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SPRI N G 20 07

VOL. 6, Issue 2 TEENS $4.95

Teaching Teens Today

From the Fathers N

Christianity is nothing more than the imitation of Christ. St. Basil the Great

And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

pains will not be required afterwards; for the good habits formed will be for them as a law. Let us not suﬀer them to do anything which is agreeable but injurious; nor let us indulge them as being but children… Let us admonish them. Let us employ sometimes advice, sometimes warnings, sometimes threatening. In children we have a great charge committed to us. Let us bestow great care upon them, and do everything that the Evil One may not rob us of them. St. John Chrysostom

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

The primary goal in the education of children is to teach, and to give the example of a virtuous life.

Teach your child this lesson: The rewards of evil are temporary; the rewards of Godliness are eternal. St. Cyprian

St. John Chrysostom

But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:14

I have already told you that vice is hard to drive away, for this reason- that no one takes thought for his children, no one talks to them about virginity and sobriety, or about contempt for wealth and fame, or of the precepts laid down in the Scriptures. St. John Chrysostom

Bring your children up with great, great care in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Youth is wild, and requires many governors, teachers, directors, attendants and tutors; and after all these, it is a happiness if it be restrained. For as a horse is not broken in, or a wild beast untamed, such is youth. But if from the beginning, from the earliest age, we ﬁx in it good rules, much

Young people must be made to distinguish between helpful and injurious knowledge, keeping clearly in mind the Christian’s purpose in life. So, like the athlete or musician, they must bend every energy to one task, the winning of the heavenly crown. St. Basil the Great

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PRAXIS

I am pleased to offer this most recent issue of PRAXIS magazine, an important periodical that is thoughtfully prepared by our Department of Religious Education. As with every release of PRAXIS, this issue addresses important areas of growth and education that are pertinent for every Orthodox Christian. This issue is unique in that it focuses upon the particular needs of Greek Orthodox adolescents as they grow in Christ and mature as adults within a complex, changing, and demanding world. Several of our parishes have made efforts to engage young people through establishing religious educational programs that challenge our youth to process, understand, and apply their faith through a genuine commitment. These programs typically include religious education that is coupled with community service. This issue of PRAXIS will profile some of these programs and will shed additional light upon what it means for young people to truly commit themselves as Orthodox Christians in today’s world. We must keep in mind that children who are born in the world of today live in a radically different place and time than have the children born of previous generations. Today’s children are born literally into a world that is at once both physical and virtual. Consequently, their relationships with others exist not only on a face-to-face level, but also continue in cyberspace via the Internet and other emerging forms of information technology. This is a fundamental reality that we are bound to deal with and which will test our children in their Orthodox Christian faith through the choices they make as they interact with others. Teenagers in high school also live within this radically new world. For them, questions of faith begin to present themselves in a learning environment where tremendous levels of information are processed electronically, in multi-task fashion. As the high school years end and the college years begin, the period of early adulthood is riddled with even more challenges associated with advanced technologies and information. Our Greek Orthodox faithful in this age range begin to think critically about their world and their faith. They begin to understand what it means to be held personally accountable for the choices they make as they proceed in their moral development. They rightfully expect from their Church that as they face difficult questions of identity and faith, they will be given the tools that they need to process the wide range of information they are receiving so that they can understand what it means to commit to living an Orthodox Christian lifestyle in the twenty-first century. Our commitment as adults and as educators must therefore be to meet and exceed this expectation, which we must do together responsibly, wisely, and thoroughly. I hope and pray that you find this special issue of PRAXIS enlightening and uplifting no matter what your age in life may be, as these issues are pertinent for all. Our task as educators is a multi-faceted and complex one, and I am grateful to God for the exemplary work of so many of our clergy and laity within our parishes for engaging this task with so much faith and fervor. May our good and gracious Lord Jesus Christ be with all of us as we continue to grow in His grace and knowledge.

† DEMETRIOS Archbishop of America

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Spring 2007

My dear brothers and sisters: I am very pleased to share some thoughts with you about the importance of Christian Education in our Church today. According to the recent Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) study, educational matters were raised as the most important issues facing our Archdiocese. The SWOT report revealed one very important weakness and threat facing our Archdiocese, “the lack of understanding of the Orthodox Faith by the Faithful.” Like any study, this one cannot tell us everything we want to know, which means we must have more such studies. For example, the Parish Needs Analysis conducted in 2005 by the Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute, located in the Metropolis of San Francisco, indicated that our faithful are looking for educational programs that oﬀer opportunities for greater knowledge of our Orthodox Faith to training in the various areas of parish ministry. The great American educator and philosopher John Dewey wrote over one century ago, “What the best and wisest parent wants for his own child, that must the community want for all of its children.”1 We must ask ourselves whether our parishes today believe they are oﬀering the best for their children – and indeed for all their parishioners – because all of us, no matter our age, are children

of God. When the average parish in our Archdiocese spends far less than a cup of coﬀee at Starbucks on religious education resources for its children we have to admit that we can do better. But just increasing our budget is not enough. Our true task is to look deep within ourselves and ask whether we have committed ourselves to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” In short time we realize that none of us can claim to have achieved the fullness of Christ. Each of us must admit that we have a long way to go and we cannot cease learning.

do?” Each of us, clergy and laity, men and women, young and old, is called to act. All of us are called to grow in Christ. All of us are called continually to study and learn. All of us are expected to pray, fast, and do good deeds. Education is not merely about Sunday church school and the realm of children, but for all of us. You are the saints that St. Paul addressed so many centuries ago who are called to build the body of Christ. Your challenge is to strive toward holiness, toward saintliness in your life so that you may edify others.

+ GERASIMOS

Metropolitan of San Francisco (Footnotes) 1

John Dewey, The School and Society, 1900

In the Acts of the Apostles, at Pentecost, upon hearing the preaching of Peter and the other Apostles, the crowd asks a simple question, “What then must we

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PRAXIS

A publication of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, PRAXIS magazine is published twice a year. The subscription rate is $15 for two years. Checks, payable to the Department of Religious Education, should be sent to:

PRAXIS Circulation 50 Goddard Avenue Brookline, MA 02445 (617)850-1218 SUBMISSION GUIDELINES Submissions should be 1,000-2,000 words in length and directly discuss education in the theology and tradition of the Orthodox Christian churches. Lesson aids or graphic enhancements may accompany the articles submitted. We also encourage the submission of photographs relevant to parish life (praxis). Please also provide a biographical sketch of the author not exceeding ﬁfty words. PRAXIS Magazine is seeking submissions of lesson plans based on articles from previous or current issues of PRAXIS. Submissions should use the article as the text/ background of the lesson plan. Lesson plans are welcome for any or several age groups. Please send submissions in a Word document with a length of 1,000-2,000 words to tvrame@goarch.org. Material previously published or under consideration for publication elsewhere will not be considered without prior consent of the editor. We reserve the right to edit for usage and style; all accepted manuscripts are subject to editorial modiﬁcation. Articles sent by mail should be accompanied by an electronic version on CD-ROM in Microsoft Word for Windows or for Macintosh. Articles in Microsoft Word may also be emailed as an attachment to tvrame@goarch.org. Address submissions to: Anton C. Vrame, Ph.D. and/or Elizabeth Borch. CREDITS Executive Editor:

Anton C. Vrame, Ph.D.

Managing Editor:

Elizabeth Borch

Design and Layout:

Tina Millsaps

Inside Cover:

St. Demetrios Department of Religious Education, Brookline, MA

Inside Back Cover:

Jesus and the Children Department of Religious Education, Brookline, MA

Back Cover:

Christ in the Temple - Unknown Source

Printing:

Atlantic Graphic Services, Inc., Clinton, MA

The color icons appearing in this issue of PRAXIS are available for purchase from the Department of Religious Education (800) 566-1088. We would like to thank the Crossroad program of the Oﬃce of Vocation and Ministries of Brookline, MA for some of the photos appearing in this publication. Special thanks to Beth Borch for some of the photos appearing in this issue of PRAXIS. Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible containing the Old and New Testaments with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books, New King James Version. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the views of the Department of Religious Education. ©2007, Department of Religious Education of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. ISSN 1530-0595. page 4

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contents

PRAXIS Volume 6, Issue 2: Teens

TEEN “COMMITMENT” PROJECT

REVIEWS

TEENS COMMITTING TO GROW IN FAITH

SOUL SEARCHING

Anton C. Vrame, Ph.D.

ST. S OPHIA CATHEDRAL, L OS ANGELES, CA

PRICE OF PRIVILEGE

Rev. Fr. Bill Tragus

Pete Sotiras, M. Div.

ST. G EORGE CATHEDRAL, S PRINGFIELD, MA

ENCOUNTERING W OMEN OF FAITH

Rev. Fr. Christopher Stamas

Anestis Jordanoglou, M. Div.

ASCENSION CATHEDRAL, O AKLAND, CA

THE T EN T ALENTS PROJECT

Rev. Fr. Michael Tervo

Elizabeth Borch

SS. C ONSTANTINE & HELEN CATHEDRAL, C LEVELAND, OH

THE SACRAMENTALITY OF THE FAMILY: 4/4

Marjorie Moyar, Ph.D

Rev. Fr. Frank Marangos, D. Min., Ed.D.

ELEMENTS OF A T EEN COMMITMENT PROGRAM

THE CHILDREN’S BULLETIN

Anton C. Vrame, Ph.D.

Phyllis Meshel Onest, M. Div.

BEING MENTORED...TOGETHER

MYSPACE GENERATION

Rev. Fr. Christopher Flesoras

Rev. Fr. Angelo Artemas

SEX, G OD & ME

Mrs. Irene Cassis, V. Rev. Fr. Gabriel Karambis with Elizabeth Borch

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PRAXIS

Letters Dear Fr. Frank and staﬀ,

Dear Editor:

I just received my ﬁrst copy of PRAXIS Magazine. What a wonderful resource for spiritual development. There were so many things that I read that made me pause and rethink my personal beliefs. I am looking forward to receiving other issues.

I am grateful that my article entitled “A Lexicographical Look at the Da Vinci Code” was deemed suitable for publication in the Summer 2006 issue of PRAXIS. Thank you for this honor, as well as for the consistent high-quality offerings of that issue and of your journal generally. I am writing simply because it was apparent that the typesetter had difficulty with some words in my article. So that readers should not be left with inaccurate information, I wish to offer some corrections to the published version’s deviation from the article that was submitted.

Thanks, Stacy Melizanis

Dear Sirs, I look forward to reading PRAXIS each time we receive one at the oﬃce. Your articles are timely and interesting… and most of all educational. All Orthodox households should receive this magazine. Sincerely, Koula S. Duﬀ

Today I subscribed to PRAXIS - I received the ﬁrst and third issues (from 1999 I think) recently and was very impressed, I hope it is still as good. Wonder if you name and or explain any of the icons featured as artwork? I was as interested in this as I was in the articles! They were beautiful! Glad to know you are still publishing! Thank you, Penny Kezios

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, I was not aware of the existence of your magazine till one of our fellow parishioners gave me one. I feel that I have to congratulate you for an outstanding job. You are publishing one of the best Christian magazines in the country. Please add my name to your subscribers, I can hardly wait to get it! In Christ’s Abiding Love, Aphrodite Kandilas page 6

Spring 2007

Aside from the wildly inconsistent use of italics that the typesetter introduced throughout the article, please note: • • •

The Greek form printed as “eovomos” should have been transliterated as euonumos. The form printed as “aeretikos” should have been transliterated as hairetikos. In footnote 4, the Greek word should have a ﬁnal sigma, not a zeta on the end.

In linguistic matters, every jot and tittle is signiﬁcant, and I appreciate this opportunity to set the record straight. Sincerely, Fr. Mark Sietsema Editor’s note: We are thankful to Fr. Sietsema for pointing out this problem. We located the source of the translation error and are taking measures to prevent this from happening again in the future.

Commitment Project

TEENS COMMIT TING TO GROW

FA I T H : LEARNING, PRAYING, & SERV ING IN

by Anton C. Vrame, Ph.D.

“Let us commit ourselves, one another, and our whole lives to Christ our God.”

IX TIMES IN THE DIVINE LITURGY OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM the celebrant makes this invitation. In the context of the Liturgy, these words close a series of petitions and prayers, usually where the congregation has asked God to grant their requests, for peace in the world, unity in the Church, seasonable weather, and the like. The Greek word translated as “commit” is parathometha, literally meaning “to hand over.” In short, after asking God for all one needs in life, we end the petitions with the call to hand over one’s entire life to Christ. Of course, this is a reminder of a baptismal commitment, when the Christian accepted Christ as King Spring 2007

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PRAXIS Commitment Project

and God. But for most Orthodox Christians this commitment was made by a godparent, speaking on behalf of an infant. Be aware that the present day baptismal service assumes that it is an adult being baptized, not an infant or child; the words being spoken by the sponsors were originally spoken by the one being baptized. The assumption being made in baptism is that the newly baptized will live according to that commitment for the rest of their lives. This means that today, at some point in life, a commitment made by another on one’s behalf should become one that each person makes consciously. There comes a time when we should move from being a Christian child to a Christian adult. And so at each Divine Liturgy, the Church invites the faithful to “commit ourselves… to Christ our God.” The life of the Church offers many opportunities to make this intellectual, emotional, and spiritual commitment. But is there an opportune moment? Most cultures have known for a long time that adolescence is a time to make the transition from childhood to adulthood through special activities or rites of passage. In American society, obtaining a driver’s license marks that transition for most young people. It is the first moment in which society sanctions that young person into that very adult activity, getting behind a wheel and taking responsibility for a vehicle. Adolescence is an opportune moment for a young person to make a spiritual commitment. Between the ages of 12 and 17, most adolescents will take on more and more adult roles and responsibilities at home, at school, and in the community. Intellectually, they are growing significantly in their ability to wrestle with abstract concepts and ideas. They are developing the ability to take multiple perspectives, an important part of moral thinking and decision-making. They are beginning to make choices about page 8

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their future lives of work and education, exploring vocational possibilities through various experiences such as internships, part-time jobs, and the like. They are entering into relationships outside of the family that can last a lifetime, including relationships with the opposite sex that will help them make later choices about marriage and family. Most obvious, they are growing physically, losing the appearance of children and taking on the physical characteristics of an adult.

“Adolescence is an opportune moment for a young person to make a spiritual commitment...” In each of these areas of development, we can see spiritual or religious questions being asked. What does my Faith have to say to me as I become an adult? What kind of guidance does my Church offer when I wrestle with new ideas, new experiences, new friends, new challenges? Who will help me think these through, my parents, my friends, other adults? What do I really know about my religious Tradition and heritage? Were the lessons of Sunday school in elementary school enough? Do I really understand and accept these lessons? Am I willing to accept their implications for the rest of my life? While finding answers to these questions can take a lifetime to unfold – they are the questions of an adult person of faith – the Church can and should begin asking adolescents and helping them find answers to them. Two parishes began programs that take advantage of this natural time of

development and questioning in the life of the adolescent. They were developed in response to Archbishop Demetrios’ designation of the “Year of the Family.” As co-chairs of the Family and Society Committee of the National Board of Philoptochos, Mrs. Helen Lambros of St. Sophia Cathedral in Los Angeles, California and Dr. Marjorie Moyar of SS. Constantine and Helen Cathedral in Cleveland, Ohio brought their work first to the National Board, then to the Archbishop’s Roundtable on the Family. They developed their programs for their parishes, tested them and presented them to a standing-room-only forum at the Clergy-Laity Congress in Nashville, Tennessee. The inspiration for the process they followed to create the program came from the Archbishop’s book, A Call to Faith, where he suggests to the faithful a particular attitude in dealing with the future. Using the ancient Greeks as a reference point, he teaches that one’s mindset needs to be positive, imaginative, analytical, and creative. Over the course of the presentations at the Clergy-Laity Congress, other parishes announced that they were conducting similar programs. (See the next stories for descriptions of the programs we know about.) The programs all had different names, from rededication to commitment programs, to declaration of faith. The terms were different, but their purpose was the same: to engage young people with their Orthodox faith and publicly accept it in front of the congregation. The programs invite young people, usually between 1315 years old, their parents, and members of the community to enter into a period of intense focus on their religious and spiritual lives, culminating in a public affirmation of their faith in Christ. The programs vary greatly in length, from as short as eight weeks to a full academic – Church school – year. All of the programs, however, are comprised

Commitment Project

of similar elements: education, worship, service, mentoring, and a public ceremony. The ﬁrst step in each program was a public willingness of the part of young people and their parents to participate in the program. Each participant and parent agreed to participate fully in all the dimensions of the program. While not part of any programs we have seen, this ﬁrst step could also include a public announcement, identifying the participants to the community. The education component involved the young people focusing on the content of their faith. They studied the Bible, worship and the sacraments, the lives of saints, the history of the Church, and more. The St. Sophia program even included a section on stewardship. The education component also asked young people to be able to bear witness to their faith. The SS. Constantine and Helen program expected participation in the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival, while the St. Sophia program taught hymns that would be sung in church later on. The mentoring component asked the young people to locate another adult as a mentor from the parish, usually from some kind of approved list, to guide them through the program. While parents were involved in the program with their children, adolescents naturally begin to distance themselves from their parents, usually to peers, but also toward other adults. Before becoming a mentor, one should be willing to submit to a background check. Mentors also had to participate in special training programs. The mentors were required to accompany their “mentee” to as many program elements as possible, assist in the service project, and meet with the young person regularly to discuss elements of the program. For more on mentoring teens, see the story by Rev. Fr.

Christopher Flesoras, “Being Mentored Together” (p.15). The worship component made a fairly straightforward request of the young people – to participate in the worship and sacramental life of the Church. It also asked them to begin to develop a prayer rule, that is a set practice for regular prayer. This dimension would also be connected to the education component, as young people needed to learn about Orthodox worship and involve themselves with the practice of worship, such as singing hymns or baking prosforo. The service component involved all the participants working together on a project that assisted the community. Learning and experiencing that being an Orthodox Christian involves caring for the world around us is critical. These projects ranged from picking up trash from the neighborhood outside the St. Sophia Cathedral to working at a local soup kitchen in Cleveland.

together. The next step is for them to continue to learn and live their faith well into adulthood. This program might be a good possibility for your parish. Parishes in Minneapolis, Chicago, and Attleboro, Massachusetts are initiating their own pilot programs. Just how do you, the potential newcomers to this joyful opportunity for spiritual growth, begin in 2007 or 2008? Begin by collecting all the best of current curriculum for the selected age group and infuse it with the challenge of being a real participant in the faith, not simply an observer or consumer. By the spring of 2008, the hope is that there will be at least one pilot project in each of the metropolises, and that thereafter there might be a meeting to exchange the particulars of these pilots. The outcome would be a guide for implementation archdiocese-wide. Dr. Anton Vrame is the Director of the Department of Religious Education of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

Finally, at the conclusion of the program, there was a public ceremony, usually held after the Divine Liturgy on a Sunday. The young people with their mentors and parents publicly declared their faith. These public declarations included reading from Scripture and reciting the Creed. There were also special coffee hours and luncheons for the congregation in celebration of this event in the lives of the young people and their families. These programs are still in development, moving out of their “pilot” status, correcting what didn’t work well and strengthening what did. The longterm effect of these programs on the lives of the participants is unknown. The short-term effect was noticeable. Young people and their families took a big step in learning and living their Orthodox Faith. The participants also bonded Spring 2007

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PRAXIS Commitment Project

ST. SOPHIA CATHEDRAL, LOS ANGELES, CA by Rev. Fr. Bill Tragus

EENAGERS FROM ST. SOPHIA CATHEDRAL IN LOS ANGELES WERE THE FIRST TO COMPLETE A NEW PROGRAM called the “Rite of Commitment” in the spring of 2006. The goal of the “Rite of Commitment” is to guide teens to embrace and experience the Orthodox Christian Faith in a personal way. This is done through an exciting and challenging program that oﬀers academic study as well as physically going out and acting upon our Christian Faith. The Very Rev. Father John Bakas, Dean of St. Sophia Cathedral, and Helen Lambros oversaw the west coast version of the new program. The program was developed to try new ways of introducing our teens to the life of Jesus Christ. One of the goals that our planning committee set for ourselves was to break the trend of allowing our youth to become the next generation of “consumers” within the community, who have become accustomed to and come to expect basketball tournaments, Greek dancing, social parties, glendis, ski trips and other social excursions as their main interaction with Church. As an alternative, this program redirects the focus of Church community on the teachings of Jesus Christ, which was presented to these students in a challenging and dynamic way. The students were treated like adults since we asked them to give their own personal commitment to completing the program. Each student was given a mentor that he/she contacted once a week. The mentors and the students reviewed and discussed the ongoing curriculum and shared personal thoughts and experiences that pertained to that week’s lesson. The course answered questions important to teenage students such as: “Why should we go to Church?” and “What does God save us from?” Service projects within and out of the Church community were also part of the program’s curriculum. One early morning, the students met at St. Sophia to fulﬁll the diakonia/service portion of the program. That morning, wearing St. Sophia t-shirts, they walked through the neighborhood picking up all the trash on the streets and sidewalks while they introduced themselves to neighbors, shop owners and curious on-lookers.

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It was a chance to witness their faith while serving the neighborhood that surrounds St. Sophia Cathedral. A time comes in every child’s life as they approach adulthood when a personal religious choice must be made. As program leaders, we asked ourselves this question: Have we given our teens the information and experience needed for them to choose the Christian struggle as a major part of their daily living? Our reply was to offer a program that lets us come together in an environment of honesty, where even doubts were shared without the teenagers being judged. It was not our goal to turn them into the type of adults that we think they should be. Rather, we looked at the teachers, mentors and parents as the vessels that God is using to help Him develop these young people into the mature adults that God is in the process of creating. It was a difficult and challenging task to kick-off this ministry in Los Angeles. We began planning for it only weeks after I had been ordained a Priest. We were successful thanks to many dedicated faithful people who always kept in the forefront the importance of a program like this. We completed our first year with 23 teens declaring what they believe in front of the Church congregation. Rev. Fr. Bill Tragus St. Sophia Cathedral Los Angeles, CA (323) 737-2424

Commitment Project

ST. GEORGE CATHEDRAL, SPRINGFIELD, MA by Rev. Fr. Christopher Stamas

HE “COMMITMENT” PROGRAM AT ST. GEORGE CATHEDRAL IN SPRINGFIELD, MA BEGAN ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO. In discussing the differences between the Orthodox Church and others that have some sort of commitment program for teenagers, the question was posed, “Why don’t we make up our own ? From there, the St. Basil Youth Service Award was born. Young people in GOYA, from 7th grade to 12th grade, are given the opportunity to earn the award each year. There is no limit to the number that may participate. The difference between the program at St. George and many other programs is that the requirements run the course of the entire year, from July through June. In order to emphasize the importance of continuing education through the high school years, we have made the Sunday School the primary focus of our efforts. St. Basil Youth Service Award recipients must be present in class at least 75% of the year. All grades have a minimum requirement of 65% attendance for public recognition of promotion to the next grade. Since implementing this program, we found that most families now attend nearly every single Sunday, September through late June. In order to involve the youth in the life of the community and in the various programs offered by the Archdiocese and local community, some of the other requirements for the award include: the Oratorical Festival and participation in the CropWalk through our city sponsored by Church World Services. Not only are the children required to walk the fivemile course, they must also collect at least $100 for the needy. Our parish now has the largest participation in the city and, last year alone, raised well over $2,000 for this worthy cause, placing us second in the city.

assistance in researching topics has made this task much easier to handle and, in some cases, very enjoyable. Since community service is one of the requirements of many schools and colleges today, it seemed like a natural fit for the youth to spend at least one afternoon cooking and serving a meal to about thirty men at the local Rescue Mission. This agency takes men off the streets and allows them to live for one year with free room and board as long as they are clean and sober. The young people buy, cook, serve the food, and then clean up. The last requirement has been the most subjective of the requirements: active participation in GOYA. The requirement of GOYA participation has caused that group to be more active and this subsequently assists in the life of the whole community. As time goes by, substitutions for some of these requirements may be allowed depending on available activities. For example, attending an Orthodox Camp or assisting with the JOY Vacation Church Camp for one week in the summer may be used as an alternative to some of the other requirements. At the conclusion of the promotion exercises in June, those who earned the St. Basil Youth Service Award are recognized with a special plaque, icon, and a book. Most importantly, though, the young people are publicly congratulated for their year of fine and dedicated efforts. Rev. Fr. Christopher Stamas St. George Cathedral Springfield, MA (413) 737-1496

The St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival was made a requirement early on. By doing this, participation in the Festival went from two students to ﬁfteen in just two years. Some teachers even made it an absolute requirement that their students participate. The key here is with the teachers. Their

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PRAXIS Commitment Project

ASCENSION CATHEDRAL, OAKLAND, CA by Rev. Fr. Thomas Paris & Rev. Fr. Michael Tervo

INCE 1981, THE SEVENTH GR ADE REDEDICATION PROGR AM AT ASCENSION CATHEDR AL IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA gives twelve-year-olds an opportunity to renew their faith and rededicate themselves to the Life in Christ. This Rededication Program is much more than just a short service on the solea. It is a six-Sunday long program of spiritual renewal which consists of priest-taught Sunday School classes, Confession, and a special “Service of Rededication.” When an altar and a church is “renewed” it is set apart, cleansed, restored, and oﬀered back to God. The same principles are true with Ascension’s Seventh Grade Rededication Program, which has each of the same components.

SETTING APART: LEARNING ABOUT THE FAITH Most students understand that as Orthodox Christians they are somehow special or set apart from the world. One objective of the Rededication Program is to teach them how this is true. We teach not only the basic tenets of the Faith, the Sacraments or Church History, but also discuss how their faith should aﬀect the way they make choices and live their lives. For example, if we commune with God through Holy Communion on Sunday, how should receiving it and preparing to receive it aﬀect how we act at home or in school? How can studying Church history guide us in our own Christian struggle in a world where most people either don’t know of, don’t care about, or altogether reject Christ? We really tried to go beyond teaching Orthodox facts, but rather to teach that being an active Orthodox Christian who is “set apart from the world” has ethical implications and application in one’s life.

CLEANSING AND RESTORING: TAKING ACCOUNT AND BECOMING ACCOUNTABLE We teach that the Church’s Sacraments reveal the reality of God’s presence and His work in the world and in their own lives. The Sacraments also prepare and enable them to be in communion with the Holy Trinity through spiritual cleansing and the restoring of the relationship that was and is broken by sin.Participating in the Sacrament of Confession is an especially vital part of this program. This may be the ﬁrst opportunity for them to take account of their sins, to confess them before God, to hear from their priest of God’s desire and ability to forgive them, and to be challenged to live a life of repentance and choosing to follow God’s will.

OFFERING TO GOD: A PUBLIC PROFESSION OF FAITH AND RESPONSIBILITY One must make a deﬁnitive choice and commitment to be an active and responsible Orthodox Christian. In some respects their page 12

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own baptism was an “involuntary” one, made by their parents and godparents. The purpose of this program is to leave no doubt in the students’ minds that they have each chosen their Orthodox Faith. The hope is that participants will learn that they are responsible to continually choose God and to follow Him “with all their heart, soul, and mind.” The Rededication is held on “Godparents Sunday,” which Ascension Cathedral celebrates on the Sunday closest to the Feast day of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple (February 2nd). Students who have completed the six-week program will come up to the solea with their parents and godparents, during the Divine Liturgy just before the Lord’s Prayer and just after the petition, “Having thus prayed for the unity of the Faith and for the communion of the Holy Spirit, LET US COMMIT OURSELVES, one another, and our whole life to Christ our God.” With their parents and godparents standing behind them and offering support, the students “voluntarily confess and promise to hold the true faith of the Holy Orthodox Church.” They all remain on the solea and when the time comes, they lead the congregation in praying pre-communion prayers. The boys place their icons in front of the icon of Christ; the girls in front of the Icon of the Theotokos. They are then the first to receive Holy Communion. After they receive communion and return to their pew, they offer a rose to their godparent as a symbol of their love and gratitude. The priest gives each student a certificate which states that he or she has completed the course of training and has formally re-committed him or herself to our Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Orthodox Church. A luncheon is served after the Liturgy to celebrate the students’ rededication. The Seventh Grade Rededication is an important communal event for the parish. Every person in the church that day is invited to participate along with the seventh graders. It is also an important reminder. It reminds us all that renewal of faith- and with it the components of setting apart, cleansing, restoration, and offering to God- do not happen automatically but involves making active Christ-centered choices every day of our lives. Rev. Fr. Thomas J. Paris & Fr. Michael Tervo Ascension Cathedral Oakland, CA (510) 531-3400

Commitment Project

SS. CONSTANTINE & HELEN CATHEDRAL, CLEVELAND, OH by Marjorie, Moyar, Ph.D.

HIS SPRING, OUR SECOND GROUP OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE EIGHTH GRADE CLASS at Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Cleveland, Ohio completed their personal Declaration of Faith. They focused on the familiar Oratorical Festival, Lenten programs, as well as their GOYA activities, but also on something quite new, their own quest for deepening and internalizing their Orthodox Christian Faith. The Mission for Declaration of Faith participants is fourfold: 1. To study and apply the teachings of Christ to their own lives. 2. To be cognizant of the inﬂuences of society and understand and integrate the teachings into the full circle of their present day activities. 3. To feel, by virtue of this study, that they understand and can use their knowledge of God’s work in their daily lives without intimidation. 4. To feel the emotional bond to their church through their own determination to complete the requirements. The categories of Worship, Education, and Philanthropy were selected for the seven month project. In each category there are both requirements as well as some electives. For example, in Philanthropy one of the two requirements is participation in an Outreach Activity, such as assembling hospitality kits for the St. Herman’s Monastery for Homeless Men or helping homeless women celebrate Christmas in a shelter. An example of a Philanthropy elective is volunteering at the Holy Friday Retreat with the younger children. A worship elective is a visit to St. Gregory Palamas monastery. The Committee composed a list of mentor prospects, who were parish members with regular church attendance and knowledge of the Faith. The mentor’s role is to facilitate the participants’ selecting and completing the accomplishments in timely manner. The Orthodox Education teachers and the Director of Orthodox Education were crucial to success. They had more than weekly contact with each participant, while the mentor involvement was more sporadic.

requirements, item by item, as they are completed. By year three, the program will be even better. The committee believes that this experience with the eighth graders can be useful in future planning for the lower grades, to provide supplemental activities to enhance the program set forth by the Department of Religious Education. The most important outcome was that the participants not only became very involved as individuals, but that they also bonded as a group while working side by side in many activities, an unanticipated outcome. Also unexpected, was improved attendance in their Orthodox Education class, and greater depth in their study. The students’ faith blossomed during the program and they witnessed their peers sharing the same experience. At the Philoptochos meeting in Nashville we listed the additional beneﬁts of doing this program: 1. Church leadership united to focus on youth and their important contributions to parish life. 2. Our teen participants discovered compassion for those less fortunate. 3. Participants bonded with one another as the body of Christ, in communion and faith. 4. Parishioners observed that our Faith was moving ahead from ages to ages, being transmitted from generation to generation with the Grace arising from this program. Overall, it is a very rewarding adventure for the participants, mentors, teachers, and the entire parish.

Rev. Fr. Steven Callos SS. Constantine & Helen Cathedral Cleveland, OH (216) 932-3300

After the ﬁrst year’s program, several important revisions were made. Mentor and parental responsibilities were spelled out more precisely. Mentors now actually sign oﬀ on the Spring 2007

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PRAXIS Commitment Project

COMMITMENT

COMMIT MENT

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ELEMENTS OF A TEEN

COMMITMENT PROGRAM EDUCATION

Your teen program should focus on stories (Bible, saints), doctrine, sacraments and liturgy, and the lifestyle of an Orthodox Christian.

WORSHIP AND PRAYER

Include at least one extra worship service just for those participating in the program. Expect the participants to begin a prayer rule, even a short one, during the program.

For more information about any one of theTo receive additional information and specific advice, please see our contact list on

FOR MORE ELEMENTS INFOR MATION

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OFON A THE TEEN COMMITMENT PROGRAM COMMITMENT PROGRAMS IN THIS ISSUE OF PRAXIS. ST. SOPHIA CATHEDRAL Los Angeles, CA (323) 737-2424 Rev. Fr. Bill Tragus (article appears on page 10)

SERVICE PROJECT

It can be in the parish or in the community. The key is taking the participants outside of their comfort zone. Make sure that the project will be safe and the participants receive any necessary advance preparation. Make sure there is time to connect the project to the Orthodox faith.

MENTORS

Parents will be involved with the program, but it is also important for teens to form a connection with other adults, whether a godparent or another trusted person. Potential mentors should be willing to submit to a background check for reasons of keeping kids safe. Mentors should also participate in a training program, informing them of the responsibilities of mentoring.

PUBLIC CEREMONY

Two ceremonies are ideal. The ﬁrst at the beginning of the program is to identify the participants. The second is their public aﬃrmation of faith to the community and a “re-entry” as adult members.

ST. GEORGE CATHEDRAL Springﬁeld, MA (413) 737-1496 Rev. Fr. Christopher Stamas (article appears on page 11)

A SCENSION CATHEDRAL Oakland, CA (510) 531-3400 Rev. Fr. Michael Tervo (article appears on page 12)

SS. CONSTANTINE & HELEN CATHEDRAL Cleveland, OH (216) 932-3300 Rev. Fr. Steven Callos (article appears on page 13)

Being Mentored....Together by Rev. Fr. Christopher Flesoras

Y NO MEANS ARE OUR PARISHES VOID OF CREATIVE APPROACHES to communicating with and nurturing our youth in Christ. Like others, I have read the popular texts, enjoyed many theoretical conversations, and crafted what I perceived to be the “best” lessons or programs for our teens. Thankfully, these youthful stewards have tolerated the researched approaches, the pragmatic discussions, and my well-crafted programs. In the process, they have also taught me that mentoring youth in Christ is a matter of setting an example by struggling to live my faith, committing myself to Christ, and allowing Christ and His Church, to mentor us…together.

the Faith founded in Jesus Christ. The means by which they were to do so was discipleship. They were to provide information, advice, support, and feedback to the followers of Jesus, His mentorees. As described in Matthew’s account:

At the end of the Gospel of Matthew, the Apostles were directed to establish

After Pentecost, the Apostles mentored the faithful, which resulted

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:18-20

in the establishment of the infant Church. A maturing organism, the Church continued to mentor her faithful through architecture, iconography, hymnography, hagiography, and her liturgical life by way of services that were prayed in each community. Fellowship that stemmed from this Christ-centered life additionally provided the faithful, innumerable opportunities to be formed in holiness…together. By all accounts, we have inherited a successful curriculum that far surpasses any clever program or discussion that I might craft, as this mentorship in Christ continues to nurture saints. Rather than discussing the theological or theoretical aspects of mentoring teens, I have decided to approach this topic with great simplicity. I will merely oﬀer a few of my own

Spring 2007

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PRAXIS

thoughts as to how I may better serve as a mentor within my local parish, then present the comments of a sampling of our teens regarding their expectations for clergy and parents as mentors in the faith. As a Christian son, husband, and father with a priestly vocation, it is imperative for me to realize that I, as a mentor, am still being mentored as a Christian and struggling to better commit myself to Christ. I am being formed through active participation in the liturgical life of the Church, shaped through a continued relationship with my son, wife, parents and in-laws as well as my fellow stewards, encouraged and humbled through sincere discourse with a spiritual father, and educated through dialogue, reading, and reﬂection. Thus, I would be insincere at best, if my interactions with parishioners, young and older alike, do not reﬂect that we are all continually growing in and further committing ourselves to Christ…together. As expectations are set for teens to better commit themselves to Christ, I should, at the least: •

Appreciate my participation in Divine Services as a means of committing myself to Christ. I cannot expect others to appreciate worshipping God if I do not. And, if I, as most priests would say, “enjoy services,” it is probably because I am actively and vocally praying in worship every time I gather with others in prayer. Therefore, would not others have an easier time committing themselves to Christ if they were doing likewise, rather than being observers or, worse yet, “idle” worshippers?

•

Encourage youthful stewards to commit themselves to Christ by sharing in the responsibilities surrounding worship. Young men and young ladies could serve as greeters in the narthex, ushers who help dismiss rows for communion, and pass collection trays. They could also assist with reading and chanting during the services of Great Vespers, Orthros, Paraklesis, Compline, etc. Additionally, responsible young men should be active within the Altar, developing a respectful comfort and proﬁciency within the Sanctuary; for an essential aspect of my priestly ministry is continually nurturing Acolytes in Christ, encouraging them to hear and prayerfully respond to God’s call to commit themselves to Christ and His Church.

•

Value and participate in our parish youth and young adult ministries. If I do not participate in HOPE, JOY, GOYA and our young adult fellowship, yet I participate in other “adult” groups of the parish, instead regulating these ministries to well intentioned and often capable volunteers,

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the message that I am conveying to these populations is that these ministries and their age groups are not important to me and, by extension, to the Church. Furthermore, when I meet with our teens, I should be prepared for these engagements, appreciating the fact that they too are sacriﬁcing time to fellowship with me and their peers. And, while I meet with the youth, parents should also take this opportunity to meet as a peer group for fellowship and discussion, a blessing not only to the parents, but also to their children who witness their involvement and beneﬁt from their discussions. •

Commit to Christ as a unique steward. If I acknowledge a truth of the Scripture and preach the uniqueness of each of us with regards to our vocation, interests, talents, abilities, etc., then I should not attempt to take on a persona that is inauthentic. Yes, I should continually look to Christ, to the Saints, and to my discerned mentors for guidance; however, I should look to the Church with the intention of further reﬁning who I am in relationship to God. Then, and only then, can I ask my fellow Christians to embrace stewardship, wholeheartedly oﬀering their unique time, talent and treasury to the glory of God.

Our groups meet twice a month. The ﬁrst meeting begins in the Church with a short service prayed by all of our youth, which is followed by a homily that is prepared and oﬀered by one of our GOYAns, and then a short planning meeting follows. Our second meeting is hosted at the home of one of the youth members during which the clergy will co-lead a discussion prepared by one of our teens. As our teens were meeting for their biweekly meeting, it seemed appropriate to inquire what their expectations were of clergy and parents, and their mentors in the Church as they commit themselves to Christ. These are a few of their thoughts: •

“Teach us through words that we understand. A lot of times, it seems as though adults forget that they are talking to kids and that the concepts of our faith can be confusing. If we are to embrace a life in Christ, it is because we understand what that life is.” Zane, 9th Grade

•

“Provide us with more opportunities to oﬀer our stewardship within the community. It is disappointing when our schools set higher expectations than our church when it comes to oﬀering our time and talent. Even as a young man, in addition to my service in the altar, there

are ways that I can oﬀer more of who I am to Christ and the Church.” Bobby, 11th Grade •

“Since there is an ‘adult’ Bible Study oﬀered during the week, there should also be a ‘teen’ Bible Study to teach us how Scripture applies to our lives. More familiar with the teachings of Jesus, I can hope to live a life in better communion with him.” Jenny, 12th Grade

•

“Use English in Services so I can understand and sing along. Maybe I should be better at worship, but if I do not understand what is being sung in services, and I don’t sing along, it’s really easy to get distracted.” Chloe, 7th Grade

•

“If priests and parents discussed their personal faith with us, rather than just speaking about general stuﬀ, it would help us get in touch with our own personal Orthodox faith.” Nicholas, 8th Grade

•

“Allow us to learn through our actions rather than through just words. My faith in Jesus should be lived, not just spoken about.” Alexandra, 11th Grade

Our common thoughts in their entirety remain far from profound when discussing the serious matter of Christian mentoring. Yet, deepening a belief in and furthering a commitment to Christ should not be abstract or theoretical, but practical and personal, experienced within the loving embrace of the Church. Thankfully, the dedicated, prayerful, and active stewardship of our teens bear witness to the fact that Christian mentoring succeeds through sincerity, authenticity, direction, and love, as we grow…together. And, if there is any question of the merit of simplicity, I close with a pericope from the Book of Leviticus. God mentors His people of every age by oﬀering a way of life, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy…” (Leviticus, 19:2). Rev. Fr. Christopher Flesoras serves the faithful of Saint Anna Church in Roseville, California. He received his Master of Divinity degree from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, his Master of Science degree from Northeastern University, and is in his ﬁnal year of Doctoral studies in Theology and Educational Formation at the University of California, Davis. Father can be reached via email, frchris@gosaintanna.org at the Church of Saint Anna.

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PRAXIS

SOUL SEARCHING: THE RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL LIVES OF A MERICAN TEENAGERS Reviewed by Anton C. Vrame, Ph.D.

F YOU WORK WITH TEENAGERS IN YOUR PARISH, or have one in your home, you should read this book. The book reflects the results of the most comprehensive study of the religious lives of America’s teens. Over four years, the authors and their team of researchers conducted telephone surveys of 3,290 teens (between 1317) and parents. They also conducted 267 face-to-face interviews. The contents of the survey and interviews ranged from their religious lives, issues at home, at church, at school. The research team tried to be as representative as possible of religion in America. Even a few Eastern Orthodox Christians were included in the study. The findings of the study are startling. They can be both of great concern and great comfort. They cause concern because they reveal the challenges of being a teenager in 21st century America and the disconnections that many teens feel about their religious identities. The findings can be of great comfort because most religions in America have the same challenges. In other words, your challenges and concerns are most likely the challenges and concerns of all religious groups in America. What were those findings? Teens are remarkably conventional in their approach to religion. They are not “religious seekers,” bouncing from religion to religion or trying on New Age religions or Wicca in any great numbers. In fact, most can’t understand why they would disconnect from their religious inheritance.

The authors develop the term “Moral Therapeutic Deism” to define the religious affinity of their subjects. For most of America’s teens, religion provides a sense of basic morality, what’s right and wrong, can make you happy or solve problems in life, all being accomplished by a larger vague divine presence. “We’ll get what we are” is a recurring phrase in the text. It means that if we want to discern the future of these teenagers’ religious lives, their engagement and affinity to religious faith and tradition, we should look at their parents. Throughout the book, the single best predictor of religiosity in a teenager is the religiosity of his or her parents. Most teens participate in religious activities for their social value, meet friends, establish a peer network, connect with adults who listen and try to understand them in a nonjudgmental manner. They do not participate for theological reasons. Soul Searching should be read for the facts, the depth and breadth of the insights I’ve listed. Contents of interviews, stories of real teens permeate every chapter. Of course, there are tables and charts of data. As an Orthodox reader, it’s always helpful to ask, “Where are my teens? Do they resemble this picture?” This points to the need for us to conduct our own research, surveying and interviewing teens, talking to them about their lives of faith and the faith in their lives. Orthodox thinkers should begin to reflect on Moral Therapeutic Deism, “whateverism” and other findings of this book to consider how these affect us as a Church. Our first response may be a more intentional engagement with our teenagers about these matters.

Teens are inarticulate about their faith and religious heritage and identity. When asked to talk about it, they usually Dr. Anton C. Vrame is the Director of Religious Education of get the facts wrong or offer a fairly general and unoriginal the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. response – “Christianity is about Jesus and stuff.” When pressed, they frequently reveal that they are seldom asked v Book Authors: Christian Smith with Melinda Lundquist Denton v Publisher: Oxford University Press, Inc. about their religious beliefs. Teens possess a strong degree of “whateverism.” Some of this relativism is a normal aspect of adolescent development. Some of it reflects the relativism and political correctness of our age. Essentially, though, most teens think that if you want to be religious, “that’s okay,” and if you don’t want to be religious “that’s okay too … whatever.” page 18

Spring 2007

The Price of Privilege Reviewed by Pete Sotiras, M.Div.

A D E L I N E L E V I N E ’ S THE PRICE OF PRIVILEGE, SHEDS LIGHT on a serious crisis amongst affluent communities and families in this country. A practicing clinical psychologist in Marin County, CA, Levine describes a disturbing trend found with “teens and preteens from affluent, well-educated families”; they experience “among the highest rates of depression, substance abuse, anxiety disorders, somatic complaints, and unhappiness of any group of children in this country” (17). The reasons? Levine highlights two factors—achievement pressure and isolation from parents. Many parents are too focused on results, such as grades, trophies, awards, high status or recognition from others and less focused on being connected with their children. Although parents might be involved in their child’s life, it is based on a conditional relationship, based on the outcome of their children’s performances. The result of this type of parenting leads to an inauthentic self, and thus creates the emotional and somatic problems that teens and preteens are experiencing. It should be noted that it is not affluence per se that is the root of the problem with privileged adolescents; affluence becomes damaging when parents use it as a means to avoid authentic relationships with their children and when it inhibits authentic growth in young people themselves. Levine offers effective parenting strategies and ways to reduce the risk of young people becoming susceptible to emotional and somatic problems. The goal is for children and teenagers to ultimately reach an authentic sense of self, which means being independent, capable, loving, creative, in control of self, and moral. Children should grow up to be responsible, moral and loving individuals. Levine examines how different ages necessitate different responses. One important facet of good parenting is to be focused on and congratulatory of the sincere effort that children make in any of their endeavors. Also, parents should be focused on allowing their children the ability to develop and discover their own interests, not theirs. Parents should not allow affluence or privilege to remove responsibility or consequences from the adolescent’s life. When pre-teens and teens make mistakes, appropriate criticism and consequences need to follow. However, Levine emphasizes, it is not the value of children but their inappropriate action which should receive the criticism.

From an Orthodox Christian point of view, Levine’s approach has much value. As she correctly points out, affluence does not provide our children with happiness. Her answer to the problems that beset many affluent youth is a loving and caring relationship between them and their parents. Indeed, according to Orthodox theology, it is in and through relationships that we find fulfillment. Our God is a God of community and therefore we are “hard wired” to experience fulfillment through authentic, caring and loving relationships, with others and of course, with God. As for the understanding of self that Levine offers, Orthodox Christians define it as becoming more and more Christ like. Being loving, creative, in control of self, are all characteristics that Christ exhibited. It is He who is our model for understanding ourselves, and it is He who we strive to become like. As Orthodox, we would agree with Levine when she says that parents should focus on the effort put forth by their child rather than what trophies or accolades they receive. In our Church, many of our saints, and Christ Himself, were not successful at all according to the standards of this world, but were truly successful according to the standards of the Kingdom. Levine also speaks of allowing teenagers to develop and discover their own interests and gifts, rather than be forced to focus on classes and programs that do not fit their abilities or passion. If a teenager would prefer to go into sports therapy rather than law, then they should have that flexibility. Although not everyone finds a career that coincides with their talents and gifts, our Church certainly encourages its members to be aware of their gifts and use them for the glory of God and His Church. Ultimately, this book does a great job of pinpointing the damaging behaviors of parents who are too focused on results rather than sincere, authentic and loving relationships. Parents who are more focused on accolades and results rather than their child’s character and the effort they put forth are hurting their child in the long run. Rather than valuing their children for who they are and helping them become responsible, moral and loving people, parents in affluent communities succumb to the pressures of their culture at the expense of their happiness and their children’s happiness. This book will serve as a guide to avoid the pitfalls of living in a culture of affluence. Pete Sotiras is the Youth and Family Ministries Director for the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco. v Book Author: Madeline Levine, Ph.D. v Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Spring 2007

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PRAXIS

Encountering Women of Faith Reviewed by Anestis Jordanoglou, M.Div.

HERE ARE FEW BOOKS ON SAINTS BY ORTHODOX AUTHORS THAT artfully combine elements of hagiography, academic rigor and personal reflection in a seamlessly coherent and personally affecting way. Encountering Women of Faith, written by the members of the St. Catherine’s Vision is just such a book. The nine-chapter book, written by eight esteemed female graduates of various Orthodox Theological Schools in the United States, professes and reflects upon the lives of twelve women saints who lived during different eras and locales. The stories of these saints span twenty-six centuries from Sts. Susanna of the 6th century BC to the New Martyr St. Elizabeth Feodorovna of the 20th century AD. The saints themselves are from places as diverse as St. Petersburg, Rome, Constantinople, Jerusalem and Alexandria. The scope of time and space that this book canvasses makes it a valuable read.

to understand the nature of metanoia – a turning towards God – in the face of incomprehensible loss. We are invited to experience the life of Mary Magdalene in a very personal way and celebrate the Resurrection with the Myrrh-bearing women. We celebrate the faith of the two SS. Susanna and come to revere St. Catherine herself. A challenging group of questions at the end of each chapter also make the book ideal for study groups and personal reflection. Perhaps, what is best about the book are the insights we glean about the authors themselves. We experience their struggles and joys as they wrestle with the texts, making sense of the stories of these luminous saints. We admire their journey and reflect upon our own and, in doing so, come to realize the necessity of communing with these great lights, these wonderful saints, who have come before us. Anestis Jordanoglou is the Office Administrator for the Department of Religious Education of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

To read this book is to come into dialogue with the saints themselves. We ﬁnd ourselves in a world of fascinating, enlightening, and exciting characters whose stories have the v Edited by: Kyriaki Karidoyanes Fitzgerald v Publisher: InterOrthodox Press of the Patriarch Athenagoras capacity to inﬂuence and touch our lives. Orthodox Institute

We meet St. Elizabeth Feodorovna, the granddaughter of Queen Victoria of England, who married the Grand Duke Serge, son of Tsar Nicholas I, during the turn of the 20th century. Her story is one of continual conversion: from Lutheranism v Soul Searching, The Price of Privilege, and Encountering to Orthodoxy, from an unhappy distant relationship with Women of Faith are available for purchase from the Department her children to one of a warmth and love, from aristocrat to of Religious Education. Call (800) 566-1088. humble nun and ultimately, to martyrdom. We explore the life of St. Olympias the Deaconess, whose life embodies service and an almost unparalleled philanthropy. Her friendship with St. John Chrysostom gives us a unique insight on the life of both Saints. This chapter is especially brilliant in its exploration of the oﬃce of the women’s deaconate. We explore self-emptying love through St. Xenia, a Fool for Christ. We come through the story of St. Melania page 20

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THE TEN TALENTS PROJECT by Elizabeth Borch

HRIST OFTEN SPOKE IN PARABLES, IN ORDER TO MAKE HIS LESSONS UNDERSTANDABLE TO THE AVERAGE PERSON. While analogy is still an effective way to express a concept, applying the lesson to real life is often more difficult, but also yields great fruit. Here is a class project that forces young people to act, rather than just think about how they are supposed to act. The assignment starts with giving the students a loan, (fifteen to twenty dollars in our case), and tasks them with the challenge to multiply it in a specific time period. The students are required to repay the seed money they were given. Rather than just a lesson in capitalism, the profits from this venture are slated to a specific charity or charitable object. The desire to be a “good and faithful servant” and satisfy a goal from their chosen charity fuels the project. The students may complete this task by any method they choose, each according to his unique abilities. Our group was varied between the ages of nine and thirteen, with middle to high school students being the ideal age bracket. Success did not really correlate with age, but by the student’s determination and the support they received at home.

In order to make this venture run smoothly, here are a few guidelines. 1. Advance parental notification in writing and a request for their support. A letter with a summary of the project’s parameters and goal will help get the parents thinking about possible projects for their own children. Assistance might be as simple as offering encouragement and ideas, or more involved, such as shopping for supplies, and computer assistance. The leader should publicize the project in general to the parish, enlisting their enthusiasm and support. 2. Timing. Our project ran over two months time, which was ideal. If the project coincides with seasonal opportunities, this will enhance success. Be sensitive to the timing with the school calendar, finals, breaks, vacation times, etc. 3. Offer numerous ideas for projects to get the inspirational juices flowing. The children can sell things they have made, provide services, or even work Spring 2007

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“So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them” Matthew 25:20 as a group and organize an event, (such as a talent show if you have enough participants). Some kids can do concessions, some can sell admission tickets, others provide the talent. A collaborative project obviously requires more planning and oversight and would be more difficult to recognize individual achievement. A group project would be beneficial for learning cooperation and team building. If selling a product is involved, profits from a first round can be reinvested on a second “run” to turn over an even larger profit. 4. Periodic check-ins during the time period. There will be students who need the accountability of the group. They may develop questions or encounter roadblocks. Some children may not have family support to work on such a project, and help from the leader may be needed. Friendly competition is a motivator for some. Be prepared that some children will not do anything. 5. A specific goal and ownership of this goal is essential. If the goal is something tangible that a student can visualize and relate to, it will become important to them personally. As a group, sponsorship could be considered. Through the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC), the students could sponsor a mission priest for a year. Instead of a monetary donation to the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) or OCMC, health or school kits could be created with the profits and those sent off to IOCC. Also, consider an Archdiocese institution such as Hellenic College-Holy Cross in Brookline, Massachusetts or the Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute in Berkeley, California. There are other Christian aide organizations that will offer you choices for the disposition of your contribution. Don’t overlook local charitable opportunities as well. 6. Public recognition for a job well done. Without singling out the failures, the successful achievements should be acknowledged. Hopefully with close monitoring and input as needed, everyone will be able to be successful.

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The fruition of using one’s talents to truly help someone in need should be motivation for future good works. This will create awareness of the needs of others and at the same time show the student that he or she is capable of making a tangible, positive diﬀerence in the world in which they live. We are instructing and building up of the future body of Christ! Special thanks to Allan-Gabriel Boyd who implemented this idea with the children of his JOY class on the Hellenic College-Holy Cross campus, and gave his permission to share this great idea. Elizabeth Borch is the managing editor of PRAXIS magazine, teacher of her two “talented” children and works part-time as a nurse at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, in Brighton, MA. Her husband is a seminarian at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology.

Here are a few ideas to get you started.

SELL:

Baking mixes Ornaments Handcrafts Handmade cards IOCC health or school kits

SERVICES: Snow Removal Car Washes Babysitting Cleaning Pet care

COLLABORATIVE:

Talent show Booth at a food festival Publication (calendar or cookbook)

by Rev. Fr. Frank Marangos, D. Min., Ed.D.

This is the ﬁnal installment of our of the vertical, rather than the horizontal covenant relationship in marriage. series.

While always a possibility in every 5. The ﬁfth aﬃrmation that discloses marriage relationship, the sacred – the intrinsic sacramental nature of sacramental nature of marriage is not the family is its sacred dialectic.

“In truth and fact, Jesus

The Christian family is rooted in the sacred dialectic, the idiom of sacrificial love. owever, what exactly do we mean when we as Orthodox Christians make such a bold affirmation? Unlike its Roman Catholic counterpart, the Orthodox Marriage ceremony does not include a predetermined set of vows that are brokered between the Bride and Groom by the officiating clergyman. Although the rubrics for the ceremony indicate that the couple should approach the altar of their own free choice, the ceremony focuses rather on the acknowledgment

based on the contractual or mutual consent of the Bride and Groom. It is not the by-product of a horizontal agreement but rather a sacred dialectic of sacriﬁcial love that begins with the consent of the couple with God. The manner of a couple’s shared life will be determined by their respective relationship with God. The “I do!” of Orthodox marriage is not to each other – but it is in the image of Christ’s Gethsemene prayer – the “I do” to the “will of God!” As Christ the Eternal Bridegroom consented to His Father’s Will in the Betrothal of Gethesemene – the mutual consent of the Bride and Groom with God their Father inaugurates a life of Passion – a Praxis – a Sacred Dialectic of sacriﬁcial

never married because He knew the purpose of His coming to earth was to die on the cross and He was completely devoted to this purpose.” Spring 2007

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love – replete with transformational Grace – within the Mystical Body of the Church. Such an interpersonal, self-sacriﬁcial relationship between man and woman, every Bride and Groom, should be understood in terms of the image of the hypostatic union of God and man as “Theanthropos” in Jesus Christ. Every married couple is therefore called to be a permanent (preferably an un-repeatable) sign of Christ’s sacriﬁcial love for His Bride – the Church. It is to this mystery that Saint Paul points his pastorally sympathetic yet theologically precise pen. Every family, therefore, has the potential to be sacramental if in fact it

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consents to enter into the Dialectic of Christ’s economic work – to be a sign of healing and redemption to the wounded humanity described in the opening chapters of Genesis.

life from despotic structures that enable personal credos of self-centeredness. The Christian Family must therefore choose conciliar frameworks that express the Dialectic of self-giving Agape.

The family is thus consecrated, sacred – it is sacriﬁcial - not as event – but as a relationship of potential – through which the couple and their children both experience and express the Love that provides access to God’s holiness. Understood in this fashion, the family as a unit, as well as each individual within the family, may be considered distinct yet inter-related organs in the mystical Body of the Church. Only by accepting such an understanding can we guard family

It is the dialectic, the idiom, the Praxis of sacriﬁcial love (of Agape) that inaugurates, sustains, and perfects the sacramental nature of marriage. Unlike the covenant established and sustained between God and Humanity in the Old Testament, the Orthodox understanding of marriage and family are modeled on the New Covenant which calls for a synergetic response of ﬁdelity by the Bride and Groom, Husband and Wife, Mother and Father, King and Queen.

They are invited to reign, not as tyrants but as servants with love by means of the Grace provided to them by God for the benefit of their immediate and extended family, as well as the entire cosmic order. The Epistle lesson read at the Orthodox Wedding Ceremony underscores this sacrificial praxis of family life by asserting the need for the husband to love his wife as Christ loved the Church! While often misunderstood as securing an autocratic rule of the husband over his wife, the Epistle lesson genuinely underscores the reverse position! It is the husband and not the wife who is called love the other to the point of sacrificial death! Speaking in the voice of the husband, Saint John Chrysostom provides advice to couples on self-giving love. “I have taken you into my arms, I love you and prefer you to my life. In this present life my most burning desire is to spend it with you in such a way that we will be sure not to be separated in the future life that is reserved for us. I put your love above everything!” 6. The sixth and final affirmation that discloses the true nature of the Family pertains to its intrinsic sacramental delight.

The faithful Christian Family is a sacramental delight. nlike its natural, i n c o m p l e t e counterpart, Christian marriage draws its strength from a diﬀerent cistern from a divine vintage that provides immeasurable delight and eternal life. I have always wondered what the Wine Steward, the Symposiarch who tasted the water become wine at the

wedding at Cana of Galilee said to himself upon drinking it. Perhaps he put it to his lips prepared to taste even poorer wine than that originally provided. I am sure he was caught off guard! “Wow. . . Where did this come from?” The time has come for the Orthodox Family in America to provide the “WOW experience” (“WOW” = acronym for the “Wine of Orthodox Witness”). As a contemporary Symposiarch of God’s Grace, the Orthodox Family is called to extend the wine of Cana to the spiritually thirsty! As we have observed, the family finds in the original plan of God information concerning its design = what it is . . . and its destiny = what it should do. If properly understood, therefore, the miracle of Cana summons the contemporary family to its ontological dignity and to its intrinsic responsibility. Family becomes sacramental when, through the Grace of God, the stagnant water-pots of its natural identity and praxis, are transformed into the dynamic sacred wine of the kingdom of God - the primary community of intimate life and love. As a living historical icon of the new-wine of Cana, the Christian family reveals and communicates sacramentalized love and life – that is love and life the way it was originally intended to be lived and shared by God. It is a living reflection of everything that is created and redeemed in the Church - the Bride of God. Understood in this fashion the family is grafted into the mystery of the Church to such a degree - that it is a sign – an epiphany, a sacrament in the truest sense - of a “saved community”. As such, it has the responsibility of communicating God’s love by continually becoming a “saving community”. In the end the family

is both the fruit and the tree of the Church. The family based marriage of one man and one woman, as a natural institution, is the primary cell of society. The sacramental dimensions of marriage briefly examined in this study provide abundant riches for the family. Although our postmodern society implies many models of the family, the sacramental foundation of family life bases its existence on marriage as a community of love and life between one man and one woman. By accepting a model that proposes that the family is willed by God as a natural institution of creation, we guard ourselves against accepting any view that conceives marriage and family as the product of ever-changing societal consensus which ultimately results in extensive instability and successive forms of philosophical erosions and deterioration. The Christian Family has a responsibility to therefore be a “delightful” reflection of Christ’s economic work. By sharing a life of intimate selfless love, the members of each family participates in the (a) prophetic, (b) priestly, and (c) kingly mission of Jesus Christ as expressed and realized in the Church. Understood in this fashion the Christian Family is an icon of the “Best Wine” reflecting the sweet loving covenant of Christ with the Church. Listen to a famous statement by the early Church Father Tertullian who beautifully captures the essence of the delight of marriage and family life. “How can I adequately express the happiness of marriage” he insists “that is joined together by the Church, strengthened by an offering, sealed by a blessing, announced by angels and ratified by

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PRAXIS

our Heavenly Father?!!! How wonderful the bond between two believers, with a single hope, a single desire, a single observance, a single service! They are both brethren and both fellow servants. There is no separation between them in spirit or flesh. In fact, they are truly two in one flesh, and where the flesh is one, one is the spirit.”

The sculptor completed the statue on September 15, 1504. Should the 500 year-old statue of David prepared to battle Goliath

battle insued by 39 world-renowned international scholars as to if and how David should be cleaned, the decision was ﬁnally made by an independent panel of experts to clean the statue using

The sacramental delight of the Christian family expresses itself primarily through love and discipleship both in service to the Church and in service to the world. Marital relationships provide a model of such discipleship by providing both the participants and their family unit with a unique way of encountering each other, the immediate community and the wider society. As we have observed humanity was originally created to share in “agapic love” . . . a love that effectively wills the good of the other. It is important, however, not to sentimentalize such love, for to effectively will the good of another may in fact mean to challenge not only one’s self, but the subject of one’s love quite forcefully! It is within the praxis of such a rich understanding of love as sacrificial agape that the intrinsic sacramentality of family life and love is manifested. In the end, those of us that are married and have families in the Church are summoned to be sacraments for both the church and the world. By their very existence, such families visibly manifest God’s love for the world. It is a contemporary epiphany of the Wine of Cana. It is a Delight in the truest sense of the word!

CONCLUSION On September 15th, the day after the Feast Day of the Elevation of the Holy Cross, the museum of the academia in Florence Italy began a most ambitious yet controversial project. It began the restoration of the famous marble statue created by Michelangelo called David. page 26

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be restored to his original youthful beauty? Should the marble, ravaged by the external forces of 5 centuries, which have left it with streaks and blotches, be cleaned of the grime? Although a heated

nothing more than sterilized water and cotton swabs. Michelangelo created David from an 18-foot high block of marble that was

originally abandoned by other sculptors in a quarry in Florence. For 40 years the marble block was passed over by numerous artist because of its apparent imperfections. Finally, Michelangelo chose to begin work on the marble block because he saw something that he later would say was “struggling” to free itself from the stone. Today, the statue of David is displayed in a special room flanked by four other statues that have been called the four Prisoners. What is significant about the Prisoners is the fact that they are un-finished. Not as some have insisted that Michelangelo did not have the time to complete them, but rather – because he intentionally wanted to make a theological statement. As visitors approach David they must file past the Prisoners – they view four figures struggling to escape the clutches of the cold stone. The prisoners are wading wearily through murky darkness bending their heads under the hard truth of their mortality. Legs and heads disappear in the marble, their chests and their bellies shine as Michelangelo considered the belly to be the “handhold of the soul”. In this epigastric fashion the great sculptor intended to show man’s soul imprisoned in the temporal world. Finally, after passing the unfinished Prisoners, visitors stand before the statue of David - the image of the perfect (finished) man – naked but standing ever confident to confront Goliath. Each individual departs - having been summoned to intensely struggle to escape their respective prisons – to become what God – the eternal sculptor originally intended for us to become. In conclusion, I would humbly suggest that all of us have been meditating upon the sacramentality of marriage and family in a way that typifies the manner

in which visitors gaze upon the statues displayed in the Florence Museum of the Academia. The Family is the magnificent sculpture of the Holy Trinity. Like Michelangelo’s four Prisoners, however, the image of the contemporary Family is in need of liberation! Since the time of Adam the family has been struggling to escape the cold marble prisons of the natural order – to transcend the biological, economic, material and social theories and definitions that currently entrap it and to become the living image of its Eternal Sculptor. Unlike the Statue of David, however, which was restored by water – the contemporary family requires the Sacred Wine of the Bridegroom. In the final analysis, only by continually bathing itself in the Transformative Wine miraculously anticipated at the Wedding at Cana in Galilee can the contemporary family successfully express the six affirmations of its intrinsic sacramental nature.

present and revealed fully in Christ. Understood in this fashion, every family is connected to the promise of God to create the Kingdom of God in its midst. Each Family has, in the ﬁnal analysis, the potential to become an epiphanomenon of the love and faithfulness of Jesus Christ as it is expressed in the Church! In the end - our hope and prayer is that the contemporary family will regain its original nature - to simultaneously be a saved and saving community of love - lies in the expectation that our Lord continues to heed the admonition of His Mother. By claiming such a trust in God’s abundant providence – we may rest assured that the Wine of the Sacramental Family will indeed never run dry. Rev. Dr. Frank Marangos is the Executive Director of Communications for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

The notion of an intrinsic sacramentality of family is not grounded in the position of the priest to impart a separate mystical capacity on the couple during the celebration of the sacrament of marriage. While liturgical and canonical ﬁdelity are indeed important elements in the communication of the reality of God’s love and kingdom to persons, the sacramental nature of family is grounded in the reality of the mystery of God’s love and the profound life-giving force of faithfulness which are potentially present in all marriages. The Family is not sacramental because the Grace of God has been somehow imparted to it through marriage by the Church but because marriage and family were originally created by God in order that His eternal love and faithfulness may become historically

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PRAXIS

The Children’s Bulletin

A Weekly Sunday Bulletin Just for Orthodox Church School Students by Phyllis Meshel Onest, M.Div. WE TALK ABOUT: X How much more our children need to learn than what we can give them on a Sunday morning

The need to get religious education materials in the home

X Getting children and parents talking about the Orthodox Faith

X How, in many cases, our parents need to learn along with their children

hrough the eﬀorts of Rev. Fr. Joseph Samaan (St. Nicholas School and St. Stefanos Church, St. Petersburg, FL), William Planes, Nancy Bannon, & the other volunteers of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Parochial School in Tarpon Springs, The Children’s Orthodox Parochial School Bulletin is available to anyone who subscribes. page 28

Spring 2007

The Bulletin is a creative tool to engage our children in learning more about the Gospel, the Saints and the Feasts with some fun along the way. Within its eight pages (8.5”x11” paper folded), the well-balanced layout includes text, icons, artwork, maps and photographs. Four themed divisions appear in each issue, and I anticipate that the students will rush to see what is in their favorite sections with each new issue. The Bulletin is directed to students ages 8 to 14, has no problem identifying with high school students and is enjoyed by adults, according to Fr. Samaan.

WHAT IS INCLUDED? X The Gospel under a microscope—a two-page narrative and homily combined

X Focus on a Feast—Feast Days of Our Lord, the Theotokos and the Saints

X Did you know?—Facts about the feast with bulleted “bytes” of key and interesting facts

X Fun and games—two pages using two of the following: Icon color-by-number, word search, decoding, word scramble, maze, matching, and multiple choice

Since mid-October when I learned about the Bulletin, it has spread from the Tampa Bay area and the Metropolis of Atlanta to Churches throughout the United States, Canada and the Far East. At the time of this writing, there are over 800 recipients, with the potential of reaching 39,000 children! The hope of the staﬀ is to reach a readership of 100,000 by the end of the school year. According to William Planes, “Through the Bulletin we are spreading the word and educating, after all, we are a school and that is our mission. In promoting the school we are also educating readers as to alternatives in education, i.e. Public, Private, Christian based schools vs. Orthodox Parochial Schools. Just as we spread the seeds of Christ, we also plant the seeds in other communities for them to consider the establishment in their communities of Orthodox Parochial Schools.” The Bulletin is published weekly from September through June, as a PDF, (Adobe Acrobat Standard Format). Electronic distribution is on Tuesday nights, thus providing adequate time to prepare the Bulletin for the upcoming Sunday. The Bulletin is designed for color reproduction, but it can be printed in black and white. There is a blocked area on the last page to add the name of the Church or organization providing the Bulletin. “A Generic Guide to Printing the PDF ﬁles…” is included with each issue. To Subscribe: To receive the free Children’s Bulletin, email Nancy Bannon NBannon@SouthCapital.org or William Planes WPlanes@SouthCapital.org and request to be added to the mail server for regular distribution. A second subscription can be sent directly to the Church School, if desired. Restrictions: St. Nicholas School absorbs all the costs for preparation and electronic distribution, therefore: (1) Respect the copyrights. Reproduce and distribute the Bulletin only in the form provided. Any other use is prohibited without the written consent of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Parochial School, Inc. (2) Print and distribute the Bulletin on a local basis with no charge.

X Kick-oﬀ a new Family Activity at the beginning of the

school year. Involving parents in the education of their children is basic, and yet who has taught parents what to do and how to do it? Use this “Kick-oﬀ” as a “teaching moment” to begin a partnership with the parents. Invite parents to commit to a weekly “Time with God” using the Bulletin. Parents will learn along with their children.

X Encourage students and parents to keep the Bulletins

together so they can look back on previous issues whenever they desire. Make a “Time with God” folder: (1) Carefully punch two holes along the folded edge about 4.5” apart. (2) Slip a ribbon, shoelace or cord down one hole and up other. The length of the cord needs to include enough length to tie a bow. (3) Tie a bow on the top of the stack. (4) Each week untie the cord, slip the new Bulletin on top, and retie the bow. (5) Optional: Make a cover and back by cutting a blank sheet of 8.5”x11” (or larger) paper in half (card stock or construction paper or heavy paper). Fold it like the Bulletin. Cut along the fold. Punch two holes. Place one on the bottom of the stack of Bulletins and the other on top as the cover. Students can decorate the cover, if desired.

X Each week ask the students what they enjoyed best in that week’s Bulletin. Ask one or two questions based on the “Gospel” or “Feast Facts” to encourage students to read. This also serves as a review of the gospel or feast from the previous week. If there is a concern that parents are not participating, do this activity only with students who can read on their own.

Phyllis Meshel Onest, M.Div. has served the Metropolis of Pittsburgh as the Director of Religious Education for over 13 years and serves on the staﬀ of the Archdiocese’s Center for Family Life - www.familyaschurch.org. Her work for the Metropolis is available on her website at www.phyllisonest.com. Phyllis is invited by Orthodox parishes throughout the country to lead Teacher Training Workshops and speak on Orthodox Family Life. She is also one of the ﬁrst women to graduate from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Class of 1977.

POSSIBLE WAYS TO USE THE BULLETIN: X Distribute the Bulletin to the Church School students each week. Mail the Bulletin to the students who missed class!

X Parents of non-readers and young readers will need to read “The Gospel Under the Microscope” and simplify the story, plus assist with selected “Fun & Games” .

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myspace generation by Rev. Fr. Angelo Artemas

LT H O U G H

THE

INTERNET WEBSITE M Y S PAC E .C OM STARTED OUT AS A place for musicians and artists to share and promote their work, it has rapidly evolved into the most popular website for young people to socialize and connect. By simply logging on, anyone (one must be at least 14 years old with no way of verifying) can create a personal profile and site. MySpace now has over 100 million profiles, and functions similar to a mall where kids electronically hang out. Much like when they physically hang out, a typical profile shows that kids connect about music, sports, movies, school, and friends; plus there is a rich supply of whining, gossiping and swearing. And unlike at malls, kids can hang out on MySpace and other social websites 24 hours a day. Also unlike at malls, thousands of sexual predators are surfing the net obtaining information on kids, with or without privacy restrictions. page 30

Spring 2007

While many kids insist that it is their private space, nothing about the internet is private; it is referred to as the World Wide Web. Once information is typed in, it is available to friends and enemies, parents and predators. And unlike what is spoken when friends are physically together, internet words seem to live on and on. Certain employers and college admissions officers are starting to Google and search profiles of applicants in order to get a better idea of their character. One’s internet activity is now the most public thing about them. A lot of people are disturbed by the idea that their internet activity is not private. People do not like being watched, especially teenagers by adults. People often behave differently when being watched. What many people conveniently ignore or have forgotten is that God sees and hears everything. Whether on Pluto or Earth, home or school, work or play, God is everywhere. In addition to everything else in the world, the internet is His space (is HisSpace trademarked?).

WHAT MANY PEOPLE CONVENIENTLY IGNORE OR HAVE FORGOTTEN IS THAT GOD SEES AND HEARS EVERYTHING.

Perhaps the more negative thing about the internet is not predators and pornography, but the negative character being shaped online. If one would not use certain words or say something about someone else in their presence, it should not be communicated to others on the internet. If one would not say or do something in front of parents, teachers, college admissions officers or future bosses, it should not be communicated on the internet. If one would not do or say something in the presence of God, it should not be on the internet, or anywhere else for that matter. As one more communication tool, the internet affords the opportunity for users to share, research, learn, mature and grow more responsible. There are both pitfalls and opportunities. Regarding internet activity, concerned parents should note the following: 1. Computers should be in an open space such as a kitchen or family room with the monitors facing out – not in kid’s rooms. 2. No last names, addresses, birthdates, school names, park district or community information, or specific information about looks or body style should be included on a profile or shared on line. 3. Personal pictures should not be posted on profiles, nor should friends post pictures of other friends.

6. Limit social time spent online to no more than a half hour at a time, while encouraging kids to make plans to get together in person, preferably at their own home. 7. Remain informed about internet activity, reminding kids that trust and privacy are earned by responsible and mature activity and behavior. 8. Log into and implement BeNetSafe.com, which allows for daily reporting of kid’s online activities. 9. Log into GetNetWise.org, which oﬀers ﬁltering software and safety advice. Today’s generation is inundated with information, noise and communication methods. MySpace, Facebook, mobile phones, instant messaging and text-messaging are poor substitutes for human interaction. Connecting in cyberspace is only a start. People still have the need to forge and nurture relationships in person. Teach our children that everything we say and do in cyberspace and in person is in the presence of God. Let it be for the betterment of ourselves and others. Rev. Fr. Angelo Artemas is the pastor of SS. Peter and Paul Greek Orthodox Church in Glenview, Illinois. He is the former Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

4. While not foolproof, privacy measures by MySpace and other sites should be activated. 5. Due to the ease of impersonating other users, always verify plans by phone before agreeing to meet friends at outside locations. Spring 2007

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Sex,

GOD

Empowering Teens to Make the Best Choices by Irene Cassis, V. Rev. Fr. Gabriel Karambis, with Elizabeth Borch

“Train a child in the way they should go, and when they are old they will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6

HROUGH TELEVISION, MOVIES, MUSIC AND VIDEOS, MOST OF US ARE WELL AWARE of the values of the Church and the values of the world are often very different. All of us can find it difficult to make the right choices. As an Orthodox Christian parent, we need to make a strong stand to educate our children about the proper way to live. Saying, “don’t do this,” is not enough in our tempting and treacherous world. Teens must be equipped with the knowledge and conviction “not to,” before they find themselves faced with difficult choices. Our children are exposed to so many sexually related topics and behavior at a very early age, so twelve year olds are not too young for this program. “Sex, God and Me” is a four-week abstinence education program for teens in grades 7-12 and their parents, sponsored by the Annunciation Greek page 32

Spring 2007

Orthodox Cathedral in Houston Texas. This program combats forces that try to coerce our children into amoral behavior. The series explores what God, the Bible and the Orthodox Church say about relationships, sexual relations, and the challenges that youth face in our modern society. In this course, parents are assisted to talk with their teens about sex. More importantly, it helps families understand God’s love and forgiveness through a stronger relationship with Jesus Christ.

the parents and teens together. During the second hour the parents and teens have separate discussion groups. The teen group is facilitated by young adults and allows them to talk openly about those things that uphold scriptural and Orthodox teachings. The teen group is sub-divided by age. The parent discussion group will provide insight, knowledge, and encouragement to assist them as they parent their teens. Each of the four weeks pursues a diﬀerent topic led by someone who is appropriately qualiﬁed.

Communication is very important to a successful program. To begin, the parish priest sends a letter announcing and endorsing the program, encouraging parents and teens to participate. Brochures and ﬂyers inform the parents about the program’s contents so that they know exactly what to expect. Advertisement of the program starts well in advance, so that families can put this important series into their schedule.

A priest, child psychologist, or a knowledgeable lay person presents the physical and emotional aspects of puberty during the ﬁrst session. Also included is an explanation of our sexual nature as God created us, male and female. Sex is understood as wonderful and joyful, to be enjoyed within marriage.

Each meeting is two hours long with a short break for refreshments. The ﬁrst hour includes a speaker for both

A youth minister and camp counselor leads the second week’s talk, “It’s my life and my choices!” More than 3,000 years ago God gave us the Ten Commandments. These rules are a prescription for a successful and happy

life. We are free to be all God created us to be; He gives us free will; He gives us the freedom to obey him or not. However, our choices come with consequences. Obeying God is really an act of love for Him, for others, and for ourselves. Physicians, usually in family practice or an obstetrician/gynecologist, lead the third session. It is a good idea to have a male and female physician, if possible, to get a male and female perspective. This session looks at questions about sexual activity, including but not limited to the consequences of premarital sex; pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or death. The session will also ask, what’s the big deal about dating? Do condoms help prevent unplanned pregnancies and STDs? What is the only 100% guaranteed way to prevent yourself from contracting an STD? For the ﬁnal week, a youth and young adult director presents the Orthodox Christian Teen Video titled, “Sexual Purity: Purity of Mind, Body, and Soul,” produced by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministry. Looking at today’s society it is easy to see that many of our young people are engaging in activities and exhibiting behaviors that do not coincide with, and in many cases directly contradict a healthy, Christian lifestyle. Young people today are growing up in a world that is increasingly promiscuous and tolerant of indiscriminate sexual behaviors. As parents, educators, and role models, we are obligated to share with our young people the Church’s view on sex and sexuality.

thought must be given in selecting the speakers as well as the facilitators (who are the same through the entire four weeks). It is imperative that the speakers and facilitators believe in abstinence prior to marriage. The content must be rock solid and abundant, there can be no doubt with regard to the facts presented. Be prepared to pay a stipend as well as travel and hotel expenses to bring in the speakers. Several weeks prior to the program, meet with the facilitators to discuss hypothetical and expected questions, as well as the appropriate responses. The facilitators should be prepared with materials such as Orthodox teachings on love, marriage and sexuality as well as a solid understanding of the biological and physical issues of sexuality. They also need to become comfortable talking honestly about the topic. Open this program up to the parishes of all the Orthodox jurisdictions in your area, as well as your parochial school

if you have one. Here at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Houston, Texas we repeat this program every other year. Be aware that community based groups may oﬀer a similar program, but we must be very careful, since these may not be a biblical or abstinence based message. As our young people draw closer to leaving home for college, it is important for the Church to help them solidify their faith as they face the challenges ahead. May our generation prepare the next generation to be capable like the martyrs, meeting the challenges to their faith armed with the knowledge and strength to make the best choices. Mrs. Irene Cassis is the Religious Education Director for the Denver Metropolis. V. Rev. Fr. Gabriel Karambis is the pastor at Annunciation Cathedral in Houston, Texas.

This program is only as good as its speakers; quality is very important! Much Spring 2007

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N Faith & Fellowship Opportunity X Would you like to experience more fellowship in Christ? X Would you like to give and receive more social and spiritual support? X Are you interested in personal growth in Compassionate Love? X Are you a Greek Orthodox Christian who attends Liturgy regularly? X Are you 21 to 65 years old? As a deacon in the Metropolis of Boston and an instructor at Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, I am completing a doctorate in Pastoral Psychology at Boston University. I believe that small fellowship groups can foster social support and personal growth in compassionate love. In order to demonstrate this, I am seeking to coordinate the formation of small fellowship groups of Greek Orthodox lay people, and to guide and assess their experience. Participation in these â&#x20AC;&#x153;Agape Circlesâ&#x20AC;? would require a commitment of approximately two hours per week for seven weeks during the Summer and/or Spring of 2007. Participants will be asked to complete brief surveys before and after their participation in the program. These surveys will provide the primary data for my research. If you are interested in growing in faith and friendship with other Greek Orthodox Christians in your community and would like to participate in an Agape Circle, do not miss this unique, free opportunity! Please visit www.agapecircle.com today and contact me by email at coordinator@agapecircle.com or by phone at (617) 850-1274. Deacon Markos Nickolas, M. Div., Ph.D. (cand.) 50 Goddard Avenue Brookline, MA 02445

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Spring 2007

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Feature Articles _____ Teens Committing to Grow in Faith - Anton Vrame _____ St. Sophia Cathedral, Los Angeles, CA - Fr. Bill Tragus _____ St. George Cathedral, Springﬁeld, MA - Fr. Christopher Stamas _____ Ascension Cathedral, Oakland CA - Fr. Michael Tervo _____ SS. Constantine & Helen Cathedral, Cleveland, OH - M. Moyar _____ Elements of a Teen Commitment Program - Anton Vrame

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Mentoring Teens - Fr. Christopher Flesoras Ten Talents Project - Elizabeth Borch The Sacramentality of the Family - Fr. Frank Marangos My Space Generation - Fr. Angelo Artemas Sex, God and Me - Irene Cassis and Fr. Gabriel Karambis

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PRAXIS

Dear Reader, Hopefully you noticed that this issue of PRAXIS is a little different than previous issues. This magazine, designed to assist clergy, teachers, youth workers, and others will try to focus on the “praxis” of ministry in Orthodox parishes, with a particular focus on education, but also looking more broadly to areas of Church and family life. Praxis, of course, is a Greek word that means “practice,” or more loosely “action” or “work.” In short, praxis is about “doing.” To achieve that goal, we will try to examine programs from around the Archdiocese and beyond, share and reflect on what appear to be “best practices” for teaching Christian Orthodoxy, or as I like to say, “hand forward” the Greek Orthodox faith and way of life to another generation. The play on words, “transforming praxis,” is meant in two directions. The first direction is the magazine itself. We hope that the contents will become more and more praxis focused, offering tools and resources that will assist you in your ministry of leading (what education from the Latin educare means) people in their Christian journey. While we will still continue to include articles on Orthodoxy in general, we have to recognize that acquiring information is not enough on its own to transform our praxis. The second direction is your praxis as an educator. For praxis to have the possibility of transformation, we also hope to make connections to the praxis of education. Content is important but needs to be offered in a manner page 40

Spring 2007

that expects us to do something with the content. Content and skills come together and, with some effort, transform our praxis. In addition, we need to broaden our horizons, and for this we want to include examinations and reviews of materials and resources from “non-Orthodox” providers. Other Christian communities have been producing resources for years (we have a lot of catching up to do in that department). We know that many parish programs use these materials, so we as a Church should begin to reflect on how best to use them, through selective editing or adaptation. In many respects, an art project or a game is just an art project or a game. As St. Basil the Great advised about the use of “pagan literature,” we should be like the bumblebee, skipping from flower to flower to select the best nectar. Likewise, if something doesn’t fit with the Orthodox way of life, we should also tell people what to avoid. Another way to transform praxis is to examine and reflect on the social realities of life in globalized, multi-cultural, multi-option, multi-faceted America. These realities do not skip over the Orthodox Church because of our claims to doctrinal stability, history, heritage, or Tradition. Let’s face it – most Greek Orthodox Christians are well assimilated into the mainstreams of American life. Any claims to being the exception to the trends around us ring very hollow even after spending just an hour or

two with teachers, parents, or children. If we understand the world around us and begin to consider how it aﬀects the lives of our faithful, better practices can emerge. Finally, to transform praxis, we cannot work in isolation as Christian educators. The connections between the Church school classroom and the youth group meeting cannot be overemphasized. After all, you are dealing with the same people. A regular meeting of the youth advisors and the teachers to plan and coordinate program themes, activities, and content would help tremendously. Also, we should not forget that what happens in the rest of parish life, from liturgy to social ministries, is also handing forward the Orthodox way of life to the next generation. Transforming praxis is about connecting our knowledge with our actions and actions with knowledge. PRAXIS will strive to help you make the connections.

Anton C. Vrame, Ph.D. Director

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