St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 25, 2018 THE ST. ELIZABETH NEWS Special Christmas Edition The St. Elizabeth News Merry Christmas! 1
St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 25, 2018 St. Elizabeth Orthodox Mission Church 2265 E. Cherokee Drive Woodstock, GA 30188 A parish of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople Ruling Hierarch: His Eminence Metropolitan Gregory of Nyssa Reverend Father Matthew Dutko Pastor/Administrator Father Deacon Steven Hanes Phone: 404-268-6359 Email: fatherdutko@gmail.com The Nativity of Our Lord, God & Savior Jesus Christ Christ is Born! Glorify Him! Welcome to St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church! Thank you for being here to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on this joyous Christmas Morning! If you have never been to an Orthodox Church before, you are about to participate in the Divine Liturgy. The Divine Liturgy is celebrated every Sunday of the year. Liturgy means the work of the people. That means that we all have special and holy work to do this morning, and that all of your prayers are necessary! We hope you will stay and join us for some coffee, cookies, and some other Christmas treats in the atrium. Please feel free to ask Fr. Matthew any questions you might have! May the light of the newborn Christ child shine upon you and may God s blessing be with you all! The St. Elizabeth News Epistle: Galatians 4:4-7 Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12 All of the special hymns for today s Festal Divine Liturgy for the Nativity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ can be found starting on page 132 in the Blue Book and page 149 in the Red Book. Christmas Carols are on the back of the bulletin. The Sunday After Christmas Epistle: Galatians 4:4-7 Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12 The Tropars and Kondaks for today can be found on page 136 in the Blue book and Page 158 in the Red Book. All other special hymns for the Christmas season can be found starting on page 132 in the Blue Book and page 149 in the Red Book. Christmas! MerryMerry Christmas! 2 2
St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 25, 2018 Announcements The Stewardship Letter and Card are in Today s Bulletin! Don t wait, fill out your card today! Don t forget to send in Birthday and Anniversary Announcements! 2019 Church Calendars Have Arrived and are Available in the Narthex. Thank You To Teressa Van Buul for all the beautiful hand painted Christmas Ornaments and to everyone in the parish for your support of the National Sr. ACRY s Ministry Fund Drive. 2019 Church Calendars Have Arrived and are Available in the Narthex. Parish Annual Meeting: The annual parish-wide meeting will take place following the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, January 27th. If you are interested in being a Church Officer or would like to submit a candidate please contact Fr. Matthew. Have you been to an ACRY meeting? Want to know what the ACRY is and dose? Come to the next ACRY, scheduled for Tuesday January 15, 2019 at 6:30pm. An update with the location will be posted when available TwoWeek Schedule Wednesday 12/26 9 am- Divine Liturgy-Synaxsis of the Holy Birthgiver of God Thursday 12/27 9 am- Divine Liturgy- Feast of St. Stephen the First Martyr Saturday 12/29 4pm- Great Vespers Sunday 12/30 9am- Divine Liturgy Saturday 1/5 6pm- Theophany Eve Vigil Sunday 1/6 10am- Divine Liturgy on Theophany fo"owed by The Great Blessing of Water Online Articles Merry Christmas! Below you will find a few links to some great articles. For various reasons they couldn t fit in the bulletin, but you can follow these links and enjoy! 14 New Year s Resolutions for Orthodox Christians by Fr. Stephen Damick CHRISTMAS 101: AN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN UNDERSTANDING by orthodoxmom.com Homily for Theophany by St. John Chrysostom Celebrating Christmas In The Shepherds' Fields Of Beit Sahour by Paul Calvert Nativity of Christ Proclamation of His AllHoliness Ecumenical Patriarch +Bartholomew of Constantinople When this greeting was originally used, the word merry, did not mean joyful, cheerful, or festive, as it does to- day. In olden days merry meant blessed or peaceful, expressing spiritual joys rather than earthly happiness. The St. Elizabeth News The famous Christmas carol "God rest yea merry, gentlemen" is a great example to show the original meaning of the word. Look at the comma after merry and before gentlemen. The position of the comma shows that the word merry is not an adjective describing the gentlemen. Imagine it then as God rest yea, joyful gentlemen. Rather, the meaning of merry, and of that carol, is God rest yea peacefully, gentlemen. Which makes a lot more sense. Happiness and cheer fade away like a withering flower, but the peace and joy that Christ gives us this day is eternal. So I say to you all, Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas! 3
St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 25, 2018 Protocol No. 21/2018 CHRISTMAS ARCHPASTORAL LETTER December 25, 2018 / January 7, 2019 CHRIST IS BORN! GLORIFY HIM! Dear Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I greet you with joy and love in the Name of our Incarnate Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Let us give thanks to Almighty God, by whose grace we have been given the opportunity to celebrate the Birth of His Son. If we look around, we find hatred, mistrust, suffering, and the absence of peace and love in our homes, neighborhoods, cities, country, and in fact the whole world. This reality in life makes us cry out for God s help, assistance, and intervention. My beloved ones, despite all the suffering, sorrow and injustice in our world, today joy and hope comes to us once more. That s why at this blessed time of the year we look forward to the arrival of the new born King. Therefore let us celebrate the miracle of His Birth. Let kindness come with every gift. Let compassion, forgiveness and love come with every greeting. Let our hearts be filled with prayer, charity, and reconciliation for one another. May all of us, Priests, Panis, Deacons, Sub-Deacons, Readers, Archons, Parish Officers, Parishioners (young and old), Friends and Supporters of the God-protected American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese experience the joy and wonders of the Shepherds and the awe and respect of the Three Wise Men at the arrival of the Messiah, our new born King. Christ is Born! Greetings from Johnstown with much love, +Metropolitan Gregory of Nyssa To be read as the sermon and distributed in all the churches of the Diocese at the Divine Liturgy on the Feast Day of the Nativity of our Lord, God, and Saviour Jesus Christ. The St. Elizabeth News Merry Christmas! 4
ST. ELIZABETH ORTHODOX CHURCH St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 25, 2018 Christmas Greeting From Fr. Matthew, Pani Kathryn, & Lazarus St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church A Mission Parish of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese 2265 East Cherokee Drive Woodstock, GA 30188 Phone: 404-268-6359 Email: fatherdutko@gmail.com Fr. Matthew Dutko Pastor/Administrator December 25th, 2018 Christ is Born! Glorify Him! Dearest Parish Family & Friends, Christmas greetings to our beloved Metropolitan Gregory, diocesan clergy & their families, all the faithful of our diocese, to all those visiting with us here today, to all Christians who celebrate this feast, and of course to all of the members of our parish family at St. Elizabeth s. What a blessing it is to celebrate the great feast of the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ together with all of you once again. There is not a Cathedral in all the world that my family and I would rather be at this morning than right here with all of you. As the years pass by I only feel more and more blessed to be the shepherd of this beautiful flock. I pray that all of you experience the joy and love offered to us by our God this morning through the great gi# of the Incarnation of His Son. At Christmas time the love and memories of family is always close to our hearts. We celebrate God s love for us with our families; and we remember those who have departed this life and joined Christ in His Kingdom. My family and I thank all of you for the love and memories that you have given to us over the years. Thank you to Deacon Steven and his beloved family for so faithfully and humbly serving Christ and our parish family. Thank you to Fr. Paul who has blessed us so much with his love, kindness, and prayers these past few months. To those of you who are celebrating your first Christmas at St. Elizabeth s with your Parish Family, thank you for being part of this family, what a joy it is to have you here; we are truly blessed to have you as part of this family. Thank you to those of you who s work over the years has established and planted this beautiful beacon of Orthodoxy in Woodstock, Georgia. Thank you to all of you who work so hard to maintain this parish with all of your love, stewardship, generosity, and hard work in so many ways, but especially through your prayers. Thank you to the parish council members, the cleaners, singers, Sunday School teachers, parents, children, and all of you who give back your unique talents to Christ as thanksgiving in so many ways. Everyone of you has a part and role to play in this family; a vocation to serve Christ. As your Priest I am continually touched by how much all of you pour out for Christ and His Church. Just like the Magi, we all have a gift to offer to our newborn King and I am proud of all the love and prayers that you all offer so freely. May the joys of Christmas come to all of you in abundance. May the peace that the infant Christ brings into the world stay with you throughout the year. May the light of the Christ-Child brighten your soul and may He bless you with His most abundant love and grace. May His love guide all of our thoughts and actions and heal you from all pain and sorrow. Christ is Born! Glorify Him! I always address all of you as my Parish Family because our community is just that; a family. A family who s love for each other and our God shines brightly on this Christmas morning. A love that is made evident in the joys and sorrows that we share with one another; just as family dose. A love that is founded in our faith for Christ, Who is the head of our family. A love for God that is seen so clearly in the hymns of the angels sung by the manger, by the humility and gifts of the shepherds and the Magi, by prayers of the ones who cannot be with us this morning due to illness or travel, and by the devotion of all of you gathered here before the manger of Christ this glorious Christmas morning. God is truly with us! With much The love St. to Elizabeth all of you, News our family, in the newborn Merry Saviour Christmas! Christ our God, 5 Fr. Matthew, Pani Kathryn, and Lazarus
St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 25, 2018 A little boy and girl were singing their favorite Christmas carol in church the Sunday before Christmas. The boy concluded "Silent Night" with the words, "Sleep in heavenly beans." "No," his sister corrected, "not beans, Charles Shultz, Speaking the Truth in Love In early 1965, Charles Schultz, creator of the Peanuts cartoon series, was asked to create a Christmas cartoon to be aired later that year. He and his producers laid out the basics of the cartoon within a few hours. It would include ice-skating, a pageant, a mix of Christmas carols and Guaraldi's contemporary jazz, and the message that Christmas is really about the joyful miracle of Jesus' birth. Schultz wanted "A Charlie Brown Christmas" to have the religious meaning that was central to his own experience of Christmas. Television executives hated it from the start. It was criticized as being too religious -- Linus quotes straight from the King James Bible reading Luke 2:8-14. Schultz's two producers cautioned him about putting something like that in the special because they were convinced it wouldn't go over well. Charles Schultz faced both of the producers and said, "If not us, then who's going to do it?" Schultz stuck to his principles and it was produced just as he wanted it. On Thursday, December 9, 1965, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" was seen in more than 15 million homes, capturing nearly half of the possible audience. It won critical acclaim as well as an Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program and a Peabody Award for excellence in programming. The Legend of Silent Night- Celebrating 200 Years This Year! It s a Wonderful Life Something you may have missed in this classic Christmas story, are the words inscribed under the portrait of George Bailey s father. The plaque reads, All you can take with you, that which you ve given away. As George is confronted with the dilemma we all face every day, to be selfish and serve himself, or to be like Christ and serve others, he looks to the portrait of his father and reads those words. In that moment he gains the courage to do the right thing, to be like Christ; to be selfless. In the end, George is declared the richest man in town. Not because of the riches of this world, but because of the enteral treasures that await those who love and serve one another as Christ loves and serves all of us. We cannot take the things of the world with us, they wither like a cut flower. However, what we can take with us is the selfless love St. Elizabeth News we give inthe humility and in the fear of God; it is the gift that lasts eternally, the flower that never withers One of the best-known and most Beloved Christmas Carols is Silent Night. Its origin can be traced back to Christmas Eve in Austria in 1818. Father Joseph Mohr sat in his study, working on his sermon for Christmas Day. His writing was interrupted by a knock at the door. He opened it and found a peasant woman standing there, who told him of the birth of a child to a poor family deep in the woods. Would he go to their home and bless the infant? Grudgingly, Father Mohr agreed to go. After a lengthy trek through knee deep snow, he came upon a humble hut, where the father of the child greeted him. The priest and had to bend over to enter the low room where the young mother was lying in a bed, smiling happily, and in her arms lay her baby, peacefully asleep. Despite their less than glorious surroundings, they seemed filled peace and contentment. Father Mohr offered his prayers and blessings and began his journey back to his rectory. The peace and serenity that he felt on his evening walk through the woods, along with the joyful scene he had just witnessed touched him greatly. The mountain shack, with its crude bed, did not resemble the manger in the City of David; yet, somehow, the words of scripture suddenly seemed addressed to him. It seemed that the Christmas miracle had just happened before his eyes. As he made Christmas! 6 his waymerry carefully down the mountain, he felt the promise of peace and goodwill in the silence of the forest and in the brilliance of the stars. After Midnight mass, the parish priest tried to put his feelings into words. By dawn, Silent Night was born.
St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 25, 2018 Christmastime at St. Elizabeth s The St. Elizabeth News Merry Christmas! 7
St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 25, 2018 Prayerful Poinsettias In Blessed Repose grant eternal rest o Lord, to the souls of God s departed servants, in the place where the souls of the righteous dwell, where there is no pain, sorrow, or lamentation, but life everlasting! In Memory of: Frank+, Mary+, Anastasia+, Tamara+, George+, Theodora+, Violet+, baby George+, Helen & Lewis Knuth+, Jeanne McAuliff+, George Page+, Lorraine Solinko+, Robert Stirk+, John Haddad+,Fred & Helen Mileshko+, Anna Blannar+, Charles Salome+, Ernie+, Eddie+, Maria+, Carl+, Mark+, Barry+, Christine+, Helen+, Fr. Hazuda+, Fr. William, Fr. Paul+, Yvonne Sajem+, John Sajem+, Fr. Stephen & Pani Mary Dutko+, George & Margret+, Steve+ & Catherine+,Rebecca Cooper+, Cleaston+, Michael+. Maty+, Veronica+ & May the Lord God Remember in His Kingdom all of our departed loved ones! Lord of Powers be with us, for in times of distress we have no other help but You For the Health of: Metropolitan Gregory, The Melnikoff Family, Peter & Wanda Blannar, Marilyn, Deacon Steven, Michelle, James, & Madeline, Ciprian, Raluca, David, Raisa, & Sofia, Fr. Matthew, Pani Kathryn & Lazarus, Henk & Lia, Louise, Stephanie, The Szapka Family & for all the members of The St. Elizabeth Parish Family & all of our loved ones! St. Elizabeth s Parish Family Prayer List For the Health of: Evelyn Melnikoff, Fr. John and Pani Betty Jean Baranek, Fr. James Gleason, The Paccio Family, Kara, Johanna, James, Herbert and Mary Schleining, Anna, Basil, David, Dianna, Denise, Alex, Jason, Athanasia, Ethel, Kathy, Lester, Sally, Jack, Angela, Tyler, Maria, Jeff, Lesley, Page Family, Blanar Family, Louise, Emma Rae, Floyd Family, Zachary, George, Robin, Michael, Dean, Margaret, Bishop Gregory and his family, Rick, James Family, Fr. Scott, Joseph, Boris, Maria Starcova, Janis, David Novak, Suzette Gardenhour, Bob, David. Michelle, Stephen, James, Brian Paul, Kathy, Mike, Debbie, Ken, The Hayes and Boucher families, John, ), Peyton & the Gully Family, John, Alexandra, Benjamin, John, The Hazuda Family, Pani Amy George and the George Family, Madeline, Eddie, Mary, Cathy, Jay Brackin, Drew, Pani Connie & Family, Marilyn & family, Mark, Fr. John Zboyovski & family, Nathaniel, Kasi, Judy, George, Scarlett, Athena, Jay, Tim, George, Chris, Joy, Ada, Fr. Dcn. Stephen, Michelle, James, Rachel, Marc. Mati, Mia, Kate, Fr. Blaschak & Family, Helen Mileshko, Larry, Alexandra, Tammy, Trahan & Skiba Family, Michelle, The Pineda Family, Hollis, Ashley, Rodney, Wyatt, Owen, The Hood Family, Fr. Jonathon, Rachel, Anna, Arjan, Steve, Mary Kay. Mileshko Family, The Franklin Family, Caroline, Jon, Milton, Fr. Tony Joseph & Family, Bob, Beatrice, Pat, Marla For Expectant Mothers: Alexandra, Mariana, Eleni For the Departed: Patricia+, James+, Stephen+, Anna+, Charles+, Robert+, Loraine+. Helen+, Lewis+, Jeane+, Vera+, George+, George+, Ernie+, Eddie+, Maria+, Carl+, Mark+, Barry+, Jospeh+, Phillip+, Jenny+, Peter+, Bryan+, Rebecca+, Fr. Paul+, Maria+, Fr. Hazuda+, George Smisko+, Helen Spanovich+, Bob+, Alma+, Bo+, Saddie+, Fr. William George+, Violet+, Fr. Kozar+, Benjamin+, John Haddad+, Fred & Helen Mileshko+, Anna+, Natalie+, Lilly+, Christine+, Anna+, Tamara+, Anastasia+, Yvonne+, John+ Through the prayers of the Birthgiver of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, St. Elizabeth, The Holy Fathers, and all the Saints, may our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ have mercy on us and save us! Holy Saint Elizabeth Pray for us! The St. Elizabeth News Merry Christmas! 8
St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 25, 2018 St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church A Mission Parish of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese 2265 East Cherokee Drive Woodstock, GA 30188 Phone: 404-268-6359 Email: fatherdutko@gmail.com Fr. Matthew Dutko Pastor/Administrator www.stelizabethga.org December 9th, 2018 ST. ELIZABETH ORTHODOX CHURCH Stewardship Letter 2019 On Christmas Day love was given to the world: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. God gave to the world the most perfect gift we will ever receive. The gift our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Every day we are to be thankful for God s love and for all the blessings He so generously and freely gives to us all, unworthy though we be. The question is will we receive this heavenly gift, or will we deny it and send it away? Think of all the gifts God gives to each of us every day. The gift of His Son, the gift of salvation, the gift of our families and our loving Church family, the gift of our beautiful Church, the gift of food on our table, fresh air to breath, and so much more. God gives us everything, nothing is our own, and the only proper way to respond to this is with thanksgiving. In the Liturgy, after the priest chants Let us give thanks to the Lord, while the faithful all sing: It is proper and just to adore the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit the Priest is saying a silent prayer of thanksgiving. The prayer really lays out everything that we should be thankful to God for: You brought us out of non-existence and into being and, when we had fallen, You raised us up again, and left nothing undone to lead us to heaven and bestow upon us Your future kingdom. For all of this we give thanks to You and to Your only-begotten Son and Your Holy Spirit, for all the things of which we know and do not know, the manifest and hidden benefits bestowed upon us. After we fell from grace, our Lord left nothing undone, He held nothing back, He gave and sacrificed everything he could for us. Christ did all this so that we could receive a gift we in no way deserve, He did this so that we could become like Him. So that we could be saved. As Orthodox Christians we know that our salvation comes from becoming like Christ, and we do this by imitating Him, by pouring out every drop of ourselves for Him as he has poured out all of Himself for us. So how do we do this? How do we empty ourselves for Christ? We do it by taking all that God has freely given to us and we return it Him. We freely give all of ourselves as an offering to our Creator Who freely offers all of Himself to us in return. In the Church there is much work to be done. There are services to be held, cleaning, singing, maintenance work, bills to be paid, teaching, praying, accounting, and so much more. For all of this work the Church does not ask for volunteers. We freely volunteer our time for many purposes, some good and some bad, but Christ is not asking us to be His volunteers, He is asking us to be His stewards. The Church asks for faithful servants to be caretakers of Christ s Body; to be stewards of our Lords Ministry on this earth. To be good stewards means that everything we do is for Christ s glory and not our own. It means that when we offer out time, talents, and treasures to the Church we offer the very best that we have. In Genesis Chapter 4 we hear the famous story of Cain and Abel. Most of us probably remember how this story ends, but do you remember how it begins? Cain and Abel, the sons of Adam and Eve both prepare offerings to the Lord. Abel offers to the Lord the firstborn sheep from his flock. Cain offered not the first fruits harvest, but the leftovers, the last remnants of the harvest. Abel s offering was accepted by God, whereas Cain s was not. Abel held nothing back, he gave his best, and his offering was accepted by God The St. Elizabeth News Merry Christmas! 9 because he poured out all of himself. Stewardship Letter Continued on Next Page
Stewardship Letter Continued St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 25, 2018 In the Third Century, St. Cyprian of Carthage wrote about how the gifts of Cain and Abel were offered saying, God looked not at their gifts, but at their hearts Abel, peaceable and righteous in sacrificing in innocence to God, taught others also, when they bring their gift to the altar, to come with the fear of God, with a simple heart, with the law of righteousness, with the peace of concord. With reason did he become subsequently himself a sacrifice to God; so that he who first set forth martyrdom, and initiated the Lord's passion by the glory of his blood, had both the Lord's righteousness and His peace. Finally, such are crowned by the Lord, such will be avenged with the Lord in the day of judgment So, when we make the very best offering that we are able on the Altar in the fear of God, with peace, righteousness, and love, then our offering, just like that of Abel, is accepted by God. The other is true also, for if we hold back and don t give our very best, or make our offering with an expectation of return in our hearts, or just out of a sense of obligation, then that offering will not be accepted, just as our God did not accept Cain s offering. To be a good steward means that we joyfully take on the mantle that our Lord has given to us, so that as his disciples we may lovingly give ourselves as an offering to Christ; as He so lovingly gave Himself as an offering for each of us. The question we must all ask ourselves is What do I have to offer and am I offering it freely and fully. If we go back to the early twentieth century, when most of the first Orthodox Churches in America were founded, and we look at how the poor immigrant founders of these great Temples built and maintained the Churches that are still the bedrock of American Orthodoxy we can learn a great deal. Think of these people, who left everything they ever knew and most of what they ever owned behind in the hopes to build a better life for themselves and for their families. One thing that these early Orthodox immigrants refused to leave behind was their faith, their love for God, and their Church. These beautiful Churches could not have been built without the devotion, faith and great individual sacrifices of so many people who had so little to offer financially. Every night when the men got off of work and on the weekends many of these pious people went to assist in the building of their new parish Churches in America. What these pioneers lacked in finances, they more than made up for in faith, truth, heart, and spirit. Many of these immigrants would skip their lunch and donate the few cents it would have cost them to their local Church building fund. Over time, thousands of nickels turned into thousands of dollars and beacons of Orthodoxy that nurtured millions of Christians were planted to bloom and grow for the generations to come. The offerings of these founders of Orthodoxy in America was accepted by God because they gave everything they could give, they completely emptied themselves, and they did it lovingly for Christ, with the proper heart. Although our Church building is young, we are all the inheritors of the sacrificial offering of these pious men and women; along with the men and women who sacrificed in the building of St. Elizabeth s not that long ago. The time for us to take up the mantle that has been passed to us and be the best caretakers we can be of Christ s body is now. In what ways can we make sacrifices like our forbearers before us? In what ways can we skip lunch for the Church? All of us have gifts that we must be thankful for and return to our Creator who has blessed us with them. We can never repay the gifts our Lord gives to us. However, we can and must Give thanks to the Lord for He is good (Psalm 136). We can follow Christ and His commandments; we can love one another as He loves us. We can make our best offerings to God with our whole hearts, just like Abel did so long ago. We can give back to the Lord what He has given to us. St. John Chrysostom reminds us that our money is the Lord s, however we may have gathered it. When we give to the Church we are truly and simply giving back that which has only been loaned to us by our God. As we prepare to greet our newborn King of the Universe in a humble manger, in a Cave, in the small town of Bethlehem, remember who takes that journey with us. The Angels, the shepherds, and the Three Magi. The Three Magi brought the newborn Christ child gifts of a great worldly value: Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. Legend tells us that although the shepherds didn t have much that the world would consider valuable, but they gave what they could. Some shepherds gave the food for their next meal, some gave their cloaks, and some even sang lullabies for the infant Christ child. Although the gifts of the kings and the gifts of the shepherds were different, they were all accepted by the Lord. In the eyes of the Prince of Peace they were all the same; because both the gold of the king and the song of the shepherd were the best these men could offer and were given freely in peace, faith, love, and with their whole hearts. The St. Elizabeth News Merry Christmas! 10 Stewardship Letter Continued on Next Page
Stewardship Letter Continued St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 25, 2018 At the end of this letter you will find a Stewardship Card. On this card you will have the opportunity to present your gifts as an offering to Christ and His Church. There is space allocated for you to share what talents you have that you think could be beneficial to the Church. Things like singing, teaching, art-work, woodworking, maintenance/cleaning, technical skills, and anything else you think can be used for Christ s glory in His Church should be written out so that we can promise to God that we will give back to Him what He has freely given to us. There is also a section on the Stewardship Card where you can write in your yearly financial offering to the Church. As you prepare for the birth of Christ, remember to truly search the depths of your souls and think about the offering you wish to make to God and your Church. Prayerfully consider in your hearts, minds, and souls what you and your family can give the Church this year and give it freely with all your heart as an acceptable offering to the Lord. If you haven t committed in this way in the past it is important to start, even if you are worried about making a financial commitment, remember that God is not asking you to put yourself in a bad position, he is asking that you do your best with your whole heart. Remember that it was the nickels of the those first Orthodox immigrants, who skipped their lunches that led to the building of the great Orthodox Cathedrals in our country. Filling out the Stewardship Card and promising to give back to God our time, treasures, and talents is a small way in which we show that we are committed to Christ. Christ tells us He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. If we can be faithful in filling out the Stewardship Card and giving these small offerings to God then we can be faithful in what is least. If we can be faithful in what is least, then we can be faithful in much; we can be faithful offering offer our whole self to our Lord, just as He offered His whole self for us and emptied Himself on the Cross. Each of us offering ourselves to Christ in our parish is what makes us a community; it s what makes us a family. Each of us giving to God what He has given to us for the good of all. This is why filling out the Stewardship Card is what officially makes us members in good standing. There is much more that goes into being a member in good standing, but again, if we can be faithful in little, we can be faithful in much; we have to start somewhere. That means that if you choose to not fill out a Stewardship Card you are also choosing to not have a voice in any parish meetings. Absolutely everyone is invited and encouraged to fill out a Stewardship Card. We want to make giving your offering to the Church as easy as we can for everyone. This year we are considering providing weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly offering envelopes to everyone. We are also considering adopting a system that would accept debit/credit cards. None of these ideas are definite and they both come at a cost, so we are also asking on your Stewardship Card if you would take advantage of either of these opportunities to make your offerings to the Church more convenient. I am so proud of all of your hard work, love, and devotion to Christ and His Church this past year. You gave back to the Church so beautifully the gifts which God has given to you. We must continue to build on this and always give the very best we have to offer to Christ and His Church. It is your love, prayers, generosity, and of course the grace of God that have allowed and will continue to allow our parish to flourish and grow. It is by the grace of God and because of your love, prayers, and generosity that St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church is able to serve all of you, to serve the community, and to spread Christ s Gospel of love to those who need it most and to the world around us. All of us must continue to give our sweat, our dedication, our time, our treasures, and most importantly our prayers and our love to Christ and to St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church; freely for our Lord, with our whole heart. Thank you all for your continued support of St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church, without it and without each other we can do nothing. But together, faithfully, and by the Grace of our Lord all things are possible. Remember to cheerfully give all that you can this year and by doing so, show your love for Christ and His Church. This year my prayer is that we give our very best offering, the offering of our whole self with love and peace, just like Abel, and just like the shepherds and wise men did so long ago in Bethlehem. My prayers and blessings are with all of you as we journey together once again to the little town of Bethlehem, were we will greet our New Born King saying Glory to God in the Highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men! May God always bless you all with heath, happiness, and salvation in His Kingdom! With love in The Christ, St. Elizabeth News Merry Christmas! 11 Fr. Matthew Dutko
ST. ELIZABETH ORTHODOX CHURCH St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 25, 2018 Stewardship Offering Card 2019 Everyone in our community is invited and encouraged to fill out a Stewardship Offering Card. Name: Family Members:_ Birthdates: Address Phone Email In gratitude for God s blessings, I/we are offering to God, through St. Elizabeth s, the following amount: $ weekly $ monthly $ quarterly $ annually $ one-time Would you use weekly envelopes provided for you?: Would you use a debit/credit card system to give your offering?: Please use this space to write how you/members of your family would like to offer your time and talent to serve Christ and His Church: Signature: Please Turn in Your Stewardship Offering Card in a Envelope Directly to Fr. Matthew, or you may Mail it to Rectory at 2263 East Cherokee Drive The St. Elizabeth News Merry Christmas! 12 Thank You So Much For Your Offering to Saint Elizabeth Orthodox Church! May God Bless you and Your Family Always!
St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 25, 2018 How to Decorate Your Christmas Tree The Orthodox Church has always taken customs and traditions of other cultures and given them their true meaning and fulfillment in Christ. And so, we too can do the same with our traditional customs in America. We can take what the world does, and make it Orthodox! This year we should all take an extra look at our Christmas Tree. Is it solely for decoration, or is there more to it? Do we decorate our Christmas Tree just to brighten our home and fill it with the holiday spirit, or is it to fill our home with the light of Christ? The tree can do far more than set the mood for the Christmas season, it can tell the story of Christ. Here is a small list of some of the Christian meanings behind the items with which we decorate our Christmas Trees. Evergreen: Our Christmas tree s are evergreens, the trees which do not loose their color in the winter. This reminds us that because of Christ we can have everlasting life in paradise. The Star: Our trees are topped with a star. A star like the one which guided the wise men to the tiny town of Bethlehem, to the infant King. The star upon our tree should remind us that we too must always be on a journey, just like those wise men and the shepherds, to meet our Saviour. The star reminds us the Christ is always guiding to Him and to His Kingdom. Ornaments: Among our ornaments we should try and have a few unique ones. Each tree should have a boat hanging on it. The boat reminds us that our Church is like a boat, always steering us towards salvation. Just like a boat at sea, the waters of life are sometimes rough, and sometimes smooth, but the Church, like a boat, is our protection from the dangers upon the horizon. On our tree we should also hang a bird, to remind us of the Holy Spirit, whose grace and presence we need in our lives to follow Christ. We should also hang a fish upon our tree. Jesus said to his disciples Follow me and I will make you fishers of men. Since that time the fish has always been a Christian symbol for Christ. The early Christians were oppressed and had to worship in secret for fear of their lives, to let other Christians know their home was a safe place, they would paint a fish on their door. Hanging upon the branches of every tree, we should all have an angel; for it was the song of the angels that awakened the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem and led them to the manger on that first Christmas morning. Every Christmas tree should have many different Christmas balls. Different Christmas balls of many shapes and colors. All of these different ornaments represent all the different people from all across the world. They are a reminder to us that Christ came to save the whole world, not just one group of people, but rather all mankind. Lights: How could we leave out the Christmas lights! They decorate not just our trees, but our homes as well! We have many lights strung throughout our trees. The many lights, of many colors remind us that the light of Christ shines through everyone of us when we live our lives as Christ commands us, when we forgive and when we love our neighbor as ourselves. The lights remind us of the unfading light of Christ that shines upon the world and saves us from the darkness of sin and death. The St. Elizabeth News Merry Christmas! 13
St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 25, 2018 The St. Elizabeth News Merry Christmas! 14
St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 25, 2018 Where was Christ born? If we look around this time of year we will see manger scenes, crèche's, and Icon s everywhere; all depicting the birth of our Saviour. But with all these different Icons, images, and displays it can get a bit confusing. It might make you wonder, where was Christ actually born? Do we really know? Does it even matter? While all of these beautiful depictions point us to Christ and His Incarnation, the truth of where Christ was really born has beautiful theological significance. Manger scenes, or crèche s unusually depict Christ being born in a stable, or a barn. Whereas most Orthodox Icons show Christ being born in a cave. So why is there all this confusion. Shouldn t we know where Christ was born? Maybe if we look to Holy Scripture we can get some clarification. Scripture mentions neither a bran (stable) or a cave as the place where Christ is born. However, we do know that Christ was laid in a manger (Luke 2:7). A manger is typically a place where animals eat out of. Because of this, non-orthodox scholars, in latter centuries assumed that Christ must have been born in a stable. After all, if there was no room in any of the inns it makes sense that Mary and Joseph would just go out back to the barn right? Well actually long before anyone ever had this idea, the first century Orthodox Christians taught that the Christ child was born in a cave. Orthodox Tradition has preserved this idea throughout the ages into the Church today. This is why the Icon of the Nativity shows Christ s birthplace as a cave. This is important because Christ s birth in a cave teaches us many things. The cave where Christ is born foreshadows the tomb where His Crucified Body will be laid; the tomb that after three days will be found empty by the Myrrh-Bearing Women. Myrrh was used to anoint the departed, and if you remember, it was also a gift of one the Wise Men, again foreshadowing Christ s sacrifice on the Cross for our Salvation. This is not the only reason why the cave being the place where Christ is born is theologically significant. Think of what a cave is. It is a dark place, empty of light. Just like the world before Christ s incarnation was a dark place, empty of light. But Christ is the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." (John 8:12). Just as Christ lights up the whole world, through His birth in the cave, he makes that which is dark filled with light. In the Icon of the Nativity we see that very light! The oldest-functioning Christian Church in the world is the Church of the Nativity. The Church is found at the site of a cave in Bethlehem and was constructed by St. Helen and the Emperor St. Constantine the Great in 327, two years after the First Ecumenical Council. The cave below the surface is the very spot where Christ s birth took place. This spot is revered by thousands of faithful every year! The St. Elizabeth News Merry Christmas! 15
Don t Forget about Theophany! Originally St. in Elizabeth the Church, Orthodox the feast Church of Theophany Woodstock, GA December 25, 2018 coincided with the Feast of Christ s Nativity. Theophany is one of the oldest and most important Feast Days in the Orthodox Church. The Church marks the moment of Christ s Baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist as the beginning of Christ s Public Ministry. Christ s Public ministry is when he shared with us the truths that lead us to communion with God. When Christ teaches us the beatitudes, how to pray, to forgive and to love one another as He loves us. The Gospel of Luke tells us that Christ was about thirty years old when he begin this all important ministry to mankind. However this is not what marks Theophany as such an important feast in the Church. This feast is also known as Epiphany which basically means a revelation, like the light bulb above a cartoon character: or an ah ha! moment. Theophany means Divine revelation. This feast is so important because it commemorates the Divine Manifestation of the Holy Trinity at Christ s Baptism in the Jordan. The Fathers voice bore witness to Christ, His Divine Son and the Spirit in the form of a Dove confirmed the truth of these words. Theophany marks the beginning of Christ s public ministry, the Divine Revelation of the Holy Trinity, and through the water of the Jordan River one more thing. The water of the Jordan River represents all of creation itself. Through Christ s baptism in the Jordan River He shows us that all of creation itself is destined to share in the glory of His redemption. This is why we bless water on Theophany, just as Christ will redeem all of the cosmos, the Holy Water is restored to it s original composition through the sanctifying Grace of the Holy Spirit. This same water from the Jordan was blessed on Saturday January 6th at 6pm ; it will be bless the Church, all of us, and it will soon bless and sanctify all of your homes! Why Bless a Home? - By Fr. Matthew Stagon The Orthodox Church teaches that we do not have two separate lives a secular one and a spiritual one but one-human life, and that all of it must be holy. We must not be Christians for just a few hours on Saturday and Sunday, spending the rest of our life godlessly, that is to say, without God. The person who has united with Christ in the sacrament of baptism cannot be a part-time Christian, but must be faithful to Christ everywhere and at all times in church, at work, at home, in relationships with other Christians, and in those with non- Christians we must be faithful to Christ in the fullness of our life. The Holy Orthodox Church teaches us that a temple is not only a building in which we worship, but that we are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16); that the Body of Christ is not only that of which we partake at the Divine Liturgy, but that we are the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). And just as the Gifts of the Eucharist are treated with reverence and kept in sanctified vessels in the altar, so should every Christian s life be full of reverence and sanctity not only during a church service, but likewise outside the walls of the temple. A Christian s home must become a small temple, work labor for the glory of God, and family a small Church. The Orthodox Church helps her children strive for holiness in their lives and brings sanctification to every Christian home a small temple. The Church blesses the very foundation of a home in the same way that it blesses the foundation of a church, it blesses a new Christian home in the same way that it blesses a new temple, and yearly, after the blessing of a parish temple with the water of Theophany, the Church brings this holy water into the homes of the faithful. The prayers for the blessing of a temple are different from those for the bless- ing of a home, because the function of a home is different from that of a temple, but the sanctifying action of the Holy Spirit is one. And just as in the baptism of our Lord all of creation is washed clean and sanctified, every year after the feast of the Baptism of the Lord (January 6) Christians sanctify themselves and their homes with the water of Theophany. The Church teaches us to sanctify everything: dwellings, places of work, all our pursuits, and the fruits of our labor. And just as a temple and sacred vessels, once sanctified and set aside for sacred use, can no longer be used for anything profane, in the same way a Christian washed in the baptismal waters, and his home, and all his works can no longer be the dwelling of sin and the works of satan, but only and always the temple of the Holy Spirit and the fulfillment of the will of our Heavenly Father. This is why the Church blesses every- thing that can be found in a Christian home; and if something is not worthy of being blessed, then there should The not St. be Elizabeth a place for News it in the home of a Christian. Merry Christmas! 16 Home Blessing Will Begin on January 8th, Please Sign Up!
St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 25, 2018 CHRISTMAS ICON COLORING PAGE See if You Can Match The Colors! Christmas is a Time for Healing "Christmas is a time for healing, when disagreers and disagreements meet, when long-time wounds are mended and love moves from hatred to retreat. - Fred Bauer We should all take this poem to heart this Nativity Season. If you have a grievance against another, let this Christmas day be the day that love moves our hatred to retreat. Think of the love our newborn Saviour has for each of us, and the love we all have for Him. Let that love surround us all and heal any wound which may be plant-ed within the recesses of our souls. The St. Elizabeth News Merry Christmas! 17
St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 25, 2018 The Miracle of the Christmas Kondak At Christmastime in the Church we sing a special Kondak, the hymn we sing after the Little Entrance. Today the Virgin gives birth to the highest Being: and the earth provides the inaccessible One with a cave. The angels with the shepherds glorify Him; the Wise Men journey with the star, because for our sake is born a little Child, the Pre-Eternal God. These are the words of the Christmas Kondak and their origin from the mouth St. Romanos the Melodist in the 5th century is miraculous. St. Romanos was simple man, uneducated in worldly things, but filled with faith in his heart and love for Christ and His Church. He lived in Constantinople and went to the great Orthodox Cathedral, the Hagia Sophia or the Church of the Holy Wisdom. St. Romanos job at his Church was to be the bell ringer. Yet because of his love for the Church and devout attendance, St. Romanos became fluent in the music of the Church. The saint joined the Cathedral Choir and His angelic voice was heard throughout the Church. His talent was so renowned that he was assigned a solo to sing on Christmas. St. Romanos was overcome with great fear at the thought of singing alone, but he so greatly wanted to serve God. He returned to his humble hut and began praying to the Holy Birthgiver of God, asking her to help him. The Virgin Mary appeared to St. Romanos and assured him that she would help him. The time came. It was the Christmas Eve Service in the great Cathedral of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. St. Romanos went to the center of the Church and with his angelic voice sang the melodious hymn of the Christmas Kondak for the very first time. Tears of joy rolled down the cheeks of the Patriarch, clergy, and the faithful present in the great Church. They were filled spiritual joy having heard this hymn for the first time. And yet they wondered... How could this illiterate bell ringer compose such a spiritual classic? After the service St. Romanos told them what happened; how the Mother of God promised that she would help him with his task. The intercession of the Mother of God helped St. Romanos that day, and through the grace of the Holy Spirit he became literate. St. Romanos was later ordained a deacon and composed many hymns we still sing in the Church today. His tender hymns continue to inspire the believers to worship God with all their heart. Because of his beautiful voice and composition of many hymns, St. Romanos is called The Melodist. Thank You Singers! Speaking of Church music, you cannot have an Orthodox Church without singing. What would are Church be like without the angelic sounds of the responses sung in the Church? We don t have to wonder because of all of you! If You aren t singing you should start, your prayers and voices are needed! The St. Elizabeth News Merry Christmas! 18
St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 25, 2018 The St. Elizabeth News Merry Christmas! 19
Christmas Day Homily by St. John Chrysostom St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 25, 2018 Behold a new and wondrous mystery. My ears resound to the Shepherd s song, piping no soft melody, but chanting full forth a heavenly hymn. The Angels sing. The Archangels blend their voice in harmony. The Cherubim hymn their joyful praise. The Seraphim exalt His glory. All join to praise this holy feast, beholding the Godhead here on earth, and man in heaven. He Who is above, now for our redemption dwells here below; and he that was lowly is by divine mercy raised. Bethlehem this day resembles heaven; hearing from the stars the singing of angelic voices; and in place of the sun, enfolds within itself on every side, the Sun of justice. And ask not how: for where God wills, the order of nature yields. For He willed; He had the power; He descended; He redeemed; all things yielded in obedience to God. This day He Who is, is Born; and He Who is, becomes what He was not. For when He was God, He became man; yet not departing from the Godhead that is His. Nor yet by any loss of divinity became He man, nor through increase became He God from man; but being the Word He became flesh, His nature, because of impassability, remaining unchanged. And so the kings have come, and they have seen the heavenly King that has come upon the earth, not bringing with Him Angels, nor Archangels, nor Thrones, nor Dominations, nor Powers, nor Principalities, but, treading a new and solitary path, He has come forth from a spotless womb. Since this heavenly birth cannot be described, neither does His coming amongst us in these days permit of too curious scrutiny. Though I know that a Virgin this day gave birth, and I believe that God was begotten before all time, yet the manner of this generation I have learned to venerate in silence and I accept that this is not to be probed too curiously with wordy speech. For with God we look not for the order of nature, but rest our faith in the power of Him who works. What shall I say to you; what shall I tell you? I behold a Mother who has brought forth; I see a Child come to this light by birth. The manner of His conception I cannot comprehend. Nature here rested, while the Will of God labored. O ineffable grace! The Only Begotten, Who is before all ages, Who cannot be touched or be perceived, Who is simple, without body, has now put on my body, that is visible and liable to corruption. For what reason? That coming amongst us he may teach us, and teaching, lead us by the hand to the things that men cannot see. For since men believe that the eyes are more trustworthy than the ears, they doubt of that which they do not see, and so He has deigned to show Himself in bodily presence, that He may remove all doubt. Christ, finding the holy body and soul of the Virgin, builds for Himself a living temple, and as He had willed, formed there a man from the Virgin; and, putting Him on, this day came forth; unashamed of the lowliness of our nature. For it was to Him no lowering to put on what He Himself had made. Let that handiwork be forever glorified, which became the cloak of its own Creator. For as in the first creation of flesh, man could not be made before the clay had come into His hand, so neither could this corruptible body be glorified, until it had first become the garment of its Maker. What shall I say! And how shall I describe this Birth to you? For this wonder fills me with astonishment. The Ancient of days has become an infant. He Who sits upon the sublime and heavenly Throne, now lies in a manger. And He Who cannot be touched, Who is simple, without complexity, and incorporeal, now lies subject to the hands of men. He Who has broken the bonds of sinners, is now bound by an infants bands. But He has decreed that ignominy shall become honor, infamy be clothed with glory, and total humiliation the measure of His Goodness. For this He assumed my body, that I may become capable of His Word; taking my flesh, He gives me His spirit; and so He bestowing and I receiving, He prepares for me the treasure of Life. He takes my flesh, to sanctify me; He gives me His Spirit that He may save me. Come, then, let us observe the Feast. Truly wondrous is the whole chronicle of the Nativity. For this day the ancient slavery is ended, the devil confounded, the demons take to flight, the power of death is broken, paradise is unlocked, the curse is taken away, sin is removed from us, error driven out, truth has been brought back, the speech of kindliness diffused, and spreads on every side, a heavenly way of life has been in planted on the earth, angels communicate with men without fear, and men now hold speech with angels. Why is this? Because God is now on earth, and man in heaven; on every side all things commingle. He became Flesh. He did not become God. He was God. Wherefore He became flesh, so that He Whom heaven did not contain, a manger would this day receive. He was placed in a manger, so that He, by whom all things are nourished, may receive an infants food from His Virgin Mother. So, the Father of all ages, as an infant at the breast, nestles in the virginal arms, that the Magi may more easily see Him. Since this day the Magi too have come, and made a beginning of withstanding tyranny; and the heavens give glory, as the Lord is revealed by a star. To Him, then, Who out of confusion has wrought a clear path, to Christ, to the Father, and to the Holy Spirit, we offer all praise, now and forever. Amen. The St. Elizabeth News Merry Christmas! 20
St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 25, 2018 The St. Elizabeth News Merry Christmas! 21
St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church The St. Elizabeth News Woodstock, GA Merry Christmas! December 25, 2018 22