Jesus Saves Us in the Storm, Not From It (8-10-2014)

   In January up here in Minnesota, it is often bitterly cold and snow covers everything. We can see our breath crystalize in the air and we put our three layers of clothing on before our ski jacket or parka. That is often when our friends in Florida and California like to call and remind us that it is sunny and the temperature is in the 70s or 80s where they are. They brag that they are sitting on their patio by the pool or on the beach next to the ocean. And all they’re wearing is a tshirt and shorts or swimsuit. Next time that happens be sure to tell them that up here in the frozen tundra of Minnesota, we are walking on water!

   In today’s Gospel lesson from the Ninth Sunday of Matthew 14:22-34, we hear of Jesus walking on the water at the Sea of Galilee, also known as Lake Tiberias. Jesus had just finished feeding the 5,000, which we read about last week. Then he sent His disciples in a boat to the other side of the sea (v.22). In the middle of the night the boat was being tossed by the waves due to the wind (v.24). At that moment “Jesus went to them, walking on the sea” (v.25). The disciples say Jesus but thought He was a ghost and cried out in fear (v.26). Jesus told them not to be afraid (v.27). Peter, always the bold one, tested Jesus saying, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water” (v.28). And Jesus did and Peter came out of the boat and began to walk on the water (v.29). But when he saw the wind and the waves he was walking on, Peter became afraid and began to sink. He cried out, “Lord, save me!” (v.30). Jesus immediately caught him and asked Peter, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (v.31).

   We can learn many lessons from this story. One of them is often forgotten but pointed about by Fr. Anthony Coniaris in his book, “Message of the Sunday Gospels, vol.2.” The lesson is that Jesus typically does not save us from the storms of life, but rather, He saves us in the storms of life. Remember, Jesus enabled to walk upon the stormy waters, not a calm placid sea. Remember also, that wind did not cease until Jesus and Peter got into the boat (v.32). What are the storms of life? Unfortunately, we have witnessed recently some of the greatest storms that any family could ever face. The death of a 19 year old daughter, the loss of a 52 year old mother, and the death of a young presvytera leaving behind a husband and two small children. Many of us have lost loved ones who passed from this life to the next. And we have experienced other storms like sickness, injury, temptation, failure, doubt, conflict, disappointment and many others.

   Some of these storms are physical in nature, others are emotional and some spiritual. Fr. Coniaris says the ones that sink us are not outside our boats but inside our souls. And this fact speaks to the necessity of preparation. Fr. Coniaris, quoting Philips Brooks, uses the analogy of a ship at sea, fighting a gale. In the howling wind and rolling waves, the crew and passengers wonder if the ship will hold together or break apart. But in reality, the battle was fought long before in the shipyard where the vessel was built. Using the best and strongest materials, the best binding and sealing techniques, the best craftsmanship. Almost all reputable boat and ship manufacturers build their vessels, not for calm weather and placid seas, but for the strongest storms. That is the way God built us.

   In today’s Epistle reading (1Corinthians 3:9-17), St. Paul says we are God’s building or dwelling (v.9), that the foundation is Jesus Christ (v.11), that we are God’s temple and His Spirit dwells in us (v.16). St. Paul also says that we will be tested by fire (v.13). So the storms of life are merely tests of the strength of our workmanship and God does not make junk. But even the strongest ships, if they are not maintained properly, can succumb to the storm. For that matter, if they are not navigated correctly, like the Titanic, they will run into an iceberg or some other obstacle that can bring them down.

   So what are we doing to maintain our ship in order to weather the storms of life? Are we adding to that foundation of Christ within us, building upon the image of God, growing into His likeness? I dare say that in the calm of summer weather, since public and private and Sunday schools are on break, we think a vacation from liturgy and church is in order also. But how does three months or more away from the Eucharist, away from the worship of our Maker, away from hearing the Word of God in the community of faith; how does that help maintain the engine of our soul, refuel the tanks of prayer, and repair the holes that sin has created?

   Returning to the theme of navigation, when Peter kept his eyes on Christ he was a able to walk upon the waves created by the wind. When he took his eyes of Jesus and looked at the waves, that’s when Peter began to sink. Fr. Coniaris, in his book Gems from the Sunday Gospels vol.2 relate two stories that illustrate the need to keep our eyes on Jesus. The first is about five boys. In the midst of winter, with snow covering the ground, they had a context to see who could make the straightest set of tracks. They were all very careful in putting one foot in front of the other but when they crossed the field and looked back, one track was curved, one was crooked and two were zig-zag. Only one boy’s tracks were perfectly straight. When the four asked how he did it, he said he just picked a tree in the distance, kept his eye on it constantly and walked straight toward it. How straight is our path? Who are we keeping our eyes on?

   The other story is about a gemologist who examined hundreds of diamonds each day to determine their quality and value. A person asked him how he could look at all those small diamonds and their minute differences and not get confused? He replied that every half hour he would lift up his eyes and look at a perfect diamond that he kept in his drawer. It was this flawless diamond that grounded his sense of quality and value. Do we see then how important it is to reacquaint ourselves with the flawless person of Jesus our Lord? The gemologist did it every half hour. Can we even do that once a day in prayer and scripture reading, once a week receiving the Word of Christ in the readings and receiving His Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist of the liturgy? Can we see the perfect Jesus in the imperfect person who is sitting or standing right next to us?

   As we conclude today, let us remember that God usually does not save us from the storms of life but rather within the storms. God the Father did not save Jesus from the Cross of Crucifixion but He did save Him on it and later raised Jesus from the dead. Throughout the whole ordeal, Jesus never took His eyes off His Father in heaven. He prayed to Him in the Garden, and He prayed on the Cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Lk.23:34). Jesus was able to weather this terrible storm because He was prepared. He recognized God the Father and trusted Him completely. In the storms of our life, we must remember that Jesus is coming to us, just like He came to the disciples in the boat on the Sea of Galilee. Yet, if we are not prepared, like them, we will not recognize the face of Jesus walking toward us on the waves. And we will not recognize His voice bidding us to come to Him and also walk on the waves. Therefore, let us not be afraid, let us be of good cheer, and let us make our home in the ship of the Church, the boat of salvation. Amen!

Name the Demons (10-26-2014)

   What is your name? This is not an uncommon question. “Hello, my name is Fr. Rick. What’s your name?” This is one of the first ways we begin to know another person. It helps to know other people’s name because it’s like a hook on a door that we can begin to hang all their personal stories and attributes in order to remember them. Once we know another person’s name well, we often don’t think consciously about using it but it becomes the very word that brings everything about them into the forefront of our mind when we do use. Let me just mention a few names and consider how information flows through our pre-frontal cortex, our thinking brain: Mom, Dad, Yiayia, & Pappou. Each one of those names brings a unique person to mind for each one of us. Certainly, the same would be true for the names of our siblings, our children, grandchildren, friends and perhaps, even our enemies. “What’s your name?”

   This is the same question that Jesus asks in today’s Gospel reading from the Sixth Sunday of Luke (8:26-39) to the man from the Gadarenes (in the Greek “Gerasene”). Except, Jesus was not asking the man’s name. In fact, we never learn the man’s real name in the Gospels. Instead, Jesus was asking the demons who possessed the man. “What is your name?” (v.30). And we hear the man say, “’Legion,’ because many demons had entered him” (v.30). This is and important but often overlooked element of the story. What I call, “The Naming of the Demons” because it is the beginning of the healing process towards reconciliation with God. It is how to begin to exorcise or cast out the demons.

   Before we proceed, it is important to remember that demon possession from the Christian perspective does not look like what we see or read in horror movies, television shows or books. They often portray humans as powerless against demons and depict demonic possession as a violent experience and requisite exorcisms in overly dramatic fashion. In truth, the devil and the demons are much more cunning and crafty. Their method is subtle and they like to work in secret so they can silently begin to influence us. They scout us out, examine us, know our weaknesses and which temptations work best against us. All that is required of us is to slowly make small decisions that turn us away from God, even if only a thought in our mind. If this pattern continues, then gradually the demons will exercise (not exorcise) more and more influence over us including our thoughts, words and deeds. They will take whatever beachhead they can get in their long war to take possession of our soul.

   Returning to naming the demons, the most dramatic example of this process would be the following: Sometimes, when a person is abused at a very young age, in order to protect themselves from the severe pain of the mental, emotional or physical harm that was done to them, will repress the memory of the event and the person who perpetrated the abuse. This is often one of the only ways a child can deal with the pain. As they grow older, the memory is forgotten but the emotional pain is still buried deep within. This pain will cause them to think, speak and act in self-destructive ways. Relationships with others suffer too. The reasons why seem inexplicable until one begins to slowly and courageously look back and to look within. If they can feel safe and secure enough with another person they trust, they can begin to experience that pain by naming it and naming the person who perpetrated it. It’s like raising that young innocent child from the dead to a new life so that he or she can be integrated with their adult person. In this case, the demon entered through the abusive actions of another person.

   The not so dramatic example that applies to most of us is as I said before. We make many decisions every day. Almost every single decision either brings us closer to Christ or farther away from Him. In Greek, sin is ‘amartia’ or ‘to miss the mark.’ Christ is the target. Are we directed towards Him? Are moving towards Him? If are decisions turn us away from Him or move us farther away from Him, they are ‘amartia’ or sin. So, in some sense, many situations that we find ourselves in can be defined as temptations--environments that entice us to sin. The sad fact of living in this fallen world is that it’s easier to sin than it is to not sin. So, our life can become like a snowball rolling down a hill. It gathers more mass, it rolls faster as it goes and it becomes more difficult to stop. And in our extremely busy lives, we begin to lose sight of how the devil and the demons are working against us. We forget how we got in the predicament we find ourselves in. We struggle to make the first step to stop the downhill avalanche our life has become. We are like the swine in today’s Gospel, running down the steep hill to be drowned in the lake (v.32).

  What’s the solution? What’s the remedy? Name the demons! How do we name the demons? Simple, confession is the Orthodox Christian way to name the demons. Confessing to God our sins is naming the demons. Confessing our passions, our weaknesses, and our sinful inclinations is naming the demons. Even, at times, naming the people who served to bring temptations and sin into our life is naming the demons. Even though they brought them in, it is our responsibility to cast them out. I wish it were this easy. Unfortunately, I see far to many people who still carry their demons around with them, either because they are unable to name the demons or they are unwilling. That’s why we have the Sacrament of Confession. The priest knows how to help, how to identify the subtle ways the demons work in our life. He knows how to help us deal with our passions and our weaknesses. He knows how to stop the snowball, how to stop the avalanche and get us back on the safe and level path. He knows how to name the demons. For those of us who are unwilling to name our demons, my only response is a question. Why? Why don’t we want to become like the Gadarene/Gerane man in today’s Gospel who was healed and in his right mind after Jesus helped him name his demons? Why? Amen!

Adjure- to charge, bind, or command earnestly and solemnly, often under oath or the threat of a penalty.  to entreat or request earnestly or solemnly.

Exorcism- (Greek ‘exorkizo’) meaning ‘to adjure, charge under oath.’ (see Mt.26:63; Acts 19:13-14)

⁶²And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?" ⁶³But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!" ⁶⁴Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." (Matthew 26:62-64)

¹³Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches." ¹⁴Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. ¹⁵And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" ¹⁶Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. ¹⁷This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. ¹⁸And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. ¹⁹Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. ²⁰So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed. (Acts 19:13-20)

ST. GEORGE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

REV. FR. RICHARD D. ANDREWS, PRESBYTER

www.stgeorgegoc.org

November 2, 2014                                                                                                                           5^TH SUNDAY OF LUKE

TODAYS EVENTS: Daylight Savings Time (turn back clock one hour); Ecumenical Patriarchate Sunday; Youth Ministry Mtg 12pm; Greek School classes 12pm; Serve a Meal at FOCUS MN 4pm; Hellenic Legion Post 75^th Anniversary Dinner at St. Mary Greek, Mpls 5pm

Epistle Reader: Nick Kanavati                                                                      Prosfora: Aristea Kontinakis

Fellowship: Aristea Kontinakis Family & Chris Kontenakos

Tuesday         11-4      Orthodox Christian Fellowship at University of St. Thomas                 12:00PM

                                      Philoptochos Meeting                                                                     1:30PM

                                      Catechism Class- Sacraments II: Eucharist, Liturgy, Worship, Prayer    7:00PM

Friday            11-7      Cunningham Lecture on Russian Pilgrimages at UMN                         7:30PM

Saturday        11-8      Divine Liturgy at St. Mary Greek for Holy Archangels (Orthros 9am)    10:00AM

                                      Good Death- Panel Discussion on Medical Ethics at St. Mary Greek       11:00AM

                                      GREAT VESPERS                                                                               5:00PM

Sunday           11-9      ORTHROS (8:30am) & DIVINE LITURGY – 5^TH SUNDAY OF LUKE                9:30AM

Monday          11-10   Parish Council Meeting                                                                    6:30PM

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Patriarchate Sunday- the Ladies of Philoptochos will receive an offering after the dismissal to benefit the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople. We thank everyone for their generosity.

Hellenic Legion Post 75^th Anniversary- dinner today Sunday November 2, 2014 at St. Mary Greek Orthodox Church in Minneapolis. Honored speaker is Dr. Apostolos Georgopoulos, Neuroscience Professor at University of Minnesota. Social hour 5pm, Dinner at 6pm. Menu includes combo chicken and pork tenderloin. Cost is $15/person. For tickets contact Chris Georgantones at 651.690.1302.

A Child is Born- to Andreas Sitorengo & Sohia Christoforides. Artemis was born on October 23^rd. Congrats to all including grandparents Lazaros & Anna Christoforides.

Think About It: One must strive to have a good opinion of everyone. Only God is the Knower of hearts. We cannot infallibly judge people.                                                               St. Hilarion of Optina (+1873)

Fond Farewell- to Fr. Paul & Pres. Stephanie Paris and family! Fr. Paul will be assigned to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Portland, Oregon beginning December 1^st. We’ll miss the Paris family and pray all of God’s blessings for them in their new assignment. Xronia Polla kai Axios!

James W. Cunningham Memorial Lecture on Eastern Orthodox History and Culture. 2014 Topic is The Long Road to Kyiv: Nineteenth Century Orthodox Pilgrimages by Dr. Christine D. Worobec of Northern Illinois University this Friday November 7, 2014 starting 7:30 p.m. at 125 Willey Hall, University of Minnesota, 225 19th Avenue South, Minneapolis. Reception to follow. RSVP by October 31^st (612) 624-4526 or mgsp@umn.edu.

Preparing for the Good Death: Orthodox Christian Considerations for the Life to Come, a panel discussion on Orthodox ethical issues related to medical advancement of our times. What does the Church say about organ donation, cremation, end of life, and more? Panelists: Fr. Paul Paris, Fr. Paul Hodge, Fr. George Dokos & Fr. Antony Alekseyenko. This Saturday November 8^th, 11:30am – 1:00pm at St. Mary Greek Orthodox Church. Light lunch will be served. Please RSVP to 612-825-9595. Please join us for this important conversation!

Parish Assembly & Communal Meal- Please join us after Liturgy on Sunday November 16^th for a communal meal and the Parish Assembly meeting, sponsored by the Stewardship Committee as a thank you for your generosity.

Annual Twin Cities IOCC Dinner- You are invited to attend on Thursday, November 13^th at St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church. Join the pan-Orthodox faithful of the Twin Cities in support of IOCC’s latest humanitarian work around the world. Hear first-hand accounts of IOCC's work in Greece from summer intern Clia Mpogiatzis. For questions contact Justin & Kyrsten Theodotou at theodotou2014@gmail.com. Register at IOCC.org/Minneapolis.

The Church Fathers Speak: Those who sincerely take refuge in God and who correct their past faults by repentance, and do not despair of their salvation, as it says in the Prophet Isaiah, God washes those who are dirty with sin, He whitens them as wool and snow, and bestows upon them the good things of the heavenly Jerusalem.                                       St. Paul the Simple (4^th cent.)

OCF at UST: A group of students at the University of St. Thomas have formed a new Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) and have already met two times. They will be meeting twice a month. For more info, contact Fr. Rick.

Stewardship 2014: November is stewardship month and we encourage everyone to remain current with their contributions, commitment and pledge. As of September 30^th we received 129 pledges in amount of $152,155. Another 74 members donated $26,690 for a total of $178,845. Thus, we need to raise/receive an additional $48,155 before Dec.31^st to reach our stewardship goal of $227,000 to support the ministries of our parish community.

Stewardship 2015: Please begin considering how you will increase your giving of Time, Talents and Treasures to the parish in Year 2015. Brochures and pledge cards will be mailed in next few weeks.

Wisdom from the Church Fathers: When you want to resolve a complex problem, seek God’s will in the matter, and you will find a constructive solution.                                                                     St. Mark the Ascetic (5^th cent.)

Praying for Others: the parish council is initiating an effort to encourage prayers for those in need who welcome the prayers of others. At the person’s request, his/her name will be placed in the bulletin so that her/she may be remembered in prayer by all during the Divine Liturgy and in personal prayers throughout the week. Personal circumstances, such as medical condition, will NOT be listed, only names. If you would like your name included in the bulletin to request prayers, please contact the church office, Fr. Rick or a parish council member. 

Youth Minister Position Open: this part-time position is 10-15 hours per week and the primary responsibilities are developing working relationships with parent volunteers to organize and plan activities for our high school, middle school and elementary age kids. Current salary is $1000 per month. If interested, please contact Fr. Rick.

Patristic Wisdom: Just as the most bitter medicine drives out poisonous creatures, so prayer joined to fasting drives evil thoughts away.                                            Amma Syncletica of the Desert (+350AD)

Find Us on Facebook: for up to date news and information, please visit our parish Facebook page. Just type in the parish name and you’ll notice a photo of the front of the church. Facebook is a powerful communication tool. 

Donate a Coat/Jacket- Fall and winter coats needed at FOCUS Minnesota who is partnering with two local high schools to help youth at risk, both boys & girls, ages 14-20. It does not need to be new but it must be clean and in working order. Please consider this easy way to help a young person in need this winter. Call Vera Proctor with any questions: 651-324-2705. Drop-off times at FOCUS Minnesota: Wed. Thurs. Friday 10:00 am - 2:00 pm; Sun 4-5pm.

Welcome Visitors! Thank you for joining with us in prayer and fellowship. The worship of the Orthodox Church is deeply rooted in and very similar to that of the early Christian Church. Unique sensory stimuli and mystery are elements that go back even to the liturgy of the Jewish temple. Everything in an Orthodox Christian church communicates the majestic presence of God the Holy Trinity with His Saints. It is literally heaven on earth. It is a sad consequence of the divisions in Christianity that we cannot extend a general invitation to receive Holy Communion. Visitors are invited to receive the blessed bread (antithoron) at the conclusion of the liturgy. We pray and work for the reconciliation and unity of all Christians. If you are interested in learning more about Orthodoxy, please contact Fr. Rick at fatherrick@stgeorgegoc.org. We are proud of our Greek heritage but one does not have to be of Greek descent, nor speak Greek to be a Greek Orthodox Christian.

Note to Orthodox about Holy Communion: Receiving the Body and Blood of Christ is one of the most Holy experiences for a Christian in order to be granted the forgiveness of sins and everlasting life. We are never worthy to partake of Divine Nature. Yet, it is essential that we prepare ourselves for this sacred Communion by constant prayer, reading the Scriptures, regular fasting and periodic Confession. At a minimum, we should fast all morning before Communion, arrive at the beginning of Liturgy, and come for Confession at least once a year. In addition, we should not have separated ourselves from the Church through serious sin. Otherwise, please refrain from Communion to avoid “judgment…not discerning the Lord’s body” (1Cor. 11:29). Contact Fr. Rick for pastoral guidance.

Glad Tidings deadline: The 10th of each month. Glad Tidings email: gladtidings@stgeorgegoc.org  Sunday Bulletin Deadline: Wednesday Noon each week.  Email: office@stgeorgegoc.org