From the
Office: Our 1000th
Subscriber!
Food for the Soul: Valuing and Nurturing Your Faith
An Orthodox Look: Reality TV
In the News: President Bush urged to Defend Life in Law and Culture
On the Calendar: On the Calendar: Activities Announced for 13th All-American
Council in Orlando, FL 13th All-American Council – Orlando, FL
Real Questions, Real Answers: The Evangelical Orthodox Church
Readers Write: YO-Mail Column on Dating? Let Us Know
It’s happened! Our goal was to hit 1000
subscribers by the summer and we did it!
Welcome, all you new readers! Remember
to check out the back issues at www.oca.org/yo.
As always, send you thoughts to youth@oca.org!
7:
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8: Indeed I
count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ
Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count
them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ 9: and be found in him, not
having a righteousness of my own, based on law, but that which is through faith
in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith; 10: that I may
know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings,
becoming like him in his death, 11: that if possible I may attain the
resurrection from the dead. 12: Not that I have already obtained this or am
already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has
made me his own. 13: Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own;
but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what
lies ahead, 14: I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of
God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:7-14)
Check out the life of St Jacob at: http://oca.org/pages/orth_chri/Feasts-and-Saints/OCA/Life-of-St-Jacob-Alaska.htm
On the feast
day commemorating St. Jacob of Alaska, Enlightener of the Native Peoples of
Alaska, this passage from St. Paul is read as the epistle at the Divine
Liturgy. In it St. Paul is warning the Philippians to beware of and to avoid
seeking trying to put their spiritual life on a “to do” list that can be marked
as “done.” He stresses that the Christian life is a life of progress and not end
results and no one ever should sit back and say, “I’m saved. I don’t’ need to
focus on my faith, anymore.”
Both St Paul
and St Jacob were missionaries who preached the good news of Christ’s death and
resurrection to people who had never heard it before. Both established
communities, and then had to leave those communities to preach elsewhere. They
both understood the joys and temptations of life as a Christian. They both saw people who thought that their
Churchly affiliation meant they did not need to work on their faith.
These two
great saints, themselves, were sort of “aristocrats of faith” in their
respective times and locations. Paul was a true Jew; a Pharisee from the tribe
of Benjamin. St Jacob was the son of a pious Orthodox family who eventually
became an Orthodox priest. Both were familiar with people in similar situations
to theirs who saw their circumstances as a guarantee that they were “good with
God.” Prior to his conversion St Paul went as so far as to persecute Christians
and stand by as Stephen was killed (Acts 6-7).
Their
encounter with Christ and their relationship with Him, however, drove them to
not be satisfied with their situation. St Paul even felt that it was all “a
loss” in comparison to the joy of knowing Jesus Christ. Both gave up their
homes and lives to go on dangerous travels just so more people could have the
opportunity to develop their own relationship with the Lord. Both sought to
maintain a genuine relationship with Christ and seek to do His will. It was
through this search that they learned about who they truly were and came to
achieve in Christ the things they did.
Some
questions for further thought:
·
Are there
things that make me feel like I’m “set” with God (being baptized, being
Orthodox, going to Church, giving the Church money, etc.)?
·
How do
these things compare to my actual relationship with Christ? (How much do I seek
to connect with Him? To live the life that He wants me to live?)
·
What is a
long-term goal for myself, around which I am arranging my life? Am I willing to
arrange my life around seeking Christ and salvation?
·
What is
Christ asking me to do with my life? How does that compare with my current
goals?
O Lord, help me to rely
on You alone and not myself, my heritage, or anything that might make me think
“I’m good with God.” Help me to see the joy of bearing Your name, and encourage
me to make my spiritual life a priority; that growing closer to You I may come
to know myself better, to love those around me, and to hope in Your salvation.
With Europe beginning to tire of reality shows, the
American television viewer still can’t seem to get enough. Since Cops
aired for the first time 12 years ago and MTV’s The Real World began its
first season ten years ago shows like Road Rules, Survivor, Temptation
Island, Big Brother, Making the Band, Pop Stars, The
Mole and Boot Camp (and the list could go on) have made “reality TV”
a regular (and profitable) part of mainstream television programming. With Cops,
Survivor, and The Real World starting new seasons and a whole new
batch of reality shows in production, it causes a person to wonder, “What is it
that is drawing more and more American viewers to these programs?”
On the
upside:
·
Many
participants speak of the positive affect of being in one of these shows has on
their world-view after the show. One "Survivor," known as Dirk, a
substitute teacher from Wisconsin said, "It has changed my life in every
respect - my relationship with God and everyone else, myself, the world.
Everything was taken away from me. Without all the distractions [of modern
life] you have to look inside yourself.... I value things like time,
friendships, food a lot more. It made me realize all of us spend so much time
focusing our energies on things that really don't matter.... There is nothing
worth hurting another person for."
·
Many viewers also say that
these shows cause them to reflect on their own priorities and values.
·
Some shows feature
participant’s triumphs in the face of adversity as well as the benefits of
people working together as a team to accomplish a goal.
On the
downside:
If you know of
a movie, TV show, CD, book, etc. that you would like us to take “an Orthodox
Look” at, let us know at youth@oca.org.
During a meeting
between the President and Pope John Paul II this past week, CNN reports the
Pontiff as urging Mr. Bush that, "A free and virtuous society, which
America aspires to be, must reject practices that devalue and violate human
life at any stage from conception until natural death… In defending the right
to life, in law and through a vibrant culture of life, America can show the
world the path to a truly humane future, in which man remains the master, not
the product, of his technology."
This bold
statement was preceded by the Pope’s observations that, "Experience is
already showing how a tragic coarsening of consciences accompanies the assault
on innocent human life in the womb, leading to accommodation and acquiescence
in the face of other related evils such as euthanasia, infanticide and, most
recently, proposals for the creation for research purposes of human embryos,
destined to destruction in the process.”
The Orthodox Christian
Church has always recognized life in the womb to be both fully human and
personal. The feasts of the Church attest to this. They not only include the
birth of the Virgin Mary, John the Forerunner, and our Lord Jesus Christ,
Himself (Sept. 8, June. 24, and Dec. 25, respectively), but also their conception
(Dec. 9, Sept. 23, and March 25). Another example of this is the reading in the
gospel of Luke (Luke 1:41) that tells of the meeting of Mary, the Theotokos and
St. Elizabeth (St. John’s mother) when they were both pregnant: “When Elizabeth
heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb.”
Orthodox Christians
have the fundamental conviction that personal, human life begins, not at the
implantation of the fertilized egg in the uterus, or at the moment of birth,
but at conception. They hold a pro-life philosophy in light of God’s revelation
and view any destruction of a human person, whether they be an embryo, newborn,
child, or adult, as violence against the value of life itself. This includes
prenatal research on embryos, as well as abortion, euthanasia, and capital
punishment.
Orthodox Christian
American Citizens who wish to urge Mr. Bush to take their beliefs into
consideration as he decides on whether or not he will allow government funding
for stem cell research can e-mail him at president@whitehouse.gov.
For more
information on this topic read the Holy
Synod’s Affirmations on the Sanctity of Life and The Sacred Gift of Life
by Fr John Breck printed by St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press (800.204.BOOK)
If there is
something going on in the news (either Church or non-Church news) that you
think we should report on, let us know at youth@oca.org.
Next Issue:
Corporate Sponsors for a Child: Is this a real-life Truman Show?
On July 21-26,
2002 in Orlando, FL hundreds of youth and young adults from all over the Church
will come together as part of the Orthodox Church in America’s All-American
Council.
All
youth and young adults
of the Orthodox Church in America are invited to take part in activities,
including educational sessions, excursions to area attractions, and
opportunities to foster new friendships, for ages 7-9, 10-12, Teens, and
Young Adults. As part of these activities, Teens from across the Church
will also be gathering for a “Youth Council” to discuss their role in our
Church and to help shape our youth ministry efforts for the next three years.
Previous
Councils have brought hundreds of youth and young adults from across North
America together. Many parishes send entire youth groups to take part in these
events and youth return with a new vitality about their Faith and their place
in the Church. Now is the time for parish communities to make a commitment for
their youth to attend this historic Council. We encourage parishes and Church
organizations to start planning events to help defray expenses to ensure that
no youth is left behind.
Mark
your calendar for next July and plan on a week of fellowship, fun, and a chance
to learn more about our Faith.
For
up-to-date information check our website at www.oca.org/yya.
Q. IA from
IN
Hello, I'm
fairly new to this Orthodox Church in America, but it really intrigues me, so I
hope you guys don't mind an inquisitive teenager!
To give you a
little background...
I am/was part
of a group called the Evangelical Orthodox Church. Now I've been raised in this category (if it even IS a category)
of Orthodoxy, so just because I don't agree with some of the things that we
choose to do, I won't tear down the one's who brought me to the Faith. I feel very strongly about the Orthodox
Faith, and do believe it to be THE One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. I just don't think that the Evangelical
Church portrays that relationship with Christ as well as a canonical church
might.
I was just
curious about the O.C.A.'s perspective on the Evangelical Orthodox Church. Personally, I seek a more canonical approach
to Orthodoxy, as we (my hometown church) is in the process of trying to be
recognized as part of the body of canonical churches in America.
Any specifics
or insight to why the O.C.A. does not recognize the E.O.C., would be greatly
appreciated.
Thank you so
much!
First, the word canonical means normal. To be part of the
canonical Orthodox Christian Church is to in full communion (the normal relationship)
with the normal family of Orthodox Churches throughout the world. To
become canonical is to enter the ancient fullness of Orthodoxy and be part of
the Church that began at Pentecost and continues to be the Body of Christ here
on earth today and until the very end of time.
Uncanonical churches are out of the “norm” because they are not fully
part of that family. This then begs the question: If you can be part of the
real thing, why not?
Part of the spiritual journey of many men and women has been
through the EOC and into one of the canonical jurisdictions. People sometimes first hear about the
Orthodox Christian Faith through an uncanonical Church and grow to love Christ
there with all their heart, mind, and strength. Oftentimes, as they study and
grow in their faith, many realize being part of God’s Church is to be connected
with the other canonical Orthodox Churches.
You ask for specific insights why the OCA does not recognize the
EOC. It is simple and respectful. We are not connected though the Eucharist
since we are not members of the same family of bishops, and the EOC does not
share the same unbroken apostolic succession, and unbroken continuity with the
Church of the martyrs.
The Orthodox Church in America respects the EOC for their
spiritual journey that led them to the Faith and look forward to the day we
drink from the same chalice.
Thank you again for your question
Next full
issue:
Got a
question? Send it to youth@oca.org. All
entries are treated anonymously (just a couple letters from your e-mail address
and the state your from) unless you tell us otherwise.
FR from MI writes:
I read your latest YO Mail and
had an idea.
What do you think about adding
a "column" with answers to questions about dating? When I saw that
your target group is young adults (18+), I thought this idea may have some
readership.
Thank you for your time and I
look forward to your comments.
Well, readers, what do you
think? Should we do an column on dating? Let us know. E-mail us at youth@oca.org.
Don’t
forget to send us your articles on your favorite saint. We’ll put in upcoming
issues.
Have something
you want to say or something you want to ask other readers? Send it in! We’ll
put it our next full issue. E-mail us at youth@oca.org.
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