Bringing a friend to Divine Liturgy this Sunday

[StrawberryJam]

I go to Divine Liturgy at least once every month. Here’s her backround. She is a lapsed catholic for years now, and dating a Greek Orthodox.
She is scared to go and I am really not sure why.
I know her brother and we grew up together. He is Catholic. He won’t go with her.
He asked me to go with her.
I have met her several times over the years and I know she is a fundamentalist at heart.
Trying to think of how to approach this.
Everyone knows where I am at in this.
Why does he want me to be there? It seems like an odd request.

 

[Hesychios]

I go to Divine Liturgy at least once every month. Here’s her backround. She is a lapsed catholic for years now, and dating a Greek Orthodox.
She is scared to go and I am really not sure why.
I know her brother and we grew up together. He is Catholic. He won’t go with her.
He asked me to go with her.
I have met her several times over the years and I know she is a fundamentalist at heart.
Trying to think of how to approach this.
Everyone knows where I am at in this.
Why does he want me to be there? It seems like an odd request.

He is probably nervous, this will take him out of his comfort zone.

For her part, I have seen people with fundamentalist leanings at Divine liturgy and some (not all, or even most, but some) have a negative reaction because it so ‘different’, and old fashioned (perhaps even idolotrous to their eyes). I’ve seen people frozen in their pews, unable or unwilling to go up for a simple blessing. I don’t know if it terrifies, or horrifies (or maybe both). This is not a common reaction, but it can happen.

When I first visited an eastern rite church I was as nervous as a cat and predisposed to have a negative reaction (mostly because of what I had read). I was not only surprised, it was a pleasant kind of shock, I found the whole experience glorious!

 

[jam070406]

He is probably nervous, this will take him out of his comfort zone.

For her part, I have seen people with fundamentalist leanings at Divine liturgy and some (not all, or even most, but some) have a negative reaction because it so ‘different’, and old fashioned (perhaps even idolotrous to their eyes). I’ve seen people frozen in their pews, unable or unwilling to go up for a simple blessing. I don’t know if it terrifies, or horrifies (or maybe both). This is not a common reaction, but it can happen.

When I first visited an eastern rite church I was as nervous as a cat and predisposed to have a negative reaction (mostly because of what I had read). I was not only surprised, it was a pleasant kind of shock, I found the whole experience glorious!

One of the first times I went to the Melkite Church close to my house for Divine Liturgy I had forgotten about the daylight savings time change and was an hour early. Here I was sitting by myself listening to three guys chant, thinking, where is everyone and what is going on?
I guess it was Matins, something I wasn’t used to. The Priest handed me a book to follow along.

 

[StrawberryJam]

Thank you for your replies.

I am trying to go over some very basic things with her over the phone so she won’t be startled. Everytime I discuss any part of the Liturgy with her it ends up with her responding with well, that’s at least not against the bible.
I really don’t think she is educated enough theologically to understand anything that is going to be happening. So, I called the priest there who was a Catholic priest and converted to Orthodoxy. Gave him the backround, and thankfully he is going to make time for her tomorrow after she gets off work to talk to her at the church. He has known me for a long time now and I think he is happy to help her with this. I will buy her something from the gift store and I think I will get her an icon of Mary with child to remember her first Divine liturgy forever.

 

[Anna_Scott]

Thank you for your replies.

I am trying to go over some very basic things with her over the phone so she won’t be startled. Everytime I discuss any part of the Liturgy with her it ends up with her responding with well, that’s at least not against the bible.
I really don’t think she is educated enough theologically to understand anything that is going to be happening. So, I called the priest there who was a Catholic priest and converted to Orthodoxy. Gave him the backround, and thankfully he is going to make time for her tomorrow after she gets off work to talk to her at the church. He has known me for a long time now and I think he is happy to help her with this. I will buy her something from the gift store and I think I will get her an icon of Mary with child to remember her first Divine liturgy forever.

Hi Strawberry,

I will say some prayers for you and your friend.

I’m happy in the Anglican Church, but I would like to visit an Orthodox Church.

Let us know how it goes.

Peace to you my friend,
Anna