St. Luke Young Adults

Prayer of the Week Classwork now online

2009-02-28T15:42:00.002-06:00

Since we've been reading and discussing Father Andrew's "prayers of the week" these last few Sundays, and will continue to do so, I've now put them on this blog so you can download them if you miss class. They are at right under "Prayer of the Week Classwork" and are downloadable in Microsoft Word format. Hope these are helpful for review and thought!

Young Adult Retreat Announcement

2009-02-28T15:33:00.001-06:00

Here is a wonderful opportunity to "get away" AND grow in your faith during Lent.

Lenten Young Adult Retreat
“Taking the High Road: St. John Climacus and The Ladder of Divine Ascent”

--When: Friday, March 20 – Sunday, March 22, 2009
--Where: Holiday Inn Express Midway on 6500 South Cicero Ave, Chicago, IL, 60638 (708) 458-0202
--Hosted by St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, Cicero, IL
--Guest Speaker: Fr. James Shadid (Assistant Pastor at St. George Cathedral Wichita, KS)
--For more information, click on the following link: http://www.antiochian.org/sites/antiochian.org/files/2040Retreat2009.pdf
--Registration form, click on the following link: http://www.antiochian.org/sites/antiochian.org/files/2040Registration2009.pdf
--Registration Fee: $45 before March 10; $55 after March 10

Check it out!

Podcasts for Young Adults

2009-01-26T13:40:00.003-06:00

Ancient Faith Radio, in conjunction with Orthodox Christian Fellowship, now features podcasts by young college adults. Topics include social justice, heaven & hell, ancient church history, surviving college, and more.

Even if you aren't in college yet, you can benefit from hearing young adults like yourselves talk about timely topics from an Orthodox perspective.

Check them out at OCF Campus Ministry Podcast.

Download these podcasts to your iPod or listen online! Enjoy and be blessed!

Plan for February

2009-01-26T13:19:00.003-06:00

We've just finished Message 12 in The Wormwood File. During February, we'll be taking a break and beginning studying I and II Timothy in the New Testament.

To prepare for our first study in Timothy next week, please ready I Timothy. Also, please read the essay, "Interpreting the Scriptures" in your Orthodox Study Bible.

Some of the things we'll be discussing include:
--How to do a Bible study
--Who was Timothy?
--Why did Paul write to Timothy?
--The interpretation, or meaning, of the letters to Timothy

Timothy was a young adult like you. He had extraordinary responsibilities, as Paul gave him leadership over several congregations of the early church. Paul's letters to Timothy are full of advice, instruction, encouragement and love. I think you will find them quite interesting!

Under "Handouts" in the right hand column of this blog is a short biography of Timothy that will help you in your reading. It talks about Timothy's life and sets a context for Paul's letters to Timothy.

Please be prepared on Sunday so we can begin this study. If you have any questions as your read this week and want to ask them in advance, please email me!

God bless your week!

Questions for Messages 11 and 12

2009-01-17T17:39:00.003-06:00

It's very true that the devil is like a prowling lion, looking for someone to devour. These messages are good examples of that and are full of lessons about temptation and sin. The questions for these messages are now available for download in the right-hand column of this blog. I expect we'll have a good discussion about them! See you tomorrow!

Class schedule for the rest of the year

2008-12-13T09:47:00.002-06:00

Here is the schedule for the rest of December. We've got a lot of special things happening!

December 14 -- Instead of class, we'll be helping with and participating in the Sunday School Pageant. No formal class. After Liturgy, go to the basement and report to Maria Kopulos, who will have something for you to do. Don't forget your food contribution for the food pantry basket.

December 21 -- Sunday School Pageant. No formal class. Don't forget your food contribution for the food pantry basket.

December 28 -- No Sunday School.

January 4 -- Happy New Year! Come prepared to continue talking about The Wormwood File, Messages 8, 9 10 and 11.

God bless you all, and see you tomorrow!

Service Project Begins This Sunday

2008-12-05T19:25:00.003-06:00

St. Nicholas was not only a Wonderworker, he was also a provider of gifts and necessities to the poor.

In this spirit, our service project for the next three Sundays (Dec. 7, 14 and 21) will be to collect and bring food for the food pantry collection basket at St. Luke's.

Here's what you can bring each Sunday of our project:

--Dec. 7, Peanut butter, jellies, canned vegetables and fruits
--Dec. 14, Spaghetti sauce, tuna fish, noodles, rice
--Dec. 21, Paper products, laundry and dish soap

Please bring at least ONE item for the basket each Sunday. If you can do more, you will be blessed more!

Be a St. Nicholas to the poor in our community. God bless you!

St. Nicholas This Sunday!

2008-12-04T09:28:00.006-06:00

Saint Nicholas will be visiting us this Sunday. We'll leave our shoes outside the door so he can leave a gift...and no, you are not too old for this! (Icon of St. Nicholas from St. Nicholas Center.)

This coming Sunday we'll be discussing Messages 8, 9 and 10 of The Wormwood File which are on the very difficult subject of sexual temptation and purity. Please read these chapters and come prepared to discuss the content. I'll be posting the discussion questions tomorrow.

For those who were absent, we just finished Metropolitan KALLISTOS' essay on "How to Read the Bible." Here is a brief summary of the high points from this excellent and easy-to-read piece:

--The Bible is a letter from our King, personally addressed to us.
--Saint Tikhon says, "Whenever you read the Gospel, Christ Himself is speaking to you. And while you read, you are praying and talking to Him."
--We are to approach Scripture in a spirit of obedience: Scripture is "divinely inspired" (inspired means "God breathed" in the Greek). Obedience means not only doing what Scripture says, for it is God speaking, but listening to God (listening means "obey" in both Greek and Latin).
--We are to be open, attentive and receptive to Scripture. Our model for this is the Theotokos. At the Annunciation, she responds obediently to God. "Hearing God's word, we are to be like her: pondering, keeping all these things in our hearts, doing whatever He tells us. We are to listen in obedience while God speaks," says KALLISTOS.
--We are to understand the Bible through the Church: through the Liturgy, through Tradition, through the Holy Fathers, and as members of the Church. These things came before Scripture was even written down. Scripture was written in the shadow of these etablished practices of the Church.
--We are to see the Bible as Christ-centered. KALLISTOS says, "Jesus is the unifying thread that runs through the entirety of the Bible, from the first sentence to the last. Jesus meets us on every page. It all ties up because of Him." Our Orthodox faith interprets Scripture by looking for "types" of Christ in the Old Testament, by looking for correspondences between stories in the Old and the New Testaments. Some examples of this are Melchizedek, Joseph and Job.
--We are to read the Bible as a personal message. Christ is addressing us, and we are responding. We are to see all narratives in Scripture as part of our own personal stories (whether we've experienced them or not). We remember that Scripture is sacred history--our history. We see that God calls people specifically--and He calls us, too. We are to apply Scripture directly to ourselves.

KALLISTOS concludes, "A personal approach...means that in reading the Bible we are not simply detached and objective observers, absorbing information, taking note of facts. The Bible is merely not merely a work of literature or a collection of historical documents, although certainly it can be approached on that level. It is, much more fundamentally, a sacred book, addressed to believers, to be read with faith and love. We shall not profit fully from reading the Gospels unless we are in love with Christ. 'Heart speaks to heart': I enter into the living truth of Scripture only when my heart responds with love to the heart of God."

I would still encourage you to read the complete essay which can be found on page 1757 in the Orthodox Study Bible or online here.

Reading the Bible can be a daunting task: it's a big book! Start small. Pick one book. Read fifteen minutes a day in a spirit of openness, wonder and obedience. Let God speak to you--let God love you through His precious letter, the Bible!

Cherokee Tradition

2008-11-16T17:19:00.001-06:00

I'm so sorry I missed you all today! I was sick. However, I will see you next week. We'll continue discussing the last half of Metropolitan Kallistos' essay, "How to read the Bible."

Meanwhile, here's a faith story for you. Someone emailed this to me today, and it sure rang true. I hope it encourages you! God bless your week!

+++

Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of Passage? His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a MAN.

He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own. The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man!

Finally, after a horrific night the sun appeared and he removed h is blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm.

We, too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it, God is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him. If you liked this story, pass it on. If not, you took off your blindfold before dawn.

Moral of the story: Just because you can't see God, doesn't mean He is not there.

"For we walk by faith, not by sight."

New Things, and Class plans for October 26

2008-10-25T12:51:00.002-05:00

I've added two new features to this blog to help you keep up with Young Adult Class work. I've added a "Discussion Questions" and "Handouts" sections in the right hand column. The links lead to downloadable versions of items we've used in class. I hope these will be helpful to you!

I've added a new book to the "Books" section. It's called, "Hear Me: A Prayerbook for Orthodox Teens" (though it could certainly be used by adults, too!). This prayer book is nicely organized and contains the most-used prayers of the Church, as well as Scriptures and prayers for unique teen situations. It's easy and fun to read and is truly helpful. You can purchase it from Amazon or from Conciliarpress.com. Ask your folks to order it for you!

In class this week:
We'll finally get to Messages 6 and 7. Download the discussion questions or refer to the blog post before this one for a list.

For class next week:
Read KALLISTOS essay, How to read the Bible. (Click on the link and print out this essay.) We will spend the class talking about the Bible, reading it, and how it fits into the Orthodox faith.

Questions for Messages 6 and 7

2008-10-14T20:13:00.003-05:00

This coming Sunday (October 19) is St. Luke Oktoberfest! We will also have class. Below are the questions for Messages 6 and 7 in The Wormwood File. Please read the chapters and come prepared for discussion. God bless the rest of your week!

Message 6: Coping with the Enemy’s texts

• Wormwood writes, “It is of course alarming that she has suggested a visit to church.” Why?

• The wife has bought a Bible, but she has only “randomly flipped through the pages.” What reasons does Wormwood give as to why people don’t read the Bible?

• What excuses are given for not going to church?

Message 7: Loving yourself

• How can loving yourself be wrong?

• Wormwood points to several examples in marriage. What are they?

• The opposite of love is fear. What does Wormwood say about fear?

Next week:

• Read KALLISTOS essay, How to read the Bible. We will spend the class talking about the Bible, reading it, and how it fits into the Orthodox faith.

Lesson and News for Sunday, October 5

2008-10-03T09:44:00.002-05:00

Hi, students! I missed everyone last week so we will be doing the September 28 lesson this coming Sunday, October 5. Don't forget to bring your books to class!

Good news: church has gifted the books to us! This means that the copy of The Wormwood File you have in your possession is now yours to keep! Thanks to Maria Kopulos for making this possible!

Also, a group trip is being planned by Shirlie Hansen to attend The Screwtape Letters play downtown on November 2 at 3 pm. Tickets cost $41; but there may be a "youth" rate. I'll keep you posted on that. Afterwards, folks will gather at a local restaurant to discuss the play.

If you are interested in attending, contact Shirlie or let me know. It's a good opportunity to bring a friend; maybe your parents would like to go, also.

Blessings on your day, and see you Sunday!

Discussion Questions for Messages 4 and 5

2008-09-27T18:33:00.004-05:00

Our lesson tomorrow focuses on religion and spirituality. Read Messages 4 and 5, review the questions below, and come with your thoughts and questions! We'll also be talking about Saint Augustine and what he means when he says, "Thou hast created us for Thyself, and our heart is not quiet until it rests in Thee."

Message 4

• Regarding the TV, what new tactic does Wormwood want Greasebeak to try? Why?

• Wormwood says, “Never forget that human beings are basically religious.” What does this mean? What does our Faith teach us about this?

• Wormwood claims that anything can give life meaning and purpose. Why is this a lie?

• Then he says any “religion” can become a whirlpool. What does he mean?

• How will Greasebeak know he’s achieved his goal?

Message 5

• What characterizes “New Age movements”?

• It’s not bad to want to be happy—or is it? Why or why not?

• Why would non-Christians condemn Christianity?

• Wormwood says, “Christianity is out of fashion—at least among the clever.” What does this mean?

• Many folks claim that you don’t need to go to church to believe in Jesus. So let’s talk about a “churchless Jesus.”

See The Screwtape Letters on Stage in Chicago

2008-09-24T08:54:00.003-05:00

Our class book, The Wormwood File, is a "sequel" of sorts to C. S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters. If you would like to read The Screwtape Letters, please do so! You can purchase it from Amazon or check it out of your local school or public library.

Meanwhile, I've found out that The Screwtape Letters will be performed on stage in Chicago! Read the announcement below.

Chicago Premiere of C.S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters

The Fellowship for the Performing Arts will present the Chicago stage premiere of the acclaimed hit drama, The Screwtape Letters, at the The Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport Avenue. Based on C.S. Lewis's bestselling book The Screwtape Letters, this production is adapted for the stage by Jeffrey Fiske and Max McLean. the production, which recently had sold-out and standing-room only runs in New York and Washington, D.C., begins performances on October 2 for a limited engagement. The Screwtape Letters offers a funny and provocative look into C.S. Lewis’s brilliant novel that explores the theme of spiritual warfare from a demon’s point of view. The production stars Max McLean as Screwtape and Karen Eleanor Wight as Toadpipe.

The performance schedule for The Screwtape Letters is Wednesdays at 8 pm, Thursdays at 8 pm, Fridays at 8 pm, Saturdays at 4 pm and 8 pm; and Sundays at 3 pm. Tickets range in price from $29.00 to $48.50. Tickets are available by calling The Mercury Theater Box Office at 773-325-1700 or TicketMaster at 312-902-1500. Discounted tickets for students and groups of 10 or more are also available.

This is a great opportunity to witness to others about Christ, too. Invite a friend, enjoy the play, and then talk about it later.

Here's What We Look Like!

2008-09-22T18:53:00.004-05:00

Here's the photo George Poulos took of our class yesterday!

Read for next week: Message 4, "True religion," and Message 5, "The spiritual path." E-mail me if you have questions during the week. Be blessed!

Are Demons Real?

2008-09-22T12:13:00.006-05:00

Here are some thoughts on that very question from Father Matusiak of OCA.org.

"Well, we certainly believe that the devil exists and he is the cause of the evil in this world! “The existence of the devil and his works of evil is a teaching of Scripture, where it reveals that Jesus Christ banished demons from afflicted persons.”(2)

Christ not only came to reveal Himself but also to destroy Satan’s power. The devil is a fallen angel who dominates the world of the unjust. He is the chief demon/unclean spirit. God allows him to ‘pester’ and test us throughout our lives until the Final Judgement. I use the word “pester” because he cannot win against us if we hold firm. We must exercise our free will and invoke His assistance. Our methods of spiritual warfare are prayer, fasting, Scriptural reading and devoted meditation.. Our concentration is on the two great commandments, love of God and love of neighbour, the latter demonstrating our love of God. We pray constantly “to our Father to lead us not into temptation but to deliver us from the evil one” (St. Matthew 6: 13). 3

Blessed Theophylact points out that “He did not say, from evil men, for it is not they who do us harm, but the devil. 4

The evil one cannot win the battle. Christ has already defeated him. We can exercise our free will and either eject him or allow him into our lives. If you are a true Christian, you cannot disbelieve in the evil one and demons. After all, Christ Himself gave the twelve disciples authority over “unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity” (St. Matthew 10: 1).

The Lord instructed the twelve to “heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons (emphasis supplied): freely ye have received, freely give” (St. Matthew 10: 8) Our Lord ordered them out and they did as He commanded: And He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the sabbath days. And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority. And in the synagogue there was a man, who had a spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Let us alone; what have we to do with Thee, Thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art Thou come to destroy us? I know Thee Who Thou art: the Holy One of God.’ And Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Hold thy peace, and come out of him.’ And when the demon had thrown him into the middle, he came out of him, and hurt him not. And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, ‘What word is this! For with authority and power He commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.’ (St. Luke 4: 31-36) Please note the demon acknowledges that he knows who Jesus is! He has no doubt that He is the Son of God. The demon testifies of Christ! 5

What About Exorcism?

The Orthodox Church recognises exorcism of demons. Christ was and is the Chief Exorcist, the clergy in the person of the priest is another on the spiritual front line who act for Christ; and all of us are also exorcists because our duty is to be ever vigilant against the devil and his minions and drive out them out of our lives. 6

When we come into His Church through Baptism, we renounce the devil; we affirm our rejection of the prince of this world. Regardless of abuses in exorcism practises, this does not change the spiritual fact that demons exist, attack us, need to be repelled, and we can cast them out as Christ and the Apostles did so successfully. The devil cannot win. We can only lose. It’s up to us!

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

(Note: The above mini-homily is by Father Photios.)

In brief...

• Orthodox Christianity indeed teaches that demons exist. They are not "concepts" or "forces," but personal, created beings. Tradition holds that they are fallen angels to led the rebellion of Satan/Lucifer, as mentioned in the Old Testament.

• Demons are not "evil gods." They are not eternal, as is God alone. They are created beings, just as humans and animals and trees are created beings. Their power is not "opposite yet equal" to God's.

• In the New Testament we find numerous references to the devil, Satan, demons, etc. Christ was tempted by Satan; Judas was filled with Satan; St. Paul urges us to discern the spirits that we encounter.

• Since Christ HImself testifies to the existence of Satan/demons, it is clear that they are not merely "representations" of "sinful impulses." To the contrary, sinful impulses are a giving in to the promptings and temptations of Satan.

Notes
1. Gabriele Amorth, An Exorcist tells His Story, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 1999 (originally published in Italian in Italy in 1990 as Un escorista raconta), p. 169.
2. Rev. George Mastrantonis, Exorcism, Internet, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, OUR FAITH, p. 1 of 10.
3. ibid.., p. 3.
4. Blessed Theophylact, Explanations of the Holy Gospel of St. Matthew, Vol. I, (translated from the original Greek by Fr. Christopher Stade) Chrysostom Press, House Springs, MO, 1997, pp. 58-59.
5. Blessed Theophylact, Explanations of the Holy Gospel of St. Luke, Vol. III, (translated from the original Greek by Fr. Christopher Stade), Chrysostom Press, House Springs, MO, 1997, p. 53.
6. Rev. George C. Papademetriou, Exorcism In The Orthodox Church, Internet, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, OUR FAITH, p. 3 of 4.

On Silence

2008-09-20T10:06:00.002-05:00

Here are some thoughts on silence (or "quiet"). Think about these this week.

Antony said:
He who sits alone and is quiet has escaped from three wars: hearing, speaking, seeing: but there is one thing against which he must continually fight: that is, his own heart.

Thought question: Why might be at war with our heart? How can we fight this?

And this story:
There were three friends, serious men, who became monks. One of them chose to make peace between men who were at odds, as it is written, "Blessed are the peacemakers" (Matthew 5:9). The second chose to visit the sick. The third chose to go away to be quiet in solitude. Now the first, toiling among contentions, was not able to settle all quarrels and, overcome with weariness, he went to him who tended the sick, and found him also failing in spirit and unable to carry out his purpose. So the two went away to see him who had withdrawn into the desert, and they told him their troubles. They asked him to tell him how he himself had fared. He was silent for a while, and then poured water into a vessel and said, "Look at the water," and it was murky. After a little while he said again, "See now, how clear the water has become." As they looked into the water they saw their own faces, as in a mirror. Then he said to them, "So it is with anyone who lives in a crowd; because of the turbulence, he does not see his sins: but when he has been quiet, above all in solitude, then he recognizes his own faults."

Thought question: It's scary to face our faults and sins. In fact, we avoid it. Why must we do it, and how does silence help?

Our own Lord Jesus gave us this example (Mark 1: 32-39):
That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was. Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!" Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

Thought question: Jesus was VERY busy. Yet in the midst of this, He went to a quiet AND SOLITARY place. Why? What did he do?

Discussion Questions for Messages 2 & 3

2008-09-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

Hello, everyone! Here are questions for tomorrow's class. Also, we'll be starting class by briefly discussing "organized religion." Please come with your thoughts and questions!

Discussion Questions: Message 2

1. Wormwood says, “Can you imagine what might happen if [the human] disconnected himself from his TV?” Wormwood thinks this is a bad thing. Why?

2. How does TV affect us? How can we discern what to watch?

3. How can even watching “good things” be bad?

4. Wormwood says, “Own a man’s eyes and you own the man.” (And yes, this means women, too!) What does Wormwood mean?

5. How do you define the “real world”? Or, who defines it for you?

6. What does our Lord say the real world is?

7. Why would people rather be regarded as “criminals” than “crackpots”? What does this have to do with spirituality?

Discussion Questions: Message 3

1. Why are thoughts more dangerous than deeds?

2. How does TV watching make us “compliant”—and to what and whom?

3. Wormwood is worried that the human might use his time for “activities that threaten our [the demons’] goals.” Name some of these .

4. Why does Wormwood think the human will panic when faced with silence? How do you feel about silence?

5. Why do we need constant noise in our lives? What kind of noise fills your life?

Discussion Questions for Preface and Message 1

2008-09-13T22:13:00.000-05:00

Hope you are enjoying Jim Forest's "The Wormwood File"!

Here's the questions we will discuss tomorrow on the Preface and Message 1.

1. First impressions?

2. What do you think about the devil and demons? Are they “real” or do they stand for something?

3. What does Screwtape mean when he says, “I’ve known people to give up on Christianity simply because the music in actual churches doesn’t measure up to recordings!”

4. Screwtape says, “Beauty is always a danger.” Why?

5. What does Screwtape tell Wormwood to do when his “victim” is thinking of God’s grace?

6. Do you ever ask the same question?

7. Let’s talk about “organized religion.” Why is is good? Why is it bad? What’s really behind it all?

8. St. Peter writes, “8 Be sober, be vigilant; because[c] your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” (I Peter 5:8-9). What does this say about the devil? What does this say about us? How can we resist the devil? Are we alone?

ASSIGNMENT FOR NEXT WEEK:
Read Message 2 and Message 3 in The Wormwood File. Bring your questions and be ready to discuss these readings.

Welcome, Students!

2008-09-06T12:00:00.000-05:00

This is a class for Juniors and Seniors in high school, and college age students.

During this class year we will be:

Reading and discussing the book, “The Wormwood File” by Orthodox writer Jim Forest
Having monthly theology lessons led by Fr. Andrew or one of the Deacons
Studying out of the workbook, “The Way, The Truth and The Life”
Studying about the life of St. Timothy
Participating in service projects, such as helping with the PADS homeless program and collecting gifts, etc. for Nativity and other charities

Don't hesitate to contact me if you have a question, need someone to pray with (or have me pray for you), or just need someone to talk to!

Check this blog often for class updates, things to think about, and other information!

I'm looking forward to a great year. May God bless you!

ASSIGNMENT FOR NEXT WEEK:
Read the "Forward" and Chapter 1, "Teamwork" in The Wormwood File. Bring your questions and be ready to discuss these readings.