road(s) to Orthodoxy

I was reminded of the scene in \"Huckleberry Finn\" in chapter 31 where Huck has to choose between saving Jim and following what he learned in Sunday School. A challenging and moving scene!

Have you read \"A Tiny Step Away from Deepest Faith- A Teenager\'s Search for Meaning\" written by 17-year-old Marjorie Corbman and published by Paraclete Press? The author is quite a remarkable young woman. She was raised in the Jewish faith and considered just about everything from Buddhism to atheism on her journey to becoming Orthodox. Maybe it would help you understand your friend\'s search; perhaps after you read the book (only 100 pages) you would feel comfortable enough to give it to her to read.

John In what year did you first become aware there was an Orthodox Church? I heard first about Orthodoxy in a world religion class in the 1970s, and I even was in an American Carpatho Russian Orthodox Gfeek Catholic church, but it didn\'t sink in. We visted a couple of Roman Catholic churches, a Reformed Jewish synagogue, a Presbyterian Covenant church, and the Greek Orthodox Church. This particular Orthodox parish has pews. It takes time to become more aware of Orthodoxy. Not being so lazy, as I am sure I am, takes time too. My activity level is quite low. Right now I\'m just reading about Orthodoxy. One thing has changed. And this is a difference, for whatever it means. I can no longer accept Filioque. Other than that, becoming an Orthodox Christian surely entails more than just changing doctrines to a more orthodox theology. Actually learning to pray like an Orthodox Christian, and receiving sacraments from the Orthodox ministers (priests) is a big step for us lazy Lutherans.

I don\'t really know when I first became aware that there was an Orthodox Church - probably about the same time I learned the terms \"Protestant\" and \"Catholic\" which means that I was in my elementary school days. When I headed off to Ethiopia, in 1993, I didn\'t think much of Orthodoxy. It was something I associated as \'another denomination\' or a different expression of Christianity - one that I didn\'t think \'fit my style\' or that I could find appealing. It was Fr Martin who challenged my beliefs and showed me I was merely looking at the tip of the iceberg in how little I had given serious thought to Orthodoxy. It was at a Vespers service with Fr Martin and Abbot Jonah in 2001 that \'legitimized\' Orthodoxy to my heart. I think that was when I awakened to the fact that there could really be the True Church of God on this planet.

A somewhat similar experience happened to me. Anyone read \"Godel, Escher, Bach: The Eternal Golden Braid?\" I hadn\'t even converted yet when I read it -- I was seriously considering Orthodoxy, but, as I came from a secular background (I had been an agnostic for some time, I was struggling with the big \"bump\" between the God of the philosophers (namely Plato) and the God of Judeo-Christian belief -- but there was something about it that touched my core.

Yup. Happened here as well.

I believe Tolkien said that all myths point to Christ.

Why is the third page of threads like the first? Or am I the only one with this problem?

(drevyev - it\'s a glitch that happens when the last post of a page is reached. Until the next page starts in earnest, the first page is reproduced as the last page. Quirky.) I had another conversation with my co-worker Vladimir today. I was explaining to him why I was going to be late to work on Friday - as we celebrate the exaltation of the Cross. It was yet another story that he had never heard before. He is fascinated by history, so we delved into the stories of Constantine and Helen which eventually led to talking about the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which led to the Holy Fire at Pascha. Along the way, we talked about the Ark of the Covenant and other \"artifacts\" of Christendom... I keep wishing that he would just \"come and see\" but there are so many excuses standing in the way. Thanks for your prayers. Keep them coming.

Once I\'m caught up on some other work, I will try to provide a short sketch describing my conversion and journey to Orhtodoxy. Praise God for my home.

Thanks, Justin. Vlad still has his questions. His latest question was \"Why would God have given human beings certain desires and then make it \'bad\' to act upon those desires?\" I told him that desires are not evil. The pursuit of desires, however, can be distracting to the point of neglecting the spirit. Since the spirit is durable and the body is decaying, it would be wise to pay attention to what the spirit requires to live. I don\'t think he\'s ever heard that he has a spirit before, much less come across someone who was concerned about his spirit. Thanks for remembering him.

Certainly the classics. Also the ancient philosophers opened my eyes more to the wonders of science and therefore the majesty of God\'s creation. The absolute certainty of math compared to the ever changing theories in physics pointed clearly to me that there is absolute Truth and that we\'ll infinitely explore and discover it more and more.

John, your friend... may God open his heart :-) Those desires also can be wisely directed towards good and creative things like the creation of a family, friendship, making a living and all sorts of things that otherwise we\'d be lazy to take up..

I made a \'follow-up\' visit to my friend Jack in the hospital last Friday. A month ago, the doctors had given him a 1% chance of survival and asked his wife to sign the \"Do not resuscitate\" papers. (She didn\'t sign them.) I had wanted to visit him and anoint him with holy oil from the Monastery of St Nektarios, but I came down with the flu. Anyway, I finally got to visit Jack and brought the holy oil. Two days later, the doctors were astonished that Jack \"snapped out of it\" - his blood pressure stabilized, and he was strong enough to withstand a full dialysis. So, I made another trip, with a small icon of St Nektarios. My plan was to see if Jack was interested in hearing more about Orthodoxy, and perhaps to leave him with the icon as a gift. Jack\'s wife Mee Ling was there, and Jack was watching TV. It truly is amazing to see how much healing the Lord has brought to him in this short amount of time. I did my little \'show and tell\' presentation of St Nektarios - and Mee Ling (understandably) was agitated. She pointed out that many people were praying for Jack, and that God was answering those many prayers (and not St Nektarios). I know it takes baby steps, so I left the comment hanging in the air, but after an hour of chit-chat I explained that St Nektarios was praying alongside of us - as an intercessor. Because of Christ, the members of the Body are not separated even by death. And I assured MeeLing that Orthodoxy is indeed Christian and not idolatry. I think she heard me. baby steps...

I had been Lutheran since birth, but always thought that the Lutheran Church threw out too much of the baby with the bath water. My home church was very formal, the church a modern gothic but very classic church building. The ministers were very formal in attire and chanted the service. Then I went to Colorado University. The chapel was infomral in service but great in classical Lutheran Church music. The art and practice kept me there. After that I never found a Lutheran Church I could fit into. Either old and stuffy or grace band and guitars. I then went as a compromise with my Italian RC wife to the Episcopal churc. Good service but no theology. I did not fit there either. Back to art. I followed my grandmother\'s Episcopal Priest as he became Orthodox. I finally went to his church. The art, meaning music, icons, vestments, liturgy, iconostasis, candles. The art drew me even more than a RC church. Somehow, I felt that the art had drawn me in, then the theology pierced me to the soul, by God\' s Grace. Yes art had a great effect, it drew me in by the senses of sight, smell and hearing. Later came touch and taste. It is an all encomposing experience. Then comes the full involvement of mind and soul. A feast for the whole man.