Today’s Gospel Reading: Mark 13:9-13 - The Lord said to his
disciples, "Take heed to yourselves; for they will deliver you up to
councils; and you will be beaten in synagogues; and you will stand before
governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them. And the gospel
must first be preached to all nations. And when they bring you to trial and
deliver you up, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say; but say
whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy
Spirit. And brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child,
and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will
be hated by all for my name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be
saved."
Day two of the Triodion and the Church is already reminding
us of what is to come if we are genuine followers of Jesus Christ. We cannot
escape the trials and persecution of the world, so best look ahead to Great
Lent and prepare to dedicate our souls to God in everything we do. And WHEN,
not if but when, we are mocked for taking our faith too seriously because we
refuse to go to a party during Great Lent, or WHEN our friends decide it is
more important to go drinking rather than spend time with us because we are
spending more time in prayer, or WHEN our coworkers don’t understand why we can’t
get together for drinks Wednesday after work because we will be in
Church....just remember “But who endures to the end will be saved.” Get ready
for Great Lent.
Today is the first day of the Triodion, a three week period
leading up the Great and Holy Lent. For me today always arrives with a sense of
relief like that feeling you have when you’re almost home from a long trip. You
know....that feeling of relief when you land at the airport after a long trip
away from home. You know not quite home yet, but you’re so close your entire
body reacts with relief.
For me the Triodion has that same feeling. As human beings
our soul’s home is with God. Ever since God breathed the breath of life (Gen
2.7) each human soul knows its home belongs to God. Our journey through life of
sin and distraction brings us further from home. As we approach Great Lent,
which is a period dedicated to restoring our soul to a relationship in
communion with God, our soul knows it is returning home.
The Gospel reading for today: Luke 18:10-14 - The Lord said
this parable, "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and
the other a tax collector. The Pharisee
stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other
men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all
that I get.' But the tax collector,
standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his
breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house
justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be
humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."
For me this reading reminds me that my soul needs to return
home. Unless we realize that our life is not what it should be, or that our
soul is not where it should be, we will never consider the Great Lent as a
journey home. But...when we understand our sinfulness, as the tax collector
did, then we welcome the longer and additional Church services, strict fasting
and dedicated prayers as the chance for our soul to return home. In the
meantime, the beginning of the Triodion reminds us that we’re almost home. It
won’t be long now.
Today I had the awesome blessing of venerating a
wonder-working Icon of the All-Holy Mother of God which was more than 700 years
old. The Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God was brought to a local Russian
Orthodox Church in West Columbia, about an hour away, so we planned the spend
the day receiving the blessing of God and the Panagia. More than thirty from
our parish made the journey this afternoon, and more will travel tomorrow for
the Divine Liturgy. It is truly a blessing to have such an opportunity.
While at the Church, my family was permitted to have a
picture taken along with the Icon which I was honored to hold. As I held the
Icon in my arms I contemplated the centuries of Czars, Patriarchs, Archbishops,
Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Monk, Nuns, and the millions of faithful men and
women who have bowed down in veneration of the power of God revealed in the
Kursk Root Icon. You can read more about the Kursk Root Icon
here.
I also considered how many thousands of our Protestant
brothers and sisters would be unable to receive such a blessing from God simply
because they continue to refuse Holy Icons. We must continue to pray they
hearts of softened by God’s grace and the Panagia’s love for each of us.
Today’s Epistle Reading: St. Peter's First Universal Letter
4:12-19; 5:1-5 - BELOVED, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes
upon you to prove you, as though something strange were happening to you. But
rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice
and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are reproached for the name of
Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or a wrongdoer, or a
mischiefmaker; yet if one suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but
under that name let him glorify God. For the time has come for judgment to
begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the end
of those who do not obey the gospel of God? And "if the righteous man is
scarcely saved, where will the impious and sinner appear?" Therefore let
those who suffer according to God's will do right and entrust their souls to a
faithful Creator. So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a
witness of the sufferings of Christ as well as a partaker in the glory that is
to be revealed. Tend the flock of God that is your charge, not by constraint
but willingly, not for shameful gain but eagerly, not as domineering over those
in your charge but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd is
manifested you will obtain the unfading crown of glory. Likewise you that are
younger be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility
toward one another, for "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the
humble."
It’s political season, not that it really changes my thought
for today, but since the Pope spoke about Trump’s “status” as a Christian, pundits
have not shied away from either praising or condemning the Pope for his
remarks. My post today has NOTHING specifically to do with Donald Trump, but everything
to do with how the world speaks about the role of the Church. My comments today
also are neither supportive nor against the Pope or Donald Trump.
The reality is that the Church is called by God, among other
reasons, to be the conscience of the world. When the world is moving in the
wrong direction, the Church must speak the truth of Christ. So long as the
Church’s positions are supportive of our opinions, we tend to thank the Church
for the support. But when the Church teaches something with which we disagree,
then HOW DARE THE CHURCH get involved.
In today’s reading, Saint Peter calls the elders (the
Priests and Bishops) of the Church to “tend the flock of God that is in your
charge.” A shepherd loves his sheep, and would die for his sheep, But he also
is willing to correct his sheep and steer his sheep away from danger. I often
get the impression that the world would prefer a shepherd that only coddles his
sheep. The Church is regularly reminded to love the sinner, but (as I have
noticed) rarely does that include correcting poor behavior for the good of the
sinner. If a sheep is headed for the ravine, does the shepherd not do anything
in his power to protect the sheep?
Loving the sinner doesn’t have to mean endorsing the sin. In
fact, it shouldn’t ever mean endorsement of sin. But likewise, calling
something sin is not the same as judgment either. When the Church speaks out
against behavior, even though leaders of the Church are ‘just as guilty’ as others,
it doesn’t make the Church hypocritical; it reminds us that we are all sinners
in need of God’s mercy.
Being in need of God’s mercy also doesn’t mean the Church
has no authority to teach the truth of Christ. People many times quote the
story of the woman caught in adultery found in John 8.1-11, as a defense
against ANYONE telling them their behavior is wrong. But this is NOT what
Christ said. The prohibition against judgment is not the same thing as discernment. Calling a
behavior a sin isn’t condemnation. Christ called acknowledged the behavior was
sinful. And saying only God judges does not mean we are not called to identify
sin. If anything it is supposed to mean we should be more merciful since we too
are guilty of sin.
As the political season worsens, my advice is to be cautious
of using the Church in your political battles. The Church is above politics,
but that doesn’t mean the Church shouldn’t speak the truth of God when it is
needed.
Driving around town you may have seen an old desk, sofa, or
a lamp or two along the curb, but would you pick them up and bring them to your
Church? I understand they are “still perfectly good,” but does that mean the
Church should have them? Have you ever purchased a brand new TV or computer,
and then turned around and donated your old outdated computer to the Church?
The computer is still good, right? Why not let the Church use it. The Church
has other more important expenses to worry about. When we think about donating
items to the Church, does it really matter where the item comes from? Is there
anything wrong with donating our old items to the Church?
I remember hearing, “I’m just going to throw this away; do
you want to eat it instead?” Of course, the food hadn’t actually spoiled, but
what my friend was saying was, “Do you eat garbage?” After all, if it truly was
“still good” then why get rid of it in the first place? Why purchase the new
shiny model if the old computer is still working “just fine?”
What does it say when we think of the Church when we see
items in the garbage? Is it that the Church doesn’t deserve something brand
new? If you’re thinking that the item is “still just fine,” why throw it away
in the first place? I admit we live in a disposable society and that many times
we throw away items that are indeed in perfect working order. That is not my
point here. The fact that we throw away healthy food rather than give it to the
poor is not my point here. That is for another post.
My question is quite simple. If the Church has a need, and
we want to fill that need, why not just go out and purchase the item for the
Church? Wouldn’t the Church get better use of a new item? Is Church worth more
than garbage?
It has happened to all of us before. We ask God for
something, and we don’t hear an answer. We ask again and again. Finally...we
hear His answer and the answer sounds like He said, “NO!” Frustrated, we sulk
in a corner wondering why God gives everyone else what THEY ask for, but when
it comes to what WE want, He always says, “NO!” In the story of the Canaanite
Woman in Matthew 15.21-28, we see a woman who seems to be struggling with the
same problem. She asks God over and over again to heal her daughter until she
finally hears Him say, “It is not fair to take the children's bread and throw
it to the dogs.” The difference is that this woman didn’t sulk, and she didn’t
accuse God of giving everyone something that she deserved. The Canaanite Woman
had deep faith and a deeper humility that allowed her to be satisfied with
whatever God gave to her, and her daughter was healed from the moment she
reached that pure faith.
FULL TRANSCRIPT:
Hello. My name is Father Athanasios Haros. I'm the pastor,
here, at the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church, in Florence,
South Carolina. I'm your host for Be Transfigured Ministries. Here at Be
Transfigured, as we say, we invite you to live a new life in Christ. We feature
our sermons, and our bible studies, and other special events, in the life of
the Church. We do it to inspire you to join us in living a new life in Christ.
I hope you'll join this. I'll be back in a moment, after this video, to share
some information about our ministry.
One
of the things that, sometimes we ponder, we wonder about, when we read the
scriptures, we see stories like this morning's Gospel, where there is a woman
in need, her daughter having a demon possession, having a demon taking over her
body, and you see this plight of a woman begging God for help for her daughter.
We hear this story more than once throughout the year. This Gospel reading is
one of the seven Gospels read during the service of Holy Unction. One of the
things that we can understand, from the way the Church uses this scripture
reading, is that the Church wants us to consider healing, physical and
spiritual healing, when we hear this Gospel.
This
is not simply a story about God's healing miracles. It's about our healing. I
want to take apart bits and pieces, this morning, of the Gospel, and we're also
going to talk about the Epistle for just a moment, and I hope we can have a
little better understanding of why the Church feels that this particular Gospel
is healing for us. If it is not healing for us, my brothers and sisters, then
it's just another story. It doesn't do us any good to memorize this story, and
to remember how He talks to the woman, and how the crowd talks to Him, and how
the woman talks to God, if it doesn't somehow heal us.
The
first question we have to ask is, heal us from what? What is our illness? We're
not talking, here, about a cut hand. We're not talking about pneumonia. We're
not even talking about cancer, today. This woman's daughter was possessed by a
demon. Our illness, my brothers and sisters, is the constant attack, and the
effect that the demons have on our lives. Each and every one of us goes through
life under a constant attack, and sometimes we find ourselves like this woman,
asking God for help. Lord have mercy on me.
The
first thing we see in the Gospel, it says, "He didn't answer her one
word," and immediately we wonder, what's God waiting for? If He's going to
heal the daughter, why doesn't He just do it right away? Why does He make this
woman suffer? Why does He not even answer her one word? We find ourselves, many
times, in the same place as this woman.
We
think our prayers have gone unanswered. Where is God? Why didn't He do for me,
what I asked Him? The disciples say, "Lord, come on. Send her away. She's
pestering us. She's following us, crying out to us." Again the Lord
responds, but not to her, He says, "I was not sent except to the lost
sheep of the house of Israel." She was a Canaanite woman, so she was not
one of the house of Israel. Again we wonder, we look around, and we think we
see God treating other people better than He treats us. Well, they got what
they asked for, how come I didn't get what I asked for? It goes on, and on, and
on.
Finally,
the woman comes, and she bows down in front of Him. She makes it now so He
cannot avoid her. This is a deep challenge, the words that He says to her,
"It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little
dogs." Imagine, now, what this woman must have thought. Excuse me. Are you
telling me, God, that I am the same as these little puppy dogs running around?
The little puppy dogs that, if they're here one day, and gone the next, nobody
notices? Is this what you're telling me, God? That wasn't her response. Her
response was, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which
fall from their master's table."
You
see, this woman had a deep, deep faith, and an even deeper sense of humility.
She understood what God was trying to help everyone understand. She understood
in her heart that, yes, we ask God for things, but what God wants us to
understand is exactly what is necessary for us. What do we really need from
God? Sometimes, in our own lives, my brothers and sisters, this is a very
similar exercise. We ask, and we ask, and we ask, and God continues to hold us
off. I've said this before, you may remember, and I said, "There are three
possible answers to every prayer, yes, no, not yet."
In
this woman's story, the first two answers were not yet, because He was going to
heal the daughter. He wanted the people to see what it meant to have a deep
faith, and a deep sense of humility. Not the kind of humility that the world
expects us to have, speaking down upon ourselves, oh I'm garbage, I'm this, I'm
that. That is a false sense of humility. That's what the world thinks makes us
look better. What God wants us to have, my brothers and sisters, the kind of
humility that this woman had, is understanding that, in spite of everything
that's going on around us, we are not the most important thing in the world.
Including all of the struggles that we may have, we are not the center of
attention. That ultimately, we have to be okay with whatever God throws our
way.
This
woman showed God, and of course He already knew it, this woman showed to God
that she was going to be satisfied with whatever He did for her. Like we would
say in Greek, Ναείναιευλογημένο, may it be blessed. If the
Lord would have given her one little crumb, she would have been satisfied. He
knew her heart, but He wanted the crowd to see this deep humility, and this
deep sense of faith that this woman had, willing to accept whatever answer the
Lord gave, not believing in God only on her terms.
So
many of us believe in God on our terms. I hear this all the time, "I don't
believe in a God that would... fill in the blank." We find ourselves
believing in God in our own terms, and so the struggle, my brothers and
sisters, is how do we take what we naturally want to do, and that is bestow our
terms on God, "God, we want what we want, when we want it, and how we want
it, we want it right now." How do we get from there, to this faith of the
woman? “Yes master, but even the dogs eat the crumbs, the leftovers, the most
insignificant bits of nothing, even the little dogs eat that when it falls from
your master's table.”
How
do we get to that point, my brothers and sisters? It is by remembering the
words of Saint Paul on this morning's Epistle. Saint Paul, in his letter to the
Corinthians, said this, and it is incredibly important for us to remember these
words, "For you are the temple of the living God. As God said, I will dwell
in them, and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
Therefore, come out from among them and be separate says the Lord. Do not touch
the unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a father to you, and you shall
be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."
Are
we truly willing to live as if we are the temple of the living God? Are we
really prepared, my brothers and sisters, to cast away, to separate ourselves
from the world? This woman was. This woman had no sense of worldly desire. She
wanted God, and a relationship with God, and she knew that He would take care
of her daughter with whatever He chose to do. How do we get to that point, my
brothers and sisters? The life of the Church. The rhythm of life. God gave us
this wonderful mission to be, and to live, as temples of the living God. Our
very body, God dwells within us. The rhythm of life of the Church is meant to
help us tame our bodies. The rhythm of life is meant to help us tame our
desires, and our passions.
By
looking at the way of life, fasting for example, I had a conversation with
somebody, this was several months ago, and the response to me was, "Every
time I go to the mall I can't help but shop, and buy, and buy, and buy more
things." My response was, "You have to fast more." This person
said to me, "What do you mean? What is fasting...what does what I eat have
to do with what I buy at the shopping center, at the mall?" I said,
"Until you can learn to do without." Until we can learn, my brothers
and sisters, that life is not about pleasing ourselves, until we can learn
through disciplining our bodies, we'll never learn how to discipline our soul.
Our body is filled with very powerful urges, and the urges are always to please
ourselves.
Our
struggle is to separate ourselves out from that, and to become this faithful,
humble woman, who is satisfied with whatever God sends our way. Are we ready
for that? If we cannot imagine telling God, "Yes God, whatever you're
willing to send me is fine." If it's three crumbs for today, ναείναιευλογήμενο, may it be blessed. If we
cannot bring our minds to that, then we have to further embrace and practice
the way of life, the rhythm of life, in the Church. By coming to holy
confession on a regular basis. By fasting, not how we choose to fast, but
fasting how the Church teaches us to fast. By praying, not how we want to pray,
but being taught to pray, by the Church who has been guided by the Holy Spirit.
Taking care of the poor, not how we desire to take care of the poor on our own
terms, but taking care of those who are in need, on the terms of the Church.
You
see, my brothers and sisters, every time we turn around, we have an opportunity
to choose our way, or God's way. Believe it or not, an atheist can feed the
poor. A Satan worshiper can feed the poor. Feeding the poor is not what makes
us believers in God. Loving God, living as the temple of the living God is what
makes us Christians. Separating ourselves out from our own desires, and being
satisfied with whatever God gives to us, that, my brothers and sisters, is what
makes us Christians. That is the rhythm of life that the Church is giving to us
to help us accomplish that, to help us get us to that point.
I
will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters. It's an intimate
relationship. God is our father, He is not our angry master looking down from
some tower. He wants the best for us. He wanted the best for the woman in the Gospel.
It isn't always what we think we want that is best for us. Sometimes God says
to us, as He said to the woman in the Gospel, "Not yet. Let's wait a
little bit. Let's make sure we really know what you want, and let's wait to see
if what you want is really what is good for you." Then once we reach that
point, God's blessings will overflow upon our head, because we'll finally want
what He wants in our life, and there'll be no stopping the grace from flowing.
As it says in the Gospel, "When she came to that point, her daughter was
healed from that very moment."
We
too, my brothers and sisters, can be healed by the spiritual illness, the
genuine sickness that we suffer with, the moment we bring our heart to the
point of this woman. From that very moment, God will heal us, and his grace
will pour down upon us. Glory to God, for all things.
Well,
I'm back, and I hope this video was an inspiration to you. I hope it helps you
live a new life in Christ. Please share our message of hope with your friends,
and family, and invite others to live a new life in Christ. Find more
information about Be Transfigured Ministries by joining us on our website, at liveanewlifeinchrist.org. You can also find many of our
videos on the Orthodox Christian Network, our partners at myocn.net.
As we say at Be Transfigured, until next week, God bless you, and don't forget
to live a new life in Christ.
Closing: Be
Transfigured is a production of the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek
Orthodox Church, in Florence, South Carolina, and presented by the Orthodox
Christian Network. Contributions in support of
this ministry may be sent to 2990 South Cashua Drive, Florence, South Carolina,
29501, or online at our website, at www.liveanewlifeinchrist.org.
There used to be a time when members of the Church would
leave professions because the lifestyle of the profession was not conducive to
the Christian calling. There used to be a time when we were committed the Faith
of Christ enough to risk comforts to avoid temptation. There used to be time
Christians considered their faith as more important than their work or
recreation. Alas how things have changed.
By way of example there was a canon in the early Church that
forbid members of the Church from the professions in the theater. It wasn’t
that acting specifically was sinful, but that the way of the life back stage
was filled with temptation and scandalous practices. It would be beneath the dignity
of the Christian to be known as a member of the theater. The Church in her
wisdom, remembering the words of Christ laid out in what we now call the Lord’s
Prayer.... “lead us not into temptation” .... understood that is was better to
avoid the temptation of the backstage life and not be in the profession.
Times have certainly changed, and not for the better. Now,
rather than allowing the Church and Christian way of life to help us choose our
professions, a large number of Christians including unfortunately a growing
number of Orthodox Christians, would rather leave their Church than leave their
job, if the two ways are not compatible. It is now considered old fashioned if
we allow the morals of our Church to dictate how we live in private, let alone
what job offer we accept.
Of course we shouldn’t be surprised. With more than 43,000
denominations considering themselves the true Church, why would we expect any
Christian to remain faithful to the teachings of the Church? If we don’t like
the teachings of First Avenue Christian Church, we pick up and establish Second
Avenue Christian Church, and then we are surprised and offended when people
leave OUR Church to establish Third Avenue Christian Church. The cycle continues to repeat itself. That is
why I read a Church sign along my daily route as so ironic...a Protestant Church
claiming, “We don’t change the message: The message changes us.” ...unless of
course you don’t like the message. Then you just establish a new denomination. Times
sure have changed...
A mother faced with her daughter’s serious illness,
approached Jesus for help. “"Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My
daughter is severely demon-possessed." (Matthew 15.22) But the Lord turned
her away with what by modern expectations might be considered harsh. After
putting her off; even telling His disciples that she should be sent away, said,
“"It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little
dogs. And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs
which fall from their masters' table." (Matthew 15.26-27) After allowing
her to express her deep faith and humility in front of others, then He heals
her daughter. What exactly was it that God wanted her to express to the crowd?
The mother had already expressed her belief that Jesus was
able to heal her daughter. She had already proven her patience when she
remained waiting for Him, even after being told to leave. But it was when she confessed
that she didn’t want all His attention, nor did she expect any special
treatment or anything for herself, but simply wanted her daughter to be healed
from the demon. Then God granted her wish, and her daughter was healed from the
very moment.
We could learn a lot from this mother, but the greatest is
her deep faith and humility. She asked not for herself, but for her daughter.
She didn’t ask for special attention from God, but just to be noticed. She was
content in her heart to accept whatever the Lord offered her. Life is filled
with opportunities for us to choose between our needs and the needs of others.
Every day is a chance for us to confess in front of others that we seek God and
are willing to accept whatever He has to offer at that moment. In our heart we
will know it is enough.
I have the distinct pleasure of serving on a special board
for our local newspaper. The board is known as the Faith and Values Advisory
Board, and six or so Christian members of the greater city community gather each
month to discuss trends and topics that might be developed as feature stories
in our local newspaper’s Faith and Values Section with runs each Saturday. As
part of this board I have the added pleasure of publishing a regular column on
average of once every two months. Yesterday’s discussion centered around the
question of why millennials are leaving the Church. In fact, even within the
Orthodox Church this topic has been at the forefront of many conversations
throughout the country, so I was interested to hear what others in the room had
to say. The conversation was quite eye-opening.
It started with the standard excuses why millennials
complain about “church” being boring, and how we as pastors don’t “speak their
language”, and how we must be willing to come down to their level if we desire
to reach them. One even suggested that if our Churches were not willing to
install large flat screens and display the Scripture text as we preach, we will
‘never’ reach the young people. Others spoke of music styles, and still others
focused on Church life outside the Sunday service.
So there I was, the only Orthodox member of the board in a
room of men and women, white and black, young and old. I don’t want to get into
too much detail of the conversation since most was arguing back and forth about
whose approach was better etc. If those of us in the room hadn’t already been
casual friends, one might have thought we were about to start throwing fists.
There was a common thread among the others – we must be
willing to cater to the desires, styles, and priorities of the young people to
get them in Church. Sure the Lutheran had a different version of catering than
the United Methodist or Pentecostal, but each was fighting for their version of
how to best cater to millennials. So I asked, “What then? What happens when
their desires, styles and priorities change? What will you do then to KEEP them
in Church?” Not surprisingly they would keep changing. And thus continues the
patter of the ever-changing Church which reinvents itself every seven to ten
years leaving last year’s millennials back on the outside.
As Orthodox Christians our worship reinforces our theology
and our commitment to love God with all our heart, mind, body and soul MORE
than anything else. Our worship reinforces the invitation to deny ourselves,
take up our cross, and follow Christ. Our worship directs (or at least it should)
ALL our attention on God. This is beautifully expressed even in the point the
clergy face God with the people rather than face the people. Our worship is
about being in communion with God. But it doesn’t end with our worship.
Our very way of life as Orthodox Christians is meant to
bring our entire being into communion with God. Our life of prayer, fasting,
almsgiving, reading the Holy Scriptures, modeling our life after the Saints,
attending the Divine Services (not just Liturgy) of the Church, etc are all
meant to encourage us to become Holy.
Whether it is our Sunday worship, or Wednesday evening
Paraklesis and Bible Study, our Orthodox Christian way of life is about being
holy, it isn’t about flat screens and light shows. It is about focusing our
attention on God, not ourselves. It isn’t about sponsoring the most exciting
dance featuring the most popular rock-n-roll band, although we do enjoy dancing
together. It is about being in the safety and comfort of the Ark of Salvation,
not a holiday cruise ship. And that is why I am a Greek Orthodox Priest, and I
am not a cruise director.
Few sermons or Sunday School lessons stand out in my mind
after more than three decades. We all have similar stories. One or two, maybe
three if we’re lucky, memories of a lesson we learned from an important mentor
in our life. For me, one of the single most profound moments in my life, fresh
in my memory as if it took place yesterday, was one Sunday in eighth grade
Sunday School. Thirty-four years later, and I still remember that day.
We were asked a basic question. “If you were ever in a
airplane that was about to crash, what would go through your mind?” Answers
were as you would expect from a classroom full of eighth graders. Then the
words of deep spiritual wisdom, maybe even holiness, came from the mouth of our
teacher.
“If you are ever in a situation like this, I want you to
always remember, someone in the world is praying for you. In every Greek
Orthodox [I know she would say Orthodox Christian today] Church, someone is
praying for you. Some monk, some nun, some priest...in every Divine Liturgy the
Church is always praying for the entire world. In every time zone, in every
country, there is at least one Church praying you at this very moment. Don’t
ever forget that!”
And I never have. The knowledge that someone is praying for
me, no matter what time it is, has comforted me in times of struggle, and
guided in times of confusion. And lately has helped me in my ministry as an
Orthodox Christian Priest, offer the same words of wisdom and comfort to those
I encounter along the way of life.
I have now shared these words with you, and I pray you too
will never forget! Someone is praying for you right now!
The Lord asks that we love Him more than anyone or anything
else. When asked if we love the Lord this way, we often stand firm in our conviction
that we love the Lord and have placed Him first in all things in our life. But
do we really love Him more than anything or anyone? As I have been focusing on
the importance of the life of the Church in recent weeks as a means for us to
grow closer to God, I wanted to take a very brief moment to ask the question...
When was the last time you chose the Church OVER something
else?
We live in a world filled with distractions and competing
priorities, yet each Sunday morning the Church calls us to worship. We may not
hear the actual bell tower any longer but the Church calls us nonetheless. Do
we answer the call, and put everything aside for a few hours to join our
brothers and sisters in Communion with God? OR....do we find other things that
we rationalize are important for us to accomplish Sunday morning. We can go to
Church next week, we comfort ourselves. But what have we actually accomplished?
We have placed something or someone above God.
You may not agree with me on this, but I can with surprising
accuracy predict families that will eventually fall away from the Church by
their attendance and the level to which they are committed to the Orthodox Way
of Life. When our children are raised in a family that chooses a sports game,
business accounting, or even just a bit of laziness over attending the Divine
Liturgy on Sunday morning, we should not be surprised when our children choose
to leave the Church. When our children
are raised in families which do not even attempt to maintain the fast, we
should not be surprised when our children ignore the moral teachings of the
Church. In fact every time our family ignores, or worse defies, the teachings
and way of life of the Church, we are teaching our children that NONE of the
Church is important.
If you really desire to place God first in your life, the
ONLY way to put this into practice is to place the Church as your highest
priority. Make a commitment that unless a life or death emergency or serious
illness keeps you from Church, you and your family will be IN CHURCH, ON TIME,
EVERY SUNDAY. It won’t be as easy as it sounds, since you likely have spent
many years rationalizing away your absence from Church on Sunday. But when you
actually begin to choose church OVER something or someone, THEN you will
experience what it means to love God above all other things.
Give it a try. Starting this week, make a commitment that
you will be in Church EVERY SUNDAY, ON TIME, NO MATTER WHAT, and experience the
joy of a true loving relationship with Christ. Then when you are faced with
choosing to be or do something else on Sunday, ask yourself, “Is this more
important than God?” Your answer will always reveal what you love more.
In the Parable of the Talents, we learn that God has given
each member of the Church resources according to our ability. He has given us
the Church with the expectation that we each would make full use of the
Church’s way of life so we could grow closer to Him. The Divine Liturgy,
blessing services, Holy Confession and the other Sacraments, prayer, Holy
Scriptures, and more are each meant to help us increase in our relationship
with our Lord. Unfortunately, most of us choose not to use the resources the
Church has. We depend simply upon our ‘membership’ in the Church as if having
been given the resources is enough. Most of us choose to bury the Church rather
than increase. Most of us become the wicked lazy servant who was cast into the
outer darkness, rather than the good and faithful servant invited into heaven.
But that can all change today.
Over the centuries the Church has both enjoyed and suffered
eras of close and sometimes total unity with the State. In cases where the
State has departed from the ancient and Holy Tradition of the Church, and
therefore turning its back on God, the relationship between Church and State
suffers. Even in cases such as the United States in which there is not official
relationship between Church and State, tensions increase when the State departs
from the Way of Christ and the teachings of the Church. We can see this clearly
in our current days as the legal battles against Planned Parenthood and
so-called gay marriage, which are the most visible, play out in the media and
courtrooms of America.
There are other tensions that evolve from Church-State
partnerships, both ancient and contemporary, that serve to remind us that our
Kingdom is not of this world. Today is the Feast of Saint Photios, the
Patriarch of Constantinople, who himself was the center of political controversy;
having been elected Patriarch after the Emperor had deposed his predecessor. Long
story short, tensions increased between Rome and Constantinople, both
politically and spiritually as a result. The truth of the Church was
victorious, but not without a cost; there is always a cost. The Photian Schism
played a role in what eventually separates Rome from the East.
There are some other more recent Church-State relations that
have been a source of tension. Greece right now is undergoing a great deal of
political pressure from the European Union to change a centuries old tradition
of Mount Athos, by trying to force Greece to allow women to visit the Holy Mountain.
Greece thus far has held its head high and refused, thankfully, but at what
political cost? The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, invoking his Orthodox
Christian faith has very publicly stepped forward in the defense of Syrian
Christians and others in the Middle East, using the military force of Russia in
defense of the Church. Russia too is under serious pressure by Europeans and
others to alter laws, such as homosexuality prohibitions, claiming the Church
shouldn’t have such “power” over the State. Many have already forgotten how Serbian
President Slobodan Milosovic attempted to use the Church in his war against his
own citizens. In that case, thankfully the Church spoke against his efforts.
So whether the Church-State relationship is officially
sanctioned as in Greece and Russia, or the tacit relationship as in America
where the Church merely speaks her mind amidst the many voice clamoring for
attention, the result is the same. So long as the State remains loyal to the
truth of Christ, Church-State relations are peaceful and at times even thriving.
However when the State departs from the truth of Christ, we can AND SHOULD
expect tensions to increase in Church-State relations. The question isn’t
whether or not for the Church will stand true to Christ. That should be
expected. What remains is her willingness to stand publicly against the
policies of the State and risk political ramifications, such as did Photios the
Great. As the pendulum continues to swing away from the Way of Christ, we can
only pray the Church remains faithful to the end. Our salvation depends upon
it.
In the Parable of the Talents found in the Gospel of Matthew
25.14-30, which is meant to help us understand how God will judge each member
of the Church, only one servant is condemned as wicked, lazy and worthless. He
was condemned because he hid the talents that his master had given him, rather
than using the talents to accomplish the will of his master. The others in the
parable were praised because they were faithful to their master and used the
talents for his will. They were escorted into the kingdom.
God has given us His Church, just as the master had given
his servants talents (money) to watch over until He returns. We have been
entrusted with His Church until He returns. What remains for us is whether or
not we will hide the Church, as the wicked and lazy servant, or bring the
Church to the world so others can benefit from her teachings and way of life.
The Church is a great treasure but if we hide it from the
world, it can do nothing but collect dust. When a treasurer is hidden it cannot
increase or be used for blessings. It remains locked up, dark, and useless to
anyone. This is what happens when we are not active in bringing the Good News
of the Church to others. There is no secret to how God wants us to use the
treasure He has given us. “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in
heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am
with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” (Matthew 28.18-20) Let’s be the
good and faithful servants, so we can also be escorted into heaven.
We are now accepting sponsorship of our weekly sermon transcripts of Be Transfigured. With complete texts (no I don't write a script each week) we can better offer our message of hope for a New Life In Christ to others. Please consider sponsoring one or more weekly sermon transcripts today by making a safe online contribution of $25 per week using the link below. This rate is based upon average sermon length.
Today’s Epistle Reading: St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians
1:1-9 - PAUL, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who
are at Ephesus and faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the
heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and blameless before him. He destined us in love to be
his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the
praise of his glorious grace which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In
him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of his grace which he lavished upon us in all wisdom
and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose.
Living here in the Bible Belt, I often hear that we are
saved by the blood of Jesus, about which I am in total agreement. But what does
Saint Paul mean when he says “we have redemption through his blood?” For many
Protestants, at least by the way they talk, means the very blood dripping down
the bloody cross now that the vengeful God has been satisfied to taste blood on
His Altar. At least that what it sounds like to me when I am told of the
sacrifice and that blood had to be shed in order for God to forgive us. .... as
if God was unable to simply forgive us..... He could and He did by the way.
As Orthodox Christians we are saved by the blood of Christ,
but in a different way. In the Eucharist, the Body and BLOOD of Christ, in our
unity with Christ, what we call Communion, through our Baptism and His Grace,
we are saved from death. Just something to think about...
Words matter! We all know that, and when it comes to the
word “vegan” it REALLY matters. When someone “is” a vegan, it normally means
they refrain from using animal products (meat, eggs, dairy or any other product
derived from an animal) but often extends beyond diet such as ethical standards
on the treatment of animals etc. So when someone declares themselves “AS”
vegan, we can presume they are speaking in terms much greater than just food.
Words aren’t the only things that matter. Intent matters as
well, and that is where my diet during a fast and a vegan diet are distinctly
different. My abstinence from meat, eggs, fish, dairy, and other animal
products has nothing to do with how the animal is treated, but everything to do
with self control and self discipline. Keep in mind the fast also includes wine
and oil, neither of which are “off limits” to vegans.
You might say that vegans and those who keep the fast share one
thing in common....we allow our philosophy of life to determine how, what, and
when we eat. Beyond that, other than what is on the plate, there is nothing in
common with a vegan and one who keeps the fast. Since today is Wednesday, A
FAST DAY, I thought I would ask us to consider WHY we fast...and not WHAT we
eat today.
Most of us think of this word in the negative. “I would
NEVER condescend to....” or “He was so condescending....” that when we hear the
word used in reference to Jesus Christ our ears sort of perk up?....or at least
they should.
Today is the Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the
Temple, which commemorates Christ’s 40-day blessing according to the Law. You
can read the entire story in the Gospel of Luke 2.22-40. It was a big day for
humanity as the righteous Symeon was blessed to hold the infant Christ in his
arms. He had received a vision from God that he would not die before setting
his eyes on the Christ. When he held Christ in the Temple, he prayed...
Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to
your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the
presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory
to your people Israel.
There are so many great things about today, but I wanted to
touch on the word condescension with my post for today. As part of the
dismissal prayer, the Priest begins, “May He Who condescended to be held in the
arms of the Righteous Symeon for our salvation, Christ our God....” This formula
is used for more Feasts of Christ. For Epiphany it read, “May He Who
condescended to be baptized in the Jordan by John...” etc. You get the point.
But when we hear the word condescended we must not think negatively toward what
God is accomplishing, but with thanks.
You see, for the Creator of the world to dare to allow the
world to see Him, let alone hold Him in their arms as with today’s Feast, this
is a moment of God’s great mercy as He condescends (literally comes down to our
level) to save us. But it doesn’t end there.....we are only saved when He
returns to the Father bringing us with Him, restored to our true humanity in
communion with God. God doesn’t merely come down to our level, but LIFTS US UP
to His level in heaven. That is what makes it a great mystery.
Many people today talk about the need for the Church to come
down the level of the people, but unfortunately I fear most believe the Church
should stay down at our level. If Christ had come down, and then stayed, we
would never have been saved. Remember we can only be saved when we are LIFTED
up with Christ. If the Church does not work to lift us up, we will remain fallen.
So, be thankful when the Church struggles to lift you up. Don’t fight against
the Church, because she is only trying to save you.
It is a Greek custom to wish friends a “ΚαλόΜήνα” or a “Blessed Month” on the first day
of the month. What I enjoy so much about this tradition is the manner in which
the Greek people have been able to incorporate their Orthodox Christian Faith
with daily life. In an attempt to always include God in our daily plans, each
month begins with a prayer for blessing. In the ancient Church (at least as far
back as the early 4th century) it has been the custom of the Church
to celebrate the Blessing of the Waters on the first day of the month. This
blessing invites God into our very calendar. So....have a blessed month! If you
are in Florence, join us for the Blessing of the Waters at 6pm.
We each have something that gets between us and God. We each
have a crowd that stops us from seeing God. I’m not talking about people
specifically, but the temptations and life-stress that preoccupy our attention.
We spend so much time planning the small things in life; we forget the
importance of making a plan to see God. The Orthodox way of life helps us to climb
above the crowd of obstacles and challenges. The Church life is our plan.
