2010 june - august pages (2)

THE PROMISE

PAGE 1

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:A MMessage ffrom oour PPastor.....................2

Congratulations........................................5

Thoughts oon SStewardship........................6

Summer...................................................6

Role MModels vvs. HHeroes..........................7

We WWill MMiss YYou!................................8

Words CCan HHeal oor HHurt.......................9

Sunday SSchool GGraduation...................12

Tribute tto FFathers..................................14

Conflict BBetween CChurch && Science....16

Festival SScenes.......................................18

June // JJuly // AAugust CCalendars..............26

JUNE / JULY / AUGUST 2010

CChhrriisstt iiss iilllluummiinneedd;; lleett uuss sshhiinnee ffoorrtthh wwiitthh HHiimm..

CChhrriisstt iiss bbaappttiizzeedd;; lleett uuss ddeesscceenndd wwiitthh HHiimm tthhaatt

wwee mmaayy aallssoo aasscceenndd wwiitthh HHiimm..

- ST. GREGORY THE THEOLOGIAN

DATES TO REMEMBER:JUNE 24

THE NATIVITY OF JOHN BAPTIST

DIVINE LITURGY 9:30AM

AUGUST 5GREAT VESPERS FOR THE TRANSFIGURATION

6:30PM

AUGUST 6FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION

DIVINE LITURGY 9:30AM

AUGUST 4, 9, 11, 13SUPPLICATION SERVICES FOR THE DORMITION

6:30PM

AUGUST 14GREAT VESPERS FOR THE DORMITION

6:30PM

AUGUST 15FEAST OF THE DORMITION

St. Lucian of Antioch (240 - 312 AD) is not a verywell known saint of the early Church and yet historyrecords that when the hour came for him to be tested,he truly shined amidst the darkness and revealed thecore of his being. It is vividly recalled that when hewas brought before prosecutors for the crime of faithin the Lord the following exchange took place.

First he was asked, “What country are you from?”To which he answered sim-ply, “I am a Christian.”Then they asked him,“What is your occupation?”And again he replied “I am aChristian.” Confounded by hisobstinance, they said, “Thenat least tell us what familyare you descended from?”But once again he plainlyreplied, “I am a Christian.”

Even in the face of certaindeath for believing in JesusChrist, St. Lucian's entireworld view, his total perspectiveof life, and the self-definitionof his being was centeredon being a Christian. Herefused to compartmentalizehis life, even if it meant losingit. He rebuffed any attemptto enter into a dialogue that might in any way overshadowhis Christian faith. No matter the cost or risk, his faithin Christ was the very essence of his being. Period.

In this day and age, it is increasingly obvious that such apassion for Christ is considered “foreign,” “dangerous,”or “unseemly,” if it is not being routinely mocked. Inthe haste to be “agreeable,” the very LAST way peoplewill use to describe themselves, are in terms of theirfaith in Jesus Christ. This has reached the point whereeven the local Church is being subtly redefined as aplace for likeminded people to associate and be satisfied;rather than the House of God where sinners and saintsgather to worship the Father, Son & Holy Spirit.

THE PROMISE

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PASTORAL MESSAGE

Now more than ever, when individuals are specificallyasked “what do you believe?” the answers are such thateven St. Lucian’s zealous prosecutors would easily dis-miss the charges. Some people respond to the questionby simply referencing the Church that their parentsbrought them to as children, but that now as adults theyneither attend, abide by or support - except for maybethe occasional holiday or sacrament. Others respondto the question of faith by speaking at length regarding

their individual spiritual andmoral philosophy or credo;one that is typically so self-interested, self-serving andself-centered, that it is essentiallyindependent of truth or God.And then again, many otherpeople when asked abouttheir faith will go so far as tosay that “while they are notreligious in a traditional sense,”they are gracious enough toacknowledge the existence ofsome sort of “higher power”(typically of their own creationand definition). Indeed, morepeople are willing to say thatthey believe in a god, ratherthan call on Him by name,and clearly identify themselveswith Him.

This in fact helps explain why more and more people willchoose their Church based on how many of their friendsgo there or how much they like the other believers,instead of the extent to which they come into contact withthe living Lord of heaven and earth. This also helps us tounderstand why more people today tend to practice theChristian faith in direct correlation to the degree to whichthey feel better about themselves and their life, ratherthan out of humble obedience to the Word of the Lord.

Saint Lucian would be saddened and amazed at theturn of events. But he would not be alone. For the greatcloud of witnesses, the saints in every generation were

(Continued oon ppage 44)

I AM AN

ORTHODOX

CHRISTIAN

THE PROMISE

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THE ANNUNCIATION

BOOKSTORE IS OPEN!

The Parish bookstore isopen during the Fellowshiphour every Sunday after theDivine Liturgy or by specialappointment.

WE ARE A ONE STOP SOURCE FOR ANY OF YOUR CHURCH

RELATED NEEDS. We can special order icons for specificsaints, events, or feast days. We can help with findingassistance in preparing kolyva for Memorial services orin obtaining wedding crowns or baptismal items. Wecan also help to find and order specific books orOrthodox related gift items. Please refer any questions orneeds to Christopher Huckabay at (501) 563-8726 orat [email protected].

HOMERUN FUN!

Annunciation GGOYA& JR. GGOYA, wwe aare ggoingto aan AArkansas TTravelers

Baseball GGame!!!

WHEN: Sunday, JJune 227th

WHERE: Dickey-StephensPark, NLR The "Club Car" Private PPicnic AArea

TIME: 5:00 pm

DINNER: All-You-Can-Eat Buffet: Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Baked Beans, Chips, Popcorn, and Drinks

SEE YOU THERE!

CONGRATULATIONS!

We are pleased to note that our very own Alex MMirongraduated this May from the UNIVERSITY OF

ARKANSAS AT FAYETTEVILLE with a degree inAccounting and has been accepted to the MastersAccounting Program at the University's School ofBusiness. He willcontinue his graduate studiesin the Fall of 2010.

Alex is a wonderfulgraduate of theAnnunciationSunday School &GOYA ministrieswho now makestime to serve as anAdvisor for GOYAevents. We couldnot be more proudof him and lookforward to hiscontinued success,and perhaps helpingto “crunch some numbers” for the Annunciation inthe future!!!

SAVE THE DATE

Parish AssemblySunday,

August 29th, 2010

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PASTORAL MESSAGE(Continued ffrom ppage 22)

ALWAYS, unabashed, unashamed and unambiguousChristians. These are indeed dangerous times. Thoughprosecutors are not yet dragging us into court andformally asking us to identify ourselves like they did somany others in previous eras, the challenges are no lessconsequential. For the most part, day after day, ourwords and our deeds cross examine our soul.

It is therefore particularly important for us to keep inmind the great prayer of the Lord in the Gospel accord-ing to John Ch. 17:1-13. In it, Jesus clearly states that Heis NOT an important messenger, a gifted prophet, or amagnificent angel. He definitively declares that He is theSon of God and that He particularly cares for those whoknow Him, serve Him and seek to be entirely His. Merehours before His crucifixion and glorious Resurrection,Jesus prays in the most precise terms. Therefore, regard-less of what we may or may not think about Him; regard-less of what we may or may not like about the ark of Hissalvation that is the Church; and regardless of whether wemay or may not like all those that strive to follow Him;Jesus Christ is OOne with the Father, and He specificallyprays for those that keep His name.

It is true that we live in a fast paced world. We relishchange. We yearn for new ideas and we want manythings. But above and beyond everything else in ourlife, we MUST treasure our Orthodox Christian faith.For if it matters to God, it must matter to us. Thevalue we must place on our faith is not merely thedomain of priests, monks and nuns. It is the calling ofevery man, woman and child to boldly declare, “I AMa Christian,” and live accordingly.

A person can be a Christian engineer, a Christian doctor,a Christian businessman, and a Christian homemaker.But absolutely, positively NO ONE can please Godand only “happen” to be a Christian.

Accordingly every time we punctually attend the wor-ship services of the Church, we make clear to God,the world and ourselves, that it is more important to

BE a Christian than to be worldly. Every time we supportthe Church and its ministries with our time, talent andtreasure, we prove to God, the world and ourselves, thatour Christian faith is more important than personal opin-ions or individual priorities. Our Church attendance andour stewardship of the Church is a witness to the worldof exactly WHAT it is that we believe, WHO is the Onethat we serve, and some of the lengths we will go to inorder to follow and serve Jesus Christ. Ultimately, ourworship in His Church, our support of His Church andour service to His Church is nothing less than a windowinto our soul, a demonstration of what is important to us,and irrefutable evidence of exactly what we believe.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, there is no rhyme or reasonfor us to consume ourselves with making sure that thepeople know our name. Instead, let us make sure thatthe world knows that we are Orthodox Christians andthat all are welcomed to follow Him. Let us not worryabout what we have or don't have. Instead, let us makesure that Christ is in our heart, His name is on our lips,His will is on our mind and our body is in His Church.Let us not be anxious about what the future may or maynot bring. Instead, let us find comfort in the fact that aslong as being a Christian is our life's top priority, theLord God Himself promises that “none of us will belost... and our joy will be fulfilled" (Jn 17:12-13).

No matter what happens from this day forward, be itgood or bad, happy or distressing, frustrating or exhilarating,make no mistake, when the day of Judgment comes andwe kneel before the Lord the only thing that will matteris whether or not we kept the faith. God will NOT

consider how much money we did or did not make. Hewill NOT ask what actions others did that we liked ordisliked. He will NOT care how powerful we were orwere not. All that will matter is what we believed andthe extent to which we made Christ the center of our life.

Mindful of Christ's prayer in John 17:1-13, let us neverlose sight of the fact that no cup of earthly delight isworth trading for the eternal riches of our OrthodoxChristian faith.

Have aa ffaithful CChristian SSummer!

Rev. Dr. Nicholas J. Verdaris

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CONGRATULATIONS

ANNUNCIATION GRADUATES!

CCOLLEGE

KATHERINE I. PPORFIRIS, the daughter of the late SpiroPorfiris & Susan Ward, graduated in May from theUniversity of Arkansas at Fayetteville with a Bachelorof Science in Interior Design.

HHIGH SSCHOOL

YAZAN (ZEE) AAL-FFANEK, the son of Haitham & MajidaAl-Fanek, is graduating from Wilbur D. Mills UniversityStudies High School. He was a member of the ModelU.N., Beta Club, National Honor Society, King’s Club,American Red Cross, Arkansas Youth Symphony, AllState Orchestra and GOYA. He is a two-time EnvirothonState Winner, Brain Bee State Winner and an ArkansasAcademic All-Star. He received the Bausch & LombHonorary Science Award, the National Orchestra Awardand the Annunciation Spiritual Scholarship. Zee willbe attending the University of Rochester where he willbe majoring in Neuroscience. His hopes for the futureare to become a doctor, do research and Chant in anOrthodox Church.

JOHN E. KKHOURY, the son of Edison Khoury & JeanHaider, is graduating from Little Rock Catholic HighSchool. He was a member of the Wrestling team,AAU Basketball, Central High Chess Club, Little RockChess Club, Theology of the Body, R.E.A.C.H. andGOYA. He received the Virginia Achievement Grantand the Annunciation Spiritual Scholarship. John willbe attending Virginia Commonwealth University,where he will be majoring in Electrical Engineering.His hopes for the future are to be successful in hiscareer as an engineer and to make a positive impact onthe world that he can be proud of.

HALLIE ELIZABETH RAMSER, the daughter of GeorgeRamser & Daphne Davenport, is graduating from Park-view Magnet High School. She was a member of theNational Honor Society, AP Scholar, Camp Aldersgate,Art Center, Girls State and GOYA. She received theUniversity of Arkansas Leadership Scholarship and theAnnunciation Spiritual Scholarship. Hallie will be attend-ing the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where shewill major in Psychology. Her hopes for the future areto major in Psychology while finishing out the Pre-Medrequisites. Other than that, she is unsure what God hasplanned for her.

OUTREACH COMMITTEEMEET & GREET SCHEDULE

June 6th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rick NewtonJune 13th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack WeatherlyJune 20th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark HunterJune 27th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robin Jones

July 4th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sharon JohnsonJuly 11th . . . . . . . . . . . Christopher HuckabayJuly 18th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carole HawkinsJuly 25th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeannie Newton

August 1st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rick NewtonAugust 8th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack WeatherlyAugust 15th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark HunterAugust 22nd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robin JonesAugust 29th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sharon Johnson

FELLOWSHIP HOUR

If you or your family would like to commemoratea special event, honor the memory of a loved oneor would simply like to offer a gift to theAnnunciation family. . . you ttoo ccan ssponsor aaFellowship HHour!

PPPPLLLLEEEEAAAASSSS EEEE CCCCHHHHEEEECCCCKKKK TTTT HHHH EEEE BBBBUUUULLLL LLLLEEEETTTT IIIINNNN

BBBBOOOOAAAARRRRDDDD AAAA NNNN DDDD SSSS IIII GGGG NNNN UUUU PPPP TTTTOOOODDDDAAAAYYYY!!!!

THE PROMISE

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THOUGHTS ON

STEWARDSHIP

SSTEWARDSHIP –– WWHAT IS IT REALLY??- Author Unknown

Stewardship is something that I hear a lot of talkabout, but not a lot of understanding. I truly believethat understanding what stewardship is and how it appliesto our lives will change the way we make decisionseach day. If we really understand what it means to begood stewards we will begin to not only see our liveschange, but also the world around us. Like all otherBiblical principles, tremendous benefit is gained byfollowing them.

THE DEFINITION OF CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP

Lets look at the actual definition of stewardship.Stewardship:

1: the office, duties, and obligations of a steward

2: the conducting, supervising, or managing of something ; especially : the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care <stewardship of our natural resources>

I like how it says “managing of something.” To methis implies that we have decisions to make and areresponsible for that which we are stewards over. Justlike a manager of business is responsible for his/herdepartment and employees, so we are with all that hasbeen entrusted to us.

SO WHAT ARE WE ACTUALLY STEWARDS OVER?

Personally, I believe it applies to everything we havebeen given. Our time, our money, our God given giftsand abilities, our influence, it all comes from God.There are lots of stewardship verses that show us how


SETTING OUR MINDS ON

THINGS ABOVE IN SUMMER

by John Piper

If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above,

where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

(Colossians 3:1-2)

Every season is God’s season. But summer has itsspecial power.

Jesus Christ is refreshing, but flight from him intoChristless leisure makes the soul parched. At first itmay feel like freedom and fun to skimp on prayer, andneglect the Word. But then we pay: shallowness,powerlessness, vulnerability to sin, preoccupation withtrifles, superficial relationships, and a frightening loss ofinterest in worship and the things of the Spirit.

Don't let summer make your soul shrivel. God madesummer as a foretaste of heaven, not a substitute. If themailman brings you a love letter from your fiancé, don’tfall in love with the mailman. That’s what summer is:God’s messenger with a sun-soaked, tree-green, flower-blooming, lake-glistening letter of love to show us whathe is planning for us in the age to come—“things whicheye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which havenot entered into the heart of man, God has preparedfor those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Don’t fallin love with the video preview, and find yourself unableto love the coming reality.

Jesus Christ is the refreshing center of summer. He ispreeminent in all things (Colossians 1:18), includingvacations and picnics and softball and long walks andcookouts. He invites us in the summer: “Come to Me,all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give yourest” (Matthew 11:28). This is serious summer refreshment.


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ROLE MODELS VS. HEROES:WAS TIGER WOODS EVER

REALLY ENOUGH?by Scott Walter

Was Tiger Woods ever really enough? Put aside allthe agonizing over what to make of his fall from grace.The more profound question is whether Woods inhis original nice persona could satisfy the deephuman longing for excellence. Certainly Tiger 1.0 wasa fine role model for athletes and young people ingeneral, but are "role models" enough? Or is essayistJoseph Epstein right to insist that we need heroes toremind us of what humans, at their peak, can be?

The origins of these two terms are significant. "Rolemodel" was coined in the first half of the twentiethcentury by Columbia sociologist Robert K. Merton,who also pioneered the techniques used in focusgroups. "Hero," by contrast, is an ancient term of poet-ry and war. Let the question of whether "role models"deserve mention in the same breath as "heroes" be set-tled by two quotations, the first from an appreciationof Merton by a Harvard historian of science:

The term "role model" first appeared in a Columbia study of the socialization of medical students, and was to become wildly popular. Merton emphasized that, rather than assuming one status and one role, a person has a status set in the social structure to which is attached a whole role-set of expected behavior - and that, within those sets, ambiguities, incompatibilities, and conflicts almost inevitably lurk.

Compare that bit of prose with the words of CaptainGeorge S. Patton - fresh from World War I and ontrack to become, in that war's sequel, one ofAmerica's greatest military heroes - as he lecturedjunior officers on the responsibilities of leading meninto battle:

We, as officers of the army, are not only membersof the oldest of honorable professions, but are also the modern representatives of the demi-godsand heroes of antiquity. Back of us stretches a line of men whose acts of valor, of self-sacrifice, and of service have been the theme of song and story since long before recorded history began.

These quotes show that the sociologist and the armyofficer didn't differ simply in their occupational pursuits;they inhabited different moral universes. Few peopletoday will hear such rhetoric as Patton's even once intheir lives. It has an antique ring because we live in anage not of heroes but of role models. There is nothingwrong with good role models. Robert K. Merton saw arole model as a "person who serves as an example,whose behavior is emulated by others." Remember theshots of emulative young people peering into the cam-era in a famous advertisement proclaiming, "I am TigerWoods"?

Tiger Woods, in his original persona, was an incomparableathlete, a friendly fellow, and a happily married man.These are all highly desirable qualities, all worthy ofemulation. But coming back to win a golf tournamentwhen you've been several strokes behind the leader


We have plenty of rolemodels today, but we need

more heroes. We need themto avoid sinking too low,and for inspiration to donot the possible but the

well-nigh impossible, as theyoung Patton knew. Wealso need heroes to train

the young in virtue, tostretch our imaginations,

and to understand ourselves more deeply.

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WE WILL MISS YOU!

"Whatever your task, work heartily as serving theLord and not men,

knowing that from the Lord you will receive theinheritance as your reward;

you are serving the Lord Christ.Colossians 3:23-24

This summer the Annunciation Church family isgoing to experience some transition as some preciousmembers of our Church family will be moving to newvineyards outside of Arkansas. But these preciousstewards of the Annunciation always found the man-ner and means to give their first fruits to Christ andHis Church, and as brothers and sisters in Christ it isonly fitting and right to pause to honor them and bidthem a loving farewell.

As you know, our very ownMEDINA FUGATE will soon bemoving away from Little Rock,and the Annunciation willnever be able to completelythank her enough for thedecades of service and leadershipshe provided our parishthrough her loving work in theSunday School ministry. Aswas highlighted during theSunday School Graduation inMay, because of Medina’s tireless service, generationsof young people have been profoundly touched by hercommitment to impart Christ, His Church and HisWisdom to others. With every lesson and activity sheprepared as a Sunday School Teacher and Director,the love of God was shared. As a treasured gift fromthe Lord our God to the Annunciation in Little Rock,she will never be far from our thoughts and prayersand we hope she will visit us often in the future.

This summer, RICK &JEANNIE NEWTON,who served our parishwith zeal, are also leavingus as Rick begins anew position out ofstate. Whether in thechoir, on the ParishCouncil, the FestivalOutreach programs,in whatever way theChurch needed faithfulChristians to answer thecall, Rick & Jeannie responded with hearts bursting withfaith and love. While they will be missed, we will becomforted in knowing that we are forever united inChrist and the Holy Chalice and will eagerly lookforward to their visits back to Little Rock.

JARROD RUSSELL, as youall know, will be leavingus this summer to beginstudying at the HolyCross Greek OrthodoxSeminary. Thus we arenot really saying “good-bye” to Jarrod, but real-ize that he is going to besorely missed throughoutthe year while he is awaystudying. Jarrod hasassisted with the mainte-

nance and organization of the Holy Altar, taughtSunday School, worked with GOYA and offered histime and talents to the parish in every other conceivablemanner. While he will be deeply missed, we canhappily look forward to bringing him back to ourparish to serve during the holidays.


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REMEMBER

FATHER’S DAY

JUNE 20, 2010

WE WILL MISS YOU!(Continued ffrom ppage 88)

FOFE GING VASQUEZ hasbeen an integral member ofour Church family for yearswho is now moving toConnecticut to begin her newlife with her husband Dimitri.One would be hard pressedto mention a ministry orprogram at the Annunciationin which Fofe was notinvolved. With particulardedication towards youthministry, the Annunciationhas been extraordinarily

blessed to have her as a part of our Church family. Adeeply dedicated young woman, Fofe always lookedfor ways to help share the light and love of Christ inour parish and she will be sorely missed. Here again,the Annunciation’s loss will be the Church inConnecticut's gain; and for that reason we cannot haveregret but only gratitude to have had her with us. Wethank God for her faithful service and look forward tomany visits back to Little Rock in the future.

Our Church family has also been very blessed to enjoythe fellowship and service of AYMAN & CHERINE

LEWIS AND THEIR DAUGHTERS CHRISTINE AND LINA.This summer they will be leaving for Minnesotawhere Dr. Ayman has accepted a new position. Theirdaughters were smiling beacons of sunshine, while theirparents were wonderful examples of faithfuldedication to Christ. We were especially blessed tohave Cherine working with the Pre-school children inour Sunday School program. This faithful family was ajoy to have in our midst and we will always recall themwith much love. They may be moving out of LittleRock, but we hope they will always fondly think of theAnnunciation in Little Rock as their home away fromhome.

WORDS CAN HEAL OR HURT

by Fr. Richard Demetrius Andrews

I love you. I forgive you. You are a wonderful person.When you hear these words, they sooth and warm theheart because they have the power to heal. On the otherhand, when we say, “I hate you. I will never forgive you.You are a liar”, these words often hurt others, causingthem to feel uncomfortable, unloved or angry becausethese words have the power to destroy.

Jesus heals many times just by saying a word or phrase.For example, today, in the 4th Sunday of Pascha John5:1-15, Jesus heals the Paralytic by saying, “Stand up,take your mat and walk” (John 5:8). Later in today’spassage, He says, “Sin no more” (Jn. 5:14). Jesus alsosaid this to the Sinful Woman (John 8:11). Numeroustimes Christ said, “Your faith has made you well” (Mt.9:22; Mk. 5:34; Mk. 10:52; Lk. 8:48; Lk. 17:19; Lk.18:42) and “Your sins are forgiven” (Mt. 9:2; Mk. 2:5;Lk. 5:20; Lk. 7:48; See also Luke 13:12). Even theapostles accomplished healing through words only. Intoday’s epistle (4th Sunday of Pascha; Acts 9:32-42)Peter said, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up andmake your bed” (Acts 9:34).

Unfortunately, as much as words have the power toheal, they also have the power to hurt, injure, weakenand destroy. It seems incomprehensible to us that any-one could have been against Jesus. If we saw Him healand teach today, surely we would sing Jesus’ praises andfollow Him wherever He went. We would hope so.However, just as words can build up, they can also teardown. And instead of rejoicing at the paralytic’s healing,


THE PROMISE

PAGE 10

Happy BirthdayTO OUR PARISHIONERS CELEBRATING

DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS!!

JJuunneeJune 4th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tina Alley

June 6th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Claire Cotros Pierre Delfos

Alex Miron

June 7th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ed Kutait

June 8th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Luke Alley Adrianna Alley

June 10th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Manuel Tsoukatos

June 11th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Haitham Fanek Pamela Speed

June 12th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Megan Alley

June 13th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Layne Kaiser David Sargent

June 15th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ray Ging

June 16th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Simon Ramser

June 17th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bethany Townsend

June 19th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gus Vratsinas

June 21st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dan Spencer

June 23rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gracie Cotros Ben Diggins

Alexander Hronas

June 27th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andrew Harb

June 29th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Emily Pearson

June 30th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Samantha Townsend

JJuullyyJuly 1st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Narjis Meti

July 6th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alexander HaddadHarry Hronas

July 7th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aleksey Boureiko

July 10th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dennis Campbell Zee Fanek

Matthew Harb

July 11th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stefan Tudoreanu

July 13th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amanda Zraick

July 14th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amy Bailey

July 15th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yiannis Paslidis

July 16th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rami Alley Amber Alley

Chris Alley John Khoury

July 17th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Samuel Wilcox

July 21st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Phoebe Kutait

July 23rd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ayman Matta Marinna Tadros

July 25th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike Bailey

July 26th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alex Pappas

July 27th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lea Ging

July 31st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alex Kassissieh Abby Paslidis

AAuugguussttAugust 3rd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alice Pappas

August 4th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lara Alley

August 5th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gunnar Burks

August 6th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lesya Melnyk

August 7th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stephanie Alley

August 11th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Edward Onisei George Tadros

August 12th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marena Farah

August 14th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eva Sargent

August 15th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sammy Harb

August 16th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . William Hyde

August 17th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hayden Huckabay

August 19th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . James Anaissie Anna Boureiko

August 21st. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeffrey Chacko

August 22nd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christine Lewis

August 23rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nina Diggins

August 28th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Moutos

August 29th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ashley Kassissieh

August 31st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ann Pappas

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THOUGHTS ON STEWARDSHIP(continued ffrom ppage 66)

we should act, but my favorite is the Parable of theTalents since it gives such a great illustration of what agood steward does. Put simply, the good stewardswere the ones who took “risks” and action in order tomultiply what they had been given. The bad stewardwas the one who out of fear decided not to take a riskand was called lazy as well.

This reminds me of another scripture, Luke 12:48:“...From everyone who has been given much, muchwill be demanded; and from the one who has beenentrusted with much, much more will be asked.”

HOW SHOULD “STEWARDSHIP LIVING” AFFECT OUR LIVES?

Our finances tend to be the key area that people referto when speaking of stewardship. I think the mainreason is that often money is one of the most difficultthings for people to give. At least for me that used tobe the case. I was okay giving my energy, time, or sharingmy abilities, but money was not something that I wasinterested in giving away. That is probably why Godhad to work on me for so long to help me lose my attitude!

One of the things that helped me was keeping focuson the fact that I came into the world with nothing andwould leave with nothing. I began to look at all mypossessions as merely being “on loan.” This hashelped me begin to see myself more as a “steward”rather than a “possessor”.

STEWARDSHIP OF A VIOLIN

I remember a friend of mine saying that he was talkingto a well-known violinist about his violin. The violinisthad mentioned that the violin was a couple hundredyears old and worth many hundreds of thousands ofdollars. The interesting point I remember from theconversation was the way the violinist viewed himselfas a steward of the instrument. He knew that manygreat musicians had played the instrument before he

was even born. He was also not naive to think that hewould be the last to play the fine instrument. He under-stood that it was just temporarily passing through hishands.

The violinist’s outlook on his violin has really helpedme get a better under-standing of the role possessions should havein my life. Changing mythinking in this way hasaffected how I handlemy money and even myweekly buying decisions.It’s not that havingpossessions is a good orbad thing, just that itneeds to be in theproper perspective.

SAVE THE DATE!!!

THE 2010 ANNUNCIATION

GOYACHRIST ENCOUNTER RETREAT

OCTOBER 2, 22010- from morning till night!!!

THE JOY & JR. GOYA MINI-RETREAT willtake place on Friday, October 1st.

SAVE THE DATE!!!

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Sunday School Shines!

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HOLY SERVICES IN AUGUST

COMMEMORATING

THE DORMITION OF THE

THEOTOKOS & THE TRANSFIGURATION

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4TH

Supplication Service - 6:30pm

THURSDAY, AUGUST 5TH

Great Vespers - 6:30pm

FRIDAY, AUGUST 6TH

Divine Liturgy - 9:30am

MONDAY, AUGUST 9TH


WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11TH


FRIDAY, AUGUST 13TH


SATURDAY, AUGUST 14TH

Great Vespers -6:30pm

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15TH

Matins - 9:00amDivine Liturgy - 10:00am

TRIBUTE TO FATHERS

"Honor your father and mother.” This is the first of the Ten Commandments thatends with a promise. And this is the promise: If

you honor your father and mother, "you will live a long life, full of blessing.”

And now a word to you fathers.Don't make your children angry by the way you

treat them.Rather, bring them up with the discipline and

instruction approved by the Lord.(Ephesians Chapter 6 verses 2 - 4)

Fathers are the biggest source of strength for a child.The innocent eyes of a child perceive father as the all-powerful, most knowledge, truly affectionate and themost important person in the family. For daughters,fathers are the first men they adore and fall in lovewith. While for sons their fathers are the strongestperson they know and someone they aspire toemulate. Even for the grownups fathers are someonewhom they look up to for the most experienced andhonest advice that is always in the best of our interest.For this great figure in our life that we know as father- it becomes our utmost duty to pay our humblesttribute on the occasion of Father's Day.

SSAAYY TTHHAANNKKSS TTOO DDAADD OONN FFAATTHHEERR''SS DDAAYY

Children blessed with a loving father should considerthemselves fortunate. For, they have someone to takecare of their needs and interests. Someone to stopthem when they are diverting to a wrong path andguide them on a road to success and virtue. For manyof us fathers have always been there to solve our innu-merous mathematics and science problems andexplain the same formula hundredth time or betterstill until it is understood by us. Fathers would neverever give a smallest of hint to let us know how hard


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WORDS CAN HEAL OR HURT(Continued ffrom ppage 99)

some said to him, “It’s the Sabbath; it is not lawful foryou to carry your mat.” (Jn. 5:10).

How many times, after He performed a healing or amiracle, did people, like the Pharisees, Sadduceesand scribes, criticize Jesus instead of praise Him orpraise His healings or praise the people He healed?Sadly, this negative response occurred more oftenthan not. What effect did this have on others whoheard this joyless criticism? Well, it certainly musthave been discouraging and hurtful. We forget that italso spread to others, infecting their attitudes to sucha level, that it created enough anger in others so thatthey sought to kill Jesus (Mt. 26:4; Lk. 13:31; Lk. 22:2;Jn. 5:16,18; 7:1).

In reflecting on the power that words can have toinjure or heal, I would like us to consider the wisdomand guidance found in the Holy Scriptures and theChurch Fathers.

St. John Chrysostom: You are a man and yet you spitthe venom of a poisonous serpent. You are a man andyet you become like a raging beast. You have beengiven a mouth not to wound but to heal.

Shepherd of Hermas: Love truth and avoid anger orslander. Let your mouth speak nothing but the truthand uplifting words to each other. In the Lord there isno falsehood. Liars and slanderers would the Lord,they become like thieves who steal from the Lordbecause they do not return to Him the gift in the sameway as they receive it, for they received a Spirit fromHim that does not lie.

Proverbs 10:18-19: Whoever hides hatred has lyinglips, And whoever spreads slander is a fool. In themultitude of words sin is not lacking, But he whorestrains his lips is wise.

Psalm 141:3 : Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;

Keep watch over the door of my lips. (PresanctifiedLiturgy- Psalm verses as we chant “Let my prayerarise…”)

Now, we know that at times we must offer words thatseek to guide and correct others. So, the question is,“How do we offer critical words in a manner that willheal and not destroy?” In my pre-marital counselingwith couples preparing for marriage in the OrthodoxChurch, I teach some skills that may be helpful toeveryone.

First, we must remember the primary importance ofthe relationship. Whether we are a spouse, parent,child, parishioner, volunteer, co-worker, or supervisor(and many of us have multiple roles simultaneously),we are in a relationship with someone. When I say rela-tionship, I’m not talking about a romantic one. Jesus’teaching about loving our neighbor and our enemyshould help us remember the importance of the rela-tionship itself. We do not exist as human beings in iso-lation. Therefore, we must be careful not to isolate our-selves and others through careless, hurtful words.

Second, we should speak assertively. This means using“I” statements and avoid “You” statements. What do Imean? Let’s take a simple example. What’s more effec-tive, “Honey, I would like you to take out the trash” or“Hey you, take out the trash right now”? A more sensi-tive example could go one of two ways: “I know youhad good intentions, but I was hurt when you said thisand did that” versus “You are so mean and such ajerk.” Speaking assertively helps us to own or feelingsand attitudes without imposing them on others.Therefore, it is easier for the other person to acceptand receive what we are trying to say.

Third, the way we experience people and situations isbased on our perception. Sometimes, we do not see orhear accurately. Thus, we may respond with hurt oranger to words or actions that were not intended assuch. What helps avoid this is to practicereflective/active listening. Here’s an example: someonemight say to us, “You are ignorant!” We then quicklyretort, “I know a lot more than you do!” Instead of this,


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WHEN YOUR CHILD BRINGS

UP A CONFLICT BETWEEN

CHURCH & SCIENCEby Fr. George Morelli

The measure of all things is Christ.

PROBLEM: While on Christmas vacation from college,my daughter told me that one of her professors saidthat sex outside marriage was not against the "naturallaw." In fact, there was no "natural law" - but "anythinggoes." I have tried to bring up my children to be goodOrthodox Christians. What am I to do?

SOLUTION: By all means continue to proclaim theGospel teachings, but be sure not to base your moralsystem on some so-called 'natural law' as described byscience. You see, your daughter's college professor iscorrect. Extra-marital sex is not against the natural lawas defined by science. In science, when we speak ofnatural we mean what is "in nature." In nature, manytypes of behaviors exist. There are many varieties thatwe see in our own culture and even more varieties thatwe can see in cross cultural comparisons. Sociologicaland anthropological studies lead the way here. Thusmonogamy, polygamy, war, murder, chastity, andhomosexuality, etc., are all equally "lawful in nature"because they all exist. For example, we may observethat in a certain culture, homosexual behavior occursand thereby deviates from what the average individualdoes. The fact that it exists means it is natural, asnatural as a sunrise or an earthquake, a flower or aflood. Scientists view such a behavior merely as astatistic. A certain percentage of the populationengage in homosexual behavior and is thus natural.

Science has spoken! All varieties of sexual behaviorare "natural." But this view is entirely different fromthe definition of what is natural to man that God hasrevealed to us. Science and the Church are notopposed, they are simply using two differentdefinitions of the term: natural.

INNER CONSCIENCE

It is not uncommon to consider however that in thedepth of conscience, man detects a law which he doesnot impose on himself but which holds him toobedience. Christian ethics would imply that allevolution of morals and every type of life must be keptwithin the guidelines and boundaries imposed by theimmutable principal based on every person's inherentsense of right and wrong.

In the course of history whenever the Roman Church(or any other Church) has based its faith, dogma ormorals on science, she has been terribly embarrassed.Copernicus, a 16th century churchman and scientist,was considered a heretic for stating the sun was the cen-ter of the universe, instead of the earth as the theolo-gians taught. This earth-centered universe fit well withthe theological view of man as the greatest of God'smaterial creations, who thereby must reside at the cen-ter or focal point of the universe. Galileo too, ran intodifficulty defending the Copernican position. But, as weknow, the earth is not the center of the universe, andwhether it is or not has nothing to do with commitmentto Christ, holding fast to His teachings or morality.

NATURAL AS UNDERSTOOD BY THE CHURCH

Mankind is meant for paradise, and paradise isunderstood as life in and with God that lasts for alleternity. The church fathers tell us what is "natural" forman is his original purpose. St. John of Damascus tellsus:

As a golden seal to this plain homily, we will adda brief account of the way in which that which ismost precious of all that God has created — thenoetic and intelligent creature, man — has beenmade, alone among created beings, in God's image and likeness (cf. Genesis 1:26). First, every man is said to be made in the image of God as regards the dignity of his intellect and soul ... and endowed with free will...

Further, St. John of Damascus taught this dignitynatural to man carries with it a responsibility towardholiness:


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WORDS CAN HEAL OR

HURT(Continued ffrom ppage 115)

reflective listening would simply repeat back to theperson, using an “I” statement, what we heard.“What I heard you say is that I am ignorant.” Whatreflective listening accomplishes is twofold: 1) It con-firms that indeed we heard the person accurately,thus allowing us to respond more appropriately; 2) Ithelps the other person to hear exactly what they said,thus enabling them to confirm that indeed what theysaid is what they intended. Considering this, the firstperson might then respond, “No, I didn’t mean tosay you were ignorant. I meant to say that sometimesI feel like you ignore me.”

Fourth, when we feel we must offer a criticism itshould be balanced with a compliment. In fact,because critical comments are usually so sensitive,many say that we should offer three compliments toevery criticism. Offering several compliments beforeoffering a criticism, communicates to the other per-son that we do indeed see and value their positivecharacteristics and behaviors. By doing this, we helpthem be open to the criticism. If we constantly areoffering criticisms, and those of us who have childrenknow this well, then people begin to tune us out andnot take us seriously.

Fifth and finally, we must seek as best we can to beaware of our inner world. We must be conscious ofour thoughts and feelings that constantly run throughour heart, mind and soul. This is very importantbecause often how we communicate with others isaffected by our inner world. For example, the needto criticize may be driven more by our own thoughtsthan by another person’s words and actions. If we areself-aware, we can practice discernment better, deter-mining if voicing our criticism is really necessary andwill ultimately be more helpful than hurtful.

ON THINGS ABOVE IN

SUMMER(Continued oon ppage 66)

Do we want it? That is the question. Christ gives himselfto us in proportion to how much we want his refreshment.“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me withall your heart” (Jeremiah 11:12). One of the reasons togive the Lord special attention in the summer is to sayto him “We want all your refreshment. We really wantit.”

Peter’s word to us about this is: “Repent therefore andreturn, that your sins may be wiped away, in order thattimes of refreshing may come from the presence of theLord” (Acts 3:19). Repentance is not just turning awayfrom sin, but also turning toward the Lord with heartsopen and expectant and submissive.

What sort of summer mindset is this? It is the mindsetof Colossians 3:1-2, "If then you have been raised upwith Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christis, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on thethings above, not on the things that are on earth."

In the summer the earth is verymuch with us. And it is God’searth! But it is all prelude to thereal drama of heaven. It is aforetaste of the real banquet. Itis a video preview of the realityof what the eternal summer willbe like when “the city has noneed of sun or moon to shineupon it, for the glory of God isits light, and its lamp is theLamb” (Revelation 21:23). So,you see, the summer sun is amere pointer to the sun that willbe: the glory of God. Summer isfor seeing and showing that.Will we have eyes to see? Doyou want to have eyes to see?Lord, let us see the Lightbeyond the campfire.

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THANKS BE TO GOD!The Lord continues to bless the Annunciation in LittleRock in our efforts to glorify Him and share His love withour neighbors. Beginning with a new and improved Tasteof the Mediterranean & Greek Fest Golf Tournamentwith Easter Seals, our Church not only shined as a beaconof Christ’s light, but was able to help others in ways thatvastly exceed the size of our Church family. Not only didthe participants at these two events have a good time butwe were able to once again use our time and talents tosupport others in the name of the Lord and present theopen doors of His Church to the broader Little Rockcommunity. Then later that same week, with an amazinglevel of enthusiasm and joy, our Church family faced itssingle greatest annual endeavor - the Festival - with astrength and grace that can only come from an abidinglove for Christ. With a revamped and reinvigorated Festival,the Annunciation and our local charities were well served.We all did our best, put our trust in the Lord that HisWill would be done, and took a leap of faith as dedicatedstewards of the Annunciation and faithful Orthodox Christiansin Little Rock. And once again, He heard the voice of ourprayer and blessed us abundantly!

So as we recover from this year’s monumental task wemust above all thank the Lord our God for providing ourChurch with another splendid opportunity to work

together as an Orthodox Christian family and glorifyHim through the work and mission of our Festival. WithGod’s grace, our Church family truly put forth its best - andour Festival shined brightly to the glory of God.

To Raouf Kassissieh & Tina Alley, our Festival co-chairs,we say thank yyou! For months they gave the full measureof their strength to the Festival. They arose at all hours ofthe day and night to promote the Festival in the media,receive deliveries and answer innumerable questions;no task was too big or too small. Without such dedication,our Festival would suffer!

To all those men and women in our Church family, bothyoung and old alike, who offered enormous portions oftheir time and talent in order to empower the ministriesof our parish, assist many worthwhile charities, andmanifest the love of Christ through the 2010 Festival -THANK YOU! You have certainly pleased the Lord andbrought honor to the Annunciation. Such endeavors cannotpossibly be accomplished without the whole heartedcommitment of our entire Church family. God hasblessed us with many stewards willing to give the firstportion of their time and talent to the Annunciation andthis is something that is particularly beautiful to behold.

And let us not overlook a hardy few in our Church familywho have been organizing, placing orders, repairingthings, calling vendors and/or cooking at the Church fivedays a week for months and months at a time - withoutpay, fame or complaint, but solely motivated by Christianlove and dedication to the Church. We cannot list all ofthe names of these individuals, but the satisfaction ofhonoring the Lord and supporting the Church by such anextraordinary commitment of time and talent is wellknown to God and a constant source of inspiration andstrength to the entire Annunciation Church family.

Parishioner’s fervent dedication to the wellbeing of theAnnunciation and joyful witness to the Good News ofChrist through tireless service at this year’s Festival was anawe inspiring example of Orthodox Christian faith and love. So with this amazing mission beautifully fulfilled to theglory of God, and looking forward to the next year, let usceaselessly praise our gracious Lord and Savior for Hisabundant grace and love for the Annunciation in LittleRock.

Thanks bbe tto GGod && WWell DDone FFaithfulSStewards oof tthe AAnnunciation!

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A Festival of Blessings

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OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHIES

The Annunciation Church family notes with deepsadness the passing of JIM RUTTER, the father ofMike Rutter, who passed away in a car accident inMissouri.

As our heavenly Father receives the soul of this Hisservant, let us continue to pray that all those whomourn will be comforted by the bountiful love ofour Savior.

“May his memory be eternal!”

WELCOME

The Annunciation familyjoyously welcomes into ourOrthodox Christian Churchfamily LYNN & SUSAN

MCDOWELL who will beChrismated on Sunday, June13th. Gordon & Martha Tyerwill serve as their sponsors.May our gracious Lord blessthe Annunciation’s newestChurch family members!

CONGRATULATIONS!

The Annunciation family joyously congratulatesDIMITRIOS VASQUEZ & FOFE GING who werejoined in blessed matrimonyat the Annunciation onSaturday, June 55th. NektariosKalogridis served as theirsponsor.

MMAAYY GGOODD GGRRAANNTT YYOOUU

MMAANNYY YYEEAARRSS

OOFF LLOOVVEE && HHAAPPPPIINNEESSSS!!

WORDS OF WISDOM

“Do I possess the house in which I live?No, it is only on loan to me from God

while I remain in that place. Do Ipossess the clothes I wear? No, they areon loan to me until they wear out, oruntil I give them away to someone in

greater need. Do I possess this body thatyou see before you? No, it was lent to meby God when I was born, and he will takeit back when I die. Do I possess the mindthat is composing the words that I speak?No, that too was lent by God at my birthand will go when I die. So do I possess

anything? Yes, I possess the virtues whichduring my life have grown and flourished

within my soul. Inasmuch as I havegrown in faith, I possess faith. Inasmuchas I have grown in gentleness, I possessgentleness. These things are immortal;they are divine gifts which God will not

take away, because he wants heaven itselfto be filled with virtue. And, of course, Ipossess my soul, in which these virtues

have their roots.”

St JJohn CChrysostom ffrom On LLiving SSimply: TTheGolden VVoice oof JJohn CChrysostom

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HINT:

Church is OPEN on Sundaysin June, July & August!

DivineLiturgy,10:00am

A TRIBUTE TO FATHERS(Continued ffrom ppage 114)

they work to take care of our needs and fulfill even themost whimsical of demands... For all their adorablescolding and affectionate punishments we all owe a bigthanks to our Dads.

AAPPOOLLOOGGIIZZEE TTOO DDAADD OONN FFAATTHHEERR''SS DDAAYY

Father's Day also brings with it the wonderful opportunityto apologize for all our rude and insensitive behavior.We as children often take the love and affection of ourparents for granted and treat them with outrightcontempt. We need to apologize. We must feel great tohave the presence of loving father in our lives and donot disrespect the blessing of God on us. On Father'sDay we must says “Sorry” to our Dad and seek theirforgiveness for our wrong behavior.

CCEELLEEBBRRAATTEE

FFAATTHHEERR''SS DDAAYY

WWIITTHH DDAADD

We must make allefforts to celebrateFather's Day withour Dad. Childrenstaying away fromfather must especiallystrive to spend theday with father andshow gratitude for all their support and love. We mustpamper father by spending the day in a manner he likesmost. It could be going out for a picnic or indulging himwith a gourmet meal. We can also express love withthoughtful gifts accompanied by a bouquet of his favoriteflowers. The idea is to show our affection and tellDaddy how much he is loved and appreciated not juston Father's Day but every single day of our lives.

A THANK YOU NOTE

To My AnnunciationParish Family:

Thank you for providing me witha seminarian’s robe as I prepareto go to Holy Cross Greek OrthodoxSchool of Theology. The love andsupport I have received from myparish family, exemplified by thisvery generous gift, has been asource of great joy and comfort. I look forward to wearing thisrobe at the divine services at theseminary and being constantlyreminded of my beloved ParishFamily.

Again, thank you.

In Christ,JJaarrrroodd RRuusssseellll

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A CONFLICT

BETWEEN CHURCH &SCIENCE(Continued ffrom ppage 116)

Every man possesses that which is according to the image of God, "for the gifts of God are irrevocable" (cf. Romans 11:29). But only a few — those who are virtuous and holy and have imitated the goodness of God to the limit of human powers — possess that which is according to the likenesses of God" (Philokalia III).

The words of St. Simeon the New Theologian shouldbe kept in mind then as a guide to our behavior, notas a scientific statistic, but looking to paradise, forwhich we were originally created:

It is right for us to place the yoke of Christ's commandments on our shoulders from the start; and we should not resist or hang back. On the contrary, we should walk straight ahead wholeheartedly obedient to them in truth the new paradise of God, until the Son comes to dwell in us with the Father through the Holy Spirit" (Philokalia IV).

THE PARENTAL OR PASTORAL RESPONSE

Well, for you as a parent or pastor, there would betwo important issues left. One would be concern forthe breakdown of society: indifference, moral rela-tivism secularism and syncretism are the fruits of pro-moting or condoning behavior based on the scientificstatistical definition of what is natural and thereforeacceptable, ethical and moral.

CHRIST OUR GUIDEPOST

Most important however, is the second issue. It isreally not an issue at all because it is at the apex of our

lives - this is our Orthodox commitment to Christ. Wedo not obey a proscription, sexual or otherwise, becauseit conforms or does not conform to a scientific definitionof natural law. We obey according to the measure ofour commitment to Christ. The measure of thiscommitment will be based of Christ indwelling thedepth of hearts and sincerity of our prayer. It would bewell to keep in mind what our holy fathers have taughtus - obedience leads to faith and prayer, and in turn,faith and prayer lead to obedience. Being excellentpsychologists, the fathers tell us that the main pitfalls toprayer and obedience to God's will are forgetfulness,ignorance and laziness. Possibly we could sum up thesethree categories into two: knowledge and perseverance(or persistence). Real knowledge and perseverance inliving the Christian spiritual-moral life can only comefrom the perspective of Christ and His Church.

So you see, your daughter may be getting a very valuablecollege education, if she at least learns that theOrthodox Christian life, sexual or otherwise, cannot beproved by the 'natural law' as defined by science, butwhat is 'natural' for us in terms of the purpose of whichGod originally created us. You as her parent along withher pastor, and the entire Church, can add to herknowledge by teaching and witnessing the message ofthe Gospels, the commandments, the beatitudes, whatOur Lord called the "narrow path" leading to our shar-ing of the Light of Christ. It is by the illumination ofChrist that we will become as "little children"; that wewill find the Kingdom of God.

This kingdom , as the evangelists tell us, is found in ourhearts. I might add that it is not found in a sciencetextbook, unless the "laws of nature" God created areillumined by His Divine light.

"The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.

Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge"

(PSALM 19: 1-2).

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ROLE MODELS VS. HEROES(Continued oon ppage 77)

doesn't entail a great deal of risk or evoke awe, evenif you're smiling politely throughout. Nor would ayoung person fear reprisals from "cool" peers or hipprofessors if, before the scandal, he said he hoped tobe another Tiger Woods. By contrast, a student whoconfessed to be inspired by, say, Patton or SergeantYork, would not only be in danger of sneers, but oncertain college campuses he would be sternly discouragedfrom meeting with those soldiers' successors to discussa career risking death in our country's uniform.

We have plenty of role models today, but we needmore heroes. We need them to avoid sinking toolow, and for inspiration to do not the possible but thewell-nigh impossible, as the young Patton knew. Wealso need heroes to train the young in virtue, tostretch our imaginations, and to understand ourselvesmore deeply. As one wise mother of six has said, "Weneed to see our own characteristics and aspirationsmagnified, really big, bigger than life, in order toabsorb them into the pitiful little wrinkles of ourcerebellums."

Alexis de Tocqueville wrote that we need heroes inorder to appreciate freedom, even to believe in itspossibility. The Frenchman warned us of historianswho ignore the role of heroic individuals in shapinghistory and focus instead on impersonal social forces.Such historians "forge a close and enormous chain,which girds and binds the human race." If their out-look "gets possession of the public mind, it will soonparalyze the activity of modern society and reduceChristians to the level of the Turks," by whichTocqueville meant the harsh tyranny of the caliphate.To avoid that fate, we must recognize that individualscan rise above the social forces shaping their times.Nothing illustrates the possibility better than aChurchill refusing, despite a lack of allies, to give upthe fight against the Nazis, or a Lincoln refusing toallow Southern fire-eaters and Northern abolitioniststo split the Union over slavery, or a Washington

refusing to surrender to the vastly more powerful BritishEmpire.

But to ask if we need heroes is perhaps also the wrongquestion. Better to ponder what heroes need, as it were.To be remembered and revered from the past, and tobe cultivated in the future, heroes need citizens whocare for more than material comfort, who believe thateach of us has a free will, who do not expect perfectionfrom mortals but do long for excellence, who do notmake puritanical demands for "equality" in all things.Heroes need a citizenry that has not had its horizonsflattened by tyrannous theories that deny the possibilityof virtue, much less of greatness, that quash wonder andreverence and produce only world-weary irony inyouths who are naturally at the age to contemplate theoutermost limits of their own potential.

It seems that heroism cannot be separated from seriousrisk. Does that mean that only those in hazardous jobsare potential heroes? Not exactly. Instead, the questionpoints to the greatest value of heroes. By confrontingdangerous enemies, they keep our gaze from avoidingthe grandest horizon of all. As one sage put it, they helpus "come to terms with that last great enemy that lies inwait at the end of every road: death." In this high-stakessetting, each one of us is a potential hero, if we arewilling to sacrifice ourselves for others rather thananesthetize ourselves and settle for easy banalities overexcellence and striving.

WORDS OF WISDOM

Pray for the forgiveness of the sins ofothers as you pray for the forgiveness

of your own; pray for the salvation of others as you pray for

your own, and you will receive fromGod a wealth of spiritual gifts,

the gifts of the Holy Spirit, who loves a soul which is concerned

with the salvation of others.

St. John of Kronstadt

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fr i Sat 1 2

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6 2nd Sunday of Matthew Matins 9:00 am Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

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10:00am Departure for Youth Branson

Trip

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Youth Branson Trip

12

Return from Youth Branson Trip

13 3rd Sunday of Matthew Matins 9:00 am Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

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20 4th Sunday of Matthew Matins 9:00 am Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

Happy Father’s Day

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Nativity of St. John the Baptist

Liturgy 9:30am

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Youth Traveler’s Baseball Game

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ANNUNCIATION GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 1100 NAPA VALLEY DRIVE, LITTLE ROCK, AR 72211 REV. DR. NICHOLAS J. VERDARIS, PASTOR

JUNE 2010

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Happy Independence Day America!!!

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40th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress

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40th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress

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40th Biennial Clergy-Laity

Congress

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40th Biennial Clergy-Laity

Congress

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18 Sunday of the Holy Fathers Matins 9:00 am Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

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St. Paraskevi Liturgy 9:30am

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JULY 2010

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10th Sunday of Matthew Matins 9:00 am Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

2 3 4 Supplication Service

6:30pm

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Great Vespers for the Transfiguration

6:30pm

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Feast of the Transfiguration

Liturgy 9:30am

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Supplication Service

6:30pm

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Supplication Service 6:30pm

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Supplication Service

6:30pm

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Great Vespers for the Dormition 6:30pm

15 Feast of the Dormition Matins 9:00 am Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

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Youth Ministry Registration Begins

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29 Beheading of St. John Matins 9:00 am Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

Parish Assembly

Youth Ministry Registration

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Sept. 1

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6 Labor Day

Offices Closed

7 8 Nativity of

the Theotokos Liturgy 9:30am

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AUGUST 2010

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2010 june - august pages (2)

Documents