PARISH EDUCATION PROGRAM (P.E.P.) 2006-2007 WINTER-SPRING SESSION

  Session 119

GUEST SPEAKER 1 - DELAYED –

ALTERNATE THEME

“THE PARABLE OF THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS”

Friday, October 6, 2006 – 2:00-4:00 P.M

 

OPENING PRAYER: PSALM 49
 

[1] Hear this, all peoples! Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, [2] both low and high, rich and poor together! [3] My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding. [4] I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre. [5] Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me, [6] men who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches? [7] Truly no man can ransom himself, or give to God the price of his life, [8] for the ransom of his life is costly, and can never suffice, [9] that he should continue to live on for ever, and never see the Pit. [10] Yea, he shall see that even the wise die, the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others. [11] Their graves are their homes for ever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they named lands their own.

  

[12] Man cannot abide in his pomp, he is like the beasts that perish. [13] This is the fate of those who have foolish confidence, the end of those who are pleased with their portion. [14] Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd; straight to the grave they descend, and their form shall waste away; Sheol shall be their home. [15] But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. [16] Be not afraid when one becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. [17] For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him. [18] Though, while he lives, he counts himself happy, and though a man gets praise when he does well for himself, [19] he will go to the generation of his fathers, who will never more see the light. [20] Man cannot abide in his pomp, he is like the beasts that perish.

 

I. BIBLICAL REFLECTION:

   Last Week’s Memory Verse Psalm 48:14 : “This is God, our God for ever and ever. He will be our guide forever”

 

   Messages for our Christian Life in Christ drawn from Psalm 49.

 

   Selection of memory verse.

   

II. OUR GUEST SPEAKER, FR. NICHOLAS NICHOLS DELAYED

 

III. IN THE PLACE OF HIS PRESENTATION – A DISCUSSION OF THE PARABLE OF THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS

   Luke 16:19-31 "Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day. A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Yes, even the dogs came and licked his sores. It happened that the beggar died, and that he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried. In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom. He cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame.’ "But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in like manner, bad things. But now here he is comforted and you are in anguish. Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’ He said, ‘I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house; for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, so they won’t also come into this place of torment.’ "But Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ "He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ "He said to him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.’"

Discussion Questions

Interpretation:

What was implied by the life of the Rich Man and the life of Lazarus?

What does this story tell us about the “end times?”

What does it tell us about salvation?

What does it tell about heaven and hell?

Why do you suppose the brothers would not have been convinced even if Lazarus was raised from the dead?
Was there ever a "Lazarus" raised from the dead? (John 11)
What effect did it have on the skeptics? (John 12:9-11)

What does “great gulf” imply?

What does“none may cross over from there to us” imply?

What do Jesus’ words “neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead” teach us?


Comments

   There are those who object to the illustration of the afterlife that Jesus presents here. There are those who propose that this is only a story and therefore is not necessarily true to life.  However, notice that all of Jesus' other stories and parables were true to life.  He doesn't use science-fiction scenarios in his stories.  He presented the after-life the way it actually was. The Orthodox Church understands this story as being true to life. There are two destinies for all human beings: Heaven or Hell. There is no place in between.

   Among the Jews of Jesus’ time, the afterlife was referred to as Hades and was composed of two parts. One for the unrighteous, which is often called "Hell", and the other for the righteous which is referred to as "Abraham's Bosom" in this parable, or which may also be called "Paradise" along the lines of Jesus promise to the thief on the cross to whom he promised "Today you will be with me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43).

   There are only these two sections and nothing in between. There is no one half-righteous and half-unrighteous. There is no one half-born of God. "He who has the son has life. He who does not have the son of God does not have life" (1 John 5:12). Those who have been baptized, share in the sacramental life, live in communion with the Lord, and place their trust in the Lord daily through prayer and obedience to His will and struggle to fight evil in their lives and practice virtuous living, transform their lives so that they grow in the image and likeness of God, reaching a point of God-likeness. That is why we live lives of continuous repentance and constant turning to the Lord. Those who do this are the righteous of the Lord, their sins being forgiven and their lives blessed by the presence of the Holy Spirit. They have been saved by sharing in the redeeming Death and Resurrection of Christ; they are being saved in their daily walk of faith and participation in the sacramental life; and they shall be saved when the time comes to meet the Lord. In Heaven they are in the presence of the Living God and enjoy the blessings of life eternal. Hell is the absence of all that really is. It is the absence of all goodness; dark and unloving and a burning experience of separation from God and others.

 

IV. QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION.

 

V. NEXT WEEK

     Oct. 13  - Liturgical & Feastday Text – 1 Video of St. Demetrios

                 Vesper and Orthros Hymns of the Feast of St. Demetrios

 

      Attached: Final Schedule for the P.E.P. 2006-2007 Season

 

CONCLUDING PRAYER

From the Vespers of the Sunday of the Last Judgment – 5th Sunday of Great Lent

 

Dear Lord,

     “The trumpets shall sound and the tombs shall be emptied, and all humankind in trembling shall be raised. Those that have done good shall rejoice in gladness, awaiting their reward; those that have sinned shall tremble and bitterly lament, as they are sent to punishment and parted from the chosen. O Lord of glory, take pity on us in Your goodness, and count us worthy of a place with them that have loved You.”

 

     “Knowing the commandments of the Lord, let this be our way of life: let us feed the hungry, let us give the thirsty drink, let us clothe the naked, let us welcome strangers, let us visit those in prison and the sick. Then the Judge of all the earth will say even to us: ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you.’”

Amen.

 

NOTE: Our guest speaker was delayed in arriving until after the session was over. We presented him with an icon of the Presentation of Christ and invited him to join us for dinner as our guest at the Marine Post Friday night dinner on Sunshine Grove Road where we enjoyed a delicious fish dinner. We will reschedule his presentation, most likely on March  2, 2007 –the  second Week of Lent followed by the service of the  Salutations It will be Bible Study – 4    Fr. Nick Nicols – “End Times in the Orthodox Church’s Teaching.”

 

 

CHRIST THE SAVIOR GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF HERNANDO COUNTY, FL

PARISH EDUCATION PROGRAM (P.E.P.)

 

SCHEDULE:  FALL – SPRING SESSIONS 2006-2007

 

2006

 

Sept. 22 – Video “Byzantium” – Planning Session

Sept. 29 – Bible Study -1 ญญญญญญญญญญ   Parable of the Sower – Luke 8:4-15

Oct. 6 – Guest Speaker -1  Fr. Nichols Delayed / “Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus”

Oct. 13  - Liturgical & Feastday Text – 1 Video of St. Demetrios

                 Vesper and Orthros Hymns of the Feast of St. Demetrios

Oct. 20  - Passage from Church Father – 1 Passages from St. Ignatios

Oct. 27  - Contemporary Issue – 1   Islam & Christianity

Nov. 3  - Video -2     Video “Where God Walked: Mt. Sinai”

Nov. 10 – Bible Study -2   Parable of the Ten Virgins 

Nov. 17 – Guest Speaker -2   Fr. Michael Shuster of Holy Trinity Church,

                 Spring Hill, FL – “The  Carpathian Orthodox Church”

Nov. 24  - No Meeting of P.E.P. – Thanksgiving Weekend

Dec. 1 – Liturgical & Feastday Text -2 Video of St. Nicholas; Vesper and

              Orthros Hymns of the Feasts of St. Andrew and St. Nicholas

Dec. 8 - Passage from Church Father -2    Passages from St. Basil the Great

Dec. 15 – Contemporary Issue – 2    Inter-Faith Marriage

Dec. 22 – No Meeting of P.E.P. – Christmas Weekend

Dec. 29 – No Meeting of P.E.P. – New Year Weekend

 

2007

Jan. 5 – No Meeting of P.E.P. – Eve of Epiphany

Jan. 12 – Video -3  “A Conversation With Bishop Kallistos”

Jan. 19 – Bible Study – 3  Parable of the Good Samaritan

Jan. 26 – Guest Speaker – 3   Fr. Michael Petrides of St. George

              Church, New Port Richey – “The  Christian and Money”

     

Feb. 2  Feast Day of the Presentation of Christ

–        Liturgical & Feastday Text  Vesper and Orthros Hymns of

      the Feast of the Presentation of Christ at the Temple

                                                   

Feb. 9 – Passages From a Church Father – 3    St. John Chrysostom

Feb. 16 – Contemporary Issue -3  Health Issues: Medicine and the Christian Faith

Feb. 23 – First Week of Lent – Salutations  

             - Video – 4  “The Fourth Wise Man”

 

Mar. 2 – Second Week of Lent – Salutations

             - Bible Study – 4    Fr. Nick Nicols – End Times in the Orthodox Church’s Teaching

Mar. 9 – Third Week of Lent – Salutations

             - Guest Speaker – 4    Fr. Jerry Murphy – “Bioethics and the Orthodox Church”

Mar. 16 – Fourth Week of Lent – Salutations

-         Liturgical & Feastday Text – 4    The Hymns of the Salutations Services

Mar. 23 – Fifth Week of Lent – Akathist Hymn

             -  Passages From a Church Father – 4    St. Cyril of Alexandria

Mar. 30 – Sixth Week of Lent – Pre-Sanctified Liturgy

-         Contemporary Issue – 4   Language in Worship

 

Apr. 6 – No Meeting of  P.E.P. Great and Holy Friday

Apr. 13 – Video – 5  Video of St. Nektarios

Apr. 20 – Bible Study – 5    The Parable of the Mustard Seed

Apr. 27 – Guest Speaker – 5     Fr. Ioannis Vernikos of St. Michael the Archangel

               Church, Lecanto – “Orthodox Christianity in Africa.”

                                   

May 4 – Liturgical & Feastday Text – 5   The Vespers and Orthros of Pentecost

May 11 – Passages from Church Father – 5    St. John of Damascus

May 18 – Contemporary Issue – 5    Married and Unmarried Clergy

May 25 – Concluding Social Event. Assessment of Season. Suggestions for Next Season.

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