Post by paxJohn on Dec 22, 2004 23:29:29 GMT -5
Hi all,
I'm the Eastern Orthodox character foretold. No obvious mark of the beast so I'm probably just a sinner rather than anyone notable.
My religious upbringing started in the Disciple's of Christ denomination. My dad attended Yale Divinity and my first memories of "church" come from there ... the men singing the doxology at the Disciple's House and the visceral feel of that sound within me. My father was ordained and served in a number of parishes taking us from Washington State to Texas. There, he became disillusioned with the denomination. Somehow or other, we became Episcopalians. I was baptized in Sixth Grade.
Down in Texas, the "Piskies" actually believed in God so it wasn't so bad as it might be in places today. It was a church with liturgy and music and I thought that was cool. It involves a kid more than listening to your dad preach at you.
Leaping ahead, I prepared for years to become an Episcopal priest. Not all my choices conduced to an effective witness. I partied too much from time to time. My life evidenced a dicotomy between the seriousness of my intellectual faith and the immaturity of my daily walk. Meanwhile, the denomination was rapidly becoming less biblical and bishops who are the spokesmen and visible exemplars excelerated the church's drift away from scripture, tradition, and right reason.
Again leaping over untold beauty, pathos, waste, joy and conversion of heart, I found myself in the Eastern Orthdodox Church. My heart was changed to love a particular congregation of people and I found myself at home among strangers (but strangers no longer). Also, my heart rejoiced at finding a church that had all the beauty and music I could desire but with the uncompromising treatment of Scripture that would hold my feet to the fire on those uncomfortable or incomprehensible passages.
I've been a member of the church of Antioch for seven years ... yes the same one mentioned in Scripture ... they are still meeting although the Patriarch is no longer in Antioch which is now a dusty little two horse village but in Damascus on a street called Straight. The Antiochian Church is in communion with the Patriarch of Constantinople and those churches likewise in communion constitute the Eastern Orthodox communion.
Today I am married to a wonderful woman. We have a fourteen year old boy and a four month old schnauser. On the side, I run a computer consulting company.
Pax,
John
I'm the Eastern Orthodox character foretold. No obvious mark of the beast so I'm probably just a sinner rather than anyone notable.
My religious upbringing started in the Disciple's of Christ denomination. My dad attended Yale Divinity and my first memories of "church" come from there ... the men singing the doxology at the Disciple's House and the visceral feel of that sound within me. My father was ordained and served in a number of parishes taking us from Washington State to Texas. There, he became disillusioned with the denomination. Somehow or other, we became Episcopalians. I was baptized in Sixth Grade.
Down in Texas, the "Piskies" actually believed in God so it wasn't so bad as it might be in places today. It was a church with liturgy and music and I thought that was cool. It involves a kid more than listening to your dad preach at you.
Leaping ahead, I prepared for years to become an Episcopal priest. Not all my choices conduced to an effective witness. I partied too much from time to time. My life evidenced a dicotomy between the seriousness of my intellectual faith and the immaturity of my daily walk. Meanwhile, the denomination was rapidly becoming less biblical and bishops who are the spokesmen and visible exemplars excelerated the church's drift away from scripture, tradition, and right reason.
Again leaping over untold beauty, pathos, waste, joy and conversion of heart, I found myself in the Eastern Orthdodox Church. My heart was changed to love a particular congregation of people and I found myself at home among strangers (but strangers no longer). Also, my heart rejoiced at finding a church that had all the beauty and music I could desire but with the uncompromising treatment of Scripture that would hold my feet to the fire on those uncomfortable or incomprehensible passages.
I've been a member of the church of Antioch for seven years ... yes the same one mentioned in Scripture ... they are still meeting although the Patriarch is no longer in Antioch which is now a dusty little two horse village but in Damascus on a street called Straight. The Antiochian Church is in communion with the Patriarch of Constantinople and those churches likewise in communion constitute the Eastern Orthodox communion.
Today I am married to a wonderful woman. We have a fourteen year old boy and a four month old schnauser. On the side, I run a computer consulting company.
Pax,
John
