Annunciation Sermon- 11/25/7 - Delivered by the Street Theologian at St. Gregorios - Tampa
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In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen.
Esteemed Achen, my brothers and sisters in Christ.
I’d like to express my deepest gratitude for being able to speak before you, my home Church, once more. I am humbled and honored to be here in front of you this morning
Today we commemorate the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary by the Angel Gabriel.
Now there are many days in the Liturgical calendar in which we remember Mary the Mother of Our Lord. In fact, the actual Annunciation Feast is celebrated on March 25th, though we read this Gospel passage today as part of the season of Advent. On this day, however, we are being called to remember the young girl Mary being fearful.
“But when she saw him [Gabriel], 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.”Mary, who may have been a teenaged girl at the time, was afraid. The angel of the Lord came down to her, and called her the “highly favored one,” yet she was afraid.
Being confronted with an angel is no small event. There is a saying from the Desert Fathers that, if one sees an Angel, he should make the sign of the Cross and tell that angel to leave. A true angel will understand and depart, but the Devil’s angels will continue to pursue. St. Paul says to the Galatians that Angels may even preach false gospels to mislead people. I mention this simply to point out that confronting an Angel is a very serious occurrence. Here in the Gospel of Luke we know that the Angel Gabriel is of the Lord by the fruit of His deeds and his work in announcing the coming of salvation to a select group of people.
Last week, we read that Zachariah, in the Temple, was also afraid at the site of the Angel Gabriel. In fact the narratives of the two annunciations are very similar: Gabriel tells both that they will have children who will bring the hearts of God’s people back to the Lord, in spite of all odds.
However, whereas Zacharias, though a priest serving in the Temple, has chosen to continue being skeptical about what the Angel says to him, Mary accepts the Angel’s word in complete submission. Whereas Zachariah, who Gabriel tells up front how Elizabeth, his wife, will give birth to a son, continues to disbelieve, Mary, upon hearing that the Holy Spirit will overshadow her and she will conceive, submits herself as the “maidservant” of the Lord.
She offers up no further resistance. She asks no further questions. She does not say that she is the “helper” of the Lord. She does not say she is His “representative.” The language is very deliberate. She says “Behold, the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” Mary offers up herself to the Lord as a slave.
How incredibly difficult is this for us to digest today? We live in a society that, far more than in the ancient days, places high value on justice and equality. For us, we don’t even like being employees much less being a slave. That should make the point that much clearer for us; to offer one’s self as a servant is to completely submit one’s entire self, mind, body, even independent will, to the will of another.It is an act of complete trust. For this reason, when Christ teaches us how to pray, he instructs us to say “Thy will be done.”Why? Because the Lord God knows each one of us better than we know ourselves, and knows exactly what we need when we need it. If that is the case, then God’s will must necessarily be infinitely better than my will.The Lord God, who redeems and provides for people in His own time in His own ways, will always provide better for us than we can provide for ourselves, if we only allow Him to. For this reason, we venerate the Virgin Mary, who put her own ambitions aside, who put her own ability to doubt aside, in total and complete submission to the Lord.Mary offers herself up as the Lord’s servant. Christ himself says that he who wishes to be great among men must become a servant. If we truly believed that the Lord God is all knowing, all powerful, and can do absolutely anything that we can imagine and that we can’t imagine, why is submitting ourselves to the Divine will so difficult?
We can not submit because we can’t see into the future and know that God always provides. He may not provide on the schedule that we’d like, He may not provide in the ways that we thought of, but God is always faithful to his people.
We can not submit because we fear the unknown. Just as Peter who tried to walk on water, but lost his faith when the weather began to worsen, we are easily put off our course when presented with a true crisis which tests us.
We can not submit, because we are prideful. Submission requires of us to acknowledge our own weakness. Our fallen nature tells us that all things should be understood in terms of power, and that, submission to another is a surrender of power, and therefore, a means of oppression.
However, we must acknowledge that, the universe is not a cosmic democracy, but a Divine monarchy, in which Christ is the King. Submission of our will to Christ’s is not a loss of power, but a gain. In being slave to Christ, we are truly free, because, as St. Paul writes in his Epistle to the Romans, the alternative to being a slave to Christ is being a slave to sin.
On this day, we venerate the Virgin Mary because she offered herself as the servant to the Lord, and in so doing, became the vessel of God’s work of Salvation. God, the Word, found that Mary’s womb was worthy of dwelling in and being born of. If Christ is the new Adam, than Mary in a sense is parallel to Eve.Whereas Eve did not trust God, Mary submitted.
Whereas Eve turned away from the Lord and ate of the fruit of the Tree in disobedience, Mary offered herself to God in complete obedience.
Whereas Eve, with Adam, brought about the Fall, Mary, in bearing Christ, brought about redemption.
Thus, we venerate her, the Mother of Our Lord, to Him belongs praise, honor, and thanksgiving, now and at all times, forever and ever. Amen.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Hoodosh Eetho Sermon (11/11/7) - delivered to St. Thomas (Mascher) - Philadelphia
Hoodosh Eetho Sermon (11/11/7) - delivered to St. Thomas (Mascher) - Philadelphia (Street Theologian)
In the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen + + +
Esteemed Johnachen, Reverend Deacon, my brothers and sisters in Christ…First of all, I’d like to say how humbled I am in your presence to be given this chance to share my thoughts with you this morning. I am grateful to Johnachen and this parish for giving me my first opportunity to speak here in Philadelphia. I pray that you’ll be able to find my words edifying despite my own weakness and inability.
Today is what is referred to in Syriac as Hoodosh Eetho; the Sunday set apart for the dedication of the Church.
Whereas last Sunday, Koodos Eetho, we were all called upon for purification; on this day the Church along with each and every one of us is called upon for dedication.
Almost parenthetically, the first line in today’s Gospel reading states quite simply “Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter.”
For the Jews of that age, the Feast of Dedication commemorated how the Temple, the most Holy and revered place of worship, had been re-dedicated to the God of Israel after having been desecrated by the pagans as recorded by the Book of First Maccabees.
For a thousand years, the glorious Temple which King Solomon first built, which was destroyed after the Jews had strayed from the Lord’s precepts and which was then rebuilt again when they returned from Babylon; this Temple stood as the central focal point of the Jewish world and was set apart and dedicated for the Jews to make their offerings unto God. Yet, how boldly did our Lord Jesus Christ say “Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up?”
For even though the Temple was glorious, even though the Temple was beautiful, and even though sacrifices were offered, the Temple was incomplete. For this reason St. Stephen declares in the face of his martyrdom:
48 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,
49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?
50 Hath not my hand made all these things?
The building itself was incomplete, in the sense that God, Who is infinitely transcendent and Who is infinitely filling all things, does not abide by the conventions of man’s thought. Man may set apart places to worship God, but Sovereign God dwells above and beyond any particular location where we may dwell. Jesus Christ tells the Samaritan woman, “Believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.”
The worship in the Temple was also incomplete. In the Temple, the blood of animals was offered by the High Priest once a year in the Holiest of Holies for the atonement of all of God’s people. The blood of animals could give ritual cleansing, but certainly could not give real substantial cleansing and purification of men’s souls. We read today, in Paul’s Epistle to the Hebrew’s:
“ 13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
Why was the Temple, and the worship taking place within it incomplete? I’d like to submit to you that this Temple in Jerusalem was a type, a foreshadowing of The Church, the Body of Christ. As fallen people, like ourselves, the Jews of the Old Testament, who, of all the peoples of the ancient world, were the only ones chosen to receive the revelation of God; were given the precepts of the Lord, but consistently turned their hearts away from the Lord. They rejected their prophets and periodically turned to the worship of false gods. Though God had made them His chosen people, time and time again, God’s people would make their offerings unto the Lord without the humility and brokenness of heart that God prizes more than any sacrifice.
Thus the Psalmist writes:
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”
A direct parallel exists between the Temple of Jerusalem and the Church which is the body of Christ. The Temple, the ancient core of the Jewish Tradition, was destroyed forever in the early days of the Church. But the Church, that mysterious body, will never perish, as Christ promises that the “gates of Hell shall never prevail against it.”
All that was incomplete in the Old Testament became filled by Christ in the New Covenant. Christ, the true High Priest, offered his own body and blood for the atonement and renewal of man into his innermost being. Thus, the blood offerings made in the Temple were no longer necessary as they had always been the shadow of things to come.
In remembering how for our Old Testament forefathers celebrated the Feast of Dedication to recommit the Temple to God, how shall we commit The Holy Church, the fulfillment of the Temple, back to God?
Indeed, the Death and Resurrection of Christ fulfilled and completed all that was being anticipated in the Temple. The one true offering for our sins was offered up on the Cross at Calvary. That is completed.
The Church is complete, but the people in the Church are incomplete. The Church, like the Temple, is still filled with fallen people. Moreover, since the Church is the body of Christ, vivified by the Holy Spirit, more is expected of us Christians. In considering this, are we dedicated to God when we come together as a Church?
Consider our Worship. Every Sunday, do we have an elaborate ritual, or do we have a true sacrament offered up with our hearts souls and minds? God does not delight in burnt offerings, so we do not give it. Instead we offer up Christ as we were commanded as the true realization of the Cross in our midsts. Do we understand this in our hearts?
Do we understand our liturgies? Do we realize the gravity of partaking in the body and blood of Christ. If we do not, have we submitted ourselves to Christ and the Church that He established?
Let us return to the Gospel passage given. Christ says:
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.’
To be in the Church; to be truly dedicated to Christ requires us to be as sheep. We must give ourselves completely to Christ as sheep to a shepherd. We surrender ourselves in our entire being to Christ.
To Him belongs praise, thanksgiving, honor, now and always forever and ever, Amen.
In the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen + + +
Esteemed Johnachen, Reverend Deacon, my brothers and sisters in Christ…First of all, I’d like to say how humbled I am in your presence to be given this chance to share my thoughts with you this morning. I am grateful to Johnachen and this parish for giving me my first opportunity to speak here in Philadelphia. I pray that you’ll be able to find my words edifying despite my own weakness and inability.
Today is what is referred to in Syriac as Hoodosh Eetho; the Sunday set apart for the dedication of the Church.
Whereas last Sunday, Koodos Eetho, we were all called upon for purification; on this day the Church along with each and every one of us is called upon for dedication.
Almost parenthetically, the first line in today’s Gospel reading states quite simply “Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter.”
For the Jews of that age, the Feast of Dedication commemorated how the Temple, the most Holy and revered place of worship, had been re-dedicated to the God of Israel after having been desecrated by the pagans as recorded by the Book of First Maccabees.
For a thousand years, the glorious Temple which King Solomon first built, which was destroyed after the Jews had strayed from the Lord’s precepts and which was then rebuilt again when they returned from Babylon; this Temple stood as the central focal point of the Jewish world and was set apart and dedicated for the Jews to make their offerings unto God. Yet, how boldly did our Lord Jesus Christ say “Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up?”
For even though the Temple was glorious, even though the Temple was beautiful, and even though sacrifices were offered, the Temple was incomplete. For this reason St. Stephen declares in the face of his martyrdom:
48 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,
49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?
50 Hath not my hand made all these things?
The building itself was incomplete, in the sense that God, Who is infinitely transcendent and Who is infinitely filling all things, does not abide by the conventions of man’s thought. Man may set apart places to worship God, but Sovereign God dwells above and beyond any particular location where we may dwell. Jesus Christ tells the Samaritan woman, “Believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.”
The worship in the Temple was also incomplete. In the Temple, the blood of animals was offered by the High Priest once a year in the Holiest of Holies for the atonement of all of God’s people. The blood of animals could give ritual cleansing, but certainly could not give real substantial cleansing and purification of men’s souls. We read today, in Paul’s Epistle to the Hebrew’s:
“ 13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
Why was the Temple, and the worship taking place within it incomplete? I’d like to submit to you that this Temple in Jerusalem was a type, a foreshadowing of The Church, the Body of Christ. As fallen people, like ourselves, the Jews of the Old Testament, who, of all the peoples of the ancient world, were the only ones chosen to receive the revelation of God; were given the precepts of the Lord, but consistently turned their hearts away from the Lord. They rejected their prophets and periodically turned to the worship of false gods. Though God had made them His chosen people, time and time again, God’s people would make their offerings unto the Lord without the humility and brokenness of heart that God prizes more than any sacrifice.
Thus the Psalmist writes:
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”
A direct parallel exists between the Temple of Jerusalem and the Church which is the body of Christ. The Temple, the ancient core of the Jewish Tradition, was destroyed forever in the early days of the Church. But the Church, that mysterious body, will never perish, as Christ promises that the “gates of Hell shall never prevail against it.”
All that was incomplete in the Old Testament became filled by Christ in the New Covenant. Christ, the true High Priest, offered his own body and blood for the atonement and renewal of man into his innermost being. Thus, the blood offerings made in the Temple were no longer necessary as they had always been the shadow of things to come.
In remembering how for our Old Testament forefathers celebrated the Feast of Dedication to recommit the Temple to God, how shall we commit The Holy Church, the fulfillment of the Temple, back to God?
Indeed, the Death and Resurrection of Christ fulfilled and completed all that was being anticipated in the Temple. The one true offering for our sins was offered up on the Cross at Calvary. That is completed.
The Church is complete, but the people in the Church are incomplete. The Church, like the Temple, is still filled with fallen people. Moreover, since the Church is the body of Christ, vivified by the Holy Spirit, more is expected of us Christians. In considering this, are we dedicated to God when we come together as a Church?
Consider our Worship. Every Sunday, do we have an elaborate ritual, or do we have a true sacrament offered up with our hearts souls and minds? God does not delight in burnt offerings, so we do not give it. Instead we offer up Christ as we were commanded as the true realization of the Cross in our midsts. Do we understand this in our hearts?
Do we understand our liturgies? Do we realize the gravity of partaking in the body and blood of Christ. If we do not, have we submitted ourselves to Christ and the Church that He established?
Let us return to the Gospel passage given. Christ says:
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.’
To be in the Church; to be truly dedicated to Christ requires us to be as sheep. We must give ourselves completely to Christ as sheep to a shepherd. We surrender ourselves in our entire being to Christ.
To Him belongs praise, thanksgiving, honor, now and always forever and ever, Amen.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Village Bishop severely beaten; Catholicose needs a PR guy
I thought it was really sad to see the headline this week, detailing the beating of an elderly Cor Episcopa in Kerala. As if beating a man of the cloth wasn't enough, this particular priest is also 81 years old.Now, let me be clear...I condemn violence..espcially against those not able to defend themselves...however, the article itself illustrates one of the great problems of our church.Note:"Persecution towards Christians and minorities are continuing with the support of government and police authorities. Mathews Cor-episcopa is one of its last victims," Catholicose of the East said.
Now am I the only one who feels that statement reeks of politics and alter agendas? If an 80 year old priest of your church is beaten...wouldn't one expect a different tone? I'm not saying that we are given the transcript of the whole interview...perhaps the quote is taken out of context. But at what point does the shepherd of our church begin insinuating government and police sanctioned violence. Even if it the implication was true...I don't feel it is the job of a Catholicose to make such a statement while the victim is still in the hospital. Won't that just make the situation worse?
A more appropriate response might have been a simple statement asking for prayers on behalf of the victim and perpetrator. Or maybe I just have this whole "christianity" part of Orthodoxy messed up in my own head??Seems to me that there are places and times where this type of rhetoric is not needed. Sadly, I think the head of my own church fails to recognize any such distinction....
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion06382.shtml
Now am I the only one who feels that statement reeks of politics and alter agendas? If an 80 year old priest of your church is beaten...wouldn't one expect a different tone? I'm not saying that we are given the transcript of the whole interview...perhaps the quote is taken out of context. But at what point does the shepherd of our church begin insinuating government and police sanctioned violence. Even if it the implication was true...I don't feel it is the job of a Catholicose to make such a statement while the victim is still in the hospital. Won't that just make the situation worse?
A more appropriate response might have been a simple statement asking for prayers on behalf of the victim and perpetrator. Or maybe I just have this whole "christianity" part of Orthodoxy messed up in my own head??Seems to me that there are places and times where this type of rhetoric is not needed. Sadly, I think the head of my own church fails to recognize any such distinction....
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion06382.shtml
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Sermon Delivered on Feast of the Holy Cross 2007: St. Gregorios Tampa, Fl
Sermon Delivered on Feast of the Holy Cross 2007: St. Gregorios Tampa, Fl - the Advocate
Glory be the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…the one triune God forever and ever…Amen.
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing O Lord.
Respected Achen, distinguished elders, my brothers and sisters in Christ….
Death is never a subject that’s ever pleasant to talk about. Nobody wants to talk about their own mortality….it is something that is hard to deal with it whether it’s someone we know…or someone we don’t know. Death is an even worse subject in the context of murder…when one human being takes the life of another. Much of the repulsion that we Christians feel in regards to the idea of murder is due to the unique perspective we have on life. We believe that there is an immeasurable value on life because we believe that life is the most important gift that God himself has bestowed upon any of us.
But just for a moment if we could, let’s use our minds to go to that dark place ….and imagine the unthinkable. Imagine that someone we knew…had their life taken away from them by someone else.
How many of us…if someone we loved were killed because of clogged arteries….who would then take a jar of saturated fats…and place it in a prominent place above our fireplace?
How many of us…if a loved one were murdered by stabbing…would then take the same knife…and hang it from the wall of our home for all of our guests to see?
Finally, how many of us…if a loved one was shot…would take a single bullet…string it upon a gold necklace…and wear it upon our necks?All of these things seem strange if not crazy…because it goes against our most basic feelings on life.
That is to say that life itself is to be respected. One would think that if someone we cared about were killed…not only would we be grief stricken…but whatever it was that caused that death would become an object to be feared and avoided.
In my example….that means if a person we loved died of cardiac arrest….we ourselves would probably avoid eating unhealthy foods. If a person we loved was murdered with a knife...it might developing an apprehension around sharp objects. And in the case of our loved one being shot…it might mean that we would become adamantly opposed to guns.
That’s what one would expect…that is what we would call normal thinking. So why then as Christians…do we….so proudly hang the cross from our walls. Why do we wear crosses on our necklaces…and why would we make the sign of the cross so many times at church…when this is the same cross which tortured and killed our Lord Jesus Christ?The answer might seem simple to us…but for the non-believer…it’s a bit strange.
From the perspective of the world…this cross is a torture device used by the Roman Empire to persecute thousands. But from our perspective…we embrace the cross…we venerate the cross…and we worship before the same cross because of what it means. Can we expect those who are non-believers to understand this? Not really. Even in the time of Paul there were issues with this…and so he wrote in his letter to the Corinthians:
"18The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate"
Paraphrased…that means that to those without faith…the message of the cross is foolish…but to those who believe it is everything.
The difference between the believer and non-believer in terms of the cross is that for us….we believe that the cross didn’t win. We believe that when Jesus hung on the cross…that the cross itself became the manner in which he died…but ultimately the instrument through which he defeated death. To the Christian…the cross is not a symbol of dying….but a sign of living and a sign of victory….a sanctified trophy that was won in the battle for our salvation. And that is why the cross is so prominently used and displayed by believers today. The cross did not defeat Christ…but Christ defeated death through the cross.
Last time I preached, I spoke about the connection between the old testament tree of life and the cross which is the new tree of life. I don’t wish to go much into that today.
But it’s enough to say that there is a reason behind my speaking about the cross. Do any of the youngsters know what is the significance of this day within the Church calendar?
Can someone tell me one thing that makes the service different this Sunday…than last Sunday? Kymtha -> Sleeba
Whereas kymtha is the worship of the risen Christ …sleeba is the worship of the Holy Cross…and the hopeful world.
Today we remember the feast day of the Holy Cross. It is the day in which we believe and remember that Emperess Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine…found the actual wooden cross used to crucify Jesus. Upon finding the cross, just touching it healed a deathly ill woman. After which, the patriarch of Jerusalem lifted it with both hands so that all the gathered peoples could see….and in response to the sight, the multitudes shouted “Lord have mercy upon us”.This particular event is the origin of the worship service we use on every major feast day…on Christmas and Easter…we venerate the cross blessing the four quarters of the earth in the same manner. It is through this service of the Holy Cross we not only celebrate the historical event….but we also remember how this instrument of shame was used to overcome death and all enemies…in order to bring eternal life and salvation.
After this day, Christianity..which was once viewed by the known world as a minor religion…became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Ironically, the same Roman Empire which persecuted and martyred the early faithful of our Church….soon adorned the Holy Cross on all its flags, uniforms and shields. Through the help of St. Helena, her son Constantine not only converted to become a Christian…but became the man behind the initial ecumenical synods which our church still recognizes today.
I can only hope that everytime we see or make the sign of a cross…that we take a moment to reflect and remember the sacrafices of our holy martyrs and Jesus himself in giving this sign of victory to us through the Church.
May the mercies of God the great be upon us and our Church from ages unto ages. Amen
Glory be the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…the one triune God forever and ever…Amen.
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing O Lord.
Respected Achen, distinguished elders, my brothers and sisters in Christ….
Death is never a subject that’s ever pleasant to talk about. Nobody wants to talk about their own mortality….it is something that is hard to deal with it whether it’s someone we know…or someone we don’t know. Death is an even worse subject in the context of murder…when one human being takes the life of another. Much of the repulsion that we Christians feel in regards to the idea of murder is due to the unique perspective we have on life. We believe that there is an immeasurable value on life because we believe that life is the most important gift that God himself has bestowed upon any of us.
But just for a moment if we could, let’s use our minds to go to that dark place ….and imagine the unthinkable. Imagine that someone we knew…had their life taken away from them by someone else.
How many of us…if someone we loved were killed because of clogged arteries….who would then take a jar of saturated fats…and place it in a prominent place above our fireplace?
How many of us…if a loved one were murdered by stabbing…would then take the same knife…and hang it from the wall of our home for all of our guests to see?
Finally, how many of us…if a loved one was shot…would take a single bullet…string it upon a gold necklace…and wear it upon our necks?All of these things seem strange if not crazy…because it goes against our most basic feelings on life.
That is to say that life itself is to be respected. One would think that if someone we cared about were killed…not only would we be grief stricken…but whatever it was that caused that death would become an object to be feared and avoided.
In my example….that means if a person we loved died of cardiac arrest….we ourselves would probably avoid eating unhealthy foods. If a person we loved was murdered with a knife...it might developing an apprehension around sharp objects. And in the case of our loved one being shot…it might mean that we would become adamantly opposed to guns.
That’s what one would expect…that is what we would call normal thinking. So why then as Christians…do we….so proudly hang the cross from our walls. Why do we wear crosses on our necklaces…and why would we make the sign of the cross so many times at church…when this is the same cross which tortured and killed our Lord Jesus Christ?The answer might seem simple to us…but for the non-believer…it’s a bit strange.
From the perspective of the world…this cross is a torture device used by the Roman Empire to persecute thousands. But from our perspective…we embrace the cross…we venerate the cross…and we worship before the same cross because of what it means. Can we expect those who are non-believers to understand this? Not really. Even in the time of Paul there were issues with this…and so he wrote in his letter to the Corinthians:
"18The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate"
Paraphrased…that means that to those without faith…the message of the cross is foolish…but to those who believe it is everything.
The difference between the believer and non-believer in terms of the cross is that for us….we believe that the cross didn’t win. We believe that when Jesus hung on the cross…that the cross itself became the manner in which he died…but ultimately the instrument through which he defeated death. To the Christian…the cross is not a symbol of dying….but a sign of living and a sign of victory….a sanctified trophy that was won in the battle for our salvation. And that is why the cross is so prominently used and displayed by believers today. The cross did not defeat Christ…but Christ defeated death through the cross.
Last time I preached, I spoke about the connection between the old testament tree of life and the cross which is the new tree of life. I don’t wish to go much into that today.
But it’s enough to say that there is a reason behind my speaking about the cross. Do any of the youngsters know what is the significance of this day within the Church calendar?
Can someone tell me one thing that makes the service different this Sunday…than last Sunday? Kymtha -> Sleeba
Whereas kymtha is the worship of the risen Christ …sleeba is the worship of the Holy Cross…and the hopeful world.
Today we remember the feast day of the Holy Cross. It is the day in which we believe and remember that Emperess Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine…found the actual wooden cross used to crucify Jesus. Upon finding the cross, just touching it healed a deathly ill woman. After which, the patriarch of Jerusalem lifted it with both hands so that all the gathered peoples could see….and in response to the sight, the multitudes shouted “Lord have mercy upon us”.This particular event is the origin of the worship service we use on every major feast day…on Christmas and Easter…we venerate the cross blessing the four quarters of the earth in the same manner. It is through this service of the Holy Cross we not only celebrate the historical event….but we also remember how this instrument of shame was used to overcome death and all enemies…in order to bring eternal life and salvation.
After this day, Christianity..which was once viewed by the known world as a minor religion…became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Ironically, the same Roman Empire which persecuted and martyred the early faithful of our Church….soon adorned the Holy Cross on all its flags, uniforms and shields. Through the help of St. Helena, her son Constantine not only converted to become a Christian…but became the man behind the initial ecumenical synods which our church still recognizes today.
I can only hope that everytime we see or make the sign of a cross…that we take a moment to reflect and remember the sacrafices of our holy martyrs and Jesus himself in giving this sign of victory to us through the Church.
May the mercies of God the great be upon us and our Church from ages unto ages. Amen
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Re-examination of the Diaconate
"In a move which could signal a longer-term shift in the ministry of England's established church, the role of deacons as missionaries to their communities should be taken more seriously, argues a report from the Church of England’s Faith and Order Advisory Group published last week.
It suggests that people exploring a vocation to the priesthood should be encouraged to consider ministering as a deacon – the ‘diaconate’ - as a long-term option just as a stage on the journey towards 'proper' ordination, as some see it."
http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/5613
This article touches upon a very important concept that we as Indian Orthodox need to re-examine. Within the history of the Church, the role of the diaconate has been an important one. Unfortunately, today's image of the role within the Malankara establishment has become distorted. Deacons of today are placed in the same boat as clergy and set apart in the eyes of the general congregation imparting a needless stroking of the ego on impressionable young men. While we most certainly respect their ordination, the title of "Deacon" should be restored as having a unique identity within the ministry rather than as a "Semassan-Achen"(aka Achen Jr. or Achen-Lite).
Certainly within the American Diocese of today, we can see the active involvement and unquestionable positive results of the young men who have already accepted this position. By concentrating on re-establishing each of the separate orders of the diaconate (Reader, Sub-deacon, etc.) the results would be threefold:
1) Better organization of "manpower resources" within each church.
2) Attracting even more qualified individuals who are interested in taking up the work of the Church but who do not necessarily wish to take the "next step" towards priesthood.
3) Removing the thick line between clergy and the faithful. Deacons should be returned to being normal congregants who have taken an extra committed step.
Successful achievement of these three points would no doubt enhance the ability of existing priests to better tailor their energies within congregations. They'd have more time to conduct services, minister to those in need, and even extra time to prepare sermons. (And after some of the messages I've heard in churches, some might argue that the latter is the most important....)
As per the article, the Church of England is certainly on to something in taking another look at the role. While some may argue that that is a totally different institution, within our own Oriental Orthodox brotherhood to see the positive effects of numerous deacons and a more defined set of orders.
It suggests that people exploring a vocation to the priesthood should be encouraged to consider ministering as a deacon – the ‘diaconate’ - as a long-term option just as a stage on the journey towards 'proper' ordination, as some see it."
http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/5613
This article touches upon a very important concept that we as Indian Orthodox need to re-examine. Within the history of the Church, the role of the diaconate has been an important one. Unfortunately, today's image of the role within the Malankara establishment has become distorted. Deacons of today are placed in the same boat as clergy and set apart in the eyes of the general congregation imparting a needless stroking of the ego on impressionable young men. While we most certainly respect their ordination, the title of "Deacon" should be restored as having a unique identity within the ministry rather than as a "Semassan-Achen"(aka Achen Jr. or Achen-Lite).
Certainly within the American Diocese of today, we can see the active involvement and unquestionable positive results of the young men who have already accepted this position. By concentrating on re-establishing each of the separate orders of the diaconate (Reader, Sub-deacon, etc.) the results would be threefold:
1) Better organization of "manpower resources" within each church.
2) Attracting even more qualified individuals who are interested in taking up the work of the Church but who do not necessarily wish to take the "next step" towards priesthood.
3) Removing the thick line between clergy and the faithful. Deacons should be returned to being normal congregants who have taken an extra committed step.
Successful achievement of these three points would no doubt enhance the ability of existing priests to better tailor their energies within congregations. They'd have more time to conduct services, minister to those in need, and even extra time to prepare sermons. (And after some of the messages I've heard in churches, some might argue that the latter is the most important....)
As per the article, the Church of England is certainly on to something in taking another look at the role. While some may argue that that is a totally different institution, within our own Oriental Orthodox brotherhood to see the positive effects of numerous deacons and a more defined set of orders.
Friday, August 24, 2007
New Church in Suffern, NY
Having the opportunity to have met Rev. Fr. Raju Varghese in the past, I was very happy to find the below article. The St. Mary's Indian Orthodox Church in Suffern, NY has been blessed with a new church building. Prayers and best wishes to the parish.
http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070824/NEWS03/708240364/-1/RSS01
http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070824/NEWS03/708240364/-1/RSS01
Blog still under construction
Still working out the kinks...hopefully it will be up and running very soon...
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