Family cannot be Christian

JacksLadder said:

The last liturgy I went too was on the 28th of June and the next Liturgy at the mission is not untill the 19th of July

Click to expand...

That is so odd. Our priest is on vacation and our mission is in a similar situation. Our last Liturgy was 6/28 and our next one is 7/19.

JacksLadder said:

I have a OCD personality so it is hard to put stuff aside. I was looking around Desert Calling and found out there is someone with OCD there in the same boat(although that person is much better with theology than I am).

I wish I could just go to church and get on with my life till the next church service but I have to constantly reasure myslef that I am on the right path.

I will try to though.

Click to expand...

Please share that with your priest. He probably has experience in that area and can help you.

In the meantime, once you have learned the Trisagion Hymn, sing it throughout the day. This is a very powerful angelic hymn to the Holy Trinity:

Holy God
Holy Mighty
Holy Immortal
Have mercy on us, have mercy on us.
Glory be to the Father and Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Click to expand...

(Father Finley's version)

Pick up Orthodox Music CDs containing the hymns of the Divine Liturgy and listen to them throughout the day. That is what I did and the divine music calmed my soul just as David's singing of the psalms calmed Saul's spirit.

Also, even though prayers of intercession to the Theotokos might be hard for you at this point, try to obtain a CD of the Parakleisis to the Theotokos. We have special services to her during the first two weeks of August in honor of Her Dormition. She is our most powerful saint and always come to help those who honor her. Christ our God is surely pleased whenever we honor His Mother.

These three verses from the Office of Supplication (Parakleisis) speak to my soul:

Assaults of the passions cause me distress;
Waves of despondency overwhelming my very soul.
O Maiden, restore to me that peace,
That your Son and our God gives, O blameless one.

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

You gave birth to the Savior and to our God,
I implore, O Virgin One, to deliver me from distress.
In turning for refuge now to you,
Both my spirit and thoughts I lift up to you.

Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.

Afflicted in body and in my soul,
Count me as deserving of divine love and of your care.
You alone as birth-giver of God,
In your goodness gave birth to the source of good.

Click to expand...

Father Kezios. (1993). Sacraments and Services, Book Two. Narthex Press. Northridge, California. page 33.

JacksLadder said:

Any converts here ever have a similar problem.

I have a hard enough time believing in God, then having to believe in Christianity , then finding out everything I knew about Christianity was wrong, then trying to connect with a church I can't wrap my mind around.

Now I can force myself to attend church even if I have trouble believing in God, but my wife is against organized religion and will not attend anything other than a Conservative Unitarian Universalist church ( in other words none at all). She went to one Orthodox liturgy with me and did not like it.

When we had our child I was out of religion at the time. We then agreed to not bring our child up with any religion. So I am stuck now with that arrangement.

Plus apparently my attitude has gotten worse since I started back with Christianity again. So it has actually made me worse in her eyes not better.

Any advice would be welcome.

Click to expand...

Jack my experience was far less difficult but it took a lot of patience and even at times compromise to reach a point where my wife was drawn to and wanted be part of the Orthodox church.
One of my favorite quotes is by St. Seraphim of Sarov "Acquire peace in your heart and thousands around you will be saved."
This mostly your job at this point. Unfortunately acquiring peace requires one to know themselves and see where they do not have peace, it is battle continuously to maintain the peace and grace given us by God. Our culture lives to drown themselves out. We seek enterntainment and noise constantly to distract us from the disturbance in our souls that is caused by the lack of peace we have in our hearts.

Jack, how ya doin?

Blonde said:

Jack, how ya doin?

Click to expand...

O.k. a bit tired. I am going to try and get to bed early tonight and read some Dragonlance (yes I love fantasy ) books to relax. I tried to stay away from theinternet today. So I am going to get off now. Later

Dragonlance is awesome, I still have a ton of those books. Can't really beat the Chronicles

JacksLadder,

You may find Orthodox Christian Network | The Premier Source for Orthodox Podcasts, Internet Radio, Video, Blogging, and News or Welcome - Ancient Faith Radio to help you get through the times between Divine Liturgies. OCN has live broadcasts of the Divine Liturgy on Sunday mornings for when DL isn't available at your parish.

Now's the time to wash the dishes, pick up your socks, put the toilet seat down, compliment her on her cooking, hang up the towels, bathe the dog, fold the newspaper when you're done, water the garden and to smile and talk gently. Bring her coffee, watch the TV shows she wants to watch and run errands. And smile.

HandmaidenOfGod said:

JacksLadder,

You may find Orthodox Christian Network | The Premier Source for Orthodox Podcasts, Internet Radio, Video, Blogging, and News or Welcome - Ancient Faith Radio to help you get through the times between Divine Liturgies. OCN has live broadcasts of the Divine Liturgy on Sunday mornings for when DL isn't available at your parish.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the links