Sabbath Day - Orthodox

[Union With Christ]

If I can’t find a church that I agree with maybe I will just stay at my current church.

 

[Taodeching]

May I ask a few simple questions?

Why must the Church agree with your position? Surely the Church being around much longer than us knows better and we may not have it right just because we think something we like is right? If a Church that has been around so long is wrong because we think it is wrong, is anything right? Can anything be trusted?

Do we require Christ to bend to or beliefs or are we willing to get rid of our beliefs and follow Christ?

 

[Hermit76]

I believe in keeping the Ten Commandments.

Also the Orthodox Priest did not answer my email today.

I don’t think this is a good fit for me.

I will probably attend the Messianic Church instead. Even though I disagree with them on Annihilation they may be a better fit for me as a sabbath keeper.

I do really like the music on Ancient Faith Radio.

But I don’t think we are on the same page on our beliefs.

If you're basing your choice on a message board I imagine nowhere will be a fit. How often have you switched churches?

 

[Union With Christ]

May I ask a few simple questions?

Why must the Church agree with your position? Surely the Church being around much longer than us knows better and we may not have it right just because we think something we like is right? If a Church that has been around so long is wrong because we think it is wrong, is anything right? Can anything be trusted?

Do we require Christ to bend to or beliefs or are we willing to get rid of our beliefs and follow Christ?

Age doesn’t indicate correctness.

The Roman Catholic Church makes this same claim and their church is rife with false doctrine.

Joe Biden is old and he’s wrong all the time.

 

[Union With Christ]

If you're basing your choice on a message board I imagine nowhere will be a fit. How often have you switched churches?

I’ve been at the same church for the last 9 years.

I may still try an Orthodox service but it is discouraging that the Priest isn’t answering my emails.

 

[OrthodoxWanderer]

Have you been to an Orthodox church or service? What was your experience of it?

(Forgive me if you've already answered this but this thread is getting long & I may have missed it)

ETA: You posted an answer just as I posted this question.

 

[OrthodoxWanderer]

I’ve been at the same church for the last 9 years.

I may still try an Orthodox service but it is discouraging that the Priest isn’t answering my emails.

I wouldn't judge the entire Church on the speediness of one priest, or the answers on a message board. Orthodoxy is an experience! I bet if you went to a service you'd have questions answered for you without even asking anyone.

 

[Union With Christ]

Have you been to an Orthodox church or service? What was your experience of it?

(Forgive me if you've already answered this but this thread is getting long & I may have missed it)

ETA: You posted an answer just as I posted this question.

No, I have been trying to gather information to find out if it is compatible with my theology before attending.

 

[ArseniusTheSilent]

This whole thread smacks of "debate an Orthodox" and would be better served in St. Justin's.

 

[Union With Christ]

I wouldn't judge the entire Church on the speediness of one priest, or the answers on a message board. Orthodoxy is an experience! I bet if you went to a service you'd have questions answered for you without even asking anyone.

Well I may try attending but if the Priest doesn’t answer my questions then that is a problem. I sent him an email asking about being rebaptized and if he refuses to answer then that is a problem for me.

 

[Union With Christ]

This whole thread smacks of "debate an Orthodox" and would be better served in St. Justin's.

Nope. Didn’t come here to debate. Came here to get answers and inquire about the Orthodox Faith and see if it is a good fit for me.

 

[OrthodoxWanderer]

Well I may try attending but if the Priest doesn’t answer my questions then that is a problem. I sent him an email asking about being rebaptized and if he refuses to answer then that is a problem for me.

Does he offer catechumen/inquirer classes? Maybe he hasn't answered yet because he would rather have a proper conversation. If he offers classes, it would give you a chance to ask your question plus others if you have them, and you might be able to time it with a service too (my parish has classes before Vespers).

 

[Taodeching]

Age doesn’t indicate correctness.

The Roman Catholic Church makes this same claim and their church is rife with false doctrine.

How do you know? Because you say so? I know there is a huge disagreement between the Orthodox and Catholic but it wasn't one person who decided that because they got the Bible, it was a number of things.

Thing is where does any Church have to come down to our will and what is the judge of that.

Joe Biden is old and he’s wrong all the time.

You can say that again.

I am sorry if I was debating. It is just interesting how so willful people are

 

[Union With Christ]

Does he offer catechumen/inquirer classes? Maybe he hasn't answered yet because he would rather have a proper conversation. If he offers classes, it would give you a chance to ask your question plus others if you have them, and you might be able to time it with a service too (my parish has classes before Vespers).

I don’t know. I can’t ask because he isn’t answering.

 

[Justin-H.S.]

I’ve been at the same church for the last 9 years.

I may still try an Orthodox service but it is discouraging that the Priest isn’t answering my emails.

We’re in the Nativity Fasting period, and with all fasting periods, there is an increase of services in the temple atop an already heavily laden liturgical year. Especially, that today is Wednesday.

Have you tried just attending on a Sunday and catching the priest afterwards?

 

[nutroll]

I think the problem is that there are not conflicting opinions within Orthodoxy, but that you aren't understanding the one opinion that we have. The sabbath was given to man as a day of rest in imitation of the Lord's rest when He had finished his work of Creation. The sabbath as we celebrate it now was given to man as a day of rest in imitation of the Lord's rest in the tomb. And that rest was not idle rest but a rest of new creation. When we are baptized into Christ, we die and are buried with Him and rise again. The new man that is created in Holy Baptism has entered into the most profound rest there is, that of the Savior in the tomb. But we celebrate His resurrection on Sunday as is fitting for those who have been raised with Him.

So in a sense, even if we have to work on Saturday, or the lawn needs to be mowed, or we have to cook, or clean, or do laundry, we have still fulfilled the sabbath by our participation in the death and resurrection of the Lord. But I think what you are seeing is that there are those who advocate that we not work on Saturday. This is not because we are not allowed to, or that it is a breaking of the commandment, but rather that we need rest. We especially need rest if we are to prepare ourselves to celebrate the Lord's Day in its fulness. We must use Saturday as a day of prayer and preparation in order that we may receive the Lord's body and blood on Sunday.

Saturday is always associated with the Sabbath in the Orthodox Church, it is why we pray that the Lord grant rest to the departed souls of our beloved brothers and sisters. It is also the completion of a weekly resurrectional cycle. We understand that in the Church we are in the eternal eighth day of creation even when it is the last day or the first day of the week. There is both rest and labor on this day. We rest from wickedness and labor in holiness on the Sabbath day, as on every day.

If you look at most parishes, there will be plenty of people who work on Saturdays because they have to. There will be plenty of people who do work around the house because they only have the weekends and Sunday is the day for them to worship. You will also find people who generally try to rest on Saturdays and use it to do spiritually beneficial activities and to prepare for liturgy on Sunday. This would generally be the best option, but all can be blessed if the person rests from wickedness and labors in holiness. Remember that Saint Paul tells us to work as for the Lord, and not man. If we are doing this, even manual labor can be godly work.

So you could fit right in resting or working on Saturdays. The thing that will keep you from fitting in, however is emphasizing your interpretation of scripture over the Church's interpretation. Others have tried to point out that we should find the true Church, the very Body of Christ, and then conform ourselves to it. Yes there are plenty of Churches that claim to be the true Church, the body of Christ. Yes there are plenty of Churches that claim to have continuity either directly or indirectly with the original Church. Does that mean that all are wrong? If just one of those Churches was right, should you reject it because others falsely claim the same? If 5 women claimed to be your mother, does that mean none of them are actually your mother? What people are suggesting is that you investigate what seems to be a wild claim, and you may find like most of them (since not many here were raised in the Orthodox Church) the claim holds up. If it does hold up, wouldn't it be worth conforming yourself to the very Body of Christ rather than choosing your own beliefs over the Church's beliefs. Just some food for thought.

 

[Union With Christ]

How do you know? Because you say so? I know there is a huge disagreement between the Orthodox and Catholic but it wasn't one person who decided that because they got the Bible, it was a number of things.

Thing is where does any Church have to come down to our will and what is the judge of that.



You can say that again.

I am sorry if I was debating. It is just interesting how so willful people are

This is the same problem that Martin Luther had.

Isn’t it understandable that I wish to attend a church whose theology I am comfortable with?

I am a student of church history and the scriptures. I also study churches. I should have the free will to choose a church to attend based upon my determination from the things I’ve studied.

 

[Union With Christ]

We’re in the Nativity Fasting period, and with all fasting periods, there is an increase of services in the temple atop an already heavily laden liturgical year. Especially, that today is Wednesday.

Have you tried just attending on a Sunday and catching the priest afterwards?

I may try attending sometime probably on a Wednesday or Saturday but honestly as things sit right now I am sort of turned off to the idea. I did email the monastery to speak with Abbott Tryphon. We will see what he says about sabbath keeping. As things are right now I am pretty discouraged.

 

[Union With Christ]

I am also talking to a local church of Messianic Christians who are sabbath keepers.

We will see if the Priest answers me.

I will pray about things and continue to study and see where the Lord leads me.

 

[Justin-H.S.]

This is an Orthodox view of the sabbath: