I feel the church too hermetic..

[parafjala]

I have been trying to approach christianity and lately orthodoxy after many readings and meditating on spiritual matters.

I was raised in italy within the catholic church and thats where as a child i felt and learned about Christ. I never got baptised though as my family decided to go back from where we migrated initially.

Keeping it short during my life (now approaching my 40s) i had my moments of ups and downs (spiritually) but i was always interested in religion in general. I like to read theology too which i enjoyed even during faith crisis and thats connected to my love of philosophy.

Now to the main point. After the pandemic hit i got more and more interested in orthodoxy due to a series of events and 2 theologians i discovered, namely Sergius Bulgakov and Vladimir Lossky (the former through David Bentley Hart and the latter through Rowan Williams).

When i was a child i used to open the new testament and put the finger randomly somewhere through the text and read from it. I did it 2 years ago and stumbled upon John 5 (the story which Jesus heals the invalid which was sick for 38 years). I dropped the book. I was 38. I still think of this..

I tried to get closer to my local church (there is no need to name which one) i also emailed the main Orthodox church in the city I'm moving to in January, but I have not yet received a response. Everytime i tried to express an idea or "something more" i get this feeling of a system to hermetic or closed to new people outside to what is expected.

I just wanted to put this up here since i may be wrong in feeling this (or maybe not) and would like to know and hear your experience.

Love you all!

 

[Reluctant Theologian]

Welcome, how is Christianity (the active type, not the cultural/formal type) doing in Albania? Old friends are moving there soon. Have you read all of the TNK/Old Testament and New Testament? Going through that one can develop a good understanding of who God is, what He did in the past, who Jesus/Yeshua is .. and what God's desire for us if. Who is Jesus/Yehua for you and your family?

 

[parafjala]

Welcome, how is Christianity (the active type, not the cultural/formal type) doing in Albania? Old friends are moving there soon. Have you read all of the TNK/Old Testament and New Testament? Going through that one can develop a good understanding of who God is, what He did in the past, who Jesus/Yeshua is .. and what God's desire for us if. Who is Jesus/Yehua for you and your family?

If there is smth im proud of is indeed being an avid reader. I have obviously read the Bible, even comparing it to various translations many times through the years. I have read also other main religious texts as i always was/am interested in comparative religion.

Not easy to answer in plain words what Jesus is to/for me though as i try not to be influenced by cultural attachments but merely see it as a mistical experience.

To answer your first question, Albanians have a very complex relationship with interfaith dialogue, so much so that I would go as far as to call it unique. I often point to the story of the Orthodox Church of 'Shën e Premte' near my town. Initially a pagan temple, it was destroyed by the Romans and rebuilt as a Catholic church (it still retains the original architecture). It was later converted to an Orthodox church during the Slavic invasions, and was eventually saved from destruction by a local Muslim community during Hoxha's regime.

Lately though i notice a spiritual decline in general - but than i notice this everywhere to be honest..

 

[Maria Billingsley]

I have been trying to approach christianity and lately orthodoxy after many readings and meditating on spiritual matters.

I was raised in italy within the catholic church and thats where as a child i felt and learned about Christ. I never got baptised though as my family decided to go back from where we migrated initially.

Keeping it short during my life (now approaching my 40s) i had my moments of ups and downs (spiritually) but i was always interested in religion in general. I like to read theology too which i enjoyed even during faith crisis and thats connected to my love of philosophy.

Now to the main point. After the pandemic hit i got more and more interested in orthodoxy due to a series of events and 2 theologians i discovered, namely Sergius Bulgakov and Vladimir Lossky (the former through David Bentley Hart and the latter through Rowan Williams).

When i was a child i used to open the new testament and put the finger randomly somewhere through the text and read from it. I did it 2 years ago and stumbled upon John 5 (the story which Jesus heals the invalid which was sick for 38 years). I dropped the book. I was 38. I still think of this..

I tried to get closer to my local church (there is no need to name which one) i also emailed the main Orthodox church in the city I'm moving to in January, but I have not yet received a response. Everytime i tried to express an idea or "something more" i get this feeling of a system to hermetic or closed to new people outside to what is expected.

I just wanted to put this up here since i may be wrong in feeling this (or maybe not) and would like to know and hear your experience.

Love you all!

Welcome to CF!