Entering The Oriental Orthodox Order in the West

The Oriental Orthodox Order in the West has come into existence in the 21^st century from a movement of Christianity that began in its first century. The form of Christianity which emerged in the Middle East and traveled east into Asia, provides the foundations for the Order which offers itself to contemporary men and women in the West today as a path of Spirit sensitive to our current age. Typically, association with the Order will come from those who have already established a relationship with various groups across North America studying the Wisdom tradition or who have participated in a Wisdom School.

How to Begin

The process of entering the Order begins with this question, “Is it essential or even important that I become a member of this Order?” If after reading Introducing the Oriental Orthodox Order in the West you have a strong interest in the Order and its purpose, and you can answer “yes” to the first question and most of the questions below, participation in the Order may be an important step for you.

Do I have an eagerness to learn and grow?
Am I hungry and thirsty for God?
Do I feel drawn to the tradition of wisdom and the visionary teachings of Jesus?
Am I attracted to the inner tradition of mystical Christianity?
Do I need the support of a community of fellow pilgrims on a similar path to my own who will support me in the difficult process of spiritual transformation?
Do I need some form of structure and accountability in order to complete the spiritual journey I have already begun?
Do I value the whole tradition of Christianity as it has expressed itself through the centuries, multi-culturally?
Do I feel myself to be a “world Christian?”
Do I long for a fuller understanding of Truth made known not only by my own but other faith traditions as well?
Do I believe that spiritual humanity can accomplish more together than they can alone?
Do I have a spirit of adventure and am I willing to strike out in a new direction with the excitement and risks that this may entail?
Do I sense that an alternative form of Christianity and its practice needs to be made real and actualized by me in our own day?

Statement of Intent

If you are seriously interested in associating with the Oriental Orthodox Order in the West, we ask you to contact one of its Abbots and begin a relationship of discernment as part of an ongoing dialogue in which you can become better acquainted with the Order and its possibilities for you. In a written Statement of Intent make it known to one of its Abbots that you desire to join the Order. In that letter describe in more detail why you feel personally drawn to associate with the Order at this point in your life.

Period of Discernment

After the Statement of Intent has been received, you and an Abbot of the Order can set a time and place for a personal interview. During that interview there will be opportunity for you to ask many of the questions you have about the Order and its place in your life, as well as for the Abbot to get to know more about you and your spiritual pilgrimage and your intentions and goals for this step. Prior to the interview it would be helpful for you to write out a time-line of your personal and spiritual history to be left with the Abbot. After the interview a decision and confirmation will need to be made and signified by a Letter of Recommendation to begin the process of entrance into the Order sent to you from the Abbot. That letter is then signed and returned by you stating that there is mutual agreement and that you are now formally beginning the process of entrance into the Order by becoming a postulant (those accepted into the processes of association). It is possible that the Abbot’s letter may advise a waiting period or need for further discernment. However, the Abbot’s guidance and discernment at this point is intended to convey important information and our level of expectation about your work, and not to exclude or screen out serious seekers from the Order.

Preparation for Entering the Order

Now begins a period of preparation for entering the Order that may take some time (typically not more than six months). During this period there will be further opportunity to meet with an Abbot, one of the Priors, or a mentor associated with the Order to assist you in the preparatory process. The following is a list of items that need to be completed before the Rite of Passage and your initiation into the Order.

Reading and Study: Each postulant will be provided a Study Guide which includes reading materials, a bibliography, the Pledge, as well as study questions. It is important that you, the postulant, find and/or purchase the items in the bibliography and complete the study of each item during the period of preparation. At several points during this period it will be necessary for you to meet with the person assigned as your mentor and review your reading and study, and give you the opportunity to ask questions based on your work.
Preparing a Rule of Life: “Guidelines for a Rule of Life” will be provided in the Study Guide. It is essential that you prepare a written Rule of Life that is specific to your own life situation and needs during your postulancy. Your mentor will review the development of your Rule and assist in its completion so that it fully reflects your inner calling and your understanding of the purpose and work of the Order.
Memorizing Chants and Prayers: Because the Order stems from a tradition of eastern Christianity where the Aramaic, Syriac as well as other Middle Eastern languages are liturgically important, you will be asked to learn certain prayers and rites in languages other than English. Assistance, of course, will be provided. Specifically you will learn to speak and chant the “Aramaic Lord’s Prayer,” as well as other chants and prayers in preparation for the Rite of Passage. This will allow you to participate fully in the Liturgy and will help your leadership when the larger membership of a Priory gathers in worship, prayer, study or community.
Affiliation with the Order: During the period of preparation it is important that you become acquainted with other members of the Order through regular participation in one of the studies or contemplative prayer sessions provided through a local Priory, or a Wisdom School. It is recognized that some postulants may live in atypical situations without access to one of the Priories, in which case a retreat to one of the Priories is important.
Making a Retreat: Later in the period of preparation it is vital that you make a weekend or two or more days midweek retreat at a Retreat Center or House of Prayer under the guidance and direction of your mentor. It is not necessary that the mentor attend the retreat, but it is important that you and the mentor prepare for and debrief after making the retreat.

The Rite of Passage

Following the completion of the period of postulancy a date will be set for the Rite of Passage in which you will be formally received into the Order and become a member of a Priory. The period before the Rite of Passage is an intense time of spiritual preparation as well. It may be important during this period to make the retreat outlined above as part of your preparation. The following elements are essential in preparing for the Rite of Passage:

Certification to the Order: A mentor, prior, or Abbot will certify to the other members of the Order that a postulant has successfully completed the process of preparation, and is ready to undergo the Rite of Passage. A time and place will be set for this Rite as the admission into the Order.
The Pledge of a World Christian: During the period of preparation postulants will receive the Pledge of a World Christian which will be a part of the liturgy used during the Rite of Passage. It is important, therefore, that this Pledge be fully understood as core to the promise you make to the Community before God during the Rite.
Responsibilities and Expenses: Postulants will be expected to purchase the necessary attire for investiture during the Rite of Passage (a Prayer Robe with the insignia of the Order, and a pendant as well as a Gospel text). From this point forward, it is expected that members of the Order will help to support the work of the Order by making some form of annual financial donation and contribute through volunteer efforts as a mentor for others as well as helping in logistics for gatherings sponsored by the Order. Members of the Order will be on an official list to receive mailings and notifications throughout the year of gatherings, learning opportunities, and retreats.
The Liturgy: The Rite of Passage is an ecumenical Christian liturgy in which your friends and family are invited to fully participate. The time and place will be set so that there can be public participation in and acknowledgement of your entry into the Order. This is an important passage not only for you, but also for them and for the Order. We ask that you bring your full attention to this moment.
Choosing an Icon and Preparing a Text: Awareness of the many forms of prayer and meditation is part of the experience of interiorized monasticism. Iconography is one of the features of eastern Christianity, and represents a visual commitment to a life guided by prayer and inner awareness of the larger community to which you belong, An icon acts a window into the unseen realm of divine Mystery. In the communion of saints they represent guardians, guides or helpers on your path. In the liturgy of the Rite of Passage, you will be asked to bring an icon for blessing and for your own personal use from that point forward. This means that prior to the liturgy we ask you to choose an icon that speaks deeply to you. (Your mentor can assist you with information about understanding the use of an Icon, literature, and personal practice.) In addition, from your reading of one of the Gospels, you are asked to listen to a word spoken directly to you from the lips of Jesus, and bring that word (a verse, a sentence, or an aphorism) and it, too, will become part of the liturgy.
Rehearsal: Prior to the Rite of Passage there will be an opportunity to move through the liturgy ahead of time so that you are familiar with it, and therefore more able to relax and attend with your heart as the liturgy occurs.

Continual Renewal and Life-Long Practice for Members of the Order

Members of the Oriental Orthodox Order in the West who have made the Rite of Passage are now embarked upon a life-long journey in which there are continuing cycles of renewal. It is expected that members of the Order will continue and intensify their life-practice, contemplative prayer, study and inner preparation by following the Rule of Life they have established and by continuing their vocation into the wisdom tradition. To that end the Order will encourage the following opportunities:

Annual Retreats and Pilgrimages: It is expected that each member of the Order will make an annual retreat of at least one weekend, and more time if possible. Retreats will be provided by the Order for this purpose. In addition, it is recommended that pilgrimages to sacred sites be part of your annual practice.
Independent Learning and Prayer: Life in the Order involves a practice of life-long learning and contemplative prayer. To become a sage, an individual must become a part of the living stream of wisdom provided through texts and treatises, and this requires reflective reading and study. One’s prayer life must be a daily deepening into contemplative awareness and remembrance.
Regular Affiliation with the Local Community: The Order is a network of Priories each of which gathers at regular times for study, reflection, prayer, worship, and practice. One’s journey is taken in community with fellow pilgrims, but it is also balanced with profound times of silence when you are wholly alone with the Alone. In addition, members who have loyalty to other communions and communities are encouraged to strengthen and support them on the basis of their inner spiritual work.

· Wisdom Schools: The Order offers opportunities for intense communal learning, study, worship, practice and prayer. These are typically week-long academies established in different regions and offered at different times of the year. Also, one way to get to know the larger network of spiritual seekers and Priories is to attend such academies.

· Spiritual Direction: It is expected that members will receive spiritual direction from another Guide and, if possible, give spiritual direction to others on a regular basis. Training is available for those who wish to deepen their practice of this art and skill.

· Mentoring of Others: Mentoring means taking those who are beginning their spiritual pilgrimage or who need companionship, special assistance, or care and working with them individually or in groups. The practice of mentoring will be taught as a skill at to help in the work of the Priory.

Life-Practice: Life practice is not only the conduct of one’s life in the ordinary affairs of your world, it means also discovering and assuming the responsibilities of a particular vocation of service. These vocations are broadly understood and taught by the Order as one of the four Gospel archetypes: the Way of the Teacher, the Way of the Warrior, the Way of the Healer, the Way of the Visionary. Training in these vocations will be provided by the Order.
Renewal of One’s Pledge and Promises: Members of the Order will have opportunities to renew their Pledge and promises at Rites of Passage or annual gatherings of the Order.
The Establishment of New Priories: It is expected that members of the Order will help to establish and organize new Priories as the opportunities arise. A Priory is a gathering of members and non-members who are in pilgrimage and who support one another through study, reflection, practice, worship and prayer.

The Order:

Introduction

Pledge

School

Entering