On the Sacraments: the Sacrament of Chrismation

This post is part of a series about the sacraments of the Orthodox Christian Church. In this post, we will look at the Orthodox Christian sacrament of  Chrismation.

The word “Chrismation” is from the Greek “Chrismatis,” which means anointing. The Orthodox Study Bible defines Chrismation as “The sacrament completing Baptism, whereby one receives the gift of the Holy Spirit through anointing with the Chrism, a specially prepared oil which must be consecrated by a bishop. In Acts, a baptized Christian received the gift of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of the hands of an apostle (See Acts 8:14-17; 19:6.) Chrismation is a continuation of this ancient practice in the Church. (1, p. 1777)

In the Orthodox Church, Chrismation takes place immediately after the sacrament of Baptism. The newly-baptized person is anointed with a specially-blessed oil called Chrism, on many different parts of their body. During the anointing, the priest says, “The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit,” and congregants reply, “Seal!”

Fr. Michael Buben offers insights into the reasoning for anointing each part of the body during chrismation, in his article “What is Holy Communion?,” published in Word magazine in Feb. 1962. “The anointing of the forehead signifies the sanctification of the mind, or thoughts. The anointing of the chest signifies the sanctification of the heart, or desires. The anointing of the eyes, ears, lips signifies the sanctification of the senses. The anointing of the hands and feet signifies their sanctification to good works and the walk in the way of His commandments.” (2) In other words, every part of our life becomes sanctified and sealed through Chrismation! This mystery of the Church sets us apart while also strengthening us to live a holy Christian life.

Glory to God for His gift of the sacrament of Chrismation!

Sources:
1. Various editors. (2008). The Orthodox Study Bible. USA: St. Athanasius Academy of Orthodox Theology. (available here: http://store.ancientfaith.com/osb-hardcover )

2. Buben, Fr. Michael J. (Feb. 1962 Word, p. 5) What Is Holy Chrismation?. Retrieved from http://ww1.antiochian.org/Orthodox_Church_Who_What_Where_Why/What_Is_Holy_Chrismation.htm.

Here are some ideas of ways that you can help your students learn about the sacrament of Chrismation. What resources have you found helpful? Comment below to share them with the community!

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The Teaching Pics ( http://ww1.antiochian.org/christianeducation/teachingpics) offer a series of pictures on baptism that can be very helpful as you teach a lesson on the subject to any age group. Picture S5 shows and explains Chrismation exactly where it belongs, in the context of baptism. The text that accompanies the photo explains the process well at a level that even young children can understand. Find the entire set of teaching pics here: http://orthodoxchristianed.com/files/4114/9885/4473/ocec2017_2018.pdf

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Find lessons on the sacrament of Christmation for every level, here: http://orthodoxsundayschool.org/epistles-feasts-and-sacraments/3-5-years-old/chrismation

http://orthodoxsundayschool.org/epistles-feasts-and-sacraments/6-9-years-old/chrismation

http://orthodoxsundayschool.org/epistles-feasts-and-sacraments/10-12-years-old/chrismation

http://orthodoxsundayschool.org/epistles-feasts-and-sacraments/middle-school/chrismation

http://orthodoxsundayschool.org/epistles-feasts-and-sacraments/high-school/chrismation

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After a class on the sacrament of Chrismation, you may want to send your younger students home with printed copies of these activities that can be done with their family at home. The activities will help the students and their families to keep learning about their own chrismation: http://orthodoxsundayschool.org/epistles-feasts-and-sacraments/3-5-years-old/chrismation-0

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Middle years students will benefit from the information and activities related to the sacrament of Chrismation in lessons 8-10 of “Our Life in the Church,” a 5th grade curriculum of the Orthodox Christian Education Commission. Both student and teacher materials are available here: http://orthodoxchristianed.com/files/4114/9885/4473/ocec2017_2018.pdf

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Teachers of older students may want to share this article, written in Q&A style by His Grace Bishop Michael,  Bishop of New York & the Diocese of New York and New Jersey, with their class as you discuss the Sacrament of Chrismation: https://churchmotherofgod.org/articleschurch/videos/3176-mystery-of-holy-chrismation-7-questions-7-answers.html Consider printing a copy of the article and cutting it into individual questions. Ask the questions, one at a time, in order, without letting the students see the bishop’s answers. Allow students to give their own answers, and discuss those answers. Then hand the piece of the article to a student to share Bishop Michael’s answer to that particular question. Invite the class to share insights they gain from hearing both the bishop’s and each other’s answers.

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Give your older students a “behind the scenes tour” of how the chrism is prepared by reading this article together. Before reading, ask a few questions to pique their curiosity. You could ask questions like who prepares the chrism; how often; how many ingredients go into it (resist the temptation to bring in a bottle of Heinz sauce: that’ll give it away!); for what is holy myrrh used; and by what other names is the sacrament of chrismation known? Then read this article together (or round-robin). http://saintandrewgoc.org/home/2016/11/18/the-holy-mysteries-sacraments-the-mystery-sacrament-of-chrismation?rq=sacraments After the reading, ask the questions again and see how many more you can all now answer!
(You may also wish to peruse the photos taken during the preparation of the chrism and shared here: https://stots.edu/public/sv/gallery.php?ssid=753)

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On Philippians 4:13: “I Can Do All Things Through Christ, Who Strengthens Me”

Note: This week’s post features the theme for the 2019 Creative Arts Festival of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese. Philippians 4:13 graces the archway to the Antiochian Village Camp, a place where children, adults, and clergy meet together to play, hang out, worship, and be transformed together. This verse is an excellent scripture for all of us to live by and to learn, whether or not we have been to the Antiochian Village!

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

This verse shows up time and again in Christian circles, usually implying that whatever we do, Christ will give us the strength to do it. It is true: He does! But perhaps this verse is about more than us getting the power from Christ that we need to accomplish/succeed in the things that we want to do. Could it mean more than just that?

It is helpful to study Bible footnotes to get additional information about specific passages, so we went to our Orthodox Study Bible (OSB) and looked up Philippians 4:13. The OSB offers a footnote on the verse. To be more precise, the footnote is about this verse as well as the two before it. The footnote on p. 1616 reads, “Here is the secret of contentment.” And that’s all it says!

At first glance, this seems a diminished notation of what is, in some Christian circles at least, one of the most popular verses in the Bible. But this little footnote forces us to actually look at those preceding verses. When we read them, not only does the footnote make sense, but we also can begin to understand verse 13 in its intended context. When we do that, we see that the footnote is spot on.

Philippians 4:11-13 reads, “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” The passage speaks to success and accomplishment, yes, but it also is talking about emptiness and need. And St. Paul says, “I can do all things” (both success/accomplishment and emptiness/need) “through Christ who strengthens me.” In context, the verse is so much more than we thought it to be!

Now that we know the context, we can understand why Philippians 4:13 is such an appropriate verse to have on the arch at the gateway to the Antiochian Village Camp. It reminds all who enter the camp that our whole life is powered by Christ. Time at the Antiochian Village Camp offers the opportunity to connect with Christ and His Church in a special way, which “recharges” all who pass through that arch. At the same time, the verse reminds all who leave there that, regardless of what they face away from that place, Christ is with them to give them strength. And those who have studied the context of the verse know that it is also a nod to choosing contentment in whatever state we find ourselves.

Children participating in the Antiochian Archdiocese’s Creative Arts festival this year will have their choice of subject matter, ranging from the Antiochian Village to how camp has changed them to how God strengthens us to asking God to help us. And of course, thanks to that little footnote, they can also focus their project on choosing contentment in all circumstances!

Here are some ideas of ways to help your students learn about Philippians 4:13 and the Creative Arts Festival as a whole:

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Find a lesson for grades 1-3, focusing on the Creative Arts Festival theme, here: https://antiochianprodsa.blob.core.windows.net/websiteattachments/2019%20CF%20Lesson%20Plan%20Grades%201-3.pdf

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Find a lesson for grades 4-6, focusing on the Creative Arts Festival theme, here: https://antiochianprodsa.blob.core.windows.net/websiteattachments/2019%20CF%20lesson%20plan%20Grades%204-6.pdf

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Find a lesson for middle and high school students, focusing on the Creative Arts Festival theme, here: https://antiochianprodsa.blob.core.windows.net/websiteattachments/2019%20MS%20HS%20Creative%20Festival%20Lesson%20Plan%20Final.pdf

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This science experiment/object lesson demonstrates Philippians 4:13 using some twine, a straw, some tape, and a balloon (and a bit of explanation!). https://www.christianitycove.com/try-this-balloon-experiment-to-show-how-god-helps-direct-our-spiritual-energy-0907/1030/

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Find additional ideas that you can add to a lesson on Philippians 4: 13 and/or the Creative Arts Festival in general, here (we especially like the 10-finger prayer method of learning the verse!): http://ww1.antiochian.org/festivals/cf/using-the-theme-2019

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On this page, there are a beautiful variety of printable coloring pages featuring Philippians 4:13: http://www.widewallpapers.org/philippians-4-13-coloring-page/

This version includes the verses immediately before, and thereby offers some context for the verse: https://coloringpagesbymradron.blogspot.com/2018/01/philippians-413-print-and-color-page-i.html

And this version has a “camp-y” feel to it.

On the Sacraments: the Sacrament of Baptism

This post is part of a series about the sacraments of the Orthodox Christian Church. In this post, we will look at the Orthodox Christian Sacrament of Baptism.

Baptism is the first sacrament or mystery that we encounter in our Orthodox Christian life. It is the door through which Orthodox Christians enter into the Church. Stepping into the life of the Church through baptism enables us to experience all of the other sacraments. Our baptism marks the beginning of our death to ourselves, and the glorious unification of our soul with Christ.

The “Orthodox Study Bible” defines baptism as “The sacrament whereby one is born again, buried with Christ, resurrected with Him and united to Him. In baptism, one becomes a Christian and is joined to the Church.” (p. 1776) It continues by discussing Christ’s baptism. His baptism was significant because of its effect on the physical world. Our Lord’s baptism made water become holy, and now water can be used as the means for the Holy Spirit to grant us new life!

We begin the sacrament of baptism with the exorcism, wherein the person to be baptized (or their godparents, on their behalf) rejects Satan and unites themself instead to Christ. Prayers for the consecration of the water happen next, then the anointing by oil of the person to be baptized. After that comes the triple immersion, where the person is baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The newly-baptized person is then chrismated, given the gift of the Holy Spirit through the Holy Chrism which is used to anoint them. After the newly-baptized person has been chrismated, they are tonsured. Tonsuring (cutting bits of hair and burning them as an offering to the Lord) shows that the newly baptized person is willing to be obedient to Christ and sacrifice to Him. Following the tonsuring, there is a procession wherein the newly baptized person and his/her Godparents process around the font and/or table. This procession is a sign of spiritual rejoicing, and it’s done in a circle because God is never ending, as is a circle. The baptismal service culminates in communion. The Eucharist is a physical way in which Christians can mystically be united with Christ, and the freshly-baptized person is now so thoroughly transformed that they are able to meet and receive Him through the Eucharist.

St. Gregory of Nyssa called the baptismal font “both tomb and mother,” a picture that helps us grasp the importance of the sacrament of baptism. At the moment of our baptism, we die to ourselves, and in the same instant we are born into life in Christ and His Church.

Glory to God for His gift of the sacrament of baptism!

Here are some scriptures and quotes from Church Fathers on baptism, as well as a few resources that you may find interesting and helpful as you study this important sacrament. What baptism resources have you found helpful? Comment below and share them with the community!

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Teachers of young children may want to use this lesson plan and printables to help their students learn more about baptism: http://www.orthodoxabc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/013-EN-ed02_Holy-Baptism.pdf

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The Teaching Pics ( http://ww1.antiochian.org/christianeducation/teachingpics) offer a series of pictures on baptism that can be very helpful as you teach a lesson on the subject to any age group. Pictures S1 – S8 show the significant events of a baptism. The text that goes with each picture explains the process well. If you do not already have them, you can order the teaching pics here: http://orthodoxchristianed.com/files/4114/9885/4473/ocec2017_2018.pdf

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This book can help younger students learn about their baptism: http://orthodoxchildrensbooks.com/eng/index.php/Baptism-Chrismation/View-all-products.html

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Dr. Pat’s Orthodox Super Sunday School Curriculum offers free online lessons. Here are links to lessons on baptism for each age group:

For ages 3-5: http://orthodoxsundayschool.org/epistles-feasts-and-sacraments/3-5-years-old/baptism-0

For ages 6-9: http://orthodoxsundayschool.org/epistles-feasts-and-sacraments/6-9-years-old/baptism

For ages 10-12: http://orthodoxsundayschool.org/epistles-feasts-and-sacraments/10-12-years-old/baptism

For middle school students: http://orthodoxsundayschool.org/epistles-feasts-and-sacraments/middle-school/baptism

For high school students: http://orthodoxsundayschool.org/epistles-feasts-and-sacraments/high-school/baptism

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Other Christians with whom our students interact have vastly different beliefs about baptism and its importance, so it is imperative that we help our students to know what baptism is, how it works, why we practice it even with infants, and how vital it is to our life in Christ! Invite older students to read this article during a class on the sacrament of baptism: http://ww1.antiochian.org/content/infant-baptism-what-church-believes. After reading it, challenge the students to read at least one of the biblical accounts of baptism listed in the article, and to make a list of 3 things they didn’t know about baptism or found interesting.

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What difference does our baptism make in our life? This article shares two accounts of the power of baptism. Teachers will be encouraged in their own faith by reading these accounts. Perhaps older students will enjoy reading these accounts, as well, if you decide to incorporate them into a lesson on baptism. http://orthochristian.com/80501.html

 

On the Sacraments

This is the first in a series of posts about the sacraments of the Orthodox Christian Church.

We hear about the Sacraments, and we know that they are part of our life in the church. Do we really know what the Sacraments are? If we do, is there more that we can learn about them? Whether we’re new converts, or we’ve been Orthodox our whole life, could there be a way for us to more fully enter into the Sacraments of the church? This series of posts will take a closer look at the Sacraments to help us begin!

So what, exactly, are the Sacraments? The glossary of the Orthodox Christian Education Commission’s wonderful student book, “The Way the Truth and the Life,” does not offer a definition for “Sacrament.” In that space, it simply says, “see Mystery.” The Orthodox Study Bible‘s glossary agrees, listing the following definition for “Sacrament:” “Literally, a ‘Mystery’. A Sacrament is a way in which God imparts grace to His people. Orthodox Christians frequently  speak of seven sacraments, but God’s gift of grace is not limited only to these seven—the entire life of the Church is mystical and sacramental…” (2. p. 1786) It goes on to list some of the Mysteries that the Orthodox Church recognizes: Baptism, Chrismation, Eucharist, Confession, Ordination, Marriage, and Healing or Unction. In each of these Mysteries, we rely on the Holy Spirit to work a change in us. “The Way the Truth and the Life” explains the use of the word “Mystery” in lieu of “Sacrament” as follows: “The Greek word mysterion was used by the Church Fathers to describe these acts. The word was translated to Latin as ‘sacrament’.” (1, p. 173) The Latin word for holy is “sacred,” so the Sacraments are all about making us holy.

Fr. Thomas Hopko of blessed memory once wrote that Orthodox tradition does not limit the Sacraments to the seven listed above. Rather, “The more ancient and traditional practice of the Orthodox Church is to consider everything which is in and of the Church as sacramental or mystical. The Church may be defined as the new life in Christ. It is man’s life lived by the Holy Spirit in union with God. All aspects of the new life of the Church participate in the mystery of salvation. In Christ and the Holy Spirit everything which is sinful and dead becomes holy and alive by the power of God the Father. And so in Christ and the Holy Spirit everything in the Church becomes a Sacrament, an element of the mystery of the Kingdom of God as it is already being experienced in the life of this world.” (3)

So, whether we use the word “Sacrament” or “Mystery,” and whether we count seven of them or more, our Orthodox Christian life should be pushing us towards increased holiness! May we be mindful of that reality, and press on to become ever more holy, by the grace of God. As we do so, we will encourage and enable others to help us, and to join us.

Sources:

1. Hopko, Fr. Thomas (2011, October 5). The Sacraments. Retrieved from http://ww1.antiochian.org/sacraments.
2. Various editors. (2008). The Orthodox Study Bible. USA: St. Athanasius Academy of Orthodox Theology. (available here: http://store.ancientfaith.com/osb-hardcover)
3. Various editors. (2005). The Way the Truth the Life. Yonkers, NY: Orthodox Christian Education Commission. (available here: https://store.antiochianvillage.org/The-Way-The-Truth-and-the-Life-Student-s-Edition.html)

Here are some links and ideas of ways to help our Sunday Church School students to learn more about the Sacraments:

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Find illustrations of the sacraments on these puzzle blocks. http://store.ancientfaith.com/orthodox-block-puzzle-the-holy-sacraments-of-the-orthodox-church/ Teachers of young students may find that solving the puzzles with students is one way to introduce the idea of the sacraments to their class.

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This picture book offers an overview of the sacraments, as well as an explanation of each. Teachers of younger Sunday Church School students may find it helpful in introducing a series of lessons about the sacraments: https://www.amazon.com/Christina-Learns-Sacraments-Maria-C-Khoury/dp/B007EVO56S

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This “Be the Bee” episode (#119, “What is a Sacrament?”) takes a look at the sacraments and helps its viewers begin to better understand them. https://youtu.be/JN20cpM6zpQ It would be a great way for Sunday Church School teachers to introduce their students to the sacraments and begin to discuss what they are and how they help our Christian life.

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Orthodox ABC offers several lessons (with printables!) about the sacraments. Find them here: http://www.orthodoxabc.com/faith-sacraments/

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Find lessons about each sacrament at every age/grade level, here: http://orthodoxsundayschool.org/epistles-feasts

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This printable image offers a short definition of each sacrament, as well as a scripture verse related to each one. Teachers of middle-years or older students may wish to refer to it as they introduce the sacraments to their students: http://orthodoxsundayschoolresources.tumblr.com/post/35064918375/the-seven-sacraments-of-the-orthodox-church-click

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“Most of the Sacraments use a portion of the material of creation as an outward and visible sign of God’s revelation. Water, oil, bread and wine are but a few of the many elements which the Orthodox Church employs in her Worship. The frequent use of the material of creation reminds us that matter is good and can become a medium of the Spirit. Most importantly, it affirms the central truth of the Orthodox Christian faith: that God became flesh in Jesus Christ and entered into the midst of creation thereby redirecting the cosmos toward its vocation to glorify its Creator.”

 

Share this quote with older Sunday Church School students. Invite them to think of ways in which something material is transformed in each of the sacraments. Challenge them to look for the ways God transforms their life through each sacrament. (the quote comes from this article: https://www.goarch.org/-/the-sacraments)

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