Mission as it happens

Over the past few days I have been trying to find some time to work on a couple of documents. One is the first section of the Enquirers book/course. I have managed to write about 4,000 words out of the 5,000 I want to publish. Here is the very beginning of this beginning..

How to begin an introduction? Do we start with the question – what is the Orthodox Church? Or do we ask – what is Orthodoxy? For many people the two are synonymous. Orthodoxy is what the Orthodox Church teaches and lives out. But of course much of the substance of Orthodox teaching and practice is also taught and lived out by many other Christians. Does this mean that Orthodoxy is no different from every other Christian community? Or does it mean that no other Christian community believes and lives out the Christian life? 

Neither of these extreme positions needs to be adopted. But the context in which this Orthodox teaching is lived out does make a difference, both to the spiritual ends in view and the means which are used to reach them. Many religious people fast, for instance, but why do Orthodox Christians fast? Most religious people pray, but how and why do Orthodox Christians pray? The reason why we do things makes sense of what we do. So this brief description of Orthodoxy and the Orthodox Church will not pretend that no other Christians believe and practice many of the things which Orthodox Christians believe and practice, but it will try to describe why and how the Orthodox practice might have a different meaning or value.

I have also been working on the text of a video presentation called Born Protestant, Become Orthodox. It begins with some aspects of my own life and experience, but is also going to look at the significant differences between Orthodoxy and Protestantism. I am working hard to make sure that it remains a truthful and honest account of my life and the reasons why I came to reject Protestant theology and spirituality, so that it is useful both within the context of the Orthodox Church, and to those within Protestantism, as I was, who are seeking a deeper and more fruitful experience of God.