THE ORATOR ST. DEMETRIOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
MESSAGE FROM FR. NICHOLAS “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” (Phillipians 4:13) is not just catchy lyrics to a children’s song, but words to live by. Our society has many opinions about limits. When we want to encourage you, we tell you to push the limits. When we are worried about you, we warn you to know your limits. And we can find limits for everything; limits on speed, limits on weight, limits on time, limits on credit, limits on chances, limits on sale items, limits on space, limits on patience, limits on tolerance. The limits seem to be limitless. But I would suggest limits are not the only limitless thing. Our God is limitless. But often times we even assign limits on Him.
Presiding Priest: Fr. Nicholas Hadzellis Cell: 617.530.0885 Parish Assistant: Samia Shiber Office: 817.626.5578 Fax: 817.626.5073 Parish Council Members Elias Shiber, President John Sempeles, V. President Matt Lee, Treasurer
There are many reasons as to why we would assign limits on God. Many times we assign limits on God because we are aware of our own limitations. Sometimes we assign limits on God because we “know” something is impossible, and sometimes we assign limits because our prayers where unanswered. I’m sure there are many other reasons why we may limit God but let's discuss these three.
Georgia Sparto, Secretary
We all know that there are many challenges in life and life is just not easy. We will learn that people will hurt us and let us down. People very close to us will sometime disappoint us when we need. We learn society’s mantra that says “you can not depend on anyone else but yourself.” Through these challenges, we learn what we can handle and we can not handle. And although we may believe in God, we truly believe it is up to us to get though these challenges. So we can get so shortsighted, or our ego is so big, that if I can't do it myself then God surely can not help. One way or another, intentionally or unintentionally, we have made ourselves our own God, a God with limits. If we look through the Scriptures we can see examples where people have made themselves God.
Artemis Moon
Magda Fleming Marina Katzianis Lisa Kelly Terry Kouris
Elaine Reidl George Vardakis
Office email: admin@stdemetrios.net Orator: Orator.stdemetrios@gmail.com Web: www.stdemetrios.net Parish Office Hours:
In the beining, Adam and Eve were deceived by the serpent, (Genesis 3) that Tuesday - Friday when they eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, their eyes 9:00 am - 1:00 pm would be opened, and they would be like gods. Further along in the book of Genesis, chapter 11, the people sought to build a city with a tower that will reach heaven, and they would “Make a name for themselves.” In the Gospel according to St. Luke, the parable of the rich fool, (Luke 12:16- 20) the rich man is so proud of his own achievements of his great harvest, and desires to give his own soul ease (a type of rest that only God gives). We set ourselves to be God, but bound by our own limitations, we are lead to failure, and separation from God.