Lesson One

What is "The Way."

Christianity is not a philosophy.
Christianity is not a theology.
Christianity is not an idea.
Christianity is not a book, even if the book is called "The Holy Bible."  
Christianity is the LIFESTYLE created by gaining a relationship with a Person and with many people. This is so very true, that the first name for Christianity was, "The Way."
It was The Way of Healing
It was The Way of the Lord
It was The Way of Sanity
It was The Way to Sainthood
It was The Way of Peace
It was The Way of Love
It was The Way of Forgiveness
It was The Way of Meekness
It was The Way of Temperance
It was The Way of LIFE
It was The Way of All Good Gifts

It was The Way of proper worship and proper living.
It was The Way of Jesus Christ who said, "I AM the Way, the Truth, and the LIFE, no man comes to the Father except by me."

We are instructed to "contend for The Faith, which was once (and for all) delivered unto the saints." (Jude 3)
 
These lessons will be all about how the earliest Christians understood what The Way is and how one comes to walk it.  We are going to go through this exercise because nothing has changed. The Faith once and for all delivered unto the Saints is the same faith today that it was then, 2100 years ago.

It is still The Way, even though it is called Christian Church. 

It is still The Way of Healing
It is still The Way of the Lord
It is still The Way of Sanity
It is still The Way to Sainthood, etc.
It is still The Way of Jesus Christ who said, "I AM the Way, the Truth, and the LIFE, no man comes to the Father except by me."

There are no solitary Christians.
There are no solitary Christians.
The Way is The Way of Thanksgiving. (Worship)
The Way is The Way of Fellowship. (Communion)

What form does this Way of Thanksgiving and Fellowship, Worship and Communion take?

Saint Paul described it rather clearly in Romans Chapter 12.  He wrote, "Pay attention Brothers (and Sisters). By God's mercy bring your bodies to stand at attention, as a living sacrifice, (He is talking about a particular type of worship) holy and acceptable to God, which is your (rational liturgizing . . .Liturgy = work of the people, in this case of the People of The Way, it is collective rational worship. ) - The King James version say, "reasonable service" some other translations say, "spiritual worship" - so one translation emphasizes the "Rational" part, and the other the "Worship" part,  but you can see that both are trying to translate without showing the "liturgical" significance of the original Greek.  This wasn't a free form of prayer, or a general call to sacrificial living, but a specific reference to the way the early Christians WORSHIPED. Not in confused ways, but reasonably, and liturgically.

What is the purpose of collective liturgical prayer and worship? So we can become non-conformists, not victims of our pagan culture, or any culture foreign to God, but rather that we become the creators of a NEW WAY, The Way, where all things are done in, and UNTO Jesus Christ.  That is why Saint Paul wrote next, "Do not be conformed to this world" which means do not "give place" to this world, do not "give place" to this sinful culture, don't be like it.  This is not talking about outward appearance, though it can mean that, too, but rather having a core driving force that is, of THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE, who is Jesus Christ.  Saint Paul next stated, "Rather be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove (as in experience the knowledge of and the result of) God's (single will) which is good, acceptable and perfect."  God does not have three wills, rather we learn as we Walk The Way, to progressively walk toward God's perfect will.

When we are "converted" we immediately enter God's good will.  Next, we will talk about what being converted means, in lesson two.


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Q & A.
Question: What was the first name given to Christians?
Answer: People of The Way.

Question: Did Christians from the very beginning, from the time of the Apostles worship in "liturgical form"?
Answer: Yes.


Question: Can you name some of the ways you are conformed to our common pagan culture?

The Orthodox Christian Philosopher.