Agape S T. G E O R G E G R E E K O R T H O D O X C H U R C H O C T

Transcription

1 S T. G E O R G E Agape G R E E K S T. G E O R G E G R E E K O R T H O D O X C H U R C H O C T Two Plates Not One-Fr Anthony Coniaris Someone said one Sunday during the offering, "Here we go again! There's always a plate." The person was right in one way and wrong in another. There is not one plate-but two! One plate is man's; the offering plate that is passed to us every Sunday. The other plate is God's. And that is the paten, the "diskos", the plate that carries the Precious Body of our Lord during the liturgy. Two plates --- not one! God gives first. He gives us our body, mind, life, health, talents. On the paten the plate of God's mercy, He gives us Himself as the Bread of Life, the manna from heaven. He gives forgiveness, strength, courage. He gives victory over sin and death. He gives eternal life. "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which he lavished upon us" (Eph.1:7-8). God gives. He lavishes upon us the riches of His grace. That is the meaning of the first plate-the paten. The second plate which is passed every Sunday - the offering plate - represents our response to the first plate. We are invited to give in gratitude for God's generosity, for His limitless forgiveness and mercy. The emptiness of the offering plate represents the aching needs of the world which we are called upon to assist. It represents also the great spiritual hunger that exists in the world -- the God-shaped vacuum in every heart that only Christ can fill. We give, but He gave first. Two plates not one! However much we give, it will never be more than just a minute fraction of what we receive from Him. There's always a plate! Indeed there is! Not one but two. First God's, then man's. The God who came to us at Bethlehem continues to come to us today. He comes to us through that first plate, the paten which symbolizes His total giving to us. He comes through the Sacrament of Baptism to bestow upon us the holy kiss of His love, to call us His very own. He comes through the Sacrament of Chrismation to fill us with His presence, to make our bodies temples of His Holy Spirit. He comes through repentance and the Sacrament of Confession to cleanse us of sin, to restore in our souls "the peace of God that passes all understanding. IN every liturgy He comes to us as the Word of God, bringing words of eternal life through the Scripture readings and the sermon. Through the Sacrament of Communion He comes to be born again and again in the shabby stables of our hearts. He comes constantly through prayer. He blesses our marriages as He did that in Cana of Galilee. He stands by our sick bed, laying His healing hand upon us through the prayers of the priest. He comes again and again in so many, many ways through the many ministries of His Church. He comes with healing and forgiveness; He comes with strength and guidance. He comes and when He comes, as the Bible says, the blind see, the lame walk, and the prisoners are set free." Every year at this time as we are invited to renew our yearly stewardship pledge, we are challenged to reconsider prayerfully our weekly gift to Him Who is God's Great Gift to us. It is through our gift that God will be able to continue His forgiving, healing, liberating, empowering, transfiguring, loving ministry through the Church. For God, Infinite though He be, has chosen to work through us, through our gifts, to continue His saving work in the world today. Many of us are careful to set aside funds for our retirement IRAs, 401(k)s, Building a Stronger Orthodox Christian Community by: Spiritually growing together; Sharing the Orthodox Faith through fellowship, outreach, and philanthropy; Worshipping in a traditional Byzantine church; Supported through Stewardship 202 Hillview #1 Eugene, Oregon Website: Phone: (541) frgerasimos@sntgrg.org

2 S T. G E O R G E G R E E K O R T H O D O X C H U R C H etc. Yet how long will these last? Ten, maybe twenty years? The question is: What are we setting aside for our eternal future? What are we investing in God, in eternity? How many of us who are quite well-to-do on earth (and most of us Americans are) may end up paupers in heaven? St. John Chrysostom said once, "A rich man is not one who has much, but one who gives much. For, what he gives away remains his forever!" A little girl noticed that after the collection was taken in a certain church, the ushers brought it up to the altar. She whispered to her mother, "Mommy, how do they get the money up to heaven?" The mother replied, "The church doesn't send the money to heaven, but it uses it to bring heaven down to us." That mother could not have given a better answer. For, the purpose of the Church is to get God's heaven into each one of us. "The kingdom of God is within you," said Jesus. The thought comes to me quite often that there will come a time for each one of us when we shall no longer be able to give. When death comes, our giving will be over. For all eternity God will be doing the giving to us. So, the time for us to give is now. The time for us to love is now. The time for us to share what God has given us is now. Give as you would if an angel awaited your gift at the door. Give as you would if tomorrow found you where giving was over. Give as you would to the Master if you met His loving look. Give as you would of your substance if His hand your offering took. For, it is indeed His hand! The tray in which we place our offering every Sunday is not a tray but His hand -- the nail-pierced hand of my Savior "Who loved me and gave Himself for me. Amen. Missions & Evangelism Committee Report We have completed one year serving on the Evangelism Committee and are recounting the accomplishments: the Divine Liturgy for Visitors and St. George Brochure; advertising in the Register Guard Coburg Corridor and Discovery 2014 Magazine; updating our website and adding a link to Discovering Orthodoxy series; a speaker for the community; an increased understanding of evangelism in the Orthodox Church and the needs of our community. In the coming year we want to: continue to refine how we welcome visitors to St. George; continue to define Page 2 how we can support our Inquirer s and Catechumens; extend outreach to lapsed Orthodox; continue advertising as in 2014; and coordinate outreach to the community with St. John s. We welcome your participation on our committee and/or your suggestions for outreach. Call Melita at In Service, Melita Green Project Mexico Report: When we got through the border and drove inland, I was shocked too see how poverty stricken it was. There was hardly a nice house in view and most of what we saw were houses by definition only. It got me thinking about how many people need help these days, and not by making the modern conveniences available for them, because they really don t need that type of thing. The family that we built the house for were always smiling, they were eager to watch us work, help carry things, and would oblige us when we wanted to know what a word in Spanish meant. They didn t seem to need the new five-foot iphone. But what we can do to really help people these days is to get them the things that they need to survive; whether that be building a house, like we did in Mexico, funding a mission trip or renewing their hope with a hug. This all goes in the category of alms-giving. The average worker in Mexico makes around or under fifteen dollars a day. The government owns most of the land there, and charges high prices for small plots, then the family, once they ve bought it with a large loan, has to build the house. It s pretty rough and that s why they need help and most of all love. Helping others is loving them and we should always jump at the opportunity to love others even in small ways, for when we love others we love our Lord. Thanks to all who made this trip possible and to those who prayed for us. Glory to God in and for all things. ~ Lenny Buck

3 A G A P E Page 3 STEWARDSHIP and TRESURER REPORT At our General Assembly meeting on Sept. 28, 2014, our treasurer, Neal Zoumboukos spoke of the importance of creating a balanced budget for We face several challenges to offset a significant shortfall of between $13,000 and $18,000 next year. This is partly due to a number of our stewards having left the area. However, we also have a number of stewards that are not fulfilling their pledge. Of the 53 stewardship pledges for this year, 22 stewards are currently behind in their pledges. Neal reported that seven of these people are only one month behind, ten are three or more months behind, and five have not paid anything of their pledged amount so far. Stewardship is certainly more than just money. We give of our talents and time. We consider how much God has done for us, and try to give back to God wherever we can. Stewardship cards will be sent out in October this year, so we can have them back in time for the December General Assembly when we vote on next year s budget. Together we need to look at how we can create a balanced budget. We need to figure out how we can support our parish not only this coming year, but in many years to come. FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE Thank you to all who helped at the Dexter Lake Boat Races last weekend. It was our final race of the season. Looking ahead, we will be preparing for our annual Bake Sale & Craft Fair, held Dec. 13 & 14. Watch for announcements about baking times, and come and help...the more the merrier! No experience necessary. We had such good response last year, we are increasing our baking for this year. Baking will begin in October, with Koulourakia. In November we will make Kourambiethes and Baklava. In order to defer some of our increasing expenses, we are asking for donations for the following items: 100 lbs. of shelled walnuts; 55 lbs. butter; 70 lbs. honey. Based on past history, Costco has the best prices. Whatever you can donate is much appreciated. Thank you. Our next committee meeting will be after church on October 12th. Presvytera Maria

4 S T. G E O R G E G R E E K O R T H O D O X C H U R C H Page 4. PHILIA: Fall is here, school has begun and some schedules have changed. After a short break, our dance troupe is back in business, and with the International Show looming on the horizon, has begun learning choreographed routines in earnest. Please mark Sunday, November 2 nd on your calendars and bring a friend or two. This will be our luncheon and theater fundraising event. The food, international in flavor, will be prepared by our capable Philia chefs and offered in buffet style on a donation basis. The hour long variety show will display the talents of our parishioners and friends. Plans are in full swing. Please see Gloria if you are interested in purchasing our T-shirts with a Greek logo. They come in men s and women s sizes, selling for $12.00 and kids are $10.00 apiece. For info on wedding or baptismal items contact Gloria at or via at zeazeastimmons@gmail.com. And check with Melita if interested in Rada products. Plans for the future: International Luncheon and Show on November 2. Pastry and Craft Fair on December 13 and 14. Next meeting: October 5, 2014 Reminder: Philia is a philanthropic organization open to ALL women in the parish. Come and join us! We could always use helping hands and helpful minds. Julie Lenkoff, Philia Coordinator COFFEE CHAT : Reminder: A change for December 14. Because of the pastry and craft fair, there will be NO COFFEE HOUR that day. Instead, please support our parish fundraiser, purchase a food item from the Kafenion, enjoy the holiday atmosphere and plan to Christmas shop at our gift booths. Thank you. Julie Lenkoff, Fellowship Coordinator CLEANUP CORNER: Please help tidy up the church when you see the need. We are short-handed and your efforts will be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Julie Lenkoff, Cleanup Coordinator

5 S T. G E O R G E G R E E K O R T H O D O X C H U R C H Page 5 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Greetings from the Roseburg Mission! After every Divine Liturgy in Roseburg, after we have filled our plates from the potluck buffet, we gather for one of the most beloved events in the mission: Orthodoxy 101. We have read through several books at this point; each of us taking our turn to read, question, comment and share. While reading our current book, Frederica Mathewes-Green s At the Corner of East and Now, we were all struck by this phrase: In a few hours heaven will strike earth like lightning on this spot. The worshipers in this little building will be swept into a divine worship that proceeds eternally, grand with seraphim and incense and God enthroned, high and lifted up. The house was full of His glory (Isaiah 6:1). The foundations of that temple shake with the voice of angels calling Holy to each other, and we will be there, lifting fallible voices in the refrain, an outpost of eternity. If this is true, it is the most astonishing thing that will happen in our city today. While we all intellectually agreed that this is, indeed, true, we had to ask ourselves if it plays out in our lives. In a mission-sized church, it is a temptation to become distracted by the busy-ness, the concern, the sheer effort needed to operate. We often miss what is happening right in front of us! Then we leave church and enter back into the world, full of care and tension. We were recently challenged at the Feast of Dormition to take notice: are we concerned with many things, or are we apprehending the good portion? Each Divine Liturgy gives us opportunity to enter the Kingdom. If we truly lived the reality of this, we would see our lives- and the Mission and St. George - full of His glory! As we begin the new Church year, let s resolve to seek first the good portion, the Kingdom! The mission joyfully announces that Keila Lloyd was brought into the Church on Saturday, September 13, taking the name of Elizabeth the New Martyr. Many of you know Keila as she, her family, and her sponsor Tatyana Bartrum attend St. George often. May she live for us! In Christ ~ Lisa Buck October Celebrations Birthdays October 1st-Eleni Radcliffe, Sara Sebastian October 2nd-John Lallas October 5th-Fr. Jerry October 7th-Bob Graham October 12th-Jo Ann Kluge, Felicity Merritt October 16th-Stephen Kaelin October 19th-Joshua Knerl October 25th-Noah Black Feast Days October 6th-St. Thomas the Apostle Ray Knerl October 11th-St. Zinaida Lisa Buck October 20th-St. Gerasimos the New Ascetic Met. Gerasimos Fr. Jerry October 26th-St. Demetrios Jim Stephenson, Dimitri Kokkino, Demetre Markopoulos, Dimitri Lilles Wedding Anniversaries September 10th Nicholas & Violet Markopoulos Baptized in Christ/Chrismated Many Years! Chronia Polla!

6 S T. G E O R G E G R E E K O R T H O D O X C H U R C H Page 6 News and Events What s New! First Saturday Breakfast: The dates for October s First Saturday Breakfast events are Friday, October 3rd and Saturday, October 4th. Many hands make for light work so please consider lending us yours. New Carpet: A very big thank you to Jim Stephenson who made a donation in loving memory of Angel, for new carpeting in the Narthex and Nave. The carpet will be replaced Monday-Wednesday, October 6-8th. In order to save some money we will be taking up the old carpet after services on Sunday, October 5th. Many hands make for light work so please consider lending us yours. Festivals in our area: Tis the season for Greek Festivals and there are two upcoming festivals in our area. The first is the Portland Greek Festival, Friday October 3rd-5th, at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Portland. It is the second longest running event in Portland (Rose Festival), and a very popular event. The second is St. Anne s Greek Fest, Saturday and Sunday, October 11-12th, at St. Anne Orthodox Church in Albany. Opa! GOYA Fall Retreat: Holy Trinity Cathedral will be hosting a GOYA (Greek Orthodox Youth Association) Retreat at Camp Angelos Retreat Center in Portland. A weekend of fellowship, spiritual discussion, reflection, and fun is planned. The dates are Friday, November 21st-Sunday, November 23rd. The retreat is for grades 9-12 and the cost is $75 per person. Please see the flyer for more information. CHRISTMAS IN JULY - Help bring holiday cheer to our recently deployed Lane County Service Members in Afghanistan by donating articles to our Christmas in July Project. If you do not have time to shop, you may donate cash and we will do the shopping for you. We will also be baking cookies to add to our boxes - watch for announcements so you can join in the fun! This project has special meaning to St. George Parishioners as our own Michael Creech is now with this group in Afghanistan. Michael will be giving our packages first to those service members who might not otherwise receive gifts at Christmas. Gift suggestions can be found on the flyers posted on the back of the September calendars in the Agape and at the church. This is an opportunity for our children to learn the joy of giving to others. Deadline: November 2, Note: The Christmas in July Project Christmas in December will take the place of our annual St. Nicholas Project. If you have any questions, please contact: Gloria Zeazeas-Timmons at: or zeazeastimmons@gmail.com. Bible Study: Ever wondered about the Old Testament and its place in the Church? Both Bible Study classes are making their way through the Old Testament and we invite you to join us. The classes take place Tuesdays at 6:30pm (new time), and Thursdays at 10 am. Book Group: Please join us each Wednesday morning at 10:30 am for our Book Group. We lost several of our members due to moves so we are actively recruiting new members. Our gatherings are fun and informative, and full of lively discussions. This is a perfect opportunity for retirees to learn more about the Faith. Please consider joining us beginning on September 10th. Discovering Orthodox Christianity is a series of talks, shows, and presentations designed to introduce and explain the basic teaching of Orthodox Christianity. The series will be shown here at St. George on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 pm (except for the first Wednesday of each month). In our prayers: Pray for one another that you might be healed (James 5:16)-Jim, Eleni,, John, Yelena, Sarah, Sharon, Alexandra, Christopher, Ruth, Elaine, John, Fr. Constantine, Fr. James, Kevin, Lisa, Eugenia, Niko, Rebeca, Maria, Anastasia, Zinaida, Katherine, Rachel, Nektaria, Leda, Jesse, George, John, Ann, Kay, the Orthodox Christians in Iraq, Egypt, Syria, the Middle East and the Ukraine, the unborn, pregnant women contemplating abortion, & those who pray for the end of abortion. Please also be praying for Michael Creech who is deployed to Afghanistan, and for Liana and the kids.

7 S T. G E O R G E G R E E K O R T H O D O X C H U R C H Page 7 10/5 10/12 10/19 10/26 FELLOWSHIP Markopoulos Green Markopoulos Drakatos GREETER Liana C Larissa L Ann C Ann L PROSFORON Creech Hauser Lilles Creech FLOWERS OPEN OPEN OPEN OPEN READERS Brad Thomas Brad Thomas Brad Thomas Brad Thomas CLEANING CREW 10/4 Rundt 10/11 Green 10/18 B & L Lilles 10/25 Campbell GET INVOLVED!!! Look through this list of organizations, programs, and ministries at our parish, then call the contact person and get involved!!! PARISH COUNCIL Nektarios Kaelin ACOLYTES Bob Graham BOOKSTORE Shawn Moling PHILIA WOMEN S GROUP Julie Lenkoff CHURCH SCHOOL Brian Kaelin CHANTER/CHANT GROUP Brad Thomas , Ann Marie Kaelin FRIENDS OF ST. JOHN CONVENT Art Mehas FELLOWSHIP Julie Lenkoff STEWARDSHIP Neal Zoumboukos GREETERS Your name here??? OUTREACH/1ST SAT. BREAKFAST Bonnie Graham FLOWERS Diane Monger MISSIONS & EVANGELISM Melita Green FUNDRAISERS Presbytera Maria

8 Saint George Greek Orthodox Church 202 Hillview 1 Eugene, OR A word from the Fathers St. Symeon the New Theologian on Grace The roof of any house stands upon the foundations and the rest of the structure. The foundations themselves are laid in order to carry the roof. This is both useful and necessary, for the roof cannot stand without the foundations and the foundations are absolutely useless without the roof-no help to any living creature. In the same way the grace of God is preserved by the practice of the commandments, and the observance of these commandments is laid down like foundations through the gift of God. The grace of the Spirit cannot remain with us without the practice of the commandments, but the practice of the commandments is of no help or advantage to us without the grace of God. -from the Philokalia