Tag: Pastoral Notes

Dear Friends in Christ, Summer is here again, but was there really a Spring this year in North Carolina?! We’ve all been trying to cope with the heat in various ways. I’m certainly thankful that our Church building has great air conditioning, especially when I serve the liturgy wearing several layers of vestments! With summer… Continue reading The Holy Apostles in History

Dear Friends in Christ, Have you ever noticed that it is easier to organize someone else’s space than your own? I remember when I was in college, I needed a part-time job. I had formerly worked in a customer-service role, and was eager to find something that didn’t require being in front of dozens of… Continue reading Ordering Our Lives with the Saints

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… Continue reading The Sign of the Cross

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.”… Continue reading Icons and Informality

Dear Friends in Christ, Lent begins this year on Monday, March 7 (n.s.), and Pascha will occur on Sunday, April 24 (n.s.). The Church gives us forty-seven days to reflect and renew our lives and our commitment to Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ. The saying, “you get out what you put in to… Continue reading Pre-Lenten Spiritual Sticky Notes

Dear Friends in Christ, I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year! Given the snow event, we had to cancel liturgy on Sunday, December 26, and so I decided to hold a Vespers service Friday night so we could start off our New Year with prayer and meet together for our customary… Continue reading Shedding Light on Our Fears

Dear Friends in Christ, Owing to the computer crash last month, the bulletin was not sent out, which also meant I missed being able to send out a reflection. We’ve had a lot happen since then; our regular Divine Liturgies, the celebration of our second anniversary, the Ohi Day Lecture of Dr. Papalas, and of… Continue reading What’s the Maximum I Have to Do?

Dear Friends in Christ, During September, we celebrated our parish feast day, and a few days later, we celebrated the Holy Cross. We recalled the birth of the Virgin Mary, a miracle in and of itself, as her parents had been unable to conceive until they besought God powerfully in prayer, and then in a… Continue reading The Holy Cross

Dear Friends in Christ, Fellowship After Our First Orthodox Liturgy in Greenville, NC, 2008 September 21 will mark the second year anniversary of the first liturgy at our mission parish, Nativity of the Holy Theotokos in Greenville! Eastern Carolina is a place where Orthodox Christianity is not familiar to most, and as such founding our… Continue reading Second Anniversary