The Catalog of Good Deeds

The featured author article this month is an updating and reworking of the Society of St. John Chrysostom-Western Region’s President’s Message Light of the East Newsletter (Winter 2014-2015) originally entitled ALLIES IN THE BATTLE AGAINST THE CRIMINALIZATION OF CHRISTIANITY. This article focuses on the need of the healing of society from making Christ and His Body the Church criminals and that all Christians should ally to cure this increasing societal illness.

The work of Satan, the great divider, or separator, is not new, it goes back to Christ, Himself, His Apostles and Disciples and many early Christians. They were criminals in the eyes of the law, the state. We know from the Holy Gospels and historical accounts that real possession by Satan can occur. However as one Christian author C.S. Lewis, has pointed out most of the work of Satan is not done by him or his demons, but by us, that is to say, people like you and I. Lewis writes a fictional account of an experienced devil or demon named Screwtape who teaching a novice devil, his nephew called Wormwood to adopt a "war aim," that would entail a, "world in which Our Father Below has drawn all other beings to himself...." (p. 38). The moral of the story boils down to this: 'you don't have to do much, you can more or less stand back and people will do the Devil's work for you.' This is due to the brokenness, weaknesses, biases, foibles, prejudices and passions we all have, which of course we have inherited from our ancestral parents. (Gn 3)

Many of us would think, that considering Christians as criminals today would be for third world countries or those countries under radical Islamic control. How many would think that, the Criminalization of Christians is now being promoted in the West and in the United States as well? This Fall, 2014, I came across an advertisement for a book almost a decade old now, entitled the 'Criminalization of Christianity.' The attack on Christianity leading to criminalization started one small step at a time, almost innocently at first. Prayer in school was banned, portrayals of the Ten Commandments were forbidden in courts, public buildings and of course schools. There was and still is an outcry by atheists and secularists to remove the words "in God we Trust," from our national motto and to remove the words "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance.

A couple decades ago some individuals were saying that the ultimate goal of the gay-rights movement was the 'criminalization of Christianity.' I would not have believed it if I had heard of it at that time - but I surely know it is true now. A self-proclaimed lesbian mayor of a major Texas city recently tried to subpoena the homilies of pastors in her jurisdiction. She was looking for any criticism of so called 'gay-marriage' as it would be a hate-crime subject to prosecution. Her office was flooded with books of the Sacred Scriptures. Because of the public outcry the investigation has been temporarily halted. However in Europe, supposedly an enlightened area of the world, criminalization of church leaders who preached on homosexuality have already been prosecuted. A Swedish court sentenced a pastor to a month in prison by inciting hate by quoting Scripture and thus offending gays and lesbians. A news account reported that the prosecutor said the homilist crossed the line when he recited Scriptural verses referencing homosexuality. (Folger, 2005) By the way, the term 'gay marriage' is an oxymoron - that is to say a contradiction of terms. The Apostolic Churches have taught that the marital commitment is a reflection of the love of the persons of the Holy Trinity amongst themselves and that the potential for procreation between the male and female united in a blessed marriage reflects God's creation of the cosmos and specifically mankind. "Wherefore a man shall leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they shall be two in one flesh." (Gn 2: 24).

As Christians we are to pray for the spiritual healing of all, but at the same time we can judge an action or deed, proclaiming it is wrong, if indeed we have been told as such by Christ and His Church. Recall Christ's words, spoken through His angel, to St. John in the Book of the Apocalypse (2:6): "But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds [emphasis mine] of the Nicolaites, which I also hate." We know that we can never judge the individual, however we can judge first our deeds and then according to our role in life the deeds of others. Only the merciful God can judge the individual. However, out of charity, that is to say Christian love, it should be stressed that we must also never socially or economically discriminate against anyone based on gender, race, religion sex, and/or sexual orientation.

Where is this reflection leading? It is leading to saying that that segment of secular and politically correct society and sadly even among those claiming to be Christian themselves, that seeks to persecute and criminalize Christ and His Church Christians for proclaiming God's message to mankind is in dire need of healing. It is also to point out the unique diaconia of the SSJC and actually all who are baptized unto Christ is to witness the solidarity of the Apostolic Churches on such moral matters. The grace to do this was by our entry into the Royal Priesthood of Christ bestowed on us at Holy Baptism. Let us all exercise this gift according to our state of life and become the physicians, next to Christ, the chief physician, of ourselves and all whom we touch.

By Fr. George Morelli

Source: http://antiochian.org/allied-against-criminalizing-christ-and-his-church

An Interview with Rev. Dn. Isaiah Kim

You recently began serving our Holy Metropolis and the Church of St. Nicholas in Toronto as a Deacon; can you tell our readers a little about yourself and your family?

Let me begin by expressing my sincere appreciation and gratitude to His Eminence Metropolitan Sotirios for his paternal blessings and for giving me the precious opportunity to grow in my Church life within the Holy Metropolis of Toronto and while serving at St. Nicholas, notwithstanding my lack of ability.

I came to Canada from South Korea in April 2014 to reunite with my family members who have been studying here since 2010. In addition to my duties as a deacon, I am currently working as an educational counselor at a private high school in Toronto for mainly Korean-Canadian students. Before coming here, I taught computer science and worked as a guidance counselor at a high school in Korea for more than 10 years; at the same time, I served at the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Seoul on Sundays and major feast days.

My wife, Justine, and I were married in the Orthodox Church about twenty years ago; together we have two sons, Joseph and Moses. Justine is currently studying to become an early childhood educator and our children attend high school in Toronto. Each of us was baptized at the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Seoul where we attended the Divine Liturgy.

I also want to give humble thanks to St. Nicholas, whose intercessions for me and my family have guided us closer to the Church and salvation in Christ, from Korea to Canada.

What was it that initially attracted you to Christ and to the Orthodox Church in particular?

Up until the present hour, I have continuously lived between two ways: one of life and one of death. On the one hand I yearn to live a full spiritual life, but on the other hand I want to follow the desire of the flesh in the world: greed, lust, pride and so on. These weaknesses in my life led me to sincerely long for salvation in Christ since all things that I did and do without a purpose towards Christ could not and do not bear good fruits. My life experiences and sense of weakness in the world then and now draw me to Christ beyond human understanding. Moreover, the older I get, the more I feel my own inadequacies in the world and understand that I am unable to accomplish anything without Christ.

As the ark of Salvation and the body of Christ, the Orthodox Church is central to my life. The confession of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church offers me the hope for salvation in Christ and serves as a signpost for my life in the world. This is most assuredly true while partaking in Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church which attracts me – and all partakers – to God’s love and to a brotherhood (κοινωνία) in Christ.

When and what was the process that you went through before being baptized?

I was baptized in the Orthodox Church when I was a first-year university student almost thirty years ago. Before then, I was attending a Presbyterian parish in my hometown on Sundays because, like most Christians in Korea, I was raised in a Protestant family. When I entered university, however, I began to question the numerous schisms among Protestant denominations, and wanted to learn about the prototype of the Church from the beginning of Christendom.

In order to find the original Church delivering the true and unaltered Gospel of Christ, I was first attracted to Roman Catholicism and attended Sunday Mass as a catechumen in my hometown. Even while acknowledging that Catholicism has a form of Apostolic succession, as I learned more, I could not accept some of its teachings. Then, by chance – or maybe providence – I discovered the existence of the Orthodox Church in Korea by reading an article about it in a Catholic encyclopedia.

Thereafter, I visited the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Seoul and soon came to be more familiar with Orthodoxy. When I learned the faith of the Orthodox Church from then-Fr. Sotirios (the present Metropolitan of Pisidia), I enthusiastically and unreservedly accepted Orthodoxy as the continuation of the original ancient church in my heart and was eventually baptized by Fr. Sotirios.

When were you ordained and can you tell us about your decision to become a Deacon?

I was ordained as a deacon in 1995 by the then Metropolitan of New Zealand and Exarch of Korea under the Ecumenical Patriarchate, His Eminence Dionysios, of blessed memory. Since graduating from high school, I eagerly hoped to become a servant of God to perform church services and missionary work (διακονία) among my countrymen since I was convinced that it was God’s calling for me.

As I became an adult, I began to seek after eternal truth and a life worth living because I did not want to have regrets at the end of my life here on earth. Thus, initially, I was interested in philosophy to learn the truth about human life; but, after some years I desired to learn theology and the life in Christ in order to serve the Church and to positively answer God’s calling.

After being ordained, I travelled to Greece to learn theology and expand my knowledge of Church life. Unfortunately, due to my father’s sudden and serious illness, I could not finish my studies at the University of Athens and returned to Korea to serve there and care for my father until his repose in the Lord.

Now, if God permits it, I wish to resume my theological studies so as to become a more faithful and knowledgeable servant of Christ. With this education, I hope to deliver the good news of the Holy Gospel among people seeking salvation in Christ and to help them come to the true Church, including undertaking missionary work among the Korean and Far East Asian Diaspora communities in Canada.

If there are one or two things about Orthodoxy that you would want to share with your fellow countrymen in Korea – or even those outside of the Church here in Canada – what would they be?

Firstly, I want to share the hope of salvation by God’s love. Although I am weak and unworthy, I place in Christ the hope of my salvation by His mercy. I have been learning through the Church to bravely hope in Christ in spite of my weakness and unworthiness and to not abandon myself to despair in the world. I want to distribute this daring hope of resurrection in Christ by delivering the Holy Gospel to those estranged from the Church and suffering from a spirit of darkness.

Secondly, I want to share the Church life to live in peace and in brotherhood with my countrymen in Korea and here in Canada as well. Without prejudice or discrimination, all people can listen to the Holy Gospel in the Church and to pray for His great mercy. All Christians consist of one body of Christ by participating in the Church. The mystery of Holy Communion enables us not only to participate in the Divine nature, but also to share peace, love and brotherhood with one another in our daily life. I yearn to deliver this message of peace and eternal life in Christ to my countrymen who do not know Orthodoxy yet, in order for them to come to the Church and participate in the Divine nature through the mystery of Holy Communion.

To do this, I wish to become a kernel of wheat for the Korean Orthodox Community in Canada as well as in Korea under the Ecumenical Patriarchate and His Eminence Metropolitan Ambrosios.

“I am small, insignificant, but the Lord is at my side, Your right arm guides me where I go” (from The Akathist Hymn).

An interview by Evagelos Sotiropoulos

Source: http://www.gometropolis.org/clergy/clergy-interviews/interview-with-dn-isaiah/

After five years or so in the Orthodox Church, I’ve seen a lot of friends and acquaintances come home to the apostolic faith.

And yet, not all of these journeys have worked out. Some have even ended in apostasy.

Why does this happen?

Shortly after the beginning of our own catechumenate as a family, we saw friends—and their families—begin journeys towards the East. The more familiar I became with Orthodoxy by serving in a local parish, on a parish council, and as an altar assistant, the more I saw others approach the Church, test the waters, and walk back out the narthex door.

I love the Church, and so I find it difficult to understand how a person could not see the beauty in our faith, leaving it all behind. However, I do think that there are certain factors that influence and even cause these abandonments and apostasies from the one, true Church. There are two sides to this ‘coin,’ as well: Some people become Orthodox for all the wrong reasons, while some don’t become Orthodox for all the wrong reasons.

Many times, inquirers approach the Orthodox Church as a safe haven from controversy and scandal, believing that the Orthodox Church—as the one, true Church—is immune to such things. However, this is a mistaken viewpoint and can lead to the destruction of a person’s faith.

This perspective presupposes a defective Christology—one that fails to account for the anthropos of the theanthropic (Divine-human) Church. As the Body of Christ, the Church is a Divine-human organism, just as with the Person of Jesus Christ, the God-Man. While the Church is certainly Divine in one respect, She is also comprised of human beings—human beings that can, and do, err. Failing to remember (or be taught) this, we are scandalized and even lose our faith in the Church, not distinguishing between the divine and human natures, or confusing them.

Another issue is becoming Orthodox because one thinks the Church will reward them in some way for doing so.

For example, if a person goes through a great deal of hardship, sacrifice, and turmoil in order to join the Church—as in the case of former clergy in a different communion, or when one’s family does not approve—they might feel that the Church ‘owes them’ for converting. But the Church is not dependent upon any one convert or their family, nor will the Church ‘reward’ people (beyond the mysteries and salvation) for converting.

Those who were clergy in a former denomination have no guarantees they will become clergy in the Orthodox Church. It doesn’t matter how long they have served, or how extensive their education. Holy Orders are a mystery (sacrament) of the Church, and the Spirit blows where it will. Becoming Orthodox means being willing to submit to the Church and Her bishops, who might not be interested in ordaining you. If anyone is unwilling or not ready to submit to the Church in all areas of life, they should stay away—until or unless they are ready to do so.

Another danger is converting to Orthodoxy simply because it is beautiful.

No doubt, I felt ‘at home’ when first attending the Divine Liturgy, but this was after months of study and discussion with other Orthodox people. Orthodox worship can be overwhelmingly beautiful and attractive—on multiple, deeply-felt levels—but this should not be the only reason why a person converts. Forgetting early on that Orthodox worship is liturgical and cyclical (i.e. it’s the same every year, year after year), it soon becomes familiar, and perhaps even ‘boring’ for some. If our only reason for converting is more somber, reverent, and beautiful worship, the ‘newness’ of this experience soon wanes. The reality of the difficulty of living the Orthodox life then bubbles up, and apostasy from exhaustion is a real risk.

On the other hand, there are cases where a person rejects the Church for what I would consider to be erroneous reasons.

For example, I know someone that spent over a year studying almost every aspect of Orthodoxy, including many fathers of the Church and practically every nuance of both doctrine and history. However, they rarely spent any time in Orthodox worship services or their local parish, developed no relationship with a priest, and did not engage their spouse or family in their studies and interest in the Church. In the end, they concocted a list of reasons for not converting. For example, their local parish was ‘too ethnic’; the priest wasn’t nice or outgoing; their spouse wasn’t interested; they found ‘logical inconsistencies’ in the writings of the fathers; and so on.

If someone is approaching the Orthodox Church from a purely rationalistic standpoint, they will almost surely find it wanting. The Orthodox Church does not fit into the paradigms of modernity; it is not a wholly rational faith. This doesn’t mean we shun catechesis, but just that it’s not always done in the same way everywhere—and where it exists, it’s likely different from what a catechumen might expect or even hope. We must be willing to embrace mystery, to submit to other authorities, and to ultimately submit to the Church Herself. Those who approach Orthodoxy looking for all their questions to be answered in a neat-and-tidy manner will be deeply disappointed, left rejecting the faith to which they’ve only been shortly exposed.

So why should someone desire to join the Orthodox Church?

For me, the one and only valid, core reason is because a person desires to be part of the one, true Body of Christ. Because we confess and believe in the “one holy, catholic and apostolic Church,” this means we are not looking for a Church that fits our own preferences and ideals, but rather one that teaches us what our preferences should be. We are not seeking to reform or to teach the Church how it should do things, but are rather seeking to be formed by the Church and to learn how we should be doing things as faithful Christians.

Now, I don’t share all of this in order to dissuade anyone from becoming a catechumen, but rather to encourage those who are on such a journey—or who have strayed away from one that began on the wrong foot.

Becoming an Orthodox Christian is not easy, nor does it promise great happiness or success in this life. In fact, it promises a Cross and joining with Christ in both suffering and humiliation.

But if you are still intrigued and drawn to the Orthodox Church, considering all of these disclaimers, then do so with faith, reverence, and a healthy fear of God. Pray for the Lord’s mercy, and you can find the strength to endure to the end. Believe in the Church as the true Body of Christ, and the Church—flawed people and all—will help lead you down the right path.

But don’t do it for all the wrong reasons.

By G. V. Martini

Source: https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/onbehalfofall/why-you-shouldnt-convert/