make you fishers of men.” If they obeyed the Lord then they would gather people as plentiful as they used to gather fish in their nets. The Gospel tells us, “Great multitudes followed Him – from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.” (Matthew 4.25) In fact, as we just celebrated two weeks ago on Pentecost, it was Peter who spoke to the multitudes. “And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation.’ Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” (Acts 2.40-41)
My brothers and sisters, the same call goes out to us to be saved from this perverse generation and follow the Lord. Any cursory reading of the daily newspaper reveals a society that has lost its way. Our society has turned away from humility and embraced self-serving pride; turned away from chastity and embraced sexual immorality; turned away from modesty and embraced opulence. It makes one wonder if Jesus were to return today if the newspapers would even run the story for fear the story wouldn’t sell enough newspapers.
Jesus is calling us today to follow Him. Whether we are restaurateurs or lawyers or bankers or teachers or priests, no matter what profession we are, the Lord is calling us today to follow Him and He is expecting us to obey Him. And when we do He will reward us with eternal life. Remember what we heard in the Gospel last week: “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or fathers or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundred fold, and inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19.29)
After the Lord called Peter and Andrew, He called James and John, the sons of Zebedee, “and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.” (Matthew 4.22) James and John left not only their fishing business like Peter and Andrew; they left their father behind. They were willing to be totally vulnerable, without any business to “fall back on” just to be near the Lord and follow Him. Jesus said, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matthew 10.37) James and John loved the Lord more than their fishing business and their father and they were blessed by God for their obedience to follow Him.
Jesus is calling us today my dear brothers and sisters and He will bless us when we obey Him and follow Him. He will bless us like He blessed the Saints we remembered last week for the Feast of All Saints. He will bless us like He blessed Peter and Andrew, James and John. He will bless us when we obey Him so let’s get going.
The time has come for us to drop our fishing nets and follow Jesus Christ to the kingdom and we will become fishers of men and women who will “gladly receive His word” and embrace the Church and a life dedicated to God above all else. Let’s face it; God has already blessed us in our Community. In our Community we have successful business owners, teachers, nurses, bankers, landlords, developers, the list goes on…and that’s just the material blessings. He has blessed us with many healthy, dedicated and loving families who support each other through hard times and sing and dance with each other during joyous times. But He wants more for us. He wants us to welcome Him into our lives gladly and full of love. He wants us to truly live in communion with Him.
He desires for us to know Him intimately through Holy Communion but during the summer there will be many distractions and temptations that will try to draw us away from God. We MUST be willing to follow God and put God FIRST in our lives during the fun-filled summer months. Maybe the words of Saint John Chrysostom will inspire us this morning. He says, “Because such is the obedience which Christ seeks of us, as that we delay not even a moment of time though something absolutely most needful should vehemently press on us.” (Homily XIV on Matthew)
Peter, Andrew, James and John all had VERY IMPORTANT things to do when Jesus called them but they chose to hear and obey His call and immediately followed Him and they were blessed by God. Today the Lord has called us. Will we hear and obey Him or will we make Him call and call and call. Something tells me it won’t be as funny as Bill Cosby’s comedy act and this isn’t for ice cream….it’s for real.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Obedience Begins with Hearing
In the Orthodox Church we often refer to “hearing the Gospel” rather than just reading it, especially in the context of Liturgy. One basic reason is that we must first hear the word of God before we can obey the Word of God. Saint Paul says, “How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10.14,17) Even the word “obey” (υπακοή in Greek) is derived from “listen” (ακούω in Greek) leading us to this see the connection between listening and obeying.
In the Gospel of Matthew we hear Christ calling His first Apostles: “Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ They immediately left their nets and followed Him.” (Matthew 4.19-20) Peter and Andrew were not only brothers; they were also followers of Saint John the Baptist who had taught them the Lord was coming. The Baptist pointed to Jesus and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’” (John 1.29-30)
The first Apostles heard about Jesus from John the Baptist and were fully prepared to obey Jesus Christ when He called to them. We now have heard the same call from Christ to follow Him. Are we ready to obey?
In the Gospel of Matthew we hear Christ calling His first Apostles: “Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ They immediately left their nets and followed Him.” (Matthew 4.19-20) Peter and Andrew were not only brothers; they were also followers of Saint John the Baptist who had taught them the Lord was coming. The Baptist pointed to Jesus and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’” (John 1.29-30)
The first Apostles heard about Jesus from John the Baptist and were fully prepared to obey Jesus Christ when He called to them. We now have heard the same call from Christ to follow Him. Are we ready to obey?
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