Newly Illumined

[Harpazo]

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Yesterday I was received into the Orthodox Church by Holy Baptism and Chrismation and received Holy Communion. I appreciate all the support from folks on here (and even the discussions from those opposed to my conversion). I thought I would post pictures from the service yesterday. My dad took pictures of the whole thing and here is the text of the service (although we used a slightly different translation complete with the “Thees” and “Thous”).

I hope you all enjoy them and if you have any questions about the pictures, feel free to ask.

In Christ,
Andrew

 

[jakasaki]

Very beautiful Harpazo/Andrew - all of the best to you!

I saw your pictures and read the service. Thank you!

I wish you the best!

Seeing this reminded to the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” except they used a small kiddie pool for the baptism…

Best regards to you my Dear Brother In Christ.

 

[Harpazo]

Very beautiful Harpazo/Andrew - all of the best to you!

I saw your pictures and read the service. Thank you!

I wish you the best!

Seeing this reminded to the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” except they used a small kiddie pool for the baptism…

Best regards to you my Dear Brother In Christ.

Thank you very much! We built the baptismal font this week out of an old oil tank. It took a lot of work. Everyone said that I worked hard for my baptism, but I’m sure others have worked harder for theirs than I did.

In Christ,
Andrew

 

[Hiskid1973]

May the Lord bless you and draw you closer to Him as you walk in this new journey of faith for you…

 

[Hiskid1973]

Thank you very much! We built the baptismal font this week out of an old oil tank. It took a lot of work. Everyone said that I worked hard for my baptism, but I’m sure others have worked harder for theirs than I did.

In Christ,
Andrew

Cool story…It is inside right…

 

[jakasaki]

Thank you very much! We built the baptismal font this week out of an old oil tank. It took a lot of work. Everyone said that I worked hard for my baptism, but I’m sure others have worked harder for theirs than I did.

In Christ,
Andrew

Oh… BTW… **not **important to your thread but… You are a handsome man… !!!

Question for you and I do not want to derail your thread…

Based on the pictures & service provided, did you get baptised in a Greek Orthodox Church? or Russian? Or other Orthodox Church?

Thanks much and once again, Blessings to you and yours

Best regards
Pam
New York

 

[Harpazo]

Oh… BTW… **not **important to your thread but… You are a handsome man… !!!

Question for you and I do not want to derail your thread…

Based on the pictures & service provided, did you get baptised in a Greek Orthodox Church? or Russian? Or other Orthodox Church?

Thanks much and once again, Blessings to you and yours

Best regards
Pam
New York

My parish (it’s actually a mission-parish) is part of the Bulgarian Diocese under Metropolitan Joseph. However, everyone in the parish is American-born (no Bulgarians) and mostly everyone is a convert. I put the service up from the GOA website because I could not find the same exact baptismal service we used. It was essentially the same, but in Shakespearean English. We use the translated service books from ROCOR.

In Christ,
Andrew

 

[JonNC]

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Yesterday I was received into the Orthodox Church by Holy Baptism and Chrismation and received Holy Communion. I appreciate all the support from folks on here (and even the discussions from those opposed to my conversion). I thought I would post pictures from the service yesterday. My dad took pictures of the whole thing and here is the text of the service (although we used a slightly different translation complete with the “Thees” and “Thous”).

I hope you all enjoy them and if you have any questions about the pictures, feel free to ask.

In Christ,
Andrew

May countless blessings follow you in your new faith home, Andrew.

Jon

 

[Harpazo]

Cool story…It is inside right…

It was inside. We were going to do it in the Roanoke River, but considering that it was in the 20s outside, we thought that it was a good time for building the baptismal font.

In Christ,
Andrew

 

[jakasaki]

It was inside. We were going to do it in the Roanoke River, but considering that it was in the 20s outside, we thought that it was a good time for building the baptismal font.

In Christ,
Andrew

Well, there is nothing wrong with the temp being in the 20’s outside, unless you’re a penguin or a polar bear…

Do they usually do the baptismal in the Roanoke River when the weather is nice and toasty?

 

[Rence]

Congratulations! That’s wonderful! Thank you for sharing

 

[Hiskid1973]

It was inside. We were going to do it in the Roanoke River, but considering that it was in the 20s outside, we thought that it was a good time for building the baptismal font.

In Christ,
Andrew

I was thinking of the cold…I was baptized in a farm pond…I only looked at the pics after I posted…

 

[jakasaki]

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Yesterday I was received into the Orthodox Church by Holy Baptism and Chrismation and received Holy Communion. I appreciate all the support from folks on here (and even the discussions from those opposed to my conversion). I thought I would post pictures from the service yesterday. My dad took pictures of the whole thing and here is the text of the service (although we used a slightly different translation complete with the “Thees” and “Thous”).

I hope you all enjoy them and if you have any questions about the pictures, feel free to ask.

In Christ,
Andrew

Andrew,

Do you mind posting for us or me me… what were you before you researched Orthodoxy?

If you posted that before, can you please link the CAF thread…

Thanks again!

 

[Harpazo]

Well, there is nothing wrong with the temp being in the 20’s outside, unless you’re a penguin or a polar bear…

Do they usually do the baptismal in the Roanoke River when the weather is nice and toasty?

Normally, it is done in the Roanoke River (a 2 year old was baptized in September). But we thought that was too cold. My priest said if we wanted to do it in the river, I could think about the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste.

In Christ,
Andrew

 

[Nine_Two]

Congradulations and God Bless.

 

[Hiskid1973]

Can’t imagine someone would mind…

 

[jakasaki]

JC…

 

[Harpazo]

Andrew,

Do you mind posting for us or me me… what were you before you researched Orthodoxy?

If you posted that before, can you please link the CAF thread…

Thanks again!

I was born and raised in a pseudo-Christian group called the Worldwide Church of God (WCG). The group eventually adopted Trinitarian beliefs to be accepted by mainstream Evangelicalism. We became United Methodist (my mom’s childhood faith) when I was 7 or 8. When I was 16 I decided to become Roman Catholic after being disillusioned by the doctrinal pluralism of Protestantism and could not accept the idea that Christ’s Church fell into error and had to be revived by “Reformers.” I studied Orthodox after converting to Catholicism, but just brushed it off as “ethnic Catholicism.” I was taught in RCIA that the RCC and Orthodoxy were basically the same. I found much in Latin Catholicism to be wanting and could not stand the Protestantization of the Latin church. I found refuge in a Maronite Catholic church. I fell in love with the approach to spirituality and doctrine.

As I investigated history further and how the Orthodox approach salvation and could not support post-schism Latin doctrines. A year ago I began attending Orthodox liturgy in my hometown when I came home on breaks and began devouring Orthodox books. I bought a little prayer book and began doing Morning and Evening Prayer when I could. For me, the Orthodox understanding of faith and life in Christ resonated with my soul deeply. In May I became a catechumen and was received into the Orthodox Church yesterday.

That’s the abbreviated version, but I hope it answers your question.

In Christ,
Andrew

 

[jakasaki]

I was born and raised in a pseudo-Christian group called the Worldwide Church of God (WCG). The group eventually adopted Trinitarian beliefs to be accepted by mainstream Evangelicalism. We became United Methodist (my mom’s childhood faith) when I was 7 or 8. When I was 16 I decided to become Roman Catholic after being disillusioned by the doctrinal pluralism of Protestantism and could not accept the idea that Christ’s Church fell into error and had to be revived by “Reformers.” I studied Orthodox after converting to Catholicism, but just brushed it off as “ethnic Catholicism.” I was taught in RCIA that the RCC and Orthodoxy were basically the same. I found much in Latin Catholicism to be wanting and could not stand the Protestantization of the Latin church. I found refuge in a Maronite Catholic church. I fell in love with the approach to spirituality and doctrine.

As I investigated history further and how the Orthodox approach salvation and could not support post-schism Latin doctrines. A year ago I began attending Orthodox liturgy in my hometown when I came home on breaks and began devouring Orthodox books. I bought a little prayer book and began doing Morning and Evening Prayer when I could. For me, the Orthodox understanding of faith and life in Christ resonated with my soul deeply. In May I became a catechumen and was received into the Orthodox Church yesterday.

That’s the abbreviated version, but I hope it answers your question.

In Christ,
Andrew

Thanks much my dear!

 

[jakasaki]

Thank you very much! We built the baptismal font this week out of an old oil tank. It took a lot of work. Everyone said that I worked hard for my baptism, but I’m sure others have worked harder for theirs than I did.

In Christ,
Andrew

Andrew, I was thinking about this post last night after I logged out.

You said you had to built the baptismal font. Didn’t the Chruct have their own in order to baptise adults?