S T . J OHN THE B APTIST G REEK O RTHODOX C HURCH
T HE F ORERUNNER V OLUME XXXIII
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B EAUTY , M YSTERY , AND D IVINE M AGNETISM : C ONVERSION S TORY — B Y D ANIEL B ISHOP
A PRIL 2016 S PECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST :
A
I often hear stories from people I’ve met along the way about the path that lead them to Orthodoxy. More often than not, these stories involve books by particular authors or saints whose writings made an influence on their perspective and opened them up to the wealth of the teachings of the Church. These are stories of beautiful and brilliant minds seeking truth amidst the pages of history, leaving no stone unturned until they found the true path. I sincerely wish I could give you such a brave story of my conversion. The thing is, I can’t manage to retrace my steps through books or knowledge, though I did read a lot while turning to Orthodoxy. The best picture I can use to describe my journey is this: if these people I mentioned were striding resolutely up the steps to the Church, I was on my belly pulling myself up by my hands, so to speak. I had to have some help to get here. I didn’t choose Orthodox Christianity because it became clear to me that its theological and historical claims were true — although that certainly did happen at some point. I chose Orthodox Christianity because of something much more obscured from my human eyes. A mysterious
Beauty, Mystery, and Divine Magnetism: a Conversion Story— By Daniel Bishop
Parish Council Capsule
The Uncomfortable Church—Fr. Vasile Tudora
Youth Ministries News
Choir News
The prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian
Our New Bookstore
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I NSIDE THIS ISSUE :
C OUNCIL C APSULE On March 12th, the Parish Council came together for our annual retreat. Our theme this year was Evangelism, Orthodox Natural Church Development and Renewal. We broke away in work groups and discussions consisted of how-to for the most part, and what steps are needed to achieve and excel in these areas, as well as being aware of any pitfalls that may come along the way. There will be more on this to come, in the future.
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You will notice the bookstore has moved from our Narthex and into the foyer of our hall. This is done in an effort to regain the Narthex as a spiritual place and also to create ebb and flow from the parish library and to allow people to browse and make their religious item purchases during coffee hour. Come by and see what’s new in the bookstore!
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Please remember to purchase your Agape Dinner tickets for Pascha this year (May 1st). Ticket prices are $25.00 for adults, children 12 and under eat free. We will have your choice of chicken or lamb w/ a side of green beans, potatoes, and salad along w/ desserts and refresh-
C ALENDAR
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MUSIC
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graciously do every year!
ments. Our favorite Greek band, LAAND will be there to serenade us, as they so
In closing, I wish His blessings Michael Eftimie on every one of you and conParish Council President tinual spiritual growth during this great Lent season.
Warmly,
A GELESS WO NDERS The Ageless Wonders will meet on Wednesday, April 20, 2016 to go to the Museum of Biblical Arts in Dallas.
We will meet at our church at 10 a.m. and carpool to Dallas. We will have a guided tour with a Docent and then go to lunch at a nearby restaurant.
More details will low......Margaret
fol-
T HE U NCOMFORTABLE C HURCH - F R . V ASILE T UDORA P LEASE REMEMBER TO PURCHASE YOUR A GAPE D INNER TICKETS FOR P ASCHA THIS YEAR
our own shortcomings. We don’t appreciate this because we have grown accustomed to having a very good impression of ourselves; we were taught by the society to be proud of our achievements and develop a high sense of self-esteem. So even when we look in a mirror we always try to search for the good features‚ not the faults and when someone shows us that we are not as beautiful as we think we are‚ or as smart as we think we‚ or as pious as we thing we are‚ we take somewhat offense in it.
to a heightened sense of Christian responsibility with one that would transmits warm and fuzzy feelings‚ even though this is not who St. John the Baptist was. This happened in the West where the thin body frame of the greatest ascetic that lived‚ was replaced with the rounded curves of a well fed body as in the depiction of Leonardo Da Vinci and others. Who cares about historical and theological accuracy when we can have our own happy version of the truth?
But the Great canon is not the only thing that is uncomfortaBut the length of the service ble in the Orthodox Church; there are many things here that and the physical discomfort of the standing and the pros- go against the grain off the sectrations is not the only thing ular world. Take for instance the iconography. Many times that renders people to be uneasy with this service. The John the Baptist is depicted with a very stern figure‚ lookcanon brings forth like in a ing to us with fiery eyes that truthful mirror the fallen and sinful nature of human- seem to say over the centuries “Repent for the kingdom of kind by extensively referheaven is at hand!” Many encing examples from the would like to replace this accuOld and New Testament satory appearance that calls us and linking them back with
The traditional Byzantine music of the Orthodox Church also seems harsh at times to the Western trained ears that are more used with the even tempered intervals of the classical music. But the Byzantine music is not an independent musical system that just happens to be applied to the Church‚ like the Western one is‚ the Byzantine music has grown organically
On the fifth Thursday of Lent in the Orthodox Churches we chant the service of the Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete. It is a monumental work of hymnography with more than 250 odes‚ or verses‚ to which we also add the lengthy reading of the life of St Mary of Egypt. This makes it probably one of the longest services of Great Lent. If one also a counts the number of prostrations performed after each ode‚ it becomes also one of the most uncomfortable services for any casual observer.
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B EAUTY , M YSTERY , (Continued from page 1)
and Divine magnetism that lifted me up off my hands, pulled me into the Church, and allowed me to see and feel for myself, albeit only to some human, limited extent, what prayeris about. Though I had made a routine of mocking Christianity and its devotions, Christ had patience for me and simply stood there, beckoning me with this call: Come and see. I was born into a Baptist home which turned into a Messianic Jewish home when I was about seven years old. I could literally write an entire book explaining what Messianic Judaism actually is and detailing my growth within this faith tradition from this young age, but instead I’ll skip ahead a few years to the time I started taking my spiritual and religious life somewhat seriously. At a younger age, I saw how older people were inclined to read the bible and pray, whereas my every inclination was to run around outside or build cities out of LEGOs. I assumed that one day I would magically become interested in the life of faith and it wouldn’t be such an effort to sit down and pray or read the Bible. Of course, I was wrong. Yet still, for the first time, I felt myself naturally asking questions about what it is that God expects from us when I was about twelve. When you reach the age where you start to become aware of the effects of your sinfulness, these questions start to brew in you involuntarily. I approached a young pious man
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who I looked up to, and asked him how the Law is kept. This young man taught me about the Old Testament and its context within Jewish tradition, and we began a many-year-long conversation on observance, which included my family and other dear friends as well. Fast forward several years, we had some knowledge under our belts. Knowledge of Jewish tradition, Jewish scriptural exegesis, ethics, Hebrew language, practical Talmudic law, liturgics, and even some aspects of Jewish mysticism. The only area of knowledge remaining that we couldn’t seem to develop was the New Testament. It became the red-headed stepchild of our Jewish experience, a roadblock to conversion and an impossible task to fit into our spiritual regimen. This is where some of us parted ways for little bit. I will speak only of the direction I went. It’s surprising to many how religious scholasticism in the western world has actually influenced much of Judaism and its academic praxis. I became obsessed with this side of things. I toted copies of Maimonides and Yehuda HaLevi to school with me, absorbing and attempting to apply each minutia of Mishnaic law and digesting each morsel of Aristotelian-influenced Jewish rationalist philosophy. All pretty complicated and important stuff, I thought. This is where pride led me into some dangerous places, inwardly and outwardly. I became cynical toward my Christian upbringing and quickly de-
molished whatever belief in a Divine Christ I had left. I chanted every Friday night the Yidgal, a Maimonidean creed of Jewish faith, particularly the line declaring: “….He is One — and there is no unity like His Oneness — Inscrutable and infinite is His Oneness; He has no semblance of a body nor is He corporeal…” With each theological dogma I rearranged in my head, the effect rippled all the way through to my soul. When pride in my own human reasoning took root and Jesus suddenly became merely a created man and no more, my insides began to wither. On the outside, I was striding towards more perfect performance of the Law of Moses, but within me the law of death was gaining victory. At that point, I began to consider complete conversion to Judaism. In defiance and bitterness towards Christ, I was fully resolved to make a formal renunciation of Christianity and embrace the pharisaic orthodox Jewish tradition. By God’s mercy, I was delayed due to some practical issues. I was unable to move to an orthodox community and frankly I lacked the wisdom to even know how to choose one. I stayed put and kept studying with my friend who I had started out with. It was then that my friend, who had a long-running love for Christian history and dialogue, began to talk about Orthodox Christianity (Continued on page 9)
The King of Glory
W HEN PRIDE IN MY OWN HUMAN REASONING TOOK ROOT AND J ESUS SUDDENLY BECAME MERELY A CREATED MAN AND NO MORE , MY INSIDES BEGAN TO WITHER .
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2016 STEWARDSHIP: BRING THEM TO ME! In a well known parable we see the Apostles bringing to Jesus Christ their concerns about the 5,000 men plus women and children that are with them in the wilderness. His disciples lament that all they have are five loaves and two small fish a boy has offered. Jesus’ response is “Bring them to me.” He then takes the loaves, blesses and breaks them, and feeds 5,000 men plus women and children with abundant leftovers. “ WE
FIND
OURSELVES BY OFFERING OURSELVES .”
A RCHBISHOP A NASTASIOS OF A LBANIA
In a similar way, we also bring what we have to Jesus. We offer bread and wine and it may not seem much, but He returns them to us, in the overabundance of His Grace, as His Own Body and Blood, the Holy Communion. By the bread and the wine, foods that are specific to human nature, we offer our lives to Christ, and, through the Holy Spirit that transforms them, we become the Church, His Body on earth. We give our earthly lives in exchange for life ever-
lasting. What a favorable exchange of gifts! No matter how much we give, He cannot be outdone. Just like the boy who offered the loaves and the fish, if we offer what we have – however great or small our gift – with prayer and humility, God will receive our gifts and multiply them to feed His people, both materially and spiritually.
Christian Stewardship is about becoming good caretakers of all that God has given us. God has given each of us special and unique gifts. He also teaches us all that we have is a loan. He lends everything to us, and reminds us that one day He will ask us to give a detailed accounting of what we have done with these gifts He has given us. The only way to multiply these gifts is by offering them to God through the people around us. Archbishop Anastasios of Albania has noted “we find ourselves by offering ourselves.” Have we learned the blessedness of generously giving to others
out of all we have without worrying? Our vibrant parish is on a continuous and sustained growing pathway. Our children, our youth, our young adults, our seniors, our women and men, our inquirers in the faith, our poor and needy, demand the help of our ministries more than ever. The only way for them to fulfill their mission is through your support. Stewardship is not only about how much you give, although this is important, it is also about how much you are engaged, how much time and talent you invest, ultimately in yourselves. If we give the little we have to our brothers and sisters, God will make us heirs of the Kingdom. By giving from what we have, big or small, we become part of the eternal Kingdom that never suffers neither famine nor thirst. I encourage you all to prayerfully consider your contribution in your 2016 stewardship program and getting fully engaged in the life of you parish. May the Lord richly bless you and your family in all
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S TEWARDSHIP 2016 Happy spring everyone! I hope everyone is enjoying a blessed Lenten season. With spring coming up, I would like to encourage everyone to fill out a stewardship card so we can “spring-a head” to a larger and more engaged church family. Please make sure that you participate in greeting and welcoming visitors and new-comers in our parish, both in the church and in the social hall.
warmth and of family, and a taste of Christian love. I look forward to seeing more of you at all the services during Great Lent. Have a blessed season, and thank you for your continued connection with the parish.
Stewardship 2 0 1 6 Information as of 4/9/2016: Goal to cover expenses: $328,521 Pledged: $250,451 Short: $ 78,070
Your stewardship committee Angela Cline Cecilia Junell
W ITH
This will offer them a wonderful sense of
H OW TO BECOME A STEWARD IN 2016? FAQ S How do I become a member of the parish? Membership in the Orthodox Church begins at Baptism (Chrismation for some) and continues throughout our life. We are united with Christ through the sacraments and through our faithful offering of our lives to Christ. We have to distinguish however between voting members and non-voting members. A voting member is over 18 years old and has turned in a signed stewardship commitment card (for time, talent and treasure). The Archdiocese also requires the voting member to remain current through the year on their commit-
ments. Overall true membership in the Body of Christ, involves living daily according to His word and within His Church. Why must I commit to give a specific amount? Knowing the amount of your monetary participation helps our parish plan the activities throughout the year. Your monetary stewardship is kept in the strictest of confidence. What if I cannot fulfill my stewardship commitment? During the course of a year,
people’s circumstances change. Your stewardship is valued because it is made out of your love for God and His Church. Please do not be concerned if you are unable to meet your stewardship commitment – we are glad you are a part of this parish. How do I submit a Stewardship Card? You can find the card in the pews in Church or you can fill one on-line and e-mail it to our church office at stjohndfw@gmail.com. More info here
SPRING COMING UP , I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO FILL OUT A STEWARDSHIP CARD SO WE CAN “ SPRING - A HEAD ” TO A LARGER CHURCH FAMILY .
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2016 P HILOPTOCHOS S CHOLARSHIP
D EADLINE TO APPLY IS S UNDAY , M ARCH 28
2016 S OUTHERN R EGION L ENTEN R ETREAT WILL BE A PR 15-17 AT S KY R ANCH IN V AN , T EXAS .
Y OUTH M INISTRIES R EPORT Youth Ministries had a successful Loucoumades Fundraiser on Feb. 7. We thank all parishioners for supporting us. It certainly takes a village to meet our goals and we could not have accomplished this without the help of Connie Rafailedes, Khanh, George & Katie Moutafis, Maria Kerbow and Chris Geil. A big thank you, too, to Pres. Mirela who figured out how to dismantle the mixer - an architect to the rescue! The Oratorical Festival for St. John’s was held Feb. 21. We had six students participate. The Junior Division, open to students in grades 79, was comprised of Joseph Berca, Penelopi Yiantsou and Matei and Luca Tudora The Senior Division, for students in grades 10-12, was made up of Alex Shah and Maria Tudora. Besides the presenters, we are hoping to still have most students write at least a paragraph on the topics. Our three judges were: Christina Andreson, and Stephanie Kallis Meeks of Holy Trinity; and Timothy Shanks of St. Sava in Allen. The winners of the contest were: Penelopi Yiantsou for the Junior Division; and Maria Tudora for the Senior Division. Congrats to all! The next round, sponsored by the Denver Diocese, will be held in Boulder, Co. on April 810. The finals take place June 10-12 in Charlotte, NC. Applications for the 2016 Philoptochos Scholarship are now available, online or hard copy. Deadline to apply is the last Sunday, March 28. See Gail Pori-
otis (poriotis@sbcglobal.net; 214-707-1827) for details. All high school seniors whose families are members of St. John’s are eligible. The 2016 Southern Region Lenten Retreat will be held Apr 15-17 at Sky Ranch in Van, Texas. GOYAns, ages 11-18, are invited to retreat away from every day challenges for a weekend of growth and fellowship. Cost: $145. Deadline: April 3 (midnight). Luminaries for Good Friday. Good Friday is April 29. Details on this YM fundraiser to come. High School and College Graduation Luncheon is tentatively planned for May 15. This year we have nine high school grads: Katie Moutafis, Jackson Wright, Christaki Zingas, Christopher File, Andreas Arapis, David Leimbacher, Ian Rehmet, Yianni Noulas and Rosemary Espinoza. 2016 Camp Emmanuel. Junior Session: June 1218, 2016 (Ages 11-14); Senior Session: June 19-25, 2016 (Ages 15-18). Each year Camp Emmanuel offers participants ages 11-18 an opportunity to retreat away from the everyday and experience life in a nurturing Orthodox Christian community. Camp Emmanuel utilizes the Manzano Mountain Retreat facility in Torreon, New Mexico, outside of Albuquerque. Deadline to register is by midnight on April 30. Registration is $375 ($355 for families with multiple children); early registrants (March 31) receive a 10% discount. Another great summer oppor-
T HE F ORERUNNER tunity is Ionian Village. As noted by IV director Fr. Evagoras Constantinides (yes, the son of Father Chris at Holy Trinity), “Ionian Village gives the youth of our Archdiocese a chance to encounter the Orthodox faith… and is an invitation to change the way our youth live as Orthodox Christians in this world.” The camp is open to students in grades 912. There is also another option for older students - the Spiritual Odyssey for young adults, ages 19-24. Registration opens March 1. See the camp’s website: www.ionianvillage.org or email: ionianvillage@goarch.o rg. St. John’s Vacation Bible School is tentatively scheduled for June 6-9. Youth Ministries is seeking a couple of folks to run a lively interactive VBS for ages 5-10 with guidance from the committee; we also need teen-age helpers to assist (it’s a great way to earn community service hours!). Interested? See Harriet Blake. Peter Agris Memorial Scholarship is now taking applications. The scholarship is for students of Greek American heritage who are majoring in communications at an accredited U.S. college and who have been active in the church and hold a minimum of a 3.0 GPA. Deadline is March 1. See www.alphaomegacouncil.org. The Spring Planning Meeting for Youth Ministries will be held Sunday, March 27. Harriet Blake
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PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS Greetings… Kali Sarakosti to you all. Thank you to all that brought delicious soups and dishes to our First Lenten Soup Supper. We look forward to more participation as the Great Lent continues. We have our Easter Bake Sale forms available now. We will be distributing the purchased baked goods on Sunday, April 24th. Our Membership Tea was a wonderful time to visit with current friends and meet new folks. It was fabulous to see fellowship among our Philoptochos sisters and hear some
reports and stories of deeds of our Philoptochos Chapter and our Metropolis and National Chapters, as well. I am ever proud to be a part of this Ladies Society.
enjoy fellowship with our fabulous ladies and fulfill the mission in our name, “to be a friend to the poor.” I hope you will join us this year.
I continue to extend an invitation to all of the ladies who have been visiting Saint John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church.
Whether you have attended our church for a while now, or are new to the area, we would love to count you among us.
The Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society is a longstanding organization for women of the Orthodox faith.
Veronica Fisher President, St. Irene Philoptochos
This is an excellent time to get involved in our community,
P HILOPTOCHOS S OCIETY IS
C HURCH S CHOOL Church School Families: We hope you all had a lovely Spring Break and have had a great beginning to Great Lent Passport stamps are available for each Sunday of Lent during Church School. Stamps will be available in the Narthex for “Trips/Services” attended during the week. Here are some upcoming dates that you may want to mark on your calendar:
3/27 – class 4/03 -- class 4/10 – class 4/17 – class 4/23 – Lenten Retreat 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 4/24 – Palm Sunday 5/01 – No class, Great and Holy Pascha Please make plans for all your students to attend our Lenten Retreat.
Father Vasile will be offering Confession to the students up to 12th. Grade. Luminaries to line our pathway, again this year. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, you can contact me any time at: veronicafisherps50@gmail.com Veronica Fisher Church School Coordinator
GOYA NEWS Fellow Parishioners, On April 22nd we will be having our annual GOYA lock-in. We will be going to Group Dynamix (a high ropes course) and returning to the church after for pizza and movies. If any Goyans are interested in
T HE G REEK O RTHODOX L ADIES
going, see one of the officers or advisors. On April 15th there is a Lenten retreat at Sky Ranch. This retreat came highly reccomended. For more information, see an advisor or officer. As always, if you are in 6th grade-12th
grade and would like to join GOYA, feel free to attend one of our monthly meetings, they are on the first Sunday of every month. Thank You, Alex Shah
A LONGSTANDING ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN OF THE O RTHODOX FAITH .
T HE F ORERUNNER
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C HOIR N OTES Great Lent brings the opportunity to sing and hear some beautiful hymns which are only prescribed during this period of the year. One of these is the Lenten Kontakion "Ti Ipermacho" (To You the Champion). This hymn is sung during the five Akathist Hymn
(Salutations) services held on Friday evenings during Lent, as well as during most of the Lenten Divine Liturgies.
a thank offering. In your irresistible might, keep me safe from all trials, that I may call out to you: "Hail, unwedded bride!"
"Ti Ipermacho" - To you, Theotokos, invincible Defender, having been delivered from peril, I, your city, dedicate the victory festival as
A blessed Lent to you all. Kirsten Shah, Choir Director
T HE U NCOMFORTABLE C HURCH (C ONT .) The hand of St. Ephraim the Syrian, a patron Saint of Church Musicians
I SN ’ T IT PARADOXICAL THAT WE WANT TO BE UNITED WITH C HRIST AS THE SAINTS ARE ‚ YET WE ARE NOT WILLING TO FOLLOW IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS ?
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in the Church over centuries‚ in complete symbiosis with the poetry of the prayers and seeks‚ with its intricate and sometimes seemingly strange intervals of its eight modes‚ to adjust to the complexity of sentiments that are stirred in our hearts‚ not by the musical intervals alone‚ but by the very words of prayer. We also do not praise gluttony and laziness but we practice fasting and constant work towards salvation. Many call this archaic‚ unnecessary‚ optional‚ old fashioned‚ fundamentalist and so on. But looking around in the icons of the Church we see no well fed and relaxed individuals but only ascetic figures‚ sharpened by the great works of fasting and spiritual struggle‚ martyrs that have greatly suffered for their faith‚ soldiers that have fought valiantly for the Truth. Isn’t it paradoxical that we want to be united with Christ as the saints are‚ yet we are not willing to follow in their footsteps? We ask their intercessions‚ yet we do not agree with their way of life simply because it interferes with our comfortable living?
The architecture of the Orthodox churches fosters on its turn a degree of discomfort in the congregation by setting its liturgical spaces in such a way that allows participation of the whole body in prayer by longstandings‚ prostrations‚ kneeling and so on. The West has limited this organic and holistic participation in the services‚ albeit at times seemingly disordered‚ by the introduction of well organized rows of fixed pews that add comfort but reduce greatly our involvement in the services. We can continue all day long with the examples‚ but it is clear that the over emphasis on comfort and “feelgood” Christianity is detrimental to our spiritual life. Christ Himself‚ our archetypal Model‚ has not lived a comfortable life. He was not comfortable when He was unjustly accused‚ nor when He was hit‚ or when He was flagellated‚ or when He was nailed on the Cross. He accepted it all as necessary means for our salvation. He did not look for it‚ as He prayed for this burden to be lifted from Him
in the Garden of Gethsemane‚ but yet He accepted the will of the Father and fulfilled His mission. Comfort and feel-good were not His priorities‚ but the salvation of the human race. We are‚ of course‚ not responsible for the entire mankind‚ but yet we are responsible for ourselves on a very personal level. We shouldn’t necessarily go out and seek out suffering and discomfort‚ but when it is part of our spiritual training‚ we should embrace it and learn to use it to transform us‚ to grow stronger and more resilient in our faith. The Great Lent brings this to our attention better than anything. The uncomfortable discipline of our Church does not allow us to forget that without Crucifixion there is no Resurrection and without death there is no life everlasting. This is who we are as Orthodox: followers of the Crucified One‚ taking upon our shoulders every day our own personal crosses‚ climbing step after step the difficult path that leads to our own resurrection. May you all have a blessed remainder of the Lenten season and a joyous and liberating Pascha! Fr. Vasile Tudora
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Katherine’s Monastery of Mt. Sinai, tediously beating out a rhythm on the semantron, walking a lot. The mere idea was reup the stairs of the tower to the volting to me. I had all the bells, and then masterfully weavanswers, why did we need to ing a brilliant web of mysterious keep looking for a “home for Jesus” in our life of faith? Is the sounds. Somehow I instantly related to this kind of strange and forwealth of tradition in Orthoeign ritual, and I recognized it as doxy a good enough of a reaprayer. Gradually, the possibility son to go back into the same of prayer became a key factor that faith system I’ve tried to get away from. In my ignorance, I pulled me into the Church. Between kabbalistic meditation and had no idea what Orthodox breathing techniques on one hand, Christianity’s faith actually was. It just sounded Christian and wrote memorization and lifeand brought back memories of less recitation of a legally portioned amount of liturgical texts standing in my whitewashed on the other, Judaism had failed to Church as a young child singing “Our God is and Awesome provide a place where I could truly pray, where I could strip God” with a slightly off-beat away the masks of cheap piety and drummer. Yet something stand before the Divine in revermysterious began to act on ence and fear of Heaven. me, in time. I began to take interest in the raw beauty Heaven was just what I recognized aspect of the Church. I searched the web for pictures upon entering an Orthodox Church for the first time (well, of churches, icons, etc…. I apart from a brief visit to the developed a benign appreciation for Orthodox worship. It Church of the Holy Sepulchre while on a vacation in Jerusalem was nothing like my earliest when I was ten years old). I recogChristian memories such as I nized the smell of incense from described. This is what I that time in Jerusalem immediatemeant by my approach to the church being like crawling up ly. That little connection of childhood nostalgia opened my heart stairs. I didn’t search the even wider. The chorus of beautiChurch’s books for sound ful elements the Church’s liturgiarguments for the Divinity of cal life which were presented to Christ, because my heart was not open to that. It was, how- me as tools of prayer grew louder ever, open to art and the sheer and louder until I had to take it beauty and mystery of Byzan- seriously. I couldn’t deny that something was there — beyond tine chant. As I began to dabthe icon of Christ, there was a ble in Church aesthetics, I began to see myself being able man, and at the same time something more than just a man. to truly worship God within Fueled by a desire for prayer and these forms. I saw a video spiritual life, I began a process that somewhere of a monk at St. (Continued from page 3)
continues to this day, of accepting that I cannot fully digest this idea of Christ as the “GodMan” like I could digest the Jewish “static” monotheism. I can’t pinpoint a definite moment where I accepted that Christ was indeed God and Man, but the text of On the Incarnation by St. Athanasius helped my brain to quench its unquenchable objections. I began reading various Orthodox books, old and new, and began, through God’s steadfast mercy and love, rebuilding the faith I once tried to demolish. I must end my story here, because this is where I am now. I am still a spiritual infant, learning the basics of the Gospel and allowing, or at least trying to allow Christ to conquer this flesh rebuild me from the ground up. I eagerly await Baptism, Chrismation, and Communion, and though I am ignorant and blind to the true significance of the Sacraments, I know I need them.
The Church of the Holy Wisdom, Agia Sophia
H EAVEN
WAS JUST WHAT I RECOGNIZED UPON ENTERING AN O RTHODOX C HURCH FOR THE FIRST TIME
Please pray for me.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem
T HE F ORERUNNER
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A PRAYER F OR L ENT Lord and Master of my life, from the spirit of laziness, meddling, the lust for power, or gossip, deliver me (Prostration) Rather, the spirit of self control and humility, the spirit of patience and love, bestow upon me Your servant (Prostration)
P LEASE JOIN US ON A PRIL 30 AT 9 AM TO SEE THE C ATECHISM “ ALUMNI ” BEING RECEIVED INTO THE O RTHODOX C HRUCH THROUGH
B APTISM AND / OR C HRISMATION .
Yes, Lord and King, grant that I may see my own faults and not judge my brother; for You are blessed to the ages of ages. Amen. (Prostration) The prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian is read at the end of all prayer service during Lent and is always accompanied by prostrations.
U SHER S CHEDULE 1st Sunday: Cecilia Junell 2nd Sunday: Michael Eftimie / Michael Poriotis 3rd Sunday: Jeremy Ellis / Mike Strong 4th Sunday: Angela Cline / Connie Rafailides 5th Sunday: Larry Leeders / Michael Poriotis
C OFFEE H OUR D UTIES SETUP Arrange pastries/food in a desirable manner on the appropriate tables in the parish hall. You are responsible for making the coffee. Make two pots: one regular, one decaf. Plug in be-
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C ATECHISM 2015-2016 COMING TO AN E ND !
Our Catechism / faith enrichment classes comes to an end in April. Please join us on April 30 at 9am to see the “alumni” being received into the Orthodox Chruch through Baptism and/or Chrismation. Our next Catechism classes will start in September. In the meantime don’t forget our Parish Library is open. Also check-out our New Bookstore in the hall
A COLYTE S CHEDULE 1st Sunday: Alex Genovezos, Caleb Ellis, Luca Tudora, Matei Tudora 2nd Sunday: Dimitri Rodgers, Alex Shah, Chris Eftimie, Joseph Berca, Noah Ellis 3rd Sunday: Alex Genovezos, Caleb Ellis, Luca Tudora, Matei Tudora 4th Sunday: Noah Ellis, Alex Shah, Chris Eftimie, Dimitri Rodgers 5th Sunday: Matei Tudora, Alex Genovezos, Alex Shah, Luca Tudora fore going into church. The instructions are in the kitchen. Prepare a tray with sugar, creamer, sugar substitute, mixing straws, a few spoons. Set with trash bucket. Put donation basket out with appropriate sign.
C OFFEE H OUR H OST
As you probably know already , we have recently switched to a new Coffee hour system where every family will host a coffee hour per year. Please see Connie Rafailedes or Michael Strong to schedule Your Sunday.
CLEAN UP Wash all dishes soiled, including coffee pots. Return sugar tray to kitchen and replenish it. Wash off hall tables and kitchen counters. Thank-You
St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church
April 2016 SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
1
2
Mary of Egypt Gerontios & Vasilides
Titus the Wonderworker Theodora of Palestine
Strict Fast Wine/Oil Allowed Fish Allowed
Vespers 5pm
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Sunday of the Holy Cross Nikitas the Confessor Joseph the Hymnographer
George of Maleon Plato the Studite
Martyrs Claudius, Diodor, Victor and Victorinus Theodora of Thessaloniki
Eutychios, Pat. of Constan. Methodius Enlightener of Slavs
Kalliopios & Akylina, Martyrs Savvas the New in Calymna
Agavos, Rouphos, Asynkritos, Phlegon, Herodion, & Hermes Rufus the Obedient
Eupsychios the Martyr Vadin the Righteous of Persian
15
16
Aristarchos, Pudens, Trophimos Thomais of Alexandria
Crescens the Martyr Leonidas, Bishop of Athens
Agape, Chionia, Irene, Martyrs
Great Canon of Andrew of Crete 6pm
Akathist Hymn 6pm
8:30 am Orthros 9:30 am Divine Liturgy
10 Sunday of St. John Climacus Terence & his Companions Gregory V. Pat. Of Constan. 8:30 am Orthros 9:30 am Divine Liturgy Catechism Class
17 Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt Symeon, Bishop of Persia Makarios, Bishop of Corinth 8:30 am Orthros 9:30 am Divine Liturgy
Great Compline 6pm
Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 6pm
11
12
Antipas, Bishop of Pergamon Pharmuthios the Anchorite
Basil the Confessor of Parium Anthoussa of Constantinople
PALM SUNDAY Elizabeth the Wonderworker Savvas the General of Rome 8:30 am Orthros 9:30 am Divine Liturgy Parish Council Meeting Bridegroom Service 7pm
Martin, Pope of Rome
Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 6pm
Great Compline 6pm
Book and Soup 7:30pm
18 John the Righteous, disciple of Gregory of Decapolis Euthemios, Enlightener of Karelia
19 Paphnoutious the Holy Martyr George the Confessor
Great Compline 6pm
20 Theodore the Trichinas Zacchaeus of Caesaria New Sound System Demo 4:45pm
14
21
22
Ianouarios and Companions Alexandra the Empress
Theodore the Sykeote Nathaniel, Luke, & Clemente
23 Lazarus Saturday Great Martyr George Orthros 8am Divine Liturgy 9am Vespers 5pm Church School Retreat 9am
Book and Soup 7:30pm
25
Vespers 5pm
Soup Supper 7pm
Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 6pm
Catechism Class
24
13
Vespers 5pm
26
27
28
29
30
Holy Monday
Holy Tuesday
Holy Wednesday
Holy Thursday
Holy Friday
Holy Saturday
Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 6am
Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 6am
Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 6am
Holy Supper Liturgy 10am
Royal Hours 9 am
Baptisms 9:00am
Bridegroom Service 7pm
Bridegroom Service 7pm
Holy Unction 6pm
Washing of the Feet Service 11:30am
Apokathelosis (Descent from the Cross) 3pm
Pre-Resurrectional Liturgy 10am
Holy Supper Matins 7:30pm
Holy Passions Service 7pm
Lamentations Service 7pm
Paschal Tide and Resurrection Service 11:30pm
S T . J OHN
THE
NONPROFIT
B APTIST
G REEK O RTHODOX C HURCH
303 Cullum Dr. Euless, TX 76040 Tel 817 283-2291 Return Service Requested
Sponsorship for This Month’s Forerunner
W E ’ R E O N T H E W E B AT HTTP:/ / STJOHNDFW. INFO
April 2016
THE FORERUNNER
Vol. XXXIII No. 4
Holy Week April 23-30 , 2016