2008 december promise

8/14/2019 2008 December Promise

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THE PROMISE

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

AMessage from our Pastor.....................2Holiday Services.......................................3News & Notes...........................................5Our IOCC Project....................................6A Christmas Sermon................................7Fighting For Christ at Christmas..............8Carnival Scenes.......................................10NewMexico Travelers...........................12JOY Scenes.............................................17Kids Page................................................18A Christmas Carol.................................19December Calendar...............................20

DECEMBER 2008

GoddidnottellustofollowHimbecauseHeneededourhelp,butbecauseHeknewthatlovingHimwouldmakeuswhole.St. Irenaeus

DATES TO REMEMBER:

DECEMBER

7PARISH ASSEMBLYDECEMBER 21PARISH CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON & PROGRAM

GOYA CHRISTMAS PARTYDECEMBER 24CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT SERVICE6:30PM

DECEMBER 25FEAST OF THE NATIVITY LITURGY 9:30AMDECEMBER 31DIVINE LITURGY OF ST. BASIL

FOR THE NEW YEAR 6:30PMJANUARY 4PHILOPTOCHOS VASILOPITA

GOYA BB TOURNAMENT FEE DUE!


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These are tumultuous days. A host of fears and anxietiescontinue to seep deeper into the American psyche:

rollercoaster stock markets, bailouts, terrorism, job lossesand home foreclosures. Despite the joyful season ofChristmas that we are in, these issues are creating anundercurrent of palatable despair. Indeed there is noquestion that these issues are cause for genuine concern,the problems that confront us are very real, but as faithful

Christian men and women we can no more turn a blindeye to these serious matters than turn a deaf ear to thecalm, still voice of our Lord and our God. For the fact ofthe matter is that in spite of the trepidation that swirls allaround us, and despite the

thunderous roar of uncertainty,before His Holy Altar, we hearthe soothing voice of Godechoing from the Scripturesand telling us: Do not beafraid. For I, the Lord God

am with you.

These are notthe words of apolitician or an accountant.But this is the promise of aloving God who knows every

hair on our head, and is notindifferent towards us or ourplight. The Word of the Lordtelling His children do not beafraid has girded Christiansfor for over 2000 years, and it is this very pledge that has

comforted men and women of God since the beginningof the Old Testament. The Lord assuring mankind notto be afraid is a hallmark of His Divine Revelation andhas never been taken lightly. At all times and in all places,it has been received by people of faith as a clarion call to

not only trust Him, but whole heartedly embrace Hiseverlasting love and His strength

Now, no less than ever, the words of the Lord (do not beafraid) must be kept close to our heart and echo in ourthoughts if we are to aptly face the challenges that layahead; let alone honestly respond to God's invitation to

life in Him! It is therefore perhaps not by coincidencethat the phrase do not be afraidoccurs 365 times in theHoly Bible (once for every day of the year). This makes

THE PROMISE

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PASTORAL MESSAGE

it even more obvious that our good and gracious Lord iskeenly aware of the power of fear to limit our goodness inthe course of our life. After all, it is fear that kills hopes anddreams, just as it is fear itself that withers the flower of faith.It is fear - both real and imagined - that more often than not

prevents people from truly trusting God. In fact, our fearsare the single greatest obstacle to growing in Christ andaccomplishing the things He intends for us and His planfor the salvation of the world. Being afraid of what mightbe expected of us, not wanting to take risks, and beingshackled by the uncertainty generated by sin and evil, has

led people throughout the ages to instead invent convenientgods and create false religions.

The fact of the matter is that forus to allow fear to paralyze usand become our constant

companion, is to hand over controlof our life to it. Allowing ourfears to direct our ways and soleinform our perspective, givesthem the power to drive us awayfrom Christ. Fear will shadow us

for as long as we draw breath,this is the sad reality of living in a

world full sin and evil; but wecannot allow it to destroy us orour faith. As someone once said,Fear is a darkroom, where negatives

are developed! To which theChurch responds in no uncertain terms that the light ofChrist alone, has the power to destroy all of the negatives.

Do we fear what our future holds? Do we fear that things

are beyond our control? Do we fear the machinations ofthe financial markets? Or do we fear the scheming of Al

Qaeda?

Are we afraid of disappointing others? Are we afraid ofbeing rejected? Are we afraid of being alone? Or are we

afraid of death?

These are all natural emotions in a fallen world! But wecannot allow them to become the masters of our life, andin the process have such trepidations deny us eternal life.

(Continued on Page 4)

WHAT

DO WE

REALLY

WANT TO DO


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THE PROMISE

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PASTORS MESSAGE(Continued From Page 2)Fear is a genuine feeling; but so is the fact thatGod is withus!The Lord telling us Do not be afraid are scattered

throughout the Scriptures as 'stars' are sprinkled through-out the night sky, but these words shine only because theyare based on the truth that God is with us. In the wordsof the great prophet Isaiah, the only cure for the fever offear is the promise of the Living God who says: Do notbe afraid, I AM with you. And then as if His words werenot enough, God sent us Jesus Christ and established HisChurch - the very fulfillment of His Word.

In Christ and His Church, no matter what storms mayrage around us, we share in His love and life, and we are

thereby able to overcome any fear that intends to drownus. In Christ and His Church, come what may, we are notcrippled by fear but are made complete in Him. Indeedone could easily argue that our Orthodox Christian faithcan be surmised in one simple sentence - Do not beafraid! God love us, Christ is with us!

So as we face a new and particularly uncertain year, let

alone the remaining days of our life on earth, may thewords of Lord: Do not be afraid, for I am with you andthe reality of Jesus Christ strengthen us, support us,

embolden us and comfort us. For the only way to meetand endure all of the problems that we face is with thefaith in the Lord! The only way to balance our concerns is

by an abiding relationship with God! The only real antidote tofear is the life of Christ that His Holy Church provides. Inthe Holy Trinity, we find the Truth that alone can for-tify our sorely tested spirit. In the Lord God, we attain theconfidence needed to meet the new day. In His Church,

we behold His promises fulfilled. As St. Paul to theRomans 8:14-18: For all who are led by the Spirit of Godare sons and daughters of God. For you did not receive

the spirit of slavery in order to fear, but you have receivedthe spirit of adoption by Him who we cry out, "Abba!Father!" The Spirit himself bears witness with our spiritthat we are children of God, and if children, then heirs,

heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if we indeed suf-fer with Him, we will be glorified with Him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ God has indeed visited Hispeople, Be not afraid, God is with us!

Rev. Dr. Nicholas J. Verdaris

FOR THOSE WHO LOVE THE

BEAUTY OF HIS HOUSE

Pending the approval of

M e t r o p o l i t a n

Nicholas the

Annunciation wi

be able to continue to

enhance the beauty

of this His Church

with the purchas

of two Cross icons

to be installed with-

in the two blank

panels at the back

of the Sanctuary asone exits the Church. It is with great joy that we are

pleased to announce that these two icons have been

donated by Gordon and Martha Tyer! Our entire

Church family owe the Tyers a great debt of gratitude

for their faithful generosity above and beyond the call of

duty!

Thank You Gordon & Martha!!!

Iconographers example of the

icons that would be installed

Father Nicholas,The Parish Council,

The Annunciation Staff,and ALL of the Ministries of the

Annunciation

Wish you and yoursa Most Blessed Christmasand a Happy New Year!


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OUR STEWARDSHIPWithout the faithful dedication of the members of the

Annunciation Church family manifesting the light of

Christ in word, thought and deed, our parish would

be lost. Our goal for 2008 is $320,000 thus far ourChurch has received $190,000. We thank all those

who faithfully submitted their 2008 Stewardship Card

and hope that those who have not yet done so, will

choose to respond to the Church soon. Our annual

Stewardship commitment is tangible evidence of our

love and devotion to God and His Church, and the

fact of the matter is that each and every one of us is an

integral part of Gods plan for the Annunciation in

Little Rock. With every Church family member joy-

ously sharing a portion of their time, talent and treas-

ure with Christ at the Annunciation, we will certainlyaccomplish much to the glory of God.

Let us commit ourselves and our whole lifeto Christ our God

Please remember to submit your 2009Stewardship Commitment on Sunday,

December 21st!

UPCOMING GOYA PLANS

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7TH - after Sunday Schoolwe need to stay and help decorate the Church Hal l forChristmasduring the Parish Assembly.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21ST - Our annual ChristmasParty. Check your email for more details.

JANUARY 4TH - The travel fee for the 2009Basketball Tournament in Albuquerque, NM is dueJANUARY 15-19TH - The annualBasketballTournamentin Albuquerque , NM.

ANNUNCIATION CHRISTMAS

LUNCHEON & PROGRAM

The Annunciation will be hosting its annual Christmas

Luncheon on December 21st immediately followingthe Divine Liturgy. You & yours are warmly invited!!!

During this very special luncheon our Sunday Schoo

students will also be presenting the annual Christmas

Program - you will not want to

miss it. Rumor has it that

a very jolly fellow may

even pop in for a

visit. Please join

us!!!

Lets

Have A

Merry

Christmas

Together at

the Annunciation!

SERVICES FOR THE

FEAST OF EPIPHANY AND

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST

EVE OF EPIPHANY:Monday, January 5th -

9:30am

EPIPHANY:Tuesday, January 6th

9:30am

FEAST OF ST. JOHN:Wednesday, January 7th

- 9:30am


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A NEW YEARS PRAYER:

Let this be a year that moves us

one step closer to each other.

Let this be a year that brings us

understanding in our hearts.

Let this be a year that fills us

with a yearning, burning feeling

for peace with one another

and a oneness, Lord, with You!

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CHRISTMAS MORNING

SERMONby St. John Chrysostom

BEHOLD a new and wondrous mystery. My ears

resound to the Shepherd's song, piping no soft

melody, but chanting full forth a heavenly hymn. The

Angels sing. The Archangels blend their voice in har-

mony. The Cherubim hymn their joyful praise. The

Seraphim exalt His glory. All join to praise this holy

feast, beholding the Godhead here on earth, and man

in heaven. He Who is above, now for our redemption

dwells here below; and he that was lowly is by divine

mercy raised.

Bethlehem this day resembles heaven; hearing from

the stars the singing of angelic voices; and in place of

the sun, enfolds within itself on every side, the Sun of

justice. And ask not how: for where God wills, the

order of nature yields. For He willed, He had the

power, He descended, He redeemed; all things yield-

ed in obedience to God. This day He Who is, is

Born; and He Who is, becomes what He was not. For

when He was God, He became man; yet not depart-

ing from the Godhead that is His. Nor yet by any loss

of divinity became He man, nor through increase

became He God from man; but being the Word He

became flesh, His nature, because of impassability,

remaining unchanged.

And so the kings have come, and they have seen the

heavenly King that has come upon the earth, not

bringing with Him Angels, nor Archangels, nor

Thrones, nor Dominations, nor Powers, nor

Principalities, but, treading a new and solitary path,

He has come forth from a spotless womb.

Since this heavenly birth cannot be described, neither

does His coming amongst us in these days permit of

too curious scrutiny. Though I know that a Virgin this

day gave birth, and I believe that God was begotten

before all time, yet the manner of this generation I

have learned to venerate in silence and I accept that

this is not to be probed too curiously with wordy

speech. For with God we look not for the order of

nature, but rest our faith in the power of Him who

works.

What shall I say to you; what shall I tell you? I behold a

Mother who has brought forth; I see a Child come to

this light by birth. The manner of His conception I can-not comprehend.

Nature here rested, while the Will of God labored. O

ineffable grace! The Only Begotten, Who is before all

ages, Who cannot be touched or be perceived, Who is

simple, without body, has now put on my body, that is

visible and liable to corruption. For what reason? That

coming amongst us he may teach us, and teaching, lead

us by the hand to the things that men cannot see. For

since men believe that the eyes are more trustworthy

than the ears, they doubt of that which they do not see,and so He has deigned to show Himself in bodily pres-

ence, that He may remove all doubt.

Christ, finding the holy body and soul of the Virgin,

builds for Himself a living temple, and as He had willed,

formed there a man from the Virgin; and, putting Him

on, this day came forth; unashamed of the lowliness of

our nature'. For it was to Him no lowering to put on

what He Himself had made. Let that handiwork be for-

ever glorified, which became the cloak of its own

Creator. For as in the first creation of flesh, man could

not be made before the clay had come into His hand, so

neither could this corruptible body be glorified, until it

had first become the garment of its Maker.


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FIGHTING FOR CHRIST AT

CHRISTMAS -

COMBATING SECULARISMFr. George Morelli

Orthodox Christian parents (and all Christian parents)

are approaching the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord,

God and Savior, Jesus Christ. You would never know

this however, by watching secular media. Most in the

media see Santa and shopping as the start and end of

Christmas, now renamed as the bland and non-descript

"Holiday Season" (will it still remain a Holiday when

the Holy Day of Christmas is finally forgotten?).

Think back when poems like Clement C. Moore's "AVisit from St. Nicholas" (we know it as "Twas the Night

Before Christmas") was part of the cultural mainstream.

Today political correctness prohibits any mention of

the poem because of its implicit religious tone.

Consider just the first few verses: Twas the night

before Christmas, when all through the house, Not a

creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings

were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St.

Nicholas soon would be there. The children were nes-

tled all snug in their beds, While visions of sugar-plums

danced in their heads. Two sins against politically

correct dogma are already committed in these opening

lines. The first is the mention of the word "Christmas,"

and the second is the word "Saint." "Sugar-plums" passes

muster of course.

Sound extreme? It shouldn't. Poll children under fourteen

and see how many of them know the Christmas standards

like "Joy to the World" or "O Little Town of

Bethlehem." You will find that most don't know them

at all. They will, however, be able to sing "Rudolph the

Red Nosed Reindeer," "Jingle Bells," maybe even

"Sleigh Ride" with no problem at all. There is nothing

inherently wrong with these songs, but Christmas is

more than innocuous fun -- or so we once believed.

A "HOLIDAY" QUIZParents, take this quiz and then give it to your children:

1.) What are you thinking about, what are the "Holidayvisions" dancing in your head?

2) What are you really looking forward to as the"Holidays" are approaching?

My experience as a parish priest is that most answers

from our children would be: the toys, gadgets or clothes

they want to receive. Most adults would answer the fam-

ily meal and getting together with relatives and closefriends.

In the secular world the answers above merit an "A+." If

life has no religious dimension, if God is not a part of

personal life, then He will be abstracted from the cul-

ture as well. What then is left, except the accumulation

of more things? From a Christian perspective however

the answers merit an "F." Remember the words of

Christ: "For where your treasure is, there will your heart

be also," (Matthew. 6: 21). These words of Christ were

actually part of the "Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus expounded on what the Kingdom of God

required. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on

earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves

break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in

heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and

where thieves do not break in and steal," (Matthew 6

19-20). How far we have strayed from the teachings of

Our Lord on His Kingdom!

THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN DOMESTIC CHURCHIn Orthodox teaching, all commitment to Christ must

begin in the home. All teaching about what is the

essence of the Kingdom of God, must begin in the

home. Thus, if the handing over of Tradition begins in

the home, so does the breaking with the past that leads

to the home becomes secularized. In Orthodox

Christianity, the home is called the domestic church,

correctly implying that all Christian teaching is first cul-

tivated in the home, and then in the parish community

The conception of the domestic church arises fromhome churches of early Christianity. As Christians were

no longer welcome in the Jewish temple, they brought

vestiges of synagogue worship into their homes along

with the early prayers of the church and the Eucharist

(the structure of this early worship is still evident in the

Orthodox Divine Liturgy today). St. Paul talked about

these home churches in his epistle to the Romans,

when he said: "Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow

(Continued On Page 13)


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SUNDAY SCHOOL SCHEDULE

DEC. 21ST Christmas Program (Pre-School - 5th Grade will rehearse in the Ballroom; classes in

session for 6th - 12th Grade)

DEC. 22ND Christmas Break BeginsJAN. 4TH Classes Resume; there will be a Staff Meeting

immediately following class in the 4th-5th

grade classroom

OUTREACH COMMITTEEMEET & GREET SCHEDULE

December 7th . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Weatherly

December 14th . . . . . . . . . . . . Jarrod Russell

December 21st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike Rutter

December 28th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amy Bailey

January 4th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robin Jones

January 11th . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sharon Johnson

January 18th . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carole Hawkins

January 25th . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeannie Newton

FELLOWSHIP HOUR

NOV. 2ND NED & JOEALLEYNOV. 9TH NAIM & GHADAHADDADNOV. 16TH DUKE & JAMES NIX hosted a luncheon

in honor and memory of beloved

wife and mother, SARA NIXNOV. 23RD THEWILCOX FAMILYsponsored the

Thanksgiving Luncheon

NOV. 30TH ANNUNCIATION CHURCH FAMILY

WWE NEEDEED SPONSORSPONSORSFOROR THEHE COMINGOMING MONTHSONTHS !!!!!!

If you or your family would like to commemorate

a special event, honor the memory of a loved one

or would simply like to offer a gift to the

Annunciation family. . . you too can sponsor aFellowship Hour!

PLEASE CHECK THE BULLETINBOARD AND SIGN UP TODAY!

THEE PROMISEOMISE : JANN .20092009Please note that articles and information forthe January 2009 edition of

The Promise areduenolaterthanDecember10th!This bulletin is the primarymeans of communicationwithinourChurchfamily:

TTOGETHERGETHER ,, WEEMAKEAKE ITT SHINESHINE !!!!!!


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ACarnivalofFUN!


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THANK YOU!!!

The Annunciation Church

family extends its heart-

felt thanks to all those

who offered their time

and talent to ensure thatour annual Thanksgiving

Luncheon and Stewardship

Presentation was a won-

derful event. The abiding

manifestation of Christian

love, faithfulness and creativity always make such nice

gatherings possible. As a Church family we must also

take this opportunity to offer our profound thanks to

the Wilcox family, who in their love for the

Annunciation graciously donated the dinner so thatthe proceeds of this event may further the ministries

of this parish. United in Christ, we all give thanks to

God as His faithful servants.

HOUSE BLESSINGS!

If you would like your home to be blessed for the New

Year... this announcement is for you!As is the tradition

of the Church following the feast of Theophany,

Orthodox Christians may ask to have their homesblessed by the priest with holy water. BeginningDecember 7th and endingDecember 28th, a sign-upsheet will be posted in

Gabriel Hall for all those in

a Church family who would

like to have their home

blessed the New Year.PLEASE HELP MAKE THISENORMOUS UNDERTAKINGORDERLY BY REGISTERINGDURING THE MONTH OFDECEMBER. All those whokindly register their name by

December 28th will then be

contacted by Father Nicholas

after the feast of Epiphany

to make arrangements for a

blessing.

ATTENTION

NEW MEXICO

TRAVELERS

Please note that the final fee

for all those registered to

attend the 2009 Basketball

Tournament will be $250.

The fee includes hotel rooms for four nights, airfare

and all of our ground transportation needs. A check

made payable to the Annunciation GOYA is due nolater than Sunday, January 4th .

We shall be taking off with Southwest Airlines #898

on Thursday, January 15th @ 3:25pm and returning

on Southwest Airlines # 194 on Monday, January, 19

@ 9:40pm. Travelers, you will be getting specific

details shortly - stay tuned.

Finally, The Tournaments charity will be to support

victims of domestic violence. They are asking eachparticipant to bring a $5 or $10 gift card fromWalmart, Target or Kmart. The gift cards will becollected at Registration and presented at the Awards

Banquet to the Director of S.A.F.E. House. Learn

more about S.A.F.E. House at www.safehousenm.org.

THE ANNUNCIATIONBOOKSTORE

Looking to learn more about your OrthodoxChristian faith?

Check out the Annunciation Bookstore!

Shopping for that perfect and unique gift for

someone special?


Are you looking for a beautiful icon to adorn your

home or prayer corner?


The Annunciation Bookstore -It Has Something For Everyone!


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THE PROMISE

PAGE 13

FIGHTING FOR CHRIST

AT CHRISTMAS(Continued From Page 8)

workers in Christ Jesus ... greet also the church in their

house" (Romans 16: 3-5). To the Corinthians he wrote:

"The churches of Asia send greetings. Aquila and

Prisca together with the church in their house, send you

hearty greetings in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 16:19).

After the Roman persecution of Christians was lifted

and Christianity ceased being an outlaw religion with

Constantine's Edict of Milan in 311, Christians were

able to build their own churches. Nevertheless, the cen-

trality of family as the center of church life was main-tained. Even today the leaders of the domestic church

are the husband and wife, mother and father. The

words of Christ as recorded by St. Matthew (18:20):

"For where two or three are gathered in my name, there

am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20), are espe-

cially relevant to His presence in the domestic church.

Husbands and wives are uniquely suited and equipped

for domestic ministry. The inherent dignity and impor-

tance of the Christian parenting is revealed through a

prayer read by the priest in the Orthodox wedding servicewhen a couple is first married: "Unite them in one mind

and one flesh, and grant unto them fair children for edu-

cation in the faith and fear ..." This prayer embodies the

Christ-centered parental vocation and reveals the theo-

logical underpinnings of the domestic church.

PARENTS ARE THE LEADERS AND TEACHERS IN THEDOMESTIC CHURCH

Previously I wrote that ideally, a true Orthodox

Christian domestic church in our day should look like(but is not limited to) something like this: Jesus Christ

is at the center or hub. Husbands, and wives, as such,

and as fathers and mothers, should be the leaders of

the "church at home" in Christ's name. They should

bless one another and their children, bless the food

which is partaken, give thanksgiving for all that God has

provided (house, furnishings, etc.), thank God for

health and talents, and lead by the sanctity of their con-

duct as well as their words.

We nurture the spiritual vitality of the domestic church

in several ways. For example, parents can remember

the Feasts of the Church with prayers, and the recitation

of troparia and kontakia (special hymns used in the

Orthodox Church that explain the significance of the feast),

as well as the Epistle and Gospel readings of the day.

Daily scripture can be read and discussed. Daily

prayers, at least at morning and evening should be part

of the domestic church activities. All family members

should take part in these prayers and readings.

Following the Sign of Cross made by the father and/or

mother, each family member may take a turn reading a

line from the prayers, scripture or reading texts of the

day. The leaders of the domestic church should also be

theologians and educators of themselves and their chil-

dren imparting knowledge and practice.

THE FEAST OF THE NATIVITYThe Nativity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

How many know the full theological meaning of the

Nativity Feast? If we don't, we become susceptible the

secularizing energy (fed by a commercial spirit) of the

culture. Put another way, one of the most powerful

things we can do for our families to counter the slide

into the spiritual wasteland of the commercial culture is

to deepen our understanding about the Nativity ofChrist. Parents must teach themselves first, and then

they can teach their children.

It starts way back in Genesis. Adam and Eve were

made in God's image and called to be like Him. They

start out in Paradise with the potential of full union with

God but still experienced testing. They failed the test by

the sin of pride. They are cast out of paradise into the

world and are disordered -- inclined to sin and destined

for death. We are the offspring of Adam and partake of

these same maladies.God responded to this deep existential catastrophe in

many ways -- all leading to the Incarnation of His Son.

A signature event was the calling of Abraham (then

called Abraam) our of a land riddled with paganism

and polytheism. God made a covenant with Abraham

that made him the leader of God's people -- the people

of the First Covenant (Genesis 17) -- and the "father of

many nations."

(Continued on page 15)


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EXPLORE THE ORTHODOX

CHRISTIAN FAITH!

Sometimes we dont know when and where to ask

questions and thus we weaken our own ability to

better testify to the faith that we hold and that we

ourselves sometimes struggle to grasp. The solu-

tion? Orthodox Study Class!We will be meetingagain this month with our own Fr. Nicholas in

order to further explore our Orthodox Christian

Faith in light of the Gospel according to Matthew.

We will use the Gospel as the cornerstone of our

study, but questions and discussions will not be lim-

ited, they will be as broad as YOUwant. Anyone &Everyone are invited to attend - no previousexperience or expertise is necessary!WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3RD

AT 6:30PMThrough study and

discussion,together

we can expandour faith!

2009 ANNUNCIATION PARISHCOUNCIL ELECTION NOTICE

Elections for a position on

the Annunciation ParishCouncil will be held onSUNDAY, DECEMBER 7,2008. Please note that withfour positions on the

Parish Council available

and only four candi-

dates running, the Parish

Council election will simply take place during the

Parish Assembly on December 7th. We thank

Haitham Alley, Ron Harb, Rick Newton and EvaSargent for their continuing service.

SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION

BOARD ELECTIONS

The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church

Scholarship Foundation will conduct an election for

its Board of Trustees on Sunday, December 7, 2008

(the same day as the Parish Council elections). There

are five open positions, and each Board memberserves a two-year term. In order to serve on the

Board, you must be a member in good standing of the

Annunciation. If you have any questions about the

Scholarship Foundation, please see George Plastiras,

current president of the Board. Thank you for

considering service on the Scholarship Foundation

Board of Trustees.

THERE IS STILL TIME!

Help support the ministries of the Annunciation as well

as share your Christmas love with your Church family

by including your family name in the

ANNUNCIATION COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS CARD.For $15.00 you can sup-

port the work of the

parish and spread some

love. Sign up now, and

you can rest assured that

everyone in our Church

family receives your loving

Christmas wishes.

For further details and /or to register your name,

see Anna Clift or Eva

Sargent.

WORDS OF WISDOM:

"'There is not peace on earth,' I said

'For hate is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good will to men"

"Then pealed the bells more loud and deep

'God is not dead, nor doth He sleep,

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail

With peace on earth, good will to men.'"


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PAGE 15


CHRISTMAS(Continued From Page 13)

As the people grew in number and over the course of

centuries various prophets emerged, among themIsaiah, who said that God would send a Messiah (a

deliverer and king): Therefore the Lord himself will

give you a sign. Behold, a young woman shall conceive

and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanu-el. He

shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse

the evil and choose the good (Isaiah 7: 14-15). The

prophet described Immanu-el: "For to us a child is

born, to us a son is given; and the government will be

upon his shoulder, and his name will be called

"Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting

Father, Prince of Peace." Of the increase of his gov-

ernment and of peace there will be no end, upon the

throne of David, and over his kingdom, to establish it,

and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness

from this time forth and for evermore. The zeal of the

Lord of hosts will do this(Isaiah 9: 6-7).

The Prophet Jeremiah added: Behold, the days are

coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a

righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal

wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the

land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell

securely. And this is the name by which he will be called:

"The Lord is our righteousness" (Jeremiah 23: 5-6).

The prophet Micah told us the Messiah would be born

in Bethlehem: "But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who

are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall

come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel,

whose origin is from of old, from ancient days"

(Michah 5:2).

King and Prophet David, in his beautiful Psalm 72 fore-

told of kings bringing Jesus gifts: "Give the king thy justice,

O God, and thy righteousness to the royal son! ... may the

kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! (Psalm 72:1,10).

When Jesus was born, He took on our flesh but

remained God thereby enabling us to partake of His

nature. In his second epistle St. Peter (1: 2-4) wrote:

"May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the

knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine

power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and

godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us

to his own glory and excellence, by which he has grant-

ed to us his precious and very great promises, that

through these you may escape from the corruption that

is in the world because of passion, and become partakers

of the divine nature."

The whole life of Jesus, His teachings, the Last Supper,

Calvary, His Death and the Resurrection is tied to this.

Parents, the leaders, and teachers of the domestic

church have to work with their children to make these

connections between feasts such as the Nativity, all the

other feasts of the Church.

SOME PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONSPractical suggestions are always useful. EasternChristians are well aware that the Advent Season starts

on 15 November (about two weeks longer than Western

Christianity). Religious Western Christians have a beautiful

Advent practice: the Advent Calendar. This tradition

has and can be modified for the longer Eastern pre-

Nativity Season. One such Orthodox publication to help

in developing an Eastern Advent Calendar is by Speier

and Finley (2005). Many domestic church families will

find this book helpful in constructing an Eastern

Christian Advent Calendar. An alternative and fun project

for some families would be to modify an already existing

religious Western Advent Calendar themselves, with

added quotes, from the Old and New Testament

Scriptures such as the ones above, augmented with relevant

sections of the Nativity icon. An excellent comprehen-

sive list of general Advent resources can be accessed at:

www.goarch.org or www.antiochian.org

Family prayer time and discussion of the passages is a

beautiful way to prepare for Christ's birth. The meaning

of the gifts of given by the Magi (prophesied by Micah)

and the giving and receiving of gifts today could be one

topic addressed in the Domestic Church.

The quotes from the Church Fathers on the Feast of the

Nativity (and the other feasts of the Church), may be

especially helpful. Some parents may need a refresher

course in making such connections themselves. Ask the

religious instruction school staff or the teachers in your

parish community, or even your parish priest any questions



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CHRISTMAS(Continued From Page 15)

you may have. They may also be a wonderful source

for other discussion topics or projects.

Discussing within the domestic church how to keep

the spirit of Christmas alive throughout the year would

also be in order. Ask the children how to put into

practice the often quoted phrase: "it is better to give

than receive". This spirit goes completely against the

self-centered and materialistic culture we live in. It will

probably be an uphill battle but always point to Christ

as our model.

When gifts are received, tie this into being thankful andgiving glory to God for all things. In this guise children

can also be taught how to share what they have been

given. Sharing can start first among family members

and then extended to others.

THE JOY OF CHRISTMASIn no way do I want to take away the joy of Christmas,

especially for children. The cheer and glee on the

faces of children, when they first look at the Christmas

tree and the presents is so precious. The words of OurLord who so loved children, comes to mind: Then

children were brought to him that he might lay his

hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the

people; but Jesus said, "Let the children come to me,

and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the king-

dom of heaven." And he laid his hands on them and

went away"(Matthew 19: 13-15). The important thing

is to Christify all things. Keep Christ in Christmas. It

adds to the joy.

THE MY-WAY SECULAR HOLIDAYUnfortunately, as aggressive secularism takes hold in

the culture, families leave off the important spiritual

dimensions of family life. There are to be no mention

of Christ, no blessings or prayer, worship, praise or

thanksgiving. Names are changed ("Holiday Season"

for example) to purposely eradicated the holiness of

ancient Holy Days like Christmas from the cultural

memory.

I wonder how many secularists know that the United

States has an official legal holiday called "Christmas."

(U.S. Code TITLE 5 > PART III > Subpart E > CHAPTER

61 > SUBCHAPTER I > 6103 [http://www4.law.cor-

nell.edu/uscode/5/6103.html]). I fear a spate of apoplexy

may break among secularist if they realized it. They

would try to change Christmas to the Winter Solstice orsome such neo-pagan celebration. Ever notice how neo-

pagan terminology is perfectly fine for public use but ref-

erences to anything Christian is met with vituperation?

The evil one is alive and well.

A COURAGEOUS CHRISTIAN RESPONSENot too many years ago any public display of commitment

to Christ was considered to be spiritually inappropriate

Reticence was prescribed and any behavior short of it

was seen as hypocritical and pharisaical. This practicewas based Christ's indictment of the Pharisees: "Woe to

you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like

whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful,

but within they are full of dead men's bones and all

uncleanness"(Matthew 23: 27).

Our Holy Spiritual Father St. Peter of Damaskos

warned: Approval and gratitude, however, are due not

to the man who receives the gifts but to Him who

bestows them. ... Should such a person thank the Giver,

he does so in the same way as the Pharisee in theGospel, and ways to himself, 'I thank Thee, O God that

I am not like other men' (Luke 18: 11). The Evangelist

-- or, rather, God, who know men's hearts -- was right to

say that he spoke "to himself," for the Pharisee was not

speaking to God .. God knew his self-applauding soul...

(Philokalia, III).

Today, publicly acknowledging being a follower of

Christ is considered socially and politically despicable.

While martyrdom in today's society is not physical, to

witness Christ is to suffer psychological and social torture. True Christians are assailed, laughed at, mocked,

reviled, verbally defied, and the brunt of scatological

humor.

The root of the word "witness" is from the Greek word

martaria. Thus to be a modern martyr for Christ is sim-

ply to declare oneself to be His follower and stand up

for His teaching.



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Giddy-UpJOY!


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A PAGE FOR KIDS...

PAGE 18


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THE PROMISE

FIGHTING FOR CHRIST ATCHRISTMAS(Continued From Page 16)How do we witness for Christ? We can put a Nativity

Scene on lawns or windows, as to be able to be seen bypassersby. We could wear a Christ-birth centered pin on

our clothes. When someone greets us with "Happy

Holidays" we could answer: "Indeed Christ is Born - Glorify

Him (the standard greeting in Orthodox countries). We

could start out a meeting with others with a similar state-

ment: Have a glorious Feast of Christ's-birth some may not

know the meaning of the word 'Nativity' -- 'Christ's birth' is

a phrase that should be understood by all). Children could

be greeted with a phrase like: "Happy birthday Jesus."

Finally, let's bring back "Merry Christmas!"

During a meal with family, friends, or acquaintances,

one can say I would like to say prayer or blessing (this

can be done throughout the year). Among non-

Christians, or un-Churched people a simple statement

can be very powerful: "I would just like to call to mind

the birth of my Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ --

blessings to all." Among those who are committed

Christians, of course, recall of one of the scriptural passages

referring to Our Lord's birth can be recited and a more

direct prayer can be prayed.

A personal rule of life I have adopted during this

Nativity season is that I let no secular greeting by any-

one go unanswered. My responses to secular greetings

are given in charity but I too want to witness to Our

Lord's Birth: CHRIST IS BORN! GLORIFY HIM!

A CHRISTMAS CAROL EXPLAINED

Ever wonder what in the world

do leaping lords, French hens

swimming swans, and especially

the partridge who won't comeout of the pear tree have to do

with Christmas? Well, the beloved

Twelve Days of Christmas carol

in fact has an interesting history

and a powerful hidden Christian message.

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England

were not permitted to practice their faith openly. As a

result someone during that era wrote this carol as a way

to teach the principles of the Christian faith. Each elemen

in the carol has a code word for a religious reality, thateven a child could learn, remember and love.

> THE PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE was Jesus Christ.> TWO TURTLEDOVES were the Old and NewTestaments.

> THREE FRENCH HENS stood for faith, hope and love.> THE FOUR CALLING BIRDS were the four gospels ofMatthew, Mark, Luke & John.

> THE FIVE GOLDEN RINGS recalled the Torah or Law,the first five books of the Old Testament.

> THE SIX GEESE A-LAYING stood for the six days ofcreation.> SEVEN SWANS A-SWIMMING represented the sevenfoldgifts of the Holy Spirit:

Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation,Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

> THE EIGHT MAIDS A-MILKING were the eight beatitudes.> NINE LADIES DANCING were the nine fruits of theHoly Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness,

Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

> THE TEN LORDS A-LEAPING were the ten commandments.> THE ELEVEN PIPERS PIPING stood for the eleven faithfuldisciples.> THE TWELVE DRUMMERS DRUMMING symbolized thetwelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So the next time you sing this carol or hear it performed

you now know r o t s

2008 december promise

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