For HIS Glory

Doing vs. Being

2009-04-12T20:53:00.009-04:00

Here comes another holy week where we gather up all our energies to go with our Lord on His journey to the cross. Today we celebrated Christ's entry to Jerusalem where he went to the temple and declared His judgment and His demands from His worshipers. People were busy doing every thing else than worship. Though they were facilitating the gift offerings and sacrifices for the worship, this was not the kind of activity God desired in His house! I am writing this as I am concerned about how we will do the worship this holy week. Are we going to do worship or Be a worship and worshippers according to God's heart.
As I think about the doxology of "Thine is the Power, the Glory, the Blessings, The Majesty" and the hundreds of times we will be reciting it, I need to be reminded that it's not by merely saying it with my mouth along with everybody else, but it is by seeking His Glory and Majesty to rule over my life and my whole being.
Well, there are more details in my sermon for the vespers of Palm Sunday if you click on the title above.

We prayed so hard, but He didn't answer!

2009-03-31T13:06:00.006-04:00

Every time we are faced with a life threatening crisis in the lives of our loved ones, our natural instinct compels us to ask for healing. So we pray and we tell our friends, our relatives, and our priests to pray for healing and deliverance. We recall so compulsively all the miracles of healing we read about in the stories of saints. A friend might bring us a bottle of a special holy oil that does miracles; another would volunteer to bring a piece of clothes that were worn by one of the saints. We do everything possible to make our case before God that this person should be healed, nothing else. We even try to strike a deal with God and bargain with Him regarding the results. Yet, when God decides otherwise and no healing comes our way, all the prayers seem to be gone in vain and with our hopes, and the miracles stories appear meaningless and we are left with angry souls and bitter hearts that only agree on one question, why? We prayed so hard and God did not answer.
In my opinion, we all have distorted ideas and beliefs about healing. But no matter where we get those ideas from, it boils down to one definition and action; getting better and being relieved from a life threatening disease or a disability. However, throughout the Bible when we look at the big picture from Genesis to Revelation, one can find a different meaning and purpose for healing. God created Adam and Eve for a life free from disease and sickness, but they had to suffer the consequences of their rebellion against God. Of these consequences, were to be cast out from paradise, Adam had to toil the land which in turn will produce thorns for him, Eve had to labor in pain, and both will die and return to the dust from where they were taken! (Gen.3:16-19)
From that moment on, we see sickness, disease and pain as God's judgment over the sins of people. In the book of Leviticus 26 we read a long list of the blessings resulting from walking toward God in His light; and also the consequences of pain, suffering, and sickness we are to have when we walk away from God in darkness. In Exodus 23:25-26 “So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And will take sickness away from the midst of you. No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days." We read about God who heals and lifts up the pain of His people because He wants to bless them. There are numerous verses and biblical accounts of people walking away from God and suffering the consequences, and the same God who heals those people when they walk again toward Him.
We see also Jesus in the gospels, He heals the sick, gives sight to the blind, makes the lame walk, the deaf hear, and the mute speak. Basically His ministry was mostly about healing the people as He had compassion on them (Matt. 9:35-36).
But, what about us? Don't we deserve the same compassion too? Why miracles stop at our door and refuse to enter? What happened to the thousand of books telling the testimonies of those dead, sick, hopeless people who were healed by Pope Kyrollos, Saint Mena, Saint George and hundreds if not thousands of saints and martyrs? We find ourselves again facing a painful silence when we ask why.
If we distant ourselves for a moment from our personal expectations and perceptions and look at the way and the purpose for which, our Lord Jesus healed the sick in His ministry, I believe we can reach a peaceful conclusion.
As stated above, since unhealthy life was the result of walking away from God, Jesus came to demonstrate to people the kind of healthy life they would enjoy when they accept Him into their lives. Malachi 4:2 "But to you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings" in his prophecy about the coming of Christ with healing to His people, we understand that Jesus administered healing only as a mean to show people the kind of salvation and healthy life they would have when He enters their lives. Therefore, healing in the Scripture was not a goal in and out of itself, rather a tool, an image, or a tangible way for people to see first hand the salvation of the Lord. The blindness of sight was only a mere representation of the blindness of the heart; the mute person who couldn't speak was an image of the nation that could not praise the Lord because of their sins. We come to this understanding as Jesus commands the invalid person who was disabled for 38 years after healing him to go and to sin no more "afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” (John 5:14)
Another way of looking at it is to ask, what is the benefit of God healing someone without this person acknowledging the healing experience and walks in the way of the Lord the rest of his or her life? versus a person who might be fighting cancer and God allows healing and as a result, this person becomes a living testimony of the Lord and her life changes and so do the people around her. Jesus resurrected Lazarus from the dead but eventually he died again. So this miracle was not a purpose in and out of itself, but was only a testimony or in our terms today, a visual aid for people to know and understand the resurrection they would have when Jesus commands their lives out of the dead.
We have to admit that we live in an evil and fallen world. Crises and diseases are what we suffer from as a result of walking away from God. Is God unfair to do this? Well, I can only say that if we turn the lights off in a room and find ourselves in darkness, can we blame the light? No, we are the ones who turned it off and the only way to escape darkness is to put this light on again. Therefore, God desires to heal us His way. He wants to use our crises and sickness to lead us toward the ultimate healing He has for us where we all arrive Home in Heaven where there is no more tears, pain, nor suffering.

We prayed so hard, but He didn't answer! No, He answered. He healed him but not with our temporary, physical healing, but the Ultimate Healing where no corruption or decay and only everlasting joy and peace.

There is more to this issue and I'd love to write more about it out of your comments.

Came to Worship, Leave to Serve

2009-03-23T12:45:00.001-04:00

Here I am blogging again after almost two years of my last blog. I wish I could say that those two years have been spent in a purposeful way, at least to justify my lack of commitment in blogging my sermons or thoughts. However, I believe that God can use what appears to be un-purposeful and turn it to a purpose filled experience if we put it in His Hands.

The following thoughts, embarrassingly enough, were saved as a draft since I stopped blogging. so here they are as I left them. I hope you can find some meaning out of it.

Came to worship, leave to serve. This was a sign hung on the door as you leave the Presbyterian church in Canfield,Ohio where I stayed for the past three days for a youth retreat. The power of those words had me thinking and evaluating many issues.
To have a sign like that at the door of a church, means that they have a clear vision and expectations from their congregation. "came to worship, leave to serve" what a powerful statement that quickly capture your mind and heart.
With the beauty that comes with such statement, we are hit with the reality of human nature. Nobody likes to be lead and shown the way. We are more prone to be the sole leaders of our lives; the rulers of our domains. But with a statement like this one, we tend to follow the example of the shepherd and the flock.
Jesus in John 10 showed us the example of the good shepherd and he said, "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture." John 10:9
He is the good shepherd and He is the gate. He wants his flock, his people, to enter through him, rest and be fed on His Word so they may go out again and find pastures where they can lead and feed others!

A vision like this, should be always emphasized in every service. We come to worship so we may leave to serve. This is actually what the church teaches us in every liturgy. The coptic priest as he blesses the congregation at the end of the liturgy, he proclaims, "Pi Ekhristos Pennoty" which means "Christ our God" He says it in a mixed tune of a statement and a question in the same time; the congregation respond, "Amen Asashopy" which means "Truly He is" in a mixed tune of confirmation and an answer.
What is being done here is a form of a mission statement after the liturgy where the priest dismisses the congregation with this Truth, that Christ is our God, and they respond Yes to this statement. Yes Christ is our God and that's what we are going to proclaim and witness to our world. Finally, the priest dismisses the people with the apostolic blessing of the Love of God the Father, the Grace of His only Begotten son, and the gifts and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
That means, we as followers of Christ, every time we are united with Him in communion, we are empowered by the Truth that Christ is our God, and the gifts we can share with the world; that is the Love of the Father, the Grace of Son, and the fellowship of the Spirit.

I wish we can boldly and consciously agree to this statement every time we worship.
We came to worship, leave to serve.

2007-06-10T23:57:00.002-04:00

We celebrated today the feast of St. Abraam and as it is well known, that he is one of the most powerful examples of caring for and giving to the needy. However, when I think about his life, I realize that he gave himself first before giving to the poor. His relationship with Christ allowed him to grow out of himself to the point of emptying not only his pocket but his own awareness of self. The biggest problem that can face anybody, is over-awareness of themselves, either being appreciated or depreciated. St. Abraam committed his life to the word of God and as he kept this commitment, God worked through and with him. We expect to gain the fruits without sawing the seeds. We expect to have a fruitful service without laboring and giving up our rest, time, and most importantly, ourselves.
Another thing in his life that stood out to me, is that he dealt with different denominations and religions with all humbleness and respect. He prayed for everyone who approached him and even healed their sick and gave their poor. The issue of respecting, accepting and dealing with the "other". We grew up fearing the other, keeping a far distance from the other to the extent that we brainwashed ourselves into thinking that we are the only people who have the right thing and the other is plainly wrong and is not even worthy of consideration or our prayers. In Mark 9:39-41 "Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us."
Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward."
Everybody that comes our way, belongs to Christ, whether they are members of our church or other churches. We need to stop the arrogance and the tendency to view any other as enemy but rather a friend and brother or sister in Christ.
This can't happen unless we empty ourselves first, be grounded in the word of God and acquiring the mind of Christ.
Hail to you St. Abraam, who lived and touched people's lives as your Lord and Savior. Hail to you who didnt give only money, but gave yourself to Christ first and then his children.
May your people O'Lord be aware of your love and invitation to everyone. you accepted all, teach us to accept all, you were a source of healing and comfort to all, teach us to be the same for all that we may win for you the "all"

2007-06-05T16:13:00.001-04:00

For HIS Glory. this is the title of my blog which I need to remember everyday of my life. I was ordained on May 15th. 1999 and this year I have completed eight years of priesthood. When looking back, I have mixed feelings racing and chasing me in both my mind and heart. Every day was supposed to be for HIS Glory but when evaluating myself, can I really say that?
In general, I tried my best to be for HIS Glory but I admit many times I lost vision. Many times I just got busy with service and forgot the Lord of the service. If I dont remind myself everyday of living for HIS Glory, it is so easy to be satisfied with the least. Least expectations, least achievements, least self-search.
This blog actually is for me more than for any body else. I want to keep myself accountable and always checked against God's standards. I can never forget when one time, we had Bishop Makarios the eritrian and went to a visit with him. As he was knocking on the door, he said in a very low voice: "Glorify your name O'Lord" I will never forget this phrase. I started to say it in my heart before every visit or sermon or anything I do. This prayer should be every servant's fervent request from God. If we only put HIS Glory before anything we plan or do. If we only put HIS Glory as our standard in our families and churches. Well, this is at least my request day and night.