Ethiopia

edited December 1969 in Personal Issues
Sorry to say I have already aired this topic in another place with some interesting responses.

Late on Easter Sunday if God wills I shall fly to Ethiopia for 10 days. The family of a little girl I used to teach will meet me and direct me to the historical and religious sites there.

I am a rash person, prone to irrational acts. This act is fairly irrational. I am Russian Orthodox but have not yet visited the religious places in Russia so why am I going to Ethiopia? I am interested in the country but I feel somewhat guilty that that will be the first Orthodox country (other than Greece and Cyprus) that I ever visited.

Explanations, prayers and advise please!

Comments

  • advice:
    go to church!
    wow i would love to go to church in ethiopia.
    don't worry about communion (that u can't have it), fast anyway, worship with them and God will bless you.
  • Dear Aidan

    I pray and will pray that you have a wonderful time.

    We are often led into situations where God wishes to bless us and teach us even without our being entirely sure what those lessons are. At the very least you will be an open-hearted ambassador for your own community, and will learn much about the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church for yourself.

    God bless your preparations for this visit.

    Go with God.

    Father Peter
  • Thanks Fr Peter for your prayers and blessing and for the positive advice.

    In Christ

    Terry
  • And thank you Helen.

    It's a long way to go to attend an Ethiopian liturgy. I could stay on the bus and attend one right here in London. I spoke to an Ethiopian lady at the bus stop this morning, but conversation was limited by her knowledge of English (and mine of Amharic).

    However there are other reasons to go.

    Please pray for me
  • [quote author=mabsoota link=topic=9024.msg112479#msg112479 date=1269726834]
    advice:
    go to church!
    wow i would love to go to church in ethiopia.
    don't worry about communion (that u can't have it), fast anyway, worship with them and God will bless you.



    who said you can't have communion?
  • [quote author=mnc_hnn link=topic=9024.msg113344#msg113344 date=1271382141]
    [quote author=mabsoota link=topic=9024.msg112479#msg112479 date=1269726834]
    advice:
    go to church!
    wow i would love to go to church in ethiopia.
    don't worry about communion (that u can't have it), fast anyway, worship with them and God will bless you.



    who said you can't have communion?


    if aidan is from the russian church, the rules say he can not take communion in an Oriental orthodx church.read the first post.
  • i did read the first post, i just didn't know that there are divisions even within the orthodox church..oh well..great isn't it.

    thanks for telling me
  • There are two main divisions within the Orthodox Church. There are the Oriental Orthodox(Us as copts, ethiopians, indian orthodox, armenian etc) and Eastern Orthodox(Greek, Russian etc) The split came at the council of Chalcedon.
  • Hope you have fun! Explore, learn, and enjoy! God bless, please pray for me.
  • Thank you for all your posts. I'm back now after visiting the main centres of Christianity and receiving blessings from numerous priests as I made my way around.

    I'm hoping to have gained spiritually from the whole experience but I'm not sure if I have yet.

    I am still concerned about the lack of communion between churches calling themselves Orthodox (and Ethiopians seem intent on pointing out their orthodoxy). I have been cautioned by my priest (Russian Orthodox) about the OO Trisagion when I praised the Agpeya.

    I'm rambling. Please pray for me.
  • [quote author=aidan link=topic=9024.msg113529#msg113529 date=1271665512]

    I have been cautioned by my priest (Russian Orthodox) about the OO Trisagion when I praised the Agpeya.

    I'm rambling. Please pray for me.


    what do you mean. cautioned why?
  • My priest, who is a great one although he struggles with expressing himself in English, told me the Copts had some differences in their belief in the Holy Trinity. What I think he meant was the different Trisagion prayers which might imply some theological differences(I am not qualified to judge).

    The OO say 'Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal Who was born of a virgin (or crucified or rose from the dead) have mercy on us.'
    The EO say 'Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal have mercy on us.' x3 and that's all.

    As I said, whether the differences reveal fundamental theological differences I don't know. Father Peter, in an earlier discussion, thinks not.
  • Dear Aidan,

    I hope you are well and had a great time in Ethiopia

    The issue is entirely over whether the traisagion is a Christological or a Trinitarian hymn. Of course it can be, and always has been both. When the OO use it as a Christological hymn they add Christologically valid additions. When the EO use it as a Trinitarian hymn they do not.

    I can provide instances of strict Chalcedonians using it in a Christological manner with additions in the patristic period.

    So the issue has never been about the Trinitarian views of the OO, since the Trisagion is not addressed to the Holty Trinity but to Christ. Indeed the trisagion was first introduced in Syria where it was always a Christological hymn, and it was only as it became known in Constantinople that it was used there as a Trinitarian hymn.

    Both uses are valid of course, when there is consistency in use.

    God bless

    Father Peter
  • as an eastern orthodox Christian, u are not yet allowed to commune in an oriental orthodox (eg ethiopian) church.
    we are working on it! (or rather the bishops are)
    please pray for them and may God bless you with His peace.
    He sees your heart  :)
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