It's Great To Be A Christian!

The joy and celebration of the resurrection of our Lord is evident in the faces of those present at Pasca. Father Gordon Walker, priest emeritus of Saint Ignatius Antiochian Orthodox church, proclaims, "Christ is risen!", as he symbolically carries the light of the world into the midst of the people. The people respond,"He is risen indeed!" This electrifying moment in the life of the Church follows 40 plus days of fasting and lamenting our sins. This celebration starts at midnight and is followed by a feast where food and libations abound.We all go home about 4 AM, sleep as long as we want, then return for another feast about 4 pm. Its great to be a Christian! Who said Christians don't have any fun?

To All Generations

Teach them the way to go and when they grow old they will not depart from it.



Thanks to Dan Rudder of St. Seraphim Orthodox Cathedral in Dallas, Texas, for this video.

Announcing A Motion Picture

I want my Journey To Orthodoxy readers to be the first to know that my Film and Television Production Company has optioned the book, The Woodland Hills Tragedy, by S. Rickly Christian. Over ten years ago I was perusing the used book section of a second hand store and discovered this out of print book. Several false starts, a move, a reincorporation of my company, a lot of prayer, a whole lot of patience, and the contracts have been signed.

Kingdom Films Inc. will produce the book into a feature film with a goal of theatrical release. The riveting true story of the discovery of 16,433 aborted fetuses in a rented trash container in Woodland Hills, CA in he 80's, is seen through the eyes of an investigative reporter (Rick Christian). Rick's real-life experience with this bizarre episode in the annals of the abortion debate unveils the abortion industry, Planned Parenthood and government involvement in an Erin Brokovitch manner. The story is void of religious dogma and is driven by fact-based social commentary. The working title of the film is Ausrotten-German for "exterminate."

"This is the journey of one man’s soul from detachment to involvement, from apathy to deep concern. On a larger scale, it is a reflection of what it means to live in a society that routinely destroys its own sons and daughters-not merely statistics, but flesh and blood people. In the end, Rick is faced with the unsettling discovery that the perpetrators of such evil and heinous acts do not always appear as monsters. More often than not, they look just like you and me."

I challenge all JTO readers to rise from detachment to involvement, from apathy to concern. Help Kingdom Films Inc. bring this project to the screen. Pray for me personally and for all KFI personnel who will be spending countless hours in pre-production, production and post- production, taking this film from development to distribution. As you might surmise, KFI won't be met with open arms in the film industry but neither was Icon Pictures and Mel Gibson. If I make no other film the rest of my life, this will be enough. It may be the sole reason God has graced me with being in this industry.

We will enter the script phase and the investment phase simultaneously. Pray that both are blessed. I intend to personally write the script, but am also considering a co-writer. Let all in the JTO family know of our needs.

Lord Jesus Christ Son of God Be Merciful To Me A Sinner.

Starting An Orthodox Church?

Well, actually the Church "started" about 2000 years ago. Being from a Protestant background, I recognize the phrase "starting a church" has certain connotations that don't really apply to the establishment of a local Orthodox parish. Usually when you hear "start a Church" you think of some well-meaning individuals or groups who have a heart for God and a heart for people and feel as if they have a better way of doing things. So, they infuse their personality and methods, decide which of their doctrines or practices they will emphasize, get a place to meet and start advertising. The thing that separates this method from the Orthodox Church is the fact that we have already been at the Church planting thing for over 2000 years and the local parishes we establish are not the work of an individual or independent group. We are not reinventing the wheel, we are providing the whole vehicle. There are over 250 million Orthodox around the world and we are made up of various cultures so be prepared to experience what the church is supposed to look like: Multi ethnically diverse.

If you are Native American you are welcome and may be interested to discover that some of the first converts to Orthodoxy on this continent were from your culture.

If you are Hispanic the door is wide opened to you, especially if the door to the Roman Church has been closed to you for some reason. Remember, the Pope recognizes the authenticity's of our Apostolic succession and the validity of our Eucharist. If there is a language barrier we will close that gap quickly. Maybe you or someone you know could help interpret. Remember the Orthodox faith is the faith and you are a very important part of it. The Orthodox faith is compassionate toward the issues involving illegal immigration and the families who are affected. In North America, there are more Orthodox immigrants than European converts.[Si usted es hispano la puerta es amplia abierto a usted, sobre todo si la puerta a la Iglesia romana le ha estado cerrada por la razón que sea. Recuerde, el Papa reconoce la autenticidad de nuestra sucesión Apostólica y la validez de nuestra Eucaristía. Si hay una barrera de los idiomas cerraremos aquel hueco rápidamente. Tal vez usted o alguien que usted conoce podrían ayudar a hacer de intérprete. Recuerde que la fe Ortodoxa es la fe y usted es una parte muy importante de ello. La fe Ortodoxa es compasiva hacia las cuestiones que implican immig ilegal.]

If you are African American you are invited to come home to the church of your ancestors. History show us that the continent of Africa was extremely important to the establishment of Christianity. In fact, many of the slaves who were brought to America were Orthodox Christians. Many Orthodox churches display icons of those Africans who have been made saints by the church such as St. Moses The Black. The Ancient Christianity and African American Conference is held annually as an effort to introduce African Americans to the Orthodox Faith. You are a vital part of the life of the church.

If you are European it was you who preserved the faith when the East was in such political turmoil and who originally brought the church to this continent. It is also out of the European culture that the Western Liturgy was birthed.

If you are Asian you will be interested to know that Asia had over 500 Orthodox Bishops by the year 901 and was instrumental in propagating the gospel in many other countries. The Asian Orthodox Churches are continuing to flourish today.

If you are a former Roman Catholic and for some reason cannot return to the RCC, we say "come home" to the Orthodox Faith. The RCC and the Orthodox Church were one body before 1054. The Western Rite Liturgy will be very familiar to you. The Eucharist is available to you even if you have been divorced. You may be interested to know that our Orthodox priests may marry, much value is put on the role of women, and although we highly respect the role of the Pope, the Orthodox Church is governed by consensus of bishops not by one man rule.

If you are Church of Christ know that of all the non-catholic denominations you are probably closer to the original church than any. Campbell has the right idea to go back to the original, early church. He just didn't go back far enough. Like Martin Luther he opted to establish what he thought to be the purest form of Christianity. Neither realized it was found and is found in the Eastern Church-the Orthodox Church. Come all the way home. You will find liberty and not legalism.

If you are a pagan your heart has cried out for meaning, ritual and design. You have come up empty in the ever changing evangelical world. You will identify with the Orthodox Celts and all cultures who have found their way to the original church. You will find the church to be the real container of mysticism that is valid and spiritual. You will see that Christ is really The Eternal Tao.

عرفت إن أنت تكون عربيّة ويكون يفكّر حول مسيحيّة, أنّ أسقفنا عربيّة [لبنس] والأبّنا في دمشق, سوريا. هم, مثل أنت, مرّة اضطرّ رأيت مسيح ك ال [مسّيه].

If you are a Charismatic or Pentecostal you will find the real meaning of the charisms are found within the Orthodox faith. Many of our saints are recognized through the miracles that resulted from their lives. The demonstrations of God's power over flesh is quiet and holy, not boisterous and showy.

If you are a human being come home to the One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. It is the shelter of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Creator of the universe and of all there is. He knows your name and every hair on your head is numbered.

"The Down Slope Home" Letters From A Soldier

Number five in a series of letters from SGT Daniel Nuoffer

Mr Lewis

I had some time to burn before I had to go back to work, and I was playing around on the Internet. I went to your web page and saw where you have another grandchild. Congratulations I am so happy for you and your family. You looked so happy in the pictures. I hope all is well and that you and your family are as happy as you seem.

I am on the down word slope home. I am about 3 weeks out from my fly date. We have been working nonstop to get this new unit ready to take over the duties and responsibility's of this mission. It has been a bumpy ride. I have had to put myself in harms was more then once to keep these guys from getting hurt. But they lack experience here. And that is enough to get you hurt. There is hope they are learning and it will come. I will keep praying for them and they will make it.

God bless you sir. I will keep you in my prayers and lift you up to the father.

Sgt Nuoffer

Note: Sgt Daniel Nuoffer is on his second tour in Iraq. His duty is to command the lead gunnery vehicle that guides our troops in convoy down treacherous roads from Kuwait into Bagdad. He will be gone for 15 months. His new wife awaits his safe return as do we all. Send him your love and support. You may e-mail him at chemicalninja@yahoo.com.

Tribute For Charlton Heston

[While I was formulating my own thoughts at the passing of Charlton Heston I received this e-mail. I couldn't say it any better:]

Dear Friends,

Perhaps many of you remember the late Charlton Heston as Moses from Cecil B DeMille's "The Ten Commandments" or even as Judah Ben Hur from the movie based on Lew Wallace's novel: "Ben Hur" or even as Rodrigo de Vivar in "El Cid" or even as John the Baptist in "The Greatest Story Ever Told". Personally, I have always remembered him as all of those roles and much more.

However, few people remember him as a man of upright morals and of upstanding Christian faith. Of the many celebrity actors in Hollywood, he was one of the few who has stood by his spouse for a good 64 years without ever going off the rails maritally or in any other way. Very few actors within the industry of Hollywood would have stayed as long in their marriages as he did. In fact, this has been his one and only marriage faithful to the end. In addition to this, Charlton Heston has stood very strongly against the sins of abortion and sodomite/homosexual behaviour and upset the apple cart of political correctness due to his strength of stance as a moral man.

In terms of his Christian faith, it is recounted that when he was scheduled to play "Moses" in Cecil B DeMille's "The Ten Commandments", the producer, Cecil B DeMille, had fallen from a four foot ladder and had injured his back. This would have halted the production of this movie, but instead, the next day Cecil B DeMille turned up at work well and gave every body on the cast and crew a copy of the New Testament. He then testified before everyone that Jesus Christ had healed him and could do wonderful things in their life. It is probable that he became a Christian from that period onwards. In addition to this, Charlton Heston many years later after retiring from the film industry, personally produced a 4 part documentary series defending the historicity of the Holy Scriptures called: "Charlton Heston Presents The Bible" on location in the Middle East. At the end of it all, he gave a challenge: "If you seek the Lord, you will surely find Him." Furthermore, he has been involved often when he was alive with the Christian Film and Television Commision.

Those who knew him personally always recalled him as this: "self controlled, gentle man" and also in the words of both Presidents George W Bush and the wife of late former President Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan respectively as: "man of character and integrity, with a big heart" and "I will never forget Chuck as a hero on the big screen in the roles he played, but more importantly I considered him a hero in life for the many times that he stepped up to support Ronnie [Ronald Reagan] in whatever he was doing".

In the words of our Orthodox Liturgy for the dead (Trisagion), we as Christians say this: "O God, most merciful and giver of life, may you forgive Charlton Heston of his sins, both voluntary and involuntary, and grant him peace." May God grant him a place in paradise and give comfort and rest to his family and loved ones.

Yours Sincerely,

Timothy Kwoh

Devotional Reading From Bill H. Lewis

Strength From God's Word
April 7, 2008

Who Orders for You?

The first prayer I utter each morning is “Lord, order my steps.” Actually I am saying, “Lord, you are in charge.”

How important is this for our daily walk? Some still have small children, while those of us who are older have already reared ours. While our children were young, we would sometimes go to a restaurant to eat. Never did we hand the menu to our children and depend on them to just “order what you want.” They would naturally order the pie, the cake, the ice cream, etc., and never order the things that were really good for them.

The prayer, “Lord, order my steps today” or “Lord, I really do not know what is best for me today. I will depend on you to order for me” is a “catch all” prayer. This prayer will include praise for all the good things that occur in our day, and also eliminate all the gripes about what we may feel are the bad things.

Sometimes the bad things may actually be the good things. For instance, have you ever griped when you overshot your exit and said, “Why did I do that stupid thing?” when God replies, “I caused it, because if I had not done that and you had gone on your usual way, you would have met up head on with an 18 wheeler.”

Let’s just praise the Lord. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.” (Psalm 37:23 NKJV) You don’t need to “watch your steps” if you have already turned them over to the Lord at the beginning of the day and continue to trust Him to guide you throughout the day. God promises to guide [watch] your steps when you give Him the opportunity and commit to follow Him.

-- Bill H. Lewis

Note: Bill H. Lewis is father to Journey To Orthodoxy's Nathan Lee Lewis. Reverend Lewis is a Southern Baptist Pastor living in Arkansas, USA.

Joy To The World!

Raeleigh was born weighing 8 pounds 14 ounces. She is Cynthia and my third grandchild. Her proud momma is the third of our five daughters. Our little papoose is all American. She is Apache, Spanish, Irish, German. There are few joys like this and few experiences surpass it. Do we have any idea of how much God loves us? God truly is love and we are His children.

How God Keeps Us Humble

The following is a short essay I wrote for acceptance as a volunteer at our summer youth camp.

Camp St. Thekla Essay
Volunteer Applicant
Nathan Lee Lewis

"As a former youth pastor in several churches I have found my camp experiences to be the most memorable and rewarding. Camp allows for a focused environment away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It allows the business of distracting activities to be put on pause. One’s heart and mind can be tuned in to the yearnings of one’s soul and to the prompting of the Spirit. I have watched young people who are on the fringe of a spiritual awareness step over into understanding and faith. I have seen the hardened heart of a troubled youth soften and receive truth and understanding. I have seen individual lifelong relationships forged and fragmented groups become community. The most rewarding memory is of those who say that their camp experience was the pivotal moment in their quest for God. To know that I had a part in that, to know that I was allowed the privilege of watching lives transformed, truly changed for a positive eternal destiny, is incomparable. It has been many years since I have worked with youth in a camp setting. The thought that I would have this opportunity again has not occurred to me in recent years. I find my heart coming alive with the resurgence of the gifts of ministry and the heart for youth that I once treasured. To be allowed the blessing once again to share in the camp experience is an unexpected joy. Perhaps, I will find myself a wiser more measured man than I was in the sincere, yet ignorant early years of ministry where I was very much a youth ministering to youth. Perhaps now that I have put away youthful things I can offer myself as a more refined instrument to speak wisdom and mold young lives. God grant that it be so. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner."

I was accepted. When I got there they put me in the kitchen for the whole week. I had no contact with the youth.

We Gave Him A Stone

The Press Release Reads:

”On Wednesday Feb 20, 2008 Fr Gregory Momongan 32 years of age was hit by a car. He died today, Thursday, Feb 21. Fr Gregory was the only Orthodox priest serving on the huge Indonesian Island of Sulawesi also called Celebes. He served the town of Manado. He leaves behind a wife and one year old daughter. Fr Gregory had been riding a motorcycle which is a common means of transportation there when he was hit by the car.” This morning at the end of Liturgy, our priest emeritus at St. Ignatius in Franklin, Tennessee told us of the tragic news. What the above press release does not say is that Fr. Gregory was using his motorcycle as a taxi to earn “a few pennies” to support his family. I have never come so close to shouting out in a church, especially since becoming Orthodox. I had to restrain myself from shouting out, “Why? Why was this dedicated priest, our priest, having to try to earn a few pennies to support his family? Why wasn’t the church giving him what he needed? Why weren’t our Bishops who sent him there providing for his needs? Where is the heart for missions? Our priests are our missions.”

So I will shout now. Shame on us, Bishop and Layman alike for allowing such to happen!

This young priest and many like him on foreign soil and on our own soil risk their lives everyday to serve our Lord at the bidding of their Bishops. Some dodge Muslim terrorists in foreign lands. Some work among the meth addicts and prostitutes with their wives and young children by their side while we fill our coffers and simply “pray” for their welfare.

Selfishness! Greed! Apostate! Shame! All are to blame, every man woman, child, who does not give to missions either through the Church or directly. Missions is not a program, it is real people with real names. Father Gregory’s wife has a name, Maria, and so does his infant daughter, Paskhalita, who will never know her father on this earth.

”Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread,will he give him a stone?” Father Gregory and other dedicated Orthodox priests do not even ask for bread and yet we still give them a stone. If we allow our priests to continue to suffer need it would be better for a millstone to be hung around our own necks.

The four orders of the priesthood are Bishop, Priest, Deacon, Laymen. If the Bishops, Priests and Deacons fail to support our mission priests, then it is left to all laymen to give directly to our mission priests. A good first step might be to give to Gregory’s wife and child and to the support of his church in Indonesia.

You may give directly to this specific need by going to the Friends of Indonesia website. Or may also send a check to:

Friends of Indonesia

P.O. Box 9484

Baltimore, MD 21228

Place "Father Gregory" on the Memo line.

100 % of all emergency donations will go directly to pay outstanding hospital bills, funeral expense, and long term provisions for Father Gregory's wife and infant daughter.

Addendum added 5/16/09:

59. If any bishop, or presbyter, or deacon does not supply the needs of any of the clergy who is in want, let him be excommunicated. If he persists, let him be deposed as one who has killed his brother.This Canon applies to the distribution of gifts brought to the Church for the purpose of supporting the clergy (Canon 4 of the Holy Apostles).