An Offering to God is NOT a Transaction

It is a longstanding custom to bring a gift to the Church in thanks for the blessings we have received from God. In the Old Testament days many of these gifts were regulated and itemized by the Temple through the Levitical Law. You can always read more about that in the Old Testament, but I don’t want to focus on WHAT you bring to the Church but WHY you bring your gift to the Church. Consider today’s Gospel lesson...

Gospel Reading: Luke 5:12-16 (RSV) - At that time, Jesus was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and besought him, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." And he stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." And immediately the leprosy left him. And he charged him to tell no one; but "go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to the people." But so much the more the report went abroad concerning him; and great multitudes gathered to hear and to be healed of their infirmities. But he withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.

Many times we look at the Old Testament Law about offerings and think they were gifts to God TO GET blessings. This morning’s Gospel reminds us that the gifts were AFTER God had ALREADY given the blessing, “for a proof to the people.” Has God blessed you this week? Go to the Church tomorrow and give Him thanks by...

• Saying your prayers this evening and tomorrow morning
• Preparing to receive Holy Communion
• Arriving at Church ON TIME
• Making an offering to the Church
• Receiving Holy Communion
• Fully engaging the prayers of the Divine Liturgy

This should be your plan EVERY Sunday since I suspect God has blessed you every week. When you receive a special blessing, go to the Church during the week and...

• Light a candle
• Say a prayer of thanks
• Make an offering to the Church

This is how you can Live A New Life In Christ!

An Offering of Thanks

Yesterday I mentioned how we give thanks to God, and today we read in Genesis the example of how best we can offer our thanks to God. “Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.” (Genesis 8.20) You have arrived at the end of another week of Great Lent and you should be thankful. God has preserved you in your fast and prayers. You may have had a moment of weakness. You may have had many moments of weakness, but God has still chosen to preserve you in your struggle.

Imagine how Noah might have struggled for so long a time in the Ark. Then even though the Ark had set ground, he still could not exit the Ark until God had given him permission. FINALLY, God told Noah to exit and the first thing he did was to build and altar to God and make an offering to Him.

This weekend will by our chance to attend Church for the Divine Liturgy and make an offering to Him, both financial and spiritual, as an expression of thanks that He has preserved you this long in the Fast. Even if you haven’t had a perfect Great Lenten journey this far, you are still able to repent and rededicate your life to Him. It isn’t too late to turn your life around. You may still feel a few waves crashing against you, but rest comforted knowing that you have chosen to enter into the Ark of Salvation and give thanks to God.

Being One in God

Just before Christ voluntarily endured His Glorious Passion, He offered a prayer to the Father. This prayer, known as the “High Priestly Prayer” was a liturgical prayer following the model of the Old Testament Sacrifices which expressed the devotion of the person offering the sacrifice. In this prayer Jesus said, “Keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.” Jesus spoke often of unity in this great prayer. You can read the entire prayer in the Gospel of John, Chapter 17. In this prayer, we can arrive a deeper understanding of Christ’s desire for His Church.

It was this desire for complete unity that has been a driving force of the Church Fathers since the Apostles were first given the authority to lead the Church. This sort of unity Christ desires, is divine unity in love. Jesus is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit, not simply because they share the title of Divine. The Holy Trinity is exists in complete harmony of love and will. In other words, Jesus always ‘wants’ what the Father ‘wants’ and the Holy Spirit always ‘wants’ what the Father ‘wants’ and the Father always ‘wants’ what Jesus and the Holy Spirit ‘want’; which is.....that WE should live in the same community of love and unity.

But this unity is even greater than ‘us humans’ being united. God desires that we are one with each other AND HIM. Later in this prayer Jesus prays, “That they may be one just as We are one; I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one.” (John 17.22-23) We are made perfect in our unity with each other and God. This is realized in the living Sacred Tradition of the Church, given by Christ to the Holy Apostles, and maintained by the Holy Fathers of the Church through the centuries.

It Isn’t Giving if It’s Garbage

After more than twenty years working in the Church, I continue to be amazed when I come across what some consider a gift. Our Church collects food in the Narthex, like many other Churches, and thankfully we average one ton of food collected each year. But once, I happened to look inside the basket and check out what people had donated. It was an exceptionally large collection that particular week, which is why I looked in the first place. What I found not only amazed me, it was a bit depressing. Someone had cleaned out their pantry and donated the food to the Church for the poor. NOT ONE item in the bunch was still “good” as EVERYTHING had expired. Some was even expired by more than three years. Now I know many of us will ignore expiration dates a few days, but THREE YEARS!? What possesses people to donate this garbage? It would need to be thrown away at the shelter, and that was IF they had chosen to double check; not to mention the reputation of the Church when it was discovered where the food originated in the first place. I threw at all away!

Great Lent is a time of giving. We give ourselves to God in increased prayer, fasting, attending Church services, and by giving to others. Saint John Chrysostom taught that the money we save by fasting should be given to the poor. But it isn’t really giving if the items we donate are otherwise meant for the garbage.

Whether it is food that has expired or old clothing filled with holes, just because someone can’t afford something nice “off the shelf” doesn’t mean they deserve garbage. I have even heard, much as I would prefer to pretend I hadn’t, the poor should be thankful for what they get. REALLY!? Thankful to be eating our garbage? PLEASE! Where is the love in that?

During this Great Lenten season, set aside some groceries for the soup kitchen/pantry and each week BUY a few extra cans to be donated. It is always ok to bring items you already have, especially this time of year since, if you are fasting, you won’t eat certain foods until Pascha, and they will spoil by then. This week would be a good opportunity for example to bring the extra cheese and meats that are still fresh in your refrigerators. Why should good food rot just because you are fasting? But under NO CIRCUMSTANCES, should the food be expired, spoiled, ruined, or otherwise fit for the garbage. There is no love in donating garbage.

Sometimes I Think we Just Confuse Old with Tradition

Today’s topic from the 40 Days Blogging Challenge is “Oil Lamps." Following the ancient tradition of the Temple as commanded by God, Orthodox Christians bring an offering of olive oil to be burned in the Church lamps continually serving as a reminder of the presence of the Light of God.

And you shall command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually (Exodus 27.20)

Although olive oil has been offered to God for centuries, millennia actually, many Churches today have electric lamps in front of Icons and Icon Screens. Many have told me that this is done mainly for safety reasons, and quite frankly there have been TOO many Church fires this year. But is electric ok when it comes to the Church?

Allow me to take this topic in a different direction…Is it ok to swap ancient practices with new technology? Isn’t that all electric lights accomplish? Would God have commanded the Temple lamps to have 100 watt light bulbs if He could? There is something to be said about the offering part of the oil lamps, but aside from a parishioner bringing the oil, the PURE oil, as a gift to God; could the offering not be a check to cover the bulb and electricity? It’s not like WE press the olive oil, right?

I have to admit, as much as I prefer the original, I’m not sure where I draw the line. I do think there is a benefit to the discipline of lighting the oil lamps in the Church every morning. We maintain six in our Church, and there is a blessing in the daily practice, and prayers, of lighting the lamps, especially if you can remember that EVERY offering to God is an offering of prayer and devotion to God.

So, I’ll keep the oil lamps in our Church. We also have several electric lamps on the Icon Screen, which are “on” 24 hours a day, so I’m definitely NOT a purest when it comes to this issue. I was told once that an oil lamp is “alive” rather than dead electricity, but I’m not sure I buy that argument. The last time I stuck my finger in an electric socket, it felt pretty alive to me! Yes....I HAVE done that.

A few other examples of the “technology swap” include:

• Chanter stands with computer screens replacing traditional books
• Paraffin candles replacing pure beeswax
• Icons on canvass rather than painted on the wall
• Electronic or digital bells and speakers replacing bell towers

 Sometimes I think we Orthodox confuse “old” with Tradition.

  

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.

What to do with all those Black Friday Bargains?????

2013 New Testament Challenge – Day 15 (Reflections on Mark 12-16)

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 is “Black Friday” so I wanted to keep my comments on the readings somewhat connected. If you read me earlier post today, “If you need it, buy it; If you can’t afford it, WAIT FOR IT,” then you already know my feelings about “Black Friday” so I won’t repeat them here. Today I want to reflect on a conversation I had last week, and Mark 14.3-9.

And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, "Why was this fragrant oil wasted? "For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor." And they criticized her sharply. But Jesus said, "Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. "For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. "She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. "Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her." (Mark 14.3-9)

The other day, I had a conversation with someone about, as I was told, wasting money in decorating the Church. I’ve had this conversation MANY times before, so it doesn’t faze me, but it ties well into today’s readings. Have you ever noticed when people complain about “wasting money” in decorating the Church, they defend their affront with, “God doesn’t need money!” In my personal experience with this topic, the one with the affront is not at all financially struggling. In fact, they are fairly well off.

Although today’s reading in the Gospel of Mark doesn’t make reference of Judas’ intention in filing HIS affront, other sources do. “This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.” (John 12.6) I’m not suggesting the person with whom I had my conversation last week was a thief, merely that I’m not quite sure the affront was as pure as I was led to believe.

God has directed that His Temple be decorated with the finest materials; gold, fine linens, precious stones, etc. You can read about the construction of the Temple in Exodus 25-31. Why did He command this if He didn’t desire it? The point is the value WE place on those precious items. WE place a value on gold, and therefore we gild items that are of precious value to us, OR to show high social status. When we decorate God’s Church with golden items, it is because we place a value on those items and we wish to honor the highest social status that God deserves. When we pretend to be affronted by the money spent decorating God’s house, and then proceed to spend “Black Friday” filling our shopping baskets with items we don’t even need, how much affront is genuine?

So here is a challenge for you, specifically during this shopping season. How about you take the money saved on GREAT BARGAINS and bring it to the Church? This would be consistent with Saint John Chrysostom’s urging to take money saved during fasting periods and giving it to the poor. It might also help keep things in perspective for the Christmas shopping season. If we focus on spending the savings on ourselves, or worse, MORE SHOPPING, then we really haven’t benefited at all.

Until tomorrow…..You’re right! God doesn’t need money….but you probably don’t need that extra stuff you’re buying on sale either.

The Giving of Thanks

Since the beginning of humanity, we have made an offering to God to show our gratitude for His blessings. From the first harvest and first flock of sheep recorded in Genesis, the practice of bringing an offering to God was established.

“Now in the process of time Cain brought a sacrifice to the Lord from the fruits of the ground. Able also brought a sacrifice from the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. The Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his sacrifices. So Cain was extremely sorrowful, and his countenance fell.” (Genesis 4.3-5)

And from that moment human beings have been offering to God, some with a pure heart, some with a selfish heart.

Fast forward to Noah and the Flood…The FIRST thing Noah did after leaving the Ark was to make an offering to God.

“The Noah built an altar to God, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered whole burnt offerings on the altar.” (Genesis 8.20)

Fast forward to Abraham and his victory over the king of Sodom…The FIRST thing Abraham did was celebrate the Divine Liturgy with Christ.

“Now Melchizedek the king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. He blessed Abram and said, ‘Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hands.’ Then Abram gave him a tithe of all.” (Genesis 14.18-20)

Fast forward to the reunion of Jacob and his brother Esau…The FIRST thing Jacob did once he pitched his tent was to make an offering to God.

“He then bought a parcel of land where he pitched his tent from Hamor, Shechen’s father, for a hundred male lambs. There he set up an altar and called on the God of Israel.” (Genesis 33.19-20)

Fast forward to Moses and the Temple…You get the idea, right? With a tradition of making an offering to God to express gratitude for blessings and salvation, it was only natural that Moses would establish a beautiful system of sacrifice offerings in the Temple. You MUST understand; each offering was made AFTER God had blessed or saved the offerer. The offering was NOT made to secure God’s loyalty, NOR as payment on some grand deal.

Fast forward to Jesus Christ on the night of “The Last Supper”…Jesus turned to the Holy Tradition of our Fathers and made an offering of Thanks and combined it with an offering of communion, thus sealing what we call Holy Communion (Holy Eucharist from the Greek Θεία Ευχαριστία) in which WE combine our thanks to God for the blessings AND salvation while uniting ourselves to Him.

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26.26-28)

So when the Holy Apostles, in the manner of Moses before, established the Way of Life for the early Church, and building upon the Holy Tradition of their Fathers, established the Eucharist as the weekly and ULTIMATE way to give thanks to God.

Now concerning the Thanksgiving (Eucharist), thus give thanks. First, concerning the cup: We thank you, our Father, for the holy vine of David Your servant, which You made known to us through Jesus Your Servant; to You be the glory forever. And concerning the broken bread: We thank You, our Father, for the life and knowledge which You made known to us through Jesus Your Servant; to You be the glory for ever. Even as this broken bread was scattered over the hills, and was gathered together and became one, so let Your Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into Your kingdom; for Yours is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ forever. But let no one eat or drink of your Thanksgiving (Eucharist), but they who have been baptized into the name of the Lord; for concerning this also the Lord has said, Give not that which is holy to the dogs. Matthew 7:6  (Didache Chapter 9)

So how will you give thanks to God tomorrow on Thanksgiving Day? Will your heart be pure or selfish?

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.