What is our purpose as a local Church in Edmonton?  What is our Mission?  What are we ultimately trying to accomplish?  Those are big questions to be asked, and for us the answers are found in our Lord’s own words that He gave to us just before His ascension.  In the very last conversation Jesus had with His Apostles, He gave to them, and to us, the very purpose, the bottom-line “Mission Statement”, of the Church.  Jesus said: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” 

 

Jesus’ final message to the Church was, “Go and make disciples”.  So, what’s a disciple? A disciple is a follower of someone else and their teachings.  And how is the Church supposed to make more disciples? By baptizing them and teaching them – by bringing them into the life of the Orthodox Church and then teaching them how to live this new life in Christ – with all of its rich theology, Sacraments, hymns, iconography, and traditions. 

 

These words of Jesus are often referred to as the Great Commission. This is what we’ve been commissioned as a Church to do.  Jesus also tells us that He came to seek and to save that which was lost.  He came to rescue dying humanity, and just before he went back to His Father, he said that this was to be our all-consuming mission as well.  As followers of Christ, as disciples of Jesus Christ, Jesus is inviting us to join Him on His lifesaving mission – to become “co-workers” with God in fulfilling this great commission – or, as we like to call it, the great “co-mission”.

 

In other words, our very purpose and reason for existence as a parish is to reach more people for Christ, to introduce them to this ancient Orthodox Faith, to teach them what it means to live as an Orthodox Christian, and to invite them to become a part of this journey towards the Kingdom.  

 

Some may ask, “But Father, why is so important for us to hear this?  Isn’t every Church a 1st century church?”  Sadly, no.  If you’re from a Pentecostal Church, you are a 20th century church, as the modern Pentecostal movement started on Jan. 1, 1901, on Azusa Street in Los Angeles; the Baptist Church – 17th century church: John Smyth started it in Holland in 1605; the Lutheran Church – 16th century: Martin Luther started it in Germany in 1517.  And every other one of the thousands of Protestant denominations can trace their history to a certain man in a certain place, all starting within the last 500 years. So, this is why it is crucial to understand that the Orthodox Church is different – we are a 1st century church for a 21st century people.

 

We provide Continuity – this means we can trace our history back to the day of Pentecost when the Church was founded by Jesus Christ. There is a record on file in our archdiocese as to which Bishop ordained me as a Priest.  And there’s a record on file as to which Bishops ordained my Bishop.  And another record of which Bishops ordained those Bishops, and so on, and so on, all the way back to the Apostles. That’s continuity.  There’s also the continuity of the Faith itself, with writings from the early centuries of the Church verifying that the same Faith is still being taught in our Church today that was being taught in the 1st century. 

 

We provide Authenticity – we’re the real deal. We aren’t simply trying to copy what the ancient Church looked like, and the things it did, because we are the authentic original Church that has continued since the beginning.  In many non-Orthodox churches, you'll often hear people saying how they want to be like the early Church, how they want to be like the 1st century church.  And there are groups out there today who are trying to duplicate some of the things they think that the 1st century church did. 

 

Well, we have good news for you today: the Orthodox Church isn't trying to duplicate anything.  We’re just continuing to do what we’ve always done.  The authentic 1st century Church has always been here for the past 2000 years, and it’s still here for you and your family in the 21st century.

 

We provide Stability – we aren’t changing with the times or the latest fads in our society.  And this is one of the things that attracts people to the Orthodox Church more than anything else.  For many people, this is truly a lifegiving message.  Just hearing these words on a regular basis is a lifeline to people in our area who are frustrated with the way things are going in our workplaces, in sports, in our schools.  To hear that there’s a place where the Faith remains the same truly gives hope for them and their families.

 

This is a place where you can raise your children, knowing that the Faith and the teachings and the traditions are not going to change with the shifting sands of political correctness or any other modern ideology. And we bring all of these wonderful things from the 1st century, and offer them to you in a 21st century manner – using technology such as the internet and livestreaming, providing great teaching in our regular book and Bible studies, providing classes for our children to learn and grow in the Faith, flying in good speakers from around North America twice a year for our retreats, and bringing the Divine services to you in a common language you can understand.

 

From the very beginning, starting in 1977, this parish was established to work hard in being a part of the Great Co-Mission – being co-workers together with God in reaching more people with the Gospel, and bringing them to this ancient Christian Faith.  In doing so, we were imitating our own patron Saint, St. Herman of Alaska, who in the 18th century went to Kodiak Island in Alaska to bring the Orthodox Faith to the people there, and not just for those who were already part of the Church. The Gospel is for everyone, and everyone is welcome to the banqueting table. 

 

If you've never been to an Orthodox Church before, we invite you to join us next Sunday at 9:30 am.  After the Divine Liturgy (what we call our main Sunday service), we have a free lunch hour available for everyone downstairs in the fellowship hall.  If you're able to join us, our Priest would be happy to meet with you and answer any questions you might have.