January 2004
Glad Tidings
September 2004
Glad Tidings
Page 11
B
UILDING
C
OMMUNITIES
OF
F
AITH
AND
L
OVE
: O
RTHODOX
P
ARISHES
IN
W
ORSHIP
AND
M
INISTRY
[Summary of Archbishop Demetrios' pre-
Congress thematic address.]
Part I
Introduction
All that is done in the parish must be
focused on growing faith and increasing in
love. When this is happening, people of all
ages will come to Christ through our
worship and ministry, lives will be changed,
hearts and minds will be strengthened,
"until all of us come to the unity of the faith
and of the knowledge of the Son of
God" (Eph. 4:13a).
Christ at Center of Parish
It is the presence of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, that brings us
together in our parishes. "For no other
foundation can any one lay than that which
is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1Cor.3:11).
It is our faith in our Lord that is revealed in
our worship, in our participation in the Holy
Sacraments, and in our commitment to
conform our lives to His teachings and His
holiness.
Part II
Communities of Faith
Faith is relational. It leads us to God and
it brings us together. It is critical that
the worship and ministry of our parishes
directs lives to the source and perfector of
our faith, Jesus Christ. Through our witness
as communities of faith, we show others in
our world the power of faith to save, heal,
renew, and bring people together in Christ.
Communities of Love
"So we know and believe the love God
has for us. God is love, and he who abides
in love abides in God, and God abides in
him" (1John 4:16). Our conversations, our
actions, our work, our activities, all that we
do in our parishes is characterized by a love
that is "patient, kind, not envious or boastful
or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its
own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it
does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices
in the truth. It bears all things, believes all
things, hopes all things, endures all
things" (1Cor. 13:4-7).
Part III
Orthodox Parishes in Worship
And Ministry
To build and sustain communities of
faith and love we must focus all of our
attention, efforts and abilities on doing what
God has called us to do; to gather together
as believers, offering Him honor and
thanksgiving through our worship, and to
serve the needs of one another and others in
the love and name of Christ. A community
of faith and love is a parish of Orthodox
Christians that knows and understands the
priority of worship and ministry.
Communities of Faith and
Love in Worship
Worship is the most important aspect of
our lives as Christians. Through the divine
services of the Church we are affirming that
He is in our midst, and we are in turn
offering a witness to the world of His holy
will and salvation that is offered to all.
Our worship is a response of faith.
By His presence we are made aware of
our sin, and we realize our need for
forgiveness. Through our worship we
acknowledge that His promises are true, and
in faith we offer prayer and petitions
seeking salvation and His divine guidance
and assistance. In worship, the communal
bonds of faith and love give us strength and
joy.
Through our commitment to a life of
worship, our fellow parishioners see our
faith in God and our love for them, and
others who are not in the community of
believers know that the will of God and our
worship of Him are the primary concerns of
our lives.
Communities of Faith and
Love in Ministry
We respond to anyone in need of the
basic necessities of life, in need of hope and
salvation, in need of peace and assurance,
because our faith affirms and annunciates
the blessed truth and promises of God. "For
you brethren, have been called to liberty;
only do not use liberty as an opportunity for
the flesh, but through love serve one
another" (Gal. 5:13). To our brothers and
sisters in Christ we offer sincere friendship
and compassionate fellowship in the bonds
of faith and love. We labor to strengthen
and enhance the spiritual lives of others so
that we are all growing in closer
communion to one another and to God. As
communities of faith and love we are called
to serve the poor, the hungry, the homeless,
the sick and the suffering, the prisoner, the
depressed, the grief-stricken, the outcast and
rejected.
Conclusion
We must continue faithfully in worship
and ministry, acknowledging and teaching
the relevancy and significance of our
services, guiding the faithful in prayer,
seeking new avenues of service to those in
need, expanding our outreach so that others
may experience our God-given love and the
riches and transformative power of our
Orthodox faith.
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