Professor: Igumen +Nektarios of Wyoming
Overview
This course is the second step in the process of formation, and will go over the important information necessary to take the lessons learned in the Basic Formation Class which was focused purely on you, and prepared with this knowledge; step into a public role if this is your calling, if this is not your calling this information will provide an overview of what this ministry entails, and if you decide to assist another this information will provide you with the tools to effectively contribute to the ministry of another. The focus will be on learning, and discussing such ministries as bible studies both private and public, prayer groups, and the mechanics of such a group. During this course we will go over the minor orders, and major orders so that you have a chance to contemplate the ministry you feel called to. Is it your calling to become a permanent deacon? Are you seeking to become a priest, maybe you want to get the necessary knowledge to help you enter into, and begin a life within a religious order, or do you feel called to the life of a lay person and are looking to deepen your faith. Whatever your calling within the church this class is focused on taking the knowledge presented to you in the Basic Formation Class and apply it to others in a spirit of service.
Outcomes
1. Learn how to hold prayer groups, and bible studies
2. Learn about the minor, and major orders
3. Begin assisting your spiritual father as he makes his rounds and serves the liturgy at the altar
4. Begin the process of discernment concerning which of the Holy Orders you feel called to, and if you feel called to pursue a life as a Monk or Nun.
Assignments
1. Perform a Self Assessment
2. Lawful Obedience
3. The Religious Life
4. The course has a Final Exam composed of four parts divided into a total of 10 ten questions covering various topics that have been discussed in this class, the final exam is open book.
5. You will have the optional opportunity to provide feedback on this course and your learning experience with us.
Overview
This course is the second step in the process of formation, and will go over the important information necessary to take the lessons learned in the Basic Formation Class which was focused purely on you, and prepared with this knowledge; step into a public role if this is your calling, if this is not your calling this information will provide an overview of what this ministry entails, and if you decide to assist another this information will provide you with the tools to effectively contribute to the ministry of another. The focus will be on learning, and discussing such ministries as bible studies both private and public, prayer groups, and the mechanics of such a group. During this course we will go over the minor orders, and major orders so that you have a chance to contemplate the ministry you feel called to. Is it your calling to become a permanent deacon? Are you seeking to become a priest, maybe you want to get the necessary knowledge to help you enter into, and begin a life within a religious order, or do you feel called to the life of a lay person and are looking to deepen your faith. Whatever your calling within the church this class is focused on taking the knowledge presented to you in the Basic Formation Class and apply it to others in a spirit of service.
Outcomes
1. Learn how to hold prayer groups, and bible studies
2. Learn about the minor, and major orders
3. Begin assisting your spiritual father as he makes his rounds and serves the liturgy at the altar
4. Begin the process of discernment concerning which of the Holy Orders you feel called to, and if you feel called to pursue a life as a Monk or Nun.
Assignments
1. Perform a Self Assessment
2. Lawful Obedience
3. The Religious Life
4. The course has a Final Exam composed of four parts divided into a total of 10 ten questions covering various topics that have been discussed in this class, the final exam is open book.
5. You will have the optional opportunity to provide feedback on this course and your learning experience with us.
WEEK ONE
Intermediate Formation Program
This phase of the formation program is designed to get you thinking about service and how you will serve the church in the future. Remember that the church is the communion of baptized souls everywhere not the buildings or the hierarchy, or any other element than God's people. How you choose to be of service should be in complete accordance with your calling. This calling is an extremely personal matter between yourself and God. During this class we will take a look at opportunities to take the lessons learned in the previous class Basic Formation, and apply it to a spirit of service to others. Some of the assignments from the previous classes are useful here such as the student parish ministry development worksheet. Further we will begin to discuss the various Minor and Major Orders of the church and how based on your discernment you may be called into roles such as being a permanent deacon, or priest. We will not be touching on religious orders in this class such as monks, nuns, and friars, because this information is going to form a part of your next class the Advanced formation class. In addition the callings themselves are separate between a life of contemplation, and prayer, and that of service to the God, and his church. It is fully possible however for you to possess both callings, and so you should keep this in mind as you explore the information provided in this class.
Leading others in prayer
Prayer Groups
A prayer group is defined as two or more gathered together for the purposes of communal prayer. Often a prayer group is the beginning of ministry opportunities for those just beginning their ministry work. It is acceptable and encouraged that candidates for Ministry within the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church of whatever rank engage in communal prayer both during the services of the church, and outside of normal worship activities.
One form of prayer group can be established early on which is the daily prayer group. This group can be hosted anywhere that is appropriate including your home, public parks, libraries, when camping in nature etc. This group is defined by the use of the daily prayer of the church as the format for their prayer sessions, and when those prayers take place. It is a simple, effective and proven method to begin a prayer group.
Another is similar to prayer chains in short the church posts lists of those who have asked for prayer and the group is informed who pray, and ask other Christians to pray as well for the reason stipulated sometimes sickness, injury, or death, it can also be a new candidate for ministry, a new birth in a family in the church or otherwise, it can be for those experiencing hardship natural disaster, to close abortion mills, or for the servicemen who serve, protect, and defend our Nation.
Sometimes it is as simple as assisting your spiritual father at the altar, and other times it can be as complicated as being the support for a person addicted to some substance like alcohol or drugs, and prayer is the preferred tool for addressing the temptations that some from abstinence from addictions. Consider that as a candidate for ministry your prayer life is central to your spiritual development, which when coupled with scriptural study, education, formation, and apprenticeship/discipleship/mentorship/your spiritual father produces collectively a well rounded servant of God prepared to minister to others effectively, and confidently.
Using the first model as an example the moderator of the group (which can be a single person or a different person each time) using the daily prayer would convene the group make introductions, and any general announcements. From there the reading of specific paragraphs can be delegated to willing members of the prayer group, or those who have volunteered to recite specific portions of the Daily Office of the church. At the end when the prayer group is about to be dismissed any announcements can be made, testimony willing to be offered, special prayer requests can be submitted or any other house keeping can be completed with the community then being dismissed.
One form of prayer group can be established early on which is the daily prayer group. This group can be hosted anywhere that is appropriate including your home, public parks, libraries, when camping in nature etc. This group is defined by the use of the daily prayer of the church as the format for their prayer sessions, and when those prayers take place. It is a simple, effective and proven method to begin a prayer group.
Another is similar to prayer chains in short the church posts lists of those who have asked for prayer and the group is informed who pray, and ask other Christians to pray as well for the reason stipulated sometimes sickness, injury, or death, it can also be a new candidate for ministry, a new birth in a family in the church or otherwise, it can be for those experiencing hardship natural disaster, to close abortion mills, or for the servicemen who serve, protect, and defend our Nation.
Sometimes it is as simple as assisting your spiritual father at the altar, and other times it can be as complicated as being the support for a person addicted to some substance like alcohol or drugs, and prayer is the preferred tool for addressing the temptations that some from abstinence from addictions. Consider that as a candidate for ministry your prayer life is central to your spiritual development, which when coupled with scriptural study, education, formation, and apprenticeship/discipleship/mentorship/your spiritual father produces collectively a well rounded servant of God prepared to minister to others effectively, and confidently.
Using the first model as an example the moderator of the group (which can be a single person or a different person each time) using the daily prayer would convene the group make introductions, and any general announcements. From there the reading of specific paragraphs can be delegated to willing members of the prayer group, or those who have volunteered to recite specific portions of the Daily Office of the church. At the end when the prayer group is about to be dismissed any announcements can be made, testimony willing to be offered, special prayer requests can be submitted or any other house keeping can be completed with the community then being dismissed.
Assignment 1 Perform a Self Assessment
The Purpose of this assignment is to perform an assessment of your qualities and skills related to areas like public speaking, your level of comfort approaching strangers, as well as any other area related to attending a Prayer Group. Please write out your qualities that will assist you, areas of improvement, and a few ideas for improving those areas. This should be 1 Page Maximum, once completed please email it to [email protected]
Assisting your Spiritual Father as he observes the Daily Prayer Rule
The Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church maintains the Orthodox practice of reciting the Daily Office which is a cycle of prepared prayers, and worship services. Usually this is celebrated at the church, but in the case of home churches in the process of developing into full Churches it is the responsibility of the Priest to decide when and where the prayer, and worship services will take place, and when would be an appropriate time to assist him in his daily recital of Prayer.
If you are a member of a Cenobitic monastery then you will live within the community, and have times for working eating, prayer, and work. When it is time the members of the monastery will meet in the church several times a day to recite the full Daily Office. If you are joining a monastic skete then you will usually meet at preset times with the rest of the community but is noticeably different from the Cenobitic Monastic life, sometimes once a week but more usually twice once on Sundays, and once midweek for communal prayer, and daily for a single shared meal, while other meals are sometimes but not always taken alone. All candidates who feel called to a monastic life are encouraged to actively seek opportunities to assist in the Daily Office of the Chapter when they their spiritual father and the elders of the community feel that it is right that you should do so.
If you are a candidate for Holy Orders but you do not feel called to enter into a religious order then the reality is that the church is your chapter. It is at the Parish that you will assist your spiritual father in his daily devotions, and if asked to do so with other prayer groups as well. This will require a discussion with your spiritual father outlining your calling to moderate a prayer group, and listening to the guidance of your spiritual father including obeying his decision if he says that it is not the right time for you to engage in such a ministry. As it is your spiritual fathers responsibility to guide and educate you as well as provide governance of the local community it is expected that lawful obedience will be the norm at all times, but especially when you are just starting your ministry as we will discuss in greater detail in the next topic of this lesson.
If you are a member of a Cenobitic monastery then you will live within the community, and have times for working eating, prayer, and work. When it is time the members of the monastery will meet in the church several times a day to recite the full Daily Office. If you are joining a monastic skete then you will usually meet at preset times with the rest of the community but is noticeably different from the Cenobitic Monastic life, sometimes once a week but more usually twice once on Sundays, and once midweek for communal prayer, and daily for a single shared meal, while other meals are sometimes but not always taken alone. All candidates who feel called to a monastic life are encouraged to actively seek opportunities to assist in the Daily Office of the Chapter when they their spiritual father and the elders of the community feel that it is right that you should do so.
If you are a candidate for Holy Orders but you do not feel called to enter into a religious order then the reality is that the church is your chapter. It is at the Parish that you will assist your spiritual father in his daily devotions, and if asked to do so with other prayer groups as well. This will require a discussion with your spiritual father outlining your calling to moderate a prayer group, and listening to the guidance of your spiritual father including obeying his decision if he says that it is not the right time for you to engage in such a ministry. As it is your spiritual fathers responsibility to guide and educate you as well as provide governance of the local community it is expected that lawful obedience will be the norm at all times, but especially when you are just starting your ministry as we will discuss in greater detail in the next topic of this lesson.
Obedience it's limits and benefits as a basic expectation of the Church
In the Orthodox Faith and practice it is expected that the faithful are to render lawful obedience to their Priests, and Deacons, and all in turn render lawful obedience to their bishops, who in turn render obedience to the Synod of Bishops to which even the Patriarchs of the church are bound to render lawful obedience to. Obedience can prevent discord among the community, and dismissal as a candidate for Holy Orders.
As an example of a true story there was a church years ago that welcomed a new priest assigned to them by the Bishop of their Diocese. This church was stubborn, disobedient, and prone to making decisions often at odds with the professed faith of it's members. The priest attempted to return the practice of the church to what is considered the normal and correct discipline of the church. This church on the other hand resisted the Priests work because it interfered with their private agenda and resented what they saw as interference in their churches prerogatives. As a result they attempted to remove the priest, who attempted to remove the Parish Council, who then attempted to remove the priest a second time with this cycle of animosity damaging the culture and morale of the church until members went to other churches in the Diocese to avoid the drama that was unfolding before their eyes.
In the end the Bishop of the Diocese intervened and replaced both the council, and the Priest, the Parish council for endorsing heretical teachings, and being defiant of the lawful authority of the Priest, and the Bishop. The Priest was removed because there were numerous incidents where compassion, respect and dialogue would have prevented the situation from escalating, and instead the priest used an authoritarian approach that created animosity and backed the parish council into a corner.
In the Orthodox Faith our ego is one of the chief causes of mortal sins such as greed, jealousy, envy, wrath, and gluttony in the previous example the interactions between the Priest and the Parish council were destroying the stability of the community they were serving, but ego prevented both sides of the dispute from engaging in true Christian Practices that are scripturally sound to resolve the dispute and the solution necessitated removing both parties. In reality if the Parish Council had rendered lawful obedience to the Priest, and worked with him in dialogue, and appealed to the Bishop if discussion failed they could have prevented such a serious situation being driven out of control which ended up with the Bishop replacing both parties.
In short everyone in the church is accountable to someone else there is no single central authority that is above the rules from the humblest of catechumen, to the patriarch of the church all are answerable to their fellows. This is to prevent corruption and promote the health and vitality of the church ordered in good discipline, and focused on it's work in the world freed from such an incident as an ego war, or disobedience.
As an example of a true story there was a church years ago that welcomed a new priest assigned to them by the Bishop of their Diocese. This church was stubborn, disobedient, and prone to making decisions often at odds with the professed faith of it's members. The priest attempted to return the practice of the church to what is considered the normal and correct discipline of the church. This church on the other hand resisted the Priests work because it interfered with their private agenda and resented what they saw as interference in their churches prerogatives. As a result they attempted to remove the priest, who attempted to remove the Parish Council, who then attempted to remove the priest a second time with this cycle of animosity damaging the culture and morale of the church until members went to other churches in the Diocese to avoid the drama that was unfolding before their eyes.
In the end the Bishop of the Diocese intervened and replaced both the council, and the Priest, the Parish council for endorsing heretical teachings, and being defiant of the lawful authority of the Priest, and the Bishop. The Priest was removed because there were numerous incidents where compassion, respect and dialogue would have prevented the situation from escalating, and instead the priest used an authoritarian approach that created animosity and backed the parish council into a corner.
In the Orthodox Faith our ego is one of the chief causes of mortal sins such as greed, jealousy, envy, wrath, and gluttony in the previous example the interactions between the Priest and the Parish council were destroying the stability of the community they were serving, but ego prevented both sides of the dispute from engaging in true Christian Practices that are scripturally sound to resolve the dispute and the solution necessitated removing both parties. In reality if the Parish Council had rendered lawful obedience to the Priest, and worked with him in dialogue, and appealed to the Bishop if discussion failed they could have prevented such a serious situation being driven out of control which ended up with the Bishop replacing both parties.
In short everyone in the church is accountable to someone else there is no single central authority that is above the rules from the humblest of catechumen, to the patriarch of the church all are answerable to their fellows. This is to prevent corruption and promote the health and vitality of the church ordered in good discipline, and focused on it's work in the world freed from such an incident as an ego war, or disobedience.
Assignment 2 Lawful Obedience
This can be a tricky subject for many, the line between obedience to your Spiritual Father can sometimes blur between following his instructions, and allowing yourself to be mistreated. To complete this assignment please spend a few minutes considering what it means to be obedient in a Orthodox Sense to the law of the Church and the teachings of Our Lord and Savior. In particular please consider examples of not so obvious issues that could cause you to resist instruction. These should not be obvious ones such as verbal or physical abuse rather they should be situations where you are asked to do something that conflicts with your personal belief, and how you might resolve these conflicts without resorting to Schism. Would you if necessary go to a higher authority for mediation, or if necessary intervention for example. Please write this up one page minimum and attach it to the form below and submit it. Keep in mind that any illegal, or harmful actions are always prohibited by both the Seminary and the Church so this assignment focuses on areas that are conflicts of interest, or faith not illegal, or immoral behavior. When completed please email the essay to [email protected]
Religious life as a Monk as distinct from a call to Holy Orders or a Nun
The religious lead consecrated lives to God and come in several forms. To aid us in our discussion we will separate the monastic life into two separate states the Cenobitic, and Eremitic monastic life, and a one state called the Skete.
Members of a Cenobitic monastic community live in Monasteries, Priories, Chapter Houses, and live communally. This means that the members of the community join together for each of the prayer services of the Daily Office and do so every day like clock work. This is mingled with the work needing to be done in the monastery, scriptural studies, contemplation, and communal living. As a result if there are several candidates for Holy Orders living in the Religious Community it is up to the Elder, Abbot, Senior Brother, Prior etc. to determine who will be responsible for preparing the daily office, and worship. This deputy usually a Stavrophore Monk will depending upon the number of candidates assign a rotation, or assign roles for each candidate during the Daily Offices, and Mass celebrated daily.
Those living the life of an Eremitic monastic withdraw from the world altogether often living in total isolation deep in nature. The monk is usually attached to a monastery and will periodically attend services in the monastery he is attached and will be provided for by the monastery he is attached to providing food and water and other necessities. Otherwise the monk will be left along in solitude and assume personal responsibility for prayer it is usually the responsibility of both the community and the monastic to keep in contact with each other as necessary, and ensure that the eremitic monastic is provided for as necessary. This is the Oldest form of monastic life in Christianity.
Finally there is the Skete this is a small community of individuals normally around three to five monks under the care of an Abbot or Elder. The focus on this community is as the "Middle road of monasticism" the Monastics often spend as much time as possible in mental solitary prayer, and gather together for liturgical services. The monastics also usually work individually on handiwork, and housework to maintain the community while the abbot directs the activities of the community. The Skete is considered the middle road because it is between the strict cenobitic life, and the even stricter Eremitic life and has benefits from both approaches to the monastic life, while avoiding the extremes of either Cenobitic life, or Eremitic life.
In conclusion the opportunity for a prayer group is two fold, first you have the community that requires ministry, and second you have the faithful who gravitate towards religious communities seeking to continue their spiritual development. Both communities have people who come to them desiring a deeper understanding of Scripture, communal prayer, mutual support, and more. All of this is an opportunity to be of service to the children of God.
Members of a Cenobitic monastic community live in Monasteries, Priories, Chapter Houses, and live communally. This means that the members of the community join together for each of the prayer services of the Daily Office and do so every day like clock work. This is mingled with the work needing to be done in the monastery, scriptural studies, contemplation, and communal living. As a result if there are several candidates for Holy Orders living in the Religious Community it is up to the Elder, Abbot, Senior Brother, Prior etc. to determine who will be responsible for preparing the daily office, and worship. This deputy usually a Stavrophore Monk will depending upon the number of candidates assign a rotation, or assign roles for each candidate during the Daily Offices, and Mass celebrated daily.
Those living the life of an Eremitic monastic withdraw from the world altogether often living in total isolation deep in nature. The monk is usually attached to a monastery and will periodically attend services in the monastery he is attached and will be provided for by the monastery he is attached to providing food and water and other necessities. Otherwise the monk will be left along in solitude and assume personal responsibility for prayer it is usually the responsibility of both the community and the monastic to keep in contact with each other as necessary, and ensure that the eremitic monastic is provided for as necessary. This is the Oldest form of monastic life in Christianity.
Finally there is the Skete this is a small community of individuals normally around three to five monks under the care of an Abbot or Elder. The focus on this community is as the "Middle road of monasticism" the Monastics often spend as much time as possible in mental solitary prayer, and gather together for liturgical services. The monastics also usually work individually on handiwork, and housework to maintain the community while the abbot directs the activities of the community. The Skete is considered the middle road because it is between the strict cenobitic life, and the even stricter Eremitic life and has benefits from both approaches to the monastic life, while avoiding the extremes of either Cenobitic life, or Eremitic life.
In conclusion the opportunity for a prayer group is two fold, first you have the community that requires ministry, and second you have the faithful who gravitate towards religious communities seeking to continue their spiritual development. Both communities have people who come to them desiring a deeper understanding of Scripture, communal prayer, mutual support, and more. All of this is an opportunity to be of service to the children of God.
The Monastic Life
The Monastic Life is something few are called to, this assignment is simple; if you have felt called to life as a Monk, or Nun, and would like more information. Then please email the institute at [email protected], and let us know so that we can provide guidance, and assist you with the step required to enter into the monastic life. The Seminary has developed several classes to prepare a candidate for life as a Monk or a Nun. You are not required to complete this assignment as it exists to help you determine if this is something you are called to and to prepare you for life in that calling.
WEEK TWO
Bible studies
The importance of Nourishing your soul with Scripture prayer, and contemplation
The Spiritual Life of a Christian is focused on the worship of God, for the Orthodox this is broken down into three different paths that are used together to create a single cohesive path to God. These three different paths are Prayer, Contemplation, and the study of Sacred Scripture. It should be mentioned that these three parts are distinct from the Divine Liturgy, but the three paths are extensively used to ensure that you are focused mind, body, and soul on the activity of worshiping God in the Divine Liturgy as well as throughout your daily lives.
Prayer is used throughout the Divine Liturgy and our daily life there are in fact different Prayer cycles used by different jurisdictions within the Orthodox Faith. Those from an Anglican background are encouraged to use the various Western Rite Orthodox Prayer Books in particular Lancelot Andrews Press has compiled an Orthodox Version of the Book of Common Prayer containing the Divine Liturgy of Saint Tikhon, and the Hours of Prayer as well as the Sacraments of the Western Rite Orthodox Church. In this cycle of prayer the original structured prayer hours that were originally condensed by the Anglicans has been returned to it's original form, and is an excellent prayer cycle for those just beginning to establish a prayer rule in their own lives as Orthodox Christians. Whereas converts from Roman Catholic, or Old Catholic backgrounds have their own Have the Divine Liturgy of Saint Gregory the Great and the various books published by Lancelot Andrews Presses Orthodox Missal, and the Sarum Rite preferred by some within the Russian Orthodox tradition.
Whereas Prayer is a daily event set at the same times throughout the daily cycle of prayer and worship, the study of scripture falls into a similar but differently important place in the spiritual life of the Christian. We'll touch more on the importance of private bible study systematically undertaken in the next topic. For now let's discuss the study of scripture as it relates to it's place in the spiritual life of a Christian. During the mass passages of scripture from the Old Testament, New Testament, and Psalms are read, during the daily prayer the reading of scripture is done according to a preset table of readings so that you go through all of the essential passages of scripture in both the Old, and New Testaments. Many pastors study scripture for the enjoyment because it is almost literally like having a conversation with God. As you read through the different books of the bible you begin to see wisdom unfolded to cope with situations that you have experienced in the past, and sometimes handled poorly. This wisdom may get you laughed at, scorned, or cause some to feel you are incapable of handling yourself, but it is better by far to please God than man for one lasts forever and one lasts as long as man can remember having been pleased by your actions. We have discussed in previous lessons, the importance of prayer, with this discussion focusing on how it interlinks with Prayer and contemplation. The best example of this is the rosary where there are prayer, and contemplation of the mysteries of the Christian Faith.
Contemplation takes many forms from meditation, to deep thought concerning a prayer, or specific passage of scripture. It is not uncommon to take an event from the mortal life of Our Lord and deeply examine the actions, the context of his words, the factors that led to Our Lord saying and doing what he did, and how we can incorporate the lessons from that passage of scripture into our lives. Taking meditation as an example it is important to note that the practice of sitting there with your mind emptied and quiet comes from a new age and Buddhist background. Because of this opinions vary as to whether it is advisable to engage in this form of meditation. In fact it may be better to utilize this form of meditation as an opener to your prayer and worship so that you can set aside your worries, and stresses and focus on the activity of prayer. As a form of prayer and worship though meditation with an empty mind is secondary because worship, devotion, and praise are something that comes from a spoken, or silently prayed format. The exception to the rule is learning to recognize, sacred silence, and Eucharistic Adoration where you are in the literal presence of the Body of Our Lord and Savior in the form of the Eucharist.
Together the three paths of Prayer, The Study of Sacred Scripture, and Contemplation of the mysteries of the Christian Faith coupled with celebrating the Mass come together to form the bedrock of all Orthodox Prayer, and worship. All three should be practiced regularly and faithfully, with gentleness, and compassion for yourself if you should fall or slip in your devotions.
Prayer is used throughout the Divine Liturgy and our daily life there are in fact different Prayer cycles used by different jurisdictions within the Orthodox Faith. Those from an Anglican background are encouraged to use the various Western Rite Orthodox Prayer Books in particular Lancelot Andrews Press has compiled an Orthodox Version of the Book of Common Prayer containing the Divine Liturgy of Saint Tikhon, and the Hours of Prayer as well as the Sacraments of the Western Rite Orthodox Church. In this cycle of prayer the original structured prayer hours that were originally condensed by the Anglicans has been returned to it's original form, and is an excellent prayer cycle for those just beginning to establish a prayer rule in their own lives as Orthodox Christians. Whereas converts from Roman Catholic, or Old Catholic backgrounds have their own Have the Divine Liturgy of Saint Gregory the Great and the various books published by Lancelot Andrews Presses Orthodox Missal, and the Sarum Rite preferred by some within the Russian Orthodox tradition.
Whereas Prayer is a daily event set at the same times throughout the daily cycle of prayer and worship, the study of scripture falls into a similar but differently important place in the spiritual life of the Christian. We'll touch more on the importance of private bible study systematically undertaken in the next topic. For now let's discuss the study of scripture as it relates to it's place in the spiritual life of a Christian. During the mass passages of scripture from the Old Testament, New Testament, and Psalms are read, during the daily prayer the reading of scripture is done according to a preset table of readings so that you go through all of the essential passages of scripture in both the Old, and New Testaments. Many pastors study scripture for the enjoyment because it is almost literally like having a conversation with God. As you read through the different books of the bible you begin to see wisdom unfolded to cope with situations that you have experienced in the past, and sometimes handled poorly. This wisdom may get you laughed at, scorned, or cause some to feel you are incapable of handling yourself, but it is better by far to please God than man for one lasts forever and one lasts as long as man can remember having been pleased by your actions. We have discussed in previous lessons, the importance of prayer, with this discussion focusing on how it interlinks with Prayer and contemplation. The best example of this is the rosary where there are prayer, and contemplation of the mysteries of the Christian Faith.
Contemplation takes many forms from meditation, to deep thought concerning a prayer, or specific passage of scripture. It is not uncommon to take an event from the mortal life of Our Lord and deeply examine the actions, the context of his words, the factors that led to Our Lord saying and doing what he did, and how we can incorporate the lessons from that passage of scripture into our lives. Taking meditation as an example it is important to note that the practice of sitting there with your mind emptied and quiet comes from a new age and Buddhist background. Because of this opinions vary as to whether it is advisable to engage in this form of meditation. In fact it may be better to utilize this form of meditation as an opener to your prayer and worship so that you can set aside your worries, and stresses and focus on the activity of prayer. As a form of prayer and worship though meditation with an empty mind is secondary because worship, devotion, and praise are something that comes from a spoken, or silently prayed format. The exception to the rule is learning to recognize, sacred silence, and Eucharistic Adoration where you are in the literal presence of the Body of Our Lord and Savior in the form of the Eucharist.
Together the three paths of Prayer, The Study of Sacred Scripture, and Contemplation of the mysteries of the Christian Faith coupled with celebrating the Mass come together to form the bedrock of all Orthodox Prayer, and worship. All three should be practiced regularly and faithfully, with gentleness, and compassion for yourself if you should fall or slip in your devotions.
Private Bible Study Systematically undertaken and out of enjoyment
Studying the bible often feels like a conversation with God. In fact you can spot a Christian by their love of the Bible as those who are bored of the Sacred Scriptures are usually bored with God, or against him in some way though there is always the exception to the rule. While there are numerous systematic bible study programs, in this topic we're going to discuss methods for personal Bible Study we will only list the systematic Bible Study methods as a whole topic as there are so many of them with different levels of quality it is better to outline your own study of the Bible. Any list is incomplete as there are as many methods of studying the sacred scriptures as their are students so let's put a few ideas on the table.
Method 1: Beginning with Genesis and ending with Revelations each day or week (depending upon size of the Book in the Bible, and your commitments like work, family, ministry and so on) read one book of the Bible thoroughly contemplating as you do so the accounts that are written down of the actions of the people of the Bible, and the lessons that are to be taken out of the study. Feel free to include commentaries, and outside tools to help you understand the deeper meaning of the Books of the Bible taking care that it comes from a Orthodox Source. For this an Orthodox Study Bible is perhaps the better tool.
Method 2: Each day of the year there are proscribed readings that are read during your daily prayer, and during the Mass taking these readings open your bible to them, and commit to understanding the chapter that the passage is in so that you have the full story, time, and place that is being discussed. This method similar to method 1 in form is smaller in scope but simple to follow. All that is required is you follow along with the churches daily bible readings and then study those readings in depth which makes this an excellent option for new students of the Scriptures.
Method 3: Finding an excellent Orthodox Bible Study course, and following it. This can be tricky as a lot of the bible study courses do not explain which denomination they originate from, often requiring a little detective work
Method 1: Beginning with Genesis and ending with Revelations each day or week (depending upon size of the Book in the Bible, and your commitments like work, family, ministry and so on) read one book of the Bible thoroughly contemplating as you do so the accounts that are written down of the actions of the people of the Bible, and the lessons that are to be taken out of the study. Feel free to include commentaries, and outside tools to help you understand the deeper meaning of the Books of the Bible taking care that it comes from a Orthodox Source. For this an Orthodox Study Bible is perhaps the better tool.
Method 2: Each day of the year there are proscribed readings that are read during your daily prayer, and during the Mass taking these readings open your bible to them, and commit to understanding the chapter that the passage is in so that you have the full story, time, and place that is being discussed. This method similar to method 1 in form is smaller in scope but simple to follow. All that is required is you follow along with the churches daily bible readings and then study those readings in depth which makes this an excellent option for new students of the Scriptures.
Method 3: Finding an excellent Orthodox Bible Study course, and following it. This can be tricky as a lot of the bible study courses do not explain which denomination they originate from, often requiring a little detective work
Group Bible Study
Aside from the study of the holy Bible in private it is an excellent ministry opportunity as well as an excellent personal opportunity which when used correctly will build your community through studying the word together. Many churches begin in the home through bible study, and group prayer times. In addition it will develop your personal understanding and knowledge of the events that happened 2000 years ago. How those events effect us today, in fact they continue to affect us so deeply and so strongly today that our culture and society is defined by such actions, and because of this it is essential that you have a working knowledge of the Sacred Scriptures.
It is important that you have an accurate understanding of what the Bible teaches how it relates to the Orthodox faith and finally to nourish your soul, and the souls of others with the word of God. During the course of this discussion we will establish a basic method of conducting a Bible study with the goal of enhancing participation by the community involved in that Bible Study. Finally because a bible study is an opportunity that should be made use of we will look at some of the different ways that a Bible study can be a springboard into a deeper ministry. As in all our discussions we are presenting options for you to consider making use of this does not mean that you must use these options rather it is better to tailor your ministry to your circumstances.
A Bible study is usually conducted on Wednesdays or Saturdays by most established churches, but if it’s being conducted in your own home as usually occurs in most churches any day of the week will do. The day of the week should be constant and announced ahead of time so that members of the Bible study group will be able to make arrangements with family, work, and other social obligations. One member of the group serves as the leader of the group, which can change based on either personal desire or rotation. This leader (sometimes called a leader a facilitator or moderator, or sometimes no title is used at all) is responsible for promoting discussion, taking a deeper look at the passage of scripture being studied, and he or she maintains discipline and respect amongst members of the Bible study group. Moderating disagreements keeping the group focused on the study of scripture, avoiding topics unrelated to either scripture or applying scripture to our daily lives.
Concerning the structure of a bible study it is important to begin your work with a prayer and end it with a prayer. A study group can be organized according to topic with specific passages related to that topic cited, read, and studied. You can also make use of another popular method of bible study which is to choose a book of the bible and either read a chapter of the bible or read a book of the bible depending on the size of the book, and the time available for study. Sometimes you can change it up and ask for passages that inspire your group members, read that passage of scripture and discuss examples of times when the passage of scripture they mention has influenced their lives. Essentially the best benefit of this option is that it goes more in the direction of a support group which will bring the group together eventually into a family. This is highly desirable if you desire to turn the bible study group into a worship group at some point. After the study has been completed it is time to wrap up the study by going over announcements, appointing or recognizing the next bible study leader, and if the location changes such as different people hosting the study in their own homes where that bible study will be held. Finally you should close with a prayer and wish everyone a blessed day.
Cookouts, camping trips, trips to the lake, ladies and guy lunches, pilgrimages and so on are excellent opportunities to include with the theme of bible study, and prayer. Tools such as study bibles, concordances, lectures, and sermons on bible topics are excellent materials to include because they bring the concepts of culture, the reality of life in that time period, the meaning of passages of scripture that have changed since the age it was written in. For example some of the books of the bible are written in Greek. In Greek there are several words for love which mean different kinds of love whether romantic, brotherly, pure love without romance, and understanding which kinds of love being mentioned in the bible today go with which meaning in Greek. In English we have the word love with the meaning either implied or stated such as love you brother, or I love you my wife.... In Greek there is one word that stands for each of those two different kinds of love, and another two besides that. Tools such as Movie night can change up the experience of bible study keeping it fresh and preventing the group from getting stale, and boring.
With this group we've been discussing it is possible to begin with study of the bible, then expand into prayer groups, take up a collection if the group is willing. From there you could say do a clothing drive, or a food drive, assist at a local food bank. Eventually you would have the goal to ease them into establishing a church first in the home, then when finance allows a small rented space then a larger one, and so on allowing you to take a bible study and by choosing fun community building methods slowly build a church together. It is up to you to choose the best method to accomplish this, and you may find that the group resists these ideas. In that case keep going with what works, and later if the group is amenable then you could look in that direction. It might be best to keep the goal of establishing a church private until you are already at the point where it is time to do so, because you can sometimes spook your people with talk of building up a church, and the commitment that is required. It is usually a better idea to slowly ease your people into such a direction one step slowly taken at a time, and when it is time to form a church you will already have a group essentially acting as a church, and nothing will change except the name and some incorporation paperwork and responsibilities.
It is important that you have an accurate understanding of what the Bible teaches how it relates to the Orthodox faith and finally to nourish your soul, and the souls of others with the word of God. During the course of this discussion we will establish a basic method of conducting a Bible study with the goal of enhancing participation by the community involved in that Bible Study. Finally because a bible study is an opportunity that should be made use of we will look at some of the different ways that a Bible study can be a springboard into a deeper ministry. As in all our discussions we are presenting options for you to consider making use of this does not mean that you must use these options rather it is better to tailor your ministry to your circumstances.
A Bible study is usually conducted on Wednesdays or Saturdays by most established churches, but if it’s being conducted in your own home as usually occurs in most churches any day of the week will do. The day of the week should be constant and announced ahead of time so that members of the Bible study group will be able to make arrangements with family, work, and other social obligations. One member of the group serves as the leader of the group, which can change based on either personal desire or rotation. This leader (sometimes called a leader a facilitator or moderator, or sometimes no title is used at all) is responsible for promoting discussion, taking a deeper look at the passage of scripture being studied, and he or she maintains discipline and respect amongst members of the Bible study group. Moderating disagreements keeping the group focused on the study of scripture, avoiding topics unrelated to either scripture or applying scripture to our daily lives.
Concerning the structure of a bible study it is important to begin your work with a prayer and end it with a prayer. A study group can be organized according to topic with specific passages related to that topic cited, read, and studied. You can also make use of another popular method of bible study which is to choose a book of the bible and either read a chapter of the bible or read a book of the bible depending on the size of the book, and the time available for study. Sometimes you can change it up and ask for passages that inspire your group members, read that passage of scripture and discuss examples of times when the passage of scripture they mention has influenced their lives. Essentially the best benefit of this option is that it goes more in the direction of a support group which will bring the group together eventually into a family. This is highly desirable if you desire to turn the bible study group into a worship group at some point. After the study has been completed it is time to wrap up the study by going over announcements, appointing or recognizing the next bible study leader, and if the location changes such as different people hosting the study in their own homes where that bible study will be held. Finally you should close with a prayer and wish everyone a blessed day.
Cookouts, camping trips, trips to the lake, ladies and guy lunches, pilgrimages and so on are excellent opportunities to include with the theme of bible study, and prayer. Tools such as study bibles, concordances, lectures, and sermons on bible topics are excellent materials to include because they bring the concepts of culture, the reality of life in that time period, the meaning of passages of scripture that have changed since the age it was written in. For example some of the books of the bible are written in Greek. In Greek there are several words for love which mean different kinds of love whether romantic, brotherly, pure love without romance, and understanding which kinds of love being mentioned in the bible today go with which meaning in Greek. In English we have the word love with the meaning either implied or stated such as love you brother, or I love you my wife.... In Greek there is one word that stands for each of those two different kinds of love, and another two besides that. Tools such as Movie night can change up the experience of bible study keeping it fresh and preventing the group from getting stale, and boring.
With this group we've been discussing it is possible to begin with study of the bible, then expand into prayer groups, take up a collection if the group is willing. From there you could say do a clothing drive, or a food drive, assist at a local food bank. Eventually you would have the goal to ease them into establishing a church first in the home, then when finance allows a small rented space then a larger one, and so on allowing you to take a bible study and by choosing fun community building methods slowly build a church together. It is up to you to choose the best method to accomplish this, and you may find that the group resists these ideas. In that case keep going with what works, and later if the group is amenable then you could look in that direction. It might be best to keep the goal of establishing a church private until you are already at the point where it is time to do so, because you can sometimes spook your people with talk of building up a church, and the commitment that is required. It is usually a better idea to slowly ease your people into such a direction one step slowly taken at a time, and when it is time to form a church you will already have a group essentially acting as a church, and nothing will change except the name and some incorporation paperwork and responsibilities.
Developing ways to be of service through Bible Study
In our previous discussion we looked at a few options to be of service during a Bible study. Now having examined a few basic ideas it's time to expand on some of those ideas starting with the familiarity that the group itself possesses due to spending time together studying the bible engaging in spiritual activities together, and through their fellowship both before and after their prayer, and bible study groups. During a Bible study it’s natural that both before and after the group begins and ends, conversation will take place the faithful attending. Alongside the personal topics discussed they will ask for prayers, and they will talk about their daily lives. As they become a community these discussions will take place often and will present an opportunity for you as a candidate studying ministry work to begin prayer chains, to begin food and clothing drives, and then particular drives for helping members of the group who fall on tough times taking collections to help them pay their bills, collect food for food banks, volunteer to work in your local soup kitchen, or passing out biblical passages to other people not in the church, bible study, or prayer group. This method of engaging in evangelism involves supporting one another through crisis such as when you’re sick, when you’re grieving, or when your in mourning and more than that to invite others into this Bible study, or prayer group that has developed a culture of support, self assistance, and assistance of others, and a proactive evangelical approach to spreading the faith.
These early efforts are an opportunity, and it would be enormously important for you to pick one particular topic at a time or maybe several topics, and engage the group in this/these topics. For example let's say the topic comes around to the homeless; you now have the opportunity to discuss ways that the group could assist the homeless. Methods such as donating to food banks, taking old clothes and donating them picking up job applications, renting rooms to the homeless that are safe, or assisting them with finding board in a homeless shelter. Your focus should be that of service to God's people that need you. Just off that one topic of dealing with the homeless there’s a number of ways that you can feed, comfort, and assist those who are homeless. Another area of assistance would be focused on being of service during the sadness of deaths in families both members of the church and those outside of the church regardless of membership, and the difficult times that these families experience laying their loved ones to rest dealing with their grief and the expenses of burying their loved ones. Each of those steps is a potential opportunity to be of service and minister to vulnerable grieving members of the church preserving them in faith, sharing their burdens, and being a source of comfort, and assistance in a world where such things are viewed as weakness.
While we are discussing difficult times it would be irresponsible not to discuss the all too common tragedy of divorce. Assisting the faithful and others surviving the tragedy of divorce allows you the opportunity to be a source of strength, and comfort, not only you yourself, but the group as well who as a community come together, united as one people to assist God's people allowing them to have an easier time getting through their various tribulations. Especially when it comes to something like coming to terms with a midlife crisis. Young women coming of age who get their period and need the guidance of a more experienced woman, or require someone to ask questions to when they are uncomfortable asking others especially when a challenging tribulation is experienced for the first time including advice on dating (as a note these particular questions are best referred to senior women as their content is reserved to the experiences of women but the idea of needing an older non judgmental adult to consult is without gender the examples provided here are gender specific simply to keep the conversation simple). All of this can be a central function of a close confidant who is a member of the Bible study, and acts as a mentor, and if the faithful give their permission the group itself can be a source of consultation and support, and more.
Take the example of a midlife crisis; you have the opportunity to be present and to assist a member of your Bible study as they go through their crisis assisting them through your kindness, charity and non judgmental support as they start to re-define who they are and become who they feel called now to be.
This is because as you read Sacred Scripture there is the call to amendment of life. This amendment of life provides the opportunity to choose for yourself how you’re going to integrate into your life the beliefs contained in Sacred Scripture. These teachings that you’re learning in biblical studies reveal that we have a responsibility to amend our life if we discover that we are acting in a way that’s contrary to God‘s law. In recognition of this amendment of life the bible study/prayer group takes on the character displayed by support groups. For example if you feel the temptations of sin call on your brothers and sisters such as if you feel yourself being wrathful call on your friends, and have them help you work through your anger. If you feel yourself getting greedy spend some time with the people you care about more than whatever thing you covet, and eventually this desire to be greedy will grow less important as the real treasures of family, friends, and faith are revealed.
It’s important to note though that the difference between greed, and need lies in your basic needs, and a little extra to ensure that you and your family live a decent life. Greed by it's very nature is never satisfied it is what you want that is in gross excess of your needs. So for need that is not greedy you have your basic needs and then you have a little bit extra that’s there for you to enjoy and have a good quality life. Beyond that we start to see varying shades of greed never satisfied once you attain the thing you covet it becomes less important and a new thing becomes too essential. It is the desiring of things that you haven’t worked for, don’t deserve but want one anyway or feel entitled to receive that constitute greed because according to scripture the worker is deserving of his wage.
Coming back to the main topic of being of service through Bible studies the underlying theme all along has focused on the acceptance, and amendment of life based on what you study in the sacred scriptures. There is the opportunity for you to take the material that you’re learning implant it into your daily life, and when necessary amend your life. This process of study obedience and action brings you closer to God, and through these various topics and action items is the opportunity to grow into a community together. Each time you encourage the community to become closer, to become united as one people you in effect build a greater sense of community and sooner or later an opportunity will present itself that will allow you to go from a prayer to worship group to a full parish. The options are almost without limit and you can go in any number of Christian service related directions. Countless churches have been founded through Bible study. Because the act of studying the Bible brings people closer together in a nonthreatening non judgmental environment that doesn’t require as much from them in the beginning as a church would. By the time that the community has grown into a church any requirement placed upon them will come from their own selves for they will be invested in the community having began in the Bible study they will be a founding member of the parish, and doing things with the people in that community together will have united them. By the time it comes to acknowledge a new parish the groundwork will have already been laid out. All that will be required is to simply acknowledge the new status of the community and take it to the next step which is worship.
So let’s recap the Bible study itself is an excellent beginning if you’re a layman and you’re entering into candidacy or if you’re a clergyman beginning a new community, or if you’re looking to establish a religious group you have the opportunity to start with a Bible study, or prayer group, then you bring people together, and you start to engage the faithful in actions that unite the community together as one people, and that dedicate them to positive reinforcement of each other and the community. Then as this community grows the church will begin to take shape and eventually will be recognized in their new status. This is how such a simple thing like meeting every Wednesday night to read scriptures together can grow as new people become involved in the group, and the group itself takes on a new character you have that opportunity and should not waste it
These early efforts are an opportunity, and it would be enormously important for you to pick one particular topic at a time or maybe several topics, and engage the group in this/these topics. For example let's say the topic comes around to the homeless; you now have the opportunity to discuss ways that the group could assist the homeless. Methods such as donating to food banks, taking old clothes and donating them picking up job applications, renting rooms to the homeless that are safe, or assisting them with finding board in a homeless shelter. Your focus should be that of service to God's people that need you. Just off that one topic of dealing with the homeless there’s a number of ways that you can feed, comfort, and assist those who are homeless. Another area of assistance would be focused on being of service during the sadness of deaths in families both members of the church and those outside of the church regardless of membership, and the difficult times that these families experience laying their loved ones to rest dealing with their grief and the expenses of burying their loved ones. Each of those steps is a potential opportunity to be of service and minister to vulnerable grieving members of the church preserving them in faith, sharing their burdens, and being a source of comfort, and assistance in a world where such things are viewed as weakness.
While we are discussing difficult times it would be irresponsible not to discuss the all too common tragedy of divorce. Assisting the faithful and others surviving the tragedy of divorce allows you the opportunity to be a source of strength, and comfort, not only you yourself, but the group as well who as a community come together, united as one people to assist God's people allowing them to have an easier time getting through their various tribulations. Especially when it comes to something like coming to terms with a midlife crisis. Young women coming of age who get their period and need the guidance of a more experienced woman, or require someone to ask questions to when they are uncomfortable asking others especially when a challenging tribulation is experienced for the first time including advice on dating (as a note these particular questions are best referred to senior women as their content is reserved to the experiences of women but the idea of needing an older non judgmental adult to consult is without gender the examples provided here are gender specific simply to keep the conversation simple). All of this can be a central function of a close confidant who is a member of the Bible study, and acts as a mentor, and if the faithful give their permission the group itself can be a source of consultation and support, and more.
Take the example of a midlife crisis; you have the opportunity to be present and to assist a member of your Bible study as they go through their crisis assisting them through your kindness, charity and non judgmental support as they start to re-define who they are and become who they feel called now to be.
This is because as you read Sacred Scripture there is the call to amendment of life. This amendment of life provides the opportunity to choose for yourself how you’re going to integrate into your life the beliefs contained in Sacred Scripture. These teachings that you’re learning in biblical studies reveal that we have a responsibility to amend our life if we discover that we are acting in a way that’s contrary to God‘s law. In recognition of this amendment of life the bible study/prayer group takes on the character displayed by support groups. For example if you feel the temptations of sin call on your brothers and sisters such as if you feel yourself being wrathful call on your friends, and have them help you work through your anger. If you feel yourself getting greedy spend some time with the people you care about more than whatever thing you covet, and eventually this desire to be greedy will grow less important as the real treasures of family, friends, and faith are revealed.
It’s important to note though that the difference between greed, and need lies in your basic needs, and a little extra to ensure that you and your family live a decent life. Greed by it's very nature is never satisfied it is what you want that is in gross excess of your needs. So for need that is not greedy you have your basic needs and then you have a little bit extra that’s there for you to enjoy and have a good quality life. Beyond that we start to see varying shades of greed never satisfied once you attain the thing you covet it becomes less important and a new thing becomes too essential. It is the desiring of things that you haven’t worked for, don’t deserve but want one anyway or feel entitled to receive that constitute greed because according to scripture the worker is deserving of his wage.
Coming back to the main topic of being of service through Bible studies the underlying theme all along has focused on the acceptance, and amendment of life based on what you study in the sacred scriptures. There is the opportunity for you to take the material that you’re learning implant it into your daily life, and when necessary amend your life. This process of study obedience and action brings you closer to God, and through these various topics and action items is the opportunity to grow into a community together. Each time you encourage the community to become closer, to become united as one people you in effect build a greater sense of community and sooner or later an opportunity will present itself that will allow you to go from a prayer to worship group to a full parish. The options are almost without limit and you can go in any number of Christian service related directions. Countless churches have been founded through Bible study. Because the act of studying the Bible brings people closer together in a nonthreatening non judgmental environment that doesn’t require as much from them in the beginning as a church would. By the time that the community has grown into a church any requirement placed upon them will come from their own selves for they will be invested in the community having began in the Bible study they will be a founding member of the parish, and doing things with the people in that community together will have united them. By the time it comes to acknowledge a new parish the groundwork will have already been laid out. All that will be required is to simply acknowledge the new status of the community and take it to the next step which is worship.
So let’s recap the Bible study itself is an excellent beginning if you’re a layman and you’re entering into candidacy or if you’re a clergyman beginning a new community, or if you’re looking to establish a religious group you have the opportunity to start with a Bible study, or prayer group, then you bring people together, and you start to engage the faithful in actions that unite the community together as one people, and that dedicate them to positive reinforcement of each other and the community. Then as this community grows the church will begin to take shape and eventually will be recognized in their new status. This is how such a simple thing like meeting every Wednesday night to read scriptures together can grow as new people become involved in the group, and the group itself takes on a new character you have that opportunity and should not waste it
WEEK THREE
Minor orders ministry opportunities
When we are discussing minor orders we are discussing the Holy Orders below the Diaconate. Which includes the orders of Subdeacon/Acolyte, the Order of Lector, the Order of Cantor, The Order of Porter, and for some churches which continue to maintain it the Order of Exorcist which in most churches has been absorbed into the responsibilities of the Priesthood. The Order of Exorcist is a minor Order which had responsibilities during baptisms, Sunday school teachings of the catechism. Minor Orders are not Major or Sacred orders, this means that they are assigned responsibilities and tasks that are ideally suited to the roles performed by minor orders. Our goals for this chapter will be to go over what the minor orders are, what roles do those minor orders play, what are the responsibilities of people in minor orders, and what are the ministry opportunities for those who are enrolled and ordained in each minor order. This discussion will be focused on the perspective of the lay member of the community, the ordained member of the community, and they religious member of the community. In other words if you’re a reader how will that affect the way you interact with the laity who are not ordained or made a profession into a religious order, and how does your role and responsibility as a reader interact with the ordained clergy and if you are a reader in a religious order how does that affect the way you go about your duties as an ordained member of that Order?
Defining the different minor orders
The road to becoming a priest traditionally was a long and holy path that began with the candidate receiving a tonsure which was the symbolic cutting of hair. This practice is still actively practiced in eastern Orthodox Churches, and some Latin Rite Religious Orders. This is also actively practiced among the orthodox the four minor orders are the orders of the Porter, the reader sometimes referred to as a Lector, the exorcist, and the acolyte which is sometimes called the Subdeacon. NOTE: "In some churches the offices of acolyte and Subdeacon are separated".
The order Porter has the responsibility of guarding the church buildings especially during persecutions. The Porter makes sure that no one disturbs the priest while he is offering the sacred mass. The office of the reader has the responsibility as the name suggests to read in the church during the Holy Mass, and the Hours of Prayer in a clear distinct voice reading either the old and New Testament passages, especially those which are read during the night time prayers and the Psalms he is charged with teaching the fundamentals of the Orthodox faith to those who are embracing it for the first time as Catechumen or who have returned to the faith after a long time away.
The order of the exorcist was responsible and in some churches is given the power to invoke the name of the Lord over those who are possessed by unclean spirits, and to perform the minor exorcism during the Baptism. Whereas most current day and age churches have placed the responsibilities of the order of Exorcist within the responsibility of the priesthood the traditional minor orders including the Order of Exorcist are still conveyed including the order of Exorcist.
The Order of Acolyte when separated from the office of Subdeacon has the responsibility to assist the ministers who are in the Subdiaconate, and the major orders of Deacon, priest, and Bishop during the sacrifice of the Holy Mass. The serve as Candle, and Cross Bearers and they take care of the lights, and candles of the Altar. Additionally they make sure the the Cruets are filled correctly with Water and Wine, then during the mass they hand them to the Subdeacon or Deacon depending on how many ministers are serving at the Mass.
In the Latin rite depending on the different points in the churches history the order of Subdeacon is usually considered among the major orders, however many of the churches especially in the in the areas where Eastern Christian practices are common, and in some of the churches in the west consider the office of Subdeacon to be a minor order so to be thorough we’re going to discuss the office of Subdeacon as both the lowest of the Major Orders, and the the highest of the minor Orders. The office of Subdeacon has been joined with the office of the Acolyte as a Major Order again called the Sacred Orders in the Orthodox Church. It is the Subdeacons responsibility to choreograph the efforts of the other minor orders and to directly assist the Deacon during the Holy Mass as he assists the Priest, and proclaims the Sacred Gospel. The Subdeacon additionally prepares the Altar Linens, the vessels, the host, and the wine for the holy sacrifice of the mass. He presents these things to the Bishop or the priest to wash his hands, he reads the epistle, and he guards the celebrants from being disturbed during any sacred ceremony’s. When a Subdeacon is ordained he receives a Chalice and a Patton from his bishop which symbolizes his responsibility to serve the deacon, and to choreograph the efforts of the minor orders. He is also presented with a set of Cruets filled with water and wine and he receives a basin and towel to wash and dry the hands or the Celebrants of the Divine Liturgy.
The order Porter has the responsibility of guarding the church buildings especially during persecutions. The Porter makes sure that no one disturbs the priest while he is offering the sacred mass. The office of the reader has the responsibility as the name suggests to read in the church during the Holy Mass, and the Hours of Prayer in a clear distinct voice reading either the old and New Testament passages, especially those which are read during the night time prayers and the Psalms he is charged with teaching the fundamentals of the Orthodox faith to those who are embracing it for the first time as Catechumen or who have returned to the faith after a long time away.
The order of the exorcist was responsible and in some churches is given the power to invoke the name of the Lord over those who are possessed by unclean spirits, and to perform the minor exorcism during the Baptism. Whereas most current day and age churches have placed the responsibilities of the order of Exorcist within the responsibility of the priesthood the traditional minor orders including the Order of Exorcist are still conveyed including the order of Exorcist.
The Order of Acolyte when separated from the office of Subdeacon has the responsibility to assist the ministers who are in the Subdiaconate, and the major orders of Deacon, priest, and Bishop during the sacrifice of the Holy Mass. The serve as Candle, and Cross Bearers and they take care of the lights, and candles of the Altar. Additionally they make sure the the Cruets are filled correctly with Water and Wine, then during the mass they hand them to the Subdeacon or Deacon depending on how many ministers are serving at the Mass.
In the Latin rite depending on the different points in the churches history the order of Subdeacon is usually considered among the major orders, however many of the churches especially in the in the areas where Eastern Christian practices are common, and in some of the churches in the west consider the office of Subdeacon to be a minor order so to be thorough we’re going to discuss the office of Subdeacon as both the lowest of the Major Orders, and the the highest of the minor Orders. The office of Subdeacon has been joined with the office of the Acolyte as a Major Order again called the Sacred Orders in the Orthodox Church. It is the Subdeacons responsibility to choreograph the efforts of the other minor orders and to directly assist the Deacon during the Holy Mass as he assists the Priest, and proclaims the Sacred Gospel. The Subdeacon additionally prepares the Altar Linens, the vessels, the host, and the wine for the holy sacrifice of the mass. He presents these things to the Bishop or the priest to wash his hands, he reads the epistle, and he guards the celebrants from being disturbed during any sacred ceremony’s. When a Subdeacon is ordained he receives a Chalice and a Patton from his bishop which symbolizes his responsibility to serve the deacon, and to choreograph the efforts of the minor orders. He is also presented with a set of Cruets filled with water and wine and he receives a basin and towel to wash and dry the hands or the Celebrants of the Divine Liturgy.
Listing ministry opportunities for each minor order
The path to ordained ministry start with the tonsure; traditionally the tonsure was required if you’re entering into the religious life although it’s no longer strictly enforced, but the torture was seen historically as the entrance into ministry, and the religious life. The Tonsure was seen as a sign of being a humble servant as you no longer had long hair the tonsure was seen as a guard against vanity. This by itself has no ministry opportunities other than Prayer, Contemplation, and Worship during the Mass.
The office of the Porter guards the building and he make sure that no one disturbs the priest during the Holy Mass. During the oldest liturgies when the church was persecuted is there is a passage in those liturgies where the celebrant either the priest or the bishop call’s for the doors to be closed. Before the doors are closed all of the unbaptized faithful who have been listening to the liturgy until this point just after the gospel in the homily were to exit the church building and those who are Baptized and Confirmed in the faith would continue with the rest of the service, and receive the Eucharist this was done for a number of reasons and it originally came from a time when the church was persecuted actively. The doors will be sealed and those who are not already committed members of the church would be excused to protect the people of the church as the authorities in the older times used to try to sneak people into the churches with the intention to try to break up the underground Christian churches through force that have just begun to be formed as a result of the efforts of the Apostles. Because of this if you were baptized and confirmed you were usually one of the people that were going to face martyrdom however if you hadn’t yet made the commitment to be baptized and confirmed you are usually safer and if you worked with the authorities during the ancient pagan empires you were almost always safe from persecution so the church as a matter of safety and security decided that those who have not yet made their profession of faith being Baptized and Confirmed were to be excused out of the church. The second reason involved the view that the Holy Mass was sacred and should only be viewed by God‘s elect people the church, and so those who are not yet of the church were excused so that the sacredness and the solemn nature of the Mass could be preserved. Once the Unbaptized had exited the Porter will seal the doors and guard them in case the authorities would come and try to arrest the congregation in the primitive church. Some of the oldest churches had hiding holes, emergency exits in case they were raided by the governments of the day, and had developed ways of avoiding detection such as building churches underground, establishing them in caves, and graveyards, with a focus on worshiping in places where they were likely to avoid detection, persecution, and assault by the pagan empires that ruled during the period of history when the church came into being. In a religious community those who are porters are usually given tasks such as maintaining the gate house to the community proper giving alms to the poor they’re given the responsibility to guard the entrances to the religious houses, and they’re also given the responsibility to watch over any sacred items that the religious community may have put on display such as sacred relics, robes and elements of the founders of their order. These things would be put on display and it would often be a porter who is responsible for the care and keeping of those items although any brother can be assigned the task. Religious communities eventually created an office set aside from the Porter specializing in this role called a Sacrist.
The readers responsibility is to read the old and New Testament passages at the Psalms and the hallelujah although the hallelujah is sometimes performed by the deacon whereas the deacons role is to proclaim the gospel this office is sometimes also referred to as a Lector
The order of exorcist as mentioned previously has been placed in the care of the priesthood traditionally the Exorcist as a minor order would be responsible for driving out unclean spirits and had a role during baptism in the primitive church, performing baptisms on the candidate for baptism so that they can receive baptism clean without any undue demonic interference.
The acolyte when separate from the Subdeacon has the responsibility of teaching the faithful and assisting during the Sacred Mass just like a Reader the Acolyte teaches candidates for Baptism, and Confirmation called Catechumen. The Subdeacon/acolyte also has this responsibility as well for choreographing the minor orders when the offices are separated the acolyte serves the Subdeacon who serves the Deacon. His responsibilities include candle bearing and Cross Bearing during the procession and separate from the office of acolyte has the responsibility to oversee the work of the faithful the efforts of the reader and the acolyte. In addition to his duties of overseeing the faithful and assisting the Deacon at mass it is usually the Subdeacon who has the most interaction with the public especially when concerning matters like food banks, clothing drives, welcoming people into a religious communities guest house which eventually separated into a separate office, this office called the Hosteler in a religious community was the individual who had the care of the faithful who had visited the community as his responsibility.
The office of the Porter guards the building and he make sure that no one disturbs the priest during the Holy Mass. During the oldest liturgies when the church was persecuted is there is a passage in those liturgies where the celebrant either the priest or the bishop call’s for the doors to be closed. Before the doors are closed all of the unbaptized faithful who have been listening to the liturgy until this point just after the gospel in the homily were to exit the church building and those who are Baptized and Confirmed in the faith would continue with the rest of the service, and receive the Eucharist this was done for a number of reasons and it originally came from a time when the church was persecuted actively. The doors will be sealed and those who are not already committed members of the church would be excused to protect the people of the church as the authorities in the older times used to try to sneak people into the churches with the intention to try to break up the underground Christian churches through force that have just begun to be formed as a result of the efforts of the Apostles. Because of this if you were baptized and confirmed you were usually one of the people that were going to face martyrdom however if you hadn’t yet made the commitment to be baptized and confirmed you are usually safer and if you worked with the authorities during the ancient pagan empires you were almost always safe from persecution so the church as a matter of safety and security decided that those who have not yet made their profession of faith being Baptized and Confirmed were to be excused out of the church. The second reason involved the view that the Holy Mass was sacred and should only be viewed by God‘s elect people the church, and so those who are not yet of the church were excused so that the sacredness and the solemn nature of the Mass could be preserved. Once the Unbaptized had exited the Porter will seal the doors and guard them in case the authorities would come and try to arrest the congregation in the primitive church. Some of the oldest churches had hiding holes, emergency exits in case they were raided by the governments of the day, and had developed ways of avoiding detection such as building churches underground, establishing them in caves, and graveyards, with a focus on worshiping in places where they were likely to avoid detection, persecution, and assault by the pagan empires that ruled during the period of history when the church came into being. In a religious community those who are porters are usually given tasks such as maintaining the gate house to the community proper giving alms to the poor they’re given the responsibility to guard the entrances to the religious houses, and they’re also given the responsibility to watch over any sacred items that the religious community may have put on display such as sacred relics, robes and elements of the founders of their order. These things would be put on display and it would often be a porter who is responsible for the care and keeping of those items although any brother can be assigned the task. Religious communities eventually created an office set aside from the Porter specializing in this role called a Sacrist.
The readers responsibility is to read the old and New Testament passages at the Psalms and the hallelujah although the hallelujah is sometimes performed by the deacon whereas the deacons role is to proclaim the gospel this office is sometimes also referred to as a Lector
The order of exorcist as mentioned previously has been placed in the care of the priesthood traditionally the Exorcist as a minor order would be responsible for driving out unclean spirits and had a role during baptism in the primitive church, performing baptisms on the candidate for baptism so that they can receive baptism clean without any undue demonic interference.
The acolyte when separate from the Subdeacon has the responsibility of teaching the faithful and assisting during the Sacred Mass just like a Reader the Acolyte teaches candidates for Baptism, and Confirmation called Catechumen. The Subdeacon/acolyte also has this responsibility as well for choreographing the minor orders when the offices are separated the acolyte serves the Subdeacon who serves the Deacon. His responsibilities include candle bearing and Cross Bearing during the procession and separate from the office of acolyte has the responsibility to oversee the work of the faithful the efforts of the reader and the acolyte. In addition to his duties of overseeing the faithful and assisting the Deacon at mass it is usually the Subdeacon who has the most interaction with the public especially when concerning matters like food banks, clothing drives, welcoming people into a religious communities guest house which eventually separated into a separate office, this office called the Hosteler in a religious community was the individual who had the care of the faithful who had visited the community as his responsibility.
Ways to maximize your ministry early on
Maximizing your ministry early on involves harnessing your organizational skills, personal drive, ability to follow through, and the seriousness that you place on yourself, and your responsibilities. We’ve discussed some examples, and ideas in previous topics that you can take advantage of to attempt to establish a community and build that community, but the best ways to maximize your ministry early on are to keep yourself organized, to identify key opportunities for you to follow up, and when you follow up to do so in a way that isn’t obtrusive obnoxious. When you follow up you should do so in a way that the faithful don’t realize you’re even evangelizing, they should simply understand that you are a Christian who cares and wants to be of service. You should never attempt to push, or force a situation, rather you should seek to simply be of assistance and when the opportunity arises then you can focus the discussion on inviting the people that you have come to know and care for to church, or if you do not have a church already established a Bible study, or prayer group. There’s nothing wrong with giving the invitation early on however if it’s given without delicacy it can appear that you’re attempting to force religion down their throat, which will result in their hostile rejection of what you believe and will become much harder to fix that hurt because the first impression will be that you as a priest someone they are to trust with very personal issues are intrusive, obnoxious, and predatory. If you do this they will think that you have everything except their best interests at heart, and that you don’t help them simply because they need help, rather that you help them because you want them to come to your church. When in reality you should help them because through your faith you have become a better person and you see someone else in need and you want to be of service. If you have this mentality of service ensuring it is in fact a genuine mentality of service to the faithful they will see that, and want to discover the source that has formed you into this good loving hard-working and caring person. Consider a popular quote “often attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi though this is disputed is that we should preach the gospel always and when necessary use words. This quote can sometimes lead to a lot of confusion because evangelicals are scratching their head as to how you evangelize the gospel without actually saying anything. What this means is it’s not that you shouldn’t say anything, rather it’s that before you ever get to the topic of faith your actions, and your character should reveal who you are more than what you say. If your actions and your character do not align with your professed belief then they’re going to assume that you’re a wolf in sheep‘s clothing and they’ll reject any attempt to spread the gospel with you.
Through your actions you open the way to these conversations, which will lead to conversion through the display of Christian charity, love, and respect and from that established behavior now you can discuss things that you are passionate
about such as your faith such as a Bible study that you attend a church that you attend a clothing drive that you’re a part of a food drive that you’re a part of and it becomes an opportunity to issue that invitation to another whereas if your behaviors Feyl to match your speech everything you say will be in vain because you’ll hit a wall and you’ll never break through that wall when I say that you should be organized I mean you should keep a clear list of what needs to be done and follow through on that if your goal is to establish a Bible study and you get people on board and you set it for a specific day and time and then you yourself don’t show up do you will never get off the ground again it will be in a Normas challenge to try to rebuild and convince people to give you a second chance you need to be consistent even had it non-temperamental filled with passion and love for the things that you love respectful for people that believe differently than you and through gentleness and resolve you will draw people in and through an organized planned out ministry that consists of specific objectives that I’ve been given specific timetables and follow through on the people know that you’re serious about what you were trying to achieve regardless of what type of ministry you choose to engage in what’s more important is that you yourself have made the decision that this is what you need to do that this is what is in the best interest of the church and the faithful as opposed to the hierarchy or the needs of the building but the entirety which is the church So let’s recap in order to maximize your ministry you need to have personal integrity your actions matching your words you need to have a very clear list of expectations for yourself that not only include objectives but timetables to complete these things in and then you need to have the ability to act when necessary to achieve these goals if you do this you will maximize any ministry you decide to undertake because you will match faith with action Christian character and dedication and with these various characteristics regardless of what ministry you choose to undertake you will succeed
Through your actions you open the way to these conversations, which will lead to conversion through the display of Christian charity, love, and respect and from that established behavior now you can discuss things that you are passionate
about such as your faith such as a Bible study that you attend a church that you attend a clothing drive that you’re a part of a food drive that you’re a part of and it becomes an opportunity to issue that invitation to another whereas if your behaviors Feyl to match your speech everything you say will be in vain because you’ll hit a wall and you’ll never break through that wall when I say that you should be organized I mean you should keep a clear list of what needs to be done and follow through on that if your goal is to establish a Bible study and you get people on board and you set it for a specific day and time and then you yourself don’t show up do you will never get off the ground again it will be in a Normas challenge to try to rebuild and convince people to give you a second chance you need to be consistent even had it non-temperamental filled with passion and love for the things that you love respectful for people that believe differently than you and through gentleness and resolve you will draw people in and through an organized planned out ministry that consists of specific objectives that I’ve been given specific timetables and follow through on the people know that you’re serious about what you were trying to achieve regardless of what type of ministry you choose to engage in what’s more important is that you yourself have made the decision that this is what you need to do that this is what is in the best interest of the church and the faithful as opposed to the hierarchy or the needs of the building but the entirety which is the church So let’s recap in order to maximize your ministry you need to have personal integrity your actions matching your words you need to have a very clear list of expectations for yourself that not only include objectives but timetables to complete these things in and then you need to have the ability to act when necessary to achieve these goals if you do this you will maximize any ministry you decide to undertake because you will match faith with action Christian character and dedication and with these various characteristics regardless of what ministry you choose to undertake you will succeed
The process of receiving Minor Orders
Now it is time to discuss the process of receiving the Minor Orders. So what is the process for receiving minor orders, and what is the process of receiving Minor Orders in the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, and Other Orthodox Jurisdictions? In the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church there are classes established in the seminary (one of which you are currently taking) for each aspect of ministry that you will need to know to be equipped for ministry in the world. In the case of the minor orders they’re conveyed during a Mass on Sunday, before those candidates later receive ordination to the Diaconate. Then each candidate is to remain in that office for a period of time so that the candidate can understand the position, and appreciate the work, and sacrifices of those who hold those offices and are not seeking to be ordained past that office. Holding the Minor Orders is required to complete your education, and formation which will enhance your understanding of the mass from a ministerial standpoint as opposed to a member of the faithful (the Laity have a role unique to them) sitting in the pews. The responsibility of the minor orders generally involve arranging the particular elements of the mass in such a way that the service proceeds smoothly and without interruption before the Mass has begun. After the mass has begun they have responsibilities assisting the deacon, and during the procession to the altar. Once these skills, and responsibilities have been mastered it is the responsibility of your spiritual father to introduce you to the next stage of your journey's responsibility responsibilities so that when you embrace the next minor order you are prepared and can hit the ground running. This process will continue until such a point where you’ve completed your formation, and education. Having completed these steps you will then be ready to receive your first major orders which again depending upon jurisdiction either include the Subdeacon Deacon, Priest and Bishop or just the Deacon Priest and Bishop (the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church holds the office of the Subdeacon to be the highest office of the Minor Orders), with some churches regard the office of the Subdeacon as a minor order (Including the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church) and some churches hold it as the first of the major orders. The ordination of a porter, Lector, Exorcist, and acolyte are made up of three separate parts first they are instructed concerning the responsibilities of the orders they’re about to be ordained to then they are admonished to faithfully carry out the officers and responsibilities they're being entrusted with. The second part of the process is a short instruction concerning the attributes of their order and the traditions associated with it, with the third and final part of the process being the rite itself which is celebrated during a Mass, and consists of the candidate being called to the Bishop, the Bishop giving them a brief admonishment to respect their office, and diligently carry out their duties, followed by a specific blessing recited by the Bishop or in some jurisdictions a Mitred Archpriest (particularly Othodox Jurisdictions allow Mitred Archpriests to tonsure readers) is recited for those who are newly ordained/Tonsured asking God for the grace and the Christian virtue necessary to be accounted as having acted in a Holy manner according to the functions and responsibilities of the order they have received. Additionally in some traditionalist churches it is still common practice to tonsure a candidate before they are Ordained having set themselves apart as Clergy and begin their period of Training, Formation, and Education.
Concerning the Porter his responsibility is to open and close the church, to safeguard the church from unworthy persons who are looking to abuse it, and to guard the sacred vessels, instruments, and vestments of the church used during the Holy Mass. The Porters virtue which is essential for the ministry of the Porter is zeal not only for the faithful but for the preservation of the house of God and for the preservation of the souls that worship there. It is a custom during his ordination ceremony for a porter to receive a set of keys from his Bishop that go to the facilities that he will be in charge of protecting. This acts as a real and symbolic gesture of trust of the new Porter who has charge over the house of God and everything therein. One of his primary responsibilities is to ring the bells of the church calling the faithful to worship and through these simple acts of care for the house of God and everything therein, and calling the faithful to worship he exercises his responsibility and function within the mystical body of Christs church.
The reader sometimes called a Lector has the responsibility of taking part in the morning prayer which have parts reserved for a reader. The Reader teaches the catechism to the faithful, or assists the Deacon in Doing so, and he may also where occasion permits lead the faithful in prayer in the absence of a Deacon, or Priest. The virtues essential to his ministry are not only the love but the diligent study of Sacred Scripture. The character of his ministry changes from that of a Porter because the zeal that he exercised as a Porter is now focused on the responsibility has has to educate God's Faithful so they can better strive for the sanctification given to Gods Children. Because of this it is expected that a Reader/Lector will demonstrate a profound faith not only in God and his church but also in the every day workings of his people. In essence it is the Lector's responsibility to teach the young, to preach the Scriptures, and to assist the Minor and Major Orders in the fulfillment of their responsibilities.
During his ordination a Lector/Reader is presented with either a Bible or a Lectionary containing the New Testament, and Old Testament readings, and Psalms having before hand been instructed in his office and having been given the necessary information on how to determine which readings are appointed for specific days, and how to set the Lectionary up before the Mass so that the readings are already prepared to be read during the Liturgy of the Word. This is important because it prevents awkward pauses during the Mass as the clergy would then have to find and turn to the relevant readings. It is the responsibility of the Reader/Lector to know what the Liturgical day is and where to find the readings that are set for each day of the liturgical year.
The order of Exorcist which is now chiefly the responsibility of the priesthood notably conveys the power to chase devils from the bodies of the possessed, but also the power of preserving the faithful from the devil. Because of this responsibility the Minor Order of Exorcist should strive to be, and remain pure of heart, working to achieve sanctification through denying yourself in accordance with scripture, this self denial is particularly to be practiced in regards to any sinful passions. This sacrifice is essential to the office and responsibility of the Exorcist. During his ordination the exorcist is given by his bishop during his ordination a copy of the book of exorcisms.
The last minor order of most of the Latin right churches is the order of the Acolyte when it is considered separate from that of the Subdeacon. It is the Acolytes responsibility to carry the candles and processional cross during the procession, to prepare the equipment and vestments, and ensure that all is ready for the Mass, so that the Deacon can attend to the Altar. If the Acolyte is merged with the Subdeacon then the Subdeacon will prepare the necessary altar metal ware as in most churches the Subdeacon is the lowest Order that can touch a consecrated Altar. The deacon would then prepare the Chalice, Paten, Corporal, Purificator, Pall, and Veil, in addition the Acolyte/Subdeacon if they are together and the Acolyte if they are not will prepare the cruets of water and wine, if the offices are joined the Subdeacon will then lead the faithful in chanting Hymns, and Mass Intentions. While the Reader reads one of the readings, and often the psalms, the Subdeacon will often read the New Testament Reading, and the Alleluia though some churches reserve this to the Office of the Deacon, and Priest. If there is no reader then the Old Testament Reading, the Responsorial Psalm, and the New Testament is read by the Subdeacon, or Acolyte if your church does not join the two offices together, while a Deacon will read the Alleluia, and Proclaim the Holy Gospel. When a deacon is not present the Priest will Proclaim the Gospel, as always the Acolyte is charged with serving the people of God's Church through his personal example as the ideal of Christian service and character displaying love, faith, and charity and by providing that example to the rest of Gods Children showing the correct manner of behavior at all times during the service. Finally the acolyte is responsible for bringing the cruets of water and wine, and in some churches the unconsecrated Host to the priest or bishop celebrating the mass, which will during the consecration of the Eucharist along with the host become the body and blood of Christ, and clean up ensuring after the Mass that everything is stored in it't proper place.
Concerning the Porter his responsibility is to open and close the church, to safeguard the church from unworthy persons who are looking to abuse it, and to guard the sacred vessels, instruments, and vestments of the church used during the Holy Mass. The Porters virtue which is essential for the ministry of the Porter is zeal not only for the faithful but for the preservation of the house of God and for the preservation of the souls that worship there. It is a custom during his ordination ceremony for a porter to receive a set of keys from his Bishop that go to the facilities that he will be in charge of protecting. This acts as a real and symbolic gesture of trust of the new Porter who has charge over the house of God and everything therein. One of his primary responsibilities is to ring the bells of the church calling the faithful to worship and through these simple acts of care for the house of God and everything therein, and calling the faithful to worship he exercises his responsibility and function within the mystical body of Christs church.
The reader sometimes called a Lector has the responsibility of taking part in the morning prayer which have parts reserved for a reader. The Reader teaches the catechism to the faithful, or assists the Deacon in Doing so, and he may also where occasion permits lead the faithful in prayer in the absence of a Deacon, or Priest. The virtues essential to his ministry are not only the love but the diligent study of Sacred Scripture. The character of his ministry changes from that of a Porter because the zeal that he exercised as a Porter is now focused on the responsibility has has to educate God's Faithful so they can better strive for the sanctification given to Gods Children. Because of this it is expected that a Reader/Lector will demonstrate a profound faith not only in God and his church but also in the every day workings of his people. In essence it is the Lector's responsibility to teach the young, to preach the Scriptures, and to assist the Minor and Major Orders in the fulfillment of their responsibilities.
During his ordination a Lector/Reader is presented with either a Bible or a Lectionary containing the New Testament, and Old Testament readings, and Psalms having before hand been instructed in his office and having been given the necessary information on how to determine which readings are appointed for specific days, and how to set the Lectionary up before the Mass so that the readings are already prepared to be read during the Liturgy of the Word. This is important because it prevents awkward pauses during the Mass as the clergy would then have to find and turn to the relevant readings. It is the responsibility of the Reader/Lector to know what the Liturgical day is and where to find the readings that are set for each day of the liturgical year.
The order of Exorcist which is now chiefly the responsibility of the priesthood notably conveys the power to chase devils from the bodies of the possessed, but also the power of preserving the faithful from the devil. Because of this responsibility the Minor Order of Exorcist should strive to be, and remain pure of heart, working to achieve sanctification through denying yourself in accordance with scripture, this self denial is particularly to be practiced in regards to any sinful passions. This sacrifice is essential to the office and responsibility of the Exorcist. During his ordination the exorcist is given by his bishop during his ordination a copy of the book of exorcisms.
The last minor order of most of the Latin right churches is the order of the Acolyte when it is considered separate from that of the Subdeacon. It is the Acolytes responsibility to carry the candles and processional cross during the procession, to prepare the equipment and vestments, and ensure that all is ready for the Mass, so that the Deacon can attend to the Altar. If the Acolyte is merged with the Subdeacon then the Subdeacon will prepare the necessary altar metal ware as in most churches the Subdeacon is the lowest Order that can touch a consecrated Altar. The deacon would then prepare the Chalice, Paten, Corporal, Purificator, Pall, and Veil, in addition the Acolyte/Subdeacon if they are together and the Acolyte if they are not will prepare the cruets of water and wine, if the offices are joined the Subdeacon will then lead the faithful in chanting Hymns, and Mass Intentions. While the Reader reads one of the readings, and often the psalms, the Subdeacon will often read the New Testament Reading, and the Alleluia though some churches reserve this to the Office of the Deacon, and Priest. If there is no reader then the Old Testament Reading, the Responsorial Psalm, and the New Testament is read by the Subdeacon, or Acolyte if your church does not join the two offices together, while a Deacon will read the Alleluia, and Proclaim the Holy Gospel. When a deacon is not present the Priest will Proclaim the Gospel, as always the Acolyte is charged with serving the people of God's Church through his personal example as the ideal of Christian service and character displaying love, faith, and charity and by providing that example to the rest of Gods Children showing the correct manner of behavior at all times during the service. Finally the acolyte is responsible for bringing the cruets of water and wine, and in some churches the unconsecrated Host to the priest or bishop celebrating the mass, which will during the consecration of the Eucharist along with the host become the body and blood of Christ, and clean up ensuring after the Mass that everything is stored in it't proper place.
WEEK FOUR
Major orders ministry opportunities
The major orders usually consisting of the office of Sub Deacon, Deacon, Priest and Bishop all of whom have very distinct responsibilities within the church of God. As we've discussed previously in this class in some churches the office of the Subdeacon is considered a Minor Order, whereas in other churches it’s considered a major order, and in some churches they merge the office of Acolyte, and Subdeacon together. Regardless of practice the office of the Subdeacon is responsible for choreographing the efforts of the other Minor Orders, and assisting the Deacon during the Holy Mass if a Subdeacon is present during the Holy Mass it is his responsibility to read the New Testament epistle during the service while the reader will read the Old Testament and the deacon if there is one present will be responsible for proclaiming the gospel The office of the Subdeacon is the first order where you are allowed to physically handle the chalice and Paten, or touch the altar. The Subdeacon has the duty, and responsibility to preach and teach, to assemble a community for worship in the absence of a Deacon, or Priest, and to lead that community in the study of Sacred Scripture, and prayer. There are permanent Subdeacons and there are transitional Subdeacons just like the office of the Deacon. Those ordained to the office of the Subdeacon will permanently remain within that role unless they later discern a calling to either return to life as a lay member of the faithful, or to seek ordination to the office of a deacon or priest.
The deacons ministry originated in scripture as table waiters in the book of acts as a result of controversy concerning the daily distribution. The issue was that members of the church who were Greek Speaking Christians felt that the widows whose husbands were Greek Speaking men were neglected at the daily distribution, and were not being provided for. The complication was that the apostles themselves could not set aside their responsibilities to wait tables. So they elected, and ordained seven men of good character to the office of the Deacon, and charged them to care for the faithful while they concentrated on prayer, and ministry. The Deacon assists the Priest during the Holy Mass by providing the priest with the necessary implements needed to smoothly function and flow during the mass. The Deacon does this in coordination with the Subdeacon who oversees the Minor Orders to avoid unnecessary distractions and disruptions during the Celebration of the Holy Mass. The deacon proclaims the Holy Gospel, leads the faithful in some of the prayers and assists during the cleansing of the chalice and Paten after the mass called the ablutions. The deacon has a ministry focused on teaching, and preaching. In terms of the responsibilities of a Deacon; a Deacon can baptize the faithful, witness marriages, perform funerals, and burial services outside of mass, distribute holy communion consecrated by a priest or bishop, preach a homily, and are responsible for praying the Divine Office each day The office of priest comes from the Greek word presbyter which means elder in Greek.
While the Deacon is focused on the care of the faithful, and their instruction, it is the responsibility of the Priest to govern the church at the parish level. This governance includes the who, when, how, and why of Sacramental Worship, the overseeing of the Parishes Business matters, and finances through the apparatus of the Parish Council of which usually the Deacon, and Priest sit on. It is the Priest who has the authority given to him by his Bishop to Baptize, celebrate the Holy Mass, hear confession, celebrate Holy Matrimony, and Anoint the Sick in accordance with the specific authorities granted to him by his Bishop which are called faculties. Priests themselves are assistants and representatives of the Bishop who possesses the fullness of the Priesthood. As priests are the assistant, and representative of the Bishop a Priest may not act without the blessing of the Bishop and cannot celebrate the sacraments on his own authority but only when issued the relevant faculties by his Bishop. A priest who does so incurs the penalty of Excommunication for his disobedience, and defiance of the authority of God's church.
This is as opposed to a Bishop whose primary responsibility is the governance of a diocese. A bishop in addition to all of the liturgical responsibilities of all of the Minor Orders and Major Orders up to this point also include the responsibility of governance of his diocese. This includes calling and Ordaining new Clergy establishing religious communities within his diocese, and he himself has the explicit responsibility to care for all of the Priests within his diocese as their pastor, in addition to his offices responsibility to be the pastor of the entire Diocese. The office of the bishop is one of the most difficult ministries within the church because a bishop is constantly under fire from evil for the simple reason that scattering the flock is easier when you remove the shepherd. Simply put if you can subvert the bishop you can usually subvert his diocese as well as the faithful under his care, and for the cost of corrupting one man you have now have access to the faithful that are placed under his care. A Bishop is responsible for all happenings within the diocese, the Priests under his care cannot celebrate any sacrament or any service without the direct permission of a Bishop usually in the form of a letter of faculties issued at the time of his Ordination and amended if a priest has need of additional faculties. If a priest from one diocese travels to another diocese before he can celebrate any sacrament he needs explicit written permission from the Bishop of the diocese to perform any Sacrament within the diocese he is visiting. the same goes for any member of Major or Minor Orders. If a bishop is a member of a religious order and his authority is solely over the religious communities in a province then it is the responsibility of the bishop to act as the Abbot of that province exercising the same functions of Governing, Ordaining, Worship, Prayer, and Ministerial work as a Bishop of a Diocese however his efforts will be solely focused on the religious communities of his province, and will have no authority over the communities of a Diocese that are not a part of the Religious Orders province. It will be his responsibility to ordain ministers for the religious houses so that worship and the reception of the sacrament is undertaken in accordance with the faith and rule of order of his religious order and the faith and common law of the church. This is usually a Bishop Protector of the Order, who has the title of a Territorial Abbot. On a side note a Territorial Abbacy can be held by a Priest who is also the Abbot of the Monastery.
The deacons ministry originated in scripture as table waiters in the book of acts as a result of controversy concerning the daily distribution. The issue was that members of the church who were Greek Speaking Christians felt that the widows whose husbands were Greek Speaking men were neglected at the daily distribution, and were not being provided for. The complication was that the apostles themselves could not set aside their responsibilities to wait tables. So they elected, and ordained seven men of good character to the office of the Deacon, and charged them to care for the faithful while they concentrated on prayer, and ministry. The Deacon assists the Priest during the Holy Mass by providing the priest with the necessary implements needed to smoothly function and flow during the mass. The Deacon does this in coordination with the Subdeacon who oversees the Minor Orders to avoid unnecessary distractions and disruptions during the Celebration of the Holy Mass. The deacon proclaims the Holy Gospel, leads the faithful in some of the prayers and assists during the cleansing of the chalice and Paten after the mass called the ablutions. The deacon has a ministry focused on teaching, and preaching. In terms of the responsibilities of a Deacon; a Deacon can baptize the faithful, witness marriages, perform funerals, and burial services outside of mass, distribute holy communion consecrated by a priest or bishop, preach a homily, and are responsible for praying the Divine Office each day The office of priest comes from the Greek word presbyter which means elder in Greek.
While the Deacon is focused on the care of the faithful, and their instruction, it is the responsibility of the Priest to govern the church at the parish level. This governance includes the who, when, how, and why of Sacramental Worship, the overseeing of the Parishes Business matters, and finances through the apparatus of the Parish Council of which usually the Deacon, and Priest sit on. It is the Priest who has the authority given to him by his Bishop to Baptize, celebrate the Holy Mass, hear confession, celebrate Holy Matrimony, and Anoint the Sick in accordance with the specific authorities granted to him by his Bishop which are called faculties. Priests themselves are assistants and representatives of the Bishop who possesses the fullness of the Priesthood. As priests are the assistant, and representative of the Bishop a Priest may not act without the blessing of the Bishop and cannot celebrate the sacraments on his own authority but only when issued the relevant faculties by his Bishop. A priest who does so incurs the penalty of Excommunication for his disobedience, and defiance of the authority of God's church.
This is as opposed to a Bishop whose primary responsibility is the governance of a diocese. A bishop in addition to all of the liturgical responsibilities of all of the Minor Orders and Major Orders up to this point also include the responsibility of governance of his diocese. This includes calling and Ordaining new Clergy establishing religious communities within his diocese, and he himself has the explicit responsibility to care for all of the Priests within his diocese as their pastor, in addition to his offices responsibility to be the pastor of the entire Diocese. The office of the bishop is one of the most difficult ministries within the church because a bishop is constantly under fire from evil for the simple reason that scattering the flock is easier when you remove the shepherd. Simply put if you can subvert the bishop you can usually subvert his diocese as well as the faithful under his care, and for the cost of corrupting one man you have now have access to the faithful that are placed under his care. A Bishop is responsible for all happenings within the diocese, the Priests under his care cannot celebrate any sacrament or any service without the direct permission of a Bishop usually in the form of a letter of faculties issued at the time of his Ordination and amended if a priest has need of additional faculties. If a priest from one diocese travels to another diocese before he can celebrate any sacrament he needs explicit written permission from the Bishop of the diocese to perform any Sacrament within the diocese he is visiting. the same goes for any member of Major or Minor Orders. If a bishop is a member of a religious order and his authority is solely over the religious communities in a province then it is the responsibility of the bishop to act as the Abbot of that province exercising the same functions of Governing, Ordaining, Worship, Prayer, and Ministerial work as a Bishop of a Diocese however his efforts will be solely focused on the religious communities of his province, and will have no authority over the communities of a Diocese that are not a part of the Religious Orders province. It will be his responsibility to ordain ministers for the religious houses so that worship and the reception of the sacrament is undertaken in accordance with the faith and rule of order of his religious order and the faith and common law of the church. This is usually a Bishop Protector of the Order, who has the title of a Territorial Abbot. On a side note a Territorial Abbacy can be held by a Priest who is also the Abbot of the Monastery.
The Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Churches teaching regarding the status of the Clergy, the Religious, and the Laity of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church
In many churches it is the belief that the ordained clergy or somehow superior to the the faithful, and those who have taken religious profession but have not received ordination. It is the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church teaching in accordance with the primitive church that the church is not the building nor is it the hierarchy or the worship services themselves these are all parts of the church. Rather the church is the communion of Baptized souls everywhere worldwide. Because of this it is the teaching of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church that within the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church whether you are a lay member of the faithful or an ordained member of the faithful or a member of a religious order all are equal in the eyes of God. Simply put members of the church exercise different ministries according to the callings that they receive from God, some are called to the Sacramental service and ministry of the church, some are called to a life of prayer, hard work, study of the Scriptures, Contemplation of the Sacred Mysteries, and devotion to God commonly undertaken in the Monastic Life, and some are called to be Lay members of the church to participate in the church at that level with those responsibilities chief among them being the responsibility to raise a family in a sacred manner bringing up children in holiness and piety, and supporting the ministry of those who are ordained. Joining in solidarity with those who have made their religious profession of Vows, or have received Ordination. Because of this the difference lies not in some sense of superiority but in the specific responsibilities of each state of life with neither being superior to any other.
It is a bishops responsibility to govern, but without faithful there is no church to govern, likewise it is the responsibility of the religious to pray engage in Hard work, and to assist the church in their ministries, and good works. Yet again without The faithful there is no church and without the clergy there is no sacrament therefore no clergyman lay member or religious order is ever to act in a manner that is arrogant or derogatory towards any other member of the church. Bishop are to rule with gentleness, kindness, compassion, and mercy always, and never with heavy handedness, or strictness that breaks the back of the faithful. The religious orders are to engage in their ministries in all humility and the lay faithful are to subject themselves to the guidance and care of the clergy appointed to them and to assist the religious in their work of prayer Hard work contemplation, and study of the Scriptures.
It is a bishops responsibility to govern, but without faithful there is no church to govern, likewise it is the responsibility of the religious to pray engage in Hard work, and to assist the church in their ministries, and good works. Yet again without The faithful there is no church and without the clergy there is no sacrament therefore no clergyman lay member or religious order is ever to act in a manner that is arrogant or derogatory towards any other member of the church. Bishop are to rule with gentleness, kindness, compassion, and mercy always, and never with heavy handedness, or strictness that breaks the back of the faithful. The religious orders are to engage in their ministries in all humility and the lay faithful are to subject themselves to the guidance and care of the clergy appointed to them and to assist the religious in their work of prayer Hard work contemplation, and study of the Scriptures.
The Permanent and Transitional Diaconate
When it is time for you as the candidate to receive the Diaconate there are two paths that are before you. Some people are called to a life of service and feel called to the work and ministry of a Permanent Deacon. In the Roman Church this is a recently restored office with the previous practice for some time treating the Deacon as something akin to a speed bump on the way to being ordained as a Priest whereas in the East it has always been the practice to have permanent Deacons. Bishops will often attempt to push the candidate to become a Priest because a Priest has the ability to celebrate the Mass whereas the Deacon assists at the Mass, and cannot consecrate the Eucharist. Although this makes life easier on the Bishop you should if called fell that is an absolutely acceptable path and at no time should you feel pressured to go beyond that to be ordained as a Priest unless you feel genuinely call to do so. The deacon plays an essential and vital role in the work of the church. Now with that being said there is one consideration however that may cause you to reflect on whether you are called to life as a Priest which would be because the Deacon cannot consecrate the Eucharist it is advisable that if you live in a remote area that you seek the office of the priesthood again only if you feel called to do so because otherwise there will be an extreme limit on the ministerial opportunities placed before you and indeed in some cases if you are establishing a mission in a remote area separated from a Priest it is acceptable for consecrated host to be provided to you so that you can lead the faithful in a prayer service which includes distribution of Communion that has already been consecrated. However at some point either you should genuinely examine whether you have been called to the Priesthood or you should find a candidate who having displayed A clear calling to the office of the Priesthood and assuming that candidate is willing to assist them in preparing to take up the responsibilities of a Priest because the congregation will expect a Priest at some point. Whereas a Transitional Deacon is an individual called to the priesthood who’s responsibility is to learn and to observe the life of a Deacon for the duration of his time spent in ministry as a Deacon before having completed his necessary studies and formation where now it becomes time for him (the candidate) to be ordained to the office of the Presbyterate which is the office of the Priest.
The Presbyter
Whereas the responsibility of the Deacon is service to the church, education of God's faithful and, assisting the priest during the Mass. The office of the priesthood is responsible for governing the parish at a local level celebrating the worship of God including the sacraments on a daily basis and leading the faithful in the various devotions, worships, prayers, and ministries of the community. It is the Priest who is responsible for the behavior and conduct of all Minor and Major orders under the authority and care of the priest.
It is the priests responsibility depending upon the faculties conveyed to hear Confessions, Anoint the Sick, Baptize though sometimes a Deacon will be authorized to do so in place of the Priest. and depending upon tradition East or West confirm with the permission of a Bishop. Though usually in the west the responsibility of Confirmation is reserved to the office of the Bishop. It is the responsibility of the priest to celebrate Holy Matrimony, to guide, protect, and defend his flock with his life and demonstrate at all times the virtues that are essential to the Christian life not just the virtues of poverty, chastity, and obedience, but temperance, kindness, and faithfulness. Among the religious orders it is the responsibility of brothers who are ordained to the Priesthood to lead those who have made a profession of vows, and those attending services at the religious community in the worship and praise found in the Sacramental life of the Church of which he is a part. These monks who have been ordained as Priests are called Heiromonks just like Deacons who are ordained to the Diaconate and members of a religious order are called Heirodeacons
It is the priests responsibility depending upon the faculties conveyed to hear Confessions, Anoint the Sick, Baptize though sometimes a Deacon will be authorized to do so in place of the Priest. and depending upon tradition East or West confirm with the permission of a Bishop. Though usually in the west the responsibility of Confirmation is reserved to the office of the Bishop. It is the responsibility of the priest to celebrate Holy Matrimony, to guide, protect, and defend his flock with his life and demonstrate at all times the virtues that are essential to the Christian life not just the virtues of poverty, chastity, and obedience, but temperance, kindness, and faithfulness. Among the religious orders it is the responsibility of brothers who are ordained to the Priesthood to lead those who have made a profession of vows, and those attending services at the religious community in the worship and praise found in the Sacramental life of the Church of which he is a part. These monks who have been ordained as Priests are called Heiromonks just like Deacons who are ordained to the Diaconate and members of a religious order are called Heirodeacons
The Bishop
The bishop is responsible for the governance and spiritual care of the entire Diocese entrusted to his care by the Church. This includes all of the missions, and parishes, and any institution within the diocese whether it’s a food bank, or it is any form of ministry regardless except for Monastic Houses it falls under the responsibility and governing of the Bishop of the diocese again except for monastic/religious houses.
The bishop holds the fullness of the priesthood and has the responsibility to lead the faithful during the Holy Mass. Accordingly it is the responsibility of the Bishop to especially care for, provide discipline to, institute new ministers, and safeguard the souls of the Priesthood ministering within the diocese. With the care of the entire diocese in mind it is the responsibility of the bishop to visit those communities within his diocese, and associate himself more perfectly with the faithful of each community among the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. It is the teaching of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church that the Bishop is not to be a distant figure impossible to contact, and intimidating rather than Bishop is to be someone who is an ordinary man, temperate, sensible faithful, respectful, obedient to the decisions of the Synod of Bishops regardless of personal feelings. The Synod of Bishops is the lawful governing legislative body of the church, and works under the care and guidance of the Archbishop who is the governing executive body of the church. After the guidance and enforcement of the rules of the Archbishop the Synod is also bound by obedience to the decisions to the spiritual court which is the judicial branch of the Church. This approach to government rejects Totalitarianism as the Archbishop is merely the executor of the decisions of the Synod not the policy maker, and absolute ruler of the church on earth. The Bishop is both responsible for and the final authority when it comes to decisions such as which faculties will be issued to which clergyman (his decision being based on the needs of the community. He is charged with enforcing the discipline of the church in his diocese and enforcing the orthodox faith and practice of the church preventing heretical beliefs from being preached in the churches, and opposing heretical teachings and in so doing clarifying which teachings are authentically Orthodox and which ones are not.
Bishops are consecrated during a Holy Mass by two or three other bishops though in the past during emergencies a single Bishop consecrating is and has been acceptable though the normal practice is to have two or three bishops mandatory for a consecration of a bishop. This consecration takes place after the bishop has been elected by the Synod of Bishops, and has been approved by the Archbishop who will usually put forth a name for consideration. The synod having elected a Bishop will issue a Mandate calling for the candidates consecration. It is then the responsibility of the Archbishop to consecrate a the new Bishop, and to install that Bishop as the chief pastor of his diocese, or as an Auxiliary Bishop and to formally recognize, support, and pray for the ministry of the new Bishop.
The bishop holds the fullness of the priesthood and has the responsibility to lead the faithful during the Holy Mass. Accordingly it is the responsibility of the Bishop to especially care for, provide discipline to, institute new ministers, and safeguard the souls of the Priesthood ministering within the diocese. With the care of the entire diocese in mind it is the responsibility of the bishop to visit those communities within his diocese, and associate himself more perfectly with the faithful of each community among the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. It is the teaching of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church that the Bishop is not to be a distant figure impossible to contact, and intimidating rather than Bishop is to be someone who is an ordinary man, temperate, sensible faithful, respectful, obedient to the decisions of the Synod of Bishops regardless of personal feelings. The Synod of Bishops is the lawful governing legislative body of the church, and works under the care and guidance of the Archbishop who is the governing executive body of the church. After the guidance and enforcement of the rules of the Archbishop the Synod is also bound by obedience to the decisions to the spiritual court which is the judicial branch of the Church. This approach to government rejects Totalitarianism as the Archbishop is merely the executor of the decisions of the Synod not the policy maker, and absolute ruler of the church on earth. The Bishop is both responsible for and the final authority when it comes to decisions such as which faculties will be issued to which clergyman (his decision being based on the needs of the community. He is charged with enforcing the discipline of the church in his diocese and enforcing the orthodox faith and practice of the church preventing heretical beliefs from being preached in the churches, and opposing heretical teachings and in so doing clarifying which teachings are authentically Orthodox and which ones are not.
Bishops are consecrated during a Holy Mass by two or three other bishops though in the past during emergencies a single Bishop consecrating is and has been acceptable though the normal practice is to have two or three bishops mandatory for a consecration of a bishop. This consecration takes place after the bishop has been elected by the Synod of Bishops, and has been approved by the Archbishop who will usually put forth a name for consideration. The synod having elected a Bishop will issue a Mandate calling for the candidates consecration. It is then the responsibility of the Archbishop to consecrate a the new Bishop, and to install that Bishop as the chief pastor of his diocese, or as an Auxiliary Bishop and to formally recognize, support, and pray for the ministry of the new Bishop.
Lesson wrap up
Summary
During the course of this lesson we have made it our goal to discuss the ways and means that you can engage in ministry in a lay manner, to familiarize yourself with the minor and major orders, to discuss the ways in which the Minor and Major orders can be opportunities for the evangelization of the faithful, and through such actions the work of God is to be completed. During the course of this discussion we have discussed some important habits such as keeping yourself organized, following through on set goals, establishing a clear understanding of what is responsibly required of each order, and living that responsibility not just understanding it with the focus being on encouraging of you as a candidate for holy Orders to identify key opportunities in which you can be of service to the faithful of the church. In addition to engaging in those opportunities in a faithful and respectful manner, with the correct attitude, qualities, and mindset. We have discussed the basic structure of a Bible Study, how to lead others in prayer, models that you can use to develop a Bible study and a prayer group, and a ideas regarding how to mix the two ideas together into a Bible study that includes prayer before and after. We have discussed including prayer for the faithful and their needs, we’ve encouraged you to take these groups and to expand upon them bringing into this bible study and prayer group expanded ministries that benefit the people including examples such as clothing drives, food banks, and taking up collections to support the faithful. We have explained your responsibility to assist your Spiritual Father as he observes daily prayer, and we’ve explained what that is. We have explained the limits and the benefits and the expectations of any member of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church to show proper obedience in terms of faith and debunked the idea of obedience being an excuse for abuse. We have revealed that every member of the church is responsible to every other member of the church and provided examples such as the faithful being under the care of the deacon and priest including the minor orders. The priests being under the spiritual care of the Bishop, the Bishop being under the spiritual care of the Synod of Bishops and the Archbishop, and the Archbishop being under the spiritual care of the synod of bishops.
After having studied these lessons you should take away from them your first options to enhance your ministry and to grow your ministry. The options presented to you or ideas to get you started are not the limits of your abilities and should be taken as a blueprint, and as an example of ideas that you can enter into under the guidance of the Holy Orders and of the Church in it’s entirety so that the work of the church can be enhanced and more effectively fulfilled.
After having studied these lessons you should take away from them your first options to enhance your ministry and to grow your ministry. The options presented to you or ideas to get you started are not the limits of your abilities and should be taken as a blueprint, and as an example of ideas that you can enter into under the guidance of the Holy Orders and of the Church in it’s entirety so that the work of the church can be enhanced and more effectively fulfilled.
Intermediate Formation Exam Part 4
For the Last Part of your exam Please write a one page essay minimum detailing what this lesson has taught you, and what you feel are the most important points relating to your personal walk with Our Lord and Savior. Please email it to [email protected] and ensure that all homework is submitted to the Seminary for evaluation to ensure you receive the best Possible Grade