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)