Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ

[Иван Ивковић]

American or Greek Orthodox; What’s in a Name?

 

Many people have questions about our Orthodox Christian Faith. Many simply do not remember what they learned in Sunday School. Many are not comfortable asking their questions in public. But ALL of us can benefit from the questions of others. This week’s question is about our name. Why can’t we just say American Orthodox Church instead of Greek Orthodox? Many are confused when the sign on the curb describes us as Greeks or Russians or Romanians, but there is more to the term Greek than just a place for Greeks!

 

[Иван Ивковић]

Suffering in the Presence of God

 

When Jesus was approaching the country of the Gergesenes, He was met by two men who were demon possessed. We are told the demons were so fierce, these men actually lived among the tombs, and still they would torment others. But the time came for them to meet Jesus, and the demons were the ones tormented, not by violence, but by the very presence of God.  Sometimes, just being in God’s presence can be torment for those who reject His love.

 

But we don’t have to be possessed by demons to be tormented by God. Sometimes we are tormented by just the idea that God is near to us. As He approaches are stomachs might tighten up, our mouth might become dry, and we may break into a sweat at the very notion that the Creator of the Universe is calling our name. Or....then again, we may prefer that God depart far from us, so that we can continue in our sinful lives.

 

Some people just cannot tolerate being in God’s presence because they are reminded of their sin. The town people, after being reminded of their sin and losing their flock of swine, chased God away from their presence. They couldn’t tolerate seeing the consequences of their choices. But our life can be different. God gave the two men a new chance, free from the demons. He granted them a new beginning to life, and He can grant you a new beginning also.  What is your choice? Are you tormented by knowing God is close to you? Will you chase Him away, or will you thank Him for a new life? The choice is yours.

[Дијана.]

http://www.liveanewlifeinchrist.org/

 

Don’t Allow Fear to Get Between You and God

 

A little boy sits, crouching behind the couch, waiting for his mother to find the broken lamp on the floor. Will she notice? Will she know he was the culprit? Will she be upset? Will she punish him for playing football in the den? Every child knows this fear, and every parent knows the power of forgiving the child, in hopes that the football remains outside next time he wants to play. Rejoicing in his freedom, and happy that he can sit down without pain in his behind, the boy quickly remembers that football is an outside game. This is an example of a little fear, mixed with forgiveness, can be a good thing, leading to a better future. We aren’t always “that smart” to learn the lesson and power of forgiveness.

 

In the Gospel of Matthew, we hear of a crowd that was afraid and marveled at the ability of Jesus to forgive sins. The Gospel says, “Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.” (Matthew 9.8) The power of God can bring fear into the hearts of many, but what we do with that fear, is what matters. A little boy learns to stop playing football in the house. Do we learn to stop our sinful behavior?

 

Saint John Chrysostom warns us to not be too comfortable in our sins, just because we haven’t been punished by God yet. This little boy could just have easily calculated that his mother would never punish him, and he might continue to play football in the house....until the next lamp, or window, or TV is broken. Then he will hide behind the couch wondering, is THIS the time she will punish me? This fear is hindering the boy’s relationship with his mother, and not leading to repentance.

 

 

Don’t allow fear to get between you and God. If you find yourself behind the couch, be thankful He hasn’t punished you “yet” and repent from sin. In the long run, you will spend less time hiding and more time enjoying the love of God.

[Дијана.]

Forgiveness isn’t an Action; Forgiveness is an Experience

 

The Gospel lesson for the final Sunday of the Triodion, known as Forgiveness Sunday, begins with the words, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6.14-15) With these words, the Church crosses the threshold of Great Lent urging us to experience the freedom that is forgiveness.

 

When we normally think of forgiveness, we think of an action that WE do for others. We normally think of forgiveness as a “one-way” street from one mind to another. But a “one-way” street leaves no chance for returning to our heart for the healing that is only possible with genuine forgiveness. It isn’t accidental that the Greek word which has been translated as forgiveness, “συγχωρώ” means, “to come in together into our heart,” and requires a relationship between two people. By necessity it is an experience made possible when two people agree to enter into a common place of the heart.

 

In the moment we decide to allow others to join us in our heart, is the moment that we truly live as Christ, Who welcomes us not only into His heart, but into His Divine eternal embrace. When God chose to forgive us, He invited us “to come in to His Being” and experience the most intimate reality of His love, because forgiveness isn’t an action. Forgiveness is an experience.

 

[Дијана.]

Has Pascha Changed the Way You Live?

A couple weeks ago we were blessed to come together and celebrate another Pascha – the Feast of Feasts – the Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We prayed, we sang, we lit our candles, and we feasted. But has your life changed at all? Other than spending a few hours in Church during Holy Week, is your life different this month than it was last month? If the answer is, “NO,” then you’re missing something in the celebration of Pascha.

As Orthodox Christians, we believe that Jesus Christ, the Eternal Incarnate Word of God, took on human flesh, lived as a human being for thirty-three years, was crucified, died and was buried, and was RESURRECTED on the Third Day – all so that death no longer had any power over the rest of us humans. This is the Good News that we sing at every service for forty days after Pascha. 

For the first Christians, this Good News gave a new hope that life, despite its challenges (and there are many) is greater than what we experience on Earth. Life begins here on the Earth, but last for all eternity (thanks to Pascha) with God in Heaven. This new hope changed the way the first Christians lived their daily lives. It changed the way the first Christian interacted with other members of society. It changed the way the first Christians understood the Love of God. Has it changed you?

The Christian Way of Life, the Orthodox Way, is a life dedicated to living in total communion with God AT ALL TIMES. It is a life in which God’s love shines in the way we interact with others. Do we guilt, shame, force, or otherwise trick others into certain behaviors or situations? God would never use guilt or shame to force us to love Him. OR do we show respect for the freedom of others and live OUR lives honoring God. Do we share our financial blessings with those who are in need? Do we share our time with others who are lonely? Do we share our knowledge with others who are struggling? The first Christians were known for the love and assistance they shared with others, including the very enemies who were killing them.

The first Christians lived a life that was radically different than at any other time in human history BECAUSE of Pascha, and the hope that the Good News offered. The Good News hasn’t changed....has it changed you?

 

[Дијана.]

Have You Glorified God with Your Works?

 

Shortly before Jesus ascended the Cross and endured His Holy Passion, He offered God what the Church refers to as the High Priestly Prayer. “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You....I have glorified You on earth. I have finished the work You have given Me to do.” (John 12.1,4) Every moment of His life Jesus glorified God in every work He accomplished. On the Seventh Sunday of Pascha, the Church remembers these words as we prepare to celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit into the world on Pentecost. It should serve as a reminder of what is important in life.

 

Each of us has been given a time on earth – some long, some short – to glorify God in our work. For some it seems so long ago that we gathered in the dark Church to receive the Light of Christ and sing Christ is Risen! Because of the Feast of Feasts, and Christ defeat of death, our lives will never be the same. We have been given another chance by God to live in communion with Him.

 

Jesus continues, “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world.” (John 17.6) Have you manifested His name to others? Have you assisted others to know who Jesus Christ is? Have you made the reality of God’s presence known to those you meet during the day? Have you been a living icon of Jesus to the strangers whom you meet at work or the mall? These are a few simple ways to glorify God with your works. That’s how He did it, and so can you.

 

[Дијана.]

Honoring Motherhood

Each year on Mothers’ Day, we honor the women who bring life into the world. These women, our mothers, sisters, daughters, cousins, and friends possess a unique and God-given power to become co-creators with Him and bring all human life into the world. Without motherhood, we would be lost. Without motherhood, we would not know love. Through the God-given stewardship of motherhood and by example, our mothers teach us to love one another, to sacrifice for each other, to serve each other, and the greatest lesson of all – to love and serve the Lord. It is not surprise that we honor them with a special day set aside in the calendar, so that they know we love and appreciate them.

Of course the example par excellence of motherhood is the Panagia herself. The Mother of God, in her love, dedication and obedience to God, brought Life into the world, so that the entire world could live eternally with God. The Mother of God, serving as our Mother, inspires us to a deep love relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As the icon above the Holy Altar in almost every Orthodox Church throughout the world reveals, she has enthroned God upon her heart, and with open arms she invites us to do the same. The Panagia, like all dedicated and loving mothers brings us to the Lord.

On the Fifth Sunday of Pascha the Church honors another woman who brought an entire city to know Christ. Saint Photini, the Samaritan Woman at the well, met Jesus and ran to town calling, “"Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" (John 4.29) The love and devotion to Christ of Saint Photini resulted in an entire city coming to know Jesus Christ.

Look around and see the dedicated and loving women in your life who have allowed you to see Christ. And now....join with and honor them as icons of blessed motherhood.

[Дијана.]

Why Bother?

Why bother being Orthodox?

I mean, really, if the moral teachings of the Church are not considered formative for our life in Christ, then why bother calling ourselves Orthodox Christian? I’m not talking about rights here, but conscience. Why do you (if you do) insist on considering yourself Orthodox Christian if you casually refuse to accept her moral teachings? 

If there is no commitment to following the Orthodox Way of Life, which is an admitted struggle against the passions...ALL THE PASSIONS... then why not just become a member of one of other 42,999 Christian denominations? 21^st century  Christianity has become a “have it your way” religion, and many in the Orthodox Church have embraced this mentality under the guise of freedom. But freedom comes with consequences.

The truth of the matter is this; Orthodox Christianity is the Way of Life established by Christ and His Disciples IN ORDER to assist us in defeating the passions which separate us from God. 

If we are not committed to defeating the passions, and therefore defeating sin, then why subject ourselves to all the rigor of the Orthodox Christian Way of Life? It becomes a meaningless exercise. If, on the other hand, we desire to grow ever closer to God, then we will embrace the moral teachings and way of life of the Church, as weapons of war.

We tend to want things OUR way, rather than God’s, and anything (including the Church) that stands in our way of self-indulgence, we will readily reject.Ultimately it boils down to the ever-present ego, a battle that humanity has been fighting since the first day in the Garden. 

Sounds like a good reason to bother....if you ask me.

 

Posted by Fr Athanasios C Haros 

[Иван Ивковић]

Transform Your Fear into Wonder

 

All people, when they encounter God, respond to his acts of love in different ways. Some are afraid to be seen by God, since they know their sins deserve punishment. Others see God’s willingness to forgive with wonder, and take the opportunity for repentance. Sometimes fear can paralyze us into inaction, hiding ourselves from God in the hopes that He will not see us. Adam and Eve tried that! Other times fear can keep us safe from the dangers of the world like train tracks and hot stoves. But fear should never keep us from opening our hearts to God, so that we can learn from His love, and repent. It is only when we transform our fear into wonder that we can confess our sins in the Mystery of Confession with open hearts, be forgiven by God, and grow closer to Him.

 

[Иван Ивковић]

The Power of Love

 

When God asks us to do something, we often respond with doubt because we’re not sure we have what it takes to get the job done. Just as the Disciples believed they didn’t have enough food to feed five thousand people with five loaves of bread and a couple fish, we question whether we have enough to share with others. Our doubt isn’t limited to feeding the hungry; we doubt whether we can afford to donate to the Church, or help the poor. We doubt whether we have enough patience to show those fighting against us that we love them. We even sometimes doubt whether we have enough love, to love. But when the Disciples included God in the plan there was not only enough, but an overabundance of leftovers. The power of love, when we love as God loves, and when we allow the love of God into our hearts, will always provide enough for us to share with others.

 

[Иван Ивковић]

What Good is Prayer and Fasting?

 

I hear it all the time. “I prayed really hard, and STILL God didn’t answer my prayer.” This sense of frustration is common especially during times of serious illness and death of our loved ones. The Gospel tells of just this sense of frustration in the father who had a son so ill that even the Apostles couldn’t heal him, and Jesus said, “This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17.21) What was Jesus talking about?

 

[Иван Ивковић]

Your Account Has Come Due

 

When Jesus speaks to us about forgiveness, He uses the image of financial debt and the emotional burden of greed that goes along with finances. In the Gospel story of about forgiveness, Jesus offers the parable of a king forgiving a debt that could never have been paid off, but was forgiven. The greedy servant, rather than being thankful for the mercy shown to him by the king, immediately demanded his fellow servant to “either pay up, or go to jail,” even though the debt was a mere 100-days pay. Greed had created a cold heart on the part of the servant, so the king sentenced him to prison. What does this parable have to teach us? Jesus warns, "So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses." (Matthew 18.35) Your account has come due, and Jesus is willing to forgive the debt of your sins. In return, He asks you to open your heart to those who sinned against you, and forgive them, just as He has forgiven you.

 

[Иван Ивковић]

What Good Thing Must I do to Have Eternal Life

 

It is a question we all ask, but are we really interested in the answer? “What good thing must I do to have eternal life?” These were the words of a rich man, who THOUGHT He wanted to go to heaven. But when he heard what would be required of him, he went away sorrowful. When pushed for an answer, Jesus said, “If you wish to be perfect, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and follow me.” If we cannot bear the idea of living in complete poverty; if we cannot bear the idea of leaving “it all” behind, then we will walk away from God full of sorrow. If we really to follow Jesus into heaven, then we will live the life of the Church, which He established to lead us to heaven. What good thing must you do? Live the life of the Church and you will find your heart with Jesus and you will follow Him into heaven.

 

[Иван Ивковић]

Sharing Fruit

 

There are many examples in the Gospels where Jesus warns about not bearing fruit, but in the Parable of the Vineyard in Matthew 21.33-42, He teaches about not sharing fruit and what happens to the wicked and greedy stewards when the King returns. The Church is the Vineyard of Christ, and if we refuse to bear fruit, or unwilling to share the Church with others, then we risk the Church being taken away from us and being given to new stewards who will be willing to share the fruit when the time comes. The wicked and greedy stewards were kicked out of the garden. Before we find ourselves on the outside looking in, Jesus has given us another opportunity for repentance. With the beginning of the New Ecclesiastical Year starting, it is a perfect opportunity for a fresh start and look forward to sharing our fruit with the world.

 

[Иван Ивковић]

Willing AND Prepared to Enter Heaven

 

 

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When Jesus describes heaven, He uses parables so we can better understand. In the parable of the marriage feast found in Matthew 22.2-14, we find several profound truths in the layers of the story, which teach us not only that we have been invited to enter heaven, but that, how we respond to the Church will absolutely have an impact on whether or not we will find ourselves in, or out, of heaven. If we make excuses, mock and disregard the Church, and reject the invitation of the Church, we will find ourselves not worthy to enter heaven. But even if we accept the invitation, but we attempt to enter heaven without listening to the Church’s teachings and by preparing ourselves, we will also find ourselves on the outside. The Church, as he servants of God, is the key to the gates, and we must be willing AND prepared to enter heaven.