Transcript Theos is Submitted by Carole A. Buleza Design Joe Orthodox  Here is your chance to visualize your ideal Orthodox parishioner—perhaps your spiritual son. 

Theos
is
Submitted by Carole A. Buleza
Design Joe Orthodox
 Here is your chance to visualize your ideal Orthodox
parishioner—perhaps your spiritual son.
 Draw Joe’s outline.
 The space around Joe is for phrases that describe why
Joe is an really good Orthodox Christian. What is he
doing right?
 We have socialized our children into the
faith by participation in the Divine Liturgy
. . . and,
 We have informed them about the faith
(the Protestant Sunday School model) with
the hope that they would live the Orthodox
Way.
Is this working?
No.
 No. A survey done five years ago through the
Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute of U.C.
Berkeley showed that the top concern of
respondents was young people leaving the faith.
At the recent GOA Clergy-Laity Convention, the
keynote speaker made the same point.
 I believe we are having only moderate success.
Why?
“At no other time in history has
Orthodoxy existed in countries that
were not also Orthodox.”
We have assumed that they
are learning “the Orthodox
Way,” from their families and
communities—like in the
villages in the old country.
 We have followed the Protestant model with its
focus on giving information about doctrine, bible,
etc.
 Information does not make an Orthodox Christian.
We need to teach “the Orthodox Way.”
 We need to establish a goal. We have never had a
stated goal.
 We need to make a plan to meet the goal.
The goal for an Orthodox Christian
is theosis, living united with God.
“God became human so that humans could become god.”
(St. Athanasios)
“that we may become partakers of the divine nature by
“grace. (Epistle of St. Peter)
“This, then, is our task: to educate ourselves and our
children in godliness.” (St. John Chrysostom, Homily on
Ephesians)
“Our goal is to acquire the Holy Spirit” (St. Seraphim of Sarov)
Theosis is our goal. How do we chart a course?
 Curriculum planners use a Scope and Sequence Chart.
 Grade levels on the left, content areas on top
 At the intersection of the child’s age, and the content category,
determine what the child can/should know
Topics
Grade
5
Our Life
in the
Church
4
Jesus
the
Promise
of God
Bible
Church
History
Doctrine
Liturgical,
Prayer
Ethics,
Spirituality
Scope and Sequence Chart Example
“What should a 3rd, 4th, 5th grade student should know about . . .”
[OCEC chart]
Topics
Bible
Church
History
Doctrine
Liturgical,
Prayer
Ethics,
Spirituality
Grade
Passages are
selected as
they relate to
origin of
sacraments
History of sacraments,
rituals, lives of saints
Sacraments as per
salvation and
Church
membership;
Trinity, Creation
and Fall,
Incarnation,
Redemption
Eucharistic Prayer,
Prayer before
Gospel,
Antiophons,
Troparia, As Many
as Have Been
Baptized, Trisagion
Children are helped
to find their own
place in the Church
through the study
of sacraments,
vocations
Life of Jesus,
select
parables, OT
prophecies,
use of Bible
Church History and
Tradition in the
context of gospel
stories studied. Holy
Week, icons, Symbols
of Pascha
Jesus is the promise
of God; also angels,
free will, the Fallen
Angel, the
Evangelists, feasts
of our Lord
Beginning prayers,
litanies, patience
with God, Creed,
selected tropar,
Simeon’s prayer
Vocation; God
called a “people,” we
are called, choices,
concern, love, sin
vs. sinner,
beatitudes
Stories to
illustrate
lesson
concepts:
Call of
Disciples,
Epiphany,
Zaccheus
Worship in
catacombs, Orthodoxy
Sunday, Nativity Fast,
Great Lent, Holy
Week, Icons
New Life is shared
in community.
Sacraments,
Nativity Pascha,
Pentecost, Lord’s
abiding presence,
Creed
Lord’s prayer, Creed,
Ephraim’s prayer;
Bless the Lord,
Christ is risen,
“What shall we
offer” Prayer is
communication
with God
Church is
community called
to pray, worship,
serve, forgive, share
Good news, make
moral decisions
5
Our Life
in the
Church
4
Jesus
the
Promise
of God
3
New Life
in the
Church
How should we proceed if our goal is not
“information” but spiritual maturity—
theosis?
Establish it as our goal.
2. Define its components
3. Make a plan for children to deepen and broaden their
understanding of its components each year.
1.
Everything that Joe
Orthodox did right, is
contained in these
categories.
Conversion
Liturgy
Repentance
Theosis:
the goal of Orthodox Catechesis
Wisdom
Struggle
We need to help our
children grow in
understanding of these.
Conversion
• Living for Christ and Others; seeing Christ in all
• Seeking to know Christ through Scripture, prayer, Church
Repentance
• Seeking a clean heart,
• Living Humbly; Jesus Prayer
Struggle
Liturgy
Wisdom
• Vigilant regarding temptation and evil
• Following discipline of prayer, fasting and giving
• Offering self and world to God on behalf of all and for all
• Understanding that Eucharist constitutes Church, living in church
• Seeking to learn from Orthodoxy’s treasure (saints, icons)
• Reflecting experiences; the world, grappling with theodicy et al
Spiritual Maturity from Increasing Understanding
Example: Repentance
5
What does it mean to “deny” someone? Could we ever deny
Christ? Peter’s repentance after denying Christ. Christ’s
forgiveness. Sin as bondage. God’s forgiveness experienced as
release.
Introduce sins of “omission,” such as not
reaching out to new kids. Consider humility
as not placing yourself above others.
4
3
Introduce reflection
time at bedtime.
Discuss ways of
“making things right.”
Review procedure of
confession
Aspects of Spiritual Maturity
Conversion Repentance
Liturgy
Struggle
Knowledge Categories
Saints
Ethics
Service
Doctrine
Scripture
Patristics
Wisdom
Church
History
Sacraments
The points of information now contained in these
categories will be related to an aspect of spiritual
maturity instead.
Example of New Scope and Sequence Chart
“How can we increase the 4th Grader’s spiritual understanding?”
Grade
5
“Who do
you say I
am?”
4
“I have
not come
to
condemn,
but to
save.”
3
“I am the
light of
the
world.”
Conversion
Repentance
Liturgy
Struggle
Wisdom
OT types and
fulfillment
gospels. Jesus’
question to
Peter, “Who do
you say I am?”
Consequences of
answer: Church
Could we ever deny
Christ? Peter’s
repentance after
denying Christ.
Christ’s forgiveness.
Discussion of
Passover Supper
(OT covenant),
and Mystical
Supper
fulfillment.
Mystical Supper
as New Covenant
Introduce concept
of Church as ark of
salvation; church as
kingdom in the
midst of a fallen
world; church as
target of the devil.
What happened to
Peter and the others
who correctly
answered, “Who do
you say I am?” Intro
to formation of
church.
What does it
mean to love
God? Sermon on
Mount, GC,
Jesus stories of
Samaritans,
loving enemies
Introduce sins of
“omission,” such as
not reaching out to
the new kids.
Consider humility as
not seeing oneself
better than others.
We offer
ourselves to God,
and receive as
well. Build on
Little Entrance:
what is Gospel?
Epistle? Receive
inspiration
Discuss activities of
students are
involved with,
facebook, texting,
etc., and discuss
how those can cause
us to sin.
Saints who were
particularly
humble, ministered
to others, such as
John of Kronstadt.
How we can pray to
that saint, and
imitate?
Review Baptism,
NT: Life of Jesus,
OT: Nativity
prophecies,
Memorize
Greatest
Command,
service,
forgiveness
Review “on purpose,”
and “by accident.”
Introduce reflection
time at bedtime.
Discuss ways of
“making things
right.” Review
procedure of
confession.
Little Entrance as
Jesus’ Coming
into the World,
Liturgical year representing events
in Jesus’ life
Discuss temptation
in various scenarios.
Discuss efforts at
prayer, fasting, and
giving—living “with
God.” Practice
praying with an
icon.
Evangelists wrote
down life of Jesus,
contained in Bible;
Introduce concept
of proverb—their
admonitions.
People have sought
to do the right thing
thru history.
Catechesis that is About God, and Them is Life-giving
Instead of the categories of:
 Doctrine,
 Ethical/Spiritual,
 Instead of Church
History
We give them
 Conversion—living for God and
others because of what they
know to be true.
 Struggle and Repentance—
recognizing evil, struggling
against it, and repenting of sin.
 Wisdom—seeing God’s plan as
their inheritance, seeing their
role in it, following in the
footsteps of those who journeyed
before them.
Knowledge is not for its own sake, but rather for the sake of their relationship with God.
How do we educate our children
in theosis?



Teach children key Orthodox ife-giving theology
(“image and likeness;” theosis)beginning at
Kindergarten.
Let them know they are made in God’s image for the
goal of theosis—we have never taught this.
Repeat this every year.

Teach so the “heart knows,” unpacking our treasure
chest of eastern ways of knowing through the senses,
imagery, narrative, poetic elements such as
juxtaposition, art, hymnography, beauty, chant, and
silence, bodily expression, symbol and ritual—we
have never trained them to know aesthetically,
bodily, with their feelings.
Education for the goal of theosis.
Knowledge for the goal of spiritual maturity.
Opening their eyes to aesthetical knowing so Orthodoxy’s
treasure will help them gain “heart knowledge.”