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What is this 'Orthodoxy business?'
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What is Orthodoxy? Well, it's not a business. It is a Church, but more than a Church. It is the way of "working out one's salvation in fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12)"
As one modern Orthodox Christian put it, "The Orthodox Church is evangelical, but not Protestant. It is orthodox, but not Jewish. It is catholic, but not Roman. It isn't non-denominational - it is pre-denominational. It has believed, taught, preserved, defended and died for the Faith of the Apostles since the Day of Pentecost 2000 years ago."
It also is not a group of old men with beards and ponytails wearing funny hats, swinging censers and singing in foreign languages. Nor is it a cult of repressed men and women who dress modestly or are the people forced to eat a certain way and light candles and worship images. For us, Orthodoxy is beyond all of that. (No, we do not worship images or make 'sacrifices to them' as some have thought) Yes, some of our priests do have beards and many of the women in our Church do veil their heads when at the Divine Services, but Orthodoxy is more than just a product of "the old country." The Orthodox Church, as Orthodox Christians believe, is the continuing ministry of Christ on earth after breathing on His Apostles making them Bishops.
Those Bishops went out into the other various tribes and peoples and shared Christ's message of salvation. The Orthodox Church holds to the same faith as the early Church did, went through no Reformation and does not have a "president," "apostle," or "pope." It teaches such doctrines commonly held amongst most Christians such as the Trinity, veneration and honor for the Virgin Mary, belief that salvation is a life-long process, the resurrection of the dead. Basically, if one were to read the Nicene Creed, that would be a good overview of Orthodoxy as it is commonly known as "The Symbol of Faith."
Sadly, in America Orthodoxy is generally thought of as a product of a group of men who fear change. It may be seen as a religion that does not allow expression in worship or is 'too behind the times.' However, upon closer inspection, those types of ideas are not up to snuff. Yes, yes, I know what you're thinking, "you only say that because you're Orthodox." But, in truth, Orthodoxy is America's 'best kept secret.' If you were to ask someone on the streets of Roanoke if they knew what the Orthodox Church was, they would most likely scratch their heads and say "Oh is that like the religion that was from 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding?'"
The Orthodox faith stands out from all other faiths and creeds. For example, the Orthodox Church's teaching on God's grace is very different from all other Christian groups. The Orthodox convert Frank Schaeffer wrote this about grace in Orthodoxy: "The Orthodox understanding of the nature of Grace is that it is the very energies of God Himself." In the Roanoke Valley, there are two great Orthodox Christian communites: one located in Roanoke, Holy Trinity Orthodox Church and in Salem, St. Innocent of Alaska Orthodox mission (for those wondering, a mission is a congregation that has not achieved the status of a church from the Bishop). There are also many great resources on the internet for learning about this ancient faith as it contributed much to Christianity and the world such as Ancient Faith Radio and Orthodox Wiki. While it might seem daunting at first, upon diving in and learning more about Orthodoxy will one find an even greater treasure than one ever would have on the surface.
Please feel free to leave comments or contact me via email. Thank you for reading and God bless!
Orthodox Divine Liturgy in the country of Georgia (courtesy of www.orthodoxyinamerica.org)
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