COME & SEE Highlights from PRAXIS
Special Issue: Clergy–Laity Congress 2010
SPRI N G 20 07
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Teaching Teens Today
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Dear R eader, Since its creation, PRAXIS has been addressing aspects of pastoral ministry—especially education—with the goal of building up the life of the Greek Orthodox Church. Many wonderful essays have appeared, enriching and inspiring readers to try new ideas and implement new programs with the hope of re-awakening the ministry of “handing forward” the Orthodox Faith. None of us can remember all the good ideas that were presented, so the Department of Religious Education has compiled this special issue of PRAXIS for the Clergy–Laity Congress with just seven articles that we felt were some of the best published in recent years. We believe that these articles are still relevant to your ministry and worthy of your attention. If you have the issues in which these essays were first published, you may want to pull them off the shelf and re-read the other pieces about the same topic from those issues. But few of us have probably saved every back issue, so the Department is building a free online archive of them, making it easier not only to return to these sources but also to share them with others.
The phrase “best practices” is tossed about a great deal in the business world and occasionally in the ecclesiastical world. That this special issue is a collection of the “best of PRAXIS” has not escaped us—yet we wanted to avoid using jargon just to get your attention! Also, these are only a few of the many excellent ideas and articles that have been contained in the pages of PRAXIS. The phrase “Come and See” points us in two directions. First, if you have not been a reader of PRAXIS, we hope you will take a closer look at the magazine and include it in your regular reading. Second, and more importantly, we hope that by implementing the ideas we have presented over the years, your parish will be re-awakened, drawing people—faithful and newcomers—to your community. The Department of Religious Education
Anton C. Vrame, PhD Director
Clergy–Laity Congress 2010 COME & SEE
EDUCATING 3 The Challenge Liturgy and Beyond
Marina Katsoulis with Elizabeth Borch Spring 2009 (Vol .8, Issue 3)
5 The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Seraphima Sierra Butler Fall 2008 (Vol. 8, Issue 1)
79 Teens Committing to Grow in Faith:
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Learning, Praying and Serving
Anton C. Vrame Spring 2007 (Vol. 6, Issue 2)
12 Teach Your Children Well: Habits of Exemplary Educators
Rev. Aris Metrakos Fall 2007 (Vol. 7, Issue 1)
14 Teaching and Living Difficult Issues
Rev. Stanley Harakas Winter 2010 (Vol. 9, Issue 2)
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LEADING 17 Leadership for the 21st Century
Rev. Frank Marangos Summer 2005 (Vol. 5, Issue 1)
22 The Turn-Around Church
Rev. Luke Veronis Spring 2008 (Vol. 7, Issue 3)
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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 e-mailed as an attachment to tvrame@goarch.org. Address submissions to Anton C. Vrame, PhD, and/or Elizabeth Borch. CREDITS Executive Editor: Managing Editor: Design and Layout: Copyeditor: Front Cover Design: Front Cover Imagery: Back Cover: Printing:
Anton C. Vrame, PhD Elizabeth Borch Steven Klund, Maria Diamantopoulos-Arizi, and Tina Millsaps Aimee Cox Ehrs Steven Klund THUNDAFUNDA Images Icon by the hand of Athanasios Clark Lane Press, South Burlington, VT
Special thanks to Emanuel Katsoulis, Dmitri Panagos, Seraphima Butler, Maria Diamantopoulos-Arizi, and Fr. Luke Veronis for providing many of the photographs that appear in this issue. of PRAXIS The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the views of the Department of Religious Education. © 2010 Department of Religious Education Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America ISSN 1530-0595
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The Challenge Liturgy and Beyond Marina Katsoulis with Elizabeth Borch Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” - Mark 2:3–6
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n this Gospel we read about four friends who brought their friend, a paralyzed man, and laid him at Jesus’s feet. They not only wanted to see Jesus themselves, but they also loved their friend and must have labored hard to place him near to Christ. The greatest gift we can give to another person is Christ; indeed, it is our calling as Christians. One community in Rosyln Heights, NY, created such an opportunity for the physically and developmentally challenged in their midst. Since 1990, once a month, a special Divine Liturgy is celebrated at Archangel Michael church for this group and their families. Participants are of all ages and face a wide range of disabilities, including Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism, blindness, and some with serious injuries. The intent of the Challenge Liturgy is not to isolate individuals but to offer a worship environment that understands their special needs and is patient and supportive as they approach the chalice, often with great difficulty. In past generations, families often hid away their challenged family members. The Challenge Liturgy offers these individuals and their families for worship, fellowship and mutual support, welcoming them all into the full life of the parish. As parents of a challenged child, we cofounded this program fourteen years ago with Rev. Fr. Dennis Strouzas. From its start with four families, the program has grown to include more than fifty families from eight Orthodox communities. A wheelchair ramp is just one visible indication that this community is serious about serving those with disabilities. Since this has grown from a parish program into a regional program,
complimentary bus transportation and car-pooling is provided for those with no means of getting to Rosyln Heights. All New York area challenged Orthodox Christians are welcome. Area clergy have an open invitation to come and celebrate the Challenge Liturgy as well as volunteers to welcome and assist participants as they approach Holy Communion. This program has grown not only in size but also in scope and personal involvement. With the Divine Liturgy as the cornerstone, a fellowship hour follows with refreshments and social time. This group also has various other activities such as a spring picnic and a Christmas party. Volunteer social workers, lawyers and parishioners contribute professional services and expertise to the participants and their families—the body of Christ coming together to support and share one another’s burdens. From a priest’s perspective, Fr. Strouzas says that serving in this way is deeply moving: “When I look out and see those in the congregation, I think about the difficulties the individuals and their families face, and the great effort required for them to come and receive, it is extremely humbling.” The Challenge group has grown into a close-knit “family” and, like any family, has great concern and desire to protect its most vulnerable members. The issue of survivorship—of individuals with disabilities after their caregivers’ death—is of paramount importance, offering very few acceptable solutions. A group residence that would permit individuals to remain a family, close to the church, and an integral part of the Orthodox community worked out to be an ideal solution. PRAXIS
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The plan involved partnering with an agency that manages group residences and that could also help to petition the state of New York. The state’s funds then would help them establish a group home that they would then manage, a win-win situation. One of Long Island’s leading accredited service providers for those with developmental disabilities, ACDS of Plainview, NY, fit the bill and rose to the challenge. After four years of intense effort, a group residence opened in September 2008. Hellenos House is currently home to seven individuals of Greek heritage with developmental disabilities. The house is a 3,500 square foot split-level structure with individual bedrooms, living and dining room, den, recreation room and outdoor pool. The residents of Hellenos House enjoy a full and productive life, with their social, health and medical needs attended to 24/7 by a dedicated staff of social service and healthcare professionals. Every weekday, residents are transported to their day programs. When they return before dinner, they complete assigned chores. Several nights each week they attend social, sports, or arts and crafts activities of their choice. Weekends include entertaining, movies, bowling, or shopping and, of course, the Challenge Liturgy. The overall objective of Hellenos House living is encouraging and facilitating an independent lifestyle that incorporates adaptive living skills, community inclusion, leisure activities,
care of personal finances, and the ability to make choices. Community inclusion, in particular, has special significance for Hellenos House. Participation in parish and community activities ensures that religious, ethnic and cultural values are maintained, enriching residents’ quality of life. The record of support from the Greek-American community is encouraging. The success of the Challenge Liturgy program and support from the Archangel Michael parish, most notably its Ladies Philoptochos society, attests to the strength of the church community’s support. Hellenos House is the first of several group homes that will be needed. The likelihood of additional group homes will be influenced by the extent of community support. Early indications are that the future is very bright. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Romans 12:10–13 For more information about the Challenge Liturgy or the Hellenos House, contact Marina Katsoulis at mannykat@aol.com. Elizabeth Borch is managing editor of PRAXIS magazine and a freelance video editor.
THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN: PRAXIS VOL 8, ISSUE 3 SPRING 2009 SummER ChuRCh CAmP
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PHOTO 1
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
O
Seraphima Sierra Butler
ne Sunday in spring, an adult catechist and two six-year-old children work with materials related to the Good Shepherd parable (see photo 1), a theme familiar to the children from age three. They reflect on the image of a shepherd and his sheep as a means to understanding more about Jesus’s relationship with His people. In particular, they explore how that relationship is lived through the celebration of Eucharist. The transcript that follows is a glimpse into the phenomenon known as the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS), a religious education method that encourages dialogue, nurtures prayer, and respects the needs and abilities of growing children. Catechist: “What do you remember about the Good Shepherd?” Child A: “He saves the lambs, and carries them.” Child B: “He’s looking after them.”
(Looks at the figures of sheep.) “The sheep are bowing down to the Good Shepherd.”
figure.) “Is He still present?”
Child A: “No, they are eating.”
Child A: “Yes, because He’s still good. He’s nice. He’s there in the body and blood.”
Catechist: “Who is the Good Shepherd?”
Child B: “He’s there on His cross, giving them His life.” (Pause.)
Child B: “God; Jesus.”
Child B: (In a voice that seeks confirmation.) “What do the sheep represent?”
Child A: “We are the sheepies; that’s what I called them when I was little.” Catechist: “There is another sheepfold called the Church.” (Sets out new materials and begins moving the sheep over to this other model.) Child B: “They are still bowing down to Him. These two are priests; please put them behind the altar.” Child A: “They are sheep!” Child B: “They represent people. They represent God’s people. Lots of people.” Catechist: (Continues presentation, and removes the tiny Good Shepherd
Catechist: “What do you think?” Child B: “We are God’s people, and He can call us animals if He wants, because sometimes we act like animals, like we’re wild.” As seen above, the children have come to a personal and unique understanding of who the Good Shepherd is, as well as who we are in relation to Him. Their grasp of the parable’s images gave them a way to articulate that understanding. Furthermore, it enabled them to link their experience of the Eucharist to this image, enriching their understanding of PRAXIS
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PHOTO 2
God’s presence in that sacrament. Such discussion is an important aspect of our work with children, yet it is only one of the many factors that contribute to the richness of this method. A key difference between CGS and most religious education options is its point of focus. First and foremost, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a way of approaching children’s spiritual formation; with that aim in mind, it seeks to present the Christian faith, the Bible, and the liturgy in the most developmentally appropriate way possible. The educational discoveries of Dr. Maria Montessori form the basis of this method. For more than a hundred years, her approach has generated significant growth within children all around the world, not only in the area of cognitive development, but also in the areas of physiological and emotional development. Over the last fifty-plus years, her contributions to understanding the nature of children have been applied in the area of religious education, yielding equally fruitful results. Both Maria Montessori and CGS emerged within the Roman Catholic tradition. For CGS, the key collaborators were Sofia Cavalletti, a Biblical scholar, page 6
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and Gianna Gobbi, a Montessori protégé. From the beginning of the “experiment” that has become the Catechesis, they realized that much more was happening with the children than the learning of facts and prayers. Just as intellectual hungers had been revealed in Montessori’s Casa dei Bambini (her original school), so also Cavalletti and Gobbi witnessed the unfolding of clear patterns of spiritual hunger that correlated with Montessori’s developmental model. For example, the three- to six-year-old child expresses a strong need to understand God as a loving protector who calls each child by name. They rejoice and show true satisfaction when introduced to the Good Shepherd parable. This hunger and the Good Shepherd parable are such a well-matched pair that even when children are much older, they refer to it as a building block of their understanding of life, liturgy, and history. Furthermore, this pattern is not isolated to one parish, one denomination, or even one continent or culture, but rather continues to exhibit itself across these and other divides. I was introduced to the Catechesis by a fellow homeschooler, who is also a certified public school teacher. Although
I was very hesitant to believe that this program could work within Orthodoxy, an opinion based on sheer ignorance, I did commit to reading the basic text of Catechesis: The Religious Potential of the Child by Sofia Cavalletti. This scholarly work opened so many doors of understanding for me in relation to my own children that, with my priest’s blessing, I began studying CGS in 2003. With the help of seasoned catechists, clergy, and scholars, we have been adapting the method to Orthodoxy ever since. Just like the Orthodox Church, the Catechesis acknowledges the child’s preexistent yet ever-maturing spirituality. We believe that God and the child already have an interior dialogue taking place, whether the child is conscious of it or not. This was one of the main reasons I felt compelled to share this opportunity with my priest and parish: in CGS, we help children become more attuned to this reality while respecting the different ways God may make Himself known to each of them. We intentionally seek to help children enter into prayer through work, song, art, discussion, and silence—a tool they can use throughout their lives. Because we work with individuals or
very small groups, CGS allows the child’s religious education experience to be somewhat individualized (see photo 2). Each child has the opportunity to discover the unique ways in which his or her spirituality can flourish. Long ago, my beloved patron, St. Seraphim, taught extensively about the importance of this discovery as a means to increasing the grace of the Holy Spirit in one’s life.1 More recently, Sister Magdalen has encouraged adults to actively listen when children share from their hearts, particularly about matters of faith. When we listen well, we can seek a fuller understanding of God, together with the child.2 Before most CGS materials are introduced, we begin with a solemn Scripture reading. The catechist prefaces the reading with a reminder that it is God’s word being offered, which creates an atmosphere of prayer. The catechist lights a candle and reverently reads the passage. We reflect on what we have heard and discuss any new words or concepts. The catechist uses carefully chosen questions that help lead the children into a deeper understanding of God, as revealed in the passage. Then we introduce the threedimensional materials; demonstrate their use along with a Scripture booklet; encourage prayer; and share a corresponding song. The presentation is not complete until the catechist has invited the children to continue working with the materials and has modeled how to put the work away. The children are then free to revisit that material at any time during the current and subsequent sessions (see photo 3). This return to the materials is possible because of the specifically designed
space in which we work, called an atrium (see photo 4). Unlike a typical classroom, it is more like a retreat space where both learning and prayer activities are at home. Everything within the atrium is designed for the child’s body and use. The materials do not belong to the adult; they belong to the children. This gives the children freedom of movement and freedom of choice under the supervision of trained catechists, who are observing their growth, as well as their patterns of work, in order to better serve their spiritual development. The atrium is divided into content areas to help the children organize themselves and to work independently when not in
a presentation with the catechists. Work is considered prayer; everything within the room points to something significant in the faith. The children know the few rules that govern the space, which assist everyone toward that goal. Interestingly, the children enforce the rules on each other just about as often as the adults do! I am excited about the opportunities I see for the children and adults of the Orthodox church within the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. In a PRAXIS article, Fr. Anthony Coniaris suggested that “sometimes we spend so much time teaching ‘about’ Christ that we often miss the more important goal of help-
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ing our youngsters get to know Christ personally. There is a vast difference between learning about a person and actually meeting the person himself. . . . [Our children] are seeking a real, personal encounter with God.”3 This is what our experience with CGS has afforded us. It has given us a time, a space and a method to help children encounter God at their pace and in their unique way that is supplemental to, and not instead of, their encounter with Him in church. The children have not been the only ones to benefit from this approach; the work has been spiritually formative for us adults as well. The catechist formation courses offered by the National Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd challenge cradle Orthodox and convert alike to engage their faith in a rigorous way, enabling them to own it on a new level. In addition to the catechists, the affect on the parish is notable: Creating an atrium (or two, or three) can build a new spirit of community across generations as the talents and gifts of the entire parish are brought to the work. This creates a much wider base of support for the children. Furthermore, because the Orthodox presence within the CGS community is still very small, we have the opportunity to introduce others to the ancient Christian faith and enrich their understanding of history and theology. And finally, as the number of Orthodox churches using CGS continues to grow, a larger sense of community is developing, one based on the acknowledgement that we are all “unworthy servants of the Gospel,” continually humbled by the PRAXIS
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westmont.edu), subject line “Add to mailing list.” Seraphima Sierra Butler is Catechesis Coordinator for St. Athanasius Antiochian Orthodox Church in Goleta, CA, and is a homeschooling mother of four. She earned a BA, cum laude, from Winthrop University; is certified to lead catechesis for children ages 3–12; and is in practicum to become a Formation Leader for the National Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in order to assist adults implementing CGS. She may be contacted at seraphima@stathanasius.org.
enigma placed before us—that is, the relationship between God and the child. For further information, consider the following resources: • The Religious Potential of the Child by Sofia Cavalletti and Julie M. Coulter (Liturgy Training Publications, 2007). The sourcebook for understanding the development of the Catechesis and its underpinnings. Read this book before reading its sequel, The Religious Potential of the Child, 6 to 12 Years Old (Liturgy Training Publications, 2007). • Listening to God with Children by Gianna Gobbi (Treehaus Communications, 1998). An accessible, practical book that explains some of the nuts-and-bolts of working with children and gives some basics of Montessori developmental theory. • The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd page 8
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in a Parish Setting by Tina Lillig (Liturgy Training Publications, 2007). A very helpful, easy-to-read book that discusses some common experiences for those starting out. • Please visit our website: www.stathanasius.org. Click “Ministries,: then “Youth and Education,” and finally “Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.” • “The Sheepfold,” a quarterly publication of the Department of Youth and Religious Education, St. Athanasius Orthodox Church. Originally intended to keep parents abreast of their children’s work, it has become a way of sharing our experiences with those interested in learning more about the Catechesis within the Orthodox tradition. To join our mailing list, please contact our Director of Youth and Religious Education, Joanne Gish (jgish@
1. St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, Little Russian Philokalia, Vol. 1: St. Seraphim of Sarov (Platina, CA: St. Herman Press, 1991): 94–96. 2. Sister Magdalen, Conversations with Children (Essex: Stavropegic Monastery of St. John the Baptist, 2001). 3. Fr. Anthony Coniaris, “Teaching the Faith Experientially,” PRAXIS 4, no. 2.
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Vol. 8, 8, Issue Issue 1: 1: Early Early Childhood Childhood Education Vol. Education $4.95 $4.95
THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN: PRAXIS VOL 8, ISSUE 1 FALL 2008
LEARNING, PRAYING, & SERVING “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 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 “comPRAXIS
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mit 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 their future lives of work and education, exploring vocational possibilities through various experiences such as internships, parttime 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 adults. 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 page 10
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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, CA, and Dr. Marjorie Moyar of SS. Constantine and Helen Cathedral in Cleveland, OH, 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, TN. 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 Spring 2007 issue of PRAXIS 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 13–15 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 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
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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. 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 long-term 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
Dr. Anton Vrame is the Director of the Department of Religious Education of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. SPRI N G 20 07
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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, and 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. Although 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” (PRAXIS, Spring 2007, page 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
Faith. The participants also bonded 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, MA, are initiating their own pilot programs. Just how do you, the potential newcomers to this joyful opportunity for spiritual growth, begin this year? 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.
THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN: PRAXIS VOL 6, ISSUE 2 SPRING 2007
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Teach Your
Children Well
Habits of Exemplary Educators Rev. Fr. Aris Metrakos
O
ne of the surest paths to pastoral frustration and hurt feelings is to assume that the people whom we serve can read the priest’s mind. Many messages seem too obvious and we don’t preach them. Some friendly reminders might hurt the feelings of those around us so we convey them too obliquely. All too often we fear not being liked by individuals who don’t agree with us, so we speak in vagaries and metaphors—or worse yet don’t say anything at all—when correcting the behavior of the faithful. This type of non-communication–miscommunication can be found frequently when selecting Sunday School teachers, youth workers and camp counselors. We recruit persons to fill these roles based on a wide variety of criteria: they teach in secular schools; they will have a son or daughter In the program; they’ve been teaching Sunday School for years; they have a pulse. We might even ask them to submit to a criminal background check—an extremely good idea. The most important set of qualifications and expectations is often brushed over or only tacitly implied. The adults who serve our youth must be living the life of the Church. Admittedly, we say these words when speaking to Sunday School teachers and youth workers, but all too often we then move on to the next bullet point of our presentation without stating clearly our expectations. CONFESSION For two millennia the Sacrament of Penance has transformed people who believe in Christ into believers who know Christ. Priests who say that all of their parishioners must confess only to their own priest are outside of the Tradition of the Church, as are those people who claim that every Orthodox Christian must have a spiritual father at a monastery. But nowhere does the experience of the pious faithful teach us that Confession is optional. Anyone thinking about serving the Church as a religious educator needs to participate in the Sacrament of Penance. Those who already work in this capacity and do page 12
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not confess need to make immediate arrangements to participate in this life-changing sacrament. Without this experience, even the most dedicated servant of the Church will never move from theoretician to theologian. FREQUENT COMMUNION The scriptural, patristic and canonical witness is unambiguous: we come to Liturgy to receive the Eucharist. Yet at parishes around the country, many Sunday School teachers regularly absent themselves from the chalice. Since receiving the Risen Body and Blood of Christ is the central and defining act of the Church, persons who work with youth and do not commune regularly are quite simply unprepared to teach. And if a Sunday School takes place during the Divine Liturgy, the parish should find a way to change this practice. The subject of frequent Communion necessarily gives rise to a host of side issues: How often should I receive? How do I prepare for Communion? Aren’t people partaking too casually of the Eucharist these days? These questions demand discussion and a prayerful response. To whom do we bring them? The priest whom we see for Confession. “But I don’t go to Confession?” you say. Then what are doing going to Communion? And what on earth makes you think that you are even remotely qualified to serve the Church? BASIC MORALITY Sure, we are all sinners. The older we get, we spend less time paying lip service to this reality and more time on our knees reflecting on the state of our soul. At the same time, the fact that all of us trample regularly on our relationship with the Almighty and His law through our transgressions does not somehow make people who live in habitual sin any less unqualified for Church work.
Here is a short list of persons whose behavior needs to be reformed prior to assuming any leadership role in the parish. • Adulterers and persons sharing a home outside of wedlock • People engaged in criminal activity • Illegal drug users and active alcoholics (Recovering addicts and alcoholics are frequently more “together” than the average person.) • Gambling, sex, and other addicts • Persons with a proclivity towards sexual misconduct towards young people • Persons who think that sex before marriage is “OK, because everybody does it” • Practicing and open homosexuals • Individuals engaged in unsavory or illegal business practices I don’t believe the list needs to be much longer than that. Most people should be honest enough to disqualify themselves when presented with this list. Should Mr. Jones be excluded from Church service because he was busted last year for DUI but now repents of his actions? No way. What about Suzie Sorority who got caught up in the party scene as a sophomore but is now a sober senior preparing for the LSAT and at Liturgy every Sunday? Sign her up too. Among our best teachers are faithful believers who fell hard only to be filled with God’s grace. PRAYER, FASTING AND TITHING How can we consider ourselves equipped for ministry if we do not pray daily? Where will we ever find self-control without fasting? What place does Christ hold in our value system when we do not tithe or at least give sacrificially to His Church? Children and teens can sniff out hypocrisy the way sharks smell blood in the water. When we stand before a group of young persons to teach them or lead them without committing ourselves to these basic elements of Christian living we are like the emperor without his clothes. The mean students will mock our nakedness. The nice ones will continue to color their pictures of Jesus and do their workbook assignments. All of them will eventually graduate from being clueless kids to lukewarm or non-practicing adult “Christians.”
KNOWING WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW It’s OK not to know everything—nobody does. But why isn’t there more shame from those who want to teach without bothering to be learners themselves? Accepting the role of Sunday School teacher or youth worker means also taking on the responsibility of learning about our faith and how it is taught. See your priest for a reading list and to find out about upcoming religious education seminars in your area. RECRUITING IS DIFFICULT, BUT… Sunday School directors and parish priests can become so desperate for volunteers that they sell themselves short when recruiting teachers and youth workers. The average 300-family parish needs a dozen or so staff members each Sunday School year. Are we like Sodom and Gomorrah that not even 10 persons from among that pool of 500 adults can be found who are capable of standing before a classroom and saying “Confession is good, fornication is bad, and Orthodox Christianity will save your soul?” God forbid. Stop settling for the usual suspects when signing up Sunday School teachers and a start showing some moral courage. And you might ask, “What about the rest of parish leadership? Shouldn’t the parish council be held to the same standards as the ones described in this article?” Sure, but first things first. Most priests would be content if the parish council would just stop talking in the narthex while the sermon is being preached. Rev. Aris Metrakos is Pastor of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in San Francisco, CA. He is a frequent speaker and retreat leader at both youth and adult events. Fall 20 07
THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN: PRAXIS VOL 7, ISSUE 1 FALL 2007 Adult Catechumenate
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GROUNDED IN ORTHODOXY Only persons who are unsure of their own faith ridicule folks from other religions; therefore, showing disrespect to other faith traditions is always wrong. At the same time people dabbling in nonChristian religions should not be serving as Sunday School teachers or youth workers. Similarly, persons who prefer Protestant spirituality and theology have no business teaching in our churches. People who think that Confession is unnecessary, that the Theotokos is an add-on, and that monks and nuns are escapist religious fanatics need to reexamine their suitability to lead young Orthodox Christians. Virtually every priest has lived through the following fictional experience drawn from a variety of real-life stories: The clergyman has just finished a 45-minute presentation on developing a deeper
prayer life, covering areas ranging COME & SEE from a daily prayer rule to guarding the heart. As the question and answer portion begins a participant (not always a convert and very often a cradle Orthodox) “asks” earnestly: “Father, I’m very confused. You didn’t say anything about committing our lives to Jesus Christ. Don’t we have to accept Jesus as our personal Savior before we can really pray?” How do we answer that question? “Oy vey” is out of context. “No duh” is rude. And “talk to your spiritual father” has no meaning. As much as I respect Rick Warren (The Purpose Driven Church should be read by all Orthodox who take parish work seriously), if he gives you more warm fuzzies than Fr. Arseny, St. Nektarios or the Desert Fathers, then you might want to re-evaluate your potential contribution to any Orthodox Christian parish education program.
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Teaching and Living
Difficult Issues Rev. Dr. Stanley Samuel Harakas
N page 14
early everyone in a position of responsibility in the Orthodox Church—such as clergy, parents, religious educators, church council members and PRAXIS
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everyday laity—have to deal with difficult and sometimes confusing issues of moral or religious teaching and even more importantly, must decide how to deal with them in daily living.
We are acutely aware of such issues precisely when we sense that there are conflicting ideas about them. On the other hand, we have plenty of knowledge and experience about some issues that we are not perplexed about. We know it is wrong to steal, murder or deal with people deceptively. Those are standards that are universally recognized. It is relatively easy to teach Sunday School students and our own children not to steal, harm others or deceive people. The problems arise when there are many differing views in our society and sometimes within our own Church, and we realize we are facing dilemma after dilemma about what we should teach, and what we should do in the many different situations that we must face. The truth is that we cannot always depend fully on what has been said in the past because many of the topics we face today simply were not issues in the ancient Orthodox Christian tradition. For example, St. Basil’s monks asked him whether Christians should go to the doctor when ill or just trust in the Lord for healing. In his Fifty-fifth Long Rule, St. Basil said that the physician’s art is a gift from God and that we should avail ourselves of it. But he added an admonition: we should not put all of our trust in the physician, but also, always through prayer and the sacraments, seek healing from God. But neither the monks nor St. Basil could have raised or answered other questions such as those we deal with today—because they didn’t exist! What are we supposed to teach about issues such as modern methods of contraception or abortion (the pill, morning-after pills); AIDS; test tube babies; surrogate mothers; genetic screening; modern explanations of homosexuality; how to treat transsexuals; cloning; organ transplants; donation of organs at death; the technologies surrounding death and dying (cremation, “pulling the plug,” and euthanasia); and stem cell research, just to name a few issues.
No wonder there is a sense of insecurity in speaking and teaching about such matters! It would seem that the average Orthodox Christian would have much hesitation regarding them, since to decipher the Church’s teaching about them requires a very thoughtful and thorough study and evaluation of the Church’s whole tradition to form a consistent, informed and spiritually comprehensive stance for each of them. Certainly, this is not something everyone in the Church is trained or competent to do. Those who address these questions for the Church are called ethicists, but bishops, priests and other specialists, such as psychiatrists and psychologists, also address such issues. Generally speaking, the method used is to address the whole range of values embodied in the Scriptures and the Holy Tradition of the Church from the very beginning to the present. Usually, such thinkers ask which moral rules of our Faith might apply to the issue at hand. Then, we examine the consequences of any possible course of action, both good and bad. We would then need to look at the intent of any proposed course of action, that is, what is the goal to be accomplished? Any act must also be evaluated on the basis of motive, that is, what is it that is moving us to decide or to act? We must also measure each decision in the light of the supreme value of Christ-like love (agape). But then, no matter what is decided, the means for achieving it must be fitting and appropriate to the Christian life. Because in any complicated issue there are be conflicting values and disvalues, ambiguities must be judged and balanced. Further, judgment needs to be made relative to the concrete situation in which the decision is being made. And finally, whatever is decided should take place within the mind of the Church as a whole. It is never just an individual thing.
Ad mit ted ly COME & SEE this is a daunting task, and there will be, even among the experts, priests and bishops of the Church some differences until the Church as a whole finalizes its stance. Fortunately, that has begun to happen. In more and more local Orthodox Churches (for example, the Orthodox Church of Greece and the Russian Orthodox Church), some very solid guidelines serve the average clergyman, Sunday School teacher or even parent. One example that is readily available is the statement issued in 2000 by the Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, The Basis of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church.* This book’s Orthodox Christian perspective on many contemporary issues provides guidance for the average clergyman, church school educator and parent facing a myriad of complicated and difficult issues. But knowing the Church’s teaching on specific issues does not always resolve them in a clear-cut way because there are often conflicting values and alternative courses of action, even when we are committed to doing the right thing. Living the Faith needs discernment and Christian sensitivity. Here is an example. I was recently approached to give advice in a situation that, considering the increasing public projection of homosexuality, created a problem for a family. Briefly put, a married couple with four young children faced a dilemma when an aunt declared herself a lesbian. The parents did not feel comfortable inviting her to their home with the lesbian partner because they judged such a visit would imply approval of this behavior, which is considered sinful in the Scripture, Church canon law and Orthodox spiritual life. The situation was complicated by the fact that the other aunts of the PRAXIS
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COME & SEE
children expressed no desire to show such disapproval. Here many Christian values are interconnected. What follows is part of how I approached this issue, suggesting the proper stance for the parents: In this situation, we have several conflicting value issues, making the choice of a course of action difficult to decide. This is true because in the Christian tradition there are several Christian stances that may appear to be in conflict, though I believe that they are not in fact. For us to live as God wants us to live, growing toward God-likeness, we need to develop a loving relationship with all people. However, to love is not to indulge others in sinful behavior, nor is it simply liking someone: we are to love even our enemies. Love means to be genuinely concerned about the true well-being of another and acting on it. When you show disapproval of homosexual behavior as neither pleasing God nor being in harmony with a Godlike life (1 Corinthians 6:9, in which many different behaviors are declared as excluding a person from the Kingdom of God, including “sexual perverts” [RSV], in Greek arsenokoitais, literally, “men in bed with men”), you are thinking and acting in a loving (agape love, i.e., Christ-like love) way. This is so because you are concerned about her present and eternal welfare. I think that the aunt herself knows this; that is why she feels she must reject the Christian teaching because otherwise she is self-condemned. You also have a responsibility to protect and guard your children. So, because you do not want your children to gain the impression that the lesbian page 16
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relationship is acceptable, you need to isolate them from it as much as possible. The lesbian couple, regardless of any overt behavior in the presence of your children in your own home, would be an inappropriate presence because it implies acceptance and endorsement of the relationship. However, because the sister refuses to come to your home alone, that issue is resolved at least for the time being. The other issue is your relationship with the other members of the family who are seemingly accepting (and endorsing) the relationship. You should not let the presence of the lesbian couple keep you from associating with the other members of your family at gatherings where all will be present. Do your best to distance yourselves and your children especially. Be civil and courteous, but if their behavior becomes aggressive, you do not have to tolerate it. As Scripture says, “As for a man who is factious, after admonishing him once or twice, have nothing more to do with him” (Titus 3:10). Eventually the other family members may have to choose between her and your family. In any case there will be stress and pain, if not handled properly, Nevertheless, do not yourselves seek confrontation nor condemn the aunt unprovoked. We are instructed “to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all men” (Titus 3:2) and to “strive for peace with all men, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). “Holiness” literally means separation from what is sinful, so it justifies this recommendation. Nevertheless, our overarching behavior patterns should be “salted” with an attitude that was expressed by St. Paul, when he instructed us to “live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; never be conceited. Repay no one evil
for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all ” (Romans 12:16–18). You need to make clear that you disapprove of this behavior and that you will isolate yourself and your family from it. It is she who rejects those conditions and refuses to visit alone. That is her doing, not yours. On the other hand “so far as it depends upon you,” be courteous and “noble in the sight of all.” Living the Christian life has never been easy, but we are obligated to live it as fully as possible. Rev. Dr. Stanley Harakas serves the Christ the Savior Mission in Spring Hill, FL, after teaching ethics at Holy Cross – Hellenic College for many years. * The book’s contents are available on the Web site of the Orthodox Peace
Teaching DifficulT Topics
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THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN: PRAXIS VOL 9, ISSUE 2 WINTER 2010
Rembrandt, Moses Smashing the Ten Commandments, 1659
LEADERSHIP - FOR T HE -
21 CENTURY ST
Moses
Like , the responsibility of the Christian leader is to help lead God’s flock to the promises of God!
REV. DR. FRANK MARANGOS
Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens… (Exodus 18:21)
T
here is a crisis in leadership today. Barely a magazine is printed or news report given without an editorial languishing the lack or misuse of contemporary leadership. The “secular city” seems to be crying out for an awakening, a revival of dependable, responsible and trustworthy leaders… ndividuals that can lead us into the twenty-first century! Where will our leaders come from? And what qualities will characterize their leadership tenure? What philosophy of leadership will buttress their administrative vision? While modernity struggles to answer these important questions, the Orthodox Church should seek to reaffirm a theology of leadership that emerges from its Apostolic heritage. True leadership will originate not from man-made institutions and capitalistic philosophies but rather from the wisdom and inspiration of God’s Holy Word.
IN SEARCH OF PARADISE
What does Holy Scripture have to say to the contemporary Orthodox Church leader who inevitably will be confronted with relational and administrative problems? Should Orthodox leaders administer their parishes solely on the advice of secular models or does the wisdom of Holy Scripture provide a more appropriate paradigm? Moses was responsible for assisting individuals to enter into the “promised land.” With Moses as their leader, able men as his assistants and an angel as their guide (Exodus 23:20), the forty chapters of Exodus chronicle the numerous episodes of a fortyyear sojourn. When Israel was about to enter the land of Canaan, Moses transferred his leadership responsibilities to Joshua (Joshua 1:7–17). What is important to observe is the manner in which Joshua is directed to devise his leadership. He is strongly advised by Moses to always remain obedient to the Word of God. From that moment in biblical history, successful Christian leadership has always required knowledge of the principles and adherence to the leadership qualities found in Holy Scripture. Society is in search of leaders who can effectively lead it to Paradise. Whether we are in search of a “promised” land or the
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COME & SEE
“promises” and opportunities of the future, we all desire happiness, success and eternal bliss. Unfortunately, while the specific ingredients may vary according to the lifestyle and occupation of every individual, the “promises” of the future are generally understood as a “place” of spiritual, vocational and relational bliss…a paradise of physical, as well as financial security. “If only we could find the perfect mate. If only we could afford the house with the white picket fence, etc.,” we tell ourselves, “then we would be in paradise!” Tragically, life does not always order itself according to our own agendas. The leaders we have often worked so hard to follow and support do not always provide us with lasting satisfaction. And so we frequently squander our time and energy changing and rechanging everything from our priest to our spouse in search for what appears to always elude our grasp…someone or something that can lead us to Paradise. As we have briefly seen, the Book of Exodus is a wonderful source of information concerning spiritual leadership. Although the book is primarily concerned with Israel’s historic escape from Egypt and their ensuing multiyear desert search for the “promised land,” Exodus also provides a wonderful paradigm for defining the primary responsibility of the contemporary Orthodox leader. Like Moses, the responsibility of the Christian leader is to help lead God’s flock into the promises of God. Our Lord was emphatic concerning this spiritual perspective. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). As such, the righteousness of the Kingdom, not the financial trophies of the “Secular City,” is the goal page 18
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of spiritual leadership for the twentyfirst century! A THEOLOGY OF LEADERSHIP
A theology of Orthodox leadership might consider adopting an integrationist approach whose administrative principles are based on the integration of professional organizational systems and sound biblical presuppositions. The integrationist approach is supported by two major biblical presuppositions. First, a Christian integrationist approach to leadership would argue that Scripture is normative for one’s behavior in all aspects of life. This component strikes a heavy blow at the root of those who would support a distinction between the business and ministry policies of parish administration.
as Christian organizational systems. This is the second presupposition that undergirds an integrationist approach to Orthodox leadership. It is fascinating here to observe how secular leadership authors are currently expounding the virtues of integrating religious administrative principles such as servanthood, community building, and accountability with the most effective business practices. Tragically, while multinational and transglobal corporations are adopting an integrationist paradigm of leadership for the twenty-first century based on biblical principles, many Orthodox parishes continue to address their needs according to the outmoded administrative models that the business world has already jettisoned! THE PARADISE
“Paradise
begins
with ourselves ...It begins by yearning for a right relationship
with
Christ and with each other.”
Leadership that is Christian must be consistently applied to all aspects of community life. Whether a parish is concerned with its community’s religious education program, Philoptochos, Youth, or the upcoming Greek Festival, its leadership should base their decisions firmly on biblical principles. This theology of Orthodox leadership must be equally applied to all parish organizations. As such, Christian leaders should avoid the temptation of creating a distinction between business policies and ministry principles! Such a distinction would only serve to ignore the transcendent nature of God’s sovereignty. Biblical principles should underlie and direct the actions of secular as well
OF BIBLICAL LEADERSHIP
There are many similarities between the Jewish people described in the Old Testament and our contemporary Orthodox communities. Both have been chosen by the Almighty to be His people and to travel as spiritual pilgrims in this temporal life. Although we might not be traveling through a physical desert we, nonetheless, still seek another destination. While we might not be preparing to enter a new land, we are, nonetheless, poised to enter a new millennium of opportunities. Like the people of Israel, our problems may therefore be the result of our inability to discern the blessings that the Lord has provided for us within our respective parish situations. Although we may have been given so much in the way of community programs, devoted clergymen, dedicated parish council members and so on, our memberships are quite often characteristically unappreciative and critical. This is not to say, however, that we should not desire to excel in all our endeavors, and that there is no room for
constructive advice within our critical reflection. On the contrary! Together with their respective talents and limitations, we should first and foremost accept and wholeheartedly support the spiritual leaders that the Lord has given us. Second, we need to remind ourselves that the Holy Spirit has provided a variety of spiritual gifts and that no one clergyman or parish council member may embody them all. Only when we arrive at such an understanding can we begin to properly assess and challenge
our mutual productivity. Every Orthodox priest should assume his share of parish administration. While some are more attentive to this responsibility than others, a clergyman’s pastoral success is often related to his desire and ability to faithfully oversee and administrate the ministries of his respective parish. This is a responsibility of his Holy Ordination which charges him to oversee and protect the deposit entrusted to his care. While certain clergymen may have the ability to successfully relate to
the youth, others find it easier to minister to the elderly. In both cases, however, administrative talent provides the context for pastoral effectiveness. What should we do, however, when a clergyman has not been blessed with administrative ability? In these instances we should avoid the temptation of looking for a new, younger, or better qualified priest (as if the perfect priest exists and it is just a matter of time before the parish search committee can locate him). Rather, we need to develop an attitude of syn-diakonia, love and spiritual maturity. Starting with their respective pastors, the time has come for every Orthodox community to diligently search for and cultivate the God-given talents, abilities and charisma of its entire membership. No matter how limited we may at first appear to be, when we are united and offer ourselves in humble obedience to the Lord we will discover that we can produce excellence in ministry that will far exceed our wildest imaginations! This, in essence, is paradise. It is not a geographical location or the parish with the largest membership roster and most extravagant budget. It cannot be reconstructed by any one clergyman or parish council. It cannot be legislated in bylaws or by Clergy–Laity Congresses. Paradise begins with ourselves‌It begins by yearning for a right relationship with Christ and with each other. It begins with following the wisdom of Christ, the collective witness of the Holy Fathers, saints and martyrs. It is sustained by adhering to the directives and spiritual methods of His Holy Church. It is the result of faithfully working together for the glory of God and not for the advancement of our own arrogant and often secular agendas. Only in this fashion can we begin to become a spiritual family living an everexpanding experience of paradise. From what has been briefly discussed to this point it is therefore inconceivable that we still consider the multiphased responsibility of parish ministry the obPRAXIS
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THE QUALITIES OF SPIRITUAL COME & SEE
ligations of one man! Since the time of Moses, the great spiritual leader of the Old Testament, ministry remains a difficult task. Although the contemporary Orthodox clergyman might, in fact, share this frustration with select members of his community, most reject the idea of soliciting the laity’s assistance. Perhaps this is where we often make our initial mistake. In the past, Orthodox parish leaders were not always associated with actual ministry. Consequently, parish council members adopted the secular paradigm which understood financial administration as the primary issue of their concern. In so doing, they tragically overlooked other areas of diakonia which are as important, if not more so! While discussion concerning the budget and other financial matters dominate the majority of meeting time, substantive discussions concerning how the choir, youth, senior citizen and religious education programs can be offered more effectively are often neglected. The result is that money matters prevail over ministry. By constructing such a non-scriptural view of ministry which is based on secular rather than scriptural precepts about the sanctity of ministry, we have unintentionally truncated the Lord’s work into two distinct components: (1) what the priest is “paid” to do, and (2) what the laity is “elected” to oversee! Such an attitude of church administration can only foster an atmosphere of misunderstanding, and will undoubtedly fatigue our search for a spiritual Paradise. Syn-diakonia is the only antidote for such a perversion of leadership! By cultivating a loving atmosphere where leadership is understood as mutual servanthood, our parishes will make ministry instead of the “bottom line” their primary interest. page 20
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LEADERS
What, then, are the qualities of spiritual leaders? Although Scripture details the spiritual qualifications for selecting Church leaders, most parish council elections are based on popularity, politics and pocketbook. In his first letter to Timothy, St. Paul provides a checklist for selecting overseers, deacons and Church leaders (1 Timothy 3:17; 8:13). The characteristics of a Church leader include dignity, honesty, sobriety, conviction and temperance. Leaders should also be individuals who have been “first tested,” that is, have shown themselves responsible in previous tasks. As such, we should make certain that the right individuals become the members and officers of our parish councils. We should choose leaders who are faithful, loving, gentle and dedicated to serving Christ and not their own ego! Our failure to do so will influence the very fabric of our Christian institutions. St. Paul understood very well that the caliber of Church leadership influences the caliber of the Church as a whole. All too often, our parish leaders are the last to attend worship services and to frequent the Holy Chalice. Quite often they do not make up the membership of the parish religious education programs, attend Bible study groups or participate in seasonal retreats. Instead of selecting men and women who have first been tested with smaller administrative responsibilities, parishes often elect individuals who have not displayed their Christian commitment prior to their nomination. The sad truth is that while parish councils are made up of members with good intentions, many include individuals whose sole purpose is to “grind a particular ax” against their priest, bishop or archdiocese. Instead of focusing on ministry, these individuals distract and tire the spiritual activity of the group. As such, instead of “equip-
ping the saints,” that is, nurturing the God-given talents of their fellow parishioners, and, in this way, leading toward paradise through humble servanthood, such individuals hinder if not detour the very ministry of Christ! Having critiqued the leadership model of the laity, let us take a moment to briefly examine the pastoral leadership responsibilities of the contemporary Orthodox priest as well. While clergymen of all denominations may at times confess their frustration with the unqualified and often secular concerns of individual members of their respective parish councils, we should likewise periodically examine our own faithfulness to the ministry of Christ in the light of 1 Timothy 3:1–7: the characteristics of an “overseer” should include temperance, sobriety, humility, and kindness…” There is a great danger inherent in the contemporary ministry schedule of a parish priest. When saddled with so many responsibilities, clergyman are often victims of procrastination and/or burnout. All of this requires the priestly leader to be a prayerful individual. He should strive to be spiritually discerning, faithful and honest in all his relationships. All in all, the responsibilities of the contemporary Orthodox clergyman poised to lead his community into the “promises” of the twenty-first century are difficult ones! Perhaps, this is the reason why our Lord sent out His disciples “two by two”! St. Gregory the Theologian wrote an insightful treatise on the priesthood. According to St. Gregory, the priest is a shepherd whose ministry is the “art of arts and science of sciences.” For Gregory, the success of such leadership depends on the degree of a priest’s attachment to the Chief Shepherd and Pastor, Jesus Christ. Our Lord preferred to describe His ministry in terms of the Old Testament analogy of the shepherd. Through the exodus of the desert wasteland of Si-
nai toward the more fertile and richer lands of Canaan, God, like a shepherd, went ahead to guide, feed, and protect his chosen sheep. Psalm 77 underscores this relationship. “You (God) led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.” While in the Old Testament only God could shepherd in such a fashion, the paradox is that now God entrusts this dynamis (power) and exousia (authority) to Christ, and consequently to the Apostles and their successors! In his book Priest, Parish and Renewal (1994), Metropolitan Emilianos Timiadis spent a great deal of time theologically reflecting on the image of the shepherd-servant as the scriptural metaphor for the spiritual leadership of the contemporary Orthodox priest. According to Metropolitan Emilianos, “we live in a society that is more and more demanding of its pastors.” He insisted that “the Gospel, must, therefore, penetrate all of a priest’s responsibilities through a strong and thorough apostolate.” As such, like St. Gregory the Theologian, Emilianos suggested that “doctrine, dogma and principles of faith should not remain isolated on a theoretical plane, but allowed to penetrate, to move the whole being, to transform and influence human life and action.” Emilianos insisted that parish ministry should not be allowed to remain “petrified in its methods and projects.” Rather, it should be “constantly evolving and restructured…it must be open, free, and not chained to heavy monolithic forms and rules.” By shepherding his flock in such an ongoing holy fashion, Emilianos insisted that the contemporary Orthodox priest should “theologize everything: time, history and culture.” Such a leader is therefore “a living sacrament of Christ.” Because it denotes Christological as well as eschatological overtones, the Orthodox Church here in America should return to the scriptural image of the shepherd as the metaphor for spiritual
leadership in the twenty-first century. An Orthodox priest should understand his ministry, therefore, as essentially the continuation of the “shepherding” of Christ. He should, consequently, focus his energy on protecting the weak and abandoned from spiritual wolves who seek to fleece the unsuspecting with the sharp fangs of relativism and hopelessness! Such shepherding requires great spiritual insight and wisdom…a holiness that feeds, protects and leads the flock toward the promised land of fertile spiritual pastures. CONCLUSION
The ills that plague government and business, as well as the Church, will begin to heal when leaders return to the eternal principles and wisdom of Holy Scripture. Whereas the Old Testament witness attests to a divinely established hierarchical organizational structure of life (Gen. 1:28), the appearance of sin perverted this God-created paradigm. Sin, therefore, is the root cause of distrust, fear, greed, ego, selfishness and the abuse of power and authority that often rock the very fabric of many Orthodox parishes. Such leadership characteristics destroy the foundation of a healthy relationship between God and man, priest and parish council, employer and employee, government and citizen. Leadership development through religious education is an important key to uniting sound business practices with solid biblical principles. The result of teaching a servant-centered leadership paradigm that unites sound organizational system theories and scriptural principles to future parish leaders is obvious. For one, it would undoubtedly help sustain a healthier relationship between the Orthodox clergyman and his parish administrative partners. This integrationist paradigm would not only produce excellence in ministry and encourage accountability among Church leaders but
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also produce the icon of a “Holy People” being led toward the “promised land” of God’s Eternal Kingdom! Only when we desire to accept and organize ourselves according to the scriptural principles of servanthood, community building and accountability will we begin to reestablish the divine hierarchical relationship and thus reaffirm true Christian leadership. Such leadership is the linchpin of Orthodox ministry…the only leadership that can effectively lead us into the twenty-first century!
Rev. Dr. Frank Marangos is Dean of the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York, NY. He was Director of the Department of Religious Education of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America from 1997 until 2006. He can be reached at FrFrankMarangos@mail.goarch.org.
THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN: PRAXIS VOL 5, ISSUE 1 SUMMER 2005
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The Turn-Around Church Rev. Luke A. Veronis
O
ver a two-year period, a parish goes from having an average of 40 to 120 parishioners on Sunday. The budget increases from $60,000 to $155,000. The Sunday school grows from 5 to 35 students enrolled. Most importantly, though, a spirit of familial love becomes tangible throughout the community; the faithful begin to understand the beauty of worship and the power of prayer; a thirst for spiritual knowledge and growth develops; an interest in sharing one’s faith with others takes root; and people catch a healthy vision of what it truly means to be the Church. This is a story of hope for churches that are on the decline. The road surely isn’t easy, and it takes much patience, time and effort, but by the grace of God, churches can turn around from a path of decline and the threat of closed doors, to healthy, vibrant, and even growing communities. Now, I know that some readers will think, “You don’t know the history of my particular parish. You don’t know our unique problems and challenges. You don’t know our people.” Maybe so. But I do know that the parish described above has had 42 priests in its 90-year history. Its previous priest, after serving in the community for a total of three months, informed the parish council that he was going on vacation to Greece and simply never returned. And after getting hurt in such a manner, the parish council became wary of searching for another priest. This, combined with some financial concerns, led them to save money by not bringing in a full-time priest for six months. Instead, they paid a substitute priest to come two Sundays a month. Unfortunately, over the years many people did not see this parish as a place of love, of healing, of spiritual growth, and ultimately, of good news. Divisiveness and petty infighting led many to leave. A lack of vision allowed the parish to go in no particular direction. A misunderstanding of stewardship kept the church on a “dues system,” with each member paying $150 per year. Of course, portions of the older generations stayed faithful to the church and page 22
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the traditions of their parents, whereas the younger generations, especially those forty-five and under, simply disappeared. So how did this parish turn itself around in two years? How can other parishes revitalize their own communities? There is no single solution and no easy formula. Of course, such renewal comes from the Holy Spirit. Church leadership, however, needs to become a honed instrument ready to be used by the Holy Spirit. Church leadership also needs to cultivate a healthy spirit that guides the Church in the right direction. In our Saints Constantine and Helen Church, renewal began with a vision. We asked ourselves the following questions: • What does it mean to be the Church? • How should a healthy, vibrant and dynamic parish look? • What are key elements of such a parish, and what spirit should permeate it? One of our primary goals during the first year of renewal was to educate our people to understand what it means to actually be the Church. Parishioners needed to see the Church as their beloved home and our community as a loving family of God. This term, “loving family of God,” had not necessarily been equated to people’s understanding of this Church. Thus, we initially focused on the issue of unity. Unity in the Church should never be taken for granted. We are a Body made up of many different members. A Church must consciously foster a spirit of love, forgiveness, acceptance and fellowship that nourishes Christ-centered unity. A key factor in this issue of unity was cultivating a welcoming spirit toward all people. Too many churches are cold and unfriendly. During our first year of renewal, we tried to make everyone feel at home. When old members and people who had not been to church in many years came back, we enthusiastically welcomed them. When new members, and some who had never been involved in any church, joined our community, we made them feel special. Today, our Church family includes people of Greek, Albanian, Romanian, Russian, Polish, Italian and German
backgrounds, along with those of a typical American melting-pot heritage. The Church is home to all, and all feel welcome. Over the last several years, numerous people have commented how our parish has gone from being known as a cold and unfriendly community to a warm and welcoming family. What else is central to a vibrant, healthy parish? If we look at the early Church, we can clearly see five integral characteristics: worship, fellowship, witness/missions, spiritual growth and service. The Apostolic Church spent time in prayer and worship daily. A loving fellowship took care of all its members, and even offered an attractive witness to the world around it. The entire Body of Christ had a passion to share its faith with others. The people of God longed to learn and grow in their knowledge of and relationship with divine Truth. And even outsiders offered witness to the willingness of the first Christians not only to serve one another, but also to serve those outside of their community. Using this understanding of the Church, our “Family of God” developed a clear vision of who we are. Only with a clear vision will we know how to proceed. So we created the following church mission statement: The mission of Saints Constantine and Helen Church is to proclaim the Good News of Salvation through the Orthodox Christian Faith for the glory of our Triune God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are a loving community of believers who journey towards our Lord Jesus Christ and Local Church History towards one another through our worship, fellowship, education/spiritual growth, witness, and service. We invite all people to join us on this journey towards the Kingdom of Heaven. Using this mission statement, we began to focus on and develop each of the five core characteristics of our parish. So in our worship, we try to make the liturgical services more understandable, vibrant and alive for everyone. Early on we had a “teaching liturgy,” which we continue to offer at least once or twice a year. In this teaching service, we interrupt the Divine Liturgy seven times to explain what exactly is happening and what is expected of the people. We encourage our faithful to wholeheartedly participate in singing, saying various prayers aloud as a community, offering the kiss of peace to one another, and partaking frequently in Holy Communion. And our regular cycle of worship services increased to include, along with our Sunday Divine Liturgy, weekday liturgies for major feasts and saints, Saturday Vespers, and a monthly Paraklesis Service. During Lenten periods, more services were added, including a week of our 24-Hour Prayer Chain. For the first seven days of Great Lent and Advent, twenty-four parishioners commit to praying for one hour each day, so that someone in our community is praying at every minute and hour throughout the first week of Lent. This year, thirty-five
parishioners parCOME & SEE ticipated in our prayer chain! In the area of Christian fellowship, we promote events that celebrate a spirit of unity and love that nourish and bless our people. Thus, we introduced new times of gatherings, celebrations, and meals, including Godparents and Grandparents Sunday, potluck dinners with our Presanctified Liturgies, Lazarus Saturday brunch, Palm Sunday fish meal, Mother’s Day luncheon, Church feast day celebrations, a fall festival, a St. Nicholas day celebration, and Family Outreach Sunday brunch. We also offer various educational, spiritual, and fun excursions and special trips. Another important aspect of fellowship, especially for me as a pastor, is visiting the home of every parishioner in our community. Typically, throughout the month of January, I visit 160 homes and bring in the blessing of the holy waters of Epiphany. I publish a schedule of the general areas where my parishioners live, and then go to all the homes uninvited. Sometimes I offer an “unexpected” visit. At times, I visit people who have not been to church for years. Reaching out to those who have drift-
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ed away—or who have even left the parish—is important to show the interest that the Church has in all of her people. Spiritual growth for parish members of all ages is an essential part of a healthy, vibrant, growing community. Thus, we offer a variety of opportunities for all interested to learn more about our Orthodox Faith in a practical manner. We placed special emphasis on our children. In a parish with few children, we became creative. We introduced Grandparents Sunday to get the grandparents to bring their grandchildren who had left the church long ago. We developed a puppet ministry to attract the children, and for the first six months of our renewal, we actually had more puppets than children! But, thank God, that is no longer true. We developed a wonderful weeklong summer Vacation Church Camp, and we encourage our youth to invite their non-Church friends to participate. In adult education, we focused on a weekly Bible study group, while also offering an “Introduction to Orthodoxy” catechism group and a small Agape Circle prayer group. We bring in great speakers for Lenten retreats twice a year. Our monthly bulletin, The Light, became a twenty-four-page plethora of spiritual education, inspiring meditations and general information about our faith. And our weekly bulletin summarizes well-prepared sermons. An extremely important step of our spiritual growth has occurred in the adoption of our stewardship program, which replaced the antiquated dues system. Twice in its history, this parish had rejected implementing a stewardship program, but following a year of education through monthly bulletins, sermons and slideshows, we not only adopted stewardship, but also saw our budget increased 250 percent. One of the harder aspects to fulfill of our mission statement has been in the areas of witness and service. Too often, declining churches hold on to a parochial spirit. “Charity begins at home” is a common mantra, and too often these churches reject reaching beyond themselves. Of course, a clear sign of a healthy parish is how much it is reaching beyond itself, sharing God’s love with others, and understanding that it is more blessed to give than to receive. As a Church, our focus should never be solely inward, only on ourselves, but must always be outward, imitating God’s love for the world! During our first year of renewal, our budget committee accepted to put three line items of $1,000 each to support misCOME & SEE
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sions and outreach on local, national and global levels. Much explaining and convincing was necessary because our people too easily forget the Great Commission, our Lord’s command to “go to all nations.” We heard more than once, “Father, how can we give globally when we’re not sure if we can pay our bills?” Yet, our parish council learned an important lesson: the more faithfully we learn to follow God’s commandments, the more richly He will bless us. And He has, abundantly! And three years after the beginning of our renewal, our parish is actually sending its first mission team to Project Mexico. Not only will eight of our parishioners represent our parish on this mission, but our parishioners will also participate in raising $10,000 for this trip! The road to renewal is not always so easy and does not always happen as quickly as it did at Saints Constantine and Helen. Many communities have to overcome the dangerous attitude of “We can’t do that, because we’ve always done it this way!” But with patience, love, wisdom and discernment, combined with much prayer and a willingness to educate, positive change can occur! Of course, our Saints Constantine and Helen family still has a long road ahead in fulfilling our potential and becoming the parish God wants us to be. Thank God, though, that we are going in the right direction! And we pray that our example of turning around can offer hope to other churches and inspire parish leaders that such a change can happen in their communities as well! Rev. Luke A. Veronis presently pastors the Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Webster, MA. He served as an Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) missionary for twelve years in Albania and parts of Africa. He teaches as an adjunct instructor at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and Hellenic College, and he serves as a consultant for the OCMC.
THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN: PRAXIS VOL 7, ISSUE 3 SPRING 2008 LocaL church history
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