THE PROMISE
FEBRUARY 2010
DATES TO REMEMBER:
FEBRUARY 15
GREAT LENT BEGINS
GREAT COMPLINE 6:30PM
FEBRUARY 17 & 24 / MARCH 3 & 10
PRESANCTIFIED LITURGY 6:30PM
FEBRUARY 19 & 26 / MARCH 5 & 12
SALUTATION SERVICE 6:30PM
FEBRUARY 21
Luncheon Discussion With Father
FEBRUARY 28
2010 Festival Meeting
MARCH 7
PARISH ASSEMBLY
SOMETHING TO THINK
ABOUT:
“This is our festival, this we celebrate:
God coming to man that man might go back to
God our Father.
Off with the old man, on with the new!
Once dead in Adam, now alive in Christ,
born with Christ, crucified with Christ,
buried with Christ, risen with Christ.”
- St. Gregory Nazianzus
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
A Message from our Pastor.....................2
A Rebelution ...........................................3
Knocking Human Beings ........................7
Covenant With Christ .............................8
Lenten Services .......................................9
Our Lenten Alms Project ......................11
Basketball Scenes ..................................12
Styles of Parenting .................................14
My Soul Magnifies the Lord .................16
Balancing Great Lent ............................17
Kids Page ...............................................23
February Calendar .................................24
PAGE 1
THE PROMISE
PASTORAL MESSAGE
As we enter the Lenten season it is only fitting that we
all pause to reconsider the Lord proclamation: “Repent!
For the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” This profound
calling should not only be considered in terms of our
personal relationship with Christ but it must also inform
our thinking about eternity. Though there are some who
would equate any talk of eternity with a debate over the
existence of unicorns; for those of us who closely follow
the Lord, read the Scriptures and listen to the teachings
of the Fathers - eternity is nothing
less than a sober discussion of the
realities of heaven and hell.
The fact is that though the specific
details of each reality are a mystery,
there is in all truth an eternity of
LIVING
heaven for some AND an eternity
IN
of hell for others. But beyond
the (false) debate on the existence
of heaven and hell, one of the
biggest misconceptions in the
world has to be the notion that
eternity is purely a ‘future matter’.
ETERNITY
That some how or another,
heaven and hell are faraway places
that we will go to when we die. It
is the delusion that there is the
NOW!
here and now, and that somewhere
down the road in the future, lies
an eternity of heaven or hell.
For as much as heaven and hell are in the future, at the
very same time, in a very real sense they are both also
very present realities. The words of the Lord as recorded
in Matthew 4: 12-17 serve as clear notice that living in
eternity does NOT begin when we die, but that it has
already begun. We here and now are in the continual
process of choosing the part of eternity we intend to live
in, today and forever. When Lord says to us: “Repent!
For the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” He is NOT
speaking of a distant future, but the initiation of a new
and very PRESENT reality. The words themselves are
neither in the future tense or open to speculation. The
kingdom of heaven is at hand! While the eternal fullness
of heaven and hell have not yet come to pass, the presence
PAGE 2
of Jesus Christ on earth and His Resurrection on the
Third day has irrefutably launched the dawn of these two
realities.
The Lord's Kingdom, as well as the blatant rejection of it
are NOT waiting to happen! They have begun, they are a
contemporary way of living. The fullness of eternity will
indeed come with His Second Coming, but in the meantime,
the Lord our God has indeed come! Jesus has revealed
Himself as the Christ! The Son of
God, the fulfillment of the Lord's
Covenant with Abraham, and He
has established His Holy Church.
Heaven does not only lay ahead, it
has begun; it is in the here and now.
When we speak of the Divine
Liturgy as a glimpse and taste of
heaven - this is NOT wishful thinking
OR some kind of esoteric metaphor
- it is a point of fact. The Liturgy
serves as undeniable proof of heaven,
and a sacred opportunity to experience
a measure of it in a fallen world…
in the here and now.
For heaven by definition is the state
whereby men and women united
in Christ glorify God and commune
with Him. Hence, every time we
gather together in prayer in the Church, through the grace
of the Holy Spirit, Heaven unfolds. While our daily life
may be far from perfect, that should not lead us to conclude
that somehow or another, the reign of God has not yet
begun. A host of things in the world, and in our life may
indeed be anything but heavenly, but that does not mean
that heaven is far off. It simply means that we are not
looking in the right direction or really trying to get there.
For after the Lord announces that the Kingdom of heaven
is at hand, the Gospel according to Matthew goes on to
recount how the Lord immediately thereafter invites people
to follow Him and proceeds to speak in greater detail
about living in the Kingdom of Heaven. This is in a section
(Continued on page 4)

A REBELUTION
There is a "rebelution" going on right now- a revolution
of rebellion led by young adults for young adults. The
movement was started by two brothers- Alex and Brett
Harris (younger brothers to Josh Harris of "I Kissed
Dating Goodbye" fame). Their website states "The official
definition of the 'rebelution' is "a teenage rebellion against
low expectations. When you look around today, our cul-
ture does not expect much of us young people. We are
not only expected to do very little that is wise or good,
but we're expected to do the opposite. Our media-satu-
rated youth culture is constantly reinforcing lower and
lower standards and expectations." The Harris brothers
argue that these low expectations help no one, least of all
the teenager himself.
The title of their book is “DO HARD THINGS -
TEENAGE REBELLION AGAINST LOW EXPECTATIONS”.
They also have a hugely popular blog called The
Rebelution (http://www.therebelution.com/index.php)
The back cover reads "Most people don't expect you to
understand what we're going to tell you in this book. And
even if you understand, they don't expect you to care.
And even if you care, they don't expect you to do any-
thing about it. And even if you do something about it,
they don't expect it to last. WE DO." Their battle cry is
really simple, just DO HARD THINGS.
On their blog, the verse they have chosen as their motto
or mission statement is 1 Timothy 4:12 "Don't let anyone
look down on you because you are young, but set an
example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in
faith and in purity." They feel that their generation has
fallen short of that calling.
The book offers a lot of great ideas and insights- it's an
easy read because it's written specifically for teens. In the
chapter called "Taking a Stand" they offer six principles
to help guide "rebelutionaries" in choosing to take a
stand:
1. Start with the Bible
2. Examine yourself
3. Listen to your conscience
THE PROMISE
4. Seek godly counsel
5. Be humble, loving, and bold.
6. Be part of the solution.
Here is a list of examples of "hard things" from their
website:
> Share the gospel with a friend.
> Write a song and perform it.
> Increase your GPA this year.
> Start a Christian club at school.
> Volunteer.
> Hold a bake sale to fight human trafficking.
> Babysit for a single mom at your church.
> Do a chore that you weren't asked to do.
> Honor your parents even though you disagree with
them.
A
It's a really interesting book and blog. Although a mostly
Protestant movement, the Youth Department of the
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese was alerted to it after
receiving an email from a Greek Orthodox teen who
was deeply moved and inspired by the movement.
THE ANNUNCIATION
RESPONSE TO HAITIAN
NEEDS
While the disaster in Haiti is difficult to comprehend,
we as a Church family continue to respond with faith
and love. On top of first and foremost praying for
the people of Haiti and the aid workers who are trying
to offer some kind of relief, to our daily prayers, we are
pleased to note that our parish alone has raised over
$6,500. for Haitian Relief Efforts. We thank God that
our Church family was able to responded with such
generosity and kindness in the name of the Lord. In
addition, we also expect to be able to produce a
minimum of 100 Hygiene Packs! May the prayers and
contributions of the Annunciation Church family
continue to help alleviate some of the suffering in Haiti
in His Holy Name.
PAGE 3
THE PROMISE
PASTORAL MESSAGE
(Continued from page 2)
that we commonly refer to as the Sermon on the
Mount. A seminal teaching covering a wide variety of
issues, ALL of which is focused on helping those who
will listen and believe, embrace the manner and means
by which to begin to live in the Kingdom of Heaven in
the present.
The Lord our God does not simply instruct us in terms
of preparing us for death and the afterlife. Instead, Christ
gives us a roadmap for living here and now in the
Kingdom that will soon be perfected, and continue for
eternity. Our challenge as Orthodox Christian men and
women is NOT to consume ourselves with looking for
signs that the end is near, or dream of heaven in the distant
future. Instead, we must commit ourselves to follow the
words of the Lord and thereby begin to live in His
Kingdom starting NOW! In appreciating the fact that
heaven is not simply a future state, but communion with
the living God, abiding by Him and serving Him; then
no matter the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
we can, in a very real and meaningful way begin to live
in heaven presently.
Ultimately, the question is not whether heaven exists or
when will we get there. The question is are we spiritually
striving to live in it here and now! But such a query also
brings up the uncomfortable matter of hell.
For as God has made it perfectly clear, eternity does not
only consist of heaven, but also of hell. And that too, in
a very real sense is in the present tense. In fact, the word
translated as ‘hell’ that Jesus used most often was the
Aramaic term 'gehenna'. This was not a cryptic reference,
but referred to an all too real Valley of Hinnom. Every
Jew and non-Jew alike at that time knew the place,
because it was the area dump outside the walls of
Jerusalem. This spot was filled with garbage, and was
constantly burning as the people in that era tried to get
rid of their refuse and its associated smells. In addition
it was also the place that the remains of diseased animals
and forsaken human beings were discarded. It was a
very real, vile and disturbing location that was continually
PAGE 4
smoldering as it reeked of death and decay. Hell was
(and is) much more than a condition of sorrow, poverty,
pain or overdue punishment. It was (and is) not simply a
‘concept’ that everyone fears, but few take very seriously.
When our Lord spoke to the people in Jerusalem of
gehenna, it was NOT a mythical faraway place, but a pres-
ent reality with a number of awful and all too familiar con-
notations and vivid imagery. Thereby making it perfectly
clear that hell is NOT a place for the damned to go some-
day, but is instead a contemporary reality. A state of being
whereby men and women choose to live a way of life that
rejects the Lord, His commandments and His ways. In so
doing, preferring to wallow in the garbage, death and filth
of Hell on earth.
There simply can be no question that hell is a present
state. People may escape it by joining themselves to Christ,
but it is never far off. It may not be pleasant to think about
or see, but let there be no doubt - hell is real! It is a
contemporary way of living in a garbage dump.
Simply put, people in the here and now, by their actions
and or inactions, are continually deciding to either live
their life on earth in heaven or in hell. This is never a matter
sole focused on where we would like to spend our future,
but a question about where are we choosing to currently
live. If we decide to follow God, live according to His
Commandments, and participate in the life of His Church,
we can begin to live now an eternity in heaven. If on the
other hand, should we opt to pursue the way of selfishness,
faithlessness, laziness and greed, then we will indeed now
and forever flounder in the garbage of Hell.
Eternity is not determined by a single action or statement
either good or bad. Instead, it is a life time of daily decisions
and actions which are rooted in the present eternity of
Heaven or Hell. Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ as
the Lenten season proceeds to unfold, let us be mindful
of the fact that eternity has begun! Let us choose to live in
heaven starting NOW.
Have a blessed Lent!
Rev. Dr. Nicholas J. Verdaris
 THE PROMISE
THE ANNUNCIATION
BOOKSTORE IS OPEN FOR EMBRACING THE BEAUTY
BUSINESS! OF THE ANNUNCIATION

Please remember that our parish will soon be

The Parish bookstore is open during the Fellowship
hosting the services for one of the great holidays
hour every Sunday after the Divine Liturgy or by
in Christianity and our very own feast day:
special appointment.

WE WANT TO
The Feast of the
Annunciation
HELP AS A ONE
STOP SOURCE
FOR ANY OF
YOUR CHURCH
RELATED NEEDS.
GREAT VESPERS
We can special WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24TH AT 6:30PM
order icons for
specific saints,
events, or feast
DIVINE LITURGY
days. We can WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25TH, AT 9:30AM
help with finding assistance in preparing kolyva for
Memorial services or in obtaining wedding crowns or
baptismal items. We can also help to find and order
specific books or Orthodox related gift items. Please
refer any questions or needs to Christopher Huckabay STARTING LENT RIGHT!
at 501-563-8726 or at chiros116@hotmail.com.
Do we find it difficult to attend the services of the
Church faithfully and punctually?

2010 With Great Lent upon us, we have a blessed opportunity

to change!
Great & The choice for us is to either continue to follow the
Holy flawed routines of the past that have kept us from
glorifying the Lord regularly and at the appointed hour
Lent OR to meaningfully change our ways and honor the
Lord by attending the Divine Services faithfully and on
BEGINS time. Our spiritual life is in the balance - our life in
Christ can be refreshed faith in action or we can choose
February to continue to struggle and keep His love at bay.

15th!! This Lenten season, let us all redouble our efforts to

gather at the Annunciation at 10:00am at the latest in
order to worship our Lord and draw closer to Him and
one another.
PAGE 5
THE PROMISE

OUTREACH COMMITTEE
MEET & GREET SCHEDULE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY February 7th . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeannie Newton

to our parishioners February 14th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rick Newton
celebrating during the month of February 21st . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Weatherly
February! February 28th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Hunter

Feb. 1st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Teri Kaiser March 7th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robin Jones

Bek Kaiser
March 14th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sharon Johnson
Feb. 4th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Luka Lelovic March 21st . . . . . . . . . Christopher Huckabay
Laura Meti March 28th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carole Hawkins
Feb. 5th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Essa Kassissieh
Feb. 7th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gabriel Bishara
Feb. 11th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tania Anaissie
Bianca Bishara
Pete Vratsinas DID YOU KNOW?
Feb. 13th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andrew Alley
You can always read
Feb. 14th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gordon Tyer
the current issue of
Feb. 15th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Majida Kdeiss
Libbie Vaden
The Promise online at the
Annunciation’s website!
Feb. 16th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nicholas Cora
Feb. 18th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Becka Masching orthodoxchurch.com/parish/promise
Feb. 19th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Georgia Freeman
Feb. 21st. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Philip Miron
Feb. 22nd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kamis Alley
Feb. 23rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kayla Reeves
 FELLOWSHIP HOUR 
Feb. 24th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hannah Farah
Mary Masching If you or your family would like to commemorate
a special event, honor the memory of a loved one
Feb. 26th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ashleigh Plastiras or would simply like to offer a gift to the
Annunciation family. . . you too can sponsor a
Feb. 28th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eva Pappas
Fellowship Hour!
PLEASE CHECK THE BULLETIN
B O A R D A N D S I G N U P T O D A Y!

PAGE 6

KNOCKING HUMAN BEINGS
OFF THE PEDESTAL OF
EXCEPTIONALISM
by Wesley J. Smith
Society’s belief in the unique moral value and importance
of human life is under unprecedented assault. Most people
still believe in human exceptionalism and are unaware
that powerful social and cultural forces are working diligently
to dismantle the sanctity of life ethic as the fundamental
value of our social order. But the time has come to pay
attention. If human life is knocked off the pedestal,
universal human rights will be impossible to sustain.
Take bioethics, the influential field that exerts tremendous
influence over medical ethics and health care public
policy. The bioethical mainstream disdains the sanctity
of life ethic as irrational and based on religion. In its
place, they promote “personhood theory,” that equates
moral value with cognitive capacities such as being self
aware over time. This “quality of life” ethic, as it is
sometimes called, creates a two-tiered system in which
some humans have greater value than human non persons.
Who are these so called human non persons? All the
unborn, to be sure, a presumption used to justify embryonic
stem cell research, even fetal farming — growing fetuses
to the later stage of gestation for use as organ sources, an
odious idea already been promoted at the Huffington Post.
Personhood theory also denies the equal value of newborn
infants. Thus, Princeton University’s Peter Singer — the
most famous bioethicist in the world — argues that
infants can be killed if they don’t serve their family’s
interests. He even compared the value of babies to that
of fish, writing in RETHINKING LIFE AND DEATH, “Since
neither a newborn infant nor a fish is a person, the
wrongness of killing such beings is not as wrong as killing
a person.”
Infanticide isn’t just a theoretical. Baby euthanasia is
commonplace in the Netherlands, where, the Lancet
reports, 8% of all babies who die are killed by doctors
based on quality of life judgmentalism.
THE PROMISE
Personhood theory also threatens those who have lost
capacities.Thus, people with profound cognitive impair-
ments like Terri Schiavo are increasingly being looked
upon as potential sources of organs even though they are
clearly not dead.
The animal rights movement goes even farther, fabricating
an explicit moral equality between humans and animals
based on the ability to suffer. Thus, animal rights philosopher
Richard Ryder wrote in the Guardian: “Our concern for
the pain and distress of others should be extended to any
"painient" - pain-feeling - being regardless of his or her sex,
class, race, religion, nationality or species. Painience is the
only convincing basis for attributing rights or, indeed,
interests to others.” Hence, since rats and guinea pigs feel
pain, doing animal research is the moral equivalent of
Mengele's atrocities in the Nazi death camps. This
misanthropy is so fervently believed by animal liberationists,
that some have taken to attacking medical researchers in
the name of "saving the animals."
Materialistic Darwinists also deny human exceptionalism
based on their belief that since all life evolved randomly
out of the same primordial ooze, species distinctions are
morally irrelevant. This view has potentially deadly
implications to the sanctity of human life, for as journalist
John Darnton wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle,
“[U]ltimately, if animals and plants are the result of
impersonal, immutable forces…then the natural world has
no moral validity or purpose. We are all of us, dogs and
barnacles, pigeons and crabgrass, the same in the eyes of
nature, equally remarkable and equally dispensable.”
Radical environmentalism is even more alarming, taking
human unexceptionalism to the next nihilistic level. Under
this view, we are life’s villains whose pillaging threatens the
earth. In order to “save the planet” our prosperity must be
sacrificed and our population strictly controlled. Some
radical environmentalists even look to China’s tyrannical
one child policy as a model — even though it uses female
infanticide and forced abortion as demographic weapons.
Toward this end, the environmental writer Alex Renton
recently wrote: “Some scientists…say that if the [population]
cuts are not achieved, we will end up with a planet with a
“carrying capacity” of just 1 billion humans. If so, we need
to start cutting back population now with methods that
(Continued on page 14)
PAGE 7
THE PROMISE
OUR COVENANT WITH CHRIST
GREAT LENT: Wednesdays Presanctified Liturgy at
6:30pm OR Fridays Salutation Service at 6:30pm. A
Great Lent BEGINS on February 15th and with it, the
MINIMUM OF FOUR SERVICES DURING GREAT LENT
Holy Church offers a series of evening services to
(there are 11 evening services in Lent and takes into
nourish our souls in anticipation of the Resurrection
of Christ. Again this year, the Annunciation invites
account a possible absence for those going out of town
young and old alike to make a special commitment to
for Spring Break). In addition, during Holy Week the
youth are asked to commit themselves to ATTEND
our Lord and Savior this Great Lent through what we
EVERY SINGLE EVENING SERVICE OF HOLY WEEK (this
like to call the COVENANT WITH CHRIST.
means seven evening services in addition to the two day
On the Sunday of Forgiveness, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH,
services of Holy Friday which are a part of their
we will all be invited to consider the great love of God
responsibility in attending the Good Friday Retreat, for
A GRAND TOTAL OF NINE SERVICES DURING HOLY
and the manner and means by which we will choose to
WEEK.) Then in order to support and acknowledge
respond to Him. In order to help us focus on this
such a faithful commitment, the Annunciation Church
blessed endeavor and put this spiritual journey in its
family will present those members of the GOYA that
proper perspective, everyone in our Church family
choose to complete this COVENANT WITH CHRIST at
will be invited to make a personal “covenant” with the
the conclusion of the Resurrection Service on Holy
Lord. Hopefully, this call to action will help those who
Saturday with a blessed symbol of love.
choose to participate to grow in their relationship with
Christ through the instructions and disciplines of the
PARENTS as you personally strive to fulfill your own
Holy Orthodox Church. This covenant is meant to be
“covenant” with the Lord, please help your child
a source of motivation to greet each day of Great Lent
develop into a faithful Orthodox Christian by
with even greater determination than the day before.
encouraging them to embrace this spiritual challenge.
Nothing would be more beautiful as we herald the
On the 14th of February, we will all receive a small
Resurrection of Our Lord during the wee hours of
reminder of this most blessed season in the hopes that
Pascah than to be able to gather together (young and
it will help us put life’s demands and our spiritual
old alike) as a people who are consciously walked
quest into proper perspective. The call to fasting,
together the journey that His Church has prescribed
prayer and almsgiving is open to all. Hopefully, the
for centuries. Consider the spiritual joy we will experience
COVENANT WITH CHRIST will again motivate everyone
in proclaiming His Glorious Resurrection and knowing
in our Church family to embrace the services and
that we have seriously sought to prepare our heart body
work of Great Lent & Holy Week to the glory of God.
and soul and that of our children for Him and Him alone.
For the younger members of the Annunciation, ages
12-18 (with a little help from their parents) we are
establishing some important goals should they choose
to participate in the COVENANT WITH CHRIST. As
always, part of their commitment in this covenant is
between them and God (prayer, almsgiving, fasting),
but there is a part of this pledge that can be observed,
and that is their attendance of Church services. So in
addition to their faithful Sunday Divine Liturgy attendance
and whatever other means they will personally employ
to honor our Lord and Savior during this most sacred
season, our young people are being asked to ATTEND
AT LEAST ONE L ENTEN S ERVICE EVERY WEEK OF

PAGE 8
 THE PROMISE
THE UPCOMING SERVICES 

OF LENT: SUNDAY, February 28th -

SUNDAY OF ST. GREGORY PALAMAS
 Matins: 9:00am / Divine Liturgy: 10:00am
SUNDAY, February 14th -
FORGIVENESS SUNDAY
WEDNESDAY, March 3rd -
Matins: 9:00am / Divine Liturgy: 10:00am
Presanctified Liturgy: 6:30pm

MONDAY, February 15th - FRIDAY, March 5th -

GREAT LENT BEGINS Salutation Service: 6:30pm
Compline Service: 6:30pm


WEDNESDAY, February 17th -
Presanctified Liturgy: 6:30pm SUNDAY, March 7th -
THE ADORATION OF THE CROSS
Matins: 9:00am / Divine Liturgy: 10:00am
FRIDAY, February 19th - Parish Assembly
Salutation Service: 6:30pm

WEDNESDAY, March 10th -

SATURDAY, February 20th - Presanctified Liturgy: 6:30pm
Third Saturday of Souls: 9:30am

FRIDAY, March 12th -

 Salutation Service: 6:30pm

SUNDAY, February 21st -


SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY
Matins: 9:00am / Divine Liturgy: 10:00am
SUNDAY, March 14th -
Luncheon Discussion with Fr. Nicholas
SUNDAY OF ST. JOHN CLIMACUS
Matins: 9:00am / Divine Liturgy: 10:00am
WEDNESDAY, February 24th -
Presanctified Liturgy: 6:30pm WEDNESDAY, March 17th -
Presanctified Liturgy: 6:30pm

FRIDAY, March 19th -

FRIDAY, February 26th -
Salutation Service: 6:30pm The Akathist Hymn: 6:30pm

PAGE 9
THE PROMISE
HOLY FRIDAY
OUR STEWARDSHIP
YOUTH ENCOUNTER

Every member of the Annunciation GOYA AND JR.

GOYA is reminded that on Holy Friday, April 2nd,
we will be conducting our annual Holy Friday Youth
Encounter. In addition, this year we will have a semi-
narian Sam Johnson joining us this year to make
things interesting. The program begins at 9:00am
sharp, with the service of the Royal Hours and the
program will end at the conclusion of the Service of
the Descent from the Cross in the afternoon. This
annual tradition at our Church is a perfect way for us
to serve Christ’s Church as well as remain in His holy
presence as we commemorate the Lord’s Crucifixion
and Burial. This gathering will give us the opportunity
to spend some time with each other, work together
and give glory to God. If you require a letter for
school,, please submit you name to the Church Office As we move forward into Great and Holy Lent,
ASAP. Please note that all GOYAns are expected to let us continue to remember the Holy House the
be present and participate in the Holy Friday Youth Lord has entrusted unto us - the Annunciation in
Encounter (attendance is part of our Scholarship Little Rock. Through our prayers, our presence,
Foundation requirements). our generosity and our service to the Church,
together we can lift up the Resurrected Light of
JOY MEMBERS are also reminded that we have Christ before the world. These are indeed chal-
planned a very special Lenten program just for them lenging times, but inspired by the love that Lord
on Holy Friday that will also begin at 9:00am with the shows us every day, let us generously contribute
service of the Royal Hours and conclude with the to the well-being of the Church that He has
Service of the Descent from the Cross. entrusted to us here in Little Rock through our
Stewardship.
This holy day by every definition
is a day of prayer and a time for people to gather We thank all those who faithfully submitted their
together at the Church 2010 Stewardship Card and hope that those who
and serve the Lord in word, thought and deed. have not yet done so, will respond back soon.

With everyone’s Stewardship commitment to the

Annunciation we can truly help our corner of the
PARISH ASSEMBLY MEETING world “COME & SEE” Christ in action at our parish.
With every Church family member joyously shar-
Sunday, March 7th ing their time, talent and treasure with Christ at the
Annunciation, we all can honor the Lord and keep
after the Divine Liturgy the doors of His House open unto the world.

PAGE 10
 THE PROMISE
OUR LENTEN CHARITY After more than one year of general repairs and renovations
PROJECT of the eight dilapidated buildings of the Hogar, and
spending half a million US dollars, from private donors
- THE ORTHODOX ORPHANAGE only, the Hogar reopened its doors once again to welcome
IN GUATEMALA 115 children all together on October 13th of 1997!

Today, the Hogar Rafael Ayau is the only Orthodox

orphanage that welcomes orphans or lost, abandoned
and battered children whose ages range from newly
born infants to early teens. The orphanage continuously
receives babies and children brought to its doors.

But another chapter in the history of this precious

refuge is being written. As a result of deteriorating
circumstances in the neighborhood of its current location,
the orphanage is constructing a brand new location on
the site of an Orthodox Monastery - a 1.6 million project
to provide a healthy and blessed space for over 200
children who have no other place to call home.

During this Lenten season the Annunciation Church

family is invited to make the Orphanage one of their
almsgiving projects in their spiritual preparations for the
In the year 1857, Don Rafael Ayau built the first
Resurrection. Throughout Great Lent, we will be
orphanage in Guatemala City, known as "The Home
passing a second tray to collect funds in support of the
of Mercy". This was in response to the number of
Orphanage. As we fast and pray to prepare our souls let
poor children that could not be well taken care of by
us make some extra contributions for the sake of our
their parents because of broken homes, crime, war, unem-
youngest brothers and sisters in Christ at the Orthodox
ployment, poverty, domestic violence, prostitution,
Orphanage in Guatemala - Hogar Rafael Ayau.
alcohol and drug abuse. With so many homeless chil-
dren struggling to survive in the streets, one man pur-
sued a dream to help and his dream became a reality.
For the Five Sundays of Lent:
Then, in the early 1970s, the Guatemalan govern-
ment expropriated the orphanage and named it
"HOGAR RAFAEL AYAU", in honor of its founder. Please bring an EXTRA DONATION to offer
for the Second Tray in support of the
In 1996, under the administration of President Álvaro Orphanage.
Arzú HOGAR RAFAEL AYAU was given back to
private stewardship, to the Orthodox Church, and a
new chapter in it's history was written. On August 9th
of 1996, the feast day of St. Herman of Alaska, his Let us as a Church family greet the Risen Lord
Eminence, Metropolitan Antonios entrusted to
having honored Him
Mother Abbess Inés and the Nuns of the Orthodox
Monastery Lavra Mambré the administration and with our preparations of our body & soul
financial responsibilities of the Hogar. that are in conjunction with our
charitable deeds
PAGE 11
THE PROMISE
YeeHAW!

Dreams
DO come Only
true!!!! 6 more hours..

Yes,
that is a
REAL
Steer!!!

PAGE 12
 THE PROMISE

Dat’s Oour GOYA!

What we need
is MORE basketball in our
life!

Our MVP
with NBA
legend
“Spud” Webb

PAGE 13
THE PROMISE
KNOCKING HUMAN BEINGS STYLES OF PARENTING
OFF... by Fr. George Morelli

(Continued from page 7)

offer a humane choice – before it happens the hard Jesus said,,

way.” One wonders if that last bit is a threat — or a promise.
These, and other, attacks on human exceptionalism are
profoundly dangerous to human life and liberty. It is our
unique moral status in the known universe that gives rise
to both universal (human) rights. It is the sanctity of life
ethic that compels us to care for the weak, vulnerable,
and elderly among us.
Either we all matter equally, simply and merely because
we are human — or our value becomes relative, our
rights, and indeed, our continued existence — deter-
mined by the reigning power structure of the day. After
all, if we are merely another animal in the forest — or
worse, the planet’s enemies — why should any of us be
treated as if we have any special meaning at all?
COUNSEL
“Let the children come to me,, and do not hinder
them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”
(Mt 19:14).
In the Orthodox wedding ceremony, just before crowning
the man and wife and uniting them in a blessed marriage,
the priest prays that the servant and handmaiden will
joined by God as one flesh and will be an instrument
leading their children to the kingdom of Heaven: “Unite
them in one mind and one flesh, and grant them fair
children for education in thy faith and fear [viewing God
as awesome and transcendent].” Parenting children is a
wondrous, sublime and at the same time dreadful
responsibility. Without coming to know, love and serve
God both parents and children cannot respond to God’s
grace and “… become partakers of the divine nature.”(2
Pt 1:4) The Church supports the new couple in their
efforts to know, love and serve God so that He indwells
in them and thereby the entire family attains salvation.

FROM THE FATHERS: For the Christian family, the foundation for modeling
parenthood is Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ
Himself. The married man and wife are called to “put
“WHEN YOU FAST AND ARE NOURISHED on Christ.” The hymn from St. Paul’s epistle to the
WITH ABSTINENCE, Galatians, which is sung during the services of the
Paschal season, refers to all who are baptized: “For as
DO NOT STORE THE LEFTOVERS FOR
many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on
TOMORROW,
Christ.” (Gal 3:27) While putting on Christ is required
BUT, AS THE LORD BECAME POOR AND for all those who are baptized, it occupies a unique vocation
ENRICHED US, for those called to the exalted vocation of marriage and
FEED SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT WANT parenting.
TO BE HUNGRY,
In this essay I review the scientific behavioral research on
YOU WHO HUNGERS WILLINGLY.
four parenting styles and present evidence that identifies
THEN YOUR FAST WILL BE LIKE THE
one of them—the Authoritative Style—as the most effective
DOVE WHO BRINGS AND JOYFULLY in shaping pro-social outcomes in children. That is to say
PROCLAIMS SALVATION TO YOUR SOUL behavior that is caring and empathic about the welfare
FROM THE FLOOD.” and rights of others, as well as acting in a way that others
benefit. I also critique the significant defects of
Saint Gregory Palamas (Continued on page 19)

PAGE 14

A WORD OF THANKS
With a wonderful visit of Metropolitan Nicholas
and the historic celebration of Fr. Delfos’ 40
years of service still fresh in our minds (pictures
of the event will be in the next edition of The
Promise), it is only fitting that we pause to thank
in words and in prayer, all those in our Church
family who made the past weekend possible let
alone so very memorable. Such occasions require
enormous commitments of time, talent and
resources to make happen and we are particular-
ly blessed at the Annunciation to have many ded-
icated men and women all ages who without
much fanfare roll up their sleeves and make
things happen for everyone in our Church family
to enjoy. Though to many people to list individu-
ally, rest assured every act of graciousness, gen-
erosity and ounce of sweat pleased the Lord our
God and aptly reflected His generous love. Well
done good and faithful servants of the Lord!!!
Thank You!
THE PROMISE
LUNCHEON DISCUSSIONS ON
OUR FAITH
On FEBRUARY 21 ST
(The Sunday of
Orthodoxy) we are
going to have another
edition of our Luncheon
Discussions on our
Faith with Fr. Nicholas.
Sunday,, February 7 & 14th 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, FEBRUARY 21ST
after the Divine Liturgy we will share a lunch together, and
Father Nicholas will answer the anonymous questions
that were submitted as well as any off the floor. This will
hopefully be an enjoyable opportunity for our Church
family get to know each other a little better by breaking
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.

Luncheon Discussion With

2010 FESTIVAL MEETING
FaTHEr. Nicholas
The time has come for all
of us to get involved in making When: Sunday, February 21st
the 2010 International Greek
Food Festival another Where: Annunciation Ballroom
successful endeavor for our
parish and the charities we
are sponsoring. So please Food: Will be provided!
make plans to attend our
FIRST FESTIVAL MEETING Cost: $0.
on SUNDAY, FEBRUARY
28TH after the Divine Discussion
Liturgy!
& Fellowship: Priceless!
Together we all can
make the Festival YOU and your questions,
shine to the glory of are the only ingredients needed to make this a
God. success!
PAGE 15
THE PROMISE
MY SOUL the message brought to her by the Archangel Gabriel.
MAGNIFIES THE LORD “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” The
by Fr. Thomas J. Paris Archangel's reply was both comforting and yet overwhelming.
“For, with God nothing will be impossible.”

And Mary's response was the culmination of

Do You Want to Know a Secret?
I have a secret that I would like to share with you.
One might call it "an open" secret, but many people
have stumbled because they ignored the truths in this
secret. They have led sad, unfulfilled and many times
wasted lives because they didn't implement the wisdom
hidden in this secret.
humankind's long effort to accomplish. Mary on
behalf of all humans gives the one response that is
needed from all of us.
Yes Lord, I want to serve you. I do accept your offer
of love. Change me so that I can be a clean vessel
carrying you within me. Let the miracle of your birth
in time transform mortals into timelessness.

Here's the secret. Hush; bend your ear close so that
you will hear clearly. The secret of a happy, joy-filled
life is a grateful heart. Without a heart filled with gratitude
there is never a possibility of a life of happiness.
As we celebrate the Annunciation, we remember the
earth-shaking news that God is taking on flesh. The
Second Person of the Trinity, the Son of God, is
going to enter the world as one of His creatures, to
unite Himself with us, so that we can ultimately be
united with God the Father.
Mary's song of bursting praise is the manifestation of a
heart filled with gratitude and thanksgiving. As we
learn from the Orthodox Study Bible Mary knew her
Scripture. The Bible was her inspiration and guide.
"My soul magnifies the Lord" was a hymn first offered
by Hannah who in her advanced years uttered this
inspired prayer (1 Samuel 2:1-10). It was prayed by
expectant Jewish mothers for centuries.
(Continued on page 21)

It is a day that stumps the imagination. How? Why?

Could God really do something like this? Could He
actually become man and still remain God? What
does that do to us? How does it change our future,
yours and mine?

“My Soul Magnifies the Lord and my spirit has

rejoiced in God my Savior.” (Luke 1:46,47) is a paean
gushing forth from a heart filled to overflowing with
gratitude. It is the opening lines of the Magnificat
sung by The Panagia, the Mother of God after
hearing the following words from her cousin
Elizabeth:
"Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the
fruit of your womb, but why is this granted to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?"
(Luke 1:42)

The young teenage woman was truly overwhelmed by

PAGE 16

BALANCING GREAT LENT
by George M. Tsongranis
Do you fast? Give me proof of it by your works. If
you see a poor man, take pity on him. If you see a
friend being honored, do not envy him. Do not let
only your mouth fast, but also the eye, and the feet,
and the hands and all the members of our bodies.
Let the hands fast, by being free of avarice. Let the
feet fast, by ceasing to run after sin. Let the eyes
fast, by disciplining them not to glare at that which is
sinful. Let the ears by not listening to evil talk and
gossip. Let the mouth fast from foul words and
unjust criticism. For what good is it if we abstain
from birds and fishes, but bite and devour our
brothers?
-S
ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
Think for a moment, about the purpose of a tripod. By
definition, it is a stand that provides three-legged sup-
port to steady an object placed on it. It might serve to
secure a video camera for recording a granddaughter's
graduation from preschool or perhaps to stabilize a
telescope for an astronomer gazing into the wondrous
night sky. But what would happen if one of the legs was
shorter or if all three of the legs were different lengths?
For a tripod to provide the necessary balance, each leg
of the tripod must be of equal length.
Like the tripod, our approach to Great Lent should
include three equal supports that will to give us the
balance we need in our spiritual climb-fasting, prayer,
and almsgiving. From the earliest days of the church,
the Great Fast was not solely about abstaining from
food. The physical fast was always accompanied by
increased prayer and almsgiving. As families, we should
look at all three of these elements in order to put into
practice a broader and more fulfilling approach to
Great Lent. Regardless of varying ages and levels of
spiritual maturity, your family can share the joys and
struggles of the journey towards the Resurrection.
Taking the time to create a Lenten family plan will help
you properly prepare for Pascha. As you begin, make
sure to check with your parish priest or spiritual father
for guidance.
THE PROMISE
THE PHYSICAL FAST
Fasting from food is an important facet of our Lenten
discipline. Jesus Christ, Himself, prepared for the rigors
of His ministry by fasting from food for forty days and
resisting Satan's temptations. And after casting out a
demon which inhabited a child, His disciples wondered
why they were not able to perform the exorcism. After
rebuking the disciples for their lack of faith, He said,
"However,, this kind does not go out except by prayer and
fasting,," (Matthew 17:21) thereby extolling the virtues of
proper fasting. Abstinence from rich and heavy foods-as
well as monitoring our portions-is cathartic for the body
and refocuses our hunger and desire for God. As nutritional
requirements vary from one family member to another,
the decision for a meal plan covering Great Lent should
be discussed by parents and other heads of households
with guidance from your parish priest or spiritual father.
Medical or physical conditions may override strict
adherence to a fasting diet.
INCREASED LITURGICAL PARTICIPATION
& PRAYER
Just as Jesus prayed during periods of great temptation
and troubles, so are we to turn to God in prayer to guide
us through the 40-day period. This Lenten period affords
numerous services which help to strengthen the faithful
in preparation for the Resurrection. Services such as the
Saturday of Souls, Great Compline, Pre-Sanctified
Liturgy, Salutations to the Theotokos, as well as the five
special designations for each Sunday in Lent serve to
strengthen our resolve. And while liturgical participation
and prayer are year-round necessities of our lives as
Orthodox Christians, these tools and weapons are to be
especially honed during Great Lent-a time when the great
deceiver, Satan, will tempt us endlessly with diversions to
take our focus away from God. Private prayer, in addition
to corporate prayer, should be increased. Families should
gather together at the home iconostasis with more frequency.
Focus on quality and concentration of your prayer and
not necessarily duration. Speak with your parish priest or
spiritual father for further guidance in developing a
Lenten rule of prayer for your family.
(Continued on page 18)
PAGE 17
THE PROMISE
BALANCING GREAT LENT
(Continued from page 17)
ALMSGIVING
Almsgiving is often completely ignored during the
Lenten season. Many times, it seems that Christian phi-
lanthropy is limited to a food drive at Thanksgiving or
charitable gift-giving at Christmas. As wonderful as these
generous acts are, how can we neglect our duty to assist
others as we prepare to celebrate the Feast of Feasts and
crux of our faith-the Resurrection of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ? We know as Christians, there is no
particular season for human need and suffering. How
much more should we address the needs of humanity at
this blessed time! Jesus Christ, Himself said, “I was hungry
and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me
drink; I was a stranger and you too Me in; I was naked
and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was
in prison and you came to Me…Assuredly, I say to you,
inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My
brethren,, you did it to Me.” (Matthew 25:35-40 - Gospel
for Meatfare/Judgment Sunday)
Here, as a family, you may become very creative in
devising ways to be charitable during Great Lent. Gather
up unused clothing that hangs in the closet to distribute
to the needy. Grab a few canned goods from your pantry
to give to a food bank. Go visit a sick member of the
parish family in the hospital. Lend a sympathetic ear to
a friend who has hit hard times. Include a Bright Week
visit to a nursing home to sing "Christos Anesti/Christ is
Risen" to share the joy of Jesus Christ's Resurrection with
our Orthodox Christian brethren. Almsgiving goes far
beyond the giving of tangible gifts. It is also the giving of
our hearts and minds to the ailing, disheartened, and
lonely.
Above all, we should abide in love. As a family, choose
your words wisely when addressing others. Be patient
and considerate. Forgive past grudges and seek understanding.
If you are not regularly going to the Sacrament of
Confession, this is a most-blessed time to seek the
Church's forgiveness and sanctification before receiving
Holy Communion and Holy Unction. We should be
PAGE 18
aware these sacraments are administered in love and
bestow upon us God's ever-abundant grace.
Fasting, prayer, and almsgiving-like the tripod, we need
all three supports to keep us in balance during Lent.
When in balance, we are able to fully experience the
resplendence of the Resurrection and proclaim: Christ
is Risen! Truly He is Risen!
George Tsongranis is the assistant director of the catechism
program at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral in
Tarpon Springs, Florida.
THE ANNUNCIATION
2010 PARISH DIRECTORY
The brand new 2010 Annunciation Parish Directory
is here! With the dedicated efforts of Wayne Alley
and others, every Church family will now have a
resource to stay connected with one another, a guide
to the basic operation of the parish and its ministries,
as well as a general outline of some of the Holy Church’s
fundamental teachings.
It is hoped that this new Directory will help to strengthen
our relationships within the Annunciation, aid all of
us on how to become more involved in the work of
the Church as well as provide a clear overview of some
of the elemental matters of parish life. Every single
household in our Church family should have one
Parish Directory - if more are needed, as supplies
dictate, extra copies will be available by request to a
Parish Council Member during the Fellowship Hour
on Sundays.
“The Annunciation in Little Rock,
Where Faith and Action Come to Life in
Christ”

STYLES OF PARENTING
(Continued from page 14)
three other parenting styles: the Authoritarian Style, the
Permissive Style and the Neglectful Style. It is my hope
that Christian parents will choose the parenting style that
research evidence supports as the most effective.
Spiritually there is only one parenting style that can be
employed: Christ’s Style. Literally thousands of books
and articles have been written interpreting the life of
Christ. I have selectively drawn from key sources based
on the life of Christ and His teachings, the Scriptures
and the understanding of Christ among the Church
Fathers that teach us the fundamentals of the Christ
Parenting Style. As the starting point and anchor, I have
selected a single theme taken from a contemporary
spiritual father of the Church, Elder Paisios of the Holy
Mountain. That theme is Kindness.
An atheist approached the young Arsenios (the future
Elder Paisios) before he entered the monastic life, and
said to him: “You don’t mean to say you believe in
God? He does not exist. These religious stories are
made up by some priests. We have evolved from the
monkey. Christ was simply a man like all of us.” The
elder describes his reaction as filled with “heavy black
clouds” and “twisted thoughts.” He was “confused,
desperate and extremely sad.” Then he had a thought.
“Wasn’t Christ the kindest man ever on earth. No one
has ever found anything evil in Him. So whether He is
God or not, I don’t care. Based on the fact that He is the
kindest man on earth and I haven’t known anyone
better, I will try to become like Him and absolutely obey
everything the Gospel says. I will even give my life for
Him, if needed, since He is so kind.”
CHRIST-LIKE PARENTING
The Christ Parenting Style: Consider the words of Jesus
Himself as recorded by St. Luke (6:35–37): “But love
your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting noth-
ing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will
be sons of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful
and the selfish. Be merciful, even as your Father is
THE PROMISE
merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn
not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will
be forgiven.” Add these other words of Jesus: “… learn
from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart …” (Mt 11:29).
As all Christians, parents are counseled to act as Christ
taught in His Sermon on the Mount. As heard in the
opening verses of that teaching (cf. Mt 5:3–11), we model
the Redeemer by being poor in spirit, mourning, being
meek, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, being
merciful and pure in heart, making peace, being
persecuted for righteousness sake, and being reviled and
persecuted and having uttered all kinds of evil against us
falsely on Christ’s account. But Jesus also taught us that
He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Regard Our
Lord’s words: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life;
no one comes to the Father, but by me.” (Jn 14:6) Christ
taught that the way to the Father is through His teachings,
and he communicated the Way definitively: “Whoever
then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and
teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of
heaven.” (Mt 5:19) St. Paul taught that the way Jesus
carried out the commandments is with kindness: “And the
Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to
every one, an apt teacher, forbearing, correcting his
opponents with gentleness.” (2 Tim 2:24–25) The
Christian Parenting Style encompasses all of the above
and in the spirit of St. Paul: “For who has known the mind
of the Lord so as to instruct him? But we have the mind
of Christ.” (1 Cor 2:16)
PSYCHO-B
BEHAVIORAL PARENTING STYLES
Based on the seminal work of Diane Baumrind, four
parenting styles can be delineated: the Authoritarian Style,
the Authoritative Style, the Permissive Style and the
Neglectful Stylei. One of these styles not only is the best
fit for the Christ Parenting Style, but also determined by
behavioral research to be the most efficacious in bringing
about emotionally and behaviorally healthy children.
THE AUTHORITARIAN STYLE : This style has high
expectations and demands rigid compliance and conformity to
parental commands and household rules. Interaction with
the child is frequently harsh in tone. Open dialogue
between parent and child on household rules or parental
demands is not allowed. Basically, Authoritarian Style
(Continued on page 20)
PAGE 19
THE PROMISE
STYLES OF PARENTING
(Continued from page 19)
parents are not responsive to the emotional or psychosocial
wants of their children. Compliance without question to
parental demands and commands is normative, as seen
in this extreme family counseling situation: One father,
a successful Wall Street analyst, set a house rule that his
wife and children had to be at the dining room table
exactly at 6:00 p.m. for dinner, standing at attention
behind their chairs, appropriately dressed and ready for
inspection. Frequently the parental rules, demands and
commands are expressed authoritatively in an abrasive
inflection. The reaction of children is evidenced by a
lack of self esteem and an inability to express emotional
warmth. Some children respond to this style by being
compliant, others by being oppositional. Patterson
notes the oppositional, non-compliant response results
when authoritarian parents do not have the skill to
enforce their rules. Such children are also likely to be
unpopular and display aggression in social and school
settings. Behavioral attributes can include leaving the
household at an early age, using drugs and experimenting
with sex. The Authoritative Style of parenting is far
afield from the Christ who said: “… learn from me; for
I am gentle and lowly in heart …” (Mt 11:29).
THE PERMISSIVE STYLE: This parenting style is distin-
guished by few behavioral expectations for the child.
Often the parent wants to be the child's friend and is
quite nurturing. In contrast to the Authoritarian Style,
permissive parents are perceived as un-demanding, and
do not set consequences for their children’s behavior. As
discussed previously, pinpointing appropriate behavior
and behavioral boundaries, and maintaining conse-
quences for both compliance and lack of compliance, is
critical for a child to learn appropriate pro-social behavior.
Children raised by permissive parents do not learn age-
appropriate behaviors and the consequences for perform-
ance or non-performance. Permissive parents often
consult with their children in determining “family
policy”. Such children quickly learn to blame others
and manipulate their parents. Generally, achievement
and maturity levels of children raised in a permissive
style are lower than those of their peers. Such children
PAGE 20
also display low impulse control and avoid accepting
responsibility and exhibiting independent behavior. In
adolescence, such children show a higher degree of
delinquent behavior as well as of drug use and sexual
experimentation. It should come as no surprise that the
Permissive Style of parenting is incompatible with the
Christ Parenting Style.
THE NEGLECTFUL STYLE: This parenting style has almost
no behavioral expectations. Parents are self-centered and
display little emotional reaction. Neglectful parents pay lit-
tle or no attention to the child's behavior, making the
Neglectful Style the least effective and associating it with
the highest levels of delinquency. Neglectful Style parents
are often self-absorbed, only concentrating their attention
on matters that are important to their own interests, needs
and values. Such parents also do not set boundaries or
limits but are disengaged from the child’s life. They are
not knowledgeable about their child’s interests, feelings,
and school and social activities. Children raised in the
Neglectful Style appear emotionally and socially withdrawn.
Such children have difficulty in peer bonding and are
often isolated, withdrawn, impulsive and lack a high need
to achieve. Just the opposite of Jesus’ words: "Let the
children come to me …” (Mt 19:14), a father or mother
who practices the Neglectful Parenting Style seems ready
to apply to his or her own children Our Lord’s words to
the evildoers: “I never knew you; depart from me …” (Mt
7:23).
THE AUTHORITATIVE STYLE : This parenting style
communicates and explains household rules to the child
in a respectful and warm, but firm, tone. Often communicating
the consequences of non-compliance is enough to
influence behavior. Research shows this to be the most
effective parenting style. Parents who use the Authoritative
Style set boundaries and even high standards for their
children. However, these parents are less concerned with
having obedient children as an entitlement of their
parenthood, as they are with shaping the behavior of their
children for the child’s good and welfare. They are
attentive to their child’s point of view, but will then explain
the reason for the family rules which have been set. Within
the boundaries of the family rules which have been
explained to the child, they encourage the child to make
their own decisions, be autonomous, individualistic
(Continued on page 22)
THE PROMISE
MY SOUL
MAGNIFIES THE LORD
(Continued from page ??)
Her words echo thanksgiving and gratitude:
“He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me
blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
from generation to generation.”
Now this was not the only response that Mary could
have given to the announcement from the Archangel
and the words of Elizabeth.
She could have said, "Thanks, but no thanks. I really
don't want to be a spectacle carrying a child under
these strange circumstances. I don't need all that pressure
on me to try to live up to some high standard that will
curtail my activities, restrain my play, exercise program
and entertainment. I don't have time to raise a child.
I don't have the financial means, for I am so over my
head in debt already. I didn't ask for this honor. Give
it to someone else!
Why is it always ME who is given the difficult problems?
How come Miss 'so and so' gets off so easy and I am
the one saddled with a child. I have so much more to
experience in life before I need to take on the
responsibilities of motherhood? Why poor me! "
Yes Mary could have responded in this or some other
negative way, but thankfully she didn't. She knew intu-
itively that a life of complaining, dissatisfaction,
resentment, jealousy, grumbling and lament never
brings happiness. Nor does resignation or indifference.
Happiness comes not when we reluctantly accept a
new situation, a burdensome challenge or difficult
responsibility, but when we embrace it and thank God
for the opportunity to grow. Mary did not simply
resign herself to her fate. She saw God acting, God
PAGE 21
loving, God offering, and she whole-heartedly embraced
the new reality and burst into a song of praise and
thanksgiving. She found true happiness in a life filled
with gratitude.
Mary, the Theotokos, remains a model for all generations.
She is the "Canon" the Rule or Measure by which all of
us are to gauge our lives. She said YES to God's offer
of love. She gratefully worshiped and thanked Him.
May we be wise enough to do the same.
Amen.
Protopresbyter Thomas J. Paris has served as Dean of the
Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Ascension for the past
thirty-three years. He is founder and co-chair of the
Metropolis Spiritual Renewal Ministry and author of a six-
year Bible Study on the Old and New Testaments. He
organizes and conducts yearly Retreats for Teenagers and
adults. He is a Graduate of Holy Cross Theological School
and the Theological School of the University of Athens.
THE CROSS
A young man was at the end of his rope, seeing no
way out, he dropped to his knees in prayer “Lord,
I can't go on,” he said. “I have too heavy a cross to
bear.”
The Lord replied, “My son, if you can't bear its
weight, just place your cross inside this room.
Then, open that other door and pick out any cross
you wish.”
The man was filled with relief and said, “Thank you
Lord,” and he did as he was told. Upon entering the
other room, he saw many crosses; some so large the
tops were not visible. Then, he spotted a tiny cross
leaning against a far wall.
“I'd like that one, Lord,” he whispered. The Lord
replied, “My son, that is the cross you just brought in.”
When life's problems seem overwhelming, it helps
to look around and see what other people are
coping with. You may consider yourself far more
fortunate than you imagined.

STYLES OF PARENTING
(Continued from page 20)
and independent. They are less likely to employ physical
punishment, but are adept and skillful in applying
rewards and punishments in a scientific (and spiritually
sound) manner. Children raised by Authoritative parents
tend to have high self-esteem, be compliant with parental
requests but at the same time display independent and
altruistic behavior. They score highly in academic
achievement and in adolescence tend to score more
highly in levels of moral reasoning than their peers.
Educators tend to rate authoritatively raised children as
taking initiative, being articulate and performing assertive-
ly in school and social settings. Is there any doubt that the
Authoritative Parenting Style is the parenting method that
best fits on the foundation of the Christ Parenting Style?
A CHRISTIAN PARENTING PROSCRIPTION AND
COUNSEL
Christ taught definitely and with authority. He spoke
with the authority of His Father. “For I have not spoken
on my own authority; the Father who sent me has him-
self given me commandment what to say and what to
speak.” (Jn 12: 49) Parents who use the Permissive or
Neglectful Style do not speak decisively or with authority
about anything. They fall far short of being able to fulfill
their marital, parenting calling to raise their children in
“education in thy faith and fear [acknowledging the
awesome, transcendent God].” Parents using the
Authoritarian Style or Authoritative Style surely both
speak with authority, but what separates these two styles
is love, patience and kindness. Only Authoritative Style
fits these criteria, accentuating St. Paul’s well known
description of love, as told to the Corinthians: “Love is
patient and kind …” (1 Cor 13:4). Only the Authoritative
Style demonstrates the fruit of the Holy Spirit: “But the
fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against
such there is no law.” (Gal 5:22–23) Only the
Authoritarian Style embodies the description of behavior
and emotions to be avoided, as St. Paul told the
Ephesians (4:31): “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger
and clamor and slander be put away from you, with all
malice …”
THE PROMISE
We can use all the gifts that God gives us in parenting and
guiding our children. As St. John Chrysostom teaches:
“Concern for spiritual things will unite the family. Do you
want your child to be obedient? Then from the beginning
bring him up in the discipline and instruction of the
Lord.” But parents can apply discipline and instruction by
using the gift of their God-given intelligence, that is with
the Holy Mysteries of the Church, by conforming to the
Mind of Christ and the Church, and using the advances of
behavioral science as well. Following the wisdom of St.
Isaac of Syria: “Love is the offspring of knowledge, and
knowledge is the offspring of the health of the soul ...” .
“[B]ut as servants of God we commend ourselves in
every way:
through great … kindness,, the Holy Spirit,,
genuine love …”
(2 Cor 6:4–5).
DALLAS ADVENTURERS
We are pleased to report that our youth and the advisors
had a wonderful adventure at the 2010 Basketball
Tournament in Dallas TX - as the pictures in this
months edition of The Promise show. We are also
happy to announce that JOHN KHOURY was recognized
by the Tournament and awarded MVP for his Christian
Sportsmanship & Athleticism. In the end, we came
“close to a trophy”, but with nearly 1000 Orthodox
Christian young people in attendance, it was a great
event no matter what! Once again, our GOYAns beautifully
embodied the very best attributes of our Church family
in all facets of the trip and Tournament. Everyone from
Little Rock enjoyed much laughter and very little sleep.
We must all make sure to give special thanks to the
adults who along with Fr. Nicholas made this worthwhile
excursion possible: HEATHER ALLEY, MIKE BAILEY,
ALEX MIRON, JARROD RUSSELL & STEPHANIE WILCOX.
Our Church is truly blessed to be able to provide our
youth with such opportunities for fellowship, fun and
memories that will last a life time. Without the commitment
of our entire parish, the Christian integrity of our youth
and the sacrifice of parents and advisors, such
events would be impossible. Thanks be to God!
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 THE PROMISE
A PAGE FOR KIDS...

Valentine’s Day Mazes

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

FEBRUARY 2010
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3 4 5 6
1st Saturday of Souls
Liturgy 9:30am

Scholarship Wine &

Cheese Event

7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Judgment Sunday
Matins 9:00 am 2ndSaturday of Souls
Divine Liturgy 10:00 am Liturgy 9:30am

Parish Council
Meeting 6:00pm

14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Forgiveness Sunday
Matins 9:00 am Great Lent 3rd Saturday of Souls
Divine Liturgy 10:00 am BEGINS Liturgy 9:30am

Dance Troop Meeting Great Compline Presanctified Liturgy Salutation Service

6:30pm 6:30pm 6:30pm

21 22 23 24 25 26 27
Sunday of Orthodoxy
Matins 9:00 am
Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

Luncheon Discussion w/ Father Presanctified Liturgy Salutation Service

6:30pm 6:30pm

28 March 1 2 3 4 5 6
Sunday of St. Gregory
Matins 9:00 am
Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

2010 Festival Meeting Presanctified Liturgy Salutation Service

6:30pm 6:30pm

7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Adoration of Cross
Matins 9:00 am
Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

2010 Parish Assembly Presanctified Liturgy Salutation Service

6:30pm 6:30pm

PAGE 24