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The monthly Newsletter of the
Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church
The Annunciation The monthly newsletter of the
Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church
July 2016
Black Friday –by Father Barnabus Powell And they’re off! The sales, the markdowns, the deals, all conspiring to get us to spend, spend, spend. The competition is hot. The deals are unrepeatable. Knock that person ahead of you down. Reach across that lady’s grasp. Get here first! Fight, fight, fight! No thanks. Black Friday sales and the whole hoopla associated with it is the ugliest part of our consumer society. It reduces us to mere consumers and our love to what we can “get” for those whom we say we love. It plugs into the place in our soul that is all to easily satisfied with temporary “things.” Ultimately, it is de-humanizing. So, are we mere consumers of goods? Are we what we can “get” for those we love? Can we really be reduced to mere com-merce? We can, but that is ultimately too small for our true selves. However, the idea of return on our investment is a powerful illus-
tration of what we ultimately value in our lives.
In Luke 19:12-28: The Lord said this parable, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten pounds, and said to them, ‘Trade with these till I come.’ But his citizens hated him and sent an em-bassy after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ When he returned, having received the kingdom, he commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by trading. The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your pound has made ten pounds more.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your pound has made five pounds.’ And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your pound, which I kept laid away in a napkin; for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man; you take up what you did not lay down, and reap what you did not sow.’ He said to him, ‘I will condemn you out of your own mouth, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow? Why then did you not put my money into the bank, and at my coming I should have collected it with interest?’ And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the pound from him, and give it to him who has the ten pounds.’ (And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten pounds!’) ‘I tell you, that to every one who has will more be given; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over
them, bring them here and slay them before me.'” And when he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
This powerful parable of the “pounds” is like the parable of the “talents” in another place. It reflects the reality of the gifts, privileges, and abilities given to each of us in our time, talents, and treasures. And it challenges us to take stock of how we have Invested our lives and used our gifts. Have we squandered our time, talents, and treasures, or have we allowed our fear to steal our best from our lives? Have we truly been awake to the temporariness of our lives here and has that reality spurred us toward making the most of our time here in this life? Do we know why we are here? Struggling with these questions is impossible without first embracing the defining reality of God coming to us in the flesh to exalt our creation to what it was meant to be. When I come to grips with the truth that God has become endless he’d so that I may, by grace, become “engodded” then, and only then, will I realize just why my time, talents, and treasures are so valuable in the first place
and how to use them for eternal return.
On Black Thursday, you will be tempted To reduce your value to what you can purchase or receive. Avoid this reduction of your real
self by taking the courageous path of a purposeful Orthodoxy and know your worth precisely by the value God has placed on you by
becoming like you to save you!
Subscribe to Father Barnabus Powell’s daily blog Faith Encouraged Daily at http://blogs.ancientfaith.com/faithencouraged/
and listen to his podcast Faith Encouraged on Ancient Faith Radio podcasts. This article was first published November 29, 2014.
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News from the Annunciation
Submitted by Cathy Beedle, Women’s Group Recording Secretary
Greetings from the Ladies Group! This group has made some significant donations this past year to help out our church including funds to pay for the new oven in the kitchen and new kitchen flooring. We are so grateful for these improvements! In addition, Funds from the Ladies Group are used to purchase miscellaneous kitchen supplies like napkins & paper plates used during fellowship. Help the group offset these costs by donating a few dollars each Sunday. Donation baskets will be set out during fellowship time and every little bit helps! Please take note of the following upcoming events sponsored by the Ladies Group! Sunday, November 13 - In conjunction with the Fall Parish Assembly, we will have a Soup Bowl Sunday Supper! There will be several different varieties of soups and other yummy good-ies - $3.00 per person. Saturday, November 19 - Annual Fall Bake Sale. We are looking for donations of baking supplies, money, baked goods and your TIME to work on the day of the sale - sale runs from 9am
- 4pm and all volunteers are welcome!
As many of you as have been
baptized into Christ have put
on Christ, alleluia!
Congratulations to Mike and Amber Kutayli on the
baptism of their daughters—Eleanor and Katie Kutayli on
October 15, 2016.
Marriages
Congratulations to Michael and Catalina Kazas who
were married on October 8, 2016. May God grant them many
years together!
Mission & Outreach
Habitat for Humanity—Lunch Servers
Annunciation parishioners—we have a wonderful
opportunity to assist Habitat for Humanity by
providing a meal on Saturday, November 5th at
11:30 a.m. Don’t worry, the Husker’s don’t play
until the evening—so you have plenty of time to
get home and prep for the game after
volunteering.
Habitat for Humanity’s mission is to put God’s
love into action by bringing people together to
build homes, communities and hope. It is a
non-profit organization that partners with future
and current homeowners to build simple,
decent and affordable housing for low to very
low-income families. Volunteers and future home-
owners work together in the building process.
We are currently in need of meal volunteers (all
ages are welcome) to provide a meal (entrée side
salads, dessert and water) to the family and
workers. We will meet at Annunciation on
Saturday, November 5th at 10:00 a.m. to build
and wrap sub sandwiches. If you are able to
assist in serving at the site, we will leave the
Church at 11:00 a.m. to deliver and serve the
meal at the construction site. If you are interested
in helping with this important outreach, please
e-mail Sarah Kripal at [email protected] or
text/call at 402-617-2797. A sign-up sheet will
also be posted in the basement of the Church on
the bulletin board. Thank you and God bless you
for prayerfully considering volunteering and for
being Orthodox on purpose!
Next Deadline for Newsletter… Articles/reports/photos/stories due November 18, 2016!
Send to [email protected]
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Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church
Priest: Fr. Mark Curtright, 770-7520
Parish Council:
Galen Erickson, President, [email protected], 486-1114
Dinos Giannakas, [email protected], 328-0009
Charlene Gondring, Treasurer [email protected], 489-4621
Dimitrios Hametis, [email protected], 770-5614
Randy Johner, [email protected], 202-460-6289
T.J. Kripal, Vice President, [email protected] 402-617-2797
Kirsten Warren-Carrell, Secretary, [email protected], 975-9897
Stewardship
Daniel Ciobanu, Stewardship, [email protected], 488-3330
Paul Barnes, Stewardship, [email protected], 525-2778
Sunday School/GOYA
Iulia Curtright, [email protected], 770-7520
Greek Dancing/Festival
Fay Deligiannis, [email protected], 770-5158
Head Chanter
Paul Barnes, [email protected], 525-2778
Sunday Bulletin/Website
Joel Davies, [email protected], 745-0146
Newsletter Editor/Monthly Calendar
Sarah Kripal, [email protected], 402-617-2797
Jennifer Hartz, [email protected]
Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church
950 North 63rd Street
Lincoln, NE 68505-2286
Every Saturday: 5:30 p.m. Great Vespers Every Sunday: 9:00 a.m. Orthros 10:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy Coffee hour following