Bread & Water, Wine & Oil: An Orthodox Christian Experience of God

by Meletios Webber

Overview

Worry, despair, insecurity, fear of death ... these are our daily companions, and even though we attempt to ignore them or try to crowd them out, they are there, waiting for us in our quieter moments. It is precisely where we hurt most that the experience of the Orthodox Church has much to offer. The remedy is not any simple admonitions to fight the good fight, cheer up, or think positively. Rather, the Orthodox method is to change the way we look at the human person (starting with ourselves). Orthodoxy shows us how to be transformed by the renewing of our mind--a process that is aided by participation in the traditional ascetic practices and Mysteries of the Church. In this unique and accessible book, Archimandrite Meletios Webber first explores the role of mystery in the Christian life, then walks the reader through the seven major Mysteries (or sacraments) of the Orthodox Church, showing the way to a richer, fuller life in Christ.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781888212914
Publisher:	Ancient Faith Publishing
Publication date:	10/01/2007
Pages:	202
Sales rank:	605,257
Product dimensions:	6.56(w) x 9.01(h) x 0.48(d)

About the Author

Fr. Meletios Webber is an Orthodox priest, and resides in the Netherlands. He graduated with a degree in theology from the University of Oxford. Fr. Mel also has a doctorate in counseling and many years of experience as a therapist. He is the author of Steps of Transformation: An Orthodox Priest Examines the Twelve Steps (Conciliar Press, 2003).

Table of Contents

Part I: Life as Mystery

Chapter 1: The Mind, the Heart & Mystery 9

Something Is Obviously Wrong 11 / The Mind and the Nous 11 / What Does Fragmentation Look Like? 15 / What the Mind Does 17 / The Present Moment 19 / The Price of Fragmenta­tion 22 / The Heart 24 / Finding Healing 26

Chapter 2: Orthodoxy—A Relationship with God 29

Developing a Relationship with God 30 / Relationship and Identity 32 / Relating to God as Person or Power 35 / Relationship and the Fall 37 / Humanity and Divinity Meet 41 / God’s Desire for Relationship 43 / Images of God 46 / Aspects of Our Relationship with God 48 / Entering the Mystery 49

Chapter 3: Distraction & Prayer 51

Intercession 56 / Prayer in the Liturgy 59 / The Divine Liturgy and Language 60 / Points to Watch 63 / Bible Reading 66

Chapter 4: Askesis—Making the Sanctified Effort 71

Why Do We Fast? 72 / How Do We Fast? 74 / The Physical Dimension of Prayer 76

Chapter 5: The Sanctification of Time 79

The Mystery of the Present Moment 80 / The Sanctification of Time 81 / Cycles of Time in the Services 83 / Time in the Life of the Church 85 / Blessing the Present Moment 87

Chapter 6: Sacred Places for Sacred People 91

Who We Are in Church 91 / The Parts of the Church Building 93 / Being Present in the Liturgy 98

Chapter 7: Icons & the Incarnation 101

The Icon as a Safeguard against Heresy 102 / Icons as God-­Bearers 104

Part II: The Mysteries of the Church

Chapter 8: Birth & Baptism 111

The Symbolism of Water 114 / Why Do We Baptize? 116 / The Baptismal Service 119

Chapter 9: The Mystery of Chrismation 131

Marked for the Kingdom 131 / One Mystery in Two 134

Chapter 10: Divine Liturgy & Holy Communion 137

The Service of the Divine Liturgy 140 / The Divine Liturgy and Silence 146

Chapter 11: The Mystery of Confession & Forgiveness 147

The Context of Confession 148 / The Content of Confession 151 / Sin and Responsibility 153 / Confession as Reconciliation 155 / Penance, Canons, & Punishment 158

Chapter 12: The Mystery of the Anointing of the Sick 161

The Purpose of Illness 162

Chapter 13: The Mystery of Marriage 169

Marriage and Society 170 / The Marriage Service 174 / A Pause for Consideration 178

Chapter 14: The Mystery of Ordination 181

The Candidate for Ordination 182 / On Clericalism 185 / The Basis of Ministry 186 / The Deacon 188 / The Priest 189 / The Bishop 192

Postscript 195