Fr John Cook Update by Reader Paisios

In his second Epistle, the holy apostle Peter says: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Within that one verse is a snapshot of the moments of my life before I entered the door at St. Tikhons’ and a bird’s-eye view of my life afterwards. I can tell you, dear reader, that my life has tremendously changed, not only for my benefit but also for the benefit of the community as well.

Prior to stepping through the threshold of St. Tikhon Orthodox Church, I was a ship without a rudder being tossed to-and-fro in the raging seas of life. I was desperately searching for the absolute truth, knowing that Christ is our King, yet dissatisfied with the inconsistency of the Protestant churches, who most certainly had the appearance of a house built upon unstable sand.

Father John took the time to answer my questions patiently, was very gracious with me even after I had promised to visit his parish, and neglected to inform him that I had changed my mind due to my reluctance to abandon the Protestant church. However, the second time was most certainly a charm, and after I finally made my appearance at St. Tikhons’, I never left.

Thanks be to God; our Lord has helped me make a significant improvement. I was initially a recluse of sorts, withdrawing in the back of the Nave, inaudibly singing (or not singing at all), and primarily keeping to myself. Within two years, I am an ordained and tonsured Reader, leading others in prayer and singing. I cannot minimize the miracle of God’s grace working in a wretched man such as myself, who still has much to learn but now whose main focus is pleasing God instead of my own vain passions.

Flowery words cannot begin to express the gratitude which I have for our benevolent and long- suffering Creator who has, in His infinite mercy, granted me a father figure in Father John to fill the role, in a way, of my father, who passed away unexpectedly in 2021.

Therefore, I make it an utmost priority to serve God first and foremost in my life by making sacrifices for our parish and my godfather, Father John, by relieving him of as many duties as I can so he can better assist in the healing of lost souls who, by God’s providence, enter through our doors.

It is not my intention to list all the roles or jobs that I do because I want the praise to go to God and God alone; however, Father requested that I inform you of my duties in composing a monthly Orthodox bulletin, which has been an invaluable resource to many parishes and is available online.

The priest, who had been releasing those bulletins every month, was in dire need of a volunteer willing to relieve him of his role so that he may have more time with his parish, and I merely consented to take on the role. I do not wish to have any sort of applause for my mere choice. I am only doing what I am commanded to do, and that is helping others.

With the remainder of my time that we have, I want to extol the virtues of the other parishioners of St. Tikhons’, who exceed me in all the virtues that we strive for as Orthodox Christians. It is truly an honor to worship and serve with such an honorable group of men and women, and it is a blessing to have a second family in Christ.

We have parishioners who make it a point to pick up two college students who do not have automobiles and transport them to and from church services. We collect canned food goods for the Caroline County Food Bank and deliver several bags and boxes of food to the needy every month. We also collected funds for school supplies to benefit local children in need.

Our parish went above and beyond in assisting local families this Christmas by donating funds and even taking time to shop for men, women, and children in need. We are also beginning to collect funds to support local pregnancy centers in the region with the hope that we can help single mothers who are struggling.

God has blessed us abundantly, so we all generously give to those who are lacking the basic necessities to survive in this difficult economy. One of our parishioners’ family suffered a great loss of their family home in a tragic fire, and our parish so graciously supported her family that they will be able to rebuild on their property.

We have organized a mini-Nativity retreat with lectures, games for children, spiritual discussion, and prayer in order to cultivate a deeper appreciation for Nativity and to grow closer to Christ as a family. There is also talk of extra services as we approach Great and Holy Lent, and also more community outreach as we grow as a parish.

I can speak for all of us at St. Tikhons by saying that we are indebted to God for such a hardworking and dedicated priest that we all make sure that we can fill whatever available role that we can to alleviate Father John’s overall workload, ensuring that he can focus solely on the spiritual lives of his flock.

The future looks bright for St. Tikhons, thanks solely to God, for in His infinite providence He has brought so many souls who hunger and thirst after righteousness but are also not afraid to let their light shine so that others may see their good works and give glory to God. He has also brought the spiritually lame through our doors, and by the grace of God, he has healed them or is in the process of healing them. I should know, because I was one of them.

Such is the case for many little churches sprinkled around the world, which go unnoticed by busy travelers hurrying to their destination, but these churches are doing God’s work in communities that desperately need them in this tumultuous time.

Thank you for the honor of allowing me to give my testimony. Please keep the parish of St. Tikhon’s in your prayers. For as it is written: Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James 5:16)

Reader Paisios