[ Archive for the 'Looking East' Category ]
Posted by JohnS (November 18, 2007 at 6:44 am)
Over a year ago I was in a Borders Bookstore perusing books in the theology section. I encountered a Dutch Reformed minister and his seminarian son. We had a wonderful conversation about contemporary culture, the Church Fathers and the domestic church. The minister had just published a new book on home discipleship Christianity, which I might add is a very interesting read. He gave me several copies of his self-published book. In fact, he had several cases of the book in the trunk of his car. My only regret is that I had nothing in print to offer him in return.
This experience has turned over in my mind multiple times in the past year. The power of personal Christian witness and encounter is intense. When personal encounter is married to the printed word it is perhaps doubly effective.
The Antiochian Orthodox Church (AOC) has a wonderful ministry called Conciliar Press. It’s roots run back to the Evangelicals like Father Peter Gillchrist who heeded the call to return to their “roots in historic Christianity once … again.” Conciliar Press began with the publication of their newspaper, which is now a magazine by the same title … AGAIN.
Sayidna Philip gave the the newly Chrismated Evangelical Orthodox the task of bringing the story of ancient Christianity to the modern world. Sounds like the New Evangelization to me. Thus, Conciliar Press was born.
As the Conciliar Press website notes they “now produce two quarterly magazines, dozens of books by the best writers in American Orthodoxy, icons, cards, and more. Conciliar Press is the primary distributor of the New Testament Orthodox Study Bible, and will begin distributing in early 2008 the Old Testament Orthodox Study Bible, published by Thomas Nelson.”
I might also add that Conciliar Press recently combined its evangelical efforts with the equally excellent Ancient Faith Radio internet-base station.
About a dozen years ago I started purchasing high-quality icons from Conciliar Press. I now have many of their fine books in my personal library. Moreover, I recenlty subscribed to AGAIN magazine.
The AOC is effectively using both print and web – New Evangelization media – to bring Christ to the modern world. There is something here to learn for Byzantine Catholics. Some thoughts on that next.
Posted by JohnS (November 17, 2007 at 3:08 pm)
Recently the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma hosted “All Things New.” It was promoted as an effort to renew the church. It made me recall another effort to renew the Byzantine Catholic Church that was held in Whiting, Ind., in August of 2005. Laity, clergy and monastics gathered to seek ways to renew the Church and inspire some vital evangelical fervor to the mix. The brainstorming of the day yielded some wonderful ideas to recover our patrimony and bring it to the world.
In business we often benchmark ourselves against other companies. This enables a company to check its course against that of another “similar” ship. Interesting ideas often emerge that can propel a company forward and bring a new sense of excitement and purpose to the journey.
I find the Antiochian Orthodox Church (AOC) fascinating on multiple fronts. Almost a dozen years ago, I picked up Becoming Orthodox by Father Peter Gilchrist. (I must confess that Father Peter is now my scripture professor). The book relates the tale of how thousands of evangelicals turned to Holy Orthodoxy. The AOC has been especially welcoming to the evangelicals; in fact more than 80% of their clergy are now converts.
As John G’s witty post above notes, the AOC has established 54 full parishes, 37 new missions, and 13 mission projects since 1988. Glory to God for all good things! Now why is the AOC growing, evangelizing and executing their mission to bring Orthodoxy to America? Clearly His Grace, Sayidna PHILIP (Saliba) has been an excellent shepherd of his flock. His charisma reminds me of St. John Paul II of blessed memory. John Paul II often spoke of the New Evangelization. I believe that Sayidna PHILIP has been engaged in the New Evangelization since his consecration as Metroplitan of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America in 1966. For more than fourty years the Holy Spirit has been steering his episcopate. And the results … well, let’s just say they are mosting inspiring. More on that in my next post.
Posted by Carson (July 9, 2006 at 3:52 pm)
Your Pilgrimage of a Lifetime to the Holy Land awaits you on May 28-June 6, 2007.
Fred and Carol Conger from Educational Opportunities will be at Annunciation of the Mother of God BC Church following Divine Liturgy on Sunday July 30, 2006 to share all of the details of this wonderful trip hosted by Carson and Christine Lauffer of our parish. If you cannot come to the event please contact Carson Lauffer.
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Posted by JohnS (June 3, 2006 at 6:18 am)
A group of Byzantine Catholic men (and sometimes even a few women) have been gathering for over a year now to read and discuss the Fathers of the Church. The idea was born in 2004 during a Theology of the Body retreat for men at our parish. We’ve wrestled with some of the letters of St. Basil, ascended Sinai with St. Gregory of Nyssa in the Life of Moses, and perused the Theological Orations of St. Gregory the Theologian. We also tackled St. Athanasius’ magnum opus, On the Incarnation. Now, we’re reading Saint Irenaeus of Lyons — a disciple of the brutally martyred St. Polycarp, who was in turn a disciple of St. John the Theologian.
The call to rediscover the Church Fathers is not a new one. John Paul the Great, of blessed memory, noted in his Apostolic Letter Orientale Lumen, which was promulgated on 2 May 1995, “Therefore, it is earnestly recommended that Catholics avail themselves more often of the spiritual riches of the Eastern Fathers which lift up the whole man to the contemplation of the divine mysteries.” His Holiness Benedict XVI is a well-known patristics scholar.
For Byzantine Catholics, a rediscovery and living experience of the Church Fathers is key to configuring our Church more closely to Christ. Up next: The Fathers, Beer and a good meal. Now, who would want to miss that?
Posted by Gordo (May 12, 2006 at 11:00 pm)
GLORY TO JESUS CHRIST!
My real and blog name is Gordo - aka “ebed melech” (Hebrew for “the King’s servant”) in the byzcath.org world. I’m an Orthodox Christian in union with Rome and I’m committed to finding ways to share the Byzantine Catholic Gospel with others and to help evangelize North America for Jesus Christ and the glory of the Most Holy Trinity!
My interest in Eastern Christianity began in High School while on a retreat with my father at a monastery in Kentucky. While there, I read the book “The Way of a Pilgrim”.
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Posted by JohnG (May 1, 2006 at 4:36 pm)
By the Grace of God, I am a Christian, by his mercy I am Catholic, and and by his sense of humor, I am now Byzantine. Many out there reading this may know me, others may not. My name is John Gibson. It seems that God’s plan was for me to move over to the Eastern Rites of His glorious church for in November of Last year I was granted my rite switch. In December (On Christmas, in fact) my 3 youngest kids were charismated. My wife, who also has an aversion to paperwork, remains latin rite, along with my eldest daughter who was confirmed in my old Latin Rite parish who is also discerning if she is going to switch rites or not. My conversion was sudden, to say the least, in October of 1995, and I entered RCIA at that time and was brought into the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church Easter 1996. After my entrance into the Catholic Church, I started studying the Early Church Fathers, and the early Liturgies of St. James and St. John. It was through these documents that I became interested in the Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church. Finally I was able to participate in a Divine Liturgy, and the rest is history.
My Interests include: Theology, Liturgy, The Writings of the Early Church Fathers, Apologetics.
My Talents include: Computers, Web Design, Video Production, Audio Production, a really warped sense of Humor, and creative capitalization and spelling.
Posted by Eric (May 1, 2006 at 2:44 pm)
I’ve already posted twice in the course of setting up this blog—had to have something there to format—but it’s time I introduce myself as well. I’m relatively new to the Byzantine Church, having formally changed rites last November, along with my seven children. My wife, for the moment, remains Latin Rite, not having much taste for paperwork.
I’m the webmaster of the BEMA site, which consumes about all the time I have free for assisting this apostolate; I’m only thankful that God in His great mercy has offered me a way to help at all. I look forward as much to lending a hand here as I do to benefiting from the discussion and especially the resources that will be offered here.
Speaking of which, it might be appropriate to ask, What resource or resources people are most thirsting for out there? My answer would be this: a usable guide to praying the divine hours at home with my family. Anyone else?
Posted by JohnS (April 30, 2006 at 7:26 pm)
Since Karl broke the ice, I’ll chime in too.
I began my journey to Eastern Christianity as a young child. I was initially drawn by an Orthodox cousin, the beauty of the iconography and the mysterious music. As a young adult, I began to read the Fathers of the Church and was finally drawn to the Divine Liturgy, which like our chant and iconography is our theology.
As an English Literature major, I’ve worked in marketing communications, media relations, employee communications and now, investor communications. I’m eager to apply all that God has given me to help bring the riches of Byzantine Eastern Christianity to the world. I believe the “Light of the East” offers the illumination of Christ that our world so desperately needs.
I hope others will engage with us in this Great Conversation with Christ, Sacred Scripture and the Church Fathers. What we need to do for the Church is beyond armchair philosophy though — it is time to act. The Byzantine Christian Churches (Catholic and Orthodox) are at a turning point.
