ITT: All pious anons and anyone with an interest in the faith gather together to enjoy eachother's fellowship and discuss all things related to the Most Holy Trinity. Christ has risen, my brethren!
This is the story of the first time that I visited an Orthodox Church - With a few things that I learned or wished I’d known beforehand, that I’ll share because we all know that visiting church for the first time - or the first time in a long time, is quite intimidating and coming out of ~12 years of militant Atheism around the time of my first visit, I really didnt know what to expect!
First, its okay to feel like you’re entering a different, unfamiliar world, because... Well, you are! One thing that some people consider is contacting the Church beforehand (You will likely find an email address and/or phone number, etc on any Church’s website) so that you know that they’re expecting you - and perhaps there will even be greeters ready to give you an individual tour when you arrive. This can really make the process a lot more comfortable, however it is not a necessity, and there is no reason why one “has to” do this, nor anything against simply showing up for services one morning!
That’s what I did, my interest in Orthodoxy grew in /cg/ threads on this board, and I found out that there’s a church not too far from my home, so I arrived knowing very little of the Church itself nor actual Christianity, having only read part of the book of Matthew (first book of the New Testament in the Bible) at the time and having prayed for guidance, and repentance from my old life, and for things to go well during this visit, but I was still plenty nervous!
/cg/ Christianity General - God Still Has A Plan For You, Edition
Other urls found in this thread:
worldhistory.biz
amazon.com
m.youtube.com
johnsanidopoulos.com
youtu.be
en.wikipedia.org
fssp.com
twitter.com
Like most any Church, there were greeters opening the doors who welcomed me inside - and this is important - one can always expect there to be someone there to help guide you when you first arrive! I got there about 15-20 minutes before the start of the service (this is recommended if possible, but not a big deal if you don’t or can’t), so I even got to meet the priest and they showed me around a little. One side note, do not expect much time with the Priest during this timeframe, he will be running around doing many different things so the service can begin - so if you only get to meet him for long enough to make a quick introduction - or perhaps even not at all - don’t worry! You’re not being “pushed away” or whatever, its simply a matter of circumstance, and in my case he promised to catch up with me afterwards and answer any questions that I had.
I will say that folks were very nice. There was incense and no pews (benches) as this church performs a standing service - both of these things I found different, but not intimidating. Really the only thing to know is DON’T GO UP FOR COMMUNION or “The Eucharist” as they call it, this is reserved for formal members (folks who’ve been Baptized or Chrismated (aka “Confirmed” into the Church, aka completely and officially Converted), but other than that, theres really no pressure on you.
Folks will cross themselves a lot and venerate icons, but no one is counting on you to do this, nor will they hold it against you if you don’t, as you’re new, and for now only an inquirer, of course. If you want to join them, all the better, do as much as you’re comfortable with (besides taking communion at this point, as we just discussed), but remember, today is your first visit - and there’s no pressure!
Watching the service was an experience! It was beautiful, no song books (hymnals) like some churches use, almost everything is either chanted and/or memorized!
Don’t expect much interaction with folks during the service - we’re here to Worship our King at this point, but fellowship afterwards (often referred to as the “coffee hour”) is a great place to hang out, eat, and talk after the service! One thing to know is that no one helps themselves to the food and drink until the Priest has blessed the food and drink after the service, but as with most things in life, if you simply stay with the crowd, you’ll know when its time for the meal! I think I stayed for probably two hours after the end of the service on my first visit, haha.
Now, what might one expect for fellowship? Well, let me explain what I wouldn’t expect. Many people (myself once included) look at church-goers as a crowd who are perfect and have lived perfect lives, and that’s just not very realistic. We all try our best now, but my church is almost exclusively converts (only a small percentage of “Cradle Orthodox” who grew up in the faith), coming from a wide variety of backgrounds and beliefs. I remember my Priest discussing the types of things he’s helped people through over the years in getting their lives straightened out and joining the church, and theres some dark stuff that people have been lifted out of. We’re not discussing “I was rude to a cashier once when I was having a bad day”, we’re talking about folks who’ve engaged in witchcraft, blasphemy, etc. These sort of things, and this is only what he was willing to mention in passing. Its important to know that everything can and will be forgiven if one is to genuinely seek salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ, and remember, that no one here is “better than you” or whatever, in fact many of us have likely done and been through the same, or worse things in our prior lives.
We all had our first visit to Church too, and I will say that mine was a very apprehensive experience for me, but I’m glad that I did it.
Just remember this passage:
“Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance”
-Matthew 9, 10-13
Everyone I talked to was extremely welcoming, and warm, and kind. They shared stories of their past, and answered any questions that I had, and discussed anything that I wanted. I never felt that I was being looked down upon or judged, they knew that I was here trying to get things sorted out in my life, and they couldn’t have been nicer to me because of, or in spite of, it. Again, most of them were once in the same, exact place.
So, that was my first visit! One thing that I would consider if I were making my first visit again, is to try and arrange a meeting with the Priest at a later date.
As we discussed earlier, he will be very busy before the service and often surrounded by the congregation and occupied with them after it, so I wouldn’t count on talking with him much on this day, but if you’re comfortable with the idea, you might leave your contact information with one of the greeters (many churches even have a card you can fill out with your phone number, email address, or whatever you want, and they’ll reach out to you) to try and arrange this meeting.
There, you’ll have a dedicated time to ask anything you would like to, to learn about anything that you wish, to talk about any concerns you might have, or to discuss whatever situation or life experience(s) or problem(s) that you’re trying to move past. Remember, the Church exists to connect people to God and as a means to bring us all closer to Him, and in a way its literally this man’s job (that he does for God) to help you on your journey. So, with that being said, don’t feel that he won’t care about you because you’re not yet a member, or anything along those lines.
But if you’re not comfortable with this, that’s okay too, its still only your first visit, and theres no requirement that you open up or put yourself out there, or interact with anyone, any more than you want to. Simply coming to the service is a huge step, and the main thing is to simply take in as much as you can, and go from there!
I hope this will help you through your first visit! I later ended up officially joining this church (being “Chrismated), after repenting of my sins, being reborn in Christ, turning my life around and looking back now, I have no regrets, beyond waiting as long as I did.
For those lurking, here's a link to a free online bible PDF for you to read if you're interested. I personally recommend starting in the book of Matthew (first book of the new
testament)
worldhistory.biz
The_Orthodox_Study_Bible_-_St.pdf
If you’re looking to purchase an extremely enjoyable, and easy to learn from hard copy, here is the above Orthodox Study Bible on Amazon:
amazon.com
"For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!"
The Kingdom of Heaven means the first & second comings of Christ, and also the virtuous life. For when we walk on earth as if we lived in heaven, not according to the passions, then we possess the Kingdom of Heaven"
"Bring fourth therefore fruits worthy of Repentance"
Do you see what he is saying? One must not only flee from wickedness, but also bring fourth fruits of virtue. For it is written "Turn away from evil; and do good!"
-Blessed Theophylact's commentaries
"God cannot be grasped by the mind, if he could be grasped, he would not be God"
-Evagrius of Pontus
"As the Greek Fathers insisted, "A God who is comprehensible is not God".
A God, that is to say, whom we claim to understand exhaustively through the resources of our reasoning brain, turns out to be no more than an idol, fashioned in our own image. Such a "god" is most emphatically not the true and living God of the Bible and the Church. Man is made in God's image, but the reverse is not true" - The Orthodox Way
"Come, my Light and illuminate my darkness,
Come, my Life, and revive me from death,
Come, my Physician, and heal my wounds,
Come, Flame of Divine love and burn up the thorns of my sins, kindling my heart with the flame of thy love,
Come, my king, sit upon the throne of my heart and reign there. For thou alone art my king and my Lord"
-Prayer by St. Dimitri of Rostov, a 17th Century Russian Bishop
What made you choose the Orthodox Church vs. other denominations?
Evening leafbro! Well, as a child I spent some time in protestant denominations, but researching where they ended up, the answer was with openly homosexual clergy and supporting ((((((((((((migration)))))))))). So, most of them were off the table, and I didnt agree with the concept of a pope, especially Francis, so I knew I wasnt going to become Catholic.
Therefore, my options were the Orthodox Church or Independent Fundamentalist Baptist Church or a similar group. The Orthodox Church seemed like a more sure bet (Many independent Churches are hit or miss), with ~1,600 years of theology, tradition, and history. So, I became Orthodox, I can't say that I have any regrets about this. In fact most of the congregation at my church are converts - from the protestant denominations, former Catholics and some former fedoras like yours truly
Just got back from vespers. Have a peaceful night, and good luck to you in your thread,
Wonderful! Christ is risen my friend!
Fair enough. I am considering conversion. I was born into an Eastern European Muslim family, though we are largely nonpracticing. As a result, I grew up atheist but have been growing more religious and have finally accepted that God exists. /cg/ and other Jow Forums propaganda has gotten me really interested in the Orthodox Church, though I'm not as cynical as that might make me seem... I'm sure there's a reason why things have presented themselves to me in my life so far, and why I'm attracted to some messages over others. Anyway, the history of my home country suggests that the Muslim in me is likely a result of being conquered by the Ottomans, since my whole family looks white. Perhaps my ancestors were Orthodox, but there's no way of telling at this point, I can't go back far enough on the family tree to confirm. This got a bit ranty and irrelevant but I figured I'd share a bit of my story. Thank you for laying out your first experience at an Orthodox Church, it's making me a little more comfortable with the idea of one day going into a service.
The Orthodox Church keeps calling to me. I finally have Sunday's off so I have no excuse not to go this week.
I do have a question though: I have come to God because I know the devil exists. I've been studying lots of religions and spiritual practices, will a priest be able to talk about these sorts of things?
I've considered the orthodox church and I'm very fortunate to have one near me. An antioch church no less.
I've done some reading and the only hesitation I have is that I've lived a sinful life. I've fornicated with more than one woman, drank and smoked weed. And I've strayed from the faith, living many years as an atheist.
From my readings it wasn't clear if I am acceptable given the views of most orthodox churches. I've never been married, but I have lived with a few women. I'm also not 100% certain about my commitment to orthodoxy. I feel like I need to be 100% sure, but I also feel like without going to a service I'm not sure how I can be sure. I also don't know about the views related to icons and such. I do believe the spirit exists in art, but I don't know that it's only the icons and not other art, or even all icons. I mean aren't there occasionally fakes?
I don't know that I'm looking for an answer or anything, but I don't really have anyone else I can talk about this stuff with who won't think I've gone bonkers or something.
Of course! Thats quite the past, but nothing to worry about, for God desires all men to be saved... So dont worry about having a muslim family or anything - you're still 100% welcome, everyone is. I'm glad that these posts were helpful to you - I'll pray for you on your journey, best of wishes fellow user!
Wonderful! I know showing up for service, especially if its your first time - is a big step, but its a great new world to explore, and I'll pray that your visit goes well! To answer your question, yes, the Priests are well educated, they go through seminary (The church equivalent of a college; my apologies if you already know this part) before their Priesthood begins, and they're generally extremely well read in all sorts of related works also, plus throughout all this time, they spend years around elders, learning from them and becoming more like them.
Another thing that folks sometimes dont mention - is that in some churches that are largely made up of converts (like my church), the Priest will have learned much of these other religions which new members of the Church come from, to varying degrees of course - but some of the people I've talked to know quite a bit about neo-paganism and Islam from helping converts from both religions.
So, while I dont know exactly what they *have* to know to become a Priest, I can say they're very familiar with all aspects of Christian theology and history, plus the Saints and their lives and works, and also darker things too - like the Devil, and helping people through addiction, etc, etc. This is at a minimum, as mentioned, many people go far above and beyond this. So, I wouldn't be afraid to ask the Priest at your church about any of these things, especially if you can set up a meeting with him at another time after the service, where you can both sit down and discuss things needed. I hope this helps user - again - I'll pray for you on this journey! Have a great weekend.
Thank you. I'm kind of excited. I know I'm supposed to fast until coffee hour Sunday so I'll partake in that to be connected more to the congregation. Still feeling kind of anxious about it, but I know that's just self doubt trying to stop me from reaching my full potential. Hopefully I'll catch you in the next topic and let you know how it goes.
Good evening, user!
Well, I have some good news! Theres nothing in your post that'll get you asked to leave if you brought it up; in fact I can't really think of anything that would have a person pushed away by the Church for - if the person genuinely wants, or is even open to the possibility of change (repentance) in their lives.
When I was a catechumen (in the process of conversion), my Priest talked about some of the types of things which other previous converts had moved past - witchcraft, blasphemy, slander that was knowingly and directly damaging to other people's lives, etc. All of these things can be moved past, if you were to accept Christ's sacrifice, and him as your savior, all of these things will be washed away. This is simultaneously a journey and its own destination, and where you started from isn't so important. I too lived many years (most of my life, in fact) as an Atheist and also had large amounts of pre-marital sex, but - as we both now know - these things are bad and bad for us - but although no sin is good, these are in comparison to many things, minor, regular issues that I would say many - if not most - converts bring with them, and surely nothing that will "shock" even a younger Priest.
So, my advice - FWIW - is not to worry about this - if you're even slightly open to Repentance and the acceptance of Christ into your heart, and into your life and as your savior - (even better if you're already LOOKING for and working on these things!) then stop by, sometime. You're completely acceptable to Orthodoxy - like God's gift of Salvation and Love, we too are open to anyone who seek these things. There is nothing (especially in your post) that God would turn you away for, so no need to worry.
Also - when you visit - you're seen as an inquirer - thats the "technical" term, so no one expects you to convert at this point, nor should anyone put any pressure on you for anything. All anyone expects is that you're here to learn, and to see the service, and that's all that is needed right now. If more happens and you start visiting for classes, etc, then Great! If not - there are no hard feelings - even in the short time I've been attending Church, I've seen quite a few people stop in, visit as inquirers, then not return or any/various reason(s). That's okay, and they're welcome back any time if they change their mind. So remember, simply visiting doesnt require any sort of commitment, and you're completely welcome at any "interest level", for lack of a better term.
Additionally, if possible - you might try and setup a meeting with the Priest at this church after a visit or two if you feel comfortable, where you can ask in confidence about any of these things, and have a dedicated time to discuss anything that you'd like to.
Just remember, you're welcome any time, just as you are. Have a blessed night user, I'll pray for you on this journey!
You're welcome, I'm just glad I could help. Wow, you're going all out, that's great! I hope to hear all about it user, I hope you have a wonderful visit!
How funny to find this thread after researching I’ve been researching and reading so much about Orthodox Christianity lately. I come from a non-denominational mostly baptist upbringing and have been disenfranchised by the laziness and just unholy feeling about all of it. People have been trying to get me into Catholicism and I just have no wish to be a part of that.
Jay Dyer on youtube has really turned me on to Orthodoxy. Not sure if you could answer my question but I was wondering if they would even accept me. I used to be a heavy drinker, pot smoker and stuff which I have turned away and asked for repentance of. But I am also divorced, with my wife having cheated on me sexually and emotionally. I’m really just wondering if remarrying is okay in the Orthodox church?
Christianity is kike bullshit
Hello user, Im sorry to say that I dont know anything yet about remarriage in the Church, unfortunately Ive not yet researched this. But - my advise here is to contact your local Priest and discuss everything with him. From what little I do know, none of these things would keep you from joining the Church, but you may, or may not, be able to remarry in/through the Church. This I do not know offhand. I'm sorry that I could not be of more help, Ill pray that you get the answers you need, and that your journey of Orthodoxy will be a wonderful experience. Have a blessed night user!
It’s kind of a niche question lol
Thanks anyways bud. God bless!
Pagan here. Just wanting to extend the olive branch and express my appreciation for these generals keeping spirituality a relevant element of the political discussion. Atheism is a blight and our movement against (((them))) has to be be done through the will of the Divine. I wish you all the best.
You too bro. What led you to paganism?
Divine revelation. I developed my relationship with God outside of the theology of Christianity, however I have since recognized Christianity as being a manifestation of true spirituality (obviously excluding the corruption of several institutions which have taken on its name and symbolism).
Why polytheism though? Have you read Aristotle and Plato? it makes rational sense (the big bang theory and acceleration of expansion of the universe supports this) to have one unmoved Mover, rather than multiple gods.
I am not a polytheist. I believe in the one true Supreme Divinity. I do believe that this Divinity has multiple emanations that are mere parts of the whole. These emanations can manifest as sub-entities, much like the angels and demons of Christianity. I do not worship them, though, as there is no need to. God is God.
So do yu thank God for your existence, as he is our creator?
I felt the lowest I’ve ever been in my entire life today, the closest thing I’ve ever been to killing myself (still just in the imagination though), and God brought me out of it as He so often does and showed me the things that really matter, and I spent time with my family.
literally the same thing happened to me today. I see the light at the ed of the tunnel for the first time in a week
Thanks for posting these threads. They really help.
Yes, of course. The Supreme Divine is the Source of all things.
What is the best way to worship Him? If he exists and expects us to worship him, would he not attempt to communicate this with those who cannot reason to it themselves? (I am talking about organised religion btw)
Similar to sun invictus being hellius the only god and the other gods expressions and allegories of him?
It resembles the monotheistic theology of Julian the apostate
>What is the best way to worship Him?
The best way to worship God is to connect with the Divine, especially in communion with other worshipers. I have had the honor of doing this in massive rituals with thousands of others. These were truly life changing experiences.
> If he exists and expects us to worship him
I think that God is timeless, and therefore you could call God "patient." We worship God when we understand why God deserves to be worshiped. I'm not sure that God ever really "expects" to be worshiped. It just happens when the moment is right for it.
>would he not attempt to communicate this with those who cannot reason to it themselves?
It seems to me that God reaches out to those who reach out for him. My Divine revelation was definitely not something I could have achieved by myself. I was lifted up by this higher power. At the same time, it would not have happened if I had not asked for it in my own way (although I had no idea something so significant would happen).
I'm not very familiar with what you're talking about. You're talking about the late Roman religion, yes? If so, I can't speak to this specifically, but I do suspect that my belief is similar to what permeated throughout the Roman society, though I'm not sure just how prevalent it was in those times. I do not know who Julian the apostate is.
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life
>Julian the apostate
It was the emperor who returned to paganism an organized religion. He believed in the one God Hellius as the only god; the other gods were simply expressions and allegories of those who sought to teach. Sol invictus is the religion.
If you cucks are able to organize a general why the fuck can't you put together a movement for a creation of a religion board?
It benefits everyone
That sounds similar to what I believe. Allegories and symbols can only be understood if we understand the Divine element being talked about. The only way to understand such Divine elements are to have experienced them firsthand. A personal relationship with God is necessary for any meaningful application of mythology.
I'm not sure if this is what is kind of being asked of me, but I don't think that pagan mythology was ever meant to be taken literally.
Can we please purge the stormfags? Prejudice is a sin in the eyes of God.
Honestly it seems to me that the simplest solution would be to just give them their ethnostate. They'd be out of your hair then, right? Oh wait, that's what you're fighting against, shill.
>I'm a shill
No, I'm a good Christian who follows the Gospel.
Hoestly, most of us like it being on Jow Forums
Parts of it yes, Julian pointed out how from the blood of zeus humans were born and works like the Odyssey were divinely inspired. But more than that, most of the stories were actually teachings and allegories of Hellius the only God.
I think Nova Roma is trying to rescue the Roman religion; although I do not know if Sol invictus is the religion that rescues
>wanting your own ethnostate is a sin!
>God literally ordained nations along ethnic lines
oops
I'm not familiar with Nova Roma. Nice talking to you, though.
Nice talking to you as well.
Good night, /cg/, stay spiritual.
I advice all anons who are hesitant about about themselves because they've been sinners in the past to read the story of St James the Ascetic
johnsanidopoulos.com
>Good night
Good night m8
I'm interested in this.
>Pagan here
>Christians and Pagans are friendo
>Goes full christian afterwards
Trully christianity is a religion of shill rats. Not even the FBI holds a candle on your shilling.
>God Still Has A Plan For You
What Does a God Need a Plan For?
we plan because we have to navigate the maze of constraints presented by the outside world. this does not apply to an omnipotent being.
All worshipers of the one true God should be friendo. No reason not to be.
Do you follow an organized religion as an astru or is your path personal?
*asatru
Indeed, God has a plan.
I can't wait for the day when cuckianity is finally a dead meme at last..
I am pulled between various churches. I definitely consider myself a Christian, having received personal "revelation" of the nature of God and Christ, but I have a terribly difficult time finding the correct choice. I wasn't raised in any church, and so I have no tradition to cling to, except the a family tradition of a kind of churchless Masonic pseudo-spirituality. My family is almost entirely Anglo- and German-American, so they were almost certainly Protestant.
Part of me feels that I am fated to the life of a religious hermit. My mystical viewpoints tend to align with the Orthodox church in this sense, but I simply don't know enough to choose the Orthodox over the Catholic or vice versa (though I certainly lean that direction over Protestantism). I did receive a Christian baptism as an adult, and I think maybe that is enough, and that no church is really required. Maybe meditation, prayer, and private scripture study is all I need.
At the same time, I think that perhaps I am committing the sin of hubris in thinking that I am enough on my own, and the sin of selfishness in choosing solitude instead of a life of service to a congregation and Christendom in general.
Anyway, thanks to whoever makes and contributes positively to these threads. Spreading the light of the Gospel is certainly a good work.
And when I say I don't know enough to choose between Catholicism and Orthodoxy, I don't mean that I haven't tried to research it. On the contrary, I've researched it fairly extensively, and the more I study it, the less I am able to penetrate the opacity of the subject. Classic "the more I learn, the less I know" conundrum.
Go to Catholic Latin Mass and Orthodox Services. Talk to the priests. Pray about it. Do this consistently for a couple of months. You will figure it out. Good luck Bro.
Also, you need the Eucharist. "He who does not eat my flesh and drink my blood shall have no life within him" Join a congregation.
Also, consider visiting some monasteries.
This one is dope, the monks are really a bunch of saints.
pic related
en.wikipedia.org
This is a much more eloquent version of what I've been going through too.
I'm tempted to go with Orthodox simply because I think the Septuagint is a better version of the Bible than the Vulgate, and I've already spent some time studying Biblical Greek.
There are three Orthodox churches near me. Greek, Russian, and Serbian. I've been to several Catholic services, but I hear there are some congregations that still do more traditional services, which I would be interested in finding.
You're right, though, that prayer is probably the best path to an answer. Poring over tomes about apostolic succession just to discern who has the best claim of continuing the ancient church is probably an ineffectual method compared to simply going to the source (God) and asking. After all, Matthew 7:7 "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" which is the literal, direct instruction of our savior Jesus Christ on how to gain knowledge for oneself.
Look for an Fssp Parish. They are very traditional and very good.
Go with God brother
I started reading the Bible for the first time 2 weeks ago. Currently half way through Leviticus.
Most people say you should start with the New Testament, but good on you.
Nice! Though, if you are looking to read the Bible in a Christian context, it might be better to start with the New Testament and then go back and learn about the background of the Law and the Prophets that came before Christ. Christ, however, fulfilled the law, and brought grace, truth, and salvation, so in a Christian context, understanding the New Testament is much more important. Christ often quotes from scripture, though, and he was clearly respected as a learned man among the peoples of Galilee, despite having been a carpenter (Gr: Tekton, which some say may have been a translation of a Hebrew word naggar that actually represented a learned man).
Anyway, read the Bible however you like. The important thing is to read it.
I thank God every day for this board. The red pills are really useful, and have created positive change not only in my life but in the life of people around me.
Hopefully, it will change my city, since I'm planing on becoming a politician.
God bless you all, Anons.
will God still help me?
test
I read your post user.
Orthodox reporting in.
God bless you excellent post.
I was so scared the first time I walked through the doors into Church, now happy, whole and part of a real community of actual people. Even a sinner like me is able to grow closer to the divine mystery.
I read a lot of people think the orthodox study Bible is crap. True or no?
/Trad/ oc incoming
1/3
2/3
3/3
How do you know if your life is aligned with the will of God or if you're doing your own thing contrary to God's will?
I lived over the last decade as an agnostic deist who believed in some divine hand but was hesitant to admit it was God himself, or that he has love for us. Recently I had been in a very bad place and was worried about my future, worried about death, worried about finding someone right for me (I haven't truly felt love for anyone for 3 years, and all of my relationships have ended in disapppintment, most of my dating experience would fail inexplicably after one or two dates and so on), my financial situation was a mess and so on. I hadn't seriously prayed for years, but I began to a couple weeks ago. I prayed for signs, to be taken back to the right path, to truly see God.
Since then my life has taken a drastic turn for the better in many ways, and in some ways that were so unlikely to happen that I would call it nothing short of a miracle. I even had the best first date of my entire life, with someone that has all the best personality and body traits of everyone I've ever dated, with a meme name I used to joke about (a bit of an anagram on IMAGINE with a subtle change while also being short which is the height I seek). Even if it doesn't work out for me, other answered the question that I had been asking for years in wondering if I would ever even be able to find someone who I actually liked. Other of my troubles also were answered in certain ways and so on.
A bit blogposty, but I honestly feel like this is a turning point in my life and I thank God for it, I will not stray again. The question I have today is what are some good resources to find a nearby church right for me, and are evening or night services common? (I work very late Saturday)
Google dude. I don't think the Orthodox do night services, but Catholics do.
Catholics and orthos (generally) accept that each other have valid apostolic succession and sacraments and are sort of long-lost brothers.
I would search for a latin mass parish if you want to check out Catholicism. I think I remember hearing that the antiochans were the most welcoming Orthodox (soetimes orthodox, due to their whole ethic thing can be grouchy)
Any Latin mass or Orthodox Divine liturgy will not be in English and will be a bit confusing, but it is well worth the effort. they are beautiful.
And talk to the priests afterwords about joining
*ethnic thing
Thank you brother I will look into the Catholic Church
If you don' ind me asking, what state are you in? I can get you a list of good parishes
any of these are a god choice if one is nearby
*good choice
my keyboard is dogshit
Christianity isn't the issue in itself, ecclesiastics are. But yeah, after having rightfully discriminated the kikes for centuries, the Christian nations are using the very same sacred texts to tolerate them nowadays, if not to promote them.
Morevoer, when Christianity became less of a strong White European thing with gorgeous Cathedrals but rather a declining belief in Europe and a growing one among third-worlders, it also marked a start to its decadency.
To these days it clearly, undeniably harms more than it helps, as it did during the last century by opposing fascists or natsocs in favor of jewish democracies or atheist bolchevism, so I fairly understand and couldn't reject, despite being baptized and still Christian myself, all the skeptical and detractor minds.
Yeah, times are changing tho eurobro. The boomers are dying off, most Catholic and Orthodox youth are trad as fuck. They are the next generation of priest and bishops.
I unironically think that good times are around the corner.
by 2050, every French preist will be Fssp Or SSPX which basically means no more modernists
It's slightly more complicated than that, at least in France, I don't share your optimism, but I will not drag you down here, so we'll just see what God plans for us.
Tell me about /christian/. Meme board or worth visiting? I just started lurking
god is dead, the next generation of whites aren't gonna believe in your shitty fake religion. god is dead, god is dead.
*tips*
orthodox and catholics are queers, uncucked protestants > all, don't be delusional
friendly reminder to report all religious threads :)
Don't you have a fallout new vegas mass to attend user?
Jewsus is not real, damn Schizos from arabic desert
goys are gay
Gays are Goys