Wanting To Be A Higher Ranked Deacon

edited December 1969 in Personal Issues
I am a 14 year old boy and I am a really experienced deacon, i serve in the alter and lead the asheya, and do the mass alone on weekdays in the summer. I am still an psaltos and want to know when it should be the right time to be ordained an aghnostos... Should i approach my priest and ask him for his advice and how should i ask him?

Comments

  • (Correct me if I am wrong) I think you should wait. Pray to God, for this matter is not in your hands -I am sorry if it sounds offensive but it is the truth. And ask abouna if he thinks you are ready to be able to be given more responsibility if not, then ask him how you can become ready. God bless you.

    Please pray for me.
  • The normal path is to maximize your current position, and then to await the oppurtunity if it comes. You may be a good leader, and you may understand the traditions of the church to a certain extent, but are you a complete apsaltos?
    Many Moallims don't get passed the rank of apsaltos...after all, they are meant to be the singers of the church.
    Master your job as an apsaltos. Learn the hymns as if you strive to be a moallim.
    To get to the next level requires more. An aghnostos should be able to perform the job of an apsaltos adequately while also performing his new job as a reader. Did you read the whole bible yet? Do you have an in depth understanding of the bible? Believe me, very few people have achieved this, but you should still strive for perfection. I wouldn't trust you reading the pauline epistle if you cannot explain to me what it is you read (who wrote it, who was it written to, what was the purpose, what was the meaning, who are the people involved, what symbols are used, etc.)

    In summary:
    1. Master your current rank to the best of your ability
    2. Continue educating yourself in the bible to prepare yourself to be a true aghnostos if God truly wills it
    3. do not look at the rank; Look only at the knowledge (looking at the rank may result in the sin of pride)

    You must be fully content in being an apsaltos as long as you are an apsaltos.
  • An oghnostos is a reader.....a reader of what, the Bible.

    The general rule for being an oghnostos/reader is when the person becomes a sunday school teacher or atleast finished servants prep....despite the rest of the other things.
    The reason for this is that whoever reads the Bible must be able to understand it and be able to teach it. To add to this, priests of the church, more specifically the Sanctuary you may be ordained on, must agree on your ordination, unlike being ordained as an epsaltos.

    with all what i said in mind, there are exceptions. these days most ppl ordain based on knowing alhan.....but it's still a LOT better and controlled these days than before.

  • You know kiro i wanted to be an agnastos too and i always am envious that im not and other people are, and i always look at people and judge them because they wear the butrasheal even if they are not agnastos, but that is because i am a sinner and i have trouble controlling my mind when the devil enters it. but although i am still an absaltos i still lead, i still read, i still do everything except give the blood hahaha. honestly it doesnt matter whether you are an absaltos or an archdeacon, you still have a responsibility to serve the church and make it a house of prayer, not a house of ranks. Its very good that you are into church and know everything at such a young age. Continue what your doing because im pretty sure abouna see's and notice's what your skills are and what you are doing. The time is yet to come when God lets him know you are ready for the next level
  • When you're ready, God will promote you:


    His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ (Matthew 25:21)

    pray for me

    joe
  • Do not seek a higher rank, its not just a title, its true responsibility. You are only 14, you are still very young. The rank means nothing if all you want it for as title. You shouldn't even be seeking the higher rank. When you are singing are you leading the people in prayer or simply showing off? Are you lifting your heart to God or you only praising with your lips? When you reading to the people are you just reading without understand..."let the reader understand" When you read you must be reading as if you are preaching whats being read. This is not an easy task to just be elevated for simply the namesake of the rank. It is a RESPONSIBILITY in front of God.
  • People have provided some very sensible replies to the question.

    In my own experience I would want to suggest that the only thing that matters is to seek to be the best example of whatever order you have been ordained to, and give no thought to any other service. I mean to be spiritually the best example of a servant, not even in terms of what you do outwardly. Concentrate on living a life of holiness, growing in the knowledge of the scripture and theology, and seeking to be a servant to all. Nothing else matters.

    If you live such a life then it is preparation for some other service. But any other service is not better or more important. All that matters is doing God's will now.

    Father Peter
  • Without hurting anyone's feelings:  you don't ask to be elevated, it is presented to you.  Just the fact of asking for such identifies a spiritual and ecclesiastical immaturity.

    The responsibilities increase with each rank.  The accountability increases with each rank.

    You may think that you are good at your level, but without knowing you, I know you have not fulfilled your full training and development.  It is not meant to be an insult; not by any means.

    The generation that you are in thinks that a few chants that you learn qualifies you as being something special.

    THE CHANTS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH DEVELOPING AS A DEACON.  READ THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES AND THE EPISTLES OF TIMOTHY.

    Sorry, but you need a lot more maturity.  Take it from an older brother.  Don't be like the microphone sucking rest.

    THAT IS NOT WHAT THE DIACONATE IS.
  • [quote author=ilovesaintmark link=topic=9065.msg112852#msg112852 date=1270575901]Don't be like the microphone sucking rest.

    That made me chuckle  ;D
  • Unfortunately, I'm not exaggerating.  I wonder what would happen if the AV system blacked out.  The church services would stop.
  • [quote author=Kiro7 link=topic=9065.msg112796#msg112796 date=1270410103]
    I am a 14 year old boy and I am a really experienced deacon, i serve in the alter and lead the asheya, and do the mass alone on weekdays in the summer. I am still an psaltos and want to know when it should be the right time to be ordained an aghnostos... Should i approach my priest and ask him for his advice and how should i ask him?

      believe me it doent really matter. focus on what u r doing now and every thing `ll come on the time just pray 

    remember me in ur prayer 
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