The Decline of Christianity in America
Some thirty-six 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. 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 torn down, after having been closed for 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 people 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 who have sold out, betraying 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, after the fall of communism, established missions to reconvert the Russian people to Holy Orthodoxy, so, too, must we American Orthodox reach out in missionary witness to our American neighbors.
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”.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Sunday February 18, 2024 / February 5, 2024
37th Sunday after Pentecost. Tone four.
Holy Martyr Agatha of Palermo in Sicily (251).
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).
The Scripture Readings
Luke 24:1-12
He Is Risen
24 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. 5 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, 7 saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ ”
8 And they remembered His words. 9 Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.
1 Timothy 4:9-15
9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. 10 For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. 11 These things command and teach.
Take Heed to Your Ministry
12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 13 Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. 15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.
Luke 19:1-10
Jesus Comes to Zacchaeus’ House
19 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. 7 But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.”
8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”
9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”