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THEoLocI ANS

Let all then enter into the joy of the [ord. You firsr and last, receive alike your reward. You rich and you poor,

\X4ry do you fly towards the heaven

rejoice together. You sober and you

when you are walking upon *re soil?

slo*rful, celebrate the day. You that

V&y

do you construct

a tower

have kept the fast and you that have

without having the means to finish

But you have an anointing lrom the

not, rejoice today, for the Thble is

it? \X/hy do vou measurethe warer in

Holy One, and all of you know t}re

richly laden. Eat royally on it. The

your hand, the heavensin a span, and

truth. I do not write to vou becaue

caif is a fatted one. Lrt no one go

Come .in the same way that anyone

all the earth by a handful? These

you do not know the ruth,

not knowing a town is taken by the

immense elements-

because you do know it and because

the cup offaith. All ofyou, enjoy the

hand and led through it; thus I am

measured except by him who made

no lie comes liom the truti.

riches of his goodness. lrt

going to lead you, like strangers,

them. Understand first of all yoursell

the liar? h is the mal who denies that

grieve at his poverry lor the universal

through the mysterious marvels of

Begin by understanding well that

this great ciry of the universe. Our

which is at your disposal: who you

Jesusis the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist-he denies the Father and

one mourn thar he has falJenagain and again. for lorgivenesshas risen

they cannot be

but

$?ho is

away hungry. A1l ofyou, partake of no one

kingdom has been revealed. kt

first country was in this great ciry

are; how you were fashioned; how

the Son. No one who denies the Son

from which the murderous demon

you were composed so as to be in the

has the Father; whoever acknowledges

lrom the grave. Let no one fear death,

whose endcements seduced mar ro

image of God and to be linked to

the Son has the Father also. See that

lor the Death of our Saviour has set

slaveryexpelled us. There you will see

what is inferior; what is the wisdom

what

mant firsr origin and his immediate

which is manifetred in youl and.

beginning remains in you. If it does,

seizure by death, brought forth by

whar is *re mystery of your own

you also will remain in the Son and in

Saint John Chrysostom

sin, the first born of the wil spirit.

nalure.

the Father. And

Paschal Sermon

You will know that you are formed of earth, but the work of Gods hands; much weaker than the brute, but ordained

command

beings

Saint Gregory rhe Theologian On Modnarion in TheobgicalDismsiorc

you have heard from

the

this is what he

promised us----cvâ&#x201A;Źfl eternal life. I am wridng

these things to you about

those who are trying to lead you astral:As lor you, rhe anointing you

without reason and soul; inferior as

receivedfrom him remains in you,

regards natural

and you do not need anyone to teach

advantages, but

thanks to the privilege of reason,

you. But as his anointing teachesyou

capable of raising yourself to heaven.

abour all *Lingsand as rhat anoinring

Ifwe are penetrated by these truths,

is real, not counterfeit-just

we shall know ourselves, we shall

taught you, remain in him.

know

God,

we shall adore our

Creator, we shall serve our Masrer, we shal1 glorify our Father, we shall love our Sustainer... Saht Basil the Grear The Hexaemeron

SaintJohn the Theologim I John 2:20-27

as it has

us free.

PRAXIS

Dear Fr. Marangos, I greet vou, the sta-ff,the editors, the contributors, and rhe readersof Praxiswith the love of JesusChrist our [ord. This focus on HolyTiadition, the theme of this yeart volume of Praxis, directs our attention as preachers, teachers, and students of the faith to the bountiftrl resourcesgiven to us by God to equip the saintsfor the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12). This endeavoraffirms the vital role of HolyTiadition in our faith and acknowledgesthat we must make full use of this sacredheritage in our ta;k of religious education. Within this rich inheritance is included both the writings and saintly lives of great teachers and theologiansof the Church. Emphasisis added here, since in an examination ofTheology within the HolyTiadition of our Church, the focus of this issue,we are unable to separate the profound teachingsand inspired theological treatisesfrom the lives that experienceddeep communion rvith God. Theolory is much more than a body of knowledge that is passed down through the ages.It is first artd foremost a living encounter with Cod, the one who revealstruth and guides us in affirming that truth within the community of faith. The necessirvof communion with God is the reception and recognition of our [-ord: But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable,gentle, open to reason,fuIl of merry and good fruits, without uncertainry or insinceriry $ames 3:17). This text not only lists the it also indicates the attributes of divine wi5d6p-611v knowledge of God-but transformation that such wisdom actualizesin a life lived in communion rvith God. In this relationship truth is known and experienced,and spilitual growth occurs not simpiy from the acquisition of a basic knorvledge of "theolory," but through the presenceof God, the purifying ald illuminating sourceof divine wisdom. May this understanding and experience be rhe foundation ofour preachingand teaching,and ofali ofour labors,so that the fountain of wisdom and truth is recognized in both the SacredTiadition of our Holy Onhodox Church and in the manifestation of divine grace in our hearts, minds, and deeds. In this manner Theology is taught and known in love, and we are able to grow up in everyway into him who is the head,into Christ (Ephesians3:16).

\7ith paternal love,

rt^+ -'-),-,./-/*DEMETzuOS I

fuchbishopofAmerica

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Theology within the Orthodox SacredTiadition MetrEokmnMaximas (Aghioryo*sis)

Intelligent Design Pelphrey Sharon

The'$Tidods Mite A ClassDiscussion Mahredzs George

A C-aIlto Holinessand Ministrv HebnL Jonas

The Perfect,PerfectStorm Ra. Dr FranhMarangos

'\tr7hat Is a Person? D r.Arisn tlePapaniholaou

The Eucharist Rea.Euagoras Consuntinides The SevenEcumenicalC.ouncils Reu.Dr, Emmanual M antzpuris

The Interfaith Marriage Challenge: SomeSatistics and Sugestions Reu.Dr Charlzs Joanilzs

MyInner Faith Maniage MarieEliadzs

MyView Sophia Fagbgruber

HomeschoolingAll the Subjects Rn Theodore Petridzs

Dear God: kssons fromVacation Bible School MariaAngeliadis

VebsitesArrailablefor TheologicalStudy Caroll^arres

Sermon-basedCurriculum Andnnea Guihauh A Higher kvel of F-rperience AndoruaGuihault

PR A X I S

THEoLocY

WrrHrN THEOnrHoDox

SECREDTRADITION (AGHIORGOUSSIS) METROPOLTTAN MAXTMOS PRESIDING HIERARCH OF PITISBURGH OF THEDIOCESE

Thepreachingof theApostlcsand the dogn^ of theFathers hauesnengthened tlte uniry of thefaith in the church; Thrc, shefthe ChurchJ,in utearingthe tunic of Truth which is wouenuith the Thnlngyfrotn aboue, teaches aright and glorifiesthegreatMysteryofpirA [OrthodnxyJ

O BASIL IN THEFULLNESS OF YOURPRIESTHOOD YOUPREACHED T HEGOSPEOF L

(Kondakionof the Fathersof the Founh EcumenicalCouncil).

place where the

celebration of the feast of the Fatiers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council held at Chalcedon in 451.1 It is a witness to the ageold posrure of our church regarding the place and importance of theolory in Tiadition and in fie life of the Church. The serviceofwhich this troparion is part is attributed to Philotheos, Patriarch of Consuntinople from 1354rc t355 ard aqainfrom 1364rc 1375.

preaching of the aposdes has been handed down through the successorsof the apostles, the bishops, and their "episcopalcouncil," fie 'precious presbytery." It is these people who are entrusted with the responsibiliry of preaching and "teaching aright the word of truth" in a liturgical context.

Let us make

T HEKIN GDOM POURING JOYFULLY UP ONTH EC H U R C H T HETEAC H INGS OF TRUEFAITH

'!7ord

This hondakion summarizes the content of the

bri.f".o-*"nrary on the texts " of this kondakion in order to be able to appreciateits teaching, since no orher text is as expressiveand as complete regarding fie place that "theologli' has within the context of our Tiadition-which is the life of our church in Godt Holy Spirit.

DOGMA

AND PREACHING

"The preaching of the apostles and the dogmas of the Fathers have srengthened fie uniry of faith in the Church," the kondttkion says.It is significant that it speaksofpreaching and not teaching. The Gospel of salvation, which is the teaching of Christ and later the apostles, has always been delivered within a liturgical context as 'preaching." The liturg' of the Church has always been the proper

of God and the

It is this faith, preachedby the apostlesand the dogmas enunciated by the Fathers of the Church, which strengthensthe one Christian faith established in the Church by Christ Himself Dogmas normally, and in the narrow sense,are decrees,official proclamations of the Christian faith made by the Ecumenical Councils of the Church. They are the work of the Fathers who comprised the Councils. In this specific case,they are the work of the 530 holy Fathers who gathered at Chalcedon to defend the teaching of the "two natures, wills, and energies"(human and divine) in the one person (hypostasis)of fie -Word of God who became flesh, Chrisr the Savior. However, dogmas here can also be raken in a broader senseto mean ofiicial teachingsFound in the writings of the Fatherswhich proclaim the faith of the Church. Either in the narrouS or in the broader sense,these dogmas always have a liturgical connotation, for they direcdy

HIERARCHS

refer to the Creed of the Church pronounced in a liturgical context, mostly baptismal and eucharistic. In the words of the kondakion, rhe Church wears the 'tunic of tuth," which is woven with the "Theology from above." Being "rhe pillar and ground of trurh" (1 Timorhy 3: 15), the Chuchproclaims the tru*r ofGod fai*rfuliy. This, *ren, is *re Onhodox understanding of*re Church as infakble: not "unerring," but rather "faithful." The main firnction of the bishops is to proclaim and 'teach aright the word of tuth' (Diuine Liturgy).

THEOLOGY

FROM ABOVE

The text continues, this "tunic ofTiuth" worn by the Church is "woven wirh the Theology from above." ln othel words, the "Theolog' from above," which is the work of God's Holy Spirit, is the ornament of the Church. The Spirit of God inspires the preachers and teachersof the Vord of Tiuth, so that they may exPress,"strengthen," and emphasizethe one Tiuth of the "Good News," the Gospel of Christ entrusted to the Church, equipping us to accomplish our mission of saving human souls. "Theology from above" is the work of the Holy Spirit. This work is dynamic and continuous.The Spirit not only inspired the Twelve Apostles and the authors of the Holy Scripture to record the revealedword of God; the Spirit continues to inspire toda/s apostles-the preachers, teachers, Fathers, bishops and priests of the Church-to correctlv understand, keep, and proclaim the 'word ofTiuth." This "Theology from above" is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Ir greatly enlances the life of the Church becauseit is a dynamic processof the presenarion and growth of the Tiuth of God inthehfe of the Church, life in the Holy Spirit. Christian Orthodox theologiansrefer to this as SacredTiadition.

THE DI\'INE PRESENCE The noparion continues,in wearing the "tunic of Tiuth' woven with *re "Theolog' from above" (that is, God-inspired theology), rhe Church "teachesarighr and glorifies the great Mystery of piery." Pie4tis the traditional word for "correctnessoffaidr and practice," that is, Orthodoxy. The 'pious people" referred to in the Liturgy are those who believein the Tiuth according to the Orthodox way handed down to the Church. As for fie "great Mystery of piery" which the church teachescorrecdy and glorifies, this "Mystery' is nothing other than the "Mystery of Christ," hidden from rhe ages and the angelsand, according to Saint Paul's reaching, onll'revealed in these last days (see Ephesians 1:9-10 3:9-12; and Colossians l:26-27). It is this "great M.ystery of piery' that the great Councils of the Church defended against all heresies,falsification of this Mystery by "heretics" who chose, and continue to choose, their own opinions and teachings against the official and perennial teaching of the Church. In the Onhodox traditional understanding, theologr-the component of fie "tunic of Trurh" worn by the Church-is alwals "Theology from above." It is "word about God" which, according to Plato of Moscow, "comes from God." Like prophecy, it is pronounced "in the presenceof God," and it is always offered "to the glory of God." L.r other u'ords, theology is not just scholastic speculation and a "manipulation of concep$ and ideas." Influenced by \Testern models and ways of "theologizing" very much in the line of Western scholastictheology, some of our own Orthodox theologians,especiallythose trained in the \flest, are responsible for whar Father Ceorge Fiorovs$' calls a "Vestern captivify." Unlike this kind of theology, rvhich is dry rationalistic, and out-of-touch with the

spiritual life of the theologian and the prayer life of the Church, traditional Orthodox theology is always a theology "from the heart of the Church ' in Father Florovsky'swords, drat is, a theology which is experiential,liturgical, and doxoiogical. The word of God, revea.ledto humankind in various w-ays and, fina1ly, through Gods Incarnate Logos("Word"; seeHebrews 1:1 and Following), always "depends on God" for clariry interpreation, and forcefiJness. It is always a "creative word" which never returns to God empry. It alwaysachievesthe result for which it is spoken; it always produces faith as a response,so that salvation may be gained through faith. The uitimate purpose of God's word addressedto humankind is salvation.As word about Godt word, the same is true of theology. In light of Orthodox Christian theologr, a theologian is a person who has the experience of Godt salvation in Christ. Such a person speaksabout God on fie basis of his or her experienceof God in Chrisr and in the Holy Spirit. The ascedcalFatherscorrectly speak of the theologian as someone who "suffers the things divine" before being able to share and communicate this experiencethrough words. In other words, a theologian is someone who has a "mystical experience" of God and the divine realities, a person of prayer who lives the life of divine grace. As \'ladimir Lossly so correcdy said, there is a reason why only three people deserve the name of "Theologian' in the Tiadition of the Christian Church: Saint John the Theologian, Saint Gregory the Theologian, and Saint Symeon the New Theologian. AII these three "Theologians" are weli known for their Theology which is the result of a profound faith and a mysdcal experience of God, an intense life of prayet and a profound spirituaJiw.

PR A X IS

a for anyone else who craims to do "theology,"that is, 'word abourGod," his or her correcr name would be that of a 'theologizer," someonewho attempts^to speak about God from somee*p.ri.nc. of God in his prayer life' even if in an impefect and inadequateway.

is a personwho joins in the awesometask of ,n. church and the sacred christian ,t.otogr.rl tradition l" ,i.*r, aright and glorifi,,throughspokenandwriren word,,the !r"", Irly*.ry of pieq,,,,the mysteryof human irlrr"rio., in the only Savior, Jesusthe christ.

Ourwords arealwaysinadequatein expressing Cods mysrery in general,and our .*p.ri.n.l

CONCLUSION

mysrery in particular. Con..p* :iG"d:

In conclusion, let us repeat:A true theologian rdeas always Fall shorr of expressing-J rhe is.a person_of prayer who .,suffersth. th"irrg, mysrery of God, Iest we pr.,.rrd to divine" and who lives a liG in .o--uriol, comprehend and capture Godls ..essence,, with God-in short, a,!aint.', Onlysaints can ("inner-reality'), which is beyond our reach express rheir experience of God in God,s and understanding.2 This is a constanr communion, thus speaking of God ,,from teaching in the theological tradition of the God" Himself This is how Sacred Tiadition Eastern Onhodox Church. It is called the understands true theology and theoiogizing. apophatic theolog' of t|e Eastern Fathers.3 Theoiogy never separatedfro- .h.ig..r:, V4rat counts when speakingabout ls God is not of piery' that it serves.ttltim.:tely, Ytt:.ry now much we can understand of His Mystery theolog,. servesthe mystery of salvation in and how much we can say;what coun6 is dre Christ. This why true theology is preferably mysticalexperienceitselfaswe encounter 'kerygmatic,"offeredin aJinrgil God beyond conceprs and ideas. Such .xperi.n.e accordingto PiatoofMoscow ,UoxologicaJ.,, -rrro,, "rrj, cannot be fi-rlly conceptualtzed. Fio*.u.t Consequendy,true theology,a ..Theology something has to be said about our mysdcal frlm experienceof God in God,s communion the gift of cod and only in"a and {ove" subordinateway the ,work,, of a rrue Presence,asGod communicates Himselfto us theologian, is that ,,teachingaright and in His "energies." That ,tomething,' is our glorification' of the ' greatmysteryof-piery.,, rh*:.t" 'thmlogzing" and our p# It *y of is a theologythat adornsthe .tunic of r.rl,n-, speakingabout God's Mptery alwaln inadequare worn by rhe Church and that strengdrensthe and atwq6 rmperfecr. Our Orthodox Christian tradition, our Fathers and teachers in the faith agree that a ,tu. is a person who is always t.:iogjT overwhelmed bythe divine presenceof God in his life. It is the divine presence tiat he tries not to 'tonceptualize," but to ,describe.,, It is the Presence,and that of the divine realities, that the tieologian tries to express in his inadequate words, not for his owrrglorification and satisfacdon, but for t}re satisLction and salvation of God's hoiy people and for rhe greater giory of God's holy name. A true th;gloglan is a person of deep faiti, a servant of God and instrument of God's peace who t:"{ people to abundant life in Christ, ^G"{b the life of Godt holy kingdom. A tieologian

uniry. of its faith through proclamation, in todayt terms,of the 'preachingof the apostles and rhe dogmas of the Fathe.r,,' ,. th. liturgical rext says. In my esflmarion, rhe SacredTiadition of the Eastern Orthodox Church hasno choicebut to continueto be ro this understanding of :?-Ti"* meologlz

hondabion is a liturgical poem that summarizes d-re meaning of a Liturgical feast.It is to be found after the sixri Ode of dre Matins' Canon. During the major feuts, ilris Kondabion is the l:r;t topaioz to be chanted following the Small Entrance in the Divine Liturgy. 2In

Saint Basil'swords to Amphilochios of lkonium, it is only "r1-reenergiesof God that descend toward us, while His essence"always,,remansunreachable.,, t Accordingro rhisTheology,one enunclares negadve, instead of making positive statementsabout what God is. \W4ratthis Theology implies is that our intellect is unable of comprehendingthe ,.essence,, of God, thus, mable to conceptualireGod.

H IE R A RCHS

THE PTRFECT,

PERFEcT SroRtut SHTPWRECK LTNNNING TO OWRCOME AOTT'TINISTRATIW R E V. DR. FRANK M ARANG O S One of the most popular films of the summer months has been adapted from a best-sellingnovel entitled The Perfea Storm. Wriuen by SebastianJunger, the novel describesthe experiencesof individuals who encountered the deadliest hurricane in recorded history. The storm, which occurred in October of 199 1, left sevenmen dead in the Atlantic and eight children fatherless.

- BYTHESE WE LEARN

These men would have lived on only in the memories of loved ones and through the inscription of their narnes on a memorial in Gloucesterk City Hall were it not for the star-studded film. Throughout viewers are left to ponder: \W4ratcould have been done to avoid this disaster?

TO SPEAK OF

The Perfect Storm afso provides those engaged with the safe navigation of the Church, the contemporaryArk of Christ, with an opportuniry to ponder: How do we avoid shipwreck?Hon do we navigate through the spiritual and administrative storms in our parishes?How do we weather the high winds of dissent?How do we maintain uniry direction, and purpose to avoid spiritual mutiny? \X4iat can parish leadersdo to avoid disastrousconsequencesof administrative storms?

Lr s s oNSF R o MA c r s The wenry-seventh chapter of the Book of Acts tells us the compelling story of another voyage. Although The Petfeu Storm ends in tragedy,and as such is anlthing but "perfect," the storm in Acts concludes without the loss of life! Consequently, it is the "perfect, perfect storm," for it provided Saint Paul witi the opporruniry to prociaim the messageof Gods sovereignry. Pault final voyagehas long been acknowledgedasone of the most instructive documents we have concerning ancient seamanship.Theologians seea strong influence from the Book ofJonah, and therefore some regard the account as largely fictitious. Others view the story as an allegory presenting life as a stormy course and vividly describing how to endure interpersonal tempests. Both opinions conceprualizethe storm asa literary devicethat representsSatan'sopposition to the Churclis teaching and evangelicalmission. For Saint John Chrysostom, Acts 27 is more than a simple story about how Paul, Aristarchus, and Luke boarded a ship for Rome with 273 orhers.For Chrysostom the ship may be compared to the Church, and ttre storm narrative becomesa powerfirl tool for teaching leadership.In his view, the entire episode results from "recklessleadership"; the centurion and the ship's captain neededbetter piloting skills, while Paul "steeredas a pilot not a vesselof the eanhly kind, but the Church of the whole world, havinq learned of Him [God] \X&o is Lord also of the sea."

GODLYTHINGS AND TO GLORIFY O NEGOD H EAD

P RAXI S

Chrysostom comparesPault leadershipprinciples to those of a "skillful pilot who steersnot by the art of man bur by rhe wisdom of Spirit!" Chrysostom further warns that because the Church, like a ship, encounters "many shipwreck, many waves, and many spirits of wickedness,it is in need of skillfll pilots." He suggesrs thar our'whole lives are on just such a vovage." ]n order to avoid rempests,we should "hearken unto Paul'swords and not be eagerto go somervherewhere he doesnot bid us!" There are four principles that the contemporary Orthodox Christian leader can glean from an examination olr the perfect, perfect storm of Acrs 27. If we desire to overcome spiritual as well as administrative storms, asleaderslre should emulate Saint Paul.The four principles are, (1) crew, not cargo, (2) spiritual guidance, not individual reliance, (3) uniry not mutiny, and (4) sacramenral nourishment, not human proficiency.

BncrcnouND According ro Saint Luke (who as Saint Paul'spersonal phy'sicianmight well have been a fellorv passenger),the ocean journel' took place "after the fast" (Acts 27:9)) Far flom being peaceful and serene,Saint Luke describesthe weather condirions as uncooperarive. "The winds," he writes, "were agatnsrus" (27:4). After weather compelled Julius, the cenlurion in command, ro change ships, Paul warned him not to proceed. "l can see that the voyage is going to be disastrous,and bring great loss to ship, cargo and our lives" (27:10). Although Paul recommends winrering in Crete, Julius listens to the shipt captain and crew who resolveby majoriry vote to proceed with the intended journey. It is importanr ro nore Luke's suggestionrhat their motive was greed. Rather than spend ser.eralmonths in a small Crctan harbor, the crew preferred to sail for Rome, where they could sell their cargo of grain. Chrysostom saysrhat those who were bound by the passion of monev and possessionswere the true prisoners on the ill-fated ship. "The love of money and self is more grievous than all bondsl" He continues, "kt us think the whole world as a ship rvith evildoers, rulers, guards, just men like Paul and prisoners bound by rheir sins on board." He insists, "Ifwe listen ro Paul, we will not perish in our bonds but will be released from them."

PruNcrprx ONr: Cnrw Nor Cnnco The second-leg of the voyage began safely.Saint Luke reports rhat a violent storm quickly appeared and forced the crew'to give the ship over to it and aliow it to be driven along by its force" (27:1).The

conrrarlr gale-force winds svmbolize the firndamenta.l condition of humaniry. \J{/hrile considering ourselves the masters of our own direction, we are often tossed about bv various rvinds and Forcedto modift The fact that the crew threw some cargo as wcll as the ship's expensivetackle overboard clearly illustratesthe graviry ofthe siruation (27:18-19). Although the crew had initially focused on profit, the fear of shiprvreck redirected their anention. Recognizing that life is more precious than fortune, the crew was no\ r prepared to do the unthinkable.The storm replacedtheir arrogancewith modesry Like the tempest-tossedcrew, Christian leadersshould make it a point to pauseregularlv for retreat, introspection, assessment, and evaluation, that is, we must "winter" in the port oF Fairheaven. Such recesses provide valuableopportunities to evaluateour strategicplans againstthe compassof modesry and, if necessaryto make a change of course. For example, rvhile financial prudence is important, our administrative goals should be measured bv the degree to which thev nurture relationships with God and with each other, not by financial profit. Since parishioners are more valuable than profit, leadersshould never allow rhe cargo ofparish life nor arroganceto take precedenceover rhe safew of fellow crew members. Anv cargo u'e rreasure above relationshipsrvith co-workers and constituents must be jemisonedif we truly desireto navigatethe turbulent waters of Christian ministry safely. Examples of such cargo might include financial ponfolios, ethnic pedigree,occupational prestige,adminisrrative powet and ecclesiastical position. Sometimes our communiwt buildings and grounds receive more care and attention than parishioners thev were builr to serve. If cargo does not contribute to the destination towards which the Lord is directing us, then, perhaps, it should be thrown overboard. Periodic examination to make cenain our parish ships are sailing on rheir proper routes should therefore be a habit of Chrisrian leaderr.

PruNcrprtTwo: DrvrNe DrRrcrroN, NOT PERSONAL OpINIoN Engulfed by hurricare winds called the "Euroclydon," the ship was swept for days in the darknesswithout the navigational benefit ofsrars or sun (27:20). Neither the passengersnor the crerv knew where they were, nor u'here rhey were going. As the ship drifted at the mercy of the winds, fadgue, sea-sickness, hunger, and despair began to take its roll. Luke states'they had all lost hope of being saved" 14.,r 27:20i). It is often at this point ofumer helplessness that servant-centeredleaders emerge. Similarlv, for Paul it was now possible to redirecr the crew's attention to the "God to whom he belongs and whom he serves" (27:23). Pault confidence did not lie in the financial stabiliry the cargo representednor on rhe experriseof rhe captain and crew, but on his relationshipwirhJesus.Ir is here, in rhe midst of a terrible srorm, that

H IE R A RCHS

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God sent an angel to Paul with a messageof hope. Pauli responsewas to minister to a despairing crew by behaving as a sen'ant of encouragement and courage. Servant leadership is what many organizational theorists refer to as "siruational leadership."It is different from 'positional leadership"in that it is basedon what leadersdesireto do for their constituents rather than on what they demand of them. Becausethe epistlesof Saint Paul were fundamental to Chry'565166'5 spiritual formation, the orator suggeststhat Church leaders should, likewise, remain faithfirl to his example and council. "Saint Paul is sailing with us even nolv," Chrysostom insists. "Even now he admonishesus to take heed againstevil men, boasters,lor.ersof money u'ho will enter the ship." Chrysostom warns that "such men are more grievous than all stormsl" Unlike the centurion, who listened to the adviceof the avariciouscaptain and allowed himself to be swayedby the majoritv vote of a foolish crew Chn'sostom suggeststhat leadersshould listen to the council ofPaul and therebv "avoid harm and loss."

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Paul'sadmonition to the centurion and captain is asvaluable today as it was during his own time. Consequently,leadersivould do well to spend considerable time and effort studying Paul's epistles, which outline nLimerous principles for the proper spiritual and administrative saleguardof the Chrisrian communities. If we spend time in such pra,verfulreflection prior to our parish council deliberations, we will become proficient in hearing Paul's advice challenging us to become leaderswho more humbly seF/eand teach our constituents concerning our Lord.

PRrxcrpn TsnEE:UNrrY Nor MurrNY with anchors Accordingto Luke, althoughthe crew tried desperately and ropesto controltheircourse,the shipdrifted,ravagedby the storm, for overrwo rveek. On the fourteenthnight around midnight, crew

PR A X I S

members pretending to lower an anchor from the bow were acually attempting to abandon ship (27:30). Perceiving their pretense, Paul warned the centurion, "unless these men return, we will not be saved" 07:3I).Individual members of the crew must not be allowed to desert in such a cowardly,selfishfashion: "Ifthere is a chanceofsurvival," Paul cautions, "the entire crew must stay together!" Tiagically, the histories of the vast majoriry of church communities are repiete with stories of parishioners abandoning ship. \,X4renfinancial storms or the winds of administrative controversy rise to gale strengthr members "leave the churcli' in searchof more tranquil settings.Others confronted with differing opinions or a perceivedlack of affirmation for their work or financial contributions incite mutiny in the communiry in order to make a public statement of their disapproval. Saint Paul'swarning should therefore certainly resonatewithin all of us wheneverwe are tempted to flee fiom the galesthat we encounter. Ifwe are truly a Eucharistic family, our focus should be on the saferyof the entire crew of the Church, not on ourselves.\7e should remain on board in spite of storms. Only in this way can we be saved. The first chapter of the OldTestament book Deuteronomy describesan incident in which twelve spies reconnoitered the Land of Canaan. Although God had instructed the Hebrew refugeesto crossthe Jordan and settle the iand, these twelve decided to view the territory secretiy first. In the end, the Hebrew refugeeswere punished by God for follorving the advice of ten who disobediently recommended not crossing over. Interestingly, Joshua and Caleb, the two who were faithful, did not desert the congregation and cross the Jordan on their own. Rafier, they chose to remain with their tribes and therefore suffered undeservedlywith the rest. Like Joshuaand Caleb, we should resistthe temptation to abandon ship when the contrary winds of contemporary tempests arise. Had they abandoned the rest and left with their families, forry years later there would not have been a leaderwho was knowledgeableenough to guide the remnant (the new generation) acrossthe Jordan (Joshua 1).

implication: our confidencelies in sacramentalnourishment rather than in personal resources.\X/hile hardly any of the crew were Christians, Luke suggests the meal they shared as night urned into dawn was associated with worship and prayer. It was a meal of spiritual refreshment. It was an occxion of spiritual nourishment, hope, and encouragementin the providence of God. Having listened to Paul, the crew uncharacteristically heaved the remaining cargo of grain overboard. By lightening the weight of the ship, they hastened the possibiliry of deliverance. The significanceof this action cannot be overstated.How illustrative of our own situations.We too should jettison the cargoesthat weigh down our families and parishes. Greed, pride, adultery addiction, avarice, idolatry self-centeredness,ange! competition are all examples of hazardouscargoes.Unfortunately, all too often we encounter parishes, religious institutions, and even families adrift, directionless,and often sinking under the weight of such cargo. Perhapsthe heaviestcargo is our own inflated egos.\7e are challenged by Saint Paul to work out our salvation with God with "fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12).That means all our initiatives should be developed and pursued in obedience to God. Cargoes that do not support our Lordt will should be "thrown overboard"; the grain of this world should be replaced with the V/heat of the Liturgr. As such, church leaders should make every effort to frequent the Eucharistic Cup. In doing so, we acknowledge the feeblenessof our own strength and witness to our ufier dependenceon the life-giving energyof Christt Body and Blood. The Eucharistic meal createssdllness in a world racked by self-centered winds of postmodern tempests.Physical and psychologicalweaknesses are often the result of spirirual despair.Parishvisions and dreamsplateau and stall in misguided alliances.It is only within the eternal stillnessof the Eucharist that true and lasting peace, direction, courage, and deliverancecan be experienced. There is a moment within the storm when trembling is overtaken by deliverance. The Eucharist is just such a timeless place where we experienceGod in controi as Lord. Rather than sinking like Peter ashe walked on watet ours is to reach out to the ever-extended arms of

PnlNcIplr,Fou*S,rcnnunvrnr NouzusHMrNT

Christ.

Saint Luke recordsthat the crew did not eat for fourteen days.The constant rain and wind had replacedrelaxation with desperation. Chrysostom notes, "Fear possessedthem and did not let them have a desirefor food." At this point, Paul encouraged to eat (27:34). ^ll276 This meal provided more than merely physical sustenance:the "main

In the end, no lives were lost when Pault ship finally wrecked, though it was destroyedon the rocky shoresof Malta (28:1). Significantly Malta is not far from Sicily. Even though the ship had been blown for hundreds of miles offcourse, it miraculously ended up near its original

course" consistedofa feastofhope after a fast offear.

destination. This was surely,the perfect, perfect storm!

Although this meal should not be too closely associatedwith the last supper Jesushad with his disciples, it nonefieless conveys a similar

H IE R A RCHS

Coi.lct-ustoN A we have seen, a synthetic, allegorical reading of Chapter 27 of the Book ofAc6 proves the drama of an ocean rescueis just as compelling in our conremporary climate as it was during Luket time. It supporrs

1;1

four significant leadership prescriptions in time of crisis, danger and storm: the Eucharist and not self-reliance,spiritual guidance and not personal proficiency, uniry and not mutiny or insurrection, the crew and not the cargo. Ours is to make certain that this leadership is not encumberedwith self-interest,but motivated by spiritual prudence and divine calling. In realiry all too often Christian leadersare measuredby fund raising rather than spiritual posrure.Although for any Christian institution the ability to motivare people to share their assetsis important, "skilled pilots" are not just important, they are invaluable. The clear moral of Saint Paul's ocean voyage is that the crew should always take precedence over the cargo. Our attention must always focus on the needs of the individual. The value of the person should never be allowed to be eclipsedby financial pordolios, endowments and gifts. Like t}re crew in Acts 27, storms afford us the opportuniry ro assess our priorities. Shipwreck can be avoided by placing our rrusr in God's will rather than in our own professional abilities. Divine gurdance rather than personal reliance should be our stardard. The intention of Chapter 27 of Acts is not to exalt the character ofPaul but rather to demonstrate the sovereignry of God. The primary purpose of the narrative is to describethe amazing confidence that Saint Paul exhibited concerning his ministry. God had informed him that he would stand trial in Rome. Paul'scouragewas a result of spiritual confidence in Godk word. The aposde'sinspired character ald servant-centeredleadership were the direct result of his conviction that his ministry had a divinely appointed destination: Rome signified the possibiliry of witness and evangelization. Pault leadership was, therefore, predicated on divine guidance and not on personal preferenceor proficienry. Unlike the movie, the perfect, perfect storm of Acts does not lead to shipwreck, human tragedy,or loss. V/hat the contemporary Onhodox Church needs today are 'tkilled pilots," servant-cenreredleaderswho

In the end, the central messageof Acts Chapter 27 is that deliverance and rescuebelong to God, not to Paul. As Christian leaderswe wou-ld do well to familiarize ourselveswith this messageand make cenain rhar the praise we receive for successand victory always belongs to the Lord and not to our own prowess,knowledge, or actions.This is the message of the perfect, perfect storm. I Thi,

certainly refersto rhe holiday of Yom Kippur, celebratedin late -o., September or earlyFa1i.Sincethe first day of September is the beginningof the ChristianOrthodoxecclesimtical year,m exminationo{ Acts27 is mosttirnelyfor Orthodoxclergyard councilmembers prepringto begin,vet anotheryearof prish diakonia.In fact,several of the hymnsfrom theVespers andMatinsservice request "Crowntherycleof the thatGodmaintainsafecontroloverallweathermd semons. yer with Yourgenerous blessings," asLsoneofrhe exapostibria of Matins,"andkeep Your people throughour

this yeu in peace, safe and sound, md free from all harml"

Rn. Dr, Franh Marangos is Director of the Depamnent of Religiotu Education of the Greeh Orthodax Archdiocese ofAmerica andAdjuna Professor of ReligioxtsEducation at Holy Cross Greeh Orthodox School of Theology, Broohline, Massachtuett* He can be reacbed at ffanh@omaccess.com.

are inspired by wisdom, fortified by sacramental nourishment, enlightened by Christian zeal, and energized by God's purpose. Such individuals, suggesrsSaint John Chrysostom, are like "sweer unction which chokesevil spirits, gladdensthe heartsof thosewho are near them and delights and refreshesthe soul." Chrysostom recommends that we should "invite such lions into our house and all the wild beastswill be put to flight." These are the strong hands that can faithfully grasp the rudder of the Church and provide the navigation that Christ exhorts us to.

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HIERARCHS

WFl A T

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R, A R I S T O T L E P A P ANIKOL AOU

\X/hat is a person?tWhat does ft mean rc be a person? \We do not n'picallr. give much thor-rghtto these questionsduring our dailv rourine; however,knowingly or unknowingl,v, we offer responses through our actions, through the wav \ve srructure our lives, through the way we relate ro orhers. The question of u.hat it means to be a person points to the mvstery of existence that confronts us a.ll.In this sense,rhe responsehas profound implicarions for human existence. The founders of our country are vague on what specifically makes us persons.They do anribute human eistence to a "Creator." By declaring that "all men are createdequal," the founders gave ;Lll persons inalienable rights. No one in the United States disputes rhar personspossessinalienable rights; ),er, rhere is no consensuson the meaning of the term person. Because slavesr.vereconsidered only nvo-rhirds hunan, ;a not full persons,rhey were not freed after the American Revolution. The unequal treatmenr that African A.rnelicans continued to experienceeren after the Civil \X/arimplied a particular understandingofrvhat it means to be a person-ar understanding defined bv race.Disallowing women the right to \.ote until rhe early part of rhis cenrur)' was also a denial of their frrll personhood. In this age of rapid, and seemingll' endless, technologicaladvances,the question ofrvhat ir means to be a person is x importanr as e\re[. The answerdeterminespublic policy on issues such as abortion, cloning, and phrsicianxsisted suicide. Throughout histonl. different

ans\tâ&#x201A;Źrsto the question of.vhat is a person have shapedthe contours of American socien. and the lives that dot its landscape.We are challengedto conFront ir in nein wavs everv day by influences that affect the sociery in which we live and the rype of lives we hope to lead.Mf intention in thesebrief comments is to gir.esome senseof an Orthodox responseto

FATHERALMIGHTY

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r}lis urar.oidable question.

WORDOFGOD

TRADITIONAL APPROAC HES Philosophical, theological, and political answers focus on what distinguishes the human being from the most sophisticatedof animals. Dating back to ancient Greek philosophers,some have argued ihat reasonis iv har d i s r i n g u i s h e s h u m a n b e i n g s . T h e superior advancements in knowledge and technological acirievements,so the argumenr goes, are er.idence of the unique human capaciw to reason. Others haye argued for freedom or free will as the unique human qualin, stating that only human beings can freely choose bem'een good and evil. Sdll others hara identifi ed self-consciousness, that is, awareness of onet orvn existence and histonr as rhe defining human capacinl The common denominaror is the attempr to define personhood in terms of a single qualiry For example, in the abortion debate, those who favor laws permitting abortion will claim that the fetus is not a person,and thereforenot granted inalienable rights, becauseit does not possessfree rvill, self-consciousness,or a

HOLYSPIRIT DIVINE T HRE E PER SON S UND IVID ED

PRAXIS

reasoning faculry. Those against abortion will argue that the fetus has the capaciryfor any ofone ofthese qualities.This capaciry,they assert, is sufficient to quali$' the fetus as a person with inalienable rights. The search,however,for that one unique human qualiry leads down a dead-end street.First, it is impossibie to prove which of all the qualities is uniquely human and to identi$' with precision at what point that qualiry manifests itself during a human being'sdevelopment. Secondlv, although this point is still debatable,we cannot ignore the claims by many scientiststhat the qualities that have traditionally been identified ashuman actually exist in certain animals, but to a lesserdegree.Third, if personhood is about uniqueness,particular human qualities may (or may not) constitute human beingsasunique in relarion to animals.The question is, do they securethe uniquenessofpersons in relation to each other? In other words, how is John unique in relation to Mary, or to other human beings?

AN ORTHODOX UNDERSTANDING In this century especially the iatter half, sorne Eastern Orthodox theologians have seriously considered this question of personhood, drau,ing on the great Christian thinkers of the Orthodox tradition such as the Cappadocian Fathers (Saint Gregory the Theologian, Saint Basil the Great, and his younger brother Saint Gregory of Nyssa).The three Orthodox theologiansthat have wrimen mosr on this issueare\.iladimir Losslry,John Ziziodas, and Christos Yannaras. They all argue if to bea personmeansbeing unique, there is a difficulty with the traditional approach. in shared qualities, is someone nrt a person?Mary and John are not unique when they are the same.\(/har makes us the same as others cannot make us unique. Therefore, Orthodox theologians make a distinction beween being an "individual" and being a "person." 'il/hat we normally rhink of as defining traits of personhood-autonomy, self-reliance,self-sufiiciency, freedom to choose, reason and self-consciousness-describe the individual and not the person. The individual is consideredoutside of reladonships, while the person exists only in parricular gpes of relationships. Regardlessof what we may think, the individual is not

\We live in a world where we are constandy being described. V&en applyrng for a job, our names identi$' us, but what counts are the "qualities" we have to offer. V4rat matters is not our names but our usefirlness,our potential for profit. Companies are ffacking our internet habits, compiling descriptions of who we are without any nalne amachedin order to feed us advertisement that matches our interests. No matter where we go-to the doctor, to the store, to work, to school-we are always being "sized-up." We stop being Mary or John arld are reduced to the qualities that describeus. Our only hope for uniquenessresidesin love and fiiendships that ue most cherish. In those relationshipswe are loved not becaueof certajn qualities, but simply becausewe are Mary or John. Often we are loved in spite olfour worst qualities. In the Orthodox view, we are persons unique beings-----onlvin relations of love. In the eyesof the people that love us, we are eternally unique, unr-epeatable,and irreplaceable. As persons we are also free. In the popular imagination, freedom is usually defined as autonomy, self-sufficienry, and protection from intervention or intrusion. Relational ties are perceivedas restrictionson freedom. Another person can threaten our freedom. By way of example, in American culture, if you graduated from college and still live with your parents,then you have not fllfilled the American dream of freeing yourself from constraining family des. Taking care of our elderly, our poor, and the disadvantagedis increasinglyconsidereda burden to our "free" lifesryle. This kind of "freedom," however, defined in terms of distance from the others, results only in loneliness and isolation, the worsr forms o[oppression. Ifwe think about it, there are all kin& of fieedom, but the freedom that we all long for deep within our being-true freedom-is that which emergesthrough relationsof love. First, we are free from ourselves,from our own egos, and for, not against, the other. The three Orthodox *reologians mentioned above define this freedom x ehstasis, which is a freedom of movement from the self and toward the other for the sake of authentic relations.

human beings.

Secondl,v,what greater freedom is there than to know fiat you are sulrounded by persons who love and care for you, that your life has meaning as a result, that no matter what happens you can depend on theserelations.It is often said that money buys freedom, and to a certain extent this is true. 'Vealth increasesour choices.But wealth cannot buy

LOVE MAKES USPERSONS

the freedom that we all long for deep in our hearts,the freedom simpiy to be ourselves,to be loved asJohn or Mary in spite of hou'much we own or who we know. Tiue freedom is given not through distancefom

unique, but sirnplv a manifestation of traits that potentially exist in all

To be a unique, or hypostaticbeing(a person),one musr exist in relations of communion and love. It is only in relations of love that one is rruly free and unique. One of the silliest questions asked of a person in love is, "'il4rat do you love about her/him?" Normally, a person describes qualities that are lovable, but the momenr those descriptions begin, rhe other person, Mary or John, is reduced to sharedhuman qualities and ceasesbeing unique.

the other, but in authentic relations with the othet.

HUMILWMAKES USPERSONS An essential elementof beinga personis humiliry.No one reallytalla abouthumiliry anymore.Of all the rraditionalChristianvirtuesthat the thinl<ersof the Enlightenmenrin the eighteenrhcenrury saw as

H IE R A RCHS

obstaclesto the progress of the human spirit and human freedom, humiliry topped the list. Christians partly have themselvesto blame. They often used the virtue of humiliry as a means of maintaining and justifring a variefv of oppressiveand depersonalizing strucrures.The interpretation usually given is that the Churcht emphasison humiliry simply makespeople feel bad about themselves.A more faithfi-rlreading of the great Christian thinkers of the Orthodox uadition, however, reveals an understanding of humiliry that is not meant ro degrade beings, but to give rhem rhe capaciry to realize their highest l:1; Humility in its basic senseis simply the recognition that there is more than just ourselves.In im highest degree,humiliry is the desireto be in relationship. True, authentic relationshipsof intimary and transparency require humiliry for the free,or ekstatic,movement of the self toward an other person, and a self-emptyrng,a making space-a kenosis-in order to receivethe other. Humiliry is the movement from the desirefor "self in opposition to others" to the desire for "self in, through, and with o*rers." Far from destroying the selfl humiliq, is rhe prerequisite lor personhood, constituted in uniqueness, otherness, and difference in relations offreedom and lc,ve. A look at the process of depersonalization or dehurnanization will illustrate how being a person is only possiblein relationsoffreedom and love. Depersonalizationis a relational realiry.Through it, a human being is rendered insignificant and replaceable.There is no recognition of human digniry or value. Slavery and the Holocaust are examples of depersonalizatior-r in action. This question may arise:No maner what some human beings may do to other human beings, arent we a.ll inherently persons?Let's consider an example: Is a baby abandoned in a field a person?The answer is yes and no. No, from the basic point of view that to abandon the baby in fie fields is to render the infant a non-person, a human being without worth, digniry or significance.Yes, from rhe Christian point of view that human beings are always personsrno mafter what others do to us, or what we may do to ourselves,becausewe are eternaliy loved. Ifwe are persons,it is not due to any inherent unique qualiry: it is becauseGod alwayslovesus. If depersonalizationmeansbeing in relations that render *re human being a non-personr then being a person means existing ar the very least in relations of mutua.l respecr,and at best, in relations of

artd unique being in that it introduces an unwarranted element of determinism into human existence.This is not to saythat the clone will not become a free and unique being or that there is not already an element of determinism in all human existence. Cloning, however, predeterminesconsciouslya particular genetic structure. If we are called to be free and unique personsin and through particular relations, then the ethical imperative is to maximize the conditions for freedom and uniqueness,and these conditions apply to conception as much as to nurruring. The degreeto which we become free and unique beings (ir, persons)depends on *re relations in which we enter ilom the moment of conception. Regarding abortion, insofar as we are persons in reiations of mutual respect,love, and freedom, the fetus, as well as ail post-birth human beings, can be rendered a non-person to someoneelseby being labeled a glob of tissue.This "glob of tissue," however, is the only dssueof its kind that develops into what we visibly identify as a human. In this sense,the fetus is no different than all human beings in that we are all in the processof becoming. \X4rat person has ever reached maximum potential? In the sameway we become more truly persons in relations of freedom and love, the fetus zsa person in the processof becoming more of a true person, something possibleonly in relations of freedom and love. In the end, the goal of Christian existenceis ro reflect Godt life, that is a Tiiniry of Persons,each unique, united in a communion of freedom and love. We must not forget that this life is made availableto us in the Church. V4ren we speak of Church, our minds should go no firnher than the celebration of the Eucharist,where we gather to worship God. W'e are most Church, za the body of Christ, when we gather to worship and expressthanksgiving to God. The Eucharist does not exist simply for our individual edification or sanctification. Church does not exist simply to make r-rsfeel good. The Eucharist is the event of personhood par excelbnce.It is the spacein which we establishright relations witi God and with each other. It is the place in which we become true persons,where we are establishedas unique and unrepeatablebeings in a free and loving communion with God and wi*r our sisters and brothers in Christ. kt us all strive towards making our Church, our eucharistic gathering, the spaceand place where we can become what we were createdto be-persons.

love and freedom.

CLONING ANDABORTION This relational understanding of being a person has profound implications for an Orthodox approach ro conremporary issues.I-et us consider two examples,human cloning and abortion. Regarding human cloning, it is within rhe realm of possibiliry that this may emerge as one of the options for artificial reproduction. Howevel human cloning violatesthe Orthodox understanding of person asa free

Dn Aristotb Papaniholtnu is,4ssistantProfessor of Theohgy at Fordam Uniunsi4t. Hefonnerly mught Christian ethics at Hellenir College/Holy CrossSch ooI of Theology.

PRAXIS

TneEucHARtsT

P art l : llo ly T r a d it io n a n d F r e q u e n t p a r t ic ip a ti o n REV. EVAGO R A SC O N S T A N T I N I D E S

INTERCEDE WITH HIM

Toward the end of every Divine Liturgy, the priest, holding the chalice in his hands, calls to the congregation: "tWith fear of God, faith, and love, draw near."

ceiebratea saint'smemory." Thus, by not partaking,peopleignorethe chiefpurposeof the Divine Liturgy, celebration of the bloodless sacrifice.

And what happens? Some people come forward and partake, uniting with their lord by taking His sacred Body and Blood, Yet, despite the fact fiat at least six canons srate

FALSEHUMILITY

that those who attend the lirurgr, hear the Scriptures, and join the singing but do not partake of the Eucharist shall be excommunicared, the majority of the congregation still do not partake! -Vhy not? The most common answer given is that thesemembers do not feel ready.'W4ryare they not ready?Here are some reasons.

THAT HE MAY IGNORANGE OF APOSTOLIETRADITION

ENLIGHTEN AND SAVE OURSOULS

Ve have learned from our oarenr that we shouldcommuneonly fou, iimo a year.In dris, they areperpetuaringa pracdcerhat came into being during the four hundredyearsof Turkishsubjugation. Though well meant,this is still terribly wrong, ignoring rhe Apostolic Church practice of gathering and panaking on a daily basis: Dny A day, as they Eent rnuch irne togetherin the templz,theybrohebread at hoTneand ate their food with glad and generoushearts,praiing God and hauing the goo&uill of all the peopb (Acts2:46-47). SaintBasilteachesus to follow this aposrolic example:"Panakingof fie preciotsbody and blood of Christ daily is very good and very beneficial becausewho can doubt that panaking continuously of life is nothing but life in every aspect?\tre partakefour times a week, Sunday, \Tednesday, Friday and Saturday,and on any orher day when we

Many times we hear people say: "How can I take communion regularly? I am not wonhy." But in the prayer of the Cherubic Hymn, the priest proclaims: "No one of those who are bound by carnal desires and pleasures is worthy to approach or draw near, or minister to you, the King of Glory...but becauseof your inexpressibleand immeasurable love for man...it is You that I entreat,the only Good One and read)' to listen. Iook upon me, your sinfi.rl and unworthy servant, and cleanse my soul and heafi of an evil conscienceand make me worthy ro consecrare your precious Body and Blood...." Let us aiso remember the words of Saint John Chrysostom, repeated in a communion prayer: "O Lord, my God, I know that I am not worthy or able to haveyou enter under the roof of the dwelling of my soul, but as you have humbied yourself from on high for our sake,accept me, your humble servant...." In this we seethat we commune, nor because we are worthy, but because the Lord condescendsto dwell within us. \7e do not partake becausewe are worthy but becausewe want to become wonhy. Reversing the argumenr, we mighr ask, when will the Christian who claims he is unworthy feel wonhy? And if he feels unwonhy every Sunday, why does he feel worthy on t}re great days of Christmas, Holy Thursday, Easter, Pentecost, the Feast of the Holy Aposdes, Dormition, and so on? If someone can take communion at Easter, why not every Sunday, for every Sunday is a mintEaster? Eucharist

HIERARCHS

(also known as dre Holy Communion) is not a reward for the saintly: we receiveit "unto the

SoJesrs saitl to them, "Vay tntly, I tell you, unhssyou eat theflesh ofthe Son of

"There are many who. becauserhey do nor commune frequently, flI1 into sin; others again

remission of sins and life everlasting." Eucharist is a weapon in our battle for

Man and dinb his blnod" yu ltaue no hfe in you. Those taho eat my fesh and

saintliness, Those partaking frequently are

dinh

who take Communion frequently protect themselves from many evils because of re\rerencefor Holy Communion and fear of

actually more worthy, because in their war againstsin, they are not alone but united with the l-ord!

CONEERNFOR PROPERREVERENEE Again, some claim that we should partake less frequentlv in order to approach with greater piery. ln this vieu. frequenr communing becomes too casual through habit: some will come forward without a proper sense of reverenceand only becauseeveryoneelsedoes. But consider the caseofpriests. It is absurd to argue thar they can safelycommune regularly while laypeople cannot. The only difference berweenthe priest and rhe communicanris that the one is rhe celebranrand the orher the communicant-nothing

else.

GUSTOMS UNDER TURKISHOGEUPATION Many believe communion should be taken only after extended periods offasting, such as Great Lent; and so we must piouslv consider what the relationship benveen fasting and Eucharist really is. Saint John Chrysostom teacheson this point, saying: "lrnt and Easter are different things. Lent comes once a year; Easterthree or four times a week or as often as we wish. Easteris not fasting, but the offering and the sacrifice which takes place at every gathering. You celebrateEaster not when you

ny bhod haue etenal life, and I raise will them up on tlte lzst dq; fo, ry flzsh is tnre food and my bhod is mrc drinh" Uohn 6:53-56).

There is no connection berween these great fasts and Holy Communion. The fast before any grcat feast familiarizes us with the great events connected with the feast and strengthensus spiritually. During all fie fasts that have been establishedby the Church, all who are able to fast should fast, whether they aregoing ro take Holy Communion or not. Now we come to a critical question: Is there a specific requirement for a firee-day strict flst from every.thing, including olive oili Emphadcally no! This three-day,oil-free fast is a remnant from Ti-rrkish occupation, when there was great ignoralce of both Scriptures and tradition. Though this three-day fast certainly shows respect and reverence, in realiry it has become the greatestobstacle to frequent communing. Holy tadition revealsthat neither the New Testament nor Apostolic Tradition mentions a fast before the Eucharist; and firrthermore no holy canon establishes such a fast. Strict observanceof this fast would imply that those who commune regularly would never taste meat, fish, or olive oi1 except for the nvelve days of Christmas, the first week of the tiodion, Brisht Week, and the week after Pentecost-periods when fasting is forbidden, though the Eucharist is celebrated. We must also consider

fast, but when you partake of fiis sacrament."

whether priests could partake several times a week if three-day fasting of this

His words contradict the idea that the

q?e wererequrred.

extendedfmt periods before Christmas, Eastet fie Feast of the Holy Apostles, and the Dormition of the Virgin have been set asideto prepare for communing on those feasts.The Eucharist is dailyfoodfor the soul. rWithout it, the soul weakensand dies,asthe Lord Himself teaches:

AWARENESSOF SIN Passions, glumony,vaniry idle talk are How can common, sinful experience. we communewhen we know we have offended God? Saint Anastasiosof Antiochprovides the followinganswer:

their violating it; that is, they use Holy Communion as a deterrent againstsin." As humans, we are burdened with venial sins. Venial sins are sins that do not "lead to death," a distinction first made by Saint John the Theologian: If you see lour brother or sister commining uhat is not a moftizl sin, you will ash, and God uill giue life to such a one-to those whose sin is not morml. There is sin that is monal ... (l John:5:16-17). "Venial sins"-a phrase that developed in the Christian'West-are those that do not destroy the love fbr God and for others, specifically, such things as bad talk, actions resulting from anger, ignorance, foolishness, weakness, surprise,shock, or dire need. In such cases,let us rebuke ourselvesand let us confessto God. Then we should partake, believing *rat Holy Communion

will result in forgiveness and

cleansing. Il however, we have committed gravesins ("morta.l sins"), such as pride, greed, gluttonl immoraliry, hate, vengeance, or neglect, rvhich harbor malice and are sensual, rhen we should not dare to approach undl we have gone to confession. In tlte next isrue: The Eucharist, Part II: Preparation and the Divine Liturgy

PRA X

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ECUWNICAL COWClls R E V . D R . E M M A N U E L M AN TZOU R IS

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H I E R A R C H ,...S

\THAT

IS AN ECUMENICAICoUNCII?

Much of what we believe today in the Orfiodox Chrisdan Church is basedon decisionsand reaffirmadons made during the sevenEcumenical Councils. These councils were convened in specific cities and notice was given well in advanceso tlat the Church could come together and prayerfi.rllydiscern onhodorT in issuesof belief and practice for the flock of Christ. In fact, many issuesthat we take for granted today took hundreds ofyears to resolve. An Ecumenical Council is the "meeting of the ivhole Church guided by the Holy Spirit in order to prayerfully discern proper dogma and proper practice." The word ecumenicalcomesfrom the Greekword oLrcoupL€u1 (ee-kou-MAY-nee),which means "universe," or "worldwide. " This word oLrcoup€uqis used commonly in hymnology and in many prayersof the Church. It doesnot mean a gathering of differencesmixed together, as in the contemporary usage.In fact, the Ecumenical Councils condemned the gathering of different religionsfor purposesof exchanging"sacraments"or evenprayer.Rather, "ecumenical" implies a gathering of t}le whole Church to establish"sameness."In this case,sarnenessimplies

proper dogma (beliefl and proper practice (ritual). Here it would be helpful to bring to mind and understand wo compound Greek words: Op0o6o{to (or-thothok-SEE-a) and Op0onpa€la (or-tho-prak-SEE-a). Op0o6o€ia implies 'proper belie{," 'proper dogm4" or "true faith," while OpOonpo{io implies'proper practice." The firllest expressionof t}le Tiuth concerning Christ and the Church is revealedin the belief and practice of the Onhodox Christian Church. This Tiuth and Ti"adition are to be preservedintact without deviation and to be spreadand practiced "universally."

STHY

DID THE CHURCH CoNVENE ECUMENICATCoUNCIIS?

An Ecumenical Council is not simply a meeting of clerry and laity to determine rules for the Church. If it were that, tlen the Church would be missing the frrllest understanding of Her true connection with God. The Church is a heaveniy body, a divine institution, the Bride of God, the Body of Christ, establishedhere on earth. Her rules, decisions,and expressionsmust therefore reflect God's will and her heavenlycitizenship.The decisionsof the Ecumenical Councils are thereforethe work of God the Holy Spirit through men guiding the Church to *re harbor of His will. The Ecumenica.l Council is the highest earthly authoriry of t}re Holy Church of Christ. An Ecumenical Council is guided by the Holy Spirit. There are wo basicpremisesby which the Church gatherstogether.The first is the revealedfact that God is a "community" ofThree Persons-God t}re Father,God tie Son, God the Holy Spirit. Second, this conciliar strategywas initiated by the apostlestlemselves: h seaned good to the Holy Spiit and to tts (Acts t5:28).

INTERCEDE WITH CHRIST GOD THATHE MAY PROTECT US WHO DELIGHT IN YOUR G O D - IN SPIR ED

The aposdesdedicatedthemselvesto maintaining tle unity to which the lnrd had admonished them and had prayed for to His Father (seeJohn 17). As Christianiry spread, five main centers, or sees,emerged. They were Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinopie, and Rome. These five cities emerged as seesof Christianiry becauseof the presenceof aposdes.Saint Peterwent to Rome; Saint Andrew went to Constantinople; Saint James(Iakovos)remained in Jerusalemand was *re first Patriarch there. Thus, thesefive cities becameknown as the main cities, or sees,of Christianity. The Onhodox Christian Church recognizessevencouncils asFrumenical Councils. There were many orher lessercouncils convened to clear uo local issues.

TEACHINGS

PRAXIS

THEFIRST

EcI-TMENICAL

Cot-JNCIL LETUS THE FAITHFUL PRAY FORTHE

The fourth cenrury was a time of great strife and yet tremendous growth for *re Church. Under Emperor Diocletian, there was a violent persecution of Christians. After Diocletiant death, Constantine ard Maxentius battled for control of Byzantium. It was during fiis conflict that Constantine is said to have had a vision where the Greek letters =IT (Chi Rho) appeared.These are the first wo letters in the Greek word for Christ frptoro). These letters appearedalong with the phrase EN TO{/TO NIKA, which means "In this fsign] conquer." Constantine accepted this vision as a sign from God, and he had fiis insignia placed on his soldiers and tieir shields. He won the battle at Milvian Bridge, and subsequentlythe ciry of Constantinople was named after him. The name is from the Greek word Kcovoravrwo'bnatrn. which literally means"the ciw of Constantine." Constantine showed great favor to Christians, even though he himself was not baptized. Chrisdaniry becamethe state religion under his authoriry. It was not until the year 380, however, that Christianiry becamethe official state religion of Blzantium. Constantine'smother, Helen, is credited with having found the actual Cross of our Lord, and for erecting the Church of t}re Holy Sepulchre.

CATECHUMENS

Under the reign of Constantine, the Christian Church flourished, free of persecution. However, internal conflicts arose becauseof misinterpretation of the Scriprures,false doctrines that were contrary to fie teachingsofthe apostlesand the Scriptures,the appearanceofpseudo-scriptures, and schismsover the PersonofJesus. It was for this reasonthat the emperor himseif convened tlre First Ecumenical Council in the year 325 1n the ciry of Nicaea. Constantine took a very active part in the daily life of the Church and ecclesiasticaladministration. The inner stability of the Church was of paramount importance to him personally and to his image as emperor. A priest from Alexandria named Arius was causing controversy over the Person of Jesus,sa)4ngthat He was similar to God the Father but not tle same.The same argument was made about the Holy Spirit. Eventually, the fuian conffoversy was condemned as heresy at the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea.This teaching was condemned so as to prevent other people from following the teachings of Arius.'Vhile most people repented and abandoned the fuian heresy,fuius himself did noc His name is not remembered in the diprychs with the holy Fathers whose names are read, and the Church exclaims,"Memory eternal." In order to embrace the truth, the Church condemns and abandonsheresies,asweil as those who cultivate such heresies. The hereqy ofArius was a conflict over one iota--0eau0pofios: versus the word Oeau0ponog. 0eouOponog (without the extra iota) means "of the sameessence,"while 0eau0pon-os (which has

H IE R A R C

The the extraiota) means"of similar essence'" one is words wo these between difference (see Manhew iota pen--one the of stroke 5:17).

Springequinox,and after the JewishPassover'

At this Council, a variery of canonswere wrimenconcerningthe orderand disciplineof the Church. Priests were allowed to be married. Primacy of authoriry is given to The decisionof the councilwasbasedon the Rome in the \7est; in Africa, Alexandriahas wordsof SaintGregoryofNpsa, "Mrat is not senioriryandprimacyof authoriqain theEast, assumed,is not healed'"In other words, if Antioch is given the privilegeof senioriryand Jesuswas not firlly God, and of equd essence authoriry; and the Church of Jerusalemis is with God the Father, then something given speciaihonor and digniry asthe ciry of missing:He is not perfect,and our salvationis our lordb Passion. lacking. This was not seen as empty rhetoric, but ratherasa basictruth concerningthe diviniry of Jesus.The developmentof Tiinitarian also condemned the teachingsof theology -Cod the Father,God the Son,and God fuius. the Holy Spirit are one in essenceand indivisible.This statementby the Council was so important, dtat it iater becamepart of the Divine Liturgy of SaintJohn Chryaostom'

There were 318 Bishops in attendance at Nicaea. Saint Nicholas, Saint Spy'ridon, Saint Athanasius (then a deacon) were just a few of the holy fathers and sains who attended this Ecumenical Council. Altogether, there were twenfy qrnons wricen concerning church

order for clerry and laity alike' The ffientieth canon,for instance,forbids kneeling on SundaYs, as this worshipserviceon the "Lordt Day'' A funher decision of the First Ecumenical is done in commemorationof His Council was to develop a wrinen creed of Resurrection.it alsoforbidskneeling Aith. This would breed uniformiry in the during the period from Paschato fiflF Body of Christ and Preventfunher heresies days after Pascha(Pentecost).Since and schisms.The creedwould be recited as kneeling is a postureconsistentwith pan of theworship sewice,the Divine Liturgy' and Paschais a time for repentance, aswell asDersonaldevotions.Vtthout adding celebrationand boldnesswith the or subtractingone singleword, all Christians Lord, kneelingis forbidden. were responsibleto learn and recitecreed'To Saint Constantine is given the surname "the opposethe Arian heresy,the following words great" becauseofhis establishment of the Faith b.o-e pan of this creedin referenceto the i-n Blzantium, as well as the foundation and Personof Jesus:"... true God of true God, support given Christianiry. Along with his with the begotten,not created,of one essence who established many Father, through V4rom all things were mother Saint Helen, churches including the Church of the Holy created." The decisions of this Ecumenical Council were not universally accepted.In fact, the creedwas not finished in its entireryuntil the SecondEcumenicalCouncil.Thus, the creed of faith is formally named the NicaeaCreed. Constantinopolimn

Sepulchre, both are commemorated by the Church on May 2l everyYeat.

The First Ecumenical Council is also responsiblefor determiningthat the Sundayof Paschawould be celebratedon the first Sunday after the firll moon, following the

PRAXI

TnrSnCoND ECUMEI\ICAL

CouNCrL

The fourth century gave birth to the Second Ecumenical Council aswell as the First. This time the Council was convened in the holy city of Constantinople under Emperor Theodosius I. One-hundred fifq' bishops attended, and Saint Gregory the Theologian presided. Other bishops present were Saint Gregory of Nyssa (brother of Saint Basil), Saint Meletius of Antioch, Saint Amphilocius of Iconium, and Saint Cy'ril ofJerusalem. According to the Rudder (collection of holy canons), not one bishop from the West attended this Council. At that time, the bishop of Constantinople was Macedonius. Here again, there was controversy over the Three Persons of the Holy Tiiniq'. Macedonius held that the Holy Spirit was a created being unequal to God the Father and God the Son, and subservient

to both. The SecondEcumenicalCouncil uoheld the decisionsof the First EcumenicalCouncil tlat the Three Personsof the Holv Tiinity are of the same essence:God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. A11Three Personsof the HolyTliniry are uncreated, without beginning, and undivided. The Second Ecumenical Council accomplished a grear deal. The teachings of Macedonius were condemned as heresy. The city of Constantinople was given recognition as "New Rome," receiving the 'prerogative of honor after the Bishop of Rome" (Canon 3); and in all, sevencanons were compiled. The phrasesin the Creed concerning the Holy Spirit, the Church, the Holy Sacraments, the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come were written and solidified. The form and ritual of the sacramentsof marriage ard baptism were formalized, as well as the liturgies of Saint John Chrysostom and Saint Basil the Great. The fony-day fast period before Pascha was established. The feast day of our Lordt Nativity was separated from Epiphany and ceiebrated as a separarefeast. To oppose the pagan feast of the Sun, the hy'rnn of the Nativity of our Lord refers to Jesusas *re "Sun " of riehteousness.

H IE R A RCHS

TnTTHIRD EcITMENIcAL CoTJNCTL

Under the reign ofTheodosius II, theThird Ecumenical Councilwas convenedin the ciry of Ephesusin Asia in the year 43l.Tltts synod was convened in order to deal witl the teachings of Nestorius. Becauseof his view ofJesus, Nestorius refi:sed to refer to Mary as Theotokos. Nestorirx, who was the fuchbishop of Constantinople at the time, argued

that while Mary did give binh to Jesus,He wasonly a man at the time of His binh. later, God united with Him and dwelledwithin Him, asGod had donewith Moses and many of the prophets in the Ancient Covenant. In other words, the view of Nestorius was that Jesuswas "God-bearing' but not God Incarnate

through Mary.Therefore,Mary shouldbe calledChristotokos,but not Theotokos.Shegavebirth to the Christ,but not to God Incarnate. The Third Ecumenical Courcil was attended by mo hundred bishops,who condemnedNestorianism, was,with statingthatJesus respectto His binh in the flesh, incarnatewith two natures-firlly God and firlly human (0eou0ponog).Again, the phrasegiven us by SaintGregoryof N1nsa,"\Whatis not assumedis not healed,"comes to mind. However,the council decreedthat we shouldconfessJesusas fi:lly God and firlly man, "above,motherlessfrom the Father,and below, fatherlessfrom His Mother." Funhermore,since Tesusis firlly God and frrlly man, Mary is trulyTheotokos,which literally mears,"She who gaveBirth to God." TheThird Ecumenical Council compiled eight canons.The seventhcanon states that the "affirmations and definitions of faith set forth in the First and Second Ecumenical Councils shall not be re-wrimen, and therefore no additions or subtractions." This Council, also referred to as the Council of Ephesus, forbade the composition of a different creed of faith from that which was writen in t-he first two councils.

.,:,:a::

P RA X I S

TnTFoTJRTH EctTMENIcAL

CoTJNCTL

The issue of our Lord's humaniry and divinity was nor over following the Third Ecumenical Council. Pockem of hereqy continued to fester and spread among the Airhfrn. tWhat Satan could not do from outside the Church through persecudon, he endeavored to do from within, cultivating misunderstanding disobedience, and heretical audaciry. Therefore, a Fourth Ecumenical Council was convened in 451 in the ciry of Chalcedon under Emperor Marcian. The heresy known as "monophysitisrri'was at the hean of this council. An archimandrite by the name of Eurychios rejected the human nature ofJesus and taught that the divine nature of our Lord completely absorbed His human nature. Therefore, one need only accept the divine nature of our Lord and disregard His humaniry. Monophysitism stems from the concept that we need only focus on the 'bne nature" of our lord, His diviniry. The followers of rhis heresyare called'monophysites," Not only did this heresypoint to the PersonofJesusand His rwo natures,but it reopened the issue of the name given to Mary, Theotokos.

Accordingto the decisionsof fie Founh EcumenicaiCouncil, Jesusis reafirmed asthe one and only IncarnareLogos,begottenof the Father before all ages,"begotten, not created'Qewq\ivta ou roL10â&#x201A;Źura). The decisionsreaffirm Mary ar truJyTheotokos becausethe One born from her "accordingto dre flesh' is in fact the Divine and only-begottenSon of God, the secondPersonof the HolyThiniry.Jesusis firlly God and fi.rllyman ('retreto' Oeo) and (retrelo' ouOpono).He is perfectGod and perfectman. Funhermore,neitherone of thesetwo naturesconfirsesitselfwith the other.Jesusis exactlylike us in everyway,except that He is sinless.He hascwo completenaruresthat areunited "hypostadcally'':these nvo nanrresare neither mixed, nor confixed, nor separated,nor divided- one Person-two natures.He is of oneessence with the Father,and He is of oneessence with humanity,only He is sinless. Jesus,the Son of God, is the samePersonas is the Son of Mary. He therefore fi.rllySon of God arld fi:lly Son of man. Jesus, The so-calldd Monophysite churches are the Coptic Church of Egrpt, the E*riopian Church, the SyrianJacobiteChurch, the SyrianChurch oflndia, and the Armenian"Orthodox"Church.In someof thesechurches, therearebishopswho are ordainedby Roman Catholichierarchy.Presendy, we arenot "in communion' with thesechurches. with The 650 bishopsof the Councilof ChalcedongaveConstantinople'equalprivileges old imperial Rome" (Canon 28). They condemnedand repudratedthe falsedoctrine (heresy)cultivatedby Eurychios,that of "monophysitism." In the nut issueof Praxis,we tum attentionn the linrgical lnnguageof the Churchas it dnelnpedthroughthe Fifih, Sixth, and SeuenthEcummicalCouncils.Rn. Dr. Emmanuel at St.Bail GreekOthodox Churchin Tioy New York. Mantz,ourisseraes

PI O US

Thelnterfaith ManiageChallengei SomeStatistics andSuggestions R EV. FR. CHARLE SJ O ANI DES, PH. D. , LM FT

According to archdiocesanstatistics,Nvo out of every three marriages (670/o) performed acrossour archdiocesebegin asinter-Christian marriages. A closer examination also indicates that over the past fifty years inter-Christian marriages performed in our churches have increased nine-fold, from around 400 to around 3,600 annually. Of course, archdiocesanstatistics only reflect the marriagesperformed in our churches,and *rey do not take into account those Greek Orthodox who have chosen for whatever reasonto marry outside of the church. tVhen aftempts have been made to factor these into the existing figures, some scholars have argued that out-marriage rates are presently over 80 percent.

archdioceseand to encourageinnovative thinking throughthe Holy Spirit'sguidance,

Office of the Chancellor of the Archdiocese. a systematic study of the interfaith marriage trends acrossour archdiocesebegan.As a firststep, focus groups comprised of interfaith spouses were conducted with the following three-fold objective in mind: 1. to create a qystematic diaiogue on the subiect of interfaith marriages in our

MAY SAVE

2. to developa systematicunderstandingof interfaith marriagesas a launching point for ministry to this growingpopulation'sneeds,

USFROM

3. to constructuser-friendlyapproachesso clergy and lay leaderscan minisrer more effectivelyto interfaith couples.

THE DARK

GUIDANCE FORPARISHES V{hat are some usefirl results from the research? To date, over three hundred fifty interfaith spousesfrom thirry parishes in seven dioceses have yielded a number of usefirl insigha and pastoral suggestions,oudined here.

l. The church must becomemore sensitivero the unique and diverse needs of its faithfi.rl. If THEARCHDIOCESE'S RESPONSEour churchescontinue to ignore this empirical \,X4ratis presently being done to address these statistical trends? Under the guidance of the

THATHE

realiry and persist in functioning as if our congregations are religiously and ethnically homogeneous in character, they can give interfaith couples the impression that the church is insensitive to them and out-of-steo with their needs. 2. The church must not only acknowledge the diversiry that existswithin our congregations, but also seekto encouragemore toleranceand acceptance for that diversiry. If interfaith

NIGHTOF IGNORANCE

P RAXI S

couples believe that their local Greek Orthodox church is a closed community (that is, not open to newcomers and non-Greel<s),their perception can frmction to discouragetheir panicipation.

couples understand the consequencesand challengesthat couples may face when fiey chooseto remain in interfaith marriagesrather than to become single-faith couples.

3. The church mtut proactively addresspejorarive ideas and remarks about interfaith couples and their families and ciearly label those statementsas "inappropriate" and "unacceptable."For example, m1.ths

9. The church can develop programs that are tailored specificallyto the needsof non-Orthodox spouses,and interfaith marriages,for example, by hosting a series of seminars that might be open to the entire congregation and simultaneously target interfaith couples' needs.

that suggest that interfaith marriages will end in divorces and that children from these marriages will fail to develop strong religious orientation must be challengedand debunked. 4. The church must strive to recognize that marriages are more diverse-just as our congregations are also becoming more diverseand by extension, the needswithin all our marriagesare more complex when compared to those of previous generations. In realiry there are many types of marriagesin our congregationsby virtue of rhe increased frequenry with which members of our sociery are crossing over social boundaries previously unacceptable to cross. Consequently, we must avoid the temptadon of grouping a1lmarriagesinto one category and must acknowledgethe idiosyncratic needsthat exist in each marriage in our congregations. 5. Communicating respect for interfaith couples' decisions to enter interfaith marriages is important. Under no circumstancesshould the church seekto manipulate a couple into embracing a single faith: such a tactic may prove to either drive the non-Orthodox spouseaway or to alienateboth from the church. 6. The church should seekto work respectfirllyand collaborativelywith interfaith couples and provide them with information about their alternativesand should endeavor to honor *reir abiliry as a couple to choosewhat is best for tiemselves, zr,intrafaith or interfaith practice. In short, while consciousmanipulation and manipuiating overt guilt in a way that is intended to pressure non-Orthodox ro convert is inappropriate, finding respectful ways to assistnon-Orthodox spouses in their efforts to consider conversionto fie Orthodox church is entirelv appropriareand Orrhodox. 7. The church must also find more ways ro include non-Orthodox and their families in its religious and sociai life without necessarilyvioladng the church's canons. By including non-Orthodox into our social and religious fabric, we make it easier for non-Orthodox to meet their religious and social needsand we increasethe likelihood that interfaith couples and their families will attend our churchestogether. 8. The church must do a bemerjob of providing premarita.lcounseiing that is uniquely tailored toward meeting interfaith couples' unique challenges.These sessionsshould respectfirtlyhelp prospectiveinterfaith

10. The church might also strive to provide periodic marital enhancement seminars addressing ail couples' needs that will also consider interfaith couples' issues.\ff/hile these seminarsshould not be exclusivelyrule related, becauseinterfaith couples generally tend to be ignorant of fie church's rules, one dimension of these seminarsmight addressthe Onhodox church'spastora.lguidelinesfor interfaith couples. I 1. As a result of the increasingly secular sociery in which interfaith couples are embedded, the church must strive to increaseand improve its adult catechisrn classes.Among t}re church's priorities, ir is more important than ever fiat its faithful study Orthodoxy so that they can respond to the secular influences around them. Adult religious education classesof the q?e that emphasizethe basicsabout tlle faith and cultivate a Christ-like spirit should be offered regularly. 12. Local churches might also consider forming an interfaith couples commimeewhose purpose would be to assistpriests in idendfying iocal needs as they penain to interfaith couples. One need might be to explore the possibility of forming ar.rinterfaith couplesgroup that would meet periodically to address interfaith couples' special needs and challenges. 13. Local churchesmight consider selectingcertain lay mentors to help non-Onhodox partners in interfaith marriagesas they try to enter our church communities. Selection of these mentors should fall witiin the priestk purview. 14. Interfaith sponsor couplesmight alsobe trained and recruited at the local church level.These coupleswouid be acquaintedwith the struggles that interfaith couples encounter. These couples could assistthe priest during premarital-preparation classes,One way they could be of assistanceis by functioning as role models and resources.These couples might also function to weicome interfaith couples who have recendy moved into various areasand are looking for church homes. 15. Local churches might also consider offering more information in church bulletins, both on marriage and family issuesin generaland also on specific interfaith marriage and family issues.Articles and personal reflections from the pastors' desks, personal reflections from

PI O US

parishioners, and articles from our theologians and ofier Orthodox professionalswould be invaluable for reaching out to couples and making them Feelincluded. 16. The churches can strive to use more English in and outside of the services,since the use of English sends messagesto interfaith couples that they are accepted. The use of too much Greek makes nonOrthodox feel like outsiders.

CON C L U D I NRG E MA R K S Results from the interfaith researchproject suggestthat ifwe hope to improve interfaith couples' participarion and support in our churches, then our pastoral approaches should be guided by these couples'

inherent and unique needs.Put in another way, while interfaith families share the same needs as single faith families, by virtue of religious and cultural differences,thev also have specialconcerns.By identifving and acknowledging this fact and, where possible, making adjustments, we can become more effeccivein reaching out to this growing population of faithful. Reu.Dr. CharlesJottnides is the Director of the Archdiocesan Department for Interchurch/lnrerfairh Maniagu, a licensed maniage and family thempistand serucsSt. Nicholzs Churcb in Neuburgh, New York.

PRA X I S

$,Aq fnner vll

M arriuff fp'th VENERABLE FATHER YOU BECAME A LOVEROF WISD OM PRIFERRING LIFE WITH GOD TO ALLTHE POSSESSI O N S OFTHEWORID

In chronological order, the most important even6 in my life are: meeting and marrying my husband Peter, giving birth to my children, Lia, George, and Alexander, and convertingto Orrhodox Christianiry. I met my husband in 1982. We dated for sir yearsand were married in 1988. Throughout the six years of dating, we amended a Greek Onhodox Church one or cwo times on Pascha and then probably just to sing ChristosAnesti and leave. As my husband wanted, we were married in the Greek Orthodox Church. I have a curious mind, and once we were engaged,I called tie church and asked to learn about the faith. I ended up calling three separateparishes and no one was able to take the time to help me in the nine months before my wedding. My curiosiry ended and I was annoyed. Evencually, we baptized all three children in the Orthodox Church, but to be honest I think the baptismal parry afterwards motivated us more than the accualmystery of the sacrament. As a gift from *re Holy Spirit, at some point I realizrd that we needed to take our eldest chiid to church. Shewas a precocioussix-year-oldat the time. As a student of secularpsychology,I jokingly remarked that she neededsomething to reject besidesparentswhen she grew up. At first, I thought it would be easierto take her to the loca.lMethodist church where I had been baptized than to drive the forty minutes to our local Greek Onhodox parish. But husband, who hadnt been to church any more than I had, insisted on an Orthodox church.

A-fter some discussionincluding conversations with a {iiendly priest, we decided to go as a family to the Greek Orthodox Church. I was not going without him! In the beginning we left home when Divine Liturgy began so that we could arrive at least fory-five minutes late because I was told, "That's how it's done." \Vhen I asked my husband why we lit the candle I was told, "That's how itt done." It seemedthe answerto any question rvas"Thatt how itt done." I now think it's sad that this is how many Onhodox Christians have been uained in their faith. This made going tough. I began to call the coffee hour "the tonure hour" because inwitably we would sit alone through the entire morning, and no one rvould talk to us except our priest and his presbyrera.if they had the rime.

wonderful

In time, I began to enjoy the Divine Liturgy but I didnt understand most of it becauseit was in an unfamiliar language. \forse yet, every week it was a litde bit different. My curiosiry got the best of me and I began to visit the Church bookstore. My first lsookwas The 'Ware. This Orthodnx Church by Timothy book convinced me that ifwe were going to be a Christian family, we were at least in the right church, even with many challenges. The next book I tackled was Making God Real in the Orthodox Home by Father Anthony Coniaris. This allowed me to learn co bring God home with our family instead of leaving Him

at church every Sunday. \7e were beginning to build a family of faith.

PI O US

As my curiosiry grew, I really began to wonder why it was okay to be late for church every Sunday. I also began to wonder what was happening before I got there. Much to my husbandt chagrin, I began to ask our family to get ready a litde faster and get to church a limle earlier.I began to read more and more. My parish priest simply didnt have tle time to keep up with my questions. I remember one meeting that lasted approximately four hours and left me with a terrible headache. I began to seekalternativemethods for learning about our incredible faith. However, the Greek Onhodox Church did not easily accommodate the kind of growing curiosity I had as the mother of three toddlers in Northern Califomia. could I turn for more -Where information?

Our graciousand mercifirl Lord led me to discover St. Athanasius Academy of Orthodox Theology in Elk Grove, California, which is Antiochian Orthodox. They provide correspondence courses on the faidr. I jokingly say the classesare for prisoners and mothers, sincethey serveboth.

Sincethe springof I 996,I ve been blessed to take ten Master's level theological coursesthrough by correspondence,with the love and gurdance of Father Richard Ballew and Father Jack Sparks. I ve cerainiy learned a lot about why we do what we do! Ive also learned that I have nvo thousand years of reading to catch up with and that I will never learn ail that I need to know about our incredible faith. My poor husband has been kind enough to put up with my enthusiasm. He, who hadnt fasted since before we met, now fasts more than half the year. He, who hadnt attended church since high school, hasnt missed a Sunday in over four years and we arrive for the Doxologyl He who never went to confession now goesquarterly and more. I also have him edit my school papersso he knows what I do.

But for awhile, any time I introduced something new to the family my poor husband exclaimed, "We never did that when

possible without my interchurch marriage. Eighteen yearsafter i first met my husband, I have only just begun my life in Christ. \Xhen

I was growing up!" Yet he is a patient man and loveshis family very much so he puts up with

I meet feliow converts who learned about Orthodoxy the hard way, I realtze just how much God loves me. I never had to searchfor the, One, Holy, Apostolic, Catholic Church. God just married me into it. All I had to do

a lot. As my famiiy and I continued to attend our parish on a weekly basis,I began to hammer my own affitude. Our parish had ^way ^t several converts who were all eager to chat with new members and there were severa.l friendly parishioners. At some point, God gave me the wisdom to understand that the problem of the 'torture hour" was really my problem and not that ofthe parishionerssince I needed to be the friendiy one. For whatever reasons,theywere incapableof reaching out to me so I learned to put a big smile on my face and go to them. Soon I was operating the church's boolatore

everySunday,still with a big smile on my face.And after overfour years I would have to say that the majoriry of the parishioners have become my church family. k wasnt easy, but I believe if it were easy, it ouldnt mean so much to me. It appearsto me now as if we have one of the most friendly parishes in the country. I personally amempt to speak to every visiror or new member that we have. I have also seena concerted effort on the pan of many of our parishioners to be more fiiendly to those who amend our church and coffee hours. I still have trouble when I visit other parishes around the country with my children and find no one interested in talking to us. I stick out like a sorethumb with my red hair and freckles. It really saddens me when I feel unwelcome with my Christian brothers and sisters, but I really do atend church to worship and thank our Lord. So on days that I feel left out, that is good enough for me. My inner-faith journey has been a long and challenging one, but it may not have been

was take the chip off my shouider, make a decision, and allow the Holy Spirit to work inside me. I have grown immeasurably since I converted but I know that I am a mere infant in the faith and may never learn all that I need to know. Our Lord and His Church are flawless. It is we humans that do our best, it seems,to distract from the ffuth ofour faith. I still seethe many obstacleswe createfor others in the church. I am deeply saddened when we push away the spouses of our loved 6ns5-2nd potential converts of all kinds-but I also seethat some allow themselvesto be sidelined needlessly.I thank God for allowing me to be just stubborn enough to make it through the barriers into His lovins arms.

P RAXI S

lew SO PHI A F U G L E G R U B E R

YOUR PERSEVERANCE IN FASTING

I can tell you about the challenge ofinterFaith marriage. My husband, Mauricio, and I have been married now for dmost four yeas. Mauri is from Colombia. He was bapdzed into Catholicism, but when he was twelve his mother became a Protestant. Mauri's brother and sister later embraced rheir mother's faith but Mauri didnt feel comfortable with it. You see,myhusband doesnt subscribe to any one Christian faith. He felt Catholicism was too rigid. He didnt like his mother's Protestant church becausehe didnt like the shouting and animation. EversinceI met him in 1993, he has

OVERCAMEIN YOU THESTING OF PASSIONS

been attending the Onhodox church with me. \(hen Mauri's daughter, Camila, came to live with us, she started attending our church. She became a formai member about a year after she arrived in February of 1998. Mauri and I also have a son, Agustin, baptized into Orthodoxy. V/hen we were engaged my parents were very concerned. I remember my father asking what Mauri believed in. He replied that he believesin Jesusand fie Tiinity but does not actively

participatein anychurch.This isvery .W'e true. talk aboutJesusasa family, and we often refer to God and His bounty toward us. V4ren we say gracebefore a meal, Cami and I make the sign of the Cross,but Mauri doesnot. The samegoes Forwhen Mauri and I pray at night beforegoing to sleep.I do my crossand he doesnt,but I know he is praying.I would neverforcemv beliefuoon him because I dont

wen believe that the lord handle things that way. Initially

Himself would

Mauri

had some questions about Orthodoxy. He was concerned about the icons in our church and the danger of worshipping false images. Mauri is an artist by proGssion, and he's super seruitive to the environmental elements of some point me repeat: maniage. I

worship. I uuiy believe that at he will embrace Omhodoxy. kt that is not the mission in my cannot be responsible for my husband's choice of faith. Things are hardest around knt. For example, every Friday at my church for the past tlvo years,I have been chanting the,4spib amolinte to the Theorokos. My husbaad has arended once, and he doesnt really understand what all the preparation is about. For thirry-two years, I've been preparing before Easter,while before he met me Mauri had never thought Easter was a big deal. Therefore, Holy \feek is not a journey we share.I fast aione and with Cami. In *re very beginning of our marriage, Easter was actually sad for me. But with every year I see a renewed way of celebrating it, and ] welcome that struggle becauseI thinl it keeps me in touch with why I am Onhodox and why I beliwe in the spirirual points I do. The most important thing to me, even before I met Mauri, even before I had any inkling of Betting married, is that I would sharea prayer life with my husband, since marriage is a form of salvation. I walked down the aisleknowing deeply that my marriage was meant to be by God and that Mauri was meant to be my husband. I still believe. That he is not Orthodox may grieve me at times, but I know that he has a working relationship with Jesus, and tlat helps me with my own relationship with Him.

PI O US

H# L L

5,C*{##Ltr4 E B E T J

R E V T H E OD OR EPETR ID ES

Orthodox "homeschooling," refers to the efforts of parents to raise and educate their children in the Orthodox faith in their own homes. There exists, however, a growing number of Orthodox Christian parents in this country who are going one step further: they are choosing to teach their children all the subjectsat home, not just the Orthodox faith, but everything else as well-reading, writing, arithmetic, history science,social scudies,civics, PE.-every subject children are being taught in public or private schools. These families are also commonly known as homeschoolers, or home-educators. There are an estimated 1,200,000 homeschoolersin America today, with that number rising steadily. 'W4ry are al1 these parents keeping their children at home for their education and out of the public or parochial schools?Isnt this being anti-socialor anti-American?Is this

ASSIDUOUS YOUR APPLICATION

something Orthodox?'ff/hat is homeschooling all about?

PERSPECTIVE ON EDUCATION

TO THE STUDY

Surprisingiy, most people throughout history were, in a manne! "homeschooled." From the earliestsocietiessuch as those in ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome right up to modern civilizations, eastern and western, an education was not a "right" of

OF GOD'SLAW

all the people, as it is seen in America and most western countries today, but a privilege of only certain classesof sociery. Though schools for children have existed from ancient times, the majoriry of children throughout history did not receive this rype of academic learning. This does not mean that they did not learn. Their education, however, was first of all a lesson in survival. Early on from their parents they learned those skiils that they would need for the family livelihood and to support their own families when they grew to be adults. Remember the passagein the Cospel according to St. Mark in which Christ returns to his own country and teaches in the synagogue on the Sabbath.One of the questionsthat was askedby the people who lived there was, "'fi/here did this man get these things? \X/hat wisdom

PRESERVED FRIEDOM WITHINYOUR SOU L

is this which is given to Him?" Jesuswas not known to have studied in rabbinical school: "How could a carpenter's son have such wisdom?" they asked. In the life of the Church, there are many saints who had little "formal" schooling, as well. Not that learning was nor important to the Church: considerthe legacyof the Three Hierarchs. Learning just was not so readily available. \X/hen children did receive schooling,

PRAXIS

most often they were first educatedin their homes by their parents, older brothers or sisters, or rutors. Generally speaking, only the wealthy receiveda "higher" education in a public or private setting becauseonly they could afford it. In the Middle Ages in the \7esr, the Roman Church began to develop schools for children, but only a minoriry of children attended these schools,which mostly prepared youth for monasric life. During the Renaissance, scholasticismspreadthrough the Latin church, but this was again limited to those elite who had the abiliry to read. \Vith the invention of the printing pressin the 1500s,books became more readily available and the majoriry of the people began to overcome their illiterary. !7'ith the Age of the Enlightenment, in an effort to educate the public, schools began to be founded by organizationsother than religious groups yet in the year 1900 only ten percent of all children in America received a high-school education. Consider that in 1997, eighry-sevenpercent ofall teens and young adults were graduated from high school. From these statisticswe seethe dramatic rise of public education in this country in this century.

DEVELOPMENTS IN AMERICA Interestingly, until very recently in Europe and America the "public" schools that did exist were most often founded by churches. In the major Ivy League universities started by various Protestant denominations in this country, faith in Christ, albeit Protestant,was expected,including daily attendanceat chapel on campus, study of Holy Scripture in ancient Greek, and school handbooksstressingthe practice of spiritual disciplinesalong with study. Ti,rrning to rhe East, in Russia the Orthodox were slowll'developing schoolsfor children, but with much hesitanry concerning how such institutions would lead the people. For the Greek Orthodox and those in the Middle East the strugglewas just ro mainrain an idendry under the Tirrkish, Muslim yoke. Saint KosmasAitolos is consideredby many the father of the rnodern Greek nation becausehe establishedover rwo hundred eiementary schools and dozens of high schools during his three missionary journeys throughout the Greek lands. His words, spoken in che i800s, are characteristic for this period in the Christian East: "Schools enlighten people. They open the eyes of the pious and Orthodox Christians to understar.rdthe Mysteries.... [In them] lVe learn who God is, who the Holy Tiiniry is, what an angel is, what virtues, demons, and hell are."

PURPOSE LOSSOF CHRISTIAN At the opening of the rwentieth century the goal of public education,

which still affectedonly a minoriry of the populace,was primarily to make a person become a faithful Christian, but this goal r,r,asto change quickly. With industry creating a force working outside the home, including women and children, public education became more necessaryfor the stabiliry of the new sociery The indusrrial and rechnologicairevolutions brought about a new institution: the state school. Child work laws and mandatory education laws were passed. Governments becameincreasinglyinvolved in the education process. Certainly there were good motivations, namelv to rid people of illiteragv,but along with this, the state-run schoolsbegan to seeand exploit their abilirv to indoctrinate people with values the state wanted them to have. In communist and totalitarian countries, indoctrination took the form of teaching the arheistic parryJine. In western democratic countries, this took the more subtle form of secular humanism, instilling in children the belief that with more technology and education humaniry was capable of solving all problems without God. Youth began to be looked at more as commodities to be developed for the advance of modern civilization than as persons createdin the image of God to realizeHis likeness.Insteadof making good citizensfor heaven,the public school r'vasprimarilv concerned with making good citizens of the capitalist market system.Though "better" methods of educating children were being developed, the content of the education itself was being altered. Slowly God wrrs removed from the classroom, while the years of formal secular schooling were being extended. t}Zhen the Orthodox immigrants came to this country, they believed America to be a very religious land, if not an Orthodox land; however, they didnt see the roots of the schism in the West and the Protestant Reformation. Ar thar time, hundreds of rcars after the Reformation, institutions of education were implicitly teaching their children to rel,vmore on the State and lesson the Church and the Faith. The separationof Church and State that was written into the Constitution of the United Statesto protect the right to religious convictions was by then being used to rerrove the Judeo-Christian principles from public view The simple, pious Onhodox beliefsthar had withstood four hundred 1'earsof Turkish oppressionwere now being extinguishedby the relativism, consumerism, commercialism, and slow moral decline of a culture whose ultimate soal tun.red out to be the worship of mammon.

T OS CRI P T URE O B E DI E NCE But not evervonewas fooled. Certain groups of Christians saw the

PI O US

dangers in the direction the public schools were headed and developedtheir own parochial schools.Orhers turned to the method of raising and educating children that had nor been completely forgonen, the method used by genâ&#x201A;Źrationsupon generationsbefore the modern age-homeschooling. The following scripture prefaces a kind of Declaration of Independencefrom the public school systemthat was written by our famill,' $*1sn we made the choice to homeschool. Though slr vears old, this statement of purpose still reminds us of wh1'we are homeeducators,and on difficult days, it helps us keep going. Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall loue the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and uith all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to lour children and talh about tltem tu/ten you are at home and wlten you are away, tuhen you lie dotan and when ltou rise. Bind them as a sign on lour hand, fix tltem as an emblem on yourforehead, and write them on the dootposts of lour house and on your gafas (De uteron omy 6:4-9).

Fr, Theodore Pe*ides sen,es Holy Cross Greeh Onhodox Church, Stroudsburg Pennsltluani.a" and publishes a newslznn for Orthodnx homeschoobrs. Readers interested in leaming more ma! contact Fr Petrides at Ho[y Cross Greeh Orthodox Church, Stroudsburg Pennsyluania.

-i-r

se$e\ 35

P RAXI S

I N TE L L IG E N SHARON

P E LP H R E Y

; .-,,:

YOURTNOUNCED TH EFL ESH THEWORID AND THEPRINCES

In the last fwo years, I've read rwo popular boolcsthat claim the triumph of a scientific worldview that leaves both theology and ethics in the dust. One is E.O.Wilson's Consilience, which made the cover of

affects attitudes in business, medicine, politics, and education: Let the fitrest thrive. This is a far cry from Saint Basil'smasterful lectures on science, the Hexaemeroz,which proclaini Godt glory, justice, and concern

Newsweeh and the other, Daniel Derwentt DarzuinlsDangerousldea.

for everv sparrow

Wilson and Derwent differ in significant waysr bur rhey agree on this: In the beginning,there was physics; physics begat chemistry; then from the womb of principles,

mathemarical biology was

born. \il4ry?That question

OFTHEEARTH

becomes insignificant. If religiouspeople like us want to call this momentum "God," neither writer will argue; but in practical and academic terms, this God is irrelevant. So are social va.lues,manv inherited from the Greek paedeia. The "dangerous" implication is that the ethical, humanistic worldview, in fact, has no basis in science and therefore, no basis. Sweeping claims. This intellectual abyss dividing science from theologv and the humanities is fairly modern. However, over the last three hundred years, the view that scientific explanations leave no room for God or value judgments has slowly become an academic orthodoxy. Notabl.v, it undergirds a "utilitarian" social outlook that

This raisesthe questionfor Orthodox: Is Saint Basil merely a sentimentalist and his rheologynothing more rhan noerrv? Is ir rim e f or ..^* ' ' r" ' ..' / :, rhoughrFul O r r hodox r o x \..'" * b....* . \\

outgrow a theological tradition that mires us in a clearly obsolete worldview? Certainly not. Orthodox faith exists in the presence of God, not bv structuresof human reason. Yet when S a i n r J o h n t h e Th e o l o g i a n proclaims, "In the beginning was

the lnone."his *.trds embrace rationaliryand the studyofthe science, cosmos,all ofwhich proceedfrom the image of God in us and from the love of God. This implies, among other things, a natural conversation berween scienceand theologl'. But in all honesry is such a conversation possible?Notoriouslv, the two camps have been at war for decades, with Kansas and N e w J e r s e y r c h o o l s o n l y t h e l a te sr combatants.Yet there is hope for peaceand constructive dialogue. Still in its infancy within science,Intelligent Design Theory is emerging as a significant,

\ ( O RLD

i.:

ti:.rtl;6,1t

data-driven challenge to current scientific orthodoxy. The first popular book on the topic, Michael Behe's Darwini Bkck Box, appeared in 1996. In it, Behe clearly describes "irreducible complexiry" in phvsiologl at the cellulal level. This level of complexiw, the argument goes, can onlv be accounted for by intelligent design. For Christians, that means rhe Logos,God. Then in 1999, appeared mathematician \William Dembski's Intelligent Design (ImeNarsiry Press), outlining a comprehensive theoreticalchallengeto scientific self-understanding.Interestinglyfor

Dembski's assaultis powerful. Insofar as its force lies in time-honored Greek notions of clear thought and carefirl distinctions tested in debate by trained minds, it demands point-by-point answersfrom those who would disagree. However, that tradition of reasoned debate,too, is increasinglyobsoletethrough disuse,especiallyin the

Orthodox, Dembski freelv argues from a Christian position, occasionally rvith reference to major Orthodox thinkers, Schmemann, Ziztoulas, Yanaras, Saint Gregory of Nazianzus, Saint Basil, Maximus the Cor.rfessor.Dembski argues that realiry does and inevitably must reveal intelligent design. If all quantifiable realiry is in fact sciencei proper studv, science must in honesry use tools appropriate for detecting and investigatingintelligent design already availablein forensicpatholog,v,law, and other fields in which human culpability is at issues. Behavior studies concerning animal intelligenceshould be mentioned as rveli.

dialogue between science and theology. -ff4tether Dembski and the Intelligent Design theorists will get a fair match-up in the classical terms they propose remains to be seen.

Pressing one step farther, Dembski describes mechanisms for detecting inrelligent design, whether animal, human, ot transcendent. These tools are technical. For example, Dembski establishes a probabiliry measure for identif ing degrees of

as they should wind up, in a disciplined and mutually productive dialogue. This was Saint Basilt clear vision, and a source of deeper rationa.lunderstanding for us all.

Meanwhile, for those who have already put books of Orthodox theology in the Smithsonian somewhereberween the dinosaurs and Ben Franklint kite, Intelligent Design wiil be hard to take seriously. For the rest of us, stay tuned. The fun is just beginning. Intelligent Design is not Creation Sciencereworked but a fresh and significant critique of the most firndamental assumptionsof naturalism. In fact, if Dempski gets a fair hearing, science and theology could wind up,

complexiry and specificiry that cannot possibly be attributed to chance. Next, he demonstratesthat intelligence is the only possible source of anv information as technically identified. In the Information Age, this claim is comprehensive. In particular, it discredits Derwent's basic argument that information first emerged from a nonintelligent, algorithmic process. However most of Dembskit discussion simply revisits the recent history of scientific thought and lays bare imprecisions in ianguage and arguments that have now locked scientists into a cerrain metaphysics. In his view, this metaphysics unnecessarily limits permissiblequesrionsand merhodologies.

PRA X I S

TH E

IDOW'SMITE A CLASSDISCUSSI O N GE OR GE MA K R E D E S

H r Loorc E Du p A ND s A w Rlc H p E o p t - Ep u r r t NG T HET RGT F T S INTO THE TI\ E A S URY ; HE A L S O S A W A P O O R WI DO W

PUT IN

TW o s MA LL c o p t ' E R c o t NS . Hr s A I D, " T RUL y I r r l i _ yo u , THIS P OOR \,V I DO W HA S P I J T I N MO RE T HA N A I -L O F T H E M ; _--___-I

WH ERIFOR.E YOUARENOW IN CHRIST'S PRISENC E

FOR A LL

OF T HE M

HA V E CO NT RT B UT E D O UT

OF THEIR

A B UNDA NCE , B UT S HE O UT O F HE R P O V E RT Y HA S P UT I N A L L S HE HA D TO L I V E O N" L u u , 2 1 : 1 ' 1 . lVhat inspirespeople to make charitabledonations?Some are motivated by the praise of their peers,while others are satisfied in knowing that they are doing some good and God is watching. This revealsa lot about our human egos.As someone accuratelypointed out, characteris what you do when no one elseis watching. If some were to donate a million dollars to the church expecting much publiciry and perhapsthe added recognition of a building being named in their honor; would rhey not have reapedtheir shareof "bravos" and glory along the way?V/hose glory do we seekanlrvay? Is it the glory of the congregation or the glory of Cod? A million dollar gift surely is a major sacrificefor any donor, but who is the intended honoree-me or "He?" We cant have it both ways, and praising ourselves doesnt show what we'd call exemplary Christian character. Unfortunately, charitable giving also can rouse concern with who donated 'the most." kt's say all you students were asked to contribute rwenry dollars right now 'W/hatpercentageof the money thatt in your direct control would that represent?If the church really needed your twenty dollars, though, wouldnt you most likely agree to pledge or donate it just the same?Yet compared to someonewho alwaysseemsto have at least rwice as much money as you do, wou.ld that wenry representan equal and equitable donation from eachofyou percentagewise?lsnt a poorer person'swenty dollars perhaps equivalent to forty, fifiv, or even one hundred from us? So in the final analysis, who sincerelygives "the most"? Lett think about this some more. \X4ren you make a contribution, which is more approprixls-1s credit it towards the memory of

\fOR L D

departedgrandparents,parentsand other loved onesor to gain credit for ourseh'es? In giving, unquestionablv everyone's help counts and is needed. Horvever, nor-r-Christiannorives such as ego and boastfulnessrend ro negate acts and appeararcesof Christian charin'. One factor remains unchanged though: Godknows the content ofeach character.As Jesus said: Therc is norhlng conceakd that will not be dkcbsed" or hidd,en that (Matheu. 10:26). u,ill nor be made lenou.,n

PnrusE ANDGrony Let's consider the follow-ing scenario.John, a high school student, takes pride in the fact that his dad is the church council president. Their

offto his left, an elderly man falls to the f'loor.This in-rmediatelycauses a minor stir u'ith people rushing over to help the gendeman up and make sure he is okay. By this time though, it is Johnt turn at the collection tray...which consequentlv now lies unattendedl "\What terrible timingl" he frini<s, since no one from the church board is around to see his charitable gesture. Meanwhile, other parishioners are lined up behind him, wairing to light their candlesand proceed into church. So there stands John, alone with the collection tray. . .and no one elseto witness his long plannedmagnanimousdonarion.

\W4ratdo .vouthink he'ii do? -Vhat

would vou do?

parish,locatedin a small town, is activeand thriving. \i7ith his sixteenth birthday approaching, John looks forward to the day he'll be working part-time at the local hardware store,ro earn some extra moner'. Thankful for all of his blessings, he rvants to give back something to God and his church. V4rat better way ro show his appreciation, he thinks, than to donate all of his first week's pay. He estimatesthis will be about fifiv dollars. John imagines a sunn\r Sundal' morning when he'll proudly walk into church to light his candle as the council members look on, and how surprisedthev'll be rvhen thev seehim make such a largedonation. Horv proud his father rvill be, roo, as other board members make note of John'sgenerosiry Alas, that Sundav finallv arrir.esard asit rurns our) it is sunnt', andJohn has actually earnedsi-xrydollars. Once at church. he arxiously arvaitshis turn ir.rline to light his candle, smiling and nodding to severalcouncil members present.Johnt momenr is coming up soonJas he clutches three crisp new rwenry dollar bills in his right hand. Just then though,

GeorgeMahzdes is an ircntrctor of the senior gradc Sunday school cl"rcs at St. Athanasius Church, Arlington, Massarhwetts. Former parish council president, he chaired seua'al commanoratiue and gecial fundraising actiuity projects for the church and has serued as GOYA youtlt aduisor: He and his wife Leon4 haue fiao so?ts.Mr. Mahredes uorhs as an insut'ance broha' and cet"tfud fnancial p lanner.

P RAXI S

ACallto Holiness andMinistry HEL EN I. JON A S

As a graduate of Holy Cross School of Theology, I have often been asked by perplexed individuals why I as a woman attended Holy Cross. "Did you go there to become a nun?" These well-meaning people are unaware of the fact that women attend both Hellenic College and Holy Cross. Although our people should cultivate interest in choosing the monastic life, my own reason for attending Holv Cross was to become knowledgeablein the Faith-and to teach it. Everv Orthodox Christian is called to holiness and to ministrv Through baptism and chrismation, we are all part of the "rovai priesthood" (l Peter 2:9). Thus we become

BEGFROMHIM GRIATMERCY

pr opher st c f J o h n | 1 : 5 1 ) ,a c t i n ga : c o n s c i o u s witnesses to the truth. A a witness to the truth, Christ can be considered radical in society at His time; and significantl.v,Christ never rejected women's assistancein His ministry.

FOROUR

lX4ren Church canons speak on the issue of women's role, however, some speak against it

SOUL S

and some for it. For example,Canon 102 of the Sixth Ecumenical Council states that a \\'oman is not permitted to talk during the liturg', nor to teach or chant, while Canon 19 of the Twenry Canons of the First Ecumenical Council speaks of deaconesseswho were ordained. Once during a senior trip to the archdiocesan offices in New York Ciry I askedArchbishop Iakovos,"\Will the role of fie deaconessreturn to our church, and if so, in what capaciqv?"He answeredthat he hoped the role rvould return, and if so, that deaconesseswould serve as teachersbecausethat is where the need of the Onhodox church is. There have been a number of women graduatesof our seminary,but few have been able to make careerswithin the church. As a student, this was a mystery to me, and I vowed to use my degree to the fuilest, as much as God blessedme to do. Now looking back, I have noticed that it was those women graduatesof Holy Cross who had an interest in furthering t}reir educationsin a specificarea

of theology who were able to utilize their degrees most fully. They now teach in univelsities or have ecumenical positions. However, my interest was, and is, to teach theology in a parish or diocesan setting, especiallyto adults. Though this has been an uphill battle, I say,Thank God, and recall the words of a wise theologian and great friend, Presbwera Kyriaki Fitzgerald. She said to us, "You women who are about to graduate are pioneersin our church." Shewas right. Although the road for men who are graduated from the seminary is long and l r a r d , i t i s n e r e r r h e l e s sd e fi n e d b y th e archdioceseand bv our parishes.\fomen, on the other hand, must define roles, following the teachings of the Fathers and the needs of the Church today. It is painfirl when others so often ask questions about my role instead of about the theologv in which i trained, wherher they are lay people. bishops. or professors. Certainly women have a role, by Godt grace. \X&ile it is evident that men serveat the altar, that is only one aspect of Godt call. V4rat about ministering to children? youth? young adults, adults, and the elderly? 'W/hat about chanting? Our churches need classesfor converts, godparent seminars, and Bible studies. Doing this work well calls for long study and preparation. I truly believe that women graduatesof Holy Cross shouid have opportuniry to use their years of careful theological training, if not at the altar, certainly through education and serviceasfirlltime, paid workers. A cali to holiness?I pray fiis for all Orthodox Christians, but especiallyfor the women who have the determination and forbearance to follow Saint Mary Magdalenet footsteps in the Garden, to be the first to learn of Christs resurrection and to proclaim it to the faithfui. Helrn Jonas teachesthe Conuett/Inquirers Clzs and the Godparents' Seminarat her homechurch, St. Constantineand Helrn in Pahs Hilk, Illinois, third asa chanter Shealsoteaches whercsheserues g"ade in the Chicagopublic school:.

C A TE C H U ME NS

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MA R IA A N GE TIA D IS

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packagescertainly did not fit the image I had in mind to bring to our children. How could

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I possibly teach about our Orthodox faith using talking tomatoes? V4rere would a dancing celery stick fit in when I needed to

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teach our Orthodox children about our Blzantine iconography?

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Theseare letrersthar children \\.rote to Cod during one of our Vacation Bible School surnmer sessions.Through their innocent eyes, they see God in such a clear light. Their love is unconditional and pure. It is dris innocence and love drat inspires me when i venture to write curriculum for St. Nicholas Cathedral in Tarpon Springs, Florida.

HOW.,,WE,:.,$:EGAN Many years ago, I was asked to run fie \hcation Bible School (VBS) for our church. I was very excited and began to collect resources to teach about our faith, so I went to the religiousbook storesin our areaand found the prepackagedmaterialsfor \{BS. I was surprised at the materials. The limle personalities and animated characters that went with their

Even though thesedidnt really fit in with our beautifirl Onhodox teachings, I chose a few that I could use and then suppiemented with

things of our own tradition. This was very time consuming and tedious. Still I wasnt completely content, so after a few ,vearsof complaining, I bit the bullet. I began to write the curriculum for \BS. Since I am a professional teacher arrd teach through a whole languageapproach,I choseto write rhe curriculum in a rhemaricway. First, I formed our tearl of teachersfor \lBS, \7e began meeting a few months before our week of VBS. Our priests have selected the week preceding the Dormition of the Virgin r \{ ^- . rl u^r - u^u.r . - d^r l-r r-u .d r. - r v B S , s o w e a l s o 1vr4r) incorporated storiesabout the Theotokos inro our plans. When we met, we discussedthe theme we would like to work on. The first year, we selectedthe Oid Testament. \7e felt this would be a good foundation for our children and we wanted them to be aware of the people who were imponant in the forming of our faith.

BASIL - O VENERABLE WHO REVEAL HEAVEN'S MYSTERIESI

PRAXIS

During our planning meerings, we a.lso selected classrooms, and teacherschose classes.The age range of the children who attend our \BS is from pre-kindergarten ro skth grade.Manv of our VBS reachers are also our Sunday school teachersso we could plan with our children

One of the mosr endearing things we did was have the children write the "Dear God. . . " letters above.Each child was to sharefeelingsor give

in mind. This made the transition to \BS for the children and fie teacherssmoother than otherwise.

a specialprayer for others and their families. Intermediate children were able borh to wrire their own leners and ro act as "human pens" for the

W'e also prepared a newsletter for the communiry inviting children to VBS. Registration dateswere serand forms were prepared,soliciting the information neededabout each child. To take all necessaryprecauuons, we also asked for emergencynumbers and medical history.

PR EPARIN GTHE CURRICULUM For our Superheroesof the Old Testamentwe selectedthe following: 1. Abraham and Isaac,to discussa fathert willinsness ro sacrificehis son to obey God; 2. Joseph, ro show the children that adversitiescan be overcome with Gods help; 3. Moses, to give the children the understanding rhar God selectsru to be His messengers;

Dear-God

lefters

vounger students.They wrote whatever the younger chiidren said, and the younger children colored a picture on rheir letters.This allowed all children to participare and also allowed the older srudents ro interact with l,oungerones.Each classhad their "Dear God..." lettersbound as a book. The letters were beautiful and inspiring in their innocence.

Crafts Some of the older students who felt they were too old to be in the classroom were a;ked to be assistants.Besides writing lerters, the children createda rnural depicting scenesfrom the OldTestament. Each classthen crafted items that correlatedwith eachday'sstory.These were placed on the mural. There were lions from rhe story of Daniel, coatsof many colors from the story of Joseph,Abrahamt altar, dre river where Moseswas Found,and other important componenrsof our stories.A the week progressed,the mural becamea reminder of all the stories.

4. Joshua, to show thar perseverancehelps us overcome many things;

Book making

5. Ruth and Naomi, to show fie obedience;

Our assistantsa.lsodrew beautifi.rlpicrures, depicting scenesfrom each story. They colored them; we laminated rhem and bound them in a book. These were used in rhe primary classesas Big Boola to help teach the storiesto the younger students in a visuai way.

students rhe importance of

6. David and Goliath, to give the children an example of God's championing faith over brawn; 7. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ro show the children that holding on to God will help us attain our goalsand protect us from harm. \7e alsoselectedShadrach,Meshach, and Abednego becausethey are consideredparrons of children. Next, through researchto be sure of our facts, we wrore a story about each superhero.Then we made individual books of the superheroesfor each student. Each teacherwas given a manual which included all the storiesaswell asclassroomtips for instruction and craft ideas.Each story

Photos Our assistantsalso helped us paint figures ofour superheroeson large piecesof plwvood. A hole had been cut out where the facervould be and we painted around this. \When done, the children were able to place their facesin the face of the figure. We took pictures of each child, had the pictures developed, and placed them inro the SuperheroesPicture Frame each class made. This was sent home with each child as a remembrance of our Superheroesof the Old Testamentrveek together.

included daily memory versesthar correspondedwith the superheroes.

Role-playing

SUPPORTACTIVITIES Video tVe also located film resources.'We used videos showing stories about some of our superheroes.On some days we combined our younger classesand on orhers we showed the films separarelyOur church has a small film library that we add ro yearly.

The church hall, where the children met daily, was decoratedro depict Old Testament times. This was done to carry through with the theme. Our teacherseven dressedin Old Testamenrsarb.

Meeting the priest Thechildren weretakenon a rourof ourchurch,andfirstrhingevery morning our priests talked to them about the important aspectsof our faith. First, children sat on rhe floor in the narthex. Then Father came

C A TE C H U ME NS

out to conducr prayers and sit with the children. He showed the children the vestmenrsand gave an explanation for each part. He also showed *re chiidren how rheproskomidris prepared.

jars, and Old-Testament-animalsballoons.All children participated and prizes were awarded.The teachersran each litde booth and helped the children win.

The children are fascinated with rhese traditions, as are adults. This helped children understand that our priest is accessibleand willing to speahwith them. It is very important to form this connection benveen our priestsand our children. By doing this, our hope is that rarher rhan be swayedby other faiths as thel' get older, our children will know they are able to reachout to their own spiritual leaders.Ve want them to feel as comfortable as possible in their Holy Fathers house, our beautilirl Onhodox church. It is always inspiring to seeour priestssitting on the soleasrepsamong the children. I know I ve seenmany teacherswipe away a tear when the children, especiallyour babies,snuggleup closeto our priests,hold onto their robes.ard give them hugs.This is truly the reasonwe work so hard for VBS.

Care for others 'ff4rile we planned many fun accivities for our VBS week, we also wanted the children to understand the importance of stewardshipand theil responsibiliw to help those lessfortunate. Ve held a can drive and took the cans to the appropriate place.

Preparation for Eucharist Since our \BS is held the week before the Dormition of the Virgrn Mary we prepare a Lenten lunch for the children daily to promote proper preparation for Eucharist. 'i7e have a very committed cooking crew who preparedthesemeds for us; theseselflesswomen look forward all year to cooking lor the children dris week. At the end of the week, our priestsconducted a specialservicefor the \{BS panicipants, and we

l.earning about the church building

all receivedcommunion.

During our tour, the children receivedexplanationsof the physical parts of fie church: the vestibule, nafthex, and altar.They learned the history of St. Nicholas Cathedral and about the relics in our altar table. Our priests ald teachersalso discussedcorrecr manners during services.Ve emphasizedproper dressand what to do when we enter rhe church. The

'We are very committed to keeping our faith alive, arld we continuously ask Godt guidance to teach our children about our beauti{hl Orthodox

THE SECRET. TO SUCCESS

children understood how to sit in church and about theil responsibiliry to participate in the lirurg' aswell asmany other "church manners." \7e did this often, to help the children learn what is expectedwhen they attend church.

faith. This is a very challenging task becauseitt very dilficult to find materials. However, we know we share responsibility for bringing our children up in our faith. We cant just place the entire task upon our church and clergr. W'e feel if we must write curriculum ourselvesto ensure that our children stay strong Orthodox Christians. This is what

Bible-storyanimalvisit

we have been called to do.

Another way we tied in the Old Gstament theme was to also invite 'We Bibie-story animals to our \{BS. found a traveling perring zoo and scheduledour classesindividually to come and meet the animals and per

It is this commitment that allows us to succeed.Weve written three

tiem. This was so well receivedthat weve used the zoo many rimes over the years.All children, young and old alike, love the animals.

Coat-of-many-colors parade

complete curricula, including Superheroes of the Old Testamew.Ihope this information will be helpfirl to other parishes and allow them to incorporate some of our ideas in their own VBS. The most impoftant tip I can give, however,is to persevereand work hard. Our faith is rvorth the effort, as are our children. If we give them the tools they need, they wont be swayed by other faiths. Preparing our children is a challenge, but one worth taking.

As our week progressed, we kept our chiidren interested and participating by preparing for our coat-of-many-colors parade. The children made coats and hats. They were able to parade around the church and many stopped to watch them. The children were able to respond to questions about what they were doing arrd why.

Old Testament Olyrnpics On our final day we held an "Old TestamentOlympics." This included eventslike Daniel in the Liont Den beanbag toss,Joshuat \7all, sand

P RAXI S

lUebsites Suailable tssTheological StudU In the realm of computer technology,volumesof resourcematerialthatwere onceavailable orly in the biggestof libraries are now accessibleto anyonewith a PC and connection to the Internet. There areso many websiteson the'World \7ide W'ebthat one can get lost ln the myriad. Here are two notewonhy websitesusefirl as resourcesfor spiritual study.

1. Christian ClassicsEthereal Library

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This site has a multitude of resourcesand links. The information can be copied freely since it residesin the public domain in the U.S. The CCEL site intended ro serve the whole church and contains a selection of works from a variery of Christian viewpoints and traditions. This site was creared by Harry Planring, a professor of Calvin College, and is maintained by volunteers. It is essentiallya project without funding and is supported mostly by salesof the CCEL CDROM and some contributrons. Highlights

include links to:

a. A Study Bible that includes scripture of the Old and New Gstaments and the Apocrypha in severalversions, an overall review of the boola of the Bible from various sources, commentaries. sermons,rneditations,notes, and references. b. A Vorld \X/ide Encyclopedia of Christianiry with one-stop access to a number of dictionaries, encyclopediasand other referencesvia severaliink to various sites.The Dictionary of Christian Theology provides information on words relared to Christianiry Operational only since August 2000, this this dictionary is a work in progress. c. The Vrirings of the Church Farhers: The Ante-Nicene Fathers includes volumes about rhe Apostolic Fathers,Fathersof the Second Third and Fourth Centuries and Origent Commentaries. The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers includes volumes about Christian Doctrine, the Holy Tiinirv, Doctrinal Tieatises, Moral Tieatises,

Harmonyof the Gospels,Homilieson rheGospels,Exposirionson the 'Writings Psalms,a selectionof of Athanasius,Gregoryof Nysa, Cyril of Jerusalem,Basil,John of Damascus,Gregory the Great and St. Chrysostom,Church History and The SevenEcumenicalCouncils. d. A Hymnary that hasan index by tune names,composers, sources, hymn numbers. e.The Library Classics is researchable by author,title or rype.Subjects include Philosophy,Erhics, Chrisrianiry The Bible, Doctrinal Theology,PracticalTheology,Literatureand Music with subtopicsof Creeds,Catechisms,Liturgies,Early Church, History Hymns and Hymnology, Mysticism and Sermons.Some books are avaiiablein Dutch, French, Greek, Italian, Latin, Porruguese,Russian and Spanish. f The ExecutableOutlines Seriescontainsover 840 sermonand Bible-studyoutlinesthat may be usedor copiedfreely.

2.The Early Church On-Line Encyclopedia (Ecole) Initiative .* \ http://cedor.evonsville.edu/-ecoleweb, J , This site is a hypertext enryclopediaof eariy Church history.The EcoleInitiative wascreatedbyAnthony F. Beaversat The Universiry of Evansville. Vithin this site, one may find theseSectionsof the Enryclopedia: a. Documents:Tianslations of Judeo-Christian and IslamicPrimarv Sources to 1500.The EarlyChurch Documenrspagelistslinks to a variery of texts from the Early Church period alphabeticallyby

C A TE C H U ME NS

Orations, and Acts of the Council; Historians of the Church sorted by nationaliry; and Lives ofthe Saintsofthe first 1000 years'

SourceBook; the Mount Athos GreekManuscriptsCatalog:The Philotheou Monastery Project; the Orthodox Christian Page in America; the PerseusProject; Plato and His Dialogs;The Rels 2: Judaism,Christianiry Islam Glossary;A ResourcePagefor Biblical Studies;R.A. Tatum's Giossaryof Christian History; and the St. PachomiusPatristicsLibrary.

b. Glossary: Short Essayson Numerous Topia. The Ecole Glossary page contains briefessaysthat are also connected to the Chronology Project and to each other.

Carol Lanes is a manber of Saint Barbara GteebOtthodox Church, TbmsRiuer, NJ. She is Editor of The Echo newsletterand seruesas Parish CouncilFinancial Officn

author. Most links lead to the Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Subtopics include Councils of the Church iisted chronologically and include referencesto the Church Canons in Greek, Arabic, and Latin versions, Episties, Letters, Dogmatic Decree and Anathemas,

c. Articles: Long Essays on Major Topics and Figures. The Major Articles page includes biographies and topical essayswith reference sourceswritten by various authors. d. Images: Judeo-Christian Iconography and Religious Art. The Index of Images page lists alphabetically a variery of pictures, images and iconography iinks on the'ff MSfi It is a good source of Byzantine icons. e. Chronology: Timeline with Geographical Cross-Index. The Ecole Chronology Project allows users to view data structured by either place or time via a program that creates space/time indexes on demand. The geographical area is divided into fifteen regions including Africa, Armenia, Asia Minor, Balkans, Bohemia, Bulgaria, Egypt, Greece, Macedonia, Palestine, Persia, and Russia. f Mailing Lists link contains Internet mailing lists related to early Church history such as ACTS-L, dedicated to the 'Acts of the Aposties"; Alexandria depicts traditions that grew in and around Hellenistic Alexandria; ANCIEN-L relates historical subiects of the Ancient Mediterranean; B-Greek is dedicated to the scholarly study of the Greek New Testament and B-Hebrew is dedicated to the scholarly study of the Hebrew Old Testament; BYZANS-L consists of all aspects of BJzantine studies; Classics offers Greek and Latin subjects; ECCHST-L shares all asPects of Church history; focuses on ancient texts written prior to 600 CE; ENKIDU-L IOUDAIOS-L concentrates on first-century Judaism with particular emphasis on the works of Philo and Josephus;JOHNLITR centers on the study of the Gospel of John; Liturgy discusses Christian liturgy; and Religion is dedicated to the historical and comparative study of religion. g. The Miscellaneous Information page provides links to tables, charts, the homepages of Early Church scholars, and other relevant pages on early Church history on the Internet. h. The World-'\fide \7eb Sites page offers accessto a variety of sites that offer information about the Early Church. Examples include Byzantium: Byzantine Studies on the Internet; the Catholic Enryclopedia; the Christian Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt; the Constantinople Homepage; the Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit; the Gregorian Chant Homepage; ICLnet Homepage; Internet Medieval

: . .,,

;a:1

PRA X I S

Sermon-Based [urriculum REV. DR. E MMA N U E T MA N TZOU R IS

In 1997,I started catechismclassesin responseto questions and comments about my sermons.I thought that was good, so I began to collect material. I thought thar maybe three or four people would come, but almost thirw people showed up! Thank God. So I brought the group into the church and we developedthe idea that the church is alsoa classroom.I evenbrought in a portable blackboard and many visua.lssuch as icons, the book of the Gospels,the sacredcoveringsfor the "gifts", ard more, depending on the topic for that evening. The church has many, many visuals to help us. Everyonewanted to meet for two hours with a break in the middle, so we started at 7:00, took a break at 8, and got back into the church at 8:20. \7e finished at 9:00. Sometimes,with quesrions, we stayed until 9:15-never later. Funhermore, everyone wanted to meet on Friday evenings.I made copies of all my notes and handed them out. tWe all read along, and we edited them or added more information aswe went along. \W'edecided on *ris topic Scripture and tadition becauseit is consistentwith the five-yearplan of the Department of Religious Education, and the adult carechismcurriculum is consistentwith the Church School curriculum and my sermon on Sunday. I have since added more topics and edited tie existing plan for content, graphics from the lconoGraphics package,and from my personal readings. Focus is on what parishioners are going to seeand hear throughout the year in the church. For instance, when we studied the Bible, we talked about *re book from the Old and New Testaments,and a linle summary from each of the books. V/hen we spoke about Moses and the staffwith the bronze serpents,the classwas completely amazedlSo now when we seethe icon of Jesusas the Great Hierarch that we have behind the altar, we seethe Good Shepherd and his stafi but we also understand the messagebehind the staffwith the snakeson it. \7eve been looking at the same thing for yearsbut now seeit with informed eyes!It is amazing how parishionerspiece togefier what we alk about on Friday night with what they seeand hear on Sunday morning. This is a real reaffirmation for my humble ministry aswell. May God be blessed. So the whole point of the catechismclassesis for my people to make those connections that help church make sense.I suppose that's a way of increasing the deposit of grace that God has given us. It is mandatory that the Church School teachers attend these classes.The reachersfor the youngest children use the icons for the children to color, and to help u'ith their simple explanations of the sub.jectmamer.The teachersfor the middle age and older children use the notes from the Aduit Catechism classas a referenceto help teach. It is a very cohesiveprogra-rnat present,and it has been very effectivefor all ages.

The other Friday night I gave the parishior.relsa resr ro seewhat thev had learned so far. Of course,rhere were no grades,but I wanted to see how seriousthey were with rhe handouts and the invesrment of time. I handed them a page that had nvelve questions, some simple and some more academic.For instance: \Yhat doesEcumenlcalCounci/ mean? Name an Ecumenical Council and someof the issuesof that Council. \Yhat is monoth elitis m ? \Yhat is moTxophJsitism? V/hat are the seuenSacmments? Name fue booksof the IVew Ti:sramentother than thefour gospels. Thefrx fue booksof the Old Testamentare callzd the _ or rhe-. or the

tf _,

Desn'ibe a symbolic meaning of the Cros.

\7e use many resources.We use the hymns as resources.\7e use books 'W'e use the writings of rhe that are aurhored by pious clergy and lairv. Fathers.'We make referenceto the Liturgv arld many of the praversfrom the divine services.The Church is a panoply of resourcesin and of hersell It is not easy to find these liturgical books in good English translarions, but thus far we are doing rvell. Of course, we make mention of certain Greek wor& as well. For instance,when we talked about the Ecumenical Councils and the heresiesof monophysitism and monoiheiitism, I did a mini Greek lesson on these compound Greek words. This adds to the richnessof the class.

Name three tqtt)tsthlt the crossis usedin the Church. Name rtuoaurhorsof the Diuine Lirugt These arejust some of the quesrionsthat I asked.I gavethe classfifteen minutes to write their thoughts, and then we discussedthem open11'. There was no intimidation, and we all go bits and piecesof the answers on our own. I was pleased with the feedback. I did not collect the

It is a great deai ofwork, but it is also very satis$'ing as I keep reaching for those moments when parishioners make "connection" and it all makes sense!I live for those moments, and we enjoy each other's company aswell. My relationship with my people has been enrichened aswell. Thank Cod.

papers,nor did I ask them to tell me how they did. \7e are also beginning to understand rhat all these subjects are nor so compartmentalized. There is a great deal of overlapping in subject mamer from one lesson into another. This is verv importanr for us to understand as well. It creates a richness fiat is cohesive and selfsupPorung.

Rea. Dr. Emmanuel Mantzouris serues St. Basil Church in Tioy, Neu Yorh.

PRAXI.S

A HTGF{ERLEVEL OF TXPERTENCE T._

A N D O N E A G U I L B AU L T

tVhat is the origin of hymnology? One causewas to combat falseteachings."Virtually every hymn of the

about his inspiration. \When singing liturgical music and hymns, we need to connect and reconnect with this kind of motivadon and enthusiasm,which means "in God" (en theo).

Liturgy presents dogmatic truths affirming the true faith, in opposition to the heretical reachings" which caused Ecumenical Councils to be called. Yet there is more. \X4-rohas not often wished to rise abovethe mundane, materialistic world which seemsto bog us down and ro "lay aside all worldly care," as expressedin the Cherubic Hymn in the Divine Liturg'? This is exactlywhat chanting the hymns can help us do. tW4ry do the canons direct that everything in the liturgy must be chanted rather than spoken?The answer is, becausefie vehicle of speechis not adequateto expressthe love of God and the fieology that is expressed there. Somefiing more is needed. In the words of Metropolitan Emilianos of Selwria: "'{4ren a person'siove is so great that it cannot be expressedin words, he sings.. .Music expresses fellowship and joy and to this end singing is really indispensable." Tennyson wrote that the condnuiry of melody is consonant with unceasingprayer and fiat the mystery of melody seemsto reside in its creating an experienceof timelessnessby rising abovethe limia of time. It transcendsfragmented existenceand fills the presentwith a sense of completeness. Thus, singing is a higher leve1of experienceand promotes union with God. Theophan the Reclusebelievesthat: "Psalms,hymns and spiritual odes...fan fie spark of grace and may lead us on to be filled with the Spirit...The songs must be sung not by the tongue only, but by the heart...In the time of the Aposdes...all the congregationsang and glorified God from the heart only...No wonder if in consequenceof this, the whole congregation was filled wifi the Spirit." Saint John Chrysostom says"V/hat is meant by thosewho sing in their heart to the Lord?" It means: undenake this work wifi amention, for those who are inattentive sing in vain, pronouncing only words while their heart wanders elsewhere." This teaching presupposes that we understand the languages in which we sing otherwise we are only "pronouncing" the woros, Recendy a TV special related how the late John Denver loved nature and would look with awe, wonde! and excitement at the mountains and waterfalls of Colorado, at an eagle soaring overhead or at wild horses running free. After such experiences, he was so filled with enthusiasm that he would burst into his own song of joy and praise

In addition to praising God and thanking Him for our salvation, hymnologr had anofier cause, according to my former professor of Blzantine Hymnology, SavasJ. 92v25;-fv21 cause is to combat false teachings.Virtuaily every hymn of the Divine Liturgy presentsdogma, teachings that affirm the true faith in opposition to heresieswhich causedthe ecumenical councils to be called.The words almost all come from the O1d or New Gstarnenrs. l-earning singing techniquesby taking voice lessonsgreatly increasesthe abiliry to expressand to benefit from singing. This kind of investment is one that pays back all life long and adds easeand confidence to singing. Tennyson claims that song is a deed, ie, a work. Although ways of sewing may be limited, anyone who siags the h)'rnns or the Liturgy is doing a work for the lord. I have told this to nursing home residents and have seen the joy in their faces as they sing to the Lord and forget the limitations of this world.

For Furrher Reading: Emilianos Timiadis fBishop Emilianos], "Blzantine Music," in The Orthodox Ethos, edited by AJ Philippou (Oxford: Hoiyr,vell Press, 1994).The quoted passagemay be found on page 200. Theophan the Recluse, The fut of Prayer, translated by E. Kedloubovsky and E. Palmer (London: Faber and Faber, 1966). See pages57 and 58 panicularly. Thanks too to the late SavasJ. Savas,professor of Byzantine Music at Holy CrossGreek Orthodox School of Theolory from 1961 to 1986, whose unpublished lecturescontributed to this article.

l-',, PPA-t' -npn€rs Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Department of Religious Education 50 Goddard Avenue, Brooklir.reMA02445

N O N P R O FI TO R G US POSTAGE PAID BOSTON, MA PERMIT NO. 58580