We love serving our community! One of the ways we do that is by regularly staffing the soup kitchen and providing spiritual support to our brothers and sisters at the Haywood Pathways Center, a Christian mission to those in need. This edition of the Rocky Mountain News included an article about us and our work (glory to God). This picture shows Reader Andrew and Deacon John preparing dinner at Pathways as part of our cooking team. See how you can Get Involved!
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East meets west at the Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church - In a small room tucked away in the corner of a nondescript strip mall in the heart of Waynesville, spindly wisps of smoke waft from an incense burner adorned with bells and suspended by chains from the hand of a deacon slinging it rhythmically, back and forth. |
Orthodoxy, a Growing Movement, Even in Haywood - For members of the Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church, the Feast of the Nativity of Christ begins in the evening of Jan. 6, 12 days after Christmas, which is Dec. 24 on our liturgical (Julian) calendar. Worship engages all the senses, bringing those deeper into the Mystery of God through the smell of incense, beeswax candles and oil lamps; the sound of the ringing of bells and the chanting of Psalms in ancient Slavonic melodies; and the sight of traditional iconography, the arrangement of the temple and dear friends engaged in pious prayer. |
The Invasion of Ukraine Strikes Home - Imagine the images coming into his head, and then hear the sounds. For a former U.S. military intelligence analyst now a Ukrainian Orthodox priest serving a Western North Carolina parish, the scenes coming from the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine are both familiar — and particularly visceral. |
Ukrainian Orthodox Church Reacts to Russian Invasion - The situation is terrible. Deacon John Cummings is a part of the Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Waynesville. You might expect someone like him to have a heavy accent, but that’s a common misconception. |
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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 a mission priest and seminary professor for the 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.
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.