O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever. ~Psalm 135:1~

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1 VOLUME 25 NUMBER 11 November 2016 O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever. ~Psalm 135:1~ Everlasting King, Your will for our salvation is full of power. Your right arm controls the whole course of human life. We give You thanks for all Your mercies, seen and unseen. For eternal life, for the heavenly Joys of the Kingdom which is to be. Grant mercy to us who sing Your praise, both now and in the time to come. Glory to You, O God, from age to age. ~Prayer from the Akathist of Thanksgiving Dearest Spiritual Ohana, The Holiday Season has come upon us once again! And in the month of November we enter into many Feast Day Celebrations, make our journey into and through the Nativity Fast, and come to the American Thanksgiving Holiday. As we gather around our tables laden with sumptuous food fare on Thanksgiving Day, let us never forget to be mindful and give thanks to Almighty God for everything He did, does, and will do for us (past, present, and future). Let us not become overly focused on the things that are mundane and secondary: our clothing, what we are going to eat, on the material things we seek, or the things that will bring us temporal happiness, entertainment, amusement, etc. I think of what our Lord says in the Gospel according to St. Matthew 6:31-34: 31 Therefore do not worry, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear? 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Therefore, let us rather remind ourselves that our very lives, our families, our friendships, and every gift and blessing come from God. Being mindful of this, let us respond to God by loving Him in return through our actions, in that we commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God, as we pray in our Orthodox Liturgical Services over and over again. Our loving response to God is our constant striving and working toward imitating Christ, Who in His human nature is the mark which we try, with unceasing perseverance, to reach for as a goal throughout our daily lives, of course, with His help. This is what we call Theosis, a perpetual process toward being saved. This requires us to build our relationship with Him especially through the tools of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Prayer is our connection to God and our intercession for one (Continued on page 2) 1

2 (Continued from page 1) another. Fasting allows us to hunger for God and to have control, command, and dominion over the passions, rather than allowing the passions to be in charge of who we are. Almsgiving is our love in action, in that we are charitable to our fellow human beings in which the image and likeness of God dwells. In loving all the people encountered in our daily lives, we in return express and direct our love toward God. Wisdom of the Holy Fathers God always was, and always is, and always will be. Or rather, God always Is. For Was and Will be are fragments of our time, and of changeable nature, but He is Eternal Being. And this is the Name that He gives to Himself when giving the Oracle to Moses in the Mount. For in Himself He sums up and contains all Being, having neither beginning in the past nor end in the future; like some great Sea of Being, limitless and unbounded, transcending all conception of time and nature, only adumbrated [intimated] by the mind, and that very dimly and scantily. ~St. Gregory the Theologian With all of this in mind, I wish all of you a most blessed month of November! As we enter into the Holiday Season, let us have the continual remembrance of our Lord upon our hearts at all times. Let us give thanks to the Lord for His Abundant and Immeasurable Love for us. And a most Happy Thanksgiving to All! With Love in Christ, +Fr. Alexander Shorelines is published Monthly by: Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Pacific 930 Lunalilo Street Honolulu, Hawaii Phone : (808) Fax : (808) office@greekorthodoxhawaii.org Parish Web Site: Regular Office Hours: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday thru Friday Rev. Father Alexander Leong fralexanderleong@yahoo.com "The more one is united to his neighbor the more he is united to God." ~St. Dorotheos of Gaza Church Staff Amanda Jackson - Office Coordinator amanda@greekorthodoxhawaii.org Erica Jansen - Bookkeeper 2016 Parish Council pc@greekorthodoxhawaii.org Maria Naval - President Andrew Tujios - Vice President Roni Katsikas - Treasurer Christina Dimitrion - Secretary Dr. Michael Dimitrion, Cleopatra Kritikos, Nicholas Kyriakakis, Regina Mass & Dimitri Nicholas. Dimitri Nicholas, Mindy Scordilis & Jeanie Stavrue Pe ahi Philoptochos Board Alma Chu, President; Anita Akel, Vice President; Marina Saikevych,Treasurer; Alice Malick,Recording Secretary; Valentina Yarovaya, Corr. Secretary; Harriett Medes, Advisor Choir-Chanters Orest Saikevych, Music Director Gregory Malick, Protopsaltis Parish Ministries Stelio Scordilis, Aloha Youth Choir; Sunday School Director T.B.A., Bookstore; Dianna Graves, Presbytera Nicole Leong Greek Dance Groups; Stelio Scordilis, Sunday School Teachers Greek School; Julie Ličina Web Master; Alice Malick, Greg Malick, Maria Naval, Anita Higashi, Facebook George Kalantzis, Shawn Chu, 2

3 LITURGICAL LIFE OF OUR PARISH WEEKDAY SERVICES IN NOVEMBER STS. COSMAS & DAMIAN Tues. 11/1 Orthros/Liturgy 8:30/9:30am SYNAXIS OF THE ANGELS Tues. 11/8 Orthros/Liturgy 8:30/9:30am ST. NEKTARIOS OF AEGINA Wed. 11/9 Orthros/Liturgy 8:30/9:30am ST. KATHERINE Fri. 11/25 Orthros/Liturgy 8:30/9:30am MAUI SERVICES Sat. 11/26 Liturgy 10:00am ST. ANDREW THE APOSTLE Wed., 11/30 Orthros/Liturgy 8:30/9:30am November Parish Council Teams 11/06 Maria 11/13 Mike 11/20 Nick 11/27 Regina Please remember in your prayers Ted Anastasopoulos Dina Giannakopoulos Suzanne Keyser Julie Licina Alice Malick John Mitsis & All those who need our prayers Upcoming Opportunities for Worship & Learning Moms and the Orthodox Family We have a wonderful opportunity for fellowship and sharing our experiences as Moms. Please call or see Anita Higashi or Fr. Alexander if you are interested in joining. Adult Religious Education This month, we are beginning a 4- part series on Blueprints for the Little Church The tentative schedule is as follows: Sunday, 11/6: Big Church and Little Church All Our Life Belongs to God Sunday, 11/13: Laying the Foundation for Prayer Faith in Christ Sunday, 11/27: Creating a Sacred Space-How to Make an Icon Corner Books are available for $20, payable to Sts. Constantine and Helen. 3

4 Share your news! Announcements that you would like to see in the December issue of Shorelines should be submitted to the church office by November 15th. Weekly Bulletin announcements should be submitted by noon on Thursday for the upcoming Sunday. Please contact Amanda in the church office regarding donating items for our rummage sale. If you are able to volunteer for the rummage sale, please Presbytera Nicole at Call: Or drop by with a copy of your announcement. Maui Orthodox Christian Mission reminds those who attend services on Maui to visit or call to verify services. or look for other activities that may be posted. Fall General Assembly Sunday, November 20 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM 4

5 Sunday School Christ is in our midst! Several weeks ago, I saw two fathers who were taking care of their children by themselves. One had twin toddlers, and the other had two young boys and a toddler girl. I know a mom who brings her toddler to Church every Sunday, despite having to spend much of the time in the Narthex. What faithful parents they are! Getting young children ready for church and staying with them peacefully throughout the Divine Liturgy can be difficult. I remember when I had to nurse and change my youngest while directing my older children to get dressed. It was often a struggle to have all the kids in their car seat ready to go to Church on time. Arriving at Church was not the end of the struggle; it was only the beginning of another challenge. I wanted to pay attention to the Liturgy, but my children also required my attention. Small children find it difficult to stay on the pew quietly for more than half an hour. Why do children have a hard time staying in Church during the service? Because they are not being kept active, I assume. They do not understand what is going on during the Liturgy well, and they mainly see only people s backs. How boring! But we can change this. I read a wonderful article, On Helping Children to Participate in the Divine Liturgy on orthodoxchiristianparenting.worpress.com. It said, Rather than focus on the things children should NOT do during the Divine Liturgy, we will frame this blog post more positively. Here are things that children CAN AND SHOULD do during the Liturgy to participate more fully. What is suggested that they CAN AND SHOULD do are: See, Kiss, Talk, Sing, Hold, Stand, Hear and Move. Talk? Yes, children can talk to God by saying Amen, the Lord s Prayer etc. Sing? If children can sing their favorite TV show s theme song, then why can t they sing Lord Have Mercy, which we repeat many times throughout the Liturgy? Move? Small children can make the sign of the Cross, bow, and kiss the icons on the walls. I have seen quite a few small children kissing the icons on the walls. My children did this when they were still in my arms. It is also suggested that parents sit with their children on the front pews. There was a time when I had to stay with my children in the back of the church, in the Narthex, or even outside. However, staying in front has worked much better in getting them to pay attention to what is going on in the Liturgy. They can see the holy table, the priest, and more icons, rather than only people s backs. I was fortunate to have help from parishioners, too! If I needed to go outside with my crying baby, people took care of my other two children. A lady gently whispered to my daughter about the proper way sit when wearing a dress, a senior chanter taught Peter many things about being in the Altar, and a man always made Paul smile when eating Cheerios in the corner of the Narthex. One lady and my children agreed that she could take them outside for a while when needed. They would run around or talk while she listened to them. She is very special to us. My daughter Joanna, still talks to her on the phone occasionally, especially when she needs to talk to someone other than her parents. Parents, please never give up bringing your children to Church! If you ever need any assistance, do not hesitate to ask us. There are many people who would be happy to help. Lastly, I list several books that I found helpful: C A Child Guide to the Divine Liturgy (Ancient Faith Publishing) C Josiah and Julia Go to Church A Young Child s Guide to Church Etiquette (Ancient Faith Radio) C The Divine Liturgy for Children (Orthodox Christian Education Commission) C Nicholas Meets His Guardian Angels (Light & Life Publishing Company) C A Special Gift to God (Light & Life Publishing Company) In Christ, Presbytera Nicole 5

6 Dance Group News Parish Christmas Card If you wish to be listed on our Parish Christmas Card, please print your name below and return to the church office by December 5th. Please consider including a donation to offset the cost of printing and postage for the card. MAHALO! If you'd like to get some people from ages 5yr-adults to learn 3 Greek Dances that will get you thru any Greek Celebration.Come see me Dianna, Dance Ministry Director and I will set up a time to teach you for one hour. Or watch for our Glendi in January, we teach dance in the beginning of the Glendi then practice during the night. Don't know what a Glendi is? Watch the December Bulletin for an explanation. The Performance Dance Groups will be taking new members 5 yr-adult Spring 2017, when we start practicing for Greek Festival Watch for Dance Group starting times in the monthly bulletin. Please continue to recycle for the dance groups. Mahalo! LETS KEEP DANCING Please print. Your name will appear as written here. Learn Greek In addition to our classes after Sunday School, we offer the following classes in the conference room: Elementary: 5:30 PM Advanced Youth & Adults: 6:00 PM Scheduling an Event? Before scheduling meetings, parties, or any other event in the social hall, kitchen, or office rooms, please be sure to clear your event with the church office at least 2 weeks in advance. This will ensure that our facilities are available for all to use, as well as prevent confusion and double bookings. Rental forms must be completed by anyone wishing to use our facilities, including church members 6

7 C Stewardship CommitteeC There are two more months, only 8 Sundays, until the end of this Stewardship year. Many have fulfilled their 2016 Stewardship Commitment, and for that we are grateful. Stewardship pledges for 2016 will be counted for this year, if they are received by December 31. Stewardship donations made after December 31 will be credited towards 2017 Stewardship, if a 2017 Commitment Form is submitted. Stewardship Commitment cards should be filled out each year. The 2017 Commitment form will be available in November. As a reminder, Stewardship is the backbone of every parish, made up of the faithful parishioners, their time, talents and financial support. Again, on behalf of the Parish Council, the Stewardship Committee thanks you for your commitment, pledge and support, which are critical to the growth and future of our church. St. Paul encourages us as he did the Galatians: Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9 The finish line is in sight. Let s finish strong! Our Vision: To be a beacon of Orthodoxy in the Pacific and proclaim the Gospel of Christ to all people in accordance with the Orthodox faith Our Mission: To proclaim the Gospel of Christ to all people in accordance with the Orthodox Faith. To sanctify and minister to the spiritual growth and needs of the faithful through liturgical worship and spiritual programs. To safeguard and keep the traditions, values, and faith of the Orthodox Church pure and undefiled. C O F F E E H O U R Each individual/ family is requested to sponsor a coffee hour one Sunday per year. Sign up on the calendar posted outside the Social Hall or contact Suzanne A. or Frances R. Instructions/tips for sponsoring a coffee hour are available in a 3-ring binder in a cupboard in the hall. The Ladies of Philoptochos appreciate any donations of coffee supplies, including paper supplies to help defray some of the coffee hour expenses. If you are hesitant to prepare and serve a coffee hour 7 yourself, consider making a monetary donation. Please do not bring non- Lenten food including cake & ice cream during fasting periods. Thank you to our October Sunday Coffee Hour sponsors! 10/02 Adult Choir 10/09 Hal & Fran Hallonquist and Russell & Lauren Cooper 10/16 Stelio & Mindy Scordilis 10/23 Bill & Nanette Frank 10/30 John & Trish Kiladis

8 St. Basil the Great: On Giving Thanks to the Creator As thou takest thy seat at table, pray. As thou liftest the loaf, offer thanks to the Giver. When thou sustainest thy bodily weakness with wine, remember Him Who supplies thee with this gift, to make thy heart glad and to comfort thy infirmity. Has thy need for taking food passed away? Let not the thought of thy Benefactor pass away too. As thou art putting on thy tunic, thank the Giver of it. As thou wrappest thy cloak about thee, feel yet greater love to God, Who alike in summer and in winter has given us coverings convenient for us, at once to preserve our life, and to cover what is unseemly. Is the day done? Give thanks to Him Who has given us the sun for our daily work, and has provided for us a fire to light up the night, and to serve the rest of the needs of life. Let night give the other occasion of prayer. When thou lookest up to heaven and gazest at the beauty of the stars, pray to the Lord of the visible world; pray to God the Archartificer of the universe, Who in wisdom hath made them all. When thou seest all nature sunk in sleep, then again worship Him Who gives us even against our wills release from the continuous strain of toil, and by a short refreshment restores us once again to the vigour of our strength. Let not night herself be all, as it were, the special and peculiar property of sleep. Let not half thy life be useless through the senselessness of slumber. Divide the time of night between sleep and prayer. Nay, let thy slumbers be themselves experiences in piety; for it is only natural that our sleeping dreams should be for the most part echoes of the anxieties of the day. As have been our conduct and pursuits, so will inevitably be our dreams. Thus wilt thought pray without ceasing; if thought prayest not only in words, but unitest thyself to God through all the course of life and so thy life be made one ceaseless and uninterrupted prayer. + St. Basil the Great, from Homily V. In martyrem Julittam, quoted in the Prolegomena in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Series II Volume 8 8