Pastor’s Points of Light – Vol. 54:4

Year of Church and Home

W Christ in our Hearts  W  

               W Christ in our Homes

 Dear faithful,

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. Ephesians 6:1-3

 On Mother’s Day, I officially introduced the new Diocesan Theme for the Year of Church and Home. The theme relates to the true character of the Church’s mission, one of evangelism and membership in the Body of Christ, seeing our homes as an extension of the church.  The church, through the administration of God’s Word and Catechetical instruction along with a generous application of the life-giving sacraments, through which we have communion with Christ, empowers Her children to grow in faith and purity in order to equip them to likewise become the salt[1] and the light[2] of the world.  This Christian witness begins at first, in the Home, around the family table at the hearth, passed on from Christian parents to Christian children.  We cannot properly be Christ’s witness in the world if we ignore our responsibility in our homes and for our children. 

An important aspect of this “evangelism” is the biblical admonishment and instruction that is required of Christian parents.

Following the giving of the Law, God instructs Moses to proclaim to all Israel,  "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." (Deu 6:4-7 KJV)  

Again the biblical imperative is  imposed once again shortly following the establishment of the Christian Church, this time by the apostle, St. Paul; "And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." (Eph 6:4 KJV)  In both cases we hear expressions that can be understood in modern language meaning teach them diligently, talk to them at the dinner table, when going about chores, when putting them down for the night, bring them up in church and with God’s commandments.  Clearly not just a “some” Sunday exercise, but a mandate for daily living within family, home and church. 

Parents are the natural providence of their offspring, invested with authority for their guidance and correction, and holding the place of God before them.

Therefore, a child likewise, is bidden to honor and respect her parents as God’s lawful representatives.  This is the summary or definition of the 5^th Commandment (see article on the 5^th Commandment in this issue of the Gantegh).

What has God to say to Christian children;

(Eph 6:1-4 KJV) "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. {2} Honor thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; {3} That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. {4} And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

(Prov 23:22 KJV) "Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old."

(1 Tim 5:4 KJV) "But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to show piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God."

(1 Tim 5:8 KJV) "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel."

We see that according to God’s law, and a proper biblical understanding of the word honor, children have a threefold obligation of love, reverence, and obedience toward their parents.  The word honor requires both attitude and activity.  An attitude of reverence and respect must be manifest in love and obedience.  We could easily see that the child who neither honors nor shows reverence for her parent would likewise see no need for reverence or obedience toward their spiritual Mother, the Church.  A proper and God pleasing reverence for the church will be accompanied by the activity of love, of longing of the desire to provide, to show piety.  What goes on at the home will naturally be reflected in the attitude toward church and God.  Without this proper sense of honor the child will become what St. Paul describes, the one who “hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”  Our children’s attitudes and activities at home will affect their attitude and activity in and around God’s Home, the Church.  How many Americans today have dispensed with their responsibility for their aging parents, placing them in institutions.  I hear almost on a monthly basis how so many of the residents of the Armenian home have no one visiting them even with children and families who live and work nearby.  I wonder how many of those who have no time for their aging parents; have no time for the Church?  St. Cyprian of Carthage says "No one can have God as Father who does not have the Church as Mother". 

Let’s look at the parallels and consequences of a society that has marginalized the God given commandments which include the standard imposed on a  proper relationship between parents and children who comprise families rooted and regularly nourished in God’s Household.

A steady breakdown of the family coincides with diminishing church attendance in America.  This should not be surprising or treated as unrelated.  What percentage of American families today, especially in urban/sub-urban regions, sit and eat, let alone pray, as a family on a daily basis, around a family table?  We know that we live in a disposable “fast food” society where parents are far too busy for their children let alone teach them in the ways of the Lord.  Church attendance for many has even taken second, third and fourth place after, sports, recreation and simply “resting” after a week of working.  If our work causes us to grow weary from our responsibility to sit and to be  nourished at the Table of the Lord’s Word and Supper, then we should in no way be surprised that our elderly too are being forgotten, marginalized and institutionalized, whose children are too busy and weary for them.

We must not only teach and admonish our children, that they must honor their father and mother, we must teach them and to show them what honor is in our attitudes and in our activities both at home and at Church.

In Christ’s love, I remain prayerfully,

Der Shnork