In need of meat and potatoes!

[lovemysoldier]

I want to thank all of the people of TAW for all of their loving support in answering my questions about Orthodoxy. I can't wait until this summer so I can attend my first liturgy in the orthodox church in the USA.

I have been unsatisfied with my protestant church over here and feel spiritually suppressed because of my lack of options on the military base. I love the people in the church and they have helped me through this long and trying deployment. They have wonderful church groups and bible studies and they have enriched my life and I have grown so much from them but I am unsatisfied with the level of spiritual growth that can be achieved in a church like this. Spiritual growth seems to be individually focused and limited.

Worship in the Protestant church no longer satisfies my hunger for knowledge and Divine strength. I always feel alone in my walk with the Lord. I know everyone but it is superficial. I don't want to go to church just to be inspired, I want to grow and walk out better than I came in after every service.

From what I have learned from the Orthodox church, it has everything that I am searching for to grow stronger in my faith and has the community support that I have been longing for. I want quality over quanitity. The chapel was packed today in service but I couldn't have been more alone.

The Orthodox church has shown me that there is more to religion than tithing and walking a straight line. It is a wonderful experience rich with all of the blessings that God has to offer. It is about family and love and togetherness. I want a soft place to fall and I can't wait to make this church my home and eat my fill of the blessings and love that the Orthodox church and community has to offer. No more thin soups for me, I want meat and potatoes!

[Carrye]

No more thin soups for me, I want meat and potatoes!

That's beautiful! May God bless your journey. :crosseo:

[Marjorie]

God bless you, Cheryl! :crosseo:

And it's not that protestantism is particularly deficient... I feel the same way about Orthodoxy in relation to my neo-pagan/neo-gnostic background. Without the living communion of the Church, everything is just "thin soup" (what an accurate metaphor.)

Praying for you!

In IC XC,
Marjorie

[OrthodoxyUSA]

What a joy to have you here!


Pass the salt and pepper please!


Forgive me....:liturgy:

[lovemysoldier]

Heehee...I will pass you some salt, pepper and ale! Cheers!

I agree, the Protestant religion was an amazing starting point for me but I outgrew my britches and it is time for me to move on up.

[OrthodoxyUSA]

Heehee...I will pass you some salt, pepper and ale! Cheers!

I agree, the Protestant religion was an amazing starting point for me but I outgrew my britches and it is time for me to move on up.

Out growing your britches is caused by too much potatoes!


Forgive me....:liturgy:

[lovemysoldier]

I outgrew my britches because of the bloating from the soup!

[Khaleas]

It is an amazing feeling isn't it. I grew up Protestant and it was basically because "everyone else was too".
I'll keep your husband in my prayers as well. My husband is Navy (but he is still training) and his cousin is a Marine and currently over in Iraq. I'm praying for all their safety and for strenght for the significant others on the homefront. :crossrc:

PS:I was finally able to stand through the whole divine liturgy... my sciatica generally starts bothering me but not today. :clap:

[Marjorie]

PS:I was finally able to stand through the whole divine liturgy... my sciatica generally starts bothering me but not today. :clap:

I have a lot of health problems and one has to do with serious stomach problems which ALWAYS start up in the mornings...

... but they've never been a problem during Divine Liturgy.

Hmm...

In IC XC,
Marjorie

[lovemysoldier]

Thanks for the prayers. I can't wait for my hubby to come back! We are almost done. :clap: He said that he was open to trying the Orthodox church and I hope that he is TRULY open to it because I don't know if I could waver this issue in my life. I want my children to have more than a thin layer of faith in God. I want thick skin for my strong boys.

[lovemysoldier]

I love you Marjorie! I was so lost as a teenager and you amaze me with your grace and inner beauty. It gives me hope that I can raise spiritually sound kids in a corrupt world.

[Marjorie]

I love you Marjorie! I was so lost as a teenager and you amaze me with your grace and inner beauty. It gives me hope that I can raise spiritually sound kids in a corrupt world.

:cry: :blush: :hug:

That is such a compliment, thank you!

I love you too!

In IC XC,
Marjorie

[Dust and Ashes]

I want to thank all of the people of TAW for all of their loving support in answering my questions about Orthodoxy. I can't wait until this summer so I can attend my first liturgy in the orthodox church in the USA.

I have been unsatisfied with my protestant church over here and feel spiritually suppressed because of my lack of options on the military base. I love the people in the church and they have helped me through this long and trying deployment. They have wonderful church groups and bible studies and they have enriched my life and I have grown so much from them but I am unsatisfied with the level of spiritual growth that can be achieved in a church like this. Spiritual growth seems to be individually focused and limited.

Worship in the Protestant church no longer satisfies my hunger for knowledge and Divine strength. I always feel alone in my walk with the Lord. I know everyone but it is superficial. I don't want to go to church just to be inspired, I want to grow and walk out better than I came in after every service.

From what I have learned from the Orthodox church, it has everything that I am searching for to grow stronger in my faith and has the community support that I have been longing for. I want quality over quanitity. The chapel was packed today in service but I couldn't have been more alone.

The Orthodox church has shown me that there is more to religion than tithing and walking a straight line. It is a wonderful experience rich with all of the blessings that God has to offer. It is about family and love and togetherness. I want a soft place to fall and I can't wait to make this church my home and eat my fill of the blessings and love that the Orthodox church and community has to offer. No more thin soups for me, I want meat and potatoes!

I am currently reading Fr. Schmemann's book For the Life of the World, so the food analogies have a special meaning to me now. I highly recommend it.

But you have it right. Coming to Holy Orthodoxy from Protestantism is like going from an hors douvres party to a grand banquet of amazing depth.

God bless you on your journey.

[lovemysoldier]

I will have to check out that book.

[Marjorie]

I will have to check out that book.

Fr. Schmemann is my favorite Orthodox writer. :)

In IC XC,
Marjorie

[Dust and Ashes]

Fr. Schmemann is my favorite Orthodox writer. :)

In IC XC,
Marjorie

In keeping with the food theme, I've found that I have to take breaks from his book to digest what I've read. It's like I reach a saturation point and have to absorb what I've read before I can continue.

[Oblio]

In keeping with the food theme, I've found that I have to take breaks from his book to digest what I've read. It's like I reach a saturation point and have to absorb what I've read before I can continue.


Have you tried Lossky ?

I am reading Introduction to Orthodox Theology right now and parts of it make Schmemann look like Easy Reader Orthodoxy. I shudder to thing what his advanced stuff looks like :eek:

[Dust and Ashes]

Have you tried Lossky ?

I am reading Introduction to Orthodox Theology right now and parts of it make Schmemann look like Easy Reader Orthodoxy. I shudder to thing what his advanced stuff looks like :eek:

I was looking at The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church in the Church bookstore and it's next on my list. So many of the deep things make so much more sense to me now that I've gotten the Paxil out of my system.

[Oblio]

So many of the deep things make so much more sense to me now that I've gotten the Paxil out of my system.


That's a parable, no ? ;)

[Dust and Ashes]

That's a parable, no ? ;)

ROFL

Nah, it's an actual fact. It helped me get out and be more open with people but it made my mind fuzzy. I really struggled with theological concepts then when I finally got off of it (Paxil withdrawals are naaaaaasty :sick:, the theology started to really make sense.

[xenia]

So many of the deep things make so much more sense to me now that I've gotten the Paxil out of my system.

Ain't that the truth? We ought to have a conversation some day about Paxil. The year on Paxil was one of the weirdest years in my life.

[Prawnik]

Lovemysoldier: May God grant you many years and welcome home!