Fr. Jacob attended the Annual Assembly of the Diocese of the South Tuesday, July 21 thru 23rd, so we had no session that Wednesday.

Delusions About Power and Immortality

This week we discussed Steps of Transformation, Chapter 7: Out of the Depths & Ascenfing the Heights, Step 6, Remembering Our Mortality

Virtue as a Habit of Heart

No recording was saved from Week Eleven

Week Twelve:  We finished up Character is Destiny, Chap 6, Excellence is Habit but mainly we focused on Chapter 7, Whatever is true, noble, right... fix on these things.

These audios discuss the handouts on Fr. Tomas Hopko's address on Ethics at St. Vladimirs, and the Ethics article from the Orthodox Wiki.

Orthodox Christian Ethics- Part One

Orthodox Christian Ethics- Part Two


THIS WEEK'S ASSIGNMENT - same as last week's
1.  Ascending the Heights: Step 5 - Turning Our Backs on Sin
2. Character is Destiny:  Chapter 6 - Excellence is Habit
3.  Steps of Transformation:  Chapter 7 - Out of the Depths


NEXT WEEK'S ASSIGNMENT
Ascending the Heights: Step 6 - Remembering Our Mortality
Character is Destiny:  Chap 7 - Whatever is true, whatever is noble
Steps of Transformation:  Chap 8 - Lord, I believe, help my unbelief

This audio concluded last week's topic on
Steps of Transformation:  Chapter 7 - Out of the Depths

Step Programs & Life in the Church
 
THIS WEEK'S ASSIGNMENT: 

1.  Ascending the Heights: Step 5 - Turning Our Backs on Sin
2. Character is Destiny:  Chapter 6 - Excellence is Habit
3.  Steps of Transformation:  Chapter 7 - Out of the Depths

NEXT WEEK'S ASSIGNMENT:  - Continuation of this week's

THIS WEEK'S ASSIGNMENT: 
1.  Ascending the Heights: Step 4 - Practicing Obedience
2. Character is Destiny:  Chapter 5 - Character is Higher than Intellect
3.  Steps of Transformation:  Chapter 6 - The 12 Steps & the Life of the Church

Session 8 Discussion

Session 8 Issues:

1.  The only point of knowing what is good is becoming good.
2.  Most of the problems behind bad behavior are problems of the heart.
3.  The virtue of obedience means conforming ourselves to who we are meant to be.
4.  12 Step programs and the Ladder of Divine Ascent have several things in common.
5.  12 Step programs are about metanoia:  "hitting bottom," turning a higher power, & starting over.
6.  12 Step programs are an American discovery of the link between physical & spiritual life.

ASSIGNMENT For Next Week: 
1.  Ascending the Heights: Step 5 - Turning Our Backs on Sin
2. Character is Destiny:  Chapter 6 - Excellence is Habit
3.  Steps of Transformation:  Chapter 7 - Out of the Depths- Step One

ASSIGNMENT for THIS WEEK: 
1.  Character is Destiny:  Chapter 4 - The Final Forming of A Person's Character Lies in their Own Hands
2.  Steps of Transformation:  Chapter 5 - Spirituality & Religion
3.  Ascending the Heights: Step Three - Living As Strangers

THIS WEEK'S TOP 10:
10. Traditional & non-traditional ideas of what it means to be a human being.
9. Unique, specific, limited persons within a humanity in common with God.
8. Prideful dispair about missing the mark versus humility & repentance
7. An impossible versus an essential way of imitating Christ
6.  How to disappear & how to not disappear
5.  Everyday concrete and particular spiritual choices between life & death
4.  Ann Frank's self-awareness:  watching yourself as an outsider
3.  Making spiritual choices as what being human is all about
2.  Forming habits the of our heart as our character in Christ
1.  Commitment to inner poverty & exile from the world


ASSIGNMENT for Next Week: 
1.  Ascending the Heights: Step 4 - Practicing Obedience
2. Character is Destiny:  Chapter 5 - Character is Higher than Intellect
3.  Steps of Transformation:  Chapter 6 - The 12 Steps & the Life of the Church

Discussion One:
1.  Character is Destiny:  Chap 3 - Character is what you are in the dark
2.  Steps of Transformation: 4- Anonymity, Addictions, Denial, & Control
3.  Ascending the Heights: Step 2 - Holding All Things With Open Hands

Discussion Two:  Why can't I change the negative habits of my heart?

ASSIGNMENT for Next Week: 
1.  Character is Destiny:  Chapter 4 - The Final Forming of A Person's Character Lies in their Own Hands
2.  Steps of Transformation:  Chapter 5 - Spirituality & Religion
3.  Ascending the Heights: Step Three - Living As Strangers 

Reflections on Five Questions

1.  Define "evil"
2.  Is "cutting" an addiction?
3.  The Big Six:  money, food, addictive drugs, sex, misuse of time & power
4.  12 steps "out of the depths" & 30 steps of ascending the heights
5.  Is saying, "I have an addictive personality" a cop-out?

Informal discussion on "Getting Right With God"

ASSIGNMENT: 
1.  Ascending the Heights: Step Two - Holding All Things With Open Hands
2.  Character is Destiny:  Chapter 3 - Character is what you are in the dark
3.  Steps of Transformation:  Chapter 4 - Anonymity, Addictions, Denial, & Control

I- Nailing Down Questions from Session #3:
1- On Guarding the Heart
2- Death of a Connoisseur
3- Addiction to the World?

II- Reflections on Session #3

We'll present & briefly discuss some questions raised last week. Then, we'll read Step Two of Ascending the Heights.

Assignment for next week:  Character is Destiny- Chap #3
Steps of Transformation, Chap #4
Ascending the Heights, Step Three

Discussion - Part ONE

Discussion - Part TWO

This week we'll discuss several questions raised last week but not fully dealt with. Then, We'll move on to Step Two of Ascending the Heights.

Assignment for next week:  Character is Destiny- Chap #3
Steps of Transformation, Chap #4
Ascending the Heights, Step Three

2nd Session- Lesson One: On Learning To Walk Before Climbing A Ladder
2nd Session- Lesson Two:  Character, Personality, & Person
2nd Session:  Discussion

Assignment for Wednesday, May 13th:  review the above material as you find helpful, and read one or more of the following readings:

Character is Destiny, Chap 2, pp. 15-21
Steps of Transformation, Chap 2, pp. 33-49, Icon of Broken Humanity
Ascending the Heights, Step Two, pp. 17-20

On Wednesday, May 13th, I'll read from Character is Destiny, Chap 2, Ascending the Heights, Chaps 1&2, & Steps of Transformation, Chap 2.

Discussion will be based on everything read & discussed so far, but with an effort to continue moving forward.


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Our class meets each week after Wednesday 6 pm Compline.

Discussion this past week was based on introductory remarks Fr. Jacob made, and selected readings he did aloud from:
Character is Destiny, by Russell Gough, and
Steps of Transformation, by Fr. Meletios Webber

Click here to listen to April 29th Intro Remarks:
Introduction- Perfection in Christ is not Character Development

Click here to listen to our April 29th Readings:
1st Session- Steps of Transformation & Character as Destiny

Click here to listen to our April 29th Discussion:
1st Session Discussion- Character as Our Responsibility

Assignment for Wednesday, May 6th:  review the above material as you find helpful, and read one or more of the following readings:

from Character is Destiny, Chapter One, pp. 3-11
from Steps of Transformation, Chapter One, pp. 17-32
from Ascending the Heights, Step One, pp. 7-16

On Wednesday, May 6th, after another intro, we'll read the Introduction to Ascending the Heights, by Fr. John Mack, as a way of getting us started.
Discussion will be based on everything read so far, but with an effort to progress beyond our first discussion.