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The Perils of ‘Wannabe Cool’ Christianity

Source: St. George Greek Orthodox Church

This is a very telling article in the Wall Street Journal. Of course, many of us have already perceived all of this, which is why we became Orthodox in the first place. This article reveals a sad, and at times – offensive, state of affairs in the latest avatars of what is passing for ‘church’ today.

By Brett McCracken

‘How can we stop the oil gusher?” may have been the question of the summer for most Americans. Yet for many evangelical pastors and leaders, the leaking well is nothing compared to the threat posed by an ongoing gusher of a different sort:

Young people pouring out of their churches, never to return.

As a 27-year-old evangelical myself, I understand the concern. My peers, many of whom grew up in the church, are losing interest in the Christian establishment.

Recent statistics have shown an increasing exodus of young people from churches, especially after they leave home and live on their own. In a 2007 study, Lifeway Research determined that 70% of young Protestant adults between 18-22 stop attending church regularly.

Statistics like these have created something of a mania in recent years, as baby-boomer evangelical leaders frantically assess what they have done wrong (why didn’t megachurches work to attract youth in the long term?) and scramble to figure out a plan to keep young members engaged in the life of the church.

Increasingly, the “plan” has taken the form of a total image overhaul, where efforts are made to rebrand Christianity as hip, countercultural, relevant. As a result, in the early 2000s, we got something called “the emerging church”—a sort of postmodern stab at an evangelical reform movement. Perhaps because it was too “let’s rethink everything” radical, it fizzled quickly. But the impulse behind it—to rehabilitate Christianity’s image and make it “cool”—remains.

There are various ways that churches attempt to be cool. For some, it means trying to seem more culturally savvy. The pastor quotes Stephen Colbert or references Lady Gaga during his sermon, or a church sponsors a screening of the R-rated “No Country For Old Men.” For others, the emphasis is on looking cool, perhaps by giving the pastor a metrosexual makeover, with skinny jeans and an $80 haircut, or by insisting on trendy eco-friendly paper and helvetica-only fonts on all printed materials. Then there is the option of holding a worship service in a bar or nightclub (as is the case for L.A.’s Mosaic church, whose downtown location meets at a nightspot called Club Mayan).

“Wannabe cool” Christianity also manifests itself as an obsession with being on the technological cutting edge. Churches like Central Christian in Las Vegas and Liquid Church in New Brunswick, N.J., for example, have online church services where people can have a worship experience at an “iCampus.” Many other churches now encourage texting, Twitter and iPhone interaction with the pastor during their services.

But one of the most popular—and arguably most unseemly—methods of making Christianity hip is to make it shocking. What better way to appeal to younger generations than to push the envelope and go where no fundamentalist has gone before?

Sex is a popular shock tactic. Evangelical-authored books like “Sex God” (by Rob Bell) and “Real Sex” (by Lauren Winner) are par for the course these days. At the same time, many churches are finding creative ways to use sex-themed marketing gimmicks to lure people into church.

Oak Leaf Church in Cartersville, Georgia, created a website called yourgreatsexlife.com to pique the interest of young seekers. Flamingo Road Church in Florida created an online, anonymous confessional (IveScrewedUp.com), and had a web series called MyNakedPastor.com, which featured a 24/7 webcam showing five weeks in the life of the pastor, Troy Gramling. Then there is Mark Driscoll at Seattle’s Mars Hill Church—who delivers sermons with titles like “Biblical Oral Sex” and “Pleasuring Your Spouse,” and is probably the first and only pastor I have ever heard say the word “vulva” during a sermon.

But are these gimmicks really going to bring young people back to church? Is this what people really come to church for? Maybe sex sermons and indie- rock worship music do help in getting people in the door, and maybe even in winning new converts. But what sort of Christianity are they being converted to?

In his book, “The Courage to Be Protestant,” David Wells writes:

“The born-again, marketing church has calculated that unless it makes deep, serious cultural adaptations, it will go out of business, especially with the younger generations. What it has not considered carefully enough is that it may well be putting itself out of business with God.

“And the further irony,” he adds, “is that the younger generations who are less impressed by whiz-bang technology, who often see through what is slick and glitzy, and who have been on the receiving end of enough marketing to nauseate them, are as likely to walk away from these oh-so-relevant churches as to walk into them.”

If the evangelical Christian leadership thinks that “cool Christianity” is a sustainable path forward, they are severely mistaken. As a twentysomething, I can say with confidence that when it comes to church, we don’t want cool as much as we want real.

If we are interested in Christianity in any sort of serious way, it is not because it’s easy or trendy or popular. It’s because Jesus himself is appealing, and what he says rings true. It’s because the world we inhabit is utterly phony, ephemeral, narcissistic, image-obsessed and sex-drenched—and we want an alternative. It’s not because we want more of the same.

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The Jesus Prayer in many languages

English: Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me the sinner!

Greek: ΚΥΡΙΕ ΙΗΣΟΥ ΧΡΙΣΤΕ ΕΛΕΗΣΟΝ ΜΕ

Señor Jesucristo, Hijo de Dios, ten piedad de mi, el pecador.

Arabic: أيها الرب يسوع المسيح ابن الله, إرحمني أنا الخاطئ Ayyuha-r-Rabbu Yasū` al-Masīħ, Ibnu-l-Lāh, irħamnī ana-l-khāti’ (ana-l-khāti’a if prayed by a female).

Armenian: Տէր Յիսուս Քրիստոս Որդի Աստուծոյ ողորմեա ինձ մեղաւորիս ( Der Hisous Krisdos Vorti Asdoudzo Voghormya Ints Meghavoris)

Dutch: Heer Jezus Christus, Zoon van God, ontferm U over mij, zondaar.

German: Herr Jesus Christus, Sohn Gottes, erbarme dich meiner, eines Sünders. (einer Sünderin if prayed by a female)

Latin: Domine Iesu Christe, Fili Dei, miserere mei, peccatoris. (peccatricis if prayed by a female)

Macedonian: Господи Исусе Христе, Сине Божји, помилуј ме грешниот. / Gospodi Isuse Hriste, Sine Bozhji, pomiluj me greshniot.

Norwegian: Herre Jesus Kristus, forbarm deg over meg.

Polish: Panie Jezu Chryste, Synu Boga, zmiłuj się nade mną, grzesznikiem.

Romanian: Doamne Iisuse Hristoase, Fiul lui Dumnezeu, miluieşte-mă pe mine păcătosul. (păcătoasa if prayed by a female)

Russian: Господи Иисусе Христе, Сыне Божий, помилуй мя грешнаго.(грешную if prayed by a female)

Serbian: Господе Исусе Христе, Сине Божји, помилуј ме грешног. / Gospode Isuse Hriste, Sine Božiji, pomiluj me grešnog.

Chinese: 主耶穌基督,上帝之子,憐憫我罪人。

French: Seigneur, Jésus Christ, Fils de Dieu, aie pitié de moi, pécheur.

Italian: Signore Gesù Cristo, Figlio di Dio, abbi misericordia di me peccatore.

Japanese: 主イイスス・ハリストス、神の子よ、我、罪人を憐れみ給え。

Portuguese: Senhor Jesus Cristo, Filho de Deus, tende piedade de mim pecador!

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What do we mean by the word Orthodox?

By St John Maximovich

Shortly after the doctrine of Christ began to be propagated among the Gentiles, the followers of Christ in Antioch began to be called Christians (Acts ΧΙ:26). Ίhe word “Christian” indicated that those who bore this name belonged to Christ in the sense of devotion to Christ and his Doctrine. From Antioch the name of Christian was spread everywhere. Ίhe followers of Christ gladly called themselves by the name of their beloved Teacher and Lord; and the enemies of Christ called His followers Christians by carrying over to them the ill will and hatred which they breathed against Christ.

However, quite soon there appeared people who, while calling themselves Christians, were not of Christ in spirit. Of them Christ had spoken earlier: “Νοt everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven” (Matt. VII: 5). Christ prophesied also that many would pass themselves off for Christ Himself: “Many shall come in my name, sayings I am Christ” (Matt. XXIV: 5). Ίhe Apostles in their epistles indicated that false bearers of the name of Christ had appeared already in their time: “as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now there are many antichrists” (Ι John ΙΙ:19).

Those who stepped away from the doctrine of Christ should not be considered their own: “They went out from us but were not of us” (Ι John ΙΙ:19). …The Apostles strictly commanded their disciples to shun those who do not bring the true doctrine (ΙΙ John 1:10). The Lord, through the Revelation given to the Apostle John the Theologian, sternly accused those who, calling themselves faithful, did not act in accordance with their name…Of what use was it of old to call oneself a Jew, an Old Testament follower of the true faith, if one was not such in actuality? Such the Holy scripture calls the “synagogue of Satan” (Apocalypse ΙΙ:9).

Ιn the same way, a Christian in the strict sense is he only who confesses the true doctrine of Christ and lives in accordance with it. The designation of a Christian consists in glorifying the Heavenly Father by one’s life: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (St. Matt. V:I6). But true glorification of God is possible only if one rightly believes and expresses his right belief in words and deeds. Therefore, true Christianity and it alone may be named “right-glorifying” (Ortho-doxy). Thus, by the word ‘Όrthοdοxy” we confess our firm conviction that it is precisely our Faith that is the true doctrine of Christ. When we call anyone or anything Orthodox, we by this very fact indicate his or its non-counterfeit and uncorrupted Christianity, rejecting at the same time that which falsely appropriates the name of Christ.

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+ Ο ΛΕΟΝΤΟΚΑΡΔΟΣ ΚΟΙΜΑΤΑΙ…

+ Ο ΛΕΟΝΤΟΚΑΡΔΟΣ ΚΟΙΜΑΤΑΙ…

Ο θάνατος τού μαχητικού Επισκόπου κυρού Αυγουστίνου Καντιώτη ασφαλώς καί δεν μπορεί να περάσει απαρατήρητος, ώς ένας “τών συνηθισμένων ανθρώπων καί μάλιστα Επισκόπων….”

Η διαδρομή του μέσα σ΄ αυτή την ζωή υπήρξε εκκλησιαστικά θυελώδης, σκορπίζοντας ανάμικτα αισθήματα ενθουσιασμού, προσδοκίας καί ελπίδας, αλλά καί μίσους καί εμπάθειας εναντίον του. Οί “λογικοί ” τού αιώνος τούτου τού απατεώνος, τόν αποκάλεσαν τρελλό καί “Δόν Κιχότο” όπως έλεγε αστειευόμενος σε μιά παλαιότερη ομιλία του.

Υπήρξε αφιλάργυρος όσο ελάχιστοι, έθρεψε φτωχούς, ανήμπορους, ζητιάνους, χήρες, και ορφανά σ΄ όποια πολιτική παράταξη κι΄ άν ανήκαν, εξανεμίζοντας τον μισθό του καί τρώγοντας ο ίδιος ψωμί κι’ ελιές…Μικρό παράδειγμα άμα τη αναλήψει τής Μητροπόλεώς του, υπήρξε η εκποίηση τού πολυτελούς Μητροπολιτικού αυτοκινήτου καί η αναζήτηση ενός παλιού στρατιωτικού τζίπ από τόν διοικητή τής επαρχίας του για να κυκλοφορεί πάνω στά βουνά καί στα άγονα χωριά τής ακριτικής περιοχής του όπου ουδέποτε είχε πατήσει επίσκοπος !

Έλεγξε καταστάσεις καί ανθρώπους διακινδυνεύοντας επανειλημμένως την ζωή του στήν κατοχή, τόσο από τούς Ιταλούς, όσο καί από τούς Γερμανούς, αλλά καί τούς γραικύλους “Έλληνες”. Οί δεξιοί τόν έλεγαν κομμουνιστή, οί κομμουνιστές τόν έλεγαν δεξιό, οί άθεοι τον έλεγαν τρελλό, αλλά ο Αυγουστίνος τούς “κορόϊδευε” όλους, μιά καί εκινείτο υπεράνω προσώπων καί καταστάσεων, λίθος προσκόμματος για τούς αδαείς καί πέτρα σκανδάλου για τούς υπόλοιπους…

Ω, τίμιε πάτερ Αυγουστίνε Καντιώτη, εκεί πού θα πάς στούς Ουρανούς να συναντήσεις τον Χριστό υπέρ τού οποίου αγωνίσθηκες καί κατεδιώχθης, καί την Υπεραγία Θεοτόκο πού σού παραχώρησε σημαδιακή ημέρα εξόδου σου απ΄ αυτήν τήν ζωή, την ημέρα πού με το Παλαιό Εορτολόγιο εορτάζεται η Αγία Κοίμησή της ( 28 Αυγούστου ), πρέβευε καί για όλους εμάς τούς ευρισκομένους στήν παρούσα γή, τού κλαυθμού καί τού πόνου…

Το σκήνωμα του σεβασμίου Γέροντος επισκόπου Φλωρίνης π. Αυγουστίνου Καντιώτου από το Νοσοκομείο Φλώρινας μεταφέρθηκε στην γυναικεία Ιερά Μονή του Αγίου Αυγουστίνου επισκόπου Ιππώνος όπου ετελέσθη η θεία Λειτουργία. Στην Ι.Μ. του Αγίου Αυγουστίνου εκκλησιαζόταν μετά την παραίτησή του κάθε Κυριακή ο Γέροντας, μέχρι και στις 1-8-2010, όπου μοίρασε αντίδωρο σ’ όλο το εκκλησίασμα.

Από την Ιερά Μονη Αγ. Αυγουστίνου το σκήνωμα του επισκόπου Αυγουστίνου μεταφέρθηκε για λαϊκό προσκύνημα στον Μητροπολιτικό ναό του Αγίου Παντελεήμονος Φλωρίνης. Έκεί θα βρίσκεται μέχρι την Δευτέρα στις 30 Αυγούστου του 2010. Την Δευτέρα θα τελεσθεί αρχιερατική θεία Λειτουργία. Η εξόδιος ακολουθία θα ψαλεί την ίδια μέρα στον Άγιο Παντελεήμονα Φλωρίνης η ώρα 12 π.μ.

Μετά την ακολουθία θα γίνει η ταφή στην Ιερά μονή του Αγίου Αυγουστίνου