If you are in an orthodox Christian Church (or protestant for that matter) and the life is being sucked out of you, LOOK TO THE HILLS FROM WHENCE COMETH YOUR HELP! In other words, get out of there and go to where the life of Christ can be found and experienced. Such a place does exist. I promise you. Let them call you a "church hopper". Let them accuse you of not "submitting to your priest". Who cares!? Choose to live the abundant life!
"I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly."
And what is that life?
"These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full."
"Ask and receive that your joy may be full."
"For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost."
"In Him, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory..."
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
You can have your traditions (small "t"), personal preferences, priestly pronouncements, favorite catchphrases (like "passionless worship"), music void of harmony, prayer ropes practices that constantly remind you of what a sinner you are rather than how Christ has made us more than conquerors over sin, spirit-barren liturgies that mirror spirit-barren joyless lives! For me, THE JOY OF THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH!
For a few years now, I have been dying on the vine, while being told that this death was actually the way of the Church. Only one problem...It doesn't match up with the scripture! This was not the dying to self, it was the dying to the abundant life! You see the orthodox faith is not just tradition, it is tradition and scripture. Do you wonder why your orthodox church is so small and why some exit the back door as others enter the front? They are not experiencing the life and joy of Christ through the presence of Holy Spirit. You see, people don't balk at the love of Christ, they resist the lifeless, joyless, pseudo-Christ presented as a substitute...the rudiments, shape and forms. We must have a "friendship with the Holy Spirit", and the rudiments shapes and forms will have meaning and become pure worship. Saint John Maximovitch knew this. Why don't you? Joyless churches are led by joyless priests who produce joyless people. These joyless people must be motivated by manipulation and guilt to keep them in line. Those who break free from this snare are free indeed, for YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE!
If you are in such a church and the church will not change, leave, before it changes you.
I know what you mean because my husband and I have experienced this more than once. Currently, we are exploring liturgical worship since we come from a Baptist background. Orthodoxy is one place we are exploring.
ReplyDeleteHow does one find what you describe?
We feel like we're just wandering because there are so many problems today. Even Orthodoxy has split over ecumenism, etc., that there isn't anywhere to go.
What advice can you give from your own experiences?
Anna! God bless you! In the mix of the article, perhaps I should have clarified a most important point. We cannot depend on the correct treatment from men to shape our joy. We are not looking for a place or people who will never offend us. The scripture says, "It is impossible but that offences will come." In fact, we are to "count it all joy" when we we are faced with such. My emphasis was the fact that there are places and people whose lifestyles, habits, and dispositions, are to trod on the souls and emotions of men, and that for various reasons. This is not the faith, not the gospel, not THE LIFE, and to remain attached to such will suck the life out of anyone. We must seek wisdom as to when a situation is not redeemable and where the Lord would have us go. In this, do not become weary. What, at the time, for a season, seems to be "wandering", is actually God's leading to God's promise-His promise for you and your family. That is the hope I have for mine.
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