June Book Discussion: The Way of a Pilgrim: The Jesus Prayer Journey

June 21, 2012 7:00 p.m. in the church courtyard

The book selected for the June Orthodox Book Discsussion is: Way of a Pilgrim: The Jesus Prayer Journey by Gleb Petrovsky. From booksellers: The prayer of the heart is a spiritual practice that produces joy, inner peace, and a heart brimming over with love for all creation. This delightful account is the story of one man who sets out to learn the prayer of the heart--also known as the "Jesus Prayer"--and how the practice transforms his existence. Its anonymous author was one of the wandering pilgrims who were a regular feature of the Russian countryside from medieval times up until the early twentieth century. Through his eyes we discover the secret to putting into practice the words of St. Paul: "Pray without ceasing." This abridged version has facing-page commentary that explains all names, terms, and references. It includes a glossary of terms as well as an annotated list of other resources by authors such as St. Gregory Palamas, St. Macarius, Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, St. Climacus and countless others. This short volume demystifies theological language and makes this gem a joy to read. The Way of the Pilgrim may be purchased from the church’s Orthodox Bookstore or borrowed from the church’s library. Join us June 21st at 7:00 in the church’s courtyard.

NEW DATE: February 15th (January Date Was Postpone Due to Snow Storm) Book Discussion Group: Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives

Spiritually lazy? Distracted? Frustrated? Negative? Restless? Lack faith? Inattentive? Ungrateful? Disturber of the peace? Good news: to turn these failings around, it is as simple as (or as daunting as) changing our thoughts. In Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives: The Life and Teachings of Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnika, by Ana Smiljanic, the first quarter of the book tells of the life of 20th century Elder Thaddeus (see below). The rest of the book is a collection of the Elder’s teachings, most of which have a common theme expressed in the title. Many secular psychological theories (e.g., cognitive therapy) have a similar thrust. Our thoughts become reality just as all of creation is a manifestation of Divine thought made material. God’s energy is in us but we are not aware of it. We influence others with our thoughts. If our thoughts are good, we radiate peace all around us. However, when we have ugly thoughts, we radiate negativity in our family and everywhere. There is a difference between secular theories and the teachings of Elder Thaddeus. Secular theories often have self-esteem as a goal. Elder Thaddeus’ teachings are aimed at developing humility and doing God’s will. In doing God’s will, the greatest reward is peace and joy for a Christian. The Lord will reward us with peace if, by His grace in cooperation with our will, we change our thoughts and turn toward God in whom humility reigns and peace radiates. If we wish good for ourselves and our neighbor, we must become free from thoughts of suffering insult; we must forgive from the heart. If our thoughts are kind and peaceful, everyone will feel the peace; the opposite is also true.

"Why does the Lord command us to love our enemies and to pray for them? Not for their sake, but for ours! For as long as we bear grudges, as long as we dwell on how someone offended us, we will have no peace." Elder Thaddeus

About Elder Thaddeus’ Life (from the Holy Cross Bookstore website):
Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica was one of the most renowned spiritual guides of Serbia in the twentieth century. As a novice he lived in obedience to Elder Ambrose of Miljkovo Monastery, a disciple of the Optina Elders. From him Fr. Thaddeus learned the Prayer of the Heart and the selfless love that came to characterize his whole ministry to the suffering Serbian people. Born in 1914, Elder Thaddeus lived through all the suffering endured by Serbia in the twentieth century. Over the course of two World Wars, during the Communist takeover, and through the NATO bombings of 1999, he co-suffered with his people. He taught, counseled, and prayed for all who came to him in pain and sorrow. His words of love and hope provided spiritual balm for people from all classes of society. In 2002 Elder Thaddeus reposed, leaving behind a large collection of his teachings, preserved by his faithful spiritual children. His life, teachings, and spiritual conversations are here presented for the first time in English
A review off the book may be accessed via podcast at:
http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/speakingofbooks/our_thoughts_determine_our_lives.

Please join us for this memorable evening at 7:00 P.M. in the church parlor on January 19, 2012. For Book Discussion Group updates visit: http://www.hocalibrary.blogspot.com/. To join the book group email list, email tcolaizzo@aol.com.

The Book Discussion Group is a subministry of the church library. Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives: The Life and Teachings of Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnika, may be purchased in the church’s Orthodox Bookstore/Gift Shop or may be borrowed from the church library.

New Additions to our library - Fall 2011

Leading Congregational Change

by Jim Herrington, Mike Bonem and James Furr

For pastors and Church leaders Leading Congregational Change provides practical, refreshing and highly effective tools and processes for generating deep transformation.


Request this book : 303.3 HER (1)

The Passionate Steward

by Michael O'Hurley-Pitts

(from the book cover)"This is a critical review of the assumptions and practices of secular philanthropy as they have been adopted and applied by the Christian Church. The Church has often been enthralled by the promise of more money, and has thus fallen into the arms of secular fundraisers, without subjecting secular methods and operative principles to the scrutiny of its own theological and biblical agenda."A perfect resource for clergy and lay stewardship leaders!

Request this book: 248.6 PIT (1)

Focus on College Students: Letters to St. Lydia and OCF Transitions

Mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers, godparents, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, cousins, and friends, the reality is setting in. Our beloved students are off to college. Oh, how we cherish those phone calls, texts, and emails (even if it is just an SOS call for forgetting to pack something!) How we crave to know the details of their daily experience…. We wonder about their sleep, their food, their time management, their friends, and their daily encounters with God’s tender mercies juxtaposed with temptations wrapped in deception. We pray to the Theotokos for her motherly protection and ask for the intercession of the saints to guide their steps.

In Letters to Saint Lydia, a 2010 release from Conciliar Press, we can—in some ways—live vicariously through the story of Lydia’s freshman experience at college. Lydia faces numerous challenges at college, and to top it off, she wrestles with the fact that she has chosen not to convert to Orthodoxy with the rest of her family. Her roommate, Eleni, surfaces as a light-hearted, levelheaded spiritual Orthodox anchor. It is very comforting to read this book, but even better, it would be a thrill if our college students would read this book. Pick up a copy at the church library or Orthodox Bookstore/ Gift Shop and treat yourself to a good read before you send it off with your next care package.

Also new in the library is a DVD produced by the Orthodox Christian Fellowship entitled, Transitions. The Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) is the official collegiate campus ministry program with a mission to support fellowships on college campuses, whose members experience and witness to the Orthodox Christian Church through community life, prayer, service to others and study of the Faith. Recent studies show that 78% of Orthodox Christian Clergy and 84% of the Laity ranked youth and young adults leaving the Church as the number one issue facing us today. This fresh and exciting look at students' perspectives and experiences is the perfect primer for those go off to college. OCF students share their freshmen experiences ranging from excitement to loneliness and spiritual doubt. Watch the film, discuss the questions(included) and ease the Transition!
To watch the trailer visit:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma-lgrHxIX0.

November 17, 2011 Book Discussion Group

The Jesus Prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” is a timeless prayer that has been embraced by Christians since the time of the Desert Fathers. The practice of saying the “Jesus Prayer” has undergone a modern revival. It is a prayer of reflection and of humility that connects us to God. In The Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer, Professor Norris J. Chumley explores the history, practices and wisdom of the “Jesus Prayer.”

From the book cover: Chumley traveled to some of the early Church’s holiest sites with the Very Reverend Dr. John A. McGuckin, a priest and professor—to St. Anthony’s Monastery in the Egyptian desert and St. Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai, to convents in Transylvania and to monasteries in Russia, the Ukraine, and Greece. The monks and nuns he met taught him how to move through the stages of the Jesus Prayer, and how it can foster an unceasing, and ever deepening, conversation with God. Enriched with color photographs of these holy sites, where photography is rarely allowed, Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer reveals the powerful theology packed into this prayer’s few words.

Father Christos has selected The Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer as the next title for the Book Discussion Group. The discussion will be held November 17th at 7:00 P.M. in the church parlor. The Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer, both the hardcover and the DVD, are available in the church’s library and at discounted prices in the Orthodox Bookstore/Gift Shop.

FOCUS ON PRAYER

We need prayer. Our families and friends need prayer. Our Church, communities, and country need prayer. The world needs prayer. Have we gotten rusty at prayer? Do we need a refresher? The following excerpts from an article on the archdiocese website can give us a jumpstart.

Prayer is praise, thanksgiving, confession, supplication and intercession to God. "When I prayed I was new," wrote a great theologian of Christian antiquity, "but when I stopped praying I became old." Prayer is the way to renewal and spiritual life. Prayer is aliveness to God. Prayer is strength, refreshment, and joy. Through the grace of God and our disciplined efforts prayer lifts us up from our isolation to a conscious, loving communion with God in which everything is experienced in a new light. Prayer becomes a personal dialogue with God, a spiritual breathing of the soul, a foretaste of the bliss of God's kingdom.
How is one to pray? Only the Holy Spirit can guide us to pray as we should. Just as a child learns to walk by walking, one can best learn to pray by praying, trusting in the help of God. Think about the meaning of every word you pray. Make it your own personal prayer. Be persistent in prayer. Do not yield to carelessness or neglect. Strengthen your prayer through a lively faith in the Lord, a spirit of forgiveness toward others, and genuine Christian living.
As we pray deeply within our hearts we grow in prayer. By the grace of God we suddenly catch a glimpse of the miracle of the presence of the Holy Spirit working within us. At first it is only a spark but later it becomes a flame freeing and energizing our whole being, provided we do nothing to grieve the Holy Spirit; and if we do sin we repent of our sin immediately and ask for God's forgiveness. To experience the fire of God's holy love, to give it space within us to do its cleansing and healing work as a breath of the Holy Spirit, and to use it as light and power for daily living -- such are the goals as well the fruits of true prayer. (1)


Prayerbooks or books on prayer available in the church library:

A Book of Hours by Patricia Egan Brief services of praise that mark the progress of each day, sanctifying the hours of our lives.

The Jesus Prayer (Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner) Traces the development of the Jesus Prayer from the early Church, and discusses of how this prayer can be used today.

A Beginner's Guide to Prayer: The Orthodox Way to Draw Closer to God by Michael Keiser. A Beginner’s Guide to Prayer speaks to the average man or woman on the street who desires a deeper relationship with God but is unsure how or where to begin.

Living Prayer by Metropolitan Anthony Bloom. This book is so good that it is difficult to resist the urge to underline every word.

A Pocket Prayer Book for Orthodox Christians. This pocket-size book (3.5 x 5 inches) contains the standard daily personal prayers of Orthodox Christians, plus prayers for many special needs and circumstances.

Daily Prayers for Orthodox Christians contains prayers in Greek and English. Includes morning and evening prayers, the six psalms, prayers before mealtime, pre-communion and post-communion prayers, small compline, etc.


1. What is Prayer? Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. http://www.goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith8634. Accessed May 8, 2011.

New additions to our library Spring 2011

Constantinople - city of the world's desire 1453-1924

by Philip Mansel

Scholarly and entertaining, Constantinople depicts the Ottoman capital as a place of shifting boundaries and categories. Itt was the capital for both Islam and the Orthodox church. It was also a city of critical strategic importance coveted at different periods by Russia, Germany, Bulgaria and Greece.
Request this book: 956 MAN

The Reason for God:belief in an age of skepticism

by Timothy Keller

The author addresses the frequent doubts that skeptics and even ardent believers have about religion.

Request this book: 239 KEL ( spirituality)

Rewired

by Larry D. Rosen

This book offers insight and help to motivate and maximize learning for the Internet Generation. Invaluable guidance, support and ideas for parents and teachers. A must read book.

Request this book: 371.33 ROS

Attending to Your Marriage

by Charles Joanidis

This book, through clear explanations, vivid examples and practical strategies opens up some of the mystery of marital communication and is a valuable resource for couples who are asking "What is happening to my marriage?" A great resource for couples starting a marriage, in a marriage, or considering ending a marriage.

Request this book: 306.8 JOA

Levant

by Philip Mansel

The author explores the rich and diverse history of three great cities of the eastern Mediterranean - Smyrna, Alexandria and
Beirut.

Request this book: 956 MAN