Fatherhood in the Spirit (Part 2)

Summary

Nikolaos Sotiropoulos continues on worship in spirit, beginning from Deuteronomy and Solomon's prayer at the Temple to show that God has no visible form and cannot be contained by heaven, earth, or any sanctuary. From the Psalms, Jeremiah, and Zephaniah he teaches God's omnipresence, so the faithful may worship Him from every place while still honoring holy churches rightly, and because God is spirit he speaks apophatically, saying what spirit is not, though human thought, speech, and conscience reveal a spiritual principle within man. True worship, he argues, rises above mere location, calendar disputes, and external forms, since salvation rests in Christ, engaging the mind, heart, and will in remembrance of Christ, love, and works that please Him. Prayer, fasting, vigil, and above all the Divine Liturgy are its highest expressions, and Holy Communion is the bloodless renewal of Golgotha, both sacrifice and thanksgiving, not to be received without faith and preparation. He extends true worship further to holiness, justice, evangelism, and almsgiving.