Thanks to the support and blessing of H.E. Metropolitan Seraphim, the planned Coptic Language Summer School has been organised and will take place in September. Although events like this are not evangelistic, and will involve the particpation of only a relatively small number of students, the fact that it is taking place at one of the major universities in London, and is being widely advertised, will help to promote an awareness of the British Orthodox Church, which is sponsoring the event.
The student numbers are limited to approximately 10, and places are already filling up.
The details are as follows:
Coptic Language Summer School
King’s College, London
Monday 5th – Thursday 8th September, 2011
Session 1: 11:00-13:00
Lunch and Discussion Break: 13:00-14:00
Session 2: 14:00-16:00
The tutor will be Dr Carol Downer, an experienced and well qualified lecturer in the Coptic language.
The course material will be based on Introduction to Sahidic Coptic by Thomas O. Lambdin.
The cost of the School is £60, payable in advance.
Those wishing to book a place should urgently contact the School organiser:
Father Peter Farrington – fatherpeter@britishorthodox.org
and make an online payment of £60 using the following link..
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=XSUHUEF8VMSLN
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Orthodox Mission - Using Educational Opportunities
I have a great love of languages, and my desire to learn has always been limited by the opportunities open to me. But of course there are many thousands and millions of other people who have the same love of language. And not only of language but of many other skills, crafts, arts and abilities.
We love to learn things. It is part of being human, and therefore this very human aspiration can be used in the service of mission and of the Orthodox Gospel.
I am presently developing plans to organise a Coptic Language Summer School in London towards the end of August. To some extent this is because I want to have the opportunity to study the Coptic language in a formal setting, but it is also a mission possibility which I wish to make the most of.
I hope that there will be Coptic Orthodox Christians who would like to study Coptic for a week, but I am also hopeful that this will be an opportunity for others who are not Orthodox, to spend some time in the company of Coptic Orthodox Christians, studying in a situation which makes exposure to some aspects of our Orthodox Life a natural and interesting situation.
I wonder what other educational opportunities are open to other Orthodox in other situations? Perhaps it would be possible to organise an Iconography Summer School, or a series of classes describing the Orthodox heritage with representation from the various Orthodox churches. Our faith IS interesting, and contains many different aspects which non-Orthodox and even non-Christians find interesting and intriguing. Such educational opportunities are usually only the beginning of evangelism, but the friendship and trust which is experienced in such situations has great benefit for ongoing evangelism.
We love to learn things. It is part of being human, and therefore this very human aspiration can be used in the service of mission and of the Orthodox Gospel.
I am presently developing plans to organise a Coptic Language Summer School in London towards the end of August. To some extent this is because I want to have the opportunity to study the Coptic language in a formal setting, but it is also a mission possibility which I wish to make the most of.
I hope that there will be Coptic Orthodox Christians who would like to study Coptic for a week, but I am also hopeful that this will be an opportunity for others who are not Orthodox, to spend some time in the company of Coptic Orthodox Christians, studying in a situation which makes exposure to some aspects of our Orthodox Life a natural and interesting situation.
I wonder what other educational opportunities are open to other Orthodox in other situations? Perhaps it would be possible to organise an Iconography Summer School, or a series of classes describing the Orthodox heritage with representation from the various Orthodox churches. Our faith IS interesting, and contains many different aspects which non-Orthodox and even non-Christians find interesting and intriguing. Such educational opportunities are usually only the beginning of evangelism, but the friendship and trust which is experienced in such situations has great benefit for ongoing evangelism.
Missionary Activities - Starting a Mission
Mission involves not only sharing the Orthodox Christian Faith where we are, but also going to other places to share the Faith. Most people find it difficult to make the commitment to travel great distances to explore and experience Orthodoxy, especially at the beginning of the journey, and so it often falls to those engaged in missionary work to undertake to travel to where those who might want to learn about Orthodoxy can be found.
It is not unknown, for instance, for all of the Orthodox Christians in a State to be found in the main city, while many of those who would like to discover Orthodoxy live in the smaller centres, perhaps hundreds of miles from the city. Mission is not only about going overseas, there is also a great need to consider travelling within our own States and Countries to allow as many people as possible to experience our Faith for themselves.
Here in the UK there are places where it is not easy for British people to experience the wonder and glory of the Orthodox Liturgy in their own English language, nor is it easy for them to find a community of English speaking people who can share the substance of the Orthodox Faith with them.
As part of the ongoing mission of the British Orthodox Church within the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate a new mission is being planned here in the UK. I will share more information as the plans are firmed up. But it is enough to say that it has as its aim the objective of reaching those many British people who are interested in Orthodoxy but need someone to come close to them so that they have the opportunity to understand it for themselves.
Do pray for these plans. At the moment we are considering a location, and are in communication with various organisations to see where exactly it would be God's will for us to begin this work.
It is not unknown, for instance, for all of the Orthodox Christians in a State to be found in the main city, while many of those who would like to discover Orthodoxy live in the smaller centres, perhaps hundreds of miles from the city. Mission is not only about going overseas, there is also a great need to consider travelling within our own States and Countries to allow as many people as possible to experience our Faith for themselves.
Here in the UK there are places where it is not easy for British people to experience the wonder and glory of the Orthodox Liturgy in their own English language, nor is it easy for them to find a community of English speaking people who can share the substance of the Orthodox Faith with them.
As part of the ongoing mission of the British Orthodox Church within the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate a new mission is being planned here in the UK. I will share more information as the plans are firmed up. But it is enough to say that it has as its aim the objective of reaching those many British people who are interested in Orthodoxy but need someone to come close to them so that they have the opportunity to understand it for themselves.
Do pray for these plans. At the moment we are considering a location, and are in communication with various organisations to see where exactly it would be God's will for us to begin this work.
Thursday, 24 March 2011
Orthodox Mission - Ethiopia
It is always beneficial to consider how the Orthodox Faith has been introduced to various nations, and to commemorate the activities of Orthodox missionaries through the ages. Among the most famous are the brothers Frumentius and Edesius who were used by God to bring the Orthodox Faith to the people of Ethiopia.
According to the early writer Rufinus, who appears to have spoken with Edesius, the young brothers accompanied their uncle Meropius on a trading trip to Ethiopia. On their way through the Red Sea the whole crew was killed by the people of the area with the exception of the two boys, who were taken as slaves to the King of Axum. The boys gained the trust of the King as they grew into manhood, and shortly before his death he gave Frumentius and Edesius their freedom.
The Queen prevailed upon them to stay and assist her in the government of the Kingdom and the education of her young son, the Prince Ezana. They encouraged the practice of Christianity among the merchants who regularly came to the Kingdom and later were able to convert some of the Ethiopian people to the Orthodox Faith.
When Ezana came of age Edesius chose to return to Tyre where he was ordained a priest. His brother Frumentius hoped that the Faith could be more properly rooted in the country and chose to stay. But he travelled to Alexandria with his brother and asked St Athanasius, who was the Patriarch at that time, to send a bishop for the Ethiopian people.
St Athanasius considered that Frumentius was himself the best candidate to be consecrated as bishop for the Ethiopians and so he became bishop in about 328 AD. He returned to Ethiopia and baptized King Ezana who had ascended to the throne. Then he engaged in much missionary activity throughout the Kingdom and built many Churches with the support of the King. The people called him 'Revealer of Light' and 'Father of Peace'.
It is interesting that St Patrick, the Enlightener of Ireland, had also been a captive and a slave, and became the means of bringing the Christian Faith to his captors. In the same manner St Frumentius was first introduced to the Ethiopian people as a slave, and yet was used of God to bring the freedom of life in Christ to those who were his captors.
This should suggest to us that missionaries need not be strangers to those among whom they serve, even if they are of a different cultural and ethnic background. To be a missionary is to have been 'sent' by God, but it does not mean always abandoning the situation into which God has placed us. The members of the Coptic Orthodox Church may not feel that they have a right to share their faith in a country that has welcomed them as immigrants, but if our Orthodox Christian Faith is a treasure hid in a field, or a pearl of great price, then we have a responsibility to share it as a gift.
We see that in common with the Prophet Daniel and the Holy Youths, who experienced captivity themselves in an alien culture, St Frumentius and his brother never abandoned their faith and their inward spiritual culture, but preserved it even among a pagan and unbelieving people. When the time was ripe St Frumentius was enabled to bring in a harvest of souls because he had remained faithful even in a foreign land. He had been a slave, the lowest of all, but he became the confidant of Kings and the head of the Church in Ethiopia which he was blessed to establish.
According to the early writer Rufinus, who appears to have spoken with Edesius, the young brothers accompanied their uncle Meropius on a trading trip to Ethiopia. On their way through the Red Sea the whole crew was killed by the people of the area with the exception of the two boys, who were taken as slaves to the King of Axum. The boys gained the trust of the King as they grew into manhood, and shortly before his death he gave Frumentius and Edesius their freedom.
The Queen prevailed upon them to stay and assist her in the government of the Kingdom and the education of her young son, the Prince Ezana. They encouraged the practice of Christianity among the merchants who regularly came to the Kingdom and later were able to convert some of the Ethiopian people to the Orthodox Faith.
When Ezana came of age Edesius chose to return to Tyre where he was ordained a priest. His brother Frumentius hoped that the Faith could be more properly rooted in the country and chose to stay. But he travelled to Alexandria with his brother and asked St Athanasius, who was the Patriarch at that time, to send a bishop for the Ethiopian people.
St Athanasius considered that Frumentius was himself the best candidate to be consecrated as bishop for the Ethiopians and so he became bishop in about 328 AD. He returned to Ethiopia and baptized King Ezana who had ascended to the throne. Then he engaged in much missionary activity throughout the Kingdom and built many Churches with the support of the King. The people called him 'Revealer of Light' and 'Father of Peace'.
It is interesting that St Patrick, the Enlightener of Ireland, had also been a captive and a slave, and became the means of bringing the Christian Faith to his captors. In the same manner St Frumentius was first introduced to the Ethiopian people as a slave, and yet was used of God to bring the freedom of life in Christ to those who were his captors.
This should suggest to us that missionaries need not be strangers to those among whom they serve, even if they are of a different cultural and ethnic background. To be a missionary is to have been 'sent' by God, but it does not mean always abandoning the situation into which God has placed us. The members of the Coptic Orthodox Church may not feel that they have a right to share their faith in a country that has welcomed them as immigrants, but if our Orthodox Christian Faith is a treasure hid in a field, or a pearl of great price, then we have a responsibility to share it as a gift.
We see that in common with the Prophet Daniel and the Holy Youths, who experienced captivity themselves in an alien culture, St Frumentius and his brother never abandoned their faith and their inward spiritual culture, but preserved it even among a pagan and unbelieving people. When the time was ripe St Frumentius was enabled to bring in a harvest of souls because he had remained faithful even in a foreign land. He had been a slave, the lowest of all, but he became the confidant of Kings and the head of the Church in Ethiopia which he was blessed to establish.
Friday, 18 March 2011
Orthodox Studies - First video presentation
Thanks to the financial support of a few dear Orthodox friends I have been able to set aside some time to begin to develop a whole series of video presentations. These will be about 10 minutes in length and first of all will examine the teaching of the Orthodox Faith about the sacrament of the Eucharist. They have as the intended audience both existing Orthodox faithful, and of course those non-Orthodox who are seeking to gain a better understanding of what we believe.
I am sure that I will change various features of these presentations as I become more used to producing them, but this first one is at least comprehensible. Please consider if you, or those you know, are also able to financially support this ministry so that more presentations can be produced. At present the ongoing support for this work allows only for about 3 days of activity to be committed to it. Your financial support would allow for more time to be set aside from secular employment to produce these instructional videos.
Here is the first video. I'd appreciate comments and ideas to improve it.
I am sure that I will change various features of these presentations as I become more used to producing them, but this first one is at least comprehensible. Please consider if you, or those you know, are also able to financially support this ministry so that more presentations can be produced. At present the ongoing support for this work allows only for about 3 days of activity to be committed to it. Your financial support would allow for more time to be set aside from secular employment to produce these instructional videos.
Here is the first video. I'd appreciate comments and ideas to improve it.
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
Missionary Resources - New Lecture
Over the last few days I have been completing a 6,000 word article describing how and why I became Orthodox, and some of the differences I had to take account of between the Evangelical Protestantism I had grown up with, and the Orthodox Faith I was growing into. Such accounts of how a person became Orthodox are useful, (not that mine has any particular merit) because they allow others to see that they also could become Orthodox.
Here is a section of it...
If the person who has become Orthodox does not adopt a negative and polemical approach towards the community of their origins, and this is rarely useful, then the description of the various teachings and practices which they had to reconsider in the light of their journey towards Orthodoxy can become something which produces thoughtful reflection on the part of the one reading such a testimony. This is because the questions raised are from a person who has shared the same background, and not from someone who might be considered an 'outsider'. There is sometimes a sense that within Orthodoxy people should not share their testimony, or their life story, but it need not and should not be a matter of self-pride, indeed more often than not it is a cause of great thankfulness towards God.
I have recorded this particular talk and it is available for download here - Born Protestant, Became Orthodox. I'd be very interested in any comments folk might have.
Here is a section of it...
I am immensely grateful to my parents and those other faithful Christians who gave me a knowledge of God and a desire to serve Him. I am grateful for many of the opportunities I received to serve God and to exercise a measure of faith and trust in Him. But I gave up all of this evangelical experience, and all of the possibilities which lay before me within the evangelical protestant world and I became Orthodox. I was not a nominal protestant, I was entirely committed to God. I was not ignorant of the faith, but had trained for ministry. I was not without any prospect of service, but had already received an invitation to become a youth pastor in an evangelical church in which I had helped to run a children’s mission.
If the person who has become Orthodox does not adopt a negative and polemical approach towards the community of their origins, and this is rarely useful, then the description of the various teachings and practices which they had to reconsider in the light of their journey towards Orthodoxy can become something which produces thoughtful reflection on the part of the one reading such a testimony. This is because the questions raised are from a person who has shared the same background, and not from someone who might be considered an 'outsider'. There is sometimes a sense that within Orthodoxy people should not share their testimony, or their life story, but it need not and should not be a matter of self-pride, indeed more often than not it is a cause of great thankfulness towards God.
I have recorded this particular talk and it is available for download here - Born Protestant, Became Orthodox. I'd be very interested in any comments folk might have.
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Mission as it happens
Over the past few days I have been trying to find some time to work on a couple of documents. One is the first section of the Enquirers book/course. I have managed to write about 4,000 words out of the 5,000 I want to publish. Here is the very beginning of this beginning..
How to begin an introduction? Do we start with the question – what is the Orthodox Church? Or do we ask – what is Orthodoxy? For many people the two are synonymous. Orthodoxy is what the Orthodox Church teaches and lives out. But of course much of the substance of Orthodox teaching and practice is also taught and lived out by many other Christians. Does this mean that Orthodoxy is no different from every other Christian community? Or does it mean that no other Christian community believes and lives out the Christian life?
Neither of these extreme positions needs to be adopted. But the context in which this Orthodox teaching is lived out does make a difference, both to the spiritual ends in view and the means which are used to reach them. Many religious people fast, for instance, but why do Orthodox Christians fast? Most religious people pray, but how and why do Orthodox Christians pray? The reason why we do things makes sense of what we do. So this brief description of Orthodoxy and the Orthodox Church will not pretend that no other Christians believe and practice many of the things which Orthodox Christians believe and practice, but it will try to describe why and how the Orthodox practice might have a different meaning or value.
I have also been working on the text of a video presentation called Born Protestant, Become Orthodox. It begins with some aspects of my own life and experience, but is also going to look at the significant differences between Orthodoxy and Protestantism. I am working hard to make sure that it remains a truthful and honest account of my life and the reasons why I came to reject Protestant theology and spirituality, so that it is useful both within the context of the Orthodox Church, and to those within Protestantism, as I was, who are seeking a deeper and more fruitful experience of God.
Thursday, 3 March 2011
The Harvest is the Lord's
It is very easy to become discouraged, not only in the Christan life, but especially in the ministry of mission. In my own experience the resources have seemed too few, and the harvest too great. Walking around my home town I have sometimes felt the burden of all these souls who do not know Christ and are separated from the Orthodox Church. It can be an unbearable burden if we seek to carry it all alone, I mean apart from God. Indeed there is a sense that such a missionary burden can be a matter of pride. There are times in my life as an Orthodox Christian when I have hoped to organise the vast crowds of non-Orthodox into the Church and have assumed that merely organising some activity would be all that was ever required. More than that, it has been all to easy to fall into the trap of believing that if only resources were available then every missionary goal would be achieved.
I have had to learn several necessary lessons. I have learned that the ministry of mission is not accomplished in the first place by organisation, but by prayer and fasting. Indeed this season of Lent is an appropriate occasion to reflect on the period of fasting which our Lord engaged in before his own public ministry, and to consider that the period of the Apostles Fast also reminds us that their own spirit-filled ministry required prayer and fasting. St Paul and St Barnabas were set apart for their missionary ministry after prayer and fasting, and they themselves set apart presbyters in the Churches with prayer and fasting. Organising activities can be exciting, but the spiritual substance of any activity depends on prayer and fasting. With such spiritual activity anything is possible, but without it nothing lasting can be achieved.
I have also had to learn that the burden of the unreached is not mine, it belongs to the Lord, who loves these thousands and millions much more than I could ever do. Indeed he knows each one by name, knows all their circumstances, and is always seeking their salvation.
Matthew 9:37-38 teaches us, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
These verses show us that the harvest is the Lord's and not ours. It is He who will decide where and when it is to be brought in. These are His fields and not our own. We should feel a burden for the whole harvest, but it should not overwhelm us because it belongs to the Lord and not to any one of us. We are responsible for those things which God has given us to do. This is a liberating teaching. It allows us to be both prayerfully responsible and also to allow God to work out His will according to His own purposes. What is required of us is obedience. The harvest is the Lord's.
But of course this does not mean that we cannot fail to be obedient. It does not mean that we cannot fail to support those labourers whom God is sending into the fields. It is possible for us to be disobedient. There is both a need for obedient labourers, but also for obedience in praying for and supporting those who are labouring. The harvest is the Lord's but He allows us the grace to share with Him in bringing it in. Whether we are called to bring in much or little all that is asked of us is obedience.
I have had to learn several necessary lessons. I have learned that the ministry of mission is not accomplished in the first place by organisation, but by prayer and fasting. Indeed this season of Lent is an appropriate occasion to reflect on the period of fasting which our Lord engaged in before his own public ministry, and to consider that the period of the Apostles Fast also reminds us that their own spirit-filled ministry required prayer and fasting. St Paul and St Barnabas were set apart for their missionary ministry after prayer and fasting, and they themselves set apart presbyters in the Churches with prayer and fasting. Organising activities can be exciting, but the spiritual substance of any activity depends on prayer and fasting. With such spiritual activity anything is possible, but without it nothing lasting can be achieved.
I have also had to learn that the burden of the unreached is not mine, it belongs to the Lord, who loves these thousands and millions much more than I could ever do. Indeed he knows each one by name, knows all their circumstances, and is always seeking their salvation.
Matthew 9:37-38 teaches us, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
These verses show us that the harvest is the Lord's and not ours. It is He who will decide where and when it is to be brought in. These are His fields and not our own. We should feel a burden for the whole harvest, but it should not overwhelm us because it belongs to the Lord and not to any one of us. We are responsible for those things which God has given us to do. This is a liberating teaching. It allows us to be both prayerfully responsible and also to allow God to work out His will according to His own purposes. What is required of us is obedience. The harvest is the Lord's.
But of course this does not mean that we cannot fail to be obedient. It does not mean that we cannot fail to support those labourers whom God is sending into the fields. It is possible for us to be disobedient. There is both a need for obedient labourers, but also for obedience in praying for and supporting those who are labouring. The harvest is the Lord's but He allows us the grace to share with Him in bringing it in. Whether we are called to bring in much or little all that is asked of us is obedience.
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
Mission as it happens
I mentioned a little earlier that we were organising a Family and Friends Liturgy this past Sunday, not least because the beginning of Great Lent seemed an appropriate opportunity to pause and consider the meaning of our Christian life. We sent out quite a few emails to people we are more or less in contact with, and I wrote some note cards to a few people, personally inviting them.
On Sunday the Church looked beautiful. Members of the congregation had been in early to make sure everything was clean, and to arrange fresh flowers and light the candles. As usual it is never known who would respond, but we had prayed and left our organisation and efforts in God's hands, since the harvest belongs to the Lord.
By the time the Liturgy proper was underway we had 8 visitors, many of whom had never worshipped with us before. I made a point of greeting each one at the Kiss of Peace, and afterwards made sure that each received some of the anti-doran and a blessing. I had deliberately made use of the prospect of seeing some new faces to preach a sermon on fasting which considered its Biblical origins and its being part of the tradition of the Church from the very beginning.
Afterwards some of our congregation had prepared a buffet for us to share with our guests, and they all stayed for conversation and a light lunch with us. This is a useful means of inviting people to a fairly non-threatening situation, they are, after all, being categorised as Friends and Family. We will certainly be organising a similar event later in the year.
On Sunday the Church looked beautiful. Members of the congregation had been in early to make sure everything was clean, and to arrange fresh flowers and light the candles. As usual it is never known who would respond, but we had prayed and left our organisation and efforts in God's hands, since the harvest belongs to the Lord.
By the time the Liturgy proper was underway we had 8 visitors, many of whom had never worshipped with us before. I made a point of greeting each one at the Kiss of Peace, and afterwards made sure that each received some of the anti-doran and a blessing. I had deliberately made use of the prospect of seeing some new faces to preach a sermon on fasting which considered its Biblical origins and its being part of the tradition of the Church from the very beginning.
Afterwards some of our congregation had prepared a buffet for us to share with our guests, and they all stayed for conversation and a light lunch with us. This is a useful means of inviting people to a fairly non-threatening situation, they are, after all, being categorised as Friends and Family. We will certainly be organising a similar event later in the year.
Saturday, 26 February 2011
Missionary History - St Ninian
In the 4th or 5th century in Britain, while the British Isles were still Orthodox, there was a kingdom in the north which straddled the Solway Firth, which now marks the border between England and Scotland. The ruler of this British kingdom had a son, who was baptised as an infant, because the people were nominally Christian, having become so during the period of Roman rule. He grew up a godly youth, but was dissatisfied with the state of the Christian community in his times and in the place where he lived. He left his father's court and travelled to Rome where he was welcomed, and placed in the care of those who could teach him the fulness of the Christian faith.
After some years, having proved himself to be devoted to the Christian life, he was consecrated to the episcopate by the Pope of Rome and was sent back to his own homeland as an apostle to his own people. He travelled north through Gaul and was blessed to spend some time with St Martin of Tours, one of those saints who introduced the practice of monasticism to the West. St Ninian asked that he might be allowed to take some stone masons with him which St Martin readily assented to.
It is written in the life of St Ninian that,
Upon his return to his own land a great multitude of the people went out to meet him; there was great joy among all, and wonderful devotion, and the praise of Christ sounded out on all sides, for they held him for a prophet. Straightway that active husbandman of the Lord proceeded to root up what had been ill planted, to scatter what had been ill gathered, to cast down what had been ill built. Having purged the minds of the faithful from all their errors, he began to lay in them the foundations of faith unfeigned; building thereon the gold of wisdom, the silver of knowledge, and the stones of good works: and all the things to be done by the faithful he both taught by word and illustrated by example, confirming it by many and great signs following.
He settled at a place called Whithorn, where there are still the remains of a monastic foundation, and the masons who had travelled with him built a stone Church which was called the White Church and was famous because until that time Churches had been built of timber. He was not content to establish a monastic community in his homeland, nor only to restore the fulness of the Christian faith, but he also travelled beyond his father's kingdom and preached among the Southern Picts, a people who had never known Christ. His success is measured by the number of church dedications bearing his name, both in the West where his Church of Whitchurch was found, and in the East, especially in the Kingdom of Fife.
The life of St Ninian can be read in its entirety here - Life of St Ninian by Aelred - but there are several lessons we can immediately learn as Orthodox concerned with mission.
i. It seems to me that a missionary is someone who is dissatisfied with the way things are, and especially with the spiritual state of his own people, or those people who have been placed on his heart as a burden.St Ninian was not content to see his own people living with less than the fulness of the Christian life which God desired for them.
ii. The missionary begins by seeking to perfect his own spiritual life before setting out to engage in a particular ministry. He is aware of those defects in his own spirituality, his lack of holiness, his lack of devotion, his lack of understanding, and he is determined to address these, even if it means leaving behind the comfort of his home and family. St Ninian travelled to Rome, a city almost an unimagineable distance away from his home and he stayed there for many years until he was himself prepared for his ministry.
iii. The missionary has a strong sense of being called to a particular people, whether the people of whom he is a part, or some other people that do not know Christ. In the first place this is an interior call, but it is confirmed by the authority of the Church. St Ninian travelled to Rome because he wished that his own people come to a fulness of faith, but he returned with the commission of the Church.
iv. The missionary builds a local community, a base from which his missionary activities can be conducted. St Ninian did not work alone, although he was sent alone. He travelled with companions, and taught with other members of his missionary band, and he belonged to a community.
v. Even while concerned with a particular people, the missionary is always looking for opportunities to extend the kingdom of God even further. St Ninian was not content to remain in the security of his own people once they had received for themselves the fulness of faith, but he went beyond his father's kingdom to the Picts, a fierce people who had never known Christ, and saw success in his preaching among them.
A short blog post is not the place to elaborate on the life of this wonderful early missionary to the British Isles, and his Life is well worth studying. But we can learn many lessons, even from the briefest overview.
After some years, having proved himself to be devoted to the Christian life, he was consecrated to the episcopate by the Pope of Rome and was sent back to his own homeland as an apostle to his own people. He travelled north through Gaul and was blessed to spend some time with St Martin of Tours, one of those saints who introduced the practice of monasticism to the West. St Ninian asked that he might be allowed to take some stone masons with him which St Martin readily assented to.
It is written in the life of St Ninian that,
Upon his return to his own land a great multitude of the people went out to meet him; there was great joy among all, and wonderful devotion, and the praise of Christ sounded out on all sides, for they held him for a prophet. Straightway that active husbandman of the Lord proceeded to root up what had been ill planted, to scatter what had been ill gathered, to cast down what had been ill built. Having purged the minds of the faithful from all their errors, he began to lay in them the foundations of faith unfeigned; building thereon the gold of wisdom, the silver of knowledge, and the stones of good works: and all the things to be done by the faithful he both taught by word and illustrated by example, confirming it by many and great signs following.
He settled at a place called Whithorn, where there are still the remains of a monastic foundation, and the masons who had travelled with him built a stone Church which was called the White Church and was famous because until that time Churches had been built of timber. He was not content to establish a monastic community in his homeland, nor only to restore the fulness of the Christian faith, but he also travelled beyond his father's kingdom and preached among the Southern Picts, a people who had never known Christ. His success is measured by the number of church dedications bearing his name, both in the West where his Church of Whitchurch was found, and in the East, especially in the Kingdom of Fife.
The life of St Ninian can be read in its entirety here - Life of St Ninian by Aelred - but there are several lessons we can immediately learn as Orthodox concerned with mission.
i. It seems to me that a missionary is someone who is dissatisfied with the way things are, and especially with the spiritual state of his own people, or those people who have been placed on his heart as a burden.St Ninian was not content to see his own people living with less than the fulness of the Christian life which God desired for them.
ii. The missionary begins by seeking to perfect his own spiritual life before setting out to engage in a particular ministry. He is aware of those defects in his own spirituality, his lack of holiness, his lack of devotion, his lack of understanding, and he is determined to address these, even if it means leaving behind the comfort of his home and family. St Ninian travelled to Rome, a city almost an unimagineable distance away from his home and he stayed there for many years until he was himself prepared for his ministry.
iii. The missionary has a strong sense of being called to a particular people, whether the people of whom he is a part, or some other people that do not know Christ. In the first place this is an interior call, but it is confirmed by the authority of the Church. St Ninian travelled to Rome because he wished that his own people come to a fulness of faith, but he returned with the commission of the Church.
iv. The missionary builds a local community, a base from which his missionary activities can be conducted. St Ninian did not work alone, although he was sent alone. He travelled with companions, and taught with other members of his missionary band, and he belonged to a community.
v. Even while concerned with a particular people, the missionary is always looking for opportunities to extend the kingdom of God even further. St Ninian was not content to remain in the security of his own people once they had received for themselves the fulness of faith, but he went beyond his father's kingdom to the Picts, a fierce people who had never known Christ, and saw success in his preaching among them.
A short blog post is not the place to elaborate on the life of this wonderful early missionary to the British Isles, and his Life is well worth studying. But we can learn many lessons, even from the briefest overview.
Thursday, 24 February 2011
Missionary Activities - Becoming Orthodox book
Another resource I would urgently like us to be able to produce is a collection of contemporary accounts of the conversion of Orthodox Christians from various other backgrounds. One important aspect of the conversion process is being able to find the stories of others who have taken the same path and emerged at the other end safely, and indeed to find a more satisfying Christian experience.
If those reading this blog are converts, or know of converts, who would be willing to write a 3,000 word account of the journey, then these accounts would be very useful in producing a missionary resource that could be usefully and helpfully enjoyed by those considering Orthodoxy from a wide variety of situations, even from non-Christian religions and from atheism.
Please send an email to fatherpeter@britishorthodox.org if you are able to help with this project.
If those reading this blog are converts, or know of converts, who would be willing to write a 3,000 word account of the journey, then these accounts would be very useful in producing a missionary resource that could be usefully and helpfully enjoyed by those considering Orthodoxy from a wide variety of situations, even from non-Christian religions and from atheism.
Please send an email to fatherpeter@britishorthodox.org if you are able to help with this project.
Missionary Activities - Enquirers Instruction Course II
It seemed a good idea to create a website where the Enquirers Instruction Course could be published as it develops, with additional resources as well. Indeed the aim will be to have a website that introduces enquirers to all aspects of our Orthodox Faith and Life. I find it difficult to think of the best domain names, but I have registered Discovering Orthodoxy and as soon as possible I will design and develop a content managed system to allow me to present the content of the first module of the course. I have already created an installation of the CMS system I prefer to use.
Wednesday, 23 February 2011
Mission as it happens
We want to reach as many people as possible in our local area, but often it seems difficult to find the best means to suit our limited resources. It would be prohibitively expensive to use a bill board in the middle of town, and distributing leaflets only reaches those who are passing by while we are there. I noticed that there are quite a few empty shops in the main street, recent closures due to the downturn in the economy. It seemed to me that it would be worthwhile contacting some of the agents trying to lease the properties and try to negotiate some free or very cheap advertising in one of the windows.
What we are planning is to design two or three full colour roller banners, 2m x 0.85m. We have seen a great deal for buying 2 banners at once - just £75 ex vat. They come with full colour printing across the whole surface and a stand for each banner. I shall be trying to find the time to create two designs, and will post them here for the comments of interested supporters. Once I have the designs I will start approaching the property agents to see what can be negotiated.
The advantage of this approach, we hope, is that many more people will see information about our Orthodox Church and our Orthodox Faith. Indeed they will constantly be reminded as they walk up and down the main shopping street. If this small project is successful then we will consider rolling it out to other shopping centres in our immediate area.
As ever, your prayers and support are essential.
UPDATE: I am considering one banner describing our local Orthodox Church - who we are, where we are, when we meet, contact details etc. And the other banner describing some aspects of our Orthodox Faith - what is Orthodoxy?
What we are planning is to design two or three full colour roller banners, 2m x 0.85m. We have seen a great deal for buying 2 banners at once - just £75 ex vat. They come with full colour printing across the whole surface and a stand for each banner. I shall be trying to find the time to create two designs, and will post them here for the comments of interested supporters. Once I have the designs I will start approaching the property agents to see what can be negotiated.
The advantage of this approach, we hope, is that many more people will see information about our Orthodox Church and our Orthodox Faith. Indeed they will constantly be reminded as they walk up and down the main shopping street. If this small project is successful then we will consider rolling it out to other shopping centres in our immediate area.
As ever, your prayers and support are essential.
UPDATE: I am considering one banner describing our local Orthodox Church - who we are, where we are, when we meet, contact details etc. And the other banner describing some aspects of our Orthodox Faith - what is Orthodoxy?
Tuesday, 22 February 2011
Missionary Activities - Enquirers Instruction Course
So many of the people who contact us, enquiring about the Orthodox Faith, live far from one of our British Orthodox Churches, and even far from Coptic, Syrian, Armenian, Indian or other Oriental Orthodox communities. It has been a constant challenge to find materials that have been suitable to send out. There are high quality materials produced by Eastern Orthodox groups but these are never entirely consistent with our Oriental Orthodox Faith and Tradition. We hesitate to send out booklets, however well written otherwise, which refer to our Orthodox Churches as 'monophysite heretics'.
We believe that the time is now right for us to seek the support and material resources from friends and supporters to produce a high quality, comprehensive Instruction Course for British enquirers, which is entirely consistent with our Orthodox Faith in every regard, and which concentrates on our Oriental Orthodox Faith, History and Tradition. This is a major project, and we hope to include speakers and participants from a wide range of our Oriental Orthodox community. We are blessed in the UK, for instance, with Church leaders who are important scholars in their field of study.
This course will be made up of a variety of media including printed texts, audio lectures, and video presentations, and will be designed for both individual and group use. It will be produced as a pan-Orthodox resource, and so will draw on spiritual materials from all of the Oriental Orthodox Churches, and will describe, relatively briefly of course, the variety of Churches in the Oriental Orthodox communion.
Here is an outline of the course as we are beginning to plan it. This is only a provisional outline and will undoubtedly change in content and in the order of presentation.
The first section of the course, An Introduction to Orthodoxy, will be completed as an initial project to help us to determine the content and format of the course as a whole. This will include written material, an audio presentation, a 15 minute video presentation, and an audio CD of selected chant from the various Oriental Orthodox communities. The continuing status of this introductory unit will be posted on this blog as developments take place.
We need your support to be able to sustain this major project. Please consider praying for our efforts, but also consider making a donation, however small. Please also mention this project to your priests and bishop, asking their prayerful consideration of supporting this venture.
We believe that the time is now right for us to seek the support and material resources from friends and supporters to produce a high quality, comprehensive Instruction Course for British enquirers, which is entirely consistent with our Orthodox Faith in every regard, and which concentrates on our Oriental Orthodox Faith, History and Tradition. This is a major project, and we hope to include speakers and participants from a wide range of our Oriental Orthodox community. We are blessed in the UK, for instance, with Church leaders who are important scholars in their field of study.
This course will be made up of a variety of media including printed texts, audio lectures, and video presentations, and will be designed for both individual and group use. It will be produced as a pan-Orthodox resource, and so will draw on spiritual materials from all of the Oriental Orthodox Churches, and will describe, relatively briefly of course, the variety of Churches in the Oriental Orthodox communion.
Here is an outline of the course as we are beginning to plan it. This is only a provisional outline and will undoubtedly change in content and in the order of presentation.
- Introduction to Orthodoxy
- The Bible and Tradition
- The Holy Trinity
- The nature of Man
- The Fall
- God's plan of Salvation
- The Incarnation
- The Holy Spirit
- The Church
- The Christian Life
- Baptism and Chrismation
- The Eucharist
- Orthodox Spirituality I
- Orthodox Spirituality II
- Liturgy
- Church History
- Orthodoxy Today
The first section of the course, An Introduction to Orthodoxy, will be completed as an initial project to help us to determine the content and format of the course as a whole. This will include written material, an audio presentation, a 15 minute video presentation, and an audio CD of selected chant from the various Oriental Orthodox communities. The continuing status of this introductory unit will be posted on this blog as developments take place.
We need your support to be able to sustain this major project. Please consider praying for our efforts, but also consider making a donation, however small. Please also mention this project to your priests and bishop, asking their prayerful consideration of supporting this venture.
Monday, 21 February 2011
Mission as it happens
This coming Sunday is the Sunday before Great Lent and we have chosen to make it a Family and Friends Liturgy. What do we mean by this? Well it is a liturgy to which we invite all of our family and friends, and all of the enquirers and even the more distant contacts we have made so that as many people as possible will come together on one occasion and enjoy our Orthodox worship, and the fellowship in an Orthodox environment.
Many people have been invited, and we pray that the Lord would move their hearts by the Holy Spirit so that they will feel inspired to attend. My job today is to send out some personal invitations by email and post to some of those that our congregation have identified as perhaps needing that little extra nudge. It is important to do all that we can, but we will not be discouraged if only a few extra faces appear on Sunday. We have learned that the harvest is the Lord's, and we are workers WITH Him.
But do pray with us that many people will re-appear after being absent or will worship with us for the first time. Much of our missionary work is as ordinary as an invitation to a friend. But the joy when a soul visits us and decides that they want to learn more about our Faith, and even more when they are baptised and chrismated, is far from ordinary.
Many people have been invited, and we pray that the Lord would move their hearts by the Holy Spirit so that they will feel inspired to attend. My job today is to send out some personal invitations by email and post to some of those that our congregation have identified as perhaps needing that little extra nudge. It is important to do all that we can, but we will not be discouraged if only a few extra faces appear on Sunday. We have learned that the harvest is the Lord's, and we are workers WITH Him.
But do pray with us that many people will re-appear after being absent or will worship with us for the first time. Much of our missionary work is as ordinary as an invitation to a friend. But the joy when a soul visits us and decides that they want to learn more about our Faith, and even more when they are baptised and chrismated, is far from ordinary.
Missionary Activities - Kent County Show
This will be one of the best opportunities to meet a large number of interested people, and to generate some interest among others who may not even know that there IS an Orthodox Church.
We are planning to have a display of large mounted icons on the stand, and produce an Introduction to Orthodoxy booklet which can be distributed to those who show an interest in our Faith. We are also planning to have icon postcards to distribute, with a message about Orthodoxy on the reverse, and an invitation to our local Orthodox community. We will be organising a series of Introduction to Orthodoxy study evenings to be held immediately after the County Show.
We believe that this will be an important opportunity to reach out to a large proportion of the people who live around us. It will help us to raise the profile of the Orthodox Church and will enable us to meet face-to-face many of those who already have an interest in the rich spiritual treasures of the Orthodox Church. But we need your prayers and financial support to be able to successfully plan and conduct this missionary activity. Please pray for this activity, and the other activities we are planning and engaged in, and consider how you and your own congregation can financially support our missionary ministries. The harvest of souls for Christ in Britain depends on your support.
Do British people want to become Orthodox?
There may be many Orthodox Christians who do not think that Orthodoxy is attractive to British people. Certainly when it is lived out with faithfulness it requires a greater degree of commitment than many British Christians would be used to. But there are millions of British people are already willing to commit to a great many social and cultural activities which take up much of their time and energy. It may well be that much of Western Christianity is not very attractive or demanding to modern British people, but this does not mean that when the have discovered Orthodoxy they will not be willing to count the cost and embrace it with wholeheartedness.
Over the last three or four years we have been praying and working to encourage interested British Christians to explore the Orthodox Faith for themselves. We have been limited by our resources, and so we continue to ask Orthodox Christians around the world to consider how they can pray and financially support our ministries. There is much more that could be done if we had more prayer and more material support.
I spent a little time today looking at the records of these contacts we have made over the last few years. We have not been able to follow them all up as we would wish at present. But we believe that with more support from other Orthodox Christians we could see a greater harvest of British souls for Christ in His Orthodox Church. Would you be surprised to learn that 200 British people have ordered copies of Glory To God - our edition of the Agpeya prayers? Would you be surprised to learn that 230 British people have ordered copies of Our Daily Bread, the collection of prayers, readings and spiritual articles we have produced? Would you be surprised to learn that over 500 British people have requested membership of the British Orthodox Fellowship, an organisation we created to encourage British people to learn more about our Orthodox Faith?
There is a growing interest in the Orthodox Faith among British people. The fields are whitening ready for harvest. But we need you to help fund our missionary labours, and pray earnestly for us. Without your support much of the harvest will remain uncollected.
Over the last three or four years we have been praying and working to encourage interested British Christians to explore the Orthodox Faith for themselves. We have been limited by our resources, and so we continue to ask Orthodox Christians around the world to consider how they can pray and financially support our ministries. There is much more that could be done if we had more prayer and more material support.
I spent a little time today looking at the records of these contacts we have made over the last few years. We have not been able to follow them all up as we would wish at present. But we believe that with more support from other Orthodox Christians we could see a greater harvest of British souls for Christ in His Orthodox Church. Would you be surprised to learn that 200 British people have ordered copies of Glory To God - our edition of the Agpeya prayers? Would you be surprised to learn that 230 British people have ordered copies of Our Daily Bread, the collection of prayers, readings and spiritual articles we have produced? Would you be surprised to learn that over 500 British people have requested membership of the British Orthodox Fellowship, an organisation we created to encourage British people to learn more about our Orthodox Faith?
There is a growing interest in the Orthodox Faith among British people. The fields are whitening ready for harvest. But we need you to help fund our missionary labours, and pray earnestly for us. Without your support much of the harvest will remain uncollected.
Do we need Orthodox missionaries?
There are plenty of Orthodox Christians who are not at all sure that we need missionaries or should be concerned about mission. When I was engaged in my own personal journey towards the Orthodox Faith from am evangelical background I met several Orthodox Christians who could not even imagine how a British person could become Orthodox. As far as their understanding allowed it was necessary to be born into an Orthodox culture to be an Orthodox Christian. Orthodoxy just wasn't the faith for British people.
But if this had been the view of the Apostles then the Christian Faith would have been reserved for the Jews, and none of the Gentile believers would have been able to unite themselves to the Church. The Feast of Pentecost reminds us that the Holy Spirit moved the Apostles to speak the glories of God in all the various languages of the world. And of course the Great Commission commands the followers of Christ to..
Go into all the world and make disciples, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all the things I have commanded you. Matthew 28-19-20
In the 21st century a great opportunity has been opened up for the Orthodox Churches. Not only are Orthodox immigrants able to emigrate to the Europe and America, but they are able to reach out to those Western people around them and share the Gospel of the Orthodox Faith without fear or hindrance. The vast majority of British people still consider themselves Christian in some sense. According to a recent poll, and even with the evident decline in British society, over 70% of people still want to identify with Christianity rather than with any other religion or with atheism.
The Orthodox Churches have been given an implicit permission to reach out to the British people. They want to know more about the Christian Faith. If they are not properly Christian it is because they have not been properly taught. not because they are necessarily antagonistic to the Faith. At the present time we need MORE Orthodox missionaries rather than questioning whether we need any at all. A nation is frustrated and un-moved by many of the non-Orthodox versions of Christianity. They do not satisfy the deep and abiding need of British people in the 21st century to truly experience God for themselves.
Do pray for THIS missionary. The fields are white, but where are the labourers in this vineyard? They are few and far between. Pray then, that God will send more Orthodox missionaries, and consider how you can support Orthodox missionary activity in Britain yourself.
But if this had been the view of the Apostles then the Christian Faith would have been reserved for the Jews, and none of the Gentile believers would have been able to unite themselves to the Church. The Feast of Pentecost reminds us that the Holy Spirit moved the Apostles to speak the glories of God in all the various languages of the world. And of course the Great Commission commands the followers of Christ to..
Go into all the world and make disciples, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all the things I have commanded you. Matthew 28-19-20
In the 21st century a great opportunity has been opened up for the Orthodox Churches. Not only are Orthodox immigrants able to emigrate to the Europe and America, but they are able to reach out to those Western people around them and share the Gospel of the Orthodox Faith without fear or hindrance. The vast majority of British people still consider themselves Christian in some sense. According to a recent poll, and even with the evident decline in British society, over 70% of people still want to identify with Christianity rather than with any other religion or with atheism.
The Orthodox Churches have been given an implicit permission to reach out to the British people. They want to know more about the Christian Faith. If they are not properly Christian it is because they have not been properly taught. not because they are necessarily antagonistic to the Faith. At the present time we need MORE Orthodox missionaries rather than questioning whether we need any at all. A nation is frustrated and un-moved by many of the non-Orthodox versions of Christianity. They do not satisfy the deep and abiding need of British people in the 21st century to truly experience God for themselves.
Do pray for THIS missionary. The fields are white, but where are the labourers in this vineyard? They are few and far between. Pray then, that God will send more Orthodox missionaries, and consider how you can support Orthodox missionary activity in Britain yourself.
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