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Please pray for the Fijian Misson
I've just arrived in Fiji to support one of the fledgeling Churches, we have 2 Churches here which don't have a full time priest yet. I've come to somewhat help fill the vacuum, at least from an education perspective while the Church is being established. It is the plan to have an orphanage built here eventually.
Also quite randomly I was in cab just today and the taxi driver and I had a discussion about Orthodoxy. He said that he stopped going to Church because he felt that he didn't feel comfortable praying in Church anymore because all of the different denominations seemed contradictory and they couldn't prove the truth of what they practice. The lead into it was a bit of discussion on the Apostolic Fathers and how they were the inheritors of the stewardship of the early Church and how we need tradition make sense of Christianity. He seem to really want to catch up with me again later in the week.
Please pray for this soul, the diligent souls who serve the Fijian Churches and the return of many of the lost back to Christ.
LiD
Also quite randomly I was in cab just today and the taxi driver and I had a discussion about Orthodoxy. He said that he stopped going to Church because he felt that he didn't feel comfortable praying in Church anymore because all of the different denominations seemed contradictory and they couldn't prove the truth of what they practice. The lead into it was a bit of discussion on the Apostolic Fathers and how they were the inheritors of the stewardship of the early Church and how we need tradition make sense of Christianity. He seem to really want to catch up with me again later in the week.
Please pray for this soul, the diligent souls who serve the Fijian Churches and the return of many of the lost back to Christ.
LiD
Comments
Lord, have mercy.
I read about the 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck nearby. Is everyone alright? Update us when you can.
I've just arrived in Fiji to support one of the fledgeling Churches, we have 2 Churches here which don't have a full time priest yet. I've come to somewhat help fill the vacuum, at least from an education perspective while the Church is being established. It is the plan to have an orphanage built here eventually.
Also quite randomly I was in cab just today and the taxi driver and I had a discussion about Orthodoxy. He said that he stopped going to Church because he felt that he didn't feel comfortable praying in Church anymore because all of the different denominations seemed contradictory and they couldn't prove the truth of what they practice. The lead into it was a bit of discussion on the Apostolic Fathers and how they were the inheritors of the stewardship of the early Church and how we need tradition make sense of Christianity. He seem to really want to catch up with me again later in the week.
Please pray for this soul, the diligent souls who serve the Fijian Churches and the return of many of the lost back to Christ.
LiD
Hi
Correct me if I'm mistaken, but wasn't it the Church in Fiji (Saint Verona's Choir) that came out with Agios in English?
I, as well as countless of others, were impressed by the way they sung this hymn. I'm surprised to hear this news of the Churches there.
+ Irini nem ehmot,
Lord, have mercy.
I read about the 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck nearby. Is everyone alright? Update us when you can.
The Church in Taveuni was destroyed last year when there was an cyclone. I don't think the earthquake really affected Fiji as far as I can tell.
Hi
Correct me if I'm mistaken, but wasn't it the Church in Fiji (Saint Verona's Choir) that came out with Agios in English?
I, as well as countless of others, were impressed by the way they sung this hymn. I'm surprised to hear this news of the Churches there.
Yes, they're from the Church in the capital Suva, they try to put a Fijian spin on a lot of the hymns that they sing. They have a beautiful natural style where they use harmonies and things like that. Its a lot more elaborate than the kinds of hymns we normally sing.
The main issue that the Fijian mission has is resources; its mostly funded by my local parish which also supports a mission in Pakistan where we have 2 Coptic Churches.
Our parish is in the Melbourne CBD so it attracts lots of young people most of which don't work and have no money...
Were trying to get enough money to put a roof on the Church in Nadi at the moment; hopefully its not too far off being finished.
they try to put a Fijian spin on a lot of the hymns that they sing. They have a beautiful natural style where they use harmonies and things like that. Its a lot more elaborate than the kinds of hymns we normally sing.
What do you mean they "try to put a Fijian spin" on it? You mean its not natural? They actually want to make it sound Fijian?
It sounds really funky actually - very tropical.
Why don't they just sing naturally instead?
[quote author=LoveisDivine link=topic=12362.msg144800#msg144800 date=1316171939]
they try to put a Fijian spin on a lot of the hymns that they sing. They have a beautiful natural style where they use harmonies and things like that. Its a lot more elaborate than the kinds of hymns we normally sing.
What do you mean they "try to put a Fijian spin" on it? You mean its not natural? They actually want to make it sound Fijian?
It sounds really funky actually - very tropical.
Why don't they just sing naturally instead?
They do but Coptic tradition is a very pervasive influence and they're still learning how to be Orthodox. Its a bit too much for them to take on re-harmonising hymnology while they're still learning the basics.
There might be a 'fijian' coptic tradition in 10 years and I'm sure it would be something really wonderful.
The effort requires resources--considerable.
I believe there should be a levy on every parish in Australia to support these types of efforts. It is incumbent upon us as a people.
It is nice to pray...quite important...quite diligently. Yet, I say faith needs to be backed by actions.
FAITH without WORKS is DEAD. (Certainly, one of my top ten favorite verses from the Holy Bible).
As a person who has been doing this for a while, God's presence is really amplified when serving in a mission and it really does benefit everyone who goes to serve not just the people being served.
and may we all work hard to serve God, at home or while travelling.
:)