Thursday, January 10, 2013

Orthodox Young Adult Book Club continues in 2013

Young Adult Ministries of Greater Houston is hosting its 3rd installment of our Orthodox Young Adult Book Club. Join us on Wednesday evenings (beginning January 23) at St George Antiochian Orthodox Church at 7:00p (Daily Vespers at 6:30p).

We will set up a "hosting" schedule at our first gathering for the remainder of our sessions. The book selection is The Beginnings of a Life of Prayer by Archimandrite Irenei. You can read his Bio HERE. This work is available in our St George Bookstore for $12.00 per copy. Please confirm with Paul Fuller of your participation, so we know how many books we need for the group.



Below is the book description from the backcover:

"The beginnings of prayer arise from the longing of the heart to know God, to rest in Him Who showed His love upon the precious Cross, to abide in the fullness of communion with Him. In the present book - a primer on prayer - Archimandrite Irenei first prepares the ground by helping us to count the cost (Luke 14:28) of our lives as Christians, to take stock of the spiritual struggle we must undertake if we are to ascend toward God in prayer. Then, based on a sober appraisal of our lowly condition and of the worldly and demonic influences that assail us, he helps us to adorn our inward beings as temples of prayer.

With an eye ever on the practical application of Orthodox Christian teaching to the spiritual life, the author raises our minds and hearts to a greater awareness of the holiness and majesty of God, and at the same time of the potential for us - unworthy though we are - to enter into intimate communion with Him. This awareness inspires us to explore with the author the depths of prayer, and to strive more fervently toward eternal life in Christ - the end for which we have been created."

Book Club Discussion Schedule (Wednesday evenings at 7p):

*January 23:  Introduction & The Call of Christ toward Self-Examination [pp. 7-19]
*January 30:  Attending to our Struggles [pp. 20-35]
*February 6:   Attending to our Struggles (continue) & The Transformative
Power of the Attentive Heart [pp. 35-54]
*
February 13:  The Beginnings of Prayer [pp. 57-70]

*February 20:  A Century of Prayer & Watchfulness [pp. 71-92]   
*February 27:  Second Century on Prayer – On the Preparation of the
Mind & Heart [pp. 93-109]
*March 6:  A Second Century on Prayer & A Postscript – Prayer & the Cross [pp. 109-122]

For more information, please contact Paul Fuller, Youth & Young Adult Director of St George (paulf518@yahoo.com) and visit our Facebook Group: "Young Adult Ministries in Houston TX."

- A Day in the Life of the Youth Director

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