Wanting to try a Orthodox church

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Phill

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Hey! I wanted to reach out to anyone who has went to, or is in, a Orthodox church. I wanted to learn more and experience the Orthodox church, but kinda got scared away because I have heard a lot of stories about non-orthodox christians being kinda alienated because they were American and went to a Greek Orthodox church. Anyone care to share their thoughts?
 
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When I lived in Egypt I would sometimes attend mass in a Catholic Coptic church. No one objected.
 
Been to an Orthodox divine liturgy. Was about 2 hours long, most of which is standing there.

I have always seen Orthodox as too tribal – but i must say overall the Greek folks were friendly and nobody made me feel unwelcome.
 
I’d be interested in attending an Orthodox Divine Liturgy. I like Orthodox spirituality and traditions.
 
Try to attend a Byzantine rite Catholic Divine liturgy if you get the chance. I sometimes go to a Melkite Greek Catholic church. Melkites are Middle Eastern in origin, but their parishes, at least here in the US are ethnically diverse. They use the same liturgy as the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch.
 
All my experiences have been great in Orthodox Churches. Don’t bother using a liturgical book if they have one available. The responses are to that difficult to get a hang of.

ZP
 
ziapueblo said:
All my experiences have been great in Orthodox Churches. Don’t bother using a liturgical book if they have one available. The responses are to that difficult to get a hang of.
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Well you might want a book if the liturgy is not in English (or another language you speak)… I’m sure they’re starting to grow, but in my metro area of 2.5 million, there was only one English Orthodox parish as of a decade ago or so.
 
I didn’t think about the Liturgy in other languages. In my area they are all in English. The Greek Orthodox parish is done in about 2/3 English and 1/3 Greek.

ZP
 
In the U.S., the length of the service varies widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, as does the availability of seating. The local Greek Orthodox Church has pews and a liturgy that clocks in at just over an hour. The only Orthodox churches in my city that don’t have pews are the Russian Orthodox and the OCA. The Greeks, Serbian, Romanians, etc. all have pews.
 
Michael16 said:
I’d be interested in attending an Orthodox Divine Liturgy. I like Orthodox spirituality and traditions.
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I’m sure it’s wrong to think so, but I personally imagine Orthodoxy to be in some ways like a living museum of what the Catholic Mass was like back in the tenth century.
 
Hrm. I’ll admit I’ve only been to two churches (my city has two), but both of them had seats. One of them (Greek Orthodox) actually had outright pews like a Catholic church had, the other (Antioch Orthodox) had a bunch of chairs.

Granted, in both cases, most people spent most of the service standing up–especially the Antioch Orthodox church, where the homily was basically the only time everyone sat down (the Greek Orthodox church had more times when everyone would sit down).

As for the question of how “welcome” someone would be… depends on the church. Apparently the majority of the parishioners at the Antioch Orthodox church were converts; I’m not sure about the Greek Orthodox church.
 
If you just want to go to a Divine Liturgy at an Orthodox Church, to pray with the community as well as pray for unity, there must be some Church somewhere near you. But if you are a Roman Catholic looking to change , I would only go to an eastern Church which accepts the Pope.
 
Awesome!! Thanks everyone for the replies! I’ll be sure to prepare for lots of standing lol and for the length of it… I’m sure I’ll survive haha i could be in the Lord’s presence all day 🙂
 
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I’m not a catholic personally right now. For the time being im more on a journey and just seing where the Lord leads.
 
Peace of Jesus The Only Divine Anointed One,

Mediator between The Lord God and humanity,

be with you, your family, friends, and neighbors.

From what I understand, The Byzantine Rite; -

part of Judaeo Christian Orthodoxy, like The Latin Rite which has The Key of David,

The Arabic ([Zachariah]) Maronite Rite; Syria? and other areas;

The Coptic Rite, The Greek Orthodox Rite, The Russian Orthodox Rite,

and what I personally by Religious Freedom in Christ, call (The Hebrew Rite),

are all part of The Universal [Israel][Goshen][Galilee] Catholic Church; {The Keyhole for The Key of David by Objective Radiant Beauty Truth & Goodness (ethical morality)}; -

is an excellent Rite with defined Devout, Holy, Sacred Clarifications such as

Participation in Christ by Theosis which without diminishing at all the In Dwelling Life;

Jesus Adamantly Commanded Whatsoever is done to one* of the least among us,

it is done unto Him (and He has an Eternal Greater than Adam’s Rib - Perfect Assertive Benevolent Compassion for every child in the womb, birthed to a natural falling asleep unto;’` Eternal Life Justice and Peace Embracing as Eternal Living Waters, by Grace Filled Living The Ways of God Completely, Freely Given, freely received for Excellent Prudent Loving Kindness, with Goodness, Steadfastness, and Modesty, Chastity, and Temperance. So, every child, of course, gentleman and lady - every aspect, facet, and nuance - purpose from afar, known full well to The Lord God, at every single moment in time, yesterday, today, and forever; is with each of our diverse but equitable being - each (me, myself, and I; three states of being or persons) made in the image and likeness of God, no matter how tiny - with instant cell respiration at the instantaneous instantly conceived, by Providence Life from Elohim (Creator, Redeemer, Sanctify-er), of course, just at ordained, established, fulfilled, spermatozoa & ova - joining to an ovum[o] or ovum[a]. We never put God on Trial for hardship, needing complete due diligence heartfelt ministering circumstances. Much is written regarding these things. Doing so, putting God to ‘The Test,’ continues the many things striving to never mocked, but attempts to entrap, arrest, mock trial, scourge, (choose ‘son of daddy’ an murderous insurrectionist Barabbas, 'Caesar as ‘king,’ ‘crucify Him, crucify Him, crucify Him’, sentence to death by ‘what is truth, found innocent, wash hands of blame, Procurator Pontius Pilate’

The Way of The Cross, Spiked to The Cross, and Agonizing (like Soul Anguished Unto Death in Garden of Gethsemane) Painful to High Heaven Bitter The Cross. 7 last Words. Spirit Of Christ Commended unto Heaven; the hurried Sacred Entombment Stone Rolled Over; Risen Indeed Joy For All Seasons The Third Day. First Fruits, Be Faithful and Believing First Day of the week (doubting Thomas, exclaiming 'my Lord and my God!), 40 days unto Ascension, during 50 Days of Omer; (btw, The Heavens Opened at The Shavuot and God Spoke The Ten Mitzvahs ref. Exodus 20) - Pentecost actually means, as we know, 50 Days. (cont…)
 
For example, Cornelius a God fearing alms giving honorable man & kindred was ‘cloaked in Grace,’ by The Same Way. Later, Sanctifying Grace by Contrite Reconciling Baptism, as we know by Divinely Inspired Dreams given unto Peter and Cornelius. By the way, this does show that children, while parents and all caregivers are with all due diligence required to bring God’s children to Baptism, that children (maybe not yet their ‘Tents’), however, under The Holy Spirit Objectively Known age of 21, not necessarily chronological age, mitigating circumstances only Known to The Lord God Almighty, since God Gives Perfect Divine not merited by any mere human Favor, diverse but equally, without prejudice, in all circumstances given in Providence under Heaven to every single human being at every single instant of time.

With striving to Proclaim The Holy Bible assertively, compassionately, steadfastly,

with 'seeds [kernals], and [sprouts]’ of The Word of other religions including the secular realms,

each of us has a Solemn All due diligence every fiber of being ‘Urgency of now’ (ref. Letter from Birmingham Jail, with the eyes of each of us, differing shades of proverbial stained glassed windows. The ‘Lamp’ of each human being, even physically blind somehow by Grace; - Pastor Barry Ross, taught me that this more specifically means excellent prudent assertive loving kindness generosity; - in each person’s objectively known only To The Lord God circumstances.)

~

Grace filled, Blessings and Well Wishes, with Justice and Peace Embracing to Rivers of Eternal Living Water Springing to - be with you, your family, friends, and neighbors.

a heartfelt sincere prayer…

in Vivat Jesus Cristo Rey.
 
If I might ask (only because so many people phrase "I am not a Catholic and then say, but…) have you ever been baptized a Catholic?
Thanks and will pray for you as you search for God’s will in your life.
 
Nope, i grew up in an anti-catholic southern Baptist household lol I’ve grown to be less anti-catholic than my parents though. Also thank you!!
 
Just a thought, you could get the same (or extremely similar) experience by attending a Eastern Rite Catholic Divine Liturgy, they use the same (or nearly so) rubrics, but being in full communion with Rome, we are free to recieve communion from them in all circumstances, rather than only when lacking Catholic options for a prolonged period (as is the case with Orthodox).
 
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