Advice for Enquirers and Recent Converts to Orthodox Christianity - Fr. Gregory Mathewes-Green
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- Опубликовано: 22 июл 2024
- In this episode, Father Gregory Mathewes-Green offers pastoral advice to enquirers and recent converts to the Orthodox Christian faith.
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This is the second episode from my interview with Orthodox priest and founding pastor of Holy Cross Antiochian Orthodox church in Linthicum, Maryland, Father Gregory Mathewes-Green.
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The dive is not the swim. Deep. ‘The dive is the initial excitement, but it’s the swimming that gets you to the other side of the pool.’ I will remember this. Thank you, Father.
Fr Gregory speaks the truth! May God bless all the catechumens preparing for illumination this Pascha. Love and prayers for all of you! ☦️
Amen...Christ is Risen!
@@ProtectingVeil Voistynu Voskres!
I’m currently an Episcopalian and have been feeling called to the Orthodox Church. This is so incredibly helpful, thank you so much for this!
Godspeed!
My catechism was a full year. A wonderful journey.
The thing is that I dreaded the dive, but love the swimming and even more below the surface. Curiously I love the discipline there is a relief in it. Excitement is not what droves me to swim but the other worldliness of it. I see such a great parallel here with Orthodoxy.
Perfect advices not only for converts but also for those born in Christian families. Thank you.
The only thing I like to add, if I may, is that The Orthodox Faith is The Most Beautiful Faith you will ever get to know. There is Nothing to fear as it is pretty much an Individualistic Faith if you know what I mean. For one it maybe different than for another. Some people maybe able to fast stricker than others for example. However the teachings of Saints Peter & Paul as found in the early writings of the Church is as much as one can bear it. And if your life style permits, you maybe able to do things a little different. For example, the life style of a professional is different than the life style of a monk living in a monastery. And even for some of those living in a monastery and given their ability to fast, they may not be required to fast as strict. As fasting by itself means nothing other than means of drawing nearer to God. Yet if understood and practiced properly, should help draw our attention towards HIM!!!
And you can use this guideline for everything else in the Church. There is no right or wrong way of doing things and it is up to how your heart inclines you to do, otherwise it is meaningless. Yet physical expressions like crossing oneself or bowing has a Great Meaning!!! And must come from Faith & Understanding as the rest will follow!!!
I encourage everyone to consider learning about The Faith that Jesus & HIS Apostles Established on Earth called The Orthodox Faith. And let not the word Orthodox scare you PLEASE. This word was introduced during the early years of the Church in order to differentiate between those following the True/Correct Faith and those that were teaching hearsay. Even the Pope of Rome was addressing the Church in his letters as The Orthodox Church!!! This is at the time when the whole Church was united!!!
Respectfully,
Fr. George
Thank you!
I've been protestant my whole life, I am currently sensing a "shift" in the Church. I have become very interested in Orthodoxy recently, reading books, watching your videos, and have reached out to the closest Orthodox Church to me. I am hoping to visit the Church soon to get a feel for it, thank you so much for these videos.
Glory to God...Godspeed! 🙏🏻☦️
I’m thankful to God for this channel!
Christ is Risen! Thanks to God...glad you found us, Bryson!
I’m just now making my way up the diving board ladder.
Christ is Risen! As they say in Greece, "slowly, slowly..."
Nice small Church. No pews! God bless.
Such great advice. Guess my dive is over. Time to swim. Looking forward to Lazarus Saturday. I'm so excited! Thanks for for all the great videos. Keep up the good work, Dr. Middleton. God bless you!
Have a very blessed day tomorrow! Congratulations and welcome, Robert. ☦️
Christ is Risen! Thanks to God! So glad you've found your way Home, brother!
✝️🙏❤
great advice; thank you!
Thank you, Father!
Excellent visualization, between the dive and the swim for the convert's initial fiery enthusiasm & then the eventual cool down. Excellent!!!
Very helpful. Thank you.
Thank you ☦️
Thank you fr Gregory
Very helpful. I'm only one month in to this journey.
Kind of like a mix of early Lorde and St Vincent. Love it.
I have also been fasting on Wednesday and Friday damn.
Great interview. Converts need lots of guidance and this was great.
Thanks to God...thanks for stopping by, Luke!
I agree that you need to take time.
I agree, take your time. Learn as much as you can. It took me 4 years.
Thank you for your advice Fr. Gregory. I've been attending the Divine service for 2 weeks. I've been in different denominations for many years.
After i went to an orthodox church for the second time i read "The Orthodox way" and yes i feel like the church Is very lovely but reading that book has opened my eyes so much. I learned a lot about god and i feel like before reading the book everything i knew was like nothing, everything i knew was more generalized. I had heard that God and Jesus are the same and i accepted that but now i feel like i actually understand. It was really enlightening on the subject of god as the Trinity. I felt like for these past few days my life had felt lighter. i am willing to except that the church is going to change my life because the changes i feel now, feel good. Since i was exited i was tempted to kind of rush but i know that i will take my time and i will let everything happen in a more normally paced way. The next book I'm planning on reading by the way is called "The Orthodox Church by Timothy Ware"
🙏 🏊♂️ 🏊♀️
What a perfect way to describe the journey. 🙏
I'd say it is important to go over common Protestant beliefs, like the Invisible Church and certainty of salvation.
Christ is Risen! Duly noted...thanks for your suggestions!
Jackson Andrew
But the church IS invisible (correct terminology is SPIRITUAL). Verses such as, "worship in Spirit and in truth" confirm that. St.Paul says in 1st Corinthians 15, 46: "However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual". This verse is covenantal language. The Old Covenant age was the natural/physical age with "earthly Jerusalem" at its centre. But this was just a type or shadow of the spiritual realm that was to come in the New Covenant Church age....the age of the heavenly or spiritual Jerusalem.
@@70AD-user45 unfortunately this is from a protestantism perspective and not what has been handed down. Protestantism has bifurcated the church's understanding of sacrament. Physical IS Spiritual. Christ is Both God AND Man. His physical death was Spiritual Life. The World images God. Sorry but your deduction of the true church being only spiritual is misnomer .
Love Father Gregory and Khouria Frederica... Fr Gregory is an exceptional Shepard...
Thanks to God!
I go to this dudes church
Wonderful advice. Thank you for your labors Herman. bp
Christ is Risen! Thanks to God!
I have been disciplined at home with the very little help. I have everything I need to study on my own and I am very good at studying on my own.
Hallelujah sister.! May God bless your efforts and dedication to His Church.!
As always, very helpful and thoughtful information to think about for this catechumen!
Christ is Risen! Thanks to God...glad you found us, Jerome!
@@ProtectingVeil I am glad that I found your channel too.
Good old homespun common sense. Nice video .....
It is wise advice. It also depends on where are you coming from. It is completely different if you come from a protestant or non christian faith or if you come fron roman catholic. In this last case things are a lot easier and the fact is that as soon as you really want to become orthodox you already are by tthe mere sincere and educated decision. The rest is life itself.
I discovered the Orthodox Church perhaps a year ago and have been looking into it ever since. There aren't many options near me, so I've been looking online. I have every intention of converting at this point, though I am still researching constantly for more information so I better understand the doctrine and dogma. I completely understand the analogy of researching for a while first to make certain you understand and are wiling to commit to the commitment being asked by joining, but--and this could be my ignorance speaking--doesn't waiting in that way possibly put your salvation at risk? What would happen to you if you died before converting? Forgive me if this is a stupid question, but when I heard "possibly wait decades" my heart leaped in terror at the idea.
If one feels the call, one should not wait. If you have ROCOR or Serbian OC near by, that would be my recommendation. Pray to God and He will guide you... Blessings.!
Did you convert?
I'm an ex-Muslim from Algeria. There are no Orthodox churches around here. None that I can find at least.
I have been called by our Lord in late 2021 and have been trying my best to learn about the different denominations.
I've become more and more interested in Orthodoxy because it seems to have more depth (?) than Catholcism or the different Protestant denominations. Although it also looks way more ritual and formal. Which makes stepping into it on my own seem so overwhelming and scary.
What do you suggest to someone who doesn't have access to an Orthodox church? Should I wait to find my church to get baptized? Does it make a difference for an Orthodox Christian if they were baptized unto another denomination?
It is, indeed, a challenge when one is so far from a church(!) It's probably best if you send me a PM (you can find my email address on my About page on RUclips!)
Sounds like too much commitment to me. I'm a very low commitment kind of person :). I'll stick with new age heresy :D
I think the repetition is important.
My life has already been changed by God. Over the years I have studied Orthodoxy and this time I have used a solid year and I don't think this is a whole lot I don't know. I am ready to join but my church is closed.
Last year, all churches were pretty much closed, due to COVID. Fortunately, things have been reopening over the last 6 months
I'm so torn. I'm very interested and see so much correct and good here. But I just can't shake certain things I hear , they just don't ring true.
Why such a long wait? Why so slow?
Did the Ethiopian eunuch wait?
Often it just varies from person to person. My sister was a catechuman for over a year, I was for seven months. I know some people who decided to take years with it. Often a year is the most common time but the key it taking however long you need. :)
Good father, you said if you were planning on marrying to get to know that person and Orthodoxy to spend a couple of years. How are they to remain pure if they are in a relationship for 2 years?
I worry me being 40 will harm my conversion. I'm thinking of joining but would I be too set in my ways to be able to get the most out of it?
You're still young, my friend! Many folks converted much older...remember the servant who arrived at the eleventh hour, and don't be tempted from pursuing the path God has shown you!
Idk I am only 15 and I am a Methodist and I really wanna be orthodox. But I’m scared to join idk why 😣😖
As a youngster, my best advice is to do what Father has stated here; take your time, learn more about Orthodoxy, whether it's through reading articles online, books, or, watching videos on here. Also, if possible, try to get in touch with a local priest or someone knowledge. For now, just ask questions and learn more about the faith. Fortunately, I was born and raised in the faith but have met many converts throughout my life (Catholics, Evangelicals, Baptist, etc) . My wife is a convert, coming from the Catholic faith. Please know that we are all Christians, but practice in very different ways. Some more different than others. Take your time to learn what is the best for yourself and for seeking the truth of how we were first taught to worship.
1 question...when he said's the word CONVERT...if a christian is already a christian (lets say in the Baptist church) and they join another church such as the orthodox church "what are they converting from?". I get from scripture there is only 1 church, one way, one door, one path? I'll wait for your answer!
if you study the teachings of the councils and the orthodox church fathers, they state clearly that outside the orthodox church there is no true church and even if you believe in Christ you are not considered to be a christian. Orthodoxy teach exclusivity
@@adisaargani836 Orthodoxy sounds cultish to me....what does scripture say about it? ...but what about Ephesians 2:8 Faith is all that is needed to be save...?
Please tell me what version of the Bible does the Orthodox Church use?
The Septuagint , referred to as the Greek Old Testament or The Translation of the Seventy. That's the earliest extant Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible from the original Hebrew.
Orthodox Study Bible is good
I’m not disagreeing with the father, but an honest question. If orthodoxy is the true church, and baptism is saving, and the apostles baptized people (relatively) immediately after conversion, why are we encouraged to wait weeks, months, years to be baptized in the Eastern Orthodox church?
-Pentecostal interested in EO
The wisdom of the Church over 2000 years has shown that a period of catechism, of testing one's commitment, etc. are necessary before baptism. If anything, people today are less stable and capable of the kind of commitment that Orthodox Christianity requires than they were in the first century. There is no rush...the Orthodox are happy to seek and discern God's will and God's timing...
Is it true that Orthodox allow for three marriages?
I was told yes it’s 3 for Greeks
Not sure about others
Begrudgingly, by oeconomia. They WANT you to stay married to your first spouse, being a faithful struggler together. That is Christ's teaching!
Personal experience, my first husband died. My second husband divorced me when I became ill and couldn’t work. My Priest said I would be allowed to marry again but I’m done at 71. If I was young I don’t know.
I’ve known women who have lost two husbands in military conflicts, women still in the first half of their lifetime.
That is my understanding. I became a monk after two. There will not be a third for me.
i'm being christmated next sunday into GOARCH
Glory to God...Godspeed!🙏☦
If you are going to be chrismated then know that you need a sponsor for that so make at least one friend in the church. I’ve been going for 5 years and can’t think of a single person I could ask
I'd encourage you to ask your priest!
Yes. Ask your priest and....ask God! Pray.
no! do not take your time! if you are dating someone you should be considering marriage and it shouldn't take more than a few months to know if you found the right person. otherwise, find someone else! lest you take 3 years per person and waste 10 years on indecisiveness.
What did the Philippian jailer do? He asked "What should I do to be saved?" and Paul baptized him that night! Same with the Ethiopian. Jump in, get baptized and explore the riches of the Orthodox faith... if it is what it seems to be: the most beautiful expression of Christianity and the truest path thereof, it will prove itself out... if not, no one, unlike in other religions, is going to harm you for changing your mind...
If you were alive at the eve of the great flood and God allowed you to get on the Ark, you could wait and see if it starts to rain...or you could get on the Ark in case somehow the door becomes shut... life is a vapor...get on the Ark!
"Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."
James 4:14
It's astrological. If you even consider reading New Translation from this perspective, it will become obvious to you. Especially the book of Revelation. Time cycles and navigation is what the deceivers didn't want you to know.
Matthew 23:9,10 Do not call any man father. You have one father in heaven ,you are all brothers. It gets sickening when people do not know the word of God but get deceived by denominations. Religious garb and deception. Be filled with the Holy Spirit and you will know the truth. Jesus is the truth , life and way.Jesus is the Lord of lords and the King of kings.
"Church", "converts", "conversion" mentioned over and over. Not once was Jesus mentioned. Quite telling.
Orthodox mind would extremely rarely say "Jesus" without adding "Christ" or would say just - Christ... as the father in this video did.
That's already a given, therefore you've come on here just looking for an argument: typical evangelical freak. By the way - your name suits you: spectrum af!
@@SuppressioHibernicis Is that all you have?
@@spectrumifsyep, it's all that's required.
@@SuppressioHibernicis Smugness much?