What: The House of St. Michael, a community of people dedicated to total conversion to the life of Jesus Christ, meets monthly to worship and discuss selections from the Church Fathers. We have found these gatherings to be incredibly challenging, forming, and transforming. Our exploration of the Church Fathers has deepened our reading, understanding, and devotion to Scripture along with expanding and strengthening our practice of the Faith. Because of our remarkable experience, we have longed to find ways to include more friends in this journey.
The House of St. Michael is excited to announce our intensive cohorts: four Saturdays over the course of the year that initiate participants into the Church Fathers. While participants will certainly gain knowledge of the writings of the Church Fathers, our gatherings will be centered on the continual transformation of participants towards our radical calling in Jesus Christ rather than simply an academic reading. There will be a consistent reading and discussion of The Philokalia (monastic writings on the inner life of prayer) and other selections from Church Fathers with each meeting bookended and centered by prayer/worship.
The first year of classes focuses on the Early Church and Scripture. If you choose to continue, the second year will build on the previous, focusing on the Early Church and worship. Each year we anticipate starting a new cohort.
In an effort to promote healthy discussion and fellowship, we will cap the size of each cohort.
2012-2013 Cohort cycle 1 (new cohort):
Dates: September 8, November 3, February 9, April 13, July 13 (tentative/optional)
Readings:
1st Saturday: Isaiah the Solitary (focus on holiness and prayer) and Irenaeus (focus on reading the Scriptures)
2nd Saturday: Evagrius (focus on holiness and prayer) and Origen (focus on reading the Scriptures)
3rd Saturday: Evagrius (focus on holiness and prayer) and Augustine (focus on reading the Scriptures)
4th Saturday: Ephrem (focus on reading the Scriptures) and the Book of Hebrews (focus on reading the Scriptures)
Required texts:
Required
The Philokalia, volume 1 (Amazon, Christianbook)
Ephrem, Hymns on Paradise (Amazon)
Recommended (for modern English translation; older translation available free online):
Irenaeus, On the Apostolic Preaching (Amazon, Christianbook)
2012-2013 Cohort cycle 2 (continuing cohort):
Dates: September 22, November 10, February 23, April 27, July 27 (tentative/optional)
Readings:
1st Saturday: Evagrius (focus on holiness and prayer) and John of Damascus (focus on the life of worship)
2nd Saturday: John Cassian (focus on holiness and prayer) and Ambrose of Milan (focus on the life of worship)
3rd Saturday: John Cassian (focus on holiness and prayer) and the Liturgy of St James (focus on the life of worship)
4th Saturday: Ephrem (focus on the life of worship) and the Book of Revelation (focus on the life of worship)
Required texts: No books need to be purchased.
Where: The Upper Room, a church in Pittsburgh, PA (www.pghupperroom.com)
Cost: We don’t conceive these Cohorts as products to be consumed, but as a call towards offering our entire lives to the Lord as a pleasing sacrifice. We want financial contributions to the Cohort to be a small part of that total offering.
What we ask is that people contribute .5% of gross household income (1/20th of a tithe) to cover you (and your spouse if you are married).
For example:
$10,000 = $50
$20,000 = $100
$30,000 = $150
$40,000 = $200
$50,000 = $250
Since the content builds and requires time to develop, we accept participants for the full-year only. Fees include food for lunch, but will not include the cost of books, travel, or lodging (if you come from out-of-town).
Register online at http://www.houseofstmichaelthearchangel.org/intensiveregistration
Your registration is finalized upon receipt of deposit.
Please send your deposit of 25% of your total registration cost made out to The Open Door with “HOSMTA Intensives” in the for line to:
House of St. Michael
c/o The Open Door
801 N. Negley Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Facilitators: Tim Becker, PhD in Early Church History and Director of the House of St. Michael the Archangel, will convene and guide each gathering.
Shea Cole will facilitate worship at each gathering. He has co-written several songs which are used during the worship of the House of St. Michael the Archangel.
Contact: Tim Becker: becker.timothy.j@gmail.com
Comments
Powered by Facebook Comments