V. Rev. Father Nabil L. Hanna, Pastor
(317) 919-0841 • [email protected]
10748 E. 116th Street • Fishers, Indiana 46037
(317) 845-7755 • www.stgindy.org
Rev. James A. Childs, Deacon
(317) 626-3943 • [email protected]
A Parish of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America • Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest
TONE 3
MAY 7, 2017
EOTHINON 5
FOURTH SUNDAY OF PASCHA: THE PARALYTIC
APPEARANCE OF THE SIGN OF THE PRECIOUS CROSS IN THE HEAVENS ABOVE JERUSALEM
MARTYR AKAKIOS THE CENTURION AT BYZANTIUM • JOHN OF BEVERLY, BISHOP OF YORK
PRIEST ALEXIS TOTH OF WILKES-BARRE, DEFENDER OF ORTHODOXY IN AMERICA
Our holy Father Alexis, defender of the Orthodox Faith and zealous
worker in the Lord’s vineyard, was born in Austro-Hungary on March 18,
1854, into a poor Carpatho-Russian family. In October, 1889 he was
appointed to serve as pastor of a Uniate parish in Minneapolis,
Minnesota.
St. Alexis guided many CarpathoRussian and Galician immigrants
through the confusion of religious
challenges in the New World, and
back to the unity of the Orthodox
Church, through his grace-filled
words and by his holy example.
Father Alexis composed his last will and testament shortly
before his repose in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in 1909,
beginnig with the words:
“Submitting my soul to the mercy of God,and asking
everybody's forgiveness and forgiving everybody, and
remaining faithful to the Orthodox Catholic doctrines up to
my last minute, believing and professing myself, and
submitting myself to the prayers of all....”
His holy relics now rest at St. Tikhon’s Monastery in Pennsylvania.
L I T U RGY VA R I AT I O N S
PASCHAL GREETING / RESPONSE
English:
Christ is risen! / Truly He is risen!
Arabic:
Al-Maseeh qam! / Háqqan qam!
Greek:
Christós anéste! / Alethós anéste!
Slavonic:
Christós voskrése! / Vo-ístinu voskrése!
Romanian:
Christós a inviáht! / Adevarát a inviáht!
Tigrenia:
Christós Ténsiou! / Ba-háke Ténsiou
Amharic:
Christós Tenestwál! / Bergit Tenestwál!
Spanish:
¡Cristo ha resucitado! / ¡En verdad ha resucitado!
Schedule of Regular Weekly Services
Sundays:
Matins, 8:50 AM
Confession:
Divine Liturgy, 10 AM
Wednesdays: Vespers, 6:30 PM
Saturdays:
After Saturday Vespers
During Sunday Matins
Or by Appointment
Great Vespers, 5 PM
Remember to turn
cell phones off!
See Calendar for Feast Days and Other Weekday Services Scheduled
Order for Holy Communion
A Warm Welcome to Our Guests
Members of the Orthodox Church age seven and
above must prepare for Holy Communion with a
recent confession, prayer, fasting from all food and
drink from midnight (unless medical condition
preclude it), being in church before the Epistle and
Gospel readings, and being at peace with everyone.
We are glad you are worshipping with us. Please
note that participation in Holy Communion is
limited to members of the Orthodox Church in
good standing, who have prepared with prayer,
fasting and confession.
CHILDREN going to church school and their teachers
should come down the center aisle first. (Small
children may need to be assisted by their parents.)
ALL OTHERS should wait until an usher dismisses your
row from the center aisle. Then return to your place
by a side aisle for the prayers of thanksgiving and the
final blessing and dismissal. Please let choir members
pass when they come down for Communion.
For all others: though we cannot share
Communion with you—since it is an expression of
membership and full unity in faith—you are
welcome to come forward after the dismissal,
receive a blessing and partake of the blessed
bread (from the large bowls). Please also sign our
guest book, and introduce yourself to Fr. Nabil
during the coffee hour. You may inquire with him
how you can become a member.
PASCHAL TROPARION
English:
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon
those in the tombs bestowing life.
Arabic:
Al-Maseeh qam min bayn il-amwaat, wa wati'a-l-mawt bil-mawt, wa wahabalhayah lil-ladheena fil-qubour.
Greek:
Christos aneste ek nekron, thanato thanaton patesas, kai tees en dees mnema-si zoen charisamenos.
Slavonic:
Christos vos-kre-se iz mertvikh, smer-ti-u smert poprav, ee suschim vo
grobekh jee-vot darovav.
Romanian:
Christos a in-vi-aht din mortz, cu mwarte-a pre mwarte culcund, shi chelor
din mormunturi viatza dar-u-indu-leh.
Spanish:
Cristo ha resucitado de los muertos, por la muerte la muerte hollando, ya los
que estan en las tumbas la vida dando.
1 ST ANTIPHON (PSALM 65.1-3 LXX)
Make a joyful noise to God, all the Earth! Sing of His Name, give glory to His praise!
Refrain: Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us!
Say to God: How awesome are Thy deeds! So great is Thy power that Thine enemies cringe
before Thee! Refrain
Let all the earth worship Thee and praise Thee! Let it praise Thy Name, O Most High!
Refrain
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of
ages. Amen. Refrain
2 ND ANTIPHON (PSALM 66.1-3, LXX)
God be bountiful to us, and bless us! Show the light of Thy countenance upon us, and have
mercy on us!
Refrain: O Son of God Who arose from the dead, save us who sing unto Thee: Alleluia.
That we may know Thy way upon the earth, and Thy salvation among all nations! Refrain
Let the people give thanks to Thee, O God! Let all the people give thanks to Thee! Refrain
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of
ages. Amen. O only-begotten Son….
3 RD ANTIPHON: PASCHAL VERSES AND TROPARION
(TONE 5; PSALMS 67.1-2 & 117.24 LXX)
Let God arise; let His enemies be scattered; let them that hate Him flee from before His face.
Refrain: Christ is risen from the dead….
As smoke vanishes, so let them vanish, as wax melts before the fire. Refrain
So let the sinners perish before the face of God; but let the righteous be glad. Refrain
This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Refrain
ENTRANCE HYMN (TONE 2)
Clergy: In the gathering places bless ye God the Lord from the springs of Israel. Save us, O
Son of God, Who art risen from the dead,
People: [save us] who sing unto Thee: Alleluia.
APOLYTIKIA AFTER THE ENTRANCE
Troparion of the Resurrection (Tone 3)
Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be
glad, for the Lord hath done a mighty act
with His own arm. He hath trampled down
death by death, and became the first-born
from the dead. He hath delivered us from
the depths of Hades, granting the world the
Great Mercy.
Troparion of St. George (Tone 4, Byzantine)
Liberator of captives, Defender of the poor,
the Physician of the sick and the Champion
of kings, O Trophy-bearer, Great martyr
George, intercede with Christ our God that
our souls be saved.
Kontakion of Pascha (Tone 8)
Clergy: Though Thou, O Deathless One,
didst descend into the grave, Thou didst
destroy the power of Hades, and, as Victor,
Thou didst rise again, O Christ our God.
Thou didst greet the ointment-bearing
women, saying, Rejoice! Thou didst bestow
peace upon thy Disciples and
People: resurrection upon those that are
fallen.
THE SCRIPTURE LESSONS
Prokeimenon (Tone 3; Psalm 46.6, 1 LXX)
Sing praises to our God, sing praises.
Verse: Clap your hands, all you nations.
Reading from the Acts of the Apostles (9.32-42; Paralytic)
IN THOSE DAYS, as Peter went here and there
among them all, he came down also to the
saints that lived at Lydda. There he found a
man named Aeneas, who had been
bedridden for eight years and was
paralyzed. And Peter said to him, “Aeneas,
Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your
bed.” And immediately he rose. And all the
residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and
they turned to the Lord.
Now there was at Joppa a disciple named
Tabitha, which means Dorcas. She was full of
good works and acts of charity. In those days
she fell sick and died, and when they had
washed her, they laid her in an upper room.
Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples,
hearing that Peter was there, sent two men
to him entreating him, “Please come to us
without delay.” So Peter rose and went with
them. And when he had come, they took him
to the upper room. All the widows stood
beside him weeping, and showing tunics
and other garments which Dorcas made
while she was with them. But Peter put
them all outside and knelt down and prayed,
then turning to the body he said, “Tabitha,
rise.” And she opened her eyes, and when
she saw Peter, she sat up. And he gave her
his hand and lifted her up. Then calling the
saints and widows he presented her alive.
And it became known throughout all Joppa,
and many believed in the Lord.
Holy Gospel according to St. John (5.1-15; Paralytic)
AT THAT TIME, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Now there is in Jerusalem, by the Sheep Gate
a pool, in Hebrew called Bethzatha, which
has five porticoes. In these lay a multitude of
invalids, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for
the moving of the water; for an angel of the
Lord went down at certain seasons into the
pool, and troubled the water; whoever
stepped in first after the troubling of the
water was healed of whatever disease he
had. One man was there, who had been ill
for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him
and knew that he had been lying there a
long time, He said to him, “Do you want to
be healed?” The sick man answered Him,
“Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool
when the water is troubled, and while I am
going another steps down before me.” Jesus
said to him, “Rise, take up your pallet, and
walk.” And at once the man was healed, and
he took up his pallet and walked.
Now that day was the Sabbath. So the Jews
said to the man who was cured, “It is the
Sabbath, it is not lawful for you to carry your
pallet.” But he answered them, “The man
who healed me said to me, ‘Take up your
pallet and walk.’” They asked him, “Who is
the man who said to you, ‘Take up your
pallet, and walk?’” Now the man who had
been healed did not know who it was, for
Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd
in the place. Afterward, Jesus found him in
the temple, and said to him, “See, you are
well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall
you.” The man went away and told the Jews
that it was Jesus who had healed him.
MEGALYNARION FOR PASCHA (TONE 1)
The angel cried to the Lady full of grace:
Rejoice, rejoice O pure Virgin. Again, I say
rejoice. Your Son is risen from His three days
in the tomb. With Himself He has raised all
the dead. Rejoice, rejoice all you people.
We believers in unison bless thee, O Virgin,
crying: Rejoice, O Gate of the Lord. Rejoice, O
living City. Rejoice, O thou from whom did
rise upon us from the dead the Light of
Resurrection, He Who was born of thee.
REFRAIN OF THE COMMUNION HYMN (TONE 8)
Receive the Body of Christ; taste the Fountain of immortality. Alleluia.
POST COMMUNION (INSTEAD OF “WE HAVE SEEN THE TRUE LIGHT…”)
Christ is risen….
HOLY OBLATIONS AND PRAYER REQUESTS
•
By Hala and Riyad Bannourah, for the health of Tala, Tanya and Bernette, the Bannourah,
Shomali, Musleh, Khoury, Ba‵bool and Abu Sa‵da families, and in memory of Saliba
Bannourah (7-year memorial for Riyad’s father), Mariam Shomali (6-year memorial for
Hala’s mother) and Elias Shomali, (9-day memorial for Hala’s cousin), and in memory of
the departed members of the Bannourah, Shomali, Musleh, Khoury, Ba‵bool, and Abu
Sa‵da families, and in memory of Marie Issa, and for peace in the world!
• By Mina and Eloisa Khoury, in memory of Nichola Abuaita.
A sign-up sheet for baking and offering the prosphora (altar bread) is posted on the bulletin
board, next to the elevator. You can also contact Thelma Hoover at (317) 782-1633.
TODAY’S STUDY TOPIC: LESSON II.19
RIGHTEOUS KING JOSIAH, THE FALL OF JERUSALEM
All church school classes from first grade on up today will study this text.
To keep up with our children, read pages 296-300 in The Golden Children’s
Bible.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
JOIN US FOR FELLOWSHIP FOLLOWING THE LITURGY
•
Our Ladies of St. George will serve a light lunch to tide us over
through the parish meeting today.
• Church School snack is hosted by the Clough family.
The sign-up sheet for hosting coffee hour is on the bulletin board next to the elevator. We need
people to sign up for the regular coffee hour as well as for the Church School snack. (Something simple is all that’s expected, though you’re welcome to do more for a special occasion.)
ANNUAL PARISH MEETING TODAY
We shall hold our Annual Meeting TODAY, following the Divine Liturgy and lunch. Reports
packets were distributed last week, and more are available
Please plan to attend. With everyone’s cooperation, we promise to keep the meeting short,
but we really need you to stay, so we can have a quorum. Your reading the reports ahead
of time will allow us to answer questions, but we will not be reading the reports to you.
WEDNESDAY EVENING BIBLE STUDY/Q&A
Starting Wednesday, May 10, we resume our Wednesday
Evening Prayer and Study programs. Following on the many
questions we had on the Wednesday of Lent, here’s what we
will do for the month of May:
•
•
•
•
Vespers at 6:30 pm
Dinner at 7 pm – someone will make dinner – just come!
Fr. Nabil, Kh. Elaine, Dn. James and Subdeacon Joseph will help answer questions.
Submit your questions in advance to Fr. Nabil ([email protected]).
We will announce the questions to be addressed the prior Sunday, and the panel
will be prepared to answer.
This Wednesday’s submitted questions include:
•
•
What is the difference between a sacrament and a miracle? Theologically?
Liturgically? Practically, as applied to our lives?
Does where the priest and deacon partake of the Sacrament have anything to do
with where the sacrifices were offered and consumed in Leviticus?
Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way!
According to a 2015 Rocket Lawyer estate-planning survey
by Harris Poll, 64% of Americans don't have a will.
Do you want to leave future decisions affecting your family to chance?
To make sure that doesn’t happen, be sure to attend this complimentary presentation, “Your
Legacy—Family, Church, Charity.” Thrivent Financial® Representative Kevin Karlander, CFP, will
discuss the importance of having a will and introduce you to ways you can unleash your
generosity and ensure your legacy to your family, church and community.
Mr. Karlander is presenting this workshop on three separate occasions at St. George Orthodox
Christian Church of Indianapolis, 10748 E. 116th Street, Fishers, Indiana. Just select the date and
time that is most convenient for you, and RSVP to St. George church office at 317-845-7755 or
[email protected].
Mr. Karlander is presenting this workshop on the lower level in St. George Hall.
Tuesday, May 9 from 7:00 – 8:30 PM (light refreshments)
➢ Please RSVP by May 6
Saturday, May 20 from 10:00 – 11:30 (light refreshments)
➢ Please RSVP by May 17
Sponsored by St. George Orthodox Christian Church as a service to the community.
Your friends are most welcome to join us.
Who is Thrivent Financial? We create financial strategies that help Christians be wise with money
and live generously. We offer a broad range of financial products and services, including life
insurance, annuities and mutual funds, plus tailored guidance from financial representatives
nationwide. For more than a century, we've helped our member-owners show God's love to others
by being good stewards of the gifts they've been given.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL
PLANNER™, CFP® (with plaque design) and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who
successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.
No products will be sold at this event. Insurance products issued or offered by Thrivent Financial, the marketing name for
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Appleton, WI. Not all products are available in all states. Securities and investment advisory
services are offered through Thrivent Investment Management Inc., 625 Fourth Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55415, a FINRA and
SIPC member and a wholly owned subsidiary of Thrivent. Thrivent Financial representatives are registered representatives of
Thrivent Investment Management Inc. They are also licensed insurance agents/producers of Thrivent. For additional important
information, visit Thrivent.com/disclosures.
This is educational only – NOT a sales pitch.
HELP SPREAD THE WORD
It’s Falafel Night this Thursday. Please give a friend
or neighbor the enclosed flyer, and invite them to
come with you.
The Knights of St. George have purchased a new, gas
deep-fryer that will triple our capacity to keep up
with the wonderful demand that took us by surprise
the first time we did this, so we should not have a
back-up.
Men: we need your help to prepare the falafel and cut
vegetables Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Then,
of course, we need you Thursday by 5 pm or as early
as you can make it.
The Knights are looking to put on a Falafel Night
approximately every other month.
DIVINE LITURGY WEDNESDAY, 10 AM:
HALF WAY TO PENTECOST
This Wednesday, May 10, we mark the midpoint of our fifty-day
feast of the Resurrection.
The Church gives us, as one of the themes in our hymnography
for “Mid-Pentecost,” how Jesus, at twelve years of age taught in
the Temple, His “Father’s House.” See Luke 2.41-52.
In this icon (can you find it in our church?), we see the child
Jesus seated in the teacher’s chair, where He was discussing the
Scriptures and their meaning with the elders, asking them
questions and teaching them.
As appropriate to Him as fully human, “Jesus increased in
wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man,” yet He
was also fully divine, the Almighty and All-knowing Son and
Word of God, the second Person of the Holy Trinity.
DIVINE LITURGY SATURDAY, MAY 13, 10 AM: IN ARABIC LANGUAGE:
‫ صباحا‬10 :‫ مايو \ ايار – القدّاس باللغة العربية‬13 ،‫السبت‬
We offer the Liturgy in Arabic usually one Saturday a month as a ministry to some of our
recent immigrants.
NEED INFO. ON GRADUATES
We will present end-of-year awards
on May 21. At that time we will also
have special gifts for our high school
and college graduates. Please let us
know if you have a graduate, from
where they are graduating, special
awards or accomplishments, and
his/her plans, and send a photo to
[email protected]
COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS
The Diocese of Toledo Metropolitan
Anthony Bashir Memorial Scholarship
is a $750 scholarship awarded
annually to up to four students from
the Diocese. Find applications for this
and many other college scholarships
at www.antiochian.org/scholarships.
Applications must be postmarked by
June 1, 2017.
PARISH FAMILY DINNER IN HONOR OF
CHURCH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND GRADUATES
Following Liturgy on Sunday, May 21, the Ladies of St.
George will serve a tasty, healthy parish family dinner.
MENU: Pork Loin with mushroom sauce,
mashed potatoes, green beans, salad, dessert
Your generous free-will offering will support the Ladies’ projects to benefit our youth and to
complete the stone baseboard around the inside of the church.
KNIGHTS’ MONASTERY TRIP
A group of men will be leaving St. George’s at around 12:30 pm on Friday, May 19, heading
to St. Gregory Palamas Monastery in Hayesville, Ohio. They will leave the Monastery after
lunch on Sunday, May 21. RSVP to James Beveridge ([email protected]).
MEMORIAL LITURGY SATURDAY
We will celebrate the memorial Liturgy at
10 a.m. Saturday, May 27, at our pan-Orthodox
outdoor shrine at Oaklawn Cemetery (9700
Allisonville Road).
Bring with you a list of the names of all the
departed you wish to have remembered, and we
will also bless the graves of all those “who lie
asleep in the Lord” there.
BY THE GRACE OF GOD AND
THE LAYING ON OF HANDS BY HIS GRACE BISHOP
BASIL
Subdeacon Joseph Olas will be ordained to the
Holy Diaconate at the Divine Liturgy on Saturday, June 3.
Matins 9 am • Divine Liturgy 10 am
With Ordination and All-Souls Memorial
Reception Will Follow
Bishop Basil will also be with us for Vespers Saturday, and for the Great Feast of Pentecost
on Sunday, June 4, which will be Deacon Joseph’s first full Liturgy as a deacon. In advance,
we say “Axios!” and wish him Many Years of faithful service to our Lord and His Church.
FOOD FOR HUNGRY PEOPLE
Please remember to bring back your boxes filled. If you did not use the alms
boxes, you can still support the Food for Hungry People program. Please
make your donation to St. George Church, and earmark it “FFHP.”
BUS TO AV CAMP
We are sharing a bus with Louisville to and from 2nd Session, leaving July 2 and
returning July 14. Parents: please make sure Fr. Nabil knows whether or not
your kids are riding the bus. We can also use a few chaperons.
Behold, we go up to Jerusalem! Mark 10.33-34
Holy Land Pilgrimage Sep. 26–Oct. 10, 2017
Spiritual & Educational: Walk in the Footsteps of
Jesus Christ, the Prophets and the Apostles
Highlights:
Sites of the Annunciation, Nativity, Baptism, Wedding in Cana, Sermon on
the Mount, Feeding the 5,000, Transfiguration, Last Supper, Way of the
Cross, Holy Sepulchre/Resurrection, Ascension, Pentecost. Tombs of the
Theotokos, Lazarus and St. George. Visits to monasteries, to our sister
church in Beit Sahour, to Taybeh Brewery/Winery and Petra Treasury.
Sunset dinner in a Bedouin camp in a nature reserve.
Organization:
Led by Fr. Nabil Hanna, in association with
Peace by Piece Tours of Beit Sahour, Palestine.
Expectations:
We’re going at an ideal time, after the tourist season and extreme summer
heat. We are not going as tourists but as pilgrims: we will have appropriate
Bible readings, prayers and services. Modest dress required. Also expect to
enjoy free time, shopping, fellowship with each other and with local
Christians. Must be able to walk on uneven ground and go on stairs.
Travel:
Delta Airlines from Indianapolis to Tel Aviv, with return from Amman.
Ground transportation in the Holy Land via air-conditioned bus. Flexibility to
extend stay in Middle East or Europe before return. U.S. Passport preferred.
Cost:
Fantastic price of $3,400 per person (double-occupancy), all-inclusive: air
travel, ground transportation, hotels, meals, admissions, tips (except
passport/visa fees, insurance, laundry, alcohol or extra beverages).
To Sign up:
Email Fr. Nabil at [email protected] with your contact information ASAP.
$300 to reserve. Full payment by August 10.
WORDS OF WISDOM
God's judgement is nothing else than our coming into contact with truth and light. ...
Our hearts will be opened by the penetrating light of God, and what is in these hearts
will be revealed. If in those hearts there is love for God, those hearts will rejoice
seeing God's light. If, on the contrary, there is hatred for God in those hearts, these
men will suffer by receiving on their opened hearts this penetrating light of truth
which they detested all their life.
from Alexander Kalomiros, "River of Fire"
These themes of Fire, Light, Truth and Judgement are always bound together in the Bible.
The Holy Fire came upon the Apostles, enlightening them at Pentecost, as the Holy Spirit
descended and sat on the head of each as a cloven tongue of fire. Our Lord Jesus had promised
to send the Holy Spirit upon them to enlighten them, leading them “into all the Truth.”
Last Wednesday, we received a special blessing, as the “Holy Fire”—the Light of Christ that
came from His empty tomb in Jerusalem—came to our own parish for the first time, and we
are keeping it going on the Holy Table. May we keep the Light of Christ kindled in our hearts!
CAN A SCIENTIST BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION?
by Ian Hutchinson, MIT
I’m a professor of nuclear science and engineering at MIT, and this weekend, I’m celebrating the
resurrection of Jesus. So are dozens of my colleagues. How can this be?
Hypothesis one: We’re not talking about a literal resurrection. Perhaps it is just an inspiring
myth that served to justify the propagation of Jesus’ exalted ethical teachings. A literal resurrecttion contradicts the known laws of nature. Maybe scientists can celebrate the idea of Jesus’s
spirit living on, while his body remained in the grave.
But the first disciples attested to a physical resurrection. How could an untruth logically support
high moral character? How could it have sustained the apostles through the extremes of persecution they experienced founding Christianity? And is celebrating a myth consistent with
scientific integrity?
Hypothesis two: We really believe in the bodily resurrection of the first century Jew known as
Jesus of Nazareth. My Christian colleagues at MIT – and millions of other scientists worldwide –
somehow think that a literal miracle like the resurrection of Jesus is possible. And we are
following a long tradition. The founders of the scientific revolution and many of the greatest
scientists of the intervening centuries were serious Christian believers. For Robert Boyle (of the
ideal gas law, co-founder in 1660 of the Royal Society) the resurrection was a fact. For James
Clerk Maxwell (whose Maxwell equations of 1862 govern electromagnetism) a deep philosophical analysis undergirded his belief in the resurrection. And for William Phillips (Nobel prizewinner in 1997 for methods to trap atoms with laser light) the resurrection is not discredited by
science.
To explain how a scientist can be a Christian is actually quite simple. Science cannot and does
not disprove the resurrection. Natural science describes the normal reproducible working of the
world of nature. Indeed, the key meaning of “nature”, as Boyle emphasized, is “the normal course
of events.” Miracles like the resurrection are inherently abnormal. It does not take modern
science to tell us that humans don’t rise from the dead. People knew that perfectly well in the
first century; just as they knew that the blind from birth don’t as adults regain their sight, or
water doesn’t instantly turn into wine.
Maybe science has made the world seem more comprehensible – although in some respects it
seems more wonderful and mysterious. Maybe superstition was more widespread in the first
century than it is today – although the dreams of today’s sports fans and the widespread interest
in the astrology pages sometimes make me wonder. Maybe people were more open then to the
possibility of miracles than we are today. Still, the fact that the resurrection was impossible in
the normal course of events was as obvious in the first century as it is for us. Indeed, that is why
it was seen as a great demonstration of God’s power.
To be sure, while science can’t logically rule miracles in or out of consideration, it can be a
helpful tool for investigating contemporary miraculous claims. It may be able to reveal selfdeception, trickery, or misperception. If someone has been seen levitating on a supposed flying
carpet in their living room, then the discovery of powerful electromagnets in their basement
might well render such claims implausible. But if science fails to find defeating evidence then it
is unable to say one way or the other whether some reported inexplicable event happened, or to
prove that it is miraculous. Science functions by reproducible experiments and observations.
Miracles are, by definition, abnormal and non-reproducible, so they cannot be proved by
science’s methods.
Today’s widespread materialist view that events contrary to the laws of science just can’t happen
is a metaphysical doctrine, not a scientific fact. What’s more, the doctrine that the laws of nature
are “inviolable” is not necessary for science to function. Science offers natural explanations of
natural events. It has no power or need to assert that only natural events happen.
So, if science is not able to adjudicate whether Jesus’ resurrection happened or not, are we
completely unable to assess the plausibility of the claim? No. Contrary to increasingly popular
opinion, science is not our only means for accessing truth. In the case of Jesus’ resurrection, we
must consider the historical evidence, and the historical evidence for the resurrection is as good
as for almost any event of ancient history. The extraordinary character of the event, and its
significance, provide a unique context, and ancient history is necessarily hard to establish. But a
bare presumption that science has shown the resurrection to be impossible is an intellectual
cop-out. Science shows no such thing.
Hypothesis 3: I was brainwashed as a child. If you’ve read this far and you are still wondering
how an MIT professor could seriously believe in the resurrection, you might guess I was brainwashed to believe it as a child. But no, I did not grow up in a home where I was taught to believe
in the resurrection. I came to faith in Jesus when I was an undergraduate at Cambridge
University and was baptized in the chapel of Kings College on my 20th birthday.
The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are as compelling to me now as then.
Midwest Parish Life Conference is just around the corner!
Chicago, June 21-25, 2017
Our host parish says: “We would like to give you a tour of our beloved Church with
her new Iconography! See www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8tIueW5L_o&t=12s
For Information and to Register, go to www.antiochianevents.com/toledo.html
ARCHDIOCESE CONVENTION DELEGATES
The Archdiocese Convention will take place in
Hollywood, Florida. Besides Fr. Nabil, we can have six
official delegates, and any others who wish are welcome
to attend the meetings and the many edifying sessions and
fellowship events. We give priority to parish council
members to serve as delegates, then any other parishioners can be delegates on a firstcome-first-served basis. (Though we cannot pay delegates’ expenses, we will give you a
letter that you can use to deduct expenses from your taxes.) See www.ac2017miami.org for
details, and let Fr. Nabil know if you want to be a delegate.
PARISH PRAYER LIST
Please include in your daily prayers the following—
those struggling with acute illness and those newly
departed this life—from our parishioners and those
for whom they have requested our prayers. (Names
are kept for 40 days, the date indicated after the
name, and may be renewed upon request of the
patient/family.)
LIVING
Metropolitan Paul and Archbishop John
Fr. James Ellison, Pastor of St. Nicholas, Urbana,
5/30
Mother Theophania, St. Xenia Skete, Indianapolis,
6/14
Dn. Bohdan, friend of Al and Martha Sleder, 6/4
Amy Issa, at IU Medical Center from Terre Haute,
6/14
Rebecca, friend of Brook Sleder, 6/13
John Huff, 6/11
Lillian Johnson, Angela Hiller’s grandmother, 5/24
Nicholas Beauchamp, Kh. Patty’s grandson,
deployed in Kuwait
Messai Belayneh, on medical mission in Ivory
Coast
All those suffering from illness, violence or want
in Syria, Egypt and throughout the world
ST. GEORGE PARISH CALENDAR
May 2017
Sun. 7
Matins, 8:50 am
Choir practice, 9 am
Divine Liturgy, 10 am
• Church School
• Annual Parish Meeting
Teen SOYO meeting, 1:30 pm
Tue. 9
Knights Falafel prep, 6 pm
“Your Legacy” workshop. 7 pm
Wed. 10
Feast of Mid-Pentecost
Divine Liturgy, 10 am
Vespers, 6:30 pm
• Dinner
• Discussion/Bible Study
• Knights Falafel prep
Thu. 11
Falafel Night, 5:30-7:30 pm
Sat. 13
Divine Liturgy in Arabic, 10 am
‫ صباحا‬10 ،‫القداس اإللهي بالعربي‬
Great Vespers and Confessions, 5 pm
DEPARTED
Metropolitan Elia (Saliba), Archbishop of Hama,
Syria, 5/10
Sun. 14
Anthony Sabga I, in-law of Kameel and Rula
Najjar, 6/14
Marvin Burris, friend of Tommy and Iman Kiritsis,
6/11
Mon. 15
Elias Shomali, Hala Bannourah’s cousin, 6/7
Tue. 16
James, friend of the Pattons, 6/7
Jeffrey Klivansky, Gloria Kafoure’s son-in-law,
5/30
Wed. 17
Rose Marie, Jamie Ward’s grandmother, 5/26
Kaleel Ellis, Angela Riggers’ uncle, 5/23
Marie Issa, Nelly Ghaoui’s mother, 5/20
Thu. 18
Brian McDonald, friend of Natalie Ashanin, 5/17
Sylvia Shutes, Bishop Anthony’s aunt, 5/15
All Victims of violence in Syria, Egypt and around the world
Matins, 8:50 am
Choir practice, 9 am
Divine Liturgy, 10 am
• Church School
Festival planning meeting, 7 pm
Parish Council, 7 pm
Vespers, 6:30 pm
• Dinner
• Discussion/Bible Study
Ladies of St. George dinner/meeting,
6:30 pm at George’s Nbrhd. Grill
See the full calendar and the latest additions and updates at www.stgindy.org/calendar