orthodox-christian-education

Sunday Best

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:17:19 +0100

This phrase used to indicate one’s very best clothes, which were, of course, what one wore to church. But if this year’s Holy Week fashions are any indication, “Sunday best” has no meaning whatsoever.

I hope the problem was not as great in your church. But in Astoria, the women were wearing tights with no skirts or dresses. If this trend continues, next year the women venerating the Cross and the Epitaphios will be wearing nothing below the waste at all. Should we do anything about this? And, if so, what?

This puts the pants vs. dresses discussion in a whole new light. When a girl asked me if women wear pants in our church, since they do at her Greek Orthodox Church, a few blocks away, I said, “Only visitors.” For the most part, this is true. Our regular female worshippers wear dresses in church almost exclusively. But during Holy Week we have a stream of visitors, increasing as the Week goes along.

On Holy Tuesday, we sing the Hymn of St. Cassiane. We remember when the sinful woman washed the feet of the Lord with her tears. (Luke 7:36-50) If this story takes place in our church, I do not want to play the part of Simon, the Pharisee. The Lord knew what the woman needed, and He set her free. May God grant us the wisdom to know what to say, and when to be silent, to bring education, healing and restoration to these ignorant women. (Ignorant – lacking knowledge; unaware; resulting from lack of knowledge)

This is where you come in – I need your suggestions about the following:

We have a sign on the front door about appropriate dress, but it’s been the same for too long. No one reads it. And, the writer certainly did not anticipate what we’re seeing now. We need a new one. What would you include on such a sign? And, how would you word it?

How is inappropriate dress handled in other settings – public, private, monasteries, etc.?

I’d also like to do a leaflet. What would you include in it? Perhaps you have something like that already, and we could use it instead, or get ideas. If so, please share it.

Is there anything you’d like to say on this subject? Please do.

To read and make comments, please click on the title of this post. Then, scroll down to the comment box. Thank you.

Christmas Party

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 02:00:23 +0100

Although I was fighting a cold (and eventually lost) during the preparations and the party itself, the event went rather well.

Choice of days is always limited, because the date needs to fall between Orthodox Christmas (Dec. 25/Jan. 7) and St. Syncletike (Jan. 5/18 – always a strict fasting day), as well as be on a day when school is not in session and not on the day of the annual St. Basil’s Day luncheon. This year we chose Monday, January 16, MLK Day.

The other major decision was location, St. Isidoros on Long Island, or St. Markella in Astoria. St. Isidoros was considered in order to include more girls from eastern Long Island. As it happened, we chose St. Markella, and had a great turn out from out east anyway.

Because I do this myself, I miss many girls who should be invited. I was amazed how many girls I saw at church the day before, whom I had missed. By then, because of the inflexibility of the program, the number of girls who had confirmed that they were coming, and my being sick, I was not up to extending on the spot invitations. Twenty seven girls and three moms attended all together. Thank you, moms! I can’t do this without you.

I was also surprised by the low attendance from our own Greek school. More girls from other churches and schools participated than from our own. A large number of these girls do not attend church anywhere, and one announced that her family does not have a religion.

Last year, I held two parties, one for teens and one for younger girls (4th – 8th). This year, they all came together at 12:00. Then, at 2:30, we said “Good bye” to the younger girls, and the teens (8th – 11th were invited, although three 7th graders had permission to remain) stayed for something special just for them.

My fear was that younger girls might feel left out of the extra activity. In fact, two girls were a bit disappointed about that. I will make a point to have the next event focused for the younger girls.

The main program included a greeting activity (cutting out paper snowflakes and hanging them over our food table), an ice breaker (notes below), Bible study (which included reading Luke 2 and giving girls their own Bibles), short popular Christmas video, active game (notes below), singing traditional carols, and pot luck luncheon. As usual, the moms provided a delicious variety of food. The period from 2:30 – 3:00 was dead, and I heard one girl say she was bored. There should have been another activity for that time slot, but I’m not sure what that would have been. I was busy handing out Christmas gifts (Stupid is NOT a Bad Word) and taking care of the girls who were too young to stay. How could I have handled that differently?

Biggest mistake: no photos.
My favorite: singing carols with the girls

Notes:

Our meeting and greeting music was Peace on Earth, by Casting Crowns.

I get my game ideas from various online sources. (Suggestion when looking for games online: include the word “Christian” in your search. The games won’t be religious, but you will save yourself a lot of bother sorting through inappropriate activities.)

Icebreaker: Would you rather? We did a sitting/standing variation. Girls sat and listened to a list of questions such as “Would you rather give up your computer, or your pet?” If they agreed with the second choice, they stood up. I was losing my voice and greeting guests, so a student led. By the sound of the laughter, I’d say this was a success.

Active game: I combined features of two games. One is the Christmas puzzle game. Cut a large Christmas gift bag into two identical puzzles of 12-15 pieces. Two teams compete to complete their puzzle first. I used our props from other games to make this more difficult. One girl on each team put on oven mitts, scarf and Christmas cap, picked up a puzzle piece, ran to another table and placed the piece. This was okay, but would have been better with more teams or fewer girls. We had 12 girls per team and this left too many not immediately involved in the action.

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A Teacher's Prayer

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 16:17:50 +0100

A prayer for every teacher (Oikos from the Menaion for June 29, Saints Peter and Paul):

Make my tongue to speak plainly, O my Savior; enlarge my mouth and fill it, and give my heart compunction that I may be the first to follow what I say and to do what I teach; for everyone that doeth and teacheth, it saith, the same is great.* For if I speak without doing, I am reckoned as sounding brass. Wherefore grant me to say what is needful and to do what is expedient, O Thou Who alone knowest the secrets of our hearts.

*Matthew 5:19

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Hope

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 02:15:24 +0100

Within these last few days, I’ve had several moving conversations with women battling with hopelessness. One is drowning in the depths of despair; one is recovering from a recent suicide attempt; one is rejoicing that her thoughts of ending her life were answered when she reached out to her mother. All three women are baptized Orthodox Christians. However, none of the three turned to the Church in her time of need. The Orthodox Church is to each of them either uninterested in her pain or, worse, the cause.

Our Christian education is often focused on how right we are to be Orthodox Christians. After all, this is the True Church, the True Bride of Christ. But perhaps this emphasis causes us to neglect the simplicity, beauty and hope of the Good News.

When I joined the Sisterhood at Saint Markella, the children asked me many questions. Gerondissa instructed me to answer, “Why did you become a nun?” with, “Because I love Jesus.” Fourteen years later, this is still the best answer – nothing about me being right.

During Holy Friday’s funeral procession, the marchers stopped as usual at a major intersection for the Bishop Pavlos to address the crowd. He was exhausted and therefore unable to speak more than a few words. However, they were the only words necessary: “Jesus loves you.” Sometimes we need our theology reduced to this utmost simplicity.

Yet, even the most exalted theological hymns, those to the All Holy Trinity, are full of love and hope.

O Father and Son, together with the Holy Spirit, look upon us who, though we are clay, yet nevertheless join with the fiery ones and worship Thee with faith and glorify Thy power, O Compassionate One, for we know none other besides Thee; and unto them that praise Thee do Thou cry: I am with you, and no one can be against you. (Plagal of Second Tone)

Just as too many Orthodox Christians are unaware of the glorious hope expressed in the hymns of the Church, too many are unfamiliar with the riches of hope found in the Holy Bible. A study of the word “hope” as it is found throughout the Bible brings great encouragement. This kind of study is not difficult, especially with the online Bible resources available. Visit Bible Gateway or Bible Study Tools to search for words and topics. I would suggest doing this somewhat systematically and writing out the verses that are especially encouraging to you.

Church members and clergy may be uncompassionate. They may be so set on being right that in fact they are wrong. They may be unknowingly, or knowingly, wounding the flock. But our hope is not in the people of the Church. Our hope is in Jesus Christ, our all-merciful Lord and God and Savior.

Let us place all our hope in Him alone and we will not be disappointed. Let us make use of the gifts of the Holy Bible, the glorious hymnology of the Church, the prayers of the Saints and the Holy Sacraments to arm ourselves against the evil one in all of his guises, to drag ourselves out of the abyss of despair and to allow ourselves to be lifted up into the tender mercies of our Sweetest Jesus.

May God forgive us when we are uncompassionate, and teach us to be instruments of His mercy in the lives of others. Amen.

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Just Say No

Wed, 25 May 2011 14:24:04 +0100

How’s this for a great integrity builder: choosing to be in church on Sunday mornings, even when, and especially when, there is pressure or enticement to be elsewhere.

Why do we let others, such as athletic directors, determine where we or our children will be on the Lord’s Day? Our souls are of no concern to them. But shouldn’t they be of concern to us?

Recommending viewing: Chariots of Fire

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The Mystery Baby Shower

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 02:27:00 +0100

“Is it a girl or a boy?” the girls asked again and again.

“It’s a mystery!” was the answer.

We’ve done this event several times, so now only newcomers don’t know what to expect. Just the same, this is one of my favorite parties and I’d like to keep doing it each year.

In blues and pinks, the room is decorated for a baby shower. One table has a display of abstinence and pro-life materials. There are gifts for the girls, such as awareness bracelets and pins.

The girls bring an item of new baby clothes. The first year, we wrapped the gifts as our opening activity. Since then, we’ve just piled the packages on a pretty table. We begin with an ice breaker to get things going.

The highlight is a sanctity of life presentation, which sometimes includes a video. The year we watched Bella together, one young guest, who had just learned that she was pregnant, was moved to not abort her baby.

The clothing and other gifts brought by the girls are donated to a crisis pregnancy center to encourage women who have chosen to not abort their pregnancies. One time, the girls made cards to include with the gifts. Sometimes the party includes a Bible study.

Although our schedule is tighter than ever this spring, I don’t want to skip this event. Perhaps we can work it in on a weekend or during Holy Week. (The girls usually don’t even notice when snacks are “fasting.”) If you’d like to volunteer or have questions, please contact me.

(To read and leave comments, click on the title of this post.)

One reader suggested including fasting recipe ideas on the blog. Here is a simple one: blend together with a spoon roughly equal parts of your favorite peanut butter, honey and vinegar for a salad dressing. Adjust the vinegar to get the desired consistency. (I prefer this on salads without tomatoes.)

The Will of God for Today

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 02:32:18 +0100

We wonder about the will of God – what does God want us to be doing? Why are we so burdened with this or that mundane task, when we should be doing something “meaningful?”

Just perhaps that mundane task will be transformed into something extraordinary with a change of our perspective. Just perhaps that which you must do today for your family is exactly the ministry God wants you to be doing for His glory. The necessary change, then, is not the task; it’s the attitude with which it is approached.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Col. 3:23-24, NIV, ©2011)

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Cor. 10:31, NIV, ©2011)

By this time last year, our Young Pure Joy Girls had enjoyed a tea party, completed a series on the sanctity of life, (including the Mystery Baby Shower), celebrated with our Christmas party and begun a series on committing our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ.

However, this school year is turning out differently. We’re more than half way through, and the only “event” has been the Christmas party. This does not mean that ministry isn’t happening. It’s showing another facet, with its own challenges and rewards.

Glory to God for all things!

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Your Wish List

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 02:28:09 +0100

Christian education is an overwhelming task. It is the work behind "spiritual formation." And, which of us can dare to take this responsibility lightly.

Saint James wrote, "Let not many of you become teachers, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment." (NASB)

This is a responsibility from which we cannot escape. Everyone who calls herself a Christian is engaged in Christian education. Our behavior and attitudes are lessons for others, whether we like it or not. However, there are also the more formal settings of Sunday school classes, Bible studies and organized discussions.

This is the work with which I've been entrusted, first by Gerontissa, and then by you, as you've continued to provide support. Now, I'm asking for your thoughts about what matters most to you about Christian education.

What do you want in a Christian Education program for your family?
What do you want your children to know, to do, to be?
What ages do you want targeted?
What do you want for yourself?

My wish list:

What I'd like for our programs: Time and space.
What I pray for our students: To be so in love with the Lord Jesus Christ that they are ready to die for Him.
Who I'd like in our programs: All ages.
What I pray for myself: To be so in love with the Lord Jesus Christ that I am ready to die for Him.

Now, it's your turn. To read and leave comments, click on the title of this post and scroll down.
Peace be with you!