Volume 55 No. 5 MAY 2011 VOLUME 55 NO. 5 MAY 2011 COVER: THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD. Icon courtesy of Come and See Icons. 3 EDITORIAL by Rt. Rev. John Abdalah 5 NEW CREATION IN CHRIST: HOW JESUS CHANGED US AND OUR MARRIAGES by Very Rev. JOSIAH TRENHAM, Ph.D. 10 VISION FOR LIFE REACHES OUT TO A MILLION HOMES WITH PRO-LIFE MESSAGE by Chris Humphrey, Ph.D. 12 OVER-AND-ABOVE: The Most Reverend THE ORDER OF ST. IGNATIUS Metropolitan PHILIP, D.H.L., D.D. OF ANTIOCH Primate by Very Rev. Peter E. Gillquist The Right Reverend Bishop ANTOUN 16 ARCHDIOCESAN OFFICE The Right Reverend Bishop JOSEPH 17 THE DEPARTMENT OF The Right Reverend CHRISTIAN EDUCATION Bishop BASIL The Right Reverend 22 STRUCTURE & SYMBOLISM IN STONE: Bishop THOMAS THE ARCHITECTURE OF ANCIENT The Right Reverend CHRISTIAN SYRIA Bishop ALEXANDER Founded in Arabic as 28 OCCULT MAGIC Al Kalimat in 1905 by Saint Raphael (Hawaweeny) Founded in English as The WORD in 1957 by Metropolitan ANTONY (Bashir) Editor in Chief The Rt. Rev. John P. Abdalah, D.Min. Assistant Editor Christopher Humphrey, Ph.D. Editorial Board The Very Rev. Joseph J. Allen, Th.D. Anthony Bashir, Ph.D. The Very Rev. Antony Gabriel, Th.M. The Very Rev. Peter Gillquist Ronald Nicola Najib E. Saliba, Ph.D. Letters to the editor are welcome and should include the author’s full name and The Very Rev. Paul Schneirla, M.Div. parish. Submissions for “Communities in Action” must be approved by the local Design Director Donna Griffin Albert pastor. Both may be edited for purposes of clarity and space. All submissions, in hard copy, on disk or e-mailed, should be double-spaced for editing purposes. Member The Associated Church Press Conciliar Press ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION: Ecumenical News International U.S.A. and Canada, $20.00 Orthodox Press Service Foreign Countries, $26.00 Editorial Office: Single Copies, $3.00 The WORD The WORD (USPS626-260) is published monthly, except July and August, by the 635 Miranda Drive Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America at 358 Mountain Pittsburgh, PA 15241 Road, PO Box 5238; periodicals postage paid at Englewood, New Jersey 07631- e-mail: [email protected] 5238 and at additional mailing offices. FAX: 1-412-831-5554 Postmaster send address changes to: The WORD, 358 Mountain Road, PO Box Subscription Office: 5238, Englewood, NJ 07631-5238 358 Mountain Road ISSN 0043-7964 www.antiochian.org. PO Box 5238 Englewood, NJ 07631-5238 Canada Post Publications Agreement No. 40691029 Return Canada address to: AIM, 7289 Torbram Road, Mississauga, ON L4T 1G8, Canada. editor’s letter Parish Councils – Be Not Afraid! Like a person, when a parish is stressed, we, bership or buy insurance, figuring that they will often are frightened and act desperately. Some keep their donations and buy or forgo services of- would say that we “regress,” which leaves us feel- fered. Some choose to risk their house burning, or ing young, and without the tools that we have not making it to the hospital in the unlikely event gathered in our lives. In such periods of stress, of a heart attack or stroke. This may not make we parishes can seem to forget our vision and sense to some, but it does to others. Whatever our purpose, and revert to operating like a club or opinions and logic, we can say from our corporate business. When this happens, we need to remem- experience that a strategy of “withholding servic- ber how many times Jesus and God have told us es” doesn’t get people to participate. Threatening not to be afraid. It is fear that paralyzes us and to withhold services like a club is not only not steals away our peace. It is fear that prevents us church-like, it simply doesn’t work. from remembering that this is God’s Church, and Sometimes under financial stress, we forget Christ is our Head. Out of personal and, some- that we are a church and want to act like a busi- how, corporate desperation, we rely on ourselves ness. Blessed with a family business background, I and our ways instead of God and His ways. Out am comfortable with the language and constructs of fear we fight our way to the front, and try to of business. In business terminology, we need to save our Church. When we do, we surpass God. know and understand the business that we are in! In our regression, we momentarily forget that it If we are in the Church “business,” then our busi- is God’s Church and Christ is Her Head, and the ness “mission” is to save souls and do God’s will. only Savior. Our mission is to be the body of Christ, and a Often, the source of stress on a parish is finan- body obeys its Head. Our Head is Christ and the cial. In such a condition, a council may be tempt- Scriptures are clear about how the Head operates ed to think like a club and attack “club members and what the Head wants. Our goal as a Church who are not paying enough dues.” Such a council and as Christians is to praise the Father and take may threaten not to allow club services for non- care of each other. We don’t do that by threat- payment of dues. To my mind, this is like a volun- ening not to provide services, we do it by loving teer fire department or ambulance service refus- and caring for each other. Modern businesses are ing to serve families who have not donated in the worker and customer-friendly. Successful busi- calendar year. Whatever you think about such ser- nesses today win the good-will and loyalty of vices being refused to non-subscribers, there are workers and customers by showing genuine care. explanations for such behaviors and decisions on In the Church, we call this love. A second busi- the part of those who don’t participate. It may be ness principle is that we attract business by doing that people don’t allow themselves to think that a better job in our line of work, and a third is bad things would ever happen to them. They can’t showing our workers and customers that we are think about such unpleasant things. Others, when successful. We need to be the Church and show faced with a decision to join or not to join a ser- our joy! vice, choose to play the odds and not pay mem- In the Church business, we have no customers. The Word 3 All of those baptized into Christ are His workers or servants. All are called into daily DEVOTIONS Christ’s priesthood through baptism to JUNE 2011 praise the Father and take care of God’s V. REV. GEORGE Alberts people. Our mission is to extend that care to God’s world and call others into our common service and life. Some- times those we are called to recruit are 1. ACTS 18:22-28; JOHN 12:36-47 baptized Orthodox Christians who have not been inspired lately. Sometimes it is 2. ACTS 1:1-12; LUKE 24:36-53 the neighbor who is suffering or look- ASCENSION OF OUR LORD ing for Christ. Our strength comes from 3. ACTS 19:1-8; JOHN 14:1-11 (FAST) strengthening our commitments and 4. ACTS 20:7-12; JOHN 14:10-21 deepening our Orthodox Christian ex- 5. ACTS 20:16-18, 26-36; JOHN 17:1-13 perience. 6. ACTS 21:8-14; JOHN 14:27-15:7 Friends, allow me to speak plainly. It 7. ACTS 21:26-32; JOHN 16:2-13 takes twenty-five tithing families to sup- 8. ACTS 23:1-11; JOHN 16:15-23 (FAST) port a church building and a full-time 9. ACTS 25:13-19; JOHN 16:23-33 priest. It is time for us who lead in the 10. ACTS 27:1-44; JOHN 17:18-26 (FAST) Church to be examples for the commu- 11. ACTS 28:1-31; JOHN 21:15-25 nity. We need to be examples of stew- 12. ACTS 2:1-11; JOHN 7:37-52, 8:12 ardship, generosity and love. Eventu- PENTECOST SUNDAY ally, people will see the benefits of this kind of life and choose to follow such an 13. EPHESIANS 5:9-19; MATTHEW 18:10-20 example. Even if others don’t follow us, 14. ROMANS 1:1-7, 13-17; MATTHEW 4:25-5:13 we will rest in the assurance that we are 15. ROMANS 1:18-27; MATTHEW 5:20-26 following Christ, and following Christ 16. ROMANS 1:28-2:9; MATTHEW 5:27-32 brings with it a contentment that is of 17. ROMANS 2:14-29; MATTHEW 5:33-41 great value and reward. 18. ROMANS 1:7-12; MATTHEW 5:42-48 Our Father in Christ, Metropolitan 19. HEBREWS 11:33-12:2; PHILIP, has been a fearless example of MATTHEW 10:32-33, 37-38, 19:27-30 Christian leadership and stewardship. 20. ROMANS 2:28-3:18 He has led every financial campaign by MATTHEW 6:31-34; 7:9-11 personal example. He has led us using APOSTLES FAST BEGINS (FAST) scriptural and canonical principles and 21. ROMANS 4:4-12; MATTHEW 7:15-21 (FAST) administered the Archdiocese with or- 22. ROMANS 4:13-25; MATTHEW 7:21-23 (FAST) der and in love. During times of internal or external stress, he has held firm to 23.