The Last Saturday of Great Lent

That’s right! Today is the final Saturday of Great Lent. By this time next week Great Lent will be behind us, and we will be celebrating the Feast of the Saturday of Lazarus. We’ll talk more about that next week, but today the Church stands on the cusp of the last week of the Great Fast. We’re tired. We’re hungry. We’re grumpy. We’re blessed.

The Great Fast has been a challenge to our physical and spiritual endurance. Today the Church turns our attention to the benefit of the past by calling our attention to the Old Testament Temple. From the beginning, the Temple (as I have written before) was the place where God was encountered by His people. If we were willing, the Great Fast was a time for us to encounter God. Just as the Old Testament Temple required people to go out of their way by entering into the Temple to encounter God, we had to go out of our way to encounter God during the Great Fast, and now Great Lent is almost over.

You can imagine the Jews may have felt Christ would never come. Year after year, and century after century, they entered the Temple looking to encounter God. Finally He came but they didn’t recognize Him. I only pray that your Great Lenten journey this year is not met with the same disappointment. I pray you began this journey with an open mind to encounter God, but that you remained steadfast in your search for Him. He is coming. It won’t be long. Only one more week...

Here are today’s readings:

Epistle Reading: St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 9:1-7 (RSV) - BRETHREN, the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary. For a tent was prepared, the outer one, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence; it is called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain stood a tent called the Holy of Holies, having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, which contained a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. These preparations having thus been made, the priests go continually into the outer tent, performing their ritual duties; but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood which he offers for himself and for the errors of the people.
 Gospel Reading: Luke 1:39-49, 56 (RS V) - In those days, Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord." And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name." And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her home.

Preparing to Encounter God

As I have often commented in the past few weeks, the Great Fast is all about preparing ourselves to encounter God. This week the readings from Genesis continue the story of Abraham (formerly Abram) as he prepared to encounter God. God promised Abram that his descendants would be so numerous they would not be able to counted, and He promised Abram that as far as he could see, he would be the master of everything. That must have sounded quite intimidating, but Abram immediately moved his home to the place where God planned their encounter. It is at the Oaks of Mamre that Abraham would encounter the Holy Trinity. It is this encounter, by the way, the Church considers as the “authentic” icon of the Holy Trinity. We call it the Hospitality of Abraham.

But before Abraham could host the Holy Trinity, he first had to trust God enough to move his tent on nothing more than a “few words.” Today we refer to this as a promise, but Abram had to move on faith in a vision of a God with whom he had very little experience. Nonetheless Abram stepped out of his comfort zone and put God’s words to the test.

God has made you a promise too. His promise is for you to enter the kingdom of heaven, and live forever in His loving embrace. Like Abram we have limited direct experience with God, but we still need to respond. As we walk together for our fifth week of Great Lent, I invite you to consider that while you may not have extensive personal experience with God, the Church knows His intimately. Every time we read from the Holy Scriptures, Old Testament and New Testament, we are reading about that experience. The Church knows it isn’t easy to always trust God. Through prayer and fasting and reading the Holy Scriptures, you can learn from personal experience that God has prepared for you to have an encounter with Him. I hope you’re prepared!

Today’s Old Testament Readings:

Isaiah 37:33-38:6 (RSV) - "Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city, or shoot an arrow there, or come before it with a shield, or cast up a siege mound against it.  By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, says the LORD.  For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David."  And the angel of the LORD went forth, and slew a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.  Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went home and dwelt at Nineveh.  And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, slew him with the sword, and escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.  In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: Set your house in order; for you shall die, you shall not recover."  Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the LORD, and said, "Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in thy sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.  Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah:  "Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.  I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and defend this city.

Genesis 13:12-18 (RSV) -  Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, while Lot dwelt among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom.  Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD. The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, "Lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see I will give to you and to your descendants forever.  I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your descendants also can be counted.  Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you."  So Abram moved his tent, and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron; and there he built an altar to the LORD.
 Proverbs 14:27-15:4 (RSV) - The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death.  In a multitude of people is the glory of a king, but without people a prince is ruined.  He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.  A tranquil mind gives life to the flesh, but passion makes the bones rot.  He who oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is kind to the needy honors him.  The wicked is overthrown through his evil-doing, but the righteous finds refuge through his integrity.  Wisdom abides in the mind of a man of understanding, but it is not known in the heart of fools.  Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.  A servant who deals wisely has the king's favor, but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.  A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.  The tongue of the wise dispenses knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.  The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.  A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

Why the Old Testament?

I was asked why the Church is reading from the Old Testament during Great Lent so today’s Daily Lenten Journey will be a quick Bible study lesson. First we should know the Orthodox Church does not ignore the Old Testament as some may think. While it is true that during the “regular” year we read daily from the New Testament, it is not true that the Church ignores the Old Testament. Using what the Church calls the Lectionary, the entire New Testament is read each year with the exception of Revelation. Originally this was also the case with the Old Testament. This practice has fallen out of use centuries ago and we are not quite sure as to the complete structure of the Old Testament Lectionary, but the Old Testament is in fact read quite a bit in the Church. In today’s usage the Old Testament is used primarily through the Psalm which have been called the hymnal of the Church. The Psalms are used as glue throughout the worship and prayers of the Church. In addition to the Psalms, the Church turns to the Old Testament at certain major Feasts such as Christmas and Theophany.

During Great Lent however there is a noticeable shift in the daily readings. Rather than a Gospel and Epistle reading during the week, the Church instead turns to Isaiah, Genesis, and Proverbs. There are two things to consider about the increased presence of the Old Testament during Great Lent. First is the Old Testament prepares our heart for the coming of Christ. Since Great Lent itself is a preparation for the coming of Christ in Holy Week and Pascha, it would seem quite appropriate that the readings would support such a journey. I pray this has been noticeable in our Daily Lenten Journey as I have been attempting to connect the readings to our specific preparation for Pascha.

The second reason we find Old Testament readings is a bit more eclectic. If we embrace the traditional nature of the Church, we can appreciate that the “more holy” a season or day might be, the more the Church would turn to her older traditions. In this context we could consider every time we find the Old Testament readings on the Church calendar we can presume that particular day or season is consider an older tradition which the Church desires us to pay closer attention. So....Great Lent is a more spiritually intense and holy season. Therefore the Church returns to an older practice of reading from the Old Testament.

Here are today’s Old Testament Readings:

Isaiah 29:13-23 (RSV) -  And the Lord said: "Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men learned by rote; therefore, behold, I will again do marvelous things with this people, wonderful and marvelous; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hid."  Woe to those who hide deep from the LORD their counsel, whose deeds are in the dark, and who say, "Who sees us? Who knows us?"  You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay; that the thing made should say of its maker, "He did not make me"; or the thing formed say of him who formed it, "He has no understanding"?  Is it not yet a very little while until Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be regarded as a forest?  In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see.  The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.  For the ruthless shall come to nought and the scoffer cease, and all who watch to do evil shall be cut off, who by a word make a man out to be an offender, and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, and with an empty plea turn aside him who is in the right.  Therefore thus says the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: "Jacob shall no more be ashamed, no more shall his face grow pale.  For when he sees his children, the work of my hands, in his midst, they will sanctify my name; they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.

Genesis 12:1-7 (RSV) -  Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.  And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves."  So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.  And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions which they had gathered, and the persons that they had gotten in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.  Then the LORD appeared to Abram, and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

Proverbs 14:15-26 (RSV) - The simple believes everything, but the prudent looks where he is going.  A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool throws off restraint and is careless.  A man of quick temper acts foolishly, but a man of discretion is patient.  The simple acquire folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.  The evil bow down before the good, the wicked at the gates of the righteous.  The poor is disliked even by his neighbor, but the rich has many friends.  He who despises his neighbor is a sinner, but happy is he who is kind to the poor.  Do they not err that devise evil? Those who devise good meet loyalty and faithfulness.  In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to want.  The crown of the wise is their wisdom, but folly is the garland of fools.  A truthful witness saves lives, but one who utters lies is a betrayer.  In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.

What do you desire?

There is an old Greek saying for birthdays and feast days, “May you receive your heart’s desire.” On the surface this may seem trending toward the selfish ego with which we all struggle. I often write about leaving our own desires behind. Christ even says, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself...” We just hear that on Sunday? So why would today’s reading include, “A desire filled is sweet to the soul,” if we are supposed to deny our desire?

The truth is our desire in fact does fulfill our heart. The solution isn’t to avoid desires, but to have the proper desires. Today’s reading from Proverbs also says, “But to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools,” suggests that we are fool if our desires favor evil rather than God. Our heart will always think it has been fulfilled no matter what desire is met if the desire emanates from our ego. That sort of fulfillment though is short lived.

Fortunately for us God sometimes intervenes to keep us from fulfilling our heart’s desire. In today’ reading from Genesis we hear, “This is only the beginning of what they will do; and nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.” Once again, as God had done in the past, we were saved from ourselves when God destroyed the Tower of Babel. Since our desire would have been dangerous to us, God keeps our desires from being met. Yet another benefit we gain from fasting....we learn to step back from our desire. Have you been taking advantage of the Great Fast to learn to control your desire? Be warned....your desire filled is sweet to your soul.....you may just be headed to your own Tower of Babel.

Today’s Old Testament Readings:

Isaiah 28:14-22 (RSV) -  Thus says the LORD, you scoffers, who rule this people in Jerusalem!  Because you have said, "We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement; when the overwhelming scourge passes through it will not come to us; for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter"; therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am laying in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: 'He who believes will not be in haste.'  And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plummet; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter."  Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overwhelming scourge passes through you will be beaten down by it.  As often as it passes through it will take you; for morning by morning it will pass through, by day and by night; and it will be sheer terror to understand the message.  For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on it, and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in it.  For the LORD will rise up as on Mount Perazim, he will be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon; to do his deed - strange is his deed! and to work his work - alien is his work!  Now therefore do not scoff, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard a decree of destruction from the Lord GOD of hosts upon the whole land.

Genesis 10:32-11:9 (RSV) -  These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations; and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.  Now the whole earth had one language and few words.  And as men migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.  And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar.  Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth."  And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the sons of men had built.  And the LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; and nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.  Come, let us go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech."  So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.  Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

Proverbs 13:19-14:6 (RSV) - A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul; but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools.  He who walks with wise men becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.  Misfortune pursues sinners, but prosperity rewards the righteous.  A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous.  The fallow ground of the poor yields much food, but it is swept away through injustice.  He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.  The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, but the belly of the wicked suffers want.  Wisdom builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down.  He who walks in uprightness fears the LORD, but he who is devious in his ways despises him.  The talk of a fool is a rod for his back, but the lips of the wise will preserve them.  Where there are no oxen, there is no grain; but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.  A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies.  A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding.

The Gift of Priesthood

In the Old Testament, God established His priesthood in order to lead the people in their worship and offerings to God. It was the responsibility of the priests to know the particular service and accompanying prayer to bless the life cycle of the people of God. God even established a special area in His House which was reserved for the priests to carry out their religious functions. In response, God would bless His priests by allowing for their support by the Temple.

In today’s reading from Hebrews, Saint Paul reminds us of God’s original purpose of His Priesthood. “BRETHREN, the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary. For a tent was prepared, the outer one, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence; it is called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain stood a tent called the Holy of Holies, having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, which contained a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. These preparations having thus been made, the priests go continually into the outer tent, performing their ritual duties; but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood which he offers for himself and for the errors of the people.” (Hebrews 9.1-7)

The Temple Priests of the Old Testament were a foreshadowing of Christ Himself. What they worked to accomplish in the Temple symbolically, Christ accomplished in Himself. Since Christ has come and accomplished everything He intended, the Priesthood changed. We priests no longer are limited to offering sacrifices to God, although we still are blessed to serve as Priests of God who have been appointed to lead the people to God. The Old Testament Priesthood was a foreshadowing of the current priesthood, because when we celebrate the mysteries of the Church, we offer the precious Body and Blood of Christ in truth, not symbol.

Speaking as a priest, I am incredibly blessed each day not only to offer prayers on behalf of the people of God, but to be allowed to share in the blessings and struggles of His people. The life of a priest includes happy moments and stressful moments shared in the life of our parishioners. One element of the Old Testament Priesthood has not changed. We are still blessed by God when He allows us this privilege. Celebrating the many services of Great Lent, sometimes alone in the Church on behalf of many who are busy at work, is a constant reminder that God has blessed me to be a priest. Thank you.

The Ark of Salvation is the Church

Today’s Reading from Genesis 7.6-9 - Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth. And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him went into the ark, to escape the waters of the flood. Of clean animals, and of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creeps on the ground, two and two, male and female, went into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah.

Just when you think you are about to drown in the struggles of life, remember these few verses from today’s reading in Genesis. At the old age of six hundred, Noah and his family were taken into the Ark and saved from the flood. You may not be six hundred, but you WILL be taken into the Ark of Salvation and saved when you join yourself to Christ.

As we read the stories of the Old Testament, we must remember that God, since that moment when Eve ate the fruit, was been preparing the world to receive the Savior Christ. Stories such as the Great Flood remind us that as human beings we tend toward sin and death, but God never forgets us.

The Church is the Ark of Salvation and when we join the Church, we join Christ and enter into His Ark to be saved from the flood of death that surrounds us. Noah and his family floated for many days on the waters until they subsided. Likewise we will float for many days until the waters subside and we enter into God’s Kingdom.

This is an appropriate image to hold during Great Lent, when our fasting and increased prayer, worship, and almsgiving attract the attention of the devil who continually sends waves of struggle against our life. The waves won’t last forever. Noah eventually set his feet on dry ground, and you will eventually set your feet in heaven.

A Perfect Gift for God at Christmas

Today’s Epistle Reading: St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 10:1-18 -  BRETHREN, since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices which are continually offered year after year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered? If the worshipers had once been cleansed, they would no longer have any consciousness of sin. But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin year after year. For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. Consequently, when he came into the world, he said, "Sacrifices and offerings thou hast not desired, but a body hast thou prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings thou hast taken no pleasure. Then I said, 'Lo, I have come to do thy will, O God,' as it is written of me in the roll of the book." When he said above, "Thou hast neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law), then he added, "Lo, I have come to do thy will." He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this one had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, then to wait until his enemies should be made a stool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds," then he adds, "I will remember their sins and their misdeeds no more." Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

In the Old Testament, when someone wanted to thank God for a blessing they had received, they went to the temple and made an offering. There were many sorts of offerings which you can read about in the Old Testament. But with the coming of Christ, all these offerings were replaced with one perfect offering. The Eucharist, the Body of Blood of Christ, has replaced any and all offerings made in the Old Testament as the perfect offering, the perfect way to say thank you to God, the perfect way to seek His blessings, the perfect way to be in Communion with Him, the perfect way to Live A New Life In Christ. Do you have a reason to be thankful this year at Christmas? Attend Divine Liturgy, the sacrifice of all sacrifices, the Precious Body and Blood of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is the perfect gift for God at Christmas.

The Old Testament as the Story of the Savior

On the Sunday before Christmas the Church prepare us to receive Christ by recalling the story of His ancestors. When most people read the Old Testament, which we should ALL read, they think they are reading the story of the saved people of God. While the Old Testament does in fact speak about the people of God whom God continues to save, if you take a closer look you will notice the story is really about the family tree of Jesus Christ.

Look very briefly at Genesis and you will see the story. Creation...Fall... First Promise...Sinful world gets out of control....Fall (Great Flood)....Promise (Noah)....Sinful world gets out of control....Fall (Tower of Babel)...Promise (Abraham)....Sinful world gets out of control....(slavery, plagues, famine, murder, etc). At the point when the whole world had fallen into a sinful state THEN the final Promise is fulfilled with the coming of God into the world. This is why the Gospel of Matthew begins with the generations of Christ from Abraham to Christ.

For Orthodox Christians the Old Testament always points toward Jesus Christ. The Old Testament is the story of how God ensured at every point when sin had spread to the furthest reaches of the world that He identified at least one righteous human being through which the family line of the savior could continue. God’s promise since the very first Fall has always been to save humanity from eternal death, and the celebration of Christmas is the celebration of the beginning days of that final promise as it became a reality.

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

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

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

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

Which way will YOU look?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

The Purpose of Great Lent

Great Lent is just a few days away, and the Church reminds us today of the purpose of the coming fast.

“Now, therefore," says the LORD, "Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning." (Joel 2.12)

Though we have already begun our fast from meat, the Church still urges us to a deeper appreciation for the coming fast as a time for repentance. The themes over the recent weeks have caused us to reflect upon the condition of our hearts. We are not the human beings God desires us to be – NONE OF US – and the sooner we realize that we must repent and return to a Godly life, the better our hearts will be prepared to meet the Lord when He comes into His Kingdom.

Repentance is more than just a matter of our mind. It isn’t sufficient to merely stop hording our goods, we must share them with others. It isn’t sufficient to merely stop hating others, we must love them. It isn’t sufficient to merely say we forgive others; we must avoid the grudge in our hearts. True repentance requires a physical response to the Love that we CHOOSE to fill our hearts.

As the Prophet Joel continues…

So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm. (Joel 2.13)

Are you ready for Great Lent? It’s almost time to begin your journey of repentance.

A “New” American Heresy

I spend a good amount of time in the car, especially this time of year, going from home to home for house blessings, so I tend to listen to the radio. What I listen to tends to go in cycles, ranging from podcasts and liturgical music to local radio.

For months now I have been intrigued by a commercial for the “Biblical Money Code” and its assurance of guilt-free, God-endorsed, wealth building. The man who discovered this code, according to the radio commercials, used to be a Christian Pastor and “NOW DONATES MORE THAN 50 THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR!” There is no hidden message; follow the code, and become filthy rich. And…..by the way, when you’re rich you can finally give a lot of money away.

I have so many difficulties with this premise; I’m not really sure where to start. We live in a society consumed with money; how to get it, how to spend it, how to save it, and how to get more of it. How any Christian Pastor can endorse a system of wealth building which is rooted in the Sacred Scriptures, seems counter-intuitive to the message of Christ.

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (1 Timothy 6.9-10)

And yet, when a rich man confronted Jesus with the question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life,” Jesus said,

"If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 19.21-23)

Ultimately, what Jesus desires is our entire love and devotion. He asks us to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him. (see Mark 8.34) Jesus says, “Seek first the kingdom.” (Matthew 6.33) If we seek wealth, we cannot seek Christ and His Kingdom.

So where is the heresy? The most dangerous heresies are those based upon partial truths. (Check out my post on "Partial Truth is More Dangerous") The so-called Prosperity Gospel contends that Jesus actually desires us to be wealthy, comfortable and “enjoy life,” which brings us true happiness. Many I have heard, base this heresy on a short passage in the Old Testament.

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. (Malachi 3.10)

It is perpetuated by New Testament quotes such as,

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. (2 Corinthians 9.6)

I suspect this is also why the radio commercial makes a point to proclaim how much the former pastor is now “able” to donate. His presumed guilty conscience is soothed by a charitable donation, just as a promised donation is rewarded by God.

But how is this reconciled with God’s commandment for us to be willing to die to the world, and lose everything, just for our love for God? It can’t be, but that is nothing new. 

Something I Think Protestant Christians Would Want to Know

Of all the Saints of the early Church that I would expect Protestants to honor, it would be Saint Athanasios the Great. For us as Orthodox, he wrote the Creed, the Symbol of Faith, which we are encouraged to memorize and proclaim publicly as a testimony to what we believe as Orthodox Christians. Though the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed (as it is known) is no longer recited by many Protestants, Saint Athanasios is known for writing something that I would expect Protestants to hold as dear to their tradition as we hold the Creed. In 367AD, Saint Athanasios, in his capacity and with the authority as Patriarch of Alexandria, wrote a letter to his Churches  teaching what the Church had accepted as Scriptures. For Protestants, who hold so dearly to Sola Scriptura, I would expect them to know about this letter, since without it, they may not have the Scriptures they read. Since we honor this Great Saint of the Church today, I thought I would repost his letter here. (The text is taken from the Advent Church Fathers website.)

(For 367.) Of the particular books and their number, which are accepted by the Church. From the thirty-ninth Letter of Holy Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, on the Paschal festival; wherein he defines canonically what are the divine books which are accepted by the Church.

1. They have fabricated books which they call books of tables, in which they show stars, to which they give the names of Saints. And therein of a truth they have inflicted on themselves a double reproach: those who have written such books, because they have perfected themselves in a lying and contemptible science; and as to the ignorant and simple, they have led them astray by evil thoughts concerning the right faith established in all truth and upright in the presence of God.

2. But since we have made mention of heretics as dead, but of ourselves as possessing the Divine Scriptures for salvation; and since I fear lest, as Paul wrote to the Corinthians 2 Corinthians 11:3, some few of the simple should be beguiled from their simplicity and purity, by the subtlety of certain men, and should henceforth read other books— those called apocryphal— led astray by the similarity of their names with the true books; I beseech you to bear patiently, if I also write, by way of remembrance, of matters with which you are acquainted, influenced by the need and advantage of the Church.

3. In proceeding to make mention of these things, I shall adopt, to commend my undertaking, the pattern of Luke the Evangelist, saying on my own account: 'Forasmuch as some have taken in hand Luke 1:1,' to reduce into order for themselves the books termed apocryphal, and to mix them up with the divinely inspired Scripture, concerning which we have been fully persuaded, as they who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word, delivered to the fathers; it seemed good to me also, having been urged thereto by true brethren, and having learned from the beginning, to set before you the books included in the Canon, and handed down, and accredited as Divine; to the end that anyone who has fallen into error may condemn those who have led him astray; and that he who has continued steadfast in purity may again rejoice, having these things brought to his remembrance.

4. There are, then, of the Old Testament, twenty-two books in number; for, as I have heard, it is handed down that this is the number of the letters among the Hebrews; their respective order and names being as follows. The first is Genesis, then Exodus, next Leviticus, after that Numbers, and then Deuteronomy. Following these there is Joshua, the son of Nun, then Judges, then Ruth. And again, after these four books of Kings, the first and second being reckoned as one book, and so likewise the third and fourth as one book. And again, the first and second of the Chronicles are reckoned as one book. Again Ezra, the first and second are similarly one book. After these there is the book of Psalms, then the Proverbs, next Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs. Job follows, then the Prophets, the twelve being reckoned as one book. Then Isaiah, one book, then Jeremiah with Baruch, Lamentations, and the epistle, one book; afterwards, Ezekiel and Daniel, each one book. Thus far constitutes the Old Testament.

5. Again it is not tedious to speak of the [books] of the New Testament. These are, the four Gospels, according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Afterwards, the Acts of the Apostles and Epistles (called Catholic), seven, viz. of James, one; of Peter, two; of John, three; after these, one of Jude. In addition, there are fourteen Epistles of Paul, written in this order. The first, to the Romans; then two to the Corinthians; after these, to the Galatians; next, to the Ephesians; then to the Philippians; then to the Colossians; after these, two to the Thessalonians, and that to the Hebrews; and again, two to Timothy; one to Titus; and lastly, that to Philemon. And besides, the Revelation of John.

6. These are fountains of salvation, that they who thirst may be satisfied with the living words they contain. In these alone is proclaimed the doctrine of godliness. Let no man add to these, neither let him take ought from these. For concerning these the Lord put to shame the Sadducees, and said, 'You err, not knowing the Scriptures.' And He reproved the Jews, saying, 'Search the Scriptures, for these are they that testify of Me Matthew 22:29; John 5:39.'

7. But for greater exactness I add this also, writing of necessity; that there are other books besides these not indeed included in the Canon, but appointed by the Fathers to be read by those who newly join us, and who wish for instruction in the word of godliness. The Wisdom of Solomon, and the Wisdom of Sirach, and Esther, and Judith, and Tobit, and that which is called the Teaching of the Apostles, and the Shepherd. But the former, my brethren, are included in the Canon, the latter being [merely] read; nor is there in any place a mention of apocryphal writings. But they are an invention of heretics, who write them when they choose, bestowing upon them their approbation, and assigning to them a date, that so, using them as ancient writings, they may find occasion to lead astray the simple.

Yes, Jesus said, “Go to Church”

I can’t count how many times I have heard, “Father, I don’t have to go to Church to worship God, because He is everywhere.” While we do believe God is everywhere, the idea of not going to Church has never been part of the Christian point of view. In the Gospel of Luke, we hear the story of the Ten Lepers who came to Jesus who, “lifted up their voice and said, ‘Jesus, Master; have mercy on us!’ So when He saw them, He said to them, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.” (Luke 17.13-14)

Of course, this was not an isolated incident. The Old Testament is filled with commandments for the people of God to go to the Temple for healing and to receive the blessings of God. The Church is a holy place where God continues to meet His people. There is blessing in the Church. There is peace in the Church. There is healing in the Church. There is salvation in the Church.

God established His Church, the people AND the Temple, as a place of salvation. Our journey as Orthodox Christians is not as lone rangers, but a community of faithful dedicated to living in communion with God. When God commanded the Ten Lepers to show themselves to the priests, He was offering the Lepers the blessing, and ultimately healing, of being part of the People of God. Had they said, “We don’t need to go to Church…” they would never have been healed.

It’s time to get back to Church to find peace and be healed!

Orthodox Christian Stewardship

Since the Church commemorates the Holy Prophet Malachi today, and since we are in the beginning of another new year, I thought I would remind you of your Orthodox Christian Stewardship. For those Orthodox Christians from a “traditionally Orthodox country” such as Greece, where the Church receives if even limited State support, Orthodox Christian Stewardship is a new or even unknown concept.

January is a time of all sorts of resolutions like joining a gym to improve our physical health, or getting out of debt. Some even make resolutions to be more organized and outgoing socially, but have you ever considered making a New Year’s Resolution to increase your Orthodox Christian Stewardship?

That’s right! Orthodox Christian Stewardship is worthy of a New Year’s Resolution. Unfortunately, many will routinely contribute their weekly Stewardship to their Church without any thought. Even “tithers” can fall into this trap, where giving to the Church has become a “rote exercise” rather than an intentional act of worship and gratitude to God.

But proper Orthodox Christian Stewardship requires faith and action. It is something that MUST be connected to our hearts, not just our pocketbooks. While most Orthodox Christians are very supportive of their local Church, nearly all fall short of the challenge God offers to us in Malachi.

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. (Malachi 3.10)

Have you tried God on His promise? You shouldn’t be confused, however, and think that God is challenging you to bring Him 10% of your worth SO THAT you will become rich. This is NOT the purpose of His challenge, though tragically many (including Orthodox Christians) preach this version of the “Prosperity Gospel.”

The intent of God’s challenge is for you to place your trust in God. Trust me on this; it requires great faith to bring 10% of your wealth to the Church, especially in our current economic uncertainties. Will we have enough food in our cupboard? Will we have enough money to pay the rent? These are series questions and require serious discussion and faith.

Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. " Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. "But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. "And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven. "Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. "For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say." Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?" And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. "And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' "So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." ' "But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. "Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. "Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? "And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? "If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? "Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. "If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? "And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. "For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. "But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. (Luke 12.6-31)

Why not make a New Year’s Resolution to have enough faith in God to bring your TOTAL TITHE to God’s Church, not to become rich, but simply to honor God? The blessings God has promised will be well worth the risk.

On the Tenth Day of Christmas – It’s Time to Prepare

Everything worth something requires preparation. I’m sure you can think of something, no matter how small, that you have prepared for in your life. That is, of course, if you considered that “something” important enough, and a priority in your life. Today we begin our liturgical preparations for the Feast of Theophany with a service we call “Royal [or Great] Hours” celebrated on the Eve of Theophany. If Theophany falls on a Sunday of Monday, this service is offered on the Friday before the Feast, since it is NOT to be offered any Saturday or Sunday as these are days reserved for other services. This service, a combination of the First, Third, Sixth, and Ninth Hours, is celebrated also on the Eve of Christmas and on Holy Friday Morning. The prayers, hymns, and readings from the Old and New Testament, are filled with references to the coming Feast of Theophany.

One such hymn, uniquely assigned to the Friday before the Feast if Theophany, speaks of this idea of preparation and anticipation. In this singular hymn, the Church teaches us to prepare ourselves and be ready to receive Christ, Who “appeared, wanting to renew the entire creation. Even the river must prepared itself!

Prepare yourself, Zabulon, and make ready, Naphtali; and you, Jordan river stand still to receive with joy the Master coming to be baptized. Rejoice, Adam, together with the first mother Eve; do not hide yourselves, as you did before in paradise; for having seen you naked, He appeared in order to clothe you with the first raiment. Christ has appeared, wanting to renew the entire creation.

The concept of liturgical preparation is most appropriate for Friday, the Day of Preparation. With the Sabbath  and the Lord’s Day approaching with Liturgy and Great Vespers and, in the case of Theophany, the Great Blessing of the Waters, we cannot afford to leave details to the last minute.

• Is the Holy Water Font cleaned and ready?
• Is the Prosoforo baked for Liturgy?
• Have the Altar covers been changed to reflect the Feast?

These are details, among others, the Church must prepare, but there are details for you to prepare as well.

• Do you have your Holy Water bottle from last year cleaned and ready to fill from the Font?
• Have you prepared for Holy Communion with Prayer and Holy Confession?
• Have you cleaned your home to receive the Priest who will begin house blessings in a few days?
• Have you arranged your family schedule to include attending special services for Theophany?
• Have you looked up your nearest Orthodox Church service schedule to see when the services are?
• Have you “signed up” to have your house blessed by the Priest?
• Sunday is a day of fasting (rare and not strict); have you prepared an appropriate menu for Sunday?

When the Sabbath was more strictly followed (see my prior post on the importance of the Sabbath), Friday (the Day of Preparation) was when all the necessary tasks for the Jewish household had to be accomplished, which is yet another reminder that we must rededicate our lives to focus upon the Lord.

Why not start this year by preparing to celebrate the Feast of Theophany in a truly Orthodox Christian manner? Spend time today reading Holy Scripture and other sources, like this blog, to have a richer understanding of your Faith. It doesn’t have to be a LOT of time, but enough for you to grow in your Faith and LIVE A NEW LIFE IN CHRIST.

Never

Never is a big word. Many times we use it with good intentions, yet with poor results. This shouldn’t surprise us, since by our own failures, we know “never” to be unachievable promise. Consider these few examples from the Scriptures.

Moses said, "You have spoken well. I will never see your face again." (Exodus 4.29) FAILED

The Apostle Peter said, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble." (Matthew 26.33) FAILED

So can we trust ANYONE to use the term? Just one…

God said, "I will never again curse the ground for man's sake, although the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.” (Genesis 8.21)

He also said, “Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." (Genesis 9.11)

He also said, "I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, 'I will never break My covenant with you.” (Judges 2.1)

There are many more where this came from. Just search “never” on your Bible app…God never goes back on His word. You can trust Him on that!

                                              

This post is written for the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge sponsored by the Preachers Institute. You may find other blogs participating in this challenge. I hope you enjoy this year’s Advent journey.

Deborah, The Judge of Israel

When the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge assigned “Deborah, the Judge of Israel” as today’s topic I was a bit nervous, as I am not well versed in this aspect of the Old Testament. I quickly read the two chapters in Judges 4 & 5 that discuss Deborah.

When Ehud was dead, the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth Hagoyim. And the children of Israel cried out to the LORD; for Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and for twenty years he harshly oppressed the children of Israel. Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time. And she would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. Then she sent and called for Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, "Has not the LORD God of Israel commanded, 'Go and deploy troops at Mount Tabor; take with you ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun; 'and against you I will deploy Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude at the River Kishon; and I will deliver him into your hand'?" And Barak said to her, "If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!" So she said, "I will surely go with you; nevertheless there will be no glory for you in the journey you are taking, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman." Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; he went up with ten thousand men under his command, and Deborah went up with him. Now Heber the Kenite, of the children of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, had separated himself from the Kenites and pitched his tent near the terebinth tree at Zaanaim, which is beside Kedesh. And they reported to Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor. So Sisera gathered together all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth Hagoyim to the River Kishon. Then Deborah said to Barak, "Up! For this is the day in which the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the LORD gone out before you?" So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. And the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled away on foot. But Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth Hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not a man was left. However, Sisera had fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, "Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me; do not fear." And when he had turned aside with her into the tent, she covered him with a blanket. Then he said to her, "Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty." So she opened a jug of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him. And he said to her, "Stand at the door of the tent, and if any man comes and inquires of you, and says, 'Is there any man here?' you shall say, 'No.' " Then Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent peg and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went down into the ground; for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died. And then, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, "Come, I will show you the man whom you seek." And when he went into her tent, there lay Sisera, dead with the peg in his temple. So on that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan in the presence of the children of Israel. And the hand of the children of Israel grew stronger and stronger against Jabin king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.  Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying: "When leaders lead in Israel, When the people willingly offer themselves, Bless the LORD! "Hear, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I, even I, will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel. "LORD, when You went out from Seir, When You marched from the field of Edom, The earth trembled and the heavens poured, The clouds also poured water; The mountains gushed before the LORD, This Sinai, before the LORD God of Israel. "In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, In the days of Jael, The highways were deserted, And the travelers walked along the byways. Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel, Until I, Deborah, arose, Arose a mother in Israel. They chose new gods; Then there was war in the gates; Not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel. My heart is with the rulers of Israel Who offered themselves willingly with the people. Bless the LORD! "Speak, you who ride on white donkeys, Who sit in judges' attire, And who walk along the road. Far from the noise of the archers, among the watering places, There they shall recount the righteous acts of the LORD, The righteous acts for His villagers in Israel; Then the people of the LORD shall go down to the gates. "Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, Barak, and lead your captives away, O son of Abinoam! "Then the survivors came down, the people against the nobles; The LORD came down for me against the mighty. From Ephraim were those whose roots were in Amalek. After you, Benjamin, with your peoples, From Machir rulers came down, And from Zebulun those who bear the recruiter's staff. And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; As Issachar, so was Barak Sent into the valley under his command; Among the divisions of Reuben There were great resolves of heart. Why did you sit among the sheepfolds, To hear the pipings for the flocks? The divisions of Reuben have great searchings of heart. Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan, And why did Dan remain on ships? Asher continued at the seashore, And stayed by his inlets. Zebulun is a people who jeopardized their lives to the point of death, Naphtali also, on the heights of the battlefield. "The kings came and fought, Then the kings of Canaan fought In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; They took no spoils of silver. They fought from the heavens; The stars from their courses fought against Sisera. The torrent of Kishon swept them away, That ancient torrent, the torrent of Kishon. O my soul, march on in strength! Then the horses' hooves pounded, The galloping, galloping of his steeds. 'Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the LORD, 'Curse its inhabitants bitterly, Because they did not come to the help of the LORD, To the help of the LORD against the mighty.' "Most blessed among women is Jael, The wife of Heber the Kenite; Blessed is she among women in tents. He asked for water, she gave milk; She brought out cream in a lordly bowl. She stretched her hand to the tent peg, Her right hand to the workmen's hammer; She pounded Sisera, she pierced his head, She split and struck through his temple. At her feet he sank, he fell, he lay still; At her feet he sank, he fell; Where he sank, there he fell dead. "The mother of Sisera looked through the window, And cried out through the lattice, 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarries the clatter of his chariots?' Her wisest ladies answered her, Yes, she answered herself, 'Are they not finding and dividing the spoil: To every man a girl or two; For Sisera, plunder of dyed garments, Plunder of garments embroidered and dyed, Two pieces of dyed embroidery for the neck of the looter?' "Thus let all Your enemies perish, O LORD! But let those who love Him be like the sun When it comes out in full strength." So the land had rest for forty years.

The first thing that occurred to me was how this might be used by those who seek to turn against their enemies. People have often accused “The Church” and “Religion” to be the main cause of “most” of the world violence. They turn to such stories in the Old Testament to make the case that God can be violent to prove His point. To this I say, “Let God do what God will do. As for us, we should turn the other cheek”

The other thing that came to my mind was positive for women in positions of authority. Although FEW women have been in such high levels of authority in the history of Israel, they are not absent. And women should not be absent in our contemporary society either. Of course, there was, and still is, a difference between religious leaders and what I might call civic leaders, but ALL are called to be obedient to the will of God.

And it is the obedience, or lack thereof, where my two points come together today. As the open verse of Judges 4 states, Israel was doing evil against the will of God. They were therefore subject to turmoil. Today’s society continually moves further and further from the will of God, and THEN wonders why we struggle. The Old Testament is filled with stories of Israel obeying and disobeying God, and being blessed and struggling. One thing we can grasp, among many, from this pattern is that when we stray away from God’s will, we place ourselves at risk of suffering at the hands of His enemies. Away from Him, He cannot protect us. Close to Him, He can shelter us with His arm. So why would we, lead by men or women, continue to stray from the will of God? Your guess is as good as mine.

In the meantime, let’s strive to be the New Israel we have been called to be, and live for the will of God. If that includes Godly women, so be it. And when we find ourselves suffering at the hands of His enemies, let’s quickly JUMP back to His side and beg His forgiveness.

This post is written for the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge sponsored by the Preachers Institute. You may find other blogs participating in this challenge. I hope you enjoy this year’s Advent journey.