As my Chrismation date approaches I am more and more moved by the experience of becoming Orthodox. There have been some tough times that now make great stories. I highly recommend "One Flew Over the Onion Dome" by Father Joseph over at the Ortho-dixie blog. The other night at Bible study Fr. Nectarios was sharing how some faiths and churches use word like Jesus, Virgin Mary,Trinity, et. but that they are given different meanings. Fr. Nectarios's flock is mainly arab. As Christians free the Holy Lands to avoid forced conversion into Islam and Israeli persecution the end up more and more in communities like mine. Now they speak way better english than I speak arabic. I was asked to share some beliefs of mormonism. I explained how the LDS believe that Elohim came down as an old man and had sex with the no-longer virgin Mary. For the couple young girls who a grasp on English their jaws dropped and they started to chatter in arabic to the adults. You could have knocked any one of them over with a feather. I wish I had that moment on film. I really love those cradle Orthodox folk but also I have to be careful in correcting or marginalizing them with my evangelical zeal. I wear with pride the badge of an Evangelical Orthodox Christian but I need humility and understanding with the souls of those who have not been able to share such zealousness and remain alive. Our two missions meet for bible study once a week. I hope I can translate to them the meanings of words they are going to hear alot in Contemporary American Christianity.
While working on the parish website I found a nice youtube video on the church, problem is when it is over it list other Orthodox videos to watch. One such video was "Don't Stop Believing" by 70's Super Group Journey. Kyrie eleison!
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