Visited a Greek Orthodox Parish Today!

[JustinHesychast]

Yep! Today I went to a Greek Orthodox parish! After school I walked there. in 90's+ degree weather. No wind. Up a huge hill. Crosses a main busy road about 3 or 4 different times. Finally, I got to the church. I usually ride the bus, but mom was picking me up today at 5. I told her I was going the library. I did, but then I went to St. George. :P It took 20 minutes (it isn't far away at all on car, a couple minutes tops). Huge hill. Anywho. I got there. And...

No one was there. I looked in all sorts of windows, no one. I did see preparations for Greekfest Sept. 28-30. I called. No one. I tried the priest home number. Nothing. Cell phone? Nothing. Not a single person was there. I looked in through the doors leading to the actual church. It was bluish and blurry, but I seen some sort of icon of 2 saints in stain glass. I seen candles burning (which, since no one was there, may have been electric). And I seen some other funny looking table thing, but it looked like it had a book on it.

My hand kept pushing against the glass. What I've wanted for so long was a few inches in front of me, but it was like this invisible barrier kept my hands and face at bay. What I've wanted, needed, for so long. Right there. I was reaching for it but I couldn't get through. It was there but I couldn't touch it. Go inside it.

I made the long way back to school and waited, quite bummed out, in the heat for another 30 minutes...

:sigh:

[MariaRegina]

Next time you have the opportunity to go there, call ahead to make an appointment. :)

[JustinHesychast]

Besides the fact that I probably won't have another opportunity, the woman who is at the parish all day has kids. So when school lets out is the only time I can go, and... she has to get her kids. I was just hoping someone was there though...

[Orthosdoxa]

Yep, call ahead and find out when office hours are. Many times there are priests or other people there during the weeks. :)

[Thekla]

nothing to keep you from quietly praying on the front steps :)

[JustinHesychast]

I probably should have. But I was so bummed. I just stared inside. All that I have ever wanted seemed to be in there. And I was inches away, barred by wood and glass. I could see it, but not be permeated and in the presence of it. Which is a ridiculous though, I know, since Christ is all I should ever need.

[Thekla]

let this memory become a reminder of your yearning for Christ.
Its a lovely "metaphor", Justin -- and a picture too.
Just keep knocking -- so when He is ready for you to be there, you will be :)

[Orthosdoxa]

Oops, sorry, Justin, we posted at the same time.

What Thekla said about the metaphor, too. All in good time. I still remember posts from eoe about being on the outside looking in, when he knew he wanted to be in the Church, but wasn't yet. All converts have this time of yearning. Use it to pray. :)

[eoe]

Someone was there Justin. They saw everything.

[JustinHesychast]

... No. There wasn't. O_o; No one answered the phone, all the lights were off, and not a single car around... o.o;

[choirfiend]

Some One was there, Justin. I think that's what eoe meant. And that some One saw everything.

[MariaRegina]

Some One was there, Justin. I think that's what eoe meant. And that some One saw everything.

Good point, choir!

God is every present and fillest all things.

[Tsarina]

... No. There wasn't. O_o; No one answered the phone, all the lights were off, and not a single car around... o.o;

God saw you there Justin, and so did his heavenly angels that were in the Church.

They saw you, someone who made the effort to walk there in the heat, hungry for answers. Pray to God and his Holy Mother to help you. Call up that church sometime and see when the Priest is in. Perhaps you can go then.

Praying for you. :angel:

God Bless!

[JustinHesychast]

Funny (sad) story.

I was there, alone. I am on the outside of the church looking at the stain-glass window-icons. I hear something that sounds like a rattler. I get scared and back off the grass. It stops. I step on the grass, it starts. I step off onto the pavement, and it stops. Then it starts doing it randomly. So I am looking everywhere for a rattle snake, but the grass is short and somewhat recently mowed. It stopped for awhile, so I step foot on the grass to closer look at the windows.

The second I do, I hear it again. But this time really loud, and I had my back turned to the sound. I jumped 10 feet in the air, and yelled out Jesus' name in vain. Then the sprinklers soaked me...

[Philothei]

Just next time call. Make an appmt with the priest. Or log on to the website of the church and see if they have any services for feast days. You should have gone on August 15 while they were celebrating the feast of the Dormition and had services. Also they must be working preparing food for the festival and they must have posted the hours somewhere.

God bless,
Philothei

[JustinHesychast]

They only recently finally got a website set up.

http://www.stgeorgegreekorthodoxchurch.org/

Links fail to work though. But at least it's (finally) a start. :P And pretty, at that.

[Philothei]

I have been to that church for a wedding. It is a pretty church. But are you sure you want to visit them, they are very much ethnic... one the other hand I do not want to discourage you either. Are there any OCA churches around? Just wondering.

God bless,
Philothei

[JustinHesychast]

Really? One thing I noticed looking in the door was pews. Which is really bad for me to look at and think to myself "gross". :P And I've never even been to pewless church before!

Anyways, so... very ethnic, huh? Sucks.

Do you know Theodora? She sounded really nice and invited me to come to Greekfest with mom.

The only OCA church is St. Anne's in Oakridge, TN, parish priest being Fr. Stephen Freeman. It's 30 minutes away.

These are the only 2.

[Friul]

Anyways, so... very ethnic, huh? Sucks.

Nothing wrong with a very ethnic parish. I am the only non-Serb at mine and I wouldn't want it any other way. At my fiancee's parish, there are a few non-Serbs (through marriage), but of the several hundred that attend, the non-Serbs number maybe a dozen or so. Both parishes I get along great with most and feel really comfortable.:thumbsup:

[MariaRegina]

Really? One thing I noticed looking in the door was pews. Which is really bad for me to look at and think to myself "gross". :P And I've never even been to pewless church before!

Anyways, so... very ethnic, huh? Sucks.

Do you know Theodora? She sounded really nice and invited me to come to Greekfest with mom.

The only OCA church is St. Anne's in Oakridge, TN, parish priest being Fr. Stephen Freeman. It's 30 minutes away.

These are the only 2.

Hey, Ethnic churches are not that bad.

They do know how to pile on the food and love to feed young growing men.

Don't rule them out completely. At least try to go to one of their festivals.

My son loved his ethnic Greek Orthodox Church and decided to marry one of the fair Greek maidens.

[AJB4]

Yep! Today I went to a Greek Orthodox parish! After school I walked there. in 90's+ degree weather. No wind. Up a huge hill. Crosses a main busy road about 3 or 4 different times. Finally, I got to the church. I usually ride the bus, but mom was picking me up today at 5. I told her I was going the library. I did, but then I went to St. George. :P It took 20 minutes (it isn't far away at all on car, a couple minutes tops). Huge hill. Anywho. I got there. And...

No one was there. I looked in all sorts of windows, no one. I did see preparations for Greekfest Sept. 28-30. I called. No one. I tried the priest home number. Nothing. Cell phone? Nothing. Not a single person was there. I looked in through the doors leading to the actual church. It was bluish and blurry, but I seen some sort of icon of 2 saints in stain glass. I seen candles burning (which, since no one was there, may have been electric). And I seen some other funny looking table thing, but it looked like it had a book on it.

My hand kept pushing against the glass. What I've wanted for so long was a few inches in front of me, but it was like this invisible barrier kept my hands and face at bay. What I've wanted, needed, for so long. Right there. I was reaching for it but I couldn't get through. It was there but I couldn't touch it. Go inside it.

I made the long way back to school and waited, quite bummed out, in the heat for another 30 minutes...

:sigh:
Ah, dude, that sucks mightily! Oh well, always will be another opportunity, I suppose. :)

[EmperorConstantine]

Hey, at least you can get to a church. May be a small step, yet a step nonetheless.

Ethnic parishes are great. They know how to cook the food reeeal well.;)

It is good that you got to stop by. While it may have seemed deserted, it was not. No church is deserted.

Don't let the pews fool you. All the Greek parishes I've been to have pews (think it may be a GOARCH decision).

[nikostheater]

Don't be dissapointed,you will have the opportunity to go again!
God will never leave you alone..

[Philothei]

Hey, at least you can get to a church. May be a small step, yet a step nonetheless.

Ethnic parishes are great. They know how to cook the food reeeal well.;)

It is good that you got to stop by. While it may have seemed deserted, it was not. No church is deserted.

Don't let the pews fool you. All the Greek parishes I've been to have pews (think it may be a GOARCH decision).
Plus maybe the priest is out on vacation for a while check back again later... and do visit over the festival they usually offer church tours.

God bless,
Philothei

[Philothei]

think it may be a GOARCH decision).


Yeah that was an Athenagoras decision to "americanize" the Church.... unfortunately along with the polyphonic choirs and the "priestly suit" instead of the traditional "cassok" atire....

Philothei

[RobNJ]

think it may be a GOARCH decision).


Yeah that was an Athenagoras decision to "americanize" the Church.... unfortunately along with the polyphonic choirs and the "priestly suit" instead of the traditional "cassok" atire....

Philothei

I was going to link a video, of a DL from the GOARCH site, to show some folks on another site what a DL was like. Then I heard an organ start to play.............:doh:

[Irish Melkite]

Yeah that was an Athenagoras decision to "americanize" the Church.... unfortunately along with the polyphonic choirs and the "priestly suit" instead of the traditional "cassok" atire....


Don't think badly of Archbishop Athenagoras. Yes, he made some mistakes, but he was without question a holy and kind man who wanted only the best for his Church and her people, and for all mankind.

Memory eternal to the Archbishop.

Many years,

Neil

[Philothei]

Don't think badly of Archbishop Athenagoras. Yes, he made some mistakes, but he was without question a holy and kind man who wanted only the best for his Church and her people, and for all mankind.

Memory eternal to the Archbishop.

Many years,

Neil
Oh Neil do not think I disliked him not at all, he was our Partiarch nevertheless.... I think he was the greatest esp. lifting the Anathema and all with RC. I was just explaining the reason why we got pews and the rest...

Thanks for the support though

God bless,
Philothei

[Shubunkin]

I say that is great you have an Orthodox Church so closeby, and when the time is right, you will be inside! I sure hope you can take your mom to the Greek festival. Those are so wonderful. :)

[MariaRegina]

Oh, Justin, do go to a festival.

You and your mom will love the mouth-watering food, the dancing lessons and dances, and the whole wonderful atmosphere that a festival creates.

Oh, and the baklava is simply out of this world.

[JustinHesychast]

I'd love to. If she knows it's at "that" church though, who knows.

[MariaRegina]

Hey, treat your mom to dinner there. Then she might just take you to "'that' church"

Dinners can vary, but most dinners at Greek festivals fall between $10.00 to $12.00.