The Order of St. Basil the Great provides a flexible ecclesiastical authority structure for facilitating new regional networks of churches and ministries, local worship communities, and clergy being brought into full affiliation with the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches through the Diocese of the Restoration by means of a missionary dynamic.
Rule of Life
Members of the Order of St. Basil the Great (OSBG) commit to the following:
The Daily Office – Members of the Order will follow a daily plan of Scripture reading and prayer. This will be accomplished through the use of the Book of Common Prayer (1979 or 2019). Members are asked to pray two offices daily.
The Eucharist – Members of the Order will receive the Eucharist once a week. It is preferable that this be done in the context of the corporate worship service you attend. If the Eucharist is not available corporately it may be received privately. If the Member is a layperson, it is preferable that they should receive Holy Communion from one who is an ordained minister.
Contact/Relationship – Members of the Order are encouraged to engage with other Members and the Bishop Protector by means of electronic and in-person communication. Members will be given access to the Order’s online forum and will be expected to participate regularly in meetings as they are offered (virtually or in-person).
Mentoring/Spiritual Direction– Members of the Order will submit to a mentoring relationship and/or spiritual direction. Mentors and spiritual directors may be from within or outside the Order. Mentors and spiritual directors outside the Order may be contacted concerning the progress of the respective Member.
Retreats – Members of the Order will participate in at least one retreat annually.
Report and Reaffirmation – Members of the Order must submit reports of spiritual, ministerial, and educational activities according to the Ember Letter cycle (the first Sunday in Lent, the Day of Pentecost, Holy Cross Day, and St. Lucy’s Day). They will reaffirm their vows in writing to the Bishop Protector annually.
Self-denial – Members of the Order will undertake to fast as physically able, or to engage in some activity that will help them put God as the focus of their life. Additionally, Members will give a portion of their time, talents, and resources to the Order, their parish, and those in need in their surrounding area.
Study – Members of the Order will engage in the regular reading of Holy Scriptures and other Christian writings, both ancient and contemporary.
Patronage and Dedication
St. Basil of Caesarea, (whose Feast Day is January 2), was the founder of Eastern monasticism, a priest, and the archbishop of Caesarea. As one of the “Cappadocian Fathers,” he was a theologian and thought leader at a time when the Church was working through the implications of her creeds. As people of the Spirit, we are inspired and informed of St. Basil’s life and ministry which is noted for its emphasis on the Holy Spirit. He embodied a commitment to the Church’s past while being prophetically committed to her future.
* OSB would not exist without the life and inspiration of +Bishop Tony Palmer who, like St. Basil, was a man of the Spirit—committed to the Church’s future by understanding and celebrating the best of her past.
The Collect of The Order of St. Basil
O Christ God, Who art worshipped and glorified at every place and time; Who art long-suffering, most merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the righteous and art merciful to sinners; Who callest all to salvation with the promise of good things to come: receive, Lord, the prayers we now offer, and direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our minds and deliver us from all affliction, evil and illness. Surround us with Thy holy angels, that guarded and instructed by their forces, we may reach unity of faith and the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages.
Amen.
