One Step in a Long Journey

Welcome to the Orthodox Parker Blogspot. The purpose of this blog is to promote the eventual planting of a Western Rite Orthodox Church in the Parker, Colorado area. This church would serve Parker, unincorporated Englewood, Franktown, Elisabeth and Castle Rock.

Various Eastern Orthodox subjects will be covered in this blog, along with the progress of the Orthodox Mission in Parker.

My Orthodox name is Colmcille Siluoan, after Saints Colmcille (Columba) and Saint Siluoan the Athonite. My home parish is Saint Marks Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church, located in Denver, Colorado.

I have a wife, a four-year-old son, and a 20-month-old daughter. I live on the northern border of Parker in unincorporated Englewood in the South Creek subdivision. When I was a child, my father and mother had a ranch in Parker. When they divorced, we were forced to leave the ranch. But I've always considered Parker to be my true home in this world.

The first step in planting an Orthodox mission is, of course, to begin a home Bible Study. This has already happened. The study is covering the books of 1st and 2nd Corinthians and the Study Guide is by Orthodox Priest Fr. Lawrence R. Farley. The title of the book is Straight from the Heart. Attendance has been sporadic, but we have at least one regular attender, a catechuman at Saint Marks.

The Bible Study resumes after Great Lent.

I'm currently reading the excellent book The Enlargement of the Heart, by Archimandrite Zacharias Zacharou. Some other recent Christian books I've read are the works of John Eldredge (The Sacred Romance, Wild at Heart, The Journey of Desire, and Waking the Dead), The book Shattered Dreams by Dr. Larry Crabb, and The End of the Church by Dr. Ephraim Radner.

As far as fictional books go, I love the books by Stephen Lawhead: The Pendragon Cycle, Byzantium, The Silver Hand, etc. I also am a devote of science fiction.

I'm a sports fan as well, and my favorite sports are NHL Hockey and NLL Lacrosse. GO AVALANCHE and MAMMOTH!!

My fondest dream is to see a thriving Orthodox parish take root in Parker. I hope this parish can become a true "Fellowship of the Heart" as John Eldredge has mentioned in his books.

Just because a parish is Orthodox it doesn't automaticaly preclude heartfelt and fervent piety. Orthodox don't have to be "The Frozen Chosen" of this world. My patron saint, Fr. Silouan, was one of the most warm-hearted saints who has graced The Church. There is every reason to emulate his piety and not run from such an example.

Of course, any Orthodox Parish will be traditional in worship style. This is part of the deposit of faith and is completely unavoidable. If you want Christian contemporary music in the life of an Orthodox parish, it will have to be during the week and in your small group or bible study group or at a teen Soyo gathering. You simply will never see "praise" choruses at The Divine Liturgy. It's not gonna happen, nor should it.

I'm a proponent of the Orthodox "Western Rite." The Eastern Rite is very deep and very beautiful, but for many from western church backgrounds, joining an Eastern Rite parish means giving up a lot of things, especially hymns known since childhood.

At a Western Rite parish, you have your choice of the Liturgy of Saint Gregory, which mirrors the Roman Catholic liturgy, or the Liturgy of Saint Tikhon, which is similar to Anglican worship.

At a Western Orthodox Church, the music during the service will range from Anglican Plainchant, Gregorian Chant, Anthems and Great Hymns of the Faith. At Saint Marks, for example, we've sung hymns composed by John and Charles Wesley and Isaac Watts. There is one word for the music at Saint Marks: Glorious!

A Western Rite mission can especially appeal to people from the following backgrounds: Anglican, Episcopal, Methodist, Lutheran and Catholic. It is also hoped that the mission will reach unchurched people by becoming a community of love patterned after the love of the Blessed Trinity.

Setting up this blog is one step in a long journey. This endeavor will go a long way towards proving that you don't have to be a Bishop, Priest or Deacon to facilitate the planting of an Orthodox church. The Church needs more laymen to help spread the blessings of Holy Orthodoxy.

Stay tuned as I continue to post to this new blog.

Christ is in our midst!

Colmcille Silouan