MESSENGER THE. Newsletter of All Holy Spirit Greek Orthodox Church. Saving Time. September 2014

Transcription

1 THE MESSENGER Newsletter of All Holy Spirit Greek Orthodox Church September 2014 Saving Time Happy New Year? September 1 in the Church is the start of the new ecclesiastical year, therefore, Happy New year! If you have children in school, or if you are connected to academia, then this is not so surprising. It actually feels right. The dogdays of summer, of resting and dodging the heat are over. Trips have been taken, and we re ready. We are re-energized and ready to get back to work. At AHS, we are ready to get back to spiritual work! The Church year is set up so, that the first major feast is the Nativity of the Mother of God, Sept. 8th and the last major feast of the year, is the Dormition of the Mother of God, Aug 15 th. It would do us good to meditate on the wisdom of the Church in organizing this. Why did they set it up like this? Is there wisdom here, or just a haphazard? The Church year is organized for our common prayer life, for our salvation, so there is inspiration (by the Spirit) here. We are born and we die. This is the duration, the time (GR Chronos ) of a human life. There is nothing more and nothing less. If the Church year starts with the birth of Mary and ends with the death of Mary, then, it is representative of human history, our time here on earth. In other words, Mary is the symbol of all humanity. A person lives and a person dies, is worth meditating on, but how much greater when a person lives, dies, and is alive and reining in the heavens, in the presence of God! This is how empty time, chronos, becomes grace-filled time GR kairos. This is the narrow path of the spiritual life, and it is much more mysterious! Therefore, let s look at it this way: The Church year will lead us on a spiritual journey through the order of biblical events and themes. The Liturgical prayer life will help us to redeem our personal time, giving our lives purpose and meaning. It will teach us how to meditate on the span of our life, and prepare for our death. Understanding this as a gift, from the wisdom of the Church, so that we can spiritually grow. So get ready! Your calling is here, come and enter into the Mystery of Christ. You were already called into existence, now heed the next call and step forward. God is calling you to Himself. Fill your chronos with meaning and eternity, and change it to kairos, divine time. Experience heaven on earth and let the year become a Year of Grace! Fr Alexander

2 And Jesus came and spoke to them saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth, Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, for I am with you always, even to the close of the age. Amen At All Holy Spirit Parish (AHS), we are witnessing to Jesus Christ by dedicating ourselves to the Mission of His Great Commission (Matthew ), to engage the Omaha community comprised of all different socio-economic ethnic groups, to witness our Christian love and show philanthropy, inviting all to an Orthodox Way of Life, and upholding the teachings about God of the Apostolic Church. Caring for those in need plays a major role in the AHS Outreach Program and our goal is offer our Church members the opportunities they need to be faithful to God and show their faith; it is through Ministries that AHS will fulfill this Divine Mission. PARISH INFORMATION Address: 9012 Q Street, Omaha, NE Office Hours: Monday Friday: 10am 5pm Phone: Fax: Website: Church: AHSoffice@allholyspirit.com Fr. Alexander Lukashonok: FrAlexander@allholyspirit.com Services: Each Sunday Morning Prayers 8:30 am Divine Liturgy 9:30 am 2 All Holy Spirit Greek Orthodox Church December

3 THANK YOU It s a great honor to offer the bread that will become the body and blood of Christ during Divine Liturgy and we thank the following people who provided Prosphora for August: Aphrodite Petrihos, Litsa Carter, Tom Denich, and Despina Foster. August Coffee Hour sponsors: Sam Tsichlis, Nick & Aphrodite Petrihos, Helen Petrow, Nick Bitzes and Mary Mitchell. Thank you to Chris & Nadine Saklar for picking up donuts, making coffee, setting up and cleaning for the Sunday Morning Social Hour. PHILOPTOCHOS Start your fall season off right and come join the women of All Holy Spirit who care about philanthropy! Philoptochos will be having their first meeting of the year on Tuesday evening, September 9th at 7:00p.m. in the church hall. It will be a very important meeting as we will be planning our holiday pastry sale which is our major fundraiser of the year. If you haven't been to a meeting in a while, PLEASE COME and make this year the year you increase your involvement in what is the second largest women's philanthropic organization in the country!! Come see all the wonderful ministries we are a part of and get involved a little or a lot! Philoptochos is open to any women 18 years old and over. Our second meeting will be held October 7th at 7:00p.m. at church. Be a part of something special! USHER SCHEDULE September & October If you are unable to usher on your assigned Sunday please find a replacement within your group. 09/07 Nick Petrow John Pavalis John & Elaine Berger 09/14 John Treantos Eva Petrides Brian & Sheila Zachariae 09/21 David Rakes Sophia Petrow Mike Bouzis & Josh Busch 09/28 John Birge George Poullos Bill & Cindy Lambert 10/05 Andy Karavas George Pserros Mike & Nikki Moravec 10/12 Chris Hoegemeyer Angie Rakes Jim McDonnell & Paul Bitsos 10/19 John Sgourakis Shelly Reiling John & Elaine Berger 10/26 Nick Petrow Steve Thomson Brian & Sheila Zachariae ANNUNCIATION GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH Lincoln Greek Festival A Taste of Greece 950 N. 63rd (63rd & X) September 13, :AM 10 PM See Joan Rakes for free admission tickets 3 All Holy Spirit Greek Orthodox Church September

4 AHEPA Our Chapter is closed during the Summer and will start back up on Saturday, October 11 at 9 AM at Church. Our 2014 Papuchis Cornhusker Event saw our largest crowd in the past 6 years. The new format made the event much more enjoyable for all. We had many positive comments about this format. We increased our profits to $11.2K. Our membership continues to increase with the addition of Josh Busch. OCF at All Holy Spirit will sponsor pancake breakfast after church. Join us to celebrate this important ministry for college students! We invite you to OCF Sunday on September 21st! CONGRATULATIONS! SUMMER BOOK READING CHALLENGE We congratulate the following children for taking part in the Summer Reading Challenge: Niko Boulos, Calvin & Lola Warren, Audrey Vannausdle and Seth Rakes. 4 All Holy Spirit Greek Orthodox Church December

5 By Laura Pavalis When Father Lukashonok asked me to capture the essence of my life in Christ I agreed, but soon discovered that doing so is like trying to capture a rainbow in a bottle. The beauty of my faith journey cannot easily be described on paper. Upon reflection I would say that the simplest truth is that even though I am unworthy, God has provided richly for my Christian education and for every need in my life. My father was a Lutheran minister, ordained just a few months before my birth. My parents chose loving and faithful godparents for me, who prayed for me faithfully throughout my life. As a family we studied the bible together. Our friends were also people who loved Jesus and tried to live their lives in a manner consistent with the Christian faith. I always believed in Jesus and felt his love in my heart. As a young teen I was fortunate to have many friends who also believed in Jesus and we would pray together and study the bible. Eventually I became a Sunday school teacher, a bible camp counselor, a children s choir director and a youth group leader. I believe that I did not come to know Jesus through my own reason or strength, but that the Holy Spirit called to me through the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts and kept me in faith, just as he calls, enlightens and strengthens all believers. In Proverbs it says Train up a child in the way he should go, in his later years he will not depart from it. Well, I guess I am in my later years, and although I am leaving the Lutheran church, I believe that I am following the training I was given as a child. My dad always said that if God wants to do something in your life, DON T GET IN HIS WAY. My dad demonstrated obedience to God s will, not his own will. Those lessons stand out to me. I also remember so very well how my parents gave everything they had to the poor and cared for the less fortunate. People loved them for their humility. It troubles me that I have not followed their example. I see God s hand in my life. I understand that it is my responsibility to respond to the words of Jesus from the bible, by responding to the opportunities to serve him that arise every day. Somehow, becoming an Orthodox Christian is part of this faith continuum. I do not pretend to understand why God would choose for me to leave the church that I was raised in. Attending the Orthodox church has always felt like visiting a foreign country - exotic and interesting, but certainly not home. As I have explored various opportunities to participate in the life of All Holy Spirit, I have discovered that the vespers service is lovely. The morning prayers from the prayer book are a beautiful way to start my day. The Sunday worship service is not yet clear to me, and I do not understand the icons, candles, incense, festivals and traditions. It s all very confusing actually. But it is clear to me that I am being led by the Holy Spirit into this faith. I have no other choice than to be obedient to God s will. As it says in Phillipians, May he who has begun this good work (in me) perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ. One day, if God wants to, he will make it clear to me why my faith journey has had this twist. Meanwhile, I do praise Him for every good and gracious gift. John and I have been married for 26 years, we have 5 children and 6 grandchildren. I am a Human Resources Consultant at CFO Systems, LLC and John is a Regional Sales Manager for Valmont Industries. September

6 Alexandra Bakke Chris & Carole Bakke Nicholas Bakke Willima Bakke John & Elaine Berger John & Debbie Birge Justin & Nicole Birge Effie Bitsos Paul & Dora Bitsos Nick Bitzes Phil & Tammy Bitzes Matt & Alexis Boulos Julie Bouzis Michael Bouzis Angie Brown Josh & Leah Busch Joe & Litsa Carter Karen Chader Tom & Brenda Denich John & Hillary Detisch Steve & Nikki Diamantis Mary Dounias David & Hellen Elfering Katie Elfering Sarah Elfering Elias & Demetra Eliopoulos Despina Foster Jordan Fox Jason & Tammy Gill Zach Hennings Chirs & Vika Hoegemeyer Trey & Tammy Honke Steve & Mariana Hurst Jeff Johannesmeyer Knox & Anastasia Jones Adam & Sandy karavas Andy & Debbie Karavas Tesfaye Kinde & Yordanos Gebrehiwet Christina Knowles Bob & Maria Knowles Elaina Knowles Paul & Annie Kosel Alexander Kotrotsios Voula Kotrotsios Mike & Sandi Kriha Harry & Dee Lahs Bill & Cindy Lambert Robert & Maria Laws Ted & Helen Lazanas Bill Lewis Natalia Larkey Irene Maragos Jim & Deb McDonnell Michael McDonnell Jon & Liz Mehuron Cindy Miller John & Kathleen Mitchell II Mary Mitchell Mike & Nikki Moravec Spiro & Mary Moustakes Linda Olson James Panourakis Joe & Kikki Papke John & Laura Pavalis 6 All Holy Spirit Greek Orthodox Church

7 Frederick Petrides Bill & Eva Petrides Nick & Aphrodite Petrihos Helen Petrow Nick & Shelly Petrow Nicole Petrow Sophia Petrow Teddy Petrow George & Jody Poullos George Poulos George Pserros David & Lisa Rakes George & Angie Rakes Gust & Joan Rakes Mike Rakes Shelly Reiling Chris & Nadine Saklar Bill & Joanne Sgourakis John & Michelle Sgourakis Aaron & Litsa Shoemaker Anna Smith Steve & Heidi Thomson Scott & Rene Thornton John & Kathy Treantos Sam & Betty Tsichlis Evan Vasiliades John Vasiliades Andy & Jackie Vassios Ted Warren Alyssa Wilger Andrea Wilger Pete & Stephanie Wilger Maria Yanda-Carter Brian & Sheila Zachariae THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO CHRIST S WORK! September

8 8 All Holy Spirit Greek Orthodox Church May

9 Icon Corner By Tom Denich September is the Church Calendar New Year. Some of you may know that I cook a bit. I write a blog on food and local eateries as well as some information regarding the Orthodox Faith and progress on icons I am painting at the time. Every once in a while I do something for myself. A few years back I painted St. Euphrosynos for our newly remodeled kitchen. He sits in a place of honor over seeing all that happens in our central hub of activity. This may be one of those icons you own or have seen but have no idea who it is or what the story behind it is. Everything in Orthodoxy has a reason behind it and this little icon is for kitchens and cooking areas. This icons shows that we look for God s blessings everywhere and even in the most mundane activities of life there can be wondrous events. St Euphrosynos the Cook of Alexandria (9th c.) September 11 th. Saint Euphrosynus the Cook was from one of the Palestinian monasteries, and his obedience was to work in the kitchen as a cook. Toiling away for the brethren, St Euphrosynus did not absent himself from thought about God, but rather dwelt in prayer and fasting. He remembered always that obedience is the first duty of a monk, and therefore he was obedient to the elder brethren. The patience of the saint was amazing: they often reproached him, but he made no complaint and endured every unpleasantness. St Euphrosynus pleased the Lord by his inner virtue which he concealed from people, and the Lord Himself revealed to the monastic brethren the spiritual heights of their unassuming fellow-monk. One of the priests of the monastery prayed and asked the Lord to show him the blessings prepared for the righteous in the age to come. The priest saw in a dream what Paradise is like, and he contemplated its inexplicable beauty with fear and with joy. He also saw there a monk of his monastery, the cook Euphrosynus. Amazed at this encounter, the presbyter asked Euphrosynus, how he came to be there. The saint answered that he was in Paradise through the great mercy of God. The priest again asked whether Euphrosynus would be able to give him something from the surrounding beauty. St Euphrosynus suggested to the priest to take whatever he wished, and so the priest pointed to three luscious apples growing in the garden of Paradise. The monk picked the three apples, wrapped them in a cloth, and gave them to his companion. When he awoke in the early morning, the priest thought the vision a dream, but suddenly he noticed next to him the cloth with the fruit of Paradise wrapped in it, and emitting a wondrous fragrance. The priest, found St Euphrosynus in church and asked him under oath where he was the night before. The saint answered that he was where the priest also was. Then the monk said that the Continued on P All Holy Spirit Greek Orthodox Church September December

10 By Stephanie Wilger Our Visit to Archangel Gabriel Church in Ashland, Oregon Our vacation this summer took us to southern Oregon to visit my cousin, Stella (Stavroula) and her husband Ron. Stella came to Orthodoxy in 2008 after the passing of her mother. Stella went in search of an Orthodox Church in her area. God lead her to Archangel Gabriel Church in Ashland, Oregon. The community of this church is unlike most I've ever encountered. Belonging to the OCA, many of the parishioners have come to Orthodoxy from beginnings in other religions. I could not be more thankful that this is where Stella went one Sunday to see what it was like. She was welcomed with open arms. This congregation is almost unbelievable in their commitment to Orthodoxy and their church. My husband and I attended several services while we were there. Archangel Gabriel has vespers every Wednesday and Saturday throughout the year, services which are quite well attended. The first time we visited this church there were probably 25 to 30 steady parishioners. As of this year approximately 75 members regularly attend and the church continues to grow. On Pascha about 106 people were in attendance. What makes this so special you may ask? This church is a modified double garage attached to a house. There are very few seats and most of the congregation stands throughout the entire liturgy. Many physical improvements have been made since I was first there. (Much like All Holy Spirit) When the priest is censing, everyone gathers in the middle of the space and moves around out of the way so the priest can cense the icons on the walls around the church. During the sermon most people sit on the floor. The living room of the house serves as the fellowship hall, where every Sunday a potluck lunch is held and they all eat together. These people were without a full time priest for nearly two years. Their faith, however, did not waiver. To keep their church alive they held reader services for vespers and on Sundays when no priest was available people came to pray! (The reader services are basically vesper services without the priest's part.) This congregation was determined to stay together and pray together. Their prayers were answered. They now have a full time priest, Fr. Andreas Blom. Through hard work and many prayers they are in the process of purchasing land to build an Orthodox church. As we at All Holy Spirit know, if you work hard and pray much, wonderful things can happen. We sometimes feel that our church is inadequate as an Orthodox church. I ask you to think of where we might be having liturgy if it were not for the space we have, in a two-car garage at someone's house? Would you still come and pray? We should consider ourselves lucky to be able to rent this building until we can build our own. If you are ever in Ashland, Oregon make it a point to attend services at Archangel Gabriel Church where you will feel at home from the moment you walk in the door. Continued from P. 9 Icon Corner Lord, in fulfilling the prayer of the priest, had shown him Paradise and had bestown the fruit of Paradise through him, the lowly and unworthy servant of God, Euphrosynus. The priest related everything to the monastery brethren, pointing out the spiritual loftiness of Euphrosynus in pleasing God, and he pointed to the fragrant paradaisical fruit. Deeply affected by what they heard, the monks went to the kitchen, in order to pay respect to St Euphrosynus, but they did not find him there. Fleeing human glory, the monk had left the monastery. The place where he concealed himself remained unknown, but the monks always remembered that their monastic brother St Euphrosynus had come upon Paradise, and that they in being saved, through the mercy of God would meet him there. They reverently kept and distributed pieces of the apples from Paradise for blessing and for healing. 10 All Holy Spirit Greek Orthodox Church

11 Thank you to everyone who joined and contributed to the All Holy Spirit team for the FARE Walk for Food Allergies on Saturday, July 19th. Our team raised $760 and placed 4th in fundraising thanks to the generous donations and participation of many people in our community. John and Debbie Birge, The Birge Family, Dora and Paul Bitsos, The Hoegemeyer Family, Adam and Chrissie Hoffman, The Kosel Family, Bob and Maria Knowles, Natalia Li and Edward Larkey, The Laws Family, Ted and Helen Lazanas, Linda and Ashley Olson, The Sgourakis Family, Laki and Joanne Sgourakis and The Ladies of Philoptochos. It was a wonderful event, and we are so grateful for everyone's support! The Boulos Family September

12 All Holy Spirit Greek Orthodox Church 9012 Q Street Omaha, NE (402) office PRESORT STANDARD U.S. Postage PAID Permit No Omaha, NE Address Service Requested And Jesus came and spoke to them saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth, Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, for I am with you always, even to the close of the age. Amen