Beautiful distinction between "theory" and "practice." Certainly something that I realized early on in my journey into Orthodoxy and something that made a huge difference. Thankfully I never had an off-putting ethnic experience with anyone at our parish (OCA) or even at the Greek parish (St George's in Albuquerque) when we visited there. The closest thing to that was simply my co-worker, who is Greek and cradle Orthodox, who for the longest time would tell people he knew whom would come through our workplace that I was, "becoming Greek Orthodox." After my laughing and correcting him many times - "...just Orthodox... not Greek... 😁" - he eventually started correcting himself. If he does still happen to say, "... he's a Greek Orthodox now," to someone I smile and say, "Actually I'm Norwegian Orthodox." And he'll laugh too. 😊❤️☦️
What a wonderful speaker and pastor. I know we all like "fiery" priests and speakers, who lash out at the culture, but I fully believe that it's clergy like Father that are going to nurture Orthodoxy in this country. To be a kind, learned, thoughtful spiritual elder is what's going to help Christians sustain the long run of our faith.
I am a Mormon convert of one year who's mom is catholic. Recently I've started the process of becoming Catholic. Orthodoxy is the other church that I'm really interested in though. I'm confused and lost.
Glad to know you are out of the Mormon deception, brother. God bless you. Become Orthodox. The Papacy and the Latin, western church does not, sadly, reflect the ancient teachings of the faith. Orthodoxy has preserved the true doctrine. Come home, brother. The Mother Church is waiting. God bless, again, brother.
@@ALLHEART_ The recent split in the Church between Russia and Constantinople is sad. It is one reason I am hesitant to become Orthodox. Sometimes as I study more of Church history and see all of the division, I wonder if there really needed to be a restoration like in Mormonism, but I trying to get over thinking like this. I long though for a Church that doesn't change and bend it's teachings as society changes, and that seems to be the Orthodox church.
@@zacplaysleague5868 You're certainly right about that last part: it is Orthodoxy. People may fail to live by the doctrine, but the doctrine never changes. As for the split between Moscow and Constantinople, it's not a full schism yet. If it does become one, know that these kinds of things are common in the history of the Church, and it's never meant the Church has been corrupted, as painful as these things might be. Remember the Arian heresy? It became so popular at points that there were only a handful of non-Arian, Orthodox bishops. Did that mean the Church was corrupted? No. God eventually made the Orthodox position triumph and become uppermost. The whole story of Christianity is the story of God bringing good out of bad, which He is always capable of doing and is always influencing events towards. From the Arian heresy emerged great saints, like St. Athanasius, as well as the Nicene Creed. From the Nestorian heresy emerged St. Cyril and the Council of Ephesus. From the Iconoclast heresy, St. John Damascene and the theology of icons. God uses these conflicts in the Church to bring about His good ends, although that isn't always apparent to us on the day-to-day. There is a Latin phrase, "*Athanasius Contra Mundum*", which means "Athanasius against the world", and refers to how Athanasius stood largely alone against Arianism in his time. This is the spirit of the Church, and we must remember that. If the Church dwindles to only one bishopric, the Church is no less the Church, and it's truth is no less true. The truth will always rebound and be vindicated, as God wills and promised. "The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it."
That’s so true the first time I went to coffee hour at my son’s Greek Orthodox Church some guy says so where are you from what country? I said America lol . Then another funny thing happened I said so where are you from and he said the Holy Land. Then I said oh Israel. Then he said no Palestine . I’m like oh brother I goofed lol lol . I’m still going to this church and now I am a catechumen. I read a lot of books on Orthodoxy I was born a Protestant never thought anything about Orthodoxy. Anytime I would see a Orthodox Church driving down the road I thought oh that’s where Greek people worship Jesus. I still have a lot to learn. Thanks for these videos.
Thank you for these vids. - I am a relatively new Orthodox Christian. Having read articles such as Kolomiros’s River of Fire whah explain much but he doesn’t explain evil sufficiently. can you shed some light on passages where God instructed violence and by implication rape in passages such as Num 31: 17-18,, 21:3 & Sam 15:3. I can understand that a recalcitrant disobedient Israel will suffer naturally a consequence under divine law. (Logos) however these passages as examples appear to stretch far and beyond that.what is the Orthodox interpretation?
Dont think about evil. Focus yourself on Jesus Christ. Praise Him above everything and always look at Him. Thats the point. Evil wants to you look at evil because it wants to distract us from our Lord Jesus Christ. Everything else is irelevant. Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on us sinners.
I admire and respect religions and culture. BUT I must be honest: I am scandalised with the Greek Orthodox Priests’ behaviour at the Santo Sepulcro in Jerusalem fighting right in front of the tomb of Jesus during a religious ceremony with the Armenians - ALL IN THE NAME OF ORTHODOXY AND PRECISION. I was there when it happened and was even a news worldwide. IT IS SAD, AND I WONDERED AND REFLECTED: DOES GOD DESIRES ALL THESE???????
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Beautiful distinction between "theory" and "practice." Certainly something that I realized early on in my journey into Orthodoxy and something that made a huge difference.
Thankfully I never had an off-putting ethnic experience with anyone at our parish (OCA) or even at the Greek parish (St George's in Albuquerque) when we visited there. The closest thing to that was simply my co-worker, who is Greek and cradle Orthodox, who for the longest time would tell people he knew whom would come through our workplace that I was, "becoming Greek Orthodox." After my laughing and correcting him many times - "...just Orthodox... not Greek... 😁" - he eventually started correcting himself. If he does still happen to say, "... he's a Greek Orthodox now," to someone I smile and say, "Actually I'm Norwegian Orthodox." And he'll laugh too. 😊❤️☦️
As a Greek Orthodox thank you so much for correcting him in the right way! God bless you!
What a wonderful speaker and pastor. I know we all like "fiery" priests and speakers, who lash out at the culture, but I fully believe that it's clergy like Father that are going to nurture Orthodoxy in this country. To be a kind, learned, thoughtful spiritual elder is what's going to help Christians sustain the long run of our faith.
As a catechumen, these videos continue to be helpful to me. - Jerome Danner
May Christ bless and keep guiding you to become a member of His body, the holy Orthodox Church :)
@@Pasto08 Thank you so much! It will be a long journey for me, since I don't close enough to an Orthodox parish.
I am a Mormon convert of one year who's mom is catholic. Recently I've started the process of becoming Catholic. Orthodoxy is the other church that I'm really interested in though. I'm confused and lost.
Glad to know you are out of the Mormon deception, brother. God bless you. Become Orthodox. The Papacy and the Latin, western church does not, sadly, reflect the ancient teachings of the faith. Orthodoxy has preserved the true doctrine. Come home, brother. The Mother Church is waiting. God bless, again, brother.
@@ALLHEART_ The recent split in the Church between Russia and Constantinople is sad. It is one reason I am hesitant to become Orthodox. Sometimes as I study more of Church history and see all of the division, I wonder if there really needed to be a restoration like in Mormonism, but I trying to get over thinking like this. I long though for a Church that doesn't change and bend it's teachings as society changes, and that seems to be the Orthodox church.
@@zacplaysleague5868 You're certainly right about that last part: it is Orthodoxy. People may fail to live by the doctrine, but the doctrine never changes. As for the split between Moscow and Constantinople, it's not a full schism yet. If it does become one, know that these kinds of things are common in the history of the Church, and it's never meant the Church has been corrupted, as painful as these things might be. Remember the Arian heresy? It became so popular at points that there were only a handful of non-Arian, Orthodox bishops. Did that mean the Church was corrupted? No. God eventually made the Orthodox position triumph and become uppermost. The whole story of Christianity is the story of God bringing good out of bad, which He is always capable of doing and is always influencing events towards. From the Arian heresy emerged great saints, like St. Athanasius, as well as the Nicene Creed. From the Nestorian heresy emerged St. Cyril and the Council of Ephesus. From the Iconoclast heresy, St. John Damascene and the theology of icons. God uses these conflicts in the Church to bring about His good ends, although that isn't always apparent to us on the day-to-day. There is a Latin phrase, "*Athanasius Contra Mundum*", which means "Athanasius against the world", and refers to how Athanasius stood largely alone against Arianism in his time. This is the spirit of the Church, and we must remember that. If the Church dwindles to only one bishopric, the Church is no less the Church, and it's truth is no less true. The truth will always rebound and be vindicated, as God wills and promised. "The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it."
I'm an inactive mormon myself looking into Orthodoxy for about a year. I believe the Orthodox Church is one True Church. I'll pray for you. God bless!
@@zacplaysleague5868 The split is really only clergical both churches have said they are both canonical and have valid sacraments.
That’s so true the first time I went to coffee hour at my son’s Greek Orthodox Church some guy says so where are you from what country? I said America lol . Then another funny thing happened I said so where are you from and he said the Holy Land. Then I said oh Israel. Then he said no Palestine . I’m like oh brother I goofed lol lol . I’m still going to this church and now I am a catechumen. I read a lot of books on Orthodoxy I was born a Protestant never thought anything about Orthodoxy. Anytime I would see a Orthodox Church driving down the road I thought oh that’s where Greek people worship Jesus. I still have a lot to learn. Thanks for these videos.
Thank you for these vids. - I am a relatively new Orthodox Christian. Having read articles such as Kolomiros’s River of Fire whah explain much but he doesn’t explain evil sufficiently. can you shed some light on passages where God instructed violence and by implication rape in passages such as Num 31: 17-18,, 21:3 & Sam 15:3. I can understand that a recalcitrant disobedient Israel will suffer naturally a consequence under divine law. (Logos) however these passages as examples appear to stretch far and beyond that.what is the Orthodox interpretation?
Dont think about evil. Focus yourself on Jesus Christ. Praise Him above everything and always look at Him. Thats the point. Evil wants to you look at evil because it wants to distract us from our Lord Jesus Christ. Everything else is irelevant. Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on us sinners.
I admire and respect religions and culture. BUT I must be honest: I am scandalised with the Greek Orthodox Priests’ behaviour at the Santo Sepulcro in Jerusalem fighting right in front of the tomb of Jesus during a religious ceremony with the Armenians - ALL IN THE NAME OF ORTHODOXY AND PRECISION. I was there when it happened and was even a news worldwide. IT IS SAD, AND I WONDERED AND REFLECTED: DOES GOD DESIRES ALL THESE???????