Dear Friends
Many in our world believe religion is here to provide comfort to its faithful at times of need, to provide someone to sit with people going through emotional crises—perhaps at the death of a loved one or the breakdown of a marriage—or to answer the moral questions facing our society. For some, religious services and ceremonies are times to reflect on life, and our passage through it: to pause in the week or at life’s key events before returning to ordinary life. For others, religion is about keeping a positive score with God, or a god, or karma, so that in times of need special prayers can be offered to get the desired outcome to happen.
Are these your reasons for God and his Church?
The Orthodox Church does not accept such premises: the Church presents to us Truth, not as an abstract concept but as the living, incarnate, personal Truth, Jesus Christ. Either the Church is presenting us the Truth or it is all a lie. There’s no middle ground, no shades of opinion, no wiggle room.
And the world cannot handle this, the world wants to place Christianity in a box that can be understood yet the idea is ridiculous: how can you place the infinite God in a box capable of human understanding?
That the world attempts this is its prerogative, its right. The tragedy is when we Christians attempt it, when we accept God with our lips but reject him with our actions; when we limit God to the box of Sunday mornings, or the box of religious beliefs, or the box of reflections on life—or we restrict him from the box of our job, or the box of all our talents, or the box our energy and time. And in our lukewarmness to the Lord—neither hot nor cold—we miss the Gospel and miss Christ.
My dear brothers and sisters, God is calling each one of us to live up to our calling to be Christians. He has offered to me, and he has offered to you, himself. The infinite God, beyond all understanding, has offered to enliven us, to vivify us, to animate us, through the reception of his beloved Son by the power of the Holy Spirit. Let this be ours today and every day that we be found worthy followers of him.
Services this week
Friday 29th October
Discussion on the book of Genesis, 8 pm
Online only
Saturday 30th October
Vespers, 6.30 pm
At St Francis’ Hall, Eastleigh
Sunday 31st October
Divine Liturgy, 9.30 am
At St Francis’ Hall, Eastleigh
Online session is via Google Meet: please get in contact for the details.
Please join us: all are welcome, come and see.
Attending Church
We will be meeting at St Francis’ Hall, Nightingale Avenue, Eastleigh, SO50 9JA. We ask you to wear a mask unless exempt. Come and See.
Can I help you?
I am here for you, you need only ask. Is there a way I can support your life of faith? Get in touch.
Can you help the mission?
Yes, absolutely. Offer yourselves to the Lord: pray! Make available to him all your talents and ask him how he would like you to use them — listen for his reply.
Your prayers!
With love in Christ
Fr Alexander
[email protected]