Catechumen, Depart!

Beginning the Ceremony.

Today was my first "big" step into Orthodoxy. That's right, I was officially designated as a catechumen. It all began on Thursday when I asked Fr. Anthony, whilst he was writing icons on UGA's campus, if I was a catechumen yet. 

I was slightly confused, as, unfortunately, our Catechumen Classes take place on Wednesday nights at 7pm, and I can't attend (I have class until 10pm). Fr. Anthony said, "Of course not! That has to be official." So, of course, I asked him when we could make it official. Smiling, he looked at me and replied, "Sunday. We'll do it Sunday."

It looks like Moses himself parted that hair. ;)

So, I was very excited throughout the week. Of course, catechizing is a long process, and I expect it to last as such, but here it was! The first big step. So, Fr. Anthony loves the "mysteries" of the church, and I think that very much carries over into the way he speaks. I asked him when it would take place, and he just nodded at me mysteriously and said, "I will call you up on Sunday."

Of course, I expected the catechizing to take place during the part of the service where, historically, the catechumens are prayed over and then kicked out of the service. This didn't happen, so I waited for the actual part of the service where it would happen. We made it through the Eucharist and the homily, and still nothing!

Praying over me.

Today was also a special day in the annual life cycle of St. Philothea's. It's the "Blessing of the Backpacks." The book sacks themselves aren't blessed, but the children about to enter school are prayed over, and the college and graduate students, additionally. It was a very busy day, so I figured I would be catechized after this.

Come to find out, everyone forgot (being so busy, it's quite understandable!). But Fr. Anthony easily rectified it, got together a crowd of witnesses, and we went up onto the altar to begin the process. Fr. Anthony prayed over me, everyone else prayed for me liturgically, and it was finished. I tried to stay emotionless, but it was a very moving experience for me.

Kissing the hand that passes out the Eucharist.

I'm officially a catechumen! This is something I wanted to happen as I began to grow confident in the truth of the Orthodox Church, and I'm glad it's finally official. I'm hoping to be chrismated by Easter of next year, and I know I have a very long journey as I grow in my faith, but I am thankful to my God for the opportunity, whenever I am officially welcomed into the Church. 

A moment of honesty. It was once quite hard for me to want to wake up for church on Sunday morning, or to read my Bible throughout the week. Regular prayer time was difficult and (stubbornly) coordinated when I could remember. After finding the richness of Orthodoxy, I have established a regular prayer time, Sunday is my favorite time of the week, and my prayers have grown in theology and substance. There is not a day that goes by that I don't pray multiple times for my father, my mother, my brother and sister, my extended family, my dog (poor health), and those on my prayer list. I have grown closer in my relationship to the Father, in my relationship to the One and only Savior, His Son, Jesus Christ, and in my relationship to His ever-present and loving Holy Spirit.

After the service, I was reminded how now all of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) people could jokingly ask me to leave with the phrase "catechumen, depart!" Fr. Anthony laughed probably just a *little* too much the first time he heard this (don't encourage them!). 

I'm excited to continue to grow in my relationship with my God, and I appreciate all of your prayers. Kyrie Eleison on all fellow believers. 

Pray for me.

Christian

P.S. Mary Anna (OCF president) decided that one picture she took was the perfect "catechumen, depart!" moment. Here it is in all of it's meme-filled glory.

My First OCA Visit

Right Side of the Iconostasis at St. John's 

Today was another wonderful day in my journey to Orthodoxy! I'm very blessed to have become a member of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) here at the University of Georgia. Mary Anna, the wonderful president/dictator of OCF, invited us all to her home parish, St. John the Wonderworker's, in Atlanta.

Of course, having never been to the Russian-influenced Orthodox Church in America (OCA), I, of course, accepted her lovely offer, keen on learning the difference between Russian and Greek Orthodoxy.

Side View of an Icon/ Candles

So we arrived and I noticed something immediately off the bat...

There were no pews! Unlike St. Philothea's, in which pews dominated the sanctuary, St. John's had several on the side, but everyone was standing. Having worked in the service industry for 6+ years, I had no problem standing, and it was wonderful.

St. John's had more people present than St. Philothea's, no organ, and let me say, their choir was *phenomenal*. I truly felt God present in the worship.

The service was also noticeably longer, but it followed St. John Chrysostom's Divine Liturgy, as St. Philothea's does.

Wonderful View of St. John's Iconostasis 

Side note: That's one thing I love about Orthodoxy. No matter where you attend, you will find the same worship of God, with fervent people, no matter what!

So, apart from the lack of pews dominating the space, the OCA also seemed to have a "nursery" in the center of the sanctuary. That is, they don't believe in separating the infants from the service. Therefore, they all just piled up and made noise in the middle of the floor. It was distracting at some points, and people moved around quite a bit, but I loved the atmosphere. It seemed real, and there was a noticeable silence as the Eucharist was brought out from behind the iconostasis. Christ was present among us.

Another View (Joanna Creeping...)

The best way I can describe my experience with the OCA was that the service was "busy." This, of course, isn't a bad thing. And I enjoyed it immensely. I felt edified and renewed as I attended, as I have felt with all Orthodox services before.

After the service, a wonderful lunch was provided by the church. Would I attend an OCA church again? Absolutely! I would even love to attend St. John's again. What draws me to Orthodoxy, as a sub-point, is the fact that it remains the same no matter where you attend. Some might find this to be a hindrance, or an annoyance. I, instead, find this to be refreshing. 

Christ Jesus on the Ceiling

In a society seemingly dominated by "modern" music trends, feel-good messages, and an implacable desire for modernity and a watered-down Gospel, the only rebellion is Orthodoxy. This is where I find Christ.

Pray for me,

Christian

The Majority of the OCF Group (Me on the Right)

Getting Outside Your Comfort Zone (And Other Updates)

This blog is called "The Great Adventure," but I didn't really think I would actually do any adventuring on my journey. Like... real adventuring.

Like camping.

Yeah, I went camping. And for anyone who knows me, I'm the guy who would wear a FitBit just to see how many steps I could avoid walking daily. Getting up from the couch is usually dangerously close to exercise. So why did I go camping?

Well, I didn't know anyone in the Orthodox Church, really. I'd met some cool younger adults, but I still wasn't as involved in the faith as I liked. The UGA president of the OCF (Orthodox Christian Fellowship) asked me if I wanted to come. I figured, "Why not? What can go wrong?"

So began the first obstacle in my great adventure.

We went camping near the North Carolina/Georgia border. And we got there around midnight. Who knows why? We set up our tents in the pitch-black with several LED flashlights. We finally got a fire going after about 20 minutes (it had rained the night before). I think we went to bed that first night around 4 in the morning.

...Anddddd I woke up with the biggest Daddy Long-Legs on my pillow. I know there's an old wives' tale about them being the most poisonous spiders ever. I don't generally believe it. Except, of course, when all of its eyes are staring me down. I squashed it promptly and with very little regret.

The rest of the trip was fairly overcast and uneventful. We hiked, but mostly hung around the fire and sang hymns and other songs together. We also almost burnt down the forest (don't tell anyone!)

I don't want to bore you with the bogged-down descriptions of the trip. I will say this: I met some very lovely people I hope to remain friends with for my life. The OCF at UGA is very welcoming, a little crazy, and a lot of fun. I'm glad I was able to get involved in a student organization that believes as I do, and had fun doing it. It was a blessing, though one I think I will need many months from before partaking of again :)

A Few More Updates (Rapid-fire style!):

• Tried making a prayer rope with some people from OCF. I can see why the story about the demon being unable to untie the knot is true. It was so difficult to even get it going. I successfully made one knot (with the help of a friend) and stopped... Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner! I just can't do it.
• Visited my second Divine Liturgy this past week. Just as great as the first, and I followed along a little better. I was able to step outside my "Protestant" comfort zone and kiss the awe-inspiring cross at the end of the service, as Father Anthony handed me a piece of the blessed bread. What a joy it is that our Lord died for us on that cross! How thankful I am to remember His death and resurrection thusly!
• Coffee Hour?! Jeez, the Orthodox know how to party! Love it! 

Pray for me,

Christian

My First Liturgy!!!

St. Philothea Greek Orthodox Church in Athens, GA

So the moment I've been eagerly anticipating has finally arrived. I visited my first liturgy today, and I'd like to describe in detail what I experienced, however, I believe one sentence may suffice for the "too long, didn't read" viewers out there.

It felt like I was worshipping with the angels.

As many of you probably know, I was very nervous for my first Divine Liturgy. As a Southern Baptist, I expected this to be quite a culture shock. I wasn't disappointed, yet I walked into St. Philothea knowing that the prayers of my fellow believers (including an igumen and an hieromonk!) were encouraging me and giving me strength.

And God deemed fit, it seems, to provide me with a friend upon entering. A fine gentleman, Mike, though not greeting, sensed my nervousness and walked up to me. He mentioned that he chrismated into the church three months ago, and he used to be a Baptist deacon! He took me around the church and explained a few things to me, then offered to let me sit with him and his wife during the Divine Liturgy. His wife had such a wonderful voice, and she frequently explained a few things to me during the liturgy. I must admit, I felt somewhat sad, as I was interrupting her worship of our amazing God to have my questions answered, yet she didn't seem to mind at all. 

Thank you, God, for placing these two kind believers in my path today. I truly felt great knowing how much they cared. In fact, Mike's lovely wife brought me some of the blessed bread after the serving of Holy Communion, and Mike explained to me all the different aspects of the sanctuary. I'm sorry for interrupting their worship, but they really seemed to care about making me feel welcome. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but this beautiful couple made it better.

So anyway, I digress. The service was "somewhat" what I expected. I knew much of it would be sung, and it was. I kind of got lost in the service and wasn't able to follow along in the liturgy book. But, I knew some of the things (the Creed and the Our Father. Don't worry, Orthodox readers, I didn't throw in the Filioque!). They spoke in Greek at certain parts, some of which seemed confusing, but most of which seemed to involve the Greek version of "Lord, have mercy."

My favorite part of the service, however, was the serving of the Eucharist. In a typical Baptist setting, the pastor and the deacons serve the Lord's Supper around the sanctuary. They usually read from the Bible related verses and then remind us that Christ has commanded us to do this in remembrance of him. They might say a prayer before. However, the Orthodox spend much of the service preparing the bread and wine for the parishioners. It is paraded around the sanctuary, and the people bow as it passes. The Orthodox also believe that the bread and the wine become the body and blood of Christ mystically. Hence, Christ's "This is my body. This is my blood." They don't follow the Catholic need to argue for "transubstantiation." Instead, they simply believe on faith. We all got on our knees and bowed as the Eucharist was brought up to the altar. Then, those able to receive Holy Communion partook. As I said, it was beautiful, and something I will remember for life.

You know, I was warned about one thing the Orthodox Church does... Which is eat! And they happened to be having gyros, salad, and potatoes after the service. Andddddd, it was free for college students! Mike and his lovely wife took me to the fellowship hall, and I ate with some college students, all of whom were great people. I'm looking forward to spending more time in the future.

So, overall, my first Divine Liturgy was an experience. I enjoyed it. I felt like I was in the presence of some truly God-fearing people. While I can't claim to have understood it all, I will say that I loved every minute. Father Anthony, the priest, gave a great homily, and I'm looking forward to chatting with him more when able. He said after the service that he recalled my face somewhere. 

Thank you for your prayers, dear readers, and continue to pray for me as I continue my great adventure.

Yours,

Christian

What I'm Reading

So School starts back soon. This means I won't have as much time for reading as I would like. Therefore, I've tried to get in as much reading now as I can. I've bought a bunch of books and have read through most of them. A few will require several readings, and a few will require lifetime readings.

Anyway, just a quick summation of several books I've bought that I believe any Christian (Protestant, Orthodox, or other) should read:

The Orthodox Church

The first book is titled The Orthodox Church by Kallistos Ware. This book contains two parts. The first part describes the history of the Orthodox Church, from the time of Christ up to modern times. The second part describes a basic understanding of the canons and traditions of the Orthodox Church. This is a recommended read for any Protestants interested in the Church, or any Orthodox raised in the Church with little understanding.

The Orthodox Way

The next book is titled The Orthodox Way, also by Metropolitan Kallistos Ware. This book goes more in depth in the belief system of the Orthodox Church. I will be honest, when reading it, I noticed very little differentiation between Protestant and Orthodox theology besides ideas such as venerating saints, the uses of icons, etc. This is a wonderful book for any believer.

The Way of the Pilgrim

Man, what a book. If there was any book I could recommend from this list to any Christian who wants to understand the concept of interior prayer, or "praying without ceasing," this is the one. It's a beautiful journey of a Russian pilgrim in his pursuit to reach Jerusalem. Along the way, he focuses upon what it means to truly pray. I do have the stinking suspicion, however, that the translation I read (seen above), was written by a Catholic, as it mentions the Hail Mary and the use of a rosary, both of which are not used in the Orthodox tradition. Still, read this book. Though, maybe find a better translation?

Becoming Orthodox

This book, Becoming Orthodox, serves as a great primer for the Protestant looking into discovering the New Testament Church. Written by a former Campus Crusader, this book masterfully discusses the journey of a man (and thousands others) who want to find complete worship. In fact, while reading, I began to see Gillquist's journey paralleling with mine in ways. For any Protestant interested in the Orthodox tradition, this is the first book you should read.

The Philokalia, Vol. 1

Now *this* is a heavy book. Written by the early Church Fathers, this book goes into depth on several key concepts, namely interior prayer and closeness to God. Using the Bible as a foundation, this book was originally written for hermits and monks to develop an exceptional prayer cycle. For the average reader, it's more difficult to follow, though. This is a book I will be reading over and over. It has been described as the second most important book in the Orthodox tradition behind the Holy Bible. I can see why.

Jordanville Prayer Book

I also bought a prayer book, the Jordanville Prayer Book. Very popular among Orthodox Christians, it serves to help you establish regularity to your prayers. I should note here that this doesn't mean that I don't, and will not, pray "spontaneous" prayers in my prayer life. A prayer book helps one to focus, something I have a very hard time doing in my prayer life.

The Orthodox Study Bible

This is the last book I bought before heading back to UGA. This, the Orthodox Study Bible, contains both the canonical and deuterocanonical texts, as well as study aids, icons, maps, and articles for perusal. I hope to review this version of the Bible more in depth in the future. What drew me to it, besides the deuterocanonical texts, was the fact that it uses the Greek Septuagint for the Old Testament, rarely used today, though this translation was used by the Apostles during the New Testament times. I'm looking forward to diving into this Bible!

So there you have it! These are the first books I have bought in my journey to Orthodoxy. I would welcome any future recommendations by anyone perusing this blog, and I firmly recommend these texts to anyone who happens to read!

Pray for me.

Yours,

Christian

The Great Adventure

Hello!

This, the first post in my blog, has been posted with little pomp and circumstance. While more information may be found in the section, "About Your Wayfarer," I believe the introductory post to my blog should mention a little bit of who I am, what I do, and what I believe.

Who I Am and What I Do
My name is Christian Stacy (yep, that's my middle name) Hamilton, and I am a proud South Carolinian Southern Baptist. I was raised in the Baptist tradition and I largely believe in the majority of the Baptist doctrine. I received my undergraduate degree in Politics and Policy at the largest Christian university in the world, Liberty University, and I'm currently working on my master's degree at the University of Georgia in Public Administration, where I also teach Introduction to American Government to freshman and sophomore Bulldog pups. I'm very much enjoying the atmosphere of UGA, and I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere of LU. No, I'm not sure what I plan on doing yet after completing my master's. By next Summer, I hope to have a job lined up or a full ride to some doctorate program somewhere. :)

What I Believe
Perhaps this section should start out with the Nicene Creed, what many consider to be the most famous statement of the Christian Church: Protestant, Orthodox, or Catholic. 

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible; And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried; and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of the Father; and he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord, and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spake by the Prophets. And I believe one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church; I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. AMEN.

Man, what a mouthful! However, this beautifully rendered statement sums up Christianity quite nicely. 

So here's the thing that you've been wondering. I'm Baptist, yes. But why the blog to discuss it? 

Glad you asked.

I've not been content with the Baptist faith for some time now. This is not because of boredom or lack of growing in the Holy Scriptures. It is quite simply because I wanted to understand my faith clearly and effectively, to defend it when necessary. St. Anselm calls this "faith seeking understanding." In the search for a defense of my faith, I began to research the New Testament Church. Come to find out, it seemed vastly different than the Baptist tradition I was born into. What then was necessary for me to do?

I had two choices. I could continue in the Baptist tradition, worried that I was never partaking in the fullness of Christ's Church...

Or, I could continue researching the New Testament Church and find out which church most closely resembled the church of the apostles.

So I chose the latter, and long story short, I was drawn to the Orthodox Church. I don't want this blog post to turn into a book, as I'm sure I'll be writing on it when time permits during the school year, however, I wanted to make note of a few things.

All the Notes
1. My faith in God has not wavered. I believe in the Creator and Sustainer of the World just as strongly as I have in the past, if not more now.
2. My faith in Jesus Christ as my intercessor before God has not wavered. Christ is the sole means of salvation, and this is a belief I will never waver on, nor will I attend a church that does so.
3. My faith in the Holy Spirit as the Comforter, Counselor, and friend in my heart has not wavered.
4. I do not believe the Baptist tradition is inherently wrong. Its foundation is firm, and I believe many are saved through the faith, just as many may be saved through the Lutheran tradition, Catholic tradition, Anglican tradition, etc.
5. I do believe differently than the Baptist on several things, namely sola scriptura, a concept espoused by Martin Luther. It should be noted that Martin Luther tried to get rid of the books of Hebrews, James, Jude, and Revelation because they did not fit his idea of grace and faith alone.
6. I do believe that works go hand-in-hand with salvation. That is, we are commanded to do various works if we are Christians, such as be baptized, partake in Holy Communion, etc. If we are truly saved, we will do these things as proof of our salvation. If we do not do these things, we go against Christ's commands. Faith is of prime importance. Works are a necessary proof of that faith. A simple prayer and back to a sinful lifestyle are not evidence of a changed heart.

These last points will draw harsh criticism from my Baptist friends. However, I urge any interested to do some research and see the truth in the Scriptures.

As I've mentioned in the "about me" section of this blog, I've named it after a Steven Curtis Chapman song. This truly is a "great adventure" for me. I've stepped so far outside my comfort zone. The majority of my friends are Protestant, and I'm sure I will receive much flak with little understanding. However, I'm excited for this journey to a greater glorification for Christ. Pray for me.

Yours,

Christian