Does anyone know of text/video/audio that could be used to introduce and explain the BCC to nonmembers, especially those of the Protestant churches? I'm looking for resources that address the issues of "sola scriptura" and Holy Tradition. I have seen the tracts produced by the "Evangelical" Orthodox regarding these and a number of other issues that Protestants, especially fundamentalists, have problems with. Although these tracts are quite good, they are strictly "Orthodox" (capital "O") and contain some mild Catholic (Roman) bashing here and there.

Unfortunately, when we try to explain what we believe and why, we too often get hung up on who we are (ethnicity/Catholic vs. Orthodox/rites). These are not the topics of the most interest to Protestants, who for the most part view everything from a scriptural standpoint. In fact these issues just reinforce the viewpoint that all our "trappings" and "government" are man made and "not of Bible/God."

If we view "evangelization" in light of secular marketing principles, we must remember the addressing of the needs/questions of our Roman Rite audience is different from those of our Protestant audience, which are different from those of our cradle-born Byzantine and Orthodox audience.

Any assistance would be of great help. Thanks.

Rick (a former Protestant)

I've run into a similar situation, although vis-a-vis Roman Catholics who are clueless about the Byzantine Church. Very many of them consider Byzantine Christians as Roman Catholics with a cabaret license to sing and dance in church--ignoring our theology, spirituality, legal/canonical existence, and our inherent equality with other canonical Churches. There is a series from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese which is quite good, but heavily oriented towards Greek.
Perhaps we should put together our own series of tapes (audio or video) to respond to this need?
Anybody else got any ideas?

Gentlemen,

The Eparchy of Parma has a very good video regarding the BCC liturgy, which is several years old. It features Bishop Andrew with a very good explaination provided of all aspects of the liturgy. Individual may not get a complete explaination of BCC, but at least they will have a better under standing of our litugry.

Yours in Christ. Ted

Dear Brothers in Christ,
Christ is among us!
As a Byzantine priest I find it much much easier to use Orthodox materials for convert instruction and evangelization. The Antiochian Archdiocese has a wonderful Department of Missions and Evangelization, which might explain why they have opened 60 new parishes this decade.

We must get completely off the concept of being "Roman Catholics with a different 'Mass'". We must know, believe, share, and explain the fullness of Truth found in Byzantine Christianity. This Faith we share fully with our Orthodox Brothers and Sisters. We must share this with everyone seeking the full truth of Jesus Christ!

In Christ,
Fr. Bryan

Dear Father Eyman:

Thank you for your response. Do you have any point-of-contact information for these materials? Our mission community is looking at the idea of providing these materials via mail, but offer a name/number of someone to call for more information along with an open invitation to attend Divine Liturgy. As mentioned in my earlier e-mails, I believe the approach and emphasis needs to be different for those of the Roman Church and those of the Protestant Churches.

I know the Antiochian Orthodox have made great strides in evangelization. May we also be able to join them in spreading the Gospel.

Rick

Dear Father Bryan: I totally agree with you, but, one must remember, the reason the Eastern Rites are thought of as "Roman Cathloics" to begin with is that that is what was pushed down our (and their) throats for years and years. If a priest were to have made statements such as you have done in the early days, you would no doubt have not been in very good favor with the Roman Rite Bishops who were overseeing the Greek Catholic churches of that era. That was the problem that started the mass migration to the Orthodox parishes and without education, which means, total education, things will just fly along as they have which has been very rudderless. Enjoyed your comments

Joy, I'm somewhat dismayed by your response. You keep referrring to things "as they were" but not as they can be now. There are many people today who are more than aware of the historical aspects of the the Church's problems vis-a-vis the Roman church. But NOW, we've got a chance to make things different. We can't keep referring back to 1929 and the abominations that happened then. We've got a GREAT Metropolitan Archbishop in Judson Procyk, and we have the chance to right the previous wrongs. And just because the Orthodox parishes hold on to the cultural aspects of the mother country churches, it doesn't mean that they are going to be able to spread the message of the Gospel. Too many Orthodox parishes are great liturgically but seem to require that one become a "Russian" to ensure their salvation. This sucks, big time.

I'm a Greek-American; I love my heritage; I know something of my ancestral language, but not a heck of a lot. But I live in America in 1998. I deal with the Budweiser/Marlboro/4x4 culture, and AIDS, drug abuse, abortion, sexual revolution, Monica Lewinsky (Thank God, she's not one of ours) and the lifestyle of contemporary Americans. I can't propose that these folks return to 1700 Novgorod to ensure their salvation. So we have to keep the theology and liturgy of the parent churches, but preach the Gospel (including the liturgy) in the language of the people. From time to time, a Slavonic liturgy or a Greek liturgy is wonderful to remind us of our traditions, but to make this a steady diet is to deprive both ourselves and our neighbors of the preached Gospel.

The classic music of Tschaikowsky, Rachmaninoff, Archangelsky, etc. is wonderful, but it can't become the essence of our CHURCH lives. It is up to the people who belong to a parish, who pay the bills, and who work to make it a viable community to make sure that the Church (not the history) is the heartbeat of the community's life.

"Let us love one another......"

I agree with what Father Bryan says 100% -- I would also add these thoughts:

Why is it that most (all?) of our Byzantine Catholic printed evangelization materials (pamphlets, booklets, "tracts") must describe the whole of our Church life by comparing it to that of the Roman Catholic Church? i.e., "Divine Liturgy = Mass in the Roman Church; sign of the cross from right to left instead of left to right, bowing instead of genuflecting, icons instead of statues," etc.

I don't just mean externals, but this: It seems to me that the only people we're trying to evangelize through this approach are Roman Catholics! Why, for God's sake? They are IN THE CHURCH already and are God willing already (being) evangelized (as we all must continually be). But with this approach, how do we ever expect to speak anything of meaning to people to whom "the Eucharist", "Mass", "bishops", "veneration", "baptism", "altar", "priest", etc. mean NOTHING?

I have yet to see a Byzantine Catholic tract which says simply this: God exists, He created you and He loves you. He sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die for your sins and He rose from the dead. He established a Church on earth etc. and that Church is the Byzantine Catholic Church -- please come to pray with us etc. etc., you will be WARMLY WELCOMED ---- and then make good on it! Nothing about icons or eparchies or "communion with Rome" etc. etc. And of course Baptism, Holy Eucharist, Confession, and all the Mysteries and the Catholic Church and icons and the Divine Liturgy are essential -- but if people have to take a crash course in Church history and Christian Liturgy and Symbolism before they ever walk in the door, how do we ever expect them to get even that far?

Eventually they will want/need to know about all these things, but certainly if they come to our church and see that it is good, and they come back, that all will happen.

[This message has been edited by RichC (edited 09-29-98).]

Dr. John, I have a BIG problem with something you said:

You wrote,

"Monica Lewinsky (Thank God, she's not one of ours)"

I believe that with this sort of attitude, herein lies the problem. You decry any kind of ethnic basis for the existence of parishes (except to declare that there is no difference between Rusyns and Ukrainians), but then you have arbitrarily gone about dividing according to other lines of your own making who is "ours" and "not ours."

Ms. Lewinsky, whether she is a Jew or Muslim, or Hindu or animist or atheist, must be "ours" in that we must resolve to make her "ours", not sigh in relief that "she's not one of US". But SHE IS!! All this talk about forgiveness and "repentance", and I have not heard a single person -- politician, moral-holier-than-thou, clergyperson -- talk about Ms. Lewinsky's need for repentance and seeking forgiveness, or more importantly, about US praying for HER. How many more people are out there which we don't need to evangelize because of our self-created categories which label someone as "not one of us"? Nothing more would make me in awe of the majesty of God if through the intercession of the Church Ms. Lewinsky and Mr. Clinton would become Catholic or Orthodox Christians. But how is that to happen? Not through "Monica Lewinsky (Thank God, she's not one of ours)"!

[This message has been edited by RichC (edited 09-29-98).]

One more thing to add to my first message above:

Once upon a time, speaking to a Byzantine Catholic priest, I made the same statement I made above about evangelizing by describing everything "we" do in terms of the corresponding Roman Catholic practice. "Why is that?" I inquired.

He said, "well, we have to be honest and admit that we live in a mainly Roman Catholic society."

I humbly corrected him and said, "Father, I beg your pardon, we live in a SECULAR society that couldn't tell you what a Mass even IS aside from 'the service Catholics have in church'" if they even know that.

Dear Everyone (?),

Thanks to everyone who responded to my initial and other's subsequent e-mails regarding evangelization. Here are some additional thoughts from the son of mainline Protestant parents and grandson of Roman Catholic maternal grandparents. And is thankful to God for the spiritual grounding I received from them all).

I neglected in my first e-mail to mention first and foremost that evangelization means not just preaching/teaching the Gospel, but living it and practicing it. This is for EACH OF US our own, often difficult, ongoing for life, evangelization. ("They will know you are my disciples by the love you have for each other.")

As one of the founding members of the mission parish here in Montgomery Co., Md., I have seen non-Slavs, non-Byzantines, non-Catholics start their journey home. Yes, many may have "issues," questions, or doubts (but don't we all), but they know by the way they are treated, by the way they are accepted, that there is something so right in the Eastern Christian experience. We work and pray to make our church community both catholic (small "c") and orthodox (small "o").

Although it is of primary importance to remain true to our orthodox teachings and Orthodox heritiage, Dr. John brings out an important point. We must refrain from (in may words) "romanticizing" our religion. That somehow by returning to how things were "done" in 17th century Novgorod will cure all our ills. We see this expressed elsewhere too by our Roman brethren who want to return to pre-Vatican II. Fundamental Protestants want to return to the way things were in the early church (although they can't agree on what that means and may be shocked if they knew and understood what that really meant.)

It is a real sin that those seeking a spiritual home are turned away because they are not Ruthenian, or Greek, or Russian, or Ukranian. This is the shame of the Eastern Churches. We have this undescribably beautiful treasure that we don't want to share. Yes, we need to protect it and keep it safe from harm, but we must remember it is a "gift" from God and gifts are to be given and shared.

Thanks for listening.

Rick

Dear Dr. John: I feel you miss my point. I am not advocating going "back to the past" at all, but since we are living in the present there are some things that do need to be addressed. First, I would think is the recent problem with this issue of married priests, now, why is Rome holding it up?, is it due to the "past" practice of a celibate priesthood and therefore, there is controversary? I do concur with RichC that the church has a poor tract record in bringing the good news of the Gospel to the people, instead of preaching doctrines and rules and regulations, they should be talking about Christs love and compassion and wish that all be drawn to him, not away from him. One cannot totally forget the past without doing harm to the present in my estimation, that is what was done before and look where it has gotten us. Neither do I advocate drawing the curtains and not letting any light in, Pope John XXIII tried to do just that and look what happened, instead of the much needed changes taking place that he envisioned, the entire idea was turned upside down. Now, for those who were raised in "ethnic" families, it is indeed difficult at times to try and get yourself into the "swing" of modern ways, sure, the liturgy in English, participation in the liturgy, and all the other items that are being asked for these days are good in their place, but, without love and true understanding, they will not get very far. For those who do not choose to identify with their heritage, it is much easier to go along with modern thought and ideas in their churches than those who dont choose to do so. The bottom line is that choice, if someone feels better adhering to the way "things used to be" where is the harm to that? Each individual has to find God on his or her own terms and, this is why the Fundementalists are pulling in converts in droves, they offer just that, the comfort zone, they make you feel welcome, shower you with attention and bend over backwards to help you learn and read the bible and to study what it is you are supposed to be professing. Again, I dont say lets go back to the past, the past is gone, but, as we all know as we age, it is nice to remember former times that do bring us comfort and consolation, therein lies the reason why many people, Greek Catholics, Russian Orthodox and traditional minded Roman Rite members attend churches that fill these needs. Just my thoughts.

Dear all,

Glory to Jesus Christ!

At the recent clergy conference for the Eparchy of Van Nuys we were treatred to a superb series of talks by one of our own priests, Archpriest Joseph Stanichar, who has been very successful at evangelizing for Byzantine Catholicism for years and years. If anyone is able to contact him (he is the pastor of St. John Chrysostom Byz. Cath. Church in Seattle, WA) to give these talks in their parish or group they would get a real shot in the arm.

Just one of his points that I remember well: we have to stop using the old model that Catholics--of all rites--are addicted to. We all think of ourselves as managers. Fact is in the parishes you people are in sales!
It's not enough to maintain a congregation and church plant. That was not the commission that Christ gave as He ascended to His Father! Nor was it why He pours out His Holy Spirit on us in the Divine Mysteries!!

My two cents :-)
monk Maximos, sinner