Bookclub Suggestions & Resources
Weekly Suggested Materials, Discussion Questions, Reflection and Background Materials
This book consists primarily of 3 lectures which were transcribed into this book. Each of these lectures has some key themes that will hopefully make for good discussion as well as stimulate interest in the reading material.
Week 1 (Book Introduction/Theme of Lecture 1)
Book Review Suggestions
Read and highlight quickly the Preface, Forward, and Schemanun Siliuana’s background. If possible, begin reading Lecture 1 prior to your bookclub meeting.
Discussion Theme
The key theme of Lecture 1 is suffering. Rather than get directly into the Lecture 1 materials perhaps it would be helpful to begin the discussion around some of the crucial questions that are raised about suffering by Metropolitan Seraphim as he introduced Mother Siluana for this lecture.
Discussion Questions Suggestions
What should our spiritual response be as Orthodox Christians when we are confronted with the suffering of today’s world?
How do we deal with our own suffering … our weaknesses, traumas, sins, and the passions which fight within us … which enchain us, from which we find it so hard to break?
How is it possible that God, who is good, merciful and forgiving can allow the powers of the evil one to overwhelm or to defeat His powers, His Divine energies, which permeate the world and God’s creation?
Group Reflection
St. Nikolai Velimirovich, a great 20th century saint and the author of the Prologue of Ohrid had this reflection on February 5th:
The monks asked the great Abba Ischyrion: “What have we done?” “We have fulfilled the commandments of God,” Ischyrion replied. “And what will those do who come after us?” “They will do what we do, but only half as much.” “And those after them?” “Before the end of time, they will not keep the monastic rule, but such misfortunes and temptations will befall them that, through their patience during those assaults and temptations, they will prove themselves greater than us and our fathers in the Kingdom of God.”
Do you find this reflection hopeful … accurate ???
Further Week 1 Adult Education Resources on this theme of suffering
Victory of the Cross Part I – Worshipping the Gift Giver Not The Gifts
Victory of the Cross Part II – The Cross Of Our Relationships
How Do We Face The Cross Of Suffering Of Our Neighbors & Ourselves – Poem
Finding ‘God With Us’ – Father Stephen Freeman
Hopko On The Cross of Christ – Father Thomas Hopko
A suggestion for how to use these three lectures in the upcoming weekly bookclub meetings is shown below. Each week we will update this page with relevant discussion questions, reflection, and background materials
St John’s Adult Education 