Merry Christmas, Yuri! Thanks for a year of great posts to help keep us all sane. I had a similar experience to the one you had with Billy Graham. I was a typical “religion isn’t logical, so I’ll smugly dismiss it with no further thought or reflection” atheist for a long time. I came across C.S. Lewis’s “Mere Christianity” and over the course of several months began to peel back some of the layers of my own ignorance. I think Lewis has an apologetic style that helped me get over a lot of ego-related mental blocks. To start seeing further than just what is measurable and tangible to us.
Thanks again, I will keep your godson in my prayers.
I was the same kind of atheist until 2021. What changed me was how much pain I was in on every level-- from the physical on the surface down to something spiritual I was craving at my core. That year was basically torture, and I'm always going to credit the power of religion with surviving that.
I was raised evangelical fundamentalist and watched a lot of Billy Graham growing up. After attending Christian college I left the church behind and turned to the ancient pagan religions, or so I thought. The past five years have been quite eye-opening and we are indeed in a spiritual battle. Being raised protestant, and even in Christian college, our Christianity classes started with the reformation. A couple years ago I wanted to find the roots of Christianity which has let me to Eastern Orthodoxy. It is amazing and I'm continuing to learn all I can. The closest Orthodox church is over an hour away, so I don't go often, but when I do it is the liturgy is the most worshipful, reverent service I've ever experienced. Once I got the idea of the icons and saints, it has added to my understanding of faith and guidance.
Hi! I converted to Orthodox Christianity 20 years ago & it hasn't always been an easy road, but it's the best decision I've ever made. Feel free to message me of you ever have any questions or anything. :) Christ is born!
Thank you, Katja! It doesn't look easy at all and I have many questions. The Orthodox church seems so rich in tradition and also asks much of its members. Just as Christ did.
I don't know much of anything about LA particularly, neither the churches, nor people or priests specifically, so this is more general information. In a place like LA, I'd expect that you'd probably have about a 60/40 split of churches in English and churches in another language (Greek, Serbian, Arabic, Church Slavonic, etc.) Some people are fine with that; others are not. For the most part, I'd take a look at finding an Orthodox church relatively close to you that has services in English. A lot of times, this is apparent from the church's website, otherwise, I'd suggest contacting the parish. Not all priests are great with email; many are, but if you don't get a response in a couple of days, I would suggest calling (or calling right off the bat).
The other thing that you're more than welcome to do is just show up. That's what I did. I was incredibly nervous about it - I didn't know anybody who was Orthodox, apart from a couple of Greek kids from my high school, and I wasn't particularly close to them. In most parishes, people will notice you, but there are people who do show up to check things out, so it's not like people are going to stare or anything. A lot of times, someone will at least try to say hello; how much you want to talk is up to you. The typical Sunday morning service with Communion is called Divine Liturgy; it usually lasts in the ballpark of 1.5 hours, and is usually followed by a coffee hour, which ranges from basically just coffee to a full breakfast spread, depending on the parish. It's one way to kind of get a feel for the parish.
If you are serious about becoming Orthodox, after discussing things with a priest, you may start a "catachumenate", which is where you're being taught stuff about Orthodoxy; some churches have a very formal program that lasts a set time, others do not. However, before you get that far, you are probably going to be directed to just start showing up and start taking it all in, etc. Orthodoxy is different that how most people in the West kind of approach religion in that while there is a great scholarly tradition, there's less of a focus on the "book learning" of it; Orthodoxy is a faith not just of the head, but a way of life, a training of the heart and mind, and that takes time to develop.
If you're looking for an overview of what the Orthodox Church is and what its doctrine is, "The Orthodox Church" by Kallistos (Timothy) Ware is pretty good. Abbot Tryphon's blog/youtube channel "The Morning Offering" is about 70% geared toward people discovering Orthodoxy. Jonathan Pageau is another Orthodox person who has a fairly large social media following. Rod Dreher is on Substack, and while he is mainly writing to paid subscribers only, and his is NOT a religious blog (mostly culture & politics) he's been Orthodox for nearly as long as I have (17 vs 21 years) and when he does write about more religious things, he's amazing - this was his Christmas message this year (open to all): https://roddreher.substack.com/p/light-dawns-in-a-dark-cave . Whatever you do, stay away from people who spend their time online trying to "own" the "heretics" - most of these people are very young and many aren't even Orthodox yet. Orthodoxwiki.org is run by a priest, and while some of the articles are kind of "dusty", they're generally quite good.
Feel free to come back with any questions; I'm more than happy to help in whatever capacity I can! :)
So, "coincidentally", I happened to come across an Orthodox priest who is out in Idaho near to where I used to live. I looked up his bio, and he's spent a lot of time around LA. I reached out to him, and he suggested St. Innocent Orthodox Church in Tarzana. Their website is https://www.stinnocenttarzana.org/ .
I found a Greek Orthodox Church about 5-7 mins from my house! I sent them a message and will call tomorrow. Thank you both for the other 2 locations, but those are about 60-70 mins away (due to LA traffic). There are 3 others in my general area as well.
I was raised in a secular home by an openly atheist mother and a hippie, faith questioning father. I absolutely loved watching the Billy Graham Crusades on television as a child and teen and was glued to the set. Thankfully, my parents never dissuaded me from watching. It wasn’t until my early 30’s though that I actively sought a growing faith realizing that “something” was missing from my life that material things could never fill. It was hit-or-miss for a while, while I searched for a church home feeling the need to connect directly with other faith-filled people. In 1997, I was baptized and met my future husband who came to Jesus several years later. Our lives are happier. We are more content. And our marriage is stronger. I wish you a very blessed Christmas and will pray for your godson for a full recovery and for his doctors to be anointed with knowledge to help him regain his health.
Also, research the connection between Fenbendazole and cancer. It seems to be quite a successful treatment although generally ignored since it is a repurposed, inexpensive medication. Sound familiar?
Comrade Yuri, co-commissar of the East Coast: One of the great Christmas movies "It's a Wonderful Life" starred by Actor and War Hero James Stewart. Some interesting facts about James Stewart: he was a pilot. He felt the need to defend his country in WWII. He enlisted. And, they wanted to protect him from danger so for a couple of years, they had him, as a celebrity, doing war campaign ads and enlisting support, and financial donations to support the war effort. This was not enough for Jimmy. He kept pressing and pressing, until the powers that be gave in and let him run B-24 Liberators, head of a squadron, stationed in England and regularly bombing Germany. (I believe he also had Walter Mathau in his squadron.). Jimmy ran multiple bombing campaigns in 1944, at the time of the war when Allies were pushing over Europe and in to Germany to crush Hitler's forces out of necessity. Jimmy came back from this a decorated hero... and also came back with a heavy case of PTSD having been through nightmares as they would fly through a sea of anti-aircraft flak over Germany's defenses.
The year after the war, he starred in "It's a Wonderful Life." during this great movie, there are scenes where the protagonist George Bailey, played by Jimmy, breaks down. These scenes, staff realized, were not "acting". This was Jimmy actually breaking down from his PTSD, which was little-understood in 1946.
Comrade Yuri. Like yourself I am an immigrant and the son of an immigrant. Naturalized. I hail from the northern Netherlands island of Terschelling which was gestapo run during WWII. My Opa led the resistance movement and suffered a lot of abuse at the hands of the Nazis. My dad described as a boy looking up to the sky and seeing daylight blacked out by Allied bombers and fighters heading to Germany. Real men. Real women. True resistance to tyranny.
Merry Christmas. An Uber driver told me I'm too churchy for the world and too worldly for the church yesterday and I have not been able to stop thinking about it. I absolutely know what you are talking about with the once you see it you can not unsee it. I was like does this mean I've become tepid, that's not good. Ticktok sermons had me cracking up. I realized something this week too, the trans women or dudes who want to be women really want to be AWFLS and this just sends me down this what did you think of your Mom rabbit hole of analysis.
I love Choir of King's College too, but since you already posted them, I'm going to post Frank Sinatra with "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing," since I only found out he sang this one recently. I know he did winter type of songs like "Let It Snow," but not real religious Christmas songs.
One of my favorite carols. Voces8 singing Lully Lulla Lullay.
Many people coming to Christ in these times. Praise God! I myself returned during covidtimes when it dawned on me that the Bible is 100% true, all we are witnessing is unprecedented, and the tech that will bind the world is ready to go. Billy Graham was one of the first voices from childhood that I sought out. Blessings to you, your family, and all your readers.
I once saw Billy Graham in a football stadium in Tampa that was rather packed.
2 billion audience over his lifetime? Easily! He went on tours like rock bands, filling stadiums, and he called his crusades. He is an American original.
God bless you Yuri. It’s an unsettling thing to discover one’s “God shaped hole.” We are hard-wired for connection with God, and so many of our delusions and busyisms are concocted sd replacements for the truly real. May your journey be fruitful and peaceful. I’d add your Godson to my prayer list with his name?
Everyone - and I mean *everyone* atheists and believers alike - would be well-served by reading C.S. Lewis' apologetics - specifically "The Problem of Pain," "God in the Dock," and "The Weight of Glory." (Treat yourself and throw in "Mere Christianity" - it is the holiday season, after all.)
Happy Holidays to everyone who believes that this isn't the end, but just part of a much longer, infinite journey and story.
I am sending prayers for your Godson 🙏🙏🙏❤️. My advice is to forego chemotherapy and instead rely on natural healing, fenbendazole, chlorine dioxide solution and megadoses of vitamin C to eradicate the blood cancer. Also generous doses of full spectrum CBD and mushrooms. The chemotherapy industry is as big a scam as the Covid PlanDemic/ScamDemic. God bless your Godson with a full recovery.
My all time favorite Christmas carol is "I heard the Bells on Christmas Day." I've seen polls asking for favorite Christmas carols, but none of them listed my favorite (at least none that I've seen).
Merry Christmas, Yuri! Thanks for a year of great posts to help keep us all sane. I had a similar experience to the one you had with Billy Graham. I was a typical “religion isn’t logical, so I’ll smugly dismiss it with no further thought or reflection” atheist for a long time. I came across C.S. Lewis’s “Mere Christianity” and over the course of several months began to peel back some of the layers of my own ignorance. I think Lewis has an apologetic style that helped me get over a lot of ego-related mental blocks. To start seeing further than just what is measurable and tangible to us.
Thanks again, I will keep your godson in my prayers.
I was the same kind of atheist until 2021. What changed me was how much pain I was in on every level-- from the physical on the surface down to something spiritual I was craving at my core. That year was basically torture, and I'm always going to credit the power of religion with surviving that.
Sorry to hear about your struggles, but happy to hear that through them you found some clarity and something deeper.
Thanks for sharing your stories. Nourishment at the spiritual level is all we need, hope more people find it like you both did.
I was raised evangelical fundamentalist and watched a lot of Billy Graham growing up. After attending Christian college I left the church behind and turned to the ancient pagan religions, or so I thought. The past five years have been quite eye-opening and we are indeed in a spiritual battle. Being raised protestant, and even in Christian college, our Christianity classes started with the reformation. A couple years ago I wanted to find the roots of Christianity which has let me to Eastern Orthodoxy. It is amazing and I'm continuing to learn all I can. The closest Orthodox church is over an hour away, so I don't go often, but when I do it is the liturgy is the most worshipful, reverent service I've ever experienced. Once I got the idea of the icons and saints, it has added to my understanding of faith and guidance.
I'll be praying for your godson.
Appreciate your prayers. God has a plan for everyone, your path is fascinating.
Hi! I converted to Orthodox Christianity 20 years ago & it hasn't always been an easy road, but it's the best decision I've ever made. Feel free to message me of you ever have any questions or anything. :) Christ is born!
Thank you, Katja! It doesn't look easy at all and I have many questions. The Orthodox church seems so rich in tradition and also asks much of its members. Just as Christ did.
Mind you, I have no idea what I'm doing with video, but I have posted a few thoughts: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFb1JodM-M3Qu3tjKQLI_fA
Thank you!
Hey, I’m interested in the Orthodox Church. Where should I start? I live in Los Angeles. Are there catechism-like classes?
Merry Christmas!
I don't know much of anything about LA particularly, neither the churches, nor people or priests specifically, so this is more general information. In a place like LA, I'd expect that you'd probably have about a 60/40 split of churches in English and churches in another language (Greek, Serbian, Arabic, Church Slavonic, etc.) Some people are fine with that; others are not. For the most part, I'd take a look at finding an Orthodox church relatively close to you that has services in English. A lot of times, this is apparent from the church's website, otherwise, I'd suggest contacting the parish. Not all priests are great with email; many are, but if you don't get a response in a couple of days, I would suggest calling (or calling right off the bat).
The other thing that you're more than welcome to do is just show up. That's what I did. I was incredibly nervous about it - I didn't know anybody who was Orthodox, apart from a couple of Greek kids from my high school, and I wasn't particularly close to them. In most parishes, people will notice you, but there are people who do show up to check things out, so it's not like people are going to stare or anything. A lot of times, someone will at least try to say hello; how much you want to talk is up to you. The typical Sunday morning service with Communion is called Divine Liturgy; it usually lasts in the ballpark of 1.5 hours, and is usually followed by a coffee hour, which ranges from basically just coffee to a full breakfast spread, depending on the parish. It's one way to kind of get a feel for the parish.
If you are serious about becoming Orthodox, after discussing things with a priest, you may start a "catachumenate", which is where you're being taught stuff about Orthodoxy; some churches have a very formal program that lasts a set time, others do not. However, before you get that far, you are probably going to be directed to just start showing up and start taking it all in, etc. Orthodoxy is different that how most people in the West kind of approach religion in that while there is a great scholarly tradition, there's less of a focus on the "book learning" of it; Orthodoxy is a faith not just of the head, but a way of life, a training of the heart and mind, and that takes time to develop.
If you're looking for an overview of what the Orthodox Church is and what its doctrine is, "The Orthodox Church" by Kallistos (Timothy) Ware is pretty good. Abbot Tryphon's blog/youtube channel "The Morning Offering" is about 70% geared toward people discovering Orthodoxy. Jonathan Pageau is another Orthodox person who has a fairly large social media following. Rod Dreher is on Substack, and while he is mainly writing to paid subscribers only, and his is NOT a religious blog (mostly culture & politics) he's been Orthodox for nearly as long as I have (17 vs 21 years) and when he does write about more religious things, he's amazing - this was his Christmas message this year (open to all): https://roddreher.substack.com/p/light-dawns-in-a-dark-cave . Whatever you do, stay away from people who spend their time online trying to "own" the "heretics" - most of these people are very young and many aren't even Orthodox yet. Orthodoxwiki.org is run by a priest, and while some of the articles are kind of "dusty", they're generally quite good.
Feel free to come back with any questions; I'm more than happy to help in whatever capacity I can! :)
So, "coincidentally", I happened to come across an Orthodox priest who is out in Idaho near to where I used to live. I looked up his bio, and he's spent a lot of time around LA. I reached out to him, and he suggested St. Innocent Orthodox Church in Tarzana. Their website is https://www.stinnocenttarzana.org/ .
Let me know if I can help with anything else!
I found a Greek Orthodox Church about 5-7 mins from my house! I sent them a message and will call tomorrow. Thank you both for the other 2 locations, but those are about 60-70 mins away (due to LA traffic). There are 3 others in my general area as well.
That sounds great! (I'm from Chicago originally, so I completely understand how city traffic goes!) Good luck with everything! :)
Check out Grace Community Church
13248 Roscoe Blvd.
Sun Valley, CA 91352
Lots of stuff online also
Merry Christmas from a fellow Orthodox, Rochelle, and to all the others here!
I was raised in a secular home by an openly atheist mother and a hippie, faith questioning father. I absolutely loved watching the Billy Graham Crusades on television as a child and teen and was glued to the set. Thankfully, my parents never dissuaded me from watching. It wasn’t until my early 30’s though that I actively sought a growing faith realizing that “something” was missing from my life that material things could never fill. It was hit-or-miss for a while, while I searched for a church home feeling the need to connect directly with other faith-filled people. In 1997, I was baptized and met my future husband who came to Jesus several years later. Our lives are happier. We are more content. And our marriage is stronger. I wish you a very blessed Christmas and will pray for your godson for a full recovery and for his doctors to be anointed with knowledge to help him regain his health.
Also, research the connection between Fenbendazole and cancer. It seems to be quite a successful treatment although generally ignored since it is a repurposed, inexpensive medication. Sound familiar?
Everyone finds the light in their own time. Glad you and your husband went on a special journey together.
Great post. I appreciate you sharing your story.
I'd like to share a couple of videos of Orthodox monks chanting Christmas carols. It's beautiful.
--https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w4pBsPhoIk
--https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2h5YBrcbEHY
Merry Christmas to all.
Thank you, colleague comrade!🙏🏼
You bet. Peace to you, Stevanovitch.
Comrade Yuri, co-commissar of the East Coast: One of the great Christmas movies "It's a Wonderful Life" starred by Actor and War Hero James Stewart. Some interesting facts about James Stewart: he was a pilot. He felt the need to defend his country in WWII. He enlisted. And, they wanted to protect him from danger so for a couple of years, they had him, as a celebrity, doing war campaign ads and enlisting support, and financial donations to support the war effort. This was not enough for Jimmy. He kept pressing and pressing, until the powers that be gave in and let him run B-24 Liberators, head of a squadron, stationed in England and regularly bombing Germany. (I believe he also had Walter Mathau in his squadron.). Jimmy ran multiple bombing campaigns in 1944, at the time of the war when Allies were pushing over Europe and in to Germany to crush Hitler's forces out of necessity. Jimmy came back from this a decorated hero... and also came back with a heavy case of PTSD having been through nightmares as they would fly through a sea of anti-aircraft flak over Germany's defenses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrmTF9RLjaY
The year after the war, he starred in "It's a Wonderful Life." during this great movie, there are scenes where the protagonist George Bailey, played by Jimmy, breaks down. These scenes, staff realized, were not "acting". This was Jimmy actually breaking down from his PTSD, which was little-understood in 1946.
Merry Christmas.
I did not know that. Incredible story. Bless James and the movie.
Comrade Yuri. Like yourself I am an immigrant and the son of an immigrant. Naturalized. I hail from the northern Netherlands island of Terschelling which was gestapo run during WWII. My Opa led the resistance movement and suffered a lot of abuse at the hands of the Nazis. My dad described as a boy looking up to the sky and seeing daylight blacked out by Allied bombers and fighters heading to Germany. Real men. Real women. True resistance to tyranny.
Merry Christmas. An Uber driver told me I'm too churchy for the world and too worldly for the church yesterday and I have not been able to stop thinking about it. I absolutely know what you are talking about with the once you see it you can not unsee it. I was like does this mean I've become tepid, that's not good. Ticktok sermons had me cracking up. I realized something this week too, the trans women or dudes who want to be women really want to be AWFLS and this just sends me down this what did you think of your Mom rabbit hole of analysis.
Thanks for sharing. God bless. Merry Christmas to all.
Yuri,
Love the art.
If I may make a suggestion, do have a look at proper Catholicism.
Get your Latin on man, while the Pope says you still can.
Tradition.
I love Choir of King's College too, but since you already posted them, I'm going to post Frank Sinatra with "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing," since I only found out he sang this one recently. I know he did winter type of songs like "Let It Snow," but not real religious Christmas songs.
https://youtu.be/p6r9O3zd8P8?si=3yLK9nRGjUeod-3I
https://youtu.be/-7qYeZcOioI?feature=shared
One of my favorite carols. Voces8 singing Lully Lulla Lullay.
Many people coming to Christ in these times. Praise God! I myself returned during covidtimes when it dawned on me that the Bible is 100% true, all we are witnessing is unprecedented, and the tech that will bind the world is ready to go. Billy Graham was one of the first voices from childhood that I sought out. Blessings to you, your family, and all your readers.
They have lots of stuff on their YouTube channel, so enjoy! Merry Christmas! :)
Yuri, Merry Christmas.
I once saw Billy Graham in a football stadium in Tampa that was rather packed.
2 billion audience over his lifetime? Easily! He went on tours like rock bands, filling stadiums, and he called his crusades. He is an American original.
A true superstar.
God bless you Yuri. It’s an unsettling thing to discover one’s “God shaped hole.” We are hard-wired for connection with God, and so many of our delusions and busyisms are concocted sd replacements for the truly real. May your journey be fruitful and peaceful. I’d add your Godson to my prayer list with his name?
Everyone - and I mean *everyone* atheists and believers alike - would be well-served by reading C.S. Lewis' apologetics - specifically "The Problem of Pain," "God in the Dock," and "The Weight of Glory." (Treat yourself and throw in "Mere Christianity" - it is the holiday season, after all.)
Happy Holidays to everyone who believes that this isn't the end, but just part of a much longer, infinite journey and story.
And it's quite good on audio. The Audible versions are read with a wonderful English accent.
Merry Christmas Yuri! thank U for sharing your story.
at times like these, the words of St. Paul comfort me...
“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
I am sending prayers for your Godson 🙏🙏🙏❤️. My advice is to forego chemotherapy and instead rely on natural healing, fenbendazole, chlorine dioxide solution and megadoses of vitamin C to eradicate the blood cancer. Also generous doses of full spectrum CBD and mushrooms. The chemotherapy industry is as big a scam as the Covid PlanDemic/ScamDemic. God bless your Godson with a full recovery.
My all time favorite Christmas carol is "I heard the Bells on Christmas Day." I've seen polls asking for favorite Christmas carols, but none of them listed my favorite (at least none that I've seen).
https://youtu.be/KOGz9WqNQoI?si=uq1_mjmV9MnQ5JHq