Post-Christian Era?
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| The remains of Saint Patrick's Catholic Church |
The Decline of Christianity in America
Some twenty five years ago our monastic brotherhood arrived on Vashon
Island, establishing ourselves in a rental house near the Village of
Dockton. This little village had two churches, built by the original
founders of the community. Dockton, in the 1880's, had the largest dry
dock north of San Francisco, and was the site for the construction of
tall ships. The ship builders were immigrant Croatians and Norwegians,
working the docks, and raising their families in a village that could
only be reached by boat.
The Norwegians built a Lutheran church, and the Croatians constructed a Catholic parish. The first location for our monastery was, in fact, an old farm house built at the turn of the century by a Norwegian ship builder. Nice place to live for a Norwegian-American like myself! Little did we monks know at the time, but God had planned for our monastery to be permanently located on the hill overlooking the old farm house, Saint Patrick's Catholic church, and the old Lutheran church.
The Lutheran church was eventually to be converted into a house, and Saint Patrick's church was just torn down last week (see photo), having been closed for the past fifteen years. While driving by the pile of rubble, Frank, a Roman Catholic villager, came up to my car window and said, "You are all that's left, Father". Driving away I felt sad, for truly our monastery is now the only remaining religious institution on Maury Island (the smaller island connected to Vashon Island).
Driving around Seattle neighborhoods, one is struck by the number of former churches that are now used for purposes other than the worship of God. A few have become mental health clinics, or antique shops, some are coffee houses, or private homes. Many have simply been torn down, replaced by apartment houses, or retail stores.
Zoning laws make it difficult to build new churches, and it is rare to find a church in a newly constructed suburban neighborhood. Mega-churches abound, drawing thousands of people from their neighborhoods, and into buildings that often look more like movie theaters, or entertainment centers. The impact this new trend has on neighborhoods is severe, for families are now forced to live in neighborhoods that are secular, devoid as they are of religious influence.
Mega-churches, because of the high costs required to maintain their "plants", teach a dumbed down form of Christianity, so the people, unchallenged by sermons on repentance and sin, keep coming back, filling the coffers, and paying the huge salaries of clergy have sold out, and betrayed the Gospel of Christ.
America is in need of Orthodox Christianity more than ever, and we Orthodox Christians must find better ways to share our faith with fellow Americans. It is not enough to continue serving ethnic communities, without also reaching out with the Ancient Faith of our Fathers, and building a missionary zeal for America. The life of this country depends on it. Just as the Moscow Patriarchate has established missions to reconvert the Russian people to Holy Orthodoxy, so, too, must we American Orthodox reach out in missionary witness to our peoples.
The influence of Christianity is waning in this country, and the attacks on Christian morality, and Christian values, has increased in dramatic ways. We are now living in a post-christian society, where Christian morality and virtue has given way to paganism. We must become like the Christians of old, and be willing to lay down our lives in witness to the Eternal Truths that are found in our Faith, giving witness to Christ Jesus, and His Church. Now is not the time to operate ethnic preservation societies, or guard our churches from the influence of "those outsiders".
The Norwegians built a Lutheran church, and the Croatians constructed a Catholic parish. The first location for our monastery was, in fact, an old farm house built at the turn of the century by a Norwegian ship builder. Nice place to live for a Norwegian-American like myself! Little did we monks know at the time, but God had planned for our monastery to be permanently located on the hill overlooking the old farm house, Saint Patrick's Catholic church, and the old Lutheran church.
The Lutheran church was eventually to be converted into a house, and Saint Patrick's church was just torn down last week (see photo), having been closed for the past fifteen years. While driving by the pile of rubble, Frank, a Roman Catholic villager, came up to my car window and said, "You are all that's left, Father". Driving away I felt sad, for truly our monastery is now the only remaining religious institution on Maury Island (the smaller island connected to Vashon Island).
Where Have all the Churches Gone?
Driving around Seattle neighborhoods, one is struck by the number of former churches that are now used for purposes other than the worship of God. A few have become mental health clinics, or antique shops, some are coffee houses, or private homes. Many have simply been torn down, replaced by apartment houses, or retail stores.
Zoning laws make it difficult to build new churches, and it is rare to find a church in a newly constructed suburban neighborhood. Mega-churches abound, drawing thousands of people from their neighborhoods, and into buildings that often look more like movie theaters, or entertainment centers. The impact this new trend has on neighborhoods is severe, for families are now forced to live in neighborhoods that are secular, devoid as they are of religious influence.
Mega-churches, because of the high costs required to maintain their "plants", teach a dumbed down form of Christianity, so the people, unchallenged by sermons on repentance and sin, keep coming back, filling the coffers, and paying the huge salaries of clergy have sold out, and betrayed the Gospel of Christ.
America is in need of Orthodox Christianity more than ever, and we Orthodox Christians must find better ways to share our faith with fellow Americans. It is not enough to continue serving ethnic communities, without also reaching out with the Ancient Faith of our Fathers, and building a missionary zeal for America. The life of this country depends on it. Just as the Moscow Patriarchate has established missions to reconvert the Russian people to Holy Orthodoxy, so, too, must we American Orthodox reach out in missionary witness to our peoples.
The influence of Christianity is waning in this country, and the attacks on Christian morality, and Christian values, has increased in dramatic ways. We are now living in a post-christian society, where Christian morality and virtue has given way to paganism. We must become like the Christians of old, and be willing to lay down our lives in witness to the Eternal Truths that are found in our Faith, giving witness to Christ Jesus, and His Church. Now is not the time to operate ethnic preservation societies, or guard our churches from the influence of "those outsiders".
Abbot Tryphon
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| All-Merciful Saviour Monastery, above the Village of Dockton |
Saturday February 18, 2012 / February 5, 2012
The Saturday of the Dead. Tone two.
St. Theodosius, archbishop of Chernigov (1696).
New Martyrs Matushka Agatha (1938), and with her Schemamonk Eugene (1939) and Righteous Paramon (1941), of Belorussia.
Virgin-martyr Alexandra, martyr Michael (1942).
Martyr Theodoula of Anazarbus in Cilicia, and with her Martyrs Helladius, Macarius, Boethos, and Evagrius (304).
"Eletsk-Chernigov" (1060), "Sicilian" or "Divnogorsk" (1092) and "In Search of the Perishing" (17th c.) Icons of the Mother of God.
St. Polyeuctus, patriarch of Constantinople (970) (Greek).
New Martyr Anthony of Athens (1774) (Greek).
St. Theodosius of Skopelos in Cilicia (ca. 421).
St. Avitus, bishop of Vienne (525).
We are hoping to be able to retire the mortgage debt of 250 thousand dollars. Your prayers and contributions are most appreciated. Donations can be made directly to the monastery through PayPal, or you may send donations to:
All-Merciful Saviour Monastery
PO Box 2420
Vashon Island, WA 98070-2420 USA
1 Thessalonians 4:13-17
The Comfort of Christ’s Coming
13 But
I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have
fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For
the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice
of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ
will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and
remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
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