Hyperdoxy, What is IT? How to avoid it?

[~Anastasia~]

Lol the perks of being male. Altar, Mt. Athos ...

At least I can be in the choir.

Seriously though, I'm very happy for you in that. I don't ever think about it, but I'm sure it's awesome. I visited one Church pretty regularly that held weekday Liturgy in a small chapel with no real iconostasis (icons on the wall next to the recessed altar area) so I could see everything in the altar, and there was usually a priest, a deacon or two, some servers. It was wonderful just to get to watch. God bless you!

 

[Light of the East]

Lol the perks of being male. Altar, Mt. Athos ...

At least I can be in the choir.

Seriously though, I'm very happy for you in that. I don't ever think about it, but I'm sure it's awesome. I visited one Church pretty regularly that held weekday Liturgy in a small chapel with no real iconostasis (icons on the wall next to the recessed altar area) so I could see everything in the altar, and there was usually a priest, a deacon or two, some servers. It was wonderful just to get to watch. God bless you!

What I'm about to tell you happened once.

Once.

I was serving with Fr. John and during one of the litanies, I suddenly felt no longer on earth, but chanting with a great choir of heavenly beings.

Didn't last long......but

awesome!!!!

 

[~Anastasia~]

What I'm about to tell you happened once.

Once.

I was serving with Fr. John and during one of the litanies, I suddenly felt no longer on earth, but chanting with a great choir of heavenly beings.

Didn't last long......but

awesome!!!!

Praise God!

I would have used the same words to describe my first Divine Liturgy on Palm Sunday 2014. It was simply amazing - the choir seemed to be the angels, and I felt as though I was in a different place. My emotions were those I would imagine might happen in such a case - I can't explain, but I think I know now what a "terrible sense of awe" is, while at the same time longing toward that God Who is both "terrible" (in a Biblical sense) and awesome.

However, it was not the kind of experience some of the Saints describe, when they REALLY feel themselves in another place, or in the direct Presence of God. So perhaps what I experienced was not really what you are describing.

But glory to God! As I said, I'm very happy for you. The Divine Liturgy is truly amazing - and sometimes we are privileged to see some aspect of that.

 

[ArmyMatt]

What I'm about to tell you happened once.

Once.

I was serving with Fr. John and during one of the litanies, I suddenly felt no longer on earth, but chanting with a great choir of heavenly beings.

Didn't last long......but

awesome!!!!

praise God!

 

[ZaidaBoBaida]

I get tickled watching how many come spilling out from behind the icon wall - sometimes he's got rather a lot of people back there.

What is Mt. Athos?

 

[Light of the East]

I get tickled watching how many come spilling out from behind the icon wall - sometimes he's got rather a lot of people back there.

What is Mt. Athos?

Heaven on earth.

It is a monastery which is known for miracle working monks and holy men.

 

[ZaidaBoBaida]

And women can't even go there to visit?

 

[Light of the East]

And women can't even go there to visit?

Neeeeeuuuuuwwwp!!!

 

[ZaidaBoBaida]

Oh well.

 

[civilwarbuff]

Neeeeeuuuuuwwwp!!!

I was going to comment, but then got all tongue tied......

 

[Orthodoxjay1]

I am glad they were your stepping stones to Orthodoxy. Quite frankly, the experience I had with Fundamentalism and Calvinism kept me from investigating the ancient faith for a number of years. While I know many good and gracious people in these theological camps, I find it hard to think well of the leaders in them who deliberately hide the truth of the writings of the Early Fathers.

It is something I find myself having to confess and repent of from time to time.

Don't get me wrong at first I felt bitter, especially towards the Reformed because like you said they try to hide the Church fathers, traditions, saints, church history, etc. from the people, kind of ironic considering the accusations they throw Rome. I also felt bitter towards Evangelicals, because well I don't want to blast all of them however there is a lot of heresy on those TBN/GODTV channels if you pay close attention, and the fact they fleech there folks angered me for years. However lately I realize If I didn't go through these phases along the way on my journey I proabably wouldn't have kept pushing for the true church, which I found in Orthodoxy. I also came to terms that good things can be found amongst certain people, I still apperciate many Protestants respect and reverence for Holy Scripture, no matter how flawed tbey interpert scripture. Anyways yea I can understand the bitterness and resentment, but I look at it like if I didn't go through these heterodox traditions then Orthodoxy wouldn't have been on the radar.

 

[civilwarbuff]

TBN/GODTV channels if you pay close attention, and the fact they fleech there folks angered me for years.

You and I walk hand in hand on that...but we really are not all a bunch of money grubbers...

 

[prodromos]

Heaven on earth.

It is a monastery which is known for miracle working monks and holy men.

Actually it is 20 monasteries with all the associated sketes and cells plus a number of hermit monks living alone, all located on one of the three peninsulas of Halkidiki in Northern Greece.

http://www.mountathosinfos.gr/pages/agionoros/mountathos.en.html

 

[All4Christ]

As always....I wish we girls could experience it! Oh well.

 

[GregConstantine]

I've been to Mt Athos, and it was an incredible experience. Ultimately though, they life the monks are living on Mt Athos is the same life that is being led at any good Orthodox monastery. So, I'm sure that whenever we visit any monastery, men or women, we get the same blessings as if we went to Mt Athos.

So no worries if one cannot physically go to Mt Athos for any reasons.

 

[E.C.]

I once met a man who preferred to visit monasteries here in America over those at Mount Athos.

 

[All4Christ]

I've been to Mt Athos, and it was an incredible experience. Ultimately though, they life the monks are living on Mt Athos is the same life that is being led at any good Orthodox monastery. So, I'm sure that whenever we visit any monastery, men or women, we get the same blessings as if we went to Mt Athos.

So no worries if one cannot physically go to Mt Athos for any reasons.

I appreciate that, and I am thankful that we can go to other monasteries. I know that God won't penalize women from being blessed just because we can't go to Mt Athos. I haven't had a chance to go to more than one monastery (which was a wonderful experience - very healing), and I have a list of them I hope to go to soon!

That said, it begs the question - why would anyone choose to go overseas on a pilgrimage to Greece when there are plenty of monasteries relatively nearby if there is nothing significantly different about the experience?

I once met a man who preferred to visit monasteries here in America over those at Mount Athos.

Did he ever say why? Just curious.

 

[GregConstantine]

I appreciate that, and I am thankful that we can go to other monasteries. I know that God won't penalize women from being blessed just because we can't go to Mt Athos. I haven't had a chance to go to more than one monastery (which was a wonderful experience - very healing), and I have a list of them I hope to go to soon!

That said, it begs the question - why would anyone choose to go overseas on a pilgrimage to Greece when there are plenty of monasteries relatively nearby if there is nothing significantly different about the experience?



Did he ever say why? Just curious.

Well, this is a tread about hyperdoxy, so the answer to that question has a lot to do with the hyperdox's attitude towards monasticism in general.

 

[All4Christ]

You and I walk hand in hand on that...but we really are not all a bunch of money grubbers...

I'll back you up on this one I could never say that about my family, and I don't think I was that way when I was an Evangelical either! That said, I really don't like those TV evangelists. There also are some mega churches that take advantage of people (money wise) as well. Granted, it's not all of them! However, I have been at some personally, and it is a sad thing to see.

 

[All4Christ]

Well, this is a tread about hyperdoxy, so the answer to that question has a lot to do with the hyperdox's attitude towards monasticism in general.

I'm still new to the monasticism thing in general, so I'd be happy to hear what you mean. I hear so much about Mt Athos and how wonderful it is. It seems to be considered an important pilgrimage for men. Many seminarians and priests I know have gone there. Is that a hyperdox attitude, in your opinion? Is wishing that I could go something you consider to be a hyperdox attitude?