November | 2007 | presvlisa's Xanga Site

Month: November 2007

~Thursday’s Theological Thoughts~
Dear Fathers, Parish Faithful & Friends in Christ,

“My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” (Ps. 42:2)

“Can’t get no satisfaction” - The Rolling Stones

With its driving guitar rift and raspy-voiced lyrics giving a kind of pop-articulation to the disaffection of the lonely and alienated urbanite who, try as he might, just cannot succeed at “satisfying” the material and romantic/sexual goals droned into his mind on the radio and TV; this song - regardless of its actual intentions - managed to say something enduring about the “human condition.” (Personally, I am inclined to believe that the members of the Rolling Stones never did derive a great amount of “satisfaction” from their enormous fame and fortune – money and media exposure may, after all, just not be the solution). Be that as it may, a rather odd connection came to me between this song and a verse from “The Akathist of Thanksgiving” that we chanted in our ecclesial observance of Thanksgiving Day just last week. In Ikos Six of the akathist, one of the verses in the refrain reads as follows:

Glory to You, Who have inspired in us dissatisfaction with earthly things.

Both the Stones song and the Orthodox hymn speak of “no satisfaction” or “dissatisfaction.” However by “earthly things,”   Fr. Gregory Petrov, the author of this remarkable hymn, does not mean the natural world in which God has placed us. The refrain of Ikos Three makes that abundantly clear:

Glory to You, Who brought out of the earth’s darkness diversity of color, taste and fragrance,
Glory to You, for the warmth and caress of all nature,
Glory to You, for surrounding us with thousands of Your creatures,
Glory to You, for the depth of Your wisdom reflected in the whole world …

To the purified eyes of faith, the world around us can be a “festival of life” … foreshadowing eternal life” (Ikos Two). The “earthly” can lead us to the “heavenly.”

“Earthly things” in the context of the Akathist Hymn and the Orthodox worldview expressed in the Hymn, would certainly refer to the very things the Rolling Stones song laments about being absent – material and sexual satisfaction seen as ends in themselves. But whereas the song expresses both frustration and resentment as part of the psychic pain caused by such deprivation, the Akathist Hymn glorifies God for such a blessing!   In the light of the insight of the Akathist Hymn, we can thus speak of a “blessed dissatisfaction.” The Apostle Paul spoke of a closely-related “godly grief.” (Perhaps the Rolling Stones and the Orthodox Church part company at this point).

This just may prove to be quite a challenge to our way of approaching something like dissatisfaction. Our usual instinct is to flee from dissatisfaction “as from the plague.” Such a conditiion implies unhappiness, a sense of a lack of success, of “losing” in the harsh game of life as time continues to run out on us; and the deprivation and frustration mentioned above. Why should we tolerate the condition of dissatisfaction when limitless means of achieving “satisfaction” are at our disposal? To escape from a gnawing sense of dissatisfaction, don’t people resort to alcohol, drugs and sex as desperate forms of relief? Or unrestrained and massive consumer spending?   And we should not eliminate “religion” as one of those means of escape. If those means fail, then there is always therapy and medication as more aggressive means to relieve us of this unendurable feeling. Sadly, many learn “the hard way,” that every ill-conceived attempt to eliminate dissatisfaction through “earthly things” only leads to a further and deeper level of this insatiable affliction. Sadder still, there are many who would “forfeit their soul/life” just to avoid the bitter taste of dissatisfaction!

If the living God exists as we believe that He does, then how could we not feel dissatisfaction at His absence from our lives? What could possibly fill the enormous space in the depth of our hearts that yearns for God “as a hart longs for flowing streams.” (Ps. 42:1) It is as if when people “hear” the voice of God calling them – in their hearts, their conscience, through another person, a personal tragedy - they reach over and turn up the volume so as to drown out that call. If we were made for God, then each person has an “instinct for the transcendent” (I recall this term from Fr. Alexander Schmemann), that can only be suppressed at an incalculable cost to our very humanity. In His infinite mercy, the Lord “blesses” us with a feeling of dissatisfaction so that we do not foolishly lose our souls in the infinitesimal pseudo-satisfactions that come our way. Therefore, we thank God for the gift of “blessed dissatisfaction!”

When we realize that we “can’t get no satisfaction,” then we have approached the threshold of making a meaningful decision about the direction of our lives. The way “down” can lead to that kind of benign despair that characterizes the lives of many today. The way “up” to the One Who is “enthroned above the heavens” and Source of true satisfaction. The Rolling Stones uncovered the truth of an enduring condition that we all must face and must “deal with.” I am not so sure about the solution they would ultimately offer … but in their initial intuition they proved to be very “Orthodox!”

Fr. Steven C. Kostoff
Christ the Savior/Holy Spirit Orthodox Church
http://www.christthesavioroca.org
~What Every Parent Should Know About “The Golden Compass”~

Interview With Pete Vere and Sandra Miesel
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, NOV. 14, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The film “The Golden Compass” isn’t simply about using fairy-tale magic to tell a good story, it corrupts the imagery of Lewis and Tolkien to undermine children’s faith in God and the Church, says Catholic author Pete Vere.

In this interview with ZENIT, Vere and Sandra Miesel discuss the movie adaptation of the fantasy novels written by Philip Pullman. The film, staring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, will be released in the United States in early December.
Vere and Miesel are co-authors of the booklet “Pied Piper of Atheism: Philip Pullman and Children’s Fantasy,” to be published by Ignatius Press next month on the topic of “The Golden Compass.”
Q: The first movie of “The Golden Compass” trilogy is being released at Christmas. For those unfamiliar with the series, what kind of books are these and to whom do they appeal?

Vere: To begin, the books are marketed for 9-12 year olds as children’s fantasy literature in the tradition of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and J.K. Rowling. “If you’re a fan of ‘Lord of the Rings,’ ‘Narnia ‘ or ‘Harry Potter,’” the critics tell us, “you’ll love Pullman.”

Personally, I just can’t see a child picking up these books and reading them. I see them more as books that adults give kids to read.

Having said that, “The Golden Compass” (1995) is the first book in Pullman’s trilogy. The second book is titled “The Subtle Knife” (1997) and it is followed by “The Amber Spyglass” (2000).

Collectively, the trilogy is known as “His Dark Materials,” a phrase taken from John Milton’s “Paradise Lost.” This is appropriately titled in my opinion, since each book gets progressively darker — both in the intensity with which Pullman attacks the Catholic Church and the Judeo-Christian concept of God, as well as the stridency with which he promotes atheism.

For example, one of the main supporting characters, Dr. Mary Malone, is a former Catholic nun who abandoned her vocation to pursue sex and science. The reader does not meet her until the second book, by which time the young reader is already engrossed in the story. By the third book, Dr. Malone is engaging in occult practices to lead the two main characters, a 12-year-old boy and girl, to sleep in the same bed and engage in — at the very least — heavy kissing. This is the act through which they renew the multiple universes created by Pullman.

Another example is Pullman’s portrayal of the Judeo-Christian God. Pullman refers to him as “The Authority,” although a number of passages make clear that this is the God of the Bible. The Authority is a liar and a mere angel, and as we discover in the third book, senile as well. He was locked in some sort of jewel and held prisoner by the patriarch Enoch, who is now called Metatron and who rules in the Authority’s name. When the children find the jewel and accidentally release the Authority, he falls apart and dies.

Additionally, Pullman uses the imagery of C.S. Lewis’ “Narnia” chronicles. “His Dark Materials” opens with the young heroine stuck in a wardrobe belonging to an old academic, conversing with a talking animal, when she discovers multiple worlds. So the young reader is lulled early on with the familiar feel of Lewis.

Nevertheless, Pullman’s work isn’t simply about using fairy-tale magic to tell a good story. He openly proselytizes for atheism, corrupting the imagery of Lewis and Tolkien to undermine children’s faith in God and the Church.

Q: Many Catholics, including William Donohue of the Catholic League, are speaking out against the movie. What should parents know before they let their children watch this film?

Vere: I don’t recommend any parent allow their children to view the film. While the movie has reportedly been sanitized of its more anti-Christian and anti-religious elements, it will do nothing but pique children’s curiosity about the books. I’m a parent myself. My children would think it hypocritical if I told them it was OK to see the movie, but not to read the books. And they would be right.

It’s not OK for children — impressionable as they are — to read stories in which the plot revolves around the supreme blasphemy, namely, that God is a liar and a mortal. It is not appropriate for children to read books in which the heroine is the product of adultery and murder; priests act as professional hit men, torturers and authorize occult experimentation on young children; an ex-nun engages in occult practices and promiscuous behavior, and speaks of it openly with a 12-year-old couple; and the angels who rebel against God are good, while those who fight on God’s side are evil. This is wrong. And while it’s been softened in the movie — or at least that’s what Hollywood is telling us — it’s still there in the books.
Miesel: Furthermore, there’s a great deal of cruelty and gore in the books, not just battles but deliberate murder, sadism, mutilation, suicide, euthanasia and even cannibalism. There are also passages of disturbing sensuality and homosexual angels who are “platonic lovers.”

I agree with Pete. Avoid both the movie and the books. It would be best if people didn’t picket or make a public fuss because that’s just free publicity. If the movie fails at the box office, the second and third books won’t be filmed.

Q: The author, Philip Pullman, is an outspoken atheist. Does this come across in the books and the movie as a secularist position or more in the form of anti-Catholicism?

Vere: It’s not an “either/or” situation. What begins as a rebellion against the Church turns into a rebellion against God. This then leads to the discovery that God — and Christianity — are a fraud.

The 12-year-old protagonists — Lyra and Bill — discover there is no immortal soul, no heaven or hell. All that awaits us in the afterlife is some gloomy Hades-type afterlife where the soul goes to wait until it completely dissolves. Thus Pullman uses anti-Catholicism as the gateway to promoting atheism.

Q: The trilogy is being compared to “Harry Potter” and “The Lord of the Rings.” Is there a comparison to be made with either?

Vere: On the surface, yes. You’ve got wizards, heroines, strange creatures, alternate worlds, etc. Although for reasons already stated, the real comparison — by way of inverted imagery — is to C.S. Lewis’ “Narnia” chronicles. Pullman, who has called “The Lord of the Rings” “infantile,” has a particular dislike for Lewis and “Narnia.” This is reflected in Pullman taking Lewis’ literary devices and inverting them to attack Christianity and promote atheism.

As Pullman said in a 1998 article in The Guardian: “[Lewis] didn’t like women in general, or sexuality at all, at least at the stage in his life when he wrote the ‘Narnia’ books. He was frightened and appalled at the notion of wanting to grow up. Susan, who did want to grow up, and who might have been the most interesting character in the whole cycle if she’d been allowed to, is a Cinderella in a story where the ugly sisters win.”
Miesel: That nasty quote is factually wrong on both points. Lewis began corresponding with his future wife in 1950, the year the first “Narnia” book came out, and married her in 1956, the year the last one was published. Susan’s problem isn’t “growing up,” but turning silly and conceited. She doesn’t even appear — much less get sent to hell — in “The Last Battle.”

Vere: Thus what we see here is more contrast and corruption than comparison. Also, the work of Tolkien, Lewis and Rowling is primarily driven by the audience. It is the average reader who purchases these works, reads them, and makes them popular.

Pullman’s work, on the other hand, appears to be driven by the critics. The only people I know recommending Pullman’s work are English majors and university professors. I don’t know a single electrician, hairdresser or accountant who recommends Pullman’s work by word of mouth. Thus the books haven’t resonated with the average person to the same degree as “Lord of the Rings,” “Narnia” and “Harry Potter.”

Q: Nicole Kidman, a Catholic who stars in the film, has said she wouldn’t have taken the role if she thought the movie was anti-Catholic. What do you make of this response?

Vere: The film has not yet been released, so I cannot comment on it. However, Christ asks very pointedly in the Gospels: Can a good tree bear rotten fruit? The movie is the fruit of the books and Pullman’s imagination. These are anti-Christian and atheistic at their core. How does one sanitize this from the movie without completely gutting Pullman from his story?

During an interview with Hollywood screenwriter Barbara Nicolosi a couple of months ago, I asked her whether it was possible to tone down the anti-Christian elements for the movie. Nicolosi is the chair of Act One, a training and mentoring organization for Christians starting out in Hollywood.

She had given the question thought. A few years ago one of her friends — an evangelical Christian — had been asked by her agent to pitch on the project, that is, propose to write the screenplay adapting “The Golden Compass” to film.

“We read [the book] and there was just no way we could come in on this,” Nicolosi told me. “Pullman’s fantasy universe is nihilistic and rooted in chaos. You cannot fix that in a rewrite without changing the story Pullman is trying to tell — which is atheistic, angry and at times polemical.”

But let’s suppose it is possible. Let’s suppose Kidman is right and that the movie has been sanitized of its anti-Catholicism. The books remain saturated with bitter anti-Christian polemic. So why promote a movie that will only generate interest in the books among impressionable young children?

For the Christian parent, the movie cannot be anything but spiritual poison to their children — for the movie is the fruit of the book.

~St. Stylianos~

” St Stylianos was a man who practiced every day of his lifetime what Jesus preached when he said,

“Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the Kingdom of God” (Luke 10:14).”

Today is the Feast day of our dear St. Stylianos. Please take the time to read about the Christian life of this wonderful Saint. The icon of St. Stylianos is one of my favorites and it hangs in the bedrooms of our children. St. Stylianos pray to God for us and bless and protect our children.

Venerable Stylianos of Paphlagonia

Saint Stylianos was born in Paphlagonia of Asia Minor sometime between the fourth and sixth centuries. He inherited a great fortune from his parents when they died, but he did not keep it. He gave it away to the poor according to their need, desiring to help those who were less fortunate.

Stylianos left the city and went to a monastery, where he devoted his life to God. Since he was more zealous and devout than the other monks, he provoked their jealousy and had to leave. He left the monastery to live alone in a cave in the wilderness, where he spent his time in prayer and fasting.
The goodness and piety of the saint soon became evident to the inhabitants of Paphlagonia, and they sought him out to hear his teaching, or to be cured by him. Many were healed of physical and mental illnesses by his prayers.
St Stylianos was known for his love of children, and he would heal them of their infirmities. Even after his death, the citizens of Paphlagonia believed that he could cure their children. Whenever a child became sick, an icon of St Stylianos was painted and was hung over the child’s bed.

At the hour of his death, the face of St Stylianos suddenly became radiant, and an angel appeared to receive his soul.
Known as a protector of children, St Stylianos is depicted in iconography holding an infant in his arms. Pious Christians ask him to help and protect their children, and childless women entreat his intercession so that they might have children.

St Stylianos was a man who practiced every day of his lifetime what Jesus preached when he said,

“Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the Kingdom of God” (Luke 10:14).

His great concern for children was such that he came to be considered the patron saint of children, but he did not limit his benevolence to children alone, as his life story bears out.

Stylianos was born during the seventh century in Adrianopolis in the province of Paphlagonia into a family which for generations had known nothing but poverty, a circumstance which was accepted without complaint and in which the simple, uncomplicated life afforded them greater time for religious matters. What the family of Stylianos lacked in material things was more than offset by the wealth of a deep faith in Jesus Christ and a cheerful commitment to the Messiah who never owned anything more than the clothes he wore. Stylianos was early made aware of this affinity with the Lord and by the time he had reached maturity had acquired a profound sense of responsibility to the Savior. Determined to serve Jesus Christ to the fullest of his ability, Stylianos joined the hermits of the desert with a view toward cleansing his soul through a period of meditation and prayer, as well as through association with men likewise pledging their lives to Jesus Christ.

Unlike most other hermits, however, he did not withdraw from society altogether, preferring to go among the people for whatever good he might do, and then returning to his little cave for rest and prayerful meditation. One night while he prayed for guidance in helping others, Stylianos felt a divine presence and was consumed by the great glory of the Holy Spirit, emerging from his cave the next day with a spirit of exultation and serenity he had never known before.

In his customary rounds, wherein he counseled and comforted, he felt compelled to place his hand on a stricken child, something he had not up to that time dared to do; he felt the power of the Lord being transferred to the ailing youngster through his extended arm. The child immediately recovered, and thenceforth St Stylianos was sought after by every suffering soul for miles around, young and old. His cave became a magnet for the sick and suffering, many of whom received complete cures not only through the power in this man but through their faith as well, without which a sufferer’s case was hopeless.

It was this time that St Stylianos concerned himself primarily with children, not just the physically afflicted but also those who were in need of spiritual guidance. Families from all walks of life entrusted to St Stylianos the enlightenment of their children, and he was forced to seek out larger headquarters and to recruit from the ranks of his hermit friends the assistance needed to tend to so many. His was probably the first day-care center of the world, where mothers could safely leave their children while tending to other matters of the home.

St Stylianos was inadvertently qualified to become the patron saint of children yet to be born, owing to his miraculous intercession for a young woman who helped him with children but could bear none of her own. When the woman conceived, her husband out of sheer joy spread the word of this miracle, and before long many barren women came to the great hermit. Those whose faith in Jesus Christ was genuine became fertile. The cheerful countenance of St Stylianos was his hallmark, because he seemed always to be smiling, Now and then, however, he would be challenged by an outraged discreditor of little faith, and only then would the beaming hermit’s face darken with a scowl. He was also approached by greedy mercenaries with all manner of propositions for commercializing his talents and reaping a tidy fortune, but for these people he always had the same answer: that he had been paid in advance for his services when the serenity of the Holy Spirit came upon him. He would smile as they left. He lived to a ripe old age, and it is said that, when he was buried his countenance still beamed with a faint smile from the light of the Lord.

~Thanksgiving Day~
“Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.” Hebrews 13:2
This year for the first time, our Church hosted a Thanksgiving meal for the homeless and those in need. It went really, really, well. It was well organized and well attended. There were plenty of volunteers and the children were very sweet while they did their work. In Greek School and Sunday School the children of the Church decorated the paper placemats, that were used for the dinner, with beautiful pictures and warm messages. Later in the day, we went to Thanksgiving dinner at the home of a family from Church. We enjoyed our Thanksgiving, I hope you did too!
Today we had the first snow of the season and the kids were really excited. It wasn’t much snow though and it melted rather quickly. Since the boys didn’t have Greek school today, and Fr. had a few hours free, we did some running around town doing odds and ends. In the course of our travels we passed a HUGE Christmas decorations warehouse. The baby- she’s not such a baby anymore but she’s our baby- was asleep so Fr. stayed with her in the car while I took the boys to look around and they were THRILLED when I agreed to buy miniature trees for their rooms. They are busy upstairs decorating them now, each of them choose a theme and lights for their rooms. We had to take a potty break stop on the road and we stumbled across one of the new McDonald’s that are popping up around town. They are GORGEOUS. McDonald’s is trying to keep up with Starbucks and Panera Bread- with bistro seating, Wifi and fireplaces. They also have these brand new play areas called r-gym. The kids had fun and all in all we had a great day.
I loved the kids in their paper aprons, paper hats and latex gloves, too cute and very sanitary!

Nicholas and Basil passing out cream and sugar.

Maria~Angelica and our very dear Church secretary, Fran.

The community center full of Thanksgiving guests.
Maria~Angelica and her fans and Jonah passing out presents to our guests as they left the Church hall.

Later in the day at Thanksgiving Dinner

I think we are ready for another baby at our house! Isn’t this little guy cute? Holding Maria~Angelica and a two month old baby brought back memories have having three little boys in three years. By the time Basil was two we had Nicholas and Jonah was born when Nicholas was 15 months old. I was pregnant with Jonah before we had even baptized Nicholas. The boys tell me they would like two more sisters so they can each have one to take care of. Alright by me- I sure would love one pregnancy though, resulting in twins. So, now you know what to pray for! LOL!

Maria~Angelica just loved on this little guy so much and she was very sweet and gentle with her caresses and kisses. She would make a lovely BIG sister!
Wanted: Qualified Candidates for the Parish Council
Fr. Stavros Akrotirianakis
An, ‘Tis the season for Parish Council elections. Every year as November and December roll around, many Orthodox parishes hold elections for their Parish Councils. In my ten year ministry, I’ve had Parish Council members who are shining examples of what it is to be an Orthodox Christian, who genuinely care for the mission of the church, who made a weekly habit of receiving Holy Communion, who came to confession, in addition to coming to Parish Council meetings, serving on committees and organizing community events. I’ve also had Parish Council members who did not attend church, who laughed when I told the Parish Council that all members should go to confession at least once a year, who came to church each Sunday only in time to pass the tray, who weren’t faithful in keeping the fasts of the church and who generally did not set a good example.

In my parish, in addition to a seminar for Parish Council candidates held in the local area, last year I instituted an additional one hour private session in my office so that I could have an opportunity to dialogue with each candidate one on one. The other day, in conducting one of these meetings, a candidate asked me “Father, what is your number one goal for next year?” Without even thinking about it, I replied, “To have 11 Parish Council members (the number of my Parish Council) who will worship in church each Sunday.” This person replied, “Do I have to come on time?” I guess a priest can dream, but as we approach another year of Parish Council elections, I scratch my head and wonder is it really that hard to find 11 people for a Parish Council who will commit to coming to church on time each Sunday? And is our method of choosing our parish leaders something that needs to be revised?
Picking versus Electing
History shows that leaders have traditionally picked those who work closest with them. Kings chose their men of court, Presidents choose their cabinets, Hierarchs choose their councils, coaches choose their assistant, managers hire their own secretaries, but the parish priests have their councils voted in. (In fact, the priest isn’t even allowed to cast a vote for the Parish Council.) Why is that? Some say, this is to serve as a check and balance for the priest, make sure he doesn’t get too much power. If we are worried that a priest will wield power in a dictatorial and oppressive way, perhaps that person is not an appropriate candidate for ordination and should be screened out during Seminary. However, the priesthood is a position of authority. The priest serves as the Icon of Christ at the altar in his community.
The priest serves as the leader of his community. Many Parish Council members will argue that the priest leads only the spiritual part of the community, with the Parish Council doing the business part. To which I counter, is there any part of the community life that isn’t to be considered spiritual? Just look at your own personal life. Is there a separation between the spiritual and secular parts of your life? Does Christ only lead part of our lives, or is He supposed to be leading at all times, even when we are engaged in “secular” things like sports or socializing? Likewise, there is no secular part of a church — Christ, through the priest, leads all aspects of community life. If there is a sinful or ungodly segment to community life, like running a bingo business, that aspect of community life needs to be eliminated, not have the priest turn a blind eye to it.
And what happens more often than not, is that rather than serving as a check and balance to temper a priest who “wields too much power,” a Parish Council serves as an obstacle and handicaps the enthusiastic priest who is trying to grow his parish in the image and likeness of Christ.
What is the purpose of an Orthodox Church?
The Orthodox Church has but one purpose, to advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As subgoals under this overarching theme are mission statements taken directly from the Gospels themselves. “To seek and to save the lost,” (Luke 19:10); To call sinners to repentance (Matthew 9:13) ; and “to baptize all nations.” (Matthew 28:19) Every priest, parish council member and parishioner should be actively working towards these goals in their own lives and in the lives of their peers. Some have distorted the purpose of the church to include providing a social life and preserving a certain culture and language. There are certainly social and cultural elements present in every parish, but should not be the focus of that parish. The focus of every parish is Jesus Christ.
What is the role of the Parish Council?
Archdiocese regulations in various Orthodox jurisdictions provide a legal job description of the parish council which is to ostensibly help administer the parish in cooperation with the parish priest. Some interpret that as making sure the parish is on solid financial footing, counting money in the tray, running the parish festival, or selling raffle tickets. But if the primary focus of the parish is supposed to be furtherance of the Gospel, then the primary focus of the Parish Council Member is supposed to be assisting the priest to further the Gospel. This means that first and foremost, the Parish Council member must be a supportive example of what it means to be an Orthodox Christian. If Parish Council members are not worshipping in church or receiving the sacraments or going to confession, what kind of message does this send? That these things are important for the “regular people” of the parish but not for its leadership? By not being a good example IN the church, not only does the parish council member not further the message of Christ or work in cooperation with the priest, but actually works in opposition to the priest. Because the regular member of the church is going to think, “If our priest can’t convince his own Parish Council that worship and the sacramental life are important, he must be a real bozo.” Yes, the parish council has an administrative role in the church. The church festival is generally organized by someone on the Parish Council. Someone on the parish council is usually in charge of the buildings and grounds, the stewardship committee, the outreach committee and acts as a liaison to the various ministries of the church. But the primary role of the parish council is to be leading by example, in worship, in speaking positively about the future spiritual growth of the church.
What constitutes a Member in Good Standing? — A hypothetical case study
In the parish of Holy Trinity, in Anytown, USA, there was a rule that to run for the parish council, one had to be a member for one full year prior to the election. So, if the election was December 9, 2005 for the parish council of 2006, in order to run, one had to be a member on December 9, 2004. It turns out that one year, George Smith wanted to run for Parish Council. He was a very pious man, in church every Sunday, one of the top stewards of the parish, who also did a lot of volunteer work at the parish festival. In November 2005, George Smith was nominated for parish council and was very excited about the prospect of serving his church. George had moved to the area in January of 2005 from a parish where he had served on the Parish Council, and filled out his membership form on January 2 of 2005. George was disqualified from running because he hadn’t been a member of the parish for a full year (he was three weeks short of a full year), and hence wasn’t a member in good standing. Mike Johnson, on the other hand, who rarely attended church, who pledged only a nominal amount, was nominated and elected. His great-grandfather, after all, had been one of the founding members of the parish. And for the 90 year history of the church, a Johnson had always been on the Parish Council. Perhaps it is time to redefine what is a member in good standing.
An Uninformed Electorate
In most parishes, members of the congregation do not know all the members who are running. Since we don’t have debates or public forums for candidates to introduce themselves before the elections (hmm, there’s an idea, a debate on the stage in the parish hall after church), members are told to vote for a slate of candidates they may not even know. And so the voting goes like this. Nick Jones picks up his ballot. It says vote for 6 of these 8 candidates. Nick knows five of the candidates, so he votes for them. He evaluates which of the other three to vote for and finds one of the remaining candidates is named Nick Smith. So he thinks, “My name is Nick, that’s a good name, I’ll vote for him.” And so Nick Smith is qualified in the eyes of Nick Jones merely because his name is Nick. Then you have a good number of parishioners who show up only to vote — they don’t even attend church on election Sunday but come afterward to vote. They bring their checkbooks to make sure they are caught up on their membership for the year, filling out their stewardship form or paying their dues in December, just so they can vote. You have parishioners who themselves are not members in good standing, because they don’t live an Orthodox Christian life, voting for people they don’t know. An uninformed electorate voting for people they don’t know — is this a functional system?
What motivates people to run for the Parish Council?
There are many answers here. Some are motivated by a desire to help the church grow and to help others grow in their faith. If that’s not a motivation to run, you probably need to evaluate why you are running. Some run because “we need responsible people to make sure the church is on solid financial footing.” Or “we need to make sure the priest doesn’t get too powerful.” Or “I’ve been on the Parish Council for 25 years so I’ll run again.” Or ” my father was on the parish council and now that he’s passed away, I’ll take my family’s seat on the parish council.” How many qualified people stay away from the parish council? In my years as a priest, when I’ve approached people who I think would make excellent parish council members, I have often been turned down by them because “there is too much politics” on the Parish Council, or “I don’t know enough people to get elected.” If you are running for parish council, you need to clearly examine why you are running. If it’s for any reason other than I want to help my priest spread the Gospel in this parish, then please reconsider running. That’s not to say that a parish council member does not need an administrative skill set — yes, people on the parish council need to be good with numbers and balancing checkbooks, should understand stewardship and fundraising and will be doing administrative jobs like making sure the church roof gets repaired. But the primary job of the parish council member is to be a good example of a faithful Orthodox Christian, and being faithful to this role must be a motivating factor for the parish council candidate.
What we need on the Parish Council?
Committed Christians, plain and simple. We need people who will serve as examples to the rest of the community, who will come faithfully and punctually to church each Sunday, who will receive Communion, who will go to confession, who will attend a Bible study or religious retreat, who can talk with some competency about Orthodoxy. What we do NOT need are people who spend the liturgy in the hall, who come at 11:00 a.m. in time to pass the tray, who discourage parishioners from going to confession, who engage in gossip about the priest, or each other. How do these things help in spreading the Gospel of Christ?
The time has come to reexamine how we select leaders in our parishes. If Jesus Christ could choose illiterate fishermen and repentant tax collectors and make them into heralds of the Gospel who founded the Orthodox Church which still exists two thousand years later, if a priest were allowed to choose 9 or 11 (or whatever the number) committed Christians in his parish to serve as its leaders, I’m quite confident that the results would be positive. Since there is virtually no chance that that will ever happen, all I can hope for is that if you are nominated for the Parish Council and aren’t committed to regular church attendance, if you don’t have a regular prayer life, if you don’t receive Communion often, keep the fasts, go to confession periodically (if ever) or are engaged in serious habitual sin, that you will withdraw your name from the ballot. And if there aren’t enough qualified people to run in your parish, perhaps the priest will end up getting to appoint one or two people to the parish council. Would that be such a bad thing? He, above all, should know who is qualified.
Several years ago, at summer camp, one of the staff members also happened to be the parish council president of her church community. One morning, as we were beginning the Orthros (Matins) service before the Divine Liturgy, there was one person in our camp chapel (a tent outdoors covering a slab of concrete). In the back row of the chapel, it was this woman who was kneeling on concrete and praying. After Liturgy, I told her how moved I was to witness this scene of a parish council president on her knees praying at the beginning of Orthros in an empty church. I told her thank you for giving me a healthy image of a parish council member to have in my mind. At a time when many parish council members are the last ones in church, it was refreshing to see one be the first. We always picture the parish council members passing the tray, taking sign-ups for something, or hawking tickets to the dinner-dance. It’s time for parish council members to step up and change that image, into images of holiness rather than images of business. After all, what is a church, a place of holiness or a place of business? And as Orthodox Christians, we are supposed to be being led by our priests and parish council members to become images of holiness, not merely consumers, customers and constituents.
Fr. Stavros Akrotirianakis is the Priest of St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Tampa, FL and is director of St. Stephen’s Summer Camp for the Metropolis of Atlanta.
Posted: 22-Nov-07
www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles7/AkrotirianakisCouncil.php
~Look What The Boys Worked On Today~
I have had this map for years- it came with our Audio Memory Geography CD- that I have blogged about in the past. Basil is now in the 4th grade and I bought the CD, book and map when he was in kindergarten. For years they have wanted to color this map and today was the day! Basil and Nicholas both mastered the Geography songs while at Mars Hill Academy in the first grade. Next week at Rivendell they will be reviewing their Geography using the Geography songs and maps. Today was a lovely rainy day to sit and work on this wonderful map. The finished product looks great and Basil is looking forward to hanging it in his room. Also, I am very proud of Basil that over his Thanksgiving break he has finished “The Hobbit” and he is looking forward to reading “The Lord of The Rings” trilogy.
~Happy Name Day Maria~Angelica~
As many of my regular readers already know, Maria~Angelica is named both for the Mother of God and all the Angels in Heaven- therefore she has quite a few name days! Unfortunately, our dear little Maria~Angelica has a rotten cold. I sure hope everyone is on the mend soon, so we can all have a healthy Thanksgiving. Today we remember and celebrate the presentation of the Virgin Mary to the Temple. Happy Feast Day everyone!! Panagia pray to God for us! For those of you not familiar with this Feast or Holy Tradition I hope you enjoy the following explanation, it is BEAUTIFUL!!!

The Entry of the Most Holy Mother of God into the Temple

The Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos according to Holy Tradition, this took place in the following manner. The parents of the Virgin Mary, Righteous Joachim and Anna, praying for an end to their childlessness, vowed that if a child were born to them, they would dedicate it to the service of God.

When the Most Holy Virgin reached the age of three, the holy parents decided to fulfill their vow. They gathered together their relatives and acquaintances, and dressed the All-Pure Mary in Her finest clothes. With the singing of sacred songs and with lighted candles in their hands, virgins escorted Her to the Temple (Ps. 44/45:14-15). There the High Priest and several priests met the handmaiden of God. In the Temple, fifteen high steps led to the sanctuary, which only the priests and High Priest could enter. (Because they recited a Psalm on each step, Psalms 119/120-133/134 are called “Psalms of Ascent.”) The child Mary, so it seemed, could not make it up this stairway. But just as they placed Her on the first step, strengthened by the power of God, She quickly went up the remaining steps and ascended to the highest one. Then the High Priest, through inspiration from above, led the Most Holy Virgin into the Holy of Holies, where only the High Priest entered once a year to offer a purifying sacrifice of blood. Therefore, all those present in the Temple were astonished at this most unusual occurrence.

Righteous Joachim and Anna, having entrusted their Child to the will of the Heavenly Father, returned home. The Most Blessed Mary remained in the quarters for virgins, near the Temple. Round about the Temple, through the testimony of Holy Scripture (Exodus 38; 1 Kings 1: 28; Lk. 2: 37), and also the historian Josephus Flavius, there were many living quarters, in which dwelt those dedicated to the service of God.

The earthly life of the Most Holy Theotokos from Her infancy until She was taken up to Heaven is shrouded in deep mystery. Her life at the Jerusalem Temple was also a secret. “If anyone were to ask me,” said Blessed Jerome, “how the Most Holy Virgin spent the time of Her youth, I would answer, that is known to God Himself and the Archangel Gabriel, Her constant guardian.”

But there are accounts in Church Tradition, that during the All-Pure Virgin’s stay at the Temple, She grew up in a community of pious virgins, diligently read the Holy Scripture, occupied Herself with handicrafts, prayed constantly, and grew in love for God. In remembrance of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Jerusalem Temple, Holy Church from ancient times established a solemn Feastday. The decretals for the making of the Feast in the first centuries of Christianity are found in the traditions of Palestinian Christians, where mention is made that the holy Empress Helen built a church in honor of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos.

St. Gregory of Nyssa, in the fourth century, mentions this Feast. In the eighth century Sts. Germanus and Tarasius, Patriarchs of Constantinople, delivered sermons on the Feast of the Entry.

The Feast of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple foretells the blessing of God for the human race, the preaching of salvation, the promise of the coming of Christ.
~Fall Photos From Our Visit Home~
Sorry, I haven’t blogged lately, we’re all not feeling well. Nicholas and Jonah both have strep throat- Nicholas for the second time in two weeks; I don’t have it,but my throat is really hurting and I can’t shake whatever I do have. We had a nice visit home- albeit brief; we did manage to squeeze in a lot in a few short days. I missed a chance to meet up with Tracy , though.
Twice a year the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra offers a fall concert, for children, as part of the Lollipop series. This fall the concert was “Carnival of the Animals”  with a narration of the book of the same name, by John Lithgow.We went home for an anniversary party and I was very pleased we were in town, to be able to take the kids to this concert- I LOVE the Lollipop concerts and conductor, Eric Dudley, he makes the concerts so much fun for the children. This year they had animals from the Cincinnati Zoo on stage. My best friends and I all headed downtown with our children and between us we have a ton of kids, we were even short a few  that day. The kids had fun; before the concert they were able to play some instruments in the foyer of Music hall , then they were offered a child friendly program with games and crayons. Following the concert they were given kazoos and we bought them all chocolate covered pretzel sticks, so a good time was had by all!
~Cincinnati Music Hall~



~Fun at Yia yia and Papou’s house~

The boys are VERY proud of themselves that they can climb this tree- it is about 80ft tall and they really got up there!




Maria~Angelica looks SO much like her dad in the last two photos. Fr. holds his hands JUST like this in photos.
~A Wise Reminder!~
Dear Fathers, Parish Faithful & Friends in Christ,

“In matters of piety, freedom from oppression is the worst form of persecution. It is worse than any other persecution. No one understands or senses this danger because safety gives birth to carelessness. It weakens the soul and lulls to sleep, and the devil destroys sleeping men.” (St. John Chrysostom)

With the commemoration of St. John Chrysostom this last Tuesday, November 13, I spent some time looking over his fascinating, tumultus, and ultimately tragic life, together with some of his teaching as it has come down to us. Once ordained to the priesthood, St. John was passionately committed to his vocation as a pastor and a preacher of the Gospel. Yet, he was deeply distressed at what he interpreted as laxity and indifference among his large flock in Constantinople, once he became archbishop there in 398.   In fact, he once famously said: “From among so many thousands, it is impossible to find more than one hundred who are truly saving their souls, and I am not even sure that there are that many.”   In fact, the large number of “Christians” that he encountered in the city, led him to further lament: “This is all the more fuel for the fire.”

I would argue that our living conditions as Christians today far more resemble – at least in certain key aspects - the times of St. John in the 4th c. than perhaps that of Christians as recent as the 19th c. St. John was then contending with what we now call religious pluralism and the vast intellectual and religious choices that people had before them.  Besides this, however, he had pressing pastoral problems that remain universal given the consistency of (fallen) human nature. His ministry was practiced within a large and cosmopolitan urban center that revealed great social inequality, and all the enticements and temptations that gather around affluence. Wealth, entertainment, expensive dressing and lavish dining were among the more obvious signs of the dulling effects of affluence. St. John even sarcastically spoke of the golden and silver chamber pots found among the wealthy in their bedrooms - while the poor were among them unattended on a daily basis!   Concentration on these empty and trivial attractions is what led him to openly question the salvation of his flock.

It is precisely this affluence that “gives birth to carelessness” referred to in the text above. Further, “it weakens the soul and lulls to sleep,” and “the devil destroys sleeping men.” In a society of affluence and material comfort, “the worst form of persecution” is precisely “freedom from oppression!”   With great insight, St. John declares that “it is worse than any other persecution.”   We may choose to debate that and to disagree with him, but his point remains a telling one. St. John, though, is on to something in the realization that the comforts we so cherish work upon us stealthily, steadily and slowly, so that it is no longer God, but the comfort of affluence that receives the focus of our attention. Hence, it is a form of “persecution” because it takes us away from God. Affluence breeds a desire for more of the same and our “souls” are preoccupied with just about anything and everything else - except perhaps our salvation!   (Christmas has itself become a dreary exercise for many to flaunt their affluence in the number, novelty and expense of the gifts purchased). Thus, our affluence may remain today as our contemporary form of persecution, though we would hardly assess it to be so. Otherwise, why pursue it with such passion, commitment and dedication?

The author Peter Whybrow wrote a book entitled: American Mania: When More is Not Enough. That title says it all. Compare that with the aphorism of the English essayist Charles Lamb (+1831): “Enough is as good as a feast.”   Who among us is satisfied with enough? These are two very different “ideals” to live by, so “meditating” upon the choice before us may be worth the time and effort. Would that mean great changes in our lives? Cutting back? Simplifying? Sharing more with others?   A change in worldview will mean a change in lifestyle, and that can be a painful process.

Returning to another of the deep themes raised above, St. John wondered aloud if there are “more than one hundred who are truly saving their souls.” Only the merciful God knows, of course; and St. John tirelessly preached about the limitless mercy of God. But the question remains both painful and poignant. To what extent are we actually concerned with the salvation of our souls? Our liturgical prayer is very much concerned with the salvation of our souls (“Soul” does not so much mean a distinct substance, as it does our very lives in their totality). Of course, that could lead to a morbid and fearful preoccupation and that would only be another form of egoism. But assuming that the phrase “the salvation of our souls” refers to a spiritually healthy desire for communion with God through Christ and the Holy Spirit; or “the knowledge of Thy truth, and in the world to come, life everlasting” as we pray in every Divine Liturgy. To what extent do we pursue this with passion, commitment and dedication? If taken seriously, can it be anything other than the top “priority” of our lives? How does it “rank” with our pursuit of affluence? St. John referred to this as a process; he spoke of “saving our souls,” not “saved souls.” This takes time and effort as we synergistically cooperate with God in the process of working out our salvation in “fear and trembling.”   This is a worthy goal that dignifies and lends meaning to our existence.

As our Lord Jesus Christ said: “For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (MK. 8:36)

Fr. Steven C. Kostoff
Christ the Savior/Holy Spirit Orthodox Church
http://www.christthesavioroca.org
~Gaffendes blog~
Willkommen zu Xanga!
Someone has been reading my blog in Germany, click HERE to see what they see. Pretty cool!