For Inquirers
With the increasing visibility of Orthodox Christianity on various online platforms, I am asked periodically how one should approach the church and (potentially) convert. This is a very brief answer to that question.
First, it is important to realize that our faith is experiential. By this, we mean that we need to experience the church in her way of life, which consists of both individual (personal) and corporate (community) aspects. One of the issues with so-called internet Orthodoxy is that it is neither of these. In other words, no number of YouTube videos, social media posts, podcasts, or the like* can take the place of the two greatest commandments - love of God and neighbor. Internet Orthodoxy is the exact opposite of this if it involves judgment or condemnation, which is foreign to true Christianity.
This underscores the need for our personal struggle. In this, it is important to understand that becoming Orthodox, while it may be at the end of the road of conversion, is the beginning of the Christian life. Conversion to Orthodoxy does not make life easier – one does not emerge from the baptismal font stripped of the ability to sin. However, our difficulties and struggles will then have meaning, in the context of our pursuit of the Kingdom of Heaven.
This leads us to the aspect of community. The word church means an assembly of believers. For those living in the world, this means being a part of a parish community, one in which we struggle alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ to live according to the commandments. Think of the parish as an extension of your family, one united not by the blood of men but by the blood of Christ. The church is nothing less than the mystical Body of Christ.
Now what? Come to church! Don’t be intimidated. Many of the people you will meet have been in your shoes, some even recently. Follow along as best you can. Ask questions. Meet the priest. And be patient. Conversion takes time, usually measured in months if not years. If you are an average American, you have 1000 years of self-determination, rationalism, scholasticism, and several other “isms” that are basically part of your DNA. The good news is that the author of that DNA wants you to return to the original stature of your humanity and sacrificed Himself on the cross to make that possible. As the Holy Fathers teach, God became man so that men might become gods – by grace.
The following are some good resources:
• Visiting an Orthodox Church for the first time: https://youtu.be/aLuFlrHdUpQ
• Readings for Inquirers: http://orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/
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*These things (videos, podcasts, etc.), in addition to books about the Orthodox faith, have their place, but they are part of our spiritual labors, not ends in and of themselves. In addition to knowing about our faith, we need to live it. The Savior taught that He is the way, the truth, and the life. Orthodoxy is the way that leads us to the truth (Jesus Christ), so that we may have life (in Him).
First, it is important to realize that our faith is experiential. By this, we mean that we need to experience the church in her way of life, which consists of both individual (personal) and corporate (community) aspects. One of the issues with so-called internet Orthodoxy is that it is neither of these. In other words, no number of YouTube videos, social media posts, podcasts, or the like* can take the place of the two greatest commandments - love of God and neighbor. Internet Orthodoxy is the exact opposite of this if it involves judgment or condemnation, which is foreign to true Christianity.
This underscores the need for our personal struggle. In this, it is important to understand that becoming Orthodox, while it may be at the end of the road of conversion, is the beginning of the Christian life. Conversion to Orthodoxy does not make life easier – one does not emerge from the baptismal font stripped of the ability to sin. However, our difficulties and struggles will then have meaning, in the context of our pursuit of the Kingdom of Heaven.
This leads us to the aspect of community. The word church means an assembly of believers. For those living in the world, this means being a part of a parish community, one in which we struggle alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ to live according to the commandments. Think of the parish as an extension of your family, one united not by the blood of men but by the blood of Christ. The church is nothing less than the mystical Body of Christ.
Now what? Come to church! Don’t be intimidated. Many of the people you will meet have been in your shoes, some even recently. Follow along as best you can. Ask questions. Meet the priest. And be patient. Conversion takes time, usually measured in months if not years. If you are an average American, you have 1000 years of self-determination, rationalism, scholasticism, and several other “isms” that are basically part of your DNA. The good news is that the author of that DNA wants you to return to the original stature of your humanity and sacrificed Himself on the cross to make that possible. As the Holy Fathers teach, God became man so that men might become gods – by grace.
The following are some good resources:
• Visiting an Orthodox Church for the first time: https://youtu.be/aLuFlrHdUpQ
• Readings for Inquirers: http://orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/
____________________________________________________________________________________
*These things (videos, podcasts, etc.), in addition to books about the Orthodox faith, have their place, but they are part of our spiritual labors, not ends in and of themselves. In addition to knowing about our faith, we need to live it. The Savior taught that He is the way, the truth, and the life. Orthodoxy is the way that leads us to the truth (Jesus Christ), so that we may have life (in Him).
