The Promise

septembeR - octobeR 2012

WIsdom:
I have been crucIfIed wIth chrIst and I no longer lIve, but chrIst lIves In me. the lIfe I lIve In the body, I lIve by faIth In the son of god,
who loved me and gave

hImself for me.

GALATIANS 2:20

dates to RemembeR
The NaTiviTy of The TheoTokos
DiviNe LiTurgy, 9:30am

InsIde thIs Issue

Pastoral Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 a godly Marriage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Celebrating Holy Cross . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 FaMily WorsHiP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 WHat do We Mean by ortHodox . . . . 9 HaPPy birtHday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Festival sCenes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 FreedoM oF WorsHiP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 neWs & notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 in tHe PalM oF our Hand . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Centennial uPdate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Calendars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
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septembeR 8th septembeR 9th

suNDay schooL BegiNs & WeLcome Back cook-ouT eLevaTioN of The hoLy cross
DiviNe LiTurgy, 9:30am

septembeR 14th

septembeR 23Rd
Parish assemBLy

goDPareNT suNDay

octobeR 7th

THE PROMISE

pastoRal message
One of the most detrimental and disturbing developments of the modern era is the ongoing phenomenon whereby the concept of beauty has been horribly corrupted. There was a time when it was valued as virtue; we now live in an age where the very notion of beauty has been reduced to a puerile, sexualized, commercial and/or individualistic idea altogether. As a result, many Christians today speak with derision and or dismay at any and all efforts to celebrate, honor or emphasize true beauty. Visit any Orthodox Church in the world however, and stark contrasts become obvious. In the words of Christopher Burkett: Beauty is hope. Beauty gives meaning, depth and purpose to our lives. Beauty makes our heart sing, our pulse quicken, our life worth living. Beauty uplifts, beauty blesses. Beauty is the touch of heaven and the rising above this fallen world. When we speak of beauty this way, we are not describing those things which are merely pleasing to look at, but profound beauty which resonates within us and brings forth the remembrance and knowledge of God. Beauty on this level leaves us breathless, as we glimpse a hint of the divine presence which surrounds and fills all things. At those times, we see and know that beauty represents, in its most exalted form, a touch of the divine. When we experience beauty on this deep level, words fail us. Thought fails us. We have a brief, though veiled, glimpse into that world of light, power and grace that calls us to respond with wonder and praise. In those profound moments, we need no further proof and our hearts can be changed forever. Because Orthodox Christians down through the ages have always correctly understood the essential and spiritual virtue of beauty, vast amounts of time and resources have been directed towards the beautification of Gods Holy House. This is in contrast to a modern day culture which enthusiastically endorses any and all efforts towards making private homes and property showpieces while at the same time contemptuously criticizes the construction of beautiful churches as
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excessive wastes of money. Such hypocrisy is only explained by the fact that the secular world neither seeks God nor recognizes true beauty. The commitment to beauty is not a luxury that belongs to the elite, an attribute of arrogance, or the folly of fools - in and through the Church, true beauty is spiritual, it is eternal and it is holy. The Church must always be beautiful, not only because it solely belongs to God, but because it is the means by which all men and women may draw nearer to our truly beautiful Lord and God. Whether in the ancient catacombs of Rome or in the plains of Africa today, beauty is a core component to the Orthodox Church and a vital expression of the Orthodox Christian faith. Because the Church is the place where mortals meet God through the Sacraments and in turn worship Him, there is not one square inch of the Church that can be mundane. There is the theological (if not innate) sense that a beautiful church is a vivid glimpse of heaven on earth.

Beautiful Church

Ornate churches with icons from floor to ceiling inside and out, adorned in marble, replete with intricate carvings and gold leaf everywhere are neither optional, ostentatious nor opulent. For such efforts help mortals look beyond the temporal world to the Kingdom of Heaven. This also means that the commitment to love the beauty of Gods House does not ever diminish nor undermine the work of the Church. The calling to help the poor, care for widows, support families, and guide children in the name of the Lord does not come at the expense of the beauty of Gods House. The righteous work of Orthodox Christianity is a natural extension of a beautiful Church. It is from within the blessed image of heaven on earth that Christians always find the wherewithal, manner and strength to address the ills (Continued on page 4)

sePTember - ocTober 2012

save the date

Parish Assembly

Sunday, Sept, 23, 2012

Make your legacy of love for your parish eternal: Remember the Annunciation in your Will.

ouR condolences
It is with sorrow that the Annunciation family notes that our brother in Christ, Harold Clowers, the beloved father of our very own Dr. Robert Clowers, fell asleep in the Lord.

It is with sorrow that the Annunciation family notes that our sister in Christ, ViCtoria GambiniCalliHan, the beloved wife of our very own Kenneth Callihan, fell asleep in the Lord.

I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. J eremiah 31:13 a good poInt When people stop believing in God, they dont believe in nothing they believe in anything. G.K. Chesterton
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Let us all keep the departed in our prayers and beseech our loving Lord to extend His comfort and strength to the bereaved family and friends.

May their memory be eternal.

THE PROMISE

the pastoRal message

(Continued from page 2) of the fallen world. Without a beautiful Church to encounter the majesty of God, a person can easily be overcome by the darkness of a fallen world and cease to serve God and their fellow man. For this reason, even in the most impoverished corners of the world and during the most desperate periods of Christian history, beautiful churches have been built and maintained. As faithful kings and tenant farmers alike would contribute whatever they had to ensure that Gods house would inspire the world; it is equally telling that in times of war or oppression, tyrants and the depraved have always targeted the destruction of Orthodox Churches. One simply cannot completely enslave a people or strip them of hope in Christ, as long as Gods beautiful House stands. How striking it is that even as the world slips ever deeper into a secular-human coma, people are still drawn to visit beautiful churches in order to gaze with awe at the beauty of Gods House. Though many in this day and age may visit beautiful churches out of a fascination with art and architecture, some lost souls are still moved to repent in the face of such beauty and bulwarks of the Christian faith. In the words of Mr. Burkett, One of the unique characteristics of the Orthodox Church is her recognition of the contribution of beauty to our spiritual life.

they are true, good, and beautiful. Early Christian theologians located the source of these prime virtues as proceeding from God himself truth, goodness and beauty are virtues because God is true, good and beautiful. Thus this trinity of virtues becomes a guide to Christian living as we seek to believe what is true, be what is good, and behold what is beautiful.

One of the unique characteristics of the Orthodox Church is her recognition of the contribution of beauty to our spiritual life.

But it is this third virtue, the virtue of beauty, that has been most marginalized in the way we understand and evaluate Christianity. As a result, Christianity has suffered a loss of beauty - a loss that needs to be recovered. With an emphasis on truth, we have tried to make Christianity persuasive (as we should). But we also need a corresponding emphasis on beauty to make Christianity attractive. Christianity should not only persuade with truth, but it should also attract with beauty. Along with ChristiAn ApologetiCs, To that end, I will conclude by highlighting this we need ChristiAn AesthetiCs. ChristiAnity needs profound excerpt from Beauty Will Save The World: to be presented As beAutiful. Rediscovering the Allure and Mystery of Christianity, Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us renew our efforts by Brian Zahnd: to beautifully present our Orthodox Christian faith out When considering Christian faith and practice, we are used to of love for the Lord and our fellow human beings. Let asking, Is it true? but we also need to ask the question, Is it us make it a never-ending part of our spiritual journey to shAre with the world the beautiful Word of the Lord, beautiful? uplift the beautiful Cross and present Little Rock with The ancient Greek philosophers, and later the early church fathers, the ever beautiful Church of the Annunciation. spoke of three prime virtues: truth, goodness and beauty. As prime virtues, truth, goodness and beauty need no further justification they are their own justification, which is a way of saying that truth, goodness and beauty dont need to be made practical - they dont have to do anything to be of value. The value of a virtue is inherent; we simply choose truth, goodness and beauty because
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Rev Dr. Nicholas J. Verdaris

sePTember - ocTober 2012

tRust: a coRneRstone of a godly maRRIage

by Fr. George Morelli

pIctuRIng ouR last 100 yeaRs

Part of our plans to herald the Annunciations 100th Anniversary include showcasing the people and life of our parish through the years. for this to hAppen, we need our ChurCh fAmilys direCt help. If you have pictures of Weddings, Baptisms, Sunday School programs, Family moments and/or Festival endeavors at the Annunciation, we desperately want to make Copies of your best pictures to include in a Commemorative Album and/or DVD.

Moreover it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.

(I Cor 4:2)

The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.
(Pv 31:11)

Developmental psychologist Eric Erickson conjectures that during infancy the continuity of comforting sensory experiences with adults promotes a sense of trust that serves as a root for the resolution of the successive challenges the individual will confront over a lifespan. Erickson goes on to suggest that the appropriate proportion of trust over mistrust produces hope. He states, Hope is both the earliest and the most indispensable virtue inherent in the state of being alive. Ericksons understanding is also very descriptive of a functional marriage. Beck, for example, considers trust one of the three major components of a functional relationship - commitment and loyalty being the others. Beck considers them a force for stability that, once developed, protect[s] the closeness, intimacy and security of the loving bond. Beck goes on to give examples of attitudes or beliefs that indicate basic trust:

Here is How YoU Can Help:

1) Select some of the best pictures in your collection of family moments at the Annunciation. (For example, a wedding portrait taken in a studio is not applicable, a picture of the wedding service or reception in the Church is perfect!) Remember scenes from a Baptism, your baby graduating Sunday School, working at the Festival or having fun at a Church dinner are great windows into parish life. please inClUde tHe date, or at least tHe Year of tHe piCtUre. 2) Place your pictures in an envelope with: a. your name b. your e-mail & phone number. c. The number of photos submitted (This information is critical if we are going to be able to return the photos.) d. The date, or at least the year, of the scene captured in your photo. 3) There will be a bin on the ChurCh offiCe CredenzA labeled Incoming Pictures - place your envelope in it. The parish will make copies of the pictures and will, within a few weeks, contact you when they are ready to be picked up from the bin on the ChurCh offiCe CredenzA labeled Outgoing Pictures. For a complete picture of life at the Annunciation in Little Rock over the last 100 years, we need images of your life at the Annunciation. pleAse, help us todAy!!!
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w I can depend on my spouse to guard my best interests. w I know that my spouse would not intentionally hurt me. w I know that I can depend on my spouse for help in ordinary w w
situations or in an emergency. I know my spouse will be available when I need him or her. I can assume good will on the part of my spouse. (Continued on page 11)

THE PROMISE

celebRatIng the 75th annIveRsaRy of hellenIc college & holy cRoss at the annuncIatIon

of Atlanta, a member of the Board of Trustees of HC/HC and Chairman of the Institutional Advancement Committee, will also be visiting us. We are planning an event on Saturday, October 13th, for our young people to meet and interact with the visiting seminarians and then on Saturday evening the Parish Council will host a dinner for all of our visitors. The high point of the visit and the Annunciations celebration of the 75th Anniversary of Hellenic College and Holy Cross will take place on Sunday, October 14th. Fr. Nick Triantafilou will not only concelebrate the Liturgy with Fr. Nicholas, but the visiting seminarians will also assist in the services by chanting both the Matins and Divine Liturgy. Sunday will conclude with a Luncheon in our Ballroom for all of our parishioners to enjoy. Please RSVP for the Luncheon so that all of the appropriate arrangements can be made! With this grand occasion on the horizon, we ask our entire Church family to make plans to attend this celebration of our Seminary. Together, let us pray for and honor our school.

This year, Hellenic College & Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of Holy Cross in 1937. As the oldest and largest Orthodox Christian institution of higher learning in North America, the school has launched a year-long series of activities designed to commemorate this milestone. We are proud to be a part of this great celebration and have set aside the weekend of October 13th14th to better acquaint all of our parishioners with the work and mission of this great institution and our seminary. Details are being finalized, but we are honored to say that the President of Holy Cross, fAther niCk triAntAfilou, has graciously accepted our invitation to visit our parish and will be visiting us with several seminarians, including our very own JArrod russell. In addition, ms. helen A. CArlos
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Save the Date & Celebrate with us October 13th & 14th

sePTember - ocTober 2012

If I WeRe the devIl...

by Paul Harvey delivered April 3, 1965.

and deify science. I would lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls, and church money. If I were the devil Id make the symbols of Easter an egg and the symbol of Christmas a bottle. If I were the devil Id take from those, and who have, and give to those wanted until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious. And what will you bet I couldnt get whole states to promote gambling as the way to get rich? I would caution against extremes and hard work, in Patriotism, in moral conduct. I would convince the young that marriage is old-fashioned, that swinging is more fun, that what you see on the TV is the way to be. And thus I could undress you in public, and I could lure you into bed with diseases for which there is no cure. In other words, if I were the devil Id just keep right on doing on what hes doing. Paul Harvey, good day.

If I were the Prince of Darkness, Id want to engulf the whole world in darkness. And Id have a third of its real estate, and four-fifths of its population, but I wouldnt be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree Thee. So Id set about however necessary to take over the United States. Id subvert the churches first Id begin with a campaign of whispers. With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve: Do as you please. To the young, I would whisper that The Bible is a myth. I would convince them that man created God instead of the other way around. I would confide that whats bad is good, and whats good is square. And the old, I would teach to pray, after me, Our Father, which art in Washington And then Id get organized. Id educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting, so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting. Id threaten TV with dirtier movies and vice versa. Id pedal narcotics to whom I could. Id sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction. Id tranquilize the rest with pills. If I were the devil Id soon have families that war with themselves, churches at war with themselves, and nations at war with themselves; until each in its turn was consumed. And with promises of higher ratings, Id have mesmerizing media fanning the flames. If I were the devil I would encourage schools to refine young intellects, but neglect to discipline emotions just let those run wild, until before you knew it, youd have to have drug sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door. Within a decade Id have prisons overflowing, Id have judges promoting pornography soon I could evict God from the courthouse, then from the schoolhouse, and then from the houses of Congress. And in His own churches I would substitute psychology for religion,

Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure; reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.

George Washington
(Farewell Address, 1796)
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THE PROMISE

famIly WoRshIp at home and In the chuRch

An interview with rev. dr. philip zymAris
The Rev. Dr. Philip Zymaris is assistant professor of liturgics at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA and pastor at the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church in Pawtucket, R.I. As a father of five children, a parish priest and a professor at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology you often talk about the significance of children partaking in worship. How important is it for families to worship together in church and why? It is very important because it is the natural way for people to be. We are made in the image and likeness of God, we are made for God, we are made to be doxological (glorifying) and eucharistic (thankful) beingsand this includes children, of course. They cannot be excluded for convenience sake or to make a more prim and proper worship service. The main concern in church is not to train people to have socially acceptable behavior but to become a true worshipping community gathered around Christ. Everybody worships and glorifies God the way they can. We believe that the Liturgy is an icon of and participation in the Kingdom of God and there will be plenty of children in the Kingdom of God so those who are disturbed by children in our worship services must get used to this fact now! However, for many families, the reality is that it is not always easy to worship together in church. They sometimes feel unwelcome when their children misbehave. What advice would you give them, especially for those who have little children? We have to realize that children glorify God by being
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children, not be being something they are not. They are part of the worship experience. Remember how Christ said Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs (Mark 10:14) when the apostles tried to hinder them for conveniences sake. This in fact is why the Orthodox Church baptizes infants. Because we believe the worship of God is not only for someone old enough to understand it intellectually (as if someone could understand the mystery of God intellectually!). No, its not an intellectual exercise, rather it is a total experienceand everyone, even babies, even embryos can experience things. Our worship therefore is an experience, a way of life and not the intellectual conceptualization of life. Therefore, in our worship the whole human beingbody and soul together as icon of Godis involved. For this reason all five senses participate in our worship and our worship is in this sense very physical. Indeed, Orthodox worship is like a symposium, a feast for the senses. Therefore, we even can say that religious education actually starts from the wombeven the embryo somehow experiences the atmosphere of worship when the mother attends church. Are there any practical things families can do to prepare for church services? Parents need to understand that the liturgical experience begins with preparing for it at home everyday. But even on Sunday morning from the moment everyone wakes up, everyone is moving in the direction toward God. However, parents need to see this whole process in a discerning and flexible way and not expect that their families will worship in the way other people who might have less practical restrictions do. For example, they need to forgive themselves if theyre not at every service from the very beginning; of course the earlier the better whenever possible but this can sometimes be unrealistic and this is OK. God sees the whole effort and the whole picture. The whole question of behavior isdepending on the maturity of the childrenhow well we train them by our own example in our whole lives. (Continued on page 10)

sePTember - ocTober 2012

What do We mean by the WoRd oRthodoX?

by Saint John Maximovich Shortly after the doctrine of Christ began to be propagated among the Gentiles, the followers of Christ in Antioch began to be called Christians (Acts XI:26). The word Christian indicated that those who bore this name belonged to Christ-belonged in the sense of devotion to Christ and his Doctrine. From Antioch the name of Christian was spread everywhere. The followers of Christ gladly called themselves by the name of their beloved Teacher and Lord; and the enemies of Christ called His followers Christians by carrying over to them the ill-will and hatred which they breathed against Christ. However, quite soon there appeared people who, while calling themselves Christians, were not of Christ in spirit. Of them Christ had spoken earlier: Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven (Matthew: VII:5). Christ prophesied also that many would pass themselves off for Christ Himself: Many shall come in my name, sayings I am Christ (Matthew: XXIV:5). The Apostles in their epistles indicated that false bearers of the name of Christ had appeared already in their time: as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now there are many antichrists (I John II:19). They indicated that those who stepped away from the doctrine of Christ should not be considered their

own: They went out from us but were not of us (I John II:19) Warning against quarrels and disagreements in minor matters (I Cor. I:10-14), at the same time the Apostles strictly commanded their disciples to shun those who do not bring the true doctrine (II John I:10). The Lord, through the Revelation given to the Apostle John the Theologian, sternly accused those who, calling themselves faithful, did not act in accordance with their name; for in such a case it would be false for them. Of what use was it of old to call oneself a Jew, an Old Testament follower of the true faith, if one was not such in actuality? Such the Holy Scripture calls the synagogue of Satan (Apocalypse II:9). In the same way a Christian in the strict sense is he only who confesses the true doctrine of christ and lives in accordance with it. The designation of a Christian consists in glorifying the Heavenly Father by ones life. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven (Matthew: V:16). But true glorification of God is possible only if one rightly believes and expresses his right belief in words and deeds. Therefore true Christianity and it alone may be named right-glorifying (Ortho-doxy). By the word Orthodoxy we confess our firm conviction that it is precisely our Faith that is the true doctrine of Christ. When we call anyone or anything Orthodox, we by this very fact indicate his or its non-counterfeit and uncorrupted Christianity, rejecting at the same time that which falsely appropriates the name of Christ.

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THE PROMISE

famIly WoRshIp
(Continued from page 8)

Regarding children and their participation in the sacramental life of the church, what advise would you have for parents? From the very beginning if the parents are living the sacramental life of the Church, this is the best form of religious education. For example, if they are bringing their children to receive Holy Communion but they themselves do not receive, children pick up on the hypocrisy. Drawing from your knowledge of liturgical history as a professor of Liturgics at Holy Cross, how has worship changed over the centuries and, in particular, how has it affected families? The more people participate, the better, including, of course, families and children. This has always been the tradition of our Church. Today this has been forgotten and popular liturgical participation and liturgical actions are now largely limited to the clergy and altar boys. Liturgy actually means the work of the people all the people. Our worship therefore used to be more linear, meaning it was like a great big march toward God, going from our homes and our city streets into the church building, i.e. we literally had true entrances into the church that were performed by all the people. These are what now have been limited to the so-called Small and Great Entrances. The Small Entrance was literally the entrance of all the people into the church and the Great Entrance was a true entrance of the deacons from outside the church into the church bearing the gifts of bread and wine. So, in general our worship was more extroverted and more geared towards popular participation, whereas now it has become more introverted and limited to specific players. Even the churches have become comparatively smaller. All this has hindered this very traditional aspect of worship in the church. In order for people to realize this they need to be taught this, so the adults, first of all need to learn
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this aspect of the liturgy, so that they can communicate it to their children. Then, what is done in liturgy, even in todays form, will be interpreted differently as coming from a beautiful venerable tradition that had specific meaning. Unfortunately, most adults understand the liturgy as something that exclusively belongs to the clergy and that everyone else must be, for the most part, passive. We often speak of the Church of the Home and its importance in a familys spiritual life. How would you define it, what are some of its expressions and how does the Church of the Home complement life in the parish and vise versa? It is very important because in our tradition what goes on in the home and what goes on in the church building are always connected. Our Church makes the distinction between personal prayer (home alone) and liturgical prayer (in church all-together). The two go together, they feed each other according to this teaching and both are absolutely necessary. Similarly, the life in the church is fed by the life in the home (the katoikon ecclesia). The whole Orthodox life and ethos demands that we have a good foundation from the home. And when we go to church, we bring that good foundation with us so that everything falls naturally into place. If this is not taught in the home, going to church is going to become a mere duty and not something necessary for true life. St. John Chrysostom, in one of his homilies instructs us, Let us raise our children in such a way that they can face any trouble, and not be surprised when difficulties come; let us bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord How difficult is it for parents to raise children in the world today? (Continued on page 18)

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sePTember - ocTober 2012

tRust: a coRneRstone of maRRIage

(Continued from page 5)

on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord. (Gen 18:7-8) Later, God made an overwhelming commitment to Abram and the Hebrew people: When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly. Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come forth from you. And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. (Gen 17: 1-7)

COMMITMENT AND LOYALTY: THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF TRUST

I would like to somewhat modify Becks model. I suggest that commitment and loyalty, certainly as Beck suggests, are foundational to a good marriage. But they are actually more than that. They themselves are the building blocks, the foundation upon which trust itself is engendered and constructed and, if necessary, reestablished. Trust is the cornerstone of this foundation. If a betrayal has occurred, the couple will eventually have to reassess the reliability of trustworthiness being re-established. Gottman suggests five criteria that can be used in making this evaluation. I will discuss these criteria later in this article.

Loyalty
Gods loyalty to His word can be seen in His interaction with Noah, which preceded even His encounter with Abraham. Because God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth. (Gen 6:5) He planned a great flood to destroy all on earth: I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the ground, man and beast and creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them. (Gen 6:5) However, God saw that Noah and his family were righteous. God saved them and, true to His word, God told Noah: Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, This is the sign of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: (Continued on page 14)
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tHe witness of Gods CoVenant witH His people: tHe spiritUal foUndation
Gods first Great Commitment: tHe first CoVenant
Consider Gods commitment to Abram. . . . I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves. (Gen 13: 2-4) Following this commitment by God to Abram and his people, Abram departed to the land of Canaan as God had instructed. When Abram and his family reached Canaan, God made another commitment to Abram: Then the Lord appeared to Abram, and said, To your descendants I will give this land. So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. Thence he removed to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel

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THE PROMISE to our parishioners celebrating during the upcoming months!

Happy BirtHday
SeptemBer

October 5th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alex Paslidis October 10th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Henry Athena Pappas Fofe Vasquez October 11th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Laura Miron October 12th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Victor Miron October 15th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fuad Farah October 18th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Emily Hurst Robin Jones October 21st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Weatherly October 23rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nadine Halem Darla Harb October 24th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jill Weatherly October 26th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aubrey Freeman October 28th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Daniel Hunter Maria Moutos Dena Parker October 30th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nicholas Cobb Samuel Moutos

September 1st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeremy Diggins Susan Ward September 2nd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Danyal Kasi September 3rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joseph Dickey Oksana Pavliv September 6th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . James Daly September 7th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stephanie Leake September 9th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Issa Kassissieh September 10th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Haitham Alley September 11th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Suzanne Dickey September 12th . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anna Marie Plastiras George Plastiras September 13th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Giovana Cimino September 14th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paul Cantrell September 15th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andrew Bell September 16th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Anna Cimino Tamara Kassissieh September 17th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sharon Johnson September 18th . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fr . Nicholas Verdaris Nada Lelovic September 19th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Richard Zraick September 21st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christopher Akel Will Martin September 22nd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sarah Lee September 23rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Susan Campbell September 24th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brian Alley September 26th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Natalya Brice September 28th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Raeda Alley

outReach commIttee
meet & gReet schedule
September 2nd. . . . . . . . . . . . . Susan McDowell September 9th . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sharon Johnson September 16th . . . . . . . Christopher Huckabay September 23rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jack Weatherly September 30th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Hunter October 7th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robin Jones October 14th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Susan McDowell October 21st. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sharon Johnson October 28th . . . . . . . . . Christopher Huckabay November 4th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jack Weatherly November 11th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Hunter November 18th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robin Jones November 25th . . . . . . . . . . . . Susan McDowell

October 1st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anna Clift

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college students!
attention college students (and parents of college students)! The Annunciation wants to stay in contact with you! Please provide the Church Office with both your mailing and e-mail addresses so that the Annunciation and the Office of Campus Ministry can keep the lines of communication open while far away from home.

centennIal update
At the end of October there will only be until the Centennial Anniversary of the Annunciation in Little Rock!

61 days

name: _______________________________ e-mail: ______________________________ Cell #: _______________________________ address: _____________________________ CitY: _____________________ state: _____ Zip: ______________

Welcome

a RemIndeR: It is religion and morality alone which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand.
- John Adams, 1776

On Sunday, september 9tH the An is planning nunciation a fun Lunc heon so tha family can t our Churc reconnect n h ow over. For th e last few m that the summer is on of the Chu rch has con ths while the prayer tinued una of us have bated, man been here, y there and e now the tim verywhere. e has come So for us to on immerse ou ce again full rselves in th y e Christ-ce the Annunc ntered life a iation. Afte t r praying to Divine Litu gether in th rgy on the 9 e th, let us ga and reconn ther togethe ect with one r ano that will fe ature cook-o ther with a Luncheon ut favorites some specia along with l fun for ou r young chil make plans dren! Please to join us fo r this great together, let luncheon an us look forwa d rd to expandin as brothers an g our fellowsh d sisters in C ip hrist at the A nnunciation.
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back fun!

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THE PROMISE

tRust: a coRneRstone of maRRIage

(Continued from page 11) I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will look upon it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. (Gen 9:9-16) Many other exchanges and events occurred between God and his people as recorded by Moses in the Book of Genesis. But Gods loyalty was attested to by a Philistine, the traditional enemy of the Hebrew people: Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, God is with you in all that you do; now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my offspring or with my posterity, but as I have dealt loyally with you, you will deal with me and with the land where you have sojourned. And Abraham said, I will swear. (Gen 21:21-24). Gods commitment and loyalty to His people would lead to one of the most dramatic examples of trust in the history of mankind.

they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. Then Abraham put forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. (Gen 22:9-10) Abraham has proved his trust in God, under almost unimaginable circumstances: willingness to obey God and sacrifice his beloved son. God being the good God, however, speaking to Abraham through an angel, intervened at the last moment: Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me. (Gen 22:12)

Gods seCond Great Commitment: tHe new CoVenant

The Prophet Isaiah tells us of Gods commitment to His people of a new covenant: Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. . . .(Is 7:14-16) . . . .For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and for evermore. (Is 9:6-7) Morelli summarizes what other Old Testament Holy Spirit inspired writers told us about the Gods commitment to send the Messiah: The righteous prophets of the Old Covenant tell us that the Messiah will come from the house of David. Ezekiel, during the days of the fall of Jerusalem, spoke of the abiding presence of God. He tells of the coming of the Messiah to protect His people for all ages: And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their (Continued on page 21)

Trust
Consider a man and his wife who are 100 years of age, well beyond childbearing age; God tells them they will have a son. The man, Abraham, named his son Isaac. Although he had a previous son by his slave, he truly loved the son, Isaac, born to him by his wife Sarah. Some years later . . . God tested Abraham, and said to him, Abraham! And he said, Here am I. He said, Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell you. (Gen 22:1-2) How much trust in God must Abraham have had to obey His command! As the writer of Genesis tells us: When
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odox xplore the Orth E Christian Faith

luncheon dIscussIons on ouR faIth

When:
Sunday, November 4th

d the d of the Lord an per into the Wor Lets go dee Church! teachings of the explore our g to continue to t of We are goin aith in the ligh ox Christian F Orthod tures the Holy Scrip perexperience or ex d - no previous rist! All are invite e to grow in Ch ired, just a desir tise requ

Where: Annunciation Ballroom Food: Cost:

Will be provided! $0

6:00pm : October 3rd at ednesdays W :00pm October 10th at 6 :00pm October 24th at 6 6:00pm November 7th at 6:00pm November 14th at

disCussion & FelloWship:

Priceless!

A man can no more diminish Gods glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word darkness on the walls of his cell. C. S. Lewis

You are the only ingredient needed

to make this a success!

On sundAy, november 4th, all are invited to participate in another edition of our Luncheon Discussions on Our Faith with Fr. Nicholas. A Question box will be set up for people to anonymously write down question(s) about any aspect of our faith, morality, etc. that they have always wanted to ask and never could find an opportunity to ask. Then on sundAy, november 4th after the Divine Liturgy, we will share a lunch together and Fr. Nicholas will answer the anonymous questions that were submitted as well as any off the floor. This will looks to be another enjoyable opportunity for our Church family to break some bread together, as well as discover a little bit more about the Church and faith that is so very dear to us and our life. Please make plans to join us! 15

check us out
Dont forget our website: www.ortHodoxCHUrCH.Com! It has an up to date monthly calendar, the latest edition of the promise, sermons and all sorts of information, you can even contribute to the Church online! Find us on fACebook at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church and Like us! If you know someone who might be interested in being a vendor at the 2013 Festival, have them visit www.greekfoodfest.Com application forms & information are available online.

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THE PROMISE

2012 OUR

IVAL FEST

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THE PROMISE

Thanks to Stephanie Wilcox, for the pictures!

famIly WoRshIp
(Continued from page 10) St. Basil talks about the bees that go to the flowers, gathering the good and rejecting the bad. Thats the way in which we need to train our children to face the world, by giving them a good starting point, a good foundation, which happens in the home. This way, they can learn to discern correctly the quality of what is out there. The Church affirms what is good in the world and doesnt see it in a dualistic way, as if we are living in a bubble and we are only doing good, vis--vis the world. Having said that, evil does exist and we have to be an example to our childrennot by way of preaching but by way of our life, in order to give them the tools to discern this and be able to face life in the world. Were psychological beings and therefore the foundations of our character are laid in early childhood. This is not to say that this cannot change at a later age, but its more difficult. Our duty as parents therefore is to help our children to acquire a good foundation, so even if they revolt against their parents and the Church at some pointwhich is natural (usually at adolescence)they will ultimately return.
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fReedom of WoRshIps assault on fReedom of RelIgIon

by Wesley J. Smith Until very recently, the West saw religious liberty as a weight-bearing pillar of human freedom. Thus, the very first clause of the First Amendment (1789) states, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. More broadly, Article 18 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) provides: Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance. Thats unequivocal. Freedom of religion means the right to live according to ones own faith, that is, to manifest our religion or belief in practice, both in public or private, without interference from the state. These days, that and $2 will buy you a small cup of Starbucks coffee. Strident secularism is on the march and freedom of religion is the target, with secularist warriors attempting to drive religious practice behind closed doors by redefining religious liberty down to a hyper-restricted, freedom of worship. Whats the difference? Under freedom of worship, the Catholic and Orthodox churches both remain perfectly free to teach that the Eucharistic bread and wine transform into the body and blood of Christ. Muslims can continue to require women to be segregated from men at the mosque. But outside worship contexts, the state may compel the faithful to violate their faith by acting in accord with secular morality rather than consistently with their dogmatic precepts. These assaults on religious practice are becoming

increasingly commonplace. For example, a German trial judge recently outlawed the circumcision of children on the basis that the fundamental right of the child to bodily integrity outweighed the fundamental rights of the parents, to carry out their religious beliefs. Circumcision is controversial today, but redefining the rite into mutilation or child abuse is blatant secular imperialism. For millennia, faith adherents have believed that circumcision is done for boys (rather than to them). Indeed, prohibiting the rite deprives male children of these faiths a religious benefit to which they are entitled while dispossessing them of a core aspect of their personal identity. Jewish and Muslim religious practice is also under assault in the Netherlands, where a new law may outlaw methods of animal slaughter that comply with the obligations of kosher and halal. Religious liberty? Whats that? The atheist bioethicist Peter Singer sniffed that Jews and Muslims who dont like the ban should just become vegetarians, writing that since the ban would not prohibit worship practices, no freedoms are being infringed. We see the same freedom of worship assault against freedom of religion in President Obamas Free Birth Control Rule. The Affordable Care Act now requires that most employers provide their workers with free contraception, sterilization, and other reproductive services. True, the rule exempted religious employers that oppose contraception, but the shield was drafted so narrowly thatsurprise, surpriseit only protects freedom of worship. Specifically, to qualify for a religious exemption: the inCulCAtion of religious vAlues the employers purpose for existing;
must be

the employer must primArily employ persons who shAre its religious tenets. primArily who shAre its religious tenets. the
employer must serve

persons

(Continued on page 20)

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THE PROMISE

fReedom of RelIgIon
(Continued from page 19) such as the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, and religiously sponsored schools, hospitals, nursing homes, pregnancy counseling centers, etc., will be forced to choose between acting contrary to their faith and closing their doors. That would not only make our society far less free, but would materially harm the millions of men, women, and children whose lives are immeasurably benefited by faithful people practicing their religion in the public square.

Lest there be any doubt, the rule further states, Specifically, the Departments seek to provide for a religious accommodation that respects the unique relationship between a house of worship and its employees in ministerial positions. Thus, the group health insurance covering nuns in a Catholic religious order would probably not have to cover contraception. But insurance provided by the orders elementary school employees, probably would. Religious liberty is also under assault from efforts to eviscerate the right of medical conscience. Victoria, Australia, for example, legally compels every doctor to participate in abortioneven if morally or religiously opposedeither by doing the deed when asked, or referring the pregnant patient to a doctor they know supports abortion. The Dutch Medical Association (KNMG) recently promulgated a similar ethical rule requiring all Dutch doctors to kill, or if opposed on religious or moral grounds, refer when legally qualified patients ask to be euthanized. In other words, the affected doctors are free to believe that participating in abortion and euthanasia are egregious sins; they just cant legally or ethically escape so sinning and remain in practice. At this point in the discussion, opponents of freedom of religion may bring up the Aztecs, arguing that a robust view of religious liberty would require allowing children to be sacrificed to pagan gods. Not so. Even fundamental liberties are not absolute. The law properly prohibits religious practice when there is a compelling government interest. For example, the state can force a Jehovahs Witness child to be given life-saving blood transfusions even though doing so violates Witness dogma. Heres the bottom line. If the freedom of worship assault against freedom of religion succeeds, creedmotivated philanthropic and service organizations
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WIsdom of the fatheRs:

A rich man is not one who has much, but one who gives much. For what he gives away... remains his forever. st John Chrysostom

the WoRd of the loRd

But without faith it is impossible to please Him: For whoever would draw near to God must believe that He is, and that He rewards those who seek him.

Hebrews 11:6

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tRust: a coRneRstone of maRRIage

(Continued from page 14) shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken. (Ez 34:23-24) Ezekiel (37:24) goes on to say: My servant David shall be king over them; and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall follow my ordinances and be careful to observe my statutes. Several hundred years later Ezra prophesizes: this is the Messiah whom the Most High has kept until the end of days, who will arise from the posterity of David, and will come and speak to them; he will denounce them for their ungodliness and for their wickedness, and will cast up before them their contemptuous dealings. (4 Ezra 12:32)

of the Divinity of the Messiah, the God-Man: . . . when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from heaven, Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased. (2:21-22) Gods loyalty is so beautifully expressed liturgically by the Apolytikion of the Feast of the Theophany: when thou, o lord, wAst bAptized in the JordAn, worship of the trinity wAst mAde mAnifest; for the voiCe of the fAther bore witness to thee, CAlling thee his beloved son. And the spirit in the form of A dove Confirmed the truth of his word. o Christ our god, who hAth AppeAred And enlightened the world, glory to thee.

Jesus proclaims who He truly is

However, Jesus Himself proclaims that He is the promised and expected savior of the Hebrew people. It was to the Samaritan woman, the traditional enemy of the Jews, that Jesus, Himself, revealed Himself as the expected Messiah. (Continued on page 22)

Gods loyalty
Gods loyalty in sending His Son, Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, the Messiah, precisely as prophesied by Isaiah, quoted above, was attested to by St. Matthew: Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. . . . you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel (which means, God with us). (Mt 1:18, 21-23) Of which the angels sang: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased! (Lk 2:14) God was not only true to his commitment, that is to say loyal, He also confirmed the great gift of Divinity that He was giving to mankind.

thought pRovokIng:
tHe first prinCiple of soCietY Consists in tHe marriaGe tie, tHe next in CHildren,
tHe next in a familY witHin one roof, wHere eVerYtHinG is in Common.

God testifies by His own Word

St. Luke tells us of the Theophany, the first manifestation

tHis soCietY GiVes rise to tHe CitY, and is, as it were, tHe nUrserY of tHe CommonwealtH.
Marcus Tullius Cicero
(CirCa 50 bC)
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tRust: a coRneRstone of maRRIage

(Continued from page 21) But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. The woman said to him, I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ); when he comes, he will show us all things. Jesus said to her, I who speak to you am he. (Jn 4:23-26)

Christs emptying Himself of His Divinity for our salvation is described in the imagery used by St. John the Baptist as that of the bridegroom and his bride: He who has the bride is the bridegroom; the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegrooms voice; therefore this joy of mine is now full. (Jn 3:29) It can easily be seen that God Himself, as even His people of both the Old and New Covenants, esteemed very highly that commitment and loyalty which engender trust.

mAritAl infidelity: the greAtest threAt to loyAlty, Commitment And trust

Infidelity-adultery is the greatest threat to the relationship between husband and wife in the blessed marriage by the Holy Mystery of Matrimony in the Orthodox Church. It undermines the very foundation of marriage itself, the loyalty and commitment of the spouses to each other, in emulation of Gods action with His people, as well as the ensuing trust that must emerge between them. Beck points out that, psychologically, infidelity is a direct attack on the relationship itself and a mockery of the supposed marital commitment. It should be noted that infidelity-adultery need not be limited to a sexual liaison. Many couples perceive a close personal relationship between their spouse and a member of the opposite sex to be adulterous. However, even infidelity need not be a marriage breaker if trust can be cultivated and reestablished. As Gottman points out, trust allows a marital relationship to be safe and thereby fosters mutual nurturance and moral responsibility for building a life together. This might be phrased as fostering mutual interdependence.

The Apostles attest to Gods loyalty

That God was true to his Word and sent His Son was attested to by Simon-Peter and the Apostles: Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do men say that the Son of man is? He said to them, But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered him, Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. (Mt 16:13, 15-17)

The implications of Gods loyalty

The depth of Christs loyalty to His people is a model for the backbone of an Orthodox Christian Marriage. In this regard we can consider the words of St. Paul. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. . . . (Phil 2:5-10) 22

psyChologiCAl interventions for trust building

Emotional Attunement
Cognitive psychologists have emphasized the importance of interpretation and perception of events (Continued on page 24)

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youth mInIstRIes aRe launchIng... get on boaRd!

The Annunciations youth ministries are restarting! JOY (Junior Orthodox Youth): our ministry to the youngest members of our Church family up to age 9. Junior Goya: our program geared for those youth too old for JOY and too young for GOYA. Goya (Greek Orthodox Youth of America): our ministry geared towards those young people in our Church family ages 13-18. These three vital ministries strive to instill Orthodox Christian principles and enhance our young peoples relationship with Christ through their religious and social life at the Annunciation. These ministries are guided by the principles of: Faith, Service, Fellowship & Fun. The more our youTh parTicipaTe, and The more parenTs volunTeer - The beTTer These minisTries funcTion. please register for these programs and all together, let us enjoy a dynamic youth ministry at the Annunciation!

annuncIatIon godpaRent sunday octobeR 7th

Our Church family is going to pause to remember our Baptismal/Chrismation vows as well as honor the Godparents who sponsored our entrance into the Holy Church on Sunday, October 7th. On this special day we will have the blessed opportunity to renew our dedication to Christ as well as celebrate our sacred relationship with our Godparents.

If possible, Godparents and Godchildren should attend the Divine Liturgy together, sit near each other, and then receive Holy Communion together.
Even if our Godparents are far way or have fallen asleep in the Lord, in the Risen Christ they will be with us! So let us all rededicate ourselves to the Lord and share in His Heavenly Banquet together.

baptIzed Into chRIst

The Annunciation family congratulates Matthew & Lauren McCrary on the baptism of their son, luke mCCrAy. Luke was baptized at the Annunciation on July 21st and Jeff & Sarah Runyon served as his proud godparents. May the Lord bless our newest servant of the Lord, along with all of his family and friends!

abIde In me
Our personal commitment to the Annunciation determines what kind of parish we will personally maintain and grow to the glory of God in 2012. As the Lords cheerful and faithful givers let us all actively contribute to Gods work in the world through our parish with our 2012 Stewardship Commitment. Visit our website, orthodoxChurCh.Com, and find our 2012 Presentation, Stewardship booklet & card. One can complete a Stewardship commitment online or contribute directly to the parish via PayPal. We ask everyone who loves the Annunciation to please complete a 2012 Stewardship card and all together help to ensure that our parish is able to operate and minister to the glory of God, through our individual commitment of faith, love and stewardship.
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(Continued from page 22) in activating our emotional reactions to them, such as anger, anxiety, depression or happiness. In an interpersonal relationship such as marriage, correct interpretation of the motives, thinking and feelings of ones spouse is critical. Frequently, however, our own cognitive distortions, that is to say thinking errors prevent accuracy. An outline of these cognitive distortions includes: seleCtive AbstrACtion is focusing on one event while excluding others. Jack, an engineer, selectively focuses on a reprimand he just received from his wife, while ignoring the praise he received the previous week from a project he did that she appreciated as Well done. This irrational perception led him to an angry response. ArbitrAry inferenCe is drawing a conclusion unwarranted by the facts in an ambiguous situation. Jack, the same patient mentioned above, concludes that his wife will consider his next endeavor to be unsatisfactory. This leads him to depression. personAlizAtion is blaming yourself for an event you are not responsible for, or concluding that it is directed to you personally. Another patient, Linda, became depressed when, during a family discussion, one of her children said: Well, one of my parents hates me. She immediately personalized the statement with no evidence that her child was directing it at her, nor did she inquire about the events that invited the childs comments. polArizAtion is perceiving or interpreting events in allor-nothing terms. Cynthia, another patient of mine, was told by her daughter, You dont know how to treat children. She polarized events into two categories, good mother/bad mother. Her childs statement fell into the bad-mother pole. She failed to see that all events can be graded on a continuum between two poles. Just because she did not fulfill her childs request surely does not make her a bad mother. generAlizAtion is the tendency to see things in alwaysPage

or-never categories. Mary became depressed during marital therapy when she irrationally concluded that her husband will never change and will always be the same. Her dysphoria led to a self-defeating pattern of behavior which further distanced her and her husband and set her up for the very thing she did not want: a poorer marriage. demAnding expeCtAtions are beliefs that there are laws or rules that have to be obeyed. Kim came into treatment because she was depressed over her husband disagreeing with her. She irrationally believed that there is a law in the universe that says that husbands should always go along with what their wives suggest and, if not, she has the right to get upset. She did not see that God asks us to obey Him. He gave us free will. Christ Himself respected the free will of the creatures He created, as shown by the gentleness of His admonitions. Like Christ, spouses should prefer and constructively work toward reasonable understanding of each others motives. Preferences should be substituted for demands. CAtAstrophizing is the perception that something is more than 100% bad, terrible or awful. Kim erroneously believes her husbands disagreeing with her is the end of the world. With cognitive intervention she would discover that on a scale of problems she might have with her husband, differing viewpoints would be evaluated as decidedly low, surely not a catastrophe. emotionAl reAsoning is the judgment that ones feelings are facts. Sandy has a feeling that his wife is having an affair. When asked how he knows this, he responds that his feelings are always right. He fails to distinguish a feeling as real, which it is, versus a feeling proving something, which is impossible. For example, I tell patients, No matter how strongly some people felt during the time of Christopher Columbus that the world was flat, it did not make it so. The benefit of the ability to challenge and replace cognitive distortions is that it allows marital relationships to move on to build what he calls The Sound Relationship House. However, in a later book he is very emphatic that an element is missing from the original Sound Relationship House Theory. That element is trust. He points out that . . . knowing about the processes that

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control trust and betrayal therefore deepens the levels of the Sound Relationship House Theory.

Attunement Building
Gottman points out that the big trust question is Are you there for me. According to this model, the processes to attain trust include being emotionally aware, being able to turn toward the emotion, being tolerant of emotional experience, understanding the emotion, non-defensive listening to the emotion and the thinking processes accompanying the emotion, and empathy. Awareness involves acceptance of emotions without blame or accusation, both for oneself and ones spouse, and adapting to the emotion. Gottman gives the example of a spouse who, being aware of their partners emotional sensitivity to criticism, would adjust by softening the way they raised an issue. Turning toward emotion involves focusing on the needs of ones spouse and not what they do not need. A speaking spouse may convey to their wife or husband what they are feeling and in behavioral terms what they would like: I would really like it if we could spend Saturday afternoons doing something together. Tolerance involves acceptance of thinking-perception and feeling differences between spouses. This factor is related to the cognitive distortion of personalization mentioned above: concluding that an event is directed to one personally. Cultivating tolerance means challenging and restructuring personalization cognitions and substituting a rational cognition: Just because we disagree does not mean either of our viewpoints do not have value. Non-defensive listening involves letting ones spouse uninterruptedly tell their feelings and viewpoints before communicating ones own feelings and viewpoints. Doing this communicates respect for ones spouse and is likely to facilitate reciprocal listening and tolerance of each others differences. Empathy involves thinking and feeling the way ones spouse is thinking and feeling. Being aware of

ones spouses distress, stressors and physical and/or emotional pains fosters understanding and ameliorates anger, and thus promotes fruitful communication.

...be wise as serpents.(Mt 10:16)

Intention vs. action
Who has not heard the proverb: The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Actually this adage is thought to have originated with Saint Bernard of Clairvaux who framed it as: Hell is full of good wishes and desires. The meaning is clear. At times people have good intentions, but these are never carried out. It has been discussed above how commitment and loyalty are the building blocks of trust. It is one thing to say one is committed and loyal to ones spouse; it is another thing to actually be committed and loyal in heart, mind and behavior. In my pastoral and clinical experience I have encountered many good intentioned individuals who did not have a metanoia of heart, mind and behavior. Many an adulterer, alcoholic, drug addict, and fornicator have promised, with sincerity (or insincerity) to change their ways, from the bottom of their hearts, but have unintentionally or intentionally failed at the task. The most egregious example of an intentionally failed marital commitment and loyalty is one I encountered in a clinical-pastoral setting some years ago. A young man came for counseling for a marital problem. He said his (Continued on page 28)
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THE PROMISE

technology and pRayeR In the palm of youR hand

Since the beginning of this millennium, computing has rapidly broken free from the desktop computer and has extended to mobile phones and tablet devices. Here is a sample of easy-to-access content for mobile devices:

Your mobile device is the easiest way to access the days Bible readings prescribed by the Lectionary of the Greek Orthodox Church. This app also lets you read about the lives of the saints or look up fasting guidelines for each day right on your device.

the dAily reAdings App

Ways of the Lord: Perspectives on Sharing the Gospel of Christ by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios is now available for all major eBook platforms such as the Kindle, Nook, iPad, iPhone and Sony eBook Reader. Ways of the Lord is available at the Orthodox Marketplace, the official online store of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

ArChbishop demetrios wAys of the lord ebook edition

====
the Orthodox Christian Network

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ArChdioCesAn sChool of byzAntine musiCs byzAntine musiC & theory guide for ipAd

An interactive edition of the Byzantine Music and Theory Guide is now available for Apples iBooks on the iPad. Embedded audio examples accompany the music and text to assist you in learning Byzantine chant.

The OCN, an agency of SCOBA, has been established to create a national, sustainable and effective media witness for the Orthodox Christian Church in North America. OCN produces high-quality programs and media tools for local parishes that reach people for Christ 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Current progrAms And serviCes: The Rudder: Features Liturgical Chant The Ark: A 24/7 Internet radio station with contemporary Orthodox music and teaching programs with some of the best Orthodox speakers in North America.

====
my orthodox prAyer book - ebook edition

The eBook edition of the topselling My Orthodox Prayer Book is now available. The cover was given an upgrade to match its new digital platform, but it contains the same great content. Full of the beautiful prayers of the Orthodox church, you can now take it with you on your iPhone, iPad, Kindle, Nook and more!

The Anchor: A 24/7 internet radio talk show station featuring the best of broadcasting of our numerous podcasts and interviews.

MyOCN.net:

A popular Web site that hosts the programs listed above and other material, including The OCN Blog and articles from a number of Orthodox scholars, priests and lay theologians.

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AnCient fAith rAdio

Ancient Faith Radio is an application for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. The app gives you access to all kinds of Orthodox Christian content as well as our streaming radio stations. After youve downloaded and enjoyed the content, you can share it with your friends via Twitter, Facebook and email. WiFi internet is required for iPod touch. For more information about Ancient Faith Radio, please visit: www.AncientFaith.com.

a dIffeRent peRspectIve
Latest news reports are that five terrorist cell groups have been operating in many of our churches! They have been identified as: Bin Sleepin, Bin Arguin, Bin Fightin, Bin Complainin, and Bin Missin. Their leader, Lucifer Bin Workin, trained these groups to destroy the Body of Christ. The plan is to come into the church disguised as Christians and to work within the church to discourage, disrupt, and destroy. However, there have been reports of special forces teams able to take on these groups. A tiny unit called bin praYin is considered to be the worlds only effective counter terrorism force in the church. Unlike the terrorist cells, the bin prAyin team does not go along with whoever and whatever comes along, but faces these threats head on. The bin praYin team are known for their ability to uplift and encourage the Body of Christ. The bin praYin team are armed with some special weapons to meet the church terrorist threat: they have Bin Watchin, Bin Waitin, Bin Fastin, Bin In Church and have Bin Longin for their Master, Jesus Christ to return.
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sePTember - ocTober 2012

tRust: a coRneRstone of maRRIage

(Continued from page 25) wife had discovered he was having an affair and he agreed he would attend counseling. I asked him his psychotherapy goals and objectives. He responded, As long as I am in treatment my wife will be happy and I can continue to have a girlfriend too. I queried, You mean you dont want to end the infidelity? No, (he answered) I want to stay married and have my girlfriend. When trust between spouses cannot be established, a condition of abuse is established. This abuse is a betrayal of the marital promise of commitment, loyalty and fidelity. Abuse categories include withdrawal of affection, displaying disrespect, deception, and sexual infidelity, and can escalate into the psychological (e.g. belittling, name calling, threats of beating), and even, in extreme cases, the actual carrying out of physical violence.

their spouse relevant and accurate information regarding important interpersonal and/or financial actions. Vague answers invite suspicion. Behavioral pinpointing should guide accountability responses: e.g., what was said, done, when and where. ethiCs - Each of the marital couple have witnessed displays of good ethical behavior by their spouse. That is to say, they have witnessed fair, just and even generous actions by their spouse in terms of dealing with others and/or business transactions. AlliAnCe - Each spouse knows the other is on their side, even under social pressure from others. Is not focused on self-interest or pleasing others. and has their interest at heart.

Some behavioral indices of untrustworthiness and trustworthiness.

Tabares provides some possible behavioral characteristics of those spouses who are trustworthy or untrustworthy. It should be kept in mind, however, that some of these behaviors may occasionally be associated with other factors, such as being distracted, or feeling ill, being momentarily occupied in an important task, rather than being signs of being untrustworthy or trustworthy. In order to avoid making the cognitive distortion of arbitrary inference (also called mind-reading) that I discussed above, the spouse should consider their initial interpretation to be a hypothesis, or guess, that has to be investigated. He or she may ask a question of their partner, such as: Jack, are you listening to me, my concern is important? Jill, my concern is not a laughing matter; it is important to me; please tell me why you are mocking me? If these patterns continue, however, especially when talking over the ideals and measures of trust (as I discussed above), professional counseling from a licensed scientifically trained mental health practitioner should be sought. Ideally, the practitioner should be a committed, devout Orthodox-Catholic Christian. At the very least, the practitioner should respect the values and use the spouses commitment to Christ in the therapeutic process. Behaviors that may be associated with untrustworthiness
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The ideals and measure of trust

What is trustworthy behavior? How can trustworthy behavior be described? Gottman provides a list for evaluating the trustworthiness of ones spouse as I mentioned above. However, I want to point out that these criteria are more than just measures of trust, they can also serve as goals to guide the interpersonal interaction between spouses: honesty The spouses do not engage in deceptive behavior, do not lead separate lives. Lies are not told. trAnspArenCy - The everyday life of the husband and wife is an open book to each other. They do not hold secrets from each other. They know or know about each others family, friends, acquaintances and co-workers. The couple shares their feelings and needs, especially problems they are confronting and their life-goals. They are spontaneous and forthcoming in answering each others questions. ACCountAbility - The spouses do all they can to keep the promises they have made to one another. They give

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in the listening spouse include: lack of eye contact, lack of humor and appropriate laughter, no indication of attending by absence of acknowledgement phonemes such as hmm, or non-verbal response such as nodding ones head. Behaviors that may be associated with untrustworthiness in the communicating spouse include: speaking while teasing or engaging in mocking humor or sarcasm, accusing in generalizations (also a cognitive distortion I discussed previously in this paper,) such as using phrases as you always or you will never. Behaviors that may be associated with trustworthiness on the part of the listener are: maintaining eye contact, using favorable humor, verbal and nonverbal response, being affectionate, animated and energetic. Speakers behavior that may be associated with trustworthiness include: being favorable and affectionate in tone and content in speech, couching complaints in a respectful and softened tone, using behavioral pinpointing in describing their spouses favorable characteristics. The married are not wrong to hope for the fulfillment of the ideals of Godly marriage. During the Marriage Service the priest prays: . . . remember O Lord our God, thy servants. . .and bless them. Grant them fair children and concord of soul and body; exalt them like the cedars of Lebanon, like a luxuriant vine, that, having sufficiency in all things they may abound in every work that is good and acceptable unto thee. The virtue of hope can arouse the married couple to actions both psychological and spiritual that will motivate them toward working at fulfilling their marital commitment, being loyal to one another, growing in trust and eventually attaining eternal life in God. The words of St. Peter of Damaskos on the virtue of hope can readily be applied to a couple in a Godly marriage (Philokalia III): They [both] look forward with hope, laboring with joy. Outwardly they sacrifice immediate advantages, but in reality, even if they forfeit what they sacrifice, through their patient endurance they gain what is of far greater value. The operative word in St. Peters teaching is laboring. A Godly marriage, maintaining and if necessary repairing marital commitment and loyalty which is the foundation of trust, requires hard work (labor), prayer, and being united to Christ through sincere, total dedication and participation in His Church. In the popular adage: Work as if all depends on you, pray as if all depends on God. How important it is for all in Christ to reflect on the words of St. James, the true origin of this proverb:

The virtue of hope

All Orthodox Christians, by their Holy Baptism, are made members of the Royal Priesthood of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ. As St. Peter (1Pt 2:9-10) tells us: But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, Gods own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were no people but now you are Gods people; once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy. As Gods people we are all to develop virtue. For those crowned in glory and honor in the Orthodox Marriage Service the virtue of hope is especially applicable. Consider the words of St. Maximus the Confessor (Philokalia II): Faith is the foundation of what comes after it, namely hope and love, since it provides a firm basis for truth. Hope is the strength of the two pre-eminent gifts of love and faith, since hope gives us glimpses both of that in which we believe and of that for which we long, and teaches us to make our way towards our goal.

What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. But some one will say, You have faith and I have works. Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. (JAmes 2:14, 17-18)
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ouR centennIal
With little more than 200 days until our Centennial year, the committee has been meeting and is organizing some several endeavors in order for us to all commemorate our 100th Anniversary. If there is a way in which you can help us all honor the legacy of our parish, please step forward and or attend an upcoming Centennial Meetings.

1) publiCity
We need a chairperson to help coordinate efforts to work with the press and community about this milestone. auctions, sponsorships & tickets) whereby we would split the proceeds with charities, and apply our portion towards offsetting the costs of the Parishs Centennial celebrations & Courtyard/Garden.

2) CommemorAtive Album & dvd

Having begun the process to collect pictures and material. We want to explore the potential of offsetting the cost of the Album with advertising. We need someone to explore and advance this aspect of the project. Father, Peter Gess & Robin Jones are exploring a venue for such an event that would expand its outreach opportunities.

9) pArish CentenniAl gAlA: september 21-22, 2013

The Parish Council will heading up an evening for our Church family to formally celebrate our blessings. The visit of the Archbishop & Metropolitan to visit us September 21- 22, 2013 has been set.

3) iCon show

10) CourtyArd & gArden

4) orthodox ChristiAn forums

Invite (2-3) clergy to make presentations on Orthodoxy one specific weekend for parishioners & general public to discover more about our legacy of Faith.

5) A missions trip
In celebrating our 100 years, to help sow the seeds in order for others to one day celebrate a Centennial. Peter Gess is exploring this possibility.

To highlight and commemorate the legacy of the parish we are exploring the construction of a Courtyard (in accordance with Church tradition) in addition to a Garden. The Lily Garden Club has developed some ideas for a potential Garden along Napa Valley Drive and our Landscape Architect will develop a design and prepare a schematic drawing of a Courtyard for all of us to see and consider. At the September 23rd Parish Assembly, we will decide if we wish to proceed with this project and the manner by which we will raise funds and honor the memory of those who have gone before us. If it is accepted at the September Parish Assembly, we will then submit the project to the Metropolis of Detroit for approval.

6) pArish piCniC

Presv. Maria is looking at have a tasty fellowship picnic in the park after a Divine Liturgy. Haitham Alley is exploring an evening fellowship event featuring music, dancing, ethnic Hors d oeuvres or Pot luck.

7) CulturAl night

8) ChArity fund-rAising bAnQuet: mAy 9, 2013

Sam & Janet Alley / Steve & Anna Clift are heading up a very special Taste of the Mediterranean (with
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NEXT Centennial Meeting: All are encouraged to participate & contribute!

October 2nd

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ANNUNCIATION GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

1100 NAPA VALLEY DRIVE, LITTLE ROCK, AR 72211

Rev. DR. Nicholas J. veRDaRis, PastoR

s eptembeR 2012
Sun Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri 1 Sat
Ecclesiastical New Year

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

3
lAbor dAy
Offices Closed

Nativity of the Theotokos Divine Liturgy 9:30am

Sunday Before Elevation of the Cross Matins 9:00am Divine Liturgy 10:00am Sunday School Begins Welcome Back Cook-Out

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Elevation of the Cross Divine Liturgy 9:30am

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Parish Council Meeting 6:00pm

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Sunday After Elevation of the Cross Matins 9:00am Divine Liturgy 10:00am

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1st Sunday of Luke Matins 9:00am Divine Liturgy 10:00am Parish Assembly

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Clergy Meeting at the Metropolis of Detroit

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Clergy Meeting at the Metropolis of Detroit

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Clergy Meeting at the Metropolis of Detroit

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Clergy Meeting at the Metropolis of Detroit

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THE PROMISE

ANNUNCIATION GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

1100 NAPA VALLEY DRIVE, LITTLE ROCK, AR 72211

Rev. DR. Nicholas J. veRDaRis, PastoR

o ctobeR 2012
Sun 30
2nd Sunday of Luke Matins 9:00am Divine Liturgy 10:00am

Mon 1

Tues 2

Wed 3

Thurs 4

Fri 5

Sat 6

Centennial Committee Meeting 6:00pm

Orthodox Bible Study 6:00pm

3rd Sunday of Luke Matins 9:00am Divine Liturgy 10:00am godpArent sundAy

Columbus dAy

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13
CelebrAtion of the 75th AnniversAry of helleniC College & holy Cross At the AnnunCiAtion

Orthodox Bible Study 6:00pm

Sunday of Holy Fathers Matins 9:00am Divine Liturgy 10:00am CelebrAtion of the 75th AnniversAry of helleniC College & holy Cross

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youth event

6th Sunday of Luke Matins 9:00am Divine Liturgy 10:00am

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Feast Day of Saint Demetrios Divine Liturgy 9:30am

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Orthodox Bible Study 6:00pm

7th Sunday of Luke Matins 9:00am Divine Liturgy 10:00am hAlloween pArty

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hAlloween

Nov. 1

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