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LIFE?
These questions come to my mind very often as they probably do to many people. Why did God create us? What is our purpose? If we are to seek God first then why are we so engulfed in the world and being successful in it? Should we rather devote our lives to Christ and forget about work and all other things that occupy our lives, or is this too extreme? I ask this because recently school and work have been keeping me away from church. Thank You and Pray for me.
God Bless.
God Bless.
Comments
"You as a lover of mankind have created me a human, You have no need of my servitude, but rather I have need of your Lordship because of the mulititude of your tender mercies you have brought me to exsistance when I was not"
So
The reason we were created was because he loved us enough to bring us into creation to give us life, allow us to be free humans.
We are engulfed in the world because of our free will. He provided us everything we need, now all we need to do is make the right choices concerning our lives.
We should devout our lives to God, but this doesnt mean becoming monks, we can be devouted living in this world, by doing what Christianity really stands for. We should fast, confess and repent, participate in the Holy Mysteries, and do good deeds.
As for school, im exaclty like you, and God doesnt want us to ignore school/work but instead he said "Give Caeser what is his" so we should give school/work all that it needs and nothing more, that way we can truly devout ourselves to him.
School, work, and sometimes other worldly business take us away from the church. We need to ask ourselves though: is that time of being busy doing any thing of these worth it? Will God be content that I am doing it? Or not? Simply, finding a balance is wonderful, but at revision days before exams we can't find a balance; that is ok, as long as we do our work honestly. Working and succeeding is part of devoting our lives and acting as representatives to Christ. BUT, if we just waste our time, or pass it by doing nothing, just out of not finding the right balance, then surely it should be worth going to church more often. I am talking about situations like after exams when we feel ourselves too idle, or disinterested, as these are not good excuses anyway.
Bottomline: As long as we are working for God, we should try to find a balance, and if not, let our consience not prick us a lot.
God bless you and pray for us a lot
Biscutt, Why an Orthodox should read a book by a heretic to know the plan of God!!
Unworthy1 asked!!!!!!
1 + The Truth had been revealed to the Apostles and they handed to the Holy Apostolic Church. The author mentioned has no place among the Holy Father of the Church, as Chrysostom, Cyril the Pillar of faith,…...
2 + The writer that was mentioned will never be able to provide a sound understanding pertaining the plane of God, the essence of Christian life, because he lacks it completely and has no access to it.
3 + This is an Orthodox web site and the people who access it presumably want to know the opinion of the Church along its 2000 years on these matter.
Just because a person is not Orthodox does not mean that he will always fail to produce something useful. This specific book, What on Earth am I Here For, has been recommended by my Father of Confession to all of his spiritual daughters and sons. We do not care who the writer is, we care of what he has written. Furthermore, we, as Orthodox Christians, should be able to read something, whatever it may be, and have the ability to take from it what we need and leave what we do not.
Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D ;D
In Christ,
Anglian
1) Regarding the purpose in life, this is a question that many of the Early Church Fathers answered and their writing are still there for us to lead us on the way. The simplest answer is that God has created us out of His love for us to live with Him and enjoy the company of his loving glory. From the monasitic tradition we learn that a balanced healthy Christian life combines work with worship. The main thing is that everything we do, be it study, work, or even socialising, should be for the glory of God.
2) Regarding which books we can read and which we can't, I think the answe really depends on how confident we are in our sense of spiritual discernment which is essential. Of course, the safer option is to read only books by authors recognised by the Church. However, there are some great writings by authors who are not Orthodox or even labelled as heretics. The Church recognises that when She continues to refer to the writings of some of the early Christian writers who fell in some heresies, for example, Tertullian, Origen of Alexandria amongst others.
Hope this helps
Ari pa mevi
It is very helpful.
Of course it was only some of Origen's writings and ideas that were condemned, not the great teacher himself. He was so far ahead of the rest of us that even today we are finding things in his writings which challenge our understanding.
For those who cannot cope with such writers, it is wise to avoid them; for those of us who think we can, a little humility never goes astray!
In Christ,
Anglian
Dear His Servant and Biscutt,
1 + The Truth had been revealed to the Apostles and they handed to the Holy Apostolic Church. The author mentioned has no place among the Holy Father of the Church, as Chrysostom, Cyril the Pillar of faith,…...
2 + The writer that was mentioned will never be able to provide a sound understanding pertaining the plane of God, the essence of Christian life, because he lacks it completely and has no access to it.
3 + This is an Orthodox web site and the people who access it presumably want to know the opinion of the Church along its 2000 years on these matter.
I didn't buy the book. A priest gave it to me!!!!
Dear His Servant and Biscutt,
1 + The Truth had been revealed to the Apostles and they handed to the Holy Apostolic Church. The author mentioned has no place among the Holy Father of the Church, as Chrysostom, Cyril the Pillar of faith,…...
2 + The writer that was mentioned will never be able to provide a sound understanding pertaining the plane of God, the essence of Christian life, because he lacks it completely and has no access to it.
3 + This is an Orthodox web site and the people who access it presumably want to know the opinion of the Church along its 2000 years on these matter.
If we were to call everything that wasn't orthodox heretical we would be heretics ourselves. Again I am stating this.
1. yes you are right BUT, neither does Fr. Tadros Malaty, but he is orthodox so fine, what about all those publishers of Bibles. Should we stop using their Bibles because the do not include the Deutrocanonical books? Should we stop reading in general because they are not orthodox? Charles Swindel is an excellent writer who is NOT orthodox, yet he writes amazing Christian books. I think that in general a lot of people are stubborn and wont except anything that doesn't have the label of
"Made in Egypt" and on the first page H.H Pope Shenouda III. When it comes to church law and canons and rites. Be as strict as possible. But we must accept some things that are beneficial. If we continue with this stubborn attitude in all that we do than there is no possible way that anyone can benefit. Reading books that come from a Christian heart are better than some of the other things we read.
Clearly those who come here expect, and I hope get, an Oriental Orthodox view; those who want Catholic, Protestant or Eastern orthodox views have many other sites (and indeed, many more sites).
That said, we would all be much the poorer without the contributions of our brother Orthodox 11, as we would without many of the insights of the Eastern Orthodox Church; so much so that talks between our two Churches have recognised that what divided us back at Chalcedon should no longer do so.
We do, however, need to recognise that there is a difference between Orthodox and non-Orthodox theologians and writers. We should also recognise, that especially in Egypt, there is considerable pressure from Protestant missionaries to 'convert' - and by that they don't mean Muslims! In this situation it is wise for Orthodox to beware of such attempts at 'conversion' and to be aware that one of the ways into such things is to encourage our people to read non-Orthodox books.
As we have seen many times on this forum, our people do not always have the know-how to deal with the ways in which Protestant theologians, insisting on 'Biblical proofs' seek to 'convert' them.
So, due care and attention is needful - and we must try to ensure that the wind is tempered to the shorn lamb if necessary.
In Christ,
Anglian
I wonder whether there is not a way of reconciling the two views here?
Clearly those who come here expect, and I hope get, an Oriental Orthodox view; those who want Catholic, Protestant or Eastern orthodox views have many other sites (and indeed, many more sites).
That said, we would all be much the poorer without the contributions of our brother Orthodox 11, as we would without many of the insights of the Eastern Orthodox Church; so much so that talks between our two Churches have recognised that what divided us back at Chalcedon should no longer do so.
We do, however, need to recognise that there is a difference between Orthodox and non-Orthodox theologians and writers. We should also recognise, that especially in Egypt, there is considerable pressure from Protestant missionaries to 'convert' - and by that they don't mean Muslims! In this situation it is wise for Orthodox to beware of such attempts at 'conversion' and to be aware that one of the ways into such things is to encourage our people to read non-Orthodox books.
As we have seen many times on this forum, our people do not always have the know-how to deal with the ways in which Protestant theologians, insisting on 'Biblical proofs' seek to 'convert' them.
So, due care and attention is needful - and we must try to ensure that the wind is tempered to the shorn lamb if necessary.
In Christ,
Anglian
but there is a difference between CONVERTING and A BOOK. If the book is trying to persuade you to join the protestant church then dont read it. but in this case and many others it is not. My friends we need to use the judgment God has given us. But there are some things that are just completely ridiculous. How do you know this author is not orthodox? because of his name? skin color? how? how do you know what he wrote isn't something that goes exactly with what we believe in. how do you know all this? the only way to find out is reading. if you have a question about something look it up. ask someone. there are tons of people here on Tasbeha.org come one people. lets not judge books as heretical because the author is not orthodox. would that make every book heretical? please, before we judge something, lets read it first.
That is why there was such a fuss over the perfectly nonsensical fictional work, the Da Vinci code. Although a novel (and not a good one) it was written in such a way as to mislead people, and it contained just enough true material to be a cover for the large amount of anti-Christian rubbish in it. So that is one sort of book , and one quite common now.
The other type of book best avoided are those by Evangelical Protestant or by non-Christians such as the Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses (they're lucky Jehovah doesn't sue them for misrepresentation). These pick up particular Biblical verses, take them out of context, and then try to weaken the faith of those who are less sure of what they have been taught than others.
On the other side of the coin, there are books by Catholics, such as Pope Benedict XVI's Jesus of Nazareth which can be profitably read by Orthodox because it is very orthodox in its presentation and its theology, and very many books by Eastern Orthodox, such as Metropolitan Kallistos' The Orthodox Way which are edifying for us to read.
Fortunately we belong to a Church which itself produces many great works for us to read, and those by His Holiness the Pope are available to us all. And, if I might say so, this site and other Coptic sites also provide great reading.
Bless us all,
In Christ,
Anglian