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APRIL 27, 2008
3 SUNDAY MESSAGE
4 SIR JOHN vanderKOK  ) CS. NO._666________
5 & ALL THE GOOD ANGELS ) WORSHIP SERVICE
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AGOURA HILLS, CA 91301 )
PH# RESTRICTED )
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8 PETITIONER )
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V )
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11 SATAN & all DEMONS , )
12 THE ENEMY OF ALL )
13 CHRISTIANS )
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DEFENDANT )

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IT’S EASTER, IT’S EASTER
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AGAIN !
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28 http://parenting.leehansen.com/downloads/clipart/easter/images/draped-cross.jpg

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IT’S EASTER AGAIN! ORTHODOX EASTER 4/27/08
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DID you know that TODAY IS EASTER ?! YES,
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again. Not for mainline Protestant or Catholic
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churches, but for the EASTERN ORTHODOX church
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this is EASTER !
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“Easter is not only a movable holiday but a multiple
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one: in most years Western Christian churches and
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Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate Easter on
17 different dates. In 2008, for example, Easter is
18 celebrated on March 23 by Western churches and
19 April 27 by Orthodox churches. But in 2007, the
20 two celebrations occurred on the same date, April
21 8.”
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23 The churches base the dates on different calendars:

24 Western churches use the Gregorian calendar, the
25 standard calendar for much of the world, and
26 Orthodox churches use the older, Julian calendar.
27 SEE http://www.factmonster.com/spot/easter1.html
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SO those of you (or us) who go by the GREGORIAN
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CALENDAR celebrated EASTER several weeks ago,
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and the EASTER SEASON is coming to an end, but
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for the EASTERN ORTHODOX who use the
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JULIAN CALENDAR EASTER IS TODAY and the
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EASTER SEASON will span another month or so.
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In fact, I wanted to attend an ORTHODOX EASTER
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SERVICE, in my continuing quest to BRIDGE THE
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GAP between the different FAITH TRADITIONS but
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I REALIZED too late that they celebrate EASTER at
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MIDNIGHT (or at least the one I went to was not open
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at 8 a.m. ) and looking online it apparently is the
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custom of the orthodox, in general, to celebrate
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EASTER at midnight—or the “early possible
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moment” as they say.
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I’ve been visiting different churches of different
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traditions over the course of the past few years,
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including some of the ORTHODOX CHURCHES,
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including COPTIC around Southern California.
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17 And the ORTHODOX worship differently than many

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19 of the WESTERN churches, --at least that has been

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21 my PERSONAL OBSERVATION based on the

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23 COPTIC CHURCHES I’ve visted this year.

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Http://www.coptic.com/images/St%20John%20Coptic%20Church-1.jpg
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You ALSO KNOW (or should know) that the JEWISH
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just celebrated PASSOVER last week, and the
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EASTERN CHURCH always makes sure that their
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EASTER CELEBRATION comes AFTER
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PASSOVER, never before (so they say).
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“The Eastern Orthodox Church also applies the
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formula so that Easter always falls after Passover,
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since the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ
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took place after he entered Jerusalem to celebrate
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Passover. In the Western Church, Easter sometimes
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precedes Passover by weeks”.
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There have been proposals, including the 2nd
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VATICAN COUNSEL in 1963, to have a FIXED
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EASTER DATE common to both the EASTERN &
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WESTERN CHURCHES but so far it has not been
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acted upon see
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18 http://www.factmonster.com/spot/easter1.html
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21 In fact, the ORTHODOX usually refer to “EASTER” as

22 PASCHA.
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25 Pascha (Greek: Πάσχα), also called Easter, is the

26 feast of the Resurrection of the Lord. Pascha is a
27 transliteration of the Greek word, which is itself a
28 transliteration of the Hebrew pesach, both words

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meaning Passover. (A minority of English-speaking
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Orthodox prefer the English word 'Pasch.')
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http://orthodoxwiki.org/Pascha
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http://www.myteacherpages.com/webpages/JFitzsimmons/imageGallery/lamb1.jpg
17 Some Orthodox Christians discourage the use of
18 the word Easter, believing that the term has roots in
19 pagan rites of the spring equinox and overtones of
20 fertility. http://orthodoxwiki.org/Pascha
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23 Here’s MORE ABOUT what they say concerning

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25 PASCHA and COMMUNION in the ORTHODOX

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“The Liturgy of St John Chrysostom continues as
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usual. Holy communion has, again and again, the
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troparion of the Resurrection. It is sung while the
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faithful partake. To Orthodox Christians, receiving
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communion on Easter Sunday is very important.
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Many parishes take the Paschal Sermon of St. John
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Chrysostom literally and commune all Orthodox
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Christians who are in attendance.
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http://orthodoxwiki.org/Pascha
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It SHOULD BE NOTED that the “ORTHODOX
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CHRISTIAN’ think of themselves as DISTINCT from
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CHRISTIANS in general, including PROTESTANTS
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22 In fact, at one of the COPTIC churches that I visited,

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26 “VISITORS’ are welcome to attend the service, if you

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plan to partake in HOLY COMMUNION they expect
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you to be “ORTHODOX” not just Christian.
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It was at this COPTIC church in Bellflower THAT
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they began the communion ceremony and I was
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preparing to follow the PROCESSION up to the front
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where the PRIEST gives the bread & wine (BODY &
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BLOOD) but as I was about to do so the fellow next to
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17 me said, “YOU MUST TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF”

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19 and then he asked “ARE YOU ORTHODOX?” and I

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21 said “NO”.
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25 He said, “YOU must be ORTHODOX’ to participate in

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27 communion”, THEN he added, “BUT ASK THE

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PRIEST” and pointed to the front. By that time I was
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already a little embarrassed having been “OUTED” so
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to speak –with others around overhearing our short
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conversation—while I thought I had been BLENDING
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IN so well.
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Anyways, I went up to the front—following the
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procession, being very RESPECTFUL and
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17 REVERENT of their traditions and the PRIEST said

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19 to me, “Are you Orthodox” and I said “NO, JUST

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21 CHRISTIAN” and he responded, politely, but firmly,

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23 “You cannot take communion, but TALK TO ME after

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I went back to my seat and decided to leave—not
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because I felt so uncomfortable but I was, and
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continue to b e, on a TOUR OF CHURCHES, going
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from one to another around southern California, and
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sometimes only staying for half a service or less.
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The WEEK AFTER EASTER in the ORTHODOX
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CHURCH is referred to as “BRIGHT WEEK” (SEE
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http://orthodoxwiki.org/Bright_Week )
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20 CONCERNING the ORTHODOX WORSHIP STYLE

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22 in general---it is SOMEWHAT different than that of

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24 the western PROTESTANT OR CATHOLIC church

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26 in that they place a HIGH EMPHASIS on visual

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EVERYWHERE in most COPTIC churches, maybe
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Armenian too), along with the use of other SENSUAL
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(that which captures the physical senses) objects,
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including INCENSE, and the LITURGY IS SUNG OR
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CHANTED, not just recited. IN FACT, the PRIEST
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or other readers (sometimes children as well) will
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SING every word.
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17 Also, the CONGREGATION often STANDS through

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19 MOST if not all of the WORSHIP SERVICE (see

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21 http://www.orthodoxwiki.org/Worship )
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25 It has been my PERSONAL OBSERVATION as well

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ORTHODOX or COPTIC services (much more the
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norm than sitting).
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Finally, the COPTIC churches that I’ve visited,
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in general, have been very VISUALLY CAPTIVATING
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from the outside. They tend to place a high emphasis
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on external beauty as opposed to, for example, a
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MENNONITE church that is just the opposite in
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19 And so, TODAY IS EASTER, again, and I hope to visit

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21 an ORTHODOX CHURCH or two, and will tell you

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23 about my experience in weeks to come.

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PRAYER: Dear GOD, thank YOU for
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YOUR presence in our lives,
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HAPPY EASTER ! AGAIN !
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The LORD has RISEN,

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AGAIN !
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17 http://www.cksinfo.com/clipart/holidays/easter/catholic/resurrection-day.png

ManVANDER ,
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Sir John vanderKOK
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That’s “SIR” to YOU !
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TAGS: ORTHODOX EASTER, WORLD, COPTIC , GREGORIAN,
22 JULIAN, PASSOVER, VATICAN, PASCHA, EASTERN, WESTERN,
CHURCH, RESURRECTION, CRUCIFIXION, PROTESTANT,
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EUCHARIST, LITURGY,
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