We journey with Christ to the Mountain in three ways: as Worshipers, Global Pilgrims and Contemplatives.
Journey to the Mountain
Our passion to know the fullness of the Father’s pleasure to unite all things in Christ inspires us to journey with Christ to the Mountain to speed the transformation of our good, bountiful but broken world.
We journey with Christ to the Mountain in three ways.
- As Worshipers who engage in Eucharistic worship, beginning on Sundays.
- As Global Pilgrims who pray the Daily Office.
- As Contemplatives who practice contemplative prayer.
We follow Christ as our lead Worshiper (priest), Global Pilgrim (prophet) and Contemplative (king). Christ is both our model and the source of our empowerment in these practices of the journey.
Engage in Eucharistic Worship
Basileians journey with Christ to the Mountain as Worshipers in our priestly practice of Eucharistic worship in all of our Sunday worship services and in other Festival Assemblies, including membership services such as weddings, baptisms, ordinations, etc.
As Worshipers, beginning in convergent Eucharistic worship, we embrace the revelation of the Word of God through creation, in Scripture and by the Spirit. Thus by this practice we affirm that Basileia is both an expression of the Church and is in unity with the three streams of the Church, which are liturgical and sacramental, Evangelical and Reformed, and Orthodox and charismatic.
What begins in Eucharistic worship on a Sunday we continue in the Daily Office the whole week.
Pray the Daily Office
Basileians journey with Christ to the Mountain as Global Pilgrims in our prophetic practice of the Daily Office, a form of prayer in the morning or evening or at both times.
As Global Pilgrims we follow the Revised Common Lectionary daily readings that synchronize with the Sunday readings used in our Sunday Eucharistic worship services. Over the course of three years we pray through the Bible. More intensive monastic expressions of Basileia may also have mid-day prayer as well as other hours of prayer. While all Basileians at least practice the Daily Office individually or in their family settings, we also create many different forums, ways and places to connect with others face-to-face and even virtually.
What we do in the Daily Office each day of the week is deepened and widened even more in contemplative prayer.
Practice Contemplative Prayer
Basileians journey with Christ to the Mountain as Contemplatives in our kingly practice of contemplative prayer, a form of daily prayer by which we cultivate the continual experience of Christ’s presence in all times and places.
As Contemplatives, we increase our capacity to embrace the mystery of the Kingdom in which we experience Christ’s presence both when we withdraw in worship and when we engage the fallen world. As such, while we do indeed set aside daily times for contemplative prayer, we do so with the larger aim of developing a contemplative lifestyle that practices the presence of Christ constantly, without ceasing day and night.
Our practice of contemplative prayer increases our capacity to encounter Christ in Eucharistic worship and the Daily Office.
Together, these three practices of our journey empower us as Basileians to assemble as the Church.
LATEST CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE JOURNEY
The Father’s language is way more wild, controversial, deeply mystical, and outright outrageous than mortal minds can handle. Thus, to hear and learn from the Father we must first eat what Tolkien calls lembas, the waybread of Elves.