The Orthodox Messenger
Vol. IV, No. 48 – Sunday, November 27, 2005

Christ the Savior Greek Orthodox Church - Presentation of Christ at the Temple

The Hellenic Orthodox Mission of Hernando County, Florida - “A Pan-Orthodox Christian Community”

Ecumenical Patriarchate + Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America + Metropolis of Atlanta

13460 Olympic Village Lane, Brooksville, FL -  (352) 796-8482

Website: http://orthodoxhernandocountyfl.org

Fr. Stanley S. Harakas,  Th.D. D.D., (352) 688-2382; Cell (352) 263-3005; Fax (352) 688-9846; Email: Rharakas@aol.com

“STEWARDSHIP – Being Rich Toward God”

ere at Christ the Savior Church we are preparing ourselves to make our annual “Declaration of Intention” to support our church and its ministries on the first Sunday of December, Dec. 4.

   The whole Stewardship approach to being an Orthodox Christian  makes us reflect and pray about our relationship with Christ’s Church and it requires that we set priorities in our lives.

   The parable of the Rich Man helps us understand the Stewardship way of life. It begins: "The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully.

    America is known as the land of plenty. Compared with 9/10ths of the world nearly all Americans are “rich” – Some more than others. If you have a roof over your head; food on the table; time to enjoy some recreation; clothing to choose from; an auto to drive; resources to eat out you are in comparison, “rich.” That means that you have some surplus income -some level of wealth. Nearly all of us are like the rich man of the parable.

   So, the Rich Man wondered what he would do with his extra wealth, and he decided to build bigger storehouse to for his grain and goods.  What the rich man did was both right. Any measure of wealth requires thought and reflection about what we will do with it. The same is true of us. We have to think and consider what we will do with our surplus time, talents and treasure. That is where we are now in our Stewardship Drive for 2006. All of us should be like the Rich Man of the parable: We ought to think: “What shall we do?

  The Parable Jesus told tells us what the man thought “I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.' His decision was focused only on himself, his pleasure and his comfort. It was focused on living the good materialistic life just for himself. Totally absent from his thoughts are his relationship with God and his fellow human beings. Only himself; only his comfort; only his pleasure, concerned him. Notice also, that he thought about his time and how he was going to occupy it. He figured he had a lot of time in front of him – “many years!  And he decides how he is going to spend it – in luxurious, pleasure seeking.

   Right now we are in exactly the same position. We are more or less seriously thinking about our Declaration of Intention for 2006. Up to this point Jesus has focused on the process and decision this man made. But now, something important happens. The parable’s focus changes. It is no longer about what the Rich Man did, but on how God responds to his thinking and decision-making! Hear what God says about that decision! “God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?  The Lord sure doesn’t like the decision that this Rich Man made!  He calls him a Fool! Why?  Because in the light of eternity, his decision is short-sighted and counter productive, and will bring him much more harm than good!

   God grant, that we will not be required to give up our soul tonight or on the night of December 4, or any time soon, but what we decide about our Stewardship will either characterize us a wise or foolish. Sooner or later we will stand before the Lord and give an account of our lives. And one of the things we will have to justify before God is how we spent our Time, Talents and Treasure.

   It is now, here in this life, that we prepare the answer to that question. What was our guideline in deciding, just like the Rich Man, what we will do with our Time, Talent and Treasure that God has granted to us? That is the question that we will face on that day!

   Jesus then gives us the standard, the measure, the criterion for deciding just how we should think about our Stewardship of Time, Talent and Treasure. He says: ' So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

   What he points to is that giving of our Time, Talent and Treasure to only satisfy ourselves, our immediate and self-contained interests will not get us very far into the Kingdom of God. If we limit ourselves with our surplus Time, Talent and Treasure to our immediate personal concerns we are “laying up treasure for ourselves,” and ourselves only. We are “rich,” for ourselves, but we are not “rich toward God.”

   So that is the question we must put before ourselves this week before Stewardship Sunday: “How must we think and decide so that we might become “rich toward God?”

We have to be thinking about what God wants us to do.

    Do you think God wants you to give just a tiny sliver of your Time, Talent and Treasure to Him and to His Church? Or do you think that God wants you to be generous in your giving of Time, Talent and Treasure to His Church and His work that is done there?

    All you have is from God and you need to return a goodly portion of it to Him in worship and in service to His Church and to others. Then you become “Rich toward God.”

   Of course, all giving in Stewardship is proportional. Of him, the Bible says, who has little, little is asked. But of him who has much, much is asked. But you must decide. No one will tell you. It is up to you and you only whether in God’s judgment for eternity, you will be a “fool” or you will be “Rich toward God.” So listen! Pay attention to what the Lord is saying to you! As he said these things, he cried out: "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

STEWARDSHIP 2006 - “BEARING FRUIT: WITNESS AND SERVICE”

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 the Saint

   (Read) Your Martyr, O Lord, / was worthily awarded by You / the crown of incorruption, 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 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 Greek by Leaders)

   (Read) Today the Virgin cometh / to the cave to give birth / in an ineffable manner / to the Word before all ages. Therefor, 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 – Ephesians 2:4-10 (23rd Sunday)

rethren, God who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God: not because of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

GOSPEL – Luke 18:18-27 (13th Luke)

t that time, a ruler came to Jesus and asked him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.' " And he said, "All these I have observed from my youth." And when Jesus heard it, he said to him, "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." But when he heard this he became sad, for he was very rich. Jesus looking at him said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Those who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?" But he said, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

   FOR THE RECORD: November 20, 2005: Attendance 51; Stewardship $252; Candles  $58; Visitors' Offering:  $250; Building Fund Tray $315; Garage Sale $15; Many thanks!

THE DINO ADAMIS PHILANTHROPIC FUND TRAY WILL BE PASSED TODAY

   PROSFORON BAKERS: Bette Ferierro 11/27; George Nikas 12/4; Connie Mourgides 12/6 (St. Nicholas); Presbytera Emily Harakas 12/11; Argiris & Carol Gymnaos 12/18; Fran Triantafilon 12/24 (Saturday before Christmas); Helen Nicolelis 12/25 (Christmas); To bake Prosforon, call George Nikas.

   CONFESSIONS: Saturday, December 3 in the Chapel, 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

   SHRIMP LUNCHEON, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11 following Services. Return your ticket money by December 5 to reserve your meals! Adults $10, Children 6-12 $5. Children 5 and under are free. Co-chairs Bette Ferriero 597-4571, Theodora Halvatzes 683-2635. Come and enjoy a delicious fresh Gulf shrimp, cooked the Greek way!

   COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS CARD last day for names, Sunday December. 4. Kara Hazivasilis, Chair. Send your greetings to all our fellow Stewards and Parish Friends!

                                                            COME TO CHURCH!

CHRIST THE SAVIOR

GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

P.O. BOX 5566

SPRING HILL, FL 34611

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Ecumenical Patriarchate + Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America + Diocese of Atlanta