Forgetting our First Love by Rev Ioannis Michaelidis

In the book of Revelation, God chastises the Church in Ephesus for forgetting our first love. One could argue that the beginning of all sin is found in forgetting God. When we struggle to stay focused, life in the parish becomes fragmented; this struggle is exacerbated by the distractions and demands of the day. We may find ourselves working on various tasks without a clear or cohesive plan, we find ourselves working hard but progress becomes slow and diffused.

It becomes necessary to step out of our daily grind and situations and learn the art of thinking strategically, not unlike the way Christ did with His disciples. In this way we as individuals and as a church community may stay focused and in touch with what matters most.

If our parish’s purpose is poorly defined, or if we feel like we don’t grasp or understand the first thing about our faith, it is usually our personal failure to hold true to a commitment to Christ and the Gospel. This then leads to the experience some of us have had of Christian community that has lost its way and whose actions continually contradict the first component of health. In a state of being such as this, there is a gap between our statement of faith in Jesus and the way we live.

Othodoxia literally means “right glory”. It can also mean “correct belief” and “true worship”. As Christians we should understand that in order to be truly transformed and changed for the better, we must be connected to right glory, correct belief, and true worship. This is why the first component and step of parish health is a commitment to Christ and the gospel, orthodoxia.

The Liturgy reminds us of this first love by stating emphatically, and multiple times, “let us commit ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.” To do this, we must follow our Lord’s first public command, to repent. We must constantly renew our hearts and our minds in Jesus, and this prayer cannot be stylized, it must be actualized in our everyday lives.

I thank you for your time, commitment and attention to your life in Christ, and if this brief reflection has peaked your interest, then I encourage you to consider reading “Reclaiming the Great Commission; A Roadmap to Parish Health” by Fr. Evan Armatas of Colorado.

With Love and Respect,

+Fr. Yanni