Liturgy Lesson for the Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity: Developing Spiritual Skills
October 10, 2008
Church Fathers, keeping with ancient Jewish tradition, included the Offices of Instruction in our prayerbook to provide a basic framework for teaching candidates for Baptism and Confirmation Christian essentials. But that’s not their only purpose. The entire congregation needs to revisit their principles regularly. Called catechism—this instruction—questioning and answering—is Scriptural, found in St. Luke 1:4: ” …so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.” In Acts 28:25, Apollo is “instructed [katechemenos] in the way of the Lord”. St. Paul uses the word twice: first, in 1 Corinthians 14:19, “I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may instruct [katecheso] others also,” and then, in Galatians 6:6, “Let him that is instructed [ho katechoumenos] in the word, communicate to him that instructeth [to katechounti] him, in all good things.” Clearly, we must be trained—actively involved, validating that training by queries. But this doesn’t meet our need for Christian training but only the barest rudiments. St. Paul instructed St. Timothy to “Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.” This means, to be effective, we must develop our spiritual skills—in real, structured Christian training, beyond simple catechism, not “forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,” but in the company of God’s people and Spirit, learning His Word and what it means to our lives. We need Sunday School and Bible study—now!
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