The Prayer Letter - Part 3 - Apathy: Consequence of Church Structure

Continuation of The Prayer Letter. For part 1, click here. For part 2, click here.  

The last few things that I touched based in the letter were my thoughts on fasting, festivities, and praying. As I wrote this last part of the post, I realized that it would get pretty extensive. So, I decided to cut this part 3 short, and will later on expand on each point as a separate post.

I must confess that as a Christian, I have never fasted. Sure, I've skipped a few meals here and there. And at times, my church leaders occasionally encourage fasting. But it isn't something we practice as a congregation, something I believe that would be helpful if we did.

In my congregation, as most Protestant Christians make habit of, we celebrate Easter and Christmas to commemorate the Birth, Life, Death, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, similarly to the Orthodox. We don't, however, commemorate the deaths of the Christian martyrs on a daily basis, honoring them for having denied themselves, for having picked up their cross, and imitating them just as they imitated Christ. Paul said, "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ" (1 Cor 11:1, NIV) For a while, it seemed to me strange to honor someone I've never spoken to or seen, and much less a 'dead' person. But gradually, it started to make sense to me. If Paul calls us to imitate him as he imitated Christ, then what difference is there in imitating others (who are actually alive in Christ) who imitated Christ as well?

Like all normal people, I go about my daily living, but like all normal Christians, when do I stop to pray to God and consistently make him the focal point of my life? Which goes to the final point: prayer. In many Protestant Churches, prayer is suppose to come from the heart. Repeating other people's prayers is considered vain, and often times the words of Christ are used to resonate against such a practice: "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking." (Matthew 6:7, KJV) However, I came to the conclusion that when Christ mentioned 'heathens' he certainly wasn't talking about pious souls in search of unity with God in holiness, something I see in the Orthodox Church. Further more, another conclusion that I have come to is "What difference is there in memorizing Bible verses and memorizing the prayers of others?" We are encouraged to memorize the prayers of King David (Psalms); if the prayers of other people reflect our own emotions and needs, than why not?

When I came to the end of the prayer letter, I came upon a very sad conclusion. I don't pray like I should. I don't fast. In all honesty, I don't imitate Christ, and much less honor those who have. I don't take Holy Communion every Sunday (and haven't done so in three years since the last time I partook in it), and I don't confess my sins on a daily basis, nor am I held accountable for my sins. What fruit am I producing as a Christian?

Indeed, is this the fruit of a Christian? If I were living in the 1st century, and lived this life equivalent to one of 1st A.D., would I be considered a true Christian? We all know the answer, and it's a big NO! Of course, with this I am not saying that all Protestants are like me, or have experienced their faith as I have. But the fact that I am the daughter of a Protestant minister of more than 20 years, born and raised as a Protestant Christian, bring these questions into light, "Is apathy a consequence of the structure of a church?" "Considering that the Orthodox Christian doesn't teach Once Saved, Always Saved, what does this say in regards to my salvation?"

Exploring Christian Orthodoxy and considering to become Christian Orthodoxy? May I suggest that when you consider Christian Orthodoxy, evaluate your spiritual life in the context of Christian Orthodoxy. A Prayer Letter might do the trick...   

Intercession, Veneration, and the Theotokos

Since beginning my research on Christian Orthodoxy, it has shifted to becoming a journey. My research on the Orthodox Church from the perspective of the Oriental Orthodox Church has shifted to studying also the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Russian Orthodox Christian Church, and the Greek Orthodox Church. And quite frankly, my views on Orthodoxy are changing.

In this small lapse of time, I've come to learn that the doctrine taught in these churches of the Christian East is the same, each Church with a history of its own, but the same teaching, nevertheless. Many would contend that they don't uphold the same doctrine, due to the history of the schisms within the Orthodox Christian Church. But in the little that I have scratched from the surface, I have so far seen that the 'Church of the seven councils', regardless of its internal schisms, still 'hold fast' to what is supposedly the traditions passed down to them by the Apostles 2000 years ago.   

For the past weeks, I've spent a lot of time looking into the doctrines that as a Protestant I most have difficulty coming to terms with; namely, the intercession of the Saints, the Theotokos, and the veneration of the Saints and their relics (all three of which all Orthodox Christian Churches practice to this day!). While I still struggle with these concepts because I am fairly new to it, thanks to wonderful contacts and new made friends, I have a better understanding of these principals that so many Christians in the West (namely the Protestants) have dubbed as heretical. And I have come to the conclusion... those principals really are not heretical. They are, in fact, enriching, miraculous, and a mystery. 

In summary, I have learned: According to the Orthodox Christian Church,

• The Saints intercede for us before the Lord. I learned that intercession and mediation are two different things; the Lord Jesus Christ is INDEED our only mediator before God the Father, but that the Saints also participate still in praying for their brothers and sisters who are still on Earth. It's not wrong to ask for their prayers because as Paul has stated, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much". For the Orthodox Christian, the Saints are as righteous as righteous one can get as they are with the Lord, the Righteous One above all.  
• The perpetual virginity of the Theotokos is an extremely important aspect of the Christology taught in the Orthodox Christian Church. Through this concept I came to understand the elevated importance of purity, both physical and mental. In years prior, I always agreed with the teaching that Mary and Joseph had children after Jesus. But then the Orthodox Christian Church pointed out something, among other things, so overwhelming to me that I immediately was awed by the concept. How is it possible to even think that God after dwelling in the womb of Mary would allow Mary's body to be used by man? This concept in itself isn't an attack against holy matrimony nor the natural use of sex to procreate or enjoy intimacy with your spouse as  it is God who is the creator of life and designed these things to be so. But St Mary's perpetual virginity has a special place in the theology of the Orthodox Church; one that I so wished our Protestant Churches in the West were exposed to because of the lack of zeal for purity in today's society by the younger generation, even in the Protestant Church. Ezekiel 44:1-4 is the reference made by the Orthodox as to support the theology behind the perpetual virginity of St Mary, the Theotokos.  
• The veneration of the Saints and their relics is not idolatry. For the Orthodox Christian, veneration is not worship as worship belongs to God and God alone. Veneration equates honor. When a Saint is venerated, it means a Saint is being honored for what they have done in the name of Christ. When the Orthodox celebrate the Saint's feast, it's the day for the Saint to be honored and exalted as a Saint. For the Orthodox, to remember and celebrate the Saint is a way to inspire one to imitate the Saint because the Saint imitated Christ (which is why they are even recognized as a Saint to begin with). As the Lord Jesus Christ has stated, "Give honor to whom honor is due". And as Paul had stated, "And you should imitate me just as I imitate Christ."

Of course, there is so much more to these three concepts that I have briefly summarized, and that I need to build on. One thing that I would like to point out is that one overlapping principal that I have learned is the importance of Holy Tradition along with Holy Scripture (more on that later). The intercession of the Saints, the theological aspect the Theotokos, and the veneration of the Saints are all supported by the beam of Holy Tradition. I would have to include that not only is my view changing about Orthodoxy, but also that of Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition.

So much of my views are changing, and I am aware that they will continue to change as I continue on this 'journey' into Orthodoxy. I can't say for sure that I will become an Orthodox, but I can't say for sure that I won't. But one of the many things I can most definitely assure you, Orthodox Christianity is changing the way I see myself, the Church, and most importantly, God! And I believe it for good!

- Protestant Reverting