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A few months ago I was contacted by an old friend from the 1960s. I knew him aboard the Aircraft Carrier USS Independence. We were in the same small intelligence center.He was a very good guy, clean cut and conscientious. He was from Erie PA, and moved to Florida years ago. Coincidence would have it the same town we had bought in two years ago. I met him today. He had told me he was a 'protodeacon' in the Church. I mentioned it here a few months ago.Well today I met with him and we had a great time. He reads my 'Shipslog' and informed me he was not Roman Catholic, but a Deacon in the Orthodox church. He gave me the Reader's digest Version of the Orthodox Church of America. They claim to be the oldest Christian Church, second in size only to the Roman Catholic Church. We visited for 3-4 hours and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I may visit their church one day, but he says they have no pews. He jokingly said, 'pews are not biblical', so we don't have any. I asked about the volume of the music. WE sing with no instruments so you hear only voices. I was remembering back to Athens Greece when I visited a Greek Orthodox Church with the Ships Chaplain, there was no organ and the choir was hidden. But at the time I thought it was a formal Protestant Church.Anyway I just wanted to post, I finally met a Protodeacon and I like him. I was amazed as we talked he too had experienced a period of questioning his belief in God during the same period that I was.It was good reliving shipboard life and the same shipmates. Life is good and God is GREAT! Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/

Question for the Protodeacon

One of my best, lifelong, childhood friends converted to Eastern Orthodoxy from lukewarm CoG many years ago. He and I have had many interesting discussions over the years. While I find a lot I can agree with in Orthodoxy, and while they have beautiful sanctuaries, and while they are arguably quite a bit better than Roman Catholics in my estimation, I could not agree with their essentially sacramentalist approach to Christianity (which they hold to in virtually the same way as the RCC does). I very much agree with Orthodoxy’s non-Augustinian view of mankind, and of their view of the atonement and demonology.

It can argued that the RCC/Orthodox is the oldest institutionalized Christian entity. But we must remember it was man who institutionalized it and not God. True Christianity always has and always will transcend any manmade institution, though the true church can be found within institutions

The Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church split about 1000 AD over issues like the pope's authority and power over certain lands, and the fact that the western church had added that the Spirit proceeded 'and from the Son'-- as in proceeded from the Father and from the Son to the Nicene Creed without agreement in a church council. The added part to the creed is called the filioque.If I understand the Eastern Orthodox position right, they think this is important because they take that part of the creed to be about the existence of the Spirit being dependent on the Father. The existence of the Word and the Spirit are seen to be dependent on the Father, and they eminate from the Father. That's my understanding of their understanding, not their own words. They reject the pseudo-Athanasian creed.One thing I like about Greek Orthodoxy from how they heard is how they choose their elders/priests. I hear the congregation puts forward the man they believe best reflects Christ. Before the bishop ordains him, the congregation says in Greek, He is worthy. If anyone says He is not worthy, the bishop(s?) have to investigate. This resembles how the seven, who may have been deacons, were ordained. It also follows the Biblical pattern of elders/priests being ordained from within the congregation like we see in Paul's writings. Their priests/elders can be married, too. But if I am not mistaken they have to stay celibate to remain in the priesthood (and might be required to stay celibat and expected to remain in the priesthood, but I am not sure) if the wife dies. But they have an elder/bishop distinction that I cannot see in scripture, and their bishops have to be celibate, so I do not agree with that.I heard some of the liturgy in English, and much of it is good stuff, IMO, lots of prayers sung or chanted. But they do start chanting to Mary after they get into it for a while. Roman Catholic calls Mary the 'Mother of God.' Orthodox use the Greek 'theotokos'-- the one who bore God. The RCC translated that in a rather shocking way, IMO.I heard Francis Shaeffer's son Franky converted to Greek Orthodoxy and was advocating for them to be more active against abortion. I had read that there were some problems with Eastern Orthodox over who is the bishop of what between the OCA and the Russian Orthodox. I am not sure if there is something considered a schism or if it is unresolved or resolved by now. If you believe in more or less one bishop per city and you have immigrant communities and native groups growing it could be an issue

Thanks to evey one for the comments. Of course like JD I am of course not about to jump ship, but I found it interesting how it all came about to him. Our reacquainting is strictly personal because we were shipmates and the only connection with 'religion' in common was one visit to a foreign service and volunteering for working parties at many different denominational missions and orphanages at ports we visited. (The volunteer work kept us out of trouble and bars. ).These comments here are 'good stuff' and useful information. I must admit to being VERY IGNORANT of what is called the Orthodox Church.I asked him what he is called or his title, he smiled and said, Father, Deacon, ProtoDeacon, but mostly 'Hey You!' Funny to me His name is Malanowski, but I always knew him as Ski. He was born Frank, but the name wasn't Christian enough (for the church) so he, officially, changed it to Michael. That confused me a little. LOLBTW he will spend time with his son this week. Son is a Monk and is only allowed out of the Monastary for a week and it must be with his family. The Monks can eat no red meat and very little fish. He said they are basically Vegetarians.One last thing. I did ask if the Priest could be married. He said if they are married at the time of ordination, they can stay married. If the wife dies he is not allowed to remarry. And if ordained single they are never allowed to marry. Really all this stuff is interesting to me Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/