Glad Tidings An Interview with Ron Moore, part 2

Transcription

1 St. Paul, MN May 2009 Volume 15, Issue 5 ST. GEORGE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH Glad Tidings An Interview with Ron Moore, part 2 Starting with the contemporary catalog, more Orthodox artists were added, and some solid artistic and theologically sound non Orthodox songs too. With the traditional liturgical catalog, the non English, heavily ethnic and operatic works were weeded out, and replaced with more Western voices, (Eikona and works from some monasteries), mostly in English. Asking many people for opinions, it became clear that the pop praise and worship catalog of CCM Radio was bothering more Orthodox than not. Having personally come through that genre, as a charismatic Protestant with a guitar, I too felt that the worship we have found in the Ancient Faith transcends what we had, and we decided it best to take most of the pop praise and worship out of the play list. More music has been added, along with speaking programs from OCN, short sayings of the Church Fathers, and more. Since then, the listener numbers have been jumping up exponentially, and we are hearing from all over the world of new listeners daily. OB: How do you select music to play on the Ark, and what kind of mix are you going for? We are going for a mix that is helpful to spiritual growth in Christ for Orthodox Christians and seekers alike. Our target audience is Western, and contemporary, and we strive to encourage the timeless message of the Gospel in the every day lives of people who are surrounded with secular art and media. For contemporary, the music should be crafted artistically well, produced and recorded well. We make exceptions for exceptional music. The message should not conflict with living an Orthodox Christian life. In the traditional liturgical catalog, we listen for quality of performance, quality of sound recording, and with an ear to what a Western listener might be drawn to, whether they are Orthodox or not. We remember our own first experiences of encountering the worship of the Orthodox Church, and try to help non Orthodox have a blessed experience in this wonderful aspect of the Faith, both spiritually of course, as well as in style and sound. For Orthodox, we find liturgical pieces that bring a depth and reminder of our faith that fit beautifully with our continuing work of the people liturgy of living the Christian life daily at home and at work. Selections are usually not much longer than the contemporary songs, but being liturgy, sometimes they are longer. OB: Who are some of the more prominent performers you feature on The Ark? Ron: In the traditional, our main artists are Eikona made up of wives of priests, and we are playing *Ncense made up of sons of priests. We also have choirs from monasteries, various parishes and St. Vladimir's seminary. In the contemporary, we play Orthodox artists Father Peter Jon Gillquist, Father Justin Matthews, Eric John Shanburn, Small Town Heroes, Jimmy Santis, Chris Hillman (of the Byrds), my music, and much more. Non Orthodox include songs from Bruce Cockburn, David Wilcox, Emmy Lou Harris, Innocence Mission, Pierce Pettis, Sufjan Stevens and more. OB: I notice now that you are advertising for concerts with Ark. Tell us more about that. Many of our artists on The Ark do concerts, speaking, conventions, festivals and the like. Some are part time and some full time like me. It seems natural that as The Ark reaches more people, that some of these artists could be brought in by Churches or businesses for a community outreach concert after Vespers, or as the music for a Church Festival as the entertainment with some bits of message, or a Journey To Orthodoxy moment. There have been some music festivals featuring Orthodox artists, (we have nicknamed them Orthopaloozas ) and more are on the way. These are a great way to invite the community to find a taste of Orthodoxy by hearing from some who have made the journey, and who are also great musicians. Continued on p. 6 Special articles: Letter from the President, p. 2; Youth News, p. 5

2 Glad Tidings Page 2 From the Desk of the President As this month s column goes to the printer, we are less than a week from Holy Week. No doubt by the time you read this we will have celebrated Pascha and will be continuing to celebrate Christ s resurrection from the dead and His victory over death. And still, it will come as no surprise that the struggle through Great and Holy Lent has again proven to be difficult and rewarding at the same time. I am pleased to say that I attended my first ever weekday evening Compline and Presanctified Liturgy services this Lent. As you may recall, last year in this column I set a goal to attend these services...and then didn t. I found the Presanctified Liturgy to be a particularly beautiful service; one unlike any other that I have ever attended. And as I look back over the years, I said to myself What took you so long?! At the same time, we have lost some close friends and loved ones at St. George this particular Lent and we work to cope with our losses. Of course, I am not much different than any of you. We struggle. Sometimes we succeed. But often we fail to reach the goals to which we aspire and that we know that our faith teaches us. And yet, each of us continues in our faith as we to try to follow the examples set us by the saints, the Theotokos and, of course, Jesus. As I get older, I find that despite these difficulties and the efforts to fast, to engage in increased prayer and worship and to undertake more focused almsgiving, this time of the liturgical year is easily my favorite. Perhaps that is so because I have continued to learn more about our faith, through attending new services or through other readings. Perhaps it is because I have come to be more keenly aware of how precious the life is that God gives to each of us and to take note of the many blessings in my life. Whatever the reason, I have looked back to Palm Sunday 2000, the date on which I was chrismated an Orthodox Christian and think it was actually one of the better decisions I ve made in this life of mine. And so, it is with great joy that I recently learned that two ladies at our church who I count among my friends (Dawn Lampros and Jean Pliakas), are also to be chrismated this Palm Sunday 2009! This continues a wonderful (if not officially recognized) tradition at St. George. In recent years, we have seen a number of people join the ranks of Orthodox Christianity at our church. I hope and pray that this continues. And now, a couple of quick thoughts... A while back, I read an article by an Orthodox author about a tactic to make things work a little better around the church. The idea was simple enough, but I think it has some real possibilities in large part because, as the author put it, the tactic should fill us with the love of Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit. It goes something like this. The next time you run into a frustration when dealing with something around the church (I know it s hard to imagine such a thing) or are trying to get something accomplished, after you relay your ideas to someone else, finish off your sentence by saying, What do you think? These four, little words should help us because they open us up to others ideas and encourage us to work together to reach a common goal, rather than to just complain. Certainly, these words provide no magic potion for all that ails us. But, I believe that if we try this in our future conversations, we just might find that things will work a little better. What do you think? Finally, I recently met a friend of mine. While sharing a meal together, he remarked something to the effect of, Thank God we have people at St. George to help keep our Church going. I reflected on his thought later that day. The simple wisdom of his words struck me because I realized that I had never thought of things in quite that manner. Rather than being thankful for what we have, I have rather often found myself worrying that we don t have enough people to do things around the church. And while it may be true that we could always use a little more help, that doesn t change the fact that the help provided by each one of you to keep the doors of St. George open is a blessing from God. And so, I will close this month s column by simply saying, thank you for the things you do and have done for our church. And, thank God for the blessing we know as St. George. Christos Anesti! Alithos Anesti! Christ is Risen! Truly, He is Risen! + Eric

3 St. Paul, MN Page 3 Parish Announcements Philoptochos Update Did you remember to remit your 2009 membership offering? Thank you to all who contributed to the Holy Cross/Hellenic College tray collection at Church on Sunday, March 29, This year, HC/HC needs new tables and chairs for the cafeteria. In June, there will be another Decades Birthday Brunch in Dellwood. Happy Springtime. Blessed Easter. The May meeting is at Church on Tuesday afternoon, May 05, 2009, 1:30 P.M. Daughters of Penelope News Thank you to the diners and workers for supporting our Springtime Loukoumades Fund Raiser. We are very sorry about the unexpected malfunctioning of the doughnut deep fryer. Thank you for your patience. On Sunday, June 07, 2009, the AHEPANS will, again, operate their Gyros Booth during Grand Old Day. To volunteer your help, please talk to Joseph V Weiser. We appreciate good help. May God bless the souls of our departed Sisters in Theta Pi, Antonia Kontenakos and Maria Theros. Blessed Easter season to all. Festival of Nations Save the dates, April 30th - May 3rd (Thursday through Sunday). Sign up sheets are available. Contact Jean Pliakas for the Cafe, Angela Mortari for t he Bazaar and Anna Christoforides for the Cultural booth. Got Photos to Share? If you have taken photos at a church event and would like to share them with the parish community, please them to photos@stgeorgegoc.org so we may add them to our online photo album, James Nickitas Camp Scholarship Fund Financial assistance is available to those in need who wish to attend this year s Summer Church Camp. Applications may be obtained from the parish office. Guidelines for the administration of the fund are posted. A Gift from Heaven We recently received a bequest in the amount of $5,207 from the estate of Mrs. Georgia Boosalis of Owatonna who reposed in the Lord in December We thank her for her thoughtfulness and generosity. May her memory be eternal! Please remember the church during your estate planning. AHEPA Gekas College Grant Applicants must be: AHEPANS, Daughters of Penelope, Spouses, Children, or Grandchildren. Application forms will be posted on the AHEPA bulletin Board in the social Hall. Applications must be in by New Editor Needed for Glad Tidings Glad Tidings is seeking someone with desktop publishing experience to assist or take over the duties of editor ASAP. Please contact Diane Anastos at asia819@dc .com or Father Rick fatherrick@usa.com. St. George Greek Festival 2009 Save the dates! August 22nd and August 23rd., National Oratorical Festival The Twenty-sixth annual St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival will be hosted by the Metropolis of Chicago in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota on the weekend of June 12-14, The Rev. Paul Paris and The Rev. R. Demetrius Andrews host co-chairpersons. The 2009 Topics and Topic Tips are posted on the Website of the Department of Religious Education at archdiocese/departments/ religioused/sjcof Sanctuary Renovation Begins April 27th The sanctuary renovation begins on Monday April 27th with moving of pews and painting prep work. The whole building will be closed Tuesday April 28th due to fumes from paint prep chemicals. Liturgy on Sunday May 3rd will be in the social hall and we expect to complete the work by May 9th. We ask for volunteers to help move small items out of the sanctuary, bookstore and choir loft after the parish assembly on Sunday April 26th. We continue to encourage donations for this project (painting, stone & carpet flooring, altar table). Thanks for your generosity and support!

4 Glad Tidings Page 4 Church Staff and Office Hours Church Office Hours Mondays-Friday 9:00AM--3:00 PM Rev. Fr. Richard Demetrius Andrews, Presbyter (651) FatherRick@usa.com Lori Kurtyka, Administrative Assistant (651) Registry March 15, 2009 March 14, Day Churchings Aleka & Anna Pitsavas-Wakely Marianne & Melina Balousek Births Elisavet to Shawn & Aleka Powell Eric Chadwick, Parish Council President (507) chadwick@ptslaw.com Reva Adkins, Philoptochos President (651) rradkins@comcast.net March 13, 2009 April 2, 2009 Funerals Antonia Kontenakos Maria Theros Andrea Faches, Sunday School Director (507) afaches@msn.com Stella Hofrenning, Greek School Director Diane Anastos, Glad Tidings -Editor Festal Icons Needed Please donate a Festal Icon (11" x 14") in memory of a loved one. The cost is $50.00 per icon. The icons are displayed in the church nave and are put out for veneration on the Feast Day of the Saint or event they represent. To donate an icon, fill out a form (found on the bulletin board by the kitchen) and return it to the office. St. Maximos the Confessor 1/21 St. Therapon 5/25 St. Theodosia 5/29 Christos Anesti! We Glorify His Third Day Resurrection

5 St. Paul, MN Page 5 YOUTH NEWS UPCOMING YOUTH EVENTS May 16th Birth 3, Get Ready for Spring! Planting flowers & St. George 9:30-11:30 am. SAVE THE DATES: 9am, June 13th Archdiocese Oratorical come support national finalists! Making of Palm Crosses Saturday of Lazarus Traveling on the Ark of Salvation: Twelve Great Feasts will be the VCS theme presented on August 3rd 7th. This year s curriculum will focus on the Feasts of the Theotokos using a brand new curriculum from the Archdiocese. Children aged Pre-K to 6th grade will find fun in learning with their friends. To register your child or to volunteer, complete the enclosed VCS registration form or go online (see right) to register. Parish Community Nights we are looking to complete the schedule for To volunteer your family to host please contact Andrea afaches@msn.com. Upcoming available dates are: August 9th, September 12th, October 10 and November 14th. Look forward to details for joining the fun July 11th at the Lampros Home! Nickitas Camp Scholarships=please see Fr. Rick for forms to complete should you wish to participate in the Nickitas Camp Scholarship program Summer Camp Scholarship Contest! Two 2009 Summer Camp scholarship coupons will be awarded by St. Mary s in memory of Presbytera Mary Coniaris and James H. Zubulake. Camp registration fees will be rebated to two contest winners. This year s theme is, How do I let Christ s light shine through me? Junior Division- open to children entering 3 rd - 6 th grades Fall Contestants are required to submit a 250- word (typed) essay on the theme. Senior Division- open to teens entering 7 th - 12 grades Fall Contestants are required to submit a 500- word (typed) essay on the theme.. ENTRIES ARE DUE NO LATER THAN FRIDAY MAY 22, 2009 to: Fr Christopher Wojcik to htoc@amerytel.net Serving St. George thank you to all who served this Pascha, in the Junior Choir, Acolytes, GOYA, readers, egg dying and myrrh bearers! Your service is VERY important to making St. George a better place! Birth to 3 Faith Group Mark your calendars for June 20th, July 18th & August 8th, 9:30-11:30a.m. At St. George, snacks will be provided! For more information, contact Kelly barbes11@msn.com. Thank you to all who helped make the Saturday of Lazarus Youth Retreat such a wonderful success. 30 children and their parents participated in learning about the services of Holy Week. June 29th to July 6th-St. Mary s Summer Camp July 11th Parish Community Night at the Lampros Home! August 3-8th Traveling on the Ark of Salvation Vacation Church School at St. George register online today! RegistrationForms/ VCSRegistrationForm.html Youth & Family Ministry Monday, May 6:30pm. St. George Greek Orthodox Church -Monthly planning meeting. Sunday School Staff, Youth Workers, parents & others interested are encouraged to attend or participate: , participant code: , to teleconference. Upcoming Youth & Family Ministry meetings will be on: June 8th July 13 August 10th Reminder Vacation Church School is August 3-7th. Register online today.

6 Glad Tidings Page 6 Interview Continued OB: What can we, as Orthodox laity, do to encourage more Orthodox performers to serve the church actively in their music? That's a good question. First of all, we need to encourage artists in our faith families by supporting them with word of mouth promotion, buying their art, helping them make connections, and affirming them in their gifts. It is very important that artists are affirmed in the concept that their gifts can promote the Faith whether their art is more universal, or more specifically Christian. I have friends that were artists, and thus a bit eccentric, and always felt alienated by their well dressed, traditional church going congregations. These were Protestants, but it can happen in Orthodox Churches as well. One young musician was testing the congregation by being a bit more eccentric than usual, and he went to church in Florida without a shirt. When he was met with love and acceptance, it propelled him into a life of full time Christian service. Another friend of mine, a painter, left the Church due to nonacceptance, and never went back, although he never lost his belief in God. A wonderful thing about Orthodoxy, is that when one walks into liturgy, they come face to face with art, in icons and music, and a group of (hopefully) loving, nonjudgmental, humble people, ready to be instant family. Artists love Orthodoxy! Even hippie artists find themselves among people with long hair and beards, and that's often the priest! Finding a place for singers in the Church is easy and obvious. Iconographers too. Our challenge right now is, how do we encourage the teenager with a rock band, or a folk guitar? How do we encourage the dancers and painters, poets and writers? Living H2O is a band of such young people in California that were surrounded with love and acceptance, and were helped to cut a CD. Father Peter Jon Gillquist too was encouraged and supported by his parents, and later his Church, and he pioneered the way for many to follow. About Ron Moore Ron Moore is a world traveled performer, singer/songwriter, speaker and comedian. His recordings have received airplay on over 100 stations nationally. With a refreshing worldwide view that comes from growing up as a missionary kid in Korea, Ron has traveled with his concerts from Romania to Korea, and from Canada to Equador. With outstanding vocals, guitar and humor, Ron's performances are unique in their appeal to a wide range of audiences, from adults to youth and children. Ron and his wife joined the Eastern Orthodox Church in 1995 after studying the Church for over a year. "We were impressed with the genuine faith of so many Orthodox, the reverent worship, and the unbroken connection to the original Early Christian Church." Ron has a heart for outreach and missions. He led two OCMC mission trips to Romania, and been on one to Korea.

7 Local and National News St. Paul, MN Page 7 Grief and Growth Support Group Are you grieving the loss of someone you love? The ministry for the bereaved has been scheduled by Fr. Anthony for Wed evenings at 7:30PM in his home beginning on April 29th thru May 27th. Please call St Mary s for further information at or Enter In: Four DVDs Explore Orthodox Christian Feasts The Department of Religious Education is excited to announce a major new production. Entitled "Enter In," the resource includes sixteen 15-minute video presentations--over four hours of video on four DVDs. These presentations explore the major feasts of the Church, and the meaning and purpose of Orthodox Christian worship. Other resources include Discussion Questions, a web site, a Viewer's Companion, and a Teacher's Guide. Full of interviews, music, hymns, icons, and beautiful visuals, this rich resource will both inspire and provoke. Designed for individual, family, or group study, it's the perfect resource for a parish's Great Lent Bible study or adult church school class! Call the Department at to order now, or visit religioused/feasts FOCUS North America (Fellowship of Orthodox Christians United to Serve) launched A network of Orthodox Christian social action ministries that express Christ s love in North America for those who are hungry, thirsty, strangers, naked, sick or in prison (Matt. 25:35-5) has been launched. In its first 60 days of operation, FOCUS North America has partnered with dozens of Orthodox agencies and parish initiatives and awarded more than $30,000 in grants. FOCUS grew out of the need for an Orthodox Christian effort to address the persistent and pervasive needs of the suffering, impoverished or vulnerable in North America. It is a staggering reality that over 40 million people live below the poverty line and the unemployed rate exceeds 11 million people in North America and is increasing. While there are a variety of Orthodox Christian agencies within all jurisdictions effectively engaged in addressing these needs, a coordinated effort with national support and encouragement could be much more effective. ABC Airs PASCHA: The Resurrection of Christ The video presentation of Pascha: The Resurrection of Christ, a program highlighting Orthodox Christian Pascha, or Easter, was broadcasted on ABC affiliates nationwide in April. The program, produced by Greek Orthodox Telecommunications and sponsored by FAITH: An Endowment for Orthodoxy and Hellenism, highlights Holy and Great Week, deeply moving and ancient services that recount the Gospel narrative leading to the Death and Resurrection of Christ. DVD copies of the program are available for sale ($25, includes shipping). To purchase please contact the Department of Communications at or gotel@goarch.org.

8 ST. GEORGE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 1111 Summit Avenue St. Paul, Minnesota ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID St. Paul, MN Permit No. 177 Phone: Fax: Web Site: Weekday Worship Schedule St. Irene Divine Liturgy 9:00am, Tuesday, May 5 Metr. Jonah at St. Mary OCA Great Vespers 6:00pm, Wednesday, May 6 Divine Liturgy 8:00am, Thursday, May 7 St. Haralambos Divine Liturgy 9:00am, Tuesday, May 10 Police Memorial Service 11:00am, Wednesday, May 13 at Mears Park Sts. Constantine and Helen Divine Liturgy 9:00am, Thursday, May 21 Memorial Day Service at Fort Snelling Cemetery Divine Liturgy 9:30am, Monday, May 25 REGULAR WEEKLY SERVICES Holy Confession: By Appointment Vespers: Saturday 5 pm (September May) Orthros: Sunday 8:30 am Divine Liturgy: Sunday 9:45 am Sunday School: (September through May) starts after administration of Holy Communion Ascension Great Vespers 6:00pm, Wednesday, May 27 Divine Liturgy 9:00am, Thursday, May 28

9 May 2009 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 Coming in June... + FAST DAY 7. Pentecost 11. Patriarch Bartholomew's Nameday Archdiocese Oratorical Festival 14. All Saints Day 21. Father's Day 28. Summer Church Camp Begins FESTIVAL OF NATIONS FESTIVAL OF NATIONS *5:00pm Radio Program KKMS 980am +5:00pm VESPERS Sanctuary Renovation RD SUN.PASCHA +ST. IRENE +FAST DAY +FAST DAY - MYRRHBEARERS *8:00am Liturgy +9:00am LITURGY w/ Metr. Jonah St. Amalia & +8:30am ORTHROS at St. Mary OCA ST. JOHN +9:45am LITURGY THEOLOGIAN *1:30pm *12:15pm Philoptochos Greek School *5:00pm Radio *6:00pm Great Program KKMS FESTIVAL OF Vespers & Lecture 980am NATIONS w/ Metr. Jonah at St. Mary OCA +5:00pm VESPERS Sanctuary Renovation TH SUN.PASCHA +FAST DAY +FAST DAY *9:30am FAITH - PARALYTIC Youth Group Mother's Day *11:00am Police *5:00pm Radio Memorial Program KKMS +8:30am ORTHROS Ceremony at *12:00pm MEOCCA 980am +9:45am LITURGY Mears Park +5:00pm VESPERS *12:00pm Acolyte *6:30pm Youth *7:00pm Bible *7:00pm Parish Training & Family Ministry Study at Fr. Rick's Council Meeting Home *6:00pm Parish *12:15pm Family Night Greek School TH SUN.PASCHA +FAST DAY +STS. +FAST DAY - SAMARITAN CONSTANTINE WOMAN & HELEN +8:30am ORTHROS +9:45am LITURGY +9:00am LITURGY *12:00pm Choir *5:00pm Spiritual *5:00pm Radio Practice Life Cmte Program KKMS 980am TH SUN.PASCHA MEMORIAL DAY +FAST DAY +ASCENSION +FAST DAY +9:30am Liturgy - BLINDMAN - Office Closed in Eau Claire, WI +9:00am LITURGY +8:30am ORTHROS *9:30am Memorial *9:00 am St. +9:45am LITURGY Day Service at George Spring Fort Snelling Clean-Up Cemetary +12:00pm Memorial +6:00pm GREAT *5:00pm Radio Service at *7:00pm VESPERS Program KKMS Roselawn Cemetary Stewardship Cmte 980am 31 +7TH SUN.PASCHA - HOLY FATHERS 1ST COUNCIL +8:30am ORTHROS +9:45am LITURGY *12:00pm Sunday School & Greek School Graduation St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 1111 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, MN Rev. Father Richard Demetrius Andrews -- Phone: (651)