Hello everybody I know its late but I really need some outside advice, I've been a member of the orthodox church for year now baptized and Chrismated. I was received through the western rite church antiochoan there is only 4 orthodox churches in my city Serbian,Greek, Antiochian eastern rite and Anitochian western rite. I was drawn to the faith number one because I found the truth the full truth and the second reason was the absolute beauty of the church from the chanting, communion, architect ect. I'm missing all of that and while the service at the western rite is beautiful I feel no connection to it and I keep trying but my attendance is spotty i just don’t t feel anything for it it feels like its this isolated island while every other orthodox christian has something I'm missing. I tried to visit the antiochian church but it was not welcoming. I want to try the greek parish but I'm nervous any advice would be welcomed.
please excuse any grammatical errors
Some very ignorant answers here. You should feel comfortable where you go/affiliate with. If you have a choice, then by all means, chose. If you don't have a choice, then as was said, make the best of it, but things can change quickly.
As to communities, I think it largely depends on the tone of the priest, and then the existing diversity of the communicants and the general education level/worldliness (in a good way) of the "dominant or founding" ethnics. Greek Americans have been very successful. They are not all from recent village life in Greece. (And that is totally different from the past - villages are population poor - and perhaps rare today.)
As to the Greeks, I have experience with six communities for a few/several years each in a wide geographic area. I had one priest who was on the surface welcoming, but below the surface had backward ideas of what is a "Christian" (too ethnic). An Arab Orthodox called him out in Church. It was beautiful. I had another that wasn't a Christian (or at least not an Orthodox priest) in another way (too much to go into). The rest (more than one at several locations) were good/great. The parish organizations are much more robust and welcoming than anything in the past (I am older).
A wordy way of saying, as all things, "this too shall pass". Try to connect - be proactive - as much as you hope to be connected/welcomed.
I finished another Reply and cited this church in my answer (I am simply a viewer), but offer the following link as an example of how the Greeks [can] handle their parish affairs. Go to the last 11 minutes or so and you'll see. The Church, Holy Transfiguration in Marietta, GA - suburb of Atlanta - has wonderful Liturgics with an amazing chanter (psalte), which may be the thing you are missing in the western rite. EDIT Media removed. I cannot find it, but be assured that there are welcoming GO parishes.
Hope your next parish is welcoming.
No thank you!
