For many people, converting to the Orthodox Christian Church is a tough process. Whether coming from a secular background and having to deal with basic questions of faith, or coming from a Western Christian background and having to give up previous ways of thinking and familiar hymns and practices, the transition is often difficult. Add… Continue reading Just One More Step…
Tag: The Orthodox Church
Information about the Orthodox Church in general.
The Value of Lay-Led Services
Last Sunday, fourteen people gathered together in worship and fellowship at our parish on the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee. They prayed the Service of the Typica, also known as the Reader’s Service, which is what Orthodox Christians do when there is no priest available to serve liturgy. As most know, since our… Continue reading The Value of Lay-Led Services
On Being a Bi-Vocational Priest
When people meet me, they are usually surprised to learn that not only am I an Orthodox Christian priest, but that I also work as a computer Network Consulting Engineer. The term for what I am is “bi-vocational.” It is not a term that I invented, or which was even created in reference to Orthodox… Continue reading On Being a Bi-Vocational Priest
Η Εκκλησία του πατέρα μου
Πολλές φορές οι ορθόδοξοι άνθρωποι θέλουν να παραμείνουν με αυτό που έχουν μάθει από τους γονείς τους. Συνήθως αυτό είναι καλό, όπως μαθαίνουμε από πείρα, παρατήρηση, και επανάληψη. Η Ορθοδοξία είναι όχι μόνο ένα σύνολο δογμάτων, αλλά είναι και ένας τρόπος ζωής. Πώς κάνουμε το σταυρό μας, πώς νηστεύουμε, και ποια τραγούδια τραγουδάμε γύρω από… Continue reading Η Εκκλησία του πατέρα μου
An Instance of Baptist Harassment
Last Sunday, my wife and I met up for lunch with a priest friend and his family who were visiting from out of town. We went to an Indian restaurant in Cary, North Carolina, since it was close to where our friends were staying. They have three children, and so there were seven of us… Continue reading An Instance of Baptist Harassment
Trusting in God
A few days ago, my dog developed an itch and it became apparent that she needed to go to the veterinarian for treatment. It’s a recurring problem, completely minor, which takes less than a minute to alleviate. For my dog, however, it’s a traumatic experience on two counts; the first is that she hates traveling… Continue reading Trusting in God
How Do Orthodox View Non-Orthodox Religious Phenomena?
For some coming to Orthodox Christianity, the conversion is a jolting experience where the difference between one’s former way of life and the Orthodox way of life becomes suddenly clear and is a stark contrast. For such converts, and for many people who were born into Orthodoxy and have never been anything else, Orthodoxy is… Continue reading How Do Orthodox View Non-Orthodox Religious Phenomena?
If Orthodoxy Is True, Why Have I Never Heard of It?
As was explained in the previous article, What is the Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Church believes itself to be the original and true Church of Jesus Christ. Orthodoxy is not large nor is it well-known in the West, however, which often makes people wonder why they have not heard of this Church before. Much of… Continue reading If Orthodoxy Is True, Why Have I Never Heard of It?
A Reading List for Academically-Inclined Inquirers
One of the most common questions from those looking into the Orthodox Church is, “what do I read?” While English-language resources for understanding Orthodox Christianity have thankfully increased greatly over the past forty years, they are not all of even quality. Most have a slant of one type or another, and oftentimes there are errors… Continue reading A Reading List for Academically-Inclined Inquirers
What Is the Orthodox Church?
The Orthodox Church is the original Church founded by Jesus Christ on the day of Pentecost, when the Apostles were gathered and received the gift of the Holy Spirit. For many modern Christians, there is little knowledge of what happened after the Bible was completed and the last Apostle died. A common idea is that… Continue reading What Is the Orthodox Church?