Glory to Jesus Christ!

Dear Fellow Evangelizers,

I’M BACK!! Bravi! Bravi! to all of you for your recent posts! They have been absolutely marvelous!! Keep up the honest, open, positive, creative, prophetic, evangelical (and yes, J. Thur,) “Jesus Christ” based thinking (and action.) J. Thur you are correct: The whole point of talking Evangelization, Mission, Vision and Planning is to configure our Church more closely to the Mystical Body of Christ.

I have removed my previous posts concerning vision and strategic planning for two reasons: First, they had been up there for a while. But there is a second and more important reason: I want to pause to step back so as to leap forward again with even greater intensity. I knew that my postings on this Evangelization forum would run the risk of some viewers getting stuck on a word, point or phrase, reacting emotionally, defensively, enviously or uncharitably. I knew that anyone who would react this way would not have read my postings in their entirety and thus be tempted to also sound bite them and even misrepresent them to others who also would not read them in their full context or at all but who would likewise react emotionally, defensively and uncharitably. Viewers do a disservice largely to themselves but also to the noble cause of a thriving Church by not considering visionary language in its entirety.

I am very gratified and humbled to know that none of the contributors to this Evangelization Forum have acted in the way I have just described. However, I am also well aware and I fully expected that there are
non-contributors to this Forum who have regrettably reacted as I mentioned above. Therefore, I am posting on this Forum some clarifications for the benefit of those who got stuck on a word or phrase and were unable to consider my previous postings in their entirety and intent. I invite anyone who has strong negative reactions to any of my thoughts to come out from the shadows. Please make your self known to me in person because I am very anxious to hear your creative and prophetic ideas and to know what you have done to move our Church from survival and maintenance mode to a thriving, evangelical church that will still be thriving long after Fr. So and So is no longer pastor or our great grandchildren have grown up. I call forth your creativity, sincerity, charity and zeal. Our Church needs you! Dinner and a glass of wine (or beer) is on me! Why, I’ll even offer you one of my favorite cigars. (Of course for the ladies chocolate usually works better.) So, how about it?

Oh! Speaking of cigars; We have a St. Maximos the Confessor Theology and “Cigar” Club that meets at Annunciation parish. We do terribly clandestine, subversive things like gather periodically to read and discuss the writings of the Fathers of the Church. Our next meeting is Saturday June 26 following our regular 5:00PM Vespers. Come and be a part of the “conspiracy” to grow in holiness. All are welcome! This club was organized by some of my parishioners but they let me play to.

The emotional reactions from some viewers who remain outside of this forum arena of ideas have given me an insight into our Church that gravely concerns me. Our Church seems incapable of looking at itself in a critical way born of love. In posting some of my thoughts thus far, I have in the eyes of some, committed the unforgivable sin: I dared to say what is not working and I dared to encourage other solutions. But I can and must do this because I am actually LIVING these solutions in various ways including at my parish of Annunciation in Homer Glen. I must “share the wealth” in hopes that others (parishes, monasteries and individuals) may come into a more dynamic evangelical experience of our Byzantine Catholic Church. My thoughts on this forum are at the same time my actual living experience.

The sign of health and maturity of any entity is precisely when the members of that entity feel free enough to take a critical look at themselves and ask, as I believe our Church is being asked, “What are we doing and why are we doing it?” Because I am a priest and ask these questions or because I might hold a certain position of eparchial service it is viewed by some that I “broke ranks” with the company, so to speak, by taking a critical look at things. Actually the opposite is true. On this forum I do not speak in any official capacity. But I am speaking in SUPPORT of the “company,” for its betterment. It reminds me of the classic story of the “emperor has no clothes.” I speak of what I find time and again is in the hearts of so many of you but yet is never heard. Quite frankly, our bishops do not hear from those with vision and zeal. At least they do not hear from you with any real force. Otherwise we would be a Church in vision mode and not in survival mode. You are the people that will carry our Church into a new Springtime of Evangelization. Your ideas and action plans born of love of this Church
and a sense of mission MUST be heard. No matter where I go within our Church I hear the same lament: “we are dying.” Yet, we dare not let anyone say it in any manner that might make an impact and inspire change. Before we can heal a disease, we must first name it. We name the disease precisely to heal it, not just to name it for the sake of “being mean and insensitive.” Some will say of me, “How DARE he say this!!” I ask, “How dare you NOT say this? Don’t you want our Church to thrive?” (Notice I did not say “survive.” It’s “thrive” ONLY.) If you want our Church to thrive, then why perpetuate some of the things that are killing it?

I heard with my own ears laity and clergy alike giving up and simply not caring. So many of us have pronounced “Eternal Memory” on our Church without even trying to heal it. There is no reason to be outraged at me or anyone daring to think and follow through with evangelization. Rather it is I, with the centuries of family legacy in this Church who am outraged that we actually have some laity and clergy alike who actually do not care if this Church continues on after their lifetime. They have told me this themselves! Do they not fear Judgment Day? How do we expect to stand before God on Judgment Day and justify NOT taking the necessary risks to perpetuate a Church that Jesus Christ died and rose for? How convenient it is to blame bishops or one another or the Latins or the weather or the world or…. I say, “Shut up, roll up your sleeves, take some mental-spiritual Exlax and start thinking and DOING evangelization.”

We are a Church poised and ready to truly make an impact in the world. We are being called forth. But, we are a Church paralyzed by our own fears. Many in our Church would rather see it die than change. They would rather see it die than be challenged out of their personal complacency. So, I am the one who is scandalized and I personally am doing what I can not to let the issue of evangelization rest in this Church. My question is what are YOU thinking or doing that is not simply perpetuating the same thing that is killing us? What are you thinking and DOING that is truly Biblical and evangelical. What are you thinking and doing that is truly configuring our Church more and more to Jesus Christ?

There are two principles that I stand on in all of my thoughts on Mission, Vision and Strategic Planning and I will repeat them here: 1. Our Church is experiencing Judgment Day: “What are we doing and why are we doing it?” 2. The Byzantine Catholic Church must be “razed” to the ground and completely rebuilt in order to realize its full, honest, charismatic and evangelical self. “Razing to the ground!!?? How DARE he say this? Is he saying that everything was no good before HE came along with his crazy ideas.??? No, I am not saying this. I ask you, why did we put icon screens BACK into our Churches? How DARE we!! Wasn’t the fact that out of a sense of inferiority and trying to be accepted as Catholics that our ancestors removed our icon screens good enough for us today?? How DARE we change what our venerable ancestors did? Was the reinstallation of icon screens not a form of “razing” our Church and rebuilding at least this piece of it according to what was more true to itself? Now simply take this idea and apply it to every aspect of our Church today. Why come out with a “new “translation of the Divine Liturgy? Is this not a form of “razing” the Church for its betterment, (although just a trifle form at that?)

You will find the idea of “razing” the Church in the very heart of the Byzantine Catholic Church itself. Don’t you recognize it??? It’s the PASCHAL MYSTERY!!!!! It’s John 12:24 “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat…”

So now we once again continue to leap forward on this Evangelization forum. My personal message to my own Church, “Give ourselves permission to think and to act creatively, prophetically evangelically. Allow the best version of our Church to emerge. Change for our Church is going to have to be cataclysmic. I am not suggesting that this happen all at once. But the change has to be that deep and comprehensive because we have too many things that have taken too deep a root in our Church for too long. Simply tweaking the system won’t do it. There is a great day ahead.
We are marching down field. We are going to the “Superbowl.” You are either on the team or you are not, but one way or the other the team is going to the Superbowl. Remember, I am living what I am saying. All you have to do is visit my parish or listen to my radio programs. (My radio program does not deal with issues here. It simply presents the teaching of the Magisterium as lived out in the Eastern Catholic Churches.)

As we resume let me simply remind us all of our rules for this particular forum which as you can see by now, is a bit different than the rest and certainly not for the spiritually faint of heart:

1.This Evangelization forum is not a Canonical entity of the Church. It is simply an arena for ideas that seeks to inspire evangelical commitment, action and ultimately help carry the Eastern Catholic Churches toward a new “Springtime of Evangelization.” We should all feel free to submit our ideas for discussion no matter who we are or what may be our positions in life.

2. Because this is an arena for creative thought, being “offended” is absolutely forbidden. Being “offended” has become a national pastime in our culture today but it is full of all manner of fear, ego and a handy excuse for nonperformance. Even if you “feel” that you are offended, ignore it and continue on with vision and planning.

3. There is no arguing or debating and no catty-ness. You can do that elsewhere but not on the Evangelization forum. We accept only positive creative ideas that must first be viewed charitably and with an open heart and mind from 360 degrees.

4. There is no specifically directed criticism of persons especially of the Hierarchs. Our comments and especially the “movement” that will grow out of them are meant to inspire and empower our leaders (and everyone else as well.)

5. It is forbidden to speak about “loosing” people because of a creative idea. This is a fear-based response and therefore forbidden. I will explain more about “loosing people” another time.

Remember; this internet medium is extremely handicapped. It does not convey tone of voice, body language, intentions, etc. This is why we must always be charitable and act with vision and intelligence, not react with small mindedness, envy, pettiness and out of a sense of protecting a complacent existence or personal agenda.

When I speak about my own Church I am someone who speaks from the standpoint of having literally hundreds of years of family legacy in this Ruthenian Church. Throughout my life and especially my adult and priestly years I have always found myself involved in some way or another in whatever visionary and cutting edge thing that was happening in our Church at any particular time. It is against this background that I speak both critically and creatively about my Church all in the same breath. The word
“critical” is not to be confused with irresponsible “criticism.” For our purposes, to look at our Church with a “critical” eye means to simply say, for the GOOD of the Church, that this or that thing is not working and that something better can replace it. This is what any one does about any person, place or thing that they really care about.

So let us go forth with faith, courage and zeal. And again, I say to my detractors: there is a fine meal, fine wine and a good cigar (or chocolate) waiting for you. Let’s meet in person. I am anxious to hear your solutions.

--Fr. Thomas J. Loya, STB., MA.

This is what I just received from John Segvich through a pm. I encouraged him to comment further and he probably will when he returns from work. But I was very excited about this and so here it is.

Several months ago we discussed the Antiochian efforts but the discussion died out at the time. Perhaps it is time for it to bear fruit.

Dan L

*****

Dan,

This is what we need to do for our Church.

It all goes back to evangelism. Amen.

As the printing press was to the Reformation, so the internet can be for us.

Perhaps we can convince Bishop John to let us launch something like this:

http://www.antiochian.org/missions

In Christ,

John

One must give the Antiochians, especially Fr. Peter Gilquist credit for the mission efforts they have undertaken. Many have converted to Orthodoxy through their efforts. I would say our local Antiochian mission is composed at least 80% of converts.

When they were first forming about twelve years ago they initially indicated interest to form as a Greek Catholic community, but I couldn't get the bishop at the time to reply to my request to consider a mission for them. Things have certainly changed in that regard, however.

You make a good point. I think if we wait upon the bishops for the initial lead we will be waiting for a very very long time. Once we've started we should ask for their blessing.

Dan L

I am happy to hear that Jesus is still the purpose and meaning behind Christianity, especially Byzantine Catholicism. I miss hearing about Him.

But you are, at least, a priest now. Would things be different if you were so outspoken BEFORE ordination? THAT, my dear Father, is the ultimate sin. Speaking out about those who mislead and those who lie and those who look away beforehand. Timing is everything for WHEN one speaks out. Everything else is material for a novel.

Still pondering,
Joe Thur

Diak, my parish is actually an Antiochian mission that was founded a couple of years ago. We're the second founded by our mother parish. So far I would say we've been getting an even mix of cradles and converts.

Our bishop (who was recently enthroned) visited our parish last weekend. We don't even have a building yet and he was already challenging us to think ahead to when we get big enough to split and parent another congregation.

Rilian, that is wonderful and thank God for that kind of evangelical leadership in your hierarchy. Any way you guys can send some of that ju-ju our way?

Sorry, no ju-ju to spare, we need it for our next Artoklasia!

Seriously, I think it just takes the commitment at all levels to take evangelism as an imperative. I think you also have to be willing to take flak from others. I'm sure you know the actions of the Antiochians are not always viewed positively by some others in the church. The leadership as far as I can tell just keeps pressing on though. Bishop Thomas also warned us to never begin to view the church as a closed society or as a place to simply gather to foster ethnic identity.

I'm soon to find out.

Dan L

Dan,

Deaconate? Presbyterate? I will pray for you. You seem to be a good man to have to go through such a gauntlet.

Word of advice: Get everything in writing and make sure the bishop knows you applied. Make copies of everthing. Cc at least two trustworthy people in all correspondence. Don't let the bishop find out that you applied three years after you applied for the first time or the second or the third ... Don't let any inept middleman do your bidding by sending you to programs they don't or ever intend to use. Such games only serve to tick off the local Latin bishop and his program directors. Beware if anyone denies that a program exists even though vocations are already being sent there. Make sure your pastor receives all appropriate information the other pastors of vocations are getting. If you ask a simple question to follow up on statements or claims anyone will make, make sure you get clarification, especially if three people give you four or five different answers to which they will all deny they even said such and such later. Asking followup questions may blacklist you as a pest. Get used to defensive listening. And don't believe anything that is said about the the mystique of the priesthood. It is a myth. And think again about raising questions and offering solutions BEFORE you get ordained. Good luck.

God bless,
Joe Thur

Nice. Not that I am against cigars (I don't smoke but enjoy tasting good wine and import beer while others enjoy their stogies) but we usually do something a bit more whole-family oriented than a cigar club after our weekly or weekend Vespers/Compline/Akathist Reader's services, like have an acoustic music session (most of the kids in our group play something), eat, sing-along, folk dancing, or have a parents and kids soccer game.

The kids have to feel an integral part right from the beginning, as they are the church now, and not just "the future". So many families have parents that worship one way, or one parent that worships one way, and the kids belong to another church, etc. The domestic church has to worship and thrive together if we want the church to fluorish.

I think we are all crazy - but we have that wonderful especially Slavic tradition of the yurodivy - the "fools for Christ" to guide us and intercede for us.