The Annunciation ANNUNCIATION GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

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1 The Annunciation ANNUNCIATION GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH "Virgin Theotokos, rejoice! Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb; for thou hast borne the Savior of our souls." 950 N 63RD ST, LINCOLN, NE Yes, Merry Christmas even though we have begun the New Year Even though we have already started to celebrate Christmas, we certainly have not yet finished. It is very helpful to remind ourselves that as Orthodox Christians we celebrate the Nativity of Christ for twelve full days, hence the phrase regarding "The 12 Days of Christmas". Also, it is a wonderful reminder for us that while much of the world has moved on, we not only finish this year in the spirit of giving inspired by the love of God, we continue on and begin the New Year in that same spirit of giving and generosity. It is truly a beautiful reminder that in our desire to share the love of Christ and to grow into His likeness, we are most like Him when we are giving and when we are forgiving. He nothing from us, giving us His life and His love without limits, and for that which we have received from Him, He invites us in turn to follow His example and share it with everyone. That is how the Gospel is preached and how Orthodox Christian evangelism takes place. As the New Year begins and starts to seem not so new before too long, let us remember that we began this year with giving and that we will end it with giving. May we also enter more joyfully into the spirit of Christ-like love and giving by sharing what He has given us throughout the whole year, and thereby experience the true joy of Christmas all year long. So again, Merry Christmas and a happy and generous New Year!

2 By Galen Erickson, Parish Council Secretary hristmas is a great time of year to reflect on accomplishments from the past year and think ahead to the future year. Reflection applies to our personal lives as well as the life of the Parish at Annunciation. The Parish Council all feel responsible to be good stewards of the Parish, and to make the best decisions for the Parish when faced with choices throughout the year. We have always had good discussions and tried to take the view of doing what we thought was best for the Parish, even when others may have disagreed. We are on a great trajectory with many new families, excellent stewardship, and a general community feeling within the Parish. The new Parish Council will strive to continue that trajectory. Welcome to Cathy Beedle, Nina Johner, and Paul Barnes as elected members of the Parish Council. I personally want to thank Randy and Charlene for their service over the past years. John Moran was not available for nomination but is open to continuing on the with Parish Council. The new Council will need to act on refilling this position with John or another interested parishioner. While comments and suggestions are always welcome, constructive feedback is our goal. At times, a few Parish Council members have been given negative feedback. The Parish Council has to sort through concerns raised and make decisions. This process follows a logical approach where we assess 1) the importance of the concern and how widespread is the issue, 2) whether the issue is something that can be addressed by the Parish Council or not, and 3) whether the Parish Council will be able to take actions to remedy the concern. Keep in mind that even if we agree with an issue, if we cannot effect change to remedy the issue, we will not take action. With that said, we think there are some issues that meet the criteria above and we are working on those. We want to continue to be a welcoming Parish for all Orthodox Christians and visitors. Feel free to raise concerns with any Parish Council member or Father Mark. We would also encourage you to reach out to past members and to visitors and welcome them to our Parish (or back to our Parish). In addition, Father Mark would be delighted to visit and help with parishioners facing difficult times. We would remind everyone that he needs to be contacted if someone is in need of a visit, as he may be unaware. I know we can all do better at keeping track of the Parish family in this regard. Thank you to all the stewards within the Parish that donate time and finances to our Parish. I would like to remind everyone that for the past four years, we have met all our financial obligations. We have also continued to invest in many capital improvements. We will continue to prioritize and invest in improvements in a responsible manner. We ask for your help in improving our Parish life, and we ask for your participation in the life of the Church. We ask that from everyone and are not suggesting that anyone on the Parish Council is doing better than any other parishioners. We are suggesting that we all strive to do better in the struggle to be a better Orthodox Christian. Perhaps most importantly, keep all of us in your prayers. January Baker February Baker January 7 Charlene Gondring February 4 Jennifer Garza January 14 Sandy Ballas February 11 Sarah Kripal January 21 Stami Deligiannis February 18 Iulia Curtright January 28 Anna Panos February 25 Nina & Randy Johner Chri

3 Supporting our Orthodox Community In 2018 Christian Stewardship is...learning how to be a responsible and concerned caretaker of Christ s Church; it is learning how to enjoy Church life and be happy in Church work., for in Her dwells the fullness of the Spirit of God our active commitment to use all our time, talent and treasure for the benefit of humankind in grateful acknowledgment of Christ s redeeming love. caring for the needs of others. offering one s self to God as He offered Himself to us. what a person does after saying I believe, as proof of that belief. devotion and service to God and His Church as persons, as families, as diocese/metropolis, as national Church and as Church universal. Thank you to all of you that have been faithful in your giving to Annunciation. A special thanks to those who have pledged their support by turning in a stewardship card for Your pledge helps the parish plan our finances. If you have not turned in a 2018 Stewardship Card you can find them available in the church narthex. If you ve never turned in a stewardship card, please consider doing so for 2018 and show A Story of Forgiveness... On New Year s Day, 1929, Georgia Tech played UCLA in the Rose Bowl. In that game a young man named Roy Riegels recovered a fumble for UCLA. Picking up the loose ball, he lost his sense of direction and ran sixty-five yards toward the wrong goal line. One of his teammates ran him down and tackled him just before he scored for the opposing team. The strange play came in the first half. At half-time the UCLA players filed off the field and into the dressing room. As others sat down on the benches and the floor, Riegels put a blanket around his shoulders, sat down in a corner, and put his face in his hands. A football coach usually has a great deal to say to his team during halftime. That day Coach Price was quiet. When the timekeeper came in and announced that there were three minutes before playing time, Coach Price looked at the team and said, Men, the same team that played the first half will start the second. The players got up and started out, all but Riegels. He didn t budge. The coach looked back and called to him. Riegels didn t move. Coach Price went over to where Riegels sat and said, Roy, didn t you hear me? The same team that played the first half will start the second. Roy Riegels looked up, his cheeks wet with tears. Coach, he said, I can t do it. I ve ruined you. I ve ruined the university s reputation. I ve ruined myself. I can t face that crowd out there. Coach Price reached out, put his hand on Riegels s shoulder, and said, Roy, get up and go on back. The game is only half over. Riegels finally did get up. He went onto the field, and the fans saw him play hard and play well. All of us have run a long way in the wrong direction at times. With God s mercy, we are given the strength to get back up and into the game.

4 THE TRADITION OF THE VASILOPITA (pronounced vă-sē-lō-pē-tă ) T he tradition of baking and cutting a special "pita" (which can mean a loaf of bread, a cake, or even a pie!) each year on January 1" is observed in honor of our Holy Father Basil the Great, archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia - hence its name Vasilopita. This tradition is observed in both parish churches and in the homes of the faithful. What is the meaning of this tradition and how did it begin? For centuries upon centuries parents, grandparents and Godparents have related the following story to Orthodox children about St Basil and the Vasilopita. One year, during a time of terrible famine, the emperor levied a sinfully excessive tax upon the people of Caesarea. The tax was such a heavy burden upon the already impoverished people that to avoid debtors' prison each family had to relinquish its few remaining coins as well as pieces of jewelry, including precious family heirlooms. Learning of this injustice against his flock, St Basil the Great, the archbishop of Caesarea, took up his bishop's staff and the book of the holy Gospels and came to his people's defense by fearlessly calling the emperor to repentance. By God's grace, the emperor did repent! He cancelled the tax and instructed his tax collectors to turn over to St Basil all of the chests containing the coins and jewelry which had been paid as taxes by the people of Caesarea. But now St Basil was faced with the daunting and impossible task of returning these coins and pieces of jewelry to their rightful owners. After praying for a long time before the icons of our Master Christ and His All-holy Mother, St Basil had all the treasures baked into one huge "pita." He then called all the townspeople to prayer at the cathedral and, after Divine Liturgy, he blessed and cut the "pita," giving a piece to each person. Wondrously each owner received in his piece of Vasilopita his own valuables. They all joyfully returned home, giving thanks to God who had delivered them from abject poverty and to their good and holy bishop, St Basil the Great. In remembrance of that miracle wrought by God as a result of St Basil's love and defense of his people, Orthodox Christians have observed the tradition of the Vasilopita each year on January 1st - the date on which St Basil reposed in the Lord in the year 379. In some places the Vasilopita is prepared as a loaf of rich bread, while in other places it takes the form of a spicy sheet cake (without frosting). But no matter what form a Vasilopita may take, they all have one thing in common - each contains a single coin. After placing the bread dough or batter in the proper baking pan, the baker makes with the foil wrapped coin the sign of the Cross over it, closes his/her eyes, and then secretly places it into the unbaked Vasilopita. After the Vasilopita is baked and cooled, it is blessed and cut following Divine Liturgy for the feast of St Basil on January 1. At churches it is blessed and cut in the parish fellowship hall by the bishop or priest, and in homes it is blessed and cut by the head of the household. The blessing of the Vasilopita usually begins with the Apolytikion of St Basil the Great, chanted in tone 1: Thy sound hath gone forth into all the earth that received thy word. Thereby thou hast divinely taught the Faith; Thou hast made manifest the nature of things that be; Thou hast adorned the ways of man. O namesake of the royal priesthood,1 our righteous Father Basil, Intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved. Then the following prayer may be said: Let us pray unto the Lord. Lord, have mercy. O Creator of all things, Lord and King of the ages, plenteous in mercy and bountiful in goodness, who didst accept the Magi s gifts in Bethlehem, who art the Bread of life that came down from heaven, who by Thine authority didst establish the seasons and the years and dost hold our life in Thy hands. Hear us who pray to Thee on this holy day upon our entrance into the new year of Thy goodness and bless (+) this loaf/cake, which has been offered to Thy glory and in honour of our Father among the Saints Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia. Do Thou who art Benevolent, look down from Thy holy heaven and send down upon us, upon those who have offered these gifts and upon them that partake thereof, Thine heavenly gifts, for our hope is in Thee, the living God, unto the ages. Bless this parish (home, school, foundation, etc) and our entrances and exits; replenish our life with all good things and direct our footsteps that we may keep Thy divine commandments, for man shall not live by bread alone; Through the intercessions of Thy Most pure Mother, of our Father among the saints Basil the Great and of all Thy saints who from all ages have been well pleasing to Thee. Amen. The sign of the Cross is then made over the Vasilopita with a knife while saying, "In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." All respond "Amen." Then pieces of the Vasilopita are cut in the following order: The 1st piece is set aside for Christ, the 2nd piece for Theotokos, the 3rd piece for St Basil, and the 4th piece for the poor. Then pieces are given to all present, beginning with the eldest and ending with youngest. He or she who receives the piece containing the coin is traditionally considered to be especially blessed for the New Year.

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6 Annunciation s New Year s Eve Party! Reminder to all parishioners! The New Year s Eve Party is just around the corner! No need to stay at home this year and watch the ball in New York drop we will be creating memories and having fun right here in Lincoln, Nebraska at our beloved church! The New Year s Eve Party will begin right after the vespers service being held on Sunday, December 31st. The party is a potluck and is being held in the church basement. Bring your favorite dish and beverage of choice! Invite your family and friends to join in on the fun. Let s ring the New Year in together! New Years Resolution Advice from St. Theophan the Recluse New Year s Eve is considered the time for folks to make resolutions for what they would like to do, or improve upon, in the coming year. Did you make some New Year s Resolutions this year? We should take to heart the admonishment of St. Theophan the Recluse concerning Resolutions: Since New Year s Day is the beginning of the days of the year, we ought to gather in our soul those thoughts, feelings, and dispositions that would direct our affairs throughout the year in a Christian way. We will find these the moment we bring to mind the meaning of New Year s Day in the spiritual life. In the spiritual life, New Year s Day is when one who has been living carelessly becomes zealous about salvation and pleasing God. When one makes this resolution, then all is rebuilt afresh both internally and externally, upon new beginnings the old passes away and all is new. If you have this, renew it; if not, acquire it and for you this will be New Year s Day. Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Denver E-Newsletter Sign- The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Denver is of developing an E-Newsletter. Keep up on all the latest happenings in the Metropolis. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your box by visiting the Metropolis website at denver.goarch.org and scroll down the page until you see the subscription link. God bless thy year thy coming in thy going out thy rest, thy trav'ling about the rough, the smooth the bright, the drear God bless thy year! May you have the very best of years!

7 It Happened This Christmas! A record number of Annunciation Carolers spread Christmas joy to homebound parishioners! The Sunday School children presented our annual Christmas pageant! Santa made a guest appearance!

8 Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church 950 North 63rd Street Lincoln, NE Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church Priest: Fr. Mark Curtright, Newsletter Editor Sarah Kripal, Schedule of Regular Services Every Saturday: 5:00 p.m. Great Vespers Every Sunday: 9:15 a.m. Orthros 10:15 a.m. Divine Liturgy

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