I’m sure you’re gonna get blasted for this post but let me tell you I am so grateful ❤️
So freaking tired of the exclusivity-if God is everywhere than the divine is more than what can be put in a box. If I’ve defined God, then THAT is not God. 🤷♀️
So incredibly tired of man raising himself by raising “god”
I forgot when I subscribed to this, but I’m glad I did!
The nice thing about Orthodoxy is that, for me, it succeeds in being a fairly open theological arena while holding very firmly to the Christian faith and morality—I’m an incorrigible universalist à la St. Gregory Nyssan, and I don’t think I could confess Christianity as a coherent creed without that.
WOW... just WOW!!! You have a gift for being eloquent in the most down-to-earth way. I cannot help but feel that this post is an indirect response to the canonization of Saint Gavrilia curfuffle that has exploded on Facebook this past week. I especially loved reading the prayer by Saint Nikolai about the Eastern teachers, having come from that background to Orthodox Christianity. Saint Paul also chose to teach Christ by pointing out the commonalities found in pagan beliefs instead of attacking his listeners. One of my priests always tells me that it is better to be loving than to be right. Saint Gavrilia demonstrated love of neighbor 1000X better than I probably ever will, and the love she offered to her neighbor was all from Christ. May we all be strengthened by her holy prayers!
I often have similar "pilgrimages" during my visits to my five children (also on account of the grandchildren), none of whom is Orthodox but all of whom are serious Christians. I mostly go to church with them when I do, my primary motivation being that I don't want the young children to get a wrongheaded idea of Grandma's church by my separating myself from them in their still innocent faith. And they come with me when they visit me!
Steve, you and I grew up at about the same time and in the same horrible Campbellite Restorationist "churches of Christ" movement, which nonetheless introduced me to Christ and the Holy Scriptures, thank God. In my little hometown we had seven congregations of the non-instrumental "churches of Christ," none of which would talk to the others because they all considered themselves to be the only pure True Church in town, and the others to be "too liberal." (Here I'm talking about orphan homes, sponsoring churches for missionaries, cups, classes, and coffee hours, etc, not Christology). All of us could see no significant difference between a Baptist and a Bhuddist. Once I got free from that prison of legalism, I too wandered through the byways of the "Jesus Movement" and evanglicalism, to conservative Anglicanism, finally arriving in the Orthodox Church almost 30 years ago. By far the biggest obstacle on my way to becoming Orthodox was my fear of slipping back into the phony "One True Church" exclusivist legalism I had fled. Admittedly, I have encountered within the Orthodox Church (or on her fringes) some arrogant ignorant folk just as stubborn and cruel and exclusivist as I used to be. But they do so despite, not because of, the consistent teachings of the Church and the predominately gracious attitudes of Orthodox people, clergy and laity. I have experienced this in many countries, jurisdictions, and ethnicities over 30 years. I have read it in hundreds of Orthodox books, old and new. My conclusion: Steve, your perspective here is at the heart of the Orthodox Church, now and always. Yes, for almost 2000 years, the Good Shepherd has His own visible, definable sheepfold, but He also has other sheep which are not of this fold. He alone is the Savior of all the saved, however confused they may be about sheepfolds. He alone knows and loves every sinful, ignorant, penitent sheep. And He also knows the goats in every fold, and will deal with them properly. His job, not mine. A few years ago, I made my home for retirement in Batumi, Georgia, on the Black Sea. Orthodox Christianity was brought to Batumi in the First Century by the Holy Apostles Andrew the First-Called, Simon the Zealot, and Matthias (who replaced Judas and was martyred here). That same faith and life is still thriving here today, and it is wondrous to behold, warts and all. There are large numbers of English-speaking refugees and exiles living here (at least 50,000). We are seeking the blessing of the Patriarchate of Georgia to begin an English-speaking mission parish in Batumi, with major support from the Holy Orthodox Order of St. George the Great Martyr. Pray for us, dear brother.
I love this post. Gorgeous.
THIS!! THIS!!! THIS!!!
I’m sure you’re gonna get blasted for this post but let me tell you I am so grateful ❤️
So freaking tired of the exclusivity-if God is everywhere than the divine is more than what can be put in a box. If I’ve defined God, then THAT is not God. 🤷♀️
So incredibly tired of man raising himself by raising “god”
I forgot when I subscribed to this, but I’m glad I did!
The nice thing about Orthodoxy is that, for me, it succeeds in being a fairly open theological arena while holding very firmly to the Christian faith and morality—I’m an incorrigible universalist à la St. Gregory Nyssan, and I don’t think I could confess Christianity as a coherent creed without that.
WOW... just WOW!!! You have a gift for being eloquent in the most down-to-earth way. I cannot help but feel that this post is an indirect response to the canonization of Saint Gavrilia curfuffle that has exploded on Facebook this past week. I especially loved reading the prayer by Saint Nikolai about the Eastern teachers, having come from that background to Orthodox Christianity. Saint Paul also chose to teach Christ by pointing out the commonalities found in pagan beliefs instead of attacking his listeners. One of my priests always tells me that it is better to be loving than to be right. Saint Gavrilia demonstrated love of neighbor 1000X better than I probably ever will, and the love she offered to her neighbor was all from Christ. May we all be strengthened by her holy prayers!
I often have similar "pilgrimages" during my visits to my five children (also on account of the grandchildren), none of whom is Orthodox but all of whom are serious Christians. I mostly go to church with them when I do, my primary motivation being that I don't want the young children to get a wrongheaded idea of Grandma's church by my separating myself from them in their still innocent faith. And they come with me when they visit me!
This is really great.
Also--I don't know anybody who likes driving in Boston.
Steve, you and I grew up at about the same time and in the same horrible Campbellite Restorationist "churches of Christ" movement, which nonetheless introduced me to Christ and the Holy Scriptures, thank God. In my little hometown we had seven congregations of the non-instrumental "churches of Christ," none of which would talk to the others because they all considered themselves to be the only pure True Church in town, and the others to be "too liberal." (Here I'm talking about orphan homes, sponsoring churches for missionaries, cups, classes, and coffee hours, etc, not Christology). All of us could see no significant difference between a Baptist and a Bhuddist. Once I got free from that prison of legalism, I too wandered through the byways of the "Jesus Movement" and evanglicalism, to conservative Anglicanism, finally arriving in the Orthodox Church almost 30 years ago. By far the biggest obstacle on my way to becoming Orthodox was my fear of slipping back into the phony "One True Church" exclusivist legalism I had fled. Admittedly, I have encountered within the Orthodox Church (or on her fringes) some arrogant ignorant folk just as stubborn and cruel and exclusivist as I used to be. But they do so despite, not because of, the consistent teachings of the Church and the predominately gracious attitudes of Orthodox people, clergy and laity. I have experienced this in many countries, jurisdictions, and ethnicities over 30 years. I have read it in hundreds of Orthodox books, old and new. My conclusion: Steve, your perspective here is at the heart of the Orthodox Church, now and always. Yes, for almost 2000 years, the Good Shepherd has His own visible, definable sheepfold, but He also has other sheep which are not of this fold. He alone is the Savior of all the saved, however confused they may be about sheepfolds. He alone knows and loves every sinful, ignorant, penitent sheep. And He also knows the goats in every fold, and will deal with them properly. His job, not mine. A few years ago, I made my home for retirement in Batumi, Georgia, on the Black Sea. Orthodox Christianity was brought to Batumi in the First Century by the Holy Apostles Andrew the First-Called, Simon the Zealot, and Matthias (who replaced Judas and was martyred here). That same faith and life is still thriving here today, and it is wondrous to behold, warts and all. There are large numbers of English-speaking refugees and exiles living here (at least 50,000). We are seeking the blessing of the Patriarchate of Georgia to begin an English-speaking mission parish in Batumi, with major support from the Holy Orthodox Order of St. George the Great Martyr. Pray for us, dear brother.
Beautiful Steve. Thank you.
Beautiful!
Really, truly, spot on. Thank you so much for conveying the faith in such an accessible way.
Wonderful