(no subject)
Tonight I had the opportunity to speak about my conversion to Orthodoxy with a Facebook friend of mine. So, I figured I might as well post it here, too. Ta da!
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
Thanks very much for replying to me so quickly. :) I hope I can share something of my journey to Orthodoxy that might make sense and perhaps provide a bit of insight.
I was raised in a devoutly Lutheran household. My mother is a church organist, so we were always involved in activities in at least one church, and it was something that was clearly very important to my parents. They were drawn to Luther because of his (mostly very legitimate) problems with Roman Catholicism in the 1500's. So, I grew up in what I would characterize as a very devout, Pietist Lutheran environment. While my parents had some theological disagreements with other Christians (notably Catholics), there was never a notion that they were "going to hell" or anything like that. We just had our differences, but I was always taught that if you loved God enough and were doing the best you could with the knowledge you had, God would honor your intention.
So, fast forward to college. Both of my degrees are from Westminster. During my entire undergraduate career I worked in a series of Episcopal churches that were really more Unitarian than they were Christian. The focus was on beautiful, "high" liturgy but a liberal, relativist "theology" that was, honestly, embarrassed of Christ. I was in church with people who would drive hundreds of miles to hear some impressive organ recital or choir concert, but who became unbelievably enraged if you dared to suggest that our Lord was, in fact, not lying when he said that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (and not just *a* Way or *a* Truth).
So, at some point during the end of undergrad and the beginning of grad school, I had an Emmaus Road experience of sorts in which I realized that one of two things had to happen in my life. I was either going to become an athiest and not believe in anything, or I was going to re-commit myself to Christ and make Him and His Church the most important part of my life, period. There could be no in-between, and no sort of half commitment. To do so seemed like the ultimate hypocrisy that betrayed both belief and unbelief.
So, I chose Christ. With that much clear, I then felt drawn to try and find a body of sincere Christian believers who actually believed the Gospel as it was intended to be believed. Because I was working at the time in a "high" Anglican parish, I began to investigate Roman Catholicism more deeply, as this seemed like the next logical step. At around the same time, I made friends with an Orthodox musician who was willing to answer some of my questions about the Church. Some of his answers were hard truths, and others were a welcome relief; in both cases, I sensed a sacred Truth that was utterly committed to Christ and unashamed to proclaim the salvation He offers. Furthermore, this was a theology that was devoid of sentimentality and frivolous emotion, but was imbued with something far more precious: true joy.
The first Orthodox service I attended was the Divine Liturgy at St. Tikhon's Seminary in northeastern PA. There's an annual pilgrimage there and my Orthodox friend took me. I knew within ten minutes of parking my car that this was the True Church, founded by Christ on Pentecost. Here was the original Apostolic Faith, preserved by the Holy Spirit for two thousand years, against which the gates of Hell have never prevailed and never shall prevail.
So, I began attending an Orthodox church in my area. This was a very odd situation for me because I was still under contract to the Episcopalians, so I'd go to St. Mark's during the week but be at the Episcopal church on Sunday mornings. As difficult as this was, it was truly a blessing, because this experience showed me the vast, unbreachable distance between the ancient Church and western, people-centric heresy.
Converts to Orthodoxy often speak of the true humility that they have witnessed among Orthodox believers, and my story is no different. For the first time, I *consistently* encountered a worship environment where the assembled people were living St. John the Baptist's words that "He must increase, and I must decrease." These people had realized that their own egos had no place in church, and that they were gathered together not to "affirm" each other or "celebrate diversity" or participate in some sort of ecumenical milquetoast charity work, but to worship the Holy, Consubstantial and Life-Creating Trinity, one in essence and undivided.
After a catechumenate of about one year, I was received into Holy Orthodoxy five and-a-half years ago. I remain imperfect and in need of the Heavenly Physician; however, at last I have found the true hospital, the pillar and ground of truth, and the Ark of salvation.
Thanks for wading through my wall of text. :) Please do let me know if I can ever answer other questions or provide resources. If you're interested, there are several excellent books on this very topic, including "The Orthodox Way" by Bishop Kallistos Ware, and "The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church" by Vladimir Lossky. Another profound book is "The Way of the Pilgrim," by an anonymous Russian peasant. Check www.conciliarpress.com or www.stspress.com; St. Vladimir's Seminary also has a press.
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
Thanks very much for replying to me so quickly. :) I hope I can share something of my journey to Orthodoxy that might make sense and perhaps provide a bit of insight.
I was raised in a devoutly Lutheran household. My mother is a church organist, so we were always involved in activities in at least one church, and it was something that was clearly very important to my parents. They were drawn to Luther because of his (mostly very legitimate) problems with Roman Catholicism in the 1500's. So, I grew up in what I would characterize as a very devout, Pietist Lutheran environment. While my parents had some theological disagreements with other Christians (notably Catholics), there was never a notion that they were "going to hell" or anything like that. We just had our differences, but I was always taught that if you loved God enough and were doing the best you could with the knowledge you had, God would honor your intention.
So, fast forward to college. Both of my degrees are from Westminster. During my entire undergraduate career I worked in a series of Episcopal churches that were really more Unitarian than they were Christian. The focus was on beautiful, "high" liturgy but a liberal, relativist "theology" that was, honestly, embarrassed of Christ. I was in church with people who would drive hundreds of miles to hear some impressive organ recital or choir concert, but who became unbelievably enraged if you dared to suggest that our Lord was, in fact, not lying when he said that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (and not just *a* Way or *a* Truth).
So, at some point during the end of undergrad and the beginning of grad school, I had an Emmaus Road experience of sorts in which I realized that one of two things had to happen in my life. I was either going to become an athiest and not believe in anything, or I was going to re-commit myself to Christ and make Him and His Church the most important part of my life, period. There could be no in-between, and no sort of half commitment. To do so seemed like the ultimate hypocrisy that betrayed both belief and unbelief.
So, I chose Christ. With that much clear, I then felt drawn to try and find a body of sincere Christian believers who actually believed the Gospel as it was intended to be believed. Because I was working at the time in a "high" Anglican parish, I began to investigate Roman Catholicism more deeply, as this seemed like the next logical step. At around the same time, I made friends with an Orthodox musician who was willing to answer some of my questions about the Church. Some of his answers were hard truths, and others were a welcome relief; in both cases, I sensed a sacred Truth that was utterly committed to Christ and unashamed to proclaim the salvation He offers. Furthermore, this was a theology that was devoid of sentimentality and frivolous emotion, but was imbued with something far more precious: true joy.
The first Orthodox service I attended was the Divine Liturgy at St. Tikhon's Seminary in northeastern PA. There's an annual pilgrimage there and my Orthodox friend took me. I knew within ten minutes of parking my car that this was the True Church, founded by Christ on Pentecost. Here was the original Apostolic Faith, preserved by the Holy Spirit for two thousand years, against which the gates of Hell have never prevailed and never shall prevail.
So, I began attending an Orthodox church in my area. This was a very odd situation for me because I was still under contract to the Episcopalians, so I'd go to St. Mark's during the week but be at the Episcopal church on Sunday mornings. As difficult as this was, it was truly a blessing, because this experience showed me the vast, unbreachable distance between the ancient Church and western, people-centric heresy.
Converts to Orthodoxy often speak of the true humility that they have witnessed among Orthodox believers, and my story is no different. For the first time, I *consistently* encountered a worship environment where the assembled people were living St. John the Baptist's words that "He must increase, and I must decrease." These people had realized that their own egos had no place in church, and that they were gathered together not to "affirm" each other or "celebrate diversity" or participate in some sort of ecumenical milquetoast charity work, but to worship the Holy, Consubstantial and Life-Creating Trinity, one in essence and undivided.
After a catechumenate of about one year, I was received into Holy Orthodoxy five and-a-half years ago. I remain imperfect and in need of the Heavenly Physician; however, at last I have found the true hospital, the pillar and ground of truth, and the Ark of salvation.
Thanks for wading through my wall of text. :) Please do let me know if I can ever answer other questions or provide resources. If you're interested, there are several excellent books on this very topic, including "The Orthodox Way" by Bishop Kallistos Ware, and "The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church" by Vladimir Lossky. Another profound book is "The Way of the Pilgrim," by an anonymous Russian peasant. Check www.conciliarpress.com or www.stspress.com; St. Vladimir's Seminary also has a press.
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!