Selected Articles
The Orthodox Church has a long history of
mission activity in the world and has been strongest when active in mission
work. Mission-minded parishes instill the importance of mission in their
parishioners, sending them on Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC)
sponsored short-term missions as well as mission trips to Guatemala and Project
Mexico. People return from these mission trips forever changed by the
experience.Overseas Missions & Local Outreach: Two Sides of the Same Coin
The Universe is Our Parish
St. John Chrysostom preached, "There are two kinds of bishops. One bishop is a pastor who says, 'My parish is my universe.' While the other bishop says, 'The universe is my parish.'"
One of the most common, yet subtle, dangers - I may even say heresies - that has plagued the people of God from the time of ancient Israel until today, is the illness of parochialism in its individual and communal forms. "My parish is my universe" is what so many faithful still believe today.
Instead of a worldview where God the Creator is at the center, a view where all creation points to God and gives Him glory, slowly the ego - whether the individual ego: I, me, my, mine; or the communal ego: my people, my parish, my language, my culture - gradually takes over and this self-centered mentality distorts an authentic Orthodox worldview.
Our Triune God has a love and vision for all.
The Life Saving Station
On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occur there was once a crude little lifesaving station. The building was just a hut, and there was only one boat, but the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the sea, and with no thought of themselves went out day and night tirelessly searching for the lost. Many lives were saved by this wonderful little station, so that it became famous. Some of those who were saved, and various others in the surrounding area, wanted to become associated with the station and give of their time and money and effort for the support of its work. New boats were bought and new crews trained. The little lifesaving station grew.
Some of the members of the lifesaving station were unhappy that the building was so crude and poorly equipped. They felt that a more comfortable place should be provided as the first refuge of those saved from the sea.
Sharing the Story
There is a famous story which tells how our Lord Jesus Christ returned to glory following His Passion and Resurrection, still bearing the marks of His suffering. One of the angels looked at the Lord and said, "You must have suffered terribly down there. Does the world know what you did for it? Do they all understand how great your love is for them?"
"No," Jesus responded, "Not yet. Only a handful of people, my followers in Palestine, know about my divine love and works of salvation."
The angel seemed perplexed, "Well, what have you done to ensure that all people throughout the world will hear about You?"
Christ confidently responded "I commanded my disciples, Peter and Paul, James and John, and the others to make it their business to share the Good News.
An Orthodox Approach to "Politics"
The following reflection summarizes what might be referred to as an Orthodox Christian approach to politics. It is excerpted from the book: Towards Authentic Christian Spirituality, by Metropolitan Emilianos Timiadis (Holy Cross Orthodox Press, pages 104-107).
History is not determined by economic forces alone. It is open to the influence of and the inspired action of godly men and women. Transfiguring society is our task. We live in an age of accelerating change, yet most changes seem only to make our problems more complex. What is needed is a metamorphosis in the human spirit,...
We believe our Faith manifested in a living spirituality encompasses all sectors of human life. Nothing is excluded or irrelevant. If we are intelligent and inventive, it is because God has given us this power.