Fall Adult Ed Class ~ 2011
Oct 15, 2011
FALL ADULT
EDUCATION CLASS
2011
Six Sessions
Monday Evenings beginning November 7
Vespers at 7:00pm
Class at 7:30pm
Metropolitan Anthony
of Sourozh
~ E s s e n t i a l W r i t i n g s ~
EDUCATION CLASS
2011
Six Sessions
Monday Evenings beginning November 7
Vespers at 7:00pm
Class at 7:30pm
Metropolitan Anthony
of Sourozh
~ E s s e n t i a l W r i t i n g s ~
“This is what I mean by faith – not doubting in the sense of being in confusion and perplexity, but doubting in order to discover the reality of life, the kind of doubt that makes you want to question and discover more, that makes you want to explore.”
~ Metropolitan Anthony Bloom, from Beginning to Pray, xii.
Dear Parish Faithful,
For the upcoming Fall Adult Education Class, scheduled tentatively to begin on Monday, November 7, I have chosen the book Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh – Essential Writings.
Metropolitan Anthony (1914 – 2003) - who was born in Switzerland to Russian émigré parents, lived in both France and Persia, and was ultimately a bishop with an Orthodox flock in England - left a considerable body of writing that has a distinctive “modern” feel in terms of style and his awareness of the surrounding world; but which also remains deeply rooted in the Church’s theological, spiritual and liturgical Tradition. His writing is very accessible and free of jargon; yet it remains deep, pastoral and inspiring. This fairly new book (published in 2010) contains a biography of his fascinating life, but is primarily a collection of carefully-chosen excerpts from his writings over the years.
Metropolitan Anthony (1914 – 2003) - who was born in Switzerland to Russian émigré parents, lived in both France and Persia, and was ultimately a bishop with an Orthodox flock in England - left a considerable body of writing that has a distinctive “modern” feel in terms of style and his awareness of the surrounding world; but which also remains deeply rooted in the Church’s theological, spiritual and liturgical Tradition. His writing is very accessible and free of jargon; yet it remains deep, pastoral and inspiring. This fairly new book (published in 2010) contains a biography of his fascinating life, but is primarily a collection of carefully-chosen excerpts from his writings over the years.
The writings contained in this book are conveniently presented in six chapters, and since we always have six sessions for this class, we can read, study and discuss a chapter per session. As a man who moved from atheism to the fullness of the Orthodox Faith, there are no themes that Met. Anthony believes we should ignore out of fear of seeming weak or uncertain in and about the Faith. We will thus read his thoughts on “Creative Doubt,” “Death and Bereavement,” “The Absence of God,” “Despair and Prayer,” “Prayer Answered and Unanswered,” “Women in the Church,” etc. Those are just a few of the many themes that his writings take on in a creative and deeply pastoral manner.
There is something for everyone here! Please plan on joining our class and discussions!
This book is available on amazon.com for only $13.00.
Fr. Steven
Testimonials to Christian Education
Oct 26, 2011
Dear Parish Faithful,
As previously announced, we will begin our Fall Adult Education Class on Monday evening, November 7. We will read Metropolitan Anthony – Essential Writings.
As is the case with many parish events/programs, we have developed a core group of parishioners who attend this class consistently from year to year. Wanting to understand their motivation – and hoping to recruit new members for future classes, including this year’s – I asked some of our participating parishioners to “testify” to their ongoing interest in the class. I have included three such testimonies here so as to share them with the parish:
As is the case with many parish events/programs, we have developed a core group of parishioners who attend this class consistently from year to year. Wanting to understand their motivation – and hoping to recruit new members for future classes, including this year’s – I asked some of our participating parishioners to “testify” to their ongoing interest in the class. I have included three such testimonies here so as to share them with the parish:
Parishioner #1
“I highly recommend the Fall Adult Education Class. The amount of reading material is just right and it is a good opportunity to interact with parishioners you may not see on a regular basis. We are fortunate to have Father Steven to lead the discussion and to share his deep knowledge of our Orthodox Faith. Simply put, it is a pleasant way to spend a Fall evening and to nourish your soul.”
Continue reading on Fr. Steven's Meditations Blog...