Palm Sunday 2011 Sermon
You Are the Mission!
Sometimes, we hear of people asking when someone is planning on starting an Orthodox Church in their area. People have moved to areas where there is no existing parish, and naturally they begin to miss the liturgies and events that keep them connected to the Christian life. The Internet has done a great service in allowing people to stay better connected, and there is now a great deal of multimedia available for people to hear sermons, listen to hymns, read spiritual literature, and keep in contact with other Orthodox Christians. However, it cannot replace face-to-face contact and public, corporate liturgical worship.
Perhaps you are someone who is wondering when someone will be starting an Orthodox Church in your town or county? Have you considered that you might be the one called to start the mission? It is not as complicated as you might imagine, although it certainly does take considerable effort (what in life that is worth doing does not, however?) You are not alone, and please contact us if you have any questions about how you might become an Orthodox mission planter. In the meantime, make sure you are doing everything possible to prepare yourself; read the Scriptures daily, pray daily, keep the fasts of the Church, and be the light of Christ to all who know you. That is the best foundation you can lay for Orthodoxy to take root in your home area!
Our Prayers After Saturday’s Storms
Those who have suffered due to the storms that passed through the area on April 16, 2011 are in our prayers. If you are in need of clothing, we have clothing available through Nativity of the Holy Theotokos Church. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
For those who have died, we pray that Christ God forgive them their sins and grant them rest in the place where the just repose.
An Orthodox Church in Wilson, NC
Wilson, NC
Wilson, North Carolina is a town of approximately 50,000 people located approximately at the intersection of Interstate 95 and US 264; approximately 45 minutes east of Raleigh, and 45 minutes west of Greenville.
One of the chanters at St. Mark the Evangelist Orthodox Mission Church in Raleigh is a native of Wilson, and he and Fr. Anastasios have stopped on many occasions to fill up on gas, see the sights, and eat at Parker’s Barbecue (so should you–Parker’s is amazing!), while driving between Raleigh and our Greenville, NC Orthodox Church, Nativity of the Holy Theotokos.
Every time they drive by Wilson, Father Anastasios prays for the people there that someone will discover the Orthodox faith and contact us. One vision of how this might work would be that the first few families could attend liturgy in Greenville as often as possible, and the other weekends hold reader’s services (services led by laypeople in the absence of a priest) the other weekends. Occasionally, Fr. Anastasios could stop by on his way back from Greenville and give a talk. This would help the Greenville parish, by increasing attendance, and it would plant the seeds for a parish to be formed in Wilson proper as God wills. We find that when people step out in faith, God sets the ball rolling in gloriously unexpected ways. Of course, we are open to whatever may unfold.
Do you live in Wilson, North Carolina? Are you beginning to learn about the Orthodox Christian faith, which is the original and true Church of Jesus Christ? Then don’t hesitate to contact us, and get involved today!
The interior of the current location of Nativity of the Holy Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church in Greenville, NC
Nativity of the Holy Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church in Greenville, North Carolina held its first services on Saturday, September 7/20, 2008: Vespers for our patronal feastday, the birthday of the Virgin Mary. But how did it all come together?
Back in March of 2008, the Tourlitis family found Anastasios Hudson via the Metropolis of America’s website. Anastasios and his wife were the founders of an Orthodox Christian Mission in Raleigh, which at that time did not have a regular priest. Reader’s services were being held weekly for a small group of faithful. The Tourlitis and Hudson families met in Wilson, North Carolina at a restaurant one Saturday in order to talk about the possibility of founding a similar mission in Greenville.
Fr. Anastasios Hudson Ordained, June 2008
The meeting really was a meeting of the minds; both families were completely on the same page and that was evident from day one. Anastasios spoke with Metropolitan Pavlos, the diocesan bishop, about the situation, and he decided to ordain Anastasios a priest in order to serve both missions. On Pascha, April 13/26, 2008, Anastasios was made a deacon, and on the Sunday of All Saints, June 9/22, 2008, Deacon Anastasios was made a priest. The Tourlitis family was able to attend the priestly ordination and receive the blessing of His Eminence in order to proceed.
Fellowship After First Liturgy, September 2008
A great boon to the project occurred that very same week, when a property on Avon Road became available for use by the new Church. Tony Tourlitis transformed the existing home into a Church over the next two months, a labor of great love. On July 20/August 2, 2008, Fr. Anastasios performed an agiasmo (water blessing) on the new property, and thus by September 7/20, services were ready to begin. At this service, another local family, not even Orthodox, were invited to attend, and became regular members of the parish.
Such is missions work; two dedicated families came together following the call of God, and were able to accomplish so much in a few short months. Three years later, the mission has grown, moved to a new, larger location, and continued to witness the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ to the people of Greenville and surrounding areas.
We welcome you to join us in our work; whether you live in Greenville or another area of Eastern Carolina, we would love to hear from you.
Sunday of the Holy Cross Sermon 2011
Our first mission plant in the region is Nativity of the Holy Theotokos, a Greek Orthodox Church in Greenville, North Carolina. Currently, the mission is growing steadily and we hope to attain full parish status in a few years. Members and regular visitors come from all over Eastern Carolina to attend worship: Greenville, Blounts Creek, Washington, New Bern, Kinston, Belhaven, etc. Some drive 70 miles each way every week in order to participate!
We hope that just as Nativity of the Holy Theotokos was planted with help from members of St. Mark the Evangelist Orthodox Church in Raleigh, our parish will one day soon be able to branch out through its diverse members and plant missions in other areas of Eastern Carolina in order to further the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and spread knowledge of His Holy Church, the Orthodox Christian Church.
We are painfully aware of the lack of an Orthodox Christian presence in Rocky Mount, Wilson, Goldsboro, and other parts of our state. While we are small, God has already accomplished so much through us; we have faith that as interested parties arise in these other areas, they will be called to join us in our work, initially making the sacrifice of driving to Greenville as often as possible, and then one day working with us to open a mission in their area.
Sunday of Orthodoxy Sermon 2011
The Sign of the Cross
Dear Friends in Christ,
I’m writing this message the week before the Third Sunday of Lent, when we commemorate the Holy Cross. The Holy Cross has such an important meaning to us, that we celebrate it twice a year. Back in September’s bulletin, I wrote about the appearances of the Cross in history. Appearances of the Cross led to such miracles as the conversion of the Emperor St. Constantine in AD 312. Since we’ve so recently covered the appearances of the Cross, I would like to take this opportunity to speak about a related subject, namely, the Sign of the Cross.
Humans seem to have a natural desire to identify themselves as part of a group. One of the ways that members of a group identify themselves to one another, and cement their ties, is by the use of signs. A well-executed performance elicits a thumbs-up, the peace sign became a symbol of a generation opposed to war, and a certain obscene gesture can be used to insult others. The handshake is used to greet and to seal a deal, and a salute is used to show obedience to a superior.
Icons and Informality
Dear Friends in Christ,
Oftentimes, one of the first things that our Non-Orthodox friends notice when they enter an Orthodox Church are the icons. Icons are pictures of Christ, His Mother, and the saints, which are hung or painted directly onto the walls of our churches and monasteries. They are often called “windows into Heaven.” How often do we think about them more deeply, though? Icons are one of those things that just make our faith more “real” (by real, of course, I mean tangible), and yet isn’t it remarkable that that which is “down-to-earth” succeeds in becoming a “window into Heaven”? Icons also are essential in our modern times to counteract the culture of over-informality and reintroduce reverence and awe.
