What have you all been up to? Let’s Revive TAW. Our forum is dead as a door nail!

[gurneyhalleck1]

For corn sakes, people! This subforum used to be vibrant and helpful, alive, useful. Now it’s about as lively as a Democrat fundraiser!

So what have yall been up to? Let’s talk, darn it!

 

[ArmyMatt]

been doing the same old stuff. Army chaplain stuff, Lord of the Rings reading, watching Seinfeld, yadda

 

[jas3]

I've been trying to reduce my usage of social media and online entertainment during Lent as my priest has advised in a couple of his homilies. I assume others are doing a better job at staying offline during this season.

I've just been continuing through catechesis with my priest, as well as getting more involved in the parish community. I've had several insightful conversations with my priest over the past few months and now feel certain about our decision as a family to convert to Orthodoxy. Our parish continues to get new visitors and catechumens; the catechumen class has grown from 3 just before we joined to almost 20 now.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

been doing the same old stuff. Army chaplain stuff, Lord of the Rings reading, watching Seinfeld, yadda

Interning at Kramerica? Doing accounting at Vandaley Industries? Going to see the bayyyybbbbyyy?

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

I've been trying to reduce my usage of social media and online entertainment during Lent as my priest has advised in a couple of his homilies. I assume others are doing a better job at staying offline during this season.

I've just been continuing through catechesis with my priest, as well as getting more involved in the parish community. I've had several insightful conversations with my priest over the past few months and now feel certain about our decision as a family to convert to Orthodoxy. Our parish continues to get new visitors and catechumens; the catechumen class has grown from 3 just before we joined to almost 20 now.

I agree generally with that, but I think Orthodox stuff online is fine….at least for me.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Interning at Kramerica? Doing accounting at Vandaley Industries? Going to see the bayyyybbbbyyy?

celebrating Festivus, getting ready for the Newmanium, biking with HE Pennypacker

 

[All4Christ]

Lurking here most days.

Outside of that, I’m dealing with life.

Positive side: Spring is here! We have an amazing number of catechumens at church. Personal health has generally been good.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Lurking here most days.

Outside of that, I’m dealing with life.

Positive side: Spring is here! We have an amazing number of catechumens at church. Personal health has generally been good.

We gave 15 catechumens right now. We’re adding around 30-40 folks per year. It’s been a total explosion of young people, children, teens, diverse racial backgrounds, etc. Very special time in the Church we’re witnessing….

 

[Lukaris]

Just doin my warehouse day job, janitor stuff at the parish, choir etc. I need to attend more pre sanctified liturgies but my work style is changing as I get older. The standard 40 day job is the same but I can’t get as much done on with the janitor work in a day. I am going usually 7 days with an odd leisurely twist to the janitorial tasks. I get my daily walks of an hour or more between tasks which I use often for prayer as I walk. On Saturday I usually clean, go out for lunch & a walk & return for vespers ( sometimes having to chant). I don’t mind it, getting older & would probably fully enjoy this if I was at least semi retired.

 

[ArmyMatt]

We gave 15 catechumens right now. We’re adding around 30-40 folks per year. It’s been a total explosion of young people, children, teens, diverse racial backgrounds, etc. Very special time in the Church we’re witnessing….

I am preparing to receive 13 this Pascha and will enroll a new one on Sunday.

 

[E.C.]

Dealing with life

After years of hearing it from different people, I may actually write a book. August 2026 will be twenty years of being Orthodox. Between that and settling into civilian life after the Navy, I've been reevaluating some of my life choices. In some ways, I have had some rather unique experiences that I think are worth sharing. I think I also have a unique perspective on American Orthodoxy from my travels that may with worth sharing as well. But, it will not be the typical rose-colored literature found from Orthodox publishers. Rather, it would be an honest assessment with some healthy criticisms.

Oh, and dating in your thirties is just awful.

 

[The Liturgist]

For corn sakes, people! This subforum used to be vibrant and helpful, alive, useful. Now it’s about as lively as a Democrat fundraiser!

So what have yall been up to? Let’s talk, darn it!

Well, I’ve been comparing the version of the Octoechos, Pentecostarion, Menaion and Triodion from St. Sergius Russian Orthodox Church, which is unfortunately part of an Old Calendarist entity, but which publishes a broad selection of propers for free online, with the versions I have.

And my Pentecostarion is from St. John of Kronstadt Press, and were I in the market for a monthly menaion I would be buying theirs as well, and alas, they are also owned by an Old Calendarist, or at least he was, a member of ROCA-A, and of course many people use liturgical books from Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Brookline, MA, but I try to avoid them because I find the notation optimized for Byzantine Chant makes them harder to read.

Separately I’ve finally had time to read the Presanctified Liturgy of St. James, from the Sluzhbenik for that liturgy published by Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanvillle, which is also home to the main ROCOR seminary in the US. I’ve never been there, but I would love to visit that monastery, and that of Abbot Tryphon on Vashon Island, and the OCA monastery of St. Tikhon. But first I want to go back to St. Anthony’s.

 

[The Liturgist]

We gave 15 catechumens right now. We’re adding around 30-40 folks per year. It’s been a total explosion of young people, children, teens, diverse racial backgrounds, etc. Very special time in the Church we’re witnessing….

I’m just glad I got in before the rush.

 

[The Liturgist]

Just doin my warehouse day job, janitor stuff at the parish, choir etc. I need to attend more pre sanctified liturgies but my work style is changing as I get older. The standard 40 day job is the same but I can’t get as much done on with the janitor work in a day. I am going usually 7 days with an odd leisurely twist to the janitorial tasks. I get my daily walks of an hour or more between tasks which I use often for prayer as I walk. On Saturday I usually clean, go out for lunch & a walk & return for vespers ( sometimes having to chant). I don’t mind it, getting older & would probably fully enjoy this if I was at least semi retired.

I am hoping to attend the presanctified liturgy tonight. I’ve had an illness for the past two weeks which has interfered with my Lent. Please pray that I’m able to do it, since if not i’ll have to wait until the sixth week, as there is no presanctified liturgy on Friday.

 

[The Liturgist]

Interning at Kramerica? Doing accounting at Vandaley Industries? Going to see the bayyyybbbbyyy?

Apparnetly lots of people have decided to follow in George Costanza’s footsteps in the episode The Conversion, only actually going through with it.

That episode annoyed me by the way, aside from the absurdity of us having a test for prospective converts and of giving people ten volumes of theological books, the supposed Latvian Orthodox priest was wearing a Gothic chasuble and a Jewish cantor’s cap disguised as a Klobuk.

And furthermore, the other problem there is there actually is a Latvian Orthodox Church.

 

[RileyG]

Posting in fellowship! I’m here!

 

[jas3]

An update to my post, I considered including that I had heard from another member of my parish that our priest was going to baptize us soon, but decided to wait until I heard from him directly. This Sunday he let us know himself that he plans to baptize us on Pentecost!

 

[ArmyMatt]

An update to my post, I considered including that I had heard from another member of my parish that our priest was going to baptize us soon, but decided to wait until I heard from him directly. This Sunday he let us know himself that he plans to baptize us on Pentecost!

praise God!

 

[E.C.]

Separately I’ve finally had time to read the Presanctified Liturgy of St. James, from the Sluzhbenik for that liturgy published by Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanvillle, which is also home to the main ROCOR seminary in the US. I’ve never been there, but I would love to visit that monastery, and that of Abbot Tryphon on Vashon Island, and the OCA monastery of St. Tikhon. But first I want to go back to St. Anthony’s.

St Tikhon's is really nice! I plan on going sometime after Pascha and before their Memorial Day Pilgrimage. I haven't been to Jordanville, but I've heard good things.

I can't recommend Vashon Island unless you're ready to hear Abbot Tryphon regale you with how Putin is the savior of the world and Ukrainians don't exist as a people who deserve to be invaded for defying Holy Russia. Oh, and if you don't subscribe to the Russian World ideology than you're a "woke" person who doesn't love Christ and hates the Church. He drunk the Russian Kool-Aid, hook, line, and, sinker. It is really sad because I used to visit Vashon regularly when I still lived in the Pacific Northwest.

 

[The Liturgist]

praise God!

Indeed, I am very excited for @jas3