[alexosnasos2]

This morning I walked into the my university's coffee shop. While I was ordering my muffin the person behind the counter noticed my necklace, which is the St. Andrew Cross. She asked me "So, is that necklace Catholoc or Pentecostal?" (Where she got Pentecostal from IDK). So I respond saying that it is the "Orthodox Cross." She kind of looked at me funny so I further said Orthodox "Christianity" and she says in response, "Is this something new?" I was shocked that she had never heard of Orthodox Christianity. I went on to bait her with "Have you heard of Greek Orthodox or Russian Orthodox." Still nothing! She asked if it was a "branch of some denomination like the baptists, methodists..." And I told her no, that we don't consider ourselves to be another denomination but the Church founded by Christ and the Apostles. She responds back, "Oh so your 'orthdox' Catholics, like orthodox Jews." At this point I was just like how do I make her see the difference. So I tell her no we are Christians who follow the Orthodox way and told her what "orthodox" meant. She finally says that she was raised Catholic (perfect place to start to get her to understand). I told her that Orthodox Christians and Catholics used to be a unified Church body until they split up; she thought this was the Luther Reformation, and told her no that it goes back further than that but didn't go into detail about it. So I got to explain how we are the original Church that has kept the Faith and Traditions of the Apostles and Church Fathers to this day. I gave an example of our Liturgy and how it hasn't been changed in so many "years" She really responded to that and said, "i like that. how you say you keep to the original teachings. I find that fascinating." I tried to talk more to her but another customer walked up so I had move out of the way but before I did she said hold on and told me to tell her one more time what "it" was called again. I told her to search Orthodox Christianity and she wrote it down on a piece of paper and said that she's going to "look more into this." This made me smile. I got to briefly spread the Orthodox Church over a muffin counter. I plan on going back on Monday to see if she read up on anything. This was my first time to talk to a complete stranger about the Orthodox Church. It felt really good.

[triarmarm]

The newness of tradition has always enthralled me.

[brraverishhh]

She responds back, "Oh so your 'orthdox' Catholics, like orthodox Jews."

Actually, I quite like this. She is more correct than perhaps even she realizes. If it were me, I would have taken that and run with it...

Herman

[Evoncalabbalo]

Herman,

Yes, but I didn't want her thinking that we are a branch of Christianity, like there is Orthodox Jews, Reform Jews, etc...

[spounnypneups]

I'm wanting to take her some literature but since we work at a University I might get in trouble.

[RarensussyRen]

"Orthodox Jews" do not consider themselves to be a "branch" of Judaism either but that is how "we" tend to see them so... there ya go. To a Protestant, or to a non-Christian, we ARE just another "flavor" of Christianity, regardless of how we see ourselves.

But "Orthodox Catholic" is a very good term, "right worshiping AND universal" is indeed an accurate description and often used to describe who we are "... One Holy CATHOLIC and Apostolic Church ..." If we liken the "Novus Ordo" to "reformed Jews" when we can certainly call ourselves the "Orthodox" Catholics as opposed to the Vatican II "reformed" Catholics...

Man I could riff on this theme for hours.... but I will spare one and all and quit playing now.

Herman the extemporising Pooh

[duceswild]

Herman,

Should I have approached it differently?

[Alkanyadela]

Hard to say. I can only relate as to how I might respond, but that is just me and I don't often get it right either. I don't know any more than what you have shared here, I don't know the environment, how she responded in "body language" or what else might have been said, so it is really not my place to say you could have done it "better". I was not critiquing you but merely pointing out something that struck me. Sometimes a shift of perspective can be helpful, and might provide a fruitful approach in future encounters.

Or not. Your mileage may vary.

Herman the heavily caveated Pooh

[Ephejvll]

Glory to God!

Great story. In my (admittedly quite limited as an Orthodox, but very extensive as a secular-minded person wary of "religious people") experience, I wouldn't bombard her with literature right off the bat. Ask her next time you see her what she found. Let her talk. And pray that the Spirit may grant you discernment and give you the mind of Christ.

Such is my humble opinion.

In Christ,
Evan

[priceyicey]

Jason I think your response was just about right. You gave her enough for her to be curious, but not so much as to be a turn off. Hopefully she'll be on the Internet searching for Orthodox Christianity and learning more and more.

[wgX44EEn]

Yes, well done Jason. Test the waters when re-approaching her. I would not worry about the university. They cannot stop two people from talking or sharing ideas. I mean that is what you are paying them a huge amount of money to allow you to do right?

I also had no idea what Orthodoxy was nor had I even heard the term before my wife introduced it to me. Not surprising the rest of the country has not either especially on a liberal university campus who want God dead anyway.

Paul

[97dYA9L3]

Jason,
While speaking with a person about Orthodox Church say in your mind, Dear God please put in my mouth your words and help this person come to the way you consider right. Also please force this person to salvation and show her the truth.

[intisgunkas]

I've been thinking about this post for a while now and wonder if as a community we can brainstorm some ideas on how to evangelize the heterodox. Any idea is welcome and any references to literature would be a good place to start. How would you explain the Orthodox Church to someone who has no clue about it.

[6ZCo3xuK]

Honestly Jason, I know it's overused but one of the attractions for me that drew me to Orthodoxy was the lack of "Protestant-style" evangelism. "Acquire a peaceful spirit, and around you thousands will be saved." Yes?

I'm in fact unnerved by some of those who would desire to look like what they once were as if that I would entice people to be different.

[Anakattawl]

I've been thinking about this post for a while now and wonder if as a community we can brainstorm some ideas on how to evangelize the heterodox. Any idea is welcome and any references to literature would be a good place to start.

St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church in the Dallas TX area has an interesting article entitled Eastern Orthodox Christian Evangelism is different. The blog "Orthodixie" has a nice post titled How Do Orthodox Christians EVANGELIZE? (I don't think it had that many ideas, but it does have some funny stories :-).

Interestingly, searching online for "eastern orthodox evangelism" tends to bring up more resources for Protestants trying to evangelize among the Eastern Orthodox, than it does resources for Eastern Orthodox who want to evangelize. Which, given the respective approaches to evangelism, isn't really surprising.

I admit that, after running across the document "Witnessing to People of Eastern Orthodox Background: Turning Barriers of Belief into Bridges to Personal Faith" (a doctoral project approved by Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary), I'm very tempted to work through it and create a document of the same format and tone titled "Witnessing to People of Protestant Background: Turning Barriers of Belief into Bridges to Orthodox Faith", and send it to them. Not sure if they have the same taste in irony that I do, but if so, it might be instructive (assuming I didn't make a botch job of it).

In Christ,
Michael

[LeaderBiz]

I'd think Jesus sent the Apostles to evangelize the World and this was important. I do think is important to tell people about food for eternal life http://www.monachos.net/forum/showth...r-eternal-life
I think I did read that if you bring a person back into the Church many sins would be forgiven to you and many will have joy in heaven.

[sasquatch999]

So this past Tuesday I go to the dentist and the "cleaning lady" notices my St. Andrews Cross and asks about it. And of course I tell her it's a symbol of the Orthodox Church. And then she goes into the whole "what's that" So I try to briefly explain what Orthodoxy is, which is hard to do when they are pulling and picking at your teeth, but I gave her the basic of what the Orthodox Church is. She mentions that she is a Baptist and her husband is Church of Christ. She then goes on to talk about how ridiculous it is for a Church to claim it is the one True Church. I totally avoided getting into that conversation b/c how do discuss with someone about how the Orthodox Church is the only One True Church.

[pobrierce]

So this past Tuesday I go to the dentist and the "cleaning lady" notices my St. Andrews Cross and asks about it. And of course I tell her it's a symbol of the Orthodox Church. And then she goes into the whole "what's that" So I try to briefly explain what Orthodoxy is, which is hard to do when they are pulling and picking at your teeth, but I gave her the basic of what the Orthodox Church is. She mentions that she is a Baptist and her husband is Church of Christ. She then goes on to talk about how ridiculous it is for a Church to claim it is the one True Church. I totally avoided getting into that conversation b/c how do discuss with someone about how the Orthodox Church is the only One True Church.

Probably a good idea to generally avoid arguing with people who are paid to push sharp objects around in your mouth. ;-)

[Theariwinna]

LOL. Ya, and she was a Baptist!

But has anyone ever been in that situation where you publically took a stand with someone that the Orthodox Church is the one true Church?

[ballerturfali]

Jason,

Just last week I ran into a young woman with a Catholic background who knew nothing about the Orthodox Church. She told me that she was an atheist, but her inquiries struck me as sincere, so I told her a great deal. Up to and including that there is one true Church, because Christ became Incarnate, and the Church is His visible body on earth.

But I stress that I said these things because she seemed to be a "searcher." I stopped short of discussing the Filioque controversy, telling her that I could not discuss such things with a non-believer, and she accepted that and pressed on. If she had flatly and emphatically said something along the lines that there could be no such thing as "one True Church," I imagine I would have done much as you did.



In Christ,
Evan