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Reprinted from Norman Notes, July 2002
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
You make a difference!
What I mean to say is that each one of us, by our words, decisions, and
actions � by the example of our lives - makes an indelible imprint,
positively or negatively, upon the world in which we live. Sometimes we
may think and act as if we have little effect. At other times, we may
simply forget that we impact everything and everyone we encounter. Or,
we may, by choice, align life�s priorities in ways incongruous with the
Faith that we profess. The fact is that, for good or for ill, each one of us
makes a profound difference.
No, I�m not espousing the humanistic social doctrine of individualism so
rampant in our culture. It is not �Man is the measure of all things� or the
supremacy of the individual being suggested. Rather, it is the Christian
notion of each baptized soul as an integral part of the living Body of
Christ that I suggest. The Epistle to the Church at Rome declares, �For
as we have many members in one body, but all members do not have
the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and
individually members of one another� (Romans 12:4-5). We are, each
one, part of the whole and each one important to the whole. We are
inseparably and inextricably bound up together in community, in the
Church, in God. The reality is, that because we are in Christ, it is truly
Christ�s life that we are called to live. The Church is the continuing
Incarnational presence of Christ on earth, each of us co-workers with
God in time, space and the material universe. We are not our own, we
belong to Christ. There is a very definite, God directed, purpose for us
both as individuals and as the Church. If this is true, then there are
immense spiritual and practical implications that demand our absolute
attention and life-long response.
Saint Paul explains, �For me to live, is Christ�.� To deny the grace of
God, for the transformation and transfiguration of our lives, is to reject
life. It is to be spiritually ill and dying. As Disciples of Christ, we are
known by our works, �By their fruits, ye shall know them.� He is the
life-giving vine and we are the branches. Good fruit is the result of life. It
would seem that some Christians might be still walking around just to
avoid funeral expenses. Those who are in Christ, truly live the
resurrected life of Christ. It is the Holy Spirit of God who indwells us; we
are members of Christ�s living Body. It is with our eyes, that we see for
Him. With our mouths, we speak for Him. With our bodies, minds,
hands and feet, we do His work.
The Christian life is about loving and serving the Lord. It is about living
with holy purpose and direction, �working out our own salvation, with
fear and trembling�. It is nothing less than living the very life of Christ to
the honor and glory of God and for the life of the world and its salvation.
When we commit to growth in holiness, our lives will be characterized
by offering our lives as living sacrifices, faithfully worshiping in the
community of believers, receiving the grace of the Holy Mysteries and
striving for virtue while, with penitent hearts, struggling to overcome sin.
It is an honor and great privilege to be joined with Christ in His holy
work. It is also our responsibility and duty to accept this our high calling,
�� working out our own salvation with fear and trembling�� and,
offering our work, our love, and our lives to Almighty God and for others.
�So, how does this apply to me and to this new Mission in Norman,
Oklahoma�, you might ask? The answer is that it applies equally to
every Christian, in every place and every time. This Mission has a
definite purpose for being here - in this place, at this time. That purpose
is not merely to be a convenience for Orthodox Christians who don't
want to drive all the way to Oklahoma City! Yes, the Mission is here for
us but not simply for our convenience. The Mission is here - we are
here - to be the living Body of Christ in this place. We are here because
Norman, Oklahoma needs the Orthodox Church.
Are you aware that there are many Orthodox Christians living in the
Norman area? Many of these people rarely go to Church; many others
never go to Church. For them we can be shepherds gathering the flock
of Christ.
Are you aware that there an many people living in our area who are not
Christians? There are people who have never heard or responded in
faith to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For them, we are evangelists.
Are you aware that many of our neighbors are spiritual seekers,
searching for the truth? We have a responsibility to those who desire to
find the fullness of Holy Orthodoxy and the true Church. Some of these
feel disappointed, discouraged and abandoned by denominations and
Christian sects that have rejected any semblance of traditional
Christianity in favor of becoming politically correct, secular humanist
organizations in clerical guise. Others are hungry for the truth,
unsatisfied with religion that seems to offer only the empty calories of
feel-good entertainment. Still others are wearied by the hopelessness
and guilt-ladened pessimism characteristic of being in the hands �of an
angry God�. For them we are the light shining in the darkness.
Are you aware that there are those in desperate need physically and
emotionally all around us? For them, we are here: to minister in Christ�s
name, to bring health and healing to a broken world, to care for the poor
and feed the hungry, to visit the lonely, to do the works of charity and
corporal mercy. For them we are hope.
Brothers and sisters, we are the Orthodox Church in Norman. We are
witnesses to the Faith at the University of Oklahoma. We have put our
�hands to the plow�. We have crossed the threshold of a new and
exciting challenge. Always remember, however, that �we� always
includes �me�. �We� is made up of individual souls. Each one is
important. Each person is an integral part of the whole. Each individual
has an essential role to play. Each one is a member of the Body. Each
one of us is needed to lay the solid foundation of Orthodoxy in southern
Oklahoma. �To whom much has been given, much shall be required.�
We have been given everything. Growth in faith, hard work and financial
commitment is required of each one of us. So then, let each one of us
join with the others to the glory of God and for the salvation of the world.
You make a difference!
In Christ,
Fr. Justin
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