Question for all "Traditional Orthodox Church Attendees

Timotheos · Post by **Timotheos** » Tue 10 February 2004 10:27 pm

Greetings to all in Christ,

As far as understanding Slavonic, I have not had much of a problem understanding Slavonic, and I do speak a bit of Russian, which I have taught myself through various methods. I don't find that it is too hard to understand whatsoever. English is my native language, and the only one that I speak fluently. By the way, I am a convert to Holy Orthodoxy and am of a traditional mindset, which is why I have joined this message board. I am twenty-one years old, and single. I live with my parents, who are lapset heterodox and not believers. My dad is one of the "do good and treat people good, and you go to heaven" type, and my mother cannot even stand to talk of church. Still, they have not been too hard on me as I embraced Holy Orthodoxy, but they do sometimes criticize (out of lack of understanding) the fasting practices, the many prayers and signs of the cross, etc. They only know some about my inner spiritual life, which I pray, is one which is conducive to salvation. I wish to greet all my fellow true Orthodox Christians heartily in Christ, as well!

Joe Zollars · Post by **Joe Zollars** » Tue 10 February 2004 11:11 pm

greetings and welcome to the forum Timotheos!

Nicholas Zollars

Tessa · Post by **Tessa** » Wed 11 February 2004 9:17 pm

Hi Timotheos!!!

Thank you for your response and thank you for understanding Slavonic. I am also 21, but married w/ kids. I am a cradle Orthodox who did not really grow up in the Church so I feel like a convert at times too. Don't worry about being picked on, even my Orthodox relatives make fun of me. They say I am too fanatical, when really I am just TRYING to be Orthodox. Sometimes it bothers me but I try to remember it's an honor to be ridiculed for the sake of Christ. Anyway I am self taught Serbian speaker, and in church, I love the Slavonic liturgy. What church do you go to in PA? My grandpa was a priest in Younhstown, OH.

In Christ
Tessa

Timotheos · Post by **Timotheos** » Wed 11 February 2004 9:48 pm

I attend a medium-sized church made up of mostly Slavs (Russians and Ukrainians), but some converts from various ethnic backgrounds. There is also two Greek parishes, two Serbian parishes, a very small Macedonian parish, an a multi-ethnic OCA parish within forty minutes or so from me, but none in the town where I live itself. My parish is about twenty minutes from my home in an area where many Slavs have settled, including some recent immigrants from the former Soviet Union. In my town there are mostly Anglo-Saxon, German, and Italian people, with some Asians and Middle Easterners.

EDIT (added): I should also mention that my parish has services in mostly English, but almost always there is some Slavonic, even if it is just for a brief part of the Liturgy.

Giorgos · Post by **Giorgos** » Thu 12 February 2004 12:25 am

+

Dear Brothers,
In my original Greek parish, there are, liturgies in Greek, in Spanish or half and half, depending of priests. We use a good traduction. In my actual parish, ROCOR, there are one monthly Liturgy in Spanish, and the Offices are fifty fifty in Slavon and Spanish. The Sunday Liturgies are in 33% Greek, 33% Spanish and 33% Slavonic. I am SURE, because I know, that this is the most missional orthodox parish in Argentina. :arrow: From the parishioners of this particular parish there are more than a dozen orthodox priests.
I beg your prayers,
Giorgos

ania · Post by **ania** » Wed 18 February 2004 1:22 pm

Sad to say, a lot of Russian speakers, especially the younger generation, don't quite get Church Slavonic (I'm one of them!). I know the services pretty much by heart, as I've been going since mother's womb, and sing in the choir. What the non-Slavonic speakers might be saying is that we don't understand 100% of the service 100% of the time. That's what questions to the priests & them English prayer books are for. There are prayers I've been saying since childhood that I only started understanding much later, as I would say them with all the best intentions, but on a sort of auto-pilot, and only started thinking of their meaning much later. When I get confused, as I sometimes do, I pick up an English prayer book, look up that part of the service, and it becomes clear. If not, I go to a priest and ask. That's what part of their job is, explaining our faith to us.
I go to a church (ROCOR) where there is, every weekend, a service first in English, and then after that in Slavonic, both vigil & liturgy. It works out rather well, and we're lucky, as we have 3 resident priests that rotate. When there is only 1 service, as on Easter, Christmas, and other big feasts, the service is about 90% Slavonic, 10% English. I know other parishes aren't that lucky.
Anyone who doesn't understand the service, pick up a prayerbook in your native language, read it, and you'll get a lot more, even if you go to a parish where the priest uses Greek, Slavonic, whatever... just a thought.