Do You Have a Bucket List?

We’ve all heard of them, and some of us actually create one. I never have, so I thought I would. NO....I’m not talking about jumping out of airplanes or climbing Mt Everest. I’m talking about an Orthodox Christian Bucket List. I think the common bucket list is a waste of time, which may be why I never wrote one. I have been mountain climbing, but who really cares about Mt Everest. I’ve been in lots of airplanes, and trust me when I say, I’m quite comfortable staying INSIDE the airplane. Those types of bucket lists seem to me to focus on thrill seeking rather than what really matters. Preparing our soul is what really matters. So today, I thought I would create an Orthodox Christian Bucket List....

(In no specific order, but the order they came to me while blogging this morning)

1. Go to confession four times this year
2. Pray my morning Prayer Rule every day this month
3. Pray my evening Prayer Rule every day this month
4. Ask my spiritual father for a prayer rule
5. Attend Divine Liturgy every Sunday this month
6. Visit every Canonical Orthodox Christian Monastery in America (33 male monasteries, 38 female monasteries)
7. Attend Divine Liturgy in every Canonical Orthodox Christian Church within a two hour drive of my home
8. Read the entire Bible (Orthodox Christian edition)
9. Attend every Holy Week Service (in the same year) at least once
10. Visit Jerusalem and the Holy Lands
11. Visit with my Bishop in his office
12. Visit the Cathedral of my Bishop
13. Visit the Cathedral of my Archbishop or Metropolitan
14. Visit the Cathedral of my Patriarch
15. Witness the ordination of a Deacon
16. Witness the ordination of a Priest
17. Witness the ordination of a Bishop
18. Witness the Consecration of a Church
19. At least once attend every Divine Liturgy for the 12 Great Feasts of the Church in one year
20. Go on a short-term mission trip (less than 3 months in length)
21. Visit an Orthodox Christian Orphanage
22. Visit every Orthodox Christian Seminary in America
23. Establish a home Altar
24. Have my home blessed by the Priest this year
25. Spend an extended-stay spiritual retreat at an Orthodox Christian Monastery
26. Venerate the Relics of my Patron Saint (if they are known to exist)
27. Venerate a miracle Icon (weeping, crying, myrrh-flowing etc) of the Theotokos
28. Serve a meal at a soup kitchen
29. Distribute food at a food bank
30. Distribute clothing at a clothing bank
31. Visit a stranger in a hospital
32. Visit a stranger in prison
33. Visit a stranger in a nursing/assisted living home
34. Read “On the Incarnation” by Saint Athanasios the Great
35. Read “On the Holy Spirit” by Saint Basil the Great
36. Read a complete commentary on a Book of Scripture by an ancient Orthodox Christian Church Father
37. Read a book on Orthodox Christian spirituality this year
38. Read Eusebius’ book on Christian History
39. Keep a strict fast for the Great Fast at least once
40. Keep a strict fast for the entire Apostles Fast at least once
41. Keep a strict fast for the Dormition Fast at least once
42. Keep a strict fast for the Christmas Fast at least once
43. Keep the Wednesday/Friday Fast this month
44. Keep a strict fast for the Feast of Holy Cross this year
45. Keep a strict fast for the Feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist this year
46. Keep a strict fast for the Forefeast of Theophany this year (January 5)
47. Attend Divine Liturgy for the Feast of my Patron Saint this year
48. Attend Divine Liturgy for the Feast of my Parish this year
49. Attend Great Vespers at least once this month
50. Attend Matins at least once this month
51. Attend a Paraklesis Service at least once this month
52. Attend every Paraklesis Service during the Dormition Fast at least once (in one year)
53. Invite a friend to attend Divine Liturgy with me this year
54. Establish a personal prayer list for family and friends
55. Pray my personal prayer list every day this month
56. Submit my personal prayer list to my Parish Priest and ask him to include it his prayer this month
57. Submit my personal prayer list to a Canonical Orthodox Christian Monastery with a donation
58. Make a donation to International Orthodox Christian Charities this year
59. Make a donation to the Orthodox Christian Mission Center this year
60. Make a donation to the Orthodox Christian Network this year
61. Make a donation to the Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry this year
62. Make a donation to an Orthodox Church building fund this year
63. Make a donation to a National Orthodox Christian Charity this year
64. Make a donation to a regional Orthodox Christian Charity this year
65. Make a donation to my Bishop’s ministry this year
66. Make a donation to my Archbishop/Metropolitan’s ministry this year
67. Make a donation to my Patriarch’s ministry this year
68. Tithe to my Parish this year
69. Volunteer for a ministry at my Parish NOT INCLUDING the Festival or major fundraiser this year
70. Volunteer for my Parish festival or other major fundraiser this year
71. Volunteer to serve as a greeter for my Parish at least once this year

I’m not sure how long bucket lists are supposed to be, but I thought this was a good starting point. I hope you enjoy my list, and I invite you to create your own. Feel free to use mine as a starting point. I tried to include as many aspects of an Orthodox Christian life as I could. I may have missed a few, and I probably will remember (and then add) a few later, but I really believe that if we each had this sort of bucket list, our souls would be much better prepared than worrying about jumping out an airplane.

Oh....I just remembered another one....Make a donation to Be Transfigured!