Thirsting for GOD in a Land of Shallow Wells.

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Scotth1960

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#1

"Understanding Sacraments"

"Most Christians, of course, are familiar with the word sacrament. Many even know that

the ancient Church generally identifies seven major sacraments: Baptism, Chrismation

(anointing for receiving the Holy Spirit), the Holy Eucharist (Communion), Confession

(otherwise called the Sacrament of Repentance, Ordination, Marriage (yes, marriage is a

sacrament!), and Holy Unction (anointing with oil for healing).

"These are the seven major sacraments, so to speak. They are acts, biblical acts, in which

we experience God and His grace. But there are many other practices of the Faith that

could be considered sacramental. In fact, an Orthodox believer would say that the whole

Christian life is sacramental. Prayer, fasting, the reading of the Scriptures, and the

veneration of saints are among the many other Spirit-inspired acts that Orthodox

Christianity has preserved since the days of the Apostles. They shape literally every

aspect of an Orthodox believer's life: his work, his play, his eating, his sleeping, his

relationships, even his sense of time -- all are ordered by sacramental acts of communion

with God.

"Again, from the greatest to the smallest, the thing that all of these worship practices

have in common is that they are actions. They are not ideas, or beliefs, or doctrines, or

concepts. They are the keys to an experiential relationship with Christ in His Holy Church.
...

"Unfortunately, even the Protestant who wants to understand these things faces a

formidable obstacle. You see, there are ways in which the sacramental path and the path

of Protestant rationalism move in opposite directions. For instance, for a Protestant,

spiritual experience is a result of spiritual understanding. Conversely, for an Orthodox

Christians, spiritual understanding is a result of spiritual experience. ..." (pages 78-79:

Thirsting for GOD in a Land of Shallow Wells. by Matthew Gallatin. Ben Lomond, CA:

Conciliar Press, 2002.

Conciliar Press
P.O. Box 76
Ben Lomond, CA 95005-0076

Matthew Gallatin is a former Seventh-day Adventist who became an Eastern Orthodox

Christian.

God bless us. Amen. In Erie PA USA June 2011 AD Scott R. Harrington

 
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