NOTE: Due to the seriousness of the coronavirus, the Synod of Bishops of the UOC-USA have directed that all church services and activities except the Divine Liturgy are to be cancelled for the time being. Following their guidance, we will continue to celebrate the Divine Liturgy as scheduled, but with direct participation limited to the priest, a server, and a cantor. Contact Fr. Anthony with your prayer needs or to arrange a meeting for Communion, Confession, or Holy Unction. Here is the prayer the bishops have given us for this difficult time. As a community, we are committed to one of us praying an akathist each day. Fr. Anthony has also started a daily livestream on YouTube. His goal is to livestream everyday at 10AM. The recordings of each show will be saved on the channel.
Welcome!Do you love God and desire a deeper union in Him through Christ? Are you moved by the beauty of traditional architecture, iconography, and liturgy? Do you love to experience warm, family-friendly fellowship, to hear good music and Christ-centered preaching, to participate in enriching adult education and to offer the same to your children? If so, then "Come and See" us! We are a parish of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA under the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and our doors and hearts are open to you and your family!
Welcome to OrthoAnalytika, Fr. Anthony Perkins' podcast of homilies, classes, and shows on spirituality, science, and culture - all offered from a decidedly Orthodox Christian perspective. Fr. Anthony is the mission priest of Holy Resurrection Church (a mission of the UOC-USA in Waynesville, NC), a full-time PhD student in Political Science at UGA, and a Professor at St. Sophia Seminary (UOC-USA). He has a diverse background, a lot of enthusiasm, and a big smile. See www.orthoanalytika.org for show notes and additional content.
A Note on Church Politics
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The Father greets His Prodigal Son |
Christ had patience and love for everyone, but He called out one group for condemnation: the unrepentant Pharisees. God desires that "all be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4); but the Pharisees put up obstacles to keep people from this very thing. St. Paul similarly condemned those who bring factionalism into the Church, for example, "with one saying 'I am of Paul;' and another, 'I am of Apollos'" (1 Corinthians 3:4). There were occasionally differences among the apostles, but they did not allow their disagreements to divide the Church ("is Christ divided?!" 1 Corinthians 1:13).
The Orthodox Church is the Church of Christ and the Church of the Apostles. Our leaders sometimes disagree. This is okay; the "One Mind" we share is the Gospel, not the specific applications of Canon Law. Sometimes pride and a desire for "sacrifice" rather than "mercy" (Hosea 6:6; Matthew 9:13) gets the best of us and we join the Pharisees in turning the wisdom of God against its purpose. The Church is strong enough to endure that, as well.
Regarding the current troubles, people can disagree about the Ecumenical Patriarch's application of Canon Law, but all of us should rejoice that the 100th sheep – in this case the millions of souls in the Orthodox Church of Ukraine – have been brought safely back into the flock of Christ. We celebrate their return, despite their difficult history, just as we celebrated the return of the ROCOR back into the flock in 2007 despite their own difficult history, and just as Christ Himself celebrated the return of the prodigal – despite his history (and the righteous condemnation of his older brother).
At Holy Resurrection, we recognize how hard it is to live the Truth of Holy Orthodoxy in a world of chaos and division. But we believe that the best way to do it is with love, charity, and patience. Everyone is welcome here.