“STEWARDSHIP SUNDAY – DEC. 4”

STEWARDSHIP 2006

“BEARING FRUIT: WITNESS AND SERVICE”

   Today is “Stewardship Sunday” at Christ the Savior Church. St. John Chrysostom 16 centuries ago wrote about Stewardship.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”

he art of being poor in spirit is to distinguish between use and ownership. A person who owns something or regards himself as owner - believes he has the sole right to determine how that thing is used. He may use it himself or authorize another person to use it. But this sense of ownership is a terrible snare, because it prevents a person's soul from marching onward to God. The person who wishes to move toward God must free himself from all sense of ownership. He must regard all things as loans from God, even the things which he himself owns. A loan is to be used for a period, and then paid back. This is precisely how we should regard our houses and fields, clothes and furniture; they are loans which God grants us for our short span on earth, to be repaid at the moment of death. To be poor in spirit does not mean to be destitute, lacking in even the basic comforts and necessities. It means to regard nothing as your own, and everything you have as a temporary loan. 

Stewardship Is Accountability to God

   In every local church congregation we appoint stewards. The stewards have charge of the material possessions of the Christian community. The money which people give is held by the stewards, who dispense it to those in need. The stewards own nothing themselves; nor do they have any independent power. The money they hold is the property of the community; in dispensing that money they must conform to the principles laid down by the community; and in enacting those policies they are answerable to the community. If a steward fails to discharge his duties to the satisfaction of the community, the community may dismiss him and appoint someone else in his place. All this is well understood by every member of a congregation. In the same way) each one of us is the steward of the gifts which God has bestowed, both our material wealth and our natural abilities. We do not own those gifts; they belong to God. They are to be used according to the principles which God has laid down. And each one of us is answerable to God as to whether those principles have been followed. If we fail to use our gifts rightly, he may take them away from us; but more likely he will call us to account after death. 

Service Hours: Sundays and Feast Days: Orthros at 9:30 am; Divine Liturgy at 10:00 am

Evening Services as Announced

13th SUNDAY OF LUKE

GOSPEL ENTRANCE AND OTHER HYMNS

Dismissal Hymn - 2nd  Plagal  Tone

   (Sing in Greek before the Entrance) ("Angelike dynameis"). Hymnal,  86-87.

   (Sing in English after the Entrance) ("The Angelic Powers "). (Same).

Dismissal Hymn of Saint Barbara

   (Read) Your Martyr, O Lord, / was worthily awarded by You / the crown of in-corruption, in that he contested for you, our Immortal God. /  Since he possessed Your power, he defeated the tyrants, / dashing the demons’ powerless displays of defiance. / O Christ God, at his fervent entreaties, save our souls.

Dismissal Hymn of St. John of Damascus

   (Read) Guide of Orthodoxy / and a sacred teacher of piety and decorum, / luminary of the world, / and God-inspired adornment of monastics, / O wise John, the Spirit’s harp. / By your teachings you enlighten us all. / Intercede with Christ our God / for the salvation of our suls

Dismissal Hymn of the Presentation of Christ - (Sing) From the sheet in the pew.

   (Text): “Hail, O Mother of God, Virgin full of Grace. Through you did arise the Sun of righteousness, Christ our God, enlightening those in darkness. And you made glad righteous Elder Simeon, receiving and embracing the liberation of our souls; also giving to us the resurrection.”

Pre-Nativity Kontakion “E Parthenos Semeron”  (Sung in English by Leaders)

   (Text) Today the Virgin cometh / to the cave to give birth / in an ineffable manner / to the Word before all ages. / Therefore, rejoice O universe, / when thou hearest, / Glorify, with the Angels and the shepherds, / Him who shall appear as a new Babe; / appear as God before the Ages.

                        Return to p. 26 of the Hymnal, to sing “Holy God . . . .”

   EPISTLE – Galatians 3:23-4:5-10 (St. Barbara) + Brethren, now before faith came, we were confined under the law, kept under restraint until faith should be revealed. So that the law was our custodian until Christ came, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a custodian; for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no better than a slave, though he is the owner of all the estate; but he is under guardians and trustees until the date set by the father. So with us; when we were children, we were slaves to the elemental  spirits of the universe.  But  when  the time had fully come,  God  sent forth his Son, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
 

Gospel – Luke 13:10-17  (10th Sunday of Luke)

At that time, Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your infirmity." And he laid his hands upon her, and immediately she was made straight, and she praised God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the sabbath, said to the people, "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be healed, and not on the sabbath day." Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?" As he said this, all his adversaries were put to shame; and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.