Newsletter September 6, 2024

God and Man, Part One
To Receive the World as a Gift

Saint Sophrony, a disciple and spiritual son of Saint Silouan of Athos, is considered one of the most important theologians of the Orthodox Church in the twentieth century. Following a lecture and discussion at the University of Oxford, the moderator asked the audience: Is there a final question? One of the attendees asked Saint Sophrony: “Who is God?” He answered, “Tell me first: Who is man?”

The connection between God and man is, in fact, much deeper than one might imagine. God is not sitting far away in His heaven, watching man and what he does, like someone watching a movie on television. When God created man, He created, at the core of his being, an essential connection with him. There is nothing more evident than the constant longing for absolute fullness that transcends all limits, and ignorance of it often causes a person’s constant tension and anxiety. Thinkers ponder: Why does the mortal human being, who exists in a world where everything is fleeting, possess this unlimited longing and this dream of immortality? They consider this human aspiration towards absoluteness and perfection, in a limited and corrupt world, a sign of the existence of the Supreme Absolute, that is, God.

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Therefore, we find in Christianity, and in Orthodoxy in particular, much discussion and many living examples about those who have attained a pure and holy life, qualifying them to receive the light of the uncreated God, and subsequently experience the state of theosis (deification).

Are we surprised that philosophical movements that have “killed” God and declared atheism as their approach have returned to “crush” man? The “death of God,” is inevitably followed by the death of man. For what value does man have that distinguishes him from other beings, if he loses his connection to God and loses his inherent uniqueness in the divine image? He becomes just a number, with no unique personality, no feelings, and no special entity. He becomes just a talking animal.

Read the entire article: https://www.antiochian.org/regulararticle/2165

Professor Jim is offering and leading a class on the Old Testament Scriptures.

Reading the Old Testament with St Irenaeus (c. 130–c. 202)
Saturdays 9:30am-11:00am
September 7–November 16, 2024

If you are interested in participating in this class, please email Jim Lindsay JEL1451@gmail.com so he can send you PDFs of the course readings. All are welcome.

When receiving Holy Communion, please step right up to the chalice: right up close. I appreciate that, from humility, people stand back a bit. However, the further away from the chalice that a person stands, the more opportunity exists for me to spill as I reach from the chalice to one’s mouth. Also, just practically, when I need to extend and reach out my arms with every person, I grow weary and a bit shaky by the end. Please help me out.

While thinking about Holy Communion, please remember that there should be nothing on our lips when we receive: lip-stick, lip-gloss, chap-stick, lip-balm, etc. Anything on our lips gets onto the Communion spoon, into the chalice, and mixed with the Holy Gifts. That is not good. The Gifts should remain pure and Holy! For ourselves and for everyone who follows us in the Communion line…

Thank you!

The Parish Council has established a system for processing and receiving gifts electronically. The system accepts credit cards and bank transfers. It is run my one of the major major processors of electronic giving for non-profits. The company is called Helcim. All of the processing takes place within their system. St. James provides a link into their system and then receives the funds into our account and a report listing names and amounts. We do not see nor handle any credit card or bank account information.

There is a ‘Donate’ page listed in the menu of the website where all of the information is listed, and here is link directly to the page:
https://stjfc.org/Pages/Giving/giving.php

Thank you for your ongoing financial support of our little parish family. We hope that these new features will facilitate the giving process.

Please remember that our full calendar continues to be available at our parish web site. Here is a link:
https://stjfc.org/Pages/Calendar/calendar.php

Full schedule: https://stjfc.org/Pages/Ministries/Prosphora/Docs/prosphora sched 2024 web.pdf

Full schedule: https://stjfc.org/Pages/Ministries/Altar/Docs/epistle readers for 2024.pdf

Epistle: ST. PAUL’S LETTER TO THE GALATIANS 6:11-18

Brethren, see with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that would compel you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For even those who receive circumcision do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may glory in your flesh. But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule, upon the Israel of God. Henceforth let no man trouble me; for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.

Gospel: JOHN 3:13-17

The Lord said, “No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

The Inner Work of the Spiritual Life

Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen)

The inner work of the spiritual life is the real substance of being an Orthodox Christian. Salvation, eternal life, is about coming to know God. We can live a purely external religious life, go to church, read the prayers, fast a little, partake of the sacraments and be nice to people; this is good and may bring us to heaven. But there is far more. If we remain on the level of simply formal religion, and it does not transform our mind and our heart and does not lead us to a conscious communion with God and the saints, we are missing the full potential of Christianity. We can know all about God, but not know Him. This misses the mark!

Orthodoxy is the complete integration of the religious with the spiritual. The material religious forms support the spiritual ascent and give it expression. However, the religious forms and rules, taken in a legalistic manner, miss the whole point of the spiritual transformation because it is devoid of the dynamic of repentance. This is what the Apostle refers to as having a form of godliness but denying its power (2Tim. 3:5).

The heart of the Gospel is the process of repentance, in which we are transformed by the grace of God, purified of our sins and passions, and raised up by grace to the very throne of God and made participants of the Divine Mystery of the Kingdom. Our lives can be lived so that they parallel the Liturgy: to join the choir of the cherubim and sing the praises of God with the angels and saints, in this life and in the life to come. We can have the Liturgy perpetually going on in our hearts, in church and everywhere. We become mindful of God.

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The ancient Fathers of the Eastern Church laid out the path of spiritual ascent to maturity through ascetic practice. Most of this literature presumes a monastic context, but does not exclude those who are married with familes. What it does demand is to be able to be free of distraction to pray, and to live a disciplined life. Most Christians find themselves in the second stage, which can last a lifetime. Monastic or married, there is one spirituality for the whole church, with the same disciplines. Whatever our state of life, our lives are sanctified by grace through prayer, fasting and the reception of the Holy Mysteries. The call to perfection is to all, because that perfection of deification is given freely as a gift by God, at the Resurrection. While we will struggle in this life, we also await and anticipate that ultimate enlightenment of our souls and the transformation of our bodies when we will be raised to meet Christ as He comes again. That transformation is a gift of His love, so that when He comes, we will be like Him as He is. Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!

“Let us take refuge in the Lord, and ascend a little to the place where thoughts dry up and stirrings vanish, where memories fade away and the passions die, where human nature become serene and is transformed as it stands in the other world.” (St Isaac, v.2, X:28)

Read the entire article: https://www.patristicfaith.com/orthodox-christianity/the-inner-work-of-the-spiritual-life/