You Can Get The Evangelical Into Orthodoxy But Can You Get Orthodoxy Into The Evangelical?

 I had a conversation over the weekend with a church member of our former Antiochian World Orthodox Church. This member is one of the founding members having been part of the church for 30-plus years. I was stunned when he pressed the point that there is no connection to what a bishop does and what the local church does. The conversation was particularly focused on the possibility that one's bishop may fall into heresy and a local parish and members have a responsibility to react to such a happening. At every turn in the conversation, the member refused to consider the possibility that the local church, or he as a member, was effected in any way if their Bishop were to become heretical. I brought to his attention that he commemorates the Bishop in every service, that the Bishop is the local Church and that the Liturgy is done in his name. Still he refused to consider that there was any effect at all on a local parish. In other words, if the Bishop is heretical, it is okay to do nothing. Just keep on keeping on. This long-time member's limited understanding that the Orthodox Church is corporately and mystically "one", was revelatory. Having left that communion this year to become part of the Genuine Orthodox Church of America, I am seeing more clearly, from this vantage point, that, not only did our former church not adhere to Orthodox teachings, but it was not even in unity with its Antiochian roots. It is a parish of its own making, influenced by its easy, no obligation, acceptance into the Antiochian diocese by its current metropolitan. No one was required to be baptized to enter the church, and today that is still the practice. For years after becoming Antiochian, this former evangelical religious commune, located on acreage several miles in the country, still used guitars in its liturgy. Even though they eventually replaced their guitars with Byzantine chant, today the church's individual tweaking of the Liturgy includes the elimination of the entire reading of the canons during Matins- to "save time." It is no surprise that the member, with which I had the conversation, holds the opinion that he does. It seems it was easy to get the evangelical into Orthodoxy but it is not so easy to get Orthodoxy in the evangelical.

For the sake of this member I have included here the Orthodox practice which he denies is relevant:

"During the Divine Liturgy, the name of the local prelate is commemorated aloud by the deacon during the Litany of Peace at the beginning of the Divine Liturgy and at the Litany of Fervent Supplication after the Readings, before the Divine Eucharist, when the Catechumens are still present with the Faithful.

After the consecration of the Divine Gifts, the priest officiating commemorates the local bishop in whose name he is conducting the Divine Liturgy and under whom he remains canonically, as does the whole of the Eucharistic Assembly. Should the bishop himself be at the head of the Eucharistic Assembly, he commemorates at this point the primate of the eparchy, the metropolitan - “First of all, remember, Lord, our Archbishop, NN., and grant that he ...” - with whom he is in sacramental and therefore canonical communion and under whose chairmanship he serves."

commemorate- to call to remembrance

remembrance- an act of calling to mind

If a church or a member commemorates a heretical Bishop they too partake in the heresy. Remove the Bishop from the church or remove your family from the Bishop, lest you become a Frog In Boiling Water.

Our Blessed Sunday

On Sunday, we (the Lewis family) had only our second Reader's Service since being baptized. Our Readers Service currently consists of a complete Matins and the Typica lasting about an hour and forty minutes. A Readers Service is any service held by Orthodox laymen without a priest present. In our case, we have a priest, but he is in a neighboring state. This blessed priest oversees at least three such missions and is fielding calls from all over the country from those wanting to be in communion with the Genuine Orthodox Church of America, of which we are a part. Our priest will visit us upon occasion, but, in his absence, we will continue to worship on a regular basis in Tennessee.

Although we knew that word of a baptized Genuine Orthodox family in the Nashville area holding Readers Services, would be encouraging news to others of  like-mind, we did not anticipate the blessing of two other worshipers joining us so soon. There were six of us for the Reader's Service on Sunday. The two that joined us have been faithfully worshiping in their home for several years, while remaining in communion with another Genuine Orthodox jurisdiction. With the blessing of our priests and bishops, we will continue to join together as often as possible and, in fact, have made plans to worship together next Sunday. We are also planning a Nativity Service.

There is no doubt that there are others in the Nashville, Tennessee area who will rejoice in knowing that there is a group of Genuine Orthodox believers with which they may commune. Many, who are becoming aware of the heresies within their own Orthodox jurisdictions, are comforted to learn of the Genuine and True Orthodox jurisdictions. Heaven is rejoicing as well, in that the Faith of our Fathers is offered in such a tangible way in Tennessee, within the shelter of the Genuine Orthodox Church of America, which holds fast to the Dogma and Canons of the Church and resists all forms of heresy and apostasy that is so prevalent today.

We invite all who are of the same heart and mind or those who are seeking the truth of the Genuine Church, to join us in worship of the Holy Trinity, as as we pray together,

"We were filled in the morning with thy mercy, O Lord, and we rejoiced and were glad. In all our days, let us be glad for the days wherein Thou didst humble us, for the years wherein we saw evils. And look upon thy servants, and upon Thy works, and do Thou guide their sons. And let the brightness of the Lord our God be upon us, and the works of our hands do Thou guide aright upon us, yea, the works of our hands do Thou guide aright."

You are welcome to inquire further by

clicking on  "Post A Comment" at the bottom of this post,

or you may email us at:  JourneyToOrthodoxy@gmail.com

 Pictured Above: 

Father Anastasios Hudson of the Genuine Orthodox Church of America 

makes the Lewis family catechumins, the night before their Holy Baptism.

Our Holy Baptism, Chrismation, And Marriage

On Sunday, November 29th, 2009, my wife, our two youngest daughters, and I were baptized for the remission sins, and were chrismated, into the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Seven months after leaving World Orthodoxy, we entered the gates of the Church through the Genuine Orthodox Church of America (GOC) under the pastorate of His Eminence Metropolitan Pavlos of the Cathedral of Saint Markella in Astoria, New York. Having been under the careful catechism of GOC priest, Father Anastasios Hudson, who pastors GOC missions in Raleigh and Greenville, North Carolina, we traveled to His parish in obedience to Holy Spirit and the Church, for the blessed weekend. We were baptized Nathan, Xanthia, Seraphima, and Chloe' after the blessed saints of the same name. We will forever ask those saints to pray for us as we continue in the theosis of our souls.

Immediately following our Holy Baptisms and Chrismation, Xanthia and I submitted to the sacrament of Holy Marriage. To know that our union of 29 years is, finally, sacramentally blessed, is a fulfillment that a few words cannot describe. Our newly-baptized daughters were asked to participate in the sacrament by chanting a portion of the liturgy scriptures. We spent a few precious hours with the faithful members of the two missions, and ate a wonderful meal. We were treated with sincere hospitality and love by our new brothers and sisters, who were the epitome of servanthood.

Even before our hair was dry from our Holy Baptisms, I told Xanthia that, rather than feeling a sense of having arrived, I felt a sense of readiness to fulfill the great commission of our Lord Jesus to,  "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creatures, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you."  Living in the Nashville, Tennessee area, we know that there are thousands of souls who are not part of His Church and, "How will they hear without a preacher?" The Exaposteilarion from our first Reader's Service (since our Holy Baptism) speaks directly of this mission,

"Let us gather with the Disciples on the mount in Galilee to behold Christ in faith, saying, I have received the power of those on high and those below. And Let us learn how to baptize all the nations in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and how He is present with His initiates to the end of the world as He promised."


There is now a Mission Station of the Genuine Orthodox Church of America in Tennessee, by virtue of the fact that there is at least one baptized family in the Nashville area. My family and I will continue to worship the One God through a Reader's Service and will travel to North Carolina and other GOC parishes as often as we can. Father Anastasios will also come to visit the Nashville area as often as possible. We will also welcome all who inquire about the GOC with the loving embrace that is characteristic of this blessed communion-in-Christ.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all JTO readers. In 1620 a few shiploads of  Protestant Christian Pilgrims sailed in to Plymouth Harbor off the coast of Massachusetts. Having endured an arduous sea venture, and having found the home they so longed for, they took time to offer thanksgiving to God. Having established a settlement, and with the gracious welcome of the indigenous peoples in the area, the root of European civilization and protestantism was deeply planted. It would take another 174 years for an Orthodox Christian colony to be established on the North American Continent, but then, only on the opposite side of the continent, by Russian immigrants to Alaska. Protestantism of all shapes and forms grew as the nation grew, while Orthodoxy, in its origins, was geographically isolated. Today, some 389 years later, there are still less than 500,000 Orthodox believers on the North American Continent, although worldwide, Orthodoxy is the second largest recognized Christian group on the planet. May the year 2010 be the year that ethnicities, cultures, and geography take second place to establishing the original Faith Of Our Fathers, on this continent- The Orthodox Church.

Priest Shot Dead In Moscow

Are You Awake Yet?

World Orthodoxy continues its plummet into the abyss of heresy:

* CLick Here: ROCOR-H: Metropolitan Hilarion Held Meeting with Masonic Leaders in November 2008

Click Here: Constantinople Patriarch gives Qur'an as a present to Chairman of the Caucasus Muslim Board 

All jurisdictions in communion with SCOBA and the Patriarch of Constantinople are in heresy. Guard your soul and that of your family. Come out of her!

Click Here: Why We Left...Where We Went...

Click Here: A Frog In Boiling Water

Are You Awake Yet?

11/21/09 Addendum to this post.

A JTO reader took exception to the fact that JTO posted  a *link which erroneously concludes that Met. Hilarion had "a meeting" with Freemason leaders. The criticism is valid and JTO regrets having posted a link that was erroneous in its interpretation of the photo at issue, or at the least, incomplete in its information. JTO, however, would question the failure of the Met Hilarion to "refrain from every appearance or evil", in allowing himself to be photographed with Masonic leaders who were clearly identified by the pins they wore on their clothing. The Masonic leaders, in turn, used the photograph to promote their own propaganda via their publication, photo included, and further their own agenda within Orthodoxy. Here is Met. Hilarion's statement on the matter:

De : Archbishop Hilarion Kapral [mailto:abphilar@ozemail.com.au]
Envoyé : vendredi 20 novembre 2009 4:20
À : xxxxxxxx
Cc : xxxxxxx
Objet : Re: Meeting with masons

Dear Vladimir,

I was very amazed to learn that I had attended a Masonic meeting. Such a thing has never happened.

What in actual fact occurred is being totally distorted. During the visit of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church to South America with the choir of the Sretensky Monastery some two years ago, the delegation was invited by the ambassador of the Russian Federation to a reception at the embassy. Many different dignitaries were also invited to attend.

While Metropolitan Platon and I were standing at the reception, two distinguished-looking gentlemen came up to us and asked if they could be photographed with us. We said, why not? We did not ask who they were. It turned out that they are high-ranking Masons of Brazil. That is the extent of our involvement with Masons.

The enemies of the Russian Orthodox Church are very quick to pick up on such an unexpected and innocent encounter to defame and slander the Church and its hierarch.

For the record: I am not a Mason and have nothing to do with Masonry. It is impossible for a Christian to be a Mason at the same time as Masonry is a religion of its own.

In Christ our Saviour,
+ Metropolitan Hilarion

Met. Hilarion misses the point if thinks that those expressing concern over the matter just want to "defame and slander the Church and its hierarch." The fact that this is an issue and a discussion, is evidence of Met Hilarion's poor judgment in allowing himself to be duped by these satanists appearing as angels of light. I believe Met. Hilarion now has the answer to his question, "Why not"?

Our Proverbial Week Of Creation

For months now, since leaving the Antiochian Orthodox Diocese and all of World Orthodoxy, to seek communion with the True and Genuine Orthodox Church,  I have fielded attack-comments from anonymous bloggers, and other friends and acquaintances, many assuming that, because we left our local Antiochian Orthodox Church, and all of World Orthodoxy, we must be without a church, without a priest, and drifting aimlessly in the sea of spirit-barren apostasy. The erroneous presumptuousness of such comments is glaring, considering we have not posted specifics of our day-to-day, Sunday-to-Sunday activities, until now...


The fact is that, since day one, we have met as a family in our home for regular daily prayers as we began a specific search for a Genuine and True Church with which to be in communion. 

By the proverbial day two, we had made contact with several priests in several Communions. 

By day three, we had followed the leading of Holy Spirit to enter specific dialogue with a specific priest in a specific communion. Under the priest's guidance and blessing, and with the knowledge of the Bishop, we began using the Typica Reader's Service for regular Sunday worship, and quickly added a full Matins service; our time in prayer and worship being about 1 1/2 hours. We had an advantage over some in our position due to the fact that my wife was well-versed in the Byzantine chant having been a chanter-in-training on the chanter's team, and my daughters had either sung in the choir or had attended chanter's classes. We treated the layman's Matins and Typica, the "Service Without a Priest," with commitment and reverence, rising early, dressing in our most presentable clothes, and shutting out all outside distractions. 

By day four, we began a thorough catechism, talking with the priest by phone and video conference, once, and sometimes twice a week. 

As the sun rose on day five, we had set a date, time, and place for our baptisms.


On day six, occurring on Sunday, November 29th, 2009, my wife and our two daughters and I will have entered the Church through holy baptism and chrismation.  

On day seven, we will rest in knowing that the continuing theosis of our souls will be sheltered in the arms of the One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Our proverbial 7-day-week will have taken only 7 months. 

Thanks be to God for His faithfulness and long-suffering toward us. Thanks be to God for giving us the peace and fortitude to endure the transition which included malicious, and always uninformed attacks from our former "brothers" and "sisters", many of whom, evidently are the anonymous bloggers. I am thankful for all who have persecuted us in having allowed us the opportunity to practice the principle of praying for those who falsely accuse and who spitefully use us. My prayer list has increased with each proverbial day.



With our entrance into the Church, we will continue to worship Holy Trinity, working out our salvation with fear and trembling. and adhering to the Faith of Our Fathers:

Julian (old) Calendar 

+ Holy Tradition 

+ The Seven Ecumenical Councils 

+ the Holy Scriptures 

+ the Holy Fathers 

= Holy Orthodoxy.

Whether it be the Lewis' family alone or should we unite in worship and work with other like-minded people in this prosperous Middle Tennessee community, we are assured that,

"Where two or more are gathered in my name there will I be also."

The Gift Of Tears

I am a man given to tears. It must be in my DNA. At my wedding, all the men cried and the women didn't. My first memorable encounter with the God With No Name came at age six. I was moved to tears when I recognized His presence and heard his voice in my soul. To this day, tears flow at His presence. Tears also flow at the presence of my own sins, especially during times of repentance.

One of the things I have had to work through, since becoming Orthodox, is the idea of  "passionless worship". It took me at least three years to understand that passionless is not the same as being emotionless. Passionless, in this context, refers to not being motivated or led by self-promotion. Was Christ emotionless when he wept at hearing the news of the death of His friend?

"Jesus Wept."

Was Christ emotionless when he sweated drops of blood as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane?

A few months ago, I was moved to quiet tears at the sight of a Bishop being ordained. It was a holy, reverent moment, and the awesomeness of our Holy God, conferring on a mere man such an anointing, was overwhelming. A nearby priest, seemingly uncomfortable at my quiet display, ordered me, "Don't Cry. Just be aware that there is work to do."

Would one say, "Don't cry, Jesus. Suck it up. Yes, your friend is dead, and his loved ones are grieving,  but there is work to do", or "Hey Christ! Why so emotional? You don't have to work up a bloody sweat over things. Don't be such a winer. There is a lot of work to do."

Passionless worship is not emotionless worship- Christ forbid! We cry both for joy and for sorrow and both are holy.

St. Symeon the New Theologian said, "God has removed all tears from the face of this earth by means of baptism, having poured out richly His Holy Spirit. But, as I have heard from the Holy Scriptures, certain adults, upon being immersed in this baptism, have shed tears, because they were pricked by the descent of the Spirit. They were not painful and laborious tears, but sweeter than honey by virtue of the working and the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Indeed, tears are a gift from God to his human creation.

THE GIFT OF TEARS

St. Simeon the New Theologian

"What an unutterable wonder! That when tears are shed from the bodily eyes they invisibly flow over the soul and wash away the impurity of sin. They shake and burn out the demons as they fall to the ground and make the soul free of the invisible bonds of sin.

O, Tears, that flow because of that divine radiance and that open heaven and bring divine comfort. Again and I say this repeatedly, stirred by delight and pleasure: Where there is an abundance of tears, my brothers, with true knowledge, there also is illumination in the divine light. Where there is the shining of that light, there too is the bestowal of good blessings and the seal of the Holy Spirit embedded in the heart.

Tears work within us a divine fire of contrition. Without tears and constant compunction no man has ever been cleansed or has become holy or has received the Holy Spirit or has seen God or knows that He dwells with him. Without repentance there are no tears; without weeping there are no tears. Let no one say it is impossible to weep everyday...then it is impossible to repent each day. If repenting and weeping and shedding tears is impossible, then to be humble and to pray unceasingly would also be impossible.

Man should not pass through even one single day without repentance and tears. If he has no tears, he should ask God for them with all his strength and with all his soul. There is no other way by which  he can remain sinless and pure in heart."

Where Ecumenism Leads

The "Fear" of Gay Marriage

AP/PORTLAND, Maine – Cecelia Burnett and Ann Swanson had already set their wedding date. When they joined about 1,000 other gay marriage supporters for an election night party in a Holiday Inn ballroom, they hoped to celebrate the vote that would make it possible.

Instead, they went home at midnight, dejected and near tears after a failed bid to make Maine the first state to approve same-sex marriage at the ballot box.

"I'm ready to start crying," said Burnett, a 58-year-old massage therapist, walking out of the ballroom with Swanson at her side. "I don't understand what the fear is, why people are so afraid of this change.

"It hurts. It hurts personally," she said. "It's a personal rejection of us and our relationship, and I don't understand what the fear is."

Cecelia, 
The reason you don't understand is because your standard of morality is based on personal relativity and not on the fact that there is a God who created you and knows better than you what you need in order to live a fulfilling life here and in the life to come. Homosexuality is an aberration, perversion, and anomaly of God's design of creation. Does not your very anatomy tell you that? Marriage is a sacramental covenant established and ordained by God, between a man and a woman. The reason you don't understand is because those who "fear" gay marriage do so based in the fear of God, not fear of gays. The word "fear" here, does not mean "to be afraid", but, rather, "respect." The majority of Americans, and in fact, the majority of cultures across the world, do not fear (respect) any rights that are elevated above that which God says is right. It's that simple. Now do you understand what the fear is? Perhaps, acquiring a little fear of God may help you.