THE PROMISE

MARCH 2010
SOMETHING TO THINK
ABOUT:

Let us learn upon earth the

knowledge
that will continue with us
in heaven.

- St. Jerome

DATES TO REMEMBER: INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

A Message from Our Pastor.....................2
MARCH 14
YOUTH GAME DAY! We Are Needed......................................3
MARCH 3, 10, & 17 Holy Friday Youth Encounter.................6
PRESANCTIFIED LITURGY 6:30PM
A Spiritual Child......................................7
MARCH 5, 12 & 19
SALUTATION SERVICE 6:30PM
Our Lenten Alms Project .......................9
News & Notes........................................10
MARCH 24
GREAT VESPERS FOR THE ANNUNCIATION 6:30PM The Decline of Morality........................11
MARCH 25 Scenes from a Great Celebration..........12
FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION 9:30AM
Upcoming Lenten Services...................15
MARCH 27
SATURDAY OF LAZARUS 9:30AM Seven Miles with Jesus..........................17
Saturday of Lazarus................................22
MARCH 28
PALM SUNDAY & THE DAWN OF HOLY WEEK March Calendar.....................................24
PAGE 1
THE PROMISE
PASTORAL MESSAGE
We live in a world that clearly craves excitement.
More and more, people are risking life and limb in
order to experience a thrill. Last month, a renowned
Olympic snowboarder aptly encapsulated this
phenomenon by explaining that his passion for the
sport is rooted to being an “adrenaline junky.” And
the fact of the matter is, we need not be performing
half-pipe twists on skis or taking a ride on the latest
extreme rollercoaster, to realize that we all yearn for
some excitement in our life.
Maybe it's breaking 90 on the
golf course or baking the
perfect batch of chocolate
chip cookies that excites us.
GET
EXCITED!
Maybe it's when the Razorbacks
or Dallas Cowboys win, and
every other team loses that
excites us. Maybe it's planning
AND
the ideal vacation or figuring
out how to fix a broken “this
or that” (without professional
CAUSE
assistance) that excites us.
Maybe it's finding the perfect
investment, getting a great
discount or closing a sale that
EXCITEMENT!
excites us. The list of all the
things that might get our
adrenaline pumping can be
long and varied when we stop
to really think about it.
But does knowing Jesus Christ as our Lord and
Savior and serving Him ever make our list? Does the
fact that we are a part of God's Holy Church at the
Annunciation excite us? Does reading His Holy
Word regularly, Communing with Him through the
Eucharist weekly and praying to Him daily, exhilarate
us? Likewise, do we ever stop to think about what
delights the Lord our God?
The account of the paralytic being lowered through
the roof to be healed in the Gospel according to
Mark, Chapter 2:1-12 might help us gain some
perspective. From the outset, the image of the Lord
PAGE 2
surrounded by people eager to hear Him and be near
Him is not unfamiliar. Neither is the image of the sick
and the hurting seeking relief from Him particularly
unusual - these are all hallmarks of Christ's earthly ministry,
but not uniquely thrilling. But what is extraordinary,
and dare we say ‘exciting’ about this specific incident is
the actions of the paralytic's friends; their faith in the
Lord was exhilarating to both God and man.
Looking back at how the event
unfolded, the four men were clear-
ly early members of the
Annunciation - they came late and
by the time they showed up, they
were ‘way in the back.’ But more
importantly, their determination
and their willingness to take risks
out of faith in Christ clearly
touched the Lord. The men could
have fallen to their death climbing
the roof to bring their friend
before Christ; and they certainly
risked the rejection of their com-
patriots (many of whom were less
than impressed by the overt
demonstration of faith in the
Lord). At the same time, we must
appreciate the extent to which
Jesus is pleased by this manifestation
of clear conviction. So much so
that He gives them more than what
they had hoped for… He healed both body AND soul!
Perhaps the reason we are not always quick to list our
faith as something exciting is because we have made it
a bit too much about us - our comfort, our conventional
levels, our sense and sensibilities. Worst of all perhaps,
we are not entirely convinced of the Divine Blessings
that come with our faith in action. If we are spending
more time picking out what to wear to Church than
preparing ourselves to worship AT Church - we are NOT
excited enough about Christ, and He is probably NOT
very excited by us. If we are looking at what God minimally
expects from us in terms of following Him and our
(Continued on page 4)
 THE PROMISE
THE ANNUNCIATION NEEDS
HER FLOCK!
On Friday, April 2nd, EVERY able man, woman and
child is invited to help decorate the Sepulcher &
Church in anticipation of the
Lamentations and Pascha
Services. It is a tradition in
our Church to make
Holy Friday a day of
prayers and service
MAY 21 - 23, 2010 centered at the
As we prepare this parish-wide herculean effort, everyone Church. It will begin
in our Church family is urged to get involved in this with the service of the
dynamic and powerful ministry tool! With YOUR HELP, Royal Hours at 9:00am
our Church is going to have another outstanding and then together we will
International Greek Food Festival!! help prepare the House of the
Lord for the great and sacred events that unfold with-
As we all know, this grand project is a critical component in it thereafter. Please plan to attend the service at
in the financial wellbeing of our parish. The proceeds of 9:00am in the morning and then STAY AFTERWARDS to
our annual Festival help ensure that our parish is able to participate in this sacred undertaking. As we pray dur-
share the Good News of Christ by helping to meet some ing every Liturgy, “S Sanctify those who love the beauty
of the financial obligations necessary for continued growth. of Your House.”
By VOLUNTEERING AT THE FESTIVAL we ensure that the
ministries of the Annunciation are never stunted by a
lack of funds. And because our Church is always mindful
EASTER FLOWERS
of the broader community which we endeavor to minister ARE NEEDED!
to, every year through the grace of God we highlight the
work of local non-denominational charities and share a
In the celebration of Christ’s Holy Resurrection, flowers
portion of our bounty from the Festival with them.
play a special role in the Church’s expression of profound
In addition to the ANNUNCIATION SCHOLARSHIP joy. Not only is the Church beautifully adorned with
FOUNDATION, this year we as a parish have selected the flowers, but the very services and customs of Holy
following charities to support and increase the awareness Week mandate the use of flowers. With that in mind,
of their good works: we can help support the liturgical expressions of Holy
Week and Pascha by making an extra donation for the
ARKANSAS FOOD BANK flowers that will play an integral role in heralding the
LOVE TRUTH CARE MINISTRIES life-giving news of Christ’s Resurrection.
CENTERS FOR YOUTH & FAMILY
EASTER SEALS We seek extra donations for the the following:
$300.00 FOR HOLY WEEK
HARMONY HEALTH CLINIC
$300.00 FOR PASCHA
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS 24 POTTED LILIES FOR $10.00 EACH.
YOUTH HOME
If you can make a donation of any kind to help the
Annunciation meet this need, please see a Parish
It’s time for the Annunciation Church Council member or submit such a specific offering to
family to SHINE! the Church Office.
PAGE 3
THE PROMISE
PASTORAL MESSAGE The decisions never get easier, the responsibilities never
(Continued from page 2) seem to become effortless, and the sins never seem to
become simpler to overcome. But if we are excited
about knowing Christ, following Him, serving Him and
pleasing Him; He will show us the way, He will give us
Stewardship, rather than how we can exceed expectations
the strength and He will reward our faithful efforts.
- we are NOT excited enough about Christ, and He is
Excitement about our Christian faith takes flight whenever
probably NOT very excited by us. If we are busier trying
we face every circumstance with the question “how can
to find ways to better fit in within social circles that
I can please the Lord today?” From that point of view,
in one way or another reject Christ and His Truth
excitement for Christ flows, duties become opportunities,
rather than helping people to find the new life in Him
challenges become manageable, perceived risks diminish
- we are NOT excited enough about Christ, and He is
and blessings multiply.
probably NOT very excited by us. If we are more
worried about risks to our reputation, relationships
Furthermore, whenever we start to tell ourselves that
and status for raising the roof for Christ rather than
genuine excitement for Christ and risk taking out of
actually doing it - we are NOT excited enough about
faith is the sole domain of the Saints, we honestly need to
Christ, and He is probably NOT very excited by us.
reexamine Christian history. What makes the holy ones
in every generation unique is NOT an unusual physical,
So let us be perfectly clear, we need to be excited
spiritual or mental make-up. They were not especially
about our relationship with Christ! At the same time,
created for saintliness or patently different from all of
it is good for us to keep in mind the manner and
us. That which the great cloud of witnesses all share (and
means by which we can excite the Lord with what we
we have every opportunity to access), is an authentic pas-
are doing for Him in faith. Yes, God knows manifest-
sion for Christ, and the realization that He savors an
ing our faith in Him can feel (and/or actually may be)
active commitment to Him.
dangerous, but He also makes it known that dynamic
faith is truly pleasing to Him. Remember, the faith of
Only when people are really excited about Christ, only
the four friends of the paralytic and the risks they took
when people are deeply passionate about their life in the
to show it. Then, let us also recall the fact that Christ
Church, and only when people realize that authentic
was so pleased, that He rewarded them for their faith
manifestations of faith in the Lord fundamentally please
in ways beyond their wildest expectations. The same
Him, will ordinary human beings look for ways to raise
is true for us.
the roof in order to delight the Lord our God.
Every time we step out of our comfort zone and exercise
My brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to be excited
our faith, we bring joy to the living God and He always
about our Orthodox Christian faith!!! NOT because we
responds generously. Living the Orthodox Christian way
are looking for a rush of adrenaline, but because it is the
of life may sometimes feel a bit risky, even awkward,
way we can bring joy to our Lord and Savior. From now
but let there be no doubt; God is gratified by our
on, let us not only appreciate how much God loves us,
vibrant manifestations of faith in Him and responds
but let us also make it our custom to regularly ask our-
with infinite grace. The next time we find ourselves
selves the following: exactly how much ‘excitement’
with a difficult decision to make or an opportunity to
does Jesus Christ get from US and our faith in Him?
manifest the light of Christ and we start to feel hesitant,
let us set aside our personal trepidations by recalling
how much our faithfulness will please our Lord. Have a blessed Resurrection!
It is not always easy to really BE a Christian. It never
has been - just ask the four friends of the paralytic. Rev. Dr. Nicholas J. Verdaris

PAGE 4
 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 THURSDAY, 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 KEEPING LENT
at 501-563-8726 or at chiros116@hotmail.com.
Do we find it difficult to attend the services of the
GOYA & JR. GOYA Church faithfully and punctually?

GAME DAY! In the midst of Great Lent & Holy Week, we have a
blessed opportunity to change!
We have a special day of Fellowship & Fun planned
for SUNDAY , M ARCH 14 TH . After Sunday School, The choice for us is to either continue to follow the
flawed routines of the past that have kept us from
we are going to have some lunch together and then let
glorifying the Lord regularly and at the appointed hour
the games begin! We are going to break into groups
OR to meaningfully change our ways and honor the
and dive into Board Games AND games in the Gym.
Lord by attending the Divine Services faithfully and on
All you need to do is
time. Our spiritual life is in the balance - our life in
bring some comfortable
Christ can be refreshed by our faithful deeds or we can
clothes.
choose to struggle and keep His love at bay.
Though most teams
Now more than ever, let us all redouble our efforts to
will probably loose to
gather at the Annunciation at 10:00am at the latest in
Fr. Nicholas team, it
order to worship our Lord and draw closer to Him and
should still be a fun
one another.
day! hahaha!
PAGE 5
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, we will have seminarian 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 ends at conclusion of the
Service of the Descent from the Cross in the after-
noon. 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 ASAP. Please note that all GOYAns As we move deeper into Great Lent and Holy
are expected to be present and participate in the Holy Week, let us continue to remember the House
Friday Youth Encounter (attendance is part of our that the Lord has entrusted unto us - the
Scholarship Foundation requirements). Annunciation in Little Rock. Through our
prayers, our presence, our generosity and our
JOY MEMBERS are also reminded that we have service to the Church, together we can lift up the
planned a very special Lenten program just for them Resurrected Light of Christ before the world.
on Holy Friday that will also begin at 9:00am with the These are indeed challenging times, but inspired
Service of the Royal Hours and conclude with the by the love that the Lord shows us every day, let
Service of the Descent from the Cross. us generously contribute to the well being of
Christ’s Church here in Little Rock with our
This holy day by every definition faithful Stewardship.
is a day of prayer and a time for people to gather
together at the Church We thank all those who faithfully submitted their
and serve the Lord in word, thought and deed. 2010 Stewardship Card and hope that those who
have not yet done so, will please respond back soon.

With everyone’s Stewardship commitment to the

Annunciation we can truly help our corner of the
world “COME & SEE” Christ in action at our parish.
With every Church family member joyously sharing
their time, talent and treasure with Christ at the
Annunciation, we all can honor the Lord and keep
the doors of His House open unto the world.

PAGE 6

A SPIRITUAL CHILD IS A
HAPPY CHILD
by Fr. George Morelli
From everyone who has been given much,, much will
be required; and to whom they entrusted much,, of
him they will ask all the more. (Lk 12:48).
What makes for a happy child? According to some
recent behavioral research, it is a child who is also ‘spiritual.’
The authors define spiritual in a different way than most
Orthodox Christians would comprehend. This article
will attempt to outline the core of Orthodox spirituality
and see if this understanding can be integrated with
these researchers’ findings.
We know that the Body of Christ which is His Church
is the most sublime gift given to us by God. This includes,
of course, the Divinity emptying itself. The Father sending,
that is to say, giving us His Only Begotten Son, to
assume human flesh and, as St. Paul has told us, He,
“…Christ is the head of the church, his [B]ody, and is
[H]imself its Savior.” From the Anaphora prayer of the
Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom we pray (and learn):
“[Christ] gave Himself up for the life of the world,
….Take eat: this is my Body which is broken for
you….Drink ye all of this: this is my Blood … which is
shed for you ….Having in remembrance, therefore this
saving commandment and all those things which have
come to pass for us: the Cross, the Grave, the
Resurrection on the third day, the Ascension into heaven,
the Session at the right hand, and the second and glori-
ous Advent…”
PARENTS AND PASTORS AS HEAD OF THEIR
CHURCH FAMILY
THE DOMESTIC CHURCH
In previous essays on marriage and parenting I have
pointed out: “In a blessed marriage in the Orthodox
Church, the couple is ordained to be the leaders of their
domestic church, crowned to be the king and queen of
their domicile and granted grace for the "fair education
of children" as the Orthodox wedding service proclaims.”
THE PROMISE
THE EUCHARISTIC ASSEMBLY
We know that for the instrumental priesthood, a person of
the male sex, the proper icon of the one true priest Christ
Himself, is ordained to be priest or bishop. With this ordi-
nation comes the duty of being a servant and a shepherd.
Authority just doesn’t happen by ordination as a matter of
right or title, rather as recounted by St. Matthew (20: 25-28)
by service: “Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You
know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and
[their] great men exercise authority over them." It is not this
way among you, but whoever wishes to become great
among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be
first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man
did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life
a ransom for many." And as St. Paul told the Philippians (2:
5-8): “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 emp-
tied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the
likeness of men. And being found in human form he hum-
bled himself and became obedient unto death, even death
on a cross.”
Although God, Jesus saw his role on earth after assuming
our human nature in much humbler terms. He views his
role as that of a shepherd. St. Mark (6: 34) reports:
“When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He
felt compassion for them because they were like sheep
without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many
things.” Likewise, St. John in his Gospel records the
words of Jesus (10: 11, 14-15): "I am the good shepherd;
the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep…I am
the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own
know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the
Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.” And what
does a shepherd do if a sheep gets lost and cannot find its
way? He goes after it. As St. Matthew (18:12,14) tells us:
“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and
one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the nine-
ty-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that
went astray? So it is not the will of my Father who is in
heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”
RECENT BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE RESEARCH:
PERSONAL MEANING AND SPIRITUALITY IN CHILDREN
The research by Holder, Coleman & Wallace found
(Continued on page 16)
PAGE 7
THE PROMISE
OUR COVENANT WITH CHRIST
GREAT LENT: Wednesday’s Presanctified Liturgy at
6:30pm OR Friday’s Salutation Service at 6:30pm FOR
Great Lent began on February 15th and with it, the
A MINIMUM OF FOUR SERVICES DURING GREAT LENT
Holy Church offers a series of evening services to
(there are 11 evening services in Lent and take 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, we were invited to
services of Holy Friday which are a part of their
consider the great love of God and the manner and
responsibility in attending the Good Friday Retreat, for
A GRAND TOTAL OF NINE SERVICES DURING HOLY
means by which we will choose to respond to Him. In
WEEK.) Then in order to support and acknowledge
order to help us focus on this blessed endeavor and
such a faithful commitment, the Annunciation Church
put this spiritual journey in its proper perspective,
family will present those members of GOYA who
everyone in our Church family was invited to make a
choose to complete this COVENANT WITH CHRIST with
personal “covenant” with the Lord. Hopefully, this
a blessed symbol of love at the conclusion of the
call to action will help those who choose to participate
Resurrection Service.
to grow in their relationship with Christ through the
instructions and disciplines of the Holy Orthodox
PARENTS, as you personally strive to fulfill your own
Church. This covenant is meant to be a source of
“covenant” with the Lord, please help your child
motivation to greet each day of Great Lent with even
develop into a faithful Orthodox Christian by
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 also received a small
Resurrection of Our Lord during the wee hours of
reminder of this most blessed season in the hopes that
Pascha 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 have 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
OUR LENTEN CHARITY After more than one year of general repairs and renovations
PROJECT: to the eight dilapidated buildings of the Hogar and after
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.

Now 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 more than
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,
poor children who could not be well taken care of by
let 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 government
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 9
THE PROMISE
Let’s Dance!
ATTENTION MEN, WOMEN & CHILDREN
OF ALL AGES AND BACKGROUNDS :
The time has come to
begin practicing for the
Festival! No previous
experience is needed; just
a willing heart and a smile.
Everyone is welcome!
Adult Greek Dancers
Practices will take place after church on
Sundays beginning March 7th.
Contact: Christina Martin (vrat@swbell.net)
Middle Eastern (Dabkeh) Dancers
Practices will take place after church on
Sundays beginning March 7th.
Contact: Raeda Alley (raalley4@aol.com)
Micro Greek (Children’s) Dancers
Practices T.B.A.
Contact: Presv. Maria Verdaris
THE FESTIVAL PASTRY PROJECT
NEEDS YOU!
We are asking for members of our
Church family to please find some
time Monday through Friday
between 9:00am - 3:00 pm to
come to the Church kitchen and
help prepare some of our delicious pastries for the
Festival. This monumental project needs everyone’s
help and the more who help for a while, the more
manageable the entire mission. Can’t come for a
week? Then how about a day, or a few hours? Please
see Anna Clift or Pat Diggins if there are any questions.
PAGE 10
OUR RESPONSE TO HAITIAN
NEEDS
The catastrophe in Haiti has been heartbreaking, but
thankfully our Church family has responded 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, we are pleased to note that
our parish alone has raised over $6,500 for Haitian
Relief Efforts and we were able to ship more than 150
Hygiene Kits. Many thanks to Brock Martin and all
those who helped our parish respond to the catastrophe.
May the prayers and contributions of the Annunciation
Church family help alleviate some of the suffering in
Haiti in His Holy Name.
A WORDS OF THANKS
With the wonderful visit of Metropolitan Nicholas and
the historic celebration of Fr. Delfos’ 40 years of service
captured in pictures in this the latest 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 such a weekend possible, let alone so very
memorable. Such occasions require enormous
commitments of time, talent and resources to make
them happen and we are particularly blessed at the
Annunciation to have many dedicated men and
women of all ages who without much fanfare roll up
their sleeves and make things happen for everyone in
our Church family to enjoy. Though too many to list
individually, rest assured every act of graciousness,
generosity and every ounce of sweat pleased the Lord
our God and aptly reflected His generous love. Well
done good and faithful servants!!!
2010 ANNUNCIATION
ORATORICAL FESTIVAL
Sunday, April 11th
Come and listen to the faith of the next generation!
 THE PROMISE
THE DECLINE AND FALL entire generation is being morphed into some genderless
OF CHRISTIAN MORALITY creature that is bearing towards self-annihilation.
by John Kapsalis
Parents have forfeited their responsibility to properly
educate their own children about moral sexuality and
instead have left it to the 'professionals' to do it right. As a
result, moral teaching has been hijacked by a system that
is systemically reconstructing our worldview where the
“History fails to record a single precedent in which
sins of a-marital sex, both natural and unnatural, are being
nations subject to moral decay have not passed into
declassified from our vocabulary and instead are celebrated
political and economic decline.” Douglas MacArthur,
and encouraged as "lifestyle" choices.
Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in the Pacific
during World War II
We have humanized God and deified everything else.
We still taste the fruit that will make us gods, but we only
No Christian today can deny that we are drowning in a
manage to ape divinity and instead become more godless.
deluge of immoral sexuality. We are living in a culture
God has removed his presence from among us and our
that is bent on desecrating marriage and sex. We are sex-
wickedness done in secret has broken out into openness
ualizing our children, exploiting our teens and producing
and acceptability. Paul says in Romans 1:24-32:
adults whose understanding of relationships is so warped
“Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of
that marriages are now more likely to end in divorce
their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their
than not. Darwinism has separated sexuality from its real
bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of
purpose and reduced it to a misguided perversion that
God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things
seeks to enrich pleasure but that only leads to personal
rather than the Creator.... Because of this, God gave them
and societal bankruptcy.
over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged
natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the
Our pursuit of personal happiness through sensual
men also abandoned natural relations with women and
satisfaction is unprecedented. Yet despite this mania
were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed
with pleasure, never in history have we produced so
indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves
many unhappy people and chaotic societies. Ironically,
the due penalty for their perversion.... He gave them over
we have become intolerably tolerant of everything
to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.
except that which is morally grounded on Biblical prin-
They have become filled with every kind of wickedness,
ciples and truth. We are sliding from a world of decay-
evil, greed and depravity.... Although they know God's
ing morality and into a world of unbridled amorality.
righteous decree ...they not only continue to do these very
Whatever is holy is considered retrograde and the per-
things, but also approve those who practice them.”
verse normal. Even Christians are being proselytized by
the lewd sensuality of today's cultural engines and
Christians today face massive pressures from a world of
schooled to be desensitized to its destructive force.
atheistic morality. We are constantly tempted in subtle
ways to succumb gradually but certainly to the way of
Our children are force-fed from an early age with an
death. "For the other sins," Gregory of Nyssa writes, "seem
unrealistic image of sex. Immoral sexuality is thrust at us
to spare the body of those who commit them, while
countless times a day from magazines at the supermar-
unchastity ruins both [body and soul] at the same time."
ket checkout to commercials on television to the fash-
But John Chrysostom argues that "sexual love is not
ions peddled at the mall. Clothing has gone from being
human; it is divine in origin." God created sexuality to be
scantily provocative to provocatively scant. Children are
an expression of the love of the three persons of God,
trying to be sexy before they even know what sexy
which is why immorality goes against His will. It violates
means. Modesty is out of style and the media is further
(Continued on page 14)
pushing down the barriers by undressing our youth. An
PAGE 11
THE PROMISE

PAGE 12
 THE PROMISE

40 Years and Counting!

PAGE 13
THE PROMISE

CHRISTIAN MORALITY
(Continued from page 11)
the essence and intimacy of the Trinity. Only in the
marital union between man, woman and God can we
taste the desire, union and love within the Trinity.
YOU ARE INVITED!
ON SUNDAY, MARCH 28TH , the Annunciation
Church family is invited to attend a very
special luncheon to celebrate the Annunciation,
our Parish Feast Day as well as Palm Sunday!

God designed sex as the complete commitment between
a man and a woman, because it is in the realm of
complete and undivided commitment that the Trinity
exists. And marriage, Gregory of Nazianzus tells us is "the
key that opens the door to chastity and perfect love." Any
distortion of sexuality becomes spiritual and physical
prostitution. Immorality is first a sin of the spirit and then
of the body.
This does not happen very often, so let us
gather together to thank God for the profound
example of dedication in the person of the
Theotokos as well as receive Him with ready
hearts and Palms!

By separating sexuality from marriage we have mislaid THANK YOU RICK NEWTON
the mysticism and are left with a bare physicality.
Professor of Theology, Fr. John Chryssavgis, aptly &
observes that "sexuality is not accidental; rather, it is WELCOME KEVIN WILCOX
essential to our reality. Sexual and physical love belongs
to the mystery of our being. This is not to say that sexuality
The Annunciation Church family must pause to thank
and spirituality are one and the same. However, there is
our Parish Council member RICK NEWTON for his
an intimate correspondence between the two. The denial
many years of tireless service. Our parish has truly
of one is reflected in the degradation of the other."
been blessed to have such a dedicated servant of the
Lord serving the Annunciation on the Parish Council.
If our fallen, misplaced search for desire and love isn't
Unfortunately for us, Rick has begun a new job that is
replaced by our desire and longing for God, our searching
taking him out of Arkansas. Along with his hardworking
continues unappeased. St. John Climacus says, "He is
wife, Jeanne, they will have to move away from us in
pure who has driven out bodily eros by means of divine
the near future. Nevertheless, we will always be grateful
eros, who has used heavenly fire to quench the fires of
to them both for the many gifts that they shared with
the flesh." Fire either purifies or it destroys. We either
us as integral members of the Annunciation and know
burn in corrupting sensuality or we share in the renewing
that their new parish will be blessed to have them.
of God's love. Love begins with God and it is His love
that makes obedience easy.
This transition leads us to formally welcome KEVIN
WILCOX onto the Parish Council in order to complete
These are tough days, indeed. A Christian's preserving
the remainder of Rick’s term. We are most pleased to
light is demanded of now, more than at any other time in
have another very dedicated member of our Church
human history. Now is not the season to run to the hills.
family dive into the work of the Parish Council. Kevin
Our mission, like Jonah's, is to go to those who are fur-
is a very talented and gifted member of our Church
thest away from the truth and lead the thirsty to the
family who will obviously make a wonderful addition
waters of Life. We must influence the world without
to the council. We must thank the Lord our God with
being corrupted by it, represent Christ to it without being
our prayers for providing our parish with such faithful
compromised by it, and plead for it without judging it.
servants and ask Him to continue to inspire them to
(Continued on page ??)
reach for new heights to the glory of God.
PAGE 14
 THE PROMISE
THE UPCOMING SERVICES 
OF LENT:
SUNDAY, March 14th -
SUNDAY OF ST. JOHN CLIMACUS
Matins: 9:00am / Divine Liturgy: 10:00am


SUNDAY, February 28th - WEDNESDAY, March 17th -

SUNDAY OF ST. GREGORY PALAMAS Presanctified Liturgy: 6:30pm
Matins: 9:00am / Divine Liturgy: 10:00am
FRIDAY, March 19th -
The Akathist Hymn: 6:30pm
WEDNESDAY, March 3rd -
Presanctified Liturgy: 6:30pm

FRIDAY, March 5th -
Salutation Service: 6:30pm
SUNDAY, March 21st -
SUNDAY OF ST. MARY OF EGYPT
Matins: 9:00am / Divine Liturgy: 10:00am


Wednesday, March 24th -

SUNDAY, March 7th -
THE ADORATION OF THE CROSS
Matins: 9:00am / Divine Liturgy: 10:00am
Parish Assembly
WEDNESDAY, March 10th -
Presanctified Liturgy: 6:30pm
FRIDAY, March 12th -
Salutation Service: 6:30pm

Great Vespers of the Annunciation: 6:30pm
Thursday, March 25th -
FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION
Matins: 9:30am / Divine Liturgy: 10:00am

SATURDAY, March 27th -
SATURDAY OF LAZARUS
Divine Liturgy 9:30am


PAGE 15
THE PROMISE
A SPIRITUAL CHILD
(Continued from page 7)
developmental (age) differences in the spirituality of
young children (ages 8-12) in contrast to adolescents
and adults. For purposes of this research the authors
make a distinction between ‘spirituality’ and ritual, or
what Orthodox would call “liturgy.” They define spiri-
tuality as a sense of the meaning and value of life, in
contrast to ‘religious practices’ such as “attending
church, praying and meditating.”
The authors suggest that, "enhancing personal meaning
may be a key factor in the relation between spirituality
and happiness." They recommend that techniques with
the goal of helping children develop personal meaning
in their lives - such as altruistic acts, helping others,
behaving kindly in word and behavior toward their
peers and adults, that is to say, towards others —
increase their happiness.
LITURGY: THE TOTALITY OF ALL MEANING
In the Eastern Church, the Liturgy is the spiritual pre-
sentment of the totality of the salvific acts of God given
to us so we may attain union with Him, that is to say,
become “partakers of the Divine Nature” (2Pt 1:4).
This can be easily seen in the Anaphora in the Liturgy
of St. Basil which traces salvation history from our
ancestral creation in paradise, man’s fall due to disobe-
dience and God’s intervention in mankind’s history by
the action of the Prophets, to the sending of His Son,
Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ, His emptying
Himself by joining His Divine Nature to our human
nature taking on our flesh, who then gave Himself to us
in bread and wine changed into His very real Body and
Blood and then sacrificed Himself: “[H]is saving pas-
sion and life giving cross, [H]is Ascension into heaven
and Session at thy right hand, [H]is God and Father …”
Archbishop Hilarion Alfeyev describes the relation
between the Church and Eucharistic liturgy as “her
foundation, without which the Church cannot be imagined.”
The actual work of the Liturgy not only includes the
peak element of re-presenting Christ’s love for us, but
also the recitation of the Word of God, the Epistles and
Gospel readings and our reception of His Body and
PAGE 16
Blood (which appear as bread and wine). The Eucharist,
to quote Paul Evdokimov is “…the very heart of the Church
and reveals itself as productive of the unity that is proclaimed,
offered and lived.…”
Alfeyev summarizes Eastern Orthodox Liturgical-
Eucharistic theology: “Christ is the one true celebrant. He
is invisibly present in the church and acts through the
priest. Orthodox Christians believe that the Eucharist is
not merely a symbolic action performed in remembrance
of the Mystical Supper. Rather, it is the Mystical Supper
itself, renewed daily by Christ and continuing without
interruption in the Church from that Paschal night when
Christ reclined at the table with [H]is disciples to the
present day.”
PARTICIPATION IN THE LITURGY AND EUCHARIST IS
ESSENTIAL
In the Eastern Church, participation in the Divine Liturgy
is essential not tangential to attaining the true meaning of
life. Without the Divine Liturgy and the Eucharist all
personal meaning falls short. Paul Evdokimov cites the
words of St. Gregory Palamas: “For the human soul thirsts
for the infinite … everything that has been created for its
end and the desire of the heart is to run toward Christ.” Of
Eucharistic communion Evdokimov states it is the:
“[s]ubstantial participation in the whole Christ, unitive by
essence”. He then references Nicholas Cabasilas, saying
we: “can go no further nor add anything.”
FAILING IN OUR MARITAL VOCATION AND PRIESTLY
ORDINATION: HELPING OUR CHILDREN TO GO ASTRAY
Anything, besides illness, which keep our children (as well
as ourselves) away from the Divine Liturgy, is then a
Divine tragedy. In this regard I can mention the introduc-
tion of the secular world and its values in the lives of
Christians. The events that separate us from God (from
the Divine Liturgy, hearing Christ’s word, participating at
the banquet table and receiving Christ in communion) is
thus an evil, however, cunningly and stealthily disguised, as
C.S. Lewis pointed out, as a virtue: Little League or Babe
Ruth Games, school athletic practice (basketball baseball,
cheerleading, football, soccer and the like). For adults,
Sunday morning fishing trips and golf games might make
the list. But, in this case, I want to point out, a Church-
sanctioned failure.
(Continued on page 21)

SEVEN MILES WITH JESUS…
by Father Christopher Makiej
One of the most profound passages of Scripture is the
story of Jesus appearing to two men walking on a road
on the day of His Resurrection. Luke and Cleopas
were traveling to the village of Emmaus, which was
seven miles from Jerusalem. Suddenly, the Resurrected
Jesus appeared and walked with them, although at first
they did not recognize Him.
The events and conversation that occurred on this
seven-mile journey with Jesus provide us with powerful
and practical teachings that can invigorate our spiritual
lives. Please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke
24:13-35.
EVALUATE OUR ROAD
First of all, we see in verse 13 that Luke and Cleopas
are traveling on a road. They are on a seven mile jour-
ney. And so this passage has the backdrop and image
of a road being traveled.
Being a Christian is very much like being a traveler on
the road. Bishop Kallistos Ware writes: "our situation,
say the Greek Fathers, is like that of the Israelite peo-
ple in the desert of Sinai; we live in tents, not houses,
for spiritually we are always on the move. Christianity is
more than a theory about the universe, more than
teachings written down on paper; it is a path along
which we journey" (The Orthodox Way).
What is the road that we are traveling? Are we spiritu-
ally on the move? What is the direction of our mar-
riages, our children, our families? Where are we going?
So many people in our society today are spinning in
many different directions morally and spiritually with
no real purpose.
And so the first teaching from the road to Emmaus is
simply a call to evaluate our road. Evaluate the purpose
and direction of your life.
THE PROMISE
MORE TALKING AND DISCUSSING OF JESUS
Secondly, in verses 14 and 15, we see that the two disci-
ples are talking and discussing the events and teachings of
Jesus. And as they were talking, the Resurrected Jesus
Himself drew near and went with them! Jesus always
responds when we focus our attention on Him.
Immediately as the disciples conversed about Jesus, He
came into their midst and walked with them.
Dear friends, we need more talking and discussing about
Jesus! And when we talk about Him and pray to Him
and meditate on Him, there He is, in our presence. A
very pious abbot on Mt. Athos once told me that no mat-
ter where you are or what you are doing, simply call on
the name of Jesus, and there He will be, in your midst.
It's sort of like the song by James Taylor: "just call out my
name, and you know wherever I am, I'll come running."
When was the last time you talked and discussed Jesus?
Think about this week, your conversations with your
spouse, family or friends. How many discussions do we
have about Jesus and our Faith? Our children especially
need to hear their parents frequently discussing and talk-
ing about Jesus, His Holy Word, and the teachings of our
Church.
But it's a challenge to talk about Jesus today. There is so
much junk talk in society; so much superficial hype and
spin in the news and media. No wonder so many are
dazed and confused about the direction and purpose of
their lives. Dr. Robert Shaw, author of "The Epidemic,"
writes that "Parents find themselves enslaved by a materi-
alistic, overachieving society that leads them to spend so
many hours at work and so much money that they can't
make the time to do the things necessary to bond with
their children."
Friends, Jesus promises to give us peace and purpose, but
we must seek first to shift our priorities and focus more
of the attention of our lives on Him.
LISTENING: THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE
Going forward, another teaching from this passage
occurs in verses 17-19. Jesus asked them what they
were talking about (He was still preventing them from
(Continued on page 18)
PAGE 17
THE PROMISE
SEVEN MILES WITH JESUS
(Continued from page 17)
recognizing Him). Cleopas answered and said, "Are
You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not
known the things which happened there in these
days?" And He said to them, "What things?"
"What things?" Jesus asked an open-ended question.
He obviously knew what they were discussing, yet He
wanted to listen to them. And they opened up and
talked at length, and He listened. It is said that "listen-
ing is the language of love." Jesus loves us and He always
listens. He wants us to talk to Him in prayer. He wants
to listen to our everyday concerns and issues.
Also, in a very practical way and through the example of
Jesus, we can seek to be better listeners in our everyday
relationships. We are called to love each other. And
love is listening. Be an active and aggressive listener to
others. Ask open-ended questions. Put the other person
first. Be present in all your relationships. And in so
doing, we become more like Christ.
CORRECT OUR UNDERSTANDING
Moving forward on the road with Jesus, we see that He
clears up the confusion and misunderstanding of the two
disciples who had an incorrect belief in who Jesus really
was. Verse 21 says that the disciples were disappointed
in Jesus because they "had hoped that He was going to
redeem Israel."
You see, some of the followers of Jesus thought He was
a "military Messiah." They wanted Him to overthrow the
Roman occupation of Jerusalem. Others thought He
was simply another prophet or moral teacher. Very few
could comprehend the immense charismatic depth and
presence on earth of the God-Man, Jesus, whose pur-
pose was to reveal the ultimate truth of our existence
here on earth, bear the sin of the world on the Cross and
then to be Resurrected from the dead!
And so it is with many people today. They have an
incorrect and confused understanding of who Jesus real-
ly is. They merely think of Jesus as a religious leader or
PAGE 18
prophet like Mohammed or Buddha. Books like "The
Divinci Code" and others distort and confuse the true
nature of Jesus.
So also do many contemporary Liberal Protestant
Christian Churches not believe that Jesus is God. These
"churches" have become social clubs of political correct-
ness and tolerance of any theory about Jesus. They have
become places where personal immorality is viewed as a
"civil right."
Even many Greek Orthodox are confused and misun-
derstand the truth about Jesus. I remember a young mar-
ried couple who attended a Bible Study for the first time
in their lives. They confessed that they never heard Jesus
talked about much in Church and had no idea what the
Crucifixion and Resurrection really meant. These are
people who grew up attending Church!
OPEN THE SCRIPTURE
Jesus corrects the understanding of the disciples and
clears up their confusion in verse 27 as He opened the
Scripture to them and "expounded to them in all the
Scriptures the things concerning Himself."
Friends, we need to open our Bibles and open our minds
to allow the Holy Spirit to correct our understanding
about who Jesus really is! Jesus demonstrated on the road
to Emmaus that the only way to correct and true under-
standing of Himself is through His Holy Word. Through
the Bible, God reveals His plan and purpose for our
lives. Its astonishing to me when I see people fly through
books like "Lord of the Rings" or "The Divinci Code," yet
they say they have no time to read the Bible!
I love the quote from Saint John Chrysostom: "I have
always suggested,, and will not stop suggesting,, that you
not only heed what is said in church,, but also constant-
ly occupy yourself in reading the Divine Scriptures at
home." Ten minutes a day of reading and meditating on
God's Word can open our minds, change our lives, clear
our thoughts and correct our understanding of the truth
about who Jesus really is and His purpose for our lives.
The disciples said it themselves in verse 32, "Did not our
(Continued on page 20)
 THE PROMISE

OUTREACH COMMITTEE
Happy Birthday MEET & GREET SCHEDULE
to our parishioners
celebrating during the month of March 7th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robin Jones
March! March 14th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sharon Johnson
March 21st . . . . . . . . . Christopher Huckabay
March 1st. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Catherine Burks March 28th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carole Hawkins
Jacob Farah
Nadia Rose Mousa
April 4th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeannie Newton
March 3rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nicholas Bell
April 11th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rick Newton
March 6th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Edward Farah April 18th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Weatherly
March 9th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monica Sadaka April 25th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Hunter
March 11th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andreea Terlea
March 13th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kristen Miron
March 15th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jim Pappas
Martha Tyer
March 18th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Forrest Abdo
March 23rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Helen Hronas DID YOU KNOW?
March 24th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tyler Alley
Lee Bailey You can always read
March 26th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Harriet Delfos the current issue of
Simon Gess
The Promise online at the
March 27th . . . . . . . . . . . . Matthew Wilcox
Annunciation’s website!
March 28th . . . . . . . . . . . Giovana Stanford
March 29th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Anaissie orthodoxchurch.com/parish/promise
March 30th . . . . . . . . . . . . Christina Hronas
March 31st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Zain Fanek

 FELLOWSHIP HOUR 
A moment is a little thing,
If you or your family would like to commemorate
but moments make a day. a special event, honor the memory of a loved one
or would simply like to offer a gift to the
So crowd them with some worthy Annunciation family. . . you too can sponsor a
task before they slip away. Fellowship Hour!
PLEASE CHECK THE BULLETIN
-Unknown B O A R D A N D S I G N U P T O D A Y!

PAGE 19
THE PROMISE
SEVEN MILES WITH JESUS
(Continued from page 18)
heart burn within us while He talked with us on the
road and while He opened the Scriptures to us."
GOING FURTHER
As Jesus and the two disciples approached the village of
Emmaus, verse 28 tells us that He indicated that He was
going further. Jesus wants to take us further in our faith
and understanding of Him. Yet many will continue to
resist Him. What's keeping you from going further?
Dear brothers and sisters, Jesus loves us and wants us to
go further in our relationship with Him. He wants to stir
a positive change in our lives. He wants us to become
more like Him: kind, patient, prayerful, forgiving, lov-
ing. He wants us to truly know and experience our pur-
pose here on earth. And He wants us to make a differ-
ence in the lives of others by being useful in service to
His Church.
Also in this passage, verse 30 tells us that Jesus was
made known to the two disciples as He sat with them
and "broke bread." Jesus broke bread with them in the
same way as during the Last Supper. This scene is an
image of the Eucharist, as Jesus is also spiritually made
known to us every Sunday when we receive Him. Every
Sunday Liturgy then becomes a type of "Emmaus" at
which we experience the Resurrected Christ and then
go and proclaim His Resurrection to the world as did
His disciples (verse 33).
May we surrender and follow Him on the road of our
lives now, and always and forever. Amen!
Fr. Christopher Makiej has served the parish of Saints
Constantine and Helen in Andover, MA for the past seven years.
He also served as assistant Priest at the Annunciation Church of
Lancaster, PA for five years.
He and his wife, Katerina and their two sons reside in
Methuen, MA.
PAGE 20
CHRISTIAN MORALITY
(Continued from page 14)
If Christians are going to counteract the lie of sinful pleas-
ure and witness to God's grace and abundant life, then we
must live God's way. Our courage must spring from our
inadequacy and our victory from our obedience. In his
Letters from Prison, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote that "God
will give us all the strength we need to resist in all times of
distress, but he never gives it in advance, lest we should
rely on ourselves and not on Him alone...."
God's truth is our freedom and His way our reward. Our
life in Christ is not about a public, contrived display of
piety but about the renewal of our way of living. C. S
Lewis, in Mere Christianity, says, "People often think of
Christian morality as a kind of bargain in which God says,
'if you keep a lot of rules, I'll reward you; and if you don't,
I'll do the other thing'.... I would much rather say that
every time you make a choice, you are turning the central
part of you, the part that chooses, into something a little
different than what it was before. And taking your life as a
whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long
you are slowly turning this central thing either into a heav-
enly creature or into a hellish creature.... To be the one
kind of creature is heavenly, i.e., it is joy and peace and
knowledge and power; to be the other means madness,
horror, idiocy, rage, impotence, and eternal loneliness.
Each of us, at each moment, is progressing to the one
state or the other."
John Kapsalis has an M.T.S from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox
School of Theology.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT:
“An excellent way to test our values
is to observe what we do when we
don't have anything to do,
how we spend our leisure time and
how we spend our extra money."
-Eugene Peterson

A SPIRITUAL CHILD
(Continued from page 16)
CHURCH-SANCTIONED SIN:
SUNDAY MORNING CHURCH SCHOOL
It is incomprehensible to me how any parent who considers
themselves committed to Christ and who is supposed to
know the Mind of Christ and the Church, would allow
their children to sit in a church school classroom and
miss the Essential Gift God has given to us —-Himself—
- in the Divine Liturgy. Is there anything beyond
incomprehensibility? If so, then it is the more than
‘incomprehensible’ that those who are ordained as
servants and Shepherds of their flock would so devalue
Christ and replace Him by valuing classroom time as a
replacement for the Divine Liturgy.
“There is an appointed time for everything. And
there is a time for every event under heaven——”
(Ecc 3:1)
Let me be clear, I am not disparaging classroom learning,
in fact Our Lord Himself very often went to the synagogue
and onto the mountains to teach. As St. Matthew (4:23)
tells us: “Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching
in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the
kingdom;” and “Jesus …went up on the mountain; and
after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. He
opened His mouth and {began} to teach them …” (Mt
5:1,2). Thank God, Jesus did not do such things rather
than giving us the Passover meal in which He instituted
the Holy Mystery of the Eucharist, giving us His very
Body and Blood and ordaining His apostles and who
passed on to their successors, the bishops and priests of
our day, to “Do this memory of Me.” Also thank our
Heavenly Father that Christ in the Garden of
Gethsemane, conformed His human will to that of the
Divine will when he said: “not my will but thy will be
done.” Thus he freely and willingly picked up His Cross
and endured crucifixion for our salvation. On the other
hand, Christ could have decided to hold an educational
classroom respite. But then where would we be? So, to
the caretakers of our children who are in a Sunday
Morning Church School and not at Divine Liturgy I
pose the same question: Where are they? Not at the
communion table, not at the cross, not at the Resurrection.
THE PROMISE
MODELING
Behavioral research has found strong support for the influence
of modeling in learning and subsequent performance.
Children are especially susceptible to being influenced by
modeling (also known as observational learning) although
the effects of modeling occur at all ages. For observational
learning to take place four conditions have to be present.
•Attention to the model. Paying attention to the
characteristics of the model such as: salience;
affective valence, that is to say strong or weak
emotions aroused; functional value and prevalence;
as well as paying attention to the characteristics of
the observer such as perceptual cognitive capability,
cognitive set and arousal level.
•Retention processes. The encoding processes of
the observer: verbal or imagery, cognitive
organization, rehearsal skills and memory skills.
•Motor reproduction processes. The ability to
replicate the model’s behavior: physical capability
and component sub-skills and observation of
feedback.
•Motivational processes. The external, internal,
hedonistic, social, moral, or religious incentives
that motivate the observer to perform the model’s
behavior.
The four conditions are met when children observe that
they are in a church classroom while some adults may be
in Divine Liturgy and, even worse, some important adults
they may look up to (such as a parent or other relative)
may be at some sporting event or ‘home sleeping in,’ the
four conditions listed above are met. The popular adage
surely applies here: ‘actions speak louder than words.’
ENHANCING YOUNG CHILDREN’S PERSONAL MEANING
OF THE DIVINE LITURGY
Recent behavioral science findings suggest that young chil-
dren are more ‘spiritual’ when the spirituality is part of
their “inner belief system.” We can apply these findings
literally in children’s participation in the Divine Liturgy.
This can be done by engaging the young ones in what
each and every petition, prayer, epistle and gospel reading
means to them personally.
(Continued on page 23)
PAGE 21
THE PROMISE
If you are passionate about Golf and want to help
the Annunciation along with a super charity like
Easter Seals, consider participating in the 2010
GREEKFEST GOLF CLASSIC ON MAY 17TH! It is a
fantastic time that does great things for a player’s
body and soul. In these troubled financial times,
our participation and sponsorship are needed now
more than ever!

In addition, mark your calendars for Friday, May
14th, and the TASTE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN
BASH! This is going to be a “tasty” evening that you
will not want to miss. This annual event is not only
delicious and fun, but it also goes a long way towards
helping support the work of Easter Seals and the min-
istries of the Annunciation. Tickets go on sale soon!
THE 2010 ANNUNCIATION
GOYA
CHRIST ENCOUNTER RETREAT
O CTOBER 2, 2 010
PAGE 22
OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHIES
The Annunciation Church family notes with deep
sadness the passing of JOHN MARK, the father of
Mike & Kaye Rutter’s son-in-law. In addition, we are
also saddened to report that CALVIN SQUIRES, the
son-in-law of Joe & Suzanne Dickey, also passed
away last month.
As our heavenly Father
receives the souls of these
his servants, let us continue
to pray that all those who
mourn will be comforted by
the bountiful love of our
Savior.
“May their memory be eternal!”
THE SATURDAY OF LAZARUS
& YOU!
SATURDAY, MARCH 27TH
The day will begin with a very special Divine Liturgy at
9:30am, immediately followed by the annual ANNUNCIATION
YOUTH COMMUNION BREAKFAST. That will in turn be
followed with th youth EASTER EGG HUNT. ALL of our
youth are asked to prepare to receive Holy
Communion in the morning together. In addition,
EVERY man, woman, and child is invited to stay after
the Liturgy and help make the Palm Crosses that are
distributed to everyone on Palm Sunday. The More,
the Merrier!
ATTENTION GOYA NS, in order to ensure a new
generation of Orthodox Christian faithful who know
how to make Palm Crosses, we especially need you to
give some of your time to the Church and help produce
the Palm Crosses. In addition, please remember that it
is our tradition to help with the Egg Hunt that we conduct
for the youngest members of our Church family.
SEE YOU ON THE 27TH AT 9:30AM!

A SPIRITUAL CHILD
(Continued from page 21)
In other Smart Parenting essays, I have recommended
using the Socratic Method with children. That is to say,
ask them what they think something means. Recall in the
original Holder, Coleman, & Wallace research, the ages
of the children studied were 8-12 years. This age range is
commonly considered within the ‘age of reason.’ Some
examples of relating the Divine Liturgy to personal
meaning:
1.What does the word __________ mean to you?
2.Give me an example of how you could use (word,
example etc.) in your life.
Church school (during a different time than the Divine
Liturgy) could also be used for this.
LEX ORANDI, LEX CREDENDI
The law of prayer, is the law of faith [which is the English
translation of the Latin words introducing this section].
For the Orthodox, as Zizioulas states, “the Eucharist
makes the Church.” He considers the Eucharist and what
brings it about, the Divine Liturgy, to be the ontological-
existential locus of salvation. In the Divine Liturgy, all
salvation history and Christ, who is God, “ineffable,
inconceivable, invisible, incomprehensible,” becomes
mystically present in what He accomplishes for us. In the
Orthodox Church, because of our understanding of God’s
transcendent holiness, we are not free to have guitar serv-
ices, strobe lights, rap or rock music and the like to make
the Liturgy and the Eucharist somehow “personally
meaningful’ to our children (or ourselves). For even if we
did use such things, we would not be experiencing God,
but we would be mired in sensual delusion. The holy
spiritual fathers of the Church warn us of this temptation
during all prayer, liturgical or private. Evagrios the Solitary
tells us: “Never try to see a form or shape during prayer.
Do not long to have sensory image of angels or powers or
Christ, for this would be madness: it would be to take a wolf
as your shepherd and to worship your enemies, the
demons….the intellect attempts to enclose the Deity in
shapes and forms …blessed in the intellect that is com-
pletely free from forms during prayer.” (Philokalia I). St.
THE PROMISE
Gregory of Sinai tells us: “Thus if we want to realize and
know the truth and not to be led astray, let us seek to pos-
sess only the heat-engrafted energy in such a way that is
totally without shape or form, not trying to contemplate in
our imagination what we take to be the figure or similitude
of things holy or to see any colors or lights.” (Philokalia IV).
God is found in emptiness, silence and darkness.
Evdokimov points out that God encloses Himself in
silence. The Jews asked (Jn 14:8): “…‘Show us the
Father’”? Jesus’ immediate reply: “Truly I say to you, no
sign will be given to this generation.” Evdokimov’s comment:
“God has come, but it seems [H]e does not want us to
perceive [H]is divinity.” God can only be found by the
knowing spirit which is centered in the heart. Metropolitan
Kallistos (Timothy Ware) writes that the spirit knows
“…through a mystical perception, that transcends man’s
ordinary rational processes.” St. Theophan the Recluse
(cited by Ware,) further explains: “The heart is the inner-
most man, or spirit. Here are located self-awareness, the con-
science, the idea of God and of one’s dependence on
Him, and all the eternal treasures of the spiritual life.” It is
not “light” itself which we focus on in our Liturgical
Services but, as we say in our Pre-sanctified Divine Liturgy,
it is Christ: “The Light of Christ …Illumines all!” All who
are frequently afraid of darkness (especially children) can
be helped to see that when in the darkness of life it is
Christ, our Light, who is our comfort and salvation.
ENHANCING PERSONAL MEANING: THE PATHWAY TO
SPIRITUAL HOLINESS AND HAPPINESS
Helping our children to perceive personal meaning in the
prayers of the Divine Liturgy and in the words in Holy
Scripture has as its goal to develop a genuine, deep
Orthodox spirituality. Thus we can say with St. Peter (1Pt
3: 3-4), “Let not yours be the outward adorning …but let it
be the hidden … heart with the imperishable jewel of a
gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.”
In this way they (and all of us) may come to fulfill the reason
God made us: to know, love and serve Him and attain
happiness with Him in heaven.
“…that according to the riches of [the Heavenly
Father’s] glory [H]e may grant you to be strengthened
with might through [H]is Spirit in the inner man,, and
that Christ may dwell in your hearts…” (Eph 3:16-17)
PAGE 23
THE PROMISE
ANNUNCIATION GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
1100 NAPA VALLEY DRIVE, LITTLE ROCK, AR 72211
REV. DR. NICHOLAS J. VERDARIS, PASTOR

MARCH 2010
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3 4 5 6

Presanctified Liturgy Salutation Service

6:30pm 6:30pm

7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Sunday of the Holy Cross
Matins 9:00 am
Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

Parish Assembly & Festival Presanctified Liturgy Salutation Service

Baking 6:30pm 6:30pm

14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Sunday of St. Climacus
Matins 9:00 am
Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

Youth Game Day!!!! Presanctified Liturgy Salutation Service

6:30pm 6:30pm

21 22 23 24 25 26 11
Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt Feast of the Sat. of Lazarus
Matins 9:00 am Quiet Week Quiet Week Annunciation 9:30am
Divine Liturgy 10:00 am 9:30am Quiet Week Easter Egg Hunt &
Great Vespers of the
Palm Making
Annunciation
6:30pm Project

28 29 30 31 April 1 2 3
Palm Sunday Presanctified Liturgy St. Basil Liturgy Royal Hours 9:00am St. Basil Liturgy
Matins 9:00 am 9:30am 9:30am 9:30am
Divine Liturgy 10:00 am Youth Retreat & Prep
Feast Day & Palm Sunday The Descent 3:00pm
Luncheon Bridegroom Service Bridegroom Service Holy Unction Passion Service Easter Services
Bridegroom Service 7:00pm 7:00pm 7:00pm Lamentations 7:00pm 11:00pm
6:00pm 7:00pm

4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Great & Holy Pascha
Bright Week Bright Week Bright Week Bright Week Bright Week Bright Week
Agape Service 11:30am

PAGE 24