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AN ORTHODOX APPROACH TO PSYCOSOCIAL HEALTYHY SPIRITUALITY

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Defining Psychosocial Health Being Mentally, Emotionally, Socially, and Spiritually Well

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Psychosocial Health F

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Elements Shared by Psychosocially Healthy Spiritual People They feel good about themselves They feel comfortable with other people They control tension and anxiety They are able to meet the demands of life

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Elements Shared by Psychosocially Healthy People(continued) They curb hate and guilt They maintain a positive outlook They enrich the lives of others They cherish the things that make them smile They value diversity They appreciate and respect nature How do you view psychosocially healthy people?

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The Four Models 1)Sin Model: God is good, You are Evil person, repent and stop it. 2)Truth Model: You will know the Truth and it will set you free 3)Experience Model: Emotional archaeology Feel it to heal it. 4)Charismatic Model: Miraculous healing. Henry Cloud & John Townsend : How People Grow,Grand Rapids, Michigan 2001, pp14,15

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Psychosocial Health Figure 2.1 Spiritual Health (Being)

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An Orthodox Approach

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(G911) (G911) & G907 This word should not be confused with bapt (911). The clearest example that shows the meaning of baptizo is a text from the Greek poet and physician Nicander, who lived about 200 B.C. It is a recipe for making pickles and is helpful because it uses both words. Nicander says that in order to make a pickle, the vegetable should first be 'dipped' (bapt) into boiling water and then 'baptised' (baptiz) in the vinegar solution. Both verbs concern the immersing of vegetables in a solution. But the first is temporary. The second, the act of baptising the vegetable, produces a permanent change. http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/Le xicon.cfm?Strongs=G907&t=KJV

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1. Trinitarian 1.The Holy Trinity working in me. 2.Personal relationship with the Holy Trinity. 3.Mirroring the Life of the Holy Trinity.

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2. Traditional One of the most important parts of Orthodox theology is adherence to what is known as Holy Tradition, expressed through changelessness even timelessness and a sense of living continuity with the ancient Church (2 Thess 2:15). Tradition, in the Orthodox Church, refers to the Holy Bible, the Creed of Nicaea and Constantinople, the decrees of the Ecumenical Councils, the writings of Church Fathers, the Canons, service books, icons each addition found in conformity with what came before, and primarily, in conformity with the centre of our Tradition, Holy Scripture. There is no conflict between Scripture and Tradition God, the source of revelation, gave us the former and guides us with the latter

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The church and Tradition are but two aspects for the life of Faith. They are inseparable; we cant know one of them without the other. By Tradition the church has her existence, acknowledges her Bridegroom, practices His saving deed and accepts His divine mysteries... By Tradition we discover the church gospel, accept it, prserve it, live its rules and preach it... By Tradition we recognize the sacramental and ecclesiastical life, the church liturgies, hymns, rites etc... By Tradition we meet with the Church Saints and Fathers, discover their lives in Jesus Christ, their writings, take the blessings of their prayers and enjoy our fellowship with them in Jesus Christ... By Tradition we understand the Church canons, come in touch with its holy councils and their works etc... In brief, we say that Tradition is the core of the church, and without Tradition, the church cant exist, cant practice her apostolic life, her continual renewal, her unity, nor live with her genuine characteristics... Fr Tadros Malaty: Tradition and Orthodoxy, Alexandria 1979, p58

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2.1 The Scriptures The full authority of the Scriptures

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2.2 Liturgies Liturgical year The two wings of the Liturgy: 1)Personal Act. 2)Corporate Act.

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Sacramental The seven Sacrament.

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2.3 Creeds Nicean Creed Contantino-Nicean Creed

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2.4 Church canons For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Acts 15:28

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2.5 Patrology Consensus Patrum

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2.6 Icons

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3. Theandric = Eucharistic Repentance And Confession Communion and exchange of Life Eternal life from now.

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Conclusion There is a little story that brings some perspective when studying spiritual experiences from a scientific view. A man saw his friend searching for something on the ground. What have you lost, my brother? he asked. My key, said the man. So his friend went down on his knees too, and they both looked for it. After a time, the other man asked: Where exactly did you drop it? In my own house. Then why are you looking here? There is more light here than inside my own house. While the scientific research on prayer and spiritual practices are fascinating and at times validating of the spiritual tradition within Christianity, we need to balance this with the understanding that we may be looking in the wrong place if we desiring to understand the spiritual world. The eklessia, that is all that the Christian church holds to be true for our salvation process, has been imparted us through the writings and exemplary lives of the saints which are proof of its effectiveness. Healing our minds through communion with God is often the darker and more mysterious path. The lighted path of this world is often our intellect, our reason, our ego and our selfishness. St. Isaac the Syrian, the great mystic of the ancient Christian church puts it this way: Make peace with yourself, and heaven and earth will make peace with you. Take pains to enter your own innermost chamber and you will see the chamber of heaven, for they are one and the same, and in entering one you behold them both. [1] [1] [1] [1] St. Isaac the Syrian as cited in Archimandrite IONNIKIOS, Themes from the Philokalia: Watchfulness and Prayer, No. 1 (Minneapolis: Light and Life Publishing Co., 1988) pg. 3. See also Luke 17:20-21 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you.