Helping Young People Spiritually Take Part in the Divine Liturgy

Helping Young People Spiritually Take Part in the Divine Liturgy, the Holy Badarak

The Holy Badarak, the Divine Liturgy – the Worship Service where the community comes together and unites, was intended to be a key communication tool through which the Christian Faith was conveyed unto the next generation of believers. However, over the centuries, due to a variety of reasons, seems to have lost its place and significance in the mind of many, and a spiritual vacuum has been created as a result of it. This spiritual vacuum is hardest on parents who want to convey the Christian Faith unto their children, but they feel frustrated because the youngsters do not want to attend the Holy Badarak. Parents work very hard to build a parish, often find out that their youngsters are not interested in being members of that Church. The issue is not just Church participation, but rather it is also the sense of guilt created in the parents who feel that they have not done enough for the well being of their offspring.

The book published earlier this year, A Spiritual Journey Through The Holy Badarak intends to help a parent, a teacher or a person overcome this spiritual vacuum. It helps accomplish this by providing the following: The transliteration of the words so one would be able to follow the Badarak; the translation of the Badarak words; Bible verses that match closely with certain themes in the Badarak; thoughts about virtues so a person would begin connecting the Badarak with his or her daily life; sayings from Church theologians and historians to help a person reflect upon these virtues; and finally, explanations about the organization of the Service and some of the utilized symbols. When all these are conveyed to a young person, and for that matter to anyone, then the Badarak stops becoming an obscure incomprehensible ritual, and becomes a true spiritually nourishing movement and journey towards God.

When a parent or a teacher uses this book to help young persons become more knowledgeable of the Badarak, first, it is important that the young people are able to follow the Badarak through the transliteration, and that they remember the hymns. The melodies are unlike any other and are intended to be so. They are a contrast to the Rap or other music young people are generally exposed to. This book contains some of the key hymns and prayers.

Second, it is important to understand that there is an organization and a flow through the Holy Badarak. It is not just hymns, or censing, or motions back and forth during the Service. This book conveys the significance of some of the more important movements.

And third, we need to admit that young people who read the translation of these words and observe certain movements, may not understand the theological implications. We need not be alarmed by this. Rather, as parents and teachers we need to help them develop this understanding gradually by showing and discussing with them certain repeating themes throughout the Badarak. We do not have to be theologians to do this. Some of these themes include:

The Holy Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit

We can review the words of the Badarak and observe how the three Persons of the Trinity are mentioned together. This is important dogmatically because in the Orthodox Church we always emphasize the Trinity. It is also important in that it implies that persons, Divine or human, are not intended to live isolated lives no matter how ‘good’ or ‘perfect’ they may be. Persons must always have, maintain and build relationships with others.

The Son, Jesus Christ, as the Savior

Notice how often Christ as the Savior is emphasized throughout the Badarak. Although very often we speak of God, yet, we are called ‘Christian’ because the basis of our faith is that which Christ revealed to us about God, humanity and life in general. Sure, it is difficult for young people to spiritually comprehend what it means by the statements ‘Christ shed his blood for us,’ or that ‘Christ overcame death by death.’ However, they can very clearly understand that as Christians, their role models are not necessarily the same as those of others. They are to try to emulate Christ, and not just any person who appears to be popular or well accomplished.
Our responsibility to commit ourselves to God and the Christian Way of Life

It is through Christian spiritual virtues that the Christian Way of Life can be explained to the young people. By reading about ‘prayer,’ ‘self discipline,’ ‘victory,’ ‘leadership,’ and ‘courage,’ for example, and comparing them with those of non-Christian sources, young persons can begin differentiating the eternal nature and power of Christianity. Parents and teachers can use these to help guide young people in their daily lives.
The Bible: The Written Basis of the Faith that must be explained

Very often I see Bibles placed in Church pews. That is certainly admirable because the Bible is the written basis of the Christian Faith. However, the Bible cannot be understood simply by reading it. The words do not magically jump out and explain themselves. It has to be explained and related to daily living circumstances. The spiritual virtues give an opportunity for young people to relate the Bible verses to their everyday situations. It gives an opportunity for parents and teachers to focus on certain verses and to build upon them. In addition, because the Bible verses are tied to various hymns or prayers during the Badarak, these verses and their implications become more deeply impressed in the youngster’s spirit every time a hymn is sung.
God’s compassion and empowerment to help us maintain our commitment

One of the important observations that parents and teachers can point out to their young people is the number of times God’s help is requested for our survival and well being. Since the Church and the Holy Badarak has survived all these hundreds of years, it is proof that God has helped those who have trusted Him and asked for His help. There are two important points here. First, a young person learns that he or she can trust God. And, second, he or she knows to Whom to turn when facing difficult decisions in life.
The importance of the Body of Christ, the Church, for living the Christian Life

It is imperative for a young person to want to belong to the Church, the Body of Christ. This is not ‘membership’ in terms paying yearly dues and being present at meetings. Although those are important, yet the sense of belonging emphasized here is that of the spiritual tie to the Armenian Apostolic Church. It is within the Church that our spiritual roots are spelled out. And this is a very crucial point: Even our cultural roots receive a spiritual transformation through the Badarak. In other words, instead of leading to superficial forms of understanding our cultural roots, through the Badarak they are understood as a means of glorifying God, and a way of affirming that God is the Creator of life and the Provider of all that is good in life.
It is important that the information be conveyed in a manner conducive to learning

Young people are used to colorful resources. If we are to get their attention, we also need to provide our resources in colorful ways. We cannot use all the techniques to get a youngster’s attention that are used by non-Christian organizations. They simply are not appropriate. However, we can provide colorful means to help them learn, remember and express the Christian Way of Life. This book uses some of the color techniques for making the Badarak, the Bible and spiritual virtues easier to remember.

These are some of the ways which this book, A Spiritual Journey Through The Holy Badarak is intended to help parents and teachers convey their Christian Faith unto their youngsters, and overcome the spiritual vacuum that exists. We would like to encourage all those who come in touch with young people, to use this book as a resource and bring peace, love and growth into their life. After all, when we help a young person grow closer to God, the fruit of our labor will truly be eternal. We will have to leave behind all the treasures that we accumulated in this world, except the ones we helped impress on the spirit of the young people. We will retain these treasures forever!

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