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