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No.

081

August2013

TheOrthodoxParish oftheHolyandLifeGivingCross, Lancaster,U.K.

amonthlymagazine&newsletterpublishedbythe'HolyCrossSynodiaPress'

TheStavronian

TheParishoftheHolyandLifeGivingCross, belongstotheAntiochianOrthodoxDeaneryoftheUnitedKingdomandIreland, whichispartoftheAntiochianOrthodoxArchdioceseofEurope. ThePatriarchateofAntiochisthirdsenioroftheOrthodoxChurches. ThePatriarchisHisBeatitudeJohnX.

ThediscipleswerefirstcalledChristiansinAntioch (Acts11:26)

PLENITUDE, PREFIGUREMENTAND PROPHECYINTHEOLD TESTAMENTPartII


TheStoryofNabothsVineyard: 3Kingdoms21(1Kings21) The story gives us an insight into the abuseofpower,thesinofgreed,thecor ruptionofwealthandconspiracyagainst the will of God. Naboth the Jezreelite ownedaplotoflandwhichhadlongbeen in his familys ownership. The Vineyard wascovetedbyKingAhabwhosawinthe proximityofthisrealestate,adjacentto thepalace,ausefulacquisitiontosuithis purposes.Hewantedtoconvertitfroma Vineyardtoagardenofherbswhichsome seeasaceremonialgardenforBaal,one of the Canaanite gods. The king offers compensationbutNabothrefusesto sell hisinheritance. Dejectedandsulkingonhisbedathis offer being rejected, the Kings wife Jezebel learning at the reason for her husbands depression, decides on a con spiracy to obtain the desired land. Her attitudetoherhusbandsweaknessand herdisdainforGodslawandauthorityis expressedinhermockingwords:Areyou thekingornot? She plots to kill Naboth by false testimony and mock trial. She employs twoscoundrelswhosefalseevidencecon victsNaboth,heisexecutedandhisland istakenintotheKingspossession. TheprophetElijahbeinginformedof this web of deceit and falsehood con frontsthekingwithhissins.Thekingis broughtbeforetheheavenlyKingtomeet divine justice; recognising his own guilt hehumbleshimself before theprophets condemnationandissparedGodsjudg ment.Thelessonnotbeinglearnedhow

ever God brings the penalty during the kingssonsgeneration. Lord Actons words come to mind Power corrupts and absolute power cor ruptsabsolutely.Inmuchthesameman ner,Shakespearesportrayalofthepower ofevilenvelopsandentwinesitselfwith MacbethandLadyMacbeth.Therepeat edthoughtworksontheflawedcharacter andtheimpulsetotakemattersintoyour ownhandsdrives theimmoral conduct. Interestingly,wefindthesamespiraling psychologicaldescentinbothKingAhab (20:4 SoAhabsspiritwasdisturbed)and LordMacbethbroughtaboutbyambition, frustrateddesire,angerandtheinterfer enceofothers.

HandmadecrossatMt.Athos Weseeanumberofuniversalhuman traitsinthisstory,quiteapartfromany prefiguredreferencetheremaybetomo dernglobalpoliticalexploitationandcor poratefinancialhegemony.First,thereis that rather basic desire to want more thesinofgreed.Thepowerfulandrich arerarelycontentwithwhattheyhave there is a rapacious appetite to those whosesolegodiswealthforself.Christ had much to say on the problem of

wealth and power as do the Church Fathers. Thelovefor wealth isanunnatural passion,StJohnChrysostomwrites.The desireforwealthisneithernaturalnorne cessary.Itissuperfluous.Wealthisharm fulforyounotbecauseitarmsthievesag ainstyou,norbecauseitcompletelydark ens your mind but because it makes you thecaptivesofsoullesspossessionsanddist ractsyoufromtheserviceofGod. ItisalsosignificantthattheVineyard became a symbol of Israel and Christ HimselfassumestheimageryoftheVine forthemodelandobligationsattachedto discipleship,growthandsharing. InJezebelsintervention,wearealso remindedofAdamlisteningtohiswifes promptingtoeatoftheforbiddenfruitin theGardenofEden. Genesis 3:17; To Adam He (God) said, Because you listened to your wife andatefruitfromthetreeaboutwhichI commanded you, 'You must not eat from it,' cursed is the ground because of you; throughpainfultoilyouwilleatfoodfrom itallthedaysofyourlife. We sometimes do what is wrong, even when we know itto be so, at the promptingsofothers,whogivingoppor tunitytotheevilone,exerciseeithertheir needtoshareguiltorfindaconvenient excusefortheirowndesire. IntheendKingAhab,liketheProdi galson,isbroughtto a right mind and repentsofthatinwhichhehasbeencom plicit: but perhaps the overarching con cern in the story encompasses spiritual obedience, moral rectitude, the need of authenticauthorityandsocialjustice. Fr.Jonathan Footnote:WhenItaughtinschools,look ingatthetypesofliteraturefoundinthe OldTestament,Ioftenofferedachallen ge to the pupils when considering this

story.HowmanyoftheTenCommand ments were broken in the story of NabothsVineyard?Youmaywishtotry the exercise? The Ten Commandments may be found in Exodus 20:117. N.B. ReadthewholeoftheIKings21!

St.CosmasofAetolia

GLOSSARYOFORTHODOX TERMS:X
XP the ChiRho is one of the earliest formsofChristogramanditisformedby superimposingthefirsttwocapitalletters chi and rho () of the Greek word CC(Christs)whichmeansChrist. ConstantinetheGreatadapteditintothe Roman imperial labarum together with the inscription (en touto neka) which means in this sign, conquer after the divine vision he wit nessed.Asanewfocalpointforunityin thenowChristianRomanempire(which later survived into the Eastern Roman EmpireorByzantineEmpire),thename ofChristinthemonogramalsoappeared oncoins,shields,andlaterpublicbuild ings and churches. Monograms are still used today to signify theimportance of GodandtheSaints,forexampleMP fromGreek (Motherof God) and IC XC NIKA from Greek

CC CC (Jesus Christvictorious)ontheLamb.

DinnerbeforethedepartureofIrynaand BartfromLancaster.

PARISHNEWS
Fr. Jonathan has received a thankyou email from the Institute of Orthodox ChristianStudies(IOCS)inCambridgeas theParishhasmadeadonationviaIOCS's buildinganddevelopmentappealSmall change makes BIG CHANGES. You can see the poster here and read the email below: DearFatherJonathan, Iamwritingtothankyouwarmlyfor thegenerousdonationwhichyoukindly sent to us by cheque, on behalf of the ParishoftheHolyCrossLancaster. ThecontributionofyourParishisof enormous importance to us, both as a crucialsteptowardraisingmoneyforthe Institute, but also as an encouragement forusallinourworkfortheChurch.Itis with your support and that of generous donors like yourself that our future developmentandexpansionwillbemade possible. Withourthanksandbestwishes, RazvanPorumb
AssistantLecturerandDevelopmentOfficer TheInstituteforOrthodoxChristianStudies

MAJORCELEBRATIONSTHIS MONTH
th 6 Aug: TheHolyTransfigurationofour LordandSaviourJesusChrist th 13 Aug: St.Tikhon,BishopofVoronezh, WonderworkerofZadonskandAllRussia th 15 Aug: TheDormitionofourMost HolyTheotokos th 16 Aug: St.Gerasimus,Wonderworker ofCephalonia th 20 Aug: St.Oswin,KingandMartyr (651) nd 22 Aug: St.Sigfrid,Abbotof Wearmouth(688) th 24 Aug: St.CosmasofAetolia,equalto theApostles th 27 Aug: MartyrPhanourius th 29 Aug: BeheadingoftheHoly,Glorious Prophet,ForerunnerandBaptistJohn st 31 Aug: ThePlacingoftheCinctureof theMostHolyTheotokosintheChurchof Chalkoprateia/St.Aidan,Bishopof Lindisfarne(651).

For the lives of Saints please visit the CalendaroftheGreekOrthodoxArchdi oceseofAmerica:www.calendar.goarch.org

www.iocs.cam.ac.uk

ServicesduringAugust*
Sat.3rd 10:00am HolyLiturgyinR.C. Sat.10th 10:00am HolyLiturgyinR.C. Thrs.15th 10:00am HolyLiturgyinR.C.(FeastoftheDormition) Sat.17th 10:00am HolyLiturgyinR.C. Sun.25th 10:00am HolyLiturgyinQ.R.followedbyParishlunch *Helpsettingupthechurchisgreatlyappreciatedandstartsfrom9:15a.m.

Godcaresforeveryone.Despairisineffectalackoffaith St.GeorgeKarslides

Forfurtherinformationpleasecontact:
FatherJonathanHemmings 67SibseyStr.,Fairfield,Lancaster,LA15DQ Tel:+441524840759,+441524580600 Email:frjah@yahoo.co.uk www.orthodoxlancaster.org.uk www.antiochianorthodox.co.uk

SketchesarecreatedattheHolyMonasteryofTheAnnunciationoftheTheotokosChios,Greece,courtesyoffr.TheodosiosDendrinosandthe ApostolikiDiakoniaoftheChurchofGreece.

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