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“Mid-Lent Message of Encouragement to the Faithful and Clergy of the Orthodox Church in America,” from His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon

“Ways for Orthodox Christians to Cope with the COVID-19 Pandemic”

“Lenten Distancing,”  by Matushka Donna Farley

“Christian Love in the Face of COVID-19: The Ethics of Staying Home,”  by Ana S. Iltis, Ph.D

“Love and Worship in Time of Quarantine,” by Matushka Ann Lardas.

“The Joy of the Cross,” by Fr. Jonathan Lincoln

Imagine Jesus as a boy.

Imagine Him going weekly to services at His hometown Synagogue and learning to read the Torah, the Holy Scriptures.

Imagine Him going to the Temple in Jerusalem at age 12, discussing the Scriptures with the elders.

Imagine Him telling His earthly parents, Mary and Joseph, that He had a special purpose, given to Him by God His heavenly Father. Imagine!

That’s what our older church school class did recently, as they began to relate to Jesus’ childhood, religious upbringing, and special calling.

They explored Scripture—as Jesus would have done—and each student took a turn reading from an age-appropriate Bible. They also leafed through an adult Bible in English; then a Latin Bible (recognizing the letters); then a Greek Bible (Wow!—the original New Testament language); and finally the Hebrew Torah (with sentences written “backwards,” right to left).

They viewed and counted Fr. John’s collection of books about the Bible (507!), and they talked about the versions of Scripture in a variety of languages that have been published. Additionally they explored a Bible concordance, learning how to use that research tool to study Scripture by theme, book, chapter, and verse. They even had fun with some Hebrew flash cards.

During their exploration students made the connection between the Day of Pentecost, and how at that miraculous event a multitude of people heard the apostles speaking in their own languages—a good reason for biblical translation!

For their homework students wrote (or drew) about what makes them unique: their special gifts and their special purpose within their heavenly Father’s will—just like Jesus. Imagine!