There is no Obligation in God’s Love

As Great Lent draws even closer, and we consider how we may make the most of the Great Fast, I was reminded by today’s Epistle reading that God doesn’t force us to love Him. And if God won’t force us to love, then how is it we are always trying to force others to love Him? Take a moment and read today’s Epistle Reading:

St. Paul's Letter to Philemon 1:1-25 (RSV) -  PAUL, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker, and Apphia our sister and Archippos our fellow soldier, and the church in your house: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and all the saints, and I pray that the sharing of your faith may promote the knowledge of all the good that is ours in Christ. For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you - I, Paul, an ambassador and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus - I appeal to you for my child, Onesimos, whose father I have become in my imprisonment. (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel; but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own free will. Perhaps this is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back for ever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. I, Paul, write this with my own hand, I will repay it - to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ. Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping through your prayers to be granted to you. Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, and so do Mark, Aristarchos, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Saint Paul confirms that he had every right to command Philimon (and the others) to obey him and live according to the teachings of the Church. Instead he chose “to appeal” to their sense of Good and inspire them to live a new life in Christ. In this sense, though I clearly have no authority to obligate you, today I appeal to you to welcome the life of the Church and Live A New Life In Christ. God won’t obligate you....neither will I even try.

Free to Do Good

Continuing with yesterday’s post about being free to follow the Church, today’s Epistle reading reminded me that the Law of the Church can and is many time abused by people trying to control others. When we consider the Holy Canons of the Church as a way to control behavior, we are already in a state of abuse. In truth the Holy Canons, also known as Canon Law, is meant to guide people into a holy life in Christ.

St. Paul's First Letter to Timothy 1:8-14 (RSV) - TIMOTHY, my son, we know that the law is good, if any one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, immoral persons, sodomites, kidnapers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the glorious gospel of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. I thank him who has given me strength for this, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful by appointing me to his service, though I formerly blasphemed and persecuted and insulted him; but I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

When the Holy Canons are used for good, they lead others to Christ. When they are used for control they turn others away from the Church. My guess is the person who left the comment I blogged about yesterday has been abused by the Church. If He had felt the loving guidance of the Church and wanted to live with Christ, he would see the goodness in the Holy Canons and not evil.

If you find yourself considering how the Holy Canons are good to control behavior, I invite you to consider another point of view. When you are seeking control over others, it is more likely you are the one with a choice to make. Do you use the Law for Good or evil? You are free to do Good. Now go do it.

Free to Doubt

When someone encounters the truth about God, even those who have been “born in” the faith or members for a very long time, there is never a compulsion to believe. God truly has given every human being the freedom to accept Him, the freedom to reject Him, the freedom to love Him and the freedom to hate Him. God has even given us the freedom to doubt.

Today’s Gospel Reading: Luke 11:14-23 (RSV) - At that time, Jesus was casting out a demon that was dumb; when the demon had gone out, the dumb man spoke, and the people marveled. But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons"; while others, to test him, sought from him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace; but when one stronger than he assails him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoil. He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters."

He desires our open free hearts to believe and follow Him. He has given us His Church as a witness for others to come and see for themselves so they can choose to follow rather than being forced to accept a truth they may never have heard about or seen. Invite them in, but do not force them. Welcome them, but do not obligate them. Share with them your experience of God, but allow them the freedom to doubt.

Separation of Church and State

It’s election season! You can’t turn on the radio or the internet without being bombarded by political commercials or arguments. There is no secret that many of the issues that plague our society are based on morality, and that morality often pits Church against State in the courtroom and congress hall. This week’s “Ask Father” sermon addresses the questions, “What is our Church view on the state law and our religious law?” This question is especially poignant considering the recent legal battles about sexuality and the public square.

Some believe that as Christians we are obligated to obey the State, no matter what law is passed. This is based upon the misunderstanding of the Scriptures. Saint Paul commanded, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.” (Romans 13.1-2) But you can’t stop with this verse. Here is the entire passage:

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.” (Romans 13.1-7)

Read from a distance, the entire passage speaks about fighting evil, not blind obedience to authorities. The key to understanding our role as Orthodox Christians as members of society is two-fold. First we must live in a respectful manner, always committed to treating others with the Love of Christ. This is what it means when Saint Paul says, “Do what is good.” It is NEVER evil to love your neighbor. It is ALWAYS good to treat each other with respect even if we have differing opinions. Secondly, not that it less important, but equally important, as citizens of the United States we are obliged to participate in the civic process of determining laws and public morals that help to create a stable and good society.

There will be times when the State Law and the Church (or religious) Law are in conflict, such as with the recent debates on sexuality. When such issues arise, it is our duty as followers of Jesus Christ and members of His Holy Orthodox Church to be the voice of Christ in a Changing World. This in fact was the theme of our most recent Archdiocese Clergy-Laity Congress. But being the voice of Christ does not mean forcing others into compliance. Each human being has been given the freedom to choose a life devoted to God or against Him. How can we be the voice of Christ?

We speak the truth in love, and allow each person to freely choose to obey Him or deny Him. But this NEVER means that we as Orthodox Christians have the obligation to follow a State Law that violates the Law of God. But neither does it mean we are free from the political consequences and social pressure to endorse the evil that some may convince the State is instead good. We must never forget that we too have the freedom given to us by God to follow Him or deny Him, and no State can take away THAT freedom.

Allow yourself to be tamed

Today’s Epistle Reading: St. James' Universal Letter 3:1-10 - BRETHREN, let not many of you become teachers, for you know that we who teach shall be judged with greater strictness. For we all make many mistakes, and if any one makes no mistakes in what he says he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also. If we put bits into the mouths of horses that they may obey us, we guide their whole bodies. Look at the ships also; though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So the tongue is a little member and boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is an unrighteous world among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the cycle of nature, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by humankind, but no human being can tame the tongue - a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brethren, this ought not to be so.

When a wild horse is captured and tamed to accept a saddle and rider, we use the “broken” since the wild will of the horse has been broken to accept the will of the rider. The same could be said of Christians. As Saint James says in today’s reading, the tongue cannot be tamed since it is like a wild animal, yet we are asked to tame the nonetheless. The life of the Church to those who are wild can be equated to the work of breaking a horse. But for those of us who desire our will to be the will of God, the life of the Church is a blessing to tame our tongue. A horse fights against his trainer because he is both ignorant to the will of the trainer, and because he is wile. We are neither wild, nor are we ignorant to the will of God. And yet we fight the Church. Why?

Once a horse has been broken and has come to trust his trainer, the two build a life-long relationship of mutual respect and dedication. A loyal horse has been known to rescue his trainer from serious danger. Once we understand the Church desires only to train our soul to accept God’s will, then we can engage in a life-long relationship based upon respect and dedication, but our will must be tamed first. We can either fight our trainer (the Church), and suffer through the process, or we can embrace the Church and allow ourselves to be led to God. Thankfully we are not wild animals, but human beings who have been given free will be God. Unlike wild horses, God will not break our will, but invite us offer our will to Him.

The Difference between Tolerance and Endorsement in Politics

I often wonder why so many people advocate for the very behaviors they claim to oppose. This has become quite prevalent with the recent SCOTUS decision on marriage. For the hours that followed the ruling, all I could see were rainbows throughout the Internet. Most disappeared after a couple days, but I continue to be intrigued by the rainbow profile pictures that remain. And then it occurred to me.

In our contemporary society, we have lost not only the ability, but I believe the desire, to disagree with others publicly for fear that we may be “called out” on our own sins. So long as we share the common moral of a group, we don’t mind expressing our beliefs. But once our beliefs are in conflict, for fear of not being liked, we hide our beliefs under the cloak of fairness and tolerance. We “get on board” with political movements with phrases such as, “I don’t personally believe in gay marriage, but who am I to say it’s wrong for others?” There ceases to be a willingness to say, “I think it is wrong. PERIOD!” Unfortunately I believe, once we join the effort to support those with whom we disagree, we cross the line into endorsement, if even outwardly.

And that is where I am intrigued. How can you advocate for a behavior or belief which you do not accept? In case you were wondering......changing your Facebook profile to a rainbow IS a statement that you agree with same-sex marriage. If you don’t, then why publicly advocate? You may very well, as do I, believe that every human being has been granted free will by God to believe and act in any way, but there IS a difference between accepting free will and advocating for certain behaviors.

The issue of tolerance vs. endorsement isn’t limited to sexuality. It still is possible to say, “Same-sex marriage is wrong. You don’t have to agree with me, and you are free to do what you wish, but it is wrong.” It is just as easy to say, “Greed is wrong. You can chase the almighty dollar all you want, but it’s wrong.” Or you can say, “Lashing out against others in anger, and forcing them to do as you desire is wrong. You can be lash out all you want, but its wrong.” You can EVEN say, “I believe in One God, Father Almighty....etc. You may not, but I do.” See? It works with any belief or behavior.

If we are going to honor our faith in Jesus Christ, the time is past that we should stop advocating for sinful behaviors, and we should begin advocating for a life dedicated to living according to God’s desire for us.  In Orthodoxy, that means being dedicated to defeating our passions, not soothing them. It DOESN’T mean one sin is worse than another. It doesn’t mean we are without sin. It simply means that as Orthodox Christians, we tolerate other’s choices to sin, but we cannot endorse them. 

Absolute Freedom

Saint Paul reminds us, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful.” (1 Corinthians 6.12) In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, we hear of a father who allows his youngest son to waste his inheritance on loose living with harlots until the son was completely broke and starving. While the son took advantage of his father’s generosity and wasted his life and fortune, the father never stopped loving his son and never stopped waiting for his return. It wasn’t until the son “came to himself” (Luke 15.17) and returned home in repentance, that the father was able to restore the son to his original glory. How many times do we take advantage of the freedom that God has given to us? How many times do we find ourselves living a life that God would not approve? Until we can return to Him in repentance, He cannot save us. Absolute freedom can be a dangerous thing.

Don’t Confuse Permission with Approval

On the second Sunday of the Triodion, the Church calls our attention to the Parable of the Prodigal Son, and the beauty of repentance. In the story, just to remind you, the younger son felt that he deserved his inheritance early, before his father’s death. He approached his father and said, “Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.” (Luke 15.12) The father gave the son permission to take his inheritance and journey “to a far country,” in which he wasted every last penny on sinful living. In the deepest depth of sin and despair, the son realizes his mistake and chooses to return to his father and beg for a job. The father not only welcomes him home, he, “had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.” (Luke 15.20)

While the son was away, the father waited and watched for him to return. He had given his permission for the son to leave, but never approved of the life the son had chosen to live. That is the love of a father, who knowing certain choices are wrong and dangerous, still allows his son to walk away from him. All the while, the son, thinking he was free from his father’s control, lived according to his own choices. But the father, while not approving of the son’s choices, never gave up hope for the son’s return.

God give us the same permission to live according to our choices. He doesn’t always approve of those choices, but He allows them hoping that we will choose to return to Him, as the Prodigal Son returned. With the coming of Great Lent, we are given an opportunity to CHOOSE to return to God’s way of life, and be restored to our original glory. But before we can return, we must first realize that just because God allows us choices, doesn’t mean He approves of the choices we make.

Church as an Opportunity Rather than an Obligation

With the coming of Great Lent in February, it brings along with it, the sense of obligation to God and His Church. During the weeks of Great Lent, the Church invites us to increase our daily prayer, increase our fasting, increase our reading of the Holy Scriptures, increase our assistance to the poor, and increase our participation in the Divine Services of our Church. To assist us in responding to these invitations, the Church provides us with daily fasting guidelines, daily Scripture readings, daily Lenten prayers for the home, and additional, almost daily services in the Church.

All this increased spiritual involvement is supposed to draw us closer to God, but oftentimes the actual result is that we are pushed further from God. We end up at the end of Great Lent, after weeks of hearing the Church invite us to “dig deeper into our souls” and discover the great love that God has for us, feeling exhausted rather than refreshed. We feel limited by the Church rather than free. We feel as if the Church has beaten us down rather than lifted us up. Why do we feel this way?

After twenty centuries of guiding her faithful through Great Lent, the Church’s way of life has been met with a sense of obligation rather than opportunity. The way of life of the Church has been seen by most as forced upon the people rather than welcomed by them, and the result has been for most faithful to reject the way of life of the Church. We choose freedom rather than obligation.

You will hear many faithful complain that the Church expects too much of her people, but in reality the Church INVITES her faithful to the journey that is Great Lent. You will hear many faithful complain that the Church limits our life too much during Great Lent, when in reality the Church FREES us from the slavery of the flesh and worldly passions. You will hear many faithful complain they “have” to go to Church, when in reality attending the Divine Services FREELY is the only genuine worship of God. You will hear many of the faithful speak of obligation to the Church, when in reality the entire way of life of the Church is an OPPORTUNITY to draw closer to God.

Fasting is an OPPORTUNITY to rededicate your entire body to God.

Reading the Holy Scriptures is an OPPORTUNITY to hear God speaking to your heart.

Prayer is an OPPORTUNITY for you to speak to God.

Helping the poor is an OPPORTUNITY to share the love you have for God with others.

Attending Divine Services is an OPPORTUNITY to leave the world behind and enter Heaven.

Great Lent is an OPPORTUNITY rather than an obligation.

I invite you to welcome the OPPORTUNITY of Great Lent this year and draw closer to God. You might even thank me for it later.

Faith Requires Freedom

In today’s Gospel we hear:

"All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11.27-30

It is a common experience of any believer when speaking with “non-believing” friends, to be frustrated that we can’t seem to “convince” them to believe. I must confess that it took me many years before I accepted this passage from the Gospel.

WE CAN’T CONVINCE anyone to believe in God. ONLY GOD reveals Himself.

So, in continuation of my “freedom” theme for the 4^th of July, I thought it would be helpful to remind you that if God doesn’t force someone to believe in Him, why should you try? Your job is to live the love YOU have for Christ, and allow that love to reveal Him to them. You have enough to focus your attention that you don’t need to waste time trying to debate Jesus into someone else’s heart. If He chooses to reveal Himself to them, He will.

The 4th of July - A Day Worthy of Fasting

It is the custom of Orthodox Christians to fast as an offering to God. By fasting, we offer Him our entire being as an expression of gratitude and submission. When re-reading (READ THIS if you have never read it) the Declaration of Independence, you may appreciate the beauty that is in offering yourself to God today, as it is Friday, and fast. By doing this, you honor the sacrifice and total dedication to those who initiated the fight for your freedom.

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

From the Archives of the United States G

New Priest - New Gospel

When a new or visiting Priest arrives, it sometimes seems as if he is changing the rules. Why do different Priests do and say different things? PLUS a bonus question at the end....

Salvation Requires Free Will

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Annunciation of the Theotokos, when the Archangel Gabriel invited Mary to accept God’s challenge by becoming His Mother. Of course, that isn’t how it’s written in the Bible, but that IS the essence of what took place.

Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people." Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. "And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. "Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. "For with God nothing will be impossible." Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1.24-38)

I choose my words VERY carefully here to illustrate that God indeed invited the Virgin Mary to accept this challenge. There should be no doubt that Mary exercised her free will by her response, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word.” She could have said, “NO!” Thank God she didn’t…

If Mary, the betrothed of Joseph, had rejected the Archangel’s offer, we might still be under the curse of death, as God may not have taken on human flesh and become a human being for our salvation. You might say, it was only possible for God to take on human flesh BECAUSE Mary said, “YES.” If Mary had chosen her own comfort and acted in her own self interest, Jesus may not have been born. If Jesus had been born, we would still be dead today…..BUT thankfully, she said, “YES.” This explains not only the Archangel’s greeting, but also the hymn of the Feast, in which we are invited to also call out to her.

Today is the summary of our salvation, and the revelation of the age-old mystery. For the Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin, and Gabriel announces the good news of grace. Therefore, let us join him, and cry aloud to the Theotokos: "Rejoice, Maiden full of grace! The Lord is with you."

But it wasn’t only Mary’s free will that was able to limit our salvation. Just as we are invited to call out the Virgin Mary with the words of the Archangel, we are urged to mimic the Virgin Mary, and responding to God’s call for us. Using OUR free will, God allows us to join the Virgin Mary and say, “YES” to God’s invitation to follow Him into heaven. And just like her, we are required to use our free will to either submit ourselves to God or reject His invitation.

Today, on the Feast which honors the Virgin Mary’s free will acceptance of God as her master, we are reminded that our free will can either save us or condemn us. God could not save us without her free will, and God cannot save us without our free will acceptance of that salvation. Don’t let her freedom go to waste. Say “YES” to God today!

Being Christian in a Pluralistic Society Requires Love

We live in a post-modern, many suggest post-Christian world. Without doubt, we live in a secular and pluralistic society, which includes Christians of ALL denominations, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Atheists, Baha’i, Humanists, Wiccan, and many more I don’t know the name of. For centuries, Christians have been the recipients of legal protection of their way of life from governments of all sorts. But times are changing.

With the growing reality of our secular and pluralistic society, it has become fashionable to declare “Christian persecution” and “intolerance” of our Christian ideals. I can’t speak for everyone, but we must admit that there does exist persecution and intolerance, but is it warranted? Is it government sponsored? Just because a growing number of Americans believe that marriage should be redefined, doesn’t mean Christians are being persecuted. If anything, we are feeling the sting of no longer being the majority moral followers of our nation. I suppose that could “feel” like persecution, but it isn’t really.

Living in a world with other people requires a deeper Christian love than we might need living in a Christian compound.  As Christians we believe that God has given us free will, and with that free will, come consequences. As Saint Paul reminds us, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful.” (1 Corinthians 6.12) Just because people have the free will to live their life, doesn’t mean their choices will be helpful in their relationship with God.

But I don’t want to write about other people today, I want to write about us, Orthodox Christians. WE are called to use our free will to live according to the commandments of God. WE are called by Christ to a life of holiness dedicated to God. “The body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 6.13) But most importantly, WE are called to love our neighbor as ourselves, and when we love, we have to allow the same free will that God allows.

Loving others doesn’t mean condoning or endorsing their behavior. It means that we allow them the same opportunity to exercise their free will that God has allowed to us. It also doesn’t mean forcing them to live according to our Christian way of life. The benefit of a so-called Christian society supporting our moral codes hasn’t been about us forcing our way of life upon others. It has been a result of mutual respect for a minority to live in a society based upon foreign moral standards, while remaining privately dedicated to their chosen way of life. And we are slowly becoming a minority.

Sexuality, while possibly the most popular moral shift of our times, is not the only difference in our moral codes, but since it is so popular, I use it as an example. There are many other morals standards which the Orthodox Church frowns upon that are upheld by our society, not the least of which is abortion. While we as Orthodox Christians teach against such behavior choices, we cannot lose sight of the fact, that until WE are forced to behave according to such standards, we are not being persecuted, even though such behaviors are endorsed and sanctioned by the society at large.

So how do we coexist in such an environment? As members of our society, we each have a say in the common moral codes of our society. This is the rich blessing of living in a democratic society. We cast our votes and debate in the public square, but once the votes have been cast, we agree to accept as lawful while not helpful, the decisions which we, in our private lives, would never endorse. This is not selling out. Rather, it is an expression of love to allow free will.

On the topic of same-sex marriage, it might sound like, “No, I don’t agree with same-sex marriage. I know it’s legal, but we don’t believe it is proper, but I can’t stop you for expressing your own free will.” I try to remind faithful Orthodox Christians all the time, “Legal does mean moral.”

But there is another difficulty in our coexistence. As with the recent attempt in Arizona to “protect religious freedom”, many confuse tolerance with acceptance. Part of this problem is a natural result of the western concept that certain sins are worse than others. In Orthodoxy, ALL SIN separates us from God. Whether someone falls to sexual sins, greed, gluttony, etc., ALL SIN is seen by God as against His will. So if we would “do business” with greedy fat people, we should be willing to “do business” with skinny gay people.

Again, Saint Paul has great advice,

“I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner -- not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges.” (1 Corinthains 5.9-13)

It isn’t a betrayal of Christian morals to photograph a gay marriage any more than it is to bake a cake for fat people.

Where this get’s a “little murky” might be IF you are in a certain profession in which you are required to PERSONALLY ACT in a way that is against the will of God. This is often the difficulty in medical circles in regard to abortion. So, until an Orthodox Christian Priest is ‘ordered’ to perform a same-sex marriage, the legal status of such marriages is not a matter of persecution.

Will it ever get to this point? I suspect it will. Jesus said,

“If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” (John 15.19)

The day will eventually come when Christians are forced to act against Christ, and the blood of martyrs will once again flow through the streets. It is already happening in other nations. But until it does…remember what Jesus said,

“In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16.33)

2013 New Testament Challenge – Day 35 (Reflections on John 1-11)

Every year I participate in a special effort called the New Testament Challenge sponsored by a priest of the Orthodox Church in America. He encourages Christians to spend the Christmas Fast, also known as Advent) reading the entire New Testament as a preparation for Christmas. Each year I have done this, it has been blessing to me and I pray this year will be no different. As part of the New Testament Challenge, I endeavor to blog a bit about the reading for that particular day. I may miss a few, but I pray for those who follow this blog (NOW ALSO ON FACEBOOK) it will be a blessing.

Today’s reading bring many thoughts to my mind, but two I wanted to share with you. First,

From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. "Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (John  6.66-69)

When the teaching of Jesus Christ become too hard to bear, some believers choose to leave rather than remain within the Church. And what is Christ’s response? He allowed them to depart freely. That’s how much God loves us. If we want to walk away, while He desires us to remain, He allows us to depart. What that means for us today is that Jesus wants us to freely follow Him, without forcing us and without trickery. This was one reason He didn’t reveal Himself with power to the multitudes, as He will when He returns riding on a cloud, so that people would be able to freely accept Him with their own will.

If God doesn’t force people to follow Him, why do we Christians still try to force people to love Him and His Church? Not only is not productive, it also does not express the freedom that God grants. That same freedom, we are not permitted to take away from others.

Another thought came to my mind while I was reading today. When Jesus heals on the Sabbath, while this is technically breaking the Law, Jesus reminds us that the Law is for a purpose – to do the will of God, which is love. The religious elite had no difficulty doing work on the Sabbath if it was something such as circumcision.

Jesus answered and said to them, "I did one work, and you all marvel. Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." (John 7.21-24)

We each choose every day which “rules” of the Church we think are important to follow, while rejecting others. Then we turn around and speak badly of others who choose, based upon what THEY think, different “rules” of the Church to follow. Who is correct? Maybe both are correct, depending upon the circumstances, or maybe both are incorrect.

Sin is sin, and every time we look at the sin of others and declare THEM sinners, while holding our chin up high, we are no better than the religious elite who rejected the compassionate healing Jesus did on the Sabbath. Shame on us!

Until tomorrow…..Consider where you have acted as one of the religious elite rather than showing compassion on your brothers and sisters.

Take a Moment and Wonder

2013 New Testament Challenge – Day 11 (Reflections on Acts 16-28)

Every year I participate in a special effort called the New Testament Challenge sponsored by a priest of the Orthodox Church in America. He encourages Christians to spend the Christmas Fast, also known as Advent) reading the entire New Testament as a preparation for Christmas. Each year I have done this, it has been blessing to me and I pray this year will be no different. As part of the New Testament Challenge, I endeavor to blog a bit about the reading for that particular day. I may miss a few, but I pray for those who follow this blog (NOW ALSO ON FACEBOOK) it will be a blessing.

Have you ever wondered how so many witnesses to Jesus and the early Church miracles could have refused to believe in Him and join the Church? I have. Have you ever wondered what it would take for the entire world to believe in Jesus and join the Church? I think I have. Have you ever wondered why YOU believed and joined (or remained in) the Church? I have.

Reading the closing chapters of Acts, and hearing of the back-and-forth of prison-release-prison-trial-attempted release-prison-death, it occurred to me that I have been Orthodox all my life and, save a few moments as a teenager when I asked, “What if it’s not all true,” I have never really doubted my faith in Jesus Christ. I haven’t always been the most “faithful attendee” while I was in college, but my faith has never really been challenged. So today I wondered why…

Taken at face value, the stories of Jesus and the early Church sound fascinating at first and doubtful if forced to comply with our miniscule understanding of the universe. People have many times challenged me to prove the veracity of the Bible, and I have always said, I didn’t have to prove it. It wasn’t a cop-out; rather it was what I felt in my heart. As long as I believe it, that works for me. But I also know that doesn’t work for everyone. If it did I’m sure Acts would have been written a bit different.

The Book of Acts, among other benefits, provides a glimpse into the heart and soul of the early Church. Apostles not seeing eye-to-eye; believing Jews not seeing eye-to-eye with non-believing Jews; “insider” Jews not wanting “outsider” Gentiles to have the same benefit of membership (so-to-speak) as themselves. And we haven’t YET gotten into Saint Paul’s pastoral letters yet to the Churches and certain leaders.

So I really shouldn’t be surprised today when I see so much turmoil and confusion among those who believe in Jesus Christ. I absolutely believe, and teach as objective history, that the Orthodox Christian Church is the original Christian Church, but I shouldn’t be surprised when other Churches claim to understand Jesus Christ differently. There is most defiantly historical precedence for that.

Are there other ways to understand Jesus Christ? I suppose there might be, but this one saying has kept me Orthodox this long….

“Good enough for the Apostles who walked and talked and ate and slept with Jesus, then good enough for me!”

Until tomorrow….take a moment and wonder why. I hope this will help with the answer.

2013 New Testament Challenge – Day 6 (Matthew 19-24)

Every year I participate in a special effort called the New Testament Challenge sponsored by a priest of the Orthodox Church in America. He encourages Christians to spend the Christmas Fast, also known as Advent) reading the entire New Testament as a preparation for Christmas. Each year I have done this, it has been blessing to me and I pray this year will be no different. As part of the New Testament Challenge, I endeavor to blog a bit about the reading for that particular day. I may miss a few, but I pray for those who follow this blog (NOW ALSO ON FACEBOOK) it will be a blessing.

Last year, our weekly Bible study at the Church was focused upon Genesis. Each week we witnessed the mercy and love of God, as He allowed His children the freedom that only comes from God. Each week we witnessed just how much His children disobeyed Him and turned away from Him. Each week we witnessed the decline of humanity to such a low…..and then….He saved them.

Adam and Eve declined to death when they ate from the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and God saved them at the last moment before it was too late.

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

And God gave Adam and Eve, and through them all humanity, a fresh new start to live in communion with Him.

Then again, we witnessed the decline of humanity, all except Noah and his family.

Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them." But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. – Genesis 6.5-8

And God gave Noah and his family, and through them all humanity, a fresh start to live in communion with Him.

The Tower of Babel also reveals the same pattern. (Genesis 11.1-9)

Every time we humans get “bigger than our britches” God comes to the rescue.

This reality gives me comfort nowadays as I read/listen to the news. It seems obvious to me that humanity is following a pattern so many times before experienced by our ancestors. In today’s readings we heard,

For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the Ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. – Matthew 24.38-39

For some the coming of the Lord is terrifying. I prefer to be comforted knowing that EVERY time we humans have declined to such lows as, and many would agree with me here, we are now, the Lord has come to our rescue. Of course the next time will be the last. But for me that news is comforting. I suppose it’s because I believe and love the Lord. And God will give US, all humanity, a fresh start in a new Creation, a new Heaven.

Until tomorrow….take comfort in knowing the Lord will return before it’s too late!

A Bold and Different Kind of Thank You for Veterans

Several times a year, we quite publicly thank the many men and women who have offered, in many cases, their lives to the defense of the American way of life – Freedom, and we SHOULD honor our Veterans. But I often wonder what we are doing with the freedom for which these brave men and women risked their lives. The United States is a land where we can FREELY worship the Triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – in the ancient and Orthodox Christian way.

But…

1. Do we take full advantage of this freedom to attend as many Church services as possible to commune with God?
2. Do we take full advantage of this freedom to put our agenda aside and help the suffering and oppressed?
3. Do we take full advantage of this freedom to share the Gospel of Christ with our friends, neighbors, customers, clients, employees and coworkers?
4. Do we take full advantage of this freedom to read and study the Holy Scriptures and writings of the Holy Fathers and Mothers of the Church?

Or….

1. Do we use every available excuse of busy family schedules and spend Sundays and Feast Days away from the Church?
2. Do we “throw” a few dollars at some charitable agency so we don’t have to feel guilty about those suffering around us?
3. Do we keep the “best kept secret in America” to ourselves?
4. Do we buy a Bible, just to keep it on the shelf and MAYBE dust it off every year just before the annual Christmas party?

Our American way of life, which has been defended by so many valiant men and women, shouldn’t be used for our own pleasure and comfort, but for the mission of Jesus Christ. Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. (John 10.10) He didn’t mean “the good life” as we think of it today. Rather, Jesus came that we might be reunited with Him, and live forever. We should embrace the freedom we have as Americans, and focus our attention on uniting ourselves to Christ and His way of life.

This year, why not thank a Veteran IN PERSON, and follow that up with attending a Church service or reading about the faith. Then maybe you won’t worry so much about yourself and think about those suffering around you more. It was a Veteran who thought more about YOU and defended YOUR freedom, and risked his/her own life. You owe to that veteran to use your freedom for a holy purpose. Personally, I think that would be a better way to honor our veterans.