Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Living and praying together

Glory to Jesus Christ!


My Friends in Christ,

Living in a pluralistic culture poses many challenges for Orthodox
Christians. Not the least of these challenges is the need to know and live
the Christian life. Like Christians of the first three centuries Orthodox
living in America are faced with seemingly endless paths and opinions that
demand a response by our relationship to the Church and therefore our
relationship to Christ.

It is the Church¹s relationship to Christ nurtured by mutual love lived out
in prayer, asceticism, study and sacramental life that provides the
foundation upon which it can stand as a witness to the transfiguring truth
of the Gospel. Tragically, however, many Christians in America are informed
by a message that often conforms to a particular ideology not necessarily in
harmony with the living Word of God. The result is that many Christians are
driven from the Church and Christ¹s saving message. Christians must be
committed to knowing and living the faith, if not, then the Spirit of God
has no place to dwell, the work of Christ is restrained and Christianity is
reduced to a gathering of those living beneath the shadow of the law rather
than those living and growing by grace and faith.

It is not unusual for Christians to think that following Christ is a private
affair. American individualism certainly supports this understanding. Yet,
Christianity is an ecclesial and therefore a communal reality. The new life
in Christ is offered to the world through the worshipping community. But if
there is no commitment or only minimal commitment on the part of Orthodox
Christians to worship communally how will the work of Christ continue? How
will new life be proclaimed, revealed and shared? Indeed, how will
Christians be able to live in the world if they do not pray together?

We invite you to join us for the Divine Liturgy every Sunday starting at 10
AM with fellowship and lunch following. Evening Prayers are celebrated on
Wednesdays at 6 PM. Morning prayers are offered on Wednesday at 10 AM. And
on Monday through Thursday at 12 Noon there is a prayer service for peace
and healing. Come join our community.

Yours in Christ,

Father Theodosius

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