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Saturday, July 11th, 2009
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I've just had a busy week with a team of clergy and students leading a teaching week at Atteridgeville, west of Pretoria. There are a number of
people there preparing for baptism, and some of those already baptised wanted a refersher course, so we've been teaching from Monday to Friday.
The course was held in an orphanage run by Fr Frumentius Taubata and Matushka Evgenia, and about half the children were from the orphanage, and about half from nearby shanty towns Brazzaville and Siyahlala. We had about 25 children and 25 adults attending for the week. At the end Deacon Nektarius said that if they rememberd a third of what they had been taught in the week, they would know as much as, if not more than, most cradle Orthodox in this country.
If anyone is intereted in knowing more, there are fuller reports on my Khanya blog, with pictures.
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I would like good links to church positions on end of life issues in hospital. For reference, my 61 year old Nana had a stroke directly caused by malpractice, 2 months ago. Previously she held a full time job, had friends and hobbies, orchestrated a big Christmas gathering every year, vacationed with her husband, etc. Now, she has no use of the left side of her body, almost no vision, her short term memory seems gone - she is basically diapered, in a bed, confused, and she has to be fed by others. There has been no progress made with physical or cognitive therapy since her stroke; rather, she has steadily declined and lost more skill sets, which one of her doctors has said is because other areas of the brain can continue to die for several months following the initial injury.
A neurologist has suggested to my mother and grandfather that they consider "allowing her to die" by no longer feeding her. She does not ask for food and often has to be pressured to allow herself to be fed. I suspect that the neurological connections that would normally signal hunger to her are simply gone/destroyed. My mother and grandfather are facing very hard decisions and asking the opinions of my sister and I, and aside from wanting a second opinion we are at a loss.
We are pro-life and value life and also try to obey God's word and will as we can discern it. We're not Orthodox but believe Orthodoxy holds great wisdom and Truth.
I just value any spiritual input.
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Comments: Read 15 or Add Your Own.
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Does anyone know if there is any sort of marriage "renewal" ceremony in Orthodoxy? I know in the marriage ceremony we say no vows, but is there anything analogous to a "vow renewal" ceremony?
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Comments: Read 7 or Add Your Own.
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Wednesday, July 1st, 2009
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<sarcasm>No, the subject line does NOT pertain to some unholy mixed matrimonial union. God forbid!</sarcasm>
If you ever wanna scratch your head and say, "Well...yeah....but....," try checking out this article...
"The Greek Orthodox Church is now well established in America, and nearly every city of considerable size has one or more churches of the various nationalities belonging to that communion. There is no unity among them nor any obedience to a central authority; they conform to the general usages and discipline of the Byzantine Rite, but look to their respective Holy Synods in their home countries for governing authority and direction. Seven nationalities have their churches here, using the Old Slavonic, the Greek, the Arabic, and the Rumanian as their liturgical languages and of these the Russian is the oldest and best established."
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06772a.htm
I... But-- You...! GEEZE! BLAAAH!
*headdesk*
ADDENDUM: It's worth reading the first comment here before you get as exasperated as I did. It'll make you feel all better n' stuff.
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Comments: Read 25 or Add Your Own.
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St. Augustine--On Friday, June 12, the first Orthodox Mission Team of 2009 departed to Albania from the Archbishop Anastasios and Archbishop Demetrios Missionary Training and Administration Building. In addition to being the first Team to do its Orientation and Training at the new OCMC building, it is also the first OCMC Team of its kind to travel to Albania. OCMC Teams Director Andy Lekos said of this Team, “What makes this especially exciting is that this first Team was prepared to train the trainers and to serve with Long-Term Missionaries and current Mission Specialists, under the auspices of His Beatitude Anastasios, one of the honorees of our new building.”
The Church in Albania runs over 40 youth camps a year, and the goal of this Team is to uplift and train those who will be ministering to Albanian youth; although OCMC has sent Teams to Albania to actually run camps, this is the first time that a Team has worked to "teach the teachers." Team Members have prepared Bible Studies and craft and music activities that can be used by the Albanian camp counselors to reach out to young people and to teach them important lessons from and about the Gospel. In Albania, where 70% of the country is still Muslim, these camps are valuable outreach tools for the Church.
Team Members will work with Mission Specialist Fr. Thomas Hopko and the Long-Term Missionary team already in Albania. Fr. Hopko will offer classes on teaching Spiritual Lessons, while Nathan Hoppe will do an orientation and coordinate the event. This collaboration marks the first time that short, mid, and long-term OCMC Missionaries will work so closely together.
Over the course of the summer and early fall, OCMC will orient, train, and send out 11 Teams for periods of one to three weeks to work in 8 foreign countries and Alaska. These Teams will work with the local Orthodox churches toward goals as diverse as Youth Outreach, Construction, and Healthcare.
If hearing about this Team makes you want to be part of the work of missions, it’s not too late to apply! The Romania Women’s Teaching Team, South Korea Youth Work Team, Zimbabwe Teaching Team, and the Tanzania Spiritual Odyssey still have openings. Contact the OCMC Teams department at 1-877-463-6784 or teams@ocmc.org or visit us at www.ocmc.org for more information.
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| Posted by: | ann_d. |
| Time: | 12:54 am. |
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Personal Reminiscences of Father Seraphim Rose
Once, when we were walking somewhere on the monastery grounds, I asked him, "Fr. Seraphim, what's your favorite icon of the Mother of God?" (That's the kind of question converts like to ask, you know.) He stopped and said, "I don't have one." "That's impossible!" I said. "Everyone has a favorite icon of the Mother of God. Which one is yours?" He paused again and looked at me, actually with astonishment, and he said, "Don't you understand? It's the whole thing." That was a very profound answer: you can't just pick out one thing and say this is the best thing, or this is my favorite. It truly is everything!
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Hi, I need English Bible. What version you may recomend me - King James Version, or Orthodox Study Bible?
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Comments: Read 45 or Add Your Own.
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Thursday, June 18th, 2009
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The Spiritual Guide in Orthodox Christianity (Part I)
More important than all possible books if we are climbing a mountain for the first time, we need to follow a known route; and we also need to have with us, as companion and guide, someone who has been up before and is familiar with the way. To serve as such a companion and guide is precisely the role of the "abba" or spiritual father — of the one whom the Greeks call geron or geronta and the Russians starets, a title which in both languages means "old man" or "elder."
The Spiritual Guide in Orthodox Christianity (Part II)
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Wednesday, June 10th, 2009
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Please pray for my father, Douglas King (Orthodox name is Joseph), who fell asleep on Monday night, at the age of 57, after a brief battle with cancer.
ETA: Thank you all for your prayers. My father was buried today after his funeral at Ascension Greek Cathedral in Oakland.
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Comments: Read 12 or Add Your Own.
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Thursday, June 11th, 2009
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ
On this day, Pentecost Sunday, we remember the descent of Holy Spirit onto the Apostles so that they could take the good news of Christ’s resurrection to the ends of the earth. May we all be given strength to continue this important work of making disciples of all nations.
In Christ,
The Orthodox Christian Mission Center
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Author, speaker, and noted theologian Fr. Thomas Hopko is serving with OCMC in Albania this month. Fr. Hopko will be teaching various classes at the seminary in Tirana, running a student retreat and a clergy retreat, and speaking at the Commencement ceremony honoring this year’s graduates. Please pray for Fr. Hopko as he participates in this vital work of the Church.
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Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009
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Fr John Ivanoff is urging as many Orthodox Christians as possible to take part in a research project on "spiritual styles".
He believes that by doing so it could help to correct some of the misconceptions about Orthodoxy held by members of other Christian groups.
If you are willing to give up 15 minutes of your time you can find out more about the project and the reasons for it on my Khanya blog.
It would be good to have participation from Orthodox Christians in as many different countries as possible.
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Comments: Read 4 or Add Your Own.
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I am not sure if it is okay to post this in here, so my apologies in advance if it isn't. However, a bunch of us mods over at ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) convert_me are looking to expand our commenter/poster/readership, and I immediately thought of all you Orthodox folk since, well, anyone who knows anything knows that EO is the best. Seriously, though, I really think that the community could be greatly benefited by your participation, so please if the idea of discussing your beliefs with a wide range of people interests you at all, then stop by and check it out. No strings attached, I promise ;-)
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Comments: Read 5 or Add Your Own.
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Wednesday, May 27th, 2009
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The Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) joins you in celebrating the glorious Ascension of our Lord, Jesus Christ! Continuing the work of the Apostles themselves, may we all be given the strength to answer the call issued by Christ on that day to "go and make disciples of all nations." Please pray for the 1.8 billion people around the world who have yet to hear the Gospel and for mission workers who will serve as witnesses for the Orthodox faith to the ends of the earth.
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| Posted by: | maihgread. |
| Time: | 1:08 am. |
| Mood: |  sad. |
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The mission church which I that I attended and was christmated in is closing down, and unfortunately there has been a lot of animosity within the church regarding the closing and how it has been handled. If you could, please say a prayer for those of us at St. John Chrysostom mission as we try to deal with the aftermath and the hurt feelings, and to find a way to pick up the pieces in Christ.
Thanks.
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St. Augustine, FL – The OCMC Board of Directors gathered at the Renaissance Resort at the World Golf Village on May 19 and 20 for their annual Spring Board Meeting. The occasion for this meeting, however, was of tremendous significance, as it immediately preceded the dedication of the new Archbishop Anastasios and Archbishop Demetrios Missionary Training and Administration Building.
On the evening of May 19, OCMC Board President Clifford Argue and OCMC Executive Director Fr. Martin Ritsi updated the board on the progress of OCMC’s current strategic plan and emerging mission fields in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Former Board members Bob Gremley and Dr. Spero Kinnas were also recognized for their contributions to the organization over the years.
As chairperson of the new building Dedication Committee, Helen Nicozisis reported that preparations for the dedication event had been completed. She offered sincere thanks to her fellow committee members, Board Members, and staff for their tireless efforts in welcoming the many hierarchs and guests from around the world who would share in the joy of the new building’s completion.
On the morning of the 20th, the Board received presentations from two of the Mission Center’s longest serving Missionary families, Nathan and Gabriela Hoppe and Floyd and Ancuta Frantz. They arrived from Albania and Romania to represent all OCMC Missionaries and Missionary Candidates during the dedication events.
Nathan shared that two of his former students at the seminary in Tirana, Albania have been elevated to serve as bishops. He also reported that the summer youth camps he and his wife Gabriela coordinate in Kosovo are enjoying increasing popularity. These camps are a ministry of love to children who suffered terribly during the war. These camps are part of the humanitarian and philanthropic work of the church and are not religious in nature.
Floyd reminded the board that alcoholism remains a significant issue in Romania and that the St. Dimitrie program that he directs has intervened in the lives of thousands of people who struggle with this debilitating disease. He also shared that the Protection of the Theotokos Day Center, which is directed by his wife Ancuta, maintains its wonderful record in preventing child abandonment by offering unwed mothers daycare, counseling, and employment services. Following his talk, Floyd presented the Board with a hand painted icon from the Church in Romania.
The OCMC staff was also given the opportunity to introduce themselves and offer presentations that detailed many of the Mission Center’s programs. The staff was honored to meet the Board they serve.
An afternoon session led by OCMC Board Treasurer Bill Birchfield revealed that, in spite of a difficult economic climate, support for the work of missions continues to grow among the Orthodox faithful of North America. Although the faithful have been generous so far, the need for increased development effort was stressed to insure adequate resources are provided to OCMC and it many programs throughout the rest of the year. One new initiative underway by the board is a “Friends of Missions” appeal.
The Board also welcomed its two newest members, former Missionary to Albania and Professor of Missions at Holy Cross Seminary, Fr. Luke Veronis of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and Dn. Andrew Rubis of the Albanian Orthodox Diocese of America.
As the annual Spring Board Meeting drew to a close, events for the dedication of the new building began – an occasion that represented an answer to prayer shared by all the Board Members, staff, and Missionaries who were in attendance.
The Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) is the official missions agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA) dedicated to fulfilling Christ’s last command to make disciples of all nations.
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Can anyone recommend some reading on Christ's commandment to love God and love your neighbor? While I have read some on this in the past, none of the books were from an Orthodox perspective. Thanks.
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St. Augustine, FL – Several hundred Orthodox Christian faithful from throughout the country and as far away as Albania and Romania will be in St. Augustine this week for the dedication of the new Archbishop Anastasios and Archbishop Demetrios Missionary Training and Administrative Building of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC). This new facility will serve as the international missions headquarters for North America’s estimated 1.5 million Orthodox Christians. Events begin with an evening banquet Wednesday, May 20, and continue on Thursday with a Divine Liturgy service at 7:30 a.m. The actual Dedication ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 21, to be followed by a luncheon.
Both His Beatitude Anastasios, Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania, and His Eminence Demetrios, Archbishop and Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and Chairman of SCOBA, together with other hierarchs of SCOBA, will be at the dedication to celebrate this historical moment in Orthodox missions and cooperation, and to lead the gathered Faithful in praying for the continuation of this vital work of the Church. Also participating are current and former OCMC missionaries who are serving or have served in various worldwide locations; mission team volunteers; members of the OCMC board of directors; benefactors; staff; and other Orthodox clergy and laity.
Coverage of this historic event, including photos, interviews, and a live blog, will be provided by Fr. Chris Metropulos of Orthodox Christian Network (OCN). Logon to www.MyOCN.net on May 21st to share in this monumental expression of Orthodox Christian unity in North America and the continued growth of the Orthodox missions movement.
In response to Christ's final command to "make disciples of all nations," the OCMC is dedicated to helping the Church realize its missionary vision. In addition to sending Missionaries and Mission Team volunteers, the OCMC subsidizes the salaries of over 350 indigenous clergy in 18 mission countries. It helps train new church leaders by supporting seven seminaries around the world, and it funds numerous ministry and philanthropic projects of the Church abroad. In the new Missionary Training and Administration Building, these programs will be able to work toward sharing the Gospel of Christ in more areas around the world in the years to come.
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inquisitive.