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“You are the Voice of Christ in a Changing World”

As the Father has sent me, so I send you (John 20:21).  
You are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14).

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

With anticipation we look forward to the fellowship, worship, and ministry when we gather July 3-8 for our 43rd Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress in Nashville, Tennessee.  The theme for the Congress is “You are the Voice of Christ in a Changing World.”  This theme affirms our vital mission in this world, as we have been sent by Christ to proclaim the Gospel, to share truth in love, to be His voice.  Our Lord said to His disciples, and He continues to say to us today, As the Father has sent me, so I send you (John 20:21).  You are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14).

As we prepare for our Clergy-Laity Congress and consider the implications of our Lord’s commission for our work throughout this Holy Archdiocese, it is important that we reflect prayerfully on this theme.  In this first of a series of articles, our focus is on the importance of knowing Christ in order to be the voice of Christ.  If we are to carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth, if we are to speak a message of hope into lives filled with despair, if we are to proclaim salvation and victory over sin and death in a constantly changing world, we must know Christ.

In his letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul offers us guidance in the importance of knowing Christ.  He writes, Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and may share His suffering (Philippians 3:8-10).  From this proclamation of faith, we can see that it is essential to know Christ in order to be His voice.  We must seek Him above all things.  He is the source of our life and hope.  He has entered our humanity for our salvation, revealing the grace of God and showing us the way to restore our communion with our Creator.  We gather in His presence, receive Him in the Holy Eucharist, and offer Him praise and adoration.  His is our life, our peace, our joy, and our eternity.  We must count everything else as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.

Knowing Christ and becoming His voice is the result of living all aspects of our lives in Him.  In His presence and love we grow in the knowledge of our faith.  We experience and become witnesses of the righteousness of God.   Our lives reveal the power of His resurrection.  All that we say and do becomes the voice of Christ, revealing grace, life and truth, because we know Him.  This is where our knowledge of Him and our experience of Him come together so that we are able to show to the world a true image of our Savior and Redeemer.  Our knowledge of Christ and the blessings of our relationship with Him lead us to proclaim with the Apostles, We cannot but speak of the things we have seen and heard (Acts 4:20). 

From the blessings of our knowledge of Christ, we are sent by Him to share the Gospel in a changing world.  We are sent to offer a message of grace, light and salvation that is truth and life no matter what happens or how things change around us.  From our knowledge of Christ we have this assurance, that we are sent in the power of His resurrection, and thus we have boldness to speak for Him in all places, under any circumstances, because we are the light of the world.

In the next article we will discuss the content of the message we offer as the voice of Christ.  I ask in preparation for further reflection and for our Clergy-Laity Congress that you consider our theme, your relationship with Christ, and your knowledge of Him.  In the words of the Apostle Peter, I encourage you to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (II Peter 3:18).

With paternal love in Him,

†DEMETRIOS
Archbishop of America

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You are the Voice of Christ in a Changing World - Part IV

In this article our focus is on how we are offering the voice of Christ in a changing world through the ministry and service of our Greek Orthodox Church in America. During our discussions in Nashville, our primary work should be evaluating the current ministries and resources at all levels of our Holy Archdiocese and planning for more opportunities to offer the voice of Christ. More »

You are the Voice of Christ in a Changing World - Part III

As our theme affirms, we live in a changing world. It is a challenging and complex world due to change. We experience this in our own lives as we go through each day, as we reflect on the past month and years and consider the course of our lives over time. Due to multiple means of communication and “real time” information, we are presented constantly with events and moments of change from around the world. All of this can be overwhelming, causing many to become insular and reject change or to feel lost while attempting to find meaning and purpose in the midst of change. More »

The Destiny of the Church is Mission

The following address was delivered by Archbishop Demetrios to the graduates of Hellenic College Holy Cross on Saturday, May 21, and is presented here with slight editing. More »

You are the Voice of Christ in a Changing World - Part II

With this understanding of how we know and share the voice of Christ, it is important to examine all that we offer as His voice in this changing world. First, the message we share as the voice of Christ is one of hope. In the Gospel we see hope in His ministry and words. Through the truth and healing Jesus offered, hope was renewed in the lives of many. His presence engenders hope in our lives; and in a world that is challenged by constant change, where many are struggling to find meaning and purpose, we offer hope as His voice. More »

You are the Voice of Christ in a Changing World - Part I

With anticipation we look forward to the fellowship, worship, and ministry when we gather July 3-8 for our 43rd Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress in Nashville, Tennessee. The theme for the Congress is “You are the Voice of Christ in a Changing World.” This theme affirms our vital mission in this world, as we have been sent by Christ to proclaim the Gospel, to share truth in love, to be His voice. More »

Where We Go To Bear Fruit

Article by his eminence Archbishop Demetrios at the 41st Clergy-Laity Congress in Pheonix, AZ in 2012. More »

Bearing Fruit Through Worship, Teaching, and Service

Article by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios at the 41st Clergy-Laity Congress in Pheonix, AZ in 2012. More »

Gather My People to My Home: Speaking with People

In our previous reflections, we have focused on the theme “Gather My People to My Home,” as it relates to our calling to reach out to all people and invite them to come and see the power and beauty of faith and experience the love of God within our communities. As we have examined, this calling is to reach out to those who have become disassociated from their Orthodox faith, to the unchurched, and to others who are struggling to find answers to the questions of life. Another group of people that we need to engage with the truth and love of the Gospel consists of those who openly profess that they do not believe in God. More »

Gather My People to My Home: Do Not Condemn

We continue our reflections on the theme “Gather My People to My Home” by focusing on the challenging task of gathering those who are struggling with deep and serious questions about life and God. In previous reflections we have addressed our calling to gather both “disconnected” Orthodox Christians and the unchurched. More »

Gather My People to My Home: Engagement

We continue our examination of the term "Gather," as used in the theme of our most recent Clergy-Laity Congress, "Gather My People to My Home." In our last reflection, we directed our attention toward gathering the "disconnected" Orthodox Christians, namely, those Orthodox Christians who for one reason or another over the passing of time, have lost what had once been for them a close connection to the Church. This month, we focus our task of gathering as it pertains to the so-called "unchurched." More »

Gather My People to My Home: Reaching Out

In our last reflection, studying the theme of our most recent Clergy-Laity Congress "Gather My People to My Home," we focused our attention on the word "Gather." As a consequence, a serious question was raised: Who are the people whom we are trying to "gather"? More »

Gather My People to My Home

Since our 39th Clergy-Laity Congress last summer, we have been consistently and methodically devoting a series of reflections to analyzing various elements of its theme: “Gather My People to My Home.” More »

What is Home?

January 2009 Archpastoral Reflections of His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios. A continuation of the series of reflections by identifying and applying certain aspects of the theme of the most recent Clergy-Laity Congress, “Gather My People to My Home.” More »

Gather My People to My Home: Reflections

Archpastoral Reflections of Archbishop Demetrios of America based on past July theme of Clergy-Laity More »

Renewing Our Relationship with God

Archbishop's conclusion of the series on renewal by addressing the most significant purpose of our spiritual transformation to salvation and eternal life. More »

Lifestyle Renewal

“What is our lifestyle, and how can it be renewed?” More »

Renewal of the Spirit

We began this series of reflections on the topic of “renewal” with a reflection on the renewal of the heart. We now turn to examining the renewal of the spirit, which is the touchstone of our intellectual development as persons, of our fellowship with one another, and of our ability to be in genuine communion with God and His Truth. What precisely do we mean by “renewal” of the spirit? More »

Renewal of the Heart

Certainly, it is very important to attend to the health of the heart, recognizing that the human body is an amazing creation of God. But it is also critical in our relationship to our Creator to attend to the spiritual renewal of the “heart.” More »

I will love You O Lord, My Strength

From our rich spiritual heritage and the beautiful liturgical life of the Church, we have affirmed the role of the Theotokos, the Saints, and the Angels as agents of divine aid and protection. More »

An Angel of Peace, a Faithful Guide

As God's appointed messengers and guardians, we may gain a real and lasting comfort knowing that the holy angels are with us throughout our lives in times of danger and distress. More »

The Protection of the Saints

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How to Live a Christian Life

Each and every day of our lives we are confronted by different ideologies and philosophies that attempt to answer for us some of the great questions of life. Some of these are very obvious, such as the views of different religions or the multitude of political and economic theories and systems that we find in our modern world. Others are much more subtle and can often affect our lives in significant ways. More »

A Christian Approach to Money

Our careful attention to the subject of our finances is an important element of our religious education as Orthodox Christians. Examples of the role of money in society and its proper use abound in the Holy Scriptures, in the homilies from the early Church Fathers, and in the actions of notable people who have gone before us. More »

Christian Health and Wellness

This month of July, our attention to the topic of health and wellness is poignant for two reasons. First, as we are now in the middle of the summer season, many of us are able to find the time for rest, relaxation, and exercise that our all too often busy lives during the year could not seem to afford More »

A Christian Response to Education

The benefits of a thorough academic education for people of all ages cannot be adequately praised. The inherent benefits that come from receiving a truly advanced education are many, especially in our technologically sophisticated society. More »

Orthodox Christianity and Popular Culture

This month we consider the topic of education as it applies to popular culture. By popular culture, we mean the media, venues for entertainment, pieces of literature, cinema, articles of clothing, and particular arts that resonate with the likings of contemporary people in certain times and in certain places. More »

The Importance of Religious Education

Education is an all-inclusive topic, touching upon every aspect of the human intellect and soul. Religious education, a predominant element of our lives as Orthodox Christians, will be the focus of this brief reflection. More »

On Being Overwhelmed

In continuing our series of reflections, we have repeatedly emphasized that our Orthodox Christian faith is imbued with a spirit of joy and reassuring hope, for we rest secure in the knowledge that our victory over sin, evil, and death has been secured by Christ. Despite the spiritual comfort that comes from this knowledge, however, we would be remiss if we were to overlook and fail to consider the very real presence of stress, anxiety, and depression in the lives of so many people. More »

Being a Faithful and Wise Steward

As we enter the New Year 2006, we reflect upon the gracious generosity of God to us over the course of this past year. In so doing, it is fitting to reflect upon our own response to God's love through our important exercise of stewardship as Orthodox Christians in parishes throughout our country. More »

Healthy Communication

Our series of reflections on the family continues this month as we explore the topic of healthy communication. The topic of communication is a particularly important one for families in our contemporary age, where there exists an unprecedented abundance of advanced technologies for virtually instantaneous communication with others across the globe More »

Parenting in the Internet Age

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Orthodox Christian Parenting

This month we consider the important task of parenting. As we consider the demanding responsibilities, rewards, and challenges of parenting today, it is worthwhile to reflect upon parental models that inspire confidence and faith. In this effort, we are aided by numerous examples of parents in the Holy Scriptures. These figures are distinguished certainly by their dedication to God, but even more so by their commitment to providing lifelong spiritual nurture and care to their children so that they may mature, discern, and follow the will of God for their own lives. More »

Leadership as an Orthodox Christian

Our consideration of the family as a vital source of spiritual sustenance for its members is enriched by our contemplation of our role as leaders in the vital area of family care. As we have discussed in previous reflection pieces, parents who emphasize prayer, love, and holiness within the home enable their children to navigate the experiences of life while strongly rooted and secured in their faith. In this regard, the leadership role of parents within the family is integral, and absolutely indispensable. More »

The Presence of God's Love in Our Llives

Our Orthodox Christian faith teaches us that God's love is a continuously abiding, healing, and transforming presence in our lives. The love of God accords peace and tranquility to every aspect of our lives, especially within our families, which are called to be communities of care and intimacy that reflect His perfect love More »

Bringing Our Families Closer to Church

This month of January we embark upon our Year of the Family, a period of intensified ministry to families across America. As we begin this very special New Year, it is worthwhile to reflect upon the connection of our own families to the Church, and to consider the extraordinary manner in which the Church influences the growth and development of our families. More »

Living in Holiness

December 25, the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord, is one of the holiest days of the year. On this day we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Holy One of God. In our hymns we acknowledge the sanctity of this great event, a moment in time and history when heaven and earth were united, when light shone in the darkness, when the pre-eternal God became a newborn child. More »

On the Feast of St. Demetrios the Great Martyr

This month of October we commemorate the holy and glorious Great Martyr Demetrios, patron Saint of Thessaloniki. A citizen of the Roman Empire, St. Demetrios lived in truly difficult times of widespread persecution against Christians. More »

Work and Labor

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Emulating the Holy Apostles

At this time of the year when we commemorate and honor the Holy Apostles chosen by our Lord Jesus Christ to continue His ministry and establish His Church, it is important for us to reflect upon the Apostolic nature of the Church, and more specifically upon our Apostolic identity as Christians. More »

The Power and Promise of Peace

The Holy Scriptures tell us that prior to the Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, He began to prepare His disciples for the time when He would no longer be with them. More »

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