My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God and Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
SYNERGY IN THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IS DEFINED AS
THE CO-WORKING BETWEEN GOD AND MAN.
SYNERGISM – (from Greek SYN: SAME, TOGETHER, ERGOS, ENERGY, WORK) Working together, the act of cooperation. In referring to the New Testament, SYNERGISM is the idea of being "workers together with" God (2 Corinthians 6:1), or of working "out your own salvation…for it is good who works in you" (Philippians 2:12-13). This is NOT a cooperation between "equals," but finite man working together with Almighty God. Nor dos synergism suggest working for, or earning, salvation. God offers salvation by His grace, and man’s ability to cooperate also is a grace. Therefore, man responds to salvation through cooperation with God’s grace in living faith, righteous works, and rejection of evil (James 2:14-26).
Orthodox Christian spirituality teaches SYNERGY (Gr. SYNERGIA), which means HUMAN FREE WILL must cooperate with God’s grace rather than waiting for God to do everything. The Almighty God provides the power and grace, but humans must offer their own effort and desire. it is A PARTNERSHIP, NOT ONE-SIDED TAKEOVER. God loves humanity too much to force Himself upon anyone. He waits for human beings to freely open the door of their hearts. Furthermore, people must take responsibility and not sit back and wait for God to solve every problem or make every choice on your behalf. Instead the believer must pray for wisdom, strength and direction before making major decisions, asking God to bless anc correct one’s path. When you feel a pull to do good, act on it immediately. That inner nudge is God working with your free will. The Christian must not fall into pride (thinking you can save yourself without God) or fatalism (thinking God does everything and your actions do not matter).
Orthodox Christian teaching rejects despair and encourages believers to face life’s challenges with faith, courage, and patient endurance. True believers rely on God’s strength rather than just their own power to get through hard times. The Greek HYPOMONE means active, steadfast endurance instead of passive surrender to defeat. The Holy Fathers of the Church view hopelessness or severe apathy, known as ACEDIA, as a dangerous trap that separates a person from God’s grace. Synergy is the belief that humans cooperate with God’s working in their lives to find the strength to change and heal.
The Holy Apostle Paul writes, "Be vigilant, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong" (1 Corinthians 16:13). Also, "Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that you will be able to stand…" (Ephesians 6:10). This too, "You tnen, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus…Take your share of sufferings as a good soldier of Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 2:1-3; Hebrews 11:32-38).
The virtue of courage is expressed not only in times of persecution and suffering, but also in the face of ridicule and disdain. it is expressed as well simply, in the, smalest, most common things in life. In Christ’s Parable of the Talents, the man with little lost even the little he had and was cast into outer darkness because he failed to use this small gift through lack of courage: "and I was afraid and hid your talent in the ground" ( Matthew 25:25-30). The Christian with courage faces all things with strength, faith, and hope.
Our Holy Mother Church teaches us to face life’s pain and trials with courage, trusting that God gives us the strength to endure and overcome them. Everyone knows that life brings suffering and temptations, but believers are called to stand firm like warriors of Christ. No one must be naive to think or believe that we can go through life unscaved. Our All-Loving God gives us the strength to take control of our lives and by moving forward one regains a sense of power over one’s life. The phrase "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps" describes an impossible physical act but with God nothing is too difficult or impossible to accomplish.
For those who may not know, our Orthodox Church teaches that it is entirely improper and spiritually dangerous for an individual to become a "self-made" spiritual expert or to rely solely on personal reason to interpret God’s will. In Orthodox theology, true spiritual knowledge and the interpretation of Holy Scripture cannot be detached from the living Tradition of the Church and the consensus of the Saints. Relying on one’s own intellect to define divine truth is viewed as a from of spiritual pride. Our Church operates on the principle that the Holy Spirit guides the ENTIRE Church body, NOT just isolate individuals.
Holy Scripture is NOT viewed as a text open to private, subjective interpretation. Instead, it must be understood through HOLY TRADITION, which includes the Ecumenical Councils, the Divine Liturgy, and the consensus of the Early Church Fathers. While Orthodoxy values human reason, it teaches taht the human logic alone is insufficient to comprehend or interpret God’s absolute will. When someone sets themselves up as a self-made spiritual expert, Orthodox spirituality warns of severe spiritual pitfalls such as "spiritual delusion." Our Holy Orthodox Church places immense emphasis on having a SPIRITUAL FATHER (GERONDA) and submitting to a bishop. True spiritual expertise is born from OBEDIENCE, HUMILITY, AND DECADES OF ASCETIC STRUGGLE–NOT SELF-APPOINTMENT. Historically, the Church views almost all major heresies as the result of a single individual prioritizing their own reasoning and personal interpretations over the collective wisdom and tradition of the Church. [Resources: The Orthodox Study Bible]
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"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
+ Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +
With sincere agape in Christ’s Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 