Our Ancestors

Our spiritual ancestors lived dedicated Orthodox Christian lives, willing even at times to sacrifice everything they had for the truth of God. Our physical ancestors made sacrifices too, many coming from far off lands with just a few dollars in their pocket, so that we could have a better life. The better life our ancestors sought was not only about houses and cars. The better life they sought included building a Church at the center of our life.

Where is the Denial?

Jesus Christ invites every human being to follow Him to heaven with the challenge to “deny himself, take up his cross and follow.” Ever since Adam and Eve in the Garden, we have struggled with following our own will or the will of God. But if we desire to follow Christ to heaven, the first thing we must do is deny ourselves. Problem is.....most of us don’t do well with the denial part of following Christ.

 

You Simply Cannot Follow Christ Following Yourself

We all struggle with it. We all are tempted by it. We all want to make it happy. What is it? IT is our ego. Ever since Eve turned her eyes away from God and “saw the tree was good for food, was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree beautiful to contemplate,” (Genesis 3.6 SAAS) we human beings have been in a war between following God and following our ego. And we all know who was winning the war....until Christ came 2000 years ago.

When God became a human being, just like one of use “yet without sin” (Hebrews 4.15 NKVJ) He introduced a way we could finally win the war. He gave us the Cross. Jesus said, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 8.34) But before we are able to take up our cross and follow, we must FIRST deny ourselves. The mistake Eve made in the Garden, long before she ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, was that she turned her eyes away from God and followed her herself.

The mission of Christ is to restore what was lost in the Garden, and to complete His original plan for us to be in communion with Him. His part is finished. He defeated death by dying on the Cross, being buried and then resurrected. He join us to His divinity when He ascended to His Throne in Heaven. The rest is up to us follow Him into Heaven. But before we can follow Him we have to stop following ourselves.

What's the deal with death?

Our “Ask Father” sermons each summer are quite popular, but there are always more questions than Sundays on which to preach an answer. Therefore, I have decided I would continue to entertain questions throughout the year and provide answers here on the blog. You never know....maybe YOUR question will become a sermon some day! Please use the “tell us what you think” button to the left to submit your questions.

This question was submitted via our YouTube Channel...

My question is, why do we say that death entered the world when Adam and Eve sinned. Notwithstanding the teachings on this subject from the Holy scriptures, ie, Gods commandments made know to Adam and Eve, and in there disobeying Him, the consequences, God said to them for if & when you eat of the tree of good and evil, you shall surely die. Is God just referring to a spiritual death, as well as a physical death of humans, (that's the only conclusion i can come to) for these sayings. But why does the Church say then that death entered the world after the fall of Adam and Eve. Because we learn from science, physics relics, from antiquity, that the evidence is quiet, overwhelming, that death has been around for billions of years, long before the human species ever came into existence. Surely, death of all things that was ever brought into existence, has followed the same predictable pattern for billions of years, plants, animals, stars, galaxies, suns moons, all are born, all mature, and eventually, all die. How do we substantiate, this claim that the Church, in fact most Christian, religion makes the same claim, that death entered the world from the sin of Adam and Eve. Would very much appreciate hearing back from you, maybe, shed some light on how we are to reconcile this issue in our own minds today, with all the advancements and knowledge that science has shown us, even proved through math, and relics.

– Question submitted by James (Demetri)

Thank you for your question Demetri. Let me begin with a clarification between the death of Adam and Eve as distinct from the death of plants and animals. God commanded our ancestors, “You may eat food from every tree in the garden; but from the tree of knowledge of good and evil you may not eat; for in whatever day you eat from it, you shall die by death.” (Gen 2.16-17 SAAS) This commandment was directed at Adam. I am not aware of any Church Father equating Adam’s death due to sin, with the death of every living creature on Earth. Saint Athanasios comments about Adam’s flesh rotting in the grave, but does not refer to other plants and animals. The fact that science reveals that plants and animals have been dying for so many years before modern man appeared on Earth is not in conflict with Genesis. This would be a good time to remind you that the Church does not ignore science as a God-given talent which ASSISTS us in understanding His creation. God’s creation was given to us to help us reach God.

That brings me to my next point about the consequences of Original Sin. Humans, having been placed within creation, are expected to live as part of creation as lord of creation. There is an important symbiotic relationship between lord and subject. As a consequence of The Fall this symbiotic relationship has been disrupted. God said, “Because you heeded the voice of your wife, and ate from the one tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it,’ cursed is the ground in your labors. In toil you shall eat form it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground from which you were taken.” (Gen 3.17-19 SAAS) This teaches us that the struggle between man and creation, rather than the death of plants and animals, is a consequence of The Fall.

As lord of creation (small “l” since God is the LORD of creation) our sin affects the creation. Our greed causes us to abuse creation for profit, causing excessive pollution of our air and water. Our lust causes us to rape the soil of nutrients so we can eat till our heart is content leaving soil barren and in need of chemical fertilizers. Our thirst to live wherever we please, irrespective of natural resources, causes or rivers to run dry. I think you get the point...

I pray this helps.

Arise O God and Judge the Earth

On Holy and Great Saturday we gather in the early morning for what is known as the First, or Small, Resurrection. The Great Vespers of Pascha includes prophecies from Jonah in which we witness the resurrection of Christ foretold to us centuries before it ever took place. Then something glorious takes place after the Old Testament Readings and Epistle.

Instead of the normal Alleluia verses, the Church rings out with bells and singing. “Arise O God and judge the Earth, for You shall rule all nations through Your inheritance.” Bay leaves fly through the Church as even the Earth celebrates the announcement that Christ is no longer in the Tomb.

The Church celebrates Christ’s journey to Hades and His raising of Adam and Eve, John the Baptist and the rest of the righteous men and women of the Old Testament. The Church celebrates Christ rescuing us from death.

Today is the ONLY Saturday of the entire year when strict fasting is practiced to commemorate Christ’s time in Hades. We will celebrate with Him again when He is resurrected. Until tonight, we celebrate in anticipation of His victory. 

A Judas Kiss

Today the Church commemorates the first Eucharist Jesus Christ celebrated with His Disciples prior to going to the Cross. As we’ve discussing this week, our Holy Week journey has been about the choice between living a life in communion with God, and living a life focused upon our desires and wants. One leads to life; the other does not.

During every Divine Liturgy we pray:

When He had come and fulfilled for our sake the entire plan of salvation, on the night in which He was delivered up, or rather when He delivered Himself up for the life of the world, He took bread in His holy, pure, and blameless hands, and, giving thanks and blessing, He hallowed and broke it, and gave it to His holy disciples and apostles, saying: Take, eat, this is My Body, which is broken for you for the remission of sins. Likewise, after partaking of the supper, He took the cup, saying, Drink of this, all of you; this is My Blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins.

With these words our Lord established what we now call Holy Communion, the Holy Eucharist. With these words our Lord calls us to take action to join Him in Holy Communion, but that call comes with a price. He also called His Disciples to join Him, but one of the Twelve betrayed Him. One of the Twelve chose His agenda rather than follow Christ. The betrayal of Judas was not just that he sold Jesus to the Jewish elite leaders, but that he was unable to see past his agenda to see that Christ had a different plan of salvation.

The Fathers teach that even if Adam and Eve had not disobeyed God and brought sin, and therefore death, into the world, Jesus still would have become incarnate to join humanity to the divinity of God. That much of God’s plan has always been in play. The clues to understanding this are in this prayer from the Liturgy. “Plan of salvation” “He delivered Himself up” “Giving thanks” “for the remission of sins” are all terms that reveal what God had always intended to do for humanity. So what changed?

When Adam and Eve broke the initial communion we enjoyed with God, death entered into our existence. At that point, Jesus would have to die in order to be fully human. There was only one problem; sin is the wages of death. Since Jesus never sinned, He would never have died of natural causes. He had to be killed. And that brings us to Judas.

During what is known as the Last Supper, Jesus told Judas “What you do, do quickly.” (John 13.27) Jesus allowed Judas to misunderstand the plan. When Judas betrayed Jesus to the leaders, he thought he was helping begin the revolution to defeat the Romans. Judas believed he was helping Jesus’ plan, which he was. But Jesus’ plan was not Judas’ plan.

When Judas finally realized he had the plan all wrong, he couldn’t handle his failure and killed himself. We often get God’s plan wrong too, but we are blessed that God has given us the Church and Holy Week to bring us back to Him through Holy Confession and the various ancient services of the Church. Thankfully, today we can enter the Church with faith and receive the most precious Body and Blood of Christ, and live forever. We don’t have to make the same mistakes as Judas. We don’t have to betray God with a kiss to initiate His plan. We only need to go to Church.

The Devil Never Stops

The other day I invited you to let me know how your Great Lenten Journey was going by using the “Tell us what you think” form on my website. Today’s Daily Lenten Journey post is a response to a comment I received yesterday....“Once I set foot out of the church it seems the devil is always trying to trip me up. More so during lent than not.”

One of the allures of a monastery is that many people think monastics don’t have temptations like those of us in the world. This is especially true when we visit a monastery for a few hours and return home filled with peace and looking forward to growing closer to God once we return to our routine. Then suddenly, once we step across the property line (it seems) the devil begins with a vengeance trying to beat us down. The same thing can, and often does, happen when we attend Lenten services in the Church. Once we leave the Church, the temptations start all over again. When this happens to you, first you must understand YOU ARE NOT IMAGINING THINGS. The devil is indeed trying harder to trip you up.

Great Lent, if we are taking it seriously as our Daily Lenten Journey has been urging us, is a period of INCREASED spiritual intensity, similar to a visit to a monastery. First we shouldn’t be surprised that while in the Church for Lenten services (or any services for that matter) we feel closer to God. We are in His physical presence. Secondly, we should not be surprised that we notice the real difference between the temptations inside the Church (there are ALWAYS temptations) and temptations outside the Church. As the Church teaches, and we sing in the Cherubic Hymn, “Let us lay aside all earthly cares that we may receive the King of All,” when we enter the Church (Heaven on Earth) we change our focus, or at least we should.

Everything seems fine so long as we are inside the Church, smelling the incense, hearing the bells, singing with the chanters or choir, venerating the Holy Icons and Relics, and feeling the hard marble floor on our knees as we do our prostrations as we worship God. This will in fact lift our spirit closer to God. Then we leave the Church and return to the world. Remember our Daily Lenten Journey post from earlier about Adam and Eve being kicked out of the Garden. Once they left the comfort of the Garden they (we) had to suffer the reality of a world without God’s protection.

In a similar way, though God DOES protect us, when we leave the Church after services and return to the world, we are entering a world that is not focused on God. Just as Adam and Eve had to focus attention on survival, so do we have to survive. Our attention outside the Church is suddenly returned to “How am I going to pay the bills this week?” And once we begin to turn our attention away from God, as Eve turned her attention toward the Tree in the Garden, the devil has an open window through which to attack. And attack he does.

So why does he try more during Great Lent than at other times? There are two reasons. First, he isn’t actually trying harder. We might just be more aware of his temptations because we are working harder to remain focused on God. Imagine Eve in the Garden for a moment. Imagine she has her back to the Tree and staring constantly at God. The devil might be jumping up and down behind her, but she never realizes. This is like us being in Church during Great Lent. Then she turns and sees the Tree and seeing its beauty and imagining how tasty is must be (See the story in Genesis 3), she also sees the devil jumping up and down next to the Tree trying to get her attention. NOW, she has to work harder at ignoring the devil’s temptation along with the Tree and turn her eyes back toward God. The more she contemplates the Tree, the harder it gets to turn her eyes away.

The second reason is seems like the devil is trying harder during Great Lent is because he is trying harder. Once Eve turned her attention completely toward the Tree the devil had to work much less to convince her to eat the fruit. The truth is, the more the devil has our attention the less he has to work for it.

So during Great Lent, when we are working more intensely to focus our attention on God, the devil has to work harder to compete for our attention, and the more we focus on God the more we are aware the devil is behind us jumping up and down. So it isn’t surprising that you feel greater temptations during Great Lent once you leave the Church, but that doesn’t mean you give up the fight. It just means you are making progress. The more you work to keep your attention on God, the more the devil has to work to get your attention away from Him. Whatever you do, don’t give up because the devil never stops!

Using the link to the left, “Tell us know what you think” and let us know about your Lenten Journey, and we can share your story with others. Together we can help each other Live A New Life In Christ.

The Soul of Man Yearns for God

In today’s reading from Genesis we heard, “At that time men began to call upon the name of the LORD.” (Genesis 4.26) As you read Genesis over and over (I suggest reading as often as you can) you will begin to see the story flow. The daily readings break the story up in ‘easy-to-read’ segments which sometimes make it difficult to appreciate the flow of the story. Today’s reading (read Genesis 4.16-26) includes the departure of Cain with his lineage, and then the story returns to Adam and Eve with the birth of Seth. The reading concludes with a hint at our soul’s yearning...but you have to step back to really see it.

As you step back and look again at the creation story you will remember that man is created in the Image of God. In the dialogue following the Fall, we see clues that the Image has been clouded. “Now he has become like one of Us,” (Genesis 3.22) are the final words before we were expelled from the Garden. Now today we see immediately that “men began to call upon the Lord.” Don’t let anyone fool you. Religion is not man-made, but a result of our soul’s attempt to return to God.

Our Great Lenten Journey allows our soul the opportunity to spend more time with God, rather than the hectic temptations the world has to offer. But we must make the effort to set aside time for our soul to commune with God. What a perfect opportunity this evening by attending the Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts in your Church? Give your soul what it yearns, give it Holy Communion.

A New Week; A not-so-new Journey

As we begin the second week of Great Lent, the readings from the Old Testament continue with the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise, something the Church just one week ago highlighted on Forgiveness Sunday. Here is the blog I wrote about Forgiveness Sunday and the importance of seeking forgiveness during Great Lent. If you haven’t been to confession in a while, this would be a good time to make an appointment with your spiritual father for Holy Confession.

Today Readings from Genesis 3:21-4:7 -  And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins, and clothed them.  Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever"- therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken.  He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.  Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD."  And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground.  In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.  The LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen?  If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is couching at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it."

As our readings continue in Genesis, I invite you first to consider the journey you are on this year. Have you sinned? We all have. It is because of sin that humanity now must struggle to stay alive outside the Garden. Do you struggle to keep the fast? We all struggle. It will be the struggle that helps you see your sin and urges you to repentance.

Secondly, I invite you to consider your fasting as an offering to God. Is your offering out of love or obligation? Cain made an offering to God out of obligation, while his brother Abel offered the best he had to God out of love. The Lord accepted the offering of Abel rather than Cain, which cause great anger in Cain. If you are fasting out of obligation, without love for God, then as the Lord warned Cain, “Sin is crouching at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

This week, you are bound to encounter more emotion in regard to the fast. You will begin to ask yourself why those around you are not fasting, but they don’t seem any less blessed AND they get to enjoy their steak sandwich. You may find yourself getting angry that YOU are being obedient and YOU should be rewarded. Why are YOU struggling? Is it worth it? That will be the moment you need to re-read our Genesis lesson today, and pray you don’t fall victim to the anger as did Cain. Ask the Lord to take away your anger, and replace it with His peace. Fortunate for you, you are on the same journey as millions of other Orthodox Christians this year, and hundreds of millions over the centuries.

Don’t give up! It is only a new week; it is a not-so-new journey.

Have a blessed Lent,

Father Athanasios

God Knows What He is Doing

Today’s reading from Proverbs begins, “The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens; by his knowledge the deeps broke forth, and the clouds drop down the dew.” (Proverbs 3.19) As the first week of Great Lent draws to a close, this wisdom from the Holy Scriptures should comfort us that God knows what He is doing.

Allow me to explain....

This week Scripture readings reminded us of the story of Creation, the Fall of humanity, and God’s plan for salvation. “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."  (Genesis 3.15) Since Great Lent is a time for us to dedicate effort to restoring our relationship with God, our part at least, it is always good to know where it all started. God created, our ancestors fell, God saved.

God saved? YES! The Old Testament readings this weekend concluded with God’s promise to save us from our predicament. Once we had sinned and death had entered into our existence, God immediately enacted a plan to defeat death. When the Old Testament readings continue on Monday (during Great Lent we read Old Testament Monday-Friday and New Testament Saturday and Sunday) the story will switch to the first phase of God’s plan. (I’ll talk more about Monday)

In the meantime, Proverbs encourages us to have faith that God knows what He is doing. It was by WISDOM He founded the earth. It was by UNDERSTANDING He established the heavens. It was by His KNOWLEDGE the deeps broke forth. All these are important to remember. God knew what He was doing when He created, and He knows what He is doing to save us.

Our part in His plan is to desire to follow Him into heaven. It is during Great Lent when we are able to focus our attention on defeating our passions since it was our passions that tempted us to sin in the first place. It is during Great Lent when we are able to use food (or lack of it) to repair the sin that eating the forbidden fruit which brought death into existence in the first place. It is during Great Lent that our increased prayer allows us to communicate with God since we had ignored His advice in the Garden.

We’ve come a long way this week in our understanding of the great journey that is ahead of us. You’ve gotten through the first week, and you should offer a prayer of thanksgiving to God that He allowed you this opportunity. The weekend changes emphasis. We will still be fasting, but our fasting will not be as strict. Stay tuned...

Forgiveness is Central

Tomorrow is Forgiveness Sunday in the Orthodox Church. It is the last day before the Great Fast, a period of intense prayer and fasting in preparation for the Passion of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ. On Forgiveness Sunday, the Church commemorates the expulsion from paradise of Adam and Eve. You may wonder why the Church focuses our attention on Adam and Eve when the Gospel lesson for the day teaches about prayer and fasting.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 6:14-21 - The Lord said, "If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. "And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men.  Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.  But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

For us to properly understand the importance of forgiveness in our Great Lenten journey, consider what actually took place when Adam and Eve were expelled from paradise.

Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever" -- therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. (Genesis 3.22-23)

If only Adam and Eve had asked God for forgiveness, things may have ended up differently. Being expelled from Paradise allowed Adam and Eve to be saved by God. If they had remained in the Garden in their fallen state, and then had eaten from the Tree of Life, they (WE) would have been eternally condemned. So God SAVED us from ourselves when He expelled Adam and Eve from Paradise. Without forgiveness we remain outside the Gates of Paradise as Adam and Eve.

One basic core of Forgiveness Sunday is to ask forgiveness from everyone as you prepare to begin Great Lent. In many Churches, a special Forgiveness Vespers is celebrated giving ever member of the Community the opportunity to ask others for forgiveness, all to remind us of the alternative which is expulsion from Paradise. Something to consider as we prepare for our Great Lenten journey. 

You Just Can’t ‘Go It Alone’

Moments before calling His first disciples, Jesus invited a group of fishermen to cast out their nets in a place where they had fished the night before with absolutely no success. When they did as He commanded, “they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.” (Luke 5.6-7) It was only together that they were able to haul in the greatest catch they would ever see. It was at this moment; they dropped their nets and followed Christ.

There are many times in our lives that we are tempted to ‘go it alone’ rather than depend upon the helping hand of others. We are often too proud to look to the experience and knowledge of others to help us get to where we are going. And it is too often that we find ourselves lost and unable to accomplish our goal simply because we refuse to call out and signal to our partners that we need their help. So why do still insist on trying to go it alone?

You could call it our fallen human condition. Ever since Adam and Eve, we have been trying to live independently from God, even though we, like the fishermen, keep coming up short. As human beings, we were created to live in communion with God and each other, not as isolated individuals. In fact it is only when we accept the invitation of God to join Him, that we can finally accomplish our true purpose. And what is our true purpose? Entering into heaven and living eternally with God, and we can’t do THAT alone......that’s for sure.

Questions and Answers: What do the Fathers say about mental illness?

In the final episode of our special questions and answers summer sermon series, we have attempted to share with you a brief introduction to how the Church Fathers may be able to guide us in understanding, or at least coping with, mental illness. Taken from the perspective of science as informer to the Church in terms of how we understand the human brain, the Fathers offer us the vantage point of understanding our original state, namely that humans were created in the image and likeness o God. In the case of mental illness as “not the normal” we may better understand the affect of sin on the human soul and mind, and work toward healing which is only possible in Christ.

Don’t You Think It’s Time We Take Responsibility for Ourselves?

Ever since Adam and Eve refused responsibility for their disobedience of God, (See Genesis 3.12-13) the “stain of original sin” has plagued each of us. We each have inherited a fallen world in which we EACH have a proclivity toward sin. We can’t seem to avoid it. Even Saint Paul acknowledged this “war inside” of us in which we do that which do not wish to do, and don’t do that which we wish to do. (See Romans 7.15-25)

So, when will we finally learn to take responsibility for our sins? Many people are of the opinion that their sins do not affect the “greater society” with all the talk of so-called victimless crimes. BUT the reality is that our sins DO have an effect on others. Just consider the recent recall of GRACO infant seats. In an article today, it was announced that GRACO “gave in” to pressure to include the infant seats in a recall because “Buckles can get gummed up by food and drinks, and that could make it hard to remove children.” The article STATES “The company says there have been no injuries reported because of the problem.” So let me get this correct......NOBODY has been hurt, but because some parents don’t clean their infant and car seats, food and drink “gum up” the buckles so the COMPANY has to spend millions to replace dirty buckles? PLEASE!

I’m not against product safety standards. I’m not even against reasonable oversight, but in THIS case we’re not talking about straps that didn’t safely restrain children or infants in accidents. How much you want to bet that the “new buckle design” will eventually be found not strong enough because it had to be altered to accommodate parents “lack of cleaning habits?”

Now before you get all “we have to protect our children” on me, you must understand this post isn’t about child safety, nor is about government agencies. It IS about personal responsibility. When we sin, we MUST stop trying to pass the buck. Our friends can’t make us sin. The most relaxed safety standards can’t make us sin. Even the devil can’t make us sin. WE SIN, and it’s about time we take responsibility for our behavior.

Christ understood this when He granted the Church authority to forgive sins. The Church understood this when it commanded the confessor to fully consider the heart of the penitent in “meting out mercy.” That is the gift of Holy Confession. WE take responsibility for our sin, and engage in a life of repentance to grow ever closer to Christ.

Take responsibility for your sin, and schedule Holy Confession with your Priest TODAY!

Sayings and No Sayings...

There is a long-standing strain of self-proclaimed innocence that has plagued humanity since Adam and Eve. We tend to deflect fault for our actions while accusing the actions of others....I recently posted this on Facebook to which the included discussion ensued. I post it here (with the other name deleted) to make the point of why the Church struggles to engage society....

A few sayings I can't seem to find in the Scriptures.....
"And Jesus said to them, 'I love you just the way you are, keep sinning.'"
"And Jesus said to them, 'I made you that way, so there's no need to repent.'"
or my favorite...
"And Jesus said to them, 'You're not perfect like Me and My Father. Don't bother yourself so much trying to be prefect."

But what He did say was...
"See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you." John 5.14
 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 4.17
"Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." Matthew 5.48

READER But you don't think of gay people if you say this, do you?

Like · Reply · 1 hr

Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ Why do you ask?

Like · 1 hr

READER 

Because this argument is always used against people who live their homosexuality in a partnership.

Like · 1 hr

Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ Why are YOU asking ME this question? Do you think I am doing this? Are you homosexual? There has to be a reason you ask at this moment.

Like · 1 hr

READER  I asked wether you do so. If so, I would feel disparaged.

Like · 1 hr

Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ So are you living your homosexuality in a partnership?

Like · 1 hr

Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ And do you subscribe to the belief that because we are made a certain way, we must not be asked to repent?

Like · 58 mins

READER  okay, I see you don't want to say whether you mean your posting in a homophobic way.
So I suspect that you do so. sorry for annoying you. You can delete my questians. I will go now. Good bye and God bless you.i

Like · 52 mins

Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ If you have EVER read my blog, you would know that my posts are always what they say. You would know that I believe ALL sin must be repented from, whether sexual sexual sin, financial sins, health sin. ALL SIN separates us from God. You seem to want to fight about homosexuality, I'm not......so if you want a discussion, we need to get things out in the open.

Like · 50 mins

READER  All sin must be repented. I have no problem with that. But I would have a problem with you if you would say living homolsexuality, even in a devoted partnership, is sinful.

Like · 46 mins

Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ OK. So we can discuss. I do. That being said, can you explain why you don't?

Like · 45 mins

Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ Let's use the word "share" why you don't rather than explain....

Like · 44 mins

Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ One more thing.....do you consider yourself Orthodox?

Like · 42 mins

READER  Because you can't justify with the Holy Scripture that love between homosexuals is sin.
Because Christ said that to love God and our neighbor, that's all the law is about. So love never can be sinful....See More

Like · 40 mins

Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ Ok, we need to agree on some terms.....when I hear/read "living homosexuality" it includes sexual activity. Do I hear you correctly?

Like · 39 mins

READER  you do, yes. Of course.

Like · 38 mins

Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ Also, so we can have everything on the table.....are you gay living in a homosexual relationship?

Like · 38 mins

READER  I am gay, yes. And I had a relationship. But not at the moment.

Like · 36 mins

Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ I make a HUGE distinction between the love God calls us to and sexual activity, so let's separate the points. I am commanded to love my enemies. Does that love equal the love I have for my wife?

Like · 36 mins

Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ Were you born gay? I do believe that is possible by the way

Like · 35 mins

READER  I don't want to argue this way. God made you hetero sexual, and made me gay. He allows you to have a wife and have sexual activity with her.
Why shouldn't he allow this to me, if he made me as i am?

Like · 33 mins · Edited

Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ But this is my point. You and I don't have the same struggle. Are you obese? I am

Like · 32 mins · Edited

Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ I can either eat my way into a coma, or accept that God desires something BETTER for me than just food. I am called to repent from gluttony and live without being able to eat whatever or whenever I desire.

Like · 30 mins

Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ This is the root of the "God made me that way" part of my original post. We are ALL made in the image of God, but we are ALL fallen, and God desires for ALL of us to repent and draw closer to Him.

Like · 29 mins

Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ I have a confession coming in soon, so I may have to pause, but I will be back.

Like · 29 mins

READER  but now you compare sinful behaviour or illness with homosexuality. And that is my point. that's unfair.

Like · 28 mins

Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ my desire for too much food in sinful, it isn't an illness

Like · 27 mins

Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ your desire is for sex, that isn't an illness either

Like · 26 mins

Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ Life isn't about food OR sex, it is about living in Communion with God

Like · 26 mins

Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ We all desire certain things that God doesn't desire for us. The Orthodox Way of life is about "deny yourself, take up your cross" and following Christ. That makes each of our struggle unique. Your cross is your sexuality, mine is over-eating.

Like · 24 mins

READER  my cross is to live in a church that dares to forbid me to love. That is my problem.

Like · 20 mins

Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ NO. Your Church does NOT forbid you to love. That is my point. Your Church is here to assist you in your struggle to deny your passions and unite with God. I think our society has done you a HUGE disservice if you think the Church said, just because you can't marry, you are somehow forbidden to love. The society has projected that on the Church.

Like · 18 mins

READER  There can't be a different criterion for heteros or gay concerning gays.

Like · 18 mins

Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ I don't understand that one....

Like · 18 mins

Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ Your Church dares you to love God MORE than yourself and your fallen passions, just as it does for me.

Like · 17 mins

READER  Concsrning seyuality,I meant. have to struggle to deny my passions, only because I am gay. And you, because you are hetero can live you passions?

Like · 16 mins · Edited

READER  to be gay and to love men ist not fallen passsion. thats church doctrin. but from yesterday.

Like · 15 mins · Edited

Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ Let's look at it from another direction, which (I presume) neither of us has an interest.....There are arguably (if you trust social science) members of our society that "were born" sociopaths or murderers or deceitful. Would we EVER suggest 'they' don't have to repent?

Like · 13 mins

READER  There is no scriptural background for you sayings, if you do a sorrow exegesis of the handful of texts that are used against us..

Like · 13 mins · Edited

READER  Good bye. It is offending to compare me as gay with sociopaths or murderers.
I won't write anymore and block you. It's unbearable. this homophobia.

Like · 12 mins · Edited

Forgiveness is Key

The key to salvation is the gift of forgiveness. Jesus says, "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6.14-15) If we want to enter the gates of Heaven, we must use the key provides to us in forgiveness. 

Clean Monday; A Reminder of Where it all Began

During the next seven weeks, we shall be invited by the Church to spend our days in prayer, fasting, reading Scriptures, helping the poor, and participating in the Divine Services of the Church. By the time of Pascha, we will have read Genesis, Isaiah, and Proverbs in their entirety.

As we begin our Great Lenten journey, we return to the beginning with a reading from Genesis which tells of the first three days of creation. This is combined with the opening verses of Isaiah which tell of a people who have no longer know their God.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day. Then God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters." Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day. Then God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth"; and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the third day. Genesis 1.1-13

The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: "I have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against Me; The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master's crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider." Alas, sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD, They have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, They have turned away backward. Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, And the whole heart faints. From the sole of the foot even to the head, There is no soundness in it, But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; They have not been closed or bound up, Or soothed with ointment. Your country is desolate, Your cities are burned with fire; Strangers devour your land in your presence; And it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. So the daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard, As a hut in a garden of cucumbers, As a besieged city. Unless the LORD of hosts Had left to us a very small remnant, We would have become like Sodom, We would have been made like Gomorrah. Hear the word of the LORD, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the law of our God, You people of Gomorrah: "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?" Says the LORD. "I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, Or of lambs or goats. "When you come to appear before Me, Who has required this from your hand, To trample My courts? Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies -- I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword"; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. Isaiah 1.1-20

It is important for us to be reminded of two things on this first day of the Great Fast. First, that God is the source of all life. It is because God desires life to flourish on the Earth that in fact it does flourish sometimes even despite our lack of proper care. Great Lent is our annual journey to prepare for the Feast of Feasts, Pascha; the conquering of sin and death by our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ. With this reminder of our humble beginnings on Earth and the reality that humanity has a long history of turning our back on God that we can embark upon these next seven weeks with a proper intent.

Great Lent isn’t about self denial and punishment meant to somehow “repay” God for suffering on the Cross. Great Lent isn’t about “religiously” following a list of rules in order to earn favor with God. Great Lent isn’t about offering God “many prayers,” as He will not hear for our lack of sincerity. Too many people journey through Great Lent as if we are cramming for a final exam and need some extra credit points because we’re not fully prepared. There are no extra points that can earn our entrance into heaven.

We were created to commune with God, and His creation is supposed to assist us in finding Him, but we have chosen instead to use creation for our own selfish demands.

Eve “saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” (Genesis 3.6)

We continue to abuse His creation for our own selfish needs, so Great Lent is given to us as an opportunity to return to our ancient “relationship” with His creation, to find God. During Great Lent, our fasting is meant to focus our attention on Him rather than ourselves. Limiting what and how much we eat is designed to assist us in repairing the broken understanding of food.

The great Prophet Isaiah reminds us of God’s promise, despite our former rejection of Him.

"Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword"; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. – Isaiah 1.18-20

Great Lent is our opportunity to express our willingness to be obedient to Him rather than serve our own desires. Though our sins are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Then we shall be restored to our original glory and commune with God. We will once again enjoy the blessings of Paradise and eat the good of the land, unless we refuse and rebel…..

Have a blessed Great Lenten journey!

What do you think about the Church?

When Jesus began His public ministry with the words, “Repent; for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand,” He was commanding us to change the way we look at life. He was asking us to change the way we think of Church? Many think the Church is just another place we gather to pray to God, but it is much more than that.

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Partial Truth is More Dangerous

When the Devil tempted Eve in the Garden, he began with a partial truth to distract her.

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" (Genesis 3.1)

As Eve “tried” to explain, God never said she couldn’t eat of EVERY tree, but by that time she was already distracted from God’s original commandment. The Devil tricked Eve into a dialogue that would eventually end up in destruction.

God’s commandment to love one another does not rest is the treatment of others, but the love of God. Our love for others radiates from our love for God. In fact all of God’s commandments originate in loving God, and desiring to live in communion with Him.

“If you love Me, keep my commandments.” (John 14.15)

Many people obey the commandments of God without loving Him first. Many people feed the hungry, cloth the naked, visit the sick, and give the thirsty a drink, without loving God. So there must be something deeper than just treating others with respect.

Don’t be distracted by partial truths about God’s love. Focus on LOVING God and be willing to do whatever it takes to live in communion with Him. One of the most dangerous partial truths, is, “God loves all people, no matter what.” While this is true, it is almost always used to defend a certain behavior in which God doesn’t want us to engage. God also says, “Sin no more,” (John 5.14 & 8.11) to the paralytic and the adulterous woman.

Just as between Eve and the serpent, accepting a partial truth creates a false premise which never leads back to truth. Be wary when someone begins a discussion with such statements as defense for a certain behavior, as it might lead to destruction.

Want a real truth?

God love you, and He wants you to love Him more than ANYONE else, including yourself! Try that truth on for size.

We All Come from Someone

Every year on the Sunday before Christmas, the Church tells us of the ancestry of Jesus Christ. Anyone who has been Orthodox Christian for a while can remember the Gospel. “The Book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham. Abraham begot Isaac….etc” (Matthew 1.1-17) In the Gospel of Luke, the ancestry of Jesus is told even from Joseph, the betrothed of Mary, and declares Jesus, “the son of Adam, the son of God.” (Luke 3.38)

It is important to know where we come from, and what our ancestors believed. In Jesus’ case, He is from God and His human ancestors were righteous people of God. Have you ever researched your ancestors to discover your roots? We all come from someone; who are your ancestors? If you consider the ancestors of Jesus Christ listed in the Holy Scriptures, some listed a blood relatives, while the others we could say are spiritual relatives since Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus.

In the same way, YOU have blood ancestors and also spiritual relatives. You probably know your blood ancestors; your parents, their parents, their grandparents, etc, but do you know who your spiritual relatives are? They are the righteous men and women of faith we call, Saints. If you read your ancestry in the same fashion we do for Jesus Christ, it might sound like, “Saint Andrew ordained Saint Stachys, and Saint Stachys succeeded Saint Onesimos, and Saint Onesimos succeeded Saint Polycarp….” These Saints of the Church are YOUR spiritual ancestors and they are just as much a part of your family as your parents. And if you go back far enough, tracing either your blood relatives or your spiritual relatives, you will find WE ALL have a common ancestor. We are all children of God.