The Forerunner
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ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH THE FORERUNNER VOLUME XXXI NUMBER 1 JANUARY 2015 A MATTER OF TIME SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST: Every year people from all over the world A Matter of Time celebrate the coming of the New Year. Is a time of joy and renewal where everyone's Church Name Day "eats, drinks and makes marry". Nothing wrong with that. It is however odd that, as Parish Council Capsule Christians, we celebrate this randomly Stewardship 2015 chosen day of passing with so much pomp and joy, yet other, maybe more important Youth Ministries News days, we tend to neglect often than not. The Theophany icon What days are you going to ask? Well say explained Theophany, or The Ascension of the Lord, Elder Porphyrios: Ecclesi- or His Transfiguration, or The Annuncia- astical music cures depres- tion of the Theotokos, all major Christian sion Holy Days, important milestones in the salvation of the entire mankind that are left behind, attended by just a few, because most often they fall during the week and we just don't have time for it. Vasilopita Auction Ask yourself honestly when was the last time you attended a Weekday Liturgy or a Vespers service? Or when did you come early to attend the Sunday morning Matins service? Or when did you stay to listen to the prayer of Thanksgiving After Communion ast the end of Divine Liturgy. Or when did you say your morning and evening prayers peacefully, without rushing? We all find excuses: I had to go to work, school, we can blame it on the secular state or business that do not consider our feast days as national holidays, we were tired, busy with many other things etc. Bottom line is if we really (Continued on page 3) INSIDE THIS ISSUE: COUNCIL CAPSULE Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ, COUNCIL CAPSULE 2 I truly hope each of you had a wonderful Christmas time, and had the opportunity to be with family. I was so excited to see as many of you as I did at Christmas Eve and Nativity NEW STEWARD- 4 services. It was wonderful to celebrate the birth of Christ with our Parish family. Of SHIP PAGE course, I would be remiss if I didn't also wish you a happy New Year! YOUTH MINISTRIES 6 The election results for the 2015 Parish Council members has been sent to the Metropolis for ratification, and the Parish Council has been preparing for transition to the new Coun- MUSIC MINISTRIES cil, so there is not much to report. However, let me first express my sincere and heartfelt 8 thanks to Harry Karegeannes, Hope File, & Tim Cline for their years of service on the Par- ish Council! Hope File & Tim Cline both served on the stewardship committee and were CALENDAR 11 instrumental in keeping up with all things related to stewardship including providing monthly reports to the Council and to the General Assembly as well as organizing & pre- (Continued on page 2) PAGE 2 THE FORERUNNER COUNCIL’S CAPSULE (Continued from page 1) celebrating this very impor- in a greater effort to be better tant Feast. Planning is under- this year than last year. I en- paring our stewardship way and as soon as date, time, courage you to join me in this drives. Harry Karegeannes and activities are confirmed exercise. Even further, I'm ends his term serving as the further announcements will going to ask each of you to Vice President, serving on the be made. Please plan on at- make a resolution concerning Security Committee, and tending services for our Par- your personal commitment to being the key coordinator for ish's namesake and joining the Parish, and your Parish our coffee hours to ensure with us in celebration. family. I'm specifically asking there is always coffee and for each of you to commit to Finally, I will beg your indul- snacks for parishioners and helping this year with one or gence to speak on an addi- visitors-this is in addition to more reoccurring committee, tional topic. With the new countless other services that activity, or ministry responsi- year upon us I have been are too numerous to mention bilities. We are a growing Par- thinking about my personal here. Please join me in con- ish, and we can do amazing New Year's Resolutions. Just gratulating them on their ex- things together when we all thinking over the course of WE ARE A cellent term of service and pitch in work toward our com- the last year there have been a GROWING thanking each of them for all mon goal. Happy New Year, tremendous number of occa- PARISH, AND WE of their hard work over the and I truly look forward to this sions were I have fallen short CAN DO years! new year with each of you! AMAZING THINGS in my spiritual life, with my TOGETHER WHEN One additional point of busi- Parish responsibilities, with Jeremy Ellis WE ALL PITCH IN ness is our Parish's Name Day family, and with work. I usu- WORK TOWARD Celebration. The Feast Day ally don't formalize my New for St. John the Baptist is on Year's Resolutions, and as a OUR COMMON Wednesday, January 7th. I result few of them actually GOAL. am saddened to say that His come to any success. But, Eminence, Metropolitan this year I am going to try Isaiah will not be with us this something new and actually year, nevertheless, we will be memorialize my resolutions CHURCH FEAST DAY CELEBRATION On January 6 and 7, 2015 we Schedule of Events will celebrate the Feast Day of January 6: our Church, The Synaxis of Saint John the Baptist Vigil 6:00 PM with the customary Church January 7: services on January 6 and &. Divine Liturgy 6:00AM The celebration will continue on January 11 with a lunch- January 11: eon immediately following Luncheon following Divine Divine Liturgy. Free will do- Liturgy nations accepted. VOLUME XXXI NUMBER 1 PAGE 3 A MATTER OF TIME (CONT) (Continued from page 1) can choose to take it away at any you'll put as a priority one like moment. Remember the parable this: I'll make more time to fill the wanted to do it we would have of the rich man that had a good image of God I have been given with done it. If we would have made harvest and how he thought he'll His likeness by committing my entire it a priority we would have been have time to eat, drink and make life to Him. Sounds difficult, I there. But we did not and the merry, and how that very night know, but aren’t we saying that excuse is: no time. the angel of the Lord came to in every Liturgy: “Let us commit take his soul calling him a fool ourselves and each other, and all our After all what are we so busy for believing he is in control of life unto Christ our God “ ? with that we cannot find time for his time? Remember as well the Start with small steps, maybe the most important thing in our five foolish virgins that thought find more time for personal lives: salvation of our souls? In they'll have time to buy oil for prayer , attend a Paraklesis ser- this rat race that we all are they lamps and the Bridegroom vice on a Wednesday, come 30 forced in at this point, we al- came and they were left outside? minutes earlier to Divine Lit- ways complain about time, yet The Scriptures are full of edify- urgy, read a spiritual book, read we waste so much of it. We fight ing example that over and over the Bible. There is so much to for time but time slips in be- show us that by simply worrying do. tween our fingers and vanishes we cannot add one hour to our before we could realize it. We lives. (Mathew 6:27) Train yourself to spend more find time for watching sports, time in God's presence, by gain- our favorite TV shows, play We don't have time to postpone ing consistency in your spiritual "TRULY, TRULY, I Candy crush saga (stop sending because we “do not know the hour life and it will be filled with the SAY TO YOU, AN me invites please!) or catch up when our Lord will come” (Mat grace that comes from the One HOUR IS with our friends on Facebook. 24:42) We can only be watchful you’re spending time with. COMING AND Yet, when it comes to wisely use and be ready in any moment. There is a saying: “Tell me who NOW IS, WHEN it for something that can build us The Gospel warns us that all is your friends are so I can tell you who THE DEAD WILL up for eternity, we fall short and happening now, not later, not you are.” Spend the time and HEAR THE VOICE we start finding excuses and tomorrow, but in this very mo- effort to become Christ’s friend keep postponing. ment : "Truly, truly, I say to you, and you will become Christ-like OF THE SON OF an hour is coming and now is, when yourself. GOD, AND Procrastinating in regards to our the dead will hear the voice of the THOSE WHO spiritual life is a major setback in Son of God, and those who hear will HEAR WILL LIVE”. The time is now my friends. our development as Christians live”.